WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY 964 WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY
knowledged its clairns, and the king forbade its sessions undiT I'Xtreme penalties, June 22, ItUS; but it neverthe- less l)foame, if measured by the far- reaching conse- quc\ices of its work, the most iiiiportaiit synod held in the history of the Kefornied faith. The synod con- vened July 1, 1(543, in Westminster Abbey, in the pres- ence of both houses of Parliament. On the opening of the Assembly sixty-nine of the clerical members were in attendance, and at different times ninety-six of them ^vere present, though the usual attendance ranged be- tween sixty and eiglity. The great body of the mem- bers, both clerical and' lay, were Presbyterians; ten or twelve were Independents or Congregationalists ; and live or six styled themselves Erastians. Nearly or quite all were Calvinists. The purposes for which, according to the ordinance, the Assembly was convoked were, as above stated, to vindicate the doctrine of the Ciiurcli of England, and to recommend such further reformation of her (iiscii)line, liturgy, and government as might '' be agreeable to God's holy word, and most apt to procure and preserve the peace of the Church at home, and nearer agreement with the Church of Scotland and oth- er Reformed churches abroad." But when the Parlia- ment, feeling their need of Scottish aid, acceded to the S(>lemn League and Covenant, and urged the Scotch to semi their deputies to the Assembly, its objects were ex- teinlcd ; and, in order to carry out the covenanted uni- formity, it was empowered to prepare a new confession of faith and catechism, as well as directories for public worship and Church government, which might be adopt- ed by all the churches represented. It retained to the last, however, its advisory character. The Church of Scotland threw all its intlueiice in favor of strict Cal- vinism and Presbyteriaiiism. Before electing delegates to the Westminster Assembh', in compliance with the request of Parliament, it adopted, Aug. 17, 1(143, the so- called Solemn League and (Covenant [see Covf.NANT, Solemn League and], which boinid the Scottish na- tion to the defence of the Reformed religion in Scotland, the furtherance of the Reformation in England and Ire- laud in doctrine, worship. Church organization, and dis- cipline; the establishing of ecclesiastical and religious uniformity in the three reahris; the extirpation of papa- cy and prelacy, of heresy and all ungodliness ; and the support of all the rights of Parliament and of the right- ful authority of the king. This document was imme- diately transmitted to Parliament, and thence to the Westminster Assembly, and was fonnally endorsed b_v each of those bodies, but was condemned by the king. The Assembly sought to gain the fraternal sympathies of tlie Reformed churches on the Continent also, and to that end addressed to them circular letters which drew forth more or less favorable responses, and which the king endeavored to neutralize by issuing a manifesto in Latin and English, in which he denied the intention charged upon him of re-establishing the papacy in his realm.
The opening sermon was preached by Dr. William Twisse, who had been chosen |)rolocutor, and immedi- ately thereafter the Assembly was constituted in the Chapel of Henry VII. The meetings continued to be held in this chapel till after the arrival of the Scottish commissioners, and were chieHy occnpieil with the re- vision of the first tifteen of the "Articles." On Sept. 15 four Scottish ministers and two lay assessors were, by a warrant from the Parliament, admitted to seats in the Assembly, but without votes, as commissioners from the Ciuirch of Scotland. The Solemn League and Cov- enant, binding the ecclesiastical bodies of the two na- tions into a union, had been passed in Scotland, Aug. 17, was subsequently accepted by the Westminster Assem- bly, and ordered by the English Parliament to be print- ed, Sept. 21, and subscribed Sept. 25, when the House of Commons, with the Scottish commissioners and the Westminster Assembly, met in the Church of St. Mar- garet, Westminster. The House of Lords took the " Covenant" Oct. 15,
The manner of proceeding is thus described by Bail- lie, one of the Scotch commissioners: "We meet every day of the week but Saturday. . . . Ordinarily there will be present al)out threescore of their divines. These are ilividcd into three committees; in one whereof every man is a member. No man is excluded who pleases to come to any of the three. Every cominittee, as the Parliament gives order in writing to take any purpose into consideration, takes a portion, and in their after- noon meeting prepares matters for the Assembly, sets down their mind in distinct propositions with texts of Scripture. After the prayer, JNIr. Bylield, the scribe, reads the propositions and Scriptures, whereupon the Assembly debates in a most grave and orderly way. No man is called up to speak; but who stands up of his own accord, he speaks, so l(»ng as he will, without inter- ruption. . . . Tliey harangue long and learnedly. They stiiily the questions well beforehand, and prepare their speeches, but withal the men are exceedingly prompt and well-s|)oken. I do marvel at the very accurate and extemporal replies that rq^ny of them usually make."
The question of Church government occasioned the most difficulty, and seemed for a time impossible to be settled. Many of the most learned divines who were entirely on the side of Parliament were yet in favor of what they termed primitive episcopacy, or the system in which the presbyters and their president governed the churches in common. Then there were the Scotch commissioners and the more radical Puritans who were at the opposite extreme; and, in order to reach a con- clusion, these differences must be reconciled. It was accomplished after inuch discussion and long delay by the adoption of the Presbyterian form of government.