Baptist Worship, Ordinances, and Preaching — Unit 3: Hymnody: Keach, the Hymn-Singing Controversy, and Baptist Song Today

Key Verse

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Give the biblical reasons for congregational singing and explain what Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 teach about its purpose.

2. Describe the part played by Benjamin Keach in introducing hymn-singing among Particular Baptists.

3. State the objections raised against congregational hymn-singing in the seventeenth century and the answers Keach and his friends gave.

4. Name several Baptist hymn writers and explain why their hymns served the church.

5. Apply tests of content, singability and culture to the songs a church sings today, including songs in the local language.

The Voice of This Course

This course is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist students. It is conservative. It holds that the Bible is the inspired and trustworthy Word of God and the final authority for faith and practice. When it says "we," it means Baptists who confess this. Where other Christians, or historians, see matters differently, we state their views fairly and then give the Baptist answer. For the wider history of Baptists see Course 1; here we refer to it only briefly.

Why the Church Sings

Singing is one of the oldest acts of God's people. Israel sang at the Red Sea (Exodus 15), and the Psalms were Israel's songbook. Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the close of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30). Paul and Silas sang praises in the Philippian jail at midnight (Acts 16:25). The psalmist calls, "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!" (Psalm 98:1).

For the church, the commands are clear. Paul writes to the Ephesians that they should be filled with the Spirit, "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18-19). In Colossians 3:16, the verse at the head of this unit, singing is joined to the word of Christ dwelling in us richly.

Notice what these verses say about the purpose of singing. Singing is to the Lord: it is praise and thanks. But it is also to one another: it is "teaching and admonishing." That means the words of our songs teach doctrine and warn and encourage the people. A song is a sermon the whole church preaches together, and it stays in the memory long after the sermon is forgotten. This is why Baptists, who care about sound doctrine, must care about the content of what is sung.

Notice also that the command is given to the whole church, not to a choir or a few gifted singers. In a Baptist church, where every believer is a priest, the congregation sings.

Baptist Beginnings: Singing Before Keach

Baptists did not begin with strong congregational singing. The early Baptists in England were Separatists who had come out of the Church of England. Some distrusted anything that looked like set forms of worship. Others were afraid of mixing believers and unbelievers in an act of worship. So in many early Baptist churches there was little congregational singing.

This is the background to the controversy of the later 1600s. Baptist history is taught in Course 1; here we note only that the Particular Baptists of London were a persecuted people, trying to be faithful to Scripture under pressure from the law.

Benjamin Keach and the Hymn-Singing Controversy

Who was Keach?

Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) was a Particular Baptist pastor in London. He served the church at Horsleydown in Southwark, a church that was the ancestor of the congregation which, two centuries later, was led by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Keach was a preacher and a writer. He wrote many books, and he suffered for his faith: he was put in the pillory for a book he wrote for children. He signed the Second London Confession of 1689 together with other Baptist leaders.

What Keach did

In the later 1600s Keach introduced the congregational singing of hymns in his church. According to the traditional account, he began by having the people sing a hymn at the end of the Lord's Supper, and he followed the example of Jesus and the disciples in Matthew 26:30. Later the church sang on other occasions in the worship. He wrote hymns himself and published them. In 1691 he published a collection of hymns called Spiritual Melody, and the same year a book defending congregational singing called The Breach Repaired in God's Worship.

The change was not welcomed by all. According to the history of the church, some members left because of it. The controversy spread through the Baptist churches of London and beyond, and it lasted for years. Historians have told this story in more than one way. Some stress the pain of the division and the strength of feeling on both sides. Others observe that it was only one of several disputes of the time and was settled, in the end, in favor of singing. All agree that it left Baptists with a lasting hymn tradition.

The objections to congregational singing

The opponents of Keach were not unspiritual men. Isaac Marlow, a London Baptist, was one of those who wrote against the practice. Their reasons were taken from Scripture as they understood it. We state them fairly:

1. No command to sing human compositions. The opponents said that Scripture commands singing, but that the only songs given to us are the Psalms. A hymn written by a man is a human invention in worship, and that violates the regulative principle we studied in Unit 1.

2. A mixed congregation cannot sing together. A congregation includes believers and unbelievers. Singing is an act of worship that only believers can do truly from the heart. If a whole congregation sings, then unconverted persons will be made to sing praises with their lips, and that is a kind of lie.

3. Singing must come from the Spirit and not from a set form. The opponents taught that true prayer and praise come from the Holy Spirit moving the heart. A set form of words, sung by many people at once, resembled the Prayer Book that Baptists had suffered for refusing.

4. Singing in the New Testament was an extraordinary gift. Some said that the New Testament songs were the gift of particular persons, like the gifts of prophecy, and not a duty of all.

The answers of Keach and his friends

Keach and those who agreed with him answered each point from the Bible.

To the first. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 name three kinds of songs: psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. If only the Psalms were meant, there would be no need for three words. The words in the original Greek can refer to the Psalms and also to other songs of praise. And the church in the New Testament already had songs that are not in the Psalter; many scholars believe that parts of the New Testament, such as Philippians 2:6-11, quote early Christian hymns. We do not say we are sure of this, but it is a reasonable view, and it shows that the Spirit led the early church to compose new praise.

To the second. The command is given to the church as a whole. Paul does not tell the Ephesians to sing only if they are sure about every neighbor's heart. If the same argument were applied to prayer and to the hearing of the Word, no mixed congregation could pray or hear. The pastor's duty is to preach the gospel so that unbelievers are converted, and to teach the people to sing from the heart. Each person is responsible before God for his own heart.

To the third. The Spirit works through words, and the words may be prepared beforehand. A preacher prepares his sermon, and the Psalms themselves were written down and sung by many. Colossians 3:16 says "with grace in your hearts," which is the heart's part. The words of a good hymn are not a set form imposed by a bishop; they are offered freely by a church that has chosen them.

To the fourth. The commands of Ephesians and Colossians are addressed to all the believers, and are joined to the filling of the Spirit and the word of Christ dwelling in them. They are not given as a special gift to a few.

The Baptist churches in time came to agree with Keach. It is worth noting that the Second London Confession itself, in the chapter on worship, names the singing of psalms with grace in the heart as part of public worship. The question was not whether to sing but what to sing and how. In time most Baptists concluded that the three words of Paul allow hymns and spiritual songs that are faithful to Scripture, in addition to the Psalms.

The Fruit: Baptist Hymn Writers

After Keach the Baptist hymn tradition grew. Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was a Congregationalist, not a Baptist, but his hymns were sung in Baptist churches everywhere and encouraged the spread of hymn-singing. Among Baptists we may name:

• Benjamin Beddome (1717-1795), pastor at Bourton-on-the-Water, who is remembered for writing hymns to follow his sermons so that the people could answer the Word in song.

• Anne Steele (1717-1778), a Baptist woman of Hampshire, who wrote hymns on the love and mercy of God that are still sung. She shows that a woman's gift of poetry served the whole church.

• Samuel Stennett (1727-1795), a London Baptist pastor and hymn writer.

• John Fawcett (1739-1817), pastor in Yorkshire, who wrote "Blest Be the Tie That Binds."

• John Rippon (1751-1836), pastor in London, who in 1787 published A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, which was used widely among Baptists.

• Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895), an American Baptist pastor who wrote "The Morning Light Is Breaking," a missionary hymn.

In later years the African American Baptist churches of the United States gave the church the spirituals and the gospel song, which came out of the suffering and hope of a people. Baptists in many nations have added songs in their own languages and tunes.

Debates in Baptist Song Today

Psalm-singing only, and unaccompanied singing

A few Reformed Christians still hold that only the Psalms should be sung in worship, and some Baptist groups, such as the Primitive Baptists in the American South, have sung without instruments. Both groups hold their view from a desire to be faithful to the regulative principle. We respect that. Our answer is the same as Keach's: Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 allow hymns and spiritual songs, and the Psalms themselves command instruments (Psalm 150). Instruments serve the singing and are a circumstance of worship. But if a church holds a different conviction in good conscience, it should not be despised.

Hymns and choruses

In many places today the question is hymns or choruses, organ or guitar, hymnbook or screen. Older members fear that doctrine will be lost, and younger members fear that worship will become dead tradition. We should avoid both mistakes. Old songs are not holy because they are old, and new songs are not holy because they are new. Many fine hymns of past centuries teach more doctrine than some modern songs; many modern songs have been written with real devotion and good theology. The test is not age or style.

Songs of the people

The gospel must be sung in the language of the people. The Baptist teaching that every believer is a priest means that the churches in Mexico, Cuba, Nigeria or anywhere else should not simply copy the music of North America or Europe. The hymns of another people should be translated with care, so that the words fit the music and the doctrine is not lost. Local melodies, local instruments, and local songs written by believers in the church are to be welcomed. At the same time, pastors must use discernment when an instrument or rhythm is closely bound to pagan worship in the local memory; the believers there may need to choose another way so as not to confuse the weak.

Tests for the Songs We Sing

A pastor or a worship committee may ask these questions:

1. Is it true? Does the song agree with Scripture? A beautiful tune cannot rescue false doctrine.

2. Is it Christ-centered? Does it direct praise to God and to the gospel, and not to ourselves?

3. Does it teach? Colossians 3:16 says we teach and admonish. Does it have solid content, or is it only repeated feelings?

4. Can the people sing it? The range and rhythm should fit an ordinary congregation, not a trained soloist.

5. Is it understood? Paul says, "I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15).

6. Does it fit our people? Language, music and instruments should be suitable for the local church and culture.

7. Does it help the service? The songs should fit the passage and the sermon.

Pastoral Application

In a Spanish-speaking Baptist church, the older members love the translated hymns they have sung all their lives. A group of young people have begun to write their own songs in Spanish and want them sung on Sunday. The older members say, "They are not worship songs." The young people say, "The old hymns are boring and we do not understand the words."

The pastor invites both groups to meet. He does not rule on style. He asks them to bring songs, old and new, and tests each one together by the seven questions above, with Colossians 3:16 open. Some of the old hymns are found to have words few people understand and are kept with a short explanation. Some of the new songs are found to be thin in content and are set aside or improved. A few of the young people's songs prove strong and are added. The pastor also tells the church about Keach, who was criticized in his day for introducing something new, and who was proved right because he went to the Word. The church learns to sing old and new together.

Summary

Scripture commands the church to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, to the Lord and to teach one another, and the command is for the whole congregation. Early Baptists were slow to sing together, and some objected that human hymns were not commanded, that a mixed congregation could not sing sincerely, and that set words quenched the Spirit. Benjamin Keach of Horsleydown, London, defended congregational singing from Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16 and the example of Jesus in Matthew 26:30, and published Spiritual Melody and The Breach Repaired in God's Worship in 1691. In time Baptists came to agree, and a rich tradition of Baptist hymn writers followed, including Beddome, Steele, Stennett, Fawcett, Rippon and Smith. Today the church faces new questions about psalms, instruments, hymns, choruses and the music of other cultures. A pastor should apply tests of truth, Christ-centeredness, teaching, singability, understanding and cultural fit.

Further Reading

• Benjamin Keach, The Breach Repaired in God's Worship (1691), public domain.

• The Second London Confession (1689), chapter 22.

• Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707), public domain.

• John Rippon, A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors (1787), public domain.

• Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, public domain.

• H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage (1987).

• James Leo Garrett Jr., Baptist Theology: A Four-Century Study (2009).

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