Page 10

which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the
children of God, have His name put upon them, receive the spirit of adoption,
have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father,
are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a Father: yet never
cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption; and inherit the promises, as heirs of
everlasting salvation.

Several significant points may be made relative to the Westminster Assembly`s

work on adoption:

First, how intriguing it is that the Westminster Divines, often accused of being too

scholastic in their theology, provided the Christian church`s first confessional chapter and

formal articles on adoption--one of the least scholastic doctrines of the Christian faith!

Why the assembly decided to allot adoption a separate locus is not clear. Both the

published and unpublished minutes of the Westminster Assembly tell us no more than the

basic dates and facts that it happened.

Perhaps the Divines were motivated by a growing

awareness of the scripturalness and importance of adoption both doctrinally and

experientially as it relates to justification, sanctification, assurance of faith, perseverance,

and other ancillary doctrines.

Second, there are good reasons for the Westminster Divines`s brevity in treating

adoption, including the lack of treatment in former confessions, the lack of dissent or

heresy that needed to be addressed, and the overlap of material with the chapters on

assurance and perseverance. All of these factors assist the Divines to expound a large

doctrine with remarkably succinct brevity.

Third, the Westminster Divines were concerned to apply predestination

soteriologically. That is evident already in WCF III:vi where the first reference to

adoption is made in conjunction with predestination: They who are elected being fallen

in Adam, are redeemed by Christ; are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit

working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through

faith unto salvation. Neither are there any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called,

justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only (emphasis added). Later, the

assembly stressed that adoption originates as an act of the free grace of God (LC 74; cf.

SC 34 and WCF III:v), and involves being taken (WCF XII) or received into the

number of the elect (SC 34; LC 74). Tim Trumper rightly concludes that as the