WCF 23 and Revision

[Andrew P.C.]

I'm curious if there is a record of minutes for the assembly that met to revise the Westminster confession. Particularly, if there are minutes on the arguments presented to revise the 23rd chapter "Of The Civil Magistrate".

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Do you mean when the PCUSA was founded? If so; no; nothing survives if I recall.

 

[Andrew P.C.]

Do you mean when the PCUSA was founded? If so; no; nothing survives if I recall.

I think so.

I would like to know the thought process of the men in 1788.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Witherspoon and Rodgers I think were on the committee that did the work. Maybe Wayne Sparkman has some clues on resources; but they'd be secondary or far removed at best from anything like a primary source defense of the change.

 

[Wayne]

You could look through the published works of Witherspoon, Rodgers and others of that era, but I doubt it would shed any light.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

Andrew:

The Eight "Preliminary Principles" adopted by the PCUSA GA in 1788 are key here. Though these were associated particularly with the new Form of Government then in formation, they very much have to do with the stance that the Presbyterian Church in the colonies (at least that coming out of the Church of Scotland, as opposed to Covenanters or Seceders) had held for some time, made manifest at the time of the Adopting Act of 1729.

By 1788 changes in Chapters 20 and 23 would not engender debate but simply reflect something that had been held for some time (think of the position of Hanover Presbytery in re: Jefferson's and Madison's 1786 Bill for Religious Freedom in VA). Indeed, Witherspoon and Rodgers were involved in this, as were Alison and Wilson (the latter's final draft of the FG being in the PHS). There was extensive debate about the details of the FG but not that the church should be disestablished and the said chapters of the WCF revised.

Peace,
Alan