WrittenFromUtopia
Puritan Board Graduate
John Chrysostom, 4th Century Bishop - "David formerly sang songs, also today we sing hymns. He had a lyre with lifeless strings, the church has a lyre with living strings. Our tongues are the strings of the lyre with a different tone indeed but much more in accordance with piety. Here there is no need for the cithara, or for stretched strings, or for the plectrum, or for art, or for any instrument; but, if you like, you may yourself become a cithara, mortifying the members of the flesh and making a full harmony of mind and body. For when the flesh no longer lusts against the Spirit, but has submitted to its orders and has been led at length into the best and most admirable path, then will you create a spiritual melody."
(Chrysostom, 347-407, Exposition of Psalms 41, (381-398 A.D.) Source Readings in Music History, ed. O. Strunk, W. W. Norton and Co.: New York, 1950, pg. 70.)
Thomas Aquinas, Catholic Theologian; 13th century - "Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries, to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize."
(Bingham's Antiquities, Vol. 2, p.483, London)
Martin Luther, Reformation Leader - "The organ in the worship service is a sign of Baal."
(Realencyklopadie Fur Protestantische Theologie und Kirche, Bd, 14, s.433 cited in Instrumental Music and New Testament Worship, James D. Bales, p. 130.)
Erasmus - "We have brought into our churches certain operatic and theatrical music; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words as I hardly think was ever in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes, and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled. And for this end organ makers are hired with great salaries, and a company of boys, who waste all their time learning these whining tones."
(Erasmus, Commentary on I Cor. 14:19)
John Calvin, Reformation Leader, Founder of Reformed & Presbyterian denominations - "Musical Instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore, have foolishly borrowed, this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing to him.
(Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 33, see also commentary on 1 Samuel 18:1-9)
Theodore Beza, Pastor in Geneva - "If the apostle justly prohibits the use of unknown tongues in the church, much less would he have tolerated these artificial musical performances which are addressed to the ear alone, and seldom strike the understanding even of the performers themselves."
(Theodore Beza, scholar of Geneva, Girardeau's Instrumental Music, p. 166)
John Wesley, Founder of the Methodist Denomination - "I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor seen."
(Cited by Methodist commentator Adam Clarke; Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 4, p.684)
Catholic Encyclopedia - "Although Josephus tells of the wonderful effects produced in the Temple by the use of instruments, the first Christians were of too spiritual a fibre to substitute lifeless instruments for or to use them to accompany the human voice. Clement of Alexandria severely condemns the use of instruments even at Christian banquets."
(Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, p. 652)
Andrew Fuller, Baptist Theologian - "The history of the church during the first three centuries affords many instances of primitive Christians engaging in singing, but no mention, (that I recollect) is made of instruments. (If my memory does not deceive me) it originated in the dark ages of popery, when almost every other superstition was introduced. At present, it is most used and where the least regard is paid to primitive simplicity."
(Andrew Fuller, Baptist, Complete works of Andre Fuller, Vol 3, P. 520, 1843)
Charles Spurgeon, Baptist Author/Pastor - "We might as well pray by machinery as sing by it" and "Israel was at school, and used childish things to help her learn; but in these days when Jesus gives us spiritual food, one can make melody without strings and pipes... we do not need them. That would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto Him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice."
(Charles Spurgeon, Commentary on Psalm 42.)
Adam Clarke, Methodist Commentator and contemporary of John Wesley - "œI am an old man and an old minister, and I here declare that I have never known instrumental music to be productive of any good in the worship of God, and have reason to believe that it has been productive of much evil. Music, as a science, I esteem and admire, but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music, and I here register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of that Infinite Spirit who requires His followers to worship Him in spirit and in truth."
David Benedict, Baptist Historian - "In my earliest intercourse among this people, congregational singing generally prevailed among them. . . . The Introduction Of The Organ Among The Baptist. This instrument, which from time immemorial has been associated with cathedral pomp and prelatical power, and has always been the peculiar favorite of great national churches, at length found its way into Baptist sanctuaries, and the first one ever employed by the denomination in this country, and probably in any other, might have been standing in the singing gallery of the Old Baptist meeting house in Pawtucket, about forty years ago, where I then officiated as pastor (1840) ... Staunch old Baptists in former times would as soon tolerated the Pope of Rome in their pulpits as an organ in their galleries, and yet the instrument has gradually found its way among them.... How far this modern organ fever will extend among our people, and whether it will on the whole work a RE- formation or DE- formation in their singing service, time will more fully develop."
(Benedict, Baptist historian, Fifty Years Among Baptist, page 204-207)
(Chrysostom, 347-407, Exposition of Psalms 41, (381-398 A.D.) Source Readings in Music History, ed. O. Strunk, W. W. Norton and Co.: New York, 1950, pg. 70.)
Thomas Aquinas, Catholic Theologian; 13th century - "Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries, to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize."
(Bingham's Antiquities, Vol. 2, p.483, London)
Martin Luther, Reformation Leader - "The organ in the worship service is a sign of Baal."
(Realencyklopadie Fur Protestantische Theologie und Kirche, Bd, 14, s.433 cited in Instrumental Music and New Testament Worship, James D. Bales, p. 130.)
Erasmus - "We have brought into our churches certain operatic and theatrical music; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words as I hardly think was ever in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes, and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled. And for this end organ makers are hired with great salaries, and a company of boys, who waste all their time learning these whining tones."
(Erasmus, Commentary on I Cor. 14:19)
John Calvin, Reformation Leader, Founder of Reformed & Presbyterian denominations - "Musical Instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore, have foolishly borrowed, this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing to him.
(Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 33, see also commentary on 1 Samuel 18:1-9)
Theodore Beza, Pastor in Geneva - "If the apostle justly prohibits the use of unknown tongues in the church, much less would he have tolerated these artificial musical performances which are addressed to the ear alone, and seldom strike the understanding even of the performers themselves."
(Theodore Beza, scholar of Geneva, Girardeau's Instrumental Music, p. 166)
John Wesley, Founder of the Methodist Denomination - "I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor seen."
(Cited by Methodist commentator Adam Clarke; Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 4, p.684)
Catholic Encyclopedia - "Although Josephus tells of the wonderful effects produced in the Temple by the use of instruments, the first Christians were of too spiritual a fibre to substitute lifeless instruments for or to use them to accompany the human voice. Clement of Alexandria severely condemns the use of instruments even at Christian banquets."
(Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, p. 652)
Andrew Fuller, Baptist Theologian - "The history of the church during the first three centuries affords many instances of primitive Christians engaging in singing, but no mention, (that I recollect) is made of instruments. (If my memory does not deceive me) it originated in the dark ages of popery, when almost every other superstition was introduced. At present, it is most used and where the least regard is paid to primitive simplicity."
(Andrew Fuller, Baptist, Complete works of Andre Fuller, Vol 3, P. 520, 1843)
Charles Spurgeon, Baptist Author/Pastor - "We might as well pray by machinery as sing by it" and "Israel was at school, and used childish things to help her learn; but in these days when Jesus gives us spiritual food, one can make melody without strings and pipes... we do not need them. That would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto Him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice."
(Charles Spurgeon, Commentary on Psalm 42.)
Adam Clarke, Methodist Commentator and contemporary of John Wesley - "œI am an old man and an old minister, and I here declare that I have never known instrumental music to be productive of any good in the worship of God, and have reason to believe that it has been productive of much evil. Music, as a science, I esteem and admire, but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music, and I here register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of that Infinite Spirit who requires His followers to worship Him in spirit and in truth."
David Benedict, Baptist Historian - "In my earliest intercourse among this people, congregational singing generally prevailed among them. . . . The Introduction Of The Organ Among The Baptist. This instrument, which from time immemorial has been associated with cathedral pomp and prelatical power, and has always been the peculiar favorite of great national churches, at length found its way into Baptist sanctuaries, and the first one ever employed by the denomination in this country, and probably in any other, might have been standing in the singing gallery of the Old Baptist meeting house in Pawtucket, about forty years ago, where I then officiated as pastor (1840) ... Staunch old Baptists in former times would as soon tolerated the Pope of Rome in their pulpits as an organ in their galleries, and yet the instrument has gradually found its way among them.... How far this modern organ fever will extend among our people, and whether it will on the whole work a RE- formation or DE- formation in their singing service, time will more fully develop."
(Benedict, Baptist historian, Fifty Years Among Baptist, page 204-207)
