Wcf 21.5

[AV1611]

V. ...beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.​

How do we know when it is suitable to engage in "solemn fastings" and "thanksgivings upon special occasions"?

 

[Contra_Mundum]

As with respect to the regular and the more common elements of worship, the order and frequency of the specifics are the responsibility of the Session, or a broader/wider judicatory like the Presbytery.

The phrase "...their several times and seasons" indicates to me that these are occasions which in the estimation of the church call for either special thanksgiving for salvation and God's goodness or special grieving for sin and his judgments.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

I hope it is still within the scope of the OP to ask the following.

Rev. Buchanan,

Would this also include day's of thanksgiving or repentance called for by the civil magistrate, i.e. President Washington declaring a "National Day of Thanksgiving"? Or do you see this as solely a function of the Church? Just wondering.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

The Directory for Public Worship gives guidance as to corporate fasting and public days of thanksgiving. Many of the standard Puritan devotional manuals, such as Henry Scudder's The Christian's Daily Walk, address private/family fasting.

Directory for the Publick Worship of God.

Directory for the Publick Worship of God.

Links and Downloads Manager - Christian Walk Links - The Christian's Daily Walk by Henry Scudder - The PuritanBoard

 

[Glenn Ferrell]

V. ...beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.​

How do we know when it is suitable to engage in "solemn fastings" and "thanksgivings upon special occasions"?

Note: Some critical texts of the WCF have a comma after the word "thanksgivings" and before "upon special occasions," which might effect our understanding of the text.

...beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner.​

With the comma, "upon special occasions" must be read as applying to "oaths, vows, solemn fastings and thanksgivings" equally. Thus, special occasions which might lead to "oaths, vows," and "solemn fastings" would be similar to those determining "thanksgivings."

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Yes; I forgot about that Glenn!

Carruthers’ critical text of this paragraph reads:26

The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence; singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner.
​

Recurring Fast Days and Days of Thanksgiving

One of the many textual errors that had crept into this portion of the Confession over time was a comma misplacement, which made the text to read, “vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions…”. Dr. Carruthers comments, “Its omission makes the words ‘upon special occasions’ refer only to the thanksgivings. It must be remembered that the divines used the word ‘occasion’ in its stricter sense, that of ‘suitable opportunity,’ or as Dillingham translates it, pro varietate eventuum. The next clause” [times and seasons] “deals with ‘occasions’ in the looser modern sense.” This phrase — “times and seasons” — applies to all four of the extraordinary parts of religious worship: vows, oaths, fastings, and thanksgivings.

26. S. W. Carruthers, M.D., Ph.D, The Westminster Confession of Faith, Being an account of the Preparation and Printing of its seven leading editions to which is appended a critical text of the Confession with notes thereon (Manchester: R. Aikman & Son, 195?) 130.
​

From: The Religious Observance of Christmas and ‘Holy Days’ in American Presbyterianism

V. ...beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.​

How do we know when it is suitable to engage in "solemn fastings" and "thanksgivings upon special occasions"?

Note: Some critical texts of the WCF have a comma after the word "thanksgivings" and before "upon special occasions," which might effect our understanding of the text.

...beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner.​

With the comma, "upon special occasions" must be read as applying to "oaths, vows, solemn fastings and thanksgivings" equally. Thus, special occasions which might lead to "oaths, vows," and "solemn fastings" would be similar to those determining "thanksgivings."