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Editor:
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September/October Issue 2007 - Volume 26 Number 5
Old Light on New Worship
“Surprising
Developments”
The
article we feature in this issue of BC is written by a Baptist
preacher from England, and it contains a commentary on a book written by
another Baptist preacher in New York. It
is surprising, to say the least, to find a Baptist preacher writing this
kind of “Back to the Bible” article while many of the churches of Christ
in the USA are experimenting with innovations in worship and practice. The
publication of this article is not an endorsement of any individual or
church. We publish it with the hope that it will cause those who read it to
reflect on what may be scriptural or unscriptural practices in churches
today. It is a surprising development to see this subject discussed as it is
in this article.
There
are many voices today that denounce the discussion of controversial subjects
in periodicals. While we understand the desire to avoid controversy in the
attempt to win and influence unbelievers to Christ, we also recognize the
need for Christians to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith (2
Corinthians 13:5). We encourage each one to study God’s word and think
soberly about how we handle it. …lsg
“But
we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor
handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God." 2 Corinthians 4:2
"Old
Light On New Worship"
It
is time for a little stir about worship, isn't it? We have had Iain Murray's
booklet, “The Psalter - the Only Hymnal?” (Banner of Truth) which
rejects exclusive psalmody for the New Covenant Church. Now we have this
250-page book, Old Light on New Worship, Musical Instruments and the
Worship of God. A Theological, Historical and Psychological Study,
written by John Price, a graduate of Trinity Ministerial Academy, Montville,
New Jersey, and currently the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Rochester,
New York, which he has served since 1995 (Simpson Publishing Company,
P.O.Box 100, Avinger, TX 75630 www.simpsonpublishing.com).
Old
Light on New Worship
focuses on a single issue. Is there a place for the use of musical
instruments in the new covenant worship of God? Ted Donnelly, the pastor of
Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church, Newtownabbey, and Principal of the
Reformed Theological College, Belfast writes the Foreword to the book. He
points out three damaging weaknesses in modern evangelicalism.
1]
The first is a failure to apply the principle of sola scriptura,
the conviction that the Bible is our supreme and sufficient guide and that,
specifically, we are to worship God only in the way appointed in his Word.
This perspective, once the common property of Reformed churches, is now so
overlooked as to seem bizarre or fanatical to many, while others choose to
exempt worship from its scope, as if God had little or nothing to say about
that which most intimately concerns his glory.
2]
Another weakness is a kind of historical blindness, the neglect of what
previous generations have discovered from the Scriptures. It almost
indicates contempt for the past, a careless dismissal of how God has over
the years been guiding the church into a fuller understanding of truth. This
"chronological snobbery," as C. S. Lewis called it, can masquerade
as a commitment to "Scripture alone." But it is at least curious
that those who lay such stress on what the Spirit has taught them from the
Bible are so little interested in what he has taught others. Those believers
are self-impoverished who will not listen to their forefathers.
3]
A third characteristic of today's church is a frightening naiveté. Like
children playing with high explosive, too many Christians seem unaware of
music's potential for harm as well as good. Closing their eyes and ears to
the manifold evidence around them, they introduce musical innovations with
little reflection or discernment, apparently oblivious to the risks they are
running. It is a lemming-like rush towards the coarsening of worship and the
trivializing of spiritual experience.
Ted
Donnelly points out that the author addresses each of these weaknesses. He
demonstrates, with an impressive accumulation of scriptural evidence, the
absence of any reference to musical instruments in the worship of the early
church and the silence of the New Testament on this matter. For their use in
the public worshipping assemblies of new covenant saints there is not a
shred of scriptural warrant. His overview of church history will surprise
many, with its weight of evidence that the church has sung praise
unaccompanied for the greater part of her history and that this has been the
position of many of the greatest and wisest of her leaders. A penetrating
analysis of the psychology of music points up its frequently deceptive
effect upon the human emotions and the very real danger of confusing a
merely sensual excitement with true worship.
In
these pages we find a two-fold appeal. Where musical instruments are part of
worship, pastors and churches are urged to think again, to examine the
evidence and to change to a more biblical pattern. Such a change would
admittedly be startling, a radical step. True reformation usually is. But if
our repeated assertion that "the reformed church stands in constant
need of reformation" is more than a cliché, we need to have the
God-given boldness to do what is right, no matter what. And, as the very
word "re-formation" implies, this often involves a return to a
purer original. In this sense, to go back to the practice of the New
Testament would be the most constructive and forward-looking step possible.
But
perhaps more urgent is the plea not to change. For we find ourselves at a
moment of crisis in reformed worship. Churches which have up to the present
accompanied their singing with a single instrument are contemplating moving
to multiple instruments. Perhaps they are being influenced more deeply than
they realize by the surrounding evangelical culture. It may be that they
feel that this is one way of retaining the loyalty of their young people, an
argument which Robert L. Dabney describes as "the most unsound and
perilous possible for a good man to adopt." They may genuinely believe
that this would make their worship more biblical. But this book is a call to
pause and reflect.
The
only possible scriptural basis for the use of instruments in worship is to
be found in the Old Testament passages where the worshippers are described
as using them or commanded to use them. "Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise
him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals. . ."
(Psalm 150:3ff). But the overwhelming consensus of the church has been that
these instruments were an integral part of that ceremonial worship fulfilled
and abrogated in Christ. We sing in the Psalms of the hyssop (5 1:7), the
altar (43:4), the sack-cloth (69:11), the evening sacrifice (141:2), the
goats and bulls (66:15), the cherubim (80:1), the ark (132:8) and the new
moon (81:3). No one applies these with a wooden literalism to the church
today. On what grounds, then, can we place the musical instruments of the
temple in a different category than other ceremonial elements? We may not as
clearly understand the typical significance of musical instruments, but that
is no warrant for assuming that they had none. "Musical
instruments," wrote Calvin, "in celebrating the praises of God
would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of
lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. Music was useful
as an elementary aid to the people of God in ancient times . . . . Now that
Christ has appeared, and the Church has reached full age, it were only to
bury the light of the Gospel, should we introduce the shadows of a departed
dispensation."
How
wise is it to introduce such a momentous change on such a slender and
dubious basis? The controversies which may well arise will be the
responsibility of the innovators. New Testament practice is against it. The
majority verdict of the past is against it. The dangers are patent. If, as
reformed Christians believe, the words of our praise must always be primary,
how much can instruments add to the singing of those words? Will the
trumpets, tambourines and cymbals which the Old Testament requires really
enhance our appreciation of what is being sung? How will churches organize
the dancing which is an integral element in such passages (Psalm 149:3;
150:4)? Is this a constructive, edifying course to adopt?
"I
write," says Ted Donnelly, "as one who, for a lifetime, has sung
unaccompanied praise to God. It puts us on our mettle, makes us depend on
each other, for there is no fallback - singing or silence! And it can be
wonderful! No equipment needed, no obtrusion of human talents, no
controversy, nothing to distract from the glorious words - just the voices
of the redeemed harmoniously worshipping the Lord. It is my prayer that the
following pages may persuade more of God's people to experience in Christ
this liberating simplicity. 'Through him then let us continually offer up a
sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his
name' (Heb.13:15)."
So
here is the book of 250 pages. Its scheme is as follows: The Regulative
Principle Applied to Musical Instruments; The History of Musical Instruments
in the Christian Church (these two chapters are found in the first 150
pages); The Psychology of Music (20 pages); Argument in Favor of
Instrumental Music Considered (35 pages); then some brief chapters conclude
the book, "The True Glory of Gospel Worship", "The Exalted
Place of Singing in the Church", "An Exhortation to Unity,"
and "Some Suggestions For Reformation."
The
Exhortation to Unity is particularly helpful.
1]
Unity Between Pastors and People. Pastors who are convinced that reformation
is necessary should proceed "with great patience and instruction in
leading their congregations. The minds and consciences of the people must be
fully persuaded before any changes can be made. The pastors should proceed
slowly and with care, always seeking to guard the unity of the church
throughout the entire process of reformation.
It
may be helpful to envision a scenario in which this reformation proceeds in
a most judicious manner. The pastors are the first to become convinced of
the exclusion of musical instruments from Christian worship. They then
provide the necessary reading materials to the members of their church,
encouraging them to respond with their thoughts and concerns. As the people
read and respond, the pastors get a feel for the pulse of the congregation.
During regular oversight meetings, they may continue to receive input
concerning this issue. This process may go on for many months before the
pastors believe there is sufficient unity to proceed to public instruction
of the entire church. If they do not believe that this unity is present,
they should wait and graciously try to persuade those who may be opposed as
they have opportunity. The hope is that the church will be able to make this
reformation with one mind and heart. In this way, the pastors move carefully
and slowly, seeking to guard the unity of the church throughout the
reformation process.
We
should remember an historical model in this matter of patience in
reformation. In the late 1600s, the Particular Baptists in England did not
believe that singing was an ordinance of New Testament worship. When
Benjamin Keach came to the conviction that it was, he gave instruction to
his congregation. But Keach was willing to wait patiently for seventeen
years before his church was fully convinced and finally received singing as
a part of their worship.
2)
Unity Within the Congregation. In this situation, we envision an individual
member who has become convinced that musical instruments should be excluded
from New Testament worship. Before this individual speaks with other members
of his church over this issue, he should first humbly bring his concern
before his elders. He should prayerfully and patiently wait upon their
response. Under no circumstances should he seek to stir up a faction within
the membership of his church or cause any disruption of its peace over this
issue. If the elders do not come to share the same convictions, the
individual member should continue to diligently maintain "the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace." He should understand that his church
may have a high regard for the regulative principle of worship, while not
being convinced of this particular issue. The concern over the use or nonuse
of a single musical instrument is not of such importance that any member
should absent himself from the assembly of the church or in any other way
disturb its peace.
The
London Baptist Confession of Faith gives a helpful admonition regarding
unity in the church. Although the admonition regards issues of discipline,
the principle still applies, "No church members, upon any offense taken
by them, having performed their duty required of them towards the person
they are offended at, ought to disturb any church order, or absent
themselves from the assemblies of the church, or administration of any
ordinances, upon the account of such offense at any of their fellow members,
but to wait upon Christ, in the further proceeding of the church."
(1.London Baptist Confession of 1689, Chapter 26, Paragraph 13.)
3)
Unity Between Churches. Every church should desire to maintain communion
with other like-minded churches that hold to the same confessional
standards. Divisions that separate churches from one another are as grievous
as those that split individual congregations. Churches that exclude musical
instruments from worship should continue to have high esteem for other
churches that differ from them on this issue. Once again, the concern of
unity is of greater importance than this particular issue of reformation.
Those churches that reform should remember that this particular aspect of
reformation does not guarantee that their worship is all that Christ desires
it to be. A church may exclude the use of musical instruments and still fall
short of the biblical standard in other areas of worship. "Therefore
let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12).
How
does John Price envisage the steps to the practical removal of the organ or
piano from the congregation?
1)
Congregational Instruction. Instruction from the Word of God must always
precede reformation. It is assumed that the congregation has been instructed
and convinced that the singing of the church should be composed of human
voices without the accompaniment of musical instruments. Instruction should
also be given regarding the exalted place Christ has given to singing in His
church. The people must understand the benefits and the blessings of singing
if they are to engage in it with all their hearts. If singing is to be what
Christ desires, there must first be a zeal for it among the members of the
church.
2)
Identifying and Using Simple Tunes. Many of the tunes found in modern
hymnbooks were written in the 19th century when the organ was increasing in
use among Protestant churches. These tunes were often written more for the
enjoyment of the organist than for the ease of congregational singing. The
result is that many tunes are beyond the musical ability of the average
congregation. Each congregation must assess its own singing talent and
identify those tunes it knows and sings well. In our church, we were able to
identify more than 150 tunes acceptable for a cappella singing. These tunes
are used on Sunday mornings. On Sunday evenings and Wednesday prayer
meetings, we use other tunes, and when we have learned them well, they are
added to the Sunday morning list. By interchanging tunes with the same
meter, we are able to sing the majority of hymns in our book.
3)
Beginning the Hymn. Some have a concern over how the congregation can begin
a hymn when there is no instrumental accompaniment. The solution is quite
simple. One man who can hit the proper pitch and whose voice can be
sufficiently heard can begin the hymn. The congregation should then quickly
follow along with him. This is the method used by Spurgeon and many other
churches.
4)
Learning of New Tunes. A church should never stagnate in the number of tunes
it knows but should be encouraged to periodically learn new tunes
appropriate for congregational singing. An effort to learn one new tune a
month will add up quickly over time. Simple tunes that may be learned
relatively easily may be found in many hymnbooks and other resources. Louis
Bourgeois wrote the majority of the tunes used by John Calvin in Geneva
during the Protestant Reformation. His tunes, such as the Old Hundredth,
used in the doxology, were simple and became the standard for the Reformed
churches of Europe and England for hundreds of years. At a time other than
Sunday worship services, simple tunes such as these or others can be
introduced to the congregation by those who are musically talented. The
experts tell us that a new tune can be learned by listening to another's
voice even more easily than with a musical instrument. James Sydnor states,
"The conductor's voice is a better teaching medium than playing the
tune on the organ." (James Rawlings Sydnor, Hymns & Their
Uses, (Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1982).) When a satisfactory level of
singing proficiency is achieved, these new tunes can then be used in the
Lord's Day services.
5)
Good Singing Begins at Home. When a congregation gathers for worship, it is
really made up of a collection of families. The public singing of the church
is a reflection of the singing of the families throughout the week. The
hymns sung in family worship should be the same as those sung in the public
worship of the church. If families sing these hymns well at home, they will
do even better when they gather for corporate worship. The fathers should
take the lead and encourage their children in singing both in the home and
in the church. During the Reformation, John Calvin had his psalter published
in pocket size so that the people could bring it home and use it in singing
with their families.
6)
Proper Use of Singing Skills. Every church has a number of members who
possess a higher-than-average level of singing talent. Such members may want
to place themselves in different locations throughout the congregation in
order to help guide and carry the rest of the people in singing. The
musically talented members of the church may want to give some simple
instruction in the basic principles of singing. The duty of singing rests
not upon a trained group within the church, but on the entire congregation.
Every member should be encouraged to develop whatever gift of singing he
possesses to the best of his ability. The purpose here is not to turn the
church into a choral society, but to increase confidence so that all the
members can fulfill Christ's command to sing. In this way, a church makes
the most use of the talents God has given to it. In a smaller congregation,
the people may want to sit closer together so that their voices can be
better heard by one another.
Those
are all the wise suggestions of John Price. I would think that it would be
easy to ask a congregation and organist to sing one hymn each Sunday
unaccompanied, and then to sing the hymns in the mid-week meeting
unaccompanied. See how capable you all are at doing that.
CONCLUSION
How
does one respond to all of this? The book indicates the amount of yeast in
the Reformed barrel in the UK and USA today. We have convictions about many
aspects of our congregational life and it is a wonder that there are not
more divisions. We share in the general consumerist mentality of worshippers
- "I like my Sunday worship to be like this . . ." It is a
mentality that guarantees restlessness; Christians can become rolling
stones.
But
in this book is a carefully laid out biblical argument demonstrating the
absence of musical instruments from New Covenant worship. If we are shown
something from the word of God that we believe is its message - whatever our
tradition or present position might be or however much we are reacting
against our background - are we prepared to accept and do what it says? If
the only impact of the book were to make the church consider again whether
the introduction of bands and orchestras has been pleasing to God it would
have made a heroic contribution.
As
Christians in the United Kingdom our situation is precarious. Our churches
are small and struggling. To sing hymns on Sunday is unusual. Not to have a
band and worship leader is unusual. To have a man leading the entire
service, and the congregation singing hymns from a hymnal is increasingly
unusual. We have people coming to our services who have never sung anything
but choruses which have been accompanied by a band. To meet us is a
spiritual shock. To preach the Sovereignty of God so that people understand
and love this truth is the first challenge that faces us. To preach with an
awakening ministry so that sinners are saved - that too is up there
alongside it in importance. To encourage a life of credible godliness in all
who profess the name of Jesus is a third category of equal significance to
the other two. These are three goals and it will take most of our spiritual
energy and consecration to establish this in a contemporary church.
I
grow fainthearted at the sight of a group of about a dozen people meeting in
a hired room in a leisure centre. They are in that place having broken away
from a larger church over such an issue as a particular version of the
Bible, or that the pastor was prepared to contemplate taking the marriage
service of a believer with an unbeliever (after a sufficient rebuke), or
there had been a change to another hymn book. That is why John Price's plea
for unity amongst the people of God whose priorities are the three I have
listed is crucially important.
In
our own congregation we sing unaccompanied at our mid-week meeting, and
infrequently at our Sunday services - one hymn, or at the communion service.
When we had no organist we sang unaccompanied. It was fine. But I alone am a
precentor in our church and on that practicality we stagger embarrassedly
without an instrument to help us. If the truth were told we have not given
ourselves to find other precentors. In the accompanying role the organ has,
while I lead the singing, I find us keeping the spirit of the Bible in its
coolness towards musical instruments being used in the service of God. There
is not any church I know in our nation of Wales which by choice and
conviction sings its praise unaccompanied. There probably are one or two,
but it is not for this I want our congregation to be known but for the three
goals I have earlier laid out. This is a fine book, all the more significant
having come from a Baptist preacher - very much in the C.H. Spurgeon and his
Metropolitan Tabernacle congregation's tradition.
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...Geoffrey Thomas
http://www.banneroftruth.org/