The Westminster Confession of Faith Review
In our series asking who were the Puritans?, today we get to the root, the meat, of the question: what did they believe? Last time we looked at Calvin's Institutes to see what influenced the Puritans. Today we could look at several documents (the 1689 Baptist Confession, the Belgic Confession, and others), but we're looking at the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Two editions
I'm reviewing two very different editions, both from Banner of Truth:
- The Confession of Faith (656 pages), which includes the Confession, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Directory for Public Worship and associated historical documents, with a 30-page index of names, Scripture references and topics. It's clothbound, pretty standard for Banner, and a beautiful book.
- The Pocket Puritans edition (136 pages), in a soft faux-leather cover, most similar to Crossway's TruTone pocket New Testaments.
Both are Smyth-sewn, so they'll last a very long time if you take care of them, and both are printed in the USA by Versa Press.
The big edition prints the Scripture proof texts out in full (I believe in the King James), so you don't have to flip to your Bible. The pocket edition gives only the references. That makes no difference to me: the pocket edition fits right in my coat pocket and I take it to church every week. The other is great for home use and includes the other documents. It just depends on what you're using it for.
A little history
The Assembly brought together 121 ministers of the Church of England and 30 lay assessors (10 nobles and 20 commoners) of various convictions. They were directed to create a confession of faith that believers could hold to, that would help them understand doctrine better, and that would tie each doctrine to Scripture. Some of the bigger names you may recognize if you read a lot of theology: Thomas Goodwin, John Lightfoot, William Bates, Matthew Poole, Thomas Manton, Thomas Watson and Samuel Rutherford. They began on July 1, 1643, and didn't finish (including the catechisms) until 1652.
What others have said
In the pocket edition's introduction, Sinclair Ferguson addresses whether the Confession is "Calvinistic." It is, in the sense that it's rooted in the same biblical theology Calvin expressed in his Institutes (which is exactly why we reviewed that first). Its understanding of salvation and the Christian life is deeply rooted in Christ: salvation is God's gift, received by faith, leading to a life devoted to God's glory. And even where it's been accused of differing from Calvin, such as on assurance, it actually echoes what he found in Scripture.
Thomas Manton, in his epistle to the reader, urges masters of families to study it well themselves and then teach it to their children and servants:
If they once understand these grounds of religion, they will be able to read other books more understandingly, hear sermons more profitably, confer more judiciously, and hold fast the doctrine of Christ more firmly... First let them read and learn the Shorter Catechism, next the Larger, and lastly read the Confession of Faith.
That reminds me how churches that hold to the Westminster Confession truly focus on the children, in church and at home, in a way I don't see anywhere else. The whole foundation was to train up children in the way they should go.
And on the dust jacket, John Murray (1898–1975) calls the Westminster standards the "flower and fruit" of some fifteen centuries of creedal formulation. The divines didn't cut themselves off from church history; they gratefully built on everything God had given His church before them, especially in the Reformation. In Murray's words, no other similar documents have formulated with such precision so much of the truth of the Christian revelation.
What's in it
The Confession follows the pattern of the Apostles' Creed ("I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son...") and expounds on it, adding doctrines the Creed doesn't address. Its 33 chapters cover Holy Scripture; God and the Holy Trinity; God's eternal decree; creation; providence; the fall, sin and its punishment; God's covenant with man; Christ the Mediator; free will; effectual calling; justification; adoption; sanctification; saving faith; repentance unto life; good works; perseverance; assurance; the law of God; Christian liberty and liberty of conscience; worship and the Sabbath; lawful oaths and vows; the civil magistrate; marriage and divorce; the church; the communion of saints; the sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper; church censures; synods and councils; the state of men after death and the resurrection; and the last judgment.
That covers basically everything in practical Christian living, and nothing is said without warrant in Scripture. It's amazing they could do that.
If you're wondering about editions: the American revisions of 1788 mostly addressed civil government and religious freedom. Both of these editions include the original text followed by the American revisions.
The big edition also includes the letter "To the Christian Reader, especially Heads of Families," Thomas Manton's epistle, the Acts of Assembly and Parliament, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Sum of Saving Knowledge, the National Covenant, the Solemn League and Covenant, the Directory for Public Worship, the Form of Presbyterial Church Government, the Directory for Family Worship, and the index. It's a bit pricey, but it's a must-have if you're interested in theology, and worth the money.
Are there better books on this topic?
There are many other confessions, the Heidelberg and the 1689 among them. But I'm going to say no. I think this is the best confession of faith, the best written and the closest to the Bible. It's my personal favorite, and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Would I buy it?
Yes, either edition. Banner of Truth always nails their publishing.
Banner of Truth, if you're listening: a friend and I both agreed we would love a Pocket Puritans edition of the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, maybe with a little slipcase for the set. Please make it happen!
And if you've never read theology or older English before, consider getting a commentary alongside the Confession. My acquaintance Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn has a fantastic one, Confessing the Faith, recently republished by Banner of Truth, that explains everything beautifully.
Soli Deo Gloria!
