Request for Assistance rergarding the Westminster Assembly

[DMcFadden]

I plan to be doing some intentional study of the Westminster Assembly in the coming weeks. The following are the books on my "to read" list . What would you suggest in addition to these that would fill in the history or theology of the Assembly? MP3s and online sources would be VERY helpful.

Thanks!

The Westminster Confession of Faith (Free Presbyterian Publications)
The Westminster Assembly (Alexander Mitchell)
History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines (W. M. Hetherington)
Puritan Profiles (William Barker)
Notes of debates and proceedings of the Assembly of Divines (George Gillespie)
Minutes of the Westminster Assembly (Alex Mitchell & John Struthers)
The Westminster Assembly and its Works (B. B. Warfield)
The Westminster Confession of Faith ( A. A. Hodge)
Memoirs of the Westminster Divines (James Reed)

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

History of the Reformation Series - Pastor Joe Morecraft III

You may find some of these MP3s helpful. I sure did.

 

[Rev. Todd Ruddell]

Don't forget Alan Strange's article in volume 4 of CPJ on the active and passive obedience of Christ. He offers good balance to some of Mitchell's comments.

 

[LawrenceU]

History of the Reformation Series - Pastor Joe Morecraft III

You may find some of these MP3s helpful. I sure did.

X2 on this! Excellent stuff.

 

[jwithnell]

Would love to see some of your conclusions! I turn to J Vos' commentary on the Larger Catechism for greater understanding of Westminster, but this is more of a commentary than history.

 

[Scott1]

For practical application, don't overlook,

GI Williamson, the Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes. The first edition has the section on the Magistrates also.

I have not read this on the Shorter Catechism, but it comes highly recommended:
The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes by Mr. Williamson.

 

[greenbaggins]

And don't forget Robert Shaw's and R.C. Sproul's commentaries on the confession, either.

 

[py3ak]

Lightfoot is an entertaining read, because you're able to sense something of the personality of the divines.

 

[Puritan Scot]

Truth's Victory over Error - David Dickson - Presbyterian's Armoury Publications - A Commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith by way of Question and Answer.
What Do Presbyterians Believe - Gordon H. Clark - Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co - The Westminster Confession : Yesterday and Today.
The Presbyterian Standards: An Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms - Francis Beattie - Southern Presbyterian Press.

Three booklets that are really ancillary but might be helpful :-
The Westminster Confession and Creeds - R.L. Dabney - Presbyterian Heritage Publications.
Scripture index to the Westminster Standards - Stephen Pribble - Presbyterian Heritage Publications.
Theonomy and the Westminster Confession - Martin A. Foulner - Marpet Press

 

[DMcFadden]

Truth's Victory over Error - David Dickson - Presbyterian's Armoury Publications - A Commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith by way of Question and Answer.
What Do Presbyterians Believe - Gordon H. Clark - Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co - The Westminster Confession : Yesterday and Today.
The Presbyterian Standards: An Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms - Francis Beattie - Southern Presbyterian Press.

Three booklets that are really ancillary but might be helpful :-
The Westminster Confession and Creeds - R.L. Dabney - Presbyterian Heritage Publications.
Scripture index to the Westminster Standards - Stephen Pribble - Presbyterian Heritage Publications.
Theonomy and the Westminster Confession - Martin A. Foulner - Marpet Press

Wow!

Don't forget Alan Strange's article in volume 4 of CPJ on the active and passive obedience of Christ. He offers good balance to some of Mitchell's comments.

Thanks folks! I finished Mitchell and Hetherington over the last few days and am starting on Gillespie. I had forgotten about the article in CPJ but will check it out now. My computer has several commentaries on the WCF (or the 1689):

A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Waldron
Commentary on the WCF, Hodge
Exposition of the WCF, Shaw
Guide to the WCF, Gerstner
Notes on the WCF, Macpherson
Theology of the Shorter Catechism, Hodge

I also have the Pipa study book and Morecraft's Volume 1.

Yes, eventually the theology is of importance. However, at this point, I'm more interested in dealing with the history of the Assembly, debates, and the like. In that regard both Mitchell and Hetherington were helpful. Yikes, reading Hetherington certainly opened my ignorant Baptist eyes to the behavior of the Independents in the Assembly. How embarrassing!

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Dennis,
On that front J. R. de Witt's Jus Divinum: The Westminster Assembly & the Divine Right of Church Government remains an important study of the debate over church polity in the Assembly (recently reprinted). Also, the portion in Neal's History and also Shaw's History of the English Church During the Civil War. I, and II. There are several items in CPJ including the aforementioned piece by Alan Strange.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Add:

Amazon.com: Reformed Confessions Harmonized (9780801052224): Joel R. Beeke, Sinclair B. Ferguson: Books

AMR

 

[DMcFadden]

Patrick,

I already picked that up in advance of this project, but thanks. As indicated, my initial interest is historical, then theological. What I did NOT learn about this period during seminary would fill several libraries. It is shocking to see how poor my "caffeteria" seminary education prepared me historically and theologically. Sadly, you can graduate with high honors from lots of places and still not know much about anything. Although it has been a hundred years, racking my memory leaves me wondering if there was even one lecture on the Westminster Assembly during my 9 years of formal theological training!!!

On that score, my dozen or so books on a Covenant Theology project just completed last week were the first volumes on that subject I had ever read!

This ole Baptist is playing catch up ball major league!

 

[Puritan Scot]

I heard Dr Chad Van Dixhoorn give the James Begg Annual Lecture in our church in 2005. "The Westminster Assembly and the Debate over the Atonement" At the time he was over in the UK doing research work on the Westminster Assembly.

I understand he is now back in the USA and gives lectures in this field. It would be worth while to check out the site of the Westminster Assembly Project relating to the Westminster assembly minutes and papers Westminster Assembly Project

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Last I heard from Chad on the pub date the plan is I think for his dissertation/assembly minutes to be published (finally) this year by Oxford. I have benefited immensely from having it (only 13 sets of the 7 volume dissertation landed in the US if I recall rightly). I will say for Dennis I think the old (and free online) Mitchel and Struthers minutes would serve for his study.

 

[DMcFadden]

Thanks, Chris. I have those and they are on my "to read" list in the next few weeks. Having finished Mitchell and Hetherington this last few evenings, I've moved on to Gillespie.

It is amazing how much real work you can get done if you turn off the 24/7 news channels!