into the exegetical and theological underpinnings of the Westminster Confession’s chapter on the law by delivering an in-depth analysis of Anthony Burgess’s Vindiciae Legis . After a brief introduction to Burgess and his historical context, Casselli details the logical course of Burgess’s book considering the law as given to Adam, the law given to Moses, and finally the proper relation between law and gospel. Along the way, Casselli opens up such controverted points as natural law, the covenant of works, the continuing obligation to the moral law, and the diverse administrations of one unified covenant of grace. What we see is a pastoral theology developed in a richly complex environment where technical distinctions were warranted given the polemical context; where the broad history of the Western catholic tradition was deeply respected; where a covenantal hermeneutic was consistently applied to Scripture; and where all theological formulations grew out of detailed linguistic exegesis of particular texts of Scripture in the context of the broader ecclesiastical community. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Life of Anthony Burgess 3. Creation and Law 4. Law Given to Moses 5. Law and Gospel 6. Conclusions Appendix A – Sabbath Series Description Complementing the primary source material in the Principal Documents of the Westminster Assembly series, the Studies on the Westminster Assembly provides access to classic studies that have not been reprinted and to new studies, providing some of the best existing research on the Assembly and its members.

Challenging the dominant Van Tillian approach in Reformed apologetics, this book by a leading expert in contemporary Reformed theology sets forth the principles that undergird a classic Reformed approach. J. V. Fesko's detailed exegetical, theological, and historical argument takes as its starting point the classical Reformed understanding of the "two books" of God's revelation: nature and Scripture. Believers should always rest on the authority of Scripture but also can and should appeal to the book of nature in the apologetic task.

James Ussher (1581-1656), one of the most important religious scholars and Protestant leaders of the seventeenth century, helped shape the Church of Ireland and solidify its national identity. In Catholicity and the Covenant of Works, Harrison Perkins addresses the development of Christian doctrine in the Reformed tradition, paying particular attention to the ways in which Ussher adopted various ideas from the broad Christian tradition to shape his doctrine of the covenant of works, which he utilized to explain how God related to humanity both before and after the fall into sin. Perkins highlights the ecumenical premises that underscored Reformed doctrine and the major role that Ussher played in codifying this doctrine, while also shedding light on the differing perspectives of the established churches of Ireland and England. Catholicity and the Covenant of Works considers how Ussher developed the doctrine of a covenant between God and Adam that was based on law, and illustrates how he related the covenant of works to the doctrines of predestination, Christology, and salvation.

Reformed churches have always been interested in the covenant idea, first the covenant of grace in Christ, but also a covenant with Adam before sin, commonly called the covenant of works. But what the covenant of works really meant in the 17th century, when it became standard orthodoxy, is often very poorly understood today. That ignorance has contributed to modifications which are not always for the better.

Antinomianism was the primary theological concern addressed by the Westminster Assembly. Yet until now, no monograph has taken up the specific concerns related to antinomianism and the famous assembly. In Christ and the Law, Whitney G. Gamble sketches the rise of English antinomianism in the early decades of the 1600s to the assembly’s first encounter with it in 1643, summarizing the main theological tenets of antinomianism and examining the assembly’s work against it, both politically and theologically. Along the way, Gamble analyzes how the assembly’s published documents addressed theological issues raised by antinomianism on matters of justification, faith, works, and the moral law. By detailing the assembly’s perspective on antinomianism, Gamble’s book helps further our understanding of the formation, nature, and growth of Reformed theology in seventeenth-century England. Series Description Complementing the primary source material in the Principal Documents of the Westminster Assembly series, the Studies on the Westminster Assembly provides access to classic studies that have not been reprinted and to new studies, providing some of the best existing research on the Assembly and its members.

The Westminster Assembly is celebrated for its doctrinal standards and debates on church polity. But how often is the assembly noted for its extraordinary intervention in the pulpit ministry of the Church of England? In God’s Ambassadors , Chad Van Dixhoorn recounts the Puritan quest for a reformation in preachers and preaching and how the Westminster Assembly fit into that movement. He examines the assembly’s reform efforts, tracing debates and exploring key documents about preaching in a way that both highlights disagreements within the assembly’s ranks and showcases their collective plan for the church going forward. Moreover, Van Dixhoorn reveals the rationale behind the assembly’s writings and reforms, both in terms of biblical exegesis and practical theology. Unlike any other book, God’s Ambassadors draws attention to the lengths to which the Westminster Assembly would go in promoting godly preachers and improved preaching. Table of Contents: Part I: Blind Guides and Scandalous Ministers 1. The Call to Reform 2. The Road to Reform 3. "Democratick Annarchie" Part II: A Reforming Assembly 4. Purifying Pulpits: Assembly Examinations 5. The Pastor's Office: Assembly Debates 6. Ordaining Preachers: The Directory for Ordination 7. Directions for Preaching: The Directory for Public Worship Part III: In Theory 8. On Preachers: Godly, Trained, and Ordained 9. On Preaching: The Word of God as the Ordinary Means of Grace 10. On Preaching: Audible and Visible Words 11. On Preaching: Christ-Centered Sermons 12. On Preaching: Christ-Centered Exegesis 13. On Study and Style: "The Spirit's Working" Appendix A: The Duties of a Minister Appendix B: The Directory for Ordination Appendix C: The Subdirectory for Preaching

As a theologian in the Reformed tradition, covenant theology was for Jonathan Edwards the internal scaffolding that gave shape to the biblical story of redemption. The establishment of the eternal rule of righteousness as the basis of the believer's communion with God and eternal happiness is a central theme beginning with the Covenant of Works, grounded in the eternal Covenant of Redemption, and culminating in the Covenant of Grace. It is the basis for the law-gospel distinction in Edwards and the early architects of federal theology. For the "God intoxicated" New England Puritan preacher, this was no dry academic exercise. Rather, it was a joyous and affectionate discovery and embrace of what God had ordained in eternity, what Christ accomplished in history on the cross, and what the Holy Spirit is doing and will complete in the church. This study grew out of current discussions in Reformed scholarship questioning aspects of traditional covenant theology. As a key transitional figure in the history of Reformed theology, Edwards's thinking is still relevant. The richness and depth of Edwards's vision of redemptive history provides a clear and comprehensive understanding of his Reformed soteriology and the role of evangelical obedience in justification.