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The Word of God in the Westminster Assembly
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
Extract
In December 1641 the Puritan preachers petitioned Parliament to establish regular monthly fast days with prayer and preaching and to call a synod of divines in order to reconstitute the Church. Parliament approved the first proposal at once but delayed adopting the second until a year and a half later. By that time war had begun with the King but, contrary to the assurances put forth by the preachers, the Lord had so far withheld victory from his professed servants, and in June 1643, a royalist plot was exposed in London only just in time to save Parliament from being overthrown by violence. Moved by this with sermons at St. Margaret's by Stephen Marshall and Obadiah Sedgwich and then at last voted to call the long desired Assembly of Divines. This body convened at Westminster on July 1, and a special fast day in honor of the event was held a week later with sermons by Matthew Newcomen and Oliver Bowles.
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- Copyright © American Society of Church History 1949
References
1 Two preachers were regularly invited, a month in advance, to preach to the members of the house of commons at St. Margaret's church, Westminster, on these occasions, and the sermons were usually published, also by invitation of the house, shortly after their delivery. Similar procedure was followed in the case of special days either of fasting or thanksgiving. See Commons Journal, passim.
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