Although the historic and contemporary church has been blessed with a rich array of traditional hymns and growing repertoire of modern choruses, the corporate embrace and singing of Psalms has always remained a hallmark of faithful public worship. In an age when fewer churches across North America remain committed to exclusive Psalmody, younger members of the Free Reformed churches may wonder if a denominational commitment to the Psalter remains doctrinally valid, especially as a new generation of songwriters and worship leaders – many who may embrace various elements of Reformed doctrine and practice – become particularly appealing.

The debate on exclusive Psalmody, however, is not necessarily a debate on the Scriptural orthodoxy of various traditional hymns and modern choruses used outside of public worship. There are many traditional hymns and modern choruses that remain faithful to various texts of Scripture. The debate on exclusive Psalmody is neither necessarily a debate pitting traditional hymns (old songs) against modern choruses (new songs). Not all traditional hymns are Scripturally orthodox and not all modern choruses are unbiblical. The call for exclusive Psalmody, like related controversies on the nature of preaching and the administration of the sacraments, is about how Scripture should be used in the public gathering of the saints.

The point of exclusive Psalmody is not to disparage the great hymns of faith, many of which have become historic anthems of the church, nor deny the sincere passion and contribution of a rising new generation of contemporary songwriters and worship leaders. An embrace of the Psalter does not deny the edifying value of uninspired compositions outside of public worship. The main contention of exclusive Psalmody is not that Psalms themselves are inherently more Biblical than other passages of Scripture (for all Scripture is God-breathed), but, unlike other passages of Scripture, are specifically given to the church for public worship. The Psalms are composed for the corporate gathering of the saints throughout all ages.

The commitment to exclusive Psalmody is not a new development in the life of the church. It is an historic position and practice promoted by Christ and the Apostles, adopted by the early church, recommended by many of the early church fathers including Augustine and Chrysostom, heralded by Calvin and the reformers, authorized by our own church order at the Synod of Dordt and championed by our secessionist fathers in the Afscheiding (Separation) of 1834.

A distinguishing hallmark of a faithful church is not only the commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture, but to how Scripture is to be used in public worship. The early church was characterized by its embrace of the Psalms in public worship. Christ Himself, at the institution of the Lord’s Supper, sang the second part of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 115-118) – described as a hymn in Matthew 26:30 – as He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. The New Testament church, as exhorted by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, gathered regularly to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, all Greek references to various Old Testament Psalms.

Church historians point not only to the commitment of the early church and early church fathers to Psalmody, but to the fact no evidence exists of the early church employing uninspired hymns or songs in the public gathering of the saints.

Presbyterian commentator Gerald Williamson, in a paper entitled ‘The Singing of Psalms in the Worship of God’ remarks:

It is a noteworthy fact there are no psalms, hymns or spiritual songs (other than those recorded in Scripture) preserved from the Apostolic and post-Apostolic period of church history. Nor is there any evidence whatever that such were at that time in use.

At the Synod of Laodicea in 343, the maturing church forbade the “singing of uninspired hymns in the congregation”.

John Calvin, writing in the preface the Genevan Psalter of 1565, cites the church fathers Augustine and Chrysostom in support of the use of Psalms.

That which St. Augustine has said is true, that no one is able to sing things worthy of God except that which he has received from Him. Therefore, when we have looked thoroughly, and searched here and there, we shall not find better songs nor more fitting for the purpose, than the Psalms of David, which the Holy Spirit spoke and made through him. And moreover, when we sing them, we are certain that God puts in our mouths these, as if He himself were singing in us to exalt His glory. Wherefore Chrysostom exhorts, as well as the men, the women and the little children to accustom themselves to singing them, in order that this may be a sort of meditation to associate themselves with the company of the angels.

Although the hold of Psalmody on the early church was weakened with later heretical movements, and almost lost with the corruption and abuse of the church in the Middle Ages, the rich legacy of the Psalms was recovered with the spiritual awakening of the 16^th century.

The call for and return to Scriptural orthodoxy during the Reformation was accompanied with a call for and return to the use of the Psalms in public worship. As a leading reformer, Calvin stressed the efficiency of the Psalms in the assembly of the saints, first proposing the introduction of the singing of Psalms by the whole congregation in Geneva in 1537. Following Calvin’s exile from Geneva in 1538, the reformer, working with Clement Marot, Theodore Beza and Louis Bourgeois, ensured the restoration to exclusive Psalmody of the fledging French Reformed churches through the composition of the Genevan Psalter in 1543.

On Dutch soil the principles of the Reformation, although having become firmly entrenched in the 17th century, were challenged with the errors of Arminianism. The introduction of uninspired hymns was not unconnected to the theological drift of the Reformed churches.

The defenders of Biblical orthodoxy responded, not only guarding the truths of sovereign election and the doctrines of grace, but principles of Psalmody. The majority of delegates at the Synod of Dordt in 1618 and 1619 remained no less committed to the use of Psalms in public worship than Calvin, reiterating earlier decisions of the Dutch Reformed churches in 1578, 1581 and 1586.

The historic assembly confirmed Petrus Dathenus’s 1566 Dutch translation of the Genevan Psalter, noting in Article 69 of the church order:

In the churches only the150 Psalms of David, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Twelve Articles of Faith, the Song of Mary, that of Zacharias, and that of Simeon shall be sung ... all other hymns are to be excluded from the Churches, and in those places where some have already been introduced, they are to be removed by the most suitable means.

The clear intent of the synod divines was a commitment to the Psalms in public worship.

But again, resolve for and devotion to exclusive Psalmody in the Dutch churches began to waver. Dathenus’s Psalter was published with an appendix of hymns in 1789; the provincial synod of North Holland proposed the adoption of hymns in a new songbook in 1796 and by 1807, hymns were included in the officials songbook of the Dutch churches. The commitment to Psalmody was at risk.

Responding to the spiritual apathy and growing apostasy of the Dutch State Church, Psalm singing was once again reaffirms with Hendrick de Cock’s declaration of separation and return in the Secession of 1834.

Once again the call for and return to Scriptural orthodoxy was accompanied with an appeal to return to the Psalms of David. Many of the secessionist fathers were ardent defenders of exclusive Psalmody. Hendrick de Cock, calling for the restoration of the Dutch State Church, wrote:

We see as well that in the best of time, in the purest churches, hymns are never found nor tolerated ... where Reformation has broken out in its purest form, hymns are completely done away with.

Other leading secessionist fathers, including Antonie Brummelkamp and Hendrick Scholte, also objected to the introduction of hymns, remaining committed to the historic Psalms of Dathenus.

This commitment to exclusive Psalmody was promoted and maintained by our secessionist fathers throughout the 19^th century in the Netherlands and on to our immigrant grandparents as they established a spiritual and denominational foundation in a North American context – a commitment that has stood the test of Scripture and ages of time.

Holding to the Psalms in the public gathering of God’s people has proven to be the safest course in every generation, not only for the saints of old, but in the ongoing reformation of the church today. Whether motivated by the spirit of sentimental custom and established tradition or the desire for change and contemporary relevance – the principles of worship at the altar of praise must continually be subjected to the mandate of God’s Word.

The instruction of Scripture, historic record of the early church and early church fathers, the position of Calvin and the reformers, the testimony of the Synod of Dordt and convictions of our secessionist fathers are clear – the public worship service should be reserved for the Psalms of praise.