God's Ambassadors: The Westminster Assembly and the Reformation of the English Pulpit, 1643-1653

“Every policy-making discussion acquires frequent speakers grinding their axes. Dr. Van Dixhoorn's pioneering study takes the lid off the Westminster Assembly and shows how this was true there. It makes a fascinating read!”

“Preaching has been the central means of grace for churches that look to the Reformation as Gods greatest work of ecclesial renewal and recovery in the past millennium. And in the anglophone world, this conviction was reinforced by the Puritans above all, and especially at the Westminster Assembly, which was a key moment in the history of the pulpitnot simply for its Presbyterian majority, but also for the Congregationalists and Particular Baptists whose piety and polity were deeply shaped by its confession. In this rich study, grounded in a thorough knowledge of the assembly, its participants, and their thought, Chad Van Dixhoorn has given us a superb study of the assemblys view of the importance of preaching, its nature and spirituality. This is vital reading for anyone seriously concerned about the prosperity of the church today, for without the preached Word there can be no hope of human flourishing, neither individual nor corporate.”

“The Westminster Assembly is chiefly known today for its confession of faith and related documents. The members of the assembly, however, were just as preoccupied with the need to disseminate Reformed teaching throughout the church, and this could only be done by providing an adequate supply of worthy preachers. This had been the great failing of the English Reformation, and the Westminster divines were determined to put it right. Chad Van Dixhoorn brings their work to life by detailing what their concerns were and how they set about resolving the problems they encountered. This book fills an important gap in our knowledge which must be addressed if we are to understand what the Puritans were all about.”

“The Westminster Assembly spent more of its time on ensuring Christocentric preaching than on scriptural prescriptions for church governance. This book gets to the heart of its deliberations, instructions, and regulation. All those interested in notions of godliness in the seventeenth century and all those wrestling with what it is now to break and share the Word of God will learn much from Van Dixhoorns exemplary study.”