sition still held by any?

7. How is truest patriotism best displayed?

XVIII.

THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY.--A.D. 1643.

The Covenanted Church is much indebted to the Westminster Assembly, for
its magnificent contributions to the Reformed religion. Presbyterian
Churches of every name have reaped rich harvests from the seed sown by
this Assembly.

Nothing has done more, if the Covenants be excepted, to give the
Covenanted Church decision, stability, permanence, spiritedness, and
undecaying strength, than the superlative formulas of truth produced by
this illustrious Assembly. Our inheritance received from their hands
should awaken our admiration for the men and our interest in their work.

ORIGIN.

This Assembly came into existence in peculiar times and for a remarkable
purpose. England was goaded to desperation by the despotism of King
Charles. As king of that nation and head of the Episcopal Church, he
attempted to stifle liberty and conquer conscience. He clashed with his
parliament in London. A great awakening had suddenly spread over all
England. New ideas of life electrified the people, and they arose in the
majesty of their inalienable rights to realize their ideals. The action
and reaction became terrible. The king and the parliament called out
their armies each against the other. England was plunged into a horrible
civil war. The parliament, perceiving that Episcopacy was the bulwark of
the king's tyranny and hostile to the interests of the people, attempted
to abolish that system of Church government. But this destructive act
necessitated a constructive work. Accordingly parliament, by an
ordinance, created an Assembly for "settling the Government and Liturgy
of the Church of England."

CHARACTER OF THE MEMBERS.

The ordinance provided for an Assembly of "learned, Godly, and judicious
divines." Milton, while not in sympathy with their work, called this
"The Select Assembly." Baxter, another disapproving contemporary, said,
"that in his judgment the world, since the days of the apostles, had
never a Synod of more excellent divines than this and the Synod of
Dort." Abundant evidence certifies that in Westminster Hall, in those
days was seen a rare combination of native talent, classic learning,
sanctified conscience, spiritual illumination, and devotion to the truth
as revealed in the Word of God.

ENROLLMENT.

The complete number of members was 174, of which 142 were ministers, and
32,