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
A TREATISE Concerning the LAWFULNESS OF Instrumental MUSICK IN Holy Offices By Henry Dodwell M. A. To which is prefixed a Preface in Vindication of Mr. Newte's Sermon concerning the Lawfulness and Use of Organs in the Christian Church c. From the Exceptions of an Anonymous Letter to a Friend in the Country concerning the Use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God c. The Second Edition with large Additions LONDON Printed for William Haws at the Rose in Ludgate-street MDCC THE PREFACE TO THE READER THE Learned Author of the folfowing Treatise having read a Sermon Preached at Tiverton in the County of Devon Concerning the Lawfulness and Use of Organs in the Christian Church occasioned by the late Erecting of an Organ in the Church of that Parish and the Answer to it set forth by an unknown Author entitled A Letter to a Friend in the Country concerning the Use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God c. Wherein he found this Practice of our Church after a popular manner represented as Jewish and Popish inconsistent with the Purity and Sincerity of the Gospel Worship and introduced without sufficient Warrant either from the Scripture Apostolical Practice or present Authority c. He was concerned at the Abuse and Misrepresentation having a just esteem for the Reformation and for the English Constitution which is by far the best Part of it and so approved of by the most eminent Foreign Divines as will appear by their Opinions concerning it in the following Discourse As to its being a perverse Imitation of the Jewish Practice and inconsistent with the Purity and Simplicity of the Gospel Worship He has so fully and closely Answered the Allegations of the Adversary that 't will be a vain Attempt to make a Reply to him But from so silly as well as false and groundless an Aspersion as its being Popish he thought it not worth the while to Write any thing in its Vindication since 't is no other than an old base and scandalous Objection against the innocent Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England which has been Answered over and over again to the Confusion though not Silence of a restless Party However since he was pleased to favour me with a Copy of his Treatise which it seems partly through my Occasion and Request but more through the Importunity and Solicitation of some Friends he has oblig'd the World with with Liberty to prefix a Preface to it in Vindication of that Sermon from the Aspersions and Mistakes as well as Misrepresentations of the Answerer I shall beg leave of the Reader to detain him a little from his perusing the Treatise it self while I briefly Reply to his most material Objections and rectifie some Mistakes and Abuses which will be found therein in Defence of this innocent and useful Practice of our Church But I shall not think my self obliged to follow him in every needless Excursion from the Subject in Hand into the whole Controversie between us and the Diffenters or throw away so much Time as it would take up to Reply to every trifling or contemptible Remark or those captious Questions which are made in it The Answer seems so Artificially to be formed that it may be read without consulting the Sermon or comparing them together otherwise some imperfect Citations and other abusive Reflections there in would be too apparent And 't is to be observed That it supposes all along a Separation of Instrumental from Vocal Musick in the Service of God whereas the drift of the Sermon is to join them together and to shew That the one is more Orderly and Harmonious and Beneficial for the other And after all the tedious Harangue is made there is no tolerable Reason given why if we do allow of Vocal Musick we should not also allow Instrumental which does so very much improve the same and mainly conduce to chear the Mind to excite the Aflections to help out and assist the Voices and to keep them from the greater Discord in our Devotion But to be more particular the Answerer Ans. p. 2. begins with a fly but false Suggestion to make it a little the more popular That the Organ was Erected at a time when the Poor were ready to Starve and when there was a stop put to Trade by the Prohibition of Clipt Money c. Now in that very Year when the Anno. 1696. Organ was Erected the Poor had the most ample Provision made for them in the Parish of Tiverton that ever they had The Poors Book at that time amounting to 946 l. 14 s. 4 d. ½ which was above 100 l. more than ever they had before in one Year Besides in publick standing Donations Yearly they have about 400 l. more and in private Charities very considerable to my own knowledge Neither was the Erecting the Organ Ans. p. 66. any Expence at all to the Parish as 't is insinuated for the far greater part of the Money risen to defray its Expence was by Subscriptions and the remaining part was taken out of Money in Arrears due for Church Rents which without Sacrilege could not be employ'd but for the Churches use and that being a very decent one and needing but little reparations the Parishioners thought fit to employ a part of the Surplusage towards the Erecting of the Organ which had been Sacrilegiously pulled down before So likewise the Sallery of 30 l. per Annum for the Organist goes Yearly out of certain Rents and Dues belonging to the Church without being a burden to the Parish What the Answerer says concerning Ans. p. 3. 4. the Dedication to the Bishop of Exon is very trifling and needs no Reply And his several times accusing the Author of the want of Charity and making many spightful Reflections upon Protestant Ans. p. 24. Dissenters is very groundless for he cannot find any such thing throughout his Sermon nor such Instances of the eructation of his Gall nor of the stiring up of his Spleen in the Course of his Life as he would insinuate But methinks it should be very strange that the Answerer should accuse the Author of the want of Charity or any one else when his Pamphlet from the beginning to the end has so very little of it 't is scarce any thing else but a malicious Invective against the Church of England and a scandalous Intimation which is another way of accusing her as being Popishly affected and that her Rites and Ceremonies partake of the Innovations and Superstitions of the corrupt Church of Rome Abundance of this sort of Dirt is thrown upon her at every turn but 't is easily rub'd off And tho' there is really nothing in the Accusation nor any tolerable ground for such a Report however it comes to pass that among the unthinking injudicious and deluded Multitude it is frequently given cut as a popular Argument against any thing in the Service of our Church which our Adversaries dislike or
judge the Expence Burdensome in Sacred ones Whensoever or by whomsoever this Advantage was at first Introduced into the Christian Church and made use of inter Sacra it was certainly done out of a great deal of Wisdom Zeal and Devotion And they did therein but that for which they had so good a President as David who did the like in the Jewish Church and what greatly tends to Edification For Musick may be such and of that Efficacy as to carry the Mind as it were into Extasies filling it with heavenly Joy for the Time and in a manner severing it from the Body as says our judicious Mr. Hooker the Harmony of Sounds if we Ecol Pol. c. 5. p. 37. lay aside the Consideration of Ditty and Matter framed in due sort and carried from the Ear to the Spiritual Faculties of our Souls is by a native Puissance and Efficacy greatly available to bring to a perfect Temper whatsoever is there troubled apt as well to quicken the Spirits as to allay that which is too eager sovereign against Melancholy and Despair forcible to draw out Tears of Devotion The Prophet David having therefore singular Knowledge not in Poetry alone but in Musick also judged them both to be most necessary for the House of God and left behind him to that purpose a number of Divinely Indited Poems and farther added Melody both Vocal and Instrumental for the raising up Mens Hearts and sweetning their Affections towards God c. And why may it not be still an Ornament to Gods Service and an help to our Devotion while it makes our Church an Emblem of the Heavenly Quire which is represented as praising God after this manner compare Rev. 14. 2 3. with 1 Chron. 16. 5 42. It cannot be presumed we should have read in Holy Writ of Citharists and Harpers in Heaven if such Instruments of Musick were offensive to God on Earth or say there is no Musick in Heaven Yet as one well observes thereis a kind of Heaven in Musick and such as raiseth the Soul to Angelical Exaltations If the Temple Worship says the Serm. Nov. 22. 1699. p. 12. Is. 6. 1 2 3. Reverend Dean of St. Pauls speaking of Isaiahs Vision just before be a fit precedent for the Worship of Angels why may it not be a precedent for the Worship of Christians whose Worship as pure and as Spiritual as it is falls vastly short of Angelical Worship c. But yet observe what he said before Musick whatever it be or how well soever performed is of no use or value in Religion but as it serves the true ends of Devotion And again All true Christian Worship whatever the externals of it are is the Worship of the Mind and Spirit It is the Mind only that can praise God tho' the Tongue must Sing his Praises The best composed Hymns the most musical Instruments the most charming Voices are but lifeless mechanical Sounds till they are animated and inspired by the Devotion of the Heart As far as the Harmony of Voices or Musical Instruments serve this end of moving the Affections of the Mind towards God they are excellent helps to Devotion and 't is only their subserviency to the Devotion of the Mind which gives them any value or allows them any place in Religious Worship So that we may speak against Vocal as well as Instrumental Musick in the Service of God if it does not help us in Devotion And 't is but a foolish Fancy to think that Organical Musick is a part of Popery for it is no more such than Singing is And notwithstanding the Scofts and Reflections are made on the Men of that Imployment by the Enemies of Church Musick we are told that * Dr. Burnet's Hist. of the Refor mation Pt. 1. p. 526. Fox's Acts and Monuments p. 1104 2. 60. p. 1107. 2. 70. Robert Testwood and John Marbeck two Singing-Men at Windsor were as early Protestants as any and as constant and hearty in the Reformation the one suffered Martyrdom for it and the other was Condemned to be Burnt but obtained his Pardon for his great Industry and Ingeniousness in being the first who Composed an English Concordance Having now given some account of the early use of Instrumental Musick in the Christian Churches and shewn That it can neither be Popish nor Jewish tho used in the Jewish and Popish Worship It was used in the Christian Church before Popery had currupted it and before the Reformation and since in almost all Nations and Countries It came first into the Temple Worship by Divine Institution and into the Christian Church upon just and reasonable Grounds as being a proper Help to Devotion and a great Ornament to Christian Worship It was no part of the Mosaical Law to be abrogated by the coming of our Saviour It is very advantageous for the stirring up the Affections and raising in the People a more Heavenly Temper of Mind when they are about the sacred Offices of Prayer and Praise to Almighty God It will strike a Reverence and Awe upon their Spirits and keep their Minds in a grave and serious Temper It will both raise and calm our Passions as occasion requires * Dr. Sherlock's Serm. p. 7. True Devotional Musick will excite or heighten our Devotional Passions Why then should any Man think it improper for the Worship of God c. * Homily in Ps. 150. St. Crysostom is of Opinion That Organs or Instruments of Musick were to stir up mens Minds to perform their external Worship with some Delight In the Old Testament it served to stir up the Spirit of Prophecy as in the Case of Saul When the Prophets came 1 Sam. 10. v. 5. down from the high place with a Psaltery and a Tabret and a Pipe and an Harp before them and they Prophesyed i. e. Their Minds says the Bishop of Cork being hereby quickened and their Intentions raised towards God the inspired Principle in them began to move in the Divine Praise It is remarkable That Instrumental Musick alone is there made use of as a means to awaken their inspired Souls c. Where you find that Learned Man makes use of the same Expression in a manner which is so much Carped at by the Answerer when also to raise the greater p. 59. Cavil he makes a notable Remark of false Grammar of these instead of this But 't is to be observed he first leaves out the remote Antecedent viz. Instruments of Musick to which these in the Sentence plainly refers So also to shew his Criticisms he finds fault p. 50. with this Expression In the use of Instrumental Musick that it will regulate untuneable Voices For the same Reason he may excuse the unprofitable Servant in the Gospel But this is trisling with a Word Notwithstanding there may be many other uses of Instrumental Musick which it might be proper to mention here for it singly and without Voice or Psalms joyned thereto served