Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-03

manded it and l dare not be silent q
calls on the beasts, on the cattle, on th
dragons, to praise hin, aud we ought NJ
TO be behind the cattle and the dragons.
Another obstacle that has been in th
way of the advancement of this holy al
has been 90 much
ANGRY DISCUSSION ON THE SUBJECT o
MUSIC.
There are those who would have thi
exercise conducted by musical instruments
In the same church there are those who d.
not like musical instru ments, and 30 it
organ and no organ, and there is fight
In another church it Is question whethe
the music shall be conducted BY pre-
centor or By drilled choir. Some wan
drilled choir and some want q precento
and there is fight. Then there are thos'
who would like In the church to have tn,
organ played in a dull, lifeless, droninl
way, while there are others who woulc
hsve it wreathed into fantasies, branch
ing out in Jets and spsngles Of sound, roll
ing and tossing in marvellous oonvolutionI
as when in pyrotechnic display you thinl
a piece is exhausted it breaks out il
wheels. rockets, blue lights and serpentin'
demonstrations Some would have the
organ played in almost insudible sweet
NESS, and others would have il fall ot
staccato passages that make the audience
jump with great eyes and hair on end as
though by q vision of the witch of Endor
and he who tries to please all will succeed
in nothing. Nevertheless you are to ad
nit the fact that this contest which is GO
ing on, in hundreds Of the churches of the
United States to-day, is mighty hind
rance to the advancement Of this art.
Ia this way scores and scores of churches
ara entirely crippled as to all influence
aud the music is damage rather than a
praise.
Auo:her obstacle in the advancement Of
this art hss been
THE ERRONEOUS NOTION
that this part of the service could be CON
Quoted BY delegation. Churches have
said: "Oh what an tasy time We shall
havs. The minister vi do the preaching
and the choir will do the singing and we
will have nothing to do" And you know
as we'll as that there are great multi.
tude of churches all through this land
where the people are not expected to sing.
Tue whole work is done by delegation OF
four or ak or ten persons and the audience
are silent. Ia such a church in Syracuse,
an old elder persisted in singing and 80
the choir appointed committee to go and
ask the squire if he would not stop. You
know that in great multitude OF churches
the choir are expected aud do all the sing
ing aud the great mass Of the people are
expected to be silent, and if you utter your
voice you are interfering There they
stand, the four, with opera glass dangling
st their side singing "Rock of Ages, cleft
for me-" with the same spirit that the night
before, on the stage they took their part in
the Grand Duchess" or Don Giovanni. "
Ny Christian friends,
HAVE We RIGHT
to delegate to others the discharge OF this
daty which God demands of us2 Suppose
that four wood thrushes propose to do all
the singing some bright day when the
woods are ringing with bird voices. 1t is
decided that four wood thruaheS shall do
sll the singing OF the forest. Let all other
voices keen silent. How beautifully the
folr warbleI 1t is really fine music. Bat
how long will You keep the !osest still?
Why, Christ would come into that forest
and look up as he looked through the
olives, aud he would wave bis hand and
say: Let everything that hath breath
praise the Lord" and keeping time with
the stroke of inumersOls wings there would
be five thousand bird voices lesping into
the harmony. Suppose this delegation OF
musical performers were tried in heaven;
suppose that four choice spirits should Try
10 do the singing Of the upper temple
Hush, now, thsones and dominicns and
David, be still, though you
were the sweet singer OF Israel Paul,
keep quiet, though yon have come to that
crown of rejoicing. Richard Baxter, keep
still, though this is the Saints, Everlast'
ing Rest" -Four spirits now do oil the
singing. But how long would heaven be
1uiet1 bow long2 "Hsllelujsh" |" would
cry some gloriaed Methodist from under
The alrar Praise the Lord! would sing
the martyrs from among the thronea.
Thanks be unto God, who giveth US the
victory" great multitude of redeeqed
spirits would cry, I.yrisds OF voices coming
nto the harmony and the one hundred and
forty and four thousand breaking forth
into one accIamstion. Stop that loud
.ing;pgi Stop Oh, M; they eau not hear
rne, You might as we'll try to drown the
thunder of the SKY or beat back the roar OF
the sss, for every soul in heaven hes re-
solved to do its own singing.
Alas! that We should have tried on
earth that which thev can na1 90 ia
heay an, ana instead OF Joining oil voices in
the praiss OF the Most High God, delegat-
ing, perhaps, TO unconsecrated men and
women this most solemn aud most de.
lighful service :,
Nov, in this church, We have resolved
upon the plan of conducting the music by
q precentor. We do it for two reasons;
one is that by throwing the whole resSon-
sib;;;ty upon ths mGs5 CT the people, MAX
Jog the great multitude the choir, We
might ....,,.,.,
R0UsE MORE HEARTISESS.
The congregation coming on the Sab
bath day feel that they can not delegate
this part Of the great service to any one one
else and so they can not assume it We
have llor;ous congregational singing LeFe
Peoose have come many miles to hear 1t
Fhey are not sure Gbout the preaching
but they can always depend on the sing,
i.g. We have heard the SOUND
.om;pp up like the voice Of many waters,
Srt il will be done at better rate alter a
wbils when We snail realize tie heisn'
and depth and the iinmens'tY ol this PRIV
ilege. ~
Another reason why We adopted thii
plan. We do MT want any
CHOIR QUARRELs.
You know very we'll that in scores OF th'
churches there has been perpetual conten
ton 10 that direction. The only cburct
tight tbs. ever occurred under my minis'r!
xss over q melodeon in nay 6rst settlement
Have you never been in church on th'
Sabbath day and heard the choir sing an(