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Mr. Cromwell, tear down that altar! What to do when the Regulative Principle of worship is not kept. Excerpted from the 1970 film 'Cromwell,' this clip of him in church shows a good grasp of the RPW on behalf of the scriptwriters; Cromwell actually quotes the second commandment in response to the inventions of man introduced in worship. Transcript. Cromwell: Who has done this? Answer me, who has done this? Minister: An edict, squire. From the Archbishop himself. And by order of the King. Cromwell: By order the King? Is not the Church of England a Protestant church? Would the King turn the House of God into a Roman Temple? Does the King think that God can be bought with gold, trinkets and guilded rubbish? Has this King forgotten the reformation? Away with this, popish idolatry! Did not the Lord say unto Moses, Thou shall not to make unto thyself any graven image... do not bow down to them! Has this King forgotten the Spanish inquisition? Is the Roman Catholic Church to have a seat in Westminster? Scripture reference: Exodus 20v4-6. Westminster Larger Catechism reference: Q. 107. Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment? A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his Word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the Word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintainance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God; and vowing unto him; as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing all false worship; and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry. Q. 109. What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counselling, commanding, using, and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; tolerating a false religion; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshipping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them, all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed. Taken from: Here you'll find the scripture proofs linked to the Longer Catechism.
