60 – March – 01 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

 

 

 

Congregational singing began

 

1640 — In that we have no leap year in 2014 we are going to use the entry of Feb. 29 on this date because of its importance to our Baptist churches.  This was the day that Benjamin Keach was born into the home of John Keach of Buckinghamsire, England.  By the age of 15 Benjamin became convinced of believers baptism and submitted himself to the ordinance upon his profession of faith in Christ.  By the age of 18, the society of believers that he fellowshipped with saw fit to set him apart for the gospel ministry.  At age twenty-eight he became pastor of the Baptist church in Horsleydown, London.  In the beginning they met in homes because of the persecution but finally built a meeting house which was enlarged several times up to nearly a thousand.  He wrote many treatises and apologies on the issues of his day which found him in court on many occasions.  He not only differed with the state church officials but with some of his Baptist brethren relating to doctrine and practice.  Baptists have always differed on non- cardinal issues.  One such controversy involved congregational singing.  Because of persecution, it had been necessary to avoid singing in worship until around 1680.  The whole issue turned on one point, whether there was precept or example of the converted and unconverted, to join in the singing as a part of divine worship.  Also they believed that those whom God gifted could sing as the heart dictated the melody but not by rhyme or written note.  First they only sang at the Lord’s Supper and then later after the sermon and prayer.  Some of the dissenters would leave the building and stand in the yard.  Later they withdrew and started their own non-singing church, but then started singing around 1793.  Thanks to Benjamin Keach and others we have congregational singing in our churches today.
Dr. Greg J. Dixon, from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, pp. 83.

 

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