of Instrumental Musick 2. That hereby he is inconsistent with himself 3. He Attributes this to Calvins intemperate Heat and Passion 1. He Asserts boldly that Calvin approved of Instrumental Musick But how does he prove it From the before cited passage But alas What does that passage make to our Authors purpose His province is to prove that Calvin owned the Lawfulness of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God under the Evangelick Dispensation But doth the fore-quoted passage out of Calvin warrant him to make such a Conclusion No such matter For Calvin only commends David for making use of Instrumental Musick in his Solemn and Publick Devotions according to the Command of God That is all can be rationally deduced from that Citation So that because Calvin commends and applauds David for the use of Instrumental Musick in Sacred Solemnities under the Legal oeconomy therefore Calvin Approved of the use of this kind of Musick in the Christian Churches 'T is a Consequence which will not easily gain the Assent of Considering Persons Some things which were commendable as done by David then may not be commendable as done by Christians now Should any one commend David for Dancing in his Praising of God therefore would it be Logical or reasonable thence to infer that such a Person commended the use of Dancing in the Praising of God now It would be an Intolerable Non-sequitur 2. Our Author saith too that Calvin is Inconsistent with himself in other places That Calvin in other places speaks against the use of Instrumental Musick in the Sacred Assemblies of Christians I believe to be true For saith he on Exod. 15.20 Musica Instrumenta c. Instrumental Musick is to be reckoned in the number of Legal Ceremonies which Christ has Abolished by his coming whereas now we must retain a Gospel Simplicity But is this Inconsistent with what he delivers on Amos 6.50 No such matter Distingue Tempora Distinguish of the Times and it will evidently appear that he very well agrees with himself As to the Legal Dispensation he approves of Instrumental Musick under it But under the Evangelical oeconomy he dislikes it and declares against it Here is nothing of Inconsistency But what our Author has advanced against him is inconsistent with Reason I wonder what possessed our Author when he dropped this passage that he should charge Calvin with inconsistency when as there appears not the least colour for such an accusation But some Men have such a Pique at Calvin whether it is the effect of their ill nature or Education I cannot say that if they cannot find faults in him they will make some And then he must be charged as inconsistent with himself c. 3. But this pretended Inconsistency he ascribes to his Intemperate Heat and Passion 1. This is not so much like a Christian at every turn to be publishing of Mens Faults and Infirmities He might have omitted that bitter Reflection without any detriment to his Cause or Argument The Musick of an Organ is of excellent use to Calm the Mind and Allay the Passions if you will believe our Author Whence I suspect that he was somewhat remote from his Charming Organ when he penned this Passage against Calvin for it smells strong of Passion 2. Melchior Adam in the Life of Calvin p. 109. saith That as to his Temper he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Somewhat prone to Anger But then withal he adds The Spirit of God had so taught him to Moderate his Passion that he was never heard to drop a Word unbecoming a good Man neither would he be soon Angry unless when he was concerned in the defence of Religion and had to do with rugged and stubborn Persons His Carriage towards Luther was remarkable his Modesty and Meekness conspicuous when Luther had treated him with severe Language For Reply'd he Etiamsi me Diabolum vocarit eum tamen Insignum Dei Servum agnoscam Tho' he should call me Devil yet God forbid but that I should account him an Eminent Servant of God I very much question whether Mr. Newte with all the stock of good nature of which he is possessed improved we must suppose by the Melody of his Organ would give a milder Answer to a Dissenter who should Assault him with hard words May our Author but equal Calvin notwithstanding his contempt of him The Writers of his Life assure us that he printed his Institutions before he was Twenty five Years Old Every other Week he Preached throughout the whole Week He taught in the Publick Schools three days in a Week Melch Adam In usâ Calvin p. 74. Every Thursday he Presided in the Presbytery every Friday he held a Lecture He Illustrated many of the Sacred Books with Learned Comments sometimes he was imployed in writing Replies to the Enemies of Religion At other times he wrote of other necessary matters so that persons may wonder that one Man should be sufficient for Labours so many and great Now say I Let our Author go and do likewise this will procure him greater Reputation than ever he is like to gain from his Organ or his Sermon in the Defence of it Thus I have I hope fetched off Calvin from being an Approver of Instrumental Musick in the Sacred Assemblies of Christians But now let us consider what he saith as to the Followers of Calvin The Dutch Churches saith he which mostly follow him have the use of Organs very frequent amongst them almost in every Church where the People are of ability to procure them 1. I cannot but take notice of his Gloss upon his Text his Marginal Remark with respect to the Dutch Churches Where all Sects in Religion may meet and many do That there are many Religious Sects in Holland cannot be denied But that all Sects are there perhaps this Gentleman may not be so easily able to prove We have too many Sects in England too We have Jews and Socinians Anabaptists Quakers Muggletonians Arminians Calvinists Antinomians Sabbatarians Papists and of late Philadelphians amongst us I do not see that Diocesan Prelacy does effectually secure us from these Sects And these Sects may meet in our Churches if they please and many of them do As Calvinists Arminians Socinians Antinomians and Deists I suppose you will not think it strange that I assert that Socinians are to be found in this Authors Church For it is most apparent that the Racovian Gentlemen who have of late alarm'd the Nation so much with their Anti-Christian Pamphlets are Persons who have crept out of the Church and not out of the Conventicle to suit my Phrase to our Authors liking But I can tell our Author where he may find a Christian Nation freed almost if not quite from all these Sectaries If he will but step on tother side the Channel he will there find that the French Nimrod has taken an effectual course to root out all Sects and has Dragooned hâ—s Subjects into Uniformity But on second thoughts I
Members of the Church of England are more Conspicuous for Holiness more Eminent for a Good Life than those of Others it is incumbent upon our Author to make good if he shall adVenture to Assert it But then he must not only prove that this Church is the best part of the Reformation but by far the best part So that this Church of his must surpass all other Reformed Churches with a high degree of Transcendency But he will prove the Church of England to be the best part of the Reformation and by far the best part too And this from a passage of the Learned Causabons The Passage this Ser. p. 14 15. If my Judgment does not fail me the sincerest part of the Reformation is in England where together with the study of Truth flourisheth also the study of Antiquity 1. It is observable that the Learned Causabon saith that the sincerest part of the Reformation is in England He doth not say that the best part of the Reformation is to be found in the Cathedrals only or in those few Parishes where they have Organs in their Churches Nor doth he say that the sincerest part of the Reformation is only to be found in the Church of England as a Body distinguished by some peculiar Rites and Old Canons from the rest of the Protestant Churches in the Nation No he only says that the sincerest part of the Reformation is in England 2. That the study of Truth and Antiquity flourishes in our Nation is undeniable But then it is as evident that Forreign Reformed Churches have had many Learned Divines amongst them eminent for the study of Truth and Antiquity and have at this day Such in the French Churches were Daille Blondel Cloud c. such in the Dutch Churches were Salmasius Rivet c. And at present there are many in the Belgick Provinces of the Reformed who are Eminent for the Study of Truth and Antiquity Such are the very Learned Spanheim Leydecker Triglandius Witsius Gronovius c. Ser. p. 15. Our Author for the greater Commendation of his Church saith This truly was and is the Design and Glory of our Church that it retains the Doctrine and Practise of the Primitive Chuch while it throws off the Corruptions and errors that were foisted into it in after Times But 1. Does the Church of England retain the Doctrine and Practise of the Primitive Church I rejoice to hear it Has it thrown off all Corruptions and Errours which were foisted into the Church in after-times Good News But I wonder then how our Authors Church came to Practise upon the Organ For there was no such Musick in the Primitive Churches as I think I have proved for 600 Years there was no sound of the Organ to be heard in the Christian Assemblies This was foisted into them in after-times Beside how came kneeling at the Reception of the Lord's-Supper to be used in our Church Whereas it was not Practised by the Primitive Christians Nay Genuflection was forbidden by the Custom of the Catholick Church and the Canons of the greatest General Councels on any Lords day in the Year And this Custom continued a Thousand Years in the Church as Mr. Baxter in many of his Books has proved The Cross in Baptism as a Dedicating Sign and as used in the Church of England was not found in the Primitive Churches Bowing at the Name of Jesus was no Primitive Practise The Exercise of the Power of the Keys by a Lay-Chancellour is not a Practise found in the Primitive Church The Imposing of Ministers upon Parishes against the consent of the People was no Primitive Practice The Excluding Parents from entring their Children into the Covenant at Baptism is not to be found the Practise of the Primitive Christians A Choir of Singing-Men and Lads was what the Primitive Churches were unacquainted with The Composing of a Liturgy and imposing it upon all Ministers to be invariably used by them was no practise of the Primitive Church at least for 300 or 400 Years The making the Surplice the condition of a Ministers Exercising his Office in Publick was not found in the early times of Christianity These things considered it is strange our Author should pretend that the Practise of his Church is so very agreeable to those of the Primitive Christians I suppose by the Primitive Church he intends the Church in some of the later Ages of Christianity 2. Do not the French and Dutch Churches those of Piedmont and the Protestant Churches amongst the Cantons c. retain the Doctrine and Practise of the Primitive Churches Let our Author prove they do not And this is their Glory too that they have thrown off the Corruptions and Errors that were foisted into the Church in after-times But our Author proceeds in the Commendation of his Church It allows saith he and maintains what is agreeable to Reason Ser. p. 15. Decency and Good Report whereby God may be Worshipped among us in Spirit and in Truth with Beauty and Devotion 1. And do not the Forreign Reformed Churches do the like Have they any thing of Indecency or Ill-report to be found in their Worship Is there any thing Unreasonable in their Devotions 2. That God may be Worshipped with Beauty says our Author What he intends by Beauty I know not some account a Meretricious Bravery and Paint to be Beauty The Papists Worship God with a great deal of Pomp and Gaiety and this they stile a Worshipping of God in Beauty They have Organs they have Altars they have Burning Lamps even by day in their Churches their Temples are curiously trimm'd and Adorned and this they account adds to the Beauty and Splendour of their Worship I hope our Author does not intend such a Beauty as this if he does he will find the generality of the Reformed Churches are against him and they will tell him that Gospel Worship in its Native Simplicity is its greatest Beauty If an External Bravery if Gaudy Temples and Glittering Ornaments are the Beauty of Worship then they of the Romish Communion will justly pretend to a more Beautiful Worship than his Church can Our Author continues to applaud his Church by saying Ser. p. 15. She retains the use of the Organ but not as it were absolutely necessary or as if the Essence of the Church did consist in it or that there could be no Church without it but only as to its benè esse its Flourishing estate An excellent remark this For 1. Doubtless the Essence of the Church doth not lie in a few tweedling Organ-pipes it would be wonderfully strange if it should 2. But yet the same Organs are necessary to its benè esse its Flourishing estate So that altho' the Church may be a Church without them yet the Church cannot be in a flourishing Condition without them But how does our Author prove it What mighty Arguments does he produce for the Confirmation of this Momentous Assertion Alas as to that matter
you are by this time convinced that somewhat more may be said against the use of Organs in Sacris than what is to be found in our Authors Sermon Thus I have done with the Argumentative part of his Sermon There are a few passages towards the conclusion of it which I would crave leave to make a few Remarks upon e're I put an end to this Letter He having finished the Argumentative part of his Discourse proceeds to entertain his Reader with a Panegyrick upon the Church and its Service and I will assure you a pretty lofty one too Take the whole Constitution of our Church Ser. p. 37. saith he as it stands the Envy of our Neighbours the great Bulwark against the Inundations of Heresie and Schisme the Hatred and Fear of the Church of Rome and I hope the Rock of Ages and there is no comparison between this and any other Establishment in the Christian World And presently upon this he presents you with a Prayer not to be found in the English Liturgy Against which let neither the Malice of Devils nor the Policy of Rome nor the Craft of Geneva be ever able to prevaile either to overthrow its Strength thro' a fatal Division among her Members or to rifle its Beauty thro' a Deluge of Vice or to undermine her Foundation by a treacherous Comprehension 1. He saith he hopes this Church is the Rock of Ages The Supream Governour of the Church is so Stiled Isa 26.4 But I never before read any Church on Earth so called and methinks it is a little too lofty for the best Ecclesiastical Society on Earth 2. What does he mean by the whole Constitution as it stands What! Does he intend the Arch-Bishops and Bishops Courts with the many Lay-Officers appertaining to them Does he intend the Singing-Men and Singing Boys Does he intend the Un-scriptural Rites and Ceremonies the use of which are enjoyned by the Church such as kneeling at the Reception of the Elements at the Lord's Supper the Cross in Baptism the Surplice c Does he intend the Common-Prayer-Book imposed upon all Ministers as to the use of it Does he intend Deans Arch-Deacons Canons a sort of Officers utter Strangers to the Primo-Primitive Christians Does he intend Pluralities and Non-residence And the reading some part of the Apocrypha for Lessons to the excluding some part of the Scriptures from being read in Churches And does he intend the use of Organs in Churches too Are these any part of the Constitution as it stands And if they are are these such mighty Bulwarks against Heresie and Schism Are these the Hatred and the Fear of the Church of Rome No those things in the Church of England which are the Hatred and Fear of the Church of Rome are the Doctrines and Worship and Scriptural Discipline in which the Church of England doth fully agree with the sober Protestant Dissenters The Church of Rome neither fears nor hates Diocesan Bishops as such for she has them nor Un-scriptural Ceremonies for she has a world of these nor of Arch-Deacons and Canons and other such Un-scriptural Officers for she has them Nor of Singing-Men or Singing-Boys for her Churches ring with them nor of a Liturgy as such for she has one nor of Organs for they are frequently found in her Temples nor of Crosses for she abounds with them 3 But this Constitution he saith is a Bulwark against the inundations of Heresie and Schisme Officers which Christ ne're appointed Modes of Worship which Christ ne're Instituted which the Apostles and Christians of the purest Ages ne're practised are not such a Bulwark Therefore if any such things are to be found in the Constitution of this Authors Church they are not Bulwarks against Heresie and Schism So excellent a Constitution as is that of the Church of England does not utterly prevent all Heresie and Schism For that there are many Hereticks in the Church of England is I think too apparent to admit of a denial Many Books and Pamphlets have of late been written by the Unitarians as they term themselves against the Doctrines of the Trinity the Incarnation c. But have these been written by Persons of the Presbiterian or Congregational Perswasion No but the Authors of those Books and Pamphlets declare themselves to be Members of the Church of England Here I would only refer you to Mr. Edward's Socinian Creed p. 182 183. Where you may find plain evidence for this It would be tedious to Transcribe what he saith I would rather you should peruse that Treatise Beside you find not so many if any at all of these Hereticks in the Church of Scotland The Scots have the Presbyterian Government established amongst them yet few or none of the Racovian Gentlemen are found to enfest them Whether this may be owing to their Constitution or no I shall not determine Yet if this of preventing Heresie may be thought a good Argument of the excellency of any Ecclesiastical Establishment some may be tempted to think the Scotish Constitution to be preferable to that of the English Church But as to Schism How does the Constitution of our Authors Church prevent Schism Are there not many Non-Jurors and Jacobites in the Established Church And are not they Schismaticks Has not a Doctor of the Church lately attempted to prove them so But to be short That which is the Bulwark in the Church of England against Heresie and is its Glory are the Excellent Doctrines which she maintains and adheres to in common with sober Protestant Dissenters are the holy Lives of many of her Members and the great Learning and Zeal of some of her Clergy who really believe the Doctrinal Articles * And such look upon the Articles not to be Articles of Peace only but Articles of Faith they have Subscribed and are both able and forward to defend them against the Assaults of Cavelling Socinians or Noisy Infidels This Gentleman ranks Geneva with Rome and begs that the Church may be secured from the Craft of the one as well as from the Policy of the other Geneva is at a very great distance from England therefore I cannot imagine the Church of England should be in any danger from that Quarter Had he prayed that the Church might be delivered from the Doctrines and Designs of Cracovians and Deists for ought I know it might have been somewhat more to purpose But in some Mens Opinion nothing more dangerous than Geneva And we know who have said that they had rather be Papists than Presbiterians That is they had rather be Idolaters and Slaves to Rome than be Reformed Protestants But from whence our Author borrowed this Cant about Rome and Geneva it is not difficult to guess for it was a usual saying of a great and admired Prelate A. B. L. Ecclesia Romana Turba Genevensis But another Petition in our Authors Prayer composed for his own use for it is his Nostrum is That the Foundation of the Church may
not be undermined by a treacherous Comprehension Should there be such a Comprehension as would take in Atheists Deists and Socinians into the Church it would really be a Treacherous Comprehension and tend directly to the Churches Subversion But if sober Protestant Dissenters who are sound as to the Doctrines they believe Lovers of Morality and of a good Life tho' somewhat differing in their Apprehensions as to less concerning matters from those of the National Establishment should be comprehended such a Comprehension would be far enough from undermining the Churches Foundation and would disclaim the Epithet of Treacherous The Church would be the more enlarged and strengthened by it and it would more conduce to her Glory her Beauty and her lasting Tranquility than a Hundred pair of Organs The Protestant Dissenters e're now have been thought of use to help to give a Check to the Growth of a Popish Faction amongst us And they are always ready to be helpful in that kind They would not undermine or betray the Church but do their utmost to strengthen and defend it It ought not to trouble us saith Dr. Goodman * Sermons p. 244. that some Men i. e. Protestant Dissenters should enjoy someshare of Advantage by this Revolution since it is not only what we vowed to God and promised to them in our Adversity but is that which cannot be denyed them consistently with our own safety And why should they not have an Advantage so great as that of a Comprehension amounts to Were there many more Persons of sound Doctrine of peaceable Tempers of Holy Conversations admitted into the Church would she be the worse for it Would it be Treachery to admit such for her Members I am satisfied our Author will never be able to prove it so If Persons are sound as to their Doctrines unblameable as to their Lives and promise to live peaceably under the Government and to endeavour in their Capacities its support Why should they be kept out of the Church for their suspecting some Un-scriptural Terms of Communion to be unlawful I have read some Interrogatories in the Bishop of Worcesters Irenicum In the Preface which I never yet met with a fair Reply to I wish our Author would allow them a serious perusal Saith that Learned and Reverend Prelate What possible Reason can be assigned or given why such things should not be sufficient for Communion with a Church which are sufficient for eternal Salvation what ground can there be why Christians should not stand upon the same Terms now which they did in the times of Christ and his Apostles Was not Religion sufficiently guarded and fenced in then Was there ever more and Cordial Reverence in the Worship of God What Charter hath Christ given the Church to bind Men up to more than himself hath done Or to exclude those from her Society who may be admitted into Heaven Will Christ ever thank Men at the great Day for keeping out such from Communion with his Church whom he will vouchsafe not only Crowns of Glory to but it may be Aure ole too if there be any such thing there The grand Commission the Apostles were sent out with was only to teach what Christ had commanded them c. I wish our Author would calmly consider these things But our Author extreamly dreads any thing of an alteration in his Church For saith he every alteration in so well ordered a Constitution will be for the worse and give too great an occasion for the Triumph of her Enemies who would be glad to have her honour laid in the dust 1. Will every alteration in so well-ordered a Constitution be for the worse Then the introducing of Organs into the Worship of God in Parish Churches will be for the worse for it is no part of this Constitution 2. But I am not of this Gentlemans Opinion that every Alteration in the Constitution of the National Church will be for the worse I humbly conceive some alteration may be made for the better Suppose the Cross in Baptism the Surplice and Kneeling at the Sacrament were left indifferent as to use as they are pretended to be in their own Nature Would not this be better than to make them necessary conditions of Communion with the Church by which many Persons of eminent Piety are excluded the Church who would otherwise be admitted into it These little things as they are esteemed by the Imposers themselves occasion great Heats and Contentions and fruitless Controversies which would soon have a period upon the leaving these things indifferent What if some exceptionable passages in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book were altered or expunged As the Rubrick concerning Baptism viz. It is certain by Gods Word that Children which are Baptized dying before they commit actual Sin are undoubtedly saved And those words used at the Interment of all Persons tho' never so Lewd and Vicious viz. Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great Mercy to take to himself the Soul of our Dear Brother here departed c. What if some Chapters of the Canonical Books were appointed to be read in the room of the Apochriphal Lessons What if one or both of the Parents were admitted to undertake for their own Children at Baptism to the laying by of God-fathers and God-Mothers What if the Pastoral Authority was taken out of the hands of the Lay-Chancellors and excercised only by the Clergy What if Persons supposing they were qualified for the Ministry by a Competent Knowledge by soundness of Doctrine an unblameable Life and by giving security to the Government of their Peaceableness and Loyalty were admitted to the Ministerial Function and the Exercise of it without giving their Assent and Consent to all things contained in the Liturgy or Book of Common-Prayer Suppose these and some such other alterations were made would it be for the worse I am satisfied they would not and our Author will never be able to prove they would be prejudicial or detrimental to the Church 3. But he offers at a Reason against all Alterations Because they would give too great occasion for the Triumph of her Enemies who would be glad to have her honour laid in the dust To which I have only this to say at present That such Alterations as would be for the enlargement of the Church for the strengthning her Interest and the rendring of her the more formidable to her Enemies would not occasion their Triumph although it might be the matter of their Grief and Envy I am prone to believe that few Persons who impartially consider the state of our Case in this Nation but will be forward to conclude that there is nothing which the real Enemies of the Church of England so much dread as a taking of the Sober Protestant Dissenters into the Bosom of the Church The Churches Enemies he saith would be glad to have her Honour laid in the Dust Then I am satisfied that the Moderate Dissenters are no Enemies to the Church