Hemustincrease
Puritan Board Freshman
I have very sadly felt the need to separate from my church this last week. It has perhaps been a long time coming, but suffice to say, I could no longer, in good conscience continue to worship in a way which (in my present understanding) is wholly contrary to the revealed will of God.
The church I belonged to has basically gone from reverent worship which included a piano only to increasingly irreverent worship (or at least certain aspects of it were irreverent). Instruments have been added to the piano; the cello, saxophone, violin, piano, oboe and this last Lord’s Day an electric guitar and drums were thrust upon all members. (As an aside, but this might be of interest to some members, the church embraced a hymn book called ‘Praise’ some years ago and it would seem that Dr Masters thoughts on this hymn book, written some 12 years ago, are proving to be prophetic, for pretty much what he said would take place, has taken place in this church. I was away in the USA for 5 years and on my return, saw significant differences, not for the better, and now another 2 years later the downgrade is on a seemingly unstoppable roll. His article can be found here: Praise! - A Review by Dr Peter Masters)
I hold to (so far as my understanding of it goes) the RPW. Accordingly I do not celebrate Christmas, Easter etc and I believe worship must be ordered in accordance with the revealed will of God. However, up until the present, I have not considered a piano or an organ to be contrary to the RPW. In light of the goings on at my church, I have studied this matter out again, more specifically with regards to the use of instruments and am close to concluding that to be faithful to the RPW one must refuse all instruments in worship. There doesn’t appear to be a solid Biblical defense of the view which permits a piano or an organ but forbids every other instrument (though Peter Masters offers a compelling argument for this view). After all, if a piano is permissible, then it begins to be far more difficult (for me at any rate) to claim (from Scripture) that other instruments are forbidden. At least, it begins to appear contradictory to me in my limited understanding. I don’t want to take on the zero instrument position simply because doing so makes it easier to argue against the use of more obviously carnal music, but if indeed it is the Scriptural position, I desire to understand it better than I presently do.
I came across this link which was very interesting: What Early Christians believed about USING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC and have also read this:Musical Instruments in the Public Worship of God
I have read recently ‘Give Praise to God’ A Vision for Reforming Worship which proved very helpful, but not conclusive insofar as the use of instruments. Again, Peter Master’s book ‘Worship in the Melting Pot’ offers much which is useful, but he permits the use of the organ and so leaves me with a few unanswered questions.
Can anybody offer any helpful thoughts or direct me to books which clearly and Biblically present the A Capella position?
I’m not likely to find an A Capella church here in England (if anybody knows of one in West Yorkshire or thereabouts please let me know) and not sure how welcome English people would be in Scotland right now (joking ) but nonetheless, I would like to solidify my own understanding and hope to be led to a church where the worship is at the least reverent and truth is sung rather than charismatic and ecumenical ditties!
The church I belonged to has basically gone from reverent worship which included a piano only to increasingly irreverent worship (or at least certain aspects of it were irreverent). Instruments have been added to the piano; the cello, saxophone, violin, piano, oboe and this last Lord’s Day an electric guitar and drums were thrust upon all members. (As an aside, but this might be of interest to some members, the church embraced a hymn book called ‘Praise’ some years ago and it would seem that Dr Masters thoughts on this hymn book, written some 12 years ago, are proving to be prophetic, for pretty much what he said would take place, has taken place in this church. I was away in the USA for 5 years and on my return, saw significant differences, not for the better, and now another 2 years later the downgrade is on a seemingly unstoppable roll. His article can be found here: Praise! - A Review by Dr Peter Masters)
I hold to (so far as my understanding of it goes) the RPW. Accordingly I do not celebrate Christmas, Easter etc and I believe worship must be ordered in accordance with the revealed will of God. However, up until the present, I have not considered a piano or an organ to be contrary to the RPW. In light of the goings on at my church, I have studied this matter out again, more specifically with regards to the use of instruments and am close to concluding that to be faithful to the RPW one must refuse all instruments in worship. There doesn’t appear to be a solid Biblical defense of the view which permits a piano or an organ but forbids every other instrument (though Peter Masters offers a compelling argument for this view). After all, if a piano is permissible, then it begins to be far more difficult (for me at any rate) to claim (from Scripture) that other instruments are forbidden. At least, it begins to appear contradictory to me in my limited understanding. I don’t want to take on the zero instrument position simply because doing so makes it easier to argue against the use of more obviously carnal music, but if indeed it is the Scriptural position, I desire to understand it better than I presently do.
I came across this link which was very interesting: What Early Christians believed about USING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC and have also read this:Musical Instruments in the Public Worship of God
I have read recently ‘Give Praise to God’ A Vision for Reforming Worship which proved very helpful, but not conclusive insofar as the use of instruments. Again, Peter Master’s book ‘Worship in the Melting Pot’ offers much which is useful, but he permits the use of the organ and so leaves me with a few unanswered questions.
Can anybody offer any helpful thoughts or direct me to books which clearly and Biblically present the A Capella position?
I’m not likely to find an A Capella church here in England (if anybody knows of one in West Yorkshire or thereabouts please let me know) and not sure how welcome English people would be in Scotland right now (joking ) but nonetheless, I would like to solidify my own understanding and hope to be led to a church where the worship is at the least reverent and truth is sung rather than charismatic and ecumenical ditties!