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The Cambridge Platform was a doctrinal statement for the Puritan Congregational churches in colonial New England. It was drawn up in August, 1648 by a synod of ministers from Massachusetts and Connecticut, which met pursuant to a request of the Massachusetts General Court. The New England authorities desired a formal statement of polity and a confession of faith because of the current Presbyterian ascendancy in England and the activities of local Presbyterians such as Dr. Robert Child. The declaration endorsed the Westminster Confession of the Church of England—except with regard to ecclesiastical organization, instead upholding the existing local Congregational form of church governance followed by the pilgrims and Puritans. "There is no greater church than a congregation which may ordinarily meet in one place" it says, indicating that the congregation itself is the highest level of ecclesiastical authority.〔Cambridge platform, chapter 3, article 5〕 The Cambridge Platform remained the standard formulation in Massachusetts through the 18th century and in Connecticut until the Saybrook Platform of 1708. It makes a clear distinction between the power of the state and that of the congregation. While a civil magistrate is obliged to follow a Christian life, and while the magistrate does have the power to convene a church synod for the purposes of admonishing a church or removing it from the communion of churches, the civil magistrate should have no power within the governance of the church itself, nor compel people to attend. The platform is at pains to say that church government stands in no opposition to civil government. However, this separation of church and state is vastly different from what one finds by the 19th century in America. For example, the platform urges that "idolatry, heresy, blasphemy... open contempt of the word preached, profanation of the Lord's Day... and the like are to be restrained and punished by civil authority."〔Cambridge platform, XVII.9〕 ==Form== The document is heavily footnoted with 308 scriptural references—the authors wished to show how their understanding of a congregation mirrored that of the family of Sarah and Abraham who they considered the first free church〔"The Cambridge Platform, contemporary readers edition", Peter Hughes, editor, p iix〕 Following that model, the free church is understood to arise out of a covenant. The covenant defines who the members can be, what they are to do, how they are to relate with one another, and that the union of actual local people in that covenant creates the autonomous church. The Platform is separated into 17 chapters:〔https://archive.org/details/cambridgeplatfo00cong The Cambridge Platform of Church Discipline, Gathered out of the Word of God, and Agreed Upon by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches Assembled in Synod, 1648. by Congregational Churches in Massachusetts. Cambridge Synod, 1648; published 1850 Boston〕 # Of the form of church government; and that it is one, immutable, and prescribed in the word. # Of the nature of the catholic church in general, and in special of a particular visible church. # Of the matter of the visible church, both in respect of quality and quantity. # Of the form of the visible church, and of church covenant. # Of the first subject of church power; or, to whom church power doth first belong. # Of the officers of the church, and especially of pastors and teachers. # Of ruling elders and deacons. # Of the election of church officers. # Of ordination, and imposition of hands. # Of the power of the church and its presbytery. # Of the maintenance of church officers. # Of admission of members into the church. # Of church members, their removal from one church to another, and of recommendation and dismission. # Of excommunication, and other censures. # Of the communion of churches one with another. # Of synods. # Of the civil magistrate's power in matters ecclesiastical. The preface takes pains to respect the Westminster Confession of 1646 in all ways except with regard to governance—there are just three chapters of the Westminster Confession that are being disagreed with. It also urges that it is not in any way advocating any schism, change, or revolution in governance among the churches of England. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cambridge Platform」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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