a Non-compliance which you so magisterially and insultingly Charge the Clergy and People with who refuse to receive and use the new Version And indeed I cannot but wonder That the Vindicator and his Authors who perhaps are the same should expect more than they themselves desired For it may be observ'd That the Royal Order and Allowance in that Instance of Indifferency before mention'd is conform to the Prayer of the Petition P. 7. And humbly praying his Majesty's Royal Allowance That the said Version may be used in such Congregations as shall think fit to receive it And perhaps the Petitioners could obtain no more the King probably not thinking it practicable to make his Order absolute and injoyn the Reception and Use of the new Version until it had received the Censure and Approbation of a Convocation In the Interim the Petitioners having paid the Secretary's Fees for the Order the new Version with the Royal Allowance was to take its Fate and 't was rude and unreasonable for the Vindicator and his Authors to rail and strom and grow angry and scatter their Invectives because it was no more successful and did not meet with an universal Reception and consequently answer the Expence perhaps of a Lusty Sum for obtaining the Royal Instrument and the Impression Add to this in the next Place That there is not one Word in the Royal Allowance that amounts to a Recommendation or looks like it but rather the contrary may be inferr'd from the Coldness and Indifferency which are legible in the Terms of the Royal Allowance And yet the Vindicator has the Confidence to affirm That the new Version has not only the Allowance but the Recommendation of Authority P. 3. Well but though the King neither injoyns nor recommends yet perhaps the Bishops do from whence the Vindicator would infer That 't is the Duty both of the Clergy and People to pay an universal Compliance and Obedience And this is the next Topick from which he argues viz. The Bishop's Recommendation Against the Validity of which as it is recited by the Vindicator to evince what he contends for I have these Exceptions 1. It does not appear that either the Bishop of London or any other Bishop is the Author of it there being no Name subscrib'd as there is to the Royal Allowance and is usual in such Cases It may be a Recommendation from Tom Thumb or John a Styles for any Thing that appears to the contrary 2. The King's Allowance being the Foundation upon which the Recommendation is pretended to be built It cannot be suppos'd That either the Bishop of London or any other Bishop would be guilty of so great a Prevarication as to misrepresent falsely report and partially and imperfectly recite the Royall Allowance on which they found their Recommendation Now that the Royal Allowance is misrepresent falsely reported and partially and imperfectly recited in the aforesaid Recommensdation is evident The Words are these P. 13. His Majesty having allowed and permitted the use of a new Version of the Psalms of David by Mr. Brady and Mr. Tate in all Churches Chappels and Congregations So runs the Preamble of the Recommendation so far it goes and no farther omitting what follows in the Royal Allowance viz. As shall think fit to receive the same Which is a Limitation and Restriction and a Signification That the King did not intend to impose or injoin the reception and use of this new Version upon any but intirely left it to the discretion and pleasure of the Clergy and People whether they would receive it and use it or no but the Recommendation by that Misreprentation and false recital of the Royal Allowance looks Trickish and Designing as if the intent of it was to insinuate That the Royal Order was positive and absolute and did tantamount to an Injunction for the universal Reception and use of this new Version But 3dly Supposing tho' not granting that this Recommendation was really and bona fide the Bishops and Subscribed by one or more of them in which 't is possible That through haste an hurry of Business or the pressing of their more weighty Affairs they may be impos'd upon and prevail'd with to Subscribe a Paper purporting a Recommendation drawn up ready to their Hands either by the Vindicator or his Authors without critically examining the Royal Allowance yet the King's Order and Allowance which is the Postulatum the Basis the Foundation on which the Recommendation is founded being misrepresented and falsely and imperfectly recited the Recommendation is invalid and signifies just nothing For a false Recital is no Recital at all and consequently all the Arguments Inferences and Conclusions which the Vindicator builds upon or deduces from it fall to the Ground and are meer impertinence And so much for his First general Argument which is drawn from the Agreeableness of this Design with Reason Let us now examine the Second and see whether any better Fate will attend it 2. His Second Argument to evince what he contends for he deduces from the Conformity of it to the Constitution of our Church and the Authority of Convocations And so says he p. 21. it plainly appears in as much as it i. e. the new Version is allow'd of by the King and recommended by the Bishops And for this he quotes the Rubrick before the Sentences at the Offertory And nothing shall be proclaimed or published in the Church during the time of Divine Service but by the Minister Nor by him any thing but what is prescribed in the Rules of this Book or injoined vy the King or by the Ordinary of the place Thus far the Rubrick Then follows the Vindicator's Comment Observations Arguments and Conclusions from it Where by the way says he thus much we may Observe That no Clerk of a Parish can Sing in the Church but as he is directed by his Minister and as he acts as his Deputy Very well Argued Mr. Vindicator a very natural Inference and logical Conclusion from the Premisses Nothing shall be proclaimed or published in the Church during the time of Divine Service but by the Minister Ergo No Parish Clerk can Sing in the Church but as he is directed by his Minister and as he acts as his Deputy Whereas the Inference lay quite on the other side and it would have been more naturally Inferr'd and logically Concluded from the Premisses as he quotes and applies them Therefore no Parish Clerk can Sing in the Church at all because nothing is to be proclaim'd or published in the Church during the time of Divine Service but by the Minister And here by the way I must observe Two Things 1. What a horrid Blunder the Vindicator is guilty of in calling the Parish Clerk the Ministers Deputy 2. That he misapplies the Rubrick 1. The Vindicator is guilty of a horrid Blunder in calling the Parish Clerk the Ministers Deputy A Deputy is one who is to execute the Office of his Chief and to do
the same thing which the principal Person is to do to whom he is a Deputy So that if the Parish Clerk is the Ministers Deputy he may read Prayers Preach and administer the Sacraments and Marry and Bury the Dead as a certain Parish Clerk in a Country Town did who fancied himself to be the Ministers Deputy his Master being Sick and actually read the Burial Service from time to time at the Graves of the Deceased until he was severely reprimanded by the Bishop himself and threatned to be turned out of his Place if ever he presumed to do so any more Nor can the Vindicator excuse himself by saying That the Parish Clerk is the Ministers Deputy only in Singing For Singing i. e. to Tune Psalms and lead the Congregation in singing is not strictly speaking the Office of the Minister The Parish Clerk is to Name and Tune the Psalm and to Dictate or Read the Verses and Lines of it He is to be the Praecentor in a Parochial Congregation as is intimated in the 91 Canon where it is decreed amongst other Qualifications of a Parish Clerk That he shall be skill'd legendi cantandi scientiâ in Reading and Singing But 2ly The Vindicator is guilty of a very great Mistake in misapplying the Rubrick The Rubrick which he quotes which is before the Sentences at the Offertory does not concern any part of Divine Service or Singing of Psalms or the Sermon but the publishing of of Occcsianal Things as the giving Notice of Holy Days the Celebration of the Communion publishing the Banns of Matrimony Briefs Proclamations Declarations Citations and Excommunications as appears by the Words of the Rubrick which immediately follow the Nicene Creed which are these Then the Curate shall declare unto the People what Holy-days or Fasting-days are in the Week following to be observed and then also if occasion be shall notice be given of the Communion and the Banns of Matrimony published and Briefs Citations and Excommunications read It follows And nothing shall be proclaimed or published in the Church during the time of Divine Service but by the Minister Nor by him any thing but what is prescribed in the Rules of this Book or enjoined by the King or by the Ordinary of the place Which last Words the Vindicator quotes omitting the former Words of this Rubrick because I presume they made against him Besides the natural import of the Words of the Rubrick which the Vindicator quotes sufficiently shews that it does not cannot concern any part of the solemn Worship either reading Divine Service or singing of the Psalms 'T is an incongruity of Speech to call either the one or the other Proclaiming or Publishing And that which he lays the greatest stress upon is nothing to his purpose viz. those Words of the Rubrick which he quotes Nor by him any thing but what is prescribed in the Rules of this Book or enjoined by the King or by the Ordinary of the place Which does plainly respect what is Prohibited by the 72 Canon viz. That no Minister shall presume to appoint publick or private Fasts Exercises Lectures Prophecies Exorcisms c. without a lawful Command or Licence from his Superiors And 't is obvious what great Mischiefs would be consequent 〈…〉 an unbounded Liberty So that it is 〈…〉 That this Rubrick is far from countenancing or giving any strength or force to his 〈…〉 to prove what he contends for drawn from the Conformity of it to the Constitution of our Church and the Authority of Constitution And this Gentleman 's arguing from 〈…〉 to prove the Practicableness and necessity of introducing of his new Version into Churches and that 't is the Duty of all the Clergy especially to comply with it and receive and use it upon the score of Obedience which they owe to the Governour 's both in Church and State because of the Kings Allowance and the Bishops suppos'd Recommendation of it is either out of Ignorance or Design If the former behold the Learned Vindicator If the latter I 'll leave it to the Reader to give him a Name 'T is true the Rubrick before mentioned was confirmed by Convocation and Act of Parliament but does it therefore follow That Mr. Brady's and Mr. Tate's new 〈…〉 of the Psalms in Metre because allowed by the King and recommended by some of the Bishops is confirmed by the same Authority I leave it to any Man of Sense to judge and determine So that his Foundation failing all that he 〈…〉 upon it must totter and fall How unjust false and trisling How Illogical and Inconclusive are all his Arguments Inferences and Conclusions which he builds upon or deduces from it And how bold and rude and unaccountable are his base Reflections which without any Modesty or Respect or deference to their Character he casts upon the reverend Clergy of this fam'd Metropolis as well as the rest of the vast Body of the Clergy of the Two Provinces who generally speaking refuse to receive and use this new Version who indeed are very much oblig'd to the modest Vindicator for that honourable Character which he is pleas'd to bestow upon them representing them as Stubborn contumatious Violators of the Oath of Canonical Obedience and their solemn Ingagement at their Ordination Opposers of the Authority of Convocations and Parliaments and Enemies to their Rights and Privileges Despisers of Government and disobedient to Governours both in Church and State Proud Disdainful Self conceited Envious Malicious what not c. I refer the Reader to his Book and only beg leave to select a few Passages which are Instances of his great Complement and Respect to the Clergy who are non Compliers and refuse to receive and use this new Version In the 23 p. are these Words And he seems to vacate both their Authorities i. e. of Convocation and Parliament who opposes that encouragement which it has already received from his Majesty and the Bishops and endeavors to enervate all their Efficacy and Strength by rendring them useless and insignificant And a little after in the same Page Whoever therefore it is that contradicts this Authority which they have freely consented should be vested in the King and the Bishops seems directly to oppose the Power of that sacred Body and to be a direct Enemy to the Rights and Privileges of a Convocation And again p. 25. Whoever therefore it is that opposes that Authority which the New Translation has obtained seems plainly to deprive the Convocation of those signal Honours and Immunitus appertaining to them which the Parliament has been pleas'd to confirm and the King and the Bishops are pleas'd to act by who have the executive Power c. And again p. 27 28. Therefore if any one reject this New Translation of the Psalms recommended to him by his Bishop I cannot see how he will avoid the Censure of casting a Scandalous Reproach upon the goldly Judgment of his Ordinary and palpably violating that religious Obligation
which he solemnly entered into at the time of his Ordination before the Bishop the Priests and the Congregation But I fancy the Persons will be but few who will be so hardy against their own Consciences and cancel all the veneration which is due both to their Diocesan and themselves if they hope that God should be their Helper And again p. 28 29. It cannot be inveterately opposed by any unless it be by some few Persons who may envy the Production because it is not their own or because it has met with such good Success or those that are prejudic'd against the Royal Allowance because William R. is on the front of it or such as look upon the Recommendatory Letter of a Diocesan as only a meer Matter of Form or lastly those who are such zealous Admirers of Antiquity that they will object against any thing barely for its being New These are some of the Instances of his Complement and Respect to the Clergy at whom the Reflection is directly aim'd though obliquely and by consequence at the People too who are not reconcil'd to the use of the new Psalms as I hear very few in this City are All which consider'd I leave it to the Reader to judge how justly the Vindicator's Book deserves the Title of A modest Vindication of the new Version of the Psalms A Word or Two of his 3d Argument and I have done And this is drawn from the Subserviency of the new Psalms to the Advancement of Piety and Devotion But how does it appear that they are more Subservient to this end than the old Version What is it because of the venerable Names of Mr. Brady and Mr. Tate the celebrated Authors of the new Performance who seem to be very unluckily coupled in this Enterprize a Divine and a Player a Christian Priest and a Stage Poet as unequally yokt as the Ox and the Ass which were forbid by the Law of Moses to draw together in the same Yoke But perhaps none was so fit for the Undertaking to give it Reputation especially amongst Pretenders to Wit as a Comic-Divine and a Poet Laureat But perhaps Mr. Sternold and Mr. Hopkins the Vindicator I hope will not be offended that I give them the usual Complement of Respect though he denies it them having I 〈…〉 no M under his Girdle perhaps I say Mr. Sterhold and Mr. Hopkins the Authors of the old Version were Men as famous in their Generation for Learning and Piety as the Authors of this new Translation can pretend to be And if I am not mis-inform'd they were so if not by many Degrees beyond them Let their Work praise 'em in the Gate The Thing speaks it self The Performance discovers them to be acted by a Divine Spirit and breaths a Celestial Sweetness like the droppings of Myrrbe and the Perfumes of Alloes and Cassia the fragrant Odours of the Sanctuary of which the Garments of the Spiritual Bridegroom smell Such an Air of Piety and Devotion Rapture and Extacy Spiritual Life and Vigour holy Flames and heavenly Transports appears through the whole Performance making allowances for some obsolete and uncouth Expressions that it speaks the Authors to be no contemptible Men that they studied not only the Psalmists Words but his Mind and Practice too and were Transform'd into a sort of likeness to the Royal Author and were perfect Masters of Divine Musick They had truly learnt to tune David's Harp with agreeable Notes and Accents sutable to the Nature of that Divine Poem and that in all the Instances of humble Penitence and holy Vows godly Sorrow and transporting Joy devout Supplications and heavenly Praises and Hollelujahs They bent their Minds to the Study of a Divine Poem which was compos'd with an Air sutable to Spiritual Psalmody and the Divine Subject and was not polluted with the wanton Strains of prophane Poetry they did not mingle the unhallowed Fires of the Stage with the holy Sparks of the Altar Moreover the Performance favours of Charity to the Unskilful in the Airs of the Original Text or the Translation In Prose which is sung in Cathedrals with sutable Notes and ravishing Accents bearing some Resemblance to the Hallelujahs above which the Vulgar may stare at and admire but cannot join or bear a part in that kind of Psalmody So that Thousands and Ten thousands since the Reformation had been depriv'd of the Benefit and Pleasure and Solace and Comfort of singing the Praises of God in the Psalms of David the sweet Singer of Israel had not those charitable Anthors condescended to their Capacities by composing a plain and familiar Metre So that 't will be a hard Task for the Vindicator to prove That the new are more subservient to the Advancement of Piety and Devotion than the old Psalms and that upon account of the genuine Excellence and Composure of the new Version which he says by many Degrees surpasses the old But it is objected The old Psalms are written in a plain and familiar Style So much the better being sutable to Scripture-Language which for the most part excepting some Philosophical Discourses in Job and the Lofty Flights of the Prophet Isaiab and the Ænigmatical Passages in Daniel and the Revelation is delivered in a plain and samiliar Style the Spirit of God delighting to express it self in plain and intelligible Words condescending to the meanest Capacity and withal most agreeable to the holy Text most of the Psalms being Prayers which are wont to be deliver'd in plain and familiar Terms though there are not wanting Rhetorical Flourishes in Eucharistical Psalms and more sutable to the Capacities of Parochtal Congregations where plain and unlearned Auditors are the most numerous But by the Vindicator's Favour there are some sutable Strokes to Psalms of Triumph some lofty Strains as well as humble Notes not only the Mournings of the Dove but the Soarings of the Eagle not only Shallows wherein a Lamb may wade but Depths wherein an Elephant may swim But in the old Version there are many obsolete and uncouth Expressions which offend the Ears of the Ingenious Who it seems p. 36. are well-disposed to the Liturgy of our Church yet frequently absent themselves from it a very good Evidence indeed of their Respect and Affection to it and that in Honour to Almighty God because it is rather a Contempt they say than a Respect to pay their Homage directly contrary to what his holy Word prescribes both in Psal. 47. 7. Sing ye Praises with Understanding And 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the Understanding also By the way let me ask the Vindicator Whether the Unlearned who are the more numerous may not make the same Objection against hard and to them unintelligible Words in our politer Modes of Speaking that the Learned and Ingenious do against those obsolete and uncouth Expressions which are in the old Translation But admit it That there are many obsolete and uncouth Expressions