THE KIND OF MUSIC GODS WANTS
Music is one of the great arts which gratified an esthetic desire in man. Someone has said. "Music has the power to life the veil and let the spirit look and listen: it marks a dividing line between beasts and men; it compels mankind to put away selfishness, greed, and hate, and to discover the pathway to the soul." Singing as one type of music is the one great art by which man is linked with eternity since Job says "The morning stars sang together for joy" before the creation of the world. John, in Revelation, wrote of the 144,000's singing praises to the Lamb of God in heaven.
GOD PLACED MUSIC IN WORSHIP
It is small wonder that in both the Hebraic and Christian traditions music has a very definite place in the worship of God. The Psalms of David make up the longest book of the Bible. he is known as the "sweet singer of Israel." After the advent of Christianity singing was mentioned in connection with the institution of the Lord's Supper in the upper room. One night about midnight in Philippine the intrepid preachers, Paul and Silas, were singing in prison with their feet and hands bound. Later their jailer decided he wanted the brand of religion which enabled its adherents to sing after being cruelly scourge and placed in a dungeon. The same Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:19 commanded Christians to "sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord."
That music has an important part in the worship of Almighty God in this the Christian age, no informed person would deny. There is a difference of opinion as to the kind of music which is pleasing to God for worship. We might ask the larger question. "What kind of worship is pleasing to God? since music is but one item of worship. In every age man's deviation from God's order has been due to the fact that man sought to please himself and not God; Paganism and idolatry of every descriptions a result of man's trying to please a god fashioned in his own image-and thus of trying to please himself. Cain was the first to try this and his worship was rejected. John Milton, the great religious poet since David, once said. "True religion is the true worship and service of God learned and believed from the word of God only. No man or angel can know how God would be worshipped and served unless God reveal it; he hath revealed and taught it to us in the holy scriptures by inspired ministers, and in the gospel by his own Son and his apostles, with strictest command to reject all other traditions whatsoever."
In order to appreciate the kind of music we should have in Christian worship we must understand that it is music as worship and not music as an art we are thinking about primarily. Music for its esthetic value is to be judged just like any other art, namely, whether it is pleasing or displeasing to the human senses. But music as worship, as is true of everything else used as worship to God, must be pleasing to God, first-then to man. If there is a conflict, "we walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7), and "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). In Christianity God is set forth as the One to be pleased-not the worshipper-and the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every department of our thinking and acting is basic to our faith.
FOUR KINDS OF WORSHIP IN NEW TESTAMENT
Only four kinds of worship are mentioned in the New Testament. Four and only four. Let us examine them.
1. Vain worship. Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, "In vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men." "Vain means "empty", without meaning." The Pharisees were charging the disciples with violating the law of Moses by not washing their hands was but one of the traditions of the Jews-a precept of man. Jesus not only condemns them for so doing but says that anything in worship taught as doctrine that comes from the commandments of men is worthless. Lovers of God today must therefore studiously and prayerfully avoid offering as worship to God that which has no higher authority than the precepts of men-even though there may be nothing wrong with the act itself, such as washing hands. Such is vain worship.
2. Ignorant worship. In Acts 17:22,23 we read, "And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription. TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you."
These people were worshipping,but, due to a lack of knowledge, they were worshipping ignorantly. There may be some allowance made for one who is worshipping God ignorant through no fault of his own, but if he is willfully ignorant, then there is no excuse. "He that turneth away his ear from the hearing of the law, even his prayer is an abomination" (Proverbs 28:9). The ignorant worship of the Athenians was no longer acceptable because Paul said, "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent" (Acts 17:30).
3. Will worship is described in Colossians 2:20-23. "If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world. why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances? handle not, nor taste, nor touch (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh."
The expression "will worship" comes from a single original word which signifies that which has its origin in the will of men. It might even indicate great determination to be religious, but when not governed by the humble desire to learn and do exactly as God has decreed it becomes utterly unacceptable.
4. True worship. In John 4:24, we read, "God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." To be "in spirit" we must be conscientious and sincere. That rules out hypocrisy and meaningless forms. To be "in truth" we must do as the word of truth directs. If we do what the Word says to do, but in a grudging or hypocritical manner, that is unacceptable to God. If we are deeply sincere, but fail to worship as God's word directs, that is also unacceptable. Jesus said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through the truth, thy word is truth." Thus, for our worship to be acceptable to God, we must have the right spirit and we must worship as the word of truth suggests-no more and no less.
Must God say "Not do it"
For a Thing To Be Wrong?
"We walk by faith and not by sight" is the same principle as true worship restated. In Romans 10:17 we read, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." To do a matter in faith we must have a thus saith the Lord", but many have left the main line of faith in their worship and have gone off the bypath of opinion. Some believe that a thing is all right for worship unless explicitly forbidden. The Bible states in 2 John 9, "Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ hath not God." Suppose I were to bring an animal sacrifice to a church next Sunday. The preacher would say "hold on, that is not authorized in Christianity, you don't have God's approval in offering that as worship." He would be exactly right, even though the New Testament does not say you cannot offer animal sacrifices. Why do we have the Lord's Supper as worship? Because of tradition? No, but because Jesus said, "This do in remembrance of me." Have you ever stopped to think why we have the fruit of the vine on the Lord's table instead of sweet milk? Who started it? The Lord Jesus did in Matthew 26. He specified the kind of beverage to be used and he didn't say, "Thou shalt not use sweet mil." But all agree, to use it would be to go beyond the teaching of Christ, beyond faith into opinion. This should throw light on the nonuse of instrumental music in Christian worship. Did God specify music? Yes. Did he specify a particular kind? Yes. He specified vocal music in Ephesians 5:19 and other passages.
Testimony of the Great Reformers
Before proceeding to examine further what the Bible has to say about the kind of music God approves in Christian worship, it might be interesting to note what some of the great religious reformers have said on the subject. Today a vast majority of churches use instrumental music in worship while the church of Christ is one of the few which does not, being content with the original New Testament practice of congregation singing. Even in many churches which do use the instrument, the practice is only of recent origin and often introduced over the protest of great Bible scholars. John Calvin said: "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of other shadows of the law" (Commentary of Psalms 33). John Wesley said, " I have no objection to the organ our chapels provided it is neither seen nor heard." Martin Luther classed the organ in the worship of God as "an ensign of Baal." Adam Clarke, the great Methodist scholar declares: "I have never know instrumental music to be productive of any good in the worship of God and I 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 corruption in the worship of that infinite Spirit who requires his followers to worship 'him in spirit and in truth'" (Commentary on Amos 6:5).
We do not cite these testimonies as determining what is pleasing to God in worship but merely to show that those who use vocal music alone to praise God are in good company with some of the great religious reformers and scholars.
Music in Old Testament Worship
Some say 'Since David used instrumental music in praise God, isn't that sufficient authority for our doing so today?" If so, on the same basis we could bring in the dance as an item of worship because David said, "Praise him with psaltery and harp, praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with stringed instruments and pip" (Psalms 150:3, 4). Is it acceptable to pick out of Jewish worship just what we want, leaving the rest, or rather should it not be to find out what God has seen fit to continue and sanction for Christian worship? Prayer was a part of Jewish worship, as was the burning of incense and animal sacrifice. Christians today rightly continue prayer as an an act of Christian worship and reject the burning of incense and animal sacrifice on the principle that we are now living under the law of Christ in which prayer is commanded and exemplified. Burning incense and animal sacrifice are not sanctioned in Christian worship, and the New Testament is just as silent on the use of instruments of music in worship.
The apostle Paul wrote, "Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4). And those who add anything to worship today that is not called for and not approved in the New Testament are failing to do the will of Christ (Matthew 15:13). So if we try to justify religious practice today by the Old Testament law, when Christ has not authorized it, it becomes a way of falling from grace. Anything added to worship today, whether it comes from the law of Moses or the practice of David or current religious practice including fully-equipped instrumental bands are all unauthorized and must be rejected by those who have resolved to do the will of Christ.
The law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, is said to be "our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ" and that "now that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24). The beautiful lesson of the Tranfiguration teaches us that Christ is the only begotten Son of God and to "Hear ye him," We do not practice circumcision as a religious rite because we are to hear Christ, not David. David had eight wives danced in worship, did not observe the Lord's Supper, and did not pray in the name of Jesus-yet he was living up to the demands of the law of Moses in so doing. However, if we try to take him as an example in worship by bringing in instruments of music and other shadows of the law, we are not hearing Christ; and for this there is the distinct possibility we will be severed from Christ and ultimately lost.
Moses, with all his moral excellence, piety and legislative dignity, fell short of Canaan. Is it not possible those who cleave to him or to his law today will come short of the heavenly rest? Moses's mortal remains, and his only, the Almighty buried in secret; and yet we will not suffer his ashes to rest in peace! He came down from heaven to give place to the Messiah, to lay down his commission at his feet; and we will not accept it! Strange infatuation! Equally strange is the infatuation which will cause one to drag David's instruments of music into Christian worship,and leave off his animal sacrifices. We worship the risen Lord, not David or Moses. When we sing in worship we give honor to Christ; when we play instruments in worship we fail to honor Christ.
Music in the New Testament
Let us now turn to the New Testament to see what Christ, our lawgiver has said on music in worship. Since God said, "Hear ye him," anything Christ or his inspired apostles authorize in Christian worship we must use. Anything without authority in the New Testament for Christian worship must be excluded from our worship because of the silence of the Scriptures on that item. Here follows all of the New Testament Scriptures on music in worship. Open your Bibles and let us read them candidly and prayerfully.
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives" (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26).
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang prayed and sang praises unto God" (Acts 16:25).
"Sing unto thy name" (Romans 15:9).
"I will sing with the spirit,and I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Corinthians 14:15).
"Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19).
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God" (Colossians 3:16).
"In the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praises" (Hebrews 2:12).
"Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him praise" (James 5:13).
In the eight foregoing passages the kind of music which God specified is vocal music. Whatever might be said in favor of instrumental music, no one doubts that we are worshipping God "in truth" by simply "singing and making melody in our hearts" to him. In so doing we are allowing the Scriptures to"furnish us completely unto every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) and are "not going beyond the things which are written" (1 Corinthians 4:6). The voice of inspired writers says one is walking in the truth by singing in worship and leaving off the instrument. The early church fathers testify that in so doing we are adhering to the kind of music the church, for several hundred years, practiced. Religious reformers like Luther, Calvin, and Wesley bear witness that singing is the kind of worship prescribed in the law of Christ. Today when many like to think they are "Liberal" in religious thinking, those who use mechanical instruments of music in worship must admit that user of vocal music alone occupy New Testament ground in this respect, and are safe, to say the least.
In Colossians 3:17 we read,"Whatsoever ye do in word or in deed do all in the name of Jesus giving thanks to God the father through him." Singing, or vocal music, exalts the human voice, the instrument God made and Christ authorized for worship. This can be done "in the name of Jesus" or by his authority. Instrumental music exalts the machine, a creation of man, in an attempt to worship our Creator. This is the basic fault of idolatry which continually kept the Jews in difficulties. In the New Testament vocal music is by the authority of Christ. Since it nowhere authorizes mechanical music, such must be by the authority of men.
Origin of Instrumental music
In Christian Worship
In order to find out where instrumental music originated in Christian worship, we must go to history outside the Bible, since the practice started hundreds of years after the writing of the Bible had been completed. Here are two quotations from reputable encyclopedias on "Church Music."
The American Encyclopedia, Volume 13, page 688
"Pope Vitalian is related to have first introduced organs into some of the churches of Western Europe about 670, but the earliest trustworthy account is that of one sent as a present by the Greek emperor Constantine Copronymus to Pepin, king of Franks in 755."
Chambers Encyclopedia, Volume 7, page 112, says:
"The organ is said to have introduced into church music by Pope Vitalian in 666 A.D.:
Thus historically and scripturally, instrumental music in Christian worship represents a departure from the faith and practice of the New Testament church.
Harps in Heaven, Music in the Home, etc.
Let us now notice some of the arguments which are advanced in support of instrumental music in Christian worship. Many who favor the instrument turn to the Book of Revelation, and cite Scriptures which speak of harps in heaven and conclude that whatever is suitable in heaven should be permitted in Christian worship. In a typical passage, Revelation 14:2-3, we read:
"And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters,a and as the voice of a great thunder; and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps and they sang as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders."
Now a question: "John did you hear many water?" "No, I heard the voice as of many waters." "John, did you hear great thunders?" "No, I heard a voice which was as of great thunders." "John, DID YOU HEAR HARPERS HARPING WITH THEIR HARPS?" "No! I heard the voice which was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps." The 144,000 were singing praises to the Lamb of God, and in rhythm it was like unto many waters. In volume it was like to unto great thunders. In melody it was like unto harpers with harps. John is simply using beautiful figurative language to describe the vocal music which the 144,000 were making.
Revelation is a highly symbolic book which draws aside the curtain of the future and gives us the picture of spiritual things in heaven. To make them vivid for us he uses material things to describe spiritual sights. He writes:
"The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" (Revelation 1:1).
In Revelation 5:8 John records:
"The four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
We do not have any authority from Christ for burning incense in worship, but he does authorize prayer as part of the worship (Acts 20:36). Since the golden bowls of incense are not literal but signify the prayers of the saints, it is obvious that the harps are also used in a figurative sense and may well represent the melody of the voices, as they do in Revelation 14. One could no more prove that there will be literal harps in heaven than he could prove that there will be literal horses there.
If God should choose to have literal harps in heaven for the saints, that would not necessarily permit mechanical music in Christian worship here, for the principle of acceptable worship here is not what will or will not be in heaven, but what Christ or his inspired apostles indorsed in the early church. There will be no marriage or giving in marriage in heave; shall we abolish it here? there will be no baptism or Lord's Supper in heave, but Christ commanded both here on this earth. There will be a sea of glass, jasper walls, and a golden street in heave, but we don't attempt to reproduce those here or anything like them. By the same token it is very farfetched to imagine that the references to figurative harps in heaven give us the right to bring mechanical instruments of music into God's worship today. Jesus said, "In vain do they worship me teaching as their doctrine the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).
It has been said that instruments of music are all right in the home,why not in the church? If one will stop to think he can name several things in the home which would not be suitable for Christian worship. Washing hands is an act of cleanliness in the home, but Jesus condemned it as an act of worship (Mark 7:1-13). Eating meat and vegetables is all right in the home but would desecrating the Lord's table to put it there. The home is governed by moral law. Anything that is morally right is all right in the home. The worship of God is circumscribed by Scriptural law. Things morally right can thus be religiously wrong when used as an act of worship, it not authorized by the Scriptures. There is nothing wrong morally with burning incense in the home for the purpose of deodorizing the house, but as an act of worship it is wrong since it is unauthorized by the New Testament. Both singing and instrumental music may be enjoyed in the home, but we can bring into the worship only that which is approved by the New Testament for the purpose-namely, vocal music.
Another argument for the use of instrumental music in worship is that its use is parallel to that of song books, pews,lights, etc. Some cannot distinguish between an article of furniture which keeps silent during worship and an organ which tends to drown out a portion of worship. One may sit or stand for worship. God left that to man's discretion. The use of pews is a matter of expediency in no way affecting the worship. But the act of sitting is not worship and the use of a pew, by no stretch of the imagination can be construed to constitute adding to the worship of God. Had God specified standing, then sitting in a pew would be wrong. God specified signing, the kind of music, thus playing on an instrument is unauthorized and therefore wrong. Under the law of expediency, the addition of any article of furniture as a convenience is permissible. Adding an instrument of music means the adding not merely of another article of furniture-which would not be wrong-but the addition of another type of worship-one which God has not commanded.
The song book is parallel with the pews or lights. It is a convenience in doing the thing commanded without being another time of worship. If I tell a man to walk from Baltimore to Washington and I will give him $100, he must do the thing specified to receive the $100. To comply with the terms he cannot take a plane and fly, he cannot take a bus and ride, he must walk. If he walks half the distance and then catches a ride< is he entitled to the $100? No, he violated the condition specified, even though I did not say, "Thou shalt not ride." Now suppose he walks halfway, then cuts him a stout cane to help him walk, and makes it into Washington by walking with the assistance of the walking cane. He still has done the thing commanded and is entitled to receive the $100. The song book is parallel to the walking cane. It aids in doing the thing commanded without introducing a different type of music, one which God has not specified. Using the instrument is parallel to riding on a bus or plane when the command was to walk; it is adding a type of music which God has not specified. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire which God had not commanded and were put to death (Leviticus 10:1). Let 's not subject ourselves to the wrath of God today by offering as worship that which he has not commanded.
As a final argument to justify the use of mechanical instruments of music worship, often we hear, "but the Bible doesn't say you can't have it." Let us patiently see if God said we can't have it. Under the law of Moses God told Aaron to make seven golden candlesticks out of the talent of pure gold (Exodus 25:31-40). Did God say, "Thou shalt not use silver. "Thou shalt not use brass?" Would it have been wrong to Moses to h have fashioned the candlesticks from any metal other than gold? Certainly so! He could not even use an alloy, it had to be pre gold, even though God had not prohibited the use of copper or silver in so many words. In effect he did say, "Thou shalt not use silver," when he commanded pre gold. Has God anywhere said, "Thou shalt not use orange juice on the Lord's Table?" No, not in so many words but orange juice is prohibited by the law of exclusion. God's command includes the 'fruit of the vine" because that is specified and it thereby excludes orange juice. There is nothing morally wrong in drinking orange juice, but it would be scripturally wrong to use it as worship in the Communion. Now let us be just as fair about the music question. 'Music," "metal," and "drink," are generic terms. But out of the generic, God commanded the specific: "gold" instead of mere 'metal" for the candlesticks, "the fruit of the vine" instead of mere "drink" for the Lord's table, and 'singing" instead of mere 'music." "Drink" and "music" could have included orange juice and instrumental music, respectively, but that isn't what God said. "The fruit of the vine" excludes others kinds of drink; so "singing" excludes other kinds of music. God did not have to say, in so many words, "Thou shalt not use mechanical instruments of music in worship." In effect he prohibited their use in Christian worship when he commanded singing.
The road to heaven is marked in the New Testament. God is under no obligation to mark every false way we shall NOT take. In driving on a highway we follow the signs that point to our destination. The highway department is not obligated to place a sign by every bypath say, 'do not take this road." We follow the right road by positive signs. So is the road to heaven marked for Christians. If God had labeled every false way "WRONG" which was in existence in the first century A. D. and those which would arise later, the Bible would be nothing but a catalog of "Thou shalt nots." But God pays a higher compliment to man's intelligence than that. God marks the right way and doesn't have to erect a sign post for everything he does not want in Christian worship. The sign post respecting music in worship says "sing and make melody in the heart" or "the fruit of the lips that make confession unto his name" (Hebrews 13:15). The "fruit of the lips"-not the fruit of the fingertips-is what God commanded.
If we could remember that music in Christian worship is not for the purpose of entertaining, but for teaching and for exalting, we would have no trouble seeing why God demanded vocal music and left out instrumental music. The chart below will help the Bible student see the way in which the scriptural purposes of music in worship are best fulfilled.
THE BIBLE The
Commands to: The Voice Instrument
Speaks in son Can Cannot
(Eph. 5:19)
Teach (Col 3:16) Can Cannot
Admonish Can Cannot
(Col. 3:16)
Sing with spirit Can Cannot
(1 Cor. 14:15)
Sing with the Can Cannot
understanding
(1 Cor. 14:15)
Praise God Can Cannot
(Heb. 2:12)
Make melody Can Cannot
in the heart (Eph. 5:19)
In brief, the human voice is capable of doing everything which God commands us to do as music in worship, whereas the instrument is incapable of doing everything required by music in Christian worship except make melody, and it does not do that in the right place-the human heart. Which is the safe course: To do the thing which all admit fulfills the Scriptural requirements and please God or the thing that does not fulfill the Scriptural requirements and merely pleases man?
Suppose one were to take a pencil and paper and draw a line down the center of a blank Suppose one were to take a pencil and paper and draw a line page and label the two columns: Commandments of God, and Commandments of Men. Now, with the Word of God as the guide, classify a dozen or so things which are practiced in religion today. Where would preaching be placed? Under the Commandments of God. How do we know? Because this is commanded in 2 Timothy 4:2. What about prayer? Taking the Lord's Supper? Baptism? Feeding the poor? Any Bible student can readily find book, chapter and verse for such practices, proving that they are commandments of God. What about counting beads in worship? That would have to go under commandments of men. It is unheard of in the New Testament. What about holy water or worshipping images? Just more commandments of men which contribute to vain worship. In all frankness, where must one place instruments of music? We have explored God's word dealing with music in Christian worship and found no scripture authorizing men either by command, example, or inference to use instrumental music in Christian worship. It just isn't there. On our paper we would be obliged to place it under the heading of Commandments of men. It was the Lord Jesus Christ, not the writer, who said, "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9).
It was not an oversight on the part of God that he left instrumental music out of Christian worship; he makes not mistakes. Why he left it out is none of my business; the fact is that he did. In 2 Peter 1:3, we read, 'His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that called us." Instrumental music does not pertain to life and godliness, else it would have been included in the things written. In 2 Peter 1:3, we read, "His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that called us." Instrumental music does not pertain to life and godliness, else it would have been included in the things written. In 2 John 9, we read, "Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ hath not God." To preach the word, pray, or sing is to abide in the teaching of Christ, but to play the instrument in worship is to "go onward and abide not in the Teaching of Christ," and thus in that one thing, the beloved apostle John says God is not with us. In Romans 10:17 we read that faith comes by hearing the word of God and "we walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). In using the instrument in worship it cannot be said that we are walking by faith, since the word of God does not authorize it.
Casting aside all prejudice, can't we honestly say that the reason churches have instrumental music today in worship is because of tradition and a desire to do what we like best rather than what the Lord commands? King Saul was rejected as king because he attempted to do as service to God what he had not commanded. Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for offering strange fire-fire which God had not commanded (Leviticus 10:1-2). In the light of such examples can we afford to tamper with Christian worships?
Savonarola said when he preached the doctrines of human invention he pleased an impatient and fickle people, but when he turned to the Bible, he shook men's souls. Surely it is safe and right in time and in eternity to worship just as it is written in his Word, without addition or subtraction. For these reasons churches of Christ throughout the world do not use mechanical instruments of music in worship and plead with those who love the Bible to return to apostolic practice in Christian worship.
Christian Tracts
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