God's Ambassadors

The Westminster Assembly is celebrated for its doctrinal standards and debates on church polity. But how often is the assembly noted for its extraordinary intervention in the pulpit ministry of the Church of England? In God’s Ambassadors, Chad Van Dixhoorn recounts the Puritan quest for a reformation in preachers and preaching and how the Westminster Assembly fit into that movement. He examines the assembly’s reform efforts, tracing debates and exploring key documents about preaching in a way that both highlights disagreements within the assembly’s ranks and showcases their collective plan for the church going forward.

Moreover, Van Dixhoorn reveals the rationale behind the assembly’s writings and reforms, both in terms of biblical exegesis and practical theology. Unlike any other book, God’s Ambassadors draws attention to the lengths to which the Westminster Assembly would go in promoting godly preachers and improved preaching.

1. Opening Credits
2. Dedication
3. Foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson
4. Series Preface
5. Preface
6. Introduction | Part 1: Blind Guides and Scandalous Ministers
7. Chapter 1: The Call for Reform
8. Chapter 2: The Road to Reform
9. Chapter 3: “Democratick Annarchie”
10. Part 2: A Reforming Assembly
11. Chapter 4: Purifying Pulpits: Assembly Examinations
12. Chapter 5: The Pastor’s Office: Assembly Debates
13. Chapter 6: Ordaining Preachers: The Directory for Ordination
14. Chapter 7: Directions for Preaching: The Directory for Public Worship
15. Part 3: In Theory
16. Chapter 8: On Preachers: Godly, Trained, and Ordained
17. Chapter 9: On Preaching: The Word of God as the Ordinary Means of Grace
18. Chapter 10: On Preaching: Audible and Visible Words
19. Chapter 11: On Preaching: Christ-Centered Sermons
20. Chapte 12: On Preaching: Christ-Centered Exegesis
21. Chapter 13: On Study and Style: “The Spirit’s Working
22. Chapter 14: Conclusions
23. Epilogue
24. Appendix 1: The Duties of a Minister
25. Appendix 2: The Directory for Ordination
26. Appendix 3: The Subdirectory for Preaching
27. Closing Credits