The question before us concerns what the church ought to do in public worship. Christians often ask, “If they did x in Scripture, why may we not do them now?” In part 1 we considered the problems associated with this approach to . . . Continue reading →
Known from the time of classical antiquity, the organ remained a purely secular instrument until the 10th cent., when it began to appear in major churches, such as Glastonbury and Winchester. What liturgical part, if any, it played remains largely unknown until . . . Continue reading →
Whenever a defense is advanced for something like the historic Reformed understanding of the rule of worship one of the objections that regularly arises is this: if musical instruments are being used in Scripture, we may we not use them now in . . . Continue reading →
We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein. For since the whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in them at large, . . . Continue reading →
Reading the Word of God publicly to the congregation is the duty of those especially called as ministers of the Word.” …Reading the Scriptures ‘publicly to the congregation’ is a part of conducting the public worship of God, and therefore it is . . . Continue reading →
This past Lord’s Day morning we began the new week by hearing a sermon, an exposition of God’s Word and a proclamation of the law and the gospel. In our congregation we heard a sermon from the first part of Exodus 32. . . . Continue reading →
What I find in my mailbox at work is rarely delightful but I was delighted to get the mail today. The good folks at Crown and Covenant sent me a copy of their Mini Psalter 2.0. It’s personalized. It’s well bound. Best . . . Continue reading →
Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of Yahweh. And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and . . . Continue reading →
When we think about John Murray we might think first of his defense of the biblical doctrine of The Imputation of Adam’s Sin or we might think of his judicious application of Scripture in Principles of Conduct. Others might think of Mr . . . Continue reading →
Minority Report of the Committee on Song in the Public Worship of God Submitted to the Fourteenth General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.The above-mentioned committee presented to the Thirteenth General Assembly a report bearing upon the question of the regulative principle . . . Continue reading →
Chrysostom, speaking of such has are subject to bishops, says, it is in their power to obey or not. Liberty in things indifferent, says Amandus Polanus, is that through which Christians are free in use of or abstinence from indifferent things. Calvin, . . . Continue reading →
All worshipping, honoring or service invented by the brain of man in the religion of God, without his own express commandment, is idolatry. The mass is invented by the brain of man without any commandment of God: Therefore it is idolatry. —John . . . Continue reading →
The medievals had a saying: the law of praying is the law of believing (lex orandi, lex credendi). By it they meant to say that what we do in worship affects our theology. If you want to change the theology of the future . . . Continue reading →
VI. Will-worship, when God is worshipped with a naked and bare good intention, not warranted by the word of God (Col. 2:23; 1 Sam 13:9,10, 13).1 Hitherto may we add Popish superstitions in sacrifices, meats, holidays, apparel, temporary and bead-ridden prayers,2 indulgences, . . . Continue reading →
…must the ordinary gifts of an private man quench the Spirit still speaking to us by the extraordinary gifts of his servant David? —Preface of The Bay Psalm Book (1640) (HT: Bob Godfrey)
In the Roman Catholic church the choir sings and the congregation was silent. Calvin also introduced singing by the congregation, and collected for it a bundle of Psalms of Clement Marot and Beza. He had the tunes composed by Louis Bourgois and . . . Continue reading →
The Christian Reformed Church holds it as one of its distinctive principles that the psalms are to be used in public worship as the chief manual of praise. There is divine authority for this use of the psalms, as shown by 1 . . . Continue reading →
The earliest reason given for celebrating Sunday is that it is the day of the resurrection (Ep. of Barnabas, 15.9), but in the Jewish understanding of the week the first day commemorated creation and this idea was taken over even by Gentile . . . Continue reading →
The government of the Scottish Church was thus completely subverted in its external aspect. The crown was now determined to see whether with equal ease it was possible to introduce the ceremonies of the English Church. James ordered repairs to be made . . . Continue reading →
…much of what is commonly written on the history and development of the western liturgy is dependent upon reconstructions…. —D. M. Hope, “Liturgical Books” in Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, and Edward Yarnold, ed. The Study of Liturgy (NY: OUP, 1978), 66.