Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0749
F. B. Srygley vs G. O. Gast (Methodist)
July 27, 1922
Portsmouth, Ohio
(By B. F. Stivers)
The debate at Portsmouth, Oh. is past. Mr. Gast affirmed that instrumental music in worship is scriptural. The debate began at 7:30 on the night of June 28 and continued 4 nights, each having 4 speeches of 30 minutes.
Gast tried to prove his proposition with Rotherham's translation and O.E. Payne's book on "psallo." For two nights he pounded away with all his might. He claimed this to be the best translation of the Bible we had. He failed to prove his point that instrumental music is scriptural in worship.
Bro. Syrgley, with great force, showed that Rotherham was unknown to all the scholarship of the world; that his name is not found in any of the cyclopedias; and that if his translation is correct, all other versions are wrong. Bro. Syrgley pressed Gast so hard that all could see that he had denied the Bible accepted by the whole world. Then bro. Syrgley showed O. E. Payne's book had been exposed and that the way Payne had translated was hi own opinion an d not the voice of the world's scholarship. This rebuttal was devastating.
Finally Gast acknowledged that instruments in worship was not commanded, but was just sanctioned. Bro. Syrgley defined the word "sanctioned" and showed it means a solemn ratification, to conform, and wanted Gast to show where God, Christ or any inspired man ever ratified it or confirmed it, and of course Gast could not do that. Then Gast said it was given by precept; and bro. Syrgley showed that "precept" means a command, and that every act of worship was give by precept and example. He wanted Gast to show one example where instrumental music was used in the worship - Gast was tangled like a fly in a spider web. Gast worked very hard to prove that there is instrumental music in the church by going to Revelation., but he was shown that was to be in heaven and not in the church here on earth. There would be infants in heaven, and many other things that we do not have in the church. Gast said in his next speech that they had infants there (at the debate) in the church and pointed to babies in their mother's arms. Bro. Syrgley showed that the Ohio meeting wa snot the4 church and asked Gast if he did now know the difference. I do not think Gast will ever try to prove such a proposition again.
Both men conducted themselves in a gentlemanly and Christian way. It was a great victory for the truth. Bro. Syrgley made many warm friends while here with us, and we believe he has done a great work for the cause of Christ at Portsmouth. May God's blessings rest on bro. Syrgley and all of God's faithful ones everywhere. One man who played an organ in the Methodist church was heard yo say that he never would play again. He attended the debate, and it was made so plain that he could see it was not commanded and the harm it is doing dividing the church.
VIEW NEXT REPORT >>