The substance of "The Puritan Principle of Worship" was delivered on December 18, 1957 at the Puritan Conference, London. The article was published serially in Blue Banner Faith and Life, vols. 14-16 (1959-61), edited by Johannes G. Vos. We have extensively reorganized the material for greater clarity of presentation. Editorial revisions by Sherman Isbell of this article and of its footnotes are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written permission of Sherman Isbell.

Calvin's Formulation of the Regulative Principle

As opposed to the Lutheran view that there is a substantial area of adiaphora in the service of worship, the Reformed view has uniformly been that only that which is prescribed by the Word of God may be introduced into the worship of God. Calvin formulated this regulative principle with clarity, and applied it with great consistency in the Reformation at Geneva. It is implicit in his celebrated definition of pure and genuine religion as "confidence in God coupled with serious fear - fear, which both includes in it willing reverence, and brings along with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed by the law."(8) The pertinent expression in the definitive Latin edition (1559) reads "et secum trahat legitimum cultum qualis in lege praescribitur."(9) The French text of 1560 accentuates the divine origin of acceptable worship: ". . . et tire avec soy un service tel qu'il appartient, et tel que Dieu mesmes l'ordonne en sa Loy."(10)

In his account of superstition, Calvin proceeds from the regulative principle: "In this way, the vain pretext which many employ to clothe their superstition is overthrown. They deem it enough that they have some kind of zeal for religion, how preposterous soever it may be, not observing that true religion must be conformable to the will of God as its unerring standard;(11) that he can never deny himself, and is no specter or phantom, to be metamorphosed at each individual's caprice. It is easy to see how superstition, with its false glosses, mocks God, while it tries to please him. Usually fastening merely on things on which he has declared he sets no value, it either contemptuously overlooks or even undisguisedly rejects, the things which he expressly enjoins, or in which we are assured he takes pleasure. Those, therefore, who set up a fictitious worship, merely worship and adore their own delirious fancies; indeed, they would never dare so to trifle with God, had they not previously fashioned him after their own childish conceits. . . . It remains, therefore, to conclude with Lactantius (Instit. Div., lib. 1.2, 6), 'No religion is genuine that is not in accordance with truth.' "(12)

The corruption of pure religion by the introduction of worship invented by man is for Calvin a mark of the vanity and blindness of fallen human nature. Calvin unfolds this thought in detail: "Hence we must hold, that whosoever adulterates pure religion (and this must be the case with all who cling to their own views), make a departure from the one God. No doubt, they will allege that they have a different intention; but it is of little consequence what they intend or persuade themselves to believe, since the Holy Spirit pronounces all to be apostates who, in the blindness of their minds, substitute demons in the place of God. For this reason Paul declares that the Ephesians were 'without God' (Eph. 2:12), until they had learned from the gospel what it is to worship the true God. Nor must this be restricted to one people only, since, in another place, he declares in general, that all men 'became vain in their imaginations', after the majesty of the Creator was manifested to them in the structure of the world. . . . But if the most distinguished wandered in darkness, what shall we say of the refuse? No wonder, therefore, that all worship of man's device is repudiated by the Holy Spirit as degenerate.(13) Any opinion which man can form in heavenly mysteries, though it may not beget a long train of errors, is still the parent of error. And though nothing worse should happen, even this is no light sin - to worship an unknown God at random. Of this sin, however, we hear from our Savior's own mouth (John 4:22), that all are guilty who have not been taught out of the law who the God is whom they ought to worship."(14)

Calvin also appeals to the regulative principle when arguing against idolatry and image worship. Referring to Pss. 115:4 and 135:15, the Reformer inquires: "Whence had idols their origin, but from the will of man?" He argues: "It is, moreover, to be observed, that by the mode of expression which is employed, every form of superstition is denounced. Being works of men, they have no authority from God (Isa. 2:8, 31:7, 57:10, Hos. 14:3, Mic. 5:13), and, therefore, it must be regarded as a fixed principle, that all modes of worship devised by men are detestable."(15)

Again in distinguishing true religion from superstition, Calvin observes that the latter "seems to take its name from its not being contented with the measure which reason prescribes, but accumulating a superfluous mass of vanities." The name religion, in Calvin's opinion, "is used in opposition to vagrant licence - the greater part of mankind rashly taking up whatever first comes in their way, whereas piety, that it may stand with a firm step, confines itself within due bounds." These due bounds are determined by the law of God. "But God, in vindicating his own right, first proclaims that he is a jealous God, and will be a stern avenger if he is confounded with any false god; and thereafter defines what due worship is, in order that the human race may be kept in obedience. Both of these he embraces in his law when he first binds the faithful in allegiance to him as their only lawgiver, and then prescribes a rule for worshipping him in accordance with his will." The law, according to Calvin, among other uses "is designed as a bridle to curb men, and prevent them from turning aside to spurious worship."(16) "He has been pleased to prescribe in his law what is lawful and right, and thus astrict men to a certain rule, lest any should allow themselves to devise a worship of their own."(17)

In discussing the sufficiency of the moral law as a rule of conduct, Calvin again refers to the regulative principle of worship: "The Lord, in delivering a perfect rule of righteousness, has reduced it in all its parts to his mere will, and in this way has shown that there is nothing more acceptable to him than obedience. There is the more necessity for attending to this, because the human mind, in its wantonness, is ever and anon inventing different modes of worship as a means of gaining his favor. This irreligious affection of religion being innate in the human mind, has betrayed itself in every age, and is still doing so, men always longing to devise some method of procuring righteousness without any sanction from the Word of God. . . . God foreseeing that the Israelites would not rest, but after receiving the law, would, unless sternly prohibited, give birth to new kinds of righteousness, declares that the law comprehended a perfect righteousness. . . . How do we act? We are certainly under the same obligation as they were; for there cannot be a doubt that the claim of absolute perfection which God made for his law is perpetually in force. Not contented with it, however, we labor prodigiously in feigning and coining an endless variety of good works, one after another. The best cure for this vice would be constant and deeply-seated conviction that the law was given from heaven to teach us a perfect righteousness; that the only righteousness so taught is that which the divine will expressly enjoins; and that it is, therefore, vain to attempt, by new forms of worship, to gain the favor of God, whose true worship consists in obedience alone; or rather, that to go a-wandering after good works which are not prescribed by the law of God, is an intolerable violation of true and divine righteousness."(18)

Calvin also finds the regulative principle of worship established by the second commandment of the decalogue. He expounds the commandment thus: "As in the first commandment the Lord declares that he is one, and that besides him no gods must be either worshipped or imagined, so he here more plainly declares what his nature is, and what the kind of worship with which he is to be honored, in order that we may not presume to form any carnal idea of him. The purport of the commandment, therefore, is, that he will not have his legitimate worship profaned by superstitious rites. Wherefore, in general, he calls us entirely away from the carnal frivolous observances which our stupid minds are wont to devise after forming some gross idea of the divine nature, while, at the same time, he instructs us in the worship which is legitimate, namely, spiritual worship of his own appointment."(19)

In Calvin's refutation of the claims of the Church of Rome, the regulative principle of Reformed worship provides a charter of Christian liberty. A superficial view might suppose the regulative principle to be a confining, restricting principle, that condemns Christian worship to barrenness and ugliness. In Calvin's doctrine and practice, as in that of the Puritans in the following century, the regulative principle was a liberating power, cutting off at the root the tyrannical imposition of men in the worship of God, and exhibiting the worship of God in its native beauty, the beauty of holiness.

The implication of the regulative principle for Christian liberty is expressed in Calvin's stirring words: "The power we have now to consider is, whether it be lawful for the church to bind laws upon the conscience? In this discussion, civil order is not touched; but the only point considered is, how God may be duly worshipped according to the rule which He has prescribed, and how our spiritual liberty, with reference to God, may remain unimpaired. In ordinary language, the name of human traditions is given to all decrees concerning the worship of God, which men have issued without the authority of his Word. We contend against these, not against the sacred and useful constitutions of the church, which tend to preserve discipline, or decency or peace. Our aim is to curb the unlimited and barbarous empire usurped over souls by those who would be thought pastors of the church, but who are in fact its most cruel murderers. They say that the laws which they enact are spiritual, pertaining to the soul, and they affirm that they are necessary to eternal life. But thus the kingdom of Christ, as I lately observed, is invaded; thus the liberty, which he has given to the consciences of believers, is completely oppressed and overthrown. . . . What I contend for is, that necessity ought not to be laid on consciences in matters in which Christ has made them free. . . . They must acknowledge Christ their deliverer, as their only king, and be ruled by the only law of liberty - namely, the sacred word of the gospel - if they would retain the grace which they have once received in Christ: they must be subject to no bondage, be bound by no chains."(20)

The Christian is free from the commandments of men in matters of worship because God is the only lawgiver and His will is the perfect rule of all righteousness and holiness. Consequently, human constitutions are contrary to the word of the Lord, if they are devised as part of the worship of God and their observance is bound upon the conscience as of necessary obligation. Calvin points out that Paul, in the Epistle to the Colossians, "maintains that the doctrine of the true worship of God is not to be sought from men, because the Lord has faithfully and fully taught us in what way he is to be worshipped." Calvin comments on ethelothreskeias ("will-worship"): ". . . that is, fictitious modes of worship which men themselves devise or receive from others, and all precepts whatsoever which they presume to deliver at their own hand concerning the worship of God."(21)

Throughout the further discussion of ecclesiastical legislation in Institutes IV.x, Calvin repeatedly appeals to the regulative principle of worship as the chief ground for rejecting the traditions of men. A few more passages may be quoted in addition to those given, to show how pervasively the regulated principle has penetrated the Reformer's outlook. "Since Paul then declares it to be intolerable that the legitimate worship of God should be subjected to the will of men, wherein do we err when we are unable to tolerate this in the present day? Especially when we are enjoined to worship God according to the elements of this world - a thing which Paul declares to be adverse to Christ (Col. 2:20)."(22) "Moreover, the worst of all is, that when once religion begins to be composed of such vain fictions, the perversion is immediately succeeded by the abominable depravity with which our Lord upbraids the Pharisees of making the commandment of God void through their traditions (Matt. 15:3). . . . What is meant by making the Word of God void by tradition, if this is not done when recommending the ordinances of God only frigidly and perfunctorily, they nevertheless studiously and anxiously urge strict obedience to their own ordinances, as if the whole power of piety was contained in them; - when vindicating the transgression of the divine law with trivial satisfactions, they visit the minutest violation of one of their decrees with no lighter punishment than imprisonment, exile, fire, or sword?"(23)

Commenting further on the show of wisdom in will-worship, Calvin remarks: "But what does Paul say to all this? Does he pluck off these masks lest the simple should be deluded by a false pretext? Deeming it sufficient for their refutation to say that they were devices of men, he passes all these things without refutation, as things of no value. Nay, because he knew that all fictitious worship is condemned in the church, and is the more suspected by believers. the more pleasing it is to the human mind - because he knew that this false show of outward humility differs so widely from true humility that it can be easily discerned; - finally, because he knew that this tutelage is valued at no more than bodily exercise, he wished the very things which commended human traditions to the ignorant to be regarded by believers as the refutation of them."(24) Calvin complains of the imposition of a multitude of ceremonies as a restoration of Judaism which burdens rather than aids the weak. To the question, "Are no ceremonies to be given to the more ignorant, as a help to their ignorance?" he replies, "I do not say so; for I think that help of this description is very useful to them. All I contend for is the employment of such a measure as may illustrate, not obscure Christ. Hence a few ceremonies have been divinely appointed, and these by no means laborious, in order that they may evince a present Christ. To the Jews a greater number were given, that they might be images of an absent Christ. In saying he was absent, I mean not in power, but in mode of expression. Therefore, to secure due moderation, it is necessary to retain that fewness in number, facility in observance, and significancy of meaning which consists in clearness."(25)

Although Calvin is directing his argument toward abuses prevalent in his own day, he recognizes that the regulative principle is applicable to all ages. "For whenever men begin the superstitious practice of worshipping God with their own fictions, all the laws enacted for this purpose forthwith degenerate into gross abuses. For the curse which God denounces - viz. to strike those who worship him with the doctrines of men with stupor and blindness [Isa. 29:13-14] - is not confined to any one age, but applies to all ages. The uniform result of this blindness is, that there is no kind of absurdity escaped by those who, despising the many admonitions of God, spontaneously entangle themselves in these deadly fetters. But if, without any regard to circumstances, you would simply know the character belonging at all times to those human traditions which ought to be repudiated by the church, and condemned by all the godly, the definition which we formerly gave(26) is clear and certain - viz. that they include all the laws enacted by men, without authority from the Word of God, for the purpose either of prescribing the mode of divine worship, or laying religious obligation on the conscience, as enjoining things necessary to salvation."(27)

Calvin supports the regulative principle by further appeal to Scripture passages. He points out that "it is not property of the church to disregard the limits of the Word of God, and wanton and luxuriate in enacting new laws. Does not the law which was once given to the church endure for ever?" Deut. 12:32 and Prov. 30:6 are quoted with the following observations: "Since they cannot deny that this was said to the church, what else do they proclaim but their contumacy, when, notwithstanding of such prohibitions, they profess to add to the doctrine of God, and dare to intermingle their own with it? . . . Let us understand that the name of church is falsely pretended wherever men contend for that rash human license which cannot confine itself within the boundaries prescribed by the Word of God, but petulantly breaks out, and has recourse to its own inventions. In the above passage there is nothing involved, nothing obscure, nothing ambiguous; the whole church is forbidden to add to, or take away from the Word of God, in relation to His worship and salutary precepts. . . . Now, if the Lord does not permit anything to be added to, or taken away from the ministry of Moses, though wrapt up, if I may so speak, in many folds of obscurity, until He furnish a clearer doctrine by his servants the Prophets, and at last by his beloved Son, why should we not suppose that we are much more strictly prohibited from making any addition to the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, and the Gospel? The Lord cannot forget himself, and it is long since he declared that nothing is so offensive to him as to be worshipped by human inventions."(28) Calvin further quotes Jer. 7:22-23 and 11:7, and I Sam. 15:22-23, to show that human inventions may not be defended by appeal to the authority of the church.

Notes

(8) John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated by Henry Beveridge (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1879), 1:42 (I.ii.2).
(9) Ioannis Calvini Opera Quae Supersunt Omnia, edited by W. Baum, E. Cunitz, and E. Reuss (Brunswick: C. A. Schwetschke and Sons, 1863-1900), 2:35.
(10) John Calvin, Institution de la Religion Chrestienne, edition critique avec introduction, notes et variantes, ed. Jean-Daniel Benoit (Paris: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin, 1957-63), 1:58.
(11) Calvin, Calvini Opera, 2:39: ". . . sed non animadvertunt, veram religionem ad Dei nutum, ceu ad perpetuam regulam, debere conformari. . . ." Institution de la Religion Chrestienne, 1:65: "Mais ils ne notent pas que la vraye religion doit estre du tout conforme à la volonté de Dieu, comme une reigle qui ne fleschit point. . . ."
(12) John Calvin, Institutes, 1:47-48 (I.iv.3).
(13) Calvin, Calvini Opera, 2:51: "Quare nihil mirum si cultus omnes hominum arbitrio excogitatos tanquam degeneres repudiet spiritus sanctus. . . ." Institution de la Religion Chrestienne, 1:83 (I.v.12): "Il ne se faut donc esmerveiller si le sant Espirit a reietté tout service de Dieu controuvé à la poste des hommes comme bastar et corrompu. . . ."
(14) John Calvin, Institutes, 1:61 (I.v.13).
(15) Institutes, 1:93-94 (I.xi.4). Calvini Opera, 2:77: ". . . ut hoc fixum sit, detestabiles esse omnes cultus quos a se ipsis homines excogitant." Institution de la Religion Chrestienne, 1:125: ". . . afin que nous ayons une reigle infallible que tous les services divins que les hommes se forgent sont détestables." Cf. Institutes I.x.3.
(16) Calvin, Institutes, 1:104-05 (I.xii.1).
(17) Ibid., 1:106-07 (I.xii.3).
(18) Ibid., 1:319-20 (II.viii.5).
(19) Ibid., 1:330 (II.viii.17).
(20) Ibid., 2:414 (IV.x.1).
(21) Ibid., 2:419 (IV.x.8).
(22) Ibid., 2:420 (IV.x.9).
(23) Ibid., 2:420-21 (IV.x.10).
(24) Ibid, 2:241-22 (IV.x.11).
(25) Ibid., 2:423-24 (IV.x.14). Calvini Opera, 2:877: ". . . in numero paucitatem, in observatione facilitatem, in significatione dignitatem quae etiam claritate constat. . . ."
(26) For the passage referred to by Calvin, see Institutes IV.x.1, and cf. Calvin's tract, The Necessity of Reforming the Church, in Tracts (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1844-51), 1:127ff.
(27) Calvin, Institutes, 2:425 (IV.x.16).
(28) Ibid., 2:426 (IV.x.17).

Go to the next installment:
The Puritan Principle of Worship: Part III