This is an incredibly helpful book in understanding the historical context of the Westminster Assembly. Conservative Presbyterians are meticulous in examining context when it comes to reading and teaching the Scriptures. But we often act as if the Westminster Confession and Catechisms dropped from the sky, taking little care to understand the climate of their origination, and the debates that led to the particular language that was ultimately included in the Westminster Standards. Letham's book will go a long way in addressing this weakness. In the first half of the volume, the reader will get a lengthy history of the time period as well as the main participants at the Assembly. The second half walks through the Confession (with topical interludes particularly to the Larger Catechism), with special emphasis on the floor debates. Meticulously researched, Letham's analysis of the Westminster minutes give the reader a much deeper understanding of the diversity of views at the Assembly, and the compromise language chosen. Based on research alone, I'd rate this 5 stars. I gave it 4, simply because it's not a page turner and something you'll likely get jazzed about reading cover to cover. It makes for an excellent reference work and ought to be on the shelves of every Reformed seminary student and pastor.
A couple of quick and random observations:
1.) My biggest takeaway is the large diversity of views at the Assembly. This is not the impression you get from a lot of folks in the PCA. The debates were long and often heated, and at times the final language won by small margins. And yet, those on the "losing side" were not excluded from the Assembly. They were allowed to participate in crafting the rest of the document. Thus, the strict subscriptionism cannot be defended. It's historical anachronistic.
2.) I had no idea there were English hypothetical universalists at the Assembly (Calamy being the most outspoken, but Seaman, Marshall and Vines are mentioned as supporting this position). Note that hypothetical universalism is not the same as actual universalism. Hypothetical universalism wants to push back against particular (or limited) atonement, suggesting that Christ's death has affect for the whole world, and not just those whom he saves. Faith is the only thing missing for someone to procure the effects of the death of Christ. At any rate, it seems the Assembly included "4 pointers" and didn't tar and feather them.
3.) There was a HUGE debate on the imputation of the active obedience of Christ.
4.) Letham does not think highly of TF Torrance's work on the Assembly. Letham seems to think Torrance kind of mailed it in.
5.) The debates around the Sacraments were also interesting. Seems clear that while most Assembly members favored sprinkling, some preferred immersion and few wanted to exclude any of the three modes of baptism: pouring, sprinkling, or immersion.
6.) The regulative principle was meant to be a "freeing principle" rather than a restrictive one. Assembly members were objecting to Anglican policies of enforcing the Book of Common Prayer and other liturgical elements on ministers and their churches. The Assembly didn't reject these things wholesale, but they crafted their statements on worship to make Scripture the sole judge and prescriptor of "right worship.
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