The Westminster Assembly and Its Work

by B.B. Warfield

The "Westminster Assembly of Divines" derives its name from the ancient conventual church of Westminster Abbey, situated in the western district of the county of London. It was convened in the most ornate portion of this noble fabric, the Chapel of Henry VII, on the first day of July, 1643; but, as the cold weather of autumn came on, it was transferred (October 2, 1643) to a more comfortable room (the so-called "Jerusalem Chamber") in the adjoining Deanery. In that room it thereafter sat, not merely to the end of the 1163 numbered sessions, during which its important labors were transacted (up to February 22, 1649), but through some three years more of irregular life, acting as a committee for the examination of appointees to charges and applicants for licensure to preach. It ultimately vanished with the famous "Long Parliament" to which it owed its being. The last entry in its Minutes is dated March 25, 1652.

Genres: Theology, History

Hardcover

First published November 11, 2011

About the author

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (usually known as B. B. Warfield) was professor of theology at Princeton Seminary from 1887 to 1921. Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians before the split in 1929 that formed Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[William Barrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warfield's description of the meetings and business of the Westminster Assembly form a significant historical backdrop for Christianity in seventeenth-century England and Scotland. Obtaining an inside look at the proceedings in the development of the Westminster Confession and its attendant Catechisms produces a profound respect for the men involved. Even the history of the Confession's publication and translation contributes a significant aspect of this volume and its contents. Every Protestant (especially Reformed) candidate for a doctorate in theology should be required to read this volume. The modern church could learn much from how the Westminster Assembly worked together for a unified statement of faith which allowed for variations in views on some significant topics.

[Peter Kiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible scholarship from Warfield, as always. However, sometimes his deep level of study can leave the layman behind, with lots of untranslated Latin texts throughout. Also, I don't think every article is on the same level in terms of usefulness, but that is typical with Warfield's works. Some of his articles are hyper-focused on a particular topic, others offer a great wealth of info at an accessible and engaging level. I learned a lot from this, and look forward to learning more. This is certainly a reference work in many respects.

[Keller (Charles Hack) Hackbusch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but helpful history of the Westminster Assembly