For the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. . . . Continue reading →
Author Archives: R. Scott Clark
Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Instruments In The Latin Bibles (2)
The Latin Bible was a major formative influence on the way the Reformed theologians interpreted Scripture. The King James Version/Authorized Version (1611) particularly reflects the influence of the Latin Bible but its influence reverberates in many English translations. It influenced their word . . . Continue reading →
Constitution Day 2014
What Did the Divines Mean By “Psalms”?
The question has been raised as to just what the divines might have meant by the noun “psalms” in the Westminster Confession of Faith (1648).1 WCF 21.5 says, 5. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable . . . Continue reading →
The 1559 Geneva Bible On Musical Instruments
Praise ye him in the sound of the 1trumpet: praise ye him upon the viol and the harp. 1. Psalm 150:3 Exhorting the people only to rejoice in praising God, he maketh mention of those instruments which by God’s commandment were appointed . . . Continue reading →
2009: No Federal Dollars For Abortion
(HT: Daily Signal)
Aquinas: The Use Of Instruments In Public Worship Is Judaizing
Obj. 4. Further, In the Old Law God was praised with musical instruments and human song, according to Ps. 32:2, 3: “Give praise to the Lord on the harp, sing to Him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings. Sing to . . . Continue reading →
Moral Courage In Defense Of That Vital Truth
Dr. Girardeau has defended the old usage of our church with a moral courage, loyalty to truth, clearness of reasoning and wealth of learning which should make every true Presbyterian proud of him, whether he adopts his conclusions or not. The framework . . . Continue reading →
Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Instruments In The Latin Bibles
We Reformed folk like to think that what we do now in public worship is what we have always done. This is especially easy to do when we are cut off from or unaware of the original sources and practices of our . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Instruments: Not Given For Us To Imitate
Concerning his use of musical instruments, David is not the example given for us to imitate according to Calvin. Rather, in the Reformer’s interpretation, David uses the harp in bringing praise to theLord as an additional typological aspect to worship in the . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: We Sing Psalms In Public Worship
It should always be seen to that the song should not be light and frivolous, but that it have weight and majesty, as saith St. Augustine; and also that there is a great difference between the music that is employed for the . . . Continue reading →
Law, Wisdom, And Charity: Life In A Twofold Kingdom
Under the subject line “2k” P writes, If Abraham the sojourner had no trouble making secular deals with people in Canaan, why did he refuse the offer of possessions from the king of Sodom? What would have been so wrong if the . . . Continue reading →
It Was A Covenant Of Works, Not A Covenant Of Grace
. . . though this flattening of the covenant relationship throughout the course of history, before and after the fall, may have a superficial appeal, it has huge implications for the way we interpret the respective “work” of Adam and Christ, the . . . Continue reading →
Do Not Forget
Remembering The Wrong Things
Heidelberg 33: God’s Eternally And Only Begotten Son And His Adopted Sons (4)
In some quarters of the patristic church and widely in the medieval church the line between God as the Creator and humans as the created became blurred. One of the more important but often overlooked accomplishments of the Reformation was to recover . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerrilla: Further And Farther
Clear writers distinguish between further and farther. The latter refers to distance and the former refers to logic. There are parts of the country (e.g., where I grew up, on the plains) where this distinction is ignored. Back home we say, “Go further down . . . Continue reading →
Why Millennials Have Trust Issues
The answer to why high numbers of Millennials don’t trust other people lies in understanding the nature of trust itself and the social context in which Millennials find themselves. To trust someone, you need to share common bonds of affection, values, and . . . Continue reading →
The Twofold Government And Citizenship
Cal State Has Crossed A Line
In (1559) Institutes 3.19.15 Calvin wrote that God has instituted a “twofold government in man” (duplex esse in homine regimen). This truth means that we have a legitimate interest in both sacred and secular spheres. By distinguishing between sacred and secular spheres . . . Continue reading →
The First Benefit Of A Smaller Congregation
When there are fewer people in a place, it’s much harder to hide. The first Sunday Abby and I attended the church (we’re members now), we sat in the back. Our intent was to bolt as soon as the benediction was pronounced . . . Continue reading →