English Independents

E169796

The English Independents were a radical Puritan faction in 17th-century England that advocated congregational church governance and played a key political and religious role during the English Civil Wars.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Protestant denomination
Puritan group
religious faction
activeInCentury 17th century
advocated congregational church governance
alternativeName Congregationalism
surface form: Congregational Independents

Independent party
Separatists
surface form: Independents
associatedWithEvent English Civil War
surface form: English Civil Wars

Interregnum
surface form: English Interregnum
countryOfOrigin England
declineAfter Restoration of the monarchy in 1660
doctrine church membership limited to visible saints
covenant theology
each congregation is a complete church
separation of church and state in ecclesiastical governance
emergedFrom English Puritan movement
governanceModel elders and congregation share authority
heldViewOnChurchState civil magistrate should not impose a national church settlement
heldViewOnSacraments restricted sacraments to church members in good standing
historicalPeriod English Civil War
surface form: English Revolution
influenced development of Congregationalism
later English Nonconformity
religious toleration debates in 17th-century England
language English
legacy contributed to rise of dissenting churches in England
helped shape later Congregational churches in Britain and America
notableMember Henry Vane the Younger
John Owen
Oliver Cromwell
Philip Nye
Thomas Goodwin
opposed Presbyterian church governance
episcopal church governance
participatedIn Westminster Assembly
politicalAlignment Parliamentarian side
politicalRole influential during the English Civil Wars
positionAtWestminsterAssembly advocated congregational church polity
relatedMovement Congregationalism
surface form: Congregationalists

Separatists
religiousTradition Protestantism
Puritanism
scripturalAuthority Bible as sole rule of faith and practice
supported autonomy of local congregations
limited religious toleration for Protestants
theologicalOrientation Calvinism

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Second English Civil War participant English Independents
Solemn League and Covenant opposedBy English Independents
Congregational churches in the United Kingdom associatedWith English Independents
this entity surface form: Independents (English Independents)
Nonconformism in England includes English Independents
this entity surface form: Independents in England