CONGREGATIONAL SINGING

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 30, 1864

CONGREGATIONAL SINGING.

"It is the duty and privilege of the church to sing; a duty which she can no more perform by proxy, than she can pray, or repent, or believe, or hope, by proxy. No body of Christians so long as they feel they have any thing to say to God in the house of prayer, will consent to stand or sit silent, and employ a few thoughtless and giddy persons to perform in their name,—or rather in their stead,—a part of the devotions so near akin to the worship of the celestial host. I have not doubted for many years that the exclusive performance of sacred music in the church by a few select, professional singers, is at once to defraud the church of her privilege, and to offer an insult to the Almighty."