The
Reformed Faith
Our beliefs stem from a full commitment to the authority of the Bible as the
inerrant, infallible Word of God. Our full doctrinal statement as to what
we believe the Bible teaches is the Westminster Confession of Faith and
Catechisms, as well as the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of
North America.
You
can find a copy of this document on-line. Nevertheless, here are a few
details about "Covenanter" beliefs that have been historic
distinctives of our denomination.
The Supremacy of Christ
The
Psalms in Worship
The greatest act in which a
Christian can engage is that of the worship of God. One phase of worship is that
of singing his praise. At the center of the Bible, God has given one hundred and
fifty songs indicted by the Holy Spirit to be sung in the praise of God. “Sing
unto Him, sing Psalms unto Him” (Psalm 105:2)
Nowhere has God authorized any
other manual of praise to be used in his worship. The “Psalms, hymns and
spiritual sings,” twice mentioned by the apostle Paul, are songs indicted by
the Holy Spirit and are we believe included in the Book of Psalms. When Christ
and the disciples “had sung an hymn” it was doubtless included in “the
Great Hallel” composed of Psalms 113 to 118.
For these reasons The Reformed
Presbyterian Church continues to sing the Psalms exclusively in the worship of
God.
Without
Instrumental Accompaniment
Instrumental music has a large
place in human society. The world would be dull without our organs and symphony
orchestras. The question here is, does God authorize the use of instruments of
music in the new Testament worship?
It is true that they were used
in temple worship along with the sacrifices. They were not used however in the
synagogue after which the New Testament church was patterned. The Orthodox
synagogues of the Jews still use no instruments in their worship. We maintain
that when the ceremonial service of the Old Testament passed away musical
instruments in worship also ceased. (2 Chron. 25-28).
Various other churches maintain
the same position. The Churches of Christ, claiming a membership of half a
million, the Holy Orthodox Apostolic Church, claiming a hundred million, and a
number of smaller churches, have no instruments in their worship.
Christ’s Kingship Over Nations
Covenanters bear testimony to
the Crown as well as the Cross of Jesus Christ. If Christ is the “King of
Nations” the nations should acknowledge His kingly rule. Our nation did make
some acknowledgments in her early documents of state. The Compact on board the
Mayflower was “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian
faith.”
The Rhode Island Compact
mentions God, “the Lord Jesus Christ” and the Bible. The Compact of
Connecticut mentions “Almighty God” and closes with “So help me God in the
name of Jesus Christ.”
The Continental Congress
officially opened its sessions with prayer and reading from the Bible.
The Declaration of Independence
contains phrases like these: “All men . . . are endowed by the Creator”;
“appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world”; “With a firm reliance on
the protection of Divine Providence.”
We later hear George Washington
say: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the
Bible.”
The sad fact is that the
Constitutional Convention, 12 years later after the Continental Congress,
offered no prayers for divine guidance during its 116 sessions. This was no
oversight. Benjamin Franklin offered a resolution asking that each days session
begin with prayer seeking God’s guidance, but his motion was lost by
adjournment. Little wonder that our national Constitution contains no reference
to God and Jesus Christ or the law of God!
This gave rise to the long held
principal of Political Dissent whereby Covenanters have refused to take oath to
support the Constitution which proclaims itself to be the supreme law of the
land and “We the people” to be the source of supreme authority.
Covenanting
The covenanting spirit so
prominent in the churches of Scotland and Ireland was carried also to America.
The Covenants were renewed at Middle Octora, Pennsylvania, in 1743, under the
leadership of Rev. Alexander Craighead.
The American Covenant was sworn
at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 21, 1871. It was subscribed by seventy-four
ministers, seventy elders, five licentiates and four students of theology. It
was later subscribed by members in the various congregations. The Church enjoyed
a period of unusual prosperity after the Covenant was signed. The fiftieth
anniversary of the Covenant was celebrated by Synod at Pittsburgh, in 1921.
On July 18, 1954, the Synod in
session with the National Conference at Grinnell, Iowa, subscribed to “A Brief
Covenant” previously drawn and adopted. After a solemn and appropriate
service, 657 members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church signed this new form at
the Sabbath morning service.
This form of covenant was later
sent down to the congregations for the signature of members not present at the
national gathering. The wording of this “Brief Covenant” is found in the
Minutes of Synod of 1953.
World
Peace
The Covenanter Church stands for
peace. She believes that world peace will come only when the world accepts the
Prince of Peace. Her members resort to arms only in defense of righteousness. In
Scotland they fought against tyranny and for Christian freedom. In the
Revolutionary War they fought for national independence. In the Civil War they
fought for the deliverance of the slaves. In other wars of the 20th century they
fought to save the world from military despotism. But Covenanters love peace and
long for the time when the peace of Christ shall prevail. They believe that war
should be forever outlawed as a Policy for settling difficulties between
nations. “Peace
be within thy walls, and Prosperity within thy palaces"
(Psalm 122:7).
Oath-Bound
Secrecy
The Reformed Presbyterian Church
maintains that a consistent Christian cannot belong to an oath-bound secret
organization. The most prominent of such orders, if not the parent of all, is
called Free Masonry. Christianity is a religion of light. Free Masonry with its
kindred organizations is a religion of darkness.
That it is a religion is stated
in “Mackay’s Lexicon of Free Masonry” which may be regarded as its
standard of authority. It contains various statements bearing on religion. It
includes this definition: “The religion, then, of Masonry is pure Theism, on
which its different members engraft their own peculiar opinions.” It has
printed prayers. It uses certain passages of Scripture and conducts its own
burial services for the dead.
But we must class it as a false
religion. Jesus Christ has no place in the Scriptures they use nor in the
prayers they offer. The salvation promised is not on faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ but in obedience to the rules of the lodge.
A number of other churches also
oppose this secret empire. Among them are three branches of Lutherans, Christian
Reformed, the Nazarenes, the Mennonites and the Brethren. “And have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”
(Eph. 5:11)
Alcohol
and Tobacco
The Reformed Presbyterian Church
has always shown great concern over society’s problems with alcohol, tobacco,
and other habit-forming drugs. In the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian
Church of North America (chapter 26.4) we read, “For preservation of life
and because of respect for our bodies as God’s creation, we are to be careful
in the use of drugs. Christians should avoid enslavement to alcohol, tobacco, or
any habit-forming drug. The Scripture strongly condemns drunkenness as a sin.
(Genesis 1:27 with 9:6; I Corinthians 6:9-10).”
As far back as 1841, Synod began
taking stands against the use of alcohol. Temperance organizations have
historically been supported by the RPCNA, and, for a time, members were subject
to discipline if they made, sold, drank, or gave away intoxicating liquors. The
devastating toll of alcoholism and the various societal problems it has created
have been a focal point for the denomination in dealing with the issue
ecclesiastically. However, since we believe in the freedom of the conscience of
the believer, and since the Scriptures do not expressly forbid all drinking of
alcoholic beverages, we do not currently have church laws forbidding the use of
alcohol or tobacco or habit-forming drugs.
Abstinence is strongly
encouraged. Our guiding principle is that, “to prevent damage to our neighbor,
to provide mutual help in godly living, and to strengthen each other in living a
disciplined life, it is altogether wise and proper that Christians refrain from
the use, sale, and manufacture of alcoholic beverages” (Testimony,
24.5).
Passage taken from A Brief
History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, revised 1964,
Chester R. Fox, Pittsburgh, PA, and as amended 1999 by Rev. Kenneth Orr, Los
Angeles, CA.