New Englanders took their sacraments seriously. At communion services New England pastors read the warning text (I Corinthians 11:29): "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." Partaking unworthily could imperil one's soul. Many laypeople, even when urged to
become communicants by their pastors, refused to do so on the ground that they feared they might not be truly converted.19
