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truth_n body_n spirit_n worship_v 2,550 5 9.5500 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A09922 The praise of musicke wherein besides the antiquitie, dignitie, delectation, & vse thereof in ciuill matters, is also declared the sober and lawfull vse of the same in the congregation and church of God. Case, John, d. 1600, attributed name. 1586 (1586) STC 20184; ESTC S115011 65,829 162

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was neuer hitherto condēned To the former which dislike not al kind of musick but that which is song by certaine men ordained to that purpose alleaging that they would haue all the people sing togither I answere that if all could it were not amisse but because it cānot be I see no reason why the people may not take as good edification by the singing which others sing as by the prayers that others read especially if they so sing as they may be vnderstood Yea but say they this cūning and exquisite musick wherein the base and contratenors other parts sing w t full quier with often repetitiō of the same things is so confuse vndistinct that the very ditty cannot be vnderstood much lesse any edification taken If any thing will satisfie these men me thinks this which I shall say may bee in steede of a reasonable answere That the singing of so many parts togither causeth the ditty not to be vnderstood it is vitium hominū non artis the fault is in them that so sing and not in the art For no doubt but a full quire of good distinct voices may be aswel vnderstood as two or three pronouncing the same thing Againe because in deede this obscuritie can hardly be auoided it hath bin wel prouided for in the church that nothing should so be song but such things as are very familiar and known vnto the people And whereas they obiect the often repetition of the same thing as a fault me thinks they blame that which by their own reason should rather be commended For if some things by the nūber of the voices bee hardly vnderstood at once then surely the 2.3 or 4. repetition is a mean to cause it to be vnderstood the better neither if it bee vnderstoode at the first is it therefore a fault to repeat it againe because the often ingeminating and sounding the same thing in our eares doth cause the thing repeated to take deepe roote and worke effectually in our hearts The third reason is because exquisite Musick maketh vs more intētiue to the note than to the matter And to this purpose they alleadge the place of S. Augustine where he saieth that he did sinne mortally when he was more moued with the melody than with the ditty that was song Verily I do in no wise allowe that mē at the reading of the chapters shold walke in the bodie of the church and when the Organs play giue attentiue heede thereunto as if the whole and better part of seruice did consist in Musicke For this is a wōderful abuse But if they would learne to lay the fault where the fault is they might easily learne to satisfie themselues herein For it is not the fault of musicke if thou bee too much therwith allured but thine own And Sainct Augustine in that place doth not condemne Musick for the sweete sound thereof but his owne fraile and weake nature which tooke occasion of offence at that which in it selfe was good Againe as it carieth awaie some men with the pleasure of the note so for a recompence it causeth some other to giue greater heede and attention to the matter euen as the sound of the trumpet in the warre is to the dastardly and white liuered knight a cause of feare but to the valiaunt souldier a hartening and incouragement Wherefore for a finall aunswere vnto these mee thinkes a man out of their owne wordes may gather this good collection against thē Singing in the church they allow whereupon I inferre If the worst sort of singing be allowable in the church then the better much rather But artificiall singing is farre better than their plain Musicke for it striketh deeper and worketh more effectually in the hearers Therefore much rather to bee allowed in Gods congregation Touching the seconde opinion which excludeth Musicke wholy without exception I meane seuerally to make aunswere to such their obiections as seeme to bee of greatest importaunce The first obiection beareth great shewe of trueth affirming which wee can by no meanes denie that GOD is a spirite and will bee worshipped in spirite and trueth and requireth not the outwarde actions and seruice of the body but the inwarde motions of the heart the which as it is true indeed so it is also declared by the testimony of Gregory who in dist 92. in sancta Romana cōplaineth that it falleth out oftentimes vt dum blanda vox quaeritur cōgrua vita negligatur cantor minister Deum moribus stimulet cum populū vocibus delectat That while a pleasant voice is sought honest life is neglected that the singing mā oftentimes offendeth God while he indeuoreth to delight the people with his voice adding in the same place those common verses Non vox sed votum nō cordula musica sed cor Non clamans sed amans cantat in aure Dei And hereupon the fathers in the 4. Coūcell of Carthage decreed that when the chaunter of any place was chosen he should say Vide vt quod ore cantas corde credas quod corde credis opere comprobes See that thou beleeue that with thy heart which thou singest with thy mouth and that thou performe that in worke which thou beleeuest with thine heart Al which testimonies as they seeme to make against vs so cary they the greater force with them because they are grounded vppon a trueth But the same aunswere afore to that obiection out of Saint Augustine may satisfie these For what if many men be more caried away with the pleasure of the sound then with the thing and ditty is this Musickes fault or is it not rather the fault of them which by that which is good take occasion of euill If some intemperate person take surfeit of pleasant and holsome meates are the meates to be reprehended or the man And although God bee a spirite and will bee worshipped in Spirite and trueth yet forasmuch as hee hath made both the soule and the bodie as well the faculties of the one as the partes of the other are to bee referred to his glorie For what kinde of collection is this God is to bee worshipped in Spirite and trueth There-fore wee muste not indeuour to please and worshippe him with our outwarde and bodilie actions Or the inwarde seruice of the hearte is accepted therefore the outwarde seruice of the bodie may bee omitted When wee therefore commende the outwarde seruice of God wee doe not denie the inward But wee require that they which doe sing sing with the toung with the vnderstanding also Now they which so sing as the melody of words by the singing of voices may agree with the harmony of the spirite be those which sing with the tongue and vnderstanding also and profit not onely thēselues but others as before was declared out of Athanasius Secondly they vrge vs that because pricksong is not verbally nor literally cōmāded in