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Untitled Article
supposed to have been a H * elagian of Syria ; and his statements are conclusive respecting the mjnemployment of instrumental music in public worship , in his age and € ountry : but no farther ,
since we know from indisputable authority , that it had been introduced into public worship at latest during the time of Constantine . 5 . Luciau ( fl . A . D * I 76 )> . says
Burney , ( Hist * of Music , vol . 11 . p . 3 ) . " speaks of the psalm-singing rage of the first Christk | $ i $ . " Supposing Burney ' s account ; -to be correct , it proves nothing as to the mode adopted by the early Christians : it leaves it uncertain
for instance , whether it were wjiji or without instrumental accomj ^ niments . Here again , however , we are left in darkness ; for ^ if Burney refers ( which appears certain ) to the dialogue called
Philopatics , he should have stated , that it is most probable that the Philopatics was not written by L . ucian , but is a production of the third or fourth century . * All that occurs in the Philopatics is , that some of the Christians spoke of themselves as spending whole nights in singing hymns . #
companiments as childish , and fit only for babes . His argument I shall have occasion to notice hereafter ., and 1 wvjjl then quote the passage at large . Those ! who have been accustomed to the solemn notes of the organ with Jhcyr _ hymn of praise , will think the Write $ reasons for the plain song equally favourable to them ; and will regard his opinion respecting instrumental accp # ipamtmcnts as in no way appiicab | e to the judicious use of an instrument peculiarly adapted to simple and solemn harmony . * See Jewish and Heathen Tenirao-* ie » , ch . »*• '
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§ 6 D , Clemens Alexanririnus ( fl . m . 194 ) is-to be considered as & ^ testimony of the latter part of twit second century . Several passages which are quoted orrel ^ rred | o by Lord Kins * ( P limit * vt'Church Pt . ii . c . i . § 2 ) , as well a >> some he
ii ^ Eft hers which has not noticed , clearly prove , that in Africa , at least , singing was very common amdng his contemporaries ; and the good Father himself appears to have been very fund of it . I
believe , however , that only one of these passages has any reference to public worship ; arid this appears to me decidedly favourable to the supposition that instrumental accompaniments were employed with the voice . It is in the
Admonition to the Gentiles , ( p . 74 , Par . erfl ) In order to give his Heathen reader a vivid idea '¦ of their religious services , he contrasts them with the Bacchanalian ^ mysteri es . He speaks of the church as the mount beloved by God . The sisters of * Semele do
not * he says , perform their orgies in it ; " but the daughters of God , beautiful lambs , celebrate there the venerable orgies of the word , leading on a modest chorus . The
||| ory : prophets praise : the sounds | jf music are uttered , ' * &c . &c . ^ T he passage contains other allusions to the rites of Bacchus ; but they have no reference to our object * If ^/ olXXuj had not los t its
peculiar force before the time of Clemens , * I see no reason to
\ I am not aware of any other ground for supposing that it Jto *> than that this cbatogc in the force of the
chorus are the just : the song is the hymn of the universal sovereign : the virgins sing it harmoniously (^ xWovvi ) : angels give
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464 On the Use of Vocal and Instrumental Music in Public Worship w ^ - r
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1813, page 464, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2430/page/40/
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