☩ Ecclesiology & Worship · Polity

Presbyterian-Jure-Divino WCF baseline

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.

This is the position the Westminster Standards take on Polity.

The Confession affirms this position as its confessional norm. Personas and schools that hold the Westminster baseline on this attribute will show this value; those who depart from it will show one of the alternatives below.

Who holds this position

Schools (11)
Personas (145)
William Twisse 1577–1646 Charles Herle 1598–1659 Cornelius Burgess 1589–1665 John White (of Dorchester) 1575–1648 Henry Roborough d. 1650 Adoniram Byfield d. c. 1660 John Wallis 1616–1703 Alexander Henderson 1583–1646 Samuel Rutherford c. 1600–1661 George Gillespie 1613–1648 Robert Baillie 1602–1662 John Maitland, 2nd Earl of Lauderdale 1616–1682 John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun 1598–1662 John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassillis c. 1595–1668 Archibald Johnston of Wariston 1611–1663 Edmund Calamy the Elder 1600–1666 Stephen Marshall c. 1594–1655 Edward Reynolds 1599–1676 Anthony Tuckney 1599–1670 Richard Vines 1600–1656 Lazarus Seaman 1607–1675 William Gouge 1575–1653 John Arrowsmith 1602–1659 Thomas Hill d. 1653 Herbert Palmer 1601–1647 Obadiah Sedgwick c. 1600–1658 Henry Wilkinson the Elder 1566–1647 Henry Wilkinson the Younger 1610–1675 George Walker 1581–1651 Thomas Gataker 1574–1654 Francis Cheynell 1608–1665 John Ley 1583–1662 Thomas Young 1587–1655 Matthew Newcomen c. 1610–1669 William Spurstowe c. 1605–1666 Joshua Hoyle 1588–1654 Anthony Burgess d. 1664 Christopher Love 1618–1651 Simeon Ashe d. 1662 Thomas Wilson (of Maidstone) 1601–1653 Edmund Staunton 1600–1671 Robert Harris 1581–1658 John Conant 1608–1694 Henry Scudder c. 1585–c. 1652 Daniel Cawdrey 1588–1664 Humphrey Chambers 1599–1662 Francis Taylor 1589–1656 Jeremiah Whitaker 1599–1654 Francis Roberts 1609–1675 John Wincop d. 1647 Andrew Perne 1596–1654 William Carter the Elder d. c. 1658 Thomas Bayley d. c. 1657 John Langley c. 1593–1657 John Bond 1612–1676 John Greene d. 1644 William Bridges 1600–1670 Humphrey Hardwick d. c. 1660 John Foxcroft d. 1658 Peter Smith d. c. 1653 John Philips d. 1660 John Arrowsmith of Cambridge d. 1652 Thomas Temple 1567–1661 John Strickland c. 1601–1670 William Price c. 1597–1666 Francis Woodcock d. 1651 Thomas Case 1598–1682 Thomas Thoroughgood c. 1595–1669 John Jackson c. 1600–1648 Peter Clarke d. 1665 Thomas Ford 1598–1674 William Rathband d. 1641 (named posthumously?) John Maynard (of Mayfield) 1600–1665 John de la March d. 1650s Philip Delmé c. 1593–c. 1654 George Walker (of Banstead) d. c. 1657 John Gibbon d. c. 1660 William Mew c. 1602–1669 Richard Capel 1586–1656 John Pym 1584–1643 John Glyn 1602–1666 Sir Henry Vane the Elder 1589–1655 Sir Walter Erle 1586–1665 Sir Robert Harley 1579–1656 John Lisle 1610–1664 Edmund Prideaux 1601–1659 Sir John Clotworthy d. 1665 John Maynard (the lawyer) 1604–1690 Walter Yonge 1581–1649 Zouch Tate 1606–1650 John Rouse d. c. 1660 Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland 1602–1668 Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester 1602–1671 Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke 1584–1650 William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury 1591–1668 Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford 1599–1673 Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick d. 1675 Dudley North, 4th Baron North 1602–1677 James Ussher 1581–1656 John Dury 1596–1680 George Newton 1602–1681 Thomas Valentine d. 1665 Richard Byfield 1598–1664 Benjamin Needler 1620–1682 Thomas Hodges d. 1672 Arthur Jackson 1593–1666 Thomas Bedford d. 1653 Calybute Downing 1606–1644 Edward Bowles 1613–1662 Edward Corbet d. 1658 James Cranford d. 1657 Stanley Gower d. 1660 John Trapp 1601–1669 Thomas Cawton the Elder 1605–1659 Benjamin Pickering fl. 1640s Francis Whiddon fl. 1640s Henry Painter d. 1652 Henry Hall fl. 1640s Charles Herbert fl. 1640s Sampson Saunders fl. 1640s Arthur Salway d. 1656 John Foxley fl. 1640s Jasper Hicks fl. 1640s Richard Cleyton fl. 1640s John Downing fl. 1640s John Harris d. 1658 Francis Coke fl. 1640s John Arthur fl. 1640s Henry Hutton fl. 1640s John Bath fl. 1640s Humphrey Saunders fl. 1640s John Ward of Ipswich fl. 1640s John Cardell fl. 1640s John Hampden 1594–1643 Sir Arthur Haselrig c. 1601–1661 Sir Thomas Widdrington c. 1600–1664 Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh 1608–1675 Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford 1593–1641 Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick 1587–1658 John Crewe, 1st Baron Crewe 1598–1679 Sir Richard Onslow 1601–1664 Sir John Wray 1586–1655 Sir Robert Pye 1585–1662 John Glynne (alternate spelling) — see john-glyn Christopher Cartwright 1602–1658

Cruxes on this attribute

The Assembly navigated 2 cruxes that bear directly on Polity.

Other positions on Polity