Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1993

186 1993 MINUTES OF THE SYNOD OF THEto the light of nature or the known principles of Christianity, whetconcerning faith, worship or conversation" (WCF 8cRPT chapter 20, p.4).They specifically forbid "worshipping God according to the imaginationand devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visiblerepresentation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture"(WCF & RPT chapter 21, p. 1). SymboUc objects are not to play a part inthe practice of worship, and if a cross, or any such device, were to becomean instrument of worship (such as in parading the cross, kissing it orbowing down before it), this would violate the prohibition.The R P Testimony says that worship is to be offered according to theprinciple that "whatever is not commanded in the worship of God, byprecept or example, is forbidden." This regulative principle is to berespected fully. However, it does not directly relate to symbolism used inthe "place of worship" unless the symbols are in some way physicallyinvolved in some act of worship. There is an important distinction betweenthe "use" and the "display" of a symbol. When the congregation'sattention is not drawn to a displayed symbol during the worship service,it can hardly be said that it is used in worship, regardless of what might begoing through the minds of the individual worshipers.When the Larger Catechism asks: "What are the sins forbidden in thesecond commandment?", the bulk of the answer refers to and forbidsmaking representations of God and worshipping them. It further forbids"all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, ortaking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received bydadition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion,good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever..." (WLC ,Q. 109). Stricdyspeaking, this does not forbid the display of a religious symbol in anauditorium where God's people worship, as long as it does not play a rolein the worship service itself. For some who are visually oriented, thisdistinction may be difficult to maintain, and for their sake a particularsymbol may need to be removed, but their "weakness" should not becomea universal law. It would seem to be exdaordinarily restrictive to forbid alluse of religious symbols as decor to guard against their becoming instmmentsof idoladous worship in the mind of some given worshiper.We therefore draw the following conclusions:CONCLUSIONS1. The worship of visual objects or symbols, whatever they aredesigned to represent, is clearly forbidden in the Second Commandment.Thus any incorporation of such symbols into the worship of God whichwould encourage veneration or devotion toward the symbols themselves,