Savoy Declaration
The Savoy Declaration is a Congregationalist confession of Faith. Its full title is A Declaration of the Faith and Order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England. It was drawn up in October 1658 by English
The Savoy Assembly
The Savoy Assembly met at the Savoy for eleven or twelve days from 12 October 1658.[2] Representatives, mostly laymen, were present from more than one hundred independent churches. Thomas Goodwin, who was a Westminster divine and author of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and John Owen were the leaders in a committee of six divines appointed to draw up a confession.[3][4] The writers were influenced by the Cambridge Platform, which was the statement of church government produced by the Congregational churches in New England.[5] The 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith of the Church of England was used as a basic template.
Confession
The Declaration would be adopted by the
Emendations
The following is a chapter comparison between Westminster and Savoy:
Westminster | Savoy | Notes |
---|---|---|
1. Of the Holy Scripture | 1. Of the Holy Scripture | |
2. Of God, and of the Holy Trinity | 2. Of God, and of the Holy Trinity | |
3. Of God's Eternal Decree | 3. Of God's Eternal Decree | |
4. Of Creation | 4. Of Creation | |
5. Of Providence | 5. Of Providence | |
6. Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof | 6. Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof | |
7- Of God's Covenant with Man | 7. Of God's Covenant with Man | |
8. Of Christ the Mediator | 8. Of Christ the Mediator | |
9. Of Free Will | 9. Of Free Will | |
10. Of Effectual Calling | 10. Of Effectual Calling | |
11. Of Justification | 11. Of Justification | |
12. Of Adoption | 12. Of Adoption | |
13. Of Sanctification | 13. Of Sanctification | |
14. Of Saving Faith | 14. Of Saving Faith | |
15. Of Repentance Unto Life | 15. Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation | Significantly rewritten |
16. Of Good Works | 16. Of Good Works | |
17. Of The Perseverance of the Saints | 17. Of the Perseverance of the Saints | |
18. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation | 18. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation | |
19. Of the Law of God | 19. Of the Law of God | |
20. Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace Thereof | New to Savoy | |
20. Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience | 21. Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience | |
21. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day | 22. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day | |
22. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows | 23. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows | |
23. Of the Civil Magistrate | 24. Of the Civil Magistrate | |
24. Of Marriage and Divorce | 25. Of Marriage | |
25. Of the Church | 26. Of the Church | Removes 2 articles, adds 31[10] |
26. Of the Communion of the Saints | 27. Of the Communion of Saints | |
27. Of the Sacraments | 28. Of the Sacraments | |
28. Of Baptism | 29. Of Baptism | |
29. Of the Lord's Supper | 30. Of the Lord's Supper | |
30. Of Church Censures | Removed in Savoy | |
31. Of Synods and Councils | Removed in Savoy | |
32. Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead | 31. Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead | |
33. Of the Last Judgment | 32. Of the Last Judgment |
Platform of Discipline
Formally titled Of the Institution of Churches, and the Order appointed in them by Jesus Christ, the platform is composed of 30 articles and sets forth the principles of
It is a new document, not a revision of either the earlier congregationalist Cambridge Platform or the Form of Presbyterial Church Government produced by the Westminster Assembly, at which key framers of Savoy were present.
See also
References
- ^ "Savoy Declaration | Puritan, Reformation & Church | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Francis J. Bremer, Tom Webster, Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia, Volume 1, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2006, p. 354
- ^ a b s:Goodwin, Thomas (DNB00)
- ^ The others were Philip Nye, William Bridge, Joseph Caryl and William Greenhill; http://www.puritansermons.com/bio/biogoodw.htm.
- ISBN 9781139827829.
- ^ Mercurius Politicus 438 (1658), p. 924
- ^ Christ and the Law: Antinomianian at the Westminster Assembly, Whitney G. Gamble (Reformation Heritage Books: Grand Rapids, MI, 2016), pg. 152
- ^ ibid. 119
- ^ "Philip Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume I. The History of Creeds. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. § 98. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Tabular Comparison of 1646 WCF, 1658 Savoy Declaration, the 1677/1689 LBCF, and the 1742 PCF". www.proginosko.com. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ "Philip Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume I. The History of Creeds. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". www.ccel.org. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
Attribution
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Goodwin, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.