Westminster Conference Papers 2022 Print Version Out

The printed version of the six papers given last September on Oxford Street are now available in print form. The death of Michael Toogood earlier this year means that for the first time in along time we did not have his help o this volume.

Westminster Conference 2022 Day One

We had a very stimulating first day at the conference on Tiesday.

We began with David Pfeiffer on Archibald Alexander's Thoughts on religious experience. I thought he could have been more enthusiastic about the book but quite rightly he offered some few cauttions while commending the book, nevertheless. He gave us four conclusions

1. Temperamental, biological and anthropological factors are important in religious experience

2. God gives us the strength we need when we need it

3. Justification and grace need to be kept in mind in the Christian life

4. The value of knowing Scripture well

In the afternoon Robert Strivens informed us about Eusebius of Caesarea and his church history. He then opened this up into a very interesting discussion of the writing of church history. Very helpful. Robert argued for a specific Christian approach. In the discussion we found it difficult to be sure how that should be done.

The final paper was a useful one on evangelicals, slavery and colonialism from Ian Shaw, which included sometimes painful reading on what our Reformed heroes said on the matter. It was useful to discuss matters such as reparation and what we are to make of the idea.

So a great day - excellent papers of the right length and decent discusssions.

More Thoughts on Religious Experience

It was good to be giving thought to Archibald Alexander's wonderful book once again on Monday. The Westminster Fellowship gathering was led by Stephen Clark a long time fan of the book. We were our usually circa twenty. Good time.

Thoughts on Religious Experience

On Monday it was up to the Pastors Academy again (with Alffi the dog) for the Pastors Academy reading group. We like to read old books as well as new and I had suggested the 1841 work by Archibald Alexander Thoughts on religious experience. (The above image shows the original Banner cover. My copy was bought in 1980). Around six of us were present and we had a decent time. The book covers such a vast range of topics that it was difficult to cover everything and it was not easy to formulate questions for discussion but we had a stab at conversion, death and depression. So not the best time we've had but okay. In June we hope to tackle Mark Meynell's When Darkness Seems My Closest Friend partly prompted by the previous volume. (Best source ICM Books). Do join us if you can. Details will appear shortly on the Pastors Academy website.

Some quotations

Conviction, then, is no part of a sinner’s salvation - but the clear practical knowledge of the fact that he cannot save himself, and is entirely dependent on the saving grace of God.

In judging of religious experience, it is all important to keep steadily in view the system of divine truth contained in the Holy Scriptures; otherwise our experience, as is too often the case, will degenerate into enthusiasm. Many ardent professors seem too readily to take it for granted that all religious feelings must be good. They therefore take no care to discriminate between the genuine and the spurious, the pure gold and the tinsel. Their only concern is about the ardour of their feelings; not considering that if they are spurious, the more intense they are the further will they lead them astray.

There is no necessity for any other proof of native depravity than the aversion which children early manifest to religious instruction and to spiritual exercises.

Of two persons under conviction of sin, one of whom has had sound religious instruction, and the other none, the former will have an unspeakable advantage over the latter in many respects.

There is a common practical error in the minds of many Christians in regard to this matter. They seem to think that nothing has any relation to the conversion of the sinner but that which immediately preceded this event; and the Christian is ready to say, I was awakened under such a sermon, and never had rest until I found it in Christ; making nothing of all previous instructions and impressions. So, when a revival occurs under the awakening discourses of some evangelist, people are ready to think that he only is the successful preacher whose labours God owns and blesses; whereas he does but bring forward to maturity feelings and convictions which have been long secretly forming and growing within the soul, but so imperceptibly that the person himself was little sensible of any 

change.

We know very little, however, of what is passing in the minds of thousands around us. The zealous preacher often concludes and laments that there is no impression on the minds of his hearers, when, if the covering of the human heart could be withdrawn, he would be astonished and confounded at the variety and depth of the feelings experienced. Those impressions which manifest themselves by a flow of tears are not the deepest, but often very superficial; while the most awful distresses of the soul are entirely concealed by a kind of hypocrisy, which men early learn to practice to hide their feelings of a religious kind from their fellow-creatures.

If there be a truth established beyond all reasonable question by uniform experience, it is that lovers of pleasure are the enemies of God.

Last Week 2 Evangelical Library

On Monday evening it was my great privilege to be at the Evangelical Library to hear Ian Hamilton speaking on the theology of Old Princeton. It was an excellent lecture, popular in the best sense and gave a real flavour of the stature of the Princeton giants - Hodge, Warfield, Alexander, etc. The only disappointment was the relatively poor turn out, which as more like twenty than the forty we might have expected. This was probably due to the lecture being given in July rather than the June date it normally gets. I'm sure I also over-estimate the familiarity of the Christian public with these things and in the publicity I should have put a bigger emphasis on the fact that this is a bi-centennial year for Princeton and the fact that it was until 1929 the home of Reformed theology. The recording can be obtained from the Library and will hopefully appear in print form in due time.   

Hodge Word and Spirit

Hywel Jones drew our attention to a letter of Charles Hodge (to a Dr Watt) preserved in the recently republished biography by Archibald Alexander.

DR. HODGE TO DR. WATTS

Princeton, October 5th, 1865,

My Dear Sir : —

Wistar has handed me your letter relating to the question raised among your brethren concerning the Witness of the Spirit. As you request an immediate answer, it is impossible for me to do more than state in a few words the view which I have been led to take on the subject, without any attempt to sustain that view either historically or exegetically. I write for you alone, as I have no idea that anything I say will be worthy of the attention of your committee.

We must, of course, renounce all hope to understand the mode of the divine operation either in nature or in grace; as we have no idea how mind operates on matter, or matter on mind, we cannot understand how God produces the effects which in the Scriptures are attributed to his agency. The fact is all we can expect to know.

1. It seems to be plainly taught in the Bible, and to be the commonly received doctrine, that in the external world God operates constantly through, with, and without second causes. Whatever in the external world, as in plants and animals, is indicative of design is to be referred to the present agency of mind, ie, to God. Matter cannot produce life, much less an immaterial, intelligent substance. Such substances, however, are constantly produced under the providential agency of God. The human soul operates in like manner through, with and independently of the functions of the body. Every time we speak or write, this threefold mode of exercise is evinced.

2. It is no less plain from Scripture and universally believed in the Church that the Spirit of God operates immediately on the soul. In the regeneration of infants this must be assumed.

3. It seems also clear that in the dealings of the Spirit with the souls of believers there is a constant exercise of His power in connection with and independent of the truth. We know not how one spirit operates on another; how evil spirits controlled the thoughts and feelings of the demoniacs, and of course we cannot pretend to know how the Holy Spirit controls the action of our minds, how He

excites our affections or gives the truth a greater power over them at one time than at another. But He is more immediately present with our souls than the soul is with the body, and constantly controls them in a way consistent with the nature of mind and the laws of spiritual intercourse.

4. We are clearly taught that saving faith rests on the witness of the Spirit and with the truth. This is represented in Scripture as something different from the evidence which the word itself contains of its own truth. It is "an unction from the Holy One." It is "the demonstration of the Spirit." The Spirit produces in our minds the infallible conviction that the Bible is true. This conviction is not the product of a process of reasoning, nor a conclusion from the facts of our own consciousness. If it were it would not be infallible, and our faith after all would rest in something human and not in the power of God.

5. In like manner the Spirit witnesses to the believer that he is a child of God. The assurance of his adoption the Apostle refers to two sources; first, the conscious filial exercises of the soul towards God, and, secondly, the witness of the Spirit, who bears witness together (summarture) with our spirits that we are the sons of God. Although compound words are frequently used in the same sense with the simple forms, this is only to be assumed under the stress of the context.

When the context admits of the full and proper force of the word it should be retained; much more when that force is required by the connection. The passage simply teaches that the Spirit produces in the mind of a believer the assurance of his adoption: as in Rom 5:5, He is said to produce the assurance that we are the objects of God's love.

There is no real ground for the charge of enthusiasm or fanaticism against this view of the subject,

(1). Because it attributes to the Spirit nothing out of analogy with the constant operations of God in the external world and on the minds of men in his providence.

(2). Because it is consistent with the constant representations of the Scriptures relating to the intercourse of the soul with God. We not only address Him and reveal or rather express to Him our thoughts and feelings, but He manifests Himself to us. We not only aver our love to Him, but He also reveals His love to us. The soul of the believer lives, or should live, in constant fellowship or intercourse with the Father of our spirits. He is at no loss for means and modes of communiating with his children.

(3). When our Confession attributes saving faith to the witness of God not only by or through but with the truth, it does not teach that God makes any new revelations. The word is true. It declares itself objectively to the reason, the conscience, and the affections to be true, and God by His Spirit affirms it to be true. There is no new revelation there. Neither is there in the witness of the Spirit to the believer's adoption. He is a child of God. He has all the filial affections of a child. The Spirit produces assurance that what is true is true. The soul is not left to deductions from its own imperfectly nderstood or partially interpreted consciousness. God gives it a peace which passes understanding.

The fanatics at the Reformation and in all times have abused the doctrine of the inward teaching of the Spirit. So they abuse the doctrine that He witnesses to the adoption of believers. But in neither case have they any just reason for their perversions. And the Reformers as you know gave up their doctrines on neither point from fear that the truth would be abused.

I fear these few remarks will not be of much service to you, but I am not able to write more.

Your friend, very truly, Charles Hodge.

Testimonies 2

The piece from the Banner site on Testimonies took me back to this section from Archibald Alexander's Thoughts on Religious Experience. Again there is an element of over statement. He says

There is what may be called a sectarian peculiarity in the experimental religion of all the members of a religious denomination. When it is required, in order that persons be admitted to communion, that they publicly give a narrative of the exercises of their minds, there will commonly be observed a striking similarity. There is a certain mould into which all seem to be cast.

By the way, this requisition is unwise; few persons have humility and discretion enough to be trusted to declare in a public congregation, what the dealings of God with their souls have been. When ignorant, weak and fanciful persons undertake this, they often bring out such crude and ludicrous things, as greatly tend to bring experimental religion into discredit.

The practice seems also to be founded on a false principle, namely, that real Christians are able to tell with certainty whether others have religion, if they hear their experience. Enthusiasts have always laid claim to this discernment of the spirits, and this enthusiasm is widely spread through some large sects; and when they meet with any professing piety, they are always solicitous to hear an account of their conviction, conversion, &c. A free intercourse of this kind among intimate friends, is no doubt, profitable; but a frequent and indiscriminate disclosure of these secret things of the heart, is attended with many evils.

Among the chief is, the fostering of spiritual pride, which may often be detected when the person is boasting of his humility. In those social meetings, in which every person is questioned as to the state of his soul, the very sameness of most of the answers ought to render the practice suspicious. Poor, weak, and ignorant persons, often profess to be happy, and to be full of the love of God, when they know not what they say. It is wonderful how little you hear of the spiritual conflict in the account which many professors give of their experience. The people know what kind of answer is expected of them, and they come, as near as they can to what is wished; and it is to be feared that many cry "peace" when there is no peace; and say that they are happy, merely because they hear this from the lips of others. Hypocrisy is a fearful evil, and every thing which has a tendency to produce it should be avoided.