| Citation |
NECO.724.003
17-24 Feb 1724:11,12,21 (134)
To old Master Janus. I have often wonder'd that the spirit
of singing, and the great care taken to regulate it in our
congregations throughout the country, has not been attended
with some endeavours after the removal of that indecent,
unwarrantable, and unedifying way of reading the psalm line.
'Tis true, custom, and the practice of our forefathers, are
the most convincing arguments with most, for the practice or
non-practice of any mode of worship; and perhaps this may be
the chief reason why this of reading the psalm, has not been
more frequently declar'd against. However, I will venture
to offer a few reasons against this practice, tho' I expect
to be proclaim'd a Roman Catholick throughout the country
for so bold an attempt.
It is certain, that this way of praising God by peace-
meal, between the deacon and the people, was first
introduc'd out of condescension to ignorant people, who
attended the publick worship. And this helps me to the
first argument against it, which is, That if a body of
Christians, or their governours, are allow'd to make new
regulations in things indifferent, as the time, place, &c.
shall require, they may by the same power lay them aside
when the necessity of them ceases. And if what I have
asserted against reading the psalm can be prov'd, it will be
evident at the same time, that it ought to be laid aside in
New England, since there is not (I presume) one in a
thousand among us that have not been taught to read. I
suppose we are generally agreed, that the necessity of
Godfathers and Godmothers is long since ceas'd, and we blame
the Church of England for continuing them. Let us then turn
the argument upon our selves, and I am certain we shall be
asham'd of this practice.
In the next place I would observe, that in many of the
Psalms, there is no meaning (to say no more in many of the
lines, if we take them by themselves; so that we are often
oblig'd to sing without a meaning (which is like praying in
an unknown tongue) till the deacon is pleas'd to give us the
next line, or perhaps two or three more. I need not spend
any time in proving this assertion, because it is obvious to
every one, that even blasphemy may be pick'd out of the
Bible by leaving out a part of a sentence. I confess, I was
a first surpriz'd into an aversion to reading the Psalm, by
coming to the publick worship in the time of singing, and
just before the deacon read that line of the 119th Psalm:
Like Dress thy Laws I love therefore
Here I would willingly have join'd in the Worship, but I
consider'd, that if I sung that line without knowing what
came before, or what follow'd, my own voice would have been
a witness against me that I Lov'd the Law like Dress, and
yet could not tell for what reason. And what makes this
part of divine worship the more unedifying, is, that the
readers are generally such, whose only qualification for
parcelling out the psalm to us, is, that they sustain the
office of deacon; and if we now and then meet with a line
which is a compleat sentence of it self, the words are often
murder'd or metamorphos'd by the tone of the reader. By
this means it happens in some churches, that those who
neglect to carry psalm books with them, only join in singing
like so many musical instruments, piping out the tune to the
test; So that while we are exclaiming against dead
instruments of musick in the worship of God, we encourage
many living instruments, who are of as little use in the
congregation. I have my self been present at a country
congregation when there staves were sung, without
understanding three words; and yet the deacon had the
character of a very affecting reader: But if a noise
without meaning affects us, our devotion may as well be
rais'd by the Sound of an Organ, or the ringing of Bells,
and the insignificant Tone of many of our readers. I am
credibly inform'd that a certain gentlewoman miscarry'd at
the ungrateful and yelling noise of a deacon in reading the
first line of a psalm; and methinks of there were no other
argument against this practice (unless there were an
absolute necessity for it) the consideration of it's being a
procurer of abortion, might prevail with us to lay it aside.
I have but one more to observe, and that is, that the same
person who sets the tune, and guides the congregation in
singing, commonly reads the psalm, which is a task to few
are capable of performing well, that in singing two or three
staves, the congregation falls from a cheerful pitch to
downright grumbling, and then some to relieve themselves
mount an eighth about the rest, others perhaps a fourth or
fifth, by which means the singing appears to be rather a
confused noise, made up of reading, squeaking and grumbling,
than a decent and orderly part of God's worship: Nor can I
see but that the arguments made use of against the peoples
praying after a minister, will ly as fairly against their
singing after a deacon.
I am, sir, Your humble servant, Jeoffry Chanticleer.
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