Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Stone-Campbell Books Stone-Campbell Resources 1920 Instrumental Music is Scriptural O. E. Payne Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Music Commons, Practical Theology Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Payne, O. E., "Instrumental Music is Scriptural" (1920). Stone-Campbell Books. 43. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/43 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Stone-Campbell Resources at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Stone-Campbell Books by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. Instrumental Music Is Scriptural Paul Bids Us "Psallein" Chrysostom Declares "It Is Possible to 'Psallein' without the Voice" Lucian Insists "It is Impossible to 'Psallein' without a Lyre" By O.E.PAYNE CINCINNATI THE STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY Copyri11hted, 1920, by / 0. E. PAYNE To my MOTHER, Sarah A. Payne, who so reared me in the .nurture and admonition of the Lord that I was impelled to the task by a cheerful sense of duty: and To my WIFE, Margaret A. Payne, but for whose encouragement and material aid the success­ ful issue of the research this work entailed, would have been almost an impossibility , this volume is affectionately inscribed by THE AUTHOR. ADDITIONALEVIDENCE Agreeing ,vith Dr . Bensen, that the meaning of "psallein" is so well established that it is never in CONTENTS doubt, this book does not hesitate to point out th at PAGE the word is not properly translated in the Author­ INT RODUCTION 5 ized and Revised versions. After it went to press, 7 it occurred to the author that many pin their faith F OREWORD ....... to a vocabulary-some one version . Hence it was I. thought best to prove the incorrectness of those versions, by introducing versions in the other great TH E F ATHE RS WI SER AND NO BLER TH AN W E...... 15 modern vehicle of learning, the German. Ten dif­ IL ferent editions were examined: all we had access to. Beginning with Martin Luther, in the 16th, '' BAPTIZO' ' D EFI NE D........................................................................ 28 ~md coming down to the 20th century, and including Catholic as well as Protestant versions, are tram;­ III. lations by such noted scholars as Leander van Ek, ' 'B APTIZO'' IN THE C LASSICS................................................ 33 li'ranz Eugen Sehlachter, and Eberhard Nestle. For "adontes" [to sing] and "psallontes" IV . l to play] of Eph. 5: 19 ( the only New Testament "PSALL O" IN P AUL ' S D AY; TH E LEXICON S............ 41 passage in which the two specific Greek verbs occur &i.deby side), nine give "singet udn spielet ", while V. one gives "singend und spielend ". Since for Paul's "adontes" and "psallontes ", the ten agree " P sALLO " IN PAuL' s DAY ; THE CLA SSICS ............ 104 in giving us exact German equivalents for our Eng­ VI. lish "sing" and "play", let doubt depart, that all may see and know that the New Testament author­ '' PSALLO'' IN THE SEPTUAGINT ......................·- ················· 180 izes the employment of the instrument as well as the voice in Christian worship. VII. '' P sAL LO'' IN THE EMPHASIZED BIBLE. .................... 222 3 CONTENTS VIII. APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE .......................................... ·········· ··- --- 231 IX. INTRODUCTION PuT TO Ro uT BY Hrs OwN TESTIMONY ..................._. 246 O man of my acquaintance is better qualified X. N to write such a book as this than is the one C'OMM ENTA~IES CORROBORATE ............- ·-·-········-··-· ·-·······-··· 261 whose name appears on the title-page. XI. This is not primarily an advertisement, but a ~areful reading of the chapters will show that: TE STIMONY OF THE WORLD' S L EADING SCHOLARS 279 1. No such thorough work has been done on XII. any preceding treatment of the subject of instru­ R ESTORING UNITY AND ADJUSTING OUR SELVES mental music in divine worship. 2. The spirit of approach assures a sincere THERETO .... ··········································································· 322 consideration on the part of many who would at GLOSSARY .................................................................................................. 339 once rise to defense were the book polemical in spirit. GEN~RAL INDEX ..·- ······-·····································-·-······························ 341 3. The desire to really investigate, to know the truth from Holy Writ, controls and directs throughout. 4. A possible result of the study of this book is the relegation of this often troublesome question to its proper realm-that of expediency, so that the church that wishes instrumental music may follow its preference without being dubbed ''anti''; and the one which would make use of it as an aid may do so, and no shadow of suspicion be 5 4 INTRODUCTION cast. If this come of it in only a few instances, the immense labor involved has been well worth while. Personally, I shall always take pleasure in referring the student of these questions to this FOREWORD book as the best source of information. ANY year s ago, three of my brothers, two of S. S. LAPPIN. M my neph ews, and one of my sons formed a church orchestra where I was one of three elders. My childhood training, that" instrumental music in worship is sinful , had been recently reinforced by imbibing from J. W. McGarvey, whom I loved and trusted. I ascertained that neither of the other elders shared my misgivings. In my mind, I de­ bated much as to my duty. Had I then pursued the ("loyal?") course that since the days of '' Sand Creek'' has generally pre­ vailed, I believe I would have divided my family (a kinship of families), wrecked the church, .and myself have become a "castaway." Such results have been common in the cases where brethren have so proceeded. I regarded strife and division as the two great innovations which the Restoration was inaugurated to end. I believed that, rightly read, the New Tes­ tament leaves no room for honest brethren in Christ to cavil. I found no evidence-- that- any one -had goneto the bottom of the music question, as our fathers had to that of baptism, when it threatened to shipwreck the new movement for unity . So I industriously engaged in a research, resolving, to 6 7 FOREWORD FOREWORD the utmosu of my ability, to be thorough and be gation proceeds, be able to bear the fact ever in fair. How well I was able to keep to these pur­ mind , I shall receive a fairer and more sympathetic poses, this volume must indicate. That I pursued reading; for I dare not hope that , with my lack of a wiser course than if I had demanded· submission skill, my words shall not sometimes give the im­ to my sincere but mistaken views, I have not a pression of partisanship, rather than of a controll­ doubt. If my course in this instance can become ing desire to end that very thing by joining with the fashion when other threatening questions shall all our forces in casting our every issue into the arise, the change will mark a happy epoch in the melting-pot of trut~, to the end that thus, through movement to restore the New Testament church, the separating dross, we may forever cast aside the and to reunite tliesadly divided family of God. questions which have led to strife and division. We may be as su.;; of ~round as was Saul Let us build no walls between ourselves and any at the stoning of Stephen; as conscientious as was who are in Christ. he when he set out for Damascus, and yet as clearly My own inclination was to limit the volume to in the wrong. The observant realize that in every constru ctive material which directly renders invul­ age those who strive, divide, persecute, excommuni­ nerable my thesis, Instrumental Music Is Scrip­ cate; who enforce their opinions upon others by tural, such as that contained especially in Chapters appeal to the state, to majorities, or because of the IV., V., VI., VIII. and XI. I realized that by alleged tenderness of their own consciences which turning from this field to that of argument, infer­ must not be violated, are usually in error, while ence and refutation, I was furnishing material those who hold the truth, like Aquila and Priscilla, which, even though it were without a flaw, would rightly resort to teaching. be pounced upon by _any who predetermine not to The impelling purpose in the research that pro­ see, and by making the feathers fly in such por­ duced the material of which this volume is com­ tions, and by ignoring the unanswerable parts which posed, came from a love for tn1th, and an irresist­ are the really meritorious and characteristic por­ ible desire to further Christian unity, and not from tions of this volume, might at least convince them­ partisanship on either side of the controversy about selves that they had overthrown my thesis. musical instruments. I keenly regret my inability But I yielded to friends who urged that if to formulate an appealing, terse title for the book the book should contain none but constructive work, which would express this fact. and should neglect to overwhelm the strongest and If the reader shall thus make sure of the motive most plausible showing that had come from the which prompted the work, and then, as the investi- opposition, a chorus would go up that I had not 8 9 FOREWORD FOREWORD attempted refutation because I dared not. The con­ same ratio as is the present progress to what it test is waged as to the meaning of the Greek verb might be in the new republic, in that country of psallo, and its kindred verbs and nouns, through boundless natural resources which recently threw which are conveyed Heaven's message to earth as off its yoke, as we fondly thought we had thrown to acceptable music.