This piece is understood to be the work of Rev Malcolm MacSween, Oban. It has been edited. This is the first of four sections. The original title was, Should Musical Instruments Be Used in the Public Worship of God Under the New Testament Dispensation?
The men who founded the Presbyterian Church were possessed of solid learning and profound scriptural wisdom. They did not discard musical instruments from divine worship without a reason. Many maintain that there is no important principle involved in this question. But if it is of no importance, why do the innovators not give up the idea?
The fact of the matter is that the question of instrumental music in divine worship involves, when properly understood, the whole line of those foundation truths upon which the Presbyterian Church rests. Every Presbyterian minister promises at his ordination to follow “no divisive courses from the doctrine, worship, discipline and government of this Church”, and that he will to “the utmost of his power assert, maintain and defend the purity of worship as presently practised in this Church”.
It has been said that the use of musical instruments is not prohibited in our Directory for the Public Worship of God. Let us admit this. But neither is the mass prohibited, nor are any of the peculiarities of Rome. The object of a Directory is not to prohibit, but to enjoin; and our Directory enjoins the whole of our existing mode of worship, and nothing else, including “the singing of Psalms together in the congregation, and also privately in the family”.
All the theories that have ever been maintained in the Christian church on the subject of divine worship may be reduced to three:
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The first is the Roman Catholic theory: that the Church can introduce into the divine worship whatsoever forms and ceremonies it pleases.
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The second is the Lutheran theory, also acted upon by the Church of England: that everything is lawful in divine worship which is not expressly condemned in Scripture. This makes way for the continuance of many things which can evidently plead no scriptural authority.
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The third theory, and that of the true Presbyterian Church, is that nothing is to be admitted into divine worship which cannot plead a direct scriptural authority. This principle is found in all our standards. It is very clearly asserted in the Confession of Faith, and in the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. In answer to the question, “What is forbidden in the Second Commandment?” it is said in The Shorter Catechism, “The Second Commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or in any other way not appointed in His Word”. This again is taken from the express words of Christ Himself: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”. (Mt 28:20). This was the essential principle of Presbyterianism, in opposition to will-worship, or mere human enactments. It is equally applicable to doctrine, worship and discipline.
Now has God appointed instrumental music as part of the worship of the New Testament Church? This is not difficult to answer. Instrumental music was part of the Old Testament temple service, had no existence in the order of the synagogue worship of the Jews, and was swept away with the sacrifices, priests, incense and gorgeous ceremonial of the Old Testament system.
The only worship appointed under the New Testament consisted simply of preaching, praying and singing. For these there is express divine authority. History proves that this state of things continued in the Apostolic Church until the “mystery of iniquity” began to reconstruct the whole temple system with appeals to the eyes by pictures, to the nose by incense, to the ears by instruments, all accompanied with magnificent temples, a priesthood, and a pretended sacrifice.
1. A view of the instrumental music employed in the worship of God under the Old Testament dispensation.
Instruments of music were employed by the Israelites in the praises of God, from the time of their departure out of the land of Egypt (Ps 81:1,2,5). After the passage of that people through the Red Sea we note the same thing (Ex 15:20,21).
By the direction of God, Moses appointed to the Israelites the blowing of trumpets over their burnt offerings and other sacrifices, and on their solemn days. These trumpets were blown by the priests, the sons of Aaron (1 Chr 15:24, Num 10:8). This practice continued at the service of the altar after the other musical instruments had been introduced. The blowing of trumpets took place only during the intervals of the music. The Levites were the singers and players upon instruments, who stood by the altar, looking up the court of the temple. The priests, who blew with the trumpets, stood on the other side of the altar, looking down the court, but both looking toward the altar. The number of such Levites was not on any occasion to be less than 12, but there might be as many more as convenient. The number of such priests might not be less than two because of the commandment to make two trumpets (Num 10:10), nor above 120 because of the example at the beginning of the temple service (2 Chr 5:12).
Before the days of David, the tabernacle had no fixed place of residence. It was moved about by the ministry of the Levites, and pitched at different places, such as Gilgal, Gibeah, Shiloh and Jerusalem. It is probable, however, that even then both vocal and instrumental music sometimes accompanied the offering of sacrifice. Saul was forewarned by Samuel that he should “meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and that they should prophesy” (1 Sam 10:5). This prophesying with musical instruments was, at their places and times of sacrifice, most probably an adjunct, if not a part, of the solemn service of God, which was managed chiefly by the choir of the sons of the prophets, who were resident there, and were trained up in all exercises of piety and devotion.
After the Israelites obtained the quiet possession of the land of Canaan, and when it was no longer necessary to employ the Levites in moving the tabernacle from place to place, they were divided and arranged by David for different services. 24 000 were ordained to set forward the work of the house of the Lord, 6000 were officers and judges, 4000 were porters and 4000 praised the Lord with song and various instruments of music (1 Chr 23:4,5). Of these 4000, 288 were more particularly instructed in the songs of the Lord (1 Chr 25:7,8) and were divided by lot into different courses, to teach and lead their brethren. The priests were divided by lot into 24 different courses (1 Chr 24:6,7) and they continued ever after to minister at the temple alternately in the order of the course (Lk 1:8,9,23). Agreeably to this order of the priests, those Levites who were appointed to the songs of the Lord were also divided into 24 courses. The sons of Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were the heads of these courses. Asaph had four sons, Jeduthun six, and Heman 14, in all 24, each being the head of a different course of those who were for “song in the house of the Lord” (1 Chr 25:6).
Though David, by divine appointment, added instrumental music to the service of the tabernacle, and arranged a number of the Levites to officiate by courses in that service, yet the vocal music was always considered by the Jews as the original service, and ground of the song. Hence none but Levites were ever admitted to join their voices with the vocal music, whereas men of worth and piety, addicted to musical devotions, if they were in near affinity with the priesthood, were sometimes allowed to join the temple choir in the instrumental music, with their instruments.
At present we can have but a very imperfect knowledge of the nature of several of those instruments of music employed in the temple service. The Jews themselves have now no distinct knowledge of them. The best, the very short, account we have of them is given by Josephus in Jewish Antiquities, and by Lightfoot in his Temple Service. These instruments were appointed by David “according to the commandment of the Lord by His prophets” (2 Chr 29:25) – as authorised, approved and accepted by the Lord in His worship (see 2 Chr 5:13,14 and 2 Chr 7:6).
Numbers of those employed in the songs of the Lord were carried to Babylon. In this, their captive and dejected state, they “hanged [their] harps upon the willows” (Ps 137:2). Many of them returned from their captivity (Ezra 2:4, Neh 7:44) and, after the building of the temple, had a provision appointed them (Neh 11:23) that they might wait upon their service “according to the commandment of David and Solomon his son” (Neh 12:45).
Thus, after the return of the Jews from Babylon, this part of the temple service was restored, and both vocal and instrumental music continued to accompany the offering of sacrifice in the temple to the end of the Jewish state. These various services were “a shadow of good things to come” and were intended to prepare for the worship of gospel times, when the true worshippers should worship the Father in spirit and in truth.