# Canticles



## Scott (Jan 24, 2005)

Does anyone know what the Reformed position historically was on the singing of canticles in public worship? (Canticles are inspired songs in scripture outside of the psalter, such as the Song of Moses and the Song of Deborah).

As I recall, the OPC minority paper on psalmody allowed for canticles.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 24, 2005)

Scott,

Here is what the OPC minority report has to say on this subject:



> (ii) If the argument drawn from the expansion of revelation is applied within the limits of Scripture authorization, then the utmost that can be established is the use of New Testament songs or of New Testament materials adapted to singing. Principially the minority is not jealous to insist that New Testament songs may not be used in the worship of God. What we are most jealous to maintain is that Scripture does authorize the use of inspired songs, that is, Scripture songs, and that the singing of other than Scripture songs in the worship of God has no warrant from the Word of God and is therefore forbidden.
> 
> On the basis of these studies the minority respectfully submits to the Fourteenth General Assembly the following conclusions:
> 
> ...



My understanding is that historically the Continental Reformed Churches were more likely to sing OT or NT Scripture songs, but that the Scottish Presbyterian Church and the more strict Puritans sang the psalms exclusively believing that Ephesians and Colossians spoke to singing from the Psalter and not other inspired texts.


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## Scott Bushey (Jan 24, 2005)

I love canticles. I believe I had them wit a creamed sherry sauce while I was in Maine last fall. Ever had them fried?


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## LadyFlynt (Jan 24, 2005)

lol...scott...so funny! I'll have herrings in wine sauce thank you or maybe I need to get another bag of dried shredded kalimari...hmmm

Andrew...I've just recently learned that there were present day churches that only sing the psalter. They are permitted to sing the other songs outside of the meeting house, yes?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 25, 2005)

Fried canticles? Hmmm.... :bigsmile:

Colleen, 

The Regulative Principle of Worship, upon which the practice of Exclusive Psalmody is based, applies only to specific stated times of worship. Those stated times may be in the corporate, family or personal settings, but outside those stated times of worship, the RPW does not apply. Thus, to answer your question, outside of such stated times of worship, uninspired hymns or other such compositions are not prohibited by the RPW _per se_. 

My own denomination, the Presbyterian Reformed Church, is one of a small handful of American Presbyterian denominations which adhere to Exclusive Psalmody (sung _a cappella_) and the RPW. We have been greatly blessed as a family by singing God's Word in corporate, family and private worship. 

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "Wherever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure vanishes from the Christian church. With its recovery will come unexpected power."

There is a place for hymns, I believe, like Christian poetry. _A Mighty Fortress is Our God_ and other such compositions are a great source of edification. But they lack Scriptural warrant for stated times of worship. God's Psalter is given to us for His own divinely-approved worship. 

As Calvin said, quoting Augustine, "Now, what Augustine says is true, namely that no one can sing anything worthy of God which he has not received from Him. Therefore, even after we have carefully searched everywhere, we shall not find better or more appropriate songs to this end than the Psalms of David, inspired by the Holy Spirit. And for this reason, when we sing them, we are assured that God puts the words in our mouth, as if He Himself were singing through us to exalt His glory..."


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## LadyFlynt (Jan 25, 2005)

Okay...I had found a site where I was able to download the psalter, words and the midis to go with them (does no good to sing them if I don't have a tune, right?).

Also, what are the "prescribed" times and how did they determine them? I know of one scripture refering to assembly.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 25, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LadyFlynt_
> Okay...I had found a site where I was able to download the psalter, words and the midis to go with them (does no good to sing them if I don't have a tune, right?).
> 
> Also, what are the "prescribed" times and how did they determine them? I know of one scripture refering to assembly.



Colleen,

What site did you find? I'm curious...

As for the stated times of worship that I described, the division of corporate (public), family and private worship is one that is deduced from many Scriptures. The sacraments, for example, are not intended to be administered by just anybody, but rather by lawful ministers of the gospel. Hence, we deduce that 1 Cor. 11 is referring to public worship, not family or private. Likewise, the verse you are referring to about "not forsaking the assembling together" does, I believe, also refer to public worship as well. Nevertheless, parents have a duty to lead in family worship and every Christian has a duty to worship God privately. 

I would commend to you the Westminster Directories for Public and Family Worship, which I have found very edifying: 

http://www.covenanter.org/Westminster/directoryforfamilyworship.htm

http://www.covenanter.org/Westminster/directoryforpublicworship.htm

This distinction between public, family and private worship and the rest of life has application in many other areas, such as head coverings (another thread, I know), preaching, the role of women, etc., etc. It's an important distinction to make. Otherwise, we can run into a lot of problems.


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## LadyFlynt (Jan 25, 2005)

I don't remember the site, it was weeks ago I found it...I'll look.

Thank you for the references.

As to headcoverings, you probably already know that not only has their been threads here in the past...but is the current Study going on in the Ladies Tea Parlor  .


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 25, 2005)

Back to Scott's original question, I found this note in a treatise by G.I. Williamson: 



> It cannot be argued that the exclusive use of the Psalms, in worship, was ever entirely universal in the Reformed Churches. Some, including Calvin's church in Geneva, sang at least a few other songs (such as a version of the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer). But even so, the centrality of the inspired psalms in Reformed worship was such that they received the overwhelming emphasis. And to this day, in some churches of the Reformed family, it is still the inspired Psalter which is sung exclusively, on the ground that these alone are commanded.



Source: http://members.aol.com/RSICHURCH/reg3.html

Also, I would think works such as Mike Bushell's _The Songs of Zion_ and Patrick Millar's _Four Centuries of Scottish Psalmody_ could provide insight into the practices of those churches which sang Psalms, but perhaps also included Scripture songs.


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## Scott (Jan 25, 2005)

Interesting short history:
http://www.smithcreekmusic.com/Hymnology/Latin.Hymnody/Canticle.html

I know that a version of the Song of Deborah was proposed for the recent CRC psalm book but was rejected. I have a copy.


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