Recently Discovered Memoranda of the Westminster Assembly
Recently Discovered Memoranda ARTICLE 1. RECENTLY DISCOVERED MEMORANDA OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY. Minutes of the Sessions of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, while engaged in preparing their Directory for Church Gov- ernment, Confession of Faith, and Catechisms (November, 1644, to March, 1649). From Transcripts of the Originals, procured by a Committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Edited for the Committee by the Rev. ALEX. F. MITCHELL, D. D., Professor of Ecclesiastical His- tory of the University of St. Andrews, and the Rev. JOHN STRUTHERS, LL.D., Minister of Prestonpans. William Black- wood & Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1874. Pp. 556, 8vo. The Dr. Williams Library, Grafton Street, London, seems to be a rich mine of Presbyterian antiquities. From it were ob- tained the “Knox Papers,” which have proved so valuable in the illustration of Knox’s career as an English Reformer. And in it also have recently been found these “Minutes of the Westmin- ster Assembly of Divines,” contained in three volumes of manu- script foolscap, inscribed with this title, though in a more modern hand than the manuscripts themselves. In the judgment of those competent to decide such a question, there can be no doubt that the “Minutes” are in the handwriting of Adonirain Byfield himself, one of the Clerks of the Westminster Assembly, whose name is written several times on the records in the same hand- writing as the Minutes. The whole record extends from August 4, 1643, to April 24, 1652. The present published volume, however, embraces only that portion of the records extending from November, 1644, to March, 1649.
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