Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church

Introduction

Providence subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) as the secondary standard of the church. According to our constitution, “The Church believes that the Confession expresses what the Bible teaches” (5b). I would like to note three important words in the above statements; standard, secondary and subscribe.

The WCF is a standard

A standard is something used in a comparison. For example it is used to determine if the requirements for a particular purpose is fulfilled. For what purpose is the WCF to be used?
First and foremost, the WCF is to be used for a unifying purpose. Historically, the Westminster Assembly, which drafted the WCF is not a regular assembly called by the Church.  It is an advisory assembly called by the English parliament during a time of political turmoil. “The main purpose for which the Westminster Assembly was called together, and the Solemn League and Covenant was framed, was to produce, so far as might be practicable, unity of religious belief and uniformity in Church government throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland.”[i] The purpose here is then to seek for a unity of the Church by a thorough reformation of the Church.
The WCF is also use for the preservation of the truth, for exposing false teachings and promoting Christian instructions[ii]. The Larger and Shorter Catechism were originally meant for popular instruction. “The Christian education materials of the 17th Century were catechisms … It was natural, then, that the Assembly would provide for instruction in the doctrines of the confession by way of catechism.”[iii] To ensure and secure the preservation and propagation of the truth, all teachers of the Church are required to subscribe to the doctrines of the WCF.
The WCF is therefore to be first of all, viewed as intending to promote unity in the Church. We must be careful not to use the WCF in a manner that hinders unity between like-minded churches. Providence is reform in doctrine. We subscribe to the doctrines of WCF. But Providence seeks to be relevant in practice. We to do not practice a narrow and rigid subscription to the WCF so as to hinder unity between like-minded churches. For example, we adopt the Regulative Principle taught in the WCF (Chapter 21), but we do not apply it in a narrow and rigid way which would hinder unity between churches which subscribe to the doctrines of the WCF.

The WCF is a secondary standard

Firstly, this means that where the WCF disagree with the teachings of Scriptures, the Church is to be bound by God’s Word rather than the WCF.  The WCF is not an infallible document. Churches which subscribed to the WCF, and yet disagree with some points in the WCF,  must follow what the Bible teaches rather than the WCF. This has been done in the past through the Adoption Act or through a revision of the WCF.  For example, the “original Synod of the American Presbyterian Church, in the year 1729, solemnly adopted the WCF … except only some clauses in the twentieth and twenty-third chapters, ‘Concerning the Civil Magistrate’” (pg.4, The Confession of Faith by AAHodge).
Then in 1788, the Synod revised the WCF accordingly. For example, in the original WCF25.6, the Pope is identified as “that antichrist, that man of sin” and not just an antichrist. The American Presbyterian Church could not reconcile this with the Scriptures and thus revised the WCF at this point.
Secondly, it means that when possible, the WCF is to be interpreted in a way that is in harmony with the teachings of Scripture. If this can be done, then an Adoption act or a revision would not be necessary. For example, the Free Church of Scotland has retained the original WCF in those clauses “Concerning the Civil Magistrate” which the American Presbyterian Church has revised.  The Free Church of Scotland interpreted those clauses in such a way that is in harmony to the Word of God and so there was no need for a revision or an Adoption Act[iv].
For example, in WCF20.5 the elements of worship are listed. In this paragraph, the “singing of psalms” is mentioned while hymns were not mentioned. Should we interpret the WCF here to forbid anything which is not listed there? The collection of offerings is not listed and yet Scripture teaches that it is proper for this to be done (1Cor.16v1-2). The benediction found in Paul’s letters (eg. 2Cor.13v14) would be pronounced during the church gathering as the letters were read in such occasion. Providence interprets WCF20.5 in harmony with the other teachings of Scripture. Providence do not accept that WCF20.5 forbids anything which is not mentioned. Therefore Providence sings hymns even though the singing of hymns were not mentioned in WCF20.5.
What does it mean to subscribe to the WCF?

What does it mean to subscribe to the WCF? Below is based on an article by Charles Hodge[v].
There are three approaches to what it means to subscribe to the WCF.
Approach 1. Every proposition in the WCF is to be believed and upheld. We note two objections to this approach. Firstly, there are prepositions in the WCF which are not necessary to the Reform system. Eg. A person does not need to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist to be Reform. Secondly, it can never be practically carried out without dividing the Church into many fragments.
Approach 2. It is the system of doctrine, which is to be believed and upheld. Hodge adopts this approach and in his article he goes on to give a long list of the doctrine, which are in the Reform system.
Approach 3. The system of doctrine referred to here is the essential doctrine of Christianity only and not the Reformed doctrine. Here we have two objections to this approach. Firstly, it is dishonest. If all that is needed is to believe and uphold the essential doctrine of a Basic Creed (eg. Apostle’s Creed) then the Church should subscribe to the Basic Creed rather than the WCF. Secondly, it would make is practically impossible for the Church to preserve and uphold the system of Reform doctrines in the WCF.
Today there is still a debate on subscription[vi] and probably for some the debate would never end. Approach 2 would be best provided it is clear what doctrines belong to this system.
Providence follows Approach 2 and subscribes to the WCF as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Scriptures ie. the Reform system.
Commentaries written on the WCF usually give summaries of the doctrines taught. In AAHodge’s work this can be found in the content of the book. In GI Williamson’s work, he marks this clearly by, “This section teaches …”. Although these works are not infallible, by referring to them, we get a very good idea what are the doctrines, which belong to this system.