Charles Herle was a prominent English theologian, of moderate Presbyterian views.

He graduated from Exeter College, Oxford

Exeter College, Oxford

Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...

 with an M.A. in 1618. He was vicar of Winwick

Winwick

Winwick may refer to:*Winwick, Cambridgeshire, England*Winwick, Cheshire, England*Winwick, Northamptonshire, England...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, from 1626..

In a controversy with Henry Ferne

Henry Ferne

-Life:Ferne was admitted to St Mary Hall, Oxford, in 1618, and to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1620. He graduated B.A. in 1623 and was elected fellow in 1624. He was awarded a D.D. at Cambridge in 1642...

, a Royalist, he insisted, against divine right

Divine Right

Divine Right may refer to:* The Divine right of kings, the doctrine that a monarch derives his or her power directly from God* Episcopal polity, the doctrine that is required in the church jure divino, i.e...

 theory, that a monarch's sovereignty was mediated by the people, rather than coming directly from God. It has been suggested that this work marks the beginning of a transition from theories of mixed government

Mixed government

Mixed government, also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrates elements of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy. In a mixed government, some issues are decided by the majority of the people, some other issues by few, and some other issues by a single person...

 to the doctrine of separation of powers

Separation of powers

The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...

.

His 1643 work on independent churches provoked reaction from New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

, and controversy with Samuel Rutherford

Samuel Rutherford

Samuel Rutherford was a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author, and one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly.-Life:...

.

He became Prolocutor of the Westminster Assembly

Westminster Assembly

The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...

 in 1646, after the death of William Twisse

William Twisse

William Twisse was a prominent English clergyman and theologian. He became Prolocutor of the Westminster Assembly, putting him at the head of the churchmen of the Commonwealth. He was described by a Scottish member, Robert Baillie, as “very good, beloved of all, and highlie esteemed; but merelie...

. The Westminster Confession of Faith

Westminster Confession of Faith

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...

 of 1646 was drawn up by Herle with others, drafting being assigned at one point to a small group of Herle, Edward Reynolds

Edward Reynolds

Edward Reynolds was a bishop of Norwich in the Church of England and an author.He was born in Holyrood parish Southampton, the son of Augustine Reynolds, one of the customers of the city, and his wife, Bridget....

 and Matthew Newcomen

Matthew Newcomen

Matthew Newcomen was an English nonconformist churchman.His exact date of birth is unknown. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge . In 1636 he became lecturer at Dedham in Essex, and led the church reform party in that county. He assisted Edmund Calamy the Elder in writing Smectymnuus ,...

.

Works

• A payre of compasses for church and state (1642)
• The independency on scriptures of the independency of churches (1643)
• Ahab's fall by his prophets flatteries (1644)
• A Fuller Answer to a Treatise written by Dr. Ferne (1642)