Transcription
Ye learned Critics, Yet since I'm up, Don't my lines abhor, I'll strive to do my best, For I' m not one And leave my brethern ,here, Who gabbles extempor. To do the rest. ORGANIC AFFECTIONS. OR An Account of A MEETING HELD IN THE RELIEF CHURCH, ST JAMES' PLACE, To Consider the use of an ORGAN in Public Worship. A Congregational Meeting was lately held in
the Relief Church, St James' Place, in pursuance
of an advertisement (after the celebration of the Sa-
crament of the previous Sabbath,) for the purpose
of expressing its opinion with respect to the use of
an Organ in public worship at the Roxburgh Place
Chapel. The meeting house was crowded by a
miscellaneous assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. A Dyer from the Horse Wynd took the Chair,
and opened the business with :?" Gentlemen and
Ladies, Ye ar' a' awar' what we ha' met about, and
the clerk will write the resolutions." The clerk read resolutions (same as previously
published by College Street Chapel.) A Glazier then said, that he had great pleasure in
seconding resolutions which he meant to have done
exlempor: and though he detested all reading with-
in the walls of that house, yet having been rather
unwell a' day, he had committed his thoughts to pa-
per, which he would now read?The learned gentle-
man then threw a strong light upon the history of
Organs?beginning with the age of Constantine?
the era of the union of Church and State (which is
a favourite standing topic in all Relict speeches)?
and 300 years before organs were known. He
narrated that Organs were brought to this country
along with the graven images from Home, and laid
it down as sound doctrine, that both Organs and im-
ages were denounced by the Second Command-
ment. He held that the organ was shadowed forth
by the beast with the seven heads and ten horns in
the Revelations. He informed the audience that
the four last Stewarts had attempted to plant the
Organ on the mountains of Scotland, but that the
plant would not thrive, and was uprooted entirely
by King William of blessed memory; and since
that time there had been only one attempt to revive
the said plant, which had been cut down and eradi-
eated ; and he hoped the Roxburgh place plant
would be dealt with in the same way, and that the
axe would be laid to the root of this foreign tree.
He therefore cordially seconded the resolutions?
(Great applause.) Here it seemed to be expected that the resolu-
tions would pass harmoniously; but in a meeting
of perhaps a thousand persons this was rather un-
reasonable. A Plasterer, after being scrutinised in a tumultu-
ary style whether he was a member, proposed an
amendment, the purport of which was, that the
matter should be left entirely to the proper autho-
rities of the Relief Church, without any in- terfence by the meeting. This amendment was
seconded, and great applause given to it as well
as to the resolutions. After this a scene of up-
roar ensued, which it is impossible to describe.?
The chairman, who did not seem inclined to hear
any argument in favour of the Organ, called out,
" Clap a plaister on Wull Stark"s mouth there,"
and various other similar interruptions were given. A person present rose, and having been duly test-
ed as to his membership, said, that he found organe
mentioned in several of the Psalms as an instru-
ment in the service of God. Another person re-
joined, that in the Psalms it was also said that we
were enjoined to bind to the horns of the altar
" with cords the sacrifice;" and that an ox or a bul-
lock, or any beast that hath both horn or hoof would
just be as profitable to edification as the Organ ; and
as for himself he would much rather see the bullock
than the organ in the church?(Great roaring,). A
person near us observed, that the Preses at this
stage of the proceedings was a little ramfuzled, not
knowing what would be the fate of the resolutions;
and having shown a disposition to press the resolu-
tions for adoption, the Preses was reminded that it
was his business in the chair not to give his own
opinions, but to collect the opinions of others?and
he was informed that he had already sufficiently
stultified himself for the night?(Applause?mur-
murs?hisses, &c.) One person proposed that the Dyer should be re-
moved from the chair?another, that the clerk
should be put into the chair?and a third, that the
chair should be put into the clerk. " Let the Elders
that rule well, be counted worthy of double ho-
nour." I Tim. v. 17. A member exhorted the me ting that they should
abstain from hissing, as it typified the serpent spo-
ken of in the Old Testament. Another member said
talking of the Old Testament, that Organs were
played in those times, and why should they not now
be played upon. The gentleman who seconded the
resolutions very pointedly replied, that if all these
Auld Testament matters" were to be brought back,
we might at once have circumcision. (Hisses,groans,
and strong marks of disapprobation by the ladies.) There was then a stormy, and not very intelligi-
ble dispute about putting the resolutions and a-
mendment; and after shewing hands right and left,
the resolutionists concluded they had carried their
resolutions by a great majority. The diet was
opened and closed with prayer !?Such a scene beg-
gars description, and needs no comment. Is it not absurd for for such illiterate and vulgar speaking men to be rulers of a church ? Wha's that talkin'
there WILLIE SMITH ! gi'e him a daud i' the lug the daft brute, what right has he to set up his chat ! Stand yont or I shave him ! ! ! han' me yir Stick Tam.
Published by W. SMITH, No. 3, Bristo Port.
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