VirginiaHuguenot
Puritanboard Librarian
For those who may be interested in studying this issue, The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation: The Majority Puritan Viewpoint on Whether Extra-Biblical Prophecy is Still Possible (2007) by Garnet Howard Milne (foreword by Joel Beeke) seems to be an extremely comprehensive treatment. For the edification of the brethren, I decided to post the table of contents here.
CONTENTS
Foreword by Joel Beeke - xiii
Preface - xv
List of Abbreviations - xix
Introduction - 1
Chapter 1
The Westminster Assembly: Socio-political and Religious Context, Theological Inheritance and Constitution
1.1 Introduction - 10
1.2 Socio-political and Religious Context - 13
1.2.1 European Context - 14
1.2.2 English Context - 19
1.2.3 English and Scottish Events in their British Context - 22
1.2.4 Eschatological Fervour and the Interest in Prophecy - 35
1.2.5 Challenges from Variant Theologies - 40
1.3 Theological Inheritance - 42
1.3.1 Augustine - 43
1.3.2 Thomas Aquinas - 44
1.3.3 John Calvin - 45
1.4 The Immediate Predecessors of the Assembly - 48
1.4.1 William Perkins - 49
1.5 Acknowledged Sources of the Westminster Theology - 52
1.5.1 William Whitaker - 52
1.5.2 James Usher - 59
1.5.3 John Ball - 60
1.6 Assessing the Contributions of the Westminster Divines - 62
1.7 Conclusion - 65
Chapter 2
The Necessity and Scope of Special Revelation
2.1 Introduction - 67
2.2 The Limitations of General Revelation - 68
2.3 Special Revelation and WCF 1:1 - 74
2.4 The Westminster Definition of Salvation - 77
2.4.1 Salvation in the Other Works of the Westminster Divines - 82
2.5 Salvation and the Necessity of Scripture - 98
2.5.1 The Scriptures are Necessary in Both an Absolute and a Conditional Sense - 99
2.5.2 The Scriptures are Necessary for Both Personal and Holistic Redemption - 104
2.6 Conclusion - 108
Chapter 3
The Obsolescence of the Former Modalities of Special Revelation
3.1 Introduction - 109
3.2 An Exegetical Tradition
3.2.1 Ephesian 1:17-18 and the Promise of New Revelations - 113
3.2.2 Hebrews 1:1-2: Scripture the Sole Source of Special Revelation - 123
3.2.3 Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:17 - 133
3.3 Extra-biblical Modalities Relegated to the Past - 140
3.4 Conclusion - 145
Chapter 4
Clarifying the Claims to Continuationism
4.1 Introduction - 146
4.2 Cessationism and Dreams - 147
4.2.1 Consigning Revelatory Dreams to the Past - 147
4.2.2 Spiritualised Dreaming - 148
4.2.3 Dreams and Puritan Providentialism - 149
4.3 Continuationism among the Reformed Orthodox - 153
4.3.1 Two Forms of Supernatural Revelation - 154
4.3.2 The Inconclusive Witness of Some Claims to Revelation - 155
4.3.3 Stricter Continuationists/Continuationism - 159
4.4 The Quaker Polemic - Reaction to the Westminster Cessationist View - 166
4.5 Conclusion - 176
Chapter 5
Prophecy and the Westminster Divines
5.1 Introduction - 177
5.2 Other Puritan Forms of Discerning Secrets or the Future - 180
5.3 Puritan Exegetical Conclusions Concerning New Testament Prophecy - 188
5.3.1 The Simple Assertion of the Cessation of Gifts - 193
5.3.2 Why Prophecy is No Longer Necessary - 194
5.3.3 Summary - 203
5.4 The Explanation of the Puritan Acceptance of Contemporary Prophecy - 203
5.4.1 The Possibility of Contemporary Prophecy - 206
5.5 Conclusion - 217
Chapter 6
Prophecy and the Scots
6.1 Introduction: The Tradition of Miraculous Divine Intervention - 219
6.2 John Knox - 221
6.3 "Prophecy" and the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly - 224
6.3.1 Robert Baillie, Archibald Johnston and Samuel Rutherford - 224
6.3.2 Alexander Henderson and Robert Blair - 234
6.3.3 George Gillespie - 237
6.3.3.1 INTERNAL CONTRADICTIONS - 240
6.3.3.2 ON THE CESSATION OF THE OTHER MIRACULOUS GIFTS - 241
6.3.3.3 A DISTINCTION BETWEEN MODERN AND BIBLICAL PROPHETS - 241
6.3.3.4 A CONTINUATIONIST GILLESPIE IN A CESSATIONIST ASSEMBLY - 243
6.3.3.5 LINKING THE "MISCELLANY" TO THE ASSEMBLY DEBATES - 244
6.3.3.6 GILLESPIE'S COMMITMENT TO WESTMINSTER ORTHDOXY - 244
6.3.3.7 GILLESPIE AS PROPHET - 246
6.4 An Enduring Legacy - 247
6.4.1 James Durham - 247
6.4.2 Robert Fleming - 250
6.4.3 James Hog - 252
6.4.4 Edward Irving and the London Scottish Presbytery - 253
6.4.5 John Kennedy - 255
6.5 Conclusion - 256
Chapter 7
Subscription and the Westminster Confession of Faith
7.1 Introduction - 257
7.2 An Ambiguous Cessationist Clause? - 258
7.3 Subscription in England - 262
7.3.1 Episcopalians - 263
7.3.2 Non-conformists -264
7.3.3 The Westminster Divines - 267
7.3.4 Presbyterians - 271
7.4 Subscription in Scotland - 275
7.4.1 The Use of Subscription Formulas - 277
7.5 Conclusion - 283
Conclusion - 285
Appendix
Private Spirits - 291
8.1 Private Spirits as Personal Opinion - 292
8.2 Private Spirits as the Private Revelations of the "Enthusiasts" - 294
Bibliography - 299
Index - 329
CONTENTS
Foreword by Joel Beeke - xiii
Preface - xv
List of Abbreviations - xix
Introduction - 1
Chapter 1
The Westminster Assembly: Socio-political and Religious Context, Theological Inheritance and Constitution
1.1 Introduction - 10
1.2 Socio-political and Religious Context - 13
1.2.1 European Context - 14
1.2.2 English Context - 19
1.2.3 English and Scottish Events in their British Context - 22
1.2.4 Eschatological Fervour and the Interest in Prophecy - 35
1.2.5 Challenges from Variant Theologies - 40
1.3 Theological Inheritance - 42
1.3.1 Augustine - 43
1.3.2 Thomas Aquinas - 44
1.3.3 John Calvin - 45
1.4 The Immediate Predecessors of the Assembly - 48
1.4.1 William Perkins - 49
1.5 Acknowledged Sources of the Westminster Theology - 52
1.5.1 William Whitaker - 52
1.5.2 James Usher - 59
1.5.3 John Ball - 60
1.6 Assessing the Contributions of the Westminster Divines - 62
1.7 Conclusion - 65
Chapter 2
The Necessity and Scope of Special Revelation
2.1 Introduction - 67
2.2 The Limitations of General Revelation - 68
2.3 Special Revelation and WCF 1:1 - 74
2.4 The Westminster Definition of Salvation - 77
2.4.1 Salvation in the Other Works of the Westminster Divines - 82
2.5 Salvation and the Necessity of Scripture - 98
2.5.1 The Scriptures are Necessary in Both an Absolute and a Conditional Sense - 99
2.5.2 The Scriptures are Necessary for Both Personal and Holistic Redemption - 104
2.6 Conclusion - 108
Chapter 3
The Obsolescence of the Former Modalities of Special Revelation
3.1 Introduction - 109
3.2 An Exegetical Tradition
3.2.1 Ephesian 1:17-18 and the Promise of New Revelations - 113
3.2.2 Hebrews 1:1-2: Scripture the Sole Source of Special Revelation - 123
3.2.3 Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:17 - 133
3.3 Extra-biblical Modalities Relegated to the Past - 140
3.4 Conclusion - 145
Chapter 4
Clarifying the Claims to Continuationism
4.1 Introduction - 146
4.2 Cessationism and Dreams - 147
4.2.1 Consigning Revelatory Dreams to the Past - 147
4.2.2 Spiritualised Dreaming - 148
4.2.3 Dreams and Puritan Providentialism - 149
4.3 Continuationism among the Reformed Orthodox - 153
4.3.1 Two Forms of Supernatural Revelation - 154
4.3.2 The Inconclusive Witness of Some Claims to Revelation - 155
4.3.3 Stricter Continuationists/Continuationism - 159
4.4 The Quaker Polemic - Reaction to the Westminster Cessationist View - 166
4.5 Conclusion - 176
Chapter 5
Prophecy and the Westminster Divines
5.1 Introduction - 177
5.2 Other Puritan Forms of Discerning Secrets or the Future - 180
5.3 Puritan Exegetical Conclusions Concerning New Testament Prophecy - 188
5.3.1 The Simple Assertion of the Cessation of Gifts - 193
5.3.2 Why Prophecy is No Longer Necessary - 194
5.3.3 Summary - 203
5.4 The Explanation of the Puritan Acceptance of Contemporary Prophecy - 203
5.4.1 The Possibility of Contemporary Prophecy - 206
5.5 Conclusion - 217
Chapter 6
Prophecy and the Scots
6.1 Introduction: The Tradition of Miraculous Divine Intervention - 219
6.2 John Knox - 221
6.3 "Prophecy" and the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly - 224
6.3.1 Robert Baillie, Archibald Johnston and Samuel Rutherford - 224
6.3.2 Alexander Henderson and Robert Blair - 234
6.3.3 George Gillespie - 237
6.3.3.1 INTERNAL CONTRADICTIONS - 240
6.3.3.2 ON THE CESSATION OF THE OTHER MIRACULOUS GIFTS - 241
6.3.3.3 A DISTINCTION BETWEEN MODERN AND BIBLICAL PROPHETS - 241
6.3.3.4 A CONTINUATIONIST GILLESPIE IN A CESSATIONIST ASSEMBLY - 243
6.3.3.5 LINKING THE "MISCELLANY" TO THE ASSEMBLY DEBATES - 244
6.3.3.6 GILLESPIE'S COMMITMENT TO WESTMINSTER ORTHDOXY - 244
6.3.3.7 GILLESPIE AS PROPHET - 246
6.4 An Enduring Legacy - 247
6.4.1 James Durham - 247
6.4.2 Robert Fleming - 250
6.4.3 James Hog - 252
6.4.4 Edward Irving and the London Scottish Presbytery - 253
6.4.5 John Kennedy - 255
6.5 Conclusion - 256
Chapter 7
Subscription and the Westminster Confession of Faith
7.1 Introduction - 257
7.2 An Ambiguous Cessationist Clause? - 258
7.3 Subscription in England - 262
7.3.1 Episcopalians - 263
7.3.2 Non-conformists -264
7.3.3 The Westminster Divines - 267
7.3.4 Presbyterians - 271
7.4 Subscription in Scotland - 275
7.4.1 The Use of Subscription Formulas - 277
7.5 Conclusion - 283
Conclusion - 285
Appendix
Private Spirits - 291
8.1 Private Spirits as Personal Opinion - 292
8.2 Private Spirits as the Private Revelations of the "Enthusiasts" - 294
Bibliography - 299
Index - 329
There is also a blurb about the book at the website of the 
