The Calvinistic Reformers Were Right About Worship: Defending the Historic View of the Regulative Principle
Critics of the Reformation doctrine of the regulative principle of worship (Steve Schlissel, Doug Wilson, and others) need to give us something specific as to their positive position on the second commandment and the public worship of God. We who uphold the Reformation doctrine of the regulative principle have specifically set forth our positive position concerning public worship in numerous lectures, books, newsletters, web pages, etc. It is the critics’ turn to do likewise. [youtube:gDTa5xGF9dg?fs=1;Biblical Worship: The [link:Regulative Principle] of Worship in History;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTa5xGF9dg?fs=1&feature=related]
Let them tell us *specifically*, to the best of their ability (after having studied the relevant data), what the second commandment allows and what it forbids. We have done that for them (and they have taken their shots at our work); let them now do it for us and we will be happy to critique their work (and let the readers judge who has done their homework on this critical issue).
The historical and theological sources cited by the modern detractors of Reformation worship will be clearly evident once they get around to presenting their position. Will they be citing the Westminster Divines, the Reformation Dutch Synods, John Calvin, John Knox, Samuel Rutherford, George Gillespie, and John Owen in support of their views? We already know the answer to that question.
At that point there won’t be any doubt about who the real classical Protestants are and who are innovators in worship.
There are also a couple of important questions to consider: Did the Calvinistic Reformers all err when studying to determine the doctrine of worship from the Scripture? Were the Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans the ones who developed the truly Biblical position?
Once the opponents of the regulative principle state their positive position people will be able to ask: Does their view demonstrate that they follow in the footsteps of the original Reformers? Or, to the contrary, does it show that they are following those who rejected the Reformation position? Is their view in line with the historic Calvinist view of worship or quite different from it?
The regulative principle of worship is a two way street. Agree with it (and continue to apply it faithfully to each specific act of worship, as your understanding increases) and you are on the road to Westminster and the Covenanted Reformation; disagree with it and (at the most basic level) you are on the road to Rome.
Every Christian is forced to choose sides. If you don’t worship God according to His instructions, you will follow man-made worship practices. (This article has been adapted from “Saul in the Cave of Adullam by Reg Barrow.) [I:http://zazzlecom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DrRegBarrow16.jpg]
For more information about Scriptural worship (following the Regulative Principle of Worship), church history and the Reformation, please visit PuritanDownloads.com. There are numerous Reformation theology resources at that site.
