Adoniram Byfield

d. c. 1660

Co-scribe with Roborough; principal preserver of the Westminster manuscript minutes.

Biography

Son of Nicholas Byfield, the Cheshire Puritan whose Marrow of the Oracles of God (1620) had been a standard catechetical handbook, and brother of Richard Byfield of Long Ditton. Adoniram served as one of the Assembly's two formal scribes alongside Henry Roborough and (later) John Wallis, recording the manuscript minutes that survive as our chief source for the Assembly's debates and form the basis of the modern editions (Mitchell and Struthers 1874; Van Dixhoorn, Oxford 2012). He held the parish of Fulham briefly, was chaplain to Sir William Constable's regiment in the New Model Army, and after the Assembly ministered in Berkshire and Surrey as an active Presbyterian under the Cromwellian church settlement. Died around 1660; the precise date is uncertain.

Role at the Assembly

Scribe

The scribes kept the Assembly's official minutes and recorded its votes. Henry Roborough and Adoniram Byfield served throughout; the minutes in their hand are the principal surviving record of the debates that produced the Standards.

Ontology placement · 0 overrides of 35

I. ✦ Scripture

Sufficiency Express-And-Good-Consequence Canon 66-Book-Protestant-Canon Authority Self-Authenticating-With-Internal-Witness Interpretation Scripture-Interprets-Scripture Necessity Necessary-After-The-Fall

II. ✠ God & Decree

Trinity Nicene-With-Filioque Order of Decrees Deliberately-Permits-Both Extent of Atonement Particular Reprobation Preterition-And-Just-Condemnation Covenant of Redemption Implicit-Affirmed

III. ⊕ Covenant

Number of Covenants Bi-Covenantal Mosaic Covenant Administration-Of-Grace Children of Believers Federal-Inclusion-Paedobaptist Testamental Continuity One-Substance-Different-Administrations

IV. ☧ Christology

Natures Chalcedonian-Two-Natures Offices Prophet-Priest-King States & Descent Humiliation-And-Exaltation; No-Local-Descent Active-Obedience Imputation Active-And-Passive-Obedience-Imputed

V. ✚ Soteriology

Effectual Calling Effectual-And-Renewing Justification Ground Imputed-Righteousness-Of-Christ Saving Faith Receptive-Resting-On-Christ-Alone Perseverance Certain-For-The-Elect Assurance Attainable-But-Not-Essence-Of-Faith

VI. ⚖ Law & Sanctification

Uses of the Law Three-Uses-Affirmed Tripartite Division Moral-Judicial-Ceremonial Sabbath Lords-Day-Fourth-Commandment-Perpetual Good Works Necessary-Fruit-Not-Meritorious

VII. ☩ Ecclesiology & Worship

Polity Presbyterian-Jure-Divino Sacramental Efficacy Signs-And-Seals-Conferring-Grace-By-Spirit Regulative Principle Strict-Only-What-Commanded Censures & Synods Three-Degrees-With-Graded-Synods

VIII. ⌛ Civil & Last Things

Magistrate's Role Custos-Utriusque-Tabulae (1646) Oaths & Marriage Oaths-Lawful-Serious; Divorce-Adultery-Or-Desertion Intermediate State Immediate-Conscious-With-God-Or-Judgment Final Judgment Single-Universal-Judgment-By-Christ