ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES, or WEsmuNsToeut ASSEMBLY, a celebrated convocation appointed by the long parliament for settling the doctrine, liturgy, and government of the church of England. It consisted of 120 clergymen and 30 laymen-10 of whom. were lords and 20 commoners—together with 4 clerical and 2 lay commissioners from the eliurA of Scotland. Among the more distinguished of the divines were Usher, Saunderson, Reynolds, Browurigg, Ward, Twisse, Lightfoot, Gataker, Borges, Goodwin, Calainy, and Nye; of the laymen, Selden, Prideaux, the two Vanes, Rouse, Pyrn, Whitelocke, St. John, and Maynard. The Scottish divines were Henderson, Gillespie, Rutherford, and Baillie. 25 of those whose names were contained in the ordinance call ing the assembly, which was dated 12th June, 1643, never appeared at the discussions, one or two of them having died about the time of the first meeting, and the others fear ing the displeasure of the king. To supply the place of these absentees, some additional members, called the superadded divines, were summoned to attend. This notable assembly held its first meeting on the 1st of July, 1643, and continued to sit till the 22d Feb., 1649, during which time it had met 1163 tunes. Its most important work was concluded long before that time. One of the first things it did was to give its sanction to the Solemn League and Covenant, against which Dr. Burges alone stood out for several days. The Presbyterians formed a large majority in the assembly, and exercised a corresponding influence on its decisions. In doctrine, the members were almost unani
mous; but on the subject of church government, opinions extremly opposite were main tained with keenness, especially on the question touching the sphere and limits of the civil power in matters ecclesiastical. The principal fruits of its deliberations were the Directory of Public Worship, submitted to parliament April 20, 1644; the Confession of Faith, Oct. and Nov., 1646; the Shorter Catechism, Nov. 5, 1647; and the Larger Catechism, Sept. 15, 1648. These several formularies, which contain a clear and rigid embodiment of Calvinistic theology and Presbyterian church government, constitute to this day the authorized standards of the Presbyterian churches of Scotland, Ireland, and England. The Directory of Public Worship was ratified by both houses of parliament, Oct. 2, 1644, and the doctrinal part of the Confession of Fara in Mar.., 1648. Aii order of the house of commons, Oct. 13, 1647, ordained that the Presbyterian form of church government should be tried for a year, but no further legislation followed. What has hitherto been known as to the details of the proceedings of this remarkable convocation, has been derived chiefly from the Letters of Baillie, and Lightfoot's Journal.—See Hetherington's History of the lirestminster Asmmbly (1843); and the 2d volume of Masson's Life of Milton, published in 1871 (pp. 509-527), where a list of the members, with brief biographic notices, is given.