INSTRUMENTAL CHURCH MUSIC.

Evening Star, Issue 7177, 2 April 1887, Page 4

INSTRUMENTAL CHURCH MUSIC.

TO THE EDITOR, gjn—Jn common with myself, I think many members of First Church who heard or read Mr Begg’a speech on instrumental music, feel that his arguments were wrong; but that they have not been fully answeredOf course “all Protestants admit that: the ; Jewish Temple worship with all its ceremonies * was abolished by the death and resurrection of 1 Christ.” But .instrumental music and singing ''' In'praise are mentioned lopg before the Temple worship and ceremonies. Pxaise and prayer are not to bo confounded with doctrine. They are 1 ' divine 1 laws implanted in the hearts of men ; and as regards praise—whether manifested by singing or assisting song by, harmonious chords on strings or pipes—has nowhere, either in Old or New Testament, been condemned. I think Presbyterianism can justify her existence from the Bible without any reference to the traditions of the early Church. _ Mr Begg approves of using the metrical version of! the Psalms in preference to hymns, and yet tney are not 200 years old. We do not chant in First Church, and yet this seems to have been, the manner of singing the Psalms in the early Church. The oldest written pipces of music ' 'are chants, Gregorian and others. A-whole 4i Psalm is chanted in the tame that we take to sing four verses of the metrical version. Hymns are the natural outcome of Gospel light, and, I think, are eminently fitted for use in ' ■praise.' I have long felt that our method and manner of praise was the chief blot on our otherwise almost perfect Church, and therefore have I written. ” —I am, etc, E- F. Dunedin, April 1.