Anglican and Puritan Thinking. Papers read at the 1977 Westminster Conference, pages 102, price 95 pence. Published by Westminster Conference, 75 High Street, Warboys, Huntingdon, Cambridge.
The fundamental difference, dividing Puritan and Anglican thinking and outlook which finally led to the Anglican and non-comformist Churches going their separate ways, concerned the question of authority. Where must the authority of the Church be placed? The Puritans maintained that the Scriptures constitute the sole authority for Church Doctrine, Discipline and Government, while for the Anglican Scriptures must be supplemented by “natural reason.” This question runs through the whole of the 6 papers read at the Westminster Conference for 1977. The first paper therefore by Hywel R. Jones is on Authority. The paper opens with the public debate which broke out in the pulpit of the Temple Church in the Strand on 3 successive Sabbaths in March 1586. In the morning Richard Hooker, Master of the Temple Church, gave the classic Anglican answer to this question — Hooker at the time was in course of preparing his great work on Ecclesiastical Polity — and in the afternoon Richard Travers, the Reader, spoke for the Puritan party. The historian Fuller says: “The pulpit spoke pure Canterbury in the morning and Geneva in the afternoon.” This paper set the course of the rest of the Conference.
The second paper on the Church is by Paul E. G. Cook, the longest and in some ways the most interesting read at the Conference. The puritan idea of the Church as a “society of visible saints” was first given practical expression at Frankfort where in 1554 the English exiles from Marian persecution set up a church under John Knox solely founded on scripture. Knox himself is described as “the founder of Puritanism.” Of interest is the account of the rise of the Presbyterian party within the Anglican Church which, however, did not survive the Great Ejection of 1662. Surprising enough is Cook’s statement that Dr J. Owen was a “convinced Presbyterian.” Very few references in the paper dealing with the nature of the Church are made to the Westminster Confession of Faith or to the Directory of Public Worship. It is recognised that Hooker gave Anglicanism a theological foundation. Cook’s view is that Anglicanism in England still remained “a mood rather than a system,” and his final assessment is “the spirit of Anglicanism expresses all the features of our national temperament, but when grace prevails over nature the Englishman becomes a Puritan” — page 40.
Episcopacy, whose Church government rests upon the 3 orders of bishop, priest and deacon, remains the characteristic of the Anglican Church. Today this is still the hall-mark of Anglicanism. Modern works, such as “Growing into Union” by joint authors among them Dr Packer, still insist on submission of all its clergy to this 3-fold order. Such an ecclesiastical hierarchy was abhorred by the Puritans. The paper by Maurice J. Roberts discusses this question.
The next 2 papers deal with the external worship of the Church. The paper by Robert W. Oliver on the Externals of Worship, discusses buildings, ceremonies, vestments, etc., and Leslie A. Rawlinson in Worship in Liturgy and Form, the liturgy, set prayers and other forms of public worship, all of which were rejected by the Puritans who contended for a scriptural form of worship more in keeping with the simplicity of early apostolic days.
In Puritan thinking, prior place had always been accorded to the sermon and here too the fundamental difference which separated Anglican from Puritan appears. The final paper by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in a wide ranging, informative and decisive treatment of the subject, is on Preaching. The sermon today has fallen into disfavour being displaced by conference, debate, dialogue, but Dr Lloyd-Jones draws upon his wide experience of long years in the ministry to reinstate the sermon to the central position of public worship. “The supreme need of our day and generation is the declaration of the Word of God in the power of the Holy Ghost” are his concluding words.
These Westminster Conference papers are well prepared, clearly the result of careful study and will amply repay the close attention with which they deserve to be read.
A.F.M.
Meditations of the Sacred Humanity of the Blessed Redeemer. By J. C. Philpot, M.A. Gospel Standard Strict Baptist Trust. Price £2.25 plus 26p postage.
In the preface to these pages, allusion is made to the origin of this production, namely, the review of a book by Henry Cole. This fact should be kept in view, but our lack of acquaintance with that book makes us write with caution. The subject of these Meditations by Mr Philpot, is indeed most precious, yet very deep and difficult. At a time when so much that is flippant and blasphemous has been written on this sacred theme, the reproduction of Mr Philpot’s sweet thoughts on this holy doctrine are peculiarly welcome and refreshing. Those who have a spiritual palate will relish the reverent and devotional flavour of the author’s remarks on this glorious subject. Polemical tones there are too, as the writer refers to heretics who attacked the doctrine of the true and perfect humanity of Christ. As one might expect from the pen of this great experimental preacher, the subjective element is strong, but there is the definite doctrinal content. One might have expected him to say more about the holy human soul of the Saviour, but possibly he was guided by that wisdom that is profitable to direct. We cannot however agree with Mr Philpot that Christ did not die a violent death. It was violent of itself, though voluntary on His part — for violence is not opposed to voluntary, but natural. (cf Works of John Flavel, Vol. I, p. 322 and Letter cccvii in Rutherford’s Letters). This point the writer has apparently failed to grasp. Another blemish is the sombre note on which the book ends. According to Mr Philpot there are no glorious days of spiritual blessing to look forward to, and consequently no ingathering of the Jews as promised by the Lord in His Word. At least, that is certainly the impression created by the predictions on the last page of an otherwise edifying and thought provoking production.
F.M.
Westminster Confession of Faith. Free Presbyterian Publications. £3.50.
The Publications Committee has issued a large print edition of the Confession of Faith, including the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. This edition will be particularly useful to persons whose eyesight is not good, as the proof texts in the former smaller edition appeared in very small print. In addition to this large book, the Westminster Confession of Faith alone has been printed in booklet form and should prove useful for classes studying the Confession of Faith.
Muckle Kate and the Highland Kitchen Maid. Free Presbyterian Publications.
These two well-known stories are issued in one booklet printed in large type. It is a publication especially suitable for the young. The price is 20p.