# The WCF and the Cessation of Special Revelation -- Milne



## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 25, 2008)

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


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## CarlosOliveira (Jan 26, 2008)

Simply, an outstanding, groundbreaking and remarkable book! Highly recommended!


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## JohnOwen007 (Jan 26, 2008)

Fantastic. Thanks for letting us know Andrew. I've been waiting for the release of this for ages ... can't wait!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 26, 2008)

CarlosOliveira said:


> Simply, an outstanding, groundbreaking and remarkable book! Highly recommended!





JohnOwen007 said:


> Fantastic. Thanks for letting us know Andrew. I've been waiting for the release of this for ages ... can't wait!



 There is also a blurb about the book at the website of the Reformed Presbyterian Covenanter Society.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 22, 2008)

I finally finished reading this today. I highly commend it. It was very educational, well documented, and Biblically and confessionally sound.


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## KMK (May 22, 2008)

Great...

I've got so many books on my list to read I feel like Burgess Meredith in that episode of the Twilight Zone.


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## KMK (May 22, 2008)

BTW, how much is 20 pounds in US dollars?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 22, 2008)

KMK said:


> Great...
> 
> I've got so many books on my list to read I feel like Burgess Meredith in that episode of the Twilight Zone.



Before the glasses broke --->






"So many books, so little time.." "Time Enough At Last"


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## KMK (May 22, 2008)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> KMK said:
> 
> 
> > Great...
> ...



Nice emoticon! We should have that available on PB!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 22, 2008)

KMK said:


> BTW, how much is 20 pounds in US dollars?



Today it is about $39.59. 

XE - Universal Currency Converter


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 22, 2008)

There is a better price at Wipf & Stock:

Wipf and Stock Publishers


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (May 22, 2008)

Looks good.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 2, 2008)

Now available at RHB for $32.50.


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## KMK (Jul 2, 2008)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Now available at RHB for $32.50.



Darn, I thought you were going to say, "Now available online here."


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## DMcFadden (Jul 2, 2008)

Oh well! I ordered it from Wipf and Stock before seeing the better price from RHB. John Wipf and I went to seminary together. Guess I might as well give him some business.


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