Chapter 21 – Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day

Chapter 21, Paragraph I

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Regulative Principle of Worship

Summary

This paragraph lays the foundation for all Reformed worship. It begins with the light of nature—the universal revelation that there is a God who rules over all, does good to all, and therefore deserves love, praise, trust, and obedience. All humanity is thus bound to worship Him. But the paragraph quickly moves from general revelation to special revelation: while nature teaches that God must be worshiped, only Scripture teaches how He must be worshiped.

The acceptable way of worshipping the true God is not left to human creativity or tradition but is instituted and limited by God Himself. He alone prescribes the means by which He is to be approached. Thus, any worship “according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan,” or any practice “not prescribed in Holy Scripture,” is forbidden. This principle—often called the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW)—protects the purity of worship and guards the Church from idolatry, superstition, and will-worship.

The paragraph, therefore, establishes two core truths:

God alone is the proper object of worship.
God alone determines the manner of worship.

Anything else—whether ancient pagan ritual or modern innovation—is an affront to His holiness and sovereignty.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines wrote this in explicit rejection of Roman Catholic and Anglican innovations in worship. Both had added ceremonies and ordinances not commanded by Scripture, arguing that they were permissible so long as they were not expressly forbidden. The Westminster Assembly countered that worship must be positively warranted by God’s Word, not merely unprohibited.

This paragraph also reflects the Puritan concern for the purity of the visible Church: when human authority intrudes into the worship of God, conscience is bound to man rather than to Christ. The Divines therefore grounded worship not in tradition or preference, but in revelation.

Key Biblical References

Deuteronomy 12:32 – “Whatever I command you, be careful to do; you shall not add to it or take from it.”
Matthew 15:9 – “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
John 4:24 – “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Colossians 2:20–23 – Warnings against self-made religion and will-worship.
Exodus 20:4–6 – The Second Commandment: no images, no false worship.

1646 vs. 1788: Comparison and Commentary

✅ Textual Note:
There is no significant alteration between the 1646 and 1788 versions of Chapter 21, paragraph 1. Both versions preserve the same statement of the Regulative Principle of Worship.

However, the interpretive context changed over time:

The 1646 Confession applied this principle to a national church under God, implying that both church and magistrate must ensure that worship conforms to Scripture.
The 1788 American context applied it solely to the voluntary Church, no longer involving the state.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Emphasis

While the wording is identical, the covenantal implications differ. Under the 1646 understanding:

The civil magistrate is responsible, as God’s minister, to protect and preserve the purity of public worship in the nation.
This reflects the biblical pattern of rulers like Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah, who removed idolatry and reestablished true worship (2 Chron. 14, 29, 34).
It affirms that Christ’s lordship extends to the public sphere, not merely the private or ecclesiastical.
It guards the church from the secular privatization of worship that arose in the Enlightenment and was later reflected in the American revisions.

Thus, while the 1788 edition preserved the same sentence, it narrowed its application. The 1646 version maintains the full covenantal vision of a people—and their rulers—called to worship God according to His Word.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph I teaches that worship is not a human art but a divine ordinance. God alone determines how He is to be worshiped, and His Word alone is the rule. This principle—clear, uncompromising, and covenantal—keeps the church pure, the conscience free, and Christ supreme as Head of His house.

The 1646 Confession stands as the fullest expression of this truth: not only must the Church worship rightly, but nations and rulers too are bound by covenant to guard and uphold that worship, that God may be glorified in the midst of His people.

Chapter 21, Paragraph II

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – Worship of the Triune God through Christ Alone

Summary

This paragraph defines the object and mediator of true worship. Religious worship is to be given to God alone—specifically, the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All other objects of devotion—angels, saints, relics, or any created being—are idolatrous usurpations of the glory that belongs only to God.

Since the fall, sinful man cannot approach God directly; worship now requires a Mediator. That Mediator is Christ alone, who reconciles God and man through His blood and righteousness. To seek access to God by any other name, person, or means is to reject both His holiness and Christ’s sufficiency. Worship must therefore be Trinitarian in direction and Christocentric in mediation—a worship offered to the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Spirit.

In a single paragraph, the Confession guards three cardinal truths:

The exclusivity of divine worship – God alone is to be worshiped.
The necessity of mediation – man cannot approach God apart from grace.
The sufficiency of Christ – all acceptable worship comes through Him alone.

Historical Context

This statement directly opposed Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practices of invoking saints, angels, or Mary as mediators. The Reformation recovered the biblical doctrine that there is “one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).

It also rejected any concept of meritorious intercession by departed believers. The Reformers saw such practices as remnants of paganism that blurred the Creator–creature distinction. Worship, they argued, must be given solely to the Triune God revealed in Scripture.

This paragraph also reflects a robust Trinitarian theology at the heart of Reformed orthodoxy: though salvation history centers on the Son’s mediatorial work, the whole Godhead is the object of faith and praise.

Key Biblical References

Matthew 4:10 – “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”
1 Timothy 2:5 – “There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
John 14:6 – “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 4:23–24 – “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.”
Revelation 19:10 – The angel rebukes John: “Worship God!”

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ No textual difference exists between the 1646 and 1788 editions here—the words are identical.
❗ But the theological horizon of the paragraph narrowed in the American revision, because its surrounding framework (especially Chapters 20 and 23) removed the magistrate’s obligation to uphold true worship in the nation.

The 1646 understanding assumed that worship of the Triune God was not merely a private duty of believers but a public covenantal responsibility—that nations, as nations, owed worship and obedience to the living God (Psalm 2:10–12). The American adaptation, by separating Church and State, confined this worship obligation to the voluntary Church.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Context

Covenantal Universality – Scripture commands all men everywhere to worship the true God (Acts 17:30). Christ’s kingship extends over nations; therefore, the magistrate, as God’s servant, must not be neutral in worship.
Public Testimony of Truth – The 1646 view affirms that idolatry and false mediation are not private errors but public sins against the covenant Lord. The magistrate’s calling is to preserve peace and to protect the Church from public profanation.
Christ’s Mediatorial Reign – Christ is Mediator not only of the Church’s salvation but of the world’s order (Eph. 1:10). The civil sphere too must honor the Son by recognizing that worship belongs to Him alone.

To maintain the 1646 perspective is to affirm that public authority and private conscience alike are bound to the Triune God through the Mediator, Jesus Christ. The worship of God is not merely personal—it is covenantal, binding every creature and every community under heaven.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph II exalts the Triune God as the sole object of worship and Christ as the sole Mediator of access. All religion that directs devotion elsewhere—whether to saints, angels, or human merit—is idolatry. True worship is offered to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit, as the covenantal response of redeemed humanity.

The 1646 Confession maintains that this obligation is universal and public—that rulers and peoples alike are called to honor God in Christ. The American revision, by privatizing worship, diminishes this covenantal call. To retain the original is to confess that every knee, whether in church or in court, must bow to the Triune Lord of heaven and earth.

Chapter 21, Paragraph III

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Nature and Manner of Prayer

Summary

This paragraph declares that prayer with thanksgiving is a principal act of religious worship. It is both a duty and a delight, commanded by God and required of all men. Prayer is not the private privilege of the regenerate alone, but the universal obligation of all creatures who owe their existence and dependence to the Creator. Yet only those who pray rightly—through the appointed Mediator—find their prayers accepted.

For a prayer to be acceptable to God, it must meet certain divine conditions:

In the name of the Son – acknowledging Christ as the sole Mediator and intercessor.
By the help of the Spirit – for we know not how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit helps our infirmities (Rom. 8:26).
According to His will – prayer must conform to God’s revealed purposes, not human fancy.

Furthermore, prayer is to be marked by the graces of the renewed heart: understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance. It is not mere form or words, but communion with the living God through the Son by the Spirit. And if prayer be spoken aloud—vocal prayer—it must be in a known tongue so that it may edify those who hear, rejecting the vain repetition and obscurity of superstition.

This paragraph thus ties together the Trinitarian structure and spiritual posture of true prayer—an act of faith grounded in revelation, guided by grace, and adorned with thanksgiving.

Historical Context

The Westminster Divines wrote this section against two main errors:

Roman Catholic superstition – especially the practice of prayers in Latin, which were unintelligible to the common worshiper, and the invocation of saints or Mary.
Enthusiastic individualism – the notion that prayer could be offered without form, order, or doctrinal content.

They sought a middle way between lifeless liturgy and ungoverned emotion: prayer that is heartfelt yet disciplined, spiritual yet scriptural. For the Puritans, prayer was “the breath of faith”—the natural language of a heart renewed by grace.

Key Biblical References

Philippians 4:6 – “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
John 16:23–24 – “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.”
Romans 8:26–27 – “The Spirit helps our weakness… intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
1 Corinthians 14:15 – “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.”
James 5:16 – “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ No textual change occurs between the 1646 and 1788 versions of this paragraph. The wording remains identical.

❗ However, as with earlier sections, the theological context shifted:

In the 1646 setting, prayer was viewed as both a private and public covenantal act—the prayer of the Church and of the nation under God’s law.
In the 1788 revision, prayer became an exclusively ecclesiastical or personal exercise, since the magistrate was no longer understood to have any religious responsibility before God.

Thus, while the content of prayer remains the same, its public scope narrowed significantly in the American adaptation.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Context

Universal Accountability in Worship – The 1646 view rightly affirms that “prayer is required of all men.” This means not only private individuals but also families, churches, and civil rulers are called to pray and give thanks. Scripture records kings and nations commanded to call upon the Lord (Jonah 3:7–9; 1 Tim. 2:1–2).
Covenantal Solidarity – The 1646 framework sees public prayer as the act of a people under covenant with God, expressing dependence and repentance on behalf of the whole community.
Christ’s Mediatorial Dominion – If Christ is Mediator of all creation (Eph. 1:10), then prayer “in His name” must characterize not only private piety but public life. Magistrates and nations are not neutral toward God’s throne—they are commanded to seek His wisdom and mercy.

Therefore, maintaining the 1646 understanding upholds prayer as a public covenantal duty, not merely a private devotion. The American context, though preserving the words, lost this breadth of application.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph III teaches that prayer with thanksgiving is the heartbeat of true worship. It must be directed to God, through Christ, by the Spirit, and shaped by His Word. It is to be offered with reverence, faith, humility, and perseverance, whether privately or publicly, personally or corporately.

The 1646 Confession preserves the full scope of this truth: that all people, in every station—households, churches, and magistrates—owe God the voice of prayer and thanksgiving. It confesses not only how men must pray, but that all men everywhere should call upon the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21).

Chapter 21, Paragraph IV

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Proper Objects and Boundaries of Prayer

Summary

This paragraph sets the boundaries and objects of prayer—teaching both its breadth and its limits.

Prayer, first, is to be made for things lawful—that is, for matters consistent with God’s revealed will and moral law. Prayer is not a vehicle for covetousness, ambition, or superstition, but an expression of godly desire in submission to divine wisdom. We may pray for mercy, justice, provision, repentance, and the advancement of God’s kingdom, but not for sinful ends or vain pleasures.

Second, prayer is to be offered for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter—that is, for all classes, ranks, and nations; for friends and enemies; for rulers and subjects; for the present generation and those yet unborn. The scope of Christian intercession reflects the wideness of God’s providence and the command of Christ to “pray for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1–2).

Yet there are boundaries. We are not to pray for the dead, for their eternal state is fixed and their judgment sealed (Heb. 9:27). Nor are we to pray for those who have “sinned the sin unto death” (1 John 5:16)—that is, those who have committed final, willful apostasy and blasphemy against the Spirit, evidenced by impenitence unto death.

The Confession thus preserves the balance between universal charity in intercession and biblical sobriety regarding the limits of prayer.

Historical Context

This article was aimed particularly against the Roman Catholic practice of prayers for the dead and purgatorial intercession, as well as the invocation of saints. The Reformers saw these as unscriptural innovations that presumed to alter God’s appointed order of life, death, and judgment.

It also addresses lingering superstitious or sentimental impulses—prayers for the departed that suggest uncertainty about God’s justice or the sufficiency of Christ’s mediation. The Divines were careful, however, not to encourage hardness of heart, but reverent conformity to the Word: we pray broadly, but we pray biblically.

Key Biblical References

1 John 5:14–16 – “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life… There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.”
2 Samuel 12:22–23 – David ceases praying for his dead child: “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Luke 16:26 – The great fixed gulf between the dead.
Hebrews 9:27 – “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment.”
1 Timothy 2:1–2 – “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ No textual difference between the 1646 and 1788 versions—both preserve this paragraph word for word.

❗ However, as before, the application subtly narrowed in the American adaptation:

The 1646 context assumed that intercessory prayer extended not only to individuals but also to nations as covenantal entities, including kings and magistrates as moral subjects of divine providence.
The 1788 context, by contrast, understood such prayers in a purely civic or humanitarian sense, not as covenantal intercession for nations under God’s moral law.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Understanding

Prayer as Covenant Duty of Nations – The 1646 Confession preserves the biblical vision that nations, rulers, and peoples are moral beings under God’s law, and therefore appropriate subjects of prayer (Psalm 2; 1 Tim. 2:1–2). We pray not only for them but on behalf of them—that kings would serve the Lord and nations be discipled under Christ.
Against Individualistic Reductionism – The later American reading collapses intercession into private or ecclesial piety. The 1646 model maintains the covenantal scope of prayer: families, churches, and nations alike must seek God’s mercy and guidance.
Clarity on the Finality of Judgment – Retaining the Reformation rejection of prayers for the dead upholds the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement and the finality of death’s sentence. It preserves the gospel’s sharp line between grace in time and judgment in eternity.

The 1646 version, therefore, maintains prayer as a comprehensive covenantal act, rightly broad in charity yet bounded by Scripture’s authority.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph IV defines the scope and sanctity of Christian prayer. We pray for all lawful things, for all sorts of men, and for the generations to come—but never for the dead nor for those who have hardened themselves in final apostasy. Prayer is as wide as God’s mercy and as restrained as His Word.

The 1646 Confession preserves the covenantal fullness of this duty: believers, families, and nations are to seek the Lord together, interceding for rulers and peoples under the lordship of Christ. The American narrowing loses that corporate dimension. The 1646 expression thus remains both more biblical and more covenantally faithful, affirming that “all flesh shall come to Thee” (Psalm 65:2).

Chapter 21, Paragraph V

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Elements of Ordinary and Extraordinary Worship

Summary

This paragraph provides a concise yet comprehensive catalogue of what constitutes true, ordinary, and extraordinary worship according to Scripture.
The worship of God is not an invention of human creativity but a collection of ordinances appointed by divine authority. The Confession divides them into two kinds:

Ordinary Worship – the regular elements appointed for the public assembly of the saints:
- Reading of Scripture with godly fear – for the Word is living and powerful, and its public reading is itself an act of worship (1 Tim. 4:13).
- Sound preaching of the Word – the authoritative proclamation of divine truth by those lawfully called (2 Tim. 4:2).
- Conscionable hearing of the Word – the faithful and reverent reception of preaching, marked by understanding, faith, and obedience (James 1:22).
- Singing of psalms with grace in the heart – worship by the congregation’s voice, expressing the Word of Christ in melody and thanksgiving (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
- Administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments – baptism and the Lord’s Supper as visible words, sealing the promises of the gospel to believers.
Extraordinary Worship – appointed for special times and seasons in the life of God’s people:
- Religious oaths and vows – solemn acts of covenantal commitment made lawfully before God (Deut. 6:13).
- Solemn fastings – times of collective repentance, dependence, and petition (Joel 2:12–15).
- Thanksgivings upon special occasions – seasons of public gratitude for God’s mercies and deliverances (Psalm 107).

These are the divinely instituted acts of worship—neither more nor less. The paragraph again enforces the Regulative Principle: worship must consist only of what God commands. Anything beyond or beside these elements is human invention and therefore unacceptable.

Historical Context

This statement stands in deliberate opposition to the Roman and Anglican additions to worship—ceremonies, feast days, prayers to saints, and images—which the Reformers deemed unscriptural. It also counters sectarian enthusiasm, which despised order and neglected the ordinary means of grace.

The Puritans sought worship that was neither empty ritual nor chaotic emotion, but rich in Word and sacrament—simple, scriptural, and spiritual. This paragraph captures the balance they prized: reverent simplicity joined to joyful thanksgiving.

Key Biblical References

Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
1 Timothy 4:13 – “Give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”
Ephesians 5:19 – “Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 11:23–29 – Instruction for the Lord’s Supper.
Joel 2:12–15 – A call to fasting and solemn assembly.
Psalm 50:14 – “Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.”

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ No substantive textual change exists between the 1646 and 1788 versions of this paragraph—the list of elements remains the same.

❗ But the scope and application once again narrowed in meaning under the American revision:

The 1646 Confession presupposes that both Church and Commonwealth are bound by covenant to observe these ordinances publicly—calling national fasts, days of thanksgiving, and solemn vows under God’s providence.
The 1788 American version removed all civil responsibility for such acts, leaving them to the discretion of individual congregations or denominations.

Hence, while both versions affirm the same elements of worship, the 1646 version understands them as corporate and national duties, whereas the 1788 confines them to ecclesiastical and private occasions.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Understanding

Corporate Covenant Faithfulness – Scripture repeatedly records national fasts and thanksgivings commanded by civil rulers (2 Chron. 20:3–4; Ezra 8:21; Jonah 3:7–9). Such acts are expressions of a people acknowledging their covenant obligations before God.
Christ’s Lordship Over Nations – The 1646 vision extends worship beyond the church walls, affirming that magistrates too, as God’s servants, must lead the people in acknowledging His mercy and judgment.
Integration of Piety and Public Life – By maintaining these ordinances as both ecclesiastical and civil duties, the 1646 model prevents the secularization of public gratitude and repentance. Under the American system, “Thanksgiving” survives as a cultural echo; under the Westminster model, it is a covenantal act of worship.
Continuity with Biblical Precedent – The kings of Israel and Judah, from David to Hezekiah, exemplified the duty of leading the nation in fasting, thanksgiving, and public covenant renewal. The same moral principle applies in every age.

Thus, the 1646 version preserves the covenantal breadth of worship—embracing family, church, and nation as communities called to honor God through His ordained means.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph V gathers the ordinary means of grace and the extraordinary ordinances of national devotion into one glorious vision of worship: a people of God, under His Word, praising with heart and voice, hearing and heeding, fasting and feasting—all according to His revealed will.

The 1646 Confession preserves this covenantal scope, teaching that worship is not only a church duty but a national obligation. The American revision, while keeping the words, lost the vision. True worship remains both simple and majestic—rooted in Scripture, sanctified by the Spirit, and expansive enough to call entire peoples to bow before the Lord their Maker.

Chapter 21, Paragraph VI

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Place and Manner of Worship under the Gospel

Summary

This paragraph establishes that in the New Covenant, worship is not localized or restricted to holy places as it was under the ceremonial law. Under the Gospel, there is no longer a temple in Jerusalem to which men must go, nor an altar that sanctifies the gift. Christ has fulfilled all types and shadows. The worship acceptable to God is now offered “in spirit and in truth”—that is, in sincerity, faith, and accordance with His revealed Word—wherever His people dwell.

Neither prayer nor any other act of worship is made holier by the building, direction, or geographic location in which it is performed. Every place sanctified by truth becomes holy ground. Yet this universal access does not abolish order in worship: God is to be worshiped in three proper contexts—

Privately – by individuals in secret devotion (Matt. 6:6).
Domestically – within families daily, as a covenant household before the Lord (Deut. 6:6–7; Job 1:5).
Publicly – in the solemn assembly of the saints, which is not to be neglected or forsaken (Heb. 10:25).

Thus, while the Gospel liberates worship from ceremonial place and form, it binds the believer’s life to continual worship. God is not confined to temples made with hands, but He is to be honored in every sphere of life—in secret, in the family, and especially in the gathered congregation.

Historical Context

This article flows directly from the Reformation’s rejection of Romish ceremonialism. In the Old Covenant, the temple and its rites foreshadowed Christ’s mediatorial presence; under the New, those shadows have vanished. The Reformers restored worship to its spiritual nature, emphasizing that no place, building, or altar can make prayer more acceptable.

At the same time, the Puritans vigorously upheld the duty of family and corporate worship. They viewed the neglect of daily family prayer or the public assembly as serious sin. Worship was to be as constant as breathing—morning and evening, private and communal, ordinary and solemn.

Key Biblical References

John 4:21–24 – “The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father… but in spirit and in truth.”
Matthew 6:6 – “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.”
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 – “You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children.”
Joshua 24:15 – “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Hebrews 10:24–25 – “Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ Text: There is no textual difference between the 1646 and 1788 versions of this paragraph—the sentences are identical.

❗ Contextual difference: The theological framework surrounding it changed:

The 1646 Confession assumed that the magistrate, as God’s servant, was bound to uphold the public assembly and to ensure that the true worship of God was protected and provided for within the nation.
The 1788 adaptation, having removed the magistrate’s religious obligations (Ch. 23), made worship a purely voluntary and ecclesiastical matter, removing any civil responsibility for the sanctity of the Lord’s Day or public assembly.

Thus, while the content of paragraph VI remained unchanged, the covenantal structure in which it functioned was weakened in the American revision.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Understanding

Covenantal Duty of Family and Nation – The 1646 view regards not only individuals but also households and civil communities as covenantally bound to the public worship of God. The magistrate’s duty is not to dictate worship, but to ensure that the worship of God is not hindered, profaned, or neglected within the commonwealth.
Integration of the Spheres – By maintaining the original context, this paragraph affirms that private, family, and public worship stand together as concentric circles of covenant life—all under the same divine authority.
Christ’s Lordship Over Place and People – The removal of sacred geography does not mean the removal of sacred duty. The 1646 emphasis ensures that the universalization of worship under the Gospel does not become an excuse for neglecting the public means of grace.

In short, the 1646 context preserves both liberty and obligation: God may be worshiped anywhere, but He must be worshiped everywhere.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph VI teaches that worship in the New Covenant is no longer confined to temples or holy places, but extends to every sphere of life—private, familial, and corporate. Yet with this freedom comes responsibility: believers must not neglect the family altar nor forsake the public assembly.

The 1646 Confession retains the covenantal breadth of this duty: that nations, families, and individuals are all called to worship God wherever they dwell, and that magistrates, as God’s servants, are bound to protect and promote that worship. The American revision, by removing the magistrate’s role, privatized what Scripture commands to be public.

To hold the 1646 form is to affirm that worship is both spiritual and social, free yet ordered, universal yet covenantal—worship in spirit and truth that sanctifies every place and every people under the lordship of Christ.

Chapter 21, Paragraph VII

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Moral and Perpetual Obligation of the Christian Sabbath

Summary

This paragraph anchors the Sabbath principle not in ceremonial custom but in creation ordinance and moral law. The Confession teaches that the setting apart of time for divine worship is rooted in the law of nature—that man, as creature, must regularly rest from labor to acknowledge and adore his Creator. Yet God, in His Word, has gone further, appointing by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment one day in seven as holy unto Him.

This commandment, binding upon all men in all ages, transcends dispensations. From creation until Christ’s resurrection, that day was the last day of the week, commemorating God’s rest after creation. After Christ rose from the dead, the Sabbath was changed to the first day of the week, commemorating His new creation—redemption accomplished and the Lord’s victory over death. Scripture calls this new day the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10), and it is to continue as the Christian Sabbath “to the end of the world.”

Thus, the Sabbath is both moral (because it flows from the moral law and creation order) and positive (because the precise day was positively revealed and changed by divine authority). It is perpetual, not ceremonial; evangelical, not Judaic. The day belongs not to man but to the Lord, who sanctifies it for rest, worship, and delight in His finished works—first of creation, now of redemption.

Historical Context

The Sabbath was a defining mark of Puritan piety and theology. The Westminster Divines defended it against two opposite errors:

Sabbatarian legalism (as in some Judaizing sects), which treated the day as a burdensome ritual law; and
Continental laxity, which regarded the Lord’s Day as a church custom rather than a divine ordinance.

They grounded their doctrine in the Fourth Commandment as perpetually binding and interpreted the resurrection of Christ as sanctifying the first day for Christian use. This teaching gave rise to the historic Reformed practice of Lord’s Day sanctification—a day wholly devoted to worship, rest, and spiritual refreshment, distinct from secular recreation.

Key Biblical References

Genesis 2:2–3 – God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.
Exodus 20:8–11 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
Mark 2:27–28 – “The Sabbath was made for man… the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”
Luke 24:1 – The resurrection on the first day of the week.
Acts 20:7 – The disciples gathered on the first day to break bread.
Revelation 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ No wording changes occur between the 1646 and 1788 editions of this paragraph. Both affirm the moral and perpetual Sabbath and the change from the last day to the first day of the week.

❗ However, the covenantal and civil implications once again diverged between the two confessional contexts:

Under the 1646 Westminster system, Sabbath observance was both a religious and civil duty. The magistrate, as a minister of God, was responsible to ensure that the public sanctification of the Lord’s Day was upheld in the commonwealth (cf. WCF 23.3). Public Sabbath-breaking was not treated as a matter of private conscience but as a sin against the nation’s covenant obligations to God.
Under the 1788 American revision, having removed the magistrate’s obligation to uphold both tables of the law, Sabbath observance became a purely ecclesiastical and personal matter. The civil authority was no longer seen as having responsibility for the public sanctity of the Lord’s Day.

Hence, while the theology of the Sabbath remained, the covenantal framework sustaining it was largely lost in the American context.

Justification for Maintaining the 1646 Understanding

The Sabbath as a Covenant Sign for All Humanity – The Sabbath was instituted before the fall (Gen. 2:3) and reaffirmed in the Decalogue. It is not merely Mosaic, but moral and creational. As such, it binds all societies and rulers under God’s moral law. The 1646 Confession preserves this universality by affirming the magistrate’s role in upholding Sabbath sanctity publicly.
National Accountability – Isaiah 58:13–14 connects the blessing of nations with Sabbath-keeping. To treat the Sabbath as a private devotion rather than a public covenant duty is to deny that nations, too, are accountable to the Lord of the Sabbath.
Christ’s Mediatorial Dominion – The 1646 view reflects Christ’s claim over “the Lord’s Day” as His royal possession (Rev. 1:10). His lordship extends over hearts and institutions. It is not for the civil realm to disregard what the Lord has sanctified.
Preservation of Christian Order – When the Sabbath is treated as a public ordinance, society retains a rhythm of rest and worship oriented toward God. When it becomes private, the moral foundation of time itself—work, rest, and reverence—erodes.

Maintaining the 1646 confession thus upholds the public and covenantal character of the Lord’s Day: a sign to the world that Christ reigns and that man’s labor finds its meaning in His finished work.

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph VII affirms the perpetual Sabbath as a moral law for all men and the Lord’s Day as its evangelical fulfillment. The day set apart for worship is not a relic of Judaism but the rhythm of creation renewed in Christ’s resurrection.

The 1646 Confession preserves its full covenantal scope: not only must individuals rest and worship, but societies and rulers are called to honor the Lord’s Day publicly. The American revision, though verbally identical, divorces the Sabbath from its civil expression and weakens its witness.

To hold the 1646 form is to confess that the Lord’s Day is not merely a church custom but the weekly testimony of Christ’s kingship—an ordinance binding upon all mankind until He returns.

Chapter 21, Paragraph VIII

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day – The Sanctification and Use of the Christian Sabbath (with Noted Exceptions)

Summary

This paragraph sets forth the doctrine of how the Christian Sabbath, or Lord’s Day, is to be kept holy unto the Lord. It teaches that God’s people, having first prepared their hearts and ordered their affairs beforehand, are to sanctify the day through holy rest and worship. The Sabbath is a divine appointment, not merely a human tradition. It calls the believer to cease from worldly cares and employments, that both body and soul may find rest in the Lord of the Sabbath.

The Confession states that we are to observe a holy rest all the day from our own “works, words, and thoughts about worldly employments and recreations,” and to spend the day in the public and private exercises of worship, along with duties of necessity and mercy. The intent is clear: the Lord’s Day is to be distinct from the other six, devoted to the glory of God and the good of His people.

Yet the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Therefore, while our church gladly upholds the moral and perpetual sanctity of the Lord’s Day, we take limited exceptions to the interpretation—not the substance—of this paragraph, as noted below.

Our Exceptions

1. On “Recreations” Forbidden

We hold that the Confession’s phrase forbidding “worldly employments and recreations” is rightly understood in its historical setting. The Westminster Divines were countering the profanation of the Lord’s Day common in seventeenth-century England, when “recreations” meant secular sports, drunken feasts, and public amusements that displaced worship.

However, the Sabbath was never intended to ban all forms of refreshment or lawful enjoyment. Christ’s example teaches that works of necessity, mercy, and refreshment are fully consistent with the holiness of the day. Therefore, we affirm that moderate, wholesome recreation—such as fellowship with family, walking in creation, or simple joys that restore body and spirit—may be enjoyed, provided such activities:

Do not interfere with or distract from the worship of God;
Are consistent with the day’s holy character;
Are received with thanksgiving and practiced in moderation.

Apologetic

This understanding accords with the Sabbath’s original design as a gift of mercy, not a burden (Gen. 2:2–3; Mark 2:27). It recognizes that the Sabbath is not only spiritual but creational—a rhythm of labor and rest established for human good. As Isaiah 58:13–14 declares, the Sabbath is to be “a delight,” not a restriction against the joy of fellowship or bodily refreshment. Thus, we reject both worldly profanation and joyless legalism, keeping the day as a holy and happy rest in Christ.

2. On “the Whole Time” Devoted to Religious Exercises

We likewise affirm the principle that the Lord’s Day is to be set apart wholly unto God; yet we interpret this as meaning the entire day is consecrated to His glory, not that every moment must be filled with formal religious exercise.

Believers are called to fill the day with worship, fellowship, rest, and reflection—activities that honor the Lord and strengthen body and soul alike. Family meals, conversation seasoned with grace, acts of mercy, or quiet rest may all express Sabbath sanctification when done in a spirit of thanksgiving and dependence upon Christ.

Apologetic

The Confession’s language, read in its Puritan context, intended to prevent Sabbath neglect, not to prescribe unbroken religious duty. Scripture itself presents the Sabbath as a day of both worship and rest (Exodus 20:10; Hebrews 4:9–10). Therefore, the believer’s rest is not idleness, but restoration—a participation in the rest Christ has secured by His finished work. To dedicate the day to God’s purposes is to delight in Him with body and soul, rejoicing in the freedom He has given from toil and anxiety.

1646 vs. 1788 Comparison

✅ Text: There is no change in wording between the 1646 and 1788 editions of this paragraph.
❗ Context: The 1646 Confession, however, envisioned Sabbath observance as both a religious and civil duty, with the magistrate obliged to protect the public sanctity of the Lord’s Day. The 1788 American revision removed the magistrate’s responsibility, privatizing the observance of the Sabbath.

We maintain the 1646 covenantal framework, affirming that nations, as well as individuals, are accountable to the Lord of the Sabbath. Civil rulers, as ministers of God, ought to guard the Lord’s Day from open desecration, not by coercing conscience, but by acknowledging Christ’s dominion and preserving the public order suited to worship.

Key Biblical References

Exodus 20:8–11 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
Isaiah 58:13–14 – “Call the Sabbath a delight… then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.”
Nehemiah 13:15–22 – The civil magistrate upholding Sabbath holiness.
Mark 2:27–28 – “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
Hebrews 4:9–10 – “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”

Summary Statement

Chapter 21, paragraph VIII teaches that the Christian Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord as a day of rest and worship. We prepare our hearts beforehand, set aside worldly cares, and dedicate the day to the praise of God and the refreshment of His people.

While the 1646 Confession speaks with admirable zeal for Sabbath holiness, our church holds that lawful, wholesome recreation and physical rest—so long as they support, not supplant, worship—are fully consistent with the day’s sanctification. We reject the legalism that turns the Sabbath into bondage, as well as the secularism that empties it of holiness.

We affirm the Sabbath as both a holy convocation and a merciful rest, a day of covenant delight that reminds the Church and the nations that time itself belongs to the risen Lord.