It is a common view that the Westminster Assembly was dominated by Scots pursuing their nationalistic goals to the disadvantage of a desperate English Parliament. But in Covenanted Uniformity in Religion, Wayne R. Spear reassesses the Assembly from the standpoint of the Scottish commissioners and their influence in the drawing up of the Form of Church Government. Spear begins by placing the Assembly in its historical setting and giving an overview of how it conducted its business. Then, following the order of the Form of Church Government, he traces each significant expression from its origin in a committee, through its debate and modification in the Assembly, to its final placement in the document. Finally, Spear evaluates the significance of this document by considering the responses it received in England and Scotland. Here we see how the Scots failed to achieve some of their most cherished goals in the Assembly debates, which demonstrates that the Assembly operated as a truly deliberative body. This book gives us a more accurate picture of the Westminster Assembly as it debated the proper structure and function of the Christian church.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Part 1: The Westminster Assembly in its Historical Setting
The Historical Background of the Westminster Assembly
The Organization and Operation of the Assembly
The Scottish Commissioners and Their Work
Part 2: The Composition of the Westminster Assembly's Form of Church Government
The Church and Its Officers
The Local Church
Governmental Assemblies
Ordination
Conclusion
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
References Cited
Series Description Studies of the Westminster Assembly. Complementing the primary source material in the Principal Documents of the Westminster Assembly series, the Assembly studies provides access to classic studies that have not been reprinted and to new studies, providing some of the best existing research on the Assembly and its members.
