p. 392 | MUSIC by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · June 17, 1880

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 55, No. 25

MUSIC

By James White

THE angels sing. When the great God laid the foundation of the earth, when a new orb was formed, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38: 7. Singing is an important part of the worship of God. The Old Testament associates instrumental with vocal music. The New Testament speaks of singing on this wise: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Eph. 5: 19.

“I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” 1 Cor. 14: 15.

We wish here to notice that while the New Testament classes singing with praying, stating that both should be done understandingly as well as with the Spirit, it does not give that prominence to instrumental music which the Old Testament does. For long centuries it has been a matter of discussion with the leading men of the Christian church whether instrumental music should be introduced into the house of God. The more popular, the very men who have led the church into popularity and pride, have pleaded for instrumental music and have quoted the usages of Old Testament times to sustain their position; and we are not prepared to condemn the course of all those great and good men who have conscientiously protested against the introduction of fiddles, big and little, and other instruments, stringed and wind, to be employed in the worship of God in connection with sacred song.

While those favorable to instrumental music in the church may quote David, who was evidently very fond of instrumental music, those very plain, humble, and godly temperance people who wish to avoid the sins of which David was guilty, may quote the words of that good old-fashioned prophet of God who rebukes the excesses and sins of our times in these words: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion,” “that chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David; that drink wine in bowls.” Amos 6: 1, 5, 6.

When S. D. Adventists were a humble people, in the earlier days of their brief history, most of the old hands, those who have been pillars in the church, were opposed to instrumental music. They even objected to the pure and solemn tones of the organ to accompany vocal music in the house of God. We respect conscientious men and women wherever they may be found, and while we may think that their consciences are unnecessarily tender upon the matter of introducing the organ into church worship, we would treat them with great respect, and would be very careful not to wound them unnecessarily.

We have been in favor of the organ, and have for the past twenty years labored to help those godly fathers and mothers in Israel who, seeing the tendency of the church toward formality and popular worship, have been grieved at the thought of its introduction into the worship of God.

In this we have assumed a responsibility for which we shall have to give an account to God. Our young people view things differently from what their parents and grandparents did. They have no religious scruples at the introduction of the organ, and many of them exult to see fiddles, big and little, and all sorts of squeaking and squawking stringed and wind instruments in the house of God. The performers on these instruments have no regard for the conscientious feelings of the old hands who have used their hard-earned money to put up the church edifice. They will venture as near to the profane as they dare. They will play waltzes which give the impression to those at a distance outside of the church that they are really having fiddling and dancing in the house of God. In the name of reason and religion we enter our solemn protest against such desecration of the house of God.

We still urge that there is a fitness in things. Let men who fear God and would offer to him pure worship, pray and sing with the Spirit and with the understanding also. Singing is either a part of the worship of God or it is not. If it is a part of that solemn worship, it should be performed understandingly as well as in the Spirit. Ministers should preach the best they can, if they would meet the mind of God. They should speak understandingly, and by the special help of the Spirit of God. Prayers

should be offered to God in a sensible manner, the suppliant uniting his mental powers with the sweet and heavenly endowment of the Holy Ghost, which leads the mind of the suppliant out into the field of his wants. Acceptable worship falls nothing short of speaking in God, praying in God, and singing in God.

J. W.