| The Westminster
Confession of Faith: |
|
The 1946 edition,
edited by S.W. Carruthers.
The
text of the Westminster Confession reproduced here, in both
scanned jpg files and in an Adobe PDF version, represents
the original English text of the Confession, as edited by
S.W. Carruthers in 1946 following the then-recent discovery
of an additional manuscript of the Confession. A comparison
of the many different editions printed since the Confession
was originally composed in 1647 shows the number of errors,
primarily in punctuation, which have crept into the document,
and thus the need for a carefully edited text such as this
one by Carruthers.
NOTE: This text differs at several points from the
Confession adopted by the American Presbyterian churches,
particularly at Ch. 23.1. A chart detailing the differences
between the English and American versions is in preparation
and a link to that chart will be posted here soon.
|
 |
|
|
|
Editorial
Note by S.W. Carruthers on why
this edition is significant:
IT was in 1646 that
Cornelius Burges wrote out, in his even, clear hand, the Confession
of Faith. Through the recent discovery of this manuscript,
and its acquisition for the Presbyterian Church of England,
it is now possible to print a more accurate text than has
ever yet appeared. For even the earliest printed edition (used
by my father in his careful reprint of 1883) contained some
errors, and had already initiated the careless and unthinking
punctuation which has since gone from bad to worse.
|
The
errors in the text are few, usually trivial, and none of vital
importance. They occur in iii. 4; vi. 2; vii. 3; viii. 7; x.
4; xiii. 1; xv. 3; xvi. 6; xxii. 3; xxiii. 4; xxiv. 4; xxvi.
3.
On the other hand, the punctuation, at first sight of
less importance, had great significance, since marred by careless
reproduction. As the Confession was passed sentence by sentence,
and clause by clause, it is evident that Burges (who knew the
course of the debates) must have been responsible for the punctuation.
It is systematic, but follows a logical, rather than a grammatical,
system. The colon and the semi-colon have each its own value
and use; in this reprint they are faithfully reproduced, and
give the clue to the balance of the main clauses of a section.
The comma was very liberally used by Burges, frequently in ways
which are no actual help to the sense, and would be mere stumbling
blocks to the modern reader. In such cases they are omitted.
But, far more frequently, they serve either to emphasize a limiting
clause, or to restrict its applications; in all such cases they
have been retained.
A comparison of the punctuation of any
chapter with the modern editions will leave the reader with
an admiration of Burges' logical mind, and his precise expression
of it. One interesting peculiarity in the manuscript may be
noted. In xxiii. 3 "Christ" occurs three times where "God" is
substituted in the printed copy. This change was made by the
Assembly only a few minutes before the manuscript was carried
to the House of Commons, and Burges had no opportunity for altering
the manuscript.
A year and a half elapsed before Parliament
sanctioned the Confession as the authoritative doctrine of the
Church of England, superseding the Thirty-nine Articles. In
giving this sanction, Parliament made certain changes (in Chapters
xx., xxiii., xxiv., xxx., and xxxi.) which were noted by footnotes
in my father's edition. --S.W. CARRUTHERS. |
| [click
here to view an Adobe PDF version of this text]
|
|
| Tercentenary Edition,
edited by S.W. Carruthers, 1946 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
©PCA Historical Center, 12330 Conway Road, St. Louis, MO,
2005 All Rights Reserved.
|
