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    8 . Our next evidence is Origen ( A . D . 184—253 ) , one of the most truly eminent among the fathers for abilities and virtues . He

    tament ; nor , on the other hand does it in any way oppose them , —The fact appears to be , that ( though what we know respecting the practice and general directions of the apostles , may afford us some guidance as to the conduct of pub . lie worship , ) too little is known to enable us to form an authorita , tive system of regulations on the subject ; that they left the matter as they found it , to be determined by circumstances which are

    conroust have been well acquainted with the practice of the Alexandrian , and of the Grecian and Asiatic churches . Though too late to be of very great importance in our inquiry , what he says connected with the subject must at least be interesting , and I feel disappointed at my inability to add any thing to the passage quoted

    in King ' s Primitive Church , ( ch . i . § 5 ) , or even to ascertain its full import , as I have no aco ss to the ¦ work of Origen ' s in which that passage occurs . Origen there represents it as impossible , without

    the aid of the divine spirit , to sing ( tyxXoii ) with good modulation or in good time , or harmoniously to praise ( jj ^ vytrou ) the Father by Christ . This passage ( which is quoted from the Trratise De

    Oiatione , h vi . p . 7 . ) if tyaWtv had not yet lost its appropriate signification , ( see p . 464 , note % ) affords a presumptive proof that the Christians in OrigonS time , in the countries where he lived , employed instrumental music with their

    devotional singing ; but I imagine that it particularly refers to their more private exercises of devotion . Such , Sir , is all the original evidence I can collect from any quarter respecting the piactice of the Christians of the first two

    centuries immediately succeeding fhe death of Christ ; and I ihink it will be allowed on all sides to afford no guide as to the practice and directions of the apostles . It affords ,, I admit , a <» cocrabosaxion to tW c <> nc 4 usioa& 1 dr « w from my examination of tbe N « w Te » -

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    tinually varying , according to the manners and customs of the age , the degree of mental culture , &c . and that all we have to do , is to take care that our practice is ac . cordant with the principles of the human mind , and with the spiritual nature of Christian worship .

    The worship must have nothing in it to fetter the mind to feelings inconsistent with the latter ; nor must it be so remote from the former , as to have nothing accordant with the actual state of humanity , and to be fit only for minds which have reached the highest states of refinement both of intellect and

    of affection . From the data which I hare collected , few conclusions of a po si tive nature can be securely drawn , but the following inferences appear to myself tolerably satisfactory . 1 . Ddring those periods in which persecution was most prevalent among the Roman , Grecian , Asiatic Christians , singing seldorn if ever formed a part of their public worship . , 2 . During the same periods , tn « arts wouFd be little cultivated * mong them > and instrument mtmc wattM , from tbtr same ctfji D naturally fall into disuse . * circumstances of tka Christians *

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    670 On the use of Vocal and Instrumental Music in Public Wonhip

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1813, page 670, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2433/page/46/