David Lipscomb

“ Then my faith is that it is the duty of those who believe a church sets aside the order of God to strive to correct that wrong, to be patient and forbearing in it; and if they fail in this, to withdraw and at once go actively to work to form a true church and observe the true service of God. If they quit work because others have gone wrong, they will die and the cause of truth will perish in their midst. Go to work to maintain the truth of God and to induce others to accept it, and God will bless you. ”

“ Our fidelity to God is tested as easily in little things as in great ones; rather, nothing is little where, God’s authority is at stake. Witness the sin of our first parents. Paul kept a good conscience in all things; so God honored him and chose him to be the great apostle to the Gentiles. Sometimes when a part of a church insists on and adopts the wrong, had I not better yield than to create division in the church? A church that requires disobedience to God to maintain peace in it is already an apostate church; it has rejected God as its only Ruler. ”

“ It is the sentiment that is sung that constitutes the worship; there is no acceptable worship in music distinct from the sentiment sung. The music of the song is only a means of impressing the sentiment sung more deeply on the hearts of both singer and hearer. What is sung must be the outgrowth of the word of God “dwelling richly” in the heart. it is to be done by speaking that word of God in song. The purpose is to praise God and teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in the heart to the Lord. ”

“ It is generally insisted that the peace of the congregation should not be disturbed by as small a matter as the use of instruments. The test of a congregation of Christ is: It recognizes God as the only Lawgiver. It serves God alone. When it consciously changes the smallest appointment of God, it dethrones God as the only Lawmaker and ceases to he a church of God. ”

“ A Christian loyal and true to the Lord Jesus Christ cannot use them, nor in any way countenance the setting aside the order of God by adding to or taking from his appointments, even in-the smallest matters, as washing of hands. While forbearance and love should be exercised in showing them the error of the way, when the church determines to introduce a service not required by God, he who believes it wrong is compelled to refuse in any way to countenance or affiliate with the wrong. To do so is to commit a double sin. ”

“ The invention of instruments of music by David is plainly condemned and placed among sins offensive to God. Every time it is said to be ordained or appointed by David, it is condemned by God, since no service added by man could be acceptable to God. This explains why all the writers are so careful to keep it distinct from things ordained by God, and that it should be understood as an invention and addition of David.
Instrumental music was brought into the temple service as a part of the effort to build up an earthly kingdom and to give earthly glory and fame to that kingdom. ”

“ God warned them of the evils the kings would bring upon them, but granted their request and permitted them to make the experiment of serving God in a government of their own, of seeking earthly greatness through an earthly kingdom, and at the same time trying to serve him in his appointments. He permitted this that they might prove the evil results of supplanting God's order with their own inventions. All that pertained to the kingdom and its earthly greatness is given to us as warning to be avoided, not as example to be followed. ”

“ Who can make a better argument for instrumental music in connection with worship than that, or who can make an argument for instrumental music in worship that does not equally justify polygamy? There is no evidence that Moses had more than one wife at one time ”

“ All the judges of Israel and all her chosen kings which were appointed by God—including Saul, David, and Solomon—were polygamists, and the descendants of those polygamists were highly honored by the Lord. The prophet Samuel, and even Jesus, our Savior, came through polygamous lineage. The Bible also says that polygamous relations should exist in the last days, when men should be so decimated that their scarcity would cause seven women to take hold of one man and desire to be called by his name to take away their reproach. ”

“ There can be no doubt that those who cling to the church and build it up, knowing that it is maintaining practices contrary to the word of God, are worse sinners before God than those who introduce them believing they are right. Sometimes persons think that as the Lord tolerated these sins in Israel he will tolerate them under Christ. ”

“ The test of personal discipleship to God is: That in all matters in which God has given order we will do what God commands, adding nothing thereto, taking nothing therefrom, and we will forsake anything that leads us to violate this rule. ”

“ Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add there to, nor diminish from it. ”

“ He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery." (Matt. 19: 4-9, R. V.) Jesus gives the reason God tolerated polygamy; for the same reason he tolerated the kingdom and instrumental music. He gives his reason for these when they established the kingdom. While he tolerated them, he did not impute them as sin. ”

“ It destroys the difference between the clean and the unclean, the holy and the unholy, counts the blood of the Son of God unclean, and tramples under foot the authority of the Son of God. They have not been authorized by God or sanctified with the blood of his Son. ”

“ The greater sinners in every congregation that departs from God's order in these things are those who know the wrongs, yet remain with and build up the congregations in the practice of the wrongs. “That servant, which knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes ”

“ The contrast is kept up between the things commanded by God and those commanded by David. Ezra went up to Jerusalem from Babylon and made an effort to reinstate the kingdom after the captivity. "And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the order of David king of Israel." (Ez. 3:10, R. V.) Remember, the priests with the trumpets were ordained by God through Moses; the cymbals and other instruments, by David. ”

“ They have come into use as Christians have lost their zeal and devotion and fidelity to the appointments of God, as parties do as they grow numerous, and have sought to be popular and fashionable and have catered to the fleshly and sensuous tastes and feelings of the world. ”

“ It will be no alleviation of the torments of hell to think we encouraged our children and friends in the course of rebellion by going with them. God especially warns: "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil ”