Dr. Begg, Section 4
James Dodson
SECTION IV.
Inquiry whether the use of Organs be authorised in the worship of God, by the Constitution and Laws of the Established Church of Scotland.
In order to ascertain whether organs may be used in the worship of God consistently with the constitution and laws of the Established Church of Scotland, it will be proper to attend
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a little to the history and nature of that constitution and these laws.
At the Reformation from Popery in Scotland, our fathers endeavoured to remove from the worship of God all those superstitious and idolatrous practices by which it was polluted and degraded, and to restore it to the purity and simplicity of the gospel of Christ. In the confusions of that eventful period, the organs were mostly destroyed, with the images and other monuments of Popish idolatry; and, after many struggles and sufferings, the corruptions of the Church of Rome were condemned, and the leading doctrines of the gospel publicly acknowledged by the Estates of Parliament, in the year 1560. A plan for the worship and government of the Church was afterwards formed and observed by our pious ancestors, such as appeared to them most agreeable to the word of God, and the practice of the Primitive Church.* In this order there was nothing
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calculated to please the sensual mind, or to gratify avarice or worldly ambition; but the amiable and grand simplicity of Christ pervaded the whole. At length, in the year 1592, this form of worship and government was established by civil authority.
Perhaps none of the Reformed Churches of Europe ever proceeded so far as that of Scotland in removing the will-worship and idolatry of the Romish Church, and in restoring the worship of God to the purity and simplicity of the apostolic age. This beautiful simplicity of worship and government was, however, soon defaced by that kind of mixed Episcopacy, which was afterwards introduced, and continued in Scotland, until the breaking out of the civil wars.
By an Act of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 1643, Sess. 12th, a Directory for worship was appointed to be prepared, and reported to next Assembly, 1644:—“That unity and uniformity might be observed throughout the kingdom, in all the parts of the public worship of God.” The reason why
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nothing was done in that business was, that the Assembly of Divines at Westminster met on the first day of July, in the same year, 1643,* and agreeably to engagements between the Convention of Estates in Scotland, and both Houses of Parliament in England, and upon invitation from the Assembly at Westminster, Commissioners were sent from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to co-operate with them, “in all such things as might conduce to the utter extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Heresy, Schism, Superstition, and Idolatry, and in uniting this whole island in one form of Church Government, one Confession of Faith, one Catechism, and one Directory for the worship of God.”†
The Commissioners from the General Assem-
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* See Ordinance of the Lords and Commons of England assembled in Parliament, calling the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, dated June 12th, 1643.
† Letter from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, by their Commissioners to the Assembly at Westminster, August 19th, 1643.
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bly of the Church of Scotland,* proceeded to the Assembly at Westminster, and joined with them in their labours, and upon the 20th of May, 1644, they wrote from London to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which met that year, an account of their progress, in which they give the following statement:—“We cannot but admire the good hand of God in the great things done here already, particularly that the Covenant, the foundation of the whole work, is taken, Prelacy and the whole train thereof extirpated, the service-book in many places forsaken, plain and powerful preaching set up, many colleges in Cambridge provided with such ministers as are most
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* The Commissioners from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland were:—
Alexander Henderson, of Edinburgh,
Robert Douglas, of Edinburgh,
George Gillespy, of Edinburgh,
Samuel Rutherford, of St Andrews,
Robert Baillie, of Glasgow,
} Ministers.
John, Earl of Cassils,
John, Lord Maitland, afterwards Duke of Lauderdale,
Sir Archibald Johnston, of Wariston,
} Ruling Elders.
Their Commission is dated August 19th, 1643.
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zealous of the best reformation, altars removed, the communion in some places given at the table with sitting, the GREAT ORGANS AT PAUL’S AND PETER’S in Westminster taken down, images and many other monuments of idolatry defaced and abolished, the chapel royal at Whitehall purged and reformed; and all by authority, in a quiet manner, at noon day, without tumult.” From which statement it appears that these Commissioners, with the Assembly at Westminster, considered organs a part of the pollutions of Popery and Prelacy, which it was needful to have removed by authority in that work of reformation.
In agreement with the sentiments of their Commissioners, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in their letter to the Assembly at Westminster, dated June 4th, 1644, express themselves in the following manner:—“We were greatly refreshed to hear by letters from our Commissioners there with you, of your praiseworthy proceedings, and of the great good things the Lord hath wrought among you and for you. Shall it seem a small thing in
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our eyes, that the Covenant, the foundation of the whole work, is taken? That Antichristian Prelacy, with all the train thereof, is extirpate? That the door of a right entry unto faithful shepherds is opened, many corruptions, as altars, images, and other monuments of idolatry and superstition removed, defaced, and abolished; the service book in many places forsaken, and plain and powerful preaching set up, the GREAT ORGANS AT PAUL’S AND PETER’S taken down; that the royal chapel is purged and reformed, sacraments sincerely administered, and according to the pattern in the mount.”* It thus appears that organs, altars, images, and other monuments of idolatry and superstition, with all the train of Prelacy, were removed by authority, and it may also be stated that organs were then so completely removed from the churches in England, and so generally reprobated, that at the Restoration there could scarce be found either organists, or organ builders.†
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* These letters are contained in the “Acts of Assembly,” 1644.
† “Enc. Brit.” on the word Organ.
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The Assembly at Westminster, with the Commissioners from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, having united in abolishing the monuments of superstition and idolatry, proceeded in the work of reformation, that the whole island might be united in “one form of Church Government, one Confession of Faith, one Catechism, and one Directory for the worship of God.”
In the Confession of Faith which was then composed there is no provision made for restoring these organs which were then removed, but it is there declared that “the reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence; SINGING OF PSALMS with grace in the heart; as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ—are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God.”* This Confession of Faith was approved and adopted by the
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* “Confession of Faith,” Chap. xxi., Sec. 5.
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General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, August 27th, 1647, Sess. 23d, and ratified by Act of Parliament, February 7th, 1649, and continues to be the Confession of Faith of the Established Church of Scotland, being ratified by Act of Parliament, 1690.
In the Directory for the worship of God then composed, no provision is made for restoring the abolished organs, or any other instrumental music whatever; but it is there declared to be the duty of Christians to praise God publicly, by SINGING OF PSALMS in the congregation, and also privately in the family. “It is there also declared, that in SINGING OF PSALMS the voice is to be tunably and gravely ordered; but the chief care must be to SING with understanding, and with grace in the heart, making melody unto the Lord.”* This Directory for the public worship of God was examined and approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, February 3d, 1645, Sess. 10th, and ratified by Act of Parliament, February 6th of
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* “Directory for the Public Worship of God on Singing of Psalms.”
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the same year, 1645, and still continues to be the only authorised Directory for the worship of God in the Established Church of Scotland, having been always acted upon, and the Act of Assembly, 1645, being approved and revived by the 10th Act of the General Assembly, 1705. This worship, established and authorised in the Directory, has been practised in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland down to the present time; and the 15th Act of Assembly, 1707, prevents all innovations upon the worship thus authorised and practised.
That the constant and regular observance of this worship may be more effectually secured, probationers for the holy ministry, before they are licensed to preach the gospel, declare in the most solemn manner that they “Sincerely own the purity of worship presently authorised and practised in this Church, and asserted in the 15th Act of the General Assembly, 1707, entitled, Act against INNOVATIONS in the Worship of God; and also that they own the Presbyterian government and discipline established in this Church, and that they are per-
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suaded that the said doctrine, viz., of the Confession of Faith, WORSHIP, discipline, and church government are founded upon the Holy Scriptures, and agreeable thereto.” They also “promise that, through the grace of God, they will firmly and constantly adhere to, and in their station, to the utmost of their power, assert, maintain, and defend the said doctrine, WORSHIP, and discipline.” They also “promise that in their practice they will conform to the said WORSHIP, and submit to the said discipline and government of this Church, and shall never endeavour, directly or indirectly, the prejudice or subversion of the same.”
Ministers at their ordination also declare again in the most solemn manner, “that to the utmost of their power, they will assert, maintain, and defend the purity of worship, as presently practised in this national Church, asserted in the 15th Act of the General Assembly, 1707, entitled, Act against INNOVATIONS in the Worship of God.” In the formula subscribed both by ministers and probationers the like solemn
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declarations are made.* So that no minister or probationer, of the Established Church of Scotland, can designedly alter or innovate upon the worship presently authorised and practised without a violation of the most solemn engagements.
This Confession of Faith and Worship of the Established Church of Scotland, as presently authorised and practised, is ratified by the Acts of Parliament 1690 and 1693, and by the Act of Security, 1707. They form an essential article of the Union with England, and are secured by the coronation oath of the Sovereign; so that this WORSHIP, modelled and established upon the abolition of organs, altars, images, and all the train of Popery and Prelacy, is as well secured as any laws ecclesiastical or civil can possibly render it. That unity and uniformity should be observed, in the public worship of God, in all parts of the national Established Church, is
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* See the Formula subscribed by ministers and probationers, and questions put to them according to the 10th Act of Assembly, 1711.
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extremely proper and becoming, and it is of great importance that this is so well secured in the Established Church of Scotland. Were it possible to change this worship, by such additions or alterations as different people should judge expedient or agreeable, there would soon be great variety and confusion, and practices inconsistent with that leading and “known principle of the Church of Scotland, that nothing is to be admitted in the worship of God, but what is prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.”*
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* Act of Assembly against Innovations, 1707.