Abstract
The goal of this paper is to examine the history and ecclesiology of the early Congregationalist leaders John Cotton (1586-1652), Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680) and Phillip Nye (1595-1672) to answer the question: how much did they owe in the area of ecclesiology to the Separatists Robert Browne (1550? -1633) and John Robinson (1576-1625).This paper contends that the origins of Congregationalist ecclesiology owes far less to the Separatist Robert Browne than has often been argued. This paper argues that the greatest influences are found in the old non-conformists, non-separating Puritans such as William Ames (1576-1633) and a closer proximity to some of the Scots Presbyterians than much of the historiography allows.
Date of Award | 8 May 2024 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | Nick Needham (Supervisor) & Alasdair MacLeod (Supervisor) |