Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church 1 of 5 (Second Commandment In Covenanter, Puritan & Reformation Worship)

This audio message includes "The Question Stated and I. General Argument From Scripture," from Girardeau's book "Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church."

Written in 1888, this book was highly praised by R.L. Dabney. Dabney notes,

'Dr. Girardeau has defended the old usage of our church with a moral courage, loyalty to truth, clearness of reasoning and wealth of learning which should make every true Presbyterian proud of him, whether he adopts his conclusions or not. The framework of his argument is this: it begins with that vital truth which no Presbyterian can discard without a square desertion of our principles. The man who contests this first premise had better set out at once for Rome: God is to be worshipped only in the ways appointed in His Word. Every act of public cultus not positively enjoined by Him is thereby forbidden. Christ and His apostles ordained the musical worship of the New Dispensation without any sort of musical instrument, enjoining only the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Hence such instruments are excluded from Christian worship. Such has been the creed of all churches, and in all ages, except for the Popish communion after it had reached the nadir of its corruption at the end of the thirteenth century, and of its prelatic imitators.'

This book, as well as other books about purity in worship, is available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 19. This Reformation CD & 29 others are at the 'Outside Web Link" below.