The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-12-27
A Presbyterian Piano.
News and Courier.

The Associate Reformed Presbyte-
rians belong to that sect OF CHRISTIANS
who were dt scribed by the old repro
bute Parson BruwuloW, OF Tennessee,
some ear ago, a. "a very deserving
~"ueople, no sing David's Psalms,
''ulow With double lines n grease
Their shoes with lallow." It Was not
to be wondered ut that 80 mlseraole a
creature should have saught III thls
way To make game of u particularly
fine people, who have ever STOOL u
iautly for the faith once delivered 10
the saints.
This particular sort of Presbyterian
has always held TO the use OF q Scrip
tural Psalniody, although we say
that IN comparatively recent yea y
great changes have been made III the
poetical construction OF the auclent
songs of lii H.. AT time not 80 very
long ago it was possible for almost any
one who could sing to "ra'se d tupe,'
the Psalms having been almost Whoiis
confined in their metrtcai version, u
common metre song., but now the
poetry has been so changed tnat ther
are all sorts of metre in the book unit
it requires. a degree of Spiritual lns'gh'
10 determine from The music thas the
Psalms az they are surg to-day are no'
the works of "human composltion," sc
readily do they Conform TO the require
ments of modern musical composition
Last week the Associate Reformed
Presbyteriaus ut Abbeville held a con
gregaIional meeting Sabbath evening
ut which the subject OF buying a plane
or organ was fully discussed. we are
Informed by The Press aud Banner
that MIR. j. Hayne McDi!l explained
to the congregation that a g0od sno
scription had been raise d, and that. the
opportunity of buying a nice piano a
d reasonable price was pre'enteu
therefore, he would move TO ascertain
"the sentiment OF the congregation by
"a rising vo e as to whether orSnot W.
Fought to buy u piano" Tue motion
was carried ny Il rising vote. and with
out a single dissenting voice, although
one of the more cautious members o
the congregation RETAINED from voting
His scruples, if he has any, are sup
posed TO have been removed after tht
formal vote of the congregation, and
It il said that .'all who Mers presen,
"were in favor of buying the piano.
There seemed to be a doubt In tht
mind of some of the congregation as te
whether or not the Due West people
would approve the action OF the Psalm
singers a. Abbeville, but however tina
may be, the Abbeville Sece1ers were
unanimous in their approval of thu
piano purchase, aud the instrument
has now been established in th'
church., One member of the Able
lille congregation, we are told, sale
that. while he would agree to th'
piano, be would draw the line at
fiddle or Il cornet.
But why should he do anything o
the sort? There Is authority, we be
Iieve, for the Use OF an instrument o
ten strings, aid fnr a harp, and TIT
umbrel, and high-sounding cymbals
and sarkhut. and psaltery, whateveJ
that was, but there is no authority
we believe. for the use Of a piano. W.
| donbt, however, that the Use OF an In
strument with a few strings, more o.
less, would greaeiy affect the aceptahil
ity of this part of the service. Some
of the more old fashioned adherents o
the Seceder Church might object to thu
: piano Innovation at .AbbeviTle, but TIT
trend of the times apears to be toward
the adoption of many modern methods
; i n the service of the church. If th'
improvements" are 10 continue, |
will become more ard more Difficult
for the unframed soul to determine. lh'
exact difference between a church will
a piano and Il church with an organ.