Westminster Seminary: Doctrine of the Christian Life Class Notes

In the 1990s, Professor Frame would publish books and articles on the doctrine of worship (see below). However, at least some of his peculiar views were formulated decades before then, as witnessed in his class lectures at Westminster Seminary. 

In his “Doctrine of the Christian Life” course, Mr. Frame dealt with the Ten Commandments. In conjunct ion with the Second Commandment, he quoted from the Westminster Confession of Faith, regarding the regulative principle of worship, and also quoted from 21.1. (liberty of conscience in relation to faith and worship) and 20.2. (“good and necessary consequence” being equally binding as express statements of scripture; and circumstances regarding worship and church government). Commenting upon the notion of “good and necessary consequence”, he wrote: “Worship is not limited to ‘express’ teachings of scripture, but is based also on legitimate inferences from scripture. That is, applications. Th e Confession makes no sharp distinct ion between the meaning of scripture and its application, and no distinction at all between these as to their authority.” Before proceeding further, we would note that Professor Frame appears to have equivocated regarding his terminology. There is a profound difference between “good and necessary consequence” or “legitimate inferences” on the one hand, and “applications” on the other—particularly the way in which Mr. Frame defines “applications.” 

We shall see a lot more of this notion of “applications” and the blurring of terminology relative to the regulative principle in his later writings. Commenting on the notion of circumstances of worship, the professor stated: “Whenever a question arises as to whether or not a practice is justified by the regulative principle, we must ask whether or not that practice is an ‘element’ of worship or a mere ‘circumstance.’ Such quest ions are oft en difficult to answer. Yet the Confession sees rightly that to apply scripture to a situation always involves some Christian prudence, some knowledge of the situation, some extra-scriptural premises. That cannot be avoided in worship or in life in general” (“Christian Life,”).