The Use of Organs and Other Instruments of Music in Christian Worship Indefensible.

WITH REVIEWS OF THE PUBLICATIONS OF DEAN RAMSAY, DR ROBERT LEE, AND OTHERS ON THE SUBJECT; AND SOME REMARKS ON THE BEARING OF RECENT INNOVATIONS.

BY JAMES BEGG, D.D.,

NEWINGTON, EDINBURGH.

“In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”—MATT. XV. 9.

“All worshipping, honouring, or other service invented by the brain of man in the religion of God, without his own express command, is idolatry.”—JOHN KNOX.

“In Popery . . . they employed organs and many other such ludicrous things, by which the Word and worship of God are exceedingly profaned, the people being much more attached to these rites than to the understanding of the Divine Word.”—JOHN CALVIN.

GLASGOW & LONDON: W. R. M‘PHUN & SON.

MDCCCLXVI.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PREFACE, . . . v–viii

I.—The Scriptural principle which should regulate Christian Worship.—This inconsistent with the use of Musical Instruments in the House of God, under the New Testament, . . . 9–47

II.—Art and Religion—or, gorgeous worship antagonistic to spiritual religion and Christian progress, . . . 48–69

III.—Scotch Episcopalian anticipations in connection with the Organ movement—Dean Ramsay Reviewed, . . . 70–85

IV.—The Innovators in the Scottish Establishment—Dr Robert Lee Reviewed, . . . 86–133

V.—Movements in Dissenting Churches.—The present duty of Dissenting Presbyterians, and of all earnest Christians, . . . 134–157

“A Treatise On the Use of Organs,” &c.,

by the late Rev. Dr Begg, Minister of New Monkland:—

SEC. 1.—A View of the Instrumental Music employed in the Worship of God under the Old Testament Dispensation, . . . 158–167

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SEC. 2.—Inquiry, whether Instrumental Music be authorised by God, in the Worship of the New Testament Church, . . . 168–177

SEC. 3.—Inquiry into the period of the Christian Church when Organs began to be used in the Worship of God, . . . 177–184

SEC. 4.—Inquiry whether the use of Organs be authorised in the Worship of God by the Constitution and Laws of the Established Church of Scotland, . . . 184–196

SEC. 5.—Arguments in favour of employing Organs, and other Musical Instruments, in the Worship of God in Gospel Times, Answered, . . . 196–208

CONCLUSION, . . . 208–217

APPENDIX.

I.—Moderatism Past and Present, . . . 219–239

II.—Is the Established Church legally entitled to use Organs, or to alter its Worship? . . . 240–250

III.—Expense of Musical Instruments for Churches, and how this is sometimes defrayed—Strange Proceedings in New South Wales, . . . 251–256

IV.—Dancing in Worship, . . . 257–262

V.—The Westminster Divines and the New Testament Greek—Objections to the foregoing argument, . . . 263–269

VI.—Instruments not Necessary in Singing, . . . 270–271