am not of our Authors mind that many Sects do sometimes meet in the Dutch Churches I suppose he was never Conversant among them to make the Remark I know some who resided a long while there and they assured me that in the Publick Established Churches few or none meet but they who are of the Established Religion The Arminians have places of their own to meet in so the Papist the Lutherans the Mennonists the Brownists c. It is rarely if ever that they frequent the Established Churches 2. But the Dutch Churches have the use of Organs very frequent amongst them almost in every Church I Answer 1. By way of Concession I confess it to be thus in most of their Churches in their larger Cities but yet I cannot Assent to what our Author adds That they are in every Church where the People are of ability to procure them That is really a mistake of the Author There is a Publick Church and a very large one which has them not in Leyden and it is the case of some others in other Cities 2. Altho' they have Organs in their Churches yet they pretend not as our Author does that they are to Exalt their Devotions and the more to Excite their Affections but they use them to Regulate the Voices of the People and to direct them in the Tune of the Psalm they are to sing 3. It also deserves our consideration that Organs were introduced into the Dutch Churches by some Magistrates against the Consent of the Dutch Ministers For at the National Synod held at Middleburg Anno 1581 and in the Synod of Holland and Zealand Anno 1594. it was Decreed * Voet's Pol. Eccles Part. 1. p. 561 562. and p. 593. Primum cantus Instrumentalis in Ecclesiâ aliquâ Hollandicâ N. Aedilis alicujus aut Aedilium istius loci privato judicio ac studio Anno 1637 introductus c. that they would endeavour to prevail with the Magistrates to banish Organs and Instrumental Musick out of their Temples And Voet informs us that it was introduced by some Civil Officer at first upon his own private Motion without the consent of the Ecclesiastical Synod Ne Conscio quidem aut consulto Ecclesiastico Synedrio are his words Let these things be considered and then let his Argument from the Dutch Churches carry as much weight with it as it can But supposing what our Author has offered us from the Dutch Churches and others may not be sufficient to gain the point he aims at then he returns from whence he set out and assures us Tho' none of the Reformed Churches abroad did use them at all It is sufficient that ours doth Ser. p. 14. to justifie their Lawfulness being by far the best part of the Reformation I answer 1. Whereas he saith it is sufficient that ours does use them to justifie their Lawfulness I humbly conceive it to be a Mistake If a thing be not antecedently Lawful in its self I do not think the Churches using it will render it Lawful Altho' his Holiness at Rome may pretend to a Prerogative to change things unlawful into Lawful yet I suppose the Church of England ne're claimed it The use of Instrumental Musick by a Church is no Argument of its Lawfulness unless it be first proved that that Church is absolutely an Unerring one 2. The Church of England makes use of the Cross in Baptism yet it is strongly questioned whether it is Lawful as used in this Church 3. The same Church Imposes certain Rites which she confesseth to be indifferent in themselves upon its Members as necessary Terms of Communion without a compliance with which Persons however Spotless and Holy in their lives however sound as to Doctrine shall be debarr'd her Communion But I am satisfied that the Practise of this Church will not render such an Imposition Lawful 4. If we would arrive at Satisfaction about the Lawfulness of a thing in the Worship of God with submission I conceive we are not to enquire whether it be the practise of a Church now in being but what Warrant that Church has for such a Practise 5. The Cathedral Churches it must be confessed make use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God and we find it in some and but very few Parish Churches amongst us But the far greatest part of the Parishes have nothing of it Nay not one of a 100 Parishes parhaps of 500 Enjoy this sort of Church-Musick Therefore he cannot say that all in Communion with the Church of England do approve of the use of it I am satified that Multitudes do not And should Persons attempt to erect an Organ in some Parish Churches I nothing question but that they would meet with great opposition We find it was a long time ere our Author could bring his Parish to it He was no less than Ten Years in perswading his Parish to approve of this Musick Preface And now his Organ is where he would have it I very much question whether all the Members of his Congregation are satisfied with what their Guide has drawn them to Well so great an Authority I perceive has this Mans Church that if it practiseth any thing in the Worship of God although all other Reformed Churches disuse and disallow it that thing presently becomes lawful which I suppose you will grant me is no small absurdity But he obliges us with a Reason for the proof of this Ser. p. 14. For adds he Ours being by far the best part of the Reformation 1. Suppose this be allowed him for certain that the Church of England is the best Reformed Church in the World yet I am not so acute to perceive how it will thence follow that this Churches use of Organs in Divine Worship will justifie the Lawfulness of them For the best Reformed Church in the World may have some flaw in it 2. But what does this Gentleman mean by the Church of England when he Asserts it to be the best part of the Reformation Does he Exclude all the Dissenters of what ever Denomination from his Church And does he include the Vast Multitudes of Debauched Profane Atheistical Sotts who loudly pretend to be some of the best Members of the Church of England Or doth he Exclude them too 3. What does this Gentleman mean by his Church's being the best part of the Reformation Does he intend that it is best as to its Doctrine best as to its Discipline or best as to the Holiness of its Members If he designs it of its Doctrine I think other Churches may pretend to be as well Reformed as his For the Doctrine of the French Protestant Churches of the Dutch Reformed Churches of the Scotch Church and of the Hungarian Churches is much what the same with that of the Church of England As to Discipline let him prove that the Discipline exercised in the Church of England exceeds that of the French Protestant Churches the Dutch c. That the
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
I will presume that altho' he has read some Authors who write for the lawfulness of the use of Organs in the Sacred Assemblies of Christians yet he has scarcely read any who have written against such an use of them For I am satisfied he talks as if he had not Some Mens Libraries are as Partial as themselves and will scarcely afford an Author who determines a Question on that side they are against There are other Arguments of considerable strength to be met withal against the Lawfulness of Organs in Sacris beside those produced by our Author Be pleased to consult some of our Protestant Writers against the Papists and you will soon be satisfied as to this I humbly conceive I have suggested some Objections already which our Author has not mentioned But let this be a third Objection Object 3. The use of Organs in Christian Assemblies for Divine Worship condemned as unlawful by the Book of Homilies And herein the Church of England in her Homilies agrees with the Geneva Annotators Now that the use of Organs in the Worship of God is condemned by the Homilies is most plain For in the Homily of the time and place of Prayers Part II. there is this objection supposed to be made by one who cared not to frequent the Parish-Churches viz. Alas What shall we do at Church Since all the Saints are taken away since all the goodly sights we were wont to have are gone Since we cannot hear the like Piping Singing Chaunting and playing upon the Organs that we could before To this it is replied But Dearly beloved we ought greatly to rejoyce and give God thanks that our Churches are delivered out of all those things which displeased God so sore and filthily defiled his House and his place of Prayer The complaint of the Person who refused to frequent the Parish Churches was amongst other things that there was no playing on the Organs there And to this the Answer is That we ought to rejoyce and to give God thanks that the Church was delivered from these things which were so displeasing to God and so defiling to his House This was the Opinion of the Church of England in the days of Queen Elizabeth Namely that Organs in Churches are displeasing to God and filthily defiling to his House So that in the judgment of our Authors Church the use of Organs in the Worship of God is unlawful Now the Homilies and the Doctrine contained in them are approved received and established by the Supream Authority of Church and State Canons of Convocation and Acts of Parliament as the late Bishop of Lincoln has clearly proved * Dr. Barlow's Cases of Conscience of setting up Images in Churches p. 21 22. Queen Elizabeth expresly ordered these Homilies to be read in the Churches as you may see in the Preface to those Homilies And Article 35 doth approve and confirm the Doctrine of the Homilies as good and wholesome For saith that Article The Second Book of Homilies the several titles whereof we have joined under this Article doth contain a Godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times as doth the former Book of Homilies which was set forth in the time of Edward VI. and therefore we judge to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly as they may be understood by the People Whence it is apparent the Church approves of those Homilies 1. As containing a Godly wholsom Doctrine 2. As to the reading of them in the Churches So that hence I infer that it is the profest Judgment of this Authors Church that it is a Godly and wholsome Doctrine namely That Organs in Churches are displeasing to God and do filthily defile his holy House Our Author has subscribed these Articles of the Church and so has thereby approved of the Homilies and now let him Reconcile his Sermon to the Homilies if he can Had the Geneva Annotators said but as much as do the Homilies against Organs O how Tragically would he have exclaimed as if they meant no less than the total Subversion of the Church well perhaps by his next we may have him bestowing the Epithite of Pernicious upon the Homilies too Object 4. If the Praising of God with Organs be thus Lawful in the Worship of God as our Author pleads then will it for the same reason be lawful to introduce other Musical Instruments into the Worship of God such as Harps and Trumpets Psalteries and Cymbals c. and other Rites too as Dancing c. For upon our Authors Principles these are lawful to be used in the Worship of God also And so it will be lawful to dress up the Christian Worship with as much Pomp and Ceremony as was that of the Temple which I think none will assert who duely understand the Nature of Gospel Worship Object 5. That Opinion which impeaches Christ and his Apostles of want of Wisdom in making provision for the Edification of the Church is false but such is the Opinion of our Author Therefore his Opinion is Absurd The Major of this Argument is unquestionable the Minor is evident from the Author of the Sermon For saith he Ser. p. â— Instrumeâ—â—â—â— Musick is the most proper means to quicken our hearts and to raise 〈◊〉 â—…fections and to make us the more devout Now most certainly our â—…thor impeaches hereby our Lord and his Apostles of want of Wâ—sdom For to institute a less proper means to raise Affections and excite Devotion and to neglect the most proper means argues a want of Wisdom But according to him Christ and his Apostles have neglected to appoint the most proper means to raise the Affections and excite the Devotions of Christians Therefore in effect his Opinion charges them with a want of Wisdom For it is most certain that altho' our Lord and his Apostles have instituted Vocal Musick yet have they not appointed Instrumental for the raising the Affections of Christians and quickning their Devotions And so they have neglected to prescribe the most proper means for the attaining of these ends in our Authors Judgment Object 6. But to conclude I would interrogate our Author were I by him whether according to the Act of Uniformity and the Constitution of the Church of England the particular Pastor of a Parochial Church is allowed to introduce new Rites and Modes of Worship into his Parish-Church over and above what are appointed by the Act of Uniformity without a Warrant either from a Convocation or a Parliament And whether Supra-conformity be not as much a Transgression of the Statute of Uniformity as Subter-conformity This Gentleman cannot plead that he has an Injunction from the Kings Majesty nor a Warrant from any Statute enacted by Parliament nor from any Canon of any Convocation nor from any Rubrick in the Common-Prayer-Book for the setting up his Organ in his Parish-Church Therefore what has induced him to put his Parish to so great a charge I cannot well imagine Thus I hope
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
now be a safe Port and a Sanctuary to them But then as to that part of the Objection in which the Arch-Bishop saith that the Foreign Protestants abominate the Profession and Rites of the Church of England the Doctor Answers thus In Doctrine and the profession of the Orthodox Faith there is no disagreement between us this being intire some difference as to Rites and Discipline is to be allowed of on both sides The rashness of your Victor all pious and prudent Persons have heretofore condemned Euseb l. 5. c. 23. and still condemn He would force those from Communion who differed from him in certain Rites Nor Irenaeus nor Policarp nor your very Popes themselves of a more sound judgment as Amicetus Pius Higinus Telesphorus Sixtus were of this Temper They observed their own Rite and manner of Fasting yet they maintained Peace with others who came to them from other Churches although they fasted in a contrary way and manner And then he concludes all with this Remark Nec tibi tuisque Sanguine Sanctorum Ebriis c. Neither does it sufficiently satisfie you and yours who are drunk with the blood of the Saints that our Brethren p. 255. banished their Country and stript of their Fortunes by your Tyranny should be Exiles and Miserable among us but you would not have them to be or to behold the Light You would not have any place in the World for them to set their feet upon This is pleasing to you in this the Roman Beast does Exult and Triumph Hoc Ithacus velit magno mercentur Atridae The Reverend and Charitable Doctor knew how to pity the poor distressed and banished Protestants He condemned them not for their Dissent from the Church of England but he applauds the Churches Charity in maintaining and supporting them So there be but an accord in Doctrine he is willing that some difference in Rites and Discipline should be allowed He reflects not upon their Integrity because of their Descent But I find Mr. Newte is quite of another Genius Well If the French Protestants among us live quietly and peaceably under the Civil Government if they are Religious towards God Righteous towards Men and of Sober Conversations why should any Persons be displeased with them for the observation of their own Ecclesiastick Rites and Discipline Is the Church of England any thing the worse for it Does it hereby suffer any diminution in its Revenue Are not her Dignities still the same And may not the Sons of the Church be as Holy and Devout as if we had none of these People among us Mr. Newte quietly enjoys his own freedom and Worships God in the way be best approves of and let him not be displeased that others do so too He has no warrant to make his own Sentiments a standard for Others But he saith They are too like the Vipers Brood Ser. p. 38. who eat out the Bowels of their Mother that nourisheth them up and maintains them with Ability to support themselves If Vipers destroy their Mother it is but one Viper destroys another But I hope the Protestant Refugees are not Vipers nor the Church of England a Viparous Mother But I cannot understand how the Church of England is the Mother of the French Protestants for they were not born of her they are of another distinct Family They are got into England for shelter for a time and why should not the Church be very kind to her Sisters Children in distress notwithstanding some few differences as to External Discipline for these are no other than what they derived from their own Parent And Mr. Newte's Children if he has any may as wisely quarrel with the Children of another Man for not being like their Father as he may blame the French Protestants for some little accidental Differences in opinion from his Mother the Church of England I do not see why this Author and his Church should not patiently tolerate some smaller differences in matters of Religion in the French Refugees without offence Beside I would have this Gentleman to consider that the English Protestant Dissenters do largely contribute toward the Maintenance of these Protestant Refugees as well as the Church of England But how does it appear that the French Protestants do destroy the Church of England I never heard of any one step they have made towards it This is a suggestion too black and malevolent to spring from Christian Charity He charges some with Pretending to Preach and Pray by the Spirits extraordinary Assistance Who they are he reflects on Ser. p. 43. I know not For beside the Quakers I think none pretend to Preach and Pray by the immediate Assistance of the Spirit Thus Sir I have given you my thoughts of Mr. Newte's Sermon But I fear by this time I have almost tired you And upon the Review of what I have written you I find that I am chargeable with two faults the one is the frequent Repetition of the same things the other the prolixity of this Letter As to the first of these I have this to say in my justification that I was drawn sometimes to say the same thing over again because the Author of the Sermon abounds so much in Repetition So that the Fault is rather his than mine And I was willing to reply even to all his Arguments though sometimes what he offers for a new Argument is only an old one in a new dress of words for otherwise perhaps he might not have thought his Sermon Answered Which thing has even necessitated me sometimes to repeat what had been said before Then as to the Prolixity of this Letter I hope you will excuse it seeing I was willing amply to give you my thoughts of every passage in the Sermon which I conceived might well be excepted against But I am assured your Candor is so great as to pardon small Faults and as to greater Mistakes I readily submit to your Friendly Correction desiring to approve my self to be Honoured Sir Your Humble Servant ERRATA PAge 1. line 9. for a read the. p. 2. l. 6. for Neighbour r. 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A LETTER TO A Friend in the Country Concerning the Use of INSTRUMENTAL MUSICK IN THE Worship of God IN Answer to Mr. Newte's SERMON Preach'd at Tiverton in Devon on the Occasion of an Organ being Erected in that Parish-Church LONDON Printed for A. Baldwin at the Oxford-Arms in Warwick Lane 1698. A LETTER TO A Friend in the Country Concerning the Use of INSTRUMENTAL MUSICK IN THE Worship of God c. SIR I Have according to your desire been at the pains to peruse the Discourse of Mr. Newte which he delivered a while since to his Auditory at Tiverton occasioned by the erecting of an Organ in the Publick Temple there Had he confined his beloved Musick to his own Parish I believe he might have sat down quietly and have solaced himself with his Harmonious Pipes without fear of a Contradiction But he was so ravished with his Organical Devotion that nothing less would content him than to fill the whole Nation with a noise of it Therefore out comes his Sermon in Print to tell the World what a mighty admirer he is of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God with what rare and raised Devotion he adores the Deity whilst that of others is low and inharmonious being deadned and flatned by the hoarsness of the Wind-pipe He discovers a mighty Zeal for this sort of Church-Musick as he stiles it and therefore has thought fit to oblige the World with a large Sermon to recommend and defend it But how grateful soever this sort of Musick may be to his more Elevated Genius He does ill to blame others for not approving it Why must he disturb his Neighbour with his fancy Others perhaps do not find this to be so great a help to Devotion as he confidently presumes it is To render his Discourse the more acceptable to the World He has Dedicated it to the Right Reverend the Bishop of Exon and whether it has met with his Approbation and Good-liking I have not heard but I am satisfied that some of the Clergy look upon it as a mean performance I perceive by his Epistle Dedicatory that this Gentleman has had a difficult Province of it in bringing his Organ into his Church He has been attempting it for Ten Years together and could never accomplish his design till of late And for ought I know at last he has as the Proverb speaks made more hast than good speed For is this a time to set up Chargeable Organs in the Churches This was written when a stop was put to Trade by the Prohibition of the Clipt Money the use of which he only pretends to be lawful to expend vast Sums in the setting up some Musical Pipes when as the generality of the Poor complain and that not without reason that they have scarcely Money sufficient to buy Bread for their Families Is this a time to lavish a great deal of Treasure upon inanimate Organs when as the animate ones I mean the Poor are ready to famish for want of their Daily-bread What Harmony can there be in a costly Organ when we hear the bitter lamentations of the Needy and the piercing cryes of helpless Orphans Is this a time to regale our Ears with an Expensive and yet unnecessary Musick when we can scarcely find Money sufficient to defray the Charges of a necessary War against a Potent Prince and Inveterate Enemy abroad Why must it just at this very time be Erected I hope the Worship of God has heretofore been managed with as much Edification without it Well seeing he has obtained his desire in having mounted his Organ to the place he designed it for I wish it may inspire him as with Devotion to his God so with Charity towards his Neighbour But some Mens Charity is not very large at home and then usually much less abroad His many little spiteful reflections he makes upon Protestant Dissenters discover his Charity abroad to be very deminutive And whether the compliment he makes his Right Reverend Diocesan does not savour of a want of some degree of Charity towards those of his own way and Church I leave to you to determine I shall transcribe the Passage which I have a respect to for I think it deserves an Animadversion Thus then he Addresses his Lordship My Lord It is now highly to be wished if such a Wish be not too great in our days that all others who possess the same Station and Dignity in our Church with you were as Zealous and hearty in promoting the interest and defending the rights of its Constitution It would make some of us happy beyond our expectation and others beyond their design if not against their wills Then we might see our excellent establishment and Old-England flourish in our time as they did in that of our Forefathers In which Passage you cannot but observe what a vast commendation he heaps upon his Lordship and advances him far above those of the same station in the Church This Gentleman when he dropped this passage I suppose had almost forgotten the common Proverb Viz. That comparisons are odious He hereby tacitely accuses the other Reverend Bishops of a want of Zeal and heartiness in the promoting the interest and defending the rights of the Churches Constitution I wish this Gentleman would be pleased to shew us in what respects the other Reverend Bishops have been wanting to the Churches Interest For my part I would not in the least be thought to detract from the due praises of the Bishop of Exon. But why should many other Reverend Bishops of the same Order be marked out as Men too little concerned for the Churches interest When as it is apparent beyond a possibility of a denyal that they have appeared with a great deal of Warmth in defence of that Church and its rights That Man must needs be a great Stranger to the other Reverend Bishops who shall adventure to assert that they have been wanting as to their Zeal and heartiness in the promoting of the Churches Interest and defending of the Rights of the Churches constitution The present Arch-Bishop has written with great Learning and Zeal against Atheists in his Examination of Hobbs's Creed and against the Papists in his Elaborate Discourse of Idolatry The Reverend Bishop of Worcester has Learnedly pleaded the Cause of Christianity against Atheists and Deists in his Origines Sacrae and his Letter to a Deist With very great strength of Reason has he Confuted the Doctrines of the Church of Rome in his Rational Account His Idolatry of the Church of Rome and in many other Excellent Discourses And with wonderful Learning has he Vindicated the grand Doctrines of our Religion against Crellius and others of the Socinian party His Discourse of the Sufferings of Christ and that of the Trinity evidently prove this I suppose I need not tell you that with great briskness he has written against those too who are somewhat averse to the Churches discipline His Mischief of Separation will discover
However meanly this way of making Melody in our Hearts to the Lord may be thought by some It has been certainly of above a Thousand Years standing in the Christian Church Ser. p. 13. And been received and approved of by the Reformed as well as the Popish Churches and therefore no part of Popery Here the Author offers to our Consideration Two things 1. The Antiquity of this Church-Musick 2. It s use in the Reformed Churches 1. The Antiquity of Instrumental Musick as used in the Worship of God He saith It has certainly been of above a Thousand Years standing in the Christian Church 1. Suppose this be granted him yet for 600 Years by our Authors Confession the Christian Churches were Strangers to them So that in the purest and best times of Christianity there were no Organs resounding in their Temples After the four first Centuries many Superstitions found way into the Christian Churches And after that time as Dr. Cave saith * Caves Preface to Prim. Christ The Life and Spirit of Christianity did visibly decline apace And when the Spirit and Life of Christianity declined no wonder if Organs and Latine Service and many other such Superstitious usages met with Admittance and Approbation None pretend as far as I can learn that Organs were used in the Publick Worship of Christians till the time of Pope Vitaliane He was the First who recommended the use of Instrumental Musick to Christian Assemblies And I cannot see any reason Protestants have of being the more fond of it because first introduced by a Pope 2. But then it is somewhat doubtful whether Instrumental Musick had so early an admission into the Christian Church as our Author pretends But of this I have delivered my thoughts before 3. Many Corruptions in Worship have been of a Thousand Years standing in the Christian Church Altars Idolatrous Images Latin Mass c. can plead as great Antiquity as Organs But I suppose this is not enough to render the Sacred use of these things Warrantable 2. As to the use of Organs amongst the Reformed he saith They have been received and approved of by the Reformed Ser. p. 13. To confirm this he adds The Opinion of Luther Calvin and their Followers will bear me out in this whose Judgments in this matter I shall just mention 1. Luther he saith approved of this sort of Church-Musick Did he so If our Author had fairly proved it I might have been inclined to believe it But what Evidence does he give of it Why truly just none at all He cites us a Passage from somebody it is true for he tells us not whom who hath written the Life of Luther which he imagines may import some such thing The Passage as our Author Translates it is this Luther speaking of the Communion Service that it ought to be in the Mother-Tongue saith I rather wish than promise it being not sufficient for so great a work for it requires both Musick and a Spirit and then he Laments the want of Poets to Compose and sing Godly Songs But to this a few things 1. I wish he had told us where we might have found this passage that we might have arrived to the greater satisfaction about it I have consulted Melchior Adam's Account of Luther's Life and I cannot find it there 2. But supposing this for Truth that Luther had thus delivered himself I cannot see what Advantage our Author's Cause will have by it What if he had said That the Translating the Communion Service into the Mother-Tongue required both Musick and a Spirit Must it presently be supposed that he understood it of Instrumental Musick What! Is there no other sort of Musick than Instrumental Ay but he Laments the want of Poets to Compose and sing Godly Songs Admirable proof that he approved of the use of Organs in the Publick Worship of Christians What! cannot a Person speak of Composing and singing Godly Songs but presently our Author must Alarm us with the lowd noise of Musical Instruments If this is all the Proof he can produce to Evidence Luther's Approbation of this sort of Church Musick it had been better he had held his peace and said nothing at all 3. But whatever our Author suggests I am inclined to believe that Luther ne're approved of the use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God under the Gospel but rather disliked it For Eckard saith this of Luther Fascicul c. 21. p. 639. Quod Organa Musica inter Baalis insignia refert i. e. He numbers Instrumental Musick amongst the badges of Baal This passage methinks does not look as if he had been a Friend to this sort of Musick But adds our Author His Followers it seems who must be supposed Ser. p. 13. to have best understood their Teachers meaning have affected it for in great part of Germany Sweedeland Denmark Switzerland and part of Poland where his Doctrine is received they have the Exercise of Vocal and Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God as we have 1. I own that some of the followers of Luther have Instrumental Musick as well as Vocal in their Publick Worship But in this they have left their Master as they have apparently done in some other Cases 2. What if some of the Lutherans approve of the use of Organs in the Worship of God Do they not also approve of many other things in Divine Worship which other Protestant Churches justly condemn Such as Auricular Confession Singing of Psalms in Latin the use of Crucifixes in their Devotions though it must be confessed they adore them not they pay not Divine Honour to them yet they use them to excite their Affections Have they not the Pictures of the Trinity in their Churches And are they not Zealous Sticklers for the absurd Doctrine of Consubstantiation In many of their Publick Churches in the time of Divine-Service you may hear the sound of Horns of Vials of Organs of Voices c. Will this prove such a Medley of sounds to be Lawful in Christian Assemblies 2. But now let us attend the Evidence he produceth to prove Calvin and his Followers to have been Approvers of this sort of Church-Musick Ser. p. 14. So likewise Calvin saith he gives his Approbation of it in some places but being a Man of intemperate heat and passion is inconsistent with himself in others I shall only mention one which is his Comment on Amos 6.5 where he highly commends David that whereas being Musical and a Lover of Musick he might privately have delighted himself therewith when he was now in peace and ease and past all his Dangers yet he chose rather Musical Instruments to the Exercise of Devotion that he might thereby raise his mind towards God And that they sounding the Praises of God in the Temple he might excite both himself and others to the study of Godliness Three things are very Remarkable in this Discourse of our Author 1. He Asserts boldly that Calvin approved
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-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
of England For they are not willing that her Honour should be laid in the Dust but rather desire that her real Honour should be secured and advanced He has a very tart Reflection or two upon the French Protestants who have betaken themselves hither for shelter from the dreadful storm of Persecution in France His concluding passage to them is this It is certainly too just a Reflection upon the integrity of these Protestant Refugees to partake of the protection of the Church Ser. p. 38. without obeying the Laws of her Communion Such do but too like the Vipers Brood eat out the Bowels of their Mother that nourishes them up and maintains them with ability to support themselves The Compassion I have for these distressed Protestants strongly pleads with me to say something in their behalf and justification Therefore I cannot well pass by this charge our Author has drawn up against them without making some few Remarks upon it 1. Methinks this Gentleman's Musick might have inspired him with so much Charity as to have restrained him from such Unchristian Reflections as these Why must these poor Persecuted Souls be made the Objects of his Spleen Is this his Charity to lash the miserable who by fiery Popish Persecuting Zeal are forced from their Native Country their Houses and Possessions Did any of the Apostles ever discover such a Temper The French King has driven them out of his Territories for the Worshipping of God according to their Consciences and must the same thing here be made a crime by Protestants For this must their integrity be questioned It is really hard very hard that poor persecuted Souls who have suffered so much for Worshipping God according to the Convictions of their own Minds from a Popish Party should yet be condemned for the same by English Protestants The Protestant Refugees Worship God in a way they were trained up in in their own Country they are perswaded it is a way agreeable to the Word of God nay as agreeable to it as any other way of Worship they meet withal in the World and therefore they see no reason to desert their own way of Worship for one they are not so well satisfied in I remember that the Reverend Bishop of Sarum in the Preface to his Translation of Lactantius's Relation of the Death of the Primitive Persecutors p. 17 18. speaks to this purpose It is an Essential right of Humane Nature to Worship God according to our Conviction which is in us Antecedent to all Humane Government and can never become subject to it 2. Whereas he saith Is is a just Reflection upon the integrity of these Protestant Refugees to partake of the protection of the Church without the obeying the Laws of her Communion I rather think it to be an Argument of their great Integrity that they still adhere to their own way of Worshipping God which they judge to be best although they expose themselves to the frowns of the Clergy of our Author's Church and thereby they are debarred from having a share in his Churches Charity I have not long since met with some Letters Written by some of these despised Refugees residing in Germany Printed in the Year 1690. In which there is one Letter directed to the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of the Church of England * Letter 5. p. 34. In which they thus fairly and candidly declare their Sentiments to their Lordships viz. If Episcopacy is of Divine Right it follows from hence that neither the Churches of France nor those of Holland nor those of Germany nor those of Switzerland nor Geneva c. have truely had either Ministers or Sacraments since the Reformation And would you My Lords shut up the Ministry of the Gospel and the Sacraments of Jesus Christ in the Church of England only And a little after they add If you Renounce this Opinion that Episcopacy is of Divine rite you must at the same time revoke the Custom of Reordination which is but a dependance upon it You cannot imagine how many good Souls find themselves scandalized at this custom that has been chiefly a very great trouble to the French Ministers who are dispersed every where to be obliged to receive a second Ordination from your Hands before they are able to execute their Office in the Church of England For we must sincerely tell you that we know many Persons whom this very consideration hath disswaded to retire into England I wish our Author would consider this complaint of the French Protestants 3. Suppose this Gentleman had lived in the Marian days and had for his security been forced to retire into some Foreign Protestant Country as Geneva Switzerland c. would he not have thought it hard Measure if Protestants there should have made tart Reflections upon him for his not approving of and complying with their Discipline in all things Would he have liked it if any of them should have blamed him for Worshipping of God according to the Convictions of his own Mind As the Reverend Bishop of Sarum * Preface before cited p. 16. well saith No Man has that Superiority over any other Mans Reason as to expect that it should always accomodate its self to his And saith the same Reverend Prelate in another place There is a Tyranny in most mens nature which makes them desire to subdue all others by the strength of their Understandings Id. p. 11. And such Men have an implacable hatred to all that do not render themselves to their Reasons and think that they are affronted when other Men refuse to submit to them So that he who would strike at Persecution in its root must begin here and endeavour to soften Men especially towards those who differ from them in matters of Religion I wish this Gentlemans rare Musick had softened his Spirit a little more toward the Protestant Refugees who somewhat differ in apprehension from him But I think I need say no more in Vindication of these distressed Protestants than what has been said heretofore by a Doctor of the Church of England †Dr. Crakanthorp Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae p. 254. against the Arch-Bishop of Spalato a great Papist The Arch-Bishop I remember objects Churches at London are open by Royal Concession to the French the Dutch the Italians but all these are infected with the Venom of Calvanism and by these Puritanism is cherished and promoted in England These abominate the Profession and Rites of the Church of England To which the Reverend Doctor thus replies in the behalf of the Church of England Fuisse Scimus gratissimis animis c. We gratefully remember and acknowledge that in the times of the Marian Persecution England experienced the same Offices of Humanity and Piety abundantly done her by the French the Dutch the German Churches and those of Geneva We now truly pity their condition because by you and your Cruelty they are become Exiles And we extreamly rejoyce that our England can