Edition of documents - many never previously published - shedding new light on the role played by the British delegates at the Synod of Dort. The Synod of Dort [1618-19] was one of the most remarkable and important gatherings of Protestant divines ever assembled. Summoned to resolve doctrinal disputes in the Netherlands, it involved theologians from a number of other countries, including Britain. The precise role played by delegates of the Church of England at the synod has been the subject of intense disagreement ever since. Drawing on new sources discovered in English and Dutch archives, this volume provides a wide-ranging collection of edited documents [many previously unpublished] which make it possible for the first time to construct a thorough and fully contextualized account of the role played by the British delegates. Different sections of the book tackle the political and theological background to the synod, the submissions of the British delegation on issues ranging from predestination and episcopacy to catechizing and bible translation, and also the aftermath of the synod and the later defences of it by the British delegates. The primary source material is set in context by a substantial introduction, which argues for a major reassessment of the role ofthe British divines at the synod, and emphasizes the importance of the event in allowing historians to study the detailed interaction of British and continental thinkers at a vital period in the emergence of an 'Anglican' identity. Dr Anthony Milton is Reader in History at the University of Sheffield.

Proceedings of a conference held Apr. 6-7, 2006 in Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Volume 1 includes the original Acta Authentica of the synod, here published for the first time. Following the Acta Authentica, the corresponding acts, as first published in the Acta Synodi Nationalis ... Dordrechti Habitae (Leiden, 1620), are reprinted; these published Acta were a significantly revised version, for stylistic and political purposes, of the original Acta Authentica. Also included are the Acta Contracta, a topical summary of the Acta Authentica, and the minutes of the meetings of the state delegates, who represented the Dutch government at the synod; neither of these has been previously published. This volume begins with a general introduction to the Synod of Dordt and its context, an introduction to the Acta Authentica, the published Acta and Acta Contracta, and an introduction to the role of the state delegates and the minutes of their meetings.

The Synod of Dort was an international conference of Reformed leaders held in 1618–1619 in the Netherlands. It is famous for its so-called Five Points of Calvinism which were a refutation of the Five Remonstrances of the followers of Arminius on the nature of divine grace and the perseverance of believers unto eternal salvation. As an international Synod, Dort made a significant impact on the definition and development of Reformed orthodoxy for decades and centuries to come. In countries such as France, the Canons of Dort served as a confessional boundary for Reformed orthodoxy and all pastors had to swear allegiance to them. Despite its tremendous influence, the decisions of the Synod of Dort remain a mystery to many today and are subject to caricatures and stereotypes of an extreme divine determinism and the hijacking of Calvin's pure theology. This volume seeks to shed light on various aspects of the Synod of Dort in order to inform the contemporary reader of its proper historical and theological context and its experiential emphases. Some leading scholars of post-Reformation Reformed thought and the Synod have contributed essays to this work. The book is divided into three major sections designed to deliver a better overall perspective on the Synod. The first section focuses on the reception of the Canons of Dort among the Reformed churches in France where they were accepted and enforced. However, there were some internal questions, concerns, and even objections to the canons which are detailed in these chapters. The second section hones in on the theology of the Canons of Dort with particular attention to the doctrines of election and the nature of the atonement. This section also includes an important chapter on the relationship between church and state, always a central concern in the Reformation and post-Reformation eras. Finally, the third major section looks at how believers could apply the theology to their daily lives and devotion to Christ. These chapters indicate that this was not merely a theological conference, but one that had practical and experiential implications as well. The book concludes with a chapter on the application of the Synod for believers today.

Richard Snoddy offers a detailed study of the applied soteriology of the Irish reformer James Ussher. After locating Ussher in the ecclesiastical context of seventeenth-century Ireland and England, the book examines his teaching on the doctrines of atonement, justification, sanctification, and assurance. It considers their interconnection in his thought, as well as documenting his change of mind on a number of important issues.

Antinomianism was the primary theological concern addressed by the Westminster Assembly. Yet until now, no monograph has taken up the specific concerns related to antinomianism and the famous assembly. In Christ and the Law, Whitney G. Gamble sketches the rise of English antinomianism in the early decades of the 1600s to the assembly’s first encounter with it in 1643, summarizing the main theological tenets of antinomianism and examining the assembly’s work against it, both politically and theologically. Along the way, Gamble analyzes how the assembly’s published documents addressed theological issues raised by antinomianism on matters of justification, faith, works, and the moral law. By detailing the assembly’s perspective on antinomianism, Gamble’s book helps further our understanding of the formation, nature, and growth of Reformed theology in seventeenth-century England. Series Description Complementing the primary source material in the Principal Documents of the Westminster Assembly series, the Studies on the Westminster Assembly provides access to classic studies that have not been reprinted and to new studies, providing some of the best existing research on the Assembly and its members.

"John Davenant's hypothetical universalism has consistently been misinterpreted and misrepresented as a via media between Arminianism and Reformed theology. This study examines Bishop John Davenant's hypothetical universalism in the context of early modern Reformed orthodoxy. In light of the various misunderstandings of early modern hypothetical universalism, including English hypothetical universalism, as well as the paucity of studies touching on the theology of John Davenant in particular, this dissertation: (1) Gives a detailed exposition of Davenant's doctrine of universal redemption in dialogue with his understanding of closely related doctrines such as God's will, predestination, providence, and covenant theology; and (2) defends the thesis that Davenant's version of hypothetical universalism represents a significant strand of the Augustinian tradition, including the early modern Reformed tradition. In service of these two aims, this dissertation examines the patristic and medieval periods as they provide the background for the Lutheran, Remonstrant, and Reformed reactions to the so-called Lombardian formula ("Christ died sufficiently for all; effectually for the elect"). Moreover, it traces how Davenant and his fellow British delegates at the Synod of Dordt shaped the Canons of Dordt in such a way as to allow for their English hypothetical universalism. A careful exposition of the various theses found in Davenant's De Morte Christi makes up the central core of this dissertation. Finally, this study explores Davenant's covenant theology and doctrine of the divine will"--