The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 63 : Christian Life in the Home

Paragraph 1 : The Duty of Private Worship

63-1. In addition to public worship, it is the duty of each person in secret, and of every family in private, to worship God.

DIGEST: The current PCA text, unchanged from PCA 1973, dates to the PCUS revision of 1929.

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW 17-1 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 161] ,
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text,
and
PCUS 1933, XVII, §380.
In addition to public worship, it is the duty of each person in secret, and of every family in private, to worship God.

PCUS 1925, XVI-1 374]
and
PCUS 1894, XVI-1

Besides the public worship in the congregations, it is the indispensable duty of each person in secret, and of every family in private, to pray to and worship God.

PCUSA 1789-1937, XV-1
Besides the public worship in congregations, it is the indispensable duty of each person alone, in secret; and of every family, by itself in private, to pray to, and worship God.

Westminster Confession of Faith, XXI.6
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 : but God is to be worshipped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calleth thereunto.