R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 1 Once again the deck was stacked. Westminster was not a gathering of those re
presenting all true believers, but only of the Calvinists, who had gained th
e upper hand in Parliament. Today's boast is that "all of the Westminster di
vines were Calvinists." 57 Furthermore, as Vance wisely comments...... like
the Synod of Dort, the presence of government officials at an ostensibly rel
igious assembly raises some questions about its legitimacy." 58 Expenses of
the members were borne by the State. Even Calvinists admit, "The Assembly wa
s the creature of Parliament and was never able to escape from Parliamentary
supervision." 59
Logan confesses, . . . . the Assembly . . . was clearly and completely subse
rvient to the political authority of Parliament." 60 De Witt also declares t
hat the Assembly "was answerable, not to the King of Kings, but to the Lords
and Commons of the English Parliament." 61 Schaff points out that "the Asse
mbly. .. clung to the idea of a national state church, with a uniform system
of doctrine, worship, and discipline, to which every man, woman, and child
in three kingdoms should conform." 62 Bettany writes:
In 1643 also the WestminsterAssembly of divines was convened by Parliament t
o reform the Church of England "on the basis of the word of God, and to brin
g it into a nearer agreement with the Church of Scotland and the Reformed Ch
urches on the Continent." The Scotch commissioners now required, as the pric
e of their co-operation with the English Parliament against Charles, the ado
ption of the Solemn League and Covenant [drawn by a Scottish revolutionary c
ommittee requiring signers to extirpate prelacy in all its forms in Scotland
, Ireland and England] ....
With this weapon . . . and the test of loyalty to the king, ejections of Epi
scopalians from their livings ... amounted to some thousands .... So many va
cancies were created that they could not be filled .... Finally the Westmins
ter Assembly was ordered to draw up a scheme for ordination .... The Westmin
ster Assembly laboured to evolve an acceptable scheme of Presbyterianism, th
e Independent members, however ... proposing toleration for all sects ....
The question soon arose ... should presbyteries have the power of including
or excluding members, or should each Independent congregation wield that pow
er? Parliament undertook to settle the whole matter by ordaining that all pe
rsons aggrieved by the action of a presbytery might appeal to Parliament. ..
. Cromwell in vain tried to reconcile Independents and Presbyterians. The la
tter predominated in Parliament, and in 1648 showed their continued intolera
nce by enacting that all who denied God, or the Trinity, or the atonement, o
r the canonical books of Scripture, or the resurrection of the dead and a fi
nal judgment were to `suffer the pains of death, as in case of felony, witho
ut benefit of clergy.'. . . A long catalogue of heresies of the second class
was specified, to be punished by imprisonment . . . . 63 | D**E
发帖数: 280 | 2 一个由国家权力机关召集加尔文主义者开的所谓宗教大会，把非加尔文主义者都排除在外
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【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: Once again the deck was stacked. Westminster was not a gathering of those re
: presenting all true believers, but only of the Calvinists, who had gained th
: e upper hand in Parliament. Today's boast is that "all of the Westminster di
: vines were Calvinists." 57 Furthermore, as Vance wisely comments...... like
: the Synod of Dort, the presence of government officials at an ostensibly rel
: igious assembly raises some questions about its legitimacy." 58 Expenses of
: the members were borne by the State. Even Calvinists admit, "The Assembly wa
: s the creature of Parliament and was never able to escape from Parliamentary
: supervision." 59
: Logan confesses, . . . . the Assembly . . . was clearly and completely subse
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