The Presbyterian “Westminster Confession” adopted by Parliament

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Presbyterians

Dates

Date of occurrence 1648

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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The Long Parliament called a “Westminster Assembly” in 1643 to reform the church. It comprised 30 members from both houses and 121 ministers from various religious persuasions. The Presbyterians put forward a “Westminster Confession” which was accepted by Parliament in 1648 and led to the domination of the English church during the Commonwealth and Protectorate by Presbyterian principles. The Westminster Assembly also drew up a Directory of Worship (1644) to replace the Book of Common Prayer.

After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II’s Act of Uniformity (1662) led to the resignation or expulsion of more than 2000 Presbyterian ministers and the decline of Presbyterian influence in England. In Scotland, the Presbyterians withstood persecution by Charles II

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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "The Presbyterian “Westminster Confession” adopted by Parliament". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 February 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=895, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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