Book review
The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation
Full description of book:
Garnet Howard Milne, The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation: The Majority Puritan Viewpoint on Whether Extra-Biblical Prophecy is Still Possible, (Eugene, OR, USA: Wipf & Stock, 2007). ISBN 1-55635-805-9.
Review:
What was the view of the Westminster divines with regards to the continuation or cessation of the sign gifts, and especially the gift of prophecy? As the Charismatic movement continues on unabated, such questions with regards to the continuation or cessation of the sign gifts throughout history are looked at. The traditional view has been that the sign-gifts have ceased after the time of the Apostles. Charismatics who insist on the continuation of the sign gifts have to address this historical view. Either they agree that the sign-gifts have ceased in history but blame the cessation on the apostasy of the church, or they must try to find continuation of the sign gifts throughout history and as such dispute the traditional position that the gifts have indeed ceased. In this light, this reviewer has heard both arguments attempted. The first one however does not seem plausible in light of Jesus' promise that the gates of hell with not prevail against the Church (Mt. 16:18). True, the Reformation did happen, but the Reformation was the attempted reformation of the church not its revolution. The Reformers were totally unlike the Radical Anabaptists who insist on overthrowing the Church entirely to create a new one altogether. Only after Trent anathemized the Gospel did the Roman Catholic Church officially cut themselves off from Christ, for as we see from Scriptures, wickedness while serious does not immediately destroy the church (as in the case of the Corinthians, although persistent unrepentance does) but heresy immediately does (as in the case of the Galatians).
In his book, Garnet Howard Milne focused on the narrower scope of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF), the Westminster Divines and their view(s) concerning special revelation and prophecy. The book thus is a historical study of the primary sources, being mustered to show forth that the majority view of the Westminster Divines and the Puritans after them was that Special Revelation and thus prophecy has ceased.
To prove his case, Milne first looked in chapter one at the socio-political and religious context of the Westminster Assembly, especially the theological environment of that time. Chapter 2 looks at the discussion of the limitations of General Revelation and the necessity and scope of Special Revelation as written in the WCF, chapter 3 puts together the writings of the Westminster divines on various texts like Eph. 1:17-18, Heb. 1:1-2, Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:17 in their discussion of the obsolescence of the former modalities of Special Revelation. Chapter 4 discusses the claims to Continuationism among the Reformed Orthodox, and showed that Continuationists were in the extreme minority. Chapter 5 discusses the Westminster divines and their view on prophecy, while chapter 6 focuses on the Scots. Chapter 7 continues with the nature of subscription to the WCF to discern if loose subscription ism could allow continuationists to sign the WCF despite the presence of the Cessationist clause in Chapter 1 Paragraph 1. The book then concludes, and an appendix is added to discuss the Puritan understanding of "private spirits" in light of 2 Peter 1:20-21.
There is a lot of excellent research and information in this book. The main issue of course is the view of the Westminster Divines and the Puritans regarding Prophecy and Special Revelation. The WCF Chapter 1 Paragraph 1 seems rather clear in teaching Cessationism as stated:
Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable (Rom. 2:1, 14-15, 1:19-20, 32; Ps. 19:1-3); yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation (1 Cor. 1:21, 2:13-14). Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church (Heb. 1:1); and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing (Prov. 22:19-20; Lk. 1:3-4; Rom. 15:4; Mt. 4:4,7,10; Is. 8:19-20); which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary (2 Ti. 3:15, 2 Pet 1:19); those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased. (Heb. 1:1-2)
Milne indeed cites the primary sources to show that the later part of the WCF Chapter 1 Paragraph 1 was indeed meant to be read in a cessationist fashion. In order to head off the objection that such cessation has only regards to the issue of personal individual salvation, Milne shows that the concept of salvation utilized by the Westminster Divines and the Confession of Faith, while primarily referring to individual redemption, does indeed have a holistic element to it at various places. This "broader construal of salvation" (p. 80) contains the idea of temporal salvation, which is "linked to spiritual redemption in different ways" (p. 85). Such an understanding of temporal salvation by the Puritans is done in "political and even nationalistic terms" (p. 89). Since the Puritan concept of salvation in places does in fact encompass much of life, the cessationist clause in the WCF Chapter 1 Paragraph 1 must be seen to be similarly not limited to mere salvation. As Milne said about the English theologian William Gouge,
He contends that the Scriptures have replaced other now obsolete means of supernatural illumination as a source of effectual divine direction in the difficult non-doctrinal choices which still confront the new covenant church, individuals, and nations. (p. 94)
In further analysis of the sources, Milne argued that "an analysis of the Westminster divines reveals their pervasive commitment to a cessationism of a rather comprehensive type" (p. 145). They contended that "the possibility of further revelation has ceased, both for the purpose of doctrinal insight and for ethical guidance" (p. 145). Thus, "Inspired dispatches from heaven for the purpose of opening up the sense of Scripture, for assurance of personal redemption, or for any other purpose, were considered to be no longer possible" (p. 123)
Of course, empirically, some Christians do seem to have dreams and visions, and people like John Knox have been said to even prophesy about the future. It is to this that Milne turns to next. Milne states that there were a few ways the Reformed orthodox understood dreams. They either
The third group who are still cessationist are those who saw dreams "as a component of a holistic providentialism" (p. 149). As seen in Scottish commissioner to the Westminster Assembly Archibald Johnston (or Lord Warriston), such a position allows for 'mediate' leading, where "a providentially relevant 'Word'" is expected "to accompany any alleged divine leading" (p. 151). After all, "the Puritans did not deny that the Spirit of Christ impresses truth upon the soul; what they did deny is that such truth is external to Scripture" (p. 173). As we shall see later, Milne argues that people such as John Knox could be placed in such a third category.
Nevertheless, there did in fact existed a few Continuationists during that time. Ambiguity is seen in some persons like the French theologian Moise Amyraut and Edmund Calamy among others. But unequivocal continuationists can be seen in the persons of Richard Baxter, who believed further revelation "possible" (p. 159), and Westminster divine William Bridge. It must however be said that Bridge "with numerous qualifications" subordinates the immediate revelations he believes possible to be attained to Scripture, "and thus makes them of limited practical value without a link to the Word written" (p. 161), thus showing us how he tries to remain orthodox. The positions of these extremely small number of continuationists however diverge from the Reformed orthodox consensus on the topic, and nowhere can this be seen then in the polemics of early Quaker George Whitehead, who see the WCF as denying further revelation, and speaks of the inconsistency of Bridge on this issue (pp. 165-6). George Keith would provide Quakerdom's most extensive [attempted] rebuttal of Westminster religious epistemology, and from his pen we can see that the WCF is understood by its enemies to be cessationist in nature (p. 169).
Milne next directly address the issue of prophecy and the Westminster divines. It is admitted that "examples of Westminster divines who admitted the ongoing ministry of revelation from the elect angels" can be found (p. 184). However, Milne contends that the belief is founded based upon faulty psychology— that angels reveal through un-conscious suggestions which the will may then choose to accept (p. 185). Regardless, the Reformed orthodox are clear in their teaching that prophecy has ceased, and that the gifts function analogously now (pp. 189-192). Prophecy is now defined as "declar[ing] what God has already revealed in Scripture" (p. 197), which is the same sense in which William Perkins used the word in his work The Art of Prophesying[1]. The Rev. John Lightfoot on the other hand "reclassifies modern foretelling as an applying of Scripture to providence" (p. 202). It is in this light that the "widespread belief in contemporary prophecy" at that time could be understood (p. 210). As Milne states,
...it is a belief in mediate prophecy, in which Scripture plays the central role, which explains why the cessation of immediate prophecy was not seen to nullify the availability of insight into the future for those who lived by the written Word of God. (p. 210)
Moving on the Scots who are normally thought of as continuationists, Milne showed that John Knox himself believed his own prophecies were mediate, and Knox's official belief was cessationism (pp. 221-3). Samuel Rutherford is also a cessationist in like manner. George Gillespie on the other hand is a more controversial figure who while seemingly approving the existence of extraordinary prophets now etc has seeming contradictions within his own professed beliefs, and his strong subscription to the WCF makes it unlikely he is a continuationist (pp. 237-45). More likely, Gillespie made strong careless statements to buttress his arguments for the cases he is currently arguing for in his booklets without any heed as to their coherency to the larger doctrinal system he actually embraced. In this light, Gillespie is better to be treated as a cessationist.
Lastly, with regards to subscription, Milne made the case that the British were generally looser in their subscription to the WCF, while emphasizing their submission to Scripture. The Scots however were generally strict subscriptionists with the view that liberty was the "freedom to be Presbyterian, Puritan and Calvinistic" (p. 261). Nevertheless, there is no evidence that "the cessationist clause was a candidate for deliberate ambiguity" (p. 260), as compared to other places where the phrasing was left ambiguous so that tolerance of minor disputed points were allowed (pp. 258-9).
In this light, the strict subscriptionism of the Scots made it plain that despite the empirical data of the prophecies uttered by the Scots and the 'Covenanter hagiographical tradition', they were very much cessationists in their doctrine and interpreted their experience accordingly. The looser subscriptionism of the Brits seemed to have allowed them to get away with some form of "system subscription" and thus be continuationists, but the fact that they subscribed to it as a comprehensive confession of their faith (p. 284) made it unlikely that such is the case. After all, their version of loose subscription only applies to the WCF when used in the setting of the church and for others, not for those who adopted it as their own confession of faith.
In his conclusion, Milne surveys the evidences and affirms the essential cessationism of the Westminster divines and the Puritans. Yet, he acknowledged the belief in "mediate" revelation, which is the only thing that can be used to call Westminster religious epistemology in some sense "continuationist" (p. 289). The unity of Word and Spirit underlies the Westminster religious epistemology and dictates how they address the issue of the spiritual gifts, which are thought to function at present analogously (p. 289).
Appendix: A realistic Reformed Cessationism we can believe in
Assuming that Milne's reading and presentation of the primary sources to be accurate, this study has been extremely illuminating. The type of cessationism that Milne presents is something that this reviewer resonates with. God indeed still works through His Word, and a system that allows for God's immanence through the means He has ordained is indeed attractive (not apart from them). Special revelation has indeed ceased, and the "enthusiasts" who continue to violate the biblical teachings of Heb. 1:1-2 for example should be rejected along with their teachings. Thus, we reject Pentecostalism and Charismatism with their unbiblical rejection of the cessation of special revelation. With the Reformed orthodox, we deny the availability of immediate revelation of whatever order and whatever kind as being not available to anyone today.
Yet in our rejection of Charismatism, we do not swing to the other extreme of saying that God does not continue to work in His world. God is always present and always working. We should be fine with "mediate revelation" whereby God used us with the proclamation and witnessing of His Word to speak into the hearts of men. God may convict men of sin through revealing the secrets of their hearts through the proclamation of His Word (1 Cor. 14:24-25). Through sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, men of God may apply God's Word in such a manner that it seems that we accurately predict the future, but what it is is not actual foretelling but the application of the powerful Word of God in warning and exhortation. In all these things, we are open to the Spirit's leading through the Word, not apart from it.
That said, we need to be cautious in these few areas. Firstly, it is better not to use the word "revelation" if possible since "revelation" normally implies immediate revelation of some sort. All that is available to us is mediated to us in God using us through His Word to speak to others. Secondly, the idea of spiritual gifts functioning analogously is difficult to maintain for all of the gifts. For example, what exactly is analogous to the gift of tongues? Perhaps it would be better to address the gifts separately instead of positing a general analogy between the gifts as they were given during the apostolic times and now. Thirdly, the Apocalyptism during the time of the Westminster divines and the Puritans should be factored into account when we read of the accounts of supposed prophecies those like John Knox had. While we do not doubt that such had occurred, the way these are recounted may be in an apocalyptic fashion and thus made to seem more miraculous and astonishing that it actually is.. As such, while we do believe in God continuing to work through His providence, we are not to think that we have equivalent Charismatic-type phenomena while maintaining a Cessationist theology. God does work, but let us not think of Providence as merely taking over the place of the Holy Spirit in Charismatic theology.
With these caveats, such indeed is a realistic Reformed Cessationism that this reviewer agrees with. Let us not go to the other extreme of rationalism as a reaction to the horror shows put forth by the Charismatic's, but follow the Scriptures whatever they teach. Amen.
To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (Is. 8:20)
References
[1] William Perkins, The Art of Prophesying (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1996)