1773 Associate Presbytery appointed Marshall to preach sermon 'to show that the Psalms of David only are to be used in worship'

Context

This passage appears in Lathan’s extended discussion of the history of psalmody in American Presbyterianism. He has just described how “a few Presbyterian congregations had introduced Watts’ psalms” before 1753. He then describes the Associate response to growing latitudinarian tendencies.

Extract

In 1773, the Rev. William Marshall, by the appointment of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania, preached a sermon designed to show that the Psalms of David only are to be used in worship." This sermon was afterward published and is still preserved as a relic of the past.

The fact that the presbytery thought fit to “appoint one of its members to preach a sermon to show that the Psalms of David only are to be used in worship,” seems to indicate with considerable certainty that some persons under the inspection of the presbytery, either had lax practices, or latitudinarian notions respecting psalmody.

Significance

This extract documents institutional response to psalmody pressure within the Associate tradition:

1. Official appointment: The presbytery formally appointed Marshall to preach on exclusive psalmody—showing this was an institutional priority, not just individual opinion.

2. Evidence of internal pressure: Lathan interprets the appointment as evidence that “some persons under the inspection of the presbytery” had “lax practices, or latitudinarian notions”—the exclusive-psalmody position required ongoing defense even within Seceder churches.

3. Pre-Revolutionary context: The 1773 date places this two decades before Rankin’s controversy, showing that psalmody debates within Reformed Presbyterianism predated the specific conflicts traced in later chapters.

4. Published and preserved: The sermon was “published and preserved,” indicating it served as an authoritative statement that the denomination valued enough to keep in circulation.

5. “Psalms of David only”: The phrase captures the exclusive psalmody position in its simplest form—a standard that would later drive denominational realignment.