Regulative or normative worship
- T14.1 The fathers accepted unwritten liturgical customs (Tertullian, Basil); no regulative principle (medium–high)
Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 1 questions each rests on). This doctrine is third-order (tier weight 1). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation
Closeness to Scripture
Closeness to the fathers
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
- c. 205 Tertullian T14.1
- c. 370 Basil T14.1
- 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
T14 · Regulative or normative worship
Exclusive psalmody, instruments.
Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.
In short
Should churches worship only in ways Scripture commands (the ‘regulative principle’), or may they add practices Scripture does not forbid? The fathers freely kept unwritten customs such as the sign of the cross. The regulative principle came with the Reformed churches. Scripture has texts both ways.
Plan
Question: T14.1: may the church worship only in ways commanded in Scripture (regulative principle), or also with practices Scripture does not forbid (normative)? Scripture: Lev 10:1–3; Deut 12:32; Matt 15:9; Col 2:20–23; 1 Cor 14:26, 40. Fathers: Tertullian, On the Crown 3–4; Basil, On the Holy Spirit 27.
Questions
- T14.1 Regulative or normative worship
Verdicts and trace
Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.
T14.1 · Regulative or normative worship
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T14.1 | The fathers accepted unwritten liturgical customs (Tertullian, Basil); no regulative principle | Medium–high | T14.1.1 · T14.1.3 weighing | tertullian-t14-s1 · basil-t14-s1 | T14.1.4: low |
Post-750 development
Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes; exact scores and bases are in the reasoning.
| Tradition | Closest to the fathers on | Departs or sharpens on |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | T14.1 | — |
| Orthodox | T14.1 | — |
| Oriental Orthodox | T14.1 | — |
| Lutheran | T14.1 | — |
| Anglican | T14.1 | — |
| Presbyterian | T14.1 | partly T14.1 |
| Reformed Baptist | T14.1 | partly T14.1 |
| General Baptist | partly T14.1 | — |
| Anabaptist | partly T14.1 | — |
Overall verdict
The fathers practised normative worship; the regulative principle is a Reformed development. Scripture can be argued both ways.
Verification status
General Baptist and Anabaptist cells to verify.