我們的敬拜 
our worship

敬拜之規範性原則  
​REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE OF WORSHIP 

西敏斯特信仰宣言 第21章 
Westminster Confession of Faith  Chapter 21

I. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.[1] But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.[2]
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II. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone;[3] not to angels, saints, or any other creature:[4] and, since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.[5]
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III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship,[6] is by God required of all men:[7] and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,[8] by the help of His Spirit,[9] according to His will,[10] with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love and perseverance;[11] and, if vocal, in a known tongue.[12]
IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful;[13] and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter:[14] but not for the dead,[15] nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.[16]

V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear,[17] the sound preaching[18] and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence,[19] singing of psalms with grace in the heart;[20] as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God:[21] beside religious oaths,[22]vows,[23] solemn fastings,[24] and thanksgivings upon special occasions,[25] which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.[26]
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VI. Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the Gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed:[27] but God is to be worshipped everywhere,[28] in spirit and truth;[29] as, in private families[30] daily,[31] and in secret, each one by himself;[32] so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calls thereunto.[33]
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VII. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him:[34] which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,[35] which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day,[36] and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.[37]

VIII. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations,[38] but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.[39]

I.  人本性之光顯示有一位在萬有之上的主宰，又有至上的主權，本爲善，又向萬人行善的神，因此人當盡心、盡性、盡力、盡意敬畏、愛慕、贊美、求告、信靠、事奉他[1]。但蒙悅納之敬拜真神的形式，乃是他自己所設立的，又受他自己所啓示的旨意之限制，我們不可按人的想象和方法，或撒但的提議，以任何可見的表象，或其他非聖經所規定的方式來敬拜神[2]。

II.  惟獨爲父、子、聖靈的神當受宗教的敬拜[3]，天使、聖徒，或任何其他受造物都不當受敬拜[4]。人類墮落後的敬拜並不是沒有中保的，也不是憑著任何其他別的中介，乃惟獨以基督爲中保[5]。

III.  感謝的祈禱既爲宗教禮拜的主要部份[6]，所以神吩咐萬人祈禱[7]，爲求祈禱蒙垂聽，就必得奉聖子的名[8]，憑聖靈的幫助[9]，遵神的旨意[10]，以悟性、謙卑、熱心、信心、和恒心去求[11]；出聲祈禱時，就當用人所明白的言語[12]。

IV.  當爲合理的事祈禱[13]，並爲現存的，或將要生存的各等人祈禱14；但不可爲死人祈禱[15]，也不可爲那些明知犯必死之罪的人祈禱[16]。

V.  以虔誠敬畏之心來誦讀聖經[17]；純正的講道[18]，以理解、信心，和敬虔來正當聽神的話而順服神[19]，心被恩感歌唱詩篇[20]。正當執行或按理領受基督所設立的聖禮，均爲一般敬拜神的部份[21]；此外，如宗教的宣誓[22]、誓願[23]、嚴肅的禁食[24]，以及特殊時節的感恩等[25]，都當按時期與季節，以聖潔和敬虔的方式舉行[26]。
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VI.  宗教禮拜中的祈禱以及其他任何部份，現今在福音時代，既不受限于任何地域或任何方向，亦不因地域與方向而更蒙悅納[27]；乃要隨地[28]在聖靈和真理中敬拜神[29]，每日[30]在個人家中[31]，獨自在隱密處[32]；且更加嚴肅地在公共聚會中敬拜神。當神以其聖言或護理召聚公共聚會時，就不可漠不關心或故意忽略或放棄[33]。

VII.  一般而言，要把一段適當的時間分別出來來敬拜神，乃屬大自然律法；所以神在聖經中以積極的、道德的，和永久命令，特別指定七日中的一日爲安息，吩咐各世各代的萬人向他遵守此日爲聖日[34]。這聖日從世界之始到基督複活之前爲一周的末一日，自從基督複活之後，這日改爲一周的頭一日[35]，這在聖經中稱爲主日[36]，而且要繼續下去，此爲基督教的安息日，直到世界之末[37]。
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VIII.  所以當向主守此安息日爲聖，人人要適當准備自己的心，事先整頓日常用務，非但整日停止自己的工作、言談、思想、屬世的職務和消遣[38]，保守聖潔的安息；也要用全部時間舉行公私禮拜，並履行必須的與憐憫的義務[39]。

​1. 羅一20，十12；徒十七24；詩一一九68，卅一23，十八3，六二8；耶十7；書廿四14；可十二33。
2. 申十二32；太十五9，四9-10；徒十七25；出二十4-6；西二23。
3. 太四10；約五23；林後十三14；啓五11-13。
4. 西二18；啓十九10；羅一25。
5. 約十四6；提前二5；弗二18；西三17。
6. 腓四6。
7. 詩六十五2。
8. 約十四13-14；彼前二5。
9. 羅八26。
10．約壹五14。
11．詩四十七7；傳五1-2；來十二28；創十八27；雅五16，一6-7；可十一24；太六12、14-15；西四2；弗六18。
12. 林前十四14。
13. 約壹五14。
14. 提前二1-2；約十七20；撒下七29；得四12。
15. 撒下十二21-23；路十六25-26；啓十四13。
16. 約壹五16。
17. 徒十五21；啓一3。
18. 提後四2。
19. 雅一22；徒十33；太十三19；來四2；賽六十六2。
20. 西三16；弗五19；雅五13。
21. 太廿八19；林前十一23-29；徒二42。
22. 申六13；尼十29。
23. 賽十九21；傳五4-5；徒十八18。
24. 珥二12；斯四16；太九15；林前七5。
25. 詩一O七1-43；斯九22。
26. 來十二28。
27. 約四21。
28. 瑪一11；提前二8。
29. 約四23-24。
30. 耶十25；申六6-7；伯一5；撒下六18、20；彼前三7；徒十2。
31. 太六11；書廿四15。
32. 太六6；弗六18。
33. 賽五十六6-7；來十25；箴一20-21、24，八34；徒十三42，二43；路四16。
34. 出二十8、10-11；賽五十六2、4、6-7。
35. 創二2-3；林前十六1-2；徒二十7。
36. 啓一10。
37. 出二十8、10；太五17-18。
38. 出二十8，十六23、25-26，29-30，卅一15-17；賽五十八13；尼十三15-19、21-22。
39. 賽五十八13；太十二1-13。