WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DI VINES, a zelebrated assembly held in the middle of the 17th century for the settlement creed and form of worship throughout Great Britain, at a time when Pres had gained a strong position in d as well as in Scotland. On the 23d of . ov. 1641 the House of Commons (Long Parfiament) addressed to the Icing a remon strance desiring a synod of the most learned and pious men throughout the island foe the settling of the government of the Church; but it was not till 1643, after the civil war had begun, that an ordinance was passed (on 12 June) convoking the long-proposed assembly of divines. By this as 121 clergymen, with 10 herds and 20 commoners as lay assessors, were nominated as constituents of the assembly. The assembly began its sittings on 1 July 1643 is Henry VIPs Chapel, at Westminster Abbey, but in the meantime a proclamation forbidding the assembly to meet •:Lrl. I •-cr urri by the king on 2 June. which ha.: 1.,,,,,,, ..), :iefocinie the greater part of the Episcopal members to absent themselves, and Episcopacy was thus almost en tirely unrepresented. The majority of those who remained were Presbyterians, but there was a powerful and energetic minority of Independ ents. A deputation was now sent along with Oilamissioners from the English Parliament lso the general assembly of the Scottish Church and the Scottish Convention of Estates solicit ing their co-operation in the proceetngs of the Westminster Assembly, and accordingly on 15 September four Scottish clergymen, Alex ander Mendelson,orge Gillespie. Samuel Rutherford and Robert BalIffe, with two lay men, Lord Maitland and Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston, were admitted to scats and votes by an act of the English legislature. The assem bly continued to hold its sittings till 22 Feb. 1649. Among the results of its deliberations were the 'Directory of Public Worship.' which
was presented to Parliament on 20 April and ratified on 2 Oct. 1644; the 'Confession of Faith' presented to Parliament in October and November 1646 and ratified with a few verbal alterations in March 1648; the 'Shorter Cate chism,' presented to the House of Commons on 5 Nov. 1647 and the 'Longer Catechism' on IS Sept 1648. In the latter period of the sittings of the assembly the growing power of the Inde pendent party in Parliament presented a serious obstacle to the carrying into effect of its recom mendations, though in 1648 an order of Parlia ment was pronounced declaring 'all parishes and places whatsoever! with the exception of chapels for the king and peers, to be under the Presbyterian form of church government The accession of Cromwell to power destroyed the hopes of the Presbyterians. and on the Restoration the whole e Weis minister Assembly, wi of Par liament, were annulleu as 1111VIMU.
While this celebrated convocation was thus allowed, as regards England, to remain almost inoperative, its deliberations have left on Scot land and on Presbyterianism as established in the United States, an impress which will never The present standards of the Pres n churches are made up of the various formularies above enumerated. They were rati fied by the Scottish General Assembly as fol lows' The 'Directory of Public 'Worship' in February 1645; the 'Confession of Faith' hi August 1647 mid the 'Lowlier Rod ShortfirCate chime' inJuly 1648. ConsultHethenngton's 'History the Westminster Assembly' (1843; 6th ed. 1801) • the of the Assembly,' edited by Mitchell and Struthers (1874) ; ell's 'The Westminster Assembly' (1883); 'Cambridge Modern History' (Vol. 4, New York 1906). etc. See Pansinrneumusie.