By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms:
Resting in What the Lord Has Provided For His Covenant PeopleThe last two sections from the Directory of Public Worship touch on questions of holy days and holy places. As Protestants we firmly believe that no man, or church, or session, or government can declare anything to have a unique sacramental purpose outside of that which is named in the Bible. We are Scripture-bound by God to only give that honor to the Lord’s Supper, Baptism, and the Sabbath Day, which in the new covenant is to be held in accordance with the Fourth Command on the first day of the week, or what we now call Sunday. (Rev. 1:10).
In the appendix to the DPW our forefathers in the faith testify to this in the words I have included below. Next week we’ll talk about our physical places of worship in regard to this principle. Our focus in this portion is on times and seasons. They may have come into our awareness as many denominations, including some in the ARP, have adopted what are usually referred to as “evangelical feast days” or what other churches may refer to to as the church calendar.
Let’s look at what the DPW has to say:
THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord’s day, which is the Christian Sabbath.
Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.
Nevertheless, it is lawful and necessary, upon special emergent occasions, to separate a day or days for publick fasting or thanksgiving, as the several eminent and extraordinary dispensations of God’s providence shall administer cause and opportunity to his people.