Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A48172
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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.
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Newte, John, 1655?-1716. Lawfulness and use of organs in the Christian Church.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing L1650; ESTC R24003
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96,894
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98
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after their own heart and their own eyes after which they used to go a whoring So that these rites were to prevent their falling into Idolatry and their following the vain Fancies of their Heathen Neighbours Methinks Mr. Cotton †Of singing of Psalms p. 6. saith well Suppose Singing with Instruments was not Typical but only an external Solemnity of Worship fitted to the solace of the outward senses of Children under age such as the Israelites were in the Old Testament Gal. 4.1 2 3. Yet now in the grown Age of the Heirs of the New Testament such external pompous Solemnities are ceased and no external Worship reserved but such as holdeth forth Simplicity and Gravity nor is any Voice to be heard now in the Church of Christ but as is significant and Edifying by Signification 1 Cor. 14.10 11 26. which the Voice of Instruments is not These things being duely weighed I presume there may be good Reason to call in Question the truth of our Authors Proposition viz. That if Instrumental Musick had been part of the Ceremonial Law then would it have been Typical But our Author proceeds Ser. p. 34. And it is proper now in the Christian Church to stir up mens minds to compose their thoughts and to inflame their Devotion therewith as it was in the Reign of David and therefore as reasonable it should be continuâ—d I Answer 1. God has appointed means sufficient under the Gospel for these ends The word preached Sacraments administred the singing of Gods Praises with the Voice and Vocal Prayers presented are destined to the stirring up of Mens Minds to the Composing of Mens Thoughts and the inflaming their Devotions And there needs not the Supplement of Organs 2. God suited means then to the Infant State of the Church And he has suited means now to its more grown state means proper to inflame Devotion 3. If Instrumental Musick be so useful now to stir up Mens Minds c. what is the reason that the Apostles used it not And that there was nothing found of it amongst the Primitive Christians What were there none amongst them who needed to have had their Affections stirred their Thoughts composed or their Devotions inflamed Thus I think I have fully Vindicated the Argument of the Geneva Annotators against the use of Instrumental Musick in Christian Churches from the Cavils and feeble Assaults of Mr. Newte So that their Argument still stands in its full force And it is apparent that Instrumental Musick was a part of the Ceremonial Law or I would rather say enjoyned by the Ceremonial Law or of that ritual Worship which was suited to the Carnality and Minority of the Jews and was to have its continuance only till the Messiahs Reformation set up a better Law and Worship Give me leave to present you with a pertinent passage of the Learned Dr. Lightfoot †* His Works Vol. 2. p. 1060. saith he Christ abolished the Worship of the Temple as purely Ceremonious but he perpetuated the Worship of the Synagogue reading the Scriptures Praying Preaching and Singing of Psalms and transplanted it into the Christian Church as purely Moral Now Instrumental Musick was part of the Temple Service and peculiarly so and was never used in the Jewish Synagogues or in their Parochial Service and therefore ought to be laid aside with the other Numerous Rights of the Jewish Religion And we have no more warrant to recal it into the Christian Church than we have to introduce Incense Lamps or Silver Trumpets Secondly But he propounds a second Objection to which he likewise attempts a Reply Ser. p. 34. The Objection he states thus That Instrumental Musick is not so edifying in the Christian Church as we plead for nor so proper where we are not to Worship God with external Ceremonies and the outward formality of serving him as the Jews did but in Spirit and in Truth and for this reason Instrumental Musick ought to be abolished This Objection thus expressed is I confess not so clear as I could wish it What many of our Divines against the Papists assert is this viz. That Christians are to Worship God in Spirit and Truth without a Multiplicity of Pompous Rites and Gaudy Ceremonies which God has not Instituted which are adapted to please the Senses rather than to Edifie the Minds of Men. They may gratifie a vain Fancy but they are not suited to the Spiritual Nature of Gospel Worship and are inconsistent with its Simplicity This is supposed by many to be sufficient ground to exclude Instrumental Musick out of Christian Churches But our Author will confute this I Answer saith he It is no way repugnant to the most Spiritul Worship whatsoever Ser. p. 34. but so far from being prejudicial to it that it is highly advantagious to make the Christian Worship the more Spiritual and to stir up the Affections of the Soul in order thereto But to try the strength of this Answer 1. Is Instrumental Musick no way repugnant to the most Spiritual Worship whatever Many have thought it so and experience has taught them that they have not thought amiss For instead of heightning the Affections in the Worship of God it rather distracts the mind and diverts it from being intent upon the matter sung I have been frequently an Auditor to this sort of Musick and I must profess from experience I have sadly found it to have had this effect upon me It has rather distracted my thoughts than any thing intended my Devotions And multitudes have complained of the same 2. The Papists will say the same of their Crucifixes of their lighted Candles of their Sacred Relicks and the other many pompous Rites to be found amongst them namely That they are no way repugnant to the most Spiritual Worship whatever but that they rather contribute to the rendring the Christian Worship the more Spiritual What is there to be said for an Organ which a Papist will not say for a Crucifix Will it be said that an Organ affects the Soul by the Ear And a Papist will say that a Crucifix will affect the Soul by the Eye And what matters it by what sense the Soul be affected so it be affected For my part I cannot see what our Author can say in this Case for his darling Instrument but what a Papist upon as good ground may say for his Crucifix But to recommend his Organ the more he adds Instrumental Musick is highly advantagious to make the Christian Worship the more Spiritual But 1. You must pardon me for once if I take leave to tell you that I am pretty confident that this Author is the first Divine amongst Reformed Protestants who has asserted this 2. If Instrumental Musick will make the Christian Worship the more Spiritual then will it be the less Spiritual without it and then will it follow that the Apostles and Primitive Christians Worshipped God in a less Spiritual manner than do Mr. Newte and his Congregation
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