In our first post we began with practical observations. The second post made the positive case for exclusively vocal, a capella praise in corporate worship. And our previous post was a list of quotes from church history about the rejection of instrumental music in the church. In this final post we will respond to common… Read More A Capella Objections Answered
In our last post we saw how the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) is the standard by which we should approach the question of instrumental music in the corporate worship of the church. We demonstrated how instrumental music—as part of the ceremonial worship of the old covenant—has been abrogated and is no longer part of […]
Statement of the Question. Is instrumental music acceptable in new covenant worship? To answer this question we must be precise about what we are trying to investigate. The question is not whether instrumental music may be enjoyed in private, nor whether it may be used in secular, non-ecclesiastical social gatherings. It certainly can, and is… Read More A Concise Case for A Capella Worship
Is instrumental music acceptable in new covenant worship? To answer this question we must be precise about what we are trying to investigate. The question is not whether instrumental music may be enjoyed in private, nor whether it may be used in secular, non-ecclesiastical social gatherings. It certainly can, and is a great blessing… Read More Practical Considerations on A Capella Worship
John L. Girardeau Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church pp. 105-120. 3. Instrumental music is doctrinally excluded from the public worship of the church by the Confession of Faith. The passage which is appealed to in support of [instrumental music in public worship] is as follows: “…there are some circumstances concerning the… Read More Circumstances of Worship & Musical Instruments
William Ames Marrow of Sacred Divinity, Book 2, ch. 14. Of the Manner of Divine Worship. 1. The adjuncts of worship especially to be observed are two: the manner which is contained in the third commandment, and the time which is commanded in the fourth commandment. 2. But these two are so adjuncts of religious… Read More The Manner of Divine Worship
William Ames Marrow of Sacred Divinity, Book 2, ch. 5 § 1-8 & ch. 13 Natural Worship. 1. The parts of religion are two; natural worship, and voluntary or instituted worship. 2. This distinction is grounded on Exodus 20:6, those words of the second commandment: “who love me, and keep my commandments.” 3. Natural worship is that… Read More Natural Worship and Instituted Worship
This excerpt assumes the reader is familiar with the Regulative Principle of Worship and the difference between elements of worship and circumstances of worship. See here for a brief introduction: What is the Regulative Principle of Worship? John L. Girardeau, Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church pp. 147-156 (1.) It is not claimed,… Read More Is Instrumental Music a Circumstance of Worship?
This article assumes the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW), which is the biblical doctrine that everything of religious significance in worship must be prescribed in holy Scripture, either explicitly or by good and necessary consequence, such that “whatever is beside the Word of God is against the Word of God.” [1] Given the RPW, the… Read More A Concise Case For Exclusive Psalmody
It can be known from nature that we must worship God how he pleases rather than how we please (Acts 17:24-29), but we cannot know how God desires to be worshiped unless he reveals it to us through special revelation. Being the root of the second commandment, the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) itself is discernable from the light of nature as flowing from “that which may be known of God” (Rom. 1:19), while the parts and acts of God’s instituted worship is of divine positive law.… Read More The Second Commandment and the Light of Nature
Purely Presbyterian 