I’ve lengthy mentioned: If somebody tries to argue with you in opposition to the regulative precept of worship it’s all the time a good suggestion to ask them what they will put as an alternative (ensuring that they supply Scriptural proof for all these “liberties” and ceremonies which they conjure up out of their very own brains). Additionally ask them: By what customary are you binding my conscience to your varieties and concepts relating to worship? The place does God institute this? Or, are you simply making this up your self? As a result of for individuals who are conversant in the humanistic methods which have already developed in opposition to the Scriptural regulation of worship, it can quickly be obvious “that there’s nothing new underneath the solar.”

These “new” concepts relating to worship differ little (in observe), and under no circumstances (in precept), with the concepts set forth in opposition to the Reformers all through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. There isn’t a neutrality! You’re going to purchase right into a system (whether or not it or not); and the system you purchase into is assured *not* to be new (on the stage of precept). You’ll both worship God in line with His appointment or you’ll achieve this on the behest of males (Matt. 15:9) offset type beat.

That John Calvin and John Body maintain to diametrically opposed views on worship is clear to these conversant in each authors. One clear instance of a selected level of divergence between Calvin and Body may be seen of their views of the appliance of the regulative precept because it involves bear on the query of using musical devices in public worship (although software to Body in regards to the variations between his and Calvin’s conception of worship might fill a e book in and of themselves).

I’m intentionally selecting an space that appears insignificant to most Christian’s as we speak (instrumental music) to make this level, for we’ve got seen (in Ireland’s e book, “Warfare In opposition to the Idols”) that Calvin “always warns that it’s harmful to simply accept even probably the most insignificant type of materials worship within the Church.” I’m selecting the devices query for instance Body’s rejection of the regulative precept as a result of an important level to recollect shouldn’t be discovered within the precise observe which I’ll word (although it’s a sin to make use of devices in public worship), however within the prior abandonment of the regulative precept which should first happen earlier than this idolatrous observe may be carried out.

Body believes that “we’re free to make use of instrumental music, even with out phrases,” to cowl different distracting noises throughout worship (p. 130). Moreover, as worship chief in his congregation he encourages people within the congregation “to clap, whistle, faucet tambourines, or in any other case use their items to reinforce worship” (p. 148). He additionally performs instrumental solos, however would in precept “wish to see extra instrumentalists” than simply himself (p. 148). Lastly, as if to completely thumb his nostril on the Reformers and the regulative precept (and embrace an outright popish heresy), Body states that he does “not imagine that we’re restricted to the devices talked about in Scripture, however in contemplating the way to set hymns to music, the biblical instrumentation can provide us some clues.”