FAITH
765
FAITH
cree condemning the proposed assembly, annulling
beforehand all its proceedings, and prohibiting his
subjects from taking any part in it. This had the con-
sequence of keeping nearly all the Episcopalians away,
thus placing the Puritans in supreme control. The
assembly was formally opened in King Henry VII 's
chapel in the historic abbey; but since no matter for
discussion was submitted to the divines by the Parlia-
ment, and they were inhibited from taking the initia-
tive, an adjoiu-nraent was taken until the following
week, when, as its first task, the assembly was ordered
to revise the Anglican Thirty-nine Articles", "for
the purpose of simplifying, clearing, and vindicating
the doctrines therein contained". Ten weeks were
devoted to this work; the divines had remodelled the
first fifteen, when they were ordered to lay aside the
"Articles" and engage in matters of more pressing
importance to the Parliament. The war with King
Charles was proceeding with disastrous results to the
Parliamentary party. Success seemed possible only
through the aid of the Scots.
Now the Scots demanded, as an indispensable condi- tion of alliance, " the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, wor- ship, discipline and government, according to the Word of God, and the e.xample of the best reformed Churches ". In other words, they insisted upon the adoption by the English of Presbyterianism in its in- tegrity, a system repugnant to the national instincts and traditions of Englishmen. But there was no alternative, except the collapse of the rebellion. A "Solemn League and Covenant", framed by the Pres- byterian preacher, Henderson, was sworn and sub- scribed by the Scottish and English Parliaments, by the General Assembly of Scotland, and by the West- minster divines, and afterwards by the lords and com- mons of both nations. To aid the inexperienced Eng- lish divines in drawing up Presbyterian formularies, six Scottish commissioners, four preachers and two laymen, were sent to Westminster, with authority to take part in the discussions, but without votes. On 12 Oct., 1G4.3, the Assembly received an order from the Lords and Commons to forthwith confer and treat among themselves, of such a discipline and govern- ment as may be most 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 other Reformed Churches". Also, " touching and concerning the Directory of Worship, or Liturgy, hereafter to be in the Church ". This order was the signal for protracted and at times bitter disputes between the Presbyterian majority and the Scottish commissioners on the one side, who advo- cated the adoption of the full Presbyterian machinery of Church government, and on the other the Inde- pendents and the Erastians, the former of whom argued for the complete independence of each separate congregation (.see Congregationali.sm) while the lat- ter opposed any kind of jurisdiction independent of the civil power. Although the Independent members numbered scarcely a dozen, and the Erastians were fewer still, their influence was vastly in excess of their numerical strength; for the Independents were in close touch with Cromwell's army, and the Erastians could count on the sympathies of an Erastian parlia- ment. Into the details of this del^ate, we need not enter. While it was still raging, an order was sent down to the Assembly " to frame a Confession of Faith for the three kingdoms, according to the Solemn League and Covenant". This task presented no ex- traordinary difficulties; all the Puritan factions were, as regarded matters of doctrine, more or le.ss strictly Calvinistic, and there was not one Arminian in the as- sembly. Moreover, the Westminster divines had co- pious material to work upon in the numerous Re- formed symbols already in existence. The Confession occupied their attention from 20 Aug., 1644, until '25
Sept., 1646, when the first nineteen chapters were sent
to the Commons, and a few days later a duplicate copy
was presented to the House of Lords. The Lords
gave their assent to " The Himible Advice of the As-
sembly of Divines ", so the title ran ; but the Commons
refused to take definite action until they had the com-
plete Confession before them. This took place on 4
Dec, 1646. A limited number of copies was printed
for the use of the Parliament and the assembly; but
the House of Commons, probably to gain time, de-
manded that each assertion should be supported by
Scriptural texts. This was promptly done by the
divines (29 April, 1647); whereupon the Commons
ordered 600 copies, "and no more", to be printed.
This edition was received as authoritative by the Scot-
tish Church and Parliament, and was regarded by
Presbyterians generally as their authentic Confession
of Faith. But in the eyes of the Erastian Parliament
of England, it was sunply "The Humble Advice of the
Assembly of Divines ", convoked by its authority, and
valueless without its sanction. After intermittent
discussions, which extended above a year, the Parlia-
ment, 20 June, 1648, ordered an expurgated edition to
be printed by its authority, in which every reference
to the spiritual jurisdiction of the Church is carefully
eliminated.
As to its contents, the Westminster Confession of Faith, is the most elaborate, as it is the latest of the Reformed creeds. In thirty-two chapters, divided into sections, it laboirrs to give a full and logical ex- position of Christian doctrine as understood by the Reformed Churches. Chap, i, "Of the Holy Scrip- ture" gives a list of the inspired books, including the deutero-canonical books of the New Testament and rejecting the "Apocrypha" of the Old. "The au- thority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the author- ity of any man or church, but wholly upon God". "The Supreme Judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determmed, and all decrees of coun- cils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in Whose sen- tence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture." Chap, ii repeats the ancient doctrine " Of God and of the Holy Trinity ". Chap, iii, "Of God's Eternal Decree", teaches that "God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably or- dain whatsoever comes to pass". The divines strive to ward off the obvious objection to this fatalistic tenet by denying that it makes "God the author of sin ", or that violence is offered to the will of the crea- ture. Yet, in the same breath, they insist, that " He hath not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future ", and that " by decree of God, for the manifes- tation of His glory, some men and angels are predes- tined unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death ". The elect, who fell in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, effectually called and eventually saved ; but " neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified and saved, but the elect only. "The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable coun- sel of His own will, whereby He extendeth or with- holdeth mercy as He pleaseth, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by, and ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious ju.stice." The "Confession" judiciously warns the preachers that "the doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care". In Chap, v, "Of Providence ", we find the unintclligil)le utterance, evi- dently having in view the Supralajisiirians, that God's providence "extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men, and that not by a bare permission, l)ut such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding". Chap, x, "Of Effectual
