Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-17
THE ORGAN WAR.

The United Presbyterian denom'na-
ton is one of the most intricate sect5
now in existence, remarks a cotem-
porary, being made up Of a large
variety of formerly opposing sects, each
one Of which had its peculiar creed.
To fully understand the present crisis
in the United Presbyterian body some
slight knowledge Of the United freshy-
terrain geneology is necessary Some
time ia the last century one RICHARD
CAMERON, piOuS ScOtchman invent
I'd the Reformed PresbyterianS, and Il
few years later another piOuI Scotch
man Invented the Associate Prr>byteri-
ans. Each of these denominations sub
divided itself into two other varieties Of
Presbyterians, and all the four varieties
were before long represented in this
country by emigrant Scotchmen and
their descendants.
Not many years ago certain oi tie
Reformed PresbyterianS in the United
States joined with. certain OF the Asso-
ciate Presbyterians and organiHed new
sect, namely the Associate Reformed
PrcsbyterianS This led TO the cOnvic-
ZION Of the more intelligent members of
the Reformed, the Associate, and the
Associate Reformed bodies that too
many kinds of Presbyterians might
have q tendency to spoil the Calvinis-
tic broth, md the result of this COnvic-
ton was the union of most of thc mem
bers of the lets already mentioned, aud
the formation of the United Plesby-
terian denomination.
The new denomination inherited, Of
course, nearly all # the peculiar beliefs
Of its component Sccts. AS they had
one and all opposed the Use Of musical
Instruments in divine worship, tue
United Presbyterians necessarily re-
nOunced the organ and all its pipes.
Nevertheless, there grew up strong
party among the United PresbytCrians
in favor of organs, and at the last meet.
ing of the highest ecclesiastical court of
the denomination the law fOrbidling
the use of instruments in public wor-
ship was repealed by very narrow ma
jOrity.
The organ party, filled with joy, al
once proceeded To buy organs large and
small and set them up in their meeting
houses. But they were not to enjoy
peaceful triumph. The enemies of the
organ claimed that the repeal of the
law against instruments had bren IN
fairly carried, and they consulte sey-
eral eminent lawyers. The latter have
lust given their decision, and TO the dis
may of the organ party they have pro-
nOunced the repeal of the law uncon-
stitutional. OF course, this is simply
the opinion of certain lawyers, but there
is a strong probability that the repeal of
the law will be reconsidered at the next
meeting of the Synod, and that the
opinion of the lawyers will be sustained.
Meanwhile the United Presbyterians
are in state of high excitement, and
during the coming year the pro-organ
and anti-Organ parties will carry on
their dispute with all the enthusiasm
and stubbornneSS Characteristic Of
Scotch piety.
The Opposers of the organ maintain
that the moment an organ is admitted
within the more or les sacred wall of
a meeting house it may he logically fol-
lowed by brass band or by THOMAS
orchestra. If one musical instrument
is permissible, 20 is another. IF it il
proper to worship Cop with an organ,
| it is proper to worship Him with a from
bone or Il pair of kettle-drums, and the
only way in which to- successfully de-
| fend the meeting house against GIL
MORE or THOMAS is TO keep out the or
gan. Furthermore, they maintain
that the organ, being q machine for
prsising COP, does not differ in princi-
pie from the Buddhist praying machine,
and that if il Is lawful 10 Use the one IL
is lawful to use the other. They see in
imagination vast train of evils follow
ing the introduction of the organ. II
The singing Of pSaluls Is TO he accompa-
med By instrumental music, they are
confident that IN time the ministers
prayers and sermon will also be proyid-
I'd with musical accompaniment, ant
public worship according to the United
Presbyterian form will b come indiS-
tinguishable from the performance OLA
profane oratorio, or even an unSpeakS-
bly, wicked opera. In short they De-
lieve that the organ is Pandora's box,
filled with assorted heresies and Popish
bIasphemies, aud that the United Pres
byterian sect Is doomed to dissolution
if organs are 10 be authorized by its
highest courts.
On the otner hand, the frien'ls Of the
organ claim that it is not to De used as
a lshor-saving machine TO relieve the
congregation of the duty of singing
praises, but a. q means OF assisting