Originally published in Credo Quarterly, March 2002.

Preface

The Psalter-the Only Hymnal? is the title of a booklet written by Iain Murray and published by the Banner of Truth Trust.1 The Banner of Truth is well known throughout the world for the part it had to play in the revival of a reformed worldview in the mid twentieth century, and especially in the department of reissuing literature which enabled the church to stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths. Iain Murray, particularly, has devoted himself to the service of the church in this regard; and the church, undoubtedly, has been the better because of the blessing of the Lord upon his labours. In the areas of the reformation of the church, the puritan hope, unity, and revival, he ought to be heard for the breadth of learning and depth of insight that he manifests. Meanwhile, his biographical works demonstrate a healthy balance of hagiography and critical analysis, and these are a testimony to his spiritual devotion and vision.

That having been said, one must always be careful not to make the helper of his faith a master of his conscience. While Mr. Murray has many good things to say to the church of our day, he must only be heeded insofar as his teaching has been tried by the light of Scripture and found to accord with it. If he has been discovered to speak what is contrary to Scripture, then his teaching needs to be addressed; even as Paul confronted the error of the esteemed apostle Peter which was leading others astray.

In this reviewer's opinion, it is necessary to critically address Mr. Murray's views which he has expressed in the booklet under review. The question posed in the title of the booklet is answered in the negative by the author. He considers the biblical psalms insufficient to express the matured faith and experience of the New Testament church.

The reviewer, on the other hand, answers the question in the affirmative. An inspired hymnody, he argues, is the only hymnody that can fulfil the biblical function of "song" in the worship and witness of God's people; and for that reason, inspired hymnody ought to be exclusively used as the matter to be sung in public worship. Uninspired hymnody can only be maintained by reducing the nature of "song" to that which an uninspired composer can attain to. Effectively, that is what Mr. Murray has attempted to do. He appeals to a different view of praise-song than that which the Old Testament psalms reveal; and on this basis he asserts the insufficiency of inspired psalms to express, in song, the praise of New Testament saints. The following examination of Mr. Murray's booklet endeavours to demonstrate that this is not only an erroneous, but also a dangerous teaching, and one which requires redress by the modern church.

1 Iain Murray, The psalter-the only hymnal? (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2001). Hereafter referred to as Psalter.