The Voice of the Ages Against
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the praise of God in Psalms and Hymns and Spir- The Voice of Ages Against itaal Songs, their melody was the fruit of their Instrumental Music in Worship lips. For many centuries after this period, the use of Instrumental Music was unknown in Our Lord Jesus Christ dld not me, or the Church . In the Churches, as well 83 the use of instrumental music, at ieat in any in the Slmagogue, the whole congregation ordinance of worship that distinctively per- joined in the singing; but Instrumental hlusic tained to the New Teatament dispensation. was never brought into requisition. There is no evidence that His disciples used Justln Martyr-A. D. 150 instrumental rnuslc In any act of New Testa- Plain singing is not childish, but only the ment worship, or that they enjoined its use singing with lifeless organs, wlth dancing nnd upon others. cymbals, etc. Whence the use of such instru- The evidence is conclusive that the Chris- ments and other thlngs flt for children are tian Church after the days of the apostles did laid aside, and plain singing only retained. not use instrumental muslc in worship for sev- Clemcne of Alexandrla-A. D. 190 eral hundred years. We (Chrlstians) make use only of one organ In all ages since the days of the apostles the or instrument, even the peaceful Word, wlth most pioua men have opposed the use of in- which we honor God; no longer with the old struments In worship. Few, if any, among thoso psaltry, trumpet, drum, cymbal, or plpe. who have been regarded as the most godly I among men have voluntarily made use of in- 1 struments, and it Is believed that no church Such organa, or instruments, were then per court has ever enjoined, or even recommended, mltted them (the Old Testament Church) for their use in the worship of God. Ii this cause, even for the sake of their weakness, , to stlr up their mInda to perform thelr extern~l From Professor Killen's "Anclent Church" I worship with aome delight. I The worship of the Synagogue was more simple. Its otflcers did not introduce Instru- mental Music into the congregational services. It (Instrnmental Music) waa perrnltted to The early Christians followed the example of the Jews, as aacriflce was, for the heavlnees the Synagogue; and when they celebrated the i and grossness of thelr aouls. God condescended I to their weakness, because they were lately 2 I I drawn off from idols; but now instead of in- men. Under the Old Testanlent such insrru- strumenls we may use our bodies to praise ments were used, partly because the people him withal. Again, let no man deceive you, were harder and more carnal, and partly be- these, (instruments) appertain not to Chris- cause these bodily instruments were typical of tians; these are alien to tlle Catholic Church; sonlething. all these things do the nations of the world seek after. We have brought a cunlbersome and theatri- caI music into our churches. Men run to church If the Divine Being, by reason of the child- as to a theatre to have their ears tickled. And ishness in which they then were, did allow for this end, organmakers are hired with great them to offer sacrifice, Why do you wonder salaries, and a company of boys who waste all that He also aIIowed them that music which their rime in learning these tones. Pray, ilow is performed by the harp and psaltry? compute how many people, in great extremity, introduction of Instruments-666 might be maintained by Ihe salaries of these singers. At last, in the pear 666, when the number of the beast (Rev. siii.) was now full, the Cardinal Cajetan-1518 Churches received Latin singing with organs The Church did not use organs in Thomas from Pope Vitalian, and from thence begail Aquinas' time, and even to this day the Churcli to say Latin mass and to set up altars with of Rome does not use them in the presence of idolatrous images.-The Magdeburg Centuri- the Pope. ators. Calvin-I 545 Thomas Aqulnas-A. D. 1225 - 1274 Instrumental Music is not fltter to be adopted In the old law, God mas praised both with into the public worship of the Christian Church musical instrulllents and human voices. But than the incense, the candlestlck, and the shad- the Church does not use musical instrun~enrs ows of rhe Mosaic faw . In popery. a ridicu- lest she shouId secrn to Judaize. Nor ought a lous and unsuitable imitatlon of the Jews, they pipe, nor any other artiflcia1 instruments, such employed organs and such other ludlcrous as organ, or harp, or the like be brousht into things, by which tlie word and worshlp of God use in the Christian Church, but only those are exceedingly profaned, the people being things which shall malie the hearers better much more attached to these rites than to the 4 piping, singing, chanting, and playing upon ths understanding of the Divine \Vord . We know . organ, that we could before?" To whom the that our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared, and Church replies: "Dearly beloved, we ought by His advent, has abolished these legal shad- greatly to rejoice and glve God thanks [hat our ows . For instruments of music in Gospel churches are delivered out of all those thlngs times, we must not have recourse to these, un- which displeased God so sore, and filthily de- less we wlsh to destroy the evangelical perfec- filed His holy house nnd place of praver." tio~i,and to obscul.e the meridian light whic'n we enjoy in Christ our Lord. I John Knox-1560 Beza-A.D. 1560 I Alluding to the principle that nothing is to be introduced into the worship of God that is If the Apostle justly prohibited the use ol ? not prescribed in the Word of God, John Knox urikiiown tongues in the Church, much less writes: "This principle not only purified the ~vouldhe have tolerated those artlflclal, musi- Church of human inventions and Popish cor- tnl performances, whlch are addressed to the ruptions, but restored plain singlng of Psnlms. ear only, nnd seldom strike the understanding lsnaccompanied by Instrumental hfuslc." rven of the performers themselves. Reformed Church of Scotland-1644 Synod of Holland and Zealand-1554 In a letter to the Assembly at Westminster, In 1554 the Synod of Holland and Zealand 4th June, 1644, the General Assembly of the resolved "th:~t the ministers should endeavor Church of Scotland wrote-"We were greatly lo ~lre\'nil~rith the magistrates (it was a State refreshed to hear, by letter of our Commission- ('httrcl~)to banlsh organs and Instrumental Mn- ers there with you, of your praiseworthy pro- sic.k out ol thelr churches." ceedings, and of the great good thlngs the Lord Reformed Church of England-1558 hath wrought among you and for you. Shall it seem a small thing in our eyes that the Cova- of 111 one the Homilies, ratlfled by Act of nant, the foundation of the whole world, is I'n~.llnnlont and ordered to be read in tho taken? That anti-Christian Prelacy. with all the ~.I~t~r~~llrsI)y Queen Ellznbeth, a woman 1s in- I train thereof, is extirpated? That the door of trt~tluvcd romplnining of the relorms erected t a right entry unto faithful shepherds is opened; irt thv Cltt~rrh: "Alas. gosslp. xhat shall we many corruptions, as altars, images, and other 11~3~- nl c.hurrli since all the saints are taken monuments of idolatry and superstition, re- ;I:V:I?'. sin1.c all the ~oodlyslghts we were wont moved, defaced, and abolished; the Servico :o Il;lvc arcx sone. since we cannot hear the llke Eook in many places forsaken, and plain and Professor Dunlo~1717 poweriul preaching set up; the seat organs at We are sensible that it is a necessary con- Paul's and Peter's taken down; that the royal sequence of the nature of our Reformation, chapel is purged and reformed, sacraments sin- that there Is nothlng In our worship which Is cerely administered, and according to the pat- proper to captivate the senses of manklnd or iern in the mount?" amuse their imaginations. We have no mag- James Renwick-1687 nificence or splendor of devotion to dazzle the eye, nor harniony of instrumentxl music to I testlfy and bear witness against the vast enlive~lour worship and soothe the ears of the arid sinful toleration of all error and sectarizs assembly. The devotions of Christians stand iu in the Belgian Church; also against their sinful no need of the outward helps afforded to the formalities, such as they use in the adrnin- Jews. The Dowers and glorles of an immortal istraiion of the sacraments; and such as their life, as represented under the Gospel, are no- formal prayers, which their Professors and DOC- bler springs of devotio~lthan the meaner helps Lors use in their public and prlvate colleges: afforded uuder the law, the costliness of Ponti- and also against all their superstitious custonls, fical garmeuts, the ceremony of worship, and such as their observing of holy fast days, as the power of music. they call them, the organs in their churches, and the like; all of x7hich the)' have as the re- Neale-(Commentary on the Psalms) liques of idolatry, and against every other thing amongst them contrary to sound doctrine and Here we have tlie flrst mention of musical the power of "godliness.-Renwick's Testimony. instruments in the Psalms (Ps. xsxlii: 3).