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Peter Sterry

1613–1672

Platonist Independent; chaplain to Lord Brooke and to Cromwell.

The Five Dissenting Brethren (Independents)

Biography

Of Emmanuel College Cambridge, the most Platonist of the Assembly's voices and a member of the same generation as Henry More and Ralph Cudworth. He was chaplain to Lord Brooke until Brooke's death at Lichfield in 1643, then to the Earl of Manchester, and finally one of Cromwell's chosen Whitehall chaplains through the Protectorate (1654-58). At Westminster his attendance was intermittent, but he signed Independent papers. Sterry's Independent ecclesiology was joined to a mystical-Platonist soteriology that distinguished him sharply from the sober Goodwin-Nye-Bridge wing — A Discourse of the Freedom of the Will (1675, posthum.) and The Rise, Race, and Royalty of the Kingdome of God in the Soul of Man (1683, posthum.) read closer to Cudworth and More than to Owen, and were thought by some contemporaries to verge on universalism. Died in retirement at Hackney in 1672.

Principal works

Role at the Assembly

Independent / Dissenting Brethren

A small but articulate minority of Congregationalist divines — the 'Dissenting Brethren' — who pressed for a gathered-church polity against the Presbyterian majority. Their Apologeticall Narration (1644) and their dissents in the Grand Debate over church government shaped the Confession's carefully worded chapters and anticipated the Savoy Declaration of 1658.

Ontology placement · 1 override of 35

I. ✦ Scripture
Sufficiency Express-And-Good-Consequence Canon 66-Book-Protestant-Canon Authority Self-Authenticating-With-Internal-Witness Interpretation Scripture-Interprets-Scripture Necessity Necessary-After-The-Fall
II. ✠ God & Decree
Trinity Nicene-With-Filioque Order of Decrees Deliberately-Permits-Both Extent of Atonement Particular Reprobation Preterition-And-Just-Condemnation Covenant of Redemption Implicit-Affirmed
III. ⊕ Covenant
Number of Covenants Bi-Covenantal Mosaic Covenant Administration-Of-Grace Children of Believers Federal-Inclusion-Paedobaptist Testamental Continuity One-Substance-Different-Administrations
IV. ☧ Christology
Natures Chalcedonian-Two-Natures Offices Prophet-Priest-King States & Descent Humiliation-And-Exaltation; No-Local-Descent Active-Obedience Imputation Active-And-Passive-Obedience-Imputed
V. ✚ Soteriology
Effectual Calling Effectual-And-Renewing Justification Ground Imputed-Righteousness-Of-Christ Saving Faith Receptive-Resting-On-Christ-Alone Perseverance Certain-For-The-Elect Assurance Attainable-But-Not-Essence-Of-Faith
VI. ⚖ Law & Sanctification
Uses of the Law Three-Uses-Affirmed Tripartite Division Moral-Judicial-Ceremonial Sabbath Lords-Day-Fourth-Commandment-Perpetual Good Works Necessary-Fruit-Not-Meritorious
VII. ☩ Ecclesiology & Worship
Polity Independent-Congregational ≠ Sacramental Efficacy Signs-And-Seals-Conferring-Grace-By-Spirit Regulative Principle Strict-Only-What-Commanded Censures & Synods Three-Degrees-With-Graded-Synods
VIII. ⌛ Civil & Last Things
Magistrate's Role Custos-Utriusque-Tabulae (1646) Oaths & Marriage Oaths-Lawful-Serious; Divorce-Adultery-Or-Desertion Intermediate State Immediate-Conscious-With-God-Or-Judgment Final Judgment Single-Universal-Judgment-By-Christ