ABSTRACT
Given the tendency of the Church to look to the past for authority and guidance, it is not surprising that ecclesiologists did just that in their consideration of the music of worship. Ecclesiologists were neither the first nor the only churchmen to enter the battle field to champion the cause of church music. Their most important ally was arguably the Society for the Promotion of Church Music. The arguments put forth in mid-Victorian apologia of church music fell into several categories. The first consisted of arguments based on the history of Christian worship and relevant biblical references, with especial regard for the English Reformation. The second group of reasons dwelt on the spiritual and heavenly aspects of music in worship, i.e. its power to transcend the human condition and give believers a foretaste of eternal bliss. The extraordinary power of music over the spirit, mind and affections has been a subject of concern to the Church throughout the ages.
