III. Use of Instruments in the Church. — The Greeks as well as the Jews were wont to use instruments as ac- companiments in their sacred songs. The converts to Christianity accordingly must have been familiar with this mode of singing; yet it is generally believed that the primitive Christians failed to adopt the use of in- strumental music in their religious worship. The word \pa\\ih', which the apostle uses in Eph. v, 19, has been taken by some critics to indicate that they sang with such accompaniments. The same is supposed by some to be intimated by the golden harps which John, in the Apocalypse, put into the hands of the four-and-twenty elders. But if this be the correct inference, it is strange indeed that neither Ambrose (in Psa. i, Praf. p. 740), nor Basil (in Psa. i. vol. ii, p. 713), nor Chrysostom (Psa. xli, vol. V, p. 131), in the noble encomiums which they severally pronoimce upon music, make any men- tion of instrumental music. Basil, indeed, expressly condemns it as ministering only to the depraved pas- sions of men (Horn, iv, vol. i, p. 33), and must have been led to this condemnation because some had gone astray and borrowed this practice from the heathens. Thus it is reported that at Alexandria it was the cus- tom to accompany the singing with the flute, which practice was expressly forbidden by Clement of Al- exandria in A.D. 190 as too worldly, but he then in- stituted in its stead the use of the harp. In the time of Constantino the Great the Ambrosian chant (q. v.) was introduced, consisting of hymns and jisalms sung, it is said, in the four first keys of the ancient Greek. The tendenc}' of this was to secularize the music of the Church, and to encourage singing by a choir. The general introduction of instrumental music can certain- ly not be assigned to a date earlier than the 5th and 6th centuries ; yea, even Gregory the Great, who towards the end of the 6th century added greatly to the existing Church music, absolutely prohibited the use of instru- ments. Several centuries later the introduction of the organ in sacred service gave a place to instruments as ac- companiments for Christian song, and from that time to this they have been freely used with few exceptions. The first organ is believed to have been used in Church ser- vice in the 13th century. Organs were, however, in use before this in the theatre. They were never regarded with favor in the Eastern Church, and were vehement- ly opposed in some of the Western churches. In Scot-
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land no organ is allowed to this day, except in a few Episcopal churches. See Mtsic, Ixstkumentau In tlie English convocation held A.D. 1562, in queen Eliza- ! beth's time, for settling the liturgy, the retaining of organs was carried only bi/ a castiiiy vote. See Okgan.
IV. Sacred Music as a Science. — A certain sort of | music seems to have existed in all countries and at all times. Even instrumental music is of a very early date; representations of musical instruments occur on j the Egyptian obelisks and tombs. The Hindii, Chi- j nese, an<i Japanese music is probably what it was thousands of years ago. The Chinese, whose music practically is unpleasant to refined ears, have some sweet-toned instruments, and a notation for the melo- dies played on them which is sulHeiently clear. Their , history and fables touching the art antedate by many I centuries those of classic nations. The higher style of Oriental music, which has a limited degree of melo- lUous merit, with rhythms logically and distinctly drawn from consociation with poetry as refined and liciuid as the Italian, may be found in that of India, dating also from remotest antiquity. The poetical legends of 11 indo- | Stan, and indeed of all Southern Asia, rival those of Chi- na and (ireece in ascribing fabulous effects to music. The Hindus consider every art as a direct revelation from heaven, and while their inferior deities communi- cated other arts, it was Brahma himself who presented j music to mortals. The music of the Hebrews is sup- \ jiosed to have had a tlefined rhythm and melody. The ("ireeks numbered music among the sciences, and stud- ied the mathematical proportions of sounds. Their music, however, was but poetry sung, a sort of musical recitation or intoning, in which the melodic part was a mere accessory. The Romans borrowed their music from the Etruscans and tireeks, and had both stringed instruments and wind instruments.
The music of modern Europe is a new art, to which nothing analogous seems to have existed among the nations of antiquity. AVe look therefore to the early music of the Christian Church, to whose fostering inlluciKe through several centuries the preservation and jirogrcss of art was due, for the foundation upon which the modern system is built. The early music of the Christian Church was probably in part of (Jreek and in part of Hebrew origin. The chorjil was at first sung in octaves and unisons. St. Ambrose and Gregorj' the tireat (o90-G01) directed their attention to its improve- ment, and under them some sort of harmony or counter- ])oint seems to have found its way into the service of the Church. The latter was the father of the Gregori- an chant, upon the broad foundation of which the mu- sic of the Church rested for several centuries. Further advances were made by (Juido of Arezzo, to whom no- tation by lines and spaces is due ; but the ecclesiastical music had still an uncertain tonality and an uncertain rhythm. Franco of Cologne, in the 13th century, first indicated the duration of notes by diversity of form. He and Jolni of Claris in the following century con- tributed greatly to the more rapid progress of sacred music. It is tlnring their ])eriod of Christian ecclesias- tical life that moileru music first attained the character of an art, by which tlie devout heart gives utterance to its emotions. Its style was at that time serious, grand, • and full of expression only when taken as a whole ; and as the Church would not renounce the few melodies which had long been used, art could exert its jxjwer only on tlie harmonies by which they were embellished. The consequence was that many imitators adopted an artificial, dry, and learned kind of music, which derived all its life from some secular airs mingled with it. The Synod of Trent entreated the pope that ho would devise some plan by which this state of things might be imjiroved. Jlarcelhis II accordingly disclosed his views to an enthusiastic young man, and soon after, un- der the papacy of Paul IV, I'alestrina j)reseiited to the world his Misaa Ma/rilli (1555). Tliis was the com- mencement of a revolution in sacred music, which by