praised whether with humble and harty prayer as in the time of heauinesse when griefe oppresseth or with singing of Psalmes and playing on instrumentes as in the time of ioy and mirth according to that counsell of the Apostle If any man bee afflicted let him pray and if any man bee merry let him sing Psalmes In mine opinion excellent is that interpretation of Maister Caluine vppon these words in Luke Then was with the angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praising singing glory be to God on high The Lord saith he by the example of this heauēly melodie would commend vnto vs the vnity of faith and stir vs vp here on earth to sing the praises of our God c. Wherefore a good argument may be gathered out of diuerse places in the Reuelatiō That for asmuch as our life here on earth should with all industry and indeuor apply it selfe to bee like that heauenly life which the angels liue aboue where the 24. Elders fall down before the Lamb hauing euery one harpes goulden viols in their handes The voice of which harpers harping with their harpes Iohn himselfe testifieth hee hearde and that they sang as it were a new song before the throne c. We therefore ought not to omit any part of that seruice which may either stir vs vp in deuotion or make to the testifieng of our earnest harty setting foorth of diuine seruice and beautifieng of the church of God And surely in the praising of God whome should the Church militant follow rather than the Church triumphant And whome shoulde the Sainctes on earth imitate rather than the Sainctes in heauen who behould the Lord face to face and knowe euen as they are knowen Doubtlesse there can be no greater comfort for a pensiue soule than to thinke that he is partaker of the same saluation with the Sainctes And no one thing can pierce deeper into the heart of manne than that hee is called to the same state of praysing and lauding GOD with the holie Angelles Howbeit because I would displease no man nor giue iust occasion of offence vnto any I put this as a principle that as nothing is to be taught so nothing to bee song in the Church but either that which is set downe in the expresse word of God or that may certainly be shewed to be collected out of it For I professe that rotten rythmes of popery superstitious inuocation or praying vnto Saints doth not giue greater cause of vomit to any man than to my selfe al either vnwritten or vnwarrātable verities I so far abhor as that I iudge thē fitter for Grocers shops fishmongers stals than for Gods congregatiō So that I thus far agree with the greatest aduersaryes of our profession that I would not admit any other matter than is contained in the written word of God or consonable therunto only herein we differ that they would haue no great exquisite art or cunning thereunto neither the noise of dumbe instruments to fil vp the measure of the praises of god I alow of both Wherin if I be not too much affectioned me thinks they do great iniurie to the word of God in that they can contentedly permit it to bee song plainly denying the outward helpes ornamēts of art to adde more grace dignity thereunto And truly if in all other faculties it be not only lawfull but commendable also as in painting speaking to set out their matters with coulors eloquence of words I see no reason why to adde more grace to the ditty with the exquisitenes of Musick should be condēnable in the church Wherfore I am of opinion that few of our aduersaries can answere this reason which seemeth to me a general rule infallible demonstration for the allowing aswell of the cunning exquisite art of singing as of the vse of organs and dumbe instruments The Psalmes may bee vsed in the church as the authour of them appointed But the holy Ghost the author of the Psalms appointed and commanded them by the Prophet Dauid to be song and to be song most cunningly and to be song with diuerse artificiall instruments of Musick and to bee song with sundry seuerall and most excellent notes tunes Therefore in our English church the psalmes may be song and song most cūningly and with diuerse artificiall instruments of Musick and song with sundry seuerall and most excellent notes For proofe that the holy Ghost would haue them song hee calleth diuerse Psalmes by the name of the Hebrew word Shir which is a song and such a song as ought of necessity to be song as Psalme 7. and 120. That he would haue them song most cunningly hee directeth many Psalmes especially and by name Lamnazzeath that is to the skilfull chanter or to him that excelleth in Musicke as Psalm 4 c. That he would haue them song with diuerse artificial instruments of Musick gittith and neginoth and diuerse other kinds of musicall instruments are expressed in the titles of certaine Psalmes as Psalm 6. 8. That he would haue thē song with sundry seuerall and most excellent notes and varietie of tunes in diuerse parts and places of sundry Psalmes it is to bee seene by the word Sela set downe in sundry places as Psalme 77. c. which Hebrewe word properly signifieth now change your voice and that cunningly now lift vp your voice and that with an other excellent tune that the people may be more attentiue and the word Sela is neuer written but where the matter of the Psalme is most notable A REFVTATION OF OBIECTIONS AGAINST the lawful vse of Musicke in the Church CHAP. XII IN this last part of my treatise I might seem to vndertake a matter far aboue my ability were it not that either their obiections were too weake to proue theyr purposes or those which are of any force mistaken and grounded vpon false principles Neuerthelesse that I may proceede orderly therein it shall not be amisse to see what diuersity of opinions are concerning this matter Some mislike not all kinde of singing but that which is song by the Ministers alone or by singing men duputed for that purpose and these are they which canot away with exquisite and cunning Musicke nor with the sounde of instruments in the Church but measuring all thinges by their owne humors thinke plaine song farre more meete for Gods congregation Others there bee that disallowe all kinde of Musick in the church And we do not only permit singing contrary to the latter but also cunning and exquisite singing cleane repugnant to the former My meaning is therefore first to see what reasonable answere may be made aswell to those which are against exquisite musick which by yeelding somthing make a great shew of probability as those which wholy banish all Musicke out of diuine seruice who therefore cānot auoid suspition of stomacke and malice because they bee so earnest against that which
order of discipline which it practised from God himself vsed no one spirituall exercise more than singing vnto the Lord. When the Ark which was vnto them a visible signe of Gods presence amōg them and vnto which they resorted to aske counsell of the Lord to poure out their praiers as wee do vnto the church was brought into the citie of Dauid not only the foure thousand Leuits whom Dauid had assigned this office to praise the Lord with instruments which he had made song made melody but Dauid himself also sang reioiced daunced before it Afterward when the Temple was buylded by Solomon and the Arke with other thinges dedicated thereunto by Dauid were brought into the tēple the Leuits according vnto their office sang vnto the lord songs of praise and thankesgiuing lifting vp their voices with trumpets and Cimbals w t instrumēts of Musick which seruice the Lorde did so gratefully accept that hee vouchsaued his visible presence and filled the temple with his glory And whē as Ezechias opened the temple which had been shut reestablished the seruice of the lord which had beene intermitted by the wickednes of Ahas among other thinges there is especiall mention that he restored this exercise for he appointed the Leuits in the house of the Lord with cimbals and vials and with harpes according to the commaundement of Dauid and Gad the kings seer and Nathan the prophet for the commaundement was by the hand of the lord by the handes of his prophets And his holy ordinance which the lord himselfe had sanctified cōtinued in that church as other parts of his seruice did though corrupted euen vnto the comming of Christ in the flesh Neither was it then as a bodily and vnprofitable exercise abolished but retained as a spirituall seruice vnto the Lord albeit not in that order and forme as before And Isidor testifieth that Ad antiquum morem Psalmistarum in veteri ecclesia Iudaeorum c. of the auncient custome of singers in the old church of the Iewes the primitiue church tooke example to noorish singers by whose songs the minds of y e hearers might be stirred vp to god And y e psalmistor singer ought to be most excelēt both in voice art that he may the better delight the hearers with the sweetnesse of his Musicke yea euen our sauiour Christ vsed this diuine exercise for when he had eaten the passouer with his disciples S. Mathew addeth when he had song a psalme they went out into the mount of Oliues As for the times wherin the apostles themselues liued it cannot bee denied but that this exercise was vsed in the churches which they planted for many exhortations are by them made in their epistles as it shall after appeare vnto their churches that then flourished cōcerning this matter and I trust their practise then was agreeable to their exhortatiōs Plinie in an epistle he writeth to Troian the Emperor whiles yet S. Iohn was liuing testifieth that it was the custome of the Christians to sing himnes vnto their Christ in their assembles before day for they could not freely come togither by day for the persecutions that thē raged against them Afterwarde when the church of Christ had a breathing time and might freely serue their God they did that openly in their churches which before they vsed secretly in their assemblies Look vpon the East the West the Greeke Latine Churches you shall finde this to be true It had his beginning in the East Church and from thence being deriued vnto the West spredde it selfe vnto all Churches as Sainct Augustine reporteth in his confessions It were too long to runne ouer all the particular Churches which frequented this exercise it shall bee sufficient to take a view of the patriarchall seates by whome the others were to bee directed in matters of doctrine and discipline Theodoret reporteth that Flauianus and Diodorus ordayned in the Church of Antioch that the Psalmes of Dauid shoulde bee song interchangeably by a quire of singing men diuided into partes first at the monumentes of Martyrs and afterwardes in the Church hortabantur sayeth hee socios sui ministerij vt in Ecclesia sanctissimum Dominum nostrum hymnis celebrarent And they exhorted their fellowe Ministers to prayse their holie Lorde Christ with hymnes and songes The which order once begunne at Antioche was deryued farther and farther euen vnto the vtmost partes of the worlde In Zozomenus likewise it is recorded that when the people of Antioch had intelligence that the Emperour Theodosius was incensed against them for a sedition raysed in their Citie they made their prayers vnto GOD to allay and mitigate his rage vsing thereunto mournfull songes and melodie The which when Flauianus the Bishoppe had caused to bee song before the Emperour as hee satte at meate the storie sayeth that Theodosius was thereat not onely mooued to pytty but forgaue the offence also and himselfe with teares encreased their lamentations And in another place he sayth that the Cleargy people of Antioch diuiding themselues into two parts did according to their accustomed maner praise God with himnes and songes To these former autorities accordeth Socrates who although he attribute not the originall of this singing of Antiphones and psalmes in the church of Antioche to Flauianus and Diodorus as Theodoret both but vnto Ignatius one auncienter than they for he was the third bishope of that place after Peter and was very conuersant with the Apostles themselues yet he agreeth with him in the veritie of the matter wherof I speake affirming that Ignatius hauing seene a vision of Angels lauding the holy Trinitie with himnes interchangeably sung constituted in the church of Antioche that forme and maner of singing which had beene manifested vnto him in that vision And albeit this may seeme some what fabulous as perhaps it is and as the Magdeburgenses are of opiniō saying that this is not a matter of so great moment that therefore Angels should come downe from heauen appeare singing yet this clause which they ad especially because the church in those daies wanted neither psalmes nor himnes is a sufficient proofe of mine assertion Now concerning the church of Alexādria as I doe confesse this exercise was not so much vsed there as in Antioch so must I needes say that sometimes it was there also frequented for proofe whereof I referre the reader to Socrates and the tripartite historie where they declare how Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria being by the Arrians depriued of his Bishoprick escaped out of the hands of Sirianus the Captaine of that armie who came with a band of 3000. souldiers beside the ayd of the Arrians which were in the citie as well to place Gregorius in that sea as to apprehend Athanasius For the historie saith thus The euening grewe on and the people watched all night because they looked for a communion
on the sunday but one epistle of the Apostle and one Chapter of the gospel rehearsed and that there was no singing with the voice nor cōlines of hymnes knowē among thē Whereupon S. Hierome in his answere sent him that which he requested and besides that counselled him that at the end of euery Psalme he should cause to be song Glory be to the father c. Wherefore for certaintie of this matter we haue the affirmation of Platina who recordeth that Damasus was the first which caused the Psalmes to be song Alternatim by course interchaungeably in the Church of Rome The which when M. Harding alleadged against Bishop Iewell so as he would therby confirme either singing in an vnknowen toung or that the quier only song in the primitiue Church the Bishop answereth vnto by denial not of the thing for he graunted they vsed singing but of the illations for although they vsed singing saith he yet they vsed it not in an vnknowen toung though they vsed singing interchangeably by sides yet the quier or sides song not alone but the people also which he cōfirmeth out of the decrees of Gregorie distinct 92. who forbad the priest that said seruice to sing in the end addeth this conclusion Hereof we may gather saith he that Damasus diuided the whole people into 2. parts willed them to sing the psalms in their own toung the one part making answer by course to the other Now here me thinks I perceiue some exult as if they had gotten confitētē reum because I confesse the quiers did not only sing in y e primatiue church but the people y e verily I do confesse neither is it my purpose to denie any manifest trueth and I doubt not but to reconcile these contrarieties in their proper place sufficiently where I shall answer al obiections fully that can in any respect be alleadged against this exercise In the mean season I haue got hereby so much as I desired in this place namely that this part of Gods seruice was vsed in the Romane church and other congregations of Italy Neither did this seruice containe it selfe only within the boundes of Italy but took roote also in the churches of Fraunce and Germany and other places For in the time of Saint Hylary Bishoppe of Poyters in Fraunce it is testified by Isidorus that this custome was confirmed in the church In somuch that Hylary himselfe a man of wonderful eloquence made Hymnes which were song in his church called after his name Hylariani The same may be saide of the churches of Africa as Carthage Hyppo for the church of Carthage S. Austen saith thus much Hylarius quidā vir tribunitius c. A certaine man called Hilarie being incensed I know not vpon what occasion against the ministers of god did reuile with cōtumelious speeches whersoeuer he came that custome of singing Hymnes at the Altar out of the booke of Psalmes either before the offering or after that which was offered was distributed to the people which was begunne in Carthage saying that it ought not so to be To him did I make answere saith S. Augustine being commaunded so to doe by the brethren So Victor in his historie de Vand. persecutione saith That at Carthage in the feast of Easter the people assemble themselues togither in the pallace of Faustus and there sing Hymnes in the night season in honor of the time As for the church of Hippo where S. Augustine himselfe was ruler chiefe Bishop it is not likely that he would defend the vse of that against Hylarie which he would not allowe in his Church especially seeing himselfe was not only wonderfully therewith delighted but in his conuersion as was noted before had the effectual working thereof in himselfe It were an infinite and endles labor to rehearse euery particular Church after this order considering that euen the verie names of them are infinite neuerthelesse if these particulars will not suffice harken to the generall voice of the Doctors who with one consent agree that nothing was more frequent in the assemblies of the faithful First S. Hierom hath these words Matutinis vespertinisque hymnis ecclesiae delectatur Deus per animam fidelem quae relicto inanium superstitionum ritu eum deuotè laudauerit God is delighted with the morning euening hymnes of the church by a faithfull soule which reiecting the ceremonies of vaine superstitiō praiseth him deuoutly And Eusebius writing the exercises of y e Christiās in their meetinges maketh this catalogue They vsed prayers singing of Psalmes celebration of the Sacramēts and thanksgiuing To whom agreeth S. Basil templa Martyribus dedicarunt c. They dedicated churches to the holy Martyrs with hymnes giuing of thankes whereunto they came togither euen at midnight as then their maner was And in the same place Interdū concionandi materia ex Psalmis illis desumpta est quos prius decantarunt Somtimes the arguments and texts of their Sermons were taken out of the Psalmes which they had sung before So Eusebius and Nicephorus against the cauils of Theodotus Artemon and other heretiques make mention of Psalmes and songes which faithfull men had made attributing therein to Christ diuine Godhead and praysing him with sweete concent And it may easilie bee gathered out of Sainct Augustine that godly men in their assemblies sang prayses vnto GOD and made their prayers to their Lorde So Theodoret maketh mention of dauncings and bāquets which christians were woont to vse in their merry meetinges after any notable and strange deliuerance And Epiphanius to this purpose speaketh Morning hymnes are continually song in the church and euening prayers yea both Psalmes and prayers by candle light But most euident is that testimony of Rabbi Samuell who writing to Isaac the Israelite hath these wordes Paueo mi domine quod dictū est de Apostolis illud Esaiae c. I am afraide Sir of that which Esaias speaketh of the Apostles they shall declare the holy one of Iacob and preach the God of Israell the ignorant shall receiue knowledge and Musicions shall knowe the Lawes We manifestly see that ignorant men and Musicions teach our Lawe And who are these ignorant men but the Gentiles and who are these Musicions singing our Psalter and our Prophetes in their Churches but the christians And a litle after His omnibus consideratis c. All these thinges considered me thinks wee do amis in iudging of the sacrifice of their praise which they offer in the church of God singing especially seeing we finde both commandement for it in the law of God and the example of Dauid For commandement it is said Praise him with Virginals organs praise him with cimbals praise him with high soūding cimbals let euerie thing that hath breath praise the Lord Iesus Christ For example we reade that Dauid daūced before the ark whō
she was skilful in singing and vsed it verie often And surely no maruel seeing Chrysostome attributeth these diuine properties thereunto Musica saith he mentem e terra abducit c. Musicke doth withdraw our mindes from earthly cogitatiōs lifteth vp our spirites into heauen maketh them light and celestial And therefore it is that Tertullian giueth this generall exhortation sonent inter duos Psalmi c. Let Psalmes and hymnes be song euen of two and let them prouoke one an other whether of them can sing better to his God Athanasius in the place aboue cited giueth this reason why we should not onely sing but also sing cunningly and artificially to our maker Modulatim recitare Psalmos c. To sing Psalmes artificially is not to make a shew of cūning Musick but an argument that the cogitations of our mindes do aptly agree with our musicke that reading which obserueth the lawe of feete numbers is a signe of a sober quiet affection in the minde For both to praise God vpon well sounding cymbals vpō the harp psalterity often strings is a note and signification that the partes of our body are so conioyned and linked together as be the stringes c. To the same purpose speaketh Athanasius at large in the same place and his meaning is as well to shewe how good and comely an ornament Musicke is in the churche which as in those daies it was not doubted of nor once called in question so needed no exquisite apologie as to declare the profitte and vse which it hath euen in priuate meditations for saith he they that sing so as the melody of wordes with the quantitie of them may agree with the harmony of the spirit bee those which sing with the tung with vnderstanding also neither do they delight thēselues only but also bring wonderful help to those that heare thē For he that singeth well doth frame his minde to his song bringeth it as it were frō an inequality to a certain equality proportiō not that he is moued by any thing but rather that he doeth perceiue thereby the affections and imaginations of good things stirreth vp in his mind a greater desire to do good afterwardes For the soule being intentiue to the wordes doeth forgette the affections perturbations being made merie with the pleasant sound is brought to a sense and feeling of Christ and most excellēt and heauenly cogitations To their former authorities it were an easie matter to adde more innumerably but I will content my selfe and the reader with a few Eusebius in his twelft booke de praepatione euangelica vseth these wordes vt pueri animus legem ita sequatur vt vnà cum ea c. To the end that the mindes of children may so follow the law that they may together therwith reioice and be sorowfull let them learne and sing often such odes and songes as containe the praises and dispraises of those things which the law doth praise and discommend and he addeth this reason Quoniam teneriores animi rationem virtutis non suscipiunt ludo atque cantu praeparantur Iure igitur apud nos prophetarum odae a pueris addicuntur For the tender mindes of children are therefore to be prepared with daliance and mirth because they cannot conceaue the reason of vertue at the first Good therfore is that vse amōgst vs that the Psalms of the Prophets should be learned by children And S. Chrysostom vpon these wordes of the 134. Psalme Psallite nomini eius quia suaue est hath this sentence Hoc dicit ostendens rem ipsam habere quandam vel per se voluptatem vnà cum vtilitate c. This he saieth to shew that the thing it selfe hath of it selfe a certaine pleasure with profitte for the principall gaine thereof is to sing himnes vnto God to purge the soule to lift our cogitations on high to learne true and exquisite knowledge to argue of things present things to come Besides these thinges it hath also by melody great pleasure and some comfort and recreation and maketh him that singeth graue and reuerend And that it maketh men such it is manifest in as much as one interpreter saith it is a comely thing and an other it is a pleasant thing for both say true for although he that singeth be neuer so outragious yet while he doth reuerence the psalme he doth pacifie the tiranny of his outrage Although he be ouerwhelmed with mischeifes and ouercome with the heauines of his soule yet while he taketh pleasure in singing he easeth his hart extolleth his cogitations and lifteth vp his mind on hie This part might wonderfully be amplified as with the speaches of auncient fathers so also with the practise and example not only of themselues as is before declared but also of most noble and renowned Emperours as of Constantine the great Iustinian Theodosius the yonger Valens the emperour and Carolus Magnus which may be confirmed by the testimones of Eusebius Nicephorus Gregory Nazianzen Carion in his thronologie Eusebius thus testifieth of Constantine Cantare primus incaepit vnà orauit conciones sacras reuerenter audiit adeo vt rogatus vt consideret respōderit fas non esse dogmata de Deo remisse segniter audiri He first began the psalme praied together with the people heard holy sermons with reuerence insomuch that being desired to sit downe he answered it was not meete that those thinges which were declared concerning God should be heard remisly and negligently Nicephorus speaking of Iustinian sayeth Iustinianus imperator octauo sui imperii anno constituit vt in concionibus ecclesiasticis concineretur illud Vnigenitus filius verbum dei c. Iustinian the emperour in the eight yeare of his raigne instituted that that ditty the only begotten sonne word of God c. should be song in ecclesiasticall meetings And of Theodosius the yonger Theodosius minor imperator cum tota ecclesia supplicationem fecit pro serenitate ipse quidem medius hymnis canendis praeiuit priuati habitu incedens Theodosius the emperour made his supplications with the whole churche for faire wether and went in the middest before them in the habite of a priuate person while they song their hymnes So Nazianzen speaketh of Valens When the emperour Valens entred into the churche where Saint Basil preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearing the sound of the psalms was striken as if it had beene with thunder So doeth the historie recorde of Charles the great Quandocunque fuit in vrbibus accessit ad psalmodiam c. When so euer he came to anie cittie hee went to the Psalmody and sang him-selfe appointing vnto his sonnes and his other Princes Lessons to bee song and ioyned his earnest prayer with the godly The epistle of the bishops which were of the counsell of Antioch against Paulus Samosatenus the heretik among other things