International Cinema Festival of India

Each of the documents within the Westminster Standards were produced in fulfillment of the Solemn League and Covenant, including the “Directory for Public Worship”. For evidence of this, please note that the title pages of the various Westminster documents contain the phrase, “as a part of the covenanted uniformity in religion betwixt the churches of Christ in the kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland.”

Are you aware that the “Directory for Public Worship” mandated only the singing of Psalms in public worship (as a part of the covenanted uniformity in worship)?

In fact, I defy anyone to produce one shred of evidence that the making of a separate “hymnal” (full of man-made compositions) was ever discussed at the Westminster Assembly (much less presented to parliament, as was all the work of the Assembly), or the Scottish General Assembly (from 1638-1649, or long after) — which General Assembly ecclesiastically ratified the Westminster Standards.

Regarding worship this speaks to the original intent of the framers of the Westminster standards and exposes how prevalent the sin of perjury is among those ministers who have taken vows, without mental reservation, to uphold these standards — while they continue to practice (even in ignorance) anything other than exclusive Psalmody.

The battles over the Psalter (i.e. the debates concerning translators, publication, civil and ecclesiastical ratification, etc.) are all well documented; yet strangely, not one word was ever recorded about any debates, votes or proclamations regarding a man-made “hymnal.”

This is truly amazing, if a human “hymnal” had indeed ever been considered (never mind ratified by the different levels of church and civil government) as in keeping with the covenanted uniformity in worship aimed at by these divines — given the “strict regulativist” makeup of both the Westminster Assembly and the Scottish General Assembly.

On top of this, these divines did not even need to mention the judaizing heresy of the use of musical instruments in public worship, because that was not an issue among the Reformed folk of the day.

The use of organs in public worship, “along with other remains of Popery,” was eliminated by the civil government of that period because it was properly informed by Scripture. (This article has been adapted from “Saul in the Cave of Adullam by Reg Barrow.)

For further information about Scriptural worship (following the Regulative Principle of Worship), ecclesiastical history and the Reformation, please visit PuritanDownloads.com. There are many Reformation theology resources at that site.