The Reforming Synod , also called the Synod of Boston was a synod convened in Colonial New England for two sessions in 1679 and 1680. It was convened by the Massachusetts General Court in response to perceived spiritual decay, set to answer two questions: “What are the Evils that have provoked the Lord to bring his judgments on New England?", and, “What is to be done, that so these evils may be reformed?” Spiritual decline was in part attributed to the Half-Way Covenant and surrounding controversy.
7-846: The synod adopted the Savoy recension of the Westminster Confession in 1680, formally re-titled A Confession of Faith Owned and Consented Unto by the Elders & Messengers of the Churches Assembled at Boston in New England, May 12 1680. Being the Second Session of that Synod. This confession was later to be translated to Algonquian . Solomon Stoddard 's view of the Lord's supper was called into question, and
14-914: 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 Independents and Congregationalists meeting at the Savoy Hospital , London. It consists of a preface, a confession, and a platform of discipline. The Savoy Assembly met at the Savoy for eleven or twelve days from 12 October 1658. Representatives, mostly laymen, were present from more than one hundred independent churches. Thomas Goodwin , who
21-889: The Savoy assembly was to confirm the Westminster theology. There was the addition of a new chapter entitled Of the Gospel, and of the Extent of the Grace Thereof . Other changes include a replacement to chapters 30 and 31 of the Westminster Confession concerned with Congregational church government. In these chapters the autonomy of local churches is asserted. It also included the words "Christ's active obedience" in chapter 11: Of Justification. While "the assembly voting almost unanimously that both Christ’s active and passive obedience were necessary for justification",
28-464: The synod included a debate between Stoddard and Increase Mather . Answering the question, "What are the Evils ...?", the synod identified several potential causes: A cause of all these evils was determined to be "defects as to Family Government” Answering "What is to be done, that so these evils may be reformed?", the synod advised the following: Savoy Declaration The Savoy Declaration
35-726: The words "active" as well as "whole" were omitted. Because exact wording is required the Savoy Declaration makes this explicit. The Declaration would be adopted by the Reforming Synod in Colonial New England in 1680. The following is a chapter comparison between Westminster and Savoy: Formally titled Of the Institution of Churches, and the Order appointed in them by Jesus Christ, the platform
42-588: 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. The writers were influenced by the Cambridge Platform , which was the statement of church government produced by the Congregational churches in New England . The 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith of the Church of England
49-473: Was used as a basic template. Thomas Goodwin , author of the Westminster Confession of Faith, saw the Savoy Declaration as a revision of the Westminster Confession with the "latest and best". The Savoy Declaration authors adopted, with a few alterations, the doctrinal definitions of the Westminster confession, reconstructing only the part relating to church government; the main effect of the Declaration of
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