5
That tunes have not the Scripture test,
Ye seem to be persuadad,
And idol worship at the best,
By men’s invention added.
Such notions, Andrew, are absurd,
As I shall show you soon;
The Spirit says, who adds a word,
But not, who adds a tune.
There is a fable on record,
A servant as ye ken,
Who gat five talents from his lord,
In time repaid him ten.
The second took a similar plan,
He added two to two.
The third received only one—
He was a man like you.
Now, if we enter any place
Where there’s a crowd of people,
Some men perhaps are singing base,
And women singing trible.
While ears and voices, hearts and throats,
Go hand in hand together,
In unison they swell their notes,
And strike with ane anither.
But some there be who drones and croons,
Minds neither ane nor ither,
Who kens no more of time nor tunes,
Then Hackie o’er her fodder.
Their voices ne’er were made to sing,
Their ears no notes can relish;
And if ye speak of such a thing,
They’ll ca’d absurd and foolish.
