☩ Ecclesiology & Worship · Polity

Independent-Congregational

Christ has given the keys to the local congregation under its officers; synods are advisory — the Dissenting Brethren's reading, accommodated by but not affirmed in the Standards.

This is a contested or rejected alternative.

The Westminster baseline on Polity is Presbyterian-Jure-Divino. Personas and schools listed below hold this alternative position instead — either because they argued for it at the Assembly (like the Erastians on polity) or because they represent a receiving tradition that departed from the Standards on this point.

Who holds this position

Schools (3)
The Five Dissenting Brethren (Independents) The Savoy Declaration (1658) The Second London Confession (1689)
Personas (20)
Thomas Goodwin 1600–1680 Philip Nye 1595–1672 Jeremiah Burroughs 1599–1646 William Bridge 1600–1671 Sidrach Simpson c. 1600–1655 William Greenhill 1591–1671 Joseph Caryl 1602–1673 William Carter (of Yarmouth) d. 1658 Peter Sterry 1613–1672 John Phillip d. 1660 Sir Henry Vane the Younger 1613–1662 Oliver St John c. 1598–1673 Nathaniel Fiennes 1608–1669 Francis Rouse 1579–1659 William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele 1582–1662 Robert Greville, 2nd Lord Brooke 1607–1643 Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton 1613–1696 Hugh Peters 1598–1660 Joshua Sprigg 1618–1684 William Strong d. 1654

Cruxes on this attribute

The Assembly navigated 2 cruxes that bear directly on Polity.

The Grand Debate over Polity October 1644 – January 1646 Presbyterian or Independent: who exercises the keys of the kingdom? The Erastian Question July 1645 – November 1645 Does ecclesiastical jurisdiction belong to the church or to the civil magistrate?

Other positions on Polity

Presbyterian-Jure-Divino WCF Christ has instituted a graded series of presbyterial assemblies (session, presbytery, synod, general assembly) by divine right (Form of Government 1645; WCF XXX–XXXI) — the Scottish reading. Reformed-Episcopal Retains bishops over presbyters as a third order of ministry while affirming the Reformed doctrine — the Anglican settlement Westminster displaced. Erastian Civil magistrate is the ultimate ecclesiastical authority — Selden's and Lightfoot's Assembly position, rejected by WCF XXX.1.