be assigned Well perhaps we may not be able to make appear what the Instrumental Musick of the Temple signified or what it was an Adumbration of What then Must we thence conclude it was not Typical Because we are ignorant of what it was designed to represent Must we therefore deny it to have been a shadow of some future thing Is it allowable for Persons to argue from their Ignorance of a thing to its absolute Non-existence I believe no Wise Mans Logick will warrant such an Inference I am very prone to believe that there were many Rites injoyned by the Ceremonial Law in the time of Moses as to which our Author cannot certainly inform us what they were Typical of He may strongly guess and conjecture it may be what they were designed to represent but he cannot convincingly prove to us that they were to shadow forth just such or such things As for instance I find Heb. 9.2 That the Apostle tells us that in the Sanctuary were the Candlestick the Table and the Shew-bread But can this Gentleman make it evidently appear to us what these were Types of He may guess it may be and offer us a handsome conjecture in the case but he cannot make it appear clearly and convincingly to us what these things were shadows of And may we thence be allowed to argue that these things were not Typical of something future and so no part of the Ceremonial Law I suppose not The generality of Reformed Divines have esteemed these Musical Instruments Typical What was the thing typified and intended by these dark shadows is not I confess so easie to determine But yet I suppose a Man may as well discover the signification of Musical Instruments as of some other of the Jewish Types For we can only Conjecture at the things which were represented by many of them The Sylver Trumpets are conceived to hold forth the Promulgation of the Gospel and the Publication of the Truths of God by his Sacred Ministers And there seem to be some hints in Scripture to give countenance to this As when Solomon saith Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice Silver perhaps alluding to the Silver Trumpets So the Messengers of God are said to lift up their voice as a Trumpet Isa 58.1 So Hosea 8.1 Set the Trumpet to thy mouth And Ezek. 33.3 6. The faithful and execution of their Office is expressed by blowing the Trumpet So when it is said in that great Prophecy concerning the Restoration of the Jews Isa 37.13 In that day the great Trumpet shall be blown it is understood by Expositors of the sounding of the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel throughout the World Tubae Spiritualis nempe Evangelii Clangor saith Calvin These and all the rest of their Musical Instruments seem to have been expressive of joy Psal 89.15 and 98.6 Blessed is the People that know the joyful sound With Harp with Trumpets with sound of Cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord the King And so they were fit Resemblances to shadow out that Heavenly Musick and inward Melody of the Joys and Graces of Gods Spirit in the hearts of his People which should be in Gospel times So that one well saith * Cortton of singing of Psalms p. 12. The making a joyful noise with Instruments continueth not save only so far as it is kept alive in the Antitipe the affections of our Hearts our Praecordia making Melody with the Songs and Professions of our Lips and with the gracious and peaceable conversations of our Lives Thus I have shewed you how some reply to the Minor of our Authors Argument 2. But some others are of Opinion that the Consequence of his Major Proposition may justly be called in Question For altho' Instrumental Musick was a part of the Ceremonial Law yet may it be questioned whether it will thence necessarily follow that it must have been Typical and to make this good he must prove that all the Rites enjoined the Jews by the Ceremonial Law were Typical which I believe will prove to be no easie task to him God indulged the Jews many pompous Rites to affect their senses which were suited to their Carnality and Minority and though some Rites in their Worship might not be Typical yet were they peculiar to the Jewish oeconomy adapted to the temper of that People who were stupid and Carnal Therefore some Divines have made a Distinction between the Jewish Rites some of which they say were Typical others for the greater Magnificence and yet both peculiar to the Jewish oeconomy Thus †In Exod. 15.20 Junius Of those things which were commanded by the Law some were significative of some future thing others were peculiar to that Church to make use of those things which were significative of something future after the coming of Christ is impious and now to use those things which were peculiar to that Church is ridiculous Now it is the opinion of many eminent Divines that Musical Instruments were in the Number of those Rites which were Pompous and only for the greater Solemnity of their External Worship and suited to their Minority and Infant state The Jews were a People very prone to imitate their Idolatrous Neighbours in their Sacred Rites and Worship and so to desert the Worship of the true God Therefore God indulged and enjoyned them a Pompous Worship with a great Apparatus of splendid Rites to suit their Carnal Temper to prevent their taking up with the Superstitious Worship and the vain Rites of the Heathâ—n Nations round about them And this was the sense we shall find of Theodoret In Psal 150. who speaking of Instrumental Musick saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God being willing to free them from the errour of Idols suffered thâ—se things to be For seeing they were studious of Sports and Plays and lovers of Mirth and Jollity and that all these were found in the Temples of their Idols God permitted them these things by this means alluring them and preventing a greater damage by a less detriment and teaching them by imperfect things And the Learned Dr. Spencer * De Legibus Hebraeor p. 5 6. attempts to prove that the principal design of the Ceremonial Law was to Cure the Israelites of the sin of Idolatry For speaking of that Law he saith God gave them that Law to that end that he might confine that People so very prone to take up with the Gentile Rites within the limits of Piety and Obedience Now whether that was the principal Design of the Jewish Rites I shall not determine But I think it is fairly probable that it was one Design of the Jewish Ceremonies and perhaps the only design of some of them For we read Numb 15.38 39 That the Israelites were to wear Fringes in the borders of their Garments and they were to put a ribband of blew upon the fringe of the Borders and this they were to do that they might not seek
of our Lord want this Did Ignatius Polycarp Clemens Romanus and the other Zealous and Affectionate Christians of those days need this sort of Musick to Exalt their Devotions I know no reason we have to believe that their Devotion then was so lame and languid as that they stood in need of Harps and Organs to raise and heighten it I am satisfied a Man may assert it without the danger of being caught in a mistake that the Devotion of the Primitive Christians was as raised and elevated without these Musical Instruments as this Gentleman is with all the Melodious noise of his pompous Organ The Devotion of the Ancient Christians was not so dull and flat as this Author would insinuate it to have been * Serious compass Enquiry Introduct Dr. Goodman †speaking of the Primitive Christians saith The Holy Men of those times that approached our Saviour had as it were some rays of his Divinity shed upon them and their faces shone like Moses 's when he came down from the Holy Mount A Christian Church was a College of Holy and good Men and the Glory of God filled the place where they Assembled and fire came down from Heaven too but not to set the World in Combustion but to exhale and lift up the odours of pious and devout Prayers but since those times Zeal hath decayed c. If you please to consult Dr. Cave's Primitive Christianity you will find much more to the same purpose I wish our Authors applauded Organ Pipes might revive the Primitive Zeal and Devotion but I see no grounds to hope that they should ever produce so glorious an effect 6. But adds our Author The just Encomium they give of it Ser. p. 11. shews what was their mind and desire about it though they were not able to bring it to effect By which he would fain perswade his Readers that the Primitive Christians have given ample Encomiums of Instrumental Musick as used in Christian Assemblies or as useful in Christian Churches For that must our Author mean or he speaks nothing to the purpose But supposing you to have perused the passages I have cited from some of the Fathers with respect to this sort of Musick I will leave it to you to judge whether it be probable they should give an Encomium of it But how does he prove that the Primitive Christians have given an Encomium of Instrumental Musick Why truly very strangely And it is very observable in this Author that the strength of his Arguments rarely equals the boldness of his Assertions In the Margin he refers us to some of the Fathers as having in his apprehension spoken great things in the commendation of this sort of Church-Musick He cites a passage from * Epist ad Donat. pâ—â—dâ—ctat aures Religiosa Mulcedo Cyprian which he conceives may give in some evidence to this But how little is this to his purpose How does he prove that by Religiosa Mulcedo the Father intended Instrumental Musick Let any Man read the close of that Epistle of St. Cyprians and he will be convinced that he speaks of Vocal and not Instrumental Musick Besides he speaks of Musick in Private * In Convivio sobrio at a sober Meal or Banquet And thus the Learned Dr. Cave †Primit Christian p. 265. understands him Now because St. Cyprian allows of Vocal Musick at a Private Meal will he thence infer that he commends the use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God in Publick What might not a confident Man be able to prove from the Writings of the Fathers if this way of arguing might be allowed him But then our Author sends us to St. Basils Homilies on Psal 1. and to St. Austin in various places as commending and approving Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God What others may have done I cannot tell but I could never meet with any thing either in St. Austin or St. Basil that will any thing countenance what he asserts Had he found any thing considerable in these Fathers for his purpose I make no Question but we should have had it inserted in the body of his Sermon or at least he would have graced his Margin with it But when he shall think fit to produce any considerable Testimonies from these Fathers to prove what he has asserted I think it will then be time enough to give a reply to them I have taken no small pains in Consulting the Works of St. Austin to see if I could find any thing in the Writings of that Father which might look favourably upon our Authors position And after all the search I have made I must profess that I can find nothing which will warrant this Gentleman to say that St. Austin gives an Encomium of the use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God Indeed I have met with one passage in St. Austin in which he fairly makes the Instrumental Musick used of old by David to have been Typical consult the Margin ‖ De Civit. Dei Lib. 17. cap. 14. Erat autem David vir in canticis eruditus qui Harmoniam Musicam non vulgari voluptate dilexerat eâque Deo suo qui verus est Deus Mysticâ rei magnae figuratione serviens diversorum nomine sonorum rationales moderatosque concentus concordi varietate compactam benè ordinatae Civitatis ininsinuat unitatem c. I am satisfied that this passage says more against him than any thing he can produce from that Father will make for him Thus I have considered the strength of his Second Argument and have I suppose sufficiently discovered its invalidity 3. Now I come to examine his Third Argument which he takes from the sense of the Apostles in the New-Testament as he speaks Could he produce any evidence of the Apostles having recommended or encouraged the use of Instrumental Musick in the Sacred Assemblies of Christians it would be much to his purpose And the Cathedrals would have an admirable Champion in him and the Singing-Men would have cause to con him thanks in a grateful and melodious Song But let us attend his Argument He first cites a Text or two and then argues from them The Texts he cites are Ephes 5.19 St. Paul saith he there recommends the use of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs and Singing and making melody in our Hearts to the Lord. And St. James saith Jam. 5.13 Is any Merry let him sing Psalms So dull am I that I should ne're have thought an Argument for the Lawfulness of the Use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God to have lurkt there But I see a Man may live and learn But how does our Author Improve these Passages to his purpose Why thus By which doubtless they understood the Psalms of David p. 11 12. which are used in the Jewish Church and by Singing of them in both those places it is to be supposed they mean with Instruments of Musick And to make
praising of their God 2. Suppose these Harpers harping with their Harps are to be understood of the Church Militant Praising God here below which as he hints is the Opinion of some others yet I cannot see any advantage he will gain to his cause by it For 1. You very well know that it is a common thing in Scripture for matters relating to the New-Testament Worship to be dressed up in Old-Testament Phrases The words Priests Sacrifices Incense c. are a clear proof of this * Vid. Glass Philol. Sacr. p. 1348. 2. But methinks we have a Text in the Book of the Revelations which fairly discovers to us what we are to understand by Harps in this Prophecy Revel 5.8 It is said that the four Beasts and the Four and Twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and Golden Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of the Saints Here we have the Worship of the New-Testament or the Praises and Prayers of the Saints under the Evangelical Administration adumbrated by Harps and Viols full of Odours What we are to understand by those Vials full of Odours is made plain to us in the following words Viz. Which are the Prayers of the Saints So then by Harps and the sound of them we are to understand the Praises of the same For both Praises and Prayers are there expressed by Phrases which allude to the Worship of God under the Legal Administration And thus does a Learned Prelate †Cooper Bishop of Galloway in his Commentary on the Revelations expound the place for saith he The Harp of a Christian wherewith he praiseth God is his heart the Strings of the Harp are the Affections of the Heart which must be well tuned and prepared before they can make any Melody to the Lord. To the same purpose speaks he on Revel 14.2 For saith he there There is an harping which we make to God our Heart is the Harp Sancti sunt Dei insignes Citharcedi Saints are excellent Harpers to God The Strings of this Harp are our Affections Now the Opinion of this Right Reverend Bishop I oppose to that of Dr. Hammond The Continuators of Mr. Pool's Annotations on Rev. 5.8 say thus He alludes to the Worship of God under the Old Testament where in the Temple they were wont to praise God with Instruments of Musick and offering up of Frankincense And these Persons I oppose to Mr. Baxter And saith Marlorate on Revel 5.8 By Harps we are to understand Hearts And him we oppose to Bullinger But I would entreat you to weigh a little 3. What the Learned Dr. More saith Mystery of Iniquity p. 221. He tells us of a Prophetick Scheme exceeding frequent especially in the Apocalyps which he stiles Israelitismus which he saith is a speaking of the Affairs of the Church under the Names and with allusion to such places or Persons or things as did of old concern the Israelites and People of the Jews and that in a Mystical or Spiritual meaning The frequency of this Scheme adds he is not to be wondred at if we consider that the People of Israel were one great and entire Mysterious Type or Sacrament of the Church of God such as it should be under Christ according as St. Paul has written 1 Cor. 10. That all things befel them in figures And this I humbly conceive is enough to enervate the Argument our Author has fetched from some verses in the Book of the Revelations 4. Give me leave to present you with the Learned Dr. Lightfoots * Doctor Lightfoot's Works Vol. 1. p. 350. opinion of the sense of that Text Revel 15. saith he of the beginning of the story of the Seven Vials John again calls us to reflect upon the Scheme of the Temple in Heaven which all along speaks according to the platform of the Temple at Jerusalem Here is a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and Harpers harping by it c. Singing the Song of Moses which as it calls to mind Moses and the People Singing upon the Red-sea-shore upon their delivery from Egypt so doth it plainly allude to the Musick at the Temple I could with as much shew of Reason Argue from a place in the Revelations that when Antichrist shall fall and the pure Worship of Christ shall be freed from all Antichristian Superstitions and Pompous Rites that then the use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God shall cease too and be thrown out of the Churches with her other gaudy and needless Ceremonies For if we look into Revel 18. we have there an account of the Destruction of Babylon i. e. of the Roman Anti-Christian Hierarchy as the generality of Expositors understand it And upon the Destruction of this Anti-Christian Government it is said ver 22. And the Voice of Harpers and Musicians and of Pipers and Trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee That is say many all their Instrumental Musick shall be cast out of the Churches with their other Anti-Christian Trumpery For saith Aretius on the place Musicam primo loco ponit c. He puts Musick in the first place because all their Temples are filled with the sound of it There are Organs and Trumpets and Pipes but all these things made use of in Religion do displease the Lord as this place teacheth And Mr. Clerk on the same Text saith The Voice of Harpers and Musicians that is their Church-Musick shall be heard no More And ver 23. The light of the Candle shall shine no more in thee i. e. Their Consecrated Candles burning upon their Altars and before Images And much to the same purpose speaks the Learned Dr. More Mystery of Iniquity p. 428. Commenting on the same Text. There may be a more particularly contrived Allegory in reference to this Mystical City here meant as if we should understand rather the Musick at their Idolatrous Worship by these here specified which were only by a Diorismus And by these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as do technas Consuere Sophisticas and Politicas in Theology and Church Administration for the interest of their Hierarchy These Artifices Imperii in Imperio of those also that work curious work in the Scholastick Divinity Here you have a Ternary of Authors approving this sense of the Words and one of them an Eminent Doctor of the Church of England And if the words are to be understood in this sense I am satisfied they are a considerable Argument against the use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God But whether this may be the sense or no I shall not contend yet thus much I think any Unprejudiced Person will grant me That this is as strong an Argument against the Sacred Use of Organs as any Mr. Newte has advanced from the Revelations to prove their use Lawful 4. I am now arrived at his Fourth Argument I shall crave leave to try the Strength of this too He delivers himself thus
However meanly this way of making Melody in our Hearts to the Lord may be thought by some It has been certainly of above a Thousand Years standing in the Christian Church Ser. p. 13. And been received and approved of by the Reformed as well as the Popish Churches and therefore no part of Popery Here the Author offers to our Consideration Two things 1. The Antiquity of this Church-Musick 2. It s use in the Reformed Churches 1. The Antiquity of Instrumental Musick as used in the Worship of God He saith It has certainly been of above a Thousand Years standing in the Christian Church 1. Suppose this be granted him yet for 600 Years by our Authors Confession the Christian Churches were Strangers to them So that in the purest and best times of Christianity there were no Organs resounding in their Temples After the four first Centuries many Superstitions found way into the Christian Churches And after that time as Dr. Cave saith * Caves Preface to Prim. Christ The Life and Spirit of Christianity did visibly decline apace And when the Spirit and Life of Christianity declined no wonder if Organs and Latine Service and many other such Superstitious usages met with Admittance and Approbation None pretend as far as I can learn that Organs were used in the Publick Worship of Christians till the time of Pope Vitaliane He was the First who recommended the use of Instrumental Musick to Christian Assemblies And I cannot see any reason Protestants have of being the more fond of it because first introduced by a Pope 2. But then it is somewhat doubtful whether Instrumental Musick had so early an admission into the Christian Church as our Author pretends But of this I have delivered my thoughts before 3. Many Corruptions in Worship have been of a Thousand Years standing in the Christian Church Altars Idolatrous Images Latin Mass c. can plead as great Antiquity as Organs But I suppose this is not enough to render the Sacred use of these things Warrantable 2. As to the use of Organs amongst the Reformed he saith They have been received and approved of by the Reformed Ser. p. 13. To confirm this he adds The Opinion of Luther Calvin and their Followers will bear me out in this whose Judgments in this matter I shall just mention 1. Luther he saith approved of this sort of Church-Musick Did he so If our Author had fairly proved it I might have been inclined to believe it But what Evidence does he give of it Why truly just none at all He cites us a Passage from somebody it is true for he tells us not whom who hath written the Life of Luther which he imagines may import some such thing The Passage as our Author Translates it is this Luther speaking of the Communion Service that it ought to be in the Mother-Tongue saith I rather wish than promise it being not sufficient for so great a work for it requires both Musick and a Spirit and then he Laments the want of Poets to Compose and sing Godly Songs But to this a few things 1. I wish he had told us where we might have found this passage that we might have arrived to the greater satisfaction about it I have consulted Melchior Adam's Account of Luther's Life and I cannot find it there 2. But supposing this for Truth that Luther had thus delivered himself I cannot see what Advantage our Author's Cause will have by it What if he had said That the Translating the Communion Service into the Mother-Tongue required both Musick and a Spirit Must it presently be supposed that he understood it of Instrumental Musick What! Is there no other sort of Musick than Instrumental Ay but he Laments the want of Poets to Compose and sing Godly Songs Admirable proof that he approved of the use of Organs in the Publick Worship of Christians What! cannot a Person speak of Composing and singing Godly Songs but presently our Author must Alarm us with the lowd noise of Musical Instruments If this is all the Proof he can produce to Evidence Luther's Approbation of this sort of Church Musick it had been better he had held his peace and said nothing at all 3. But whatever our Author suggests I am inclined to believe that Luther ne're approved of the use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God under the Gospel but rather disliked it For Eckard saith this of Luther Fascicul c. 21. p. 639. Quod Organa Musica inter Baalis insignia refert i. e. He numbers Instrumental Musick amongst the badges of Baal This passage methinks does not look as if he had been a Friend to this sort of Musick But adds our Author His Followers it seems who must be supposed Ser. p. 13. to have best understood their Teachers meaning have affected it for in great part of Germany Sweedeland Denmark Switzerland and part of Poland where his Doctrine is received they have the Exercise of Vocal and Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God as we have 1. I own that some of the followers of Luther have Instrumental Musick as well as Vocal in their Publick Worship But in this they have left their Master as they have apparently done in some other Cases 2. What if some of the Lutherans approve of the use of Organs in the Worship of God Do they not also approve of many other things in Divine Worship which other Protestant Churches justly condemn Such as Auricular Confession Singing of Psalms in Latin the use of Crucifixes in their Devotions though it must be confessed they adore them not they pay not Divine Honour to them yet they use them to excite their Affections Have they not the Pictures of the Trinity in their Churches And are they not Zealous Sticklers for the absurd Doctrine of Consubstantiation In many of their Publick Churches in the time of Divine-Service you may hear the sound of Horns of Vials of Organs of Voices c. Will this prove such a Medley of sounds to be Lawful in Christian Assemblies 2. But now let us attend the Evidence he produceth to prove Calvin and his Followers to have been Approvers of this sort of Church-Musick Ser. p. 14. So likewise Calvin saith he gives his Approbation of it in some places but being a Man of intemperate heat and passion is inconsistent with himself in others I shall only mention one which is his Comment on Amos 6.5 where he highly commends David that whereas being Musical and a Lover of Musick he might privately have delighted himself therewith when he was now in peace and ease and past all his Dangers yet he chose rather Musical Instruments to the Exercise of Devotion that he might thereby raise his mind towards God And that they sounding the Praises of God in the Temple he might excite both himself and others to the study of Godliness Three things are very Remarkable in this Discourse of our Author 1. He Asserts boldly that Calvin approved
I will presume that altho' he has read some Authors who write for the lawfulness of the use of Organs in the Sacred Assemblies of Christians yet he has scarcely read any who have written against such an use of them For I am satisfied he talks as if he had not Some Mens Libraries are as Partial as themselves and will scarcely afford an Author who determines a Question on that side they are against There are other Arguments of considerable strength to be met withal against the Lawfulness of Organs in Sacris beside those produced by our Author Be pleased to consult some of our Protestant Writers against the Papists and you will soon be satisfied as to this I humbly conceive I have suggested some Objections already which our Author has not mentioned But let this be a third Objection Object 3. The use of Organs in Christian Assemblies for Divine Worship condemned as unlawful by the Book of Homilies And herein the Church of England in her Homilies agrees with the Geneva Annotators Now that the use of Organs in the Worship of God is condemned by the Homilies is most plain For in the Homily of the time and place of Prayers Part II. there is this objection supposed to be made by one who cared not to frequent the Parish-Churches viz. Alas What shall we do at Church Since all the Saints are taken away since all the goodly sights we were wont to have are gone Since we cannot hear the like Piping Singing Chaunting and playing upon the Organs that we could before To this it is replied But Dearly beloved we ought greatly to rejoyce and give God thanks that our Churches are delivered out of all those things which displeased God so sore and filthily defiled his House and his place of Prayer The complaint of the Person who refused to frequent the Parish Churches was amongst other things that there was no playing on the Organs there And to this the Answer is That we ought to rejoyce and to give God thanks that the Church was delivered from these things which were so displeasing to God and so defiling to his House This was the Opinion of the Church of England in the days of Queen Elizabeth Namely that Organs in Churches are displeasing to God and filthily defiling to his House So that in the judgment of our Authors Church the use of Organs in the Worship of God is unlawful Now the Homilies and the Doctrine contained in them are approved received and established by the Supream Authority of Church and State Canons of Convocation and Acts of Parliament as the late Bishop of Lincoln has clearly proved * Dr. Barlow's Cases of Conscience of setting up Images in Churches p. 21 22. Queen Elizabeth expresly ordered these Homilies to be read in the Churches as you may see in the Preface to those Homilies And Article 35 doth approve and confirm the Doctrine of the Homilies as good and wholesome For saith that Article The Second Book of Homilies the several titles whereof we have joined under this Article doth contain a Godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times as doth the former Book of Homilies which was set forth in the time of Edward VI. and therefore we judge to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly as they may be understood by the People Whence it is apparent the Church approves of those Homilies 1. As containing a Godly wholsom Doctrine 2. As to the reading of them in the Churches So that hence I infer that it is the profest Judgment of this Authors Church that it is a Godly and wholsome Doctrine namely That Organs in Churches are displeasing to God and do filthily defile his holy House Our Author has subscribed these Articles of the Church and so has thereby approved of the Homilies and now let him Reconcile his Sermon to the Homilies if he can Had the Geneva Annotators said but as much as do the Homilies against Organs O how Tragically would he have exclaimed as if they meant no less than the total Subversion of the Church well perhaps by his next we may have him bestowing the Epithite of Pernicious upon the Homilies too Object 4. If the Praising of God with Organs be thus Lawful in the Worship of God as our Author pleads then will it for the same reason be lawful to introduce other Musical Instruments into the Worship of God such as Harps and Trumpets Psalteries and Cymbals c. and other Rites too as Dancing c. For upon our Authors Principles these are lawful to be used in the Worship of God also And so it will be lawful to dress up the Christian Worship with as much Pomp and Ceremony as was that of the Temple which I think none will assert who duely understand the Nature of Gospel Worship Object 5. That Opinion which impeaches Christ and his Apostles of want of Wisdom in making provision for the Edification of the Church is false but such is the Opinion of our Author Therefore his Opinion is Absurd The Major of this Argument is unquestionable the Minor is evident from the Author of the Sermon For saith he Ser. p. â— Instrumeâ—â—â—â— Musick is the most proper means to quicken our hearts and to raise 〈◊〉 â—…fections and to make us the more devout Now most certainly our â—…thor impeaches hereby our Lord and his Apostles of want of Wâ—sdom For to institute a less proper means to raise Affections and excite Devotion and to neglect the most proper means argues a want of Wisdom But according to him Christ and his Apostles have neglected to appoint the most proper means to raise the Affections and excite the Devotions of Christians Therefore in effect his Opinion charges them with a want of Wisdom For it is most certain that altho' our Lord and his Apostles have instituted Vocal Musick yet have they not appointed Instrumental for the raising the Affections of Christians and quickning their Devotions And so they have neglected to prescribe the most proper means for the attaining of these ends in our Authors Judgment Object 6. But to conclude I would interrogate our Author were I by him whether according to the Act of Uniformity and the Constitution of the Church of England the particular Pastor of a Parochial Church is allowed to introduce new Rites and Modes of Worship into his Parish-Church over and above what are appointed by the Act of Uniformity without a Warrant either from a Convocation or a Parliament And whether Supra-conformity be not as much a Transgression of the Statute of Uniformity as Subter-conformity This Gentleman cannot plead that he has an Injunction from the Kings Majesty nor a Warrant from any Statute enacted by Parliament nor from any Canon of any Convocation nor from any Rubrick in the Common-Prayer-Book for the setting up his Organ in his Parish-Church Therefore what has induced him to put his Parish to so great a charge I cannot well imagine Thus I hope