Musick in Gods service was the Jewish Practise none can deny that Christians did derive this from them is very evident for besides the example of the Angels Luk. 2.13 and Christ Mat. 26.30 and the Saints that Sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb Rev. 14.3 and 15.3 it was the Christians Practise when the Inspirations lasted 1 Cor. 14.26 and they are enjoyned to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Col. 3.16 Thus the Jews had Mizmor a concise verse called here a Psalm Tehillah Praise which is here the Hymne and Shir a Canticle which is here required to be Spiritual in opposition to the sensual Songs and Drolleries of the Heathens in their Bacchanalia and they are mentioned in the most Antient Church-Writers as a special part of the Christian service and this is testifyed by Pliny to Trajan that in their coetus antelucani they were wont to sing Hymns to Christ as to God and for this they are quarrelled with by Paulus Samosatenus in Eusebius l. 7. c. 29. Afterwards in the Loadicean Council there are authorized Canonical Singers that shall sing at the Desk out of the Parchments and Rolls of the Church Can. 15. and when they were thus regulated Holy Men composed Hymns and Anthems as St. Hillary and St. Ambrose to the great comfort and edification of the Church I shall leave these Memories with you concerning this Practise 1. There was a degree of Inspiration peculiar to this among the Jews when Men were Transported to endite Psalms and speak the Praises of God and Divine things to his Glory without any extasie or abolition of sense this is called the Holy Spirit Thus Saul the seventy Elders and Eldad and Medad Prophesied and hence the word Prophesie came to signifie the Singing of Psalms and all that proportion which in the division of S. Scripture is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was endited by this Inspiration this David had 2 Sam. 23.2 and prayed should not be taken away from him Psal 51.11 2. Those things that were thus uttered were oft in the Form of Poems and confined to number and Metre thus Moses his Songs were in verse and measure and though I do not ascribe the beginnings of Musick to him Gen. 4.21 Job 35. 10. and 38.7 yet as he first found out the use of Letters so I make him the first Poet in the World Thus also the Songs of Solomon and David and the Book of Job were metrical so Josephus says of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he composed Verses in several kinds of Metre some Trimeters some Pentameters Antiq. 7.10 3. The same expressions would be oft insisted on and there might be an elegancy in the Musick or the Verse to repeat the same if in our Prayers using of Ingeminations and enforcing the same Petitions when we importune Heaven and would excite our Devotions and the sense of our Condition be a commendable piece of Rhecorick much more in Hymns and Anthems so Psal 136. David uses twenty six times the same words For his Mercy endureth for ever in Deborahs Song Jud. 5.27 At her Feet he bowed he fell he lay down at her Feet he bowed he fell where he bowed there he fell down Dead a like instance is Psal 47.6 7. Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises For God is King of all the Earth sing ye praises with understanding And there might be a great Grace and Elegance in dwelling upon the same words though we that Trade in Translations may not perceive it for they like Arras with the wrong side out discover only some great lines but the gloss and beauty cannot be discerned 4. The matter of these Psalms were not always of the same Nature not always depredications of Gods Name but sometimes things Doctrinal and for Instruction and some things for Consolation Confessions of Faith and Confessions of Sin as well as Confessions of Praise Petitions and Supplications Therefore Singing Prayers ought not to be strange for the Penitential Psalms and the Titles of many others as Psal 86. and 102. and 142. and the Psalmists frequent addresses to hear his Prayers abundantly confirm this so that it is not the matter that distinguishes them from the other parts of the service but the manner of performing them 5. The Musick with which they were managed must answer the ends of Religion and be for Edification all wanton Musick therefore that tends to effeminacy and softning Mens Minds such as the Phrygians used called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be banished Mutatâ Musicâ mut antur mores itaque curandum ut Musica quam gravissima sedatissima retineatur says Tully For this reason St. Austin commends the Chanting at Alexandria that pronuncianti vicinior esset quam canenti What it was with the Jews is not easie to determine I find there could be no less then twelve voices one Cymbal two Harps and nine Psalteries but there might be many more As for the Trumpets which might be 120. I conceive they were no part of the Quire there could be no Singing to them for as the Jewish Doctors inform us there were three rests or intermissions in the Singing of every Psalm and at each of these pauses the Trumpets sounded and the People Worshipped so the Trumpets sounded not but when the Quire was silent 6. Remember that all this Musick and Singing is propter carnales in Ecclesia non spirituales rather for the weak then for the strong Isidor The design being ut per oblectamenta aurium animus in affectum pietatis a surgat Aug. That by delighting the Ear the Heart may be affected and devotion advanced We sing therefore not for Gods sake but our own not to work on him but on our selves the Angels in Heaven need not these spurs to Devotion they utter the Praises of God at a rate beyond our apprehensions and the more spiritual we are the less we require them but yet he that is not moved in some measure with them forgets he is flesh and blood St. Austin had many tears pumped out by them quantum flevi in Hymnis canticis tuis suave sonantis Ecclesiae vocibus commotus acriter the melting of the Soul the thawing and entendering the affections the exorcising the evil spirit out and fitting us for Divine Thoughts and Heavenly Impressions which are vast advantages considering the stupidity of our Hearts makes them useful instruments in Religion and sure we should be glad of any Crain or Pully any Device or Engine to elevate our Souls and bring us nearer Heaven seeing we labour under so great a chilness and heaviness in the service of God 2. Another circumstance is the interest the People had in the service by way of response or alternation which practise I shall not derive from St. Ignatius his Vision nor Flavianus Damasus or St. Ambrose when it is founded on Holy Scripture thus was Sung the Song of
Moses by Miriam and the Women that went out after her Exod. 15.21 and so oft the Psalms of David for it appears that some Psalms are Dramatick and the Persons changed Psal 118. and the Burdens at set Periods are repeated Psal 107.8 15 21 31. This Calvin and Molerus do acknowledge and it is expressed Ezra 3.11 that they Sung together by course so the Seraphim in Isaiahs Vision cryed unto one another Isa 6.3 this cryed to this holy holy holy c. Thus the People were to bless God in the Congregations which could not be by a bare Amen 1 Chron. 16.35 36. and 29.20 and 2 Chron. 7.3 Nay they say they were not to say Amen within the Mountain of the Temple but Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting unto everlasting Psal 72.19 So in the Christian Church the People were not to be Spectators and not Actors but had their shares in Prayers and Praises which Saint Paul allows to Women 1 Cor. 11.5 and he assigns the Laity their place the room of the unlearned 1 Cor. 14.16 though at the Eucharist they said but Amen at Consecration which Justin testifies was with a loud voice ad similitudinem coelestis tonitrui populus reboat Hierom. And this is heard as far as Heaven if it be not a faulty Amen Amen pupillum surreptitium sectile when the Prayer is not understood not finished not minded but say the Jews he that says Amen with all his might the Cate of the Garden of Eden shall be open unto him this is Amen justorum But this was not all for in the first inspired Prayer that we find after the gift was poured out the whole company lift up their voice to God with one accord and Prayed Acts 4.24 not that they were all inspired with the same words but joined with him that was vocally repeating after him as we now follow the Minister in the Confession So in the Psalms the People repeated sometimes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes whole Verses whole Parts by Courses or whole Quires and tot penè Psallentium chori quot gentium diversitates Hier. different Countries had their different Modes The words of Tertullian found this way sonant inter duos Psalmi Hymni mutuò provocant quis meliùs Deo suo cantet Tert. ad Uxon And that of Pliny signifies no less that the Christians were wont carmen Christo ut Deo dicere secum invicem Let me adde two Instances for farther proof of this 1. The sursum Corda Pr. Lift up your Hearts Ans We lift them up unto the Lord. Pr. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God Ans It is meet and right so to do mentioned by St. Cyprian and Constitut Apostol and found in all Antient Liturgies just where we place it and believed by Saint Austin to be verba ab ipsorum Apostolorum temporibus petita a sure proof of Forms and the Peoples part in them 2. The other is of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or allocutions made by the Deacon to the People in behalf of Hearers Penitents c. mentioning the particulars to be prayed for and at the end of each the People responded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which justifies Forms by Letanies and biddings or Exhortations to Prayer 3. A third Circumstance I may call the interruption of the service from 1. The shortness and conciseness of the Prayers 2. The mingling of them with Psalms 3. The interposing of portions of Holy Scripture to be read 4. And lastly The placing the Homily or Sermon within it I shall not encroach on your Patience by dwelling on these particulars seeing they may be easily defended from the grounds already laid and have the concurrent practise of Jews and Christians to vouch for them but shall close up all with a double expostulation 1. To those that own not our service but prefer a present conception before the issue of the gravest deliberation the private spirit of a single Person before the publick spirit of the whole Church that are content the People should be tyed to the Prayer of the Minister but not the Minister to the Prayers of the Church nay will run all hazards of Impertinency Non-sence or Blasphemy rather then join in those Prayers where their Faith and Religion is secured and to which they can safely say Amen What would these Men be at Would they manage all by immediate Inspirations like the Apostles Then let them speak with Tongues reveal Secrets design Ministers decide Controversies by Inspiration and we will admit of their Prayers in behalf of the Church or if they cannot give these proofs of Christs speaking in them let them at least demonstrate by distinctive Characters that their words cannot issue from wit or passion or natural Enthusiasm but are of a different stamp from that fervent confident fluent pouring out of Divine things which hath been observed in the worst of Men. Do they think these Forms are contrary to the assistance of Gods Holy Spirit and the gifts of Prayer For my part I wish with Moses all Gods people were Prophets and that every one had the gift and the grace of Prayer But I cannot understand that the assistance of Gods Spirit excludes those other means whereby his gifts and graces are enlarged or that it is of a different nature from that which we expect or find in other Holy Duties much less that the Spirit is the praying person or that he is a Mercury a god of Eloquence that suggests words or matter or delights in Rhetorick and abundance of Speech he lodges not in the Tongue but in the Heart by affecting it by enlivening it by enlarging it which may be by old accustomed words as well as those that are minted from the most extemporary fancy Or will they have their God to be tyred with the oft repeating the same Prayer Alas what thoughts have these Men of the Majesty of Heaven and the Nature of Religion Is not this an express transforming God into their own imaginations a measuring him by the infirmities of flesh and blood For new Prayers can only delight us as they gratifie the carnal Palate as there is a sensual Pleasure in the variety like the change of diet which ministers not to health but wantonness or curiosity And if this be a distemper to be mortifyed and subdued in us rather then encouraged let not God be charged with it Is it not the scope of Devotion to speak great things of the name of God and little things of our selves to ascribe all the Glory to him and shame to our selves and may all things be the same but the words Sure if they be acceptable once they may be so twice and I know not how they can be worse for wearing I here pity some that through education are misled in this particular of some have compassion says the Apostle making a difference but if men shall refuse to be instructed and disown our Communion and not join with us in those Offices by which we stand a visible Church let them look to themselves how they can answer at the Tribunal of Heaven for their contempts and scandals and incurring the horrible crime of Schism 2. To those that pretend to own it but either neglect attendance on it or join in it only proforma drawing near with the Mouth when the Heart is far from God I am ashamed to take notice that Men professing Christianity shall yet think the duties of it a drudgery too ungentile for them they would manage their Spiritual Estates by Stewards be carried to Heaven as in a Coach or Chair with the pains of others themselves minding or intending some other thing or if they afford God their outward presence they think they honour him sufficiently with an implicite recital of the holy offices of the Church whilst Formality eats out the Devotion the Prayers dropping from them in such a languishing manner as if their Souls were not awake Is this the storming Heaven the vis grata Deo Tert. The holy violence and importunity by which we should wrestle and prevail with God Cursed be the Man that doth the work of the Lord negligently But if any Man serve me him shall my Father Honour John 12.26 Being fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 If we consider how miserably we have degenerated from the first Ages of the Church and that little Profession that is left is dwindling into Atheism and a contempt of all Religion if no more reverence can be had for this poor despised service almost the only thing wherein we Symbolize with the Primitive Christians it is an indication of Gods Spiritual Judgments upon us it sounds like a migremus hinc and bodes no less then a quite removing the Candlestick We are yet happy if we knew our Condition for we have not Prayers lockt up from us in an unknown tongue nor are we lockt up from them by being denied a daily and publick access to them and there is no Church in the world hath all the Offices and Sacraments so Administred conformably to the best precedents in words understood without any mixture of Dangerous or Superstitious encroachments and with that Gravity Decency and Solemnity that befits the service of God Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2.7 Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.13 FINIS
Hosea 14.2 2. Prop. Christ himself did approve of and conform unto the Jewish practise in this particular sure none can imagine that he would have kept to the Jewish forms if they had been faulty when he delivers the Doctrine of Prayer he reprehends the Heathens for Battology and the Pharisees of vain-glory in their Prayers but decries not their forms he was present at the Temple and in their Synagogues not only at their ordinary service but at their Sabbaths and Festivals without any dislike He prescribes a form of Prayer to his Disciples for their use as well as imitation Concerning that Prayer observe two things 1. Observe that the expressions of this Prayer are taken out of the Jewish forms Drusius Capellus and our Gregory collect the words of this Prayer out of Sepher Tephilloth and Musar their Prayer-Books borrowed not from Christ but it was usual with him to use their known Phrases and Forms of Speech so far was he from affecting any unnecessary novelty 2. Remember that this Prayer was in express words twice given his Disciples Mat. 6. he delivers it in the Sermon on the Mount when discoursing on Prayer but Luke 11. it was at another time on another occasion at the request of his Disciples teaching them to Pray as John taught his and he gives not only the Heads of Prayer but a Prayer it self and so it is not only a rule to Pray by but a form to Pray in Christs own practise also speaks his approbation he Sang an Hymn with his Disciples Mat. 26.30 supposed to be the great Hallelujah from Psalm 113. to Psalm 119. however it was a known Form that his Disciples knew to join in so when he Prayed most earnestly he used the same words thrice Mat. 26.44 his complaint on the Cross was from Psal 22. and when he gave up the Ghost he commended his Spirit in a Form of words from Psal 31.5 3. Prop. While the Apostles lived there was in the Church an extraordinary gift of Prayer that supplyed the place of stated Forms for among the spiritual gifts that were then poured out there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says Saint Chrysostom a gift of Prayer a branch of the gift of Tongues and he that had it prayed for the rest and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught others to form Prayers and this was praying in the Spirit Eph. 6.18 Jude v. 20. thus he understands Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should Pray for as we ought 1 Cor. cap. 14. there is a full account of these inspirations in the Christian Assemblies and there is mentioned praying in an unknown Tongue and pray with the Spirit and bless with the Spirit v. 14.15 15. For all the parts of Gods service consisting in Prayers and Prophecyings and setting forth Gods praises by Psalms all these were performed by extraordinary Inspirations and are there enjoined to be done orderly and for edification and it was certainly then most fit they should be guided as infallibly in their Devotions as in their Faith 4. Prop. But as these Inspirations withdrew so set composed Forms succeeded in the Church according to the Jewish President for if the Apostles themselves had this extraordinary gift because they were not fit to be trusted with their own natural endowments when these gifts surceased every Man was not to Pray in publick as he pleased but Liturgies were provided by the Governours of the Church Apostolical Men that had benefited under the Prayers of those that had the gift and remembred some passages at least the order and manner that had been used by them Therefore I lay no stress on the supposed Liturgies of St. Peter St. Mark and St. James though some expressions from them might have caused such imputations and the body of those offices were used in the Churches where those Holy Men Presided as Bishops But when St. Paul directs Timothy to provide that Supplications and Prayers and Intercessions and Thanksgivings be made he intends that publick offices of Devotion should be constantly used for averting evil and for procuring good things interpellations for others and returning acknowledgments for mercies received 1 Tim. 2.8 which St. Austin applies to the Eucharist and the Prayer that then was for all estates of Men which we still retain in that for the Catholick Church This was from the beginning and is mentioned in the Constitutions called Apostolical which though not so antient as they pretend yet certainly describe the first Ages of the Church particularly Kings were there Prayed for that God would grant them in health and wealth long to live vitam illis prolixam imperium securum domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem probum populum orbem quietum Tert. and whatsoever are the wishes of Prince or People We find Forms for the Sacraments besides the words of Institution in Baptism there are known Forms of Interrogation and Abrenunciation Constitut Apost Tertul. Cypr. and in the other there is solennis benedictio Cypr. which always had the Lords Prayer annexed to it So there were also Forms for several sorts Catechumeni Hearers Penitents c. and Believers had their regular Prayers with which they besieged God quasi mann facta as with an Army Tertul. This was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Justin Mart. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Origen Con. Cels l. 6. p. 302. and it must be remembred that these Prayers were performed by the Deacon from whence a most judicious Man well infers that they were set and prescribed and not left to the discretion and ability of those in so mean rank it being no ways fit that they should direct the Prayers of those that presided in the Church I need not therefore take Sanctuary at the Laodicean Canons nor the after Liturgies of many Churches nor will I argue that set Forms are helps to the weak and bashful that cannot or dare not express their minds in publick Directories to regulate our requests and keep them from Temerity Errour or Impertinency preservatives of Unity and Unanimity in the Church when with one lip we call upon God all speaking the same thing being perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment 1 Cor. 1.10 but I urge that when it appears Gods Antient People have had set Forms and they are approved of by Christ and introduced into the Christian Church and admitted in all places and rejected in no Ages nay their conveniency never doubted or disputed of till this last Generation 't is the greatest wilfulness or the greatest weakness not to submit unto them 2. Consider this Form in the manner and circumstances of its Administration the first I shall mention is found in the Text 1. Singing Praise unto the Lord. Thus Hymns are defined by St. Austin to be Cantus concinentes laudem Dei they must be Praise they must be of God and they must be Sung That Singing and