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This issue is devoted to a debate over the use of the organ in the public worship of God, which took place in 1849. It was carried on within the pages of the Watchman and Observer, a Presbyterian newspaper published in Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this debate, is the fact that one of the correspondents was a young pastor named Robert L. Dabney. The great Southern Presbyterian theologian wrote again on the subject some forty years later, when he reviewed the book by John L. Girardeau, Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church, Richmond VA: 1888. This review follows the newspaper articles, and presents, I believe, the only two pieces Dabney wrote on the subject. Neither was reprinted in his Discussions, and as far as I know have not been formally published anywhere. I have no idea who the correspondents are who wrote the other articles, other than the pseudonyms originally provided (the reader will see we do know who one of the writers was not). Dabney's pseudonym and article are attributed to him in his biography, and other articles under the same name appear in his Discussions.
The exchange evidently began with the first article reprinted here, but if it was occasioned by anything previously printed in the WO, I did not find it. I believe all the articles pertaining to the debate are reprinted here, except perhaps for one by SIMPLEX seemingly referred to by "H." H. is the correspondent arguing for the use of organs in public worship. RUSTICUS and INQUIRER take up scriptural arguments against their use. Dabney, choosing not to reiterate what he felt INQUIRER had covered very well, criticizes the æsthetics of using the organ in public worship. H. responds arguing for the organ's æsthetic appeal. The article, Ancient Church Music, appeared in the same issue as this second article by H., which appears to have closed the debate.
The debate over organ use raged during the mid and latter part of the nineteenth century. The practice of allowing them won out, and we face the results of that error today. While organs were the new thing last century, today we have dance performances and drama productions. The organ / dance & drama parallel is striking, and it may be we would not be facing the dance/drama question today if our fathers had not folded on the musical instrument question.
The church must return to a consistently held and vigoriously applied reformed Regulative Principle of Worship. This is the only guard against adopting practices in the worship of God which seem right in the eyes of men, but are unacceptable to God. (I refer the reader to the previous issue of The Blue Banner [Worship Song] where the arguments against musical instruments are discussed.)
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