The Independent or Congregational theory includes two principles; first, that the governing and executive power in the Church is in the brotherhood; and secondly, that the Church organization is complete in each worshipping assembly, which is independent of every other.

20 cm. ; LCCN 38018206; LCC BS2665. But properly to estimate that influence it must be remembered that 3000 ministers of the Gospel passed under his instruction and that to him was accorded the rare privilege during the course of a long life of achieving distinction as a teacher exegete preacher controversialist ecclesiastic and systematic theologian.

He argued strongly for the authority of the Bible as the Word of God. Charles Hodge (December 27 1797 Philadelphia Pennsylvania – June 19 1878 Princeton New Jersey) was the principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. Many of his ideas were adopted in the 20th century by Fundamentalists and Evangelicals.