FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 SCB> 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2013 
 
 http://archive.org/details/twoorgaOOburd 
 
THE TWO 
 
 AN ESSAY 
 
 ( m 
 
 PSALMODY. 
 
 JOHN BURDER, HA. 
 
 MxiztQl : 
 W. MACK, 52, WINE STREET. 
 
 E0Utf0tt : 
 WARD & CO., PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 
Bristol : Printed by W. Mack, 52, Wine r 6lie&L 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 De. Samuel Johnson, in his definition of the word 
 organ, takes no notice of what may be called its 
 generic import, which would include reference to 
 metaphysical phenomena; in accordance with 
 which fact, Lord Bacon denominates his celebrated 
 book, Novum Organum : our great lexicographer, 
 in the article in question, ignores that department 
 of thought and action, and restricts his attention 
 to things of which our bodily senses take 
 cognizance. In reference to such things, he 
 specifies tivo sorts of organs, one of which he 
 describes as including "the tongue, the organ of 
 speech, and the lungs, of respiration." The other 
 he calls "an instrument of music, consisting of 
 pipes filled with wind, and of stops [keys] touched 
 by the hand." 
 
11. PREFACE. 
 
 Any piece of mechanism, by which musical 
 sounds are produced, might be called an organ of 
 music, and it appears from Justin's writings, as 
 cited by Bloonifield, that in early times the word 
 organ w r as thus extensively used ; but, be this as 
 it may, during several past centuries, the term, 
 when applied to music, has meant that musical 
 instrument which is not only the largest, but the 
 noblest of all pieces of mechanism for giving 
 musical sounds which human skill has been able 
 to construct, and which is, therefore, emphatically 
 called "the organ." 
 
 Of the "Tivo Organs" which give a title to this 
 Essay, the instrument thus emphatically called 
 "the organ," is one. The other consists of those 
 parts of the human body, especially the lungs, the 
 throat, the tongue, and the lips, with which our 
 wise and gracious Creator has endowed us ; and 
 whereby, when in health, any one of us may, at 
 any time, without trouble, give out articulate and 
 musical sounds, either in the tones which are 
 
PEEFACE. 111. 
 
 called speech, or in those which bear the name 
 of music. 
 
 These two organs are, in the subsequent Essay, 
 compared, especially in their reference, re- 
 spectively, to that branch of divine worship 
 which bears the name of Psalmody. 
 
 Each of these organs is allowed to be admirable, 
 while the preference is, on many accounts, given 
 to the organ, "whose builder and maker is God." 
 The author endeavours to show that, while the 
 organ of man's constructing is by no means so 
 essential to good Psalmody as many persons 
 imagine, the organ which God has given to every 
 one of us is far too little valued, and is seldom 
 either duly cultivated or properly used. 
 
 In the course of the Essay, mention is made of 
 several objectionable practices, which the writer 
 believes to prevail, in the management of this 
 branch of divine worship, and throughout the 
 work he throws out some practical suggestions on 
 many points connected with Psalmody. 
 
IV. PREFACE. 
 
 On questions which relate to the science of music, 
 the author scarcely touches; partly, because he 
 does not consider himself to be qualified to speak 
 on that topic authoritatively, and partly because 
 his object in writing was of a more religious and 
 practical kind. 
 
 Although, during the thirty-two years and a 
 half of his pastorship, and during the seventeen 
 years and a half which have elapsed since he 
 exchanged the work of a pastor for that of an 
 evangelist, he has never quite overlooked the 
 subject of Psalmody ; yet his impression of its 
 importance has so much increased with his 
 increasing years, and especially in consequence of 
 that attention to the subject which the writing of 
 this Essay required, that, had he to begin public 
 life again, he would, he believes, be inclined to be 
 more active than he has ever yet been in his 
 endeavours to secure good Psalmody in any 
 congregation with which he might be connected. 
 
PREFACE. V. 
 
 In this, as in every other duty, he feels that he has 
 " come short of the glory of God." 
 
 A considerable portion of this Essay was written 
 several years ago, but it was not till a few months 
 since that the writer could prevail on himself to 
 publish on the subject. He purposely finished the 
 first rough draught of the Essay before he procured 
 two books on "The Organ Question," which were 
 published about four years ago; one against the 
 Organ, by the Eev. Dr. Candlish, and the other in 
 favour of the Organ, by the Eev. Alexander Cromar, 
 of Liverpool. Eecently the writer has read both 
 those books, the result of which has been the 
 strengthening of his conviction that his previous 
 views of the subject were correct. Justice requires 
 him also to state, that from the book edited by 
 Dr. Candlish, he has been enabled to make some 
 valuable additions to his Essay. 
 
 Among the multiplicity of incidents and of 
 dates, which this little work contains, it will be 
 strange if no error should have crept in ; but the 
 
VI. PREFACE. 
 
 author trusts that no serious mistake, as to matters 
 of fact, has been made ; and Ids confidence as to the 
 general accuracy of his statements, is strengthened 
 by the circumstance of his having often had, at his 
 elbow, while this Essay was passing through the 
 press, a literary and musical friend, who was re- 
 quested by the author to make a good and faithful 
 use of his critical eye. 
 
 The author cherishes the hope that some of his 
 readers, who may not be of one mind with him on 
 the subject of the organ, will have sympathy with 
 him in the purpose and tendency of the work ; in 
 which they will see two essential things in 
 Psalmody have been constantly kept in view, 
 namely, the audible and the spiritual elements of 
 which it consists ; while, of the two, the latter has 
 been felt to be incomparably the more important. 
 It will be matter of much satisfaction and thank- 
 fulness, if this, probably his last publication, shall, 
 through the blessing of God, and the candour of 
 
PREFACE. Yll. 
 
 the Christian public, be the means of promoting 
 the prevalence of such Psalmody, as is not only 
 pleasing to man, but also acceptable to God. 
 
 JOHN BUEDEB. 
 
 South Parade, Clifton, Bristol, 
 November 15th, I860. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter. Page. 
 
 I. — The Nature and Uses of Psalmody 1 
 
 II. —The Utility of Music in Psalmody 16 
 
 III. — The Comparative Excellence of Vocal and Instru- 
 mental Music ... 24 
 
 IV. — Jewish and Christian Worship compared 35 
 
 V. — The History of Christian Psalmody 48 
 
 VI.— The Present State of Psalmody in England ... ... 60 
 
 VII. — Practical Suggestions 79 
 
 Conclusion „ ... 35 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 As Psalmody is a branch of Divine worship, it 
 may be well to say a few words on worship in 
 general. 
 
 Divine worship essentially consists in such 
 thoughts of God, and such dispositions towards 
 Him, as agree with what God is, with what we are, 
 and with the relations which subsist between Him 
 and us. 
 
 Even in private worship, words, if not absolutely 
 essential, are extremely serviceable, and persons 
 who are unused to abstract thinking, find it desir- 
 able, even when alone, not only to think in words, 
 but to utter them audibly, though in a subdued 
 tone. Yet, even in social worship, sounds are not 
 absolutely essential. Two or more Christians, 
 especially if the specific purpose of worship at that 
 particular time be agreed on, may, doubtless, be 
 conscious of sympathy with each other, without 
 audible words. But, while such worship deserves 
 
not the ridicule sometimes thoughtlessly thrown 
 on it, most worshippers find that social worship is 
 greatly aided by the uttering of articulate sounds. 
 
 Some knowledge of God and some right 
 emotions towards Him are necessary in order to 
 qualify a man to offer any real worship ; and, that 
 worship powerfully tends to increase that know- 
 ledge, and to strengthen these emotions, every true 
 worshipper knows to be a fact by his own 
 consciousness. 
 
 Incidental reference has already been made to 
 sympathy, and to this we may have occasion again, 
 more than once, to refer, since a degree of im- 
 portance attaches to it, in connexion with the 
 subject of this essay, of which many persons seem 
 not to be fully aware. The fact that two or more 
 persons think and feel alike on any subject, of 
 course furnishes no proof of their being in the 
 right; but supposing that, on adequate grounds, 
 they feel assured they are in the right, the fact of 
 their manifested sympathy will assuredly deepen 
 their emotions. Hence arises one great benefit of 
 , social worship. Not only are religious feelings 
 thus strengthened, but good principles are, at the 
 same time, confirmed, so that the worshippers 
 become both happier and better. Bad men may 
 
be, professedly, worshippers ; but no bad man can 
 be a real worshipper. From the very hour when 
 a wicked man begins truly to worship God, a 
 change for the better is wrought within him, and 
 the more habitually and earnestly he offers prayer 
 and praise, the greater is the progress which he 
 makes in the Divine life. 
 
 Social worship, and still more, public worship, 
 is, to a certain extent, a profession of faith; as 
 being, apparently, a manifestation of the regard we 
 have to our God and Saviour. While religion 
 forbids ostentation, it by no means countenances 
 that false shame which would induce a man so to 
 act, that week after week, and year after year, no 
 one should know whether he be a believer or an 
 infidel. 
 
 There are various ways of acknowledging God. 
 The more decisive method may be union with a 
 Christian organization, followed by co-operation 
 with the members of that society, in endeavouring 
 to spread the Gospel, and in various other ways 
 to promote the best interests of mankind; but 
 simply uniting with others in public worship is, 
 or seems to be, an acknowledgement of the being 
 and perfections of God. This remark especially 
 applies to Psalmody. It is true that during the 
 
 b2 
 
offering of prayers, even when no audible responses 
 are usual, your bodily posture, if your behaviour 
 is becoming, seems to indicate that you are joining 
 in the worship ; but in Psalmody, if you sing as 
 well as hear singing, you are not passive, but 
 active, and are giving auricular proof of your 
 religious faith. 
 
 It deserves to be noticed that some of the 
 Biblical Psalms are so worded as to consist, not 
 merely of worship, but of mutual exhortations to 
 worship. Psalm xcv. is a well-known instance of 
 this: — "0 come, let us sing to the Lord; come, 
 let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before 
 the Lord, our Maker; for He is our God." By thus 
 singing, you are encouraging your friends and 
 neighbours to serve God; whereas, by habitually 
 neglecting public worship, you are, by your 
 example, encouraging others to live and die 
 " without God, without Christ, and without hope." 
 
 Psalmody may include every branch of worship, 
 namely, adoration, thanksgiving, confession, and 
 petition. Of this we have most abundant con- 
 firmation and illustration in that grand and 
 authoritative manual of Psalmody, the Book of 
 Psalms; for although the Hebrew title of the 
 Psalter is, literally, "The Book of Praises," and 
 
praise is therefore its most prominent feature, 
 it contains specimens of every other act of worship- 
 so that it is, in fact, a Prayer-book as well as a 
 hymn-book. One of these Divine odes is rightly 
 called the "Penitential Psalm;" but a large 
 proportion of the Book consists of adoration and 
 thanksgiving, with expressions of that confidence 
 and holy joy which the divine goodness diffuses 
 through the. soul. 
 
 It would have been well for the Christian 
 Church if uninspired psalmists had, in this respect, 
 more closely followed the example of "the sweet 
 singer of Israel;" whereas, in many pious hymn- 
 books, you may turn over twenty or thirty pages 
 without meeting with one song of praise. 
 
 In such books we would by no means exclude 
 all description of religious feeling, especially of the 
 consolation, hope, and joy, which the Gospel is 
 adapted to impart; but religious experience should 
 not be the most prominent topic in a book of 
 Christian Psalmody, and if any hymns expressive 
 of peculiar and unusual states of mind are inserted, 
 they should be not in the body of the book, but 
 apart by themselves ; for otherwise, every now and 
 then, through carelessness or want of judgment on 
 the part of those who select the hymns for 
 
worship, the congregation will be made to utter 
 sentiments which not one in twenty among them 
 really feels ; such, for instance, as on the one hand, 
 declaring that they are on the very brink of despair, 
 or on the other, expressing the desire instantly to 
 leave the world for heaven. 
 
 How admirably adapted the Psalms are as helps 
 to devotion, especially in the work of praising God, 
 has perhaps never been more truly and feelingly 
 expressed by any writer than by Dr. George Home, 
 in the preface to his Commentary on that book of 
 Scripture. A few paragraphs from that preface 
 will not be out of place here. 
 
 ' ' The Psalms convey those comforts to others which they 
 afforded to the Psalmist himself. They present religion to us 
 in the most engaging dress, communicating truths which phi- 
 losophy could never excogitate, in a style which poetry can 
 never equal ; while history is made the vehicle of prophecy, 
 and creation lends all its charms to paint the glories of redemp- 
 tion. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the 
 understanding, elevate the affections, and entertain the imagi- 
 nation." 
 
 " Indited under the influence of Him to whom all hearts are 
 known, and all events fore-known, they suit mankind in all 
 situations; grateful as the manna which descended from 
 heaven and conformed itself to every palate." 
 
 "The fairest productions of human wit, after a few perusals, 
 like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fra. 
 grancy ; but these unfading plants of Paradise become, as we 
 are accustomed to them, still more and more beautiful ; their 
 
bloom appears to be daily heightened, fresh odours are emitted, 
 and new sweets extracted from them. He who hath once 
 tasted their excellencies will desire to taste them yet again 
 and he who tastes them oftenest will love them best." 
 
 How well the Biblical Psalms (speaking gene- 
 rally) have been transferred from the original 
 Hebrew into English prose, — we might almost say, 
 English poetry, — by the translators of the English 
 Bible, and how well many of these Psalms have 
 been given to ns in what is literally, as well as 
 virtually, poetry, by Watts and others, is known 
 to us all. 
 
 Considering the authoritative position which the 
 Book of Psalms occupies in the Church of God, in 
 this department of worship, it is to some of us 
 matter of regret that that book should be, m many 
 of our places of worship, apparently ignored; so 
 that a stranger, hearing the precentor, or the 
 minister, announce for singing, one of the Psalms 
 which is numbered as the 50th Hymn, or the 100th 
 Hymn, with no reference to a Psalm, might sup- 
 pose that the congregation made no use of the 
 Biblical Psalms. 
 
 In places of worship where books are used in 
 which the Psalms are incorporated with other 
 hymns, it may be well for the speaker to mention 
 the number of the Biblical Psalm, as well as the 
 number of the hymn. 
 
8 
 
 One excellence of Psalmody is, that it greatly 
 favours sacred enjoyment "Is any merry [cheer- 
 ful]," saith the Apostle James, "let him sing 
 psalms," which will both express and augment his 
 joy. Many causes contribute to render the singing 
 of psalms a happy work. The least important, 
 though not absolutely unimportant circumstance 
 is, that the physical action of singing is not painful 
 or laborious, but easy and pleasant. Singing is a 
 species of speech, and every one knows that speak- 
 ing, unless the individual be labouring under either 
 bodily infirmity or mental depression, or be remark- 
 ably taciturn, is rather agreeable than irksome. 
 
 But this description of speech is a much easier 
 bodily action than ordinary speaking. This is 
 apparent in the fact, that persons who hesitate 
 and stammer in conversation, can sing without 
 difficulty ; and whilst Greeks and Italians have 
 languages better adapted for singing than our 
 English language is, yet by a little management 
 of our sibilant syllables and of our harsh combi- 
 nations of ill-sounding consonants, even we English 
 people have it in our power to render singing not 
 only pleasant to the hearer, but also to the singer. 
 This circumstance, however, being applicable to all 
 singing, has no special reference to Psalmody. 
 
Psalmody is usually offered through the medium 
 of poetry, and is thus rendered the more attractive. 
 Among the thousands of compositions which our 
 hymnology contains, it would be strange if some 
 were not below mediocrity ; but on the other 
 hand, many of the hymns which we habitually 
 use are deeply affecting, and some are truly sub- 
 lime, such as would not have disgraced either 
 Milton or Shakspeare. Were it true that but 
 few of our psalms and hymns merited such an 
 encomium, the fault would be in the poets them- 
 selves, and certainly not in their theme. What 
 topics can be so sublime as those which relate to 
 the eternal, infinite, perfect, unchangeable Deity? 
 and what can be more touching than those which 
 refer to the glorious and gracious Saviour, and the 
 heaven which awaits all who love Him? 
 
 To real Christians, whose souls are in health, 
 one strong attraction belonging to Psalmody is the 
 opportunity it affords of giving utterance to those 
 emotions of admiring gratitude, of which they are 
 often, though not always, conscious. It sometimes 
 happens in human society that an individual who 
 has received from a generous benefactor a favour 
 both precious and unmerited, is really distressed 
 for want of an opportunity of expressing his 
 
10 
 
 obligation. He therefore most gladly avails him- 
 self of any occasion for giving thanks. Thus it is 
 with happy Christians, in social and public 
 worship. 
 
 Appropriate forms of thanksgiving are at hand 
 both in inspired and uninspired compositions. 
 One of these, 2500 years old, is found in the book 
 of Isaiah, chapter xii. : — "0 Lord, I will praise 
 Thee : though Thou wast angry with me, Thine 
 anger is turned away. Sing unto the Lord, for He 
 hath done excellent things. Cry out and shout, 
 thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy 
 One of Israel in the midst of thee." 
 
 Watts, in his paraphrase of the ciii. Psalm, has 
 given a well-known specimen of the sacred joy 
 which expressions of gratitude afford: — 
 
 "Bless, my soul, the living God, 
 Call home thy thoughts that rove abroad, 
 Let all the powers within me join, 
 In work and worship so divine." 
 
 One modification of joy is consolation; and very 
 many are the times in human life when consolation 
 is the only sort of joy within reach. In such 
 seasons absolute gladness is neither attainable nor 
 desired. Anything like mirth would be Hike snow 
 in summer and rain in harvest;" whereas a 
 
11 
 
 plaintive song is both welcome and pleasant. 
 The writer may be excused for illustrating this 
 subject by a paragraph of auto-biography. Many 
 years ago, in public worship, on the Sunday 
 succeeding the death and burial of a much valued 
 relative, the circumstances of whose death were 
 peculiarly affecting, he joined, or rather, attempted 
 to join, in singing the words : — 
 
 "Good, when He gives, supremely good, 
 Nor less when He denies ; 
 Even crosses from His sovereign hand, 
 Are blessings in disguise. " 
 
 The writer knows no words which so exactly 
 describe what he then felt, as Montgomery's 
 beautiful paradox — "the Joy of Grief." There 
 was grief and there was joy; but there was far 
 more of joy than of grief, and the case was one of 
 a multitude of cases which show the essential 
 difference there is between being mournful and 
 being melancholy. 
 
 Psalmody is instructive and hortatory. Persons 
 who have a mean opinion of our Hymnology, in 
 regard to its literary merits, must yet acknowledge 
 that most of our hymn-books contain a vast deal 
 of important truth, both religious and moral. In 
 singing, a portion of that truth is uttered in tones 
 
12 
 
 well adapted to give impression ; and there is this 
 peculiarity in the case, that a hundred or more 
 persons are conjointly uttering the same words of 
 instruction. The language of the Apostle Paul, in 
 Ephesians v. 19 (as most translators and inter- 
 preters of Scripture understand the words), agrees 
 with this view of singing, as being hortatory: 
 "Speak to yourselves [to one another] in psalms, 
 and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing, and 
 making melody in your heart to the Lord." 
 Whether or not the reference be to responsive 
 singing, is a question, on the decision of which our 
 present argument does not rest. When psalms and 
 hymns and spiritual songs are so sung that the 
 melody of the heart is in them, the singers are 
 speaking to one another, whether it be in responsive 
 songs, or in one song in which all join throughout. 
 Cases, alas! sometimes occur, in which, though 
 there is both melody and harmony of voice, you 
 have cause to fear that the melody of the heart 
 is wanting. 
 
 The possibility that religious and good singers 
 may be fellow-workers with the preacher, derives 
 a pleasing illustration from what Mr. Campbell, of 
 the Madras Free Church Mission, relates in 
 reference to a congregation in Bangalore, of which 
 
13 
 
 Mr. Colin Campbell was pastor. The former of 
 these Missionaries thus writes : — 
 
 "According to a previous arrangement, I went with my 
 namesake, Mr. Campbell, on the second Sabbath of my stay in 
 Bangalore, at Half -past Seven, a.m., to worship with the 
 Canarese Christian congregation. The Canarese hymns which 
 were sung affected me very deeply. Nearly the whole people 
 had evidently received some training in singing. All the parts 
 were sung, and the general effect was fine." 
 
 No mention being made of an instrument, we may 
 conclude that none was employed. It is difficult 
 to imagine that any mechanical sound could have 
 given even additional gratification to the ear, and 
 it is pretty certain that a powerful organ "would 
 have spoilt it all." A hymn so sung, whether 
 before or after the discourse, is auxiliary to it, and 
 is itself a sermon. 
 
 Mr. Campbell was so much impressed by that 
 Psalmody, as to be persuaded that really good 
 singing might be the means of greatly promoting 
 the cause of true religion; unfortunately, make- 
 believe Psalmody is so common, that people 
 generally contemplate it far more under its musical 
 than under its religious aspect. 
 
 The fitness of Psalmody for aiding the preacher 
 is often sadly overlooked. It must be sorrowfully 
 avowed that in some cases, what purports to be 
 
14 
 
 Psalmody, although musically good, tends rather 
 to weaken than to strengthen serious impressions 
 and holy resolutions. The absurd custom of ring- 
 ing a merry peal of bells when the congregation 
 are leaving the parish church, is scarcely more 
 objectionable than the musical flourish which is 
 sometimes given as a finale to the service. Both 
 somewhat resemble the shouting of boys when they 
 burst out of the school-room, joyfully exchanging 
 confinement for liberty and play. 
 
 Sad instances are not infrequent in which the 
 music, both before and after sermon, instead of 
 being auxiliary, is antagonistic to the discourse. 
 Especially has this occurred at Anniversary Ser- 
 vices, when two or three neighbouring choirs attend 
 and give their brotherly help. While the friendly 
 intention in giving such help may be commendable, 
 the result is often, in a religious point of view, 
 lamentable. Not only does the music encourage a 
 spirit of levity among the people, but the preacher 
 is greatly hindered in his work, and through him 
 the congregation probably suffer. He is hindered 
 in two respects. The extra music has taken up so 
 much time that he feels it to be necessary to 
 shorten his discourse, by leaving out some im- 
 portant topics. Besides which, his observing the 
 
15 
 
 noddings and whisperings, and exchanging of books 
 which takes place among the singers, quite puts 
 him out of tune for his work. 
 
 On the other hand, a good hymn, having a 
 bearing on the subject of discourse, and well sung, 
 has an obvious tendency to put the minds both of 
 the preacher, and of the hearers, in tune; while 
 similar Psalmody after sermon, may be in religion, 
 what clenching the nail is in the work of the 
 carpenter. 
 
 Such are some of the chief uses and abuses of 
 Psalmody. Good Psalmody both expresses and 
 deepens right emotions towards God; it expresses 
 and deepens sympathy with fellow-worshippers ; it 
 includes an acknowledgment of the being and per- 
 fections of God ; it is pleasant, as giving utterance 
 to feelings of grateful joy; it both expresses and 
 augments such joy, — both actual gladness, when 
 that is attainable and proper, and, in seasons of 
 affliction, what may be called "the joy of grief." 
 It is also instructive and hortatory, both in itself, 
 and as an auxiliary to more direct instruction and 
 admonition. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Music is not absolutely essential even to social 
 Psalmody, tlie simple idea of which is, two or 
 more individuals joining together in praising God. 
 Imagine a place where a few Christians meet for 
 worship, but where, from various causes, singing 
 being impracticable, they adopt the plan of re- 
 peating together either portions of the Book of 
 Psalms, or psalms in verse, or other hymns. By 
 repeating clause by clause, and line by line, with 
 suitable pauses between each clause or line, real 
 Psalmody might be secured, although of such a 
 description as to be rather repulsive than attrac- 
 tive to persons who value music more than 
 worship. In fact, something like this is heard 
 every Sunday, in some places of worship ; and 
 nothing but custom could reconcile persons of 
 musical taste, as well as of pious sentiment, to the 
 Babel-like sounds which two or three hundred 
 
17 
 
 charity children, in conjunction with hundreds of 
 adult persons of deep voices, together utter. Some 
 methods, accepted for avoiding such discord, are 
 liable to objection on more serious grounds. 
 
 The use of a tune is admirably adapted for the 
 purpose of social thanksgiving, by its prescribing 
 the tone or pitch in which a syllable is to be uttered, 
 and the time which must be occupied in the utter- 
 ance ; by its succession of tones in accordance with 
 such rules as are agreeable to the ear; by its 
 accented notes, by its interchange of soft and loud 
 tones, by the pleasant effect of harmonious sounds, 
 perceptibly different and yet perceptibly one, — is a 
 most admirable contrivance for public worship, by 
 means of which thousands of people together may 
 express their religious feelings, not only without 
 disturbing one another, but in such manner as 
 imparts to one another additional satisfaction. 
 Then, emphatically, "with one mind, and one 
 mouth, they glorify God." 
 
 Such satisfaction may, in a good degree, be 
 realised when the assembly sing only one of the 
 three or four parts of which tunes generally 
 consist. Even in this case there is a species 
 of harmony, if, as usually occurs, both women 
 and men, or both boys and men, sing together; 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 inasmuch, as in that case, there are two sets of notes, 
 in two distinct octaves, which two sets of notes, 
 though they bear the same names, respectively, 
 and are very nearly related, are not identical. 
 What is called harmony, however, includes more 
 diversity of tone than the co-sounding of the same 
 note in different octaves gives. Of the seven 
 notes of which, by the repetition of the first, the 
 octave consists, some are so related to each other, 
 that the two, sounded together, produce a grating 
 and disagreeable sound called discord; while other 
 notes are so related, that the co-sounding of them 
 is pleasant, and is called harmony. Such harmony, 
 accordingly, gives something like auricular proof 
 of oneness of feeling, on the supposition that the 
 worshippers are, individually, conscious of feeling 
 the sentiment expressed in the words used; and 
 also on the supposition, that they believe those 
 around them to be like-minded. In this case, the 
 harmonious sounds thus mutually made, become 
 appropriate signs of mutual sympathy; and the 
 greater the variety, in many respects, perceivable 
 in these harmonious sounds (as being uttered by 
 women and by men, by juveniles and by adults), the 
 more gratifying is the presumptive proof of unity 
 which this musical harmony affords. 
 
19 
 
 Thus, singing, by its variations of pitch, by its 
 succession of tones, in agreement with scientific 
 rules, by its measured duration of every sound, by 
 its prolongation of some notes, beyond what can 
 usually be allowed in common speech, by its 
 accented notes, by its interchange of soft and of 
 loud tones, by the pleasant effect of harmonious 
 sounds, perceptibly different, and yet perceptibly 
 one, and thus conveying to the mind auricular 
 testimony of individual distinctness, and of 
 difference in age, together with similar and 
 simultaneous proof, that the individuals thus 
 differing, are yet all thinking and feeling alike — 
 is a most admirable contrivance for public worship ; 
 by means of which, not only hundreds, but even 
 thousands of persons may worship together; and 
 thus, in addition to the feeling of individual 
 piety, may enjoy the great benefit of conscious and 
 manifested sympathy ; which sympathy is as useful 
 as it is pleasurable, the piety of each being 
 deepened by sympathy with the piety of others. 
 In this, also, as in many other exercises of religion, 
 we see that Divine worship is a most efficient 
 means of promoting good-will among mankind, 
 sympathy being essential to my loving my 
 neighbours as myself. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 Not few are the religious assemblies in the 
 
 British Isles, in which, from time to time, these 
 
 benefits, attendant on Psalmody, are realised. 
 
 Psalmody is peculiarly well adapted for large 
 
 gatherings of Christians of various sections of the 
 
 Church, whether as a Missionary Conference, for 
 
 co-operation in the spread of the Gospel, or 
 
 whether it be as an "Evangelical Alliance," for 
 
 the very purpose of manifesting and promoting 
 
 fraternal Christian affection. Under each of these 
 
 circumstances, many of us often gladly and 
 
 heartily thus sing: — 
 
 " Before our Father's throne, 
 We pour our ardent prayers ; 
 Our fears, our hopes, our joys are one, 
 Our comforts and our cares. 
 
 " We share our mutual woes, 
 Our mutual burdens bear ; 
 And often for each other, flows 
 The sympathizing tear." 
 
 Two or three hundred persons cannot, every one, 
 take every other by the hand ; but by thus 
 " speaking to one another," and to our common 
 Father, we greet each other in a manner far more 
 expressive than contact of hands can be. So far 
 as the writer's limited experience has extended, no 
 specimens of Psalmody have been more delightful 
 
21 
 
 than those which have been superintended by his 
 esteemed friend, Mr. J. J. Waite ; especially when, 
 after the instructions of several evenings, the 
 Psalmody class, consisting of some hundreds of, 
 apparently, religious persons, including a due 
 proportion of well-trained voices in every one of 
 the four parts of the music, have sung, to a simple 
 but majestic tune, that simple but majestic Psalm, 
 
 " Let us, with a gladsome mind, 
 Praise the Lord, for He is kind, 
 For His mercy shall endure, 
 Ever faithful, ever sure." 
 
 Some of us are of opinion that we were seldom 
 better able, than on such occasions, to form some 
 conception of the worship figuratively described in 
 the Apocalypse. A person who was one of the 
 singing-class just mentioned, has acknowledged 
 that one consideration which made him cling to 
 life, was the desire of continued ability thus to 
 worship God, as, though a firm believer in the 
 intermediate state of consciousness and happiness, 
 he presumed that, previously to the resurrection, 
 such worship as is offered through bodily organs, 
 would, after death, be impracticable. He admitted, 
 however, that compensation for this deficiency, as 
 well as for others that might be named, may, in 
 
22 
 
 some ways at present to us unknown, be granted, 
 so that even a private Christian, as well as an 
 Apostle, may find, that on the whole, "to depart" 
 would be "far better" than to remain here. At 
 the same time, it may be well for persons who are 
 conscious that all the delight they feel in Psalmody 
 is rather sensuous or aesthetic, than spiritual, to 
 interrogate themselves as to their fitness for 
 heaven. Almost every one is familiar with 
 Milton's description of heavenly Psalmody : — 
 
 " No sooner had the Almighty ceased, than all 
 The multitude of angels, with a shout 
 Loud as from numbers without number, sweet 
 As from blest voices, uttering joy, Heaven rung 
 , "With jubilee, and loud hosannas filled 
 The eternal regions." 
 
 "Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared 
 people." All the accounts we have in Scripture of 
 heavenly concerts, give us clearly to understand, 
 that there no distinction exists between choir and 
 audience, quite confirmatory of those other words 
 of Milton:— 
 
 "No voice exempt — such concord is in Heaven." 
 
 Since, therefore, every one of us would like to 
 be there, and none can be there who cannot join in 
 the singing, it becomes us deeply to ponder the 
 
23 
 
 description given in Eev. xiv. 3, of the way to 
 learn to sing in heaven. It is this, "No man 
 could learn that song but the hundred and forty 
 and four thousand, who were redeemed from the 
 earths 
 
 " Oh ! may I bear some humble part 
 In that immortal song ! 
 Wonder and joy shall tune my heart, 
 And love command my tongue." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 %wtvnmttik*l Pttsir. 
 
 Those parts of the human body which are 
 employed in uttering sound through the lips, 
 constitute an organ of speech. To enlarge on the 
 admirable wisdom which is evinced in the consti- 
 tution of this organ, would here be out of place. 
 The two chief uses of the organ, are ordinary- 
 speech and singing. Each of these is, in a generic 
 sense, music. Should any person object to this 
 statement, on the ground that some speakings are 
 disagreeable to the ear, the answer is, that there is 
 bad music as well as good. What we call a 
 musical voice, is one in which, not only are the 
 sounds individually pleasant, but in which the 
 consecutive sounds, without effort on the part of 
 the speaker, are so related to one another, as to be 
 collectively agreeable, since they follow one 
 another in accordance with musical laws. 
 
25 
 
 Speakers in some countries have far more 
 license than in others. Welsh orators, for example, 
 sometimes dwell on a high and emphatic note for 
 a length of time, which, in music, would be called 
 a semi-breve, or breve. They are also allowed to use 
 what is called the shake or trill; and, in some other 
 respects, to assimilate their speaking to singing; 
 and the effect of this, on the audience, is often 
 very powerful, at least, transiently. 
 
 But our business is not with music in speech, 
 but with music, properly so called. 
 
 All will agree in admitting that the human 
 voice, especially when heard in some of its best 
 specimens of singing, is, in a high degree, 
 delightful; nor is it denied that the harp, the 
 piano-forte, the flute, the organ, and various other 
 instruments, are. also admirable ; but, that the best 
 mechanism of man can rival the work of the Great 
 Artificer, can scarcely be expected ; while many of 
 us are of opinion, that, in point of fact, the human 
 organ transcends all others, even in the pleasure it 
 gives to the ear; but as this is a question of taste 
 and opinion, and has nothing more than an in- 
 direct bearing on the subject of this essay, we lay 
 no stress on it, but proceed to state our conviction, 
 that in three more important respects, the human 
 
26 
 
 organ has the advantage over all other organs, 
 whether great or small, namely, in articulateness, 
 expressiveness, and the power of manifesting 
 sympathy. 
 
 Our subsequent observations will refer chiefly 
 to The Organ, that being the instrument which, in 
 public worship, has nearly superseded all others, 
 excepting, perhaps, one or two others, which are 
 regarded as vice-organs. 
 
 That the most skilfully constructed organ is 
 incapable of uttering articulate sounds, every one 
 knows; consequently, it can be of use in actual 
 worship only in so far as it assists human beings 
 who utter such sounds. We grant, that if it be a 
 fact that intelligent beings, using articulate words, 
 can offer worship better with an organ than 
 without it, a presumptive argument in favour of 
 its use is then obtained. On this question, some 
 further facts may throw light; suffice it, just now, 
 to remark, that, in the opinion of most persons 
 who believe that "God must be worshipped in 
 spirit and in truth/' this is the only argument, in 
 favour of the organ, that is worthy of attention. 
 
 On the subject of expressiveness, if Johnson's 
 definition be correct, but little more in favour of 
 the organ can be advanced, on the ground of 
 
27 
 
 expressiveness, than was stated under the head of 
 articulateness. Expressiveness, according to him, 
 means "the power of expression, or representation 
 by words." Justice to the cause of the organ, 
 however, requires us to admit that his definition, 
 although true as far as it goes, is incomplete. 
 Some degree of power of expression is vested in 
 sounds which are not words ; but what degree of 
 power ? Extremely small, in comparison with the 
 other. Admiration and joy, grief and sorrow, may 
 be so expressed. Ordinary, and extraordinary 
 measures of those emotions may be so expressed, 
 and possibly one or two other feelings may be 
 denoted, by mere sound. The organist has the 
 instrument of such expression before him : and by 
 his choice of tunes ; by the musical key of the tune 
 he has chosen ; by the musical time, according to 
 which he plays ; by his playing in only one or two 
 stops, or using the whole power of the instrument, 
 he can both express the above-named feelings, and 
 represent them in either an ordinary or an 
 aggravated manner, as he pleases. But how few 
 are the emotions he can distinctly express, in com- 
 parison with the emotions which well-sounded 
 words express ! Words can make known, not 
 merely the feeling itself, but its causes, and its 
 
28 
 
 effects on ourselves and others ; thus giving us so 
 complete an idea of the emotion, as may be 
 compared to a full portrait, as contradistinguished 
 from the mere outline which the inarticulate sound 
 throws off. Many of our hymns convey to us 
 these complete ideas of moral and religious feeling. 
 While we sing such hymns in social worship, we 
 are telling to one another what our feelings are, 
 and by this intercommunication of our emotions, 
 we are singing expressively in the hearing of one 
 another, with a degree of expressiveness to which 
 the most skilful player on the best organ can make 
 no pretension. 
 
 Such being the comparative powerlessness of 
 the organ with regard to expressiveness, we cannot 
 imagine its power to be very great with respect to 
 sympathy. But before we enter on this topic, let 
 ns notice the meaning of the word sympathy. We 
 often mean by it, feeling for others ; but we now 
 use it in its literal acceptation, feeling with others. 
 We are inquiring into the degree in which we are 
 led to feel with others, by means of sounds 
 without words, and the degree in which we are 
 made to feel with others, by sounds which give 
 forth articulate words. It is almost self-evident 
 that the latter must have an immense advantage 
 
29 
 
 over the former ; but let us look at the reason of 
 the thing. The feeling awakened in me, the 
 hearer of the sound or word, must correspond with 
 the character of that sound or word, for this is 
 only saying that the effect must correspond with 
 the cause. If the sound be indefinite and vague, 
 the feeling caused by it must also be indefinite 
 and vague; whereas, if the sound be articulate, 
 and expressive of some fact or truth, the feeling 
 thereby awakened in me may be expected to have 
 reference to that fact or truth. This would be the 
 case, even were the words I hear, uttered in tones 
 but little corresponding with the truth they 
 declare; but, on the supposition that certain 
 truths are brought to my mind through my ear, in 
 appropriate tones, my sympathy will be pro- 
 portionably strong. Hence arises the great power 
 for calling forth deep sympathy on the most 
 momentous subjects which the united voices of a 
 hundred Christian men and women exert on one 
 another, when they give audible expression, in 
 good tunes, correctly sung, to words which speak 
 of Christ, salvation, and heaven. These people 
 are speaking to one another. Each is telling every 
 other, and especially those who are within sight and 
 hearing, what each feels, or desires to feel, in 
 
30 
 
 regard to such truths; and thus, every one may 
 become conscious of being brought to feel more 
 deeply. The benefit is especially realized by 
 those individuals who entered on the service in a 
 dull and languid state of mind. Coals in the 
 grate, which appear almost cold while they are 
 scattered, when brought together, burst out into a 
 flame. As the God of grace usually works by 
 means of human agency, we may consider this 
 benefit, accruing from real Psalmody, to be a 
 fulfilment of the words, "they that wait upon the 
 Lord renew their strength." 
 
 On the comparative excellence of vocal and instru- 
 mental music, the following quotation from the 
 Westminster Review, deserves careful notice. Not 
 unfrequently have we differed widely from that 
 able periodical on some momentous points, but 
 what follows seems to be equally true and impor- 
 tant. The writer, probably, was not fully aware of 
 the bearing which his observations have on common 
 Psalmody. Eeferring to a musical publication 
 then recently issued from the press, the critic thus 
 speaks : — 
 
 " Before dismissing this work, we may briefly notice the 
 principle upon which the selection and arrangement [of pieces 
 of music] have been made —that of promoting a taste for vocal 
 
31 
 
 harmony without instrumental accompaniment. There are 
 two reasons for encouraging music in this form ; first, its decided 
 superiority; secondly, the fact that music, requiring instru- 
 ments, cannot be introduced into the cottage. Mr. Hullah, 
 from whom we should be sorry to withhold any praise to which 
 he is fairly entitled, has the credit of having given the most 
 perfect demonstration ever witnessed in London on a large 
 scale, of the superiority of unaccompanied vocal harmony to all 
 other kinds of music. We allude to the late concerts in Exeter 
 Hall, under his direction, at one of which we were present. 
 We are free to confess, that we never heard more sublime and 
 imposing effects than were then produced by nearly two 
 thousand voices singing a few solemn anthems in full harmony, 
 without the accompaniment of either a band of instruments, or 
 an organ. 
 
 "The distinction between noise and music in concerted com- 
 positions is, perhaps, not very clear to the public, and we may 
 as well explain what we understand by the difference. We are 
 listening to music, when all the parts of a composition are so 
 nicely balanced, that each part, whether soprano, alto, tenor, 
 or bass, can be distinctly traced by the ear. We are listening 
 to noise, when one part overpowers and drowns the rest, 
 producing only a Babel of vminteresting sounds. This is 
 commonly the effect of band and organ accompaniments ; the 
 singers are overpowered, and even when exerting themselves to 
 be heard, by shouting rather than singing, the intermediate 
 parts are invariably lost. 
 
 "We have often been amused at the theatre by seeing a 
 chorus performed on the stage, when not a note of the singers 
 could be heard, from the noise made by the band. At the 
 concert to which we have alluded, the organ would have spoilt 
 all. It would have increased the volume of sound, which was- 
 not required; and, in effecting this object, would have impaired 
 that clearness and perfect balance of the parts, most of alL 
 essential to the richness of the harmony. 
 
32 
 
 " The organ, as an accompaniment to voices, should be heard 
 only in a subdued manner, at a distance, not interrupting or 
 overwhelming, but simply sustaining the vocal parts. When, 
 however, has a performer been found, who would not insist on 
 his instrument taking the precedence ? The common error is, 
 the opinion that too much power cannot be displayed by the 
 organ, and hence the supposed necessity of building organs 
 larger, even, than the organs of Haarlem and Friburg, to be 
 worked by steam engines." 
 
 Among the many cases of undue loudness 
 which the writer has witnessed, it may be 
 sufficient to mention one. A few years ago, on a 
 week-day evening, a minister who had lately 
 returned from a Missionary tour in India, related 
 the result of his journey, and the statements and 
 appeals which his address contained had left a 
 good impression on the minds of the large con- 
 gregation present. The writer felt quite prepared, 
 as he doubts not many of his fellow-worshippers 
 were, cordially to join in a hymn of praise. Had the 
 minister at the desk read a version of the lxxii. 
 Psalm, and had a precentor struck up "the Old 
 Hundredth'' tune, the Psalmody would have been 
 cordial and general; but unfortunately, the organist 
 seemed to think that he and his instrument were 
 to perform the service. Accordingly he thundered 
 out such tones that the voices of very few persons 
 could be heard, and the writer, for one, finding that 
 
33 
 
 he could not hear his own voice, without such 
 bawling as he did not choose to make, gave up the 
 work in despair. If he may judge of others by 
 himself, that concluding part of the service was 
 an entire failure ; "the organ spoilt it." 
 
 That the silence of an organ is sometimes felt to 
 be more in accordance with deep devotion, than its 
 sounds could be, was remarkably observable on a 
 memorable occasion, in the town of Dursley, 
 Gloucestershire ; and the case is the more deserving 
 of notice from its having occurred, not in a con- 
 gregation which might be supposed to retain some 
 Puritanical tendencies, but in a parish church, 
 where it might have been imagined that the organ 
 w T as a piece of ecclesiastical furniture, scarcely 
 less important than the pulpit or the reading-desk. 
 It is well known that the prevalence of Cholera, 
 in the year 18-49, produced great solemnity in the 
 minds of myriads of our fellow-countrymen, so 
 that the fast-day which was observed in September 
 of that year, was kept by a large proportion of the 
 people, of all ranks and of all denominations, with 
 a degree of propriety seldom witnessed, even on 
 the Sabbath. Of the observance of the day in 
 Dursley, the following report in the Gloucester 
 Journal, October 6th, was written by a resident in 
 that town : — 
 
34 
 
 44 The fast day was observed here in a most seemly manner, 
 scarcely a person was seen during the whole of the day, except- 
 ing the crowds passing to and from the church ; and although 
 such large congregations assembled at each of the services, such 
 was the devotion, that not a footstep could be heard during the 
 whole of the services. The services were read instead of being 
 chanted, and the sound of the organ was not heard throughout 
 the day." 
 
 It is worth while to observe, that the organ was 
 silent, not in one service only, but in both services. 
 We may presume, that the silence of the organ in 
 the morning would excite some surprise, and had 
 any leading people in the congregation felt 
 aggrieved by the circumstance, most likely the 
 organ would have been used in the evening 
 service. The silence of the organ in the evening 
 seems to show that no such displeasure was felt. 
 Notice, also, the fact, that chanting the prayers, 
 instead of reading them, is classed with the 
 playing of the organ. Both are so referred to, as 
 to intimate that neither of them was deemed quite 
 to agree with that peculiar solemnity, which, on 
 that day, was felt. This fully agrees with the 
 statement, that the deeper the religious sentiment 
 is, the less is attachment felt to what is artificial 
 and mechanical. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 fiwtett mtrt (&M#tim WmMy tm$m&. 
 
 The late Thomas Williams, of Stationer's Court, 
 London, publisher and author, published in 1789 a 
 large collection of tunes, prefixed by a valuable 
 sketch of a The History of Church Music, ancient 
 and modern." He acknowledges himself much 
 indebted to his more noted predecessor, Dr- 
 Burney, and I acknowledge myself indebted to 
 Williams, both for what he took from Burney, and 
 for some circumstances which Burney had over- 
 looked. From various other sources also, some 
 particulars have been obtained. Nothing more 
 than an outline of the history of church music 
 was desirable. 
 
 In various parts of the Old Testament, refer- 
 ence is made to certain instruments of music, but 
 the 150th Psalm includes so complete a catalogue of 
 such as were used by David, and his fellow- 
 musicians, Asaph and others, that we need not 
 particularly notice any other text. An eminent 
 
 d 2 
 
36 
 
 German scholar, Hengstenberg, thus translates the 
 1 50th Psalm (the German having been exchanged 
 for English by Mr. Fairbairn): — 
 
 " Halleluiah. Praise the Lord in His sanctuary Upraise Him 
 in His mighty stronghold. Praise Him on account of His 
 mighty deeds ; praise Him according to His great glory. 
 Praise Him with sound of trumpets; praise Him with harp 
 and psaltery. Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise 
 Him with stringed instruments and pipes [organs). Praise 
 Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with cymbals of jubilee. 
 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Halleluiah.' ' 
 
 In this remarkable and beautiful Psalm, the 
 musician is lost in the worshipper. Even those of 
 us who deem instrumental music out of place in a 
 Christian temple, will admit that this Psalm proves 
 that such mechanical aid in Psalmody is not 
 necessarily incompatible with true piety. The 
 Psalmist was, evidently, far more anxious to 
 manifest his admiring gratitude to the Great 
 Benefactor, than he was to please either himself, 
 or others, with grand and good music. 
 
 The late Eev. William Walford, in his valuable 
 book on the Psalms, gives a translation of the 
 Psalm in question, not materially differing, either 
 from Hengstenberg, or from the received version. 
 Hengstenberg and Walford agree in considering 
 the w T ord organ to me&n pipes; and in fact, all that 
 
37 
 
 is now known of the ancient organ is, that 
 like its modern namesake, it had pipes. In the 
 Psalm before us, we have, unquestionably, a band 
 of instrumental music used, sometimes, at least, 
 in divine worship. 
 
 The first remark we make on this fact, is that 
 there is good reason to believe that such a band of 
 music was not part of the ordinary worship of the 
 Sabbath, but was reserved for particular occasions, 
 especially for the great festivals; which festivals 
 sustained the two-fold character of Holy days, and 
 holidays. Part of the time in those festivals was 
 spent in religious services, but part was also 
 devoted to leisure and friendly intercourse; we 
 would say "in innocent recreation," except for the 
 reason that what is called innocent recreation on an 
 English Fair-day, would have been justly deemed 
 ungodly, and bordering, at least, on immorality, by 
 a pious Jew, such an one namely, as was the 
 patriotic Nehemiah. 
 
 The next remark we make on the subject, is that 
 the mode of ivorship used in the Jeioish Temple was 
 never designed to be a programme for worship in the 
 Church of Christ. 
 
 The Temple (which included the chief things in 
 the more ancient Tabernacle), was peculiar to that 
 
38 
 
 economy of religion. In the Temple, one of the 
 most prominent objects was the altar of burnt- 
 offering. We have, or should have, no altar, 
 inasmuch as one of the main uses of the altar was 
 to offer sacrifices for sin; and our "one offering " 
 for sin was completed by our Kedeemer's sufferings 
 and death. In the Temple, besides the outer and 
 inner courts, to which no corresponding distinction 
 can be made in our places of worship, there was 
 the Holy, and the Most Holy place, into the latter 
 of which, only the High Priest was permitted to 
 enter, and he, only once a year. All this has been 
 gloriously superseded by our One High Priest, 
 (for we have but one) having entered Heaven and 
 continued there, as our High Priest and Mediator, 
 through Whom we may now, every day, come to 
 God, in worship ; and through Whom we hope one 
 day to be ourselves admitted to a place or state 
 where the Divine Presence is far more fully 
 realized, than it could be, even to the High Priest, 
 when, for a short time, he was in that "most holy 
 place." 
 
 Without entering into a further description of the 
 difference which is apparent between the religious 
 circumstances of ancient Jews, and the religious 
 circumstances of Christians, enough has surely 
 
39 
 
 been stated to establish our position, that it would 
 be quite unsafe to regard the Temple vjorship as a 
 pattern for ours. Whoever will attentively and 
 candidly read the middle part of the Epistle to the 
 Hebrews, containing chapters vii viii. ix. and x., 
 will find these views of the matter placed beyond 
 all doubt, and will see that it would be unsafe to 
 copy any part of the Temple services, excepting only 
 such as are either recognised in the New Testament, 
 or are essential parts of actual piety in every 
 period of time. 
 
 The Jeii'ish Synagogue w r ould give a much 
 nearer approximation to a model for Christian 
 worship than the Temple would furnish, although 
 no Jewish congregation could be the exact pattern 
 of a Christian Church. The Greek word synagogue 
 means much the same as meeting-house, or place 
 of meeting. Synagogues were very numerous, as 
 every town seems to have contained one or more 
 of them. We cannot w r onder that pious Jews 
 greatly valued them, when we call to mind the 
 fact that only thrice in the year could the greater 
 number even of Jewish men go to Jerusalem, to 
 worship in their great Temple ; and although 
 special manifestations of the Divine presence were 
 granted in the Temple, there can be no doubt that 
 
40 
 
 they who ''worshipped God in spirit and in truth," 
 would often find that the humble synagogue w 7 as 
 to them what the open air had been, long before, 
 to their good ancestor, Jacob — "the house of God 
 and the gate of heaven." 
 
 Between the Jewish synagogue and the Christian 
 house of prayer there was, no doubt, very con- 
 siderable difference. The worshippers in the 
 synagogue had Moses for their prophet : we have 
 Christ. They looked forward to a Messiah to 
 come : we look back on the Messiah who has come. 
 Then we look upwards to the heavenly temple 
 where He is, and look forward to the time when He 
 will come again. In their dispensation of religion 
 there was much of material representation of 
 spiritual things ; much of typical prophecy of those 
 " better things" which were then coming, and which 
 we now have. 
 
 Still, several points of agreement may also be 
 noticed — repentance, faith, hope, love to God, and 
 love to mankind, were constituent parts of Jewish, 
 as they also are of Christian, piety. 
 
 In their synagogues there was a ruler, or presi- 
 dent, corresponding to our minister or pastor, and 
 a council, corresponding to the Presbytery, or Dia- 
 conate, among us. Ecclesiastical discipline was 
 
41 
 
 shown by their " putting out of the synagogue" 
 persons whom they judged unfit to worship with 
 them, as a Christian church is required to put 
 away from them "that wicked person." 
 
 In their synagogues, the Word of God was read 
 every Sabbath Day, and occasionally, at least, 
 exhortations followed that reading. Nor can we 
 doubt that Psalmody was part of their worship. 
 The matter-of-course manner in which mention is 
 made in the Gospel History, of the singing of a 
 hymn at the conclusion of the Paschal Supper, 
 indicates that such singing was no novelty. Paul 
 and Silas sang in the prison, and many con- 
 siderations combine to assure us that singing was 
 common, both in private houses, and in synagogue 
 worship. 
 
 A very full and minute account of the Jewish 
 synagogue was written in Latin, long since, by 
 Campegius Vitringa, a learned German. No one 
 probably, has read his twelve hundred full pages ; 
 but the copious index points out those passages 
 which relate to worship. Those passages show T that 
 trumpets and bugle-horns were used for summoning 
 the people to worship, and for indicating the return 
 of some memorable anniversaries, but we find 
 nothing that leads us to suppose that instrumental 
 
42 
 
 music was used in their worship. Had it been a 
 fact that such a mode of worship was adopted in 
 the synagogue, we could thence have derived no 
 adequate warrant for adopting the practice ; while, 
 on the other hand, the non-use of instruments in 
 the synagogue, greatly favours the opinion that the 
 earliest Christians had no instrumental accompani- 
 ment to their vocal Psalmody ; since we know that 
 most of the apostles had worshipped in synagogues, 
 and, as was natural, the constitution of every 
 separate Christian church bore considerable re- 
 semblance, in some well-known particulars, to the 
 Jewish synagogue congregation. 
 
 Synagogue worship, then, favours the non-use, 
 rather than the use of instrumental music in the 
 Christian Church. 
 
 We have seen cause to believe that lands of 
 music, even in the Temple, were used, not on 
 ordinary Sabbaths, but on special occasions. Our 
 opinion, however, is, that were it a fact that such a 
 musical concert had been usual on every Sabbath, 
 in the Levitical Temple, we could not safely infer 
 that such music might be legally introduced into 
 Christian worship. 
 
 It was always man's duty to "worship God in 
 spirit and in truth," but that duty was not so 
 
43 
 
 clearly known under the Law, as it is under the 
 Gospel. And although the system of religious 
 worship enjoined on the Jews, was unquestionably 
 the best adapted for the Church of God, at that 
 time, it was not so evidently suited to promote 
 spiritual worship, as the Gospel is. 
 
 The result of this comparison between the two 
 Dispensations of religion appears to be, that while 
 in essence, they are identical, the difference between 
 them is so considerable, that the fact of any 
 particular mode of worship having been sanctioned 
 under the Old Economy, furnishes no sufficient 
 warrant for our adopting it, unless some consider- 
 able analogy between the two Economies, bearing 
 on the point in question, can be seen. 
 
 That eminent theologian, Dr. John Owen, 
 speaking of the difference observable between the 
 Levitical, and the Evangelical Economies of 
 religion, makes the following remarks: — 
 
 "It was God's intendment to appoint all things, so that the 
 solemnity of His worship might be very beautiful and glorious. 
 As God appointed, so it came to pass ; it was the most beauti- 
 ful solemnity the sun ever shone upon. Mosaical worship, as 
 celebrated in Solomon's Temple, outdid all the glory and 
 splendour that ever the world, in any place, in any age, from 
 the foundation of it, ever enjoyed. Should all the princes of 
 Europe lay their treasures together, they were not able to build 
 a fabric of that charge, magnificence, and glory, as was 
 
44 
 
 Solomon's Temple. Let any man, in his thoughts, a little 
 compare the greatest, most solemn, pompous, and costly wor- 
 ship that any of the sons of men have, in these latter days, 
 invented, and brought into the Christian Church, with this of 
 the Judaical, and he shall quickly find that it holds no 
 proportion with it, that it is all a toy, a thing of nought, in 
 comparison of it. 
 
 1 ' These things being premised, we say that, notwithstanding 
 this whole worship was the very top of what external beauty, 
 and splendour could reach unto, yet that it was in no way 
 comparable to the beauty and glory of the spiritual worship of 
 the New Testament, yea, had no glory in comparison of it. 
 
 "In II Corinthians, iii. 7 — 10, the Apostle, on set purpose, 
 compares the ministration of the Law, in the letter, with all its 
 legal worship, rites, and ceremonies, with the administration 
 of the Gospel in the Spirit, and the worship of God attending 
 therein. He acknowledges the great glory of the former, but 
 declares that in comparison with the latter, its glory is as 
 nothing. 
 
 "The outward glory of that worship was symbolical of 
 truths and blessings, of which we have now the reality ; 
 consequently, for us to attempt to imitate that symbolical glory, 
 would not only be superfluous and absurd, but wrong and 
 mischievous. " 
 
 The same eminent man, when referring to the 
 causes of the decay of true piety, says: — 
 
 Men naturally can see no more beauty in the spiritual power 
 of Christianity, than the Jews could see in the person of Christ 
 when they rejected Him. That religion should be set off, and 
 represented as truly glorious and honorable in the eyes of men, 
 they thought it incumbent on them to take care ; but, leaving 
 herein the judgment of God, they accommodated themselves 
 unto the carnal apprehensions of them with whom they had to 
 
45 
 
 do, which were also suited unto their own. A religious worship 
 set off with such ornaments and modes, as to affect the outward 
 senses, with somewhat that may give satisfaction unto lust and 
 conscience at the same time, are the things which unto the 
 most are alone desirable — a pompous, ceremonious worship 
 which began to be introduced by a pretence of outward 
 solemnity, and ended in plain superstition and idolatry ; aod 
 hereby were the minds of men diverted, and taken off from 
 inquiring after that spiritual exercise of the graces, and gifts 
 of the Spirit, wherein alone the beauty of evangelical holiness 
 doth consist." 
 
 These observations of Dr. Owens, respecting 
 spirituality of worship, lead to the mention of the 
 significant fact that instrumental music was intro- 
 duced into the Christian Church, at a time when 
 Scriptural piety was at a very low ebb, and in 
 many places, all but extinct. 
 
 The result of our comparison of vocal and instru- 
 mental music in connection with a comparison of 
 Jewish and Christian worship, may be thus briefly 
 stated : — 
 
 1. We admit that instrumental music is not ex- 
 pressly forbidden in the New Testament, and that 
 it would be difficult to prove it to be absolutely 
 and in all cases unlawful ; but that, for many 
 reasons, we deem it to be generally inexpedient 
 and injurious ; for, 
 
46 
 
 2. Although it accorded with the general charac- 
 ter of Jewish worship, it appears to be opposed to 
 the more spiritual character of the religion of the 
 New Testament. 
 
 3. It weakens that sympathy of soul on which 
 both the enjoyment and the usefulness of social 
 worship greatly depend. 
 
 4. It tends to discourage that personal action in 
 Psalmody, in which, even when an instrument is 
 used, the essence of Psalmody consists. 
 
 5. While it discourages personal action in Psal- 
 mody, it conceals, in great measure, the deficiency ; 
 since an adequate quantum of Psalmody-like sound 
 can be given by the organist ; so that, if in a con- 
 gregation of five hundred or more persons, only 
 ten or twenty make their voices to be heard, the 
 people are satisfied ; whereas, if the organ were 
 silent, the deplorable fact that a vast majority of 
 the congregation are silent, would be felt and 
 lamented, as it ought to be, and measures would 
 be adopted for correcting the evil, not by 
 mechanism, but by means of human hearts, 
 manifesting Christian feelings, by human voices. 
 
 6. In the majority of cases, the organ is used, 
 not exclusively for guiding human voices, but also 
 
47 
 
 for giving music without words ; thereby interfering 
 with those meditations, and that silent worship, 
 with which serious persons like to employ a few 
 seconds or minutes, both before service begins, and 
 in the brief intervals which occur between the 
 various parts of the service. 
 
 Lastly. In not a few instances, the organ 
 becomes a bridge for uniting Sabbath-Psalmody, 
 with Week-day Concerts, in which things sacred 
 and secular are sadly confused. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Wm p^iMD of (SiMttim i^ttwtfjj. 
 
 We have already had occasion to observe that the 
 simple, unexplained manner in which the Evan- 
 gelists narrate the singing of a hymn at the 
 Paschal Supper, indicates that such singing was no 
 novelty. It had long been practised, both in the 
 synagogue, and in private houses. 
 
 On the subject of early Christian Psalmody, we 
 may first notice a well-known statement, in a letter 
 written by Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus. He 
 was a Eoman Proconsul in Pontus and Bithynia, 
 and in a communication sent by him to Trajan, 
 the Eoman Emperor, he gives the following account 
 of Christian worship — "These Christians meet on 
 a fixed day, before sunrise, and sing hymns to 
 Christ, as to a God." In Romans xv., Christians 
 are described as " with one mind, and one mouth, 
 glorifying God for His mercy," and "singing to 
 His name." In the same part of Scripture, we 
 
.40 
 
 find the exhortation — "Praise the Lord, all ye 
 Gentiles, and laud Him all ye people;" which 
 important words represent singing praises to God 
 as a mark of conversion. In these texts nothing 
 is said either for or against instrumental music ; 
 but we agree with Herman Olshausen in the 
 opinion, that it is highly improbable that in the 
 congregations of the primitive Church, instrumental 
 accompaniments to the singing were used. Nor is 
 the reason some give for this, namely, the poverty 
 of the primitive Christians, at all likely to have 
 been the real cause of the non-use of instrumental 
 music in those early days. There were many 
 persons among them who could have purchased a 
 lyre or a harp, had such things been deemed 
 desirable. The cause of their not so doing is 
 found, not in their poverty, but in their Christian 
 simplicity. 
 
 Of the few authors who speak of Psalmody in 
 the age immediately succeeding that of the apostles, 
 Justin Martyr is one of the chief. Justin, who 
 lived about a century after the apostles, wrote as 
 follows: — 
 
 "It is not the custom of the churches to sing their metres 
 [tunes] with any kind of instruments, hut their manner is only 
 to use plain song." 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 Clemens Alexandrinus, who lived in the third 
 century, and Chvysostom, who lived in the fourth, 
 concur in giving us to understand, that in their 
 days the music of the Church was vocal only, and 
 not instrumental. Chrysostom, in his Commentary 
 on the 150th Psalm, says, 
 
 " As the Jews did praise the Lord with all instruments, so 
 are we commanded to glorify God by our members ; by the eye, 
 the tongue, the ear, the hands, and the feet, thus praising God 
 by deeds as well as words." 
 
 The reference is doubtless to Eomans xii. 1, 
 where we are required to "present our bodies 
 to God, a living sacrifice."' 
 
 Augustine, who in the early part of his life 
 had been sometimes moved even to tears and 
 raptures by ecclesiastical music, afterwards ex- 
 pressed dissatisfaction and remorse on account of 
 feelings thus produced. On analysing his emotions, 
 with their causes and results, he was brought to 
 believe that in such tears and raptures there had 
 been but little of true devotion. 
 
 In another part of his writings (Book x. chap. 
 33), that eminent man thus expresses himself: — 
 
 " I wish all nice singing of David's Psalms was removed from 
 the hearing, both of myself and of the Church : that method 
 seems to me to be the best, which is told of Athanasius, 
 
o] 
 
 Bishop of Alexandria, who directed the reader of the psalm to 
 sound it with so little alteration of his voice, that he was more 
 like a person delivering a speech, than one who was singing." 
 
 Here again, nothing is said to intimate that 
 instrumental music was used, but only that the 
 mode of singing was, in his judgment, too artificial. 
 It is a suspicious circumstance, that instrumental 
 accompaniments to singing did not gain admittance 
 into the Church of Christ until the Church had 
 become worldly and proud, by the patronage of 
 Emperors and wealthy citizens. But even then 
 instrumental music neither gained admittance 
 easily, nor did it generally prevail. 
 
 It is admitted, even by those who plead for the 
 use of instrumental music, that during the first six 
 or seven centuries of the Christian Church such a 
 usage was unknown ; and this is the more notice- 
 able on account of the very imperfect substitute 
 for music which Athanasius introduced. But 
 they sang with the heart, and therefore were not 
 hyper-critical, if critical at all, with regard to the 
 voice. 
 
 Our countryman, usually and justly called the 
 " venerable Bede" who died in the year 735, says 
 
nothing respecting the use of instrumental music ; 
 and as he particularly describes the manner in 
 which Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs 
 should be used, his silence as to instruments is 
 almost tantamount to proof that such music was 
 not in use. 
 
 The Organ seems to have been first used in 
 Borne during the Pontificate of Vitellianus, in the 
 seventh century, just about the time when " the 
 man of sin" had arrived at his wretched maturity. 
 The first organ used in worship in England is 
 believed to have been given to the Abbey in 
 MalmesburybyDunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 At that time, the more serious of the Eoman 
 
 Catholics disapproved of instrumental music in the 
 
 Church. The famous Thomas Aquinas wrote on 
 
 the subject in the following decided terms :— 
 
 ' ' In the old Church God was praised both with musical 
 instruments and human voices ; but the [Christian] Church 
 does not use musical instruments, lest she should seem to 
 Judaize. . . . Nor ought a pipe, nor any other artificial 
 instrument, such as organ or harp, be brought into use in the 
 Christian Church, but only those things which shall make the 
 hearers better men. For by musical instruments, the mind is 
 more directed to amusement than to forming of a good internal 
 disposition. Under the Old Testament such instruments were 
 used, partly because the people's hearts were hard and carnal, 
 upon which account they were to be stirred up by these 
 instruments, as likewise, by earthly promises ; and partly 
 because those material instruments were typical of better 
 things." 
 
53 
 
 We may now proceed to consider the state of 
 Church music about the period of the Great 
 Eeformation. 
 
 In the sixteenth century the music on Sundays 
 had become, in many places, so theatrical, that 
 even the Council of Trent, who met about three 
 hundred years ago, and who were the most 
 papistical of all Papists, seriously considered 
 whether it might not be well to exterminate all 
 Church music. We are informed by the historians 
 of that age, that the Council would actually have 
 passed a vote to that effect, but for some local 
 circumstances which interfered with their so doing. 
 
 The Eeformers of the 16th and 17th centuries 
 were all but unanimous as to the undesirableness 
 of instrumental music in public worship. 
 
 Calvin, in various parts of his w^orks, gives this 
 opinion on the subject, and in one place expresses 
 himself in these decisive terms : — 
 
 1 ' Instrumental music is not fitter to be adopted into the 
 public worship of the Christian Church, than the incense, the 
 candlesticks, and the other shadows of the Mosaic law." 
 
 In his homily on I Samuel xviii. 1 — 9, his 
 language is : — 
 
 "In Popery there is a ridiculous and unsuitable imitation of 
 the Jews. We know that our Lord Jesus Christ, by His 
 
54 
 
 Advent, has abolished these legal shadows. Instrumental 
 music, we maintain, was only tolerated on account of the 
 times and the people, because they were as boys, as the sacred 
 Scripture speaketh, whose condition required these puerile 
 rudiments. But in Gospel times we must not have recourse to 
 them, unless we wish to destroy the evangelical perfection, and 
 to obscure the meridian light which we enjoy in Christ our 
 Lord." 
 
 Erasmus, who was not of one mind with the 
 Reformers in every thing, agreed with them in 
 regarding instrumental music as quite out of place 
 in Christian worship. His words are: — 
 
 " We have brought a cumbersome and theatrical music into 
 our churches ; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some 
 words, as I think was never heard in any of the Grecian or 
 Roman theatres. The Church rings with the noise of trumpets, 
 pipes, and dulcimers ; and human voices strive to bear their 
 part with them. And for this end, Organ-makers are hired 
 with great salaries, and a company of boys who waste all their 
 time in learning these whining tones." 
 
 We readily admit that such instruments are now 
 rarely, if ever, used in places of worship, and 
 believe that one benefit derived from the organ has 
 been the banishment of some other, and more 
 objectionable instruments; but the principle on 
 which, in many cases, the organ has been received, 
 would facilitate the admission of others ; nor are 
 we by any means sure that our military bands 
 (which, in their place, we admire), may not, on 
 
55 
 
 some high days and holidays, be received as 
 assistants to the organist. 
 
 That Luther loved the organ in his own house, 
 we deem highly probable, if his generous soul 
 allowed him to purchase one ; but that he dis- 
 approved of the organ in public worship, appears 
 to be undoubtedly true from the words of Eckhard, 
 a German Doctor of Theology, who declares that 
 "Luther reckoned organs to be among the ensigns 
 of Baal." It is admitted that many Lutheran 
 churches have not, in this respect, copied the 
 example of their founder ; but that among such 
 churches, soon after Luther's death, much sympathy 
 with him, in this matter, was felt, appears from the 
 fact that in the National Synod at Middleburg, in 
 the year 1551, and in the Synod of Holland and 
 Zealand in 1594, a strong desire was expressed 
 that measures might be adopted for the laying 
 aside of organs. 
 
 That Beza must also be included in the number 
 of reforming opponents of instrumental music, 
 appears from his words, as follows: — 
 
 " If the Apostle justly prohibits the use of unknown tongues 
 in the Church, much less would he have tolerated those 
 artificial music performances which are addressed to the ear 
 alone, and seldom strike the understanding, even of the 
 performers themselves." 
 
56 
 
 In a homely homily of the Reformed Church of 
 England, entitled "Of the Place and Time of 
 Prayer," we have these remarkable words: — 
 
 " God's vengeance hath been, and is, daily provoked, because 
 much wicked people pass nothing to resort to the church ; 
 either for that they are so sore blinded that they understand 
 nothing of God or godliness, and care not with devilish ex- 
 ample to offend their neighbours ; or else for that they see the 
 church altogether secured of such gay gazing sights as their 
 gross phantasie was greatly delighted with ; because they see 
 the false religion abandoned, and the true restored, which 
 seemeth an unsavoury thing to their taste ; as may appear by 
 this, that a woman said to her neighbour, * Alas, gossip, what 
 shall- we do at church, since all the saints are taken away ; 
 since all the goodly sights we were wont to have are gone ; 
 since we cannot hear the like piping, singing, chaunting, and 
 playing upon the organs that we could before.' But dearly 
 beloved, we ought greatly to rejoice and give God thanks, that 
 our churches are delivered out of all those things which dis- 
 pleased God so sore, and filthily defiled His holy house, and 
 His place of prayer." 
 
 Queen Elizabeth, we know, though well pleased 
 to preside, instead of the Pope, over the English 
 Church, had a hankering after many papistical 
 things ; but notwithstanding the powerful influence 
 she must have had over the clergy, she was only 
 able to secure the smallest possible majority in 
 favour of her views. We refer to the English 
 Convocation, held in the year 1562, for settling 
 the Liturgy of the Established Church. In that 
 
•^7 
 
 important assembly, the retaining of the custom 
 of kneeling at the Sacrament, the use of the sign 
 of the cross in Baptism, and the use of organs, was 
 carried only by the casting vote of the chairman. 
 
 From these facts we may safely infer that the 
 general conviction among the best men in the 
 Established Church, at that time, was against 
 instrumental music. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to prove that both 
 English Puritans in the days of Elizabeth and the 
 first James, and the Nonconformists in the days of 
 the two Charleses, were all of one mind on the 
 subject before us. We are not aware that among 
 these successive generations of a good ministers 
 of Jesus Christ," there is any ground to believe 
 that even one organ had place in any of their 
 congregations. It is true that many of them had 
 no regular places of worship ; but there was, now 
 and then, an interval of partial liberty, when many 
 places of worship were built. Soon afterwards a 
 much larger portion of religious liberty was 
 enjoyed through the final retirement of those 
 British Bourbons, the Stuarts, and the establish- 
 ment of the governments of William, and of the 
 Georges. Then, while considerable zeal and 
 activity were exerted in the building of meeting 
 houses,, no effort was made to introduce the organ. 
 
58 
 
 At that time, organs, even in parish churches, 
 were comparatively few, and were found chiefly 
 in the large towns. It is now rather more than a 
 hundred years since this instrument was introduced 
 into chapels unconnected with the National 
 Establishment. In some few of the chapels built 
 by the friends of Whitefield, and by the Countess 
 of Huntingdon, the organ first appeared among us. 
 Some time afterwards, a few of Mr. Wesley's 
 friends followed the example ; and the chief cause 
 for the sake of which both these parties so acted, 
 probably was, not any high estimation of the organ, 
 but the desire, in all things which were not clearly 
 against conscience, to conform to the dominant 
 church. Clerical robes, and the use of a portion of 
 the Liturgy, were adopted for the same reason. All 
 this while, however, the great body of Con- 
 gregationalists, (including the two sections of the 
 body, who differ only about Baptism), persevered 
 without, we believe, one exception, in the course 
 marked out by their forefathers. At length, 
 probably about sixty years ago, here and there a 
 Congregational or Baptist minister became fasci- 
 nated by the instrument, and persuaded his friends 
 to assist him to obtain it. Latterly, it is granted, 
 a large number of our congregations have, in this 
 
59 
 
 respect, conformed. What our organical statistics 
 are, we know not, but suppose that among the four 
 thousand or more of Independent and Baptist 
 chapels, about a thousand have an organ, and 
 about three thousand have it not. 
 
 Our Scottish friends have been much more 
 staunch on the question. With great difficulty, 
 during the last half-century, two or three organs 
 have been brought into Scottish churches. Whether 
 these keep their ground, we know not. Those of 
 us who are not Presbyterian, but Congregational, 
 in our church government, most readily admit that 
 our Northern brethren, the majority of whom are 
 Presbyterian, have been distinguished by far more 
 of consistent and persevering opposition to what- 
 ever seemed to be opposed to Christian simplicity 
 in Christian worship, than we, their Southern 
 brethren, have manifested. "Honour to whom 
 honour is due." 
 
 In religion we call " no man master, one being 
 our Master, even Christ;" and we fully admit 
 that this host of witnesses in various ages does not 
 absolutely prove that they were in the right ; but 
 surely if our churches were acquainted with the 
 history of Christian Psalmody, they would, at 
 least, pause before they resolved to adopt a 
 contrary course of conduct. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 WUt pmnt state af l^atmMy in (Simlaul 
 
 In the word present we include not this year only, 
 but several past years. 
 
 The mode of conducting Psalmody in London 
 has usually been considerably different from that 
 adopted in provincial towns. Our churches in 
 London many years ago, and, we presume, most 
 of them to this day, have adopted the ancient 
 method, which has also almost universally pre- 
 vailed in Scotland, namely, the appointment of a 
 precentor, who begins and leads the soprano, or air 
 of the tune, in a tenor voice. He is, with regard 
 to a congregation, what a fugle-man is to a com- 
 pany of soldiers, and consequently, much of the 
 auricular excellence of the Psalmody depends on 
 him. 
 
 Half a century ago the Psalmody in our metro- 
 politan chapels was for the most part tolerable, 
 but nothing more. In many cases it was slow- 
 
6i 
 
 and drawling, and sadly deficient in vivacity and 
 energy ; besides winch, then as now, very few of 
 the men were both able and willing to sing bass. 
 But about that time, some of the London pre- 
 centors were men of some note in their profession : 
 Walker and Peck, especially, deserve to be re- 
 membered. They may not have been thoroughly 
 scientific musicians, but at any rate, by their 
 voices and their teaching, they contributed very 
 materially to the improvement of London Psal- 
 mody. Mr. Walker officiated as precentor on 
 Lord's Day evenings at the meeting-house in Broad 
 Street, and with him there was usually a con- 
 siderable number of his musical friends, who were 
 not located together, as a choir, but adopted the 
 far preferable plan of being scattered throughout 
 the chapel, keeping time with their leader and 
 one another, and guiding all who w r ere near them. 
 That Sunday evening congregation, accordingly, 
 furnished a specimen of good Psalmody which 
 was then almost unique, and which, we cannot 
 doubt, exerted a beneficial influence on many 
 metropolitan congregations. Mr. Walker also had 
 a singing class for young men, in the same place 
 of worship, on a week-day evening, at which the 
 writer had occasionally the privilege of being a 
 visiter. 
 
62 
 
 In provincial chapels the prevalent method then 
 was, and, we believe still is, to entrust the con- 
 ducting of the Psalmody to a choir ; and where 
 the choir has consisted of persons not only of 
 musical skill, but also of Christian character, and 
 has been content with guiding the congregation 
 without monopolising the Psalmody by rendering 
 all other voices inaudible, the result has been on 
 the whole satisfactory ; although we think that a 
 preferable method may be adopted. Persons who 
 thus devote their time and ability to the service of 
 a congregation, deserve to be respectfully treated ; 
 but truth requires us to confess that in not a few 
 instances, choirs of singers have not been distin- 
 guished by all the qualifications above-named; so, 
 that, although they meant well, harm rather than 
 good has been the result of their labour. If we 
 mistake not, in some cases an organ has been 
 obtained, not from any great partiality for the 
 instrument, but as the way to become independent 
 of the choir. One instance of this came under the 
 writer's observation a few years ago. In the con- 
 gregation in question, the choir had one fault only, 
 singing too loudly, so that not only were delicate 
 nerves pained, but persons whose voices were not 
 stentorian, were prevented from singing. Since 
 
63 
 
 then an organ has been obtained, chiefly for the 
 sake, not of getting more sound, but of having less 
 sound. Whether or not the choir and the organ 
 are now co-workers, and whether the purpose for 
 which the organ was obtained, has been secured, 
 we know not. 
 
 Although the topic before us is Psalmody in 
 England, a brief reference to Scottish Psalmody 
 will be a very excusable digression. In the 
 winters of 1807 — 8 — 9, it was the privilege of the 
 writer frequently to worship with the congrega- 
 tions in Glasgow, of which Dr. Balfour, Mr. Ewing, 
 and Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Wardlaw, were ministers. 
 Mr. AYardlaw's congregation was then young and 
 small ; but the other two consisted, each of them, 
 of more than a thousand persons. The mode of 
 conducting the Psalmody was, of course, by a pre- 
 centor, without either instrument or choir ; and 
 although the Psalmody, considered as music, was 
 very imperfect, yet, as the multitude of apparently 
 devout persons were well led, and united generally 
 and cordially in the work of praise, the effect on a 
 Christian ear and heart, could hardly fail to be 
 agreeable and edifying. In a little book, entitled 
 "The Organ Question," published in Edinburgh, 
 four years ago, the writer was pleased to see the 
 
64 
 
 name of Kobert Balfour, with three other names of 
 ministers, appointed by Presbytery to take an 
 active part in opposing the effort then made to 
 introduce an organ into one of the Edinburgh 
 churches. The writer so well remembers the 
 hearty singing in Dr. Balfour's congregation, that 
 he cannot wonder that the good man should have 
 been a vigorous opponent of instrumental music in 
 public worship ; not merely on principle, but also 
 in conformity with the common-place maxim of 
 "letting well alone." 
 
 On returning to England and our own times, 
 and on taking a general survey of affairs, both 
 civil and religious, we are gratified and thankful to 
 have cause to believe that, on the whole, notwith- 
 standing many lamentable things still existing, we 
 live in an age of progression. In almost every 
 department of human action an effort after progress 
 is apparent ; and among other things, our ecclesi- 
 astical architecture has undergone decided improve- 
 ment. Some of us, indeed, are of opinion that the 
 extreme towards which we are now tending is, 
 excess of ornamentation, in a degree which is 
 incompatible with the unworldly character of the 
 religion of Christ In most things which belong to 
 this department, no precise rules can be laid down, 
 
65 
 
 either for the ecclesiastical architect, or for the 
 ecclesiastical upholsterer and decorator; but the 
 matter must be left to the Christian conscience, 
 and Christian good taste. We think, however, 
 that in some recent instances, neither Christian 
 conscience nor Christian good taste has been 
 consulted. 
 
 If there be any building where Protestants 
 worship, in which outward grandeur is in its right 
 place, a cathedral is that building. Although, 
 therefore, we who are tinctured with Puritanism 
 cannot admire the following description, we cannot 
 detect incongruity as subsisting between the place 
 and the worship. We refer to the opening of a 
 magnificent organ in the Cathedral in Wells ; 
 of which ceremony, a Bristol newspaper gave the 
 following account: — 
 
 "The organ is about thirty feet high, and swells with a 
 wonderful power and flexibility of sound, that will, no doubt, 
 enchant many a congregation in the magnificent old Cathedral." 
 
 It is to be hoped that no Nonconformist con- 
 gregation in Wells will attempt to create a rival 
 enchantment. What ought to be the enchantment 
 in a Christian temple, consists in making Him 
 known to the people who could say, "I, if I be 
 lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unte 
 Me." 
 
 F 
 
66 
 
 The next narrative relates to tlie re-opening of a 
 chapel, and the opening of an organ, in Lancashire, 
 a few years ago. Although we are not aware that 
 the parties who improved the chapel and procured 
 the organ, would object to have their names given, 
 with the name of the place and the date, we prefer 
 omitting such particulars, our object being neither 
 to blame, nor to praise individuals, but simply to 
 give proofs and illustrations of important principles. 
 
 "The Independent Chapel at , has been recently im- 
 proved on an extensive scale, the number of sittings having 
 been considerably increased, and a new organ, built by 
 Messrs. -, of London, at the expense of voluntary contri- 
 butions. The interior presents an elegant appearance, and the 
 late changes have been effected with considerable taste. The 
 
 re-opening is to be commemorated by a sermon from Dr. , 
 
 on Sunday, and the performance of a selection of sacred music 
 on the following evening, when several distinguished vocalists 
 
 are to attend, and , Esquire, of London, has promised to 
 
 preside at the organ." 
 
 In all this, there is much to admire, but is there 
 not also something to lament? Is it probable that 
 all, or even the majority of these vocalists were 
 consistent Christians? And does not the advertise- 
 ment, announcing that distinguished vocalists would 
 attend, and that music would be performed, breathe 
 the language of an opera house or theatre, rather 
 than that of a Christian Church? What would 
 
67 
 
 that real " saint," the late William Roby, of 
 Manchester, have thought of such an advertise- 
 ment? And, which is an infinitely more important 
 question, How may we believe that the everlasting 
 and ever-present Head of the Church regards it ? 
 One more specimen of an organ-opening may be 
 given. The place was a Congregational Chapel in 
 London. 
 
 " The instrument about to be opened was built by Mr. , 
 
 for this chapel. On the day fixed for the opening, , Esquire, 
 
 will play a choice selection of first-class music, from Mendelssohn, 
 Bach, Handel, and others, intended to shoiv the various powers 
 of the instrument" 
 
 In other words, the entertainment was to show, 
 not how well adapted the instrument is to guide 
 and help those who sing praises to God, but to 
 show the power it possesses to produce sweet 
 and attractive sounds, for the gratification of 
 persons who are in quest of entertainment on 
 Sundays, and cannot, on that day, get secular 
 music. 
 
 Perhaps it will be said that these " powers" of 
 the organ are intended to suit the various topics 
 which psalms and hymns contain. Such, however, 
 is not the apparent meaning of the words in 
 question. Let the organist do his best to guide 
 the people who sing. He needs not to endeavour 
 
 F 2 
 
68 
 
 to be expressive. Human voices will best accom- 
 plish that object. 
 
 Before we dismiss the subject of organs, mention 
 may be made of inttusiveness on the part of the 
 organist, whereby a very interesting service was 
 greatly injured. The occurrence took place at the 
 opening of a large and handsome chapel, in a 
 populous town. Appropriate portions of Scripture 
 had been read, appropriate hymns had been sung, 
 and prayer had been offered, when the organist 
 began to show the power of the instrument which 
 was before him. He accordingly played a voluntary 
 which lasted about ten minutes. Justice requires 
 it to be stated that no great blame attached to any 
 individual. The organist had been accustomed to 
 officiate in places of worship where such playing 
 is not deemed improper, and the minister, and other 
 office-bearers were not at all aware that it was the 
 intention of the organist to play a voluntary. To 
 thorough Nonconformists, who constituted a large 
 proportion of the congregation, and to the twenty 
 or thirty ministers, who, if required, could have 
 offered prayer, it was a most unwelcome thing, to 
 be compelled to sit to listen to merely mechanical 
 music without words. This unexpected occurrence 
 sadly marred, w T hat would otherwise have been a 
 
69 
 
 deeply impressive service. We will not say that 
 the organ " spoilt" the service, but certainly it 
 greatly injured it. 
 
 A brief reference has already been made to 
 choirs, among which, as might be expected, wide 
 differences, with regard to excellence and useful- 
 ness, are discernible. Where a large choir consists 
 chiefly of persons who regard Psalmody as an 
 amusement, and frequently sing tunes and anthems 
 in which scarcely any of the congregation can 
 join, and where, moreover, the deportment of many 
 of the members of the choir, during divine service, 
 is evidently irreverent, there can be no doubt that, 
 how much soever their performances may be 
 gratifying to thoughtless persons, the choir is 
 really in the way of the minister's usefulness. 
 We trust that the number of such cases in our 
 English churches is small ; in American churches 
 there is reason to fear that such choirs are by no 
 means uncommon. Dr. Carruthers, who, some 
 years ago, left Great Britain for America, and is 
 now settled at Portland, United States, wrote 
 as follows, September 6th, 1854, to Dr. Campbell, 
 Editor of the British Banner : — 
 
 " Others may smile, you will not, when T state, as among the 
 causes of depression in our churches, and of the slow progress 
 
70 
 
 of the Gospel in our land, the almost universal habit of choir- 
 singing, to the exclusion of the congregation. The evil is a very 
 great one, and is productive, directly and indirectly, of other 
 evils, over which the pious among us sincerely and devoutly 
 mourn." 
 
 The writer will here quote a sentence on this 
 subject, which he published, in another form, in 
 the year 1842 : — 
 
 " Psalmody, as it is sometimes managed, is not only useless 
 but positively mischievous ; the lightness and frivolity, both of 
 the music and of the musicians, especially in the last hymn of 
 the evening service, being just what a wicked spirit, if allowed 
 to preside over public worship, would like to appoint for the 
 very purpose of neutralising the good which might otherwise 
 result from the delivery of a faithful and affecting discourse." 
 
 But the subject of Psalmody in England must 
 not be dismissed without some notice of oratorios 
 and sacred concerts, which, whether they really are 
 such or not, at least, profess to be Psalmody , that is, 
 singing of Psalms or religious hymns. The word 
 " oratorio" is derived from a root which denotes 
 worship, and the word " sacred" speaks for itself. 
 A provincial newspaper, a few years ago, gave the 
 following narrative: — 
 
 ' ' Last Sunday, a selection of music from Haydn, Mozart, 
 and Pergolesi, was given at the Catholic Chapel, Signor Borrani 
 rendering his valuable assistance on the occasion ; and he was 
 never heard to greater advantage than in Haydn's "qui tollis," 
 ["Thou that takest away the sin of the world,"] and in 
 
71 
 
 Pergolesi's "Sanctum et Terribile." Miss Sullivan also acquitted 
 herself very successfully in Mozart's "Agnus Dei" ["The 
 Lamb of God."] Altogether, the service was exceedingly well 
 executed. " 
 
 The next is a description of a musical festival 
 which took place in a midland city about two 
 months ago : — 
 
 "The streets were thronged with well-dressed people, 
 making their way to the Old Minster, to perform within its 
 gray and hallowed precincts, a solemn act of worship. Signor 
 Belletti's " God, have mercy," excellent in all respects, must 
 yield the palm to his "Consume them all." The pathetic 
 chorale, "To Thee, Lord, I yield up my spirit," must be 
 heard to be appreciated." 
 
 The profits of the entertainment were devoted to 
 a charity, and if charity "covered a multitude of 
 sins" in the sight of God, a plausible argument 
 would be at hand in favour of the musical festival ; 
 whereas, that oft perverted text plainly refers, not 
 to God's regard to man, but to man's regard to his 
 fellow-men. 
 
 Who can fail to see, in the above description, 
 manifest inconsistency? In the commencement of 
 the narrative, the intention of the meeting is said 
 to be, the offering of a " solemn act of worship," 
 and the words used by the singers describe very 
 solemn worship, namely, prayer for the pardon of 
 sin, and prayer thai God would receive the spirit 
 
VI 
 
 on its leaving the world. Does any one imagine 
 that Signor Belletti intended to offer these 'prayers ? 
 Surely, had this been his intention, he would not 
 have asked a thousand people to come and listen 
 to him. Did the audience attend for the purpose 
 of hearing a fellow-sinner offer such prayer ? 
 Certainly not. The language of the narrator 
 plainly shows that they came to listen to what 
 purported to be prayer, but what, in reality, 
 neither was, nor was intended to be, prayer. 
 
 That we may see the folly and sin of such sham- 
 prayers, let us imagine an analogous case of reading 
 instead of singing a prayer. Let us imagine that 
 three benevolent gentlemen were known to have 
 voices for reading and speaking, which were so 
 remarkably sweet and powerful, and so well- 
 managed, that to hear them read and speak was a 
 treat equal to that of hearing first-rate singers. 
 Suppose then, an advertisement issued to this 
 effect : — 
 
 1 ' For the benefit of the Hospital. Mr. A. B. , Mr. C. D. , 
 
 and Mr. E. F. , will read and speak as follows : Mr. A. B. will 
 read some of the most touching portions of the National 
 Liturgy; Mr. C. D. will deliver an eloquent aud affecting 
 prayer, composed by himself; and Mr. E. F. will read portions 
 of a French Protestant Liturgy Such are the powers of voice 
 which these gentlemen possess, that it is believed that the 
 
73 
 
 audience will be as highly gratified as if they attended an 
 oratorio. Indeed, it will be so life-like, that it is rather 
 expected some religious persons present will suppose that these 
 gentlemen are really offering worship." 
 
 I ask, wherein consists the difference between 
 what these orators would do, and what famous 
 singers do at a sacred musical festival. The only 
 difference is, that the one party sing, and the other 
 party speak. Both are equally make-believe, and 
 therefore equally wrong; for let it be borne in 
 mind that singing is speech. All speaking, w r e 
 know, is not singing, but all singing is speaking. 
 
 But no one, probably, has shown the folly and 
 sin of such singing so clearly and strikingly, as 
 the late Eev. John Newton, in one of his sermons 
 on the Messiah: — 
 
 " Whereunto shall we liken the people of this generation?" — 
 "I represent to myself a number of persons, of various cha- 
 racters, involved in one common charge of high treason. They 
 are already in a state of confinement, but not yet brought to 
 their trial. The facts, however, are so plain, and the evidence 
 against them so strong and pointed, that there is no doubt of 
 their guilt being fully proved ; and that nothing but a pardon 
 can preserve them from punishment. In this situation it should 
 seem their wisdom to avail themselves of every expedient in 
 their power for obtaining mercy. But they are entirely 
 regardless of their danger, and wholly taken up with contriving 
 methods of amusing themselves, that they may pass away the 
 term of their imprisonment with as much cheerfulness as 
 possible. Among other resources, they call in the assistance of 
 
74 
 
 music; and amidst a variety of subjects in this way, they are 
 particularly pleased with one. They choose to make the 
 solemnities of their impending trial, the character of their 
 judge, the methods of his procedure, and the awful sentence to 
 which they are exposed, the ground-work of a musical 
 entertainment ; and, as if they were quite unconcerned in the 
 event, their attention is chiefly fixed on the skill of the composer, 
 in adapting the style of his music to the very solemn language and 
 subject with which they are trifling. The king, however, out of 
 his great clemency and compassion towards those who have no 
 pity for themselves, prevents them with his goodness. Un- 
 desired by them, he sends them a gracious message. He 
 assures them that he is unwilling they should suffer. He 
 requires, yea, he entreats them to submit. He points out a 
 way in which their confession and submission shall certainly be 
 accepted ; and in this way, which he condescends to prescribe, 
 he offers them a free and full pardon. But, instead of taking 
 a single step towards a compliance with his goodness, they set 
 this message likewise to music; and this, together with a 
 description of their present state, and of the fearful doom 
 awaiting them, if they continue obstinate, is sung for their 
 diversion, accompanied by the sound of cornet, flute, harp, 
 sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of instruments. 
 Surely, if such a case as I have supposed could be found in real 
 life, though I might admire the musical taste of these people, I 
 should commiserate their insensibility." 
 
 The incongruity of treating "the Messiah" as an 
 entertainment was deeply felt, many years ago, in 
 a theatre, by a lady of fashion, who had previously 
 paid no serious attention to religion. The first 
 thing that struck her, was the rising of the 
 audience at the chorus. This made her conclude 
 
75 
 
 that there must be some special solemnity in the 
 words sung. On reflection, she perceived that 
 they were words of actual worship. This fact, as 
 contrasted with the place where she' was, and the 
 trifling purpose for which she was conscious she 
 had come, filled her with such alarm that she 
 trembled from head to foot ; and it is believed that 
 nothing could induce her to attend a similar 
 performance again. 
 
 Let it not be imagined that we deem either 
 secular or sacred Concerts to be essentially wrong. 
 Suppose a secular concert to be so managed that 
 the words to be sung should be strictly moral, and 
 not anti-religious, and that the performers should 
 be men of good reputation, we should blame no 
 one for attending it, although, probably, we our- 
 selves might prefer remaining at home. Suppose 
 also that Christian men of musical ability should 
 meet to sing anthems together; there would be no 
 harm, either in their so meeting, or in others going 
 to hear them sing, provided care was taken that 
 such words as express real worship, should be 
 reverently used. On such conditions, both a 
 secular concert, and a sacred concert, are, we think, 
 lawful and right. Hundreds of such concerts, on 
 a small scale, are held every evening in private 
 houses, especially during the winter half-year. 
 
76 
 
 There has seldom been a time in the ecclesiastical 
 history of England, when it was more important 
 than it is now, to set ourselves against substituting 
 formalism and aesthetic piety, for the religion of 
 the heart. The following quotation from the 
 Quarterly Review deserves special attention, not 
 from members of the Established Church only, but 
 also from those wealthy Nonconformists who 
 appear to think that too much pains cannot be 
 taken in places of worship to gratify the eye and 
 the ear. The admonitory observations about to be 
 quoted will be peculiarly impressive in some 
 quarters, on account of the source whence they 
 come : — 
 
 " From China to Peru, religious belief finds a ready entrance 
 into men's minds in proportion as it flatters the corruption of his 
 fallen nature. Hold out to him a creed which, in any degree, 
 substitutes formalism for spiritual-mindedness, and he becomes 
 the most zealous of devotees. He will say prayers, past count, 
 if he is not required to pray ; he will be punctual to confess his 
 sins, if he may be spared the pain of repenting of them. No 
 doubt it is affecting to see, on the public promenade in Spain, at 
 the tolling of the Ave Maria bell, every head uncovered, while, 
 for the moment, the hurry and bustle of life are hushed. It is 
 not less striking, to witness the self concentred calmness with 
 which the Mussulman will spread his carpet in the midst of an 
 imsympathising crowd of unbelievers, as if he were alone in the 
 wilderness ; and, with his face towards the East, perform his 
 appointed devotions at the appointed hour 
 
77 
 
 1 'God forbid that we should reduce all the teaching of the 
 Koniish Church to formalism ! But formalism is the alloy which 
 she professedly mixes with the pure ore of religion, to give it 
 the consistency necessary to resist the wear and tear of the 
 world. 
 
 "The Italian peasant believes, not only that outward ob- 
 servances are all set down to his credit in the great account, but 
 also that the favour of the Virgin and all Saints is conciliated, in 
 a special manner, by the honmge of worship ; and this outward 
 reverence is not incompatible with any amount of habitual 
 crime. 
 
 "The Ecclesiological Society has practically introduced a 
 system of Church arrangement, which is at variance with the 
 usage of the English Church, and with the feelings of the 
 people. They have greatly encouraged a desire for decorations 
 of questionable taste, and of still more questionable propriety. 
 We take up the chronicle of a suburban county, and there, 
 in the flowing and triumphant style of the daily press, we 
 find described, a chancel roof, richly decorated in colour by 
 
 Messrs. , having, over the altar, the four evangelists in 
 
 the midst of a characteristic pattern of foliage, and the sacred 
 monogram on medallions in the midst of similar foliage. And 
 while the roofs are so richly decorated, the sister art of painted 
 glass had not been neglected. 
 
 "Besides the heavy artillery of sermons, essays, lectures, 
 and charges, the lighter batteries of fiction have been opened 
 on Protestant and Puritan principles. 
 
 " The Cathedral service itself, powerfully as it affects the 
 imaginations of some persons, does not in general speak to the 
 heart of the middle classes; and if there were no alternative 
 between universal adoption and universal rejection, there is 
 no question which course it would be our duty to take. 
 
 t i In attempting to bring back any part of the Romish 
 ceremonial, the English Church gives up her vantage ground. 
 
78 
 
 She may add ceremony to ceremony, and the result will only 
 prove how far she falls short of the pageantry of her tawdry 
 rival. 
 
 "We lately endeavoured to lay down the broad principle, 
 that to build a house in some degree worthy of the Divine 
 Majesty, is a futile attempt, if we propose to attain the end by 
 any cost of construction, or combination of material. A church 
 with its services can contribute to God's glory, only in so far as 
 they are the means of speaking the knowledge of His truth, 
 and tutoring man's heart to worship and obedience." 
 
CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 partial M%$t»tku$. 
 
 We commence this, our last chapter, by referring 
 to the desirableness of justly appreciating the 
 importance of Psalmody. There is cause to fear 
 that some persons regard it rather as an enlivening 
 appendix to public worship than as a valuable 
 part of it. As a straw thrown into the water may 
 shew which way the river flows, so trivial incidents 
 may give indications of important facts. It is 
 very common, for example, during the time when 
 the last verse of a hymn is sung, to shut the 
 hymn-book, and if it be the last hymn in the 
 service, to put the book into its usual receptacle, 
 and, perhaps, to lock it up. Can we suppose, that 
 while the individual is thus employed, he is 
 continuing to sing, and that his thoughts ac- 
 company his utterances? This is just possible, 
 but the probability is, that having sung as much 
 of the hymn as he felt to be important, he has 
 
80 
 
 done with that part of the service, and is now 
 saving time by putting the book into its resting- 
 place. Ministers, also, sometimes so act, as to 
 make it appear that they are taking no part in the 
 Psalmody, as if that was no business of theirs. 
 The writer has good reason to know that this 
 cannot always be avoided. The preacher may 
 not have been able, before the service began, to 
 find time to look out, and turn down, those leaves 
 in the Bible to which he may have occasion to 
 refer. In such a case he is blameless, but the 
 practice in question should be avoided whenever it 
 is possible. The writer must be excused, also, for 
 giving his opinion, that the preacher, if he be 
 sitting during the Psalmody, should not leave his 
 seat and take the Bible in hand before the singing 
 is quite finished. What necessity can there be for 
 such an extraordinary endeavour to save time? 
 An interval of a few seconds between each part of 
 the service is rather desirable than to be depre- 
 cated. But a still worse thing sometimes occurs 
 while the hymn is being sung. The pew-opener 
 conies up to the pulpit door and delivers a message 
 to me, while I am actually singing a verse which 
 contains solemn worship. He ought to have 
 waited till that worship was finished. When Paul 
 
81 
 
 tells Timothy "how he ought to behave himself in 
 the house of God/ 5 the reference is, we know, not 
 to a building, but to a Christian society. At the 
 same time, the acknowledged rules of good manners, 
 in civil society, may suggest useful hints as to 
 public worship. For example, except in a case of 
 emergency, you never break in on two persons 
 who are talking together, until one of them 
 manifests some intention of discontinuing the 
 conversation. When I am singing a verse con- 
 taining either praise or prayer, I am speaking to 
 God! It would, therefore, be worse than rude for 
 any one to expect me to give an answer to a 
 question until I have quite finished my speech to 
 God. Yet this is often done ; and such circum- 
 stances, trivial as, in themselves, they are, indicate 
 the lamentable fact, that many persons scarcely 
 regard Psalmody as actual worship. Every verse 
 of every hymn is not actual worship, but very 
 many verses and hymns certainly sustain that 
 character, and, consequently, ought to be treated 
 accordingly. 
 
 But, returning to the subject of the importance of 
 Psalmody j let us remember, that the religious 
 actions which are performed when Christians meet, 
 are chiefly of two kinds, worship and instruction. 
 The minister reads portions of the book of God, 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 and delivers a discourse grounded on some part of 
 that book. The worship consists partly of the 
 petitions and thanksgivings which the minister offers 
 with, and for, the people ; and partly of the Psalms 
 and Hym as which the people and the minister are 
 supposed to be conjointly singing. Of these two 
 constituent parts of the sendee, it is neither easy 
 nor important to determine which has the stronger 
 claim on our regard. As the discourse is most 
 usually the means of bringing back sinful creatures 
 to God, in other words, of their conversion, probably 
 the sermon may be regarded as the more important 
 of the two ; but, at the same time, the v:orship, if 
 it is what it should be, may powerfully co-operate 
 with the sermon, and, in one view of the matter, 
 seems to have the superiority, namely, in this, that 
 the sermon is tlie means, and worship, the end. The 
 chief design of the sermon is to bring men to 
 worship God. When it can be truly said of any 
 man, "Behold, he prayeth," it may, with equal 
 truth, be said, he has become a real Christian, and 
 has set out in the way to heaven. 
 
 Another circumstance relative to Psalmody, 
 which demands attention, is the high degree of 
 excellence of which it is susceptible, and after which, 
 therefore, we ought to aspire: it becomes us also to 
 remember the counterpart of this statement, 
 
83 
 
 namely, the grievous blemishes and faults which 
 may, and often do, attach to Psalmody, even when, 
 outwardly, it gives pleasure to the audience. 
 There is no other part of public worship to which 
 this remark is so emphatically applicable. These 
 considerations, therefore, plainly show, that while 
 the subject has a strong claim on the attention of 
 Christians generally, it has special claims on those 
 who, either by their office in the Church, or br- 
 other causes, have it in their power to exert 
 themselves, beneficially, in this department of 
 worship. 
 
 Our next general remark is. that Psalmody 
 consists of two constituent parts, each of which 
 requires separate attention, namely, the emtteard 
 and the mwcard; the wiot and the mind. 
 
 Let us, then, first inquire, by what means good 
 music in Psalmody, in so far as regards the car. 
 may be obtained. And here the question may ag 
 well be answered — Shall we call in the aid of a 
 musical instrument, and if so, what shall it be? 
 Were the writer consulted by a young and small 
 congregation, which had these questions before 
 them, he would give his advice in some such term- 
 as these; — "Manage your Psalmody, if possible, 
 without the aid of any instrument ; but if you are 
 decidedly of opinion that you cannot, at present, 
 
 G 2 
 
84 
 
 conduct this part of Divine worship without such 
 help, purchase a good Harmonium. This will, on 
 many accounts, be preferable to an organ ; it will 
 cost only a tenth of the sum which must be paid 
 for an organ ; it will guide, without overpowering, 
 the voices of the people; and it will be easily 
 removed, when you become strong enough, in vocal 
 power, to do without such help." The writer's full 
 conviction is, that so soon as you can obtain a 
 well-qualified precentor, you will be independent 
 of instrumental aid, whether the number of the 
 congregation be five hundred, or only a fifth part 
 of that number. A well-qualified precentor will 
 be able to conduct a Psalmody Class, at which, not 
 the young only, but persons of all ages should be 
 requested to attend. One or more of the officers 
 of the Church should feel it to be their duty to be 
 present, whether or not they choose, themselves, to 
 practise singing. 
 
 As the writer is not so presumptuous as to 
 imagine that the facts and reasonings he has 
 brought forward against instrumental music will 
 have the same effect on the minds of all his 
 readers which they have on his own mind, he will 
 now address himself to those who resolve to have 
 an orean. 
 
85 
 
 He will begin by giving an opinion which will, 
 to many a reader, seem strange, namely, that a 
 very large and very handsome organ, especially if 
 placed in a conspicuous part of the chapel, as, for 
 instance, behind the pulpit, is an ornament not at 
 all in keeping with the genius of New Testament 
 worship. Objects are pleasing or displeasing, not 
 simply for what they are in themselves, but also 
 for their agreement or disagreement with the place 
 they occupy and the objects which surround them. 
 A marble statue of Henry Havelock, or of Joseph 
 Sturge, which would be admired in the entrance- 
 hall of a noble mansion, would be quite out of 
 place in a breakfast-room or a dining-room. On 
 the same principle, a monster organ, which would 
 look well, and might, occasionally, be useful, in 
 the spacious Town Hall of Birmingham, or 
 Liverpool, or Leeds, would disfigure, rather than 
 adorn, a building where Christians meet for 
 Christian worship. For what is this huge and 
 grand piece of ecclesiastical furniture? Its sole 
 legitimate use is to help Christians to worship God. 
 Herein it differs from the organ in the Town Hall. 
 That is where it is, for the avowed purpose of 
 delighting the eye and the ear. On the contrary, the 
 chapel organ, as we have said, is merely to enable 
 you to worship God better, as you imagine, than 
 
86 
 
 you could worship Him without such help. How 
 inconsistent, then, is it to clothe, with such 
 grandeur, a merely mechanical help in worship. 
 Consider the case of a gentleman who, being 
 infirm, uses crutches in walking. His crutches, 
 though not rough and mean, are not highly 
 ornamented, as they are nothing but helps, 
 rendered necessary by his infirmities. Would you 
 not think it strange if that gentleman should order 
 a pair of crutches, which should be richly inlaid 
 with silver, and gold, and pearls, and should be 
 suspended, as an ornament, over the door of his 
 library? 
 
 But, besides the unfitness of such an ornament 
 as a huge organ with burnished gold pipes, in a 
 Christian temple, it is almost certain, that scores 
 of the young and gay will be looking at the organ 
 behind the pulpit, when they ought to be listening 
 to the preacher, or worshipping God. Nor is this 
 all; your children will naturally think that so 
 grand an object has some very important use, 
 and that the handsomest thing in the chapel, not 
 excepting the pulpit, is one of the most important 
 things in the place. Unless the child shall 
 become, in early life, a real Christian, the young 
 creature will be ready to imagine an organ to be 
 essential to a complete place of 'worship. It will 
 
87 
 
 not be wonderful if, some years afterwards, the 
 child, now of mature age, shall prefer a sanctuary 
 where there is a good organ without the gospel, to 
 a place of worship where there is the gospel 
 without an organ. "Train up a child in the way 
 he should go;" then, whatever be the final result, 
 you will have done your part. 
 
 As to the management of an organ, the writer 
 has little else to do but to describe the simple plan 
 adopted in two or three places of worship where 
 he has occasionally worshipped, and where he will 
 candidly admit, that the organ, if not positively 
 useful, did appear to be, at least, harmless. Let it 
 be premised, that in the chapels in question, the 
 instrument, though not mean and uncomely, as 
 nothing in a house of prayer should be, is neither 
 huge in bulk nor dazzling in appearance. It is, 
 what we are told the dress of really genteel people 
 is ; such as becomes their age and station, but is 
 neither intended, nor adapted, to attract any 
 special notice. 
 
 One rule observed by the organist in each of 
 these places of worship, is to put forth only that 
 modicum of power which may be sufficient to 
 guide, without obstructing, the voices of the people. 
 
 Another rule is, to give no music without words. 
 With the exception of playing over the first half of 
 
88 
 
 the tune, that the people may know what tune 
 they are about to sing, the organist gives no mere 
 music; neither as a voluntary, nor prelude, nor 
 interlude, nor finale. 
 
 A few remarks may now be offered relative to 
 choirs of singers. 
 
 The opinion has already been expressed, that 
 although several members of the congregation, who 
 are singers, should regularly meet to practise 
 singing, and should be, virtually, a choir, it is by 
 no means desirable that many of them should be 
 close to each other in public worship. A visibly 
 distinct band, if they sing moderately loud, are apt 
 to be regarded, by many of the congregation, as the 
 party on whom the business of singing devolves, 
 in fact, as "the singers''' It is well that two or 
 three persons, in every one of the four parts of the 
 tune, should be within three or four pews of one 
 another, that they may render to each other mutual 
 support. The remainder of the class, or choir, had 
 better be located in various parts of the chapel. 
 They will keep time with one another, and thus, 
 all persons in the congregation, who sing audibly, 
 will also be brought to keep time. Whether, in 
 addition to the instruction which the leader of the 
 singing class can give, the services of Mr. Waite, 
 or Mr. Curwen, or some other able teacher, should 
 
89 
 
 be desired, must, of course, be left to the decision 
 of the parties concerned. With Mr. Curwen the 
 writer has not, hitherto, had the pleasure of any 
 personal acquaintance. Mr. Waite and himself 
 have been friends for many years. In the 
 introduction to the beautiful edition of Mr. Waite' s 
 "Hallelujah," which was published in 1851, are 
 several interesting letters from individuals, in 
 various places where Mr. W. had lectured; from 
 which the following is selected as a short specimen. 
 Addressing Mr. Waite, the writer says : — 
 
 1 * I consider that your visits to us have laid me under 
 considerable personal obligations to you. They call me 
 the leader of the Psalmody in our place of worship; and I used 
 to consider it my duty, not only to pitch the tunes, but also to 
 sing away with a strength of voice exceeding that of any other 
 person. If, perchance, I heard some distant members of the 
 congregation going wrong, I used to put on all the steam, and 
 sing away at the top of my voice, for the purpose of controlling 
 the congregation, and preserving the time. The consequence 
 was, that at the close of the Sabbath, I frequently went home 
 tired, and indeed exhausted, by the labours of the day. Since 
 we have had our regular Psalmody class, I have been able to 
 leave the treble entirely to the ladies ; so that now I just give 
 the key, sing a few notes of the air, and then go off to the 
 tenor, which is my proper part. The result is, that all the 
 parts of the harmony are well-sustained ; our Psalmody is 
 greatly improved ; I sing with great ease and pleasure ; and at 
 the close of the day I find myself, happily, free from the 
 weariness and exhaustion which I formerly experienced." 
 
 Another still more important point is this, that 
 whoever — whether one or more persons — conduct 
 
90 
 
 the Psalmody and the Psalmody-class, the whole 
 of this department of ecclesiastical action, including 
 the management of a musical instrument, if there 
 be one, should be under the general superintendence 
 of the minister and other office-bearers. Such an 
 imperium in imperio as the choir is in some congre- 
 gations, is an anomaly that ought not to be tolerated. 
 Of the two evils, namely, the temporary suspension 
 of the Psalmody, or the choir being allowed to do 
 as they choose, even though their procedure should 
 be ever so frivolous and worldly, we would un- 
 hesitatingly say, that the former is far less than the 
 latter. At the same time, we are far from desiring 
 either that the pastor should be a despot, or that 
 pastor and deacons together should be chargeable 
 with officiousness and meddlesomeness. 
 
 Where the diaconate consists of several indi- 
 viduals, they themselves, with the pastor, would, 
 in most cases, be able, if musically trained from 
 their youth, not merely to superintend the Psalmody, 
 but to conduct it. It is well known that a 
 great majority of persons have the voice and 
 ear which singing requires, and of these a con- 
 siderable number, with an ordinary musical edu- 
 cation, would be able to sing well. It is deeply to 
 be lamented that this valuable talent, which might 
 be of untold benefit to the church, should, in so many 
 
91 
 
 instances, lie dormant and useless ; so that only 
 here and there either a minister or deacon is found 
 who can begin and carry on a tune by himself. It 
 is also matter of deep regret, that so small a number 
 of men with deep voices learn to sing lass; the 
 want of which has sometimes induced a congre- 
 gation to get an organ. One instance of this is 
 fresh in the writer's recollection. He heard a deacon 
 of a church, which was about to have an organ, 
 express himself in such terms as these: "Now vje 
 shall have some bass." 
 
 No doubt of it ; but you might have had it long 
 before, and without expense, if only one half of 
 the thirty or forty men in the congregation who 
 had bass voices, had learned to sing bass. 
 
 The excellence of the Psalmody in a congregation 
 depends, in no small degree, on the minister. 
 Martin Luther, in his "Table Talk," is reported to 
 have expressed himself on this subject in the 
 following language : "I always loved music. We 
 must, of necessity, maintain music in schools. A 
 schoolmaster ought to have skill in music, other- 
 wise I would not regard him. Neither should we 
 ordain young fellows to the office of preaching, 
 except they have been well exercised in the school 
 of music." The writer needs not say, that he 
 cannot endorse the homely clause which represents 
 
skill in music as an essential qualification for a 
 preacher. At the same time, it is certain, that 
 ability to sing is a valuable appendage to more 
 essential things, not only because a minister will 
 occasionally be so situated, that the whole assembly 
 must be dumb, unless he can lead their Psalmody, 
 but, also, because a minister who, himself, can 
 sing, and manifests his delight in the work, is 
 likely to impart the same spirit, in some degree, to 
 the people. There is, however, one department of 
 service in which a good minister of Jesus Christ, 
 though not himself a singer, may, nevertheless, 
 excite in his people, the love of Psalmody. 
 
 In a preceding part of the Essay, the opinion 
 was expressed, that the Psalmody of our forefathers 
 in London, two or three generations ago, was 
 deficient in regard to energy and vivacity. Good 
 ministers of that time were searching and practical, 
 as all preachers should be, but it is probable that 
 they did not give that prominence to the great and 
 encouraging truths of the Gospel, which are the 
 sources of that peace, and hope, and joy, which 
 find their natural outlet in praise and thanksgiving. 
 " Out of the abundance of the heart will the 
 mouth both speak and sing." The Methodists, who 
 arose about that time, dwelt much on such joyful 
 topics, and this may partly account for that 
 
93 
 
 invigoraticm of Psalmody which originated chiefly 
 with them, and eventually affected both Church of 
 England Christians, and the regular Nonconformists. 
 
 We have historical proof of the powerful effect of 
 joyful piety on the Psalmody of Christian people. 
 
 Some few persons who may read this Essay, may 
 be already acquainted with the remarkable case of 
 the congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts ; 
 but it gives so striking a proof and illustration 
 of the effect of piety on Psalmody, that we cannot 
 hesitate to give the complete statement. 
 
 Let it be distinctly remembered, that thoroughly 
 good Psalmody means, what is both good to the 
 ear, and is also good, as coming, apparently, from 
 the heart. 
 
 Previously to the religious movement in the 
 congregation of President Edwards, when very many 
 irreligious persons became decided Christians, and 
 real Christians had their piety greatly deepened — 
 previously to this religious movement, the people 
 had learned to sing well in four parts, and, con- 
 sequently, the singing was reckoned very good. 
 But observe what was the effect of the revival of 
 religion on that previously good Psalmody. The 
 following are the words of Edwards : — 
 
 "The goings of God were then seen in His sanctuary. GocTs 
 Day was a delight, and His 'tabernacles' were 'amiable.' 
 
94 
 
 Our public assemblies were then beautiful. The congregation 
 was then alive in God's service. Our public praises were 
 then greatly enlivened. God was then served in our 
 Psalmody, in some measure, 'in the beauty of holiness.' It 
 has been observable that there has been scarce any part of 
 Divine worship wherein good men amongst us have had grace 
 so drawn forth, and their hearts so lifted up in the ways of God, 
 as in singing His praises. Our congregation excelled all that 
 ever I knew in the external part of the duty, before ; the men 
 carrying regularly and well, three parts of the music, and 
 the women a part by themselves ; but now they were wont to 
 sing with unusual elevation of heart and voice, which made 
 the duty pleasant indeed." 
 
 To the above we may now add a very recent 
 instance of the same kind (and a multitude of 
 similar cases might be given), as related by 
 Professor Gibson, in a deeply interesting volume, 
 very lately published, entitled, "The Year of 
 Grace." The place was a town in Ulster, in the 
 north of Ireland: — 
 
 1 ' The services of the Sabbath were attended, as usual, by 
 an immense audience : the congregation being one of the largest 
 in Ulster, and comprising nearly a thousand families; the 
 church, at all times well-filled, was thronged by a mass of 
 devout worshippers. During the service there were indications 
 of unusual solemnity, the most intense earnestness being 
 depicted in every countenance, and many being melted into 
 tears. The singing of the psalms was a perfect outburst of 
 melodious sound, the greater portion of the people having been 
 trained in the practice of sacred music, and their hearts being 
 manifestly engaged in the enlivening exercise." 
 
95 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 A Chkistian minister, after having walked, one 
 fine summer day, in company with a wealthy, but 
 not thoroughly religious man, over the spacious 
 garden, lawn, and shrubbery, of that friend — not 
 choosing to take leave without dropping an 
 admonitory hint, uttered the words, in something 
 like an interrogatory tone, "All this, and heaven 
 afterwards ! " and that significant hint reminds us 
 of the immense difference there is, in point of 
 endurance, between the best earthly things and 
 things which are spiritual and heavenly. Had 
 you been a real Psalmodist long ago, in the 
 congregation of President Edwards, or recently in 
 the congregation in Ulster, when such delightful 
 melody, both of the voice and of the heart, was 
 made, a Christian friend might have said to you, 
 not in an interrogatory, but in a declaratory and 
 expectant tone, "All this, and heaven afterwards /" 
 For although the state between death and the 
 resurrection be Hades, the unseen world, and, as to 
 many particulars, the unknown world, it is not 
 utterly unknown. We know, for instance, that 
 our Lord Jesus Christ is not absent from that 
 world, for He has the keys "of Hades and of 
 death." And we may also know T that Psalmody, 
 
96 
 
 in its essential elements, belongs to that state, even 
 before the coming of the day when "Christ, who 
 is our life, shall appear, and we shall also appear 
 with Him in glory." For let us distinguish 
 between what is the essence of Psalmody, and what 
 may be called the utterances, or expressions of it. 
 There is good ground to believe that there is, in 
 that world, some mode of uttering, with others, the 
 sentiments which Psalmody contains : but the 
 chief fact relative to the subject appears to be 
 this, that that knowledge of our God and Saviour, 
 that love to Him, that delight in Him, and all 
 those admiring and adoring sentiments with which 
 we regard Him ; which sentiments constitute the 
 essence of Psalmody; are parts of ourselves, and 
 therefore must be with us, whatever our locality 
 may be. Observe then the perpetuity of such a 
 tejnper and worship; thereby you are "made meet 
 to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints 
 in light. " You that truly praise your God and 
 Saviour now, will never cease to enjoy the privilege. 
 
 "Though we must change our place, 
 Yet shall we never cease, 
 Praising His Name. 
 To Him our tribute bring, 
 Hail Him our gracious King, 
 J And without ceasing sing, 
 
 Worthy the Lamb.' , 
 

 
 
 
 . '■,