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A93244 A sermon preached at Bridgwater in Somersetshire, July the 17th, 1700, at the opening of the organ lately erected there by John Shuttleworth ... Shuttleworth, John, 1670 or 71-1750. 1700 (1700) Wing S3717A; ESTC R43740 17,045 35

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Whoso obstinately standing in it doth use any other Right than is prescribed by the Common-Prayer-Book shall suffer Damage Now in the first place Organs cannot be thought such a Right as is forbid by this Act because the practice of all Cathedrals at the time of the making of it was to use Organs with their singing nay in the Queen 's own Chappel they were used too and were not disused any where upon the promulgation of it Again I conceive in that the Words obstinately standing in it are applied to make an additional Right a breach of this Act therefore several Modes and Circumstances of Worship not in opposition to the Common-Prayer-Book might be used with it tho' not there expressed provided they were not opposed by our Ordinaries and I suppose none of them are against Organs Our Objector † A. N. p. 84. allows an Injunction from the King would take off the force of his Argument which tho' we cannot now plead yet might easily have been obtained no doubt if need had required it for it is plain his present Majesty King William approves of Organs not only because he frequents the places of Worship where they are used but also because he was pleased to give an Organ lately to one of our Churches in London † Viz. St. Anns. But that which gives more credit to the cause in hand than his Kingly Authority is that he is undoubtedly a sincere Protestant as appears by the unspeakable Bravery he hath shewed in undergoing such a multitude of Difficulties and Dangers these many years last past for the support of the Protestant Religion If any Objections are brought against Instrumental Musick from the Authority of Schoolmen and such others they are of force against light trivial Musick but not against such as I am here speaking for 3. I come to make an Improvement of what hath been said I know many are possessed with an Opinion that all Things which are Ornamental which in their Opinion appear Gay and Glistering are to be banished from God's House and Service as savouring of Jewish or Popish Superstition and that no human Rite or Institution whatever is to be admitted for the more orderly solemnization of Divine Worship and stirring up of Piety because the simplicity of Christian Worship they think doth imply thus much And therefore all Arguments fetched from the Example of David the ancient Jews or Primitive Christians are of no force with them we must not beautify our Churches as the Jews did the Temple nor make our Service edifying comely and awful with Ceremonies and Institutions not expressed in Scripture tho' we find God's own People of old did so all along but why must we not As to the Jewish Temple David's Reason for building and adorning that was taken from the Magnificence of his own House 2 Sam. 7.2 See saith he I dwell in an house of Cedar but the ark of God remaineth within Curtains And surely we have the same Reason to argue thus Shall we take care to build sumptuous magnificent Houses for ourselves and yet not be concerned to see the House of God of a mean Building rough and unpolished Surely though God cannot be said to live in an House made with Hands yet whatsoever is dedicated to his Service ought to be set off in such a manner as to bespeak the Dignity of him as far as according to our Abilities it is reasonable we should For he that abhorred those who sacrificed the worst of their Cattle saying Offer it now unto thy Governor will he be pleased with thee or accept thy Person Mal. 1.8 will have the same Reason to say in the present Case Is this an House fit for my Name to be called upon in Give it for an entertaining House to your Prince See if he will thank you The Primitive Christians as oft as they had respite from Persecutions were very industrious in erecting stately Churches and adorning them splendidly so that they were of the same mind we are in this matter Then as to the Jewish Service Since it is lawful for us to make use of a Liturgy Compos'd by the Ministers of the Church as I shew'd in my Answer to the second Objection how can we do better than transplant those of the Jewish Institutions into our Service which apparently tend to promote Piety Since because no Reason can be given why such should be thought so abolish'd by the coming of Christ as to be made uncapable of being admitted among the Christian Ordinances we must needs think they are as likely to be pleasing to God now as any other not more edifying than they and especially too since part of the Jewish Service viz. Singing of Psalms is recommended by the Apostle But it is said it is contrary to the simplicity of Christian Worship to do so No surely since Christians are Men endued with Passions whose Faculties are to be wrought upon by impressions upon the outward Senses I conceive the simplicity of Christian Worship consists in a due qualification of the Heart and Mind in the Service of God Now the external Beauty of God's House and becoming Ceremonies as I have shewed before have a natural tendency to make such Impressions upon us and therefore they are very consistent with the simplicity of Christian Worship But the Word and Sacraments are thought sufficient to effect this 'T is true they are the chief Causes of begetting a good Disposition in us but those who urge this would do well consider that Christ in his Institution of the Holy Supper hath ordained that the Bread shall be broken undoubtedly to represent how his Body was broken on the Cross and by such a visible Representation to excite in us the greater Sense of his Sufferings and thereby more effectually to raise our Devotion and from hence they may gather that our Lord doth approve of significant Rites and Ceremonies Alas our Affections are dull and heavy there is need of all manner of Helps to raise them up and it is easily discoverable what an influence Impressions upon the outward Senses have in the Mind 'T is true if we content our selves with the external peformance of Ceremonies or suffer our Minds to be taken up with an idle Contemplation of the Ornaments and Decencies of the Church then are we Strangers to the simplicity of Christian Worship but if upon the sight of these Things and the uniform administration of the Service we take occasion to contemplate upon the Glories of our Heavenly Habitations and the unanimous Consort of Angels praising God in Heaven and be thereby excited to imitate the Heavenly Host with more Fervor and if to the outward performance of each Ceremony we suit our Affections then is our Worship according to Christian Simplicity and this use may every one make of the Ornaments and Decencies of the Church and it is the only design of these Provisions that they should Our Ceremonies are not numerous like the Popish nor burthensome