# Jus Divinum: The Westminster Assembly and the Divine Right of Church Governmen



## NaphtaliPress (Feb 12, 2013)

A reminder that this still standard work is available.
_Jus Divinum: The Westminster Assembly and the Divine Right of Church Government,_ John R. de Witt. Naphtali Press, 2010 (1969 rpr.), 274 pp., hardback, 1519/$22.95. *Jus Divinum:The Westminster Assembly and the Divine Right of Church Government by J. R. De Witt, Th.D. (Hardcover) - Lulu*
Review by Iain H. Murray.
“Students of the seventeenth century, and especially those concerned with the work of the Westminster Assembly, will be glad to know that John de Witt’s groundbreaking doctoral thesis, first published by Kok of Kampen in 1969, is now reprinted in large hardback, 274 pp. It details one of the greatest debates to have taken place since the Reformation on the subject of the church, and how far her government has been appointed by God in Scripture…. The tension of the debates, which we follow in these pages, against the back-drop of Civil War, is very clearly set down, with judicious use of the original documents. To read it is to believe there were ‘giants’ in the land in those days…. _Jus Divinum_ weill remain as a standard work from an author who has heartfelt sympathy for the Puritans, and a deep appreciation of their concern to see Christ honoured in the church.”
This work had become rare and hard to find, and when found one could pay well over $100 for a used copy. We are pleased to make it available in this print on demand hardbound printing available at Lulu.com. Naphtali Press normally does not do photo reprints, but the author wanted to preserve the original hand press printing, which was carefully scanned for this reprint. List price is $45. We are pleased to offer it on sale at $22.95 and are happy to make the work easily available again.


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## Semper Fidelis (Feb 12, 2013)

Chris,

This is a great book. I think one of the very useful features of the book is that it gives us insight into how the Westminster Assembly thought of the light of nature. Very often today, people have sort of a prooftext view of how certain ideas arise. The authors of this work show how General Revelation about how men naturally organize themselves forms a valid line of argumentation for the manner in which we ought to organize our Church courts.

I haven't check my library yet but the prior release you printed was paperback, was it not?


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## PuritanCovenanter (Feb 12, 2013)

Chris, I have two books titled Jus Divinum. I read the Napthtili press one that is here. I haven't gotten to the Dewitt volume yet. Can you give a short comparison why there are two?


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 12, 2013)

Different book. I understand the confusion. The one you are thinking of is _Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici _by the London Provincial Assembly. This is John R. de Witt's doctoral thesis on the Assembly and it's debate over a jus divinum church polity. The first remains out of print. David W. Hall with whom I worked on the text and I have discussed once or twice reissuing it with Divine Right of the Gospel Ministry, but neither of us have enough lifetime left to get to that I fear. Too many things else on the burners.


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 12, 2013)

Randy, essentially JDRE is the English Presbyterians' defense of Jus Divinum Presbyterianism; de Witt's work is about the debate over church polity in the Westminster Assembly. One is a work on church polity from the time of the assembly, the other is a historical analytical work on that part of the work of the Westminster assembly.


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## Semper Fidelis (Feb 12, 2013)

Oh...cool!


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 12, 2013)

And neither should be confused with The Grand Debate which are the debate papers which passed between the Congregationalist and Presbyterian members of the Assembly. I am slowly working toward publishing that eventually.


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## Semper Fidelis (Feb 12, 2013)

Purchased one!


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