Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church 2 of 5(Second Commandment In Covenanter, Puritan & Reformation Worship)

This message is Chapter 2, the "Argument from the Old Testament."

'To sing the praises of God upon the harp and psaltery,' says John Calvin, 'unquestionably formed a part of the training of the law and of the service of God under that dispensation of shadows and figures; but they are not now to be used in public thanksgiving.' Calvin continues, 'With respect to the tabret, harp, and psaltery, we have formerly observed, and will find it necessary afterwards to repeat the same remark, that the Levites, under the law, were justified in making use of instrumental music in the worship of God; it having been his will to train his people, while they were yet tender and like children, by such rudiments until the coming of Christ. But now, when the clear light of the gospel has dissipated the shadows of the (ceremonial--RB) law and taught us that God is to be served in a simpler form, it would be to act a foolish and mistaken part to imitate that which the prophet enjoined only upon those of his own time.'

This book, as well as other books about purity in worship, is available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 19. This Reformation CD & 29 others are at the 'Outside Web Link' below.

Your 62 CD's of Reformation & Puritan authors are a great boon to studies in the Reformed-Puritan experiential tradition.

• Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary