In Puritan theology, and in its implementation in 17th century Massachusetts, the local church had the power to tax all within its parish, or geographic boundaries. But only some people were covenanted members of the church, and only full members of the church who were also free, white and male had full citizenship rights.
Puritan theology was grounded in the idea of covenants, based on the theology of the covenants of God with Adam and Abraham, and then the Covenant of Redemption brought by Christ. Thus, the actual membership of the church comprised the people who joined through voluntary compacts or covenants. The elect -- those who by God's grace were saved, for the Puritans believed in salvation by grace and not works -- were those who were eligible for membership.
To know that one was among the elect required an experience of conversion, or experience of knowing that one was saved. One duty of a minister in such a congregation was to look for signs that a person wanting full membership in the church was among the saved. While good behavior didn't earn a person's entrance into heaven in this theology (that would be called by them "salvation by works"), the Puritans believed that good behavior was a result of being among the elect. Thus, being admitted to the church as a fully covenanted member usually meant that the minister and other members recognized that person as one who was pious and pure.
Church members voted on such church questions as who would be minister; all free white males of the area could vote on taxes and a minister's pay. When Salem Village's church was being organized, all males in the area were permitted votes on church questions as well as civil questions.
To find a way to integrate children of fully covenanted members into the church community, the Half-Way Covenant was adopted.
In 1700, the Salem Village church records recorded what was then necessary to be baptized as a member of the church:
- Be examined by the pastor or elders, to be "neither fundamentally ignorant nor erroneous."
- The Congregation be given notice of the proposed baptism so that they can provide testimony if "they are vicious in their lives" (vicious in its meaning as "with vice").
- Publicly consent to the church's agreed-on covenant: acknowledging Jesus Christ as savior and redeemer, the Spirit of God as sanctifier, and the discipline of the church.
- Children of the new member could also be baptized if the new member promised to "give them up to God" and educate them into the church "if God shall spare their lives."
