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A93244
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A sermon preached at Bridgwater in Somersetshire, July the 17th, 1700, at the opening of the organ lately erected there by John Shuttleworth ...
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Shuttleworth, John, 1670 or 71-1750.
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1700
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Wing S3717A; ESTC R43740
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17,045
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35
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like the purely Jewish they are not imposed as Duties in their own nature binding but enjoined for the sake of their fitness to promote those Affections which should be in every Christians Breast while lei serving his God And I dare say as the observance of them is no way difficult to any and the number of them but barely sufficient to render our Service decent and orderly and to preserve it from dryness and barrenness so there is not one of our Institutions which hath not a natural tendency to excite our Affections suitably or which cannot plead substantial Reasons for its appointment To sum up all our Ordinances are not Jewish because we have nothing in them peculiar to that State nor Popish because we have none but what are of good use and because we ascribe no Superstitious Efficacy to the external performance of them neither are they contrary to the simplicity of Christian Worship because by reason of their fewness they do not distract the Mind and by reason of their suitableness to excite religious Affections they further Piety in the Heart Neither are they additions to the Word or Doctrins such as our Saviour spake against Matth. 15.9 because we ascribe no Grace to the outward performance of them as the Pharisees did to the washing Cups Pots and the like nor do we impose them as divine Precepts nor do they contradict any Command of God as the Traditions of the Pharisees did upon which our Saviour in the forecited-place pronounced In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrins the Commandments of Men. Therefore they are not such Doctrins no these are such pious Constitutions of our Rulers in obedience to the Apostle's Precept and our own Reason as our Lord himself in compliance with Jewish Customs observed such as the singing a Paschal Hymn after the Passover Mark 14.26 using the Cup of Charity in the Passover Luke 22.16 Which was no part of the Institution and therefore if we will imitate Christ we must comply with such Institutions too Nay we have a Command to Submit to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake 1 Pet. 2.13 And I know no Scripture that makes an exception of such Ordinances as relate to the administration of Divine Service or outward discipline in the Church nor doth Reason suggest an exception unless of such as tend to advance Superstition and the like and therefore I cannot see what excuse they can have who refuse to submit to such pious Ordinances as our Church prescribes I heartily beg those who are averse to our Communion not only to consider the danger of Schism which they are highly guilty of notwithstanding the Tolleration but the Reason and Ground of all our Constitutions and then I Question not but many will see their Error for I am very apt to believe that the cause why most dissent from us is because they do not acquaint themselves with the design of our Ordinances and so are ignorant of their agreeableness to the Solemnity of publick Worship Thus I have read of one Capito a famous Pastor in Bremen who was accustomed to inveigh most strangly against Organs calling them the Devils Pipes but afterwards when the Magistrates of the Place had erected an Organ in his Church then did he extol them as much calling their Musick Heavenly Angelical Melody and what not Now I ascribe his former Prejudice against Organs to his Ignorance of the Power and Insluence of them as in like manner I ascribe the Prejudices of those among us who are Enemies to them and our other Constitutions to their ignorance of their usefulness Oh! what an Happiness would it be if we were all of one Mind if there were no Divisions among us but that we did with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle prays Rom. 15-6 But alas this cannot be expected till Men can resolve to reject their prejudices and pevish humors till they are convinced that as it is the duty of every one to prevent Division and Faction as much as in them lies and to endeavour sincerely after Unity so there is no possibility of effecting this except they can humbly submit to the determination of Rulers in matters relating to outward Order and Discipline in the Church comply with customary Rites and patiently enquire into the Reason of Things except they can think themselves may be mistaken in their Judgment when some things seem unfit for the ends they are design'd and that however their Duty is to submit to all the Ordinances of Man which are not breaches of God's Law in regard the Apostle commands it and also in regard by doing otherwise they shall disturb the Peace of the Church which every one is bound to promote The Apostle saith * 1 Thes 5.21 Try all things and hold fast to that which is good and how shall we try not by our own Fancies and Humors but by the Word of God according as we find the Bereans did try the Doctrin of Paul and Silas Acts 17.11 And the Scriptures though they do not in particular prescribe our Constitutions nor indeed the Rites of any Society of Christians in the World which hath the fewest yet do they in general prescribe Decencies as I shewed before command Obedience to the Injunctions of Superiors and expresly mention many Constitutions lawfully introduced by the Jews which Moses never appointed nor God to whom it was altogether as unlawful to ordain Things in the Service of God as it is to us and farther the Scriptures mightily set forth the Duty of Unity and the danger of Schism all which being weighed and considered impartially who can conclude but that our Governors are enjoined even from the Word of God to prescribe such Ordinances as they have and that we also from the fame Word are bound to submit to them Then what remains But that every one be careful to preserve the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace that they frequent our Assemblies and comply with our Ordinances attending to the true End and Design of them that so our Hearts may be affected agreeably as they ought to be that so we may serve God with one Accord in one Place be of one Mind have true Fellowship with Christ and with one another and be enclosed in that one Fold over which there is one Shepherd Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Grant good God by the influence of thy Grace that this Mind may be in us all through the Merits of Christ Jesus to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all Power and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS
Whoso obstinately standing in it doth use any other Right than is prescribed by the Common-Prayer-Book shall suffer Damage Now in the first place Organs cannot be thought such a Right as is forbid by this Act because the practice of all Cathedrals at the time of the making of it was to use Organs with their singing nay in the Queen 's own Chappel they were used too and were not disused any where upon the promulgation of it Again I conceive in that the Words obstinately standing in it are applied to make an additional Right a breach of this Act therefore several Modes and Circumstances of Worship not in opposition to the Common-Prayer-Book might be used with it tho' not there expressed provided they were not opposed by our Ordinaries and I suppose none of them are against Organs Our Objector †A. N. p. 84. allows an Injunction from the King would take off the force of his Argument which tho' we cannot now plead yet might easily have been obtained no doubt if need had required it for it is plain his present Majesty King William approves of Organs not only because he frequents the places of Worship where they are used but also because he was pleased to give an Organ lately to one of our Churches in London †Viz. St. Anns. But that which gives more credit to the cause in hand than his Kingly Authority is that he is undoubtedly a sincere Protestant as appears by the unspeakable Bravery he hath shewed in undergoing such a multitude of Difficulties and Dangers these many years last past for the support of the Protestant Religion If any Objections are brought against Instrumental Musick from the Authority of Schoolmen and such others they are of force against light trivial Musick but not against such as I am here speaking for 3. I come to make an Improvement of what hath been said I know many are possessed with an Opinion that all Things which are Ornamental which in their Opinion appear Gay and Glistering are to be banished from God's House and Service as savouring of Jewish or Popish Superstition and that no human Rite or Institution whatever is to be admitted for the more orderly solemnization of Divine Worship and stirring up of Piety because the simplicity of Christian Worship they think doth imply thus much And therefore all Arguments fetched from the Example of David the ancient Jews or Primitive Christians are of no force with them we must not beautify our Churches as the Jews did the Temple nor make our Service edifying comely and awful with Ceremonies and Institutions not expressed in Scripture tho' we find God's own People of old did so all along but why must we not As to the Jewish Temple David's Reason for building and adorning that was taken from the Magnificence of his own House 2 Sam. 7.2 See saith he I dwell in an house of Cedar but the ark of God remaineth within Curtains And surely we have the same Reason to argue thus Shall we take care to build sumptuous magnificent Houses for ourselves and yet not be concerned to see the House of God of a mean Building rough and unpolished Surely though God cannot be said to live in an House made with Hands yet whatsoever is dedicated to his Service ought to be set off in such a manner as to bespeak the Dignity of him as far as according to our Abilities it is reasonable we should For he that abhorred those who sacrificed the worst of their Cattle saying Offer it now unto thy Governor will he be pleased with thee or accept thy Person Mal. 1.8 will have the same Reason to say in the present Case Is this an House fit for my Name to be called upon in Give it for an entertaining House to your Prince See if he will thank you The Primitive Christians as oft as they had respite from Persecutions were very industrious in erecting stately Churches and adorning them splendidly so that they were of the same mind we are in this matter Then as to the Jewish Service Since it is lawful for us to make use of a Liturgy Compos'd by the Ministers of the Church as I shew'd in my Answer to the second Objection how can we do better than transplant those of the Jewish Institutions into our Service which apparently tend to promote Piety Since because no Reason can be given why such should be thought so abolish'd by the coming of Christ as to be made uncapable of being admitted among the Christian Ordinances we must needs think they are as likely to be pleasing to God now as any other not more edifying than they and especially too since part of the Jewish Service viz. Singing of Psalms is recommended by the Apostle But it is said it is contrary to the simplicity of Christian Worship to do so No surely since Christians are Men endued with Passions whose Faculties are to be wrought upon by impressions upon the outward Senses I conceive the simplicity of Christian Worship consists in a due qualification of the Heart and Mind in the Service of God Now the external Beauty of God's House and becoming Ceremonies as I have shewed before have a natural tendency to make such Impressions upon us and therefore they are very consistent with the simplicity of Christian Worship But the Word and Sacraments are thought sufficient to effect this 'T is true they are the chief Causes of begetting a good Disposition in us but those who urge this would do well consider that Christ in his Institution of the Holy Supper hath ordained that the Bread shall be broken undoubtedly to represent how his Body was broken on the Cross and by such a visible Representation to excite in us the greater Sense of his Sufferings and thereby more effectually to raise our Devotion and from hence they may gather that our Lord doth approve of significant Rites and Ceremonies Alas our Affections are dull and heavy there is need of all manner of Helps to raise them up and it is easily discoverable what an influence Impressions upon the outward Senses have in the Mind 'T is true if we content our selves with the external peformance of Ceremonies or suffer our Minds to be taken up with an idle Contemplation of the Ornaments and Decencies of the Church then are we Strangers to the simplicity of Christian Worship but if upon the sight of these Things and the uniform administration of the Service we take occasion to contemplate upon the Glories of our Heavenly Habitations and the unanimous Consort of Angels praising God in Heaven and be thereby excited to imitate the Heavenly Host with more Fervor and if to the outward performance of each Ceremony we suit our Affections then is our Worship according to Christian Simplicity and this use may every one make of the Ornaments and Decencies of the Church and it is the only design of these Provisions that they should Our Ceremonies are not numerous like the Popish nor burthensome