The Westminster Assembly's Grand Debate

This work contains a lesser known set of documents produced by the Westminster
Assembly of Divines, arguing for and against the Presbyterian form of church
government. Discontented with the majority's Presbyterian views, the
Congregationalist members produced dissenting papers to which the Assembly
replied, giving a more detailed view of the matters debated than the snatches
of information recorded in the Assembly's Minutes.

Presented in five sections The Grand Debate includes the following exchanges
between the Congregationalist 'dissenting brethren' and the Presbyterian
majority of the Assembly:

I. Reasons against the proposition that many churches may be under one
Presbyterial government from the example of the church at Jerusalem, and the
Assembly's reply
II. Reasons against à from the example of the Church at Ephesus, with the
Assembly s reply
III. Reasons against the subordination of church synods, with the AssemblyÆ's
reply
IV. Reasons against the AssemblyÆs limitation on the power of individual
congregations to ordain, with the Assembly's reply
V. Four papers by the Congregationalists presented in the committee formed to
come to an accommodation, with answers by the representatives of the Assembly.

The text has been edited for modern spelling and usage. The bibliographical
references have been traced. Notes have been added throughout keying the text
to the Assembly Minutes, GillespieÆs notes, Lightfoot's journal, and other
sources. Cross references linking the arguments in the dissenting brethrens'
papers to the Assembly's replies and vice versa have been added in the margins.
All the Latin has been translated marginally or in footnotes.

In the original text the Assembly quotes and often summarizes and paraphrases
the Independents' argument without any distinctionùall set in the italic face,
as was all other emphasis. Much of this over-italicization has been removed for
this edition. Any apparent quotations appear within double quotation marks.
Obvious paraphrases, proposed objections, or words placed in the mouth of the
opponent are set within single quotation marks.

This first edition of The Grand Debate, since 1648, of those papers " circulated at the Assembly, with its excellent introduction by Rowland Ward, is
much to be welcomed by all who would know the background of the language
adopted by the Assembly and who wish to take a peek through this window into
the working of the Westminster Divines. - R. Scott Clark"

Recommended € 51,90