rather which they would seem to be offended at more out of a pretence to keep up a Separation than that any Offence can be justly taken at the things themselves And that this is no uncharitable or groundless surmise is evident from their Aversion to Alterations in the time of the Sessions of the last Convocation as they were before in that of 1660. And the Conference at the Savoy when they might have been satisfied in any thing could they have agreed in what would have satisfied them besides a total Subversion of the English Constitution which is at this time in an especial manner and always has been since the Reformation the greatest Bullwark of the Protestant Religion against Popery of any in the whole Christian World And 't was sadly apparent what great advances Popery made in the late times of Anarchy and Confusion when this excellent Constitution was subverted and thro' the Policy of the Church of Rome her most Zealous and Religious Defenders were traduc'd as Popishly affected and by their Instigation cut off because in truth they were the most irreconcilable Enemies to the Tyranny and Corruption of that Church as any People whatsoever Witness besides the Royal Martyr himself the incomparable Arch-Bishop Laud * Called by Mr. Long the Papists Scourge and Horrour who if Times would have favour'd him had Zeal and Courage and Learning and Interest enough to have driven Popery out of any Kingdom in Christendom And for certain the return of it in this Kingdom will for ever be prevented whatever is pretended by ill designing Men if the Doctrine and Discipline of our Church be but maintain'd with a like Resolution and Christian Bravery as he maintained them when he adorned the See of Canterbury The sticking close to which is the readiest Course that can be taken to keep out Popery and nothing else will be able to do it For notwithstanding the Out-cry of Popery be at every turn made against our Church Service which is one of the grossest and foulest Slanders that ever was invented or credited and could proceed from nothing so much as an ill Design against her * Nothing can make an honest Man suspect our Church of Popery but his Ignorance what Popery is London Cases p. 493. or from great Ignorance of what Popery is were this excellent Constitution destroy'd Popery in all probability would soon destroy the Protestant Religion quite and we should be clearly over-run with the Tyranny as well as Superstition of that corrupt Church which at present domineers over so great a part of Christendom and threatens Ruin and Desolation to all the rest We see too much what would be our own Case by the barbarous Persecution of the Protestants in France Savoy c. notwithstanding the Edicts and Oaths and Declarations of those Princes to the contrary if we should through the subtilty of the Court of Rome be perswaded by any of our Dissenters to alter our English Constitution or so much as admit of the desired Comprehension under the plausible pretence of Union but in truth it would be a means of dividing and weakning us the more among our selves than we could hope to win from abroad 'T is plain we might gratifie our Enemies thereby but we should never oblige our Friends nor strengthen our Interest nor one jot the less be calumniated as Popish But that the Church of England is free from any such Imputation of Popery is so clearly and candidly evinc'd by the learned Dr. Hooper the present Dean of Canterbury in his excellent Treatise on that Subject at the end of the London Cases that it will be needless for any one to say more to it for those that will not be convinced of the contrary by his Reasons do but expose their Ignorance to the World or what is worse their Prejudice or ill Design Among other things which some of those who dissent from us dislike and against all Honesty and Reason make to be a part of Popery is the Practice of Instrumental Musick in our Church Service But 't is a very ridiculous Argument to say so because the Church of Rome uses it and very uncharitable and unjust while the generality of Protestant Churches abroad as well as ours at home which are any where established have the use of it as well as that and have had so ever since the Reformation Our first Reformers were certainly wiser than to account that for Popish and to be quite abolished which was as useful then in the Christian Church as before and which they did Reform where they found it grosly abused but did never think fit to abolish the use of it or account it a piece of Popery to be cast off Those excellent Men were not possessed with such a Spirit of Opposition as against all Sense and Reason to run away from every thing in Divine Worship which the Papists did use or allow this would be bad indeed and a much greater Errour than that which they pretend to avoid for then they must disown God and his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ because the Papists believe them then they must lay aside the Hierarchy because the Papists maintain it and have no Places nor Times set a part for divine Worship nor set Forms of Prayer to address themselves by to the great God of Heaven and Earth because the Papists have them nor indeed have any Decency or Comliness in the House of God because such are to be seen in the Church of Rome No 't is the Corruptions and Superstitions of the Church of Rome we are Reform'd from and 't is not requisite we should be still a Reforming what is thought Decent Regular Primitive and Edifying in our Church And I Challenge any even the most Bigotted Dissenters from the Church of England to shew any one Superstitious Rite or corrupt Doctrine of the Church of Rome which is allowed or maintained in our establish'd Church They may accuse the Surplice for being such but with what shew of Reason to satisfie an unprejudiced Man Why they may as well account a Black Gown to be Popish or a Judges Scarlet being the Grab of the Whore of Babylon or Rev. 17. 4. a grey Cloak because it is worn by some of the Friars And so for the * This Sign both Tertullian and St. Cyprian allow was used from the time of the Apostles continued in use in the time of Constantine the Great and therefore could not be an Invention of the Papists Opus p. 326. Mr. Long 's Calv. Redivivus p. 72. Cross after Baptism for there is no such in it the Ministers making that Sign as a significant Ceremony that in Token hereafter the Child which is Baptized shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified c. is no more Popish than the speaking those Words is Popish nor those decent and significant Rites and Ceremonies which our Church Governors have thought fit to appoint for the more
orderly and solemn Performing the Service of God in his Church are no more Popish than the Time and Place of Prayer nor the kneeling at it nor that very Form of Prayer which our Saviour taught his Disciples And the use of Instrumental Musick is no more Popish than the use of Vocal is since they are both made use of in the Protestant as well as Popish Churches and both for the same excellent Ends namely for the more lively and affectionate Praising of the Goodness of God and the more effectual raising their Minds in Devotion towards him as well as to regulate the Voices of the People and to make them the more Harmonious And nothing is more evident than that the generality of Protestant Churches abroad as well as ours at home do use Instrumental as well as Vocal Musick in the Worship of God I give Instances in Serm. p. 13. the Lutheran as most of the Foreign are which are planted in Germany such as the Dominions of the Elector of Saxony the Duke of Brandenburg the House of Lunenburg and many imperial Cities in the large Territories of Denmark Sweden Poland Russia c. Also in the few Churches which were Reformed according to Calvin's Model in part of Switzerland and Holland The Reformed in France I do not mention because they have been all along so kept under as not to be able to obtain an Establishment according to Primitive usage and their own Desire otherwise they would have had the Hierarchy and I Question not a like Decency in their Church Service as other Reformed have This they Zealously Petitioned for in the time of Cardinal Richlieus Administration * The judgment of the Foreign Reformed c p. 47. But that great Minister was too Politick to admit of their Petition for an Hierarchy foreseeing that such an Apostolical Institution and those Decencies in Divine Worship would make their Church too Beautiful and Regular and soon draw many from the Romish Establishment to their Communion Now this use of Instrumental Musick so universally obtaining in most if not all National Protestant Churches being a proper help to excite and enliven Mens Minds in Devotion as well as to regulate their Voices as most unprejudic'd People find it is no great matter if some few of singular Humours and unreasonable * Scrupulus est formido Temeraria sine fundamento atque adeo nou petest obligare Amesius de Consc. l. 1. 1. 6. Scruples are dissatisfied about it and dislike such a Practice For 't is impossible to please every Body in any one established Church whatsoever The Rules for Decency however Innocent and Instructive will not meet with such an universal Approbation but some will be prejudic'd against them and then 't is much if through the Craft of others they be not easily brought to dissent from them There is scarce any one part of our Church Service though never so excellent and edifying but some or other dislike it and some dislike all shall we therefore lay aside our Book of Common Prayer 'T is very unreasonable surely unless there were a better substituted in its room and such a one I believe neither this Age nor the next will be able to produce But to please whom shall we be perswaded to lay aside or alter our Church Service Why some few who will not otherwise join with us therein I am well satisfied could that heal or remove the Schism that is among us it would have been done a long while since But our Church Governours know too well that the Spirit and Genius of the dissent is of such a Nature that nothing will satisfie that Medly of People and the different Parties concerned in it otherwise their Charity is so great that they would have condescended to the Satisfaction of the meanest Party But then again their Prudence does direct them to consider there is a far greater number of People which make a more considerable Body of the Catholick Church which would be offended if that Service and this excellent Constitution were laid aside and who then should be rather satisfied Those who are for a regular and decent Church Service according to the Primitive Pattern as that of the Church of England is or those who being Biassed by some unreasonable Scruples oppose the same and are really for no such thing And what does it matter if some few inharmonious Souls do dislike the Organs in our Church as some others through Prejudice dislike our Church Service and both through extreme Ignorance or an ill Design account them Popery Will it be reasonable to expect our Governours should so far neglect their Duty to the Church and their regard to the most considerable Body of Protestants to gratify these few by altering the one and laying aside of the other When at the same time by such a silly Objection of Popery which is given by many as a common Term of Reproach to any thing which they do not like in the Church they must also accuse all Foreign Churches of the same Guilt while all of them well approve of our Church Service and of Instrumental Musick too And it is very little to the purpose to Object against the universality of this Approbation as the Answerer does Because some very considerable Ans. p. 37. Dutch Churches have no Organs in them as that at Leyden for Instance and some others though they may be supposed to be of Ability to procure them But I am credibly inform'd that there are Eight Churches in that City and only one without Organs Why there are none in the Popes Chappel at Rome and yet this is no Argument that they are not approved of by the Pope in the Romish Church All this Out-cry of Popery is nothing else but Artifice and Design against our Church without any tolerable Reason or justifiable Grounds to support the Imputation chiefly raised and fomented and encouraged by the Papists themselves that they may by means of that Slander Distract and Divide us and make us become an easier Prey to them This is so very evident that in that little Tract called Foxes and Firebrands set forth by Dr. Nalson it is undeniably so Anno 1680. It being a Specimen of the Danger and Harmony of Popery and Separation wherein is proved from undeniable matter of Fact and Reason that Separation from the Church of England is in the judgment of Papists and by sad Experience found the most Compendious way to introduce Popery and to ruin the Protestant Religion By this means Popery does by degrees continually get Ground and our Protestants not uniting among themselves for want of joining in our excellent Church Service will not be able to hinder the Progress of it for the future And to speak freely an ungrateful but certain Truth I concur with some worthy Men in believing * I have seen a MSS bearing that Title which fully proves the matter of Fact and it is hoped will
Psalms Upon Festival Days they have also Trumpets in Hungaria and Transilvania which Play at the Church Door c. And what if our Church-Governours think fitting to introduce other Rites too They may do so keeping within the Apostles general Rules of Decency Order and Edification and yet not at all Act repugnant to the Nature of the Gospel Worship For these Modes or 1 Cor. 14. 26. 40. Circumstances of Worship being variable may be altered with respectto different Times and Places But yet I will not call their Piety See the Preface to the Book of Common-Prayer writ and Prudence in Question or be so uncharitable to think they will ever suffer the Church Service to be burdened with by Bp. Sanderson And of Ceremonies why some be abolished some retained Obj. III. such a numerous Company of Ceremonies as shall be rather an Hinderance than an Help to our Devotion His 3d. Objection against Instrumental-Musick is a Syllogism wherein the minor Proposition upon which he lays the stress of his Argument is utterly false and so being denyed will let the whole fall to the ground For The granting Instrumental-Musick to be the most proper means to quicken our Hearts and to raise our Affections and to make us the more Devout in the Worshiping of God Will not in the least impeach Christ and his Apostles of the want of Wisdom in making provision for the Edification of the Church Altho' we grant that they have not Instituted Instrumental-Musick in the Service of God for the raising Mens Affections and quickning Ans. p. 8â— their Devotion And 't is a gross Mistake to say That they did Institute Vocal Musick as the Answerer supposes most certainly they did and that Mistake will destroy his Argument For the Institution of Vocal Musick as well as Instrumental was long before the Writing of the New Testament and perhaps before the Writing of the Old We read indeed of no particular Time when either of them was first Instituted tho' we may when they were first used Singing seeming to be as Ancient and Natural as publick Worship And Instruments must be owned to be helpful to Singing where an unreasonable Prejudice does not hinder the Understanding Both were in use before the Law was given as the Song of Moses and the Practice of Miriam do testifie but we have no Reason to think this was the first beginning of them when the one Sung and the other Plaid And both being of eternal use for the raising of Peoples Affections and quickning their Devotion where conveniently they may be had does not reflect upon the Wisdom of Christ and his Apostles or the primitive Christians in not having them but if he will it may upon their Poverty and the Afflicted State of the Church in their Days when it was constantly under Persecution this denyed those Advantages in the Primitive times which some Prosperous after Ages had Ephes. 6. 19. The Apostles Admonition To speak See the Criticks Proprie Refertur ad Instrumenta notatque modulationes to one another in Psalms and Hymns c. does not exclude Instruments but allows them where they may be had and then they may well exalt their Affections in Devotion according to the Mind of Artificiosas certiscaeâ—uris numeris incisas Psalmos olim ad Harpam h. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decantatos fuiâ—â—e Cui rei Patres Astipulantur Hilarius Augustinus alij Qui quomodo Mysticum etiam in hoc Instrumento quaesiverint Concentum iu Ipsorum Scriptiâ— videre est Gualtperus in Loc. Christ and his Apostles I do not here account and I see no reason I should that Devotion consists more in Singing alone than it does with Instruments neither is one more Ceremonious than the other Devotion properly consists in neither not in the Voice or Musick not in speaking or Singing but in the Heart and Mind the Affections of which are hereby raised sometimes by Vocal sometimes by Instrumental Musick and most likely by both together when meet Instruments are added to make up Bp. of Cork p. 443. the Harmony the Efficacy is much greater and to Minds in any indifferent aptitude well nigh irresistible True devotional Musick will excite or heighten Dr. Sherlock our devotional Passions and make us more or less ardent and affectionate as our Souls and Tempers are disposed by being more or less freed from or disturbed with contrary Humors and Passions His Fourth and last Objection has little Object 4. of weight in it but because he has a mind to ask the Author of the Sermon this Question 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 or Modes of Worship into his Parish Church over and above what are appointed c. I will give him this short and plain Answer That I believe he has not But then I must needs say the Question is nothing to the Purpose unless he can prove that the erecting of an Organ in a Parish Church where one formerly stood and never was pulled down by lawful Authority is the introducing a new Rite or Mode of Worship which I believe will be an hard task to do 'T is certainly a very old Rite which is of more than a Thousand Years standing in the Christan Church And how long in the Church of England I cannot tell but we are sure it was a long time before the Reformation and has continued so ever since while the Church stood And the Prescription of so many Years for such an use is a sufficient warrant for the doing of it especially with the consent and approbation and encouragement of the Diocaesan which is very agreeable to the Constitution of the Church of England The allowance of which is as Authentick altogether as the Singing our Psalms in Meeter And I heartily wish when the expence of the War is over that other Parishes who are of ability would follow so good an Example I am very confident they will have the like Authority to countenance and encourage them in so pious and Charitable a Design which none I suppose will distrust the sufficiency of for their so doing And I Question not but the benefit and advantage of it will abundantly recompence them for their Charges and Experience in procuring and maintaining it Our Experience herein must oblige us to acknowlege so clear a Truth And I can with the greatst satisfaction say That I verily believe since the late erecting of the Organ in our Parish-Church of Tiverton and much by the means of it we have as Regular and decent and I hope as Devout a Congregation as any in the whole Diocess And for Psalmody I may be bold to say much beyond any that I have been informed of And now I may presume the Reader will be convinced that tho' as the Answer