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The Church of Scotland Adopts the Westminster Confession of Faith

Presbyterianism

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Origin from 1647

In 1646, after three years of deliberation, the Westminster Assembly, convened in London by the Long Parliament to reform the Church of England with representatives of the Church of Scotland present, completed the Westminster Confession of Faith, already recorded here as Presbyterianism's own doctrinal standard, decades after the Scottish Reformation Parliament abolished papal jurisdiction and approved the Scots Confession in 1560, already recorded here. The following year, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland adopted the new Confession without amendment as its own subordinate standard beneath scripture, formally replacing the Scots Confession as the church's statement of doctrine, even though Presbyterian church government itself would not be permanently settled in Scotland until 1690. English Congregationalists at Cambridge, Massachusetts adapted the same Confession to their own church government the next year, and American and English Presbyterian bodies went on adopting it, with local modifications, for generations, well before Francis Makemie organised the first American presbytery at Philadelphia in 1706, also already recorded here.

Facts
Dates
Start YearSourced to the subject's own account
from 1647 1
Status
Established 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountEstablished marks the Church of Scotland's 1647 adoption of the Westminster Confession of Faith as Presbyterianism's confessional standard, a specific dated milestone between the Scottish Reformation establishing Presbyterianism in 1560 already recorded here and Francis Makemie organising the first American presbytery in 1706 also already recorded here.
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

This source names Church of Scotland directly: "of England with representatives of the Church of Scotland present, completed the Westminster Confession of Faith, already recorded here as Presbyterianism's own doctrinal standard, decades after the..."

Source The Westminster Confession of FaithWestminster Assemblythe holders' own account

This source names Congregationalists directly: "English Congregationalists at Cambridge, Massachusetts adapted the same Confession to their own church government the next year, and American and English Presbyterian bodies went on adopting it..."

Source The Westminster Confession of FaithWestminster Assemblythe holders' own account

This source names Massachusetts directly: "English Congregationalists at Cambridge, Massachusetts adapted the same Confession to their own church government the next year, and American and English Presbyterian bodies went on adopting it..."

Source The Westminster Confession of FaithWestminster Assemblythe holders' own account

Occurred In

Spread Event Of

Adds a specific, dated confessional milestone between the Scottish Reformation establishing Presbyterianism in 1560 and Francis Makemie organising the first American presbytery in 1706, both already recorded here: the Westminster Assembly completing the Westminster Confession of Faith in London in 1646 and the Church of Scotland's General Assembly adopting it without amendment the following year.

Source The Westminster Confession of FaithWestminster Assemblythe holders' own account
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