A tractate on church music

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A

TRACTATE

O N

CHURCH MUSIC;

BEING AN EXTRACT FPvOM THE
REVEREND AND LEARNED MR. PEIRCE's
VINDICATION OF THE DISSENTERS.

THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION SHINES BRIGHTEST IPT

ITS OWN DRESS \ AND TO PAINT IT, IS BUT TO

DEFORM IT,

DR. NICHOl's defence OF THE
CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

LONDON: MDCCLXXXVL

' AOAWS^I/3

THIS TRACTATE

O N

CHURCH MUSIC,

IS INSCRIBED

T O

THE REVEREND DOCTOR CHAUNCY

AND

THE REVEREND MR. JOHN CLARK^
THE MINISTERS;

AND TO

THE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL DISSENTING CHURCH

IN BOSTON IN AMERICA.

nn

rRACTATE

O N

C H U R C FI MUSIC.

THE fubje^l before us may be refolved
into a queftion, which, fimple and uncom-
pounded, is no other than, whether it be
fit and proper to introduce the ufe of in-
llrumental mufic into the public worfhip
of almighty God, as being able to excite
in us devout and fpiritual affecflions ?

Plain finging is univerfally admitted to
be, at once, capable both of railing and
improving fentlments of raitonal piety and
devotion ; and is commanded in the new
Teflament. Where the heart and under-
ftanding are fo intimately interefted, like
every other united adl of praife, it is cal-
culated

( 4 )

culated to produce a good effect. But the
addition of inftru mental mufic fhould feem
more calculated to divert and diffipate the
pious affcdlions of a reafonable fervice, than
to iix them upon theh' proper objedls. And
if exprefs authority be pleaded in its be-
half, fuch authority fhould be proved by
other evidences than a general command
concerning finging. It is not enough, to
fay, that mufical inftruments are able to
jftir and cheer our mJnds -, for it is not law-
ful for us to bring into ufe fuch things, of
our own heads, into God's w^orfhip. V/ho
knows not, that wine has the like virtue,
to cheer men's minds, and warm their af-
fedlons ? And yet it is unlawful to ufe it
in the worfliip of God, except v/here it is
commanded, in the Lord's fupper. Vain
therefore are thefe and fuch like allegations
upon this head. And unlefs it can be
proved, that our minds are carried toward
fpiritual and heavenly things, by fome hid-
den virtue that nature has eiven to thefe
mulical inftruments, or by a certain divine
grace accompanying them, as God's own
inftitutions ; there is really nothing faid

to the purpofe.

The

( 5 )

The jews indeed ufed mulic In their
worfhip, becaufe God had commanded
them fo to do, as the fcripture moil ex-
prefsly tefliiies. And he fet the Levifes in
the houfe of the Lord, with cymbals, with
pfalteries, and with harps, according to the
commandment of David, and of Gad the
kings feer, and Nathan the prophet ; for fo
was the commandment of the Lord by his
prophets'^, God had forbidden the Jews
to bring any thing into his worfhip, of
their own head. Hence he not only fhewed
to Mofes the pattern of the tabernacle,
and of all the utenfils thereof: but when
the temple was to be built at Jerufalem, he
fhewed to David, by his fpirit, both the
form of it, and all the inftruments to be
ufed in it No man, therefore, will won-
der that our bleffed Saviour, who reproves
all fuperititious rites and innovations which
he found introduced into that church,
ihonld fay not a word againjl mufic ; lince

it

* 2 Chron. xxix. 25. See alfo Exod. xxv. g, 40.
xxvi. 30. xxvii. 8. Numb. viii. 4. Deut. iv. 2. v. 32.
xii. 32. Jofli. i. 7. I Chron. xxviii. ii — ig. compare,
alfo I Chron. viii. 13, 14. and xxx, 12.

( 6 )

«

it was exprefsly appointed by God himfelf,
and on that very account, could not be
reckoned a fuperilitious rite, or an inno-
vation introduced into that church. But
it does not hence follow, that he would
have it continued in that evangelical wor-
fhip which he appointed. Nor is it difii-
cult to give a good reaibn for this differ-
ence between the ufe of mufical infrru-
ments, and the pra&ce of plain congrega-
tional finging. For, if both thefe were
anciently numbered among the jev/ifh cere-
monies, neither of them ought to be ufed
as fuch, under the chrlftian covenant. One,
therefore, fliould be rejedled as a jewifh
ceremony ; the other retained as the infti-
tution of Chriil. And certainly a- man
muft be blind, who does not fee, that
trumpets, harps, and fuch like mufical in-
ilruments, belonged to the pom.p and cere-
mony of the jewifh worfhip. Buj: all thefe
' things are abrogated, together with the
law that appointed the worfhip ; unlefs any
of them appear to have been fmce injoined
by fome particular command.

It has been faid that the very firfl wor-

iliip in the chriftian aflemhlies was per-
formed

( 7 )

formed in the antlphonal way of finging,
/. e, by finging by turns, or in parts ; and
for the authority for this pradice, we are
generally referred to Pliny the younger*.
The pafTage, however, which is referred to,
on this occafion, would never have been
thought fufficient for the purpofe, for which
it has been introduced, if it had not been
read with a ilrong prejudice.

Of all the critics, who have commented
on that epiftle of Pliny, Catanacus, an
italian papift, is the only man who took
notice of this way of finging, though they
' are not wont to omit any thing relating to
the cuftoms of the ancients. The words
dicere Jecum inviceniy mean no more than to
Jing together-, or as Voffius explains them,
Pliny's meaning is, that the prieft was
not the only perfon who fang 5 but others
finging alfo, they fiiirred up one another.
Whence Tertullian, in his Apology,, ^•39-
after he had fpoken of their love feafl:s,
adds 5 After we have wajhed our hands ^
and the candles are lighted, every one is
defired to Jing to God in the midjl of the

** company

*! Plin, Ep. xcvii. 1. x.

<

( 8 )

^ company y according as he h abky either out

^^ of the holy fcriptures, or fcmewhat of his

^' own compol'Hg'' Nay, Tertul]ian, in

another place in the fame Apology^ gives

an account of chriftian foiemnities, from

this paiTage of Pliny ; but fays not a word

of finging by turns or in parts. '^ We

find," fays he, *' it has been forbidden

** to make a fearch after us. For when

*^ Plinius fecundus was governor of a pro-

*^ vince, and had condemned forne, and

•^ made others comply, being difturbed by

** the great multitude of the chriftians,

** he confulted the emperor Trajan ; ac-

^^ quainting him, that befiaes an obfci-

*^ nate averlion to facrificing, he coul4

*^ difcover nothing concerning the myf-

*• teries [de facramentis] but that they

** held affemblles before day, to iing to

** Chriil as to God"^." V/here, by the

by, Pliny feems to have miftaken a hymi:\

in praife of Chrifl, for one diredly ad-

drelled to him.

It has been further fald that the An-
tiphoncs or chaunting of the Pfalms by

turns,

f Tei'tulllan c. 2*

■( 9 )

turns, is taken notice of by Socrates, as a
very early pradlice of the eaftern churches ;
for he makes Ignatius to be author of it.— ^
But that muft be a rare caufe, that needs
fuch fabulous flories to defend it. Socrates
himfelf owns, that he tells this ftory upon
a common report, which we all know
is little to be credited in fuch matters :
and perhaps he himfelf did not believe it,
for thus he concludes his relation,- — '' Such
** is the report concerning thefe antipho-
'* nai hymns/.' — And further, if this ftory
has any truth in it, how came it to pafs,
that it fhould never be mentioned in the
leaft by Ignatius, in his epiftles, — by the
writer of the account of his martyrdom,
or by any other author before Socrates ? — •
But to Socrates may be oppofed Theo-
doret, an ancient writer, and as good a
wltnefs, who tells us, that Flavian us and
Diodorus were the firft authors of this
ufage. *^ Thefe," fays he, ** fii"ft divided
*^ the choirs into tvs^o parts, and taught
^* the finging David's pfalms by turns.
** Which being firfl begun at Antioch,
\^- foon fprcad itfelf through the whole

*' world."

( lo )

** world*." Now this happened about
the middle of the fourth century. But,
further, though Socrates is defervedly
thought a very ufeful writer, yet he can-
not deferve much credit, when he gives
an account of feveral of the miracles and
vifions of the ancients ; efpecially when
we confider that he has inferted into his
hiftory, the wretched fable, of Helena's
finding Chrift's crofs, as though it de-
ferved to be believed -f-. Now if what
he relates of Helena is not to be credited,
much lefs is what he tells us of Ignatius,
who lived at a much greater diftance from
his own time. — In what great danger muft
religious worlhip be, if it is to be ordered
according to fuch uncertain vifions !

Bafil indeed zealoufly defends this mode
of finging in his epiille to the clergy of
Neocefareay who v/ere much offended at
the bringing in of this ufage, but dpes
not deny that the ancient manner, of
finging had been altered in his church J.

Further,

* Ecclef. Kift. lib. ii. c. 24. f lb. lib. i. c. 17.

} Epift. 63.

( II )

Further, not only the clergy of Neo^
cefarea^ but Augufline alfo, judged this
ufage not to have been very laudable and
pious. *' The pleafing my flefh," fays
he, *^ which I fhould not fuffer to weaken
my mind often deceives me, while my
fenfe does not fo accompany my reafon,
as patiently to follow it j but endea-
vours to outrun and lead it, though
it is only to be minded for the fake
of the other. And fo in thefe things
I fin, not perceiving it, though I per-
ceive it afterwards. Sometimes, while I
guard exceffively againft this deceit, I
err through too great feverity^ but
this is very feldom. So that I wifh
all the nice fino:in2: of David's Pfalms
were removed from mine, and the
church's hearing : and that feems fafer
to me, which I rem^ember I have been
often told of Athanafius the bi&op of
Alexandria, who made the reader of the
pfalm found it with fo little alteration
f of his voice, that he Vv^as more like a

** perfcn

( 12 )

" perfon delivering a fpeech than linging*."

Nor do the words of Jerom much

favor this novel method of finging. *' We

*^ mufl therefore fing and make melody,

** and praife the Lord, rather w^ith the

*« heart, than the voice. For this is

** what is here faid; — -finging and making

*^ melody in your heart to the Lord, Let

** young men mind this ; let them mind

•* it, whofe office is to fing in the church.

'* We mufl fins: to God, not with the

*' voice, but the heart. They are not

** artfully to fupple their jaws, and their

•^ throat, after the manner of the tra-

<* gedians, that theatrical notes and fongs

** fhould be heard in the churchy but

they are to praife God with fear, with

good works, and the knowledge of the

fcriptures. If a man has an unpleafant

** voice, if he has good works, he is a

^* fweet finger in God's ears. Let the

*' fervant of Chrift fo fing, that not the

'* voice of the finger, but the thing fung

*^ may pleafe; that the evil fpirit, that

<^ was

* Confcf. lib. X. c, 33,

( 13 )

** was in Saul, may be caft out of thofc,
** who in like manner are poffefled by
*' him ; and not be let into thofe, who
*' have turned the houfe of God into a
** ftage/'* — But what would Jerom have
faid, if he had been prefent at fuch mo-
dern fmging as is ufed in fome places in
our days ?

Further, the thirty two commlffioners,

appointed by king Edward VI. who were
the rnoft eminent perfons in the nation,
both in divinity and law, found fault
with this manner of linging, and advifed
the laying it aiide. Hear what they fay
themfelves : — ^^ In reading chapters, and
** iinging pfalms, minifters and clergymen.
*^ muft think of this diligently; that God
** is not only to be praifed by them, but
** that others are to be brought to perform
** the fame worfhip, by their counfel and
*^ example. Wherefore let them pro-
*' nounce their words diflindly, and let
*^ their iinging be clear and eafy, that
^ every thing may be underftood by the
' auditors. So that 'tis our pleafure, that

the

* In Eph. V. 19,

( 14 )

■' the quavering, operofe mufic, which
■* is called figured^ fliould be wholly laid

alide; fince it often makes fuch a noife
■* in the ears of the people, that they
'* can't underftand w^hat is faid *."

Thefe obfervations on artificial finging,
are no more than a natural introdudlion to
others upon church mufic.

The ufe of mulical inflruments, in the
chriftian church, receives no countenance
from antiquity. It is attefted by all an-
cient writers, with one confent, that they
were not ufed in the primitive times.
Hence they figuratively explain all the
places of the old Teftament, which .fpeak
of mufical inftruments, as might eafily be
fliewn by a thoufand teflimonies, out of
Clement of Alexandria, Bafil, Ambrofe,
Jerom, Auguftine, Chryfoftom, and many
. others. And, indeed, one can hardly for-
bear laughing, when v/e meet with fome
of their allegorical interpretations : thus
an inftrument with ten firings, according
to them, fignifics the ten commandments,

as

* Pvcform. Leg. Ecclcf. tit. De Div. OfEc. c. 5.

(15)

as the unknown author of the commentary
upon the Pfalms, among Jerom's works,
often explains it*. But the pleafantefl: fan-
cy is the explication of thofe words ; praife
him with /.ringed injlruments and organs -f-.
** That the guts being twifted by reafon
** of abftinence from food, and fo all
** carnal dellres being fubdued, men are
** found fit for the kingdom of God,
" to fing his praifes." Chryfoftom talks
more handfomely : ^^ As the jews praifed
** God," fays he, '^ with all kinds of in-
** ItrumentSj fo we arc commanded to
*^ praife him with all the members of
*' our bodies, our eyes, &c:{:." And Cle-
ment of Alexandria talks much to the fame
purpofe §.

Befides, the ancients thought it unlaw-
ful to ufe thofe inftruments in God's wor-
fhip. Thus the unknown author of a
treatife, among Juftin Martyr's works :

^ef, *' If fongs are invented by unbe-
** lie vers with a defign of deceiving, and
" were appointed for thofe under the law,

«* be-

* In Pfalm xxxii. 2. xliii. 4, &c. t P^* cl. 4.

X In Pf. cl. § P:edag. lib. ii. c. 4.

( i6 )

** becaufe of the childiflmefs of their minds ^
** why do they, who have received the
*^ perfed: inflrud:ions of grace, which are
.** moft contrary to the forefaid cuftoms,
*^ never thelefs ling in the churches, juft as
•^ they did, who were children under the
" law?"

Anfw. ^^ Plain finging is not childifli,
*' but only the linging with lifelefs organs,
** with dancing and cymbals, &c* whence
'* the ufe of fuch inftruments, and other
*' things fit for children is laid afide, and
•^ plain finging only retained*/'

Chryfofi:om feems to have been of the fame
mind, to have thought the ufe of fuch
inftruments was rather allowed the jews
in confideration of their weakncfs, than
prefcribed and commanded, -f- But that he
was miftaken, and that mufical inftruments
were not only allowed the Jews, as he and
Ifidorus of Pelufium thought, but were
prefcribed by God, appears from the paf-
fi2:es of the old Teftament before referred
to.

Clement

* Refp. ad orthoJox. Q; 107. f In Pfal. cl.

( 17 )

Clement thought thefe things fitter for
Beafts, than for men *. And though Bafil
highly commends, and fliffly defends the
Way of finging by tiirns ; yet he thought
mufical inftruments unprofitable atid hurt-
ful. He calls them, ^^ the inventions of
*' yubal of the race of Cain.'' And, a little
after, he thus exprelfes himfelf : '* Laban
*' was a lover of the harp, and of mufic,
with which he would have fent away
Jacob : If thou hadjl told me^' faid he,
/ would have fent thee away with mirths
and inufcal inJlrufnentSy and ah harpi>
But the patriarch avoided that mufic, as
being a thing that would hinder his
** regarding the works of the Lord, and
** his confidering the works of his hands-f*.'*
And a little before he fays thus : ** In fuch
*^ vain artSj as the playing upon the harp^
*^ or pipe, or dancing, as foon as the ac-
*« tion ceafes, the work itfelf vanifhes*
So that really, according to the Apoftle's
expreflion, — the end of thefe things is
deJiru6lion of true piety J."

ifidore

* Paedag. lib. ii. c. 4. p. 163.

f Comment, in If* e. v p. 956, 957*

X Ibid. p. 955,

(C

if

( i8 )

Ifidore of Pelufium, before mentioned,
and who lived lince Balil, held, mufic was
allowed the jews by God, in a way of con-
defcenfion to their childifhnefs : ^' If God,'*
fays he, " bore with bloody facriiices be-
** caufe of men's childifhnefs at that time ;
** why fhould you wonder, he bore with
*^ the mufic of an harp and a pfaltery *.'*

Nay, there are fome ecclefiaftical officers
in the church of England, who, for their
very profeflion and employment, would
have been kept from the communion of
the church, except they defifted from it.
So we are informed by the Apoftolical
Conftitutions : ** If any come to the mys-
** tery of godllnefs, being a player upon a
*^ pipe, a lute, or an harp ; let him leave
oiF or be rejedled-f-."

From what has been fald. It appears,
that no mufical inflruments were ufed in
the pure times of the church. The prac-
tice becam.e antichriftian, before they were
received. Bellarmine himfelf does not de-
ny, they were late brought into the church.

The

* Epift. lib. ii. lep. 176. f Lib. vili. c. 32.

( '9 )

The fecond ceremony," fays he, ** are
the muiical inftruments, which began
to be ufsd in the fervice of the church,
in the time of Pope Vitalian, about
the year 660, as Platina relates out of
the Pontifical ; or, as Aimonius rather
thinks, //^. iv, De gejlis Francorumy c.
114. after the year 820, in the time of
Lewis the pious "f*."
Proteftants are not difpofed to deny that
the church of Rome was become antichrif-
tlan, when they were firft brought in ;
even though we ihould allow Bellarmine*s
firft date of them to be the true one. But
a member of any part of the reformed
church, may well be afhamed of that an-
tiquity, which does not exceed the rife of
antichrift. Neverthelefs, it is pretty clear
that both Bellarmine's dates are falfe, and
that the ufe of inftrumental mufic, in the
worfhip of God, is much later than either
of thofe accounts allow. For as to Platina,
he feems to fufpedl the truth of what he
wrote ; ** Vitalian," fays he, •* being care-

- f4

♦ De Mifla, lib. ii. c. 15.

( 20 )

" ful about the worfhlp of God, made an
*' ecclefiaftical rule, and ordered the fing^
** ing, with the addition (as fome think)
*' of organs */* — Again, Bellarmine^s Ai-
monius is not the true Aimonius. For (as
Dr. Cave fays) Aimonius of Fleury, who
wrote De gejlis Francorum, flourifhed about
the year looo; and his hiftory which be-
gins at the deftrudlion of Troy, is brought
down as far as the coronation of king Pipin,
or to the year 752. For the events which
are mentioned after that, and make up the
latter part of the fourth and the whole of

the fifth book, is the continuation of the
hilTiory by another hand "f*.

Further, that thefe inftruments were not
ufed in God's worfhip, in Thomas Aqui-
nas*s time, that is, about the year 1250,
he himfelf is witnefs. *' In the old law,'*
fays he, '* God was praifed both with
** mufical inftruments and human voices,
*' according to that pfalm (xxxiii) Pralfe
** the Lord with harp, fmg unto him with
" the pfaltervy and an i?ijlniment of teji

*' firings.

* In Vital. \ Hift, Liter, p. 597.

( 21 )

Jirings, But the church does not ufe
mufical inftruments to praife God, left
fhe fhould feem to judaize. Therefore
by a parity of reafon, fhe fliould not ufc
iinging*."

But Thomas anfv/ers : '^ As to this ob-
jedlion, we muft fay, as the philofoper>
{Lib, iii. Polit,) that pipes are not to
be ufed for teaching, nor any artificial
inftruments, as the harp, or the like ^
but vv'hatever will make the hearers good
men. For thefe muiical inftruments
rather delight the mind, than form it to
any good diifpofition. But under the
old Teftament fuch inftruments were
ufed, partly becaufe the people were hard-
er and more carnal -, upon which ac-
count they were to be ftirred up by thefe
inftruments, as likewife by earthly pro-
mifes i and partly becaufe thefe bodily
inftruments were typical of fomething."
— Upon which place cardinal Cajetan gives
us this comment : *' It is to be obferved,
** the church did not ufe organs in Thomas's
<^ time. Whence, even to this day, the

*^ church

* Secunda quelllo. ?.rt. 4. & concluf, 4.

( 22 )

'* church of Rome does not ufe them la
** the pope's prefence. And truly it will
** appear, that mulical iniliruments are not
** to be fufFered in the ecclefiaflical offices
*^ we meet together to perform, for the
*^ fake of receiving internal iniliudiion from
*' God; and fo much the rather are they
*^ to be excluded, becaufe Go^'s internal
** difcipline exceeds all human difciplines,
** which rejected thefe kind of inftru-
** ments '^"/'

To thefe teftimonies of the late ufe of
organs in churches, may be added others,
which though they vary a little, generally
agree to tiie late date of their introdudlion
into public worfliip. — Marinus Sanatus,
who lived about the year 1290, is fud by
Bingham, to have firft brought the ufe of
them into churches -f*. However it appears
from the teflimony of Gervas, the monk of
Canterbury, who flourilhed about the year
1200, that organs were introduced more
than one hundred years before this time :
in his defcription of Lanfranc's church, as

it

* CIt. Hoffm. Lex. voce mr-Jtca*

f Antiq. of the chfillian ch. vol. i. p. 314. foi.edit.

( 23 )

it was before the fire in 1 174, he has thefe
words ** Crux aujiralis fupra fornicem or-
** gana gejiare folebat */'

If the pradlice of fome foreign churches
be objeded here, in order to countenance
this novelty. It may be anfwered, that
they are laid afide by moft of the re-
formed churches 3 nor would they be
retained among the lutherans, unlefs
they had forfaken their own Luther;
who, by the confeffion of Echard, reck-
oned organs among the enjigns of BaaL
That they ftlll continue in fome of the
dutch churches, is againft the minds of
the paftors. For in the national fynod
at Middleburg, in the year 1581, and
the fynod of Holland, and Zealand, in
the year 1594, it was refolved, Tbat
they would endeavour to obtain of the ma--
gijlrate the laying afide of organs^ and the
finging with them in the churches, even
out of the time of worjlnpy either before or
after fermons. So far are thofe fynods
from bearing with them in the worfhip
itfelff.''

The

* Decern. Scriptores, p. 1293* lin* 25.
t Hickman's Apology, p. J39.

( H )

The church of England had formerly no
very good opinion of thefe mulical inftru-
ments ; as will appear from her Hom.ilies :
* Laftly, fay they, God's vengeance hath
' been, and is daily provoked, becaufe much
^ wicked people pafs nothing to refort unto
' the church ; either for that they are fp
' fore blinded, that they underftand nothing
' of God or godlinefsj and care not with
' deviliili malice to offend their neis:h-
hours; or elfe for that they fee the church
** altogether fcoured of fuch gay gazing
fights, 05 their grofs phantafxc was greatly
delighted with ; becaufe they fee the falfe
** religion abandoned, and the true re-f
^^ ftored, which feemeth an unfavory thing
^' to their unfavory tafte, as may appear by
^- this that a woman faid to her neigh-
*' hour : Alas ! goffip, what (hall we now
*« do at church, iince all faints are taken
*^ away; Iince all the goodly fights we
** were wont to have are gone ; flnce wc
<^ cannot hear the like piping, finging,
^* chaunting, and playing upon the QrgaAS
^^ that we could before ? But, dearly be-«
<* loved, we ought greatly to rejoice and
^^ give God thanks, that our churche$ are

<^ delivered

i<

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*^ delivered out of all thofe things, which
*^ difpleafed God fo fore, and filthily de-
" filed his holy houfe, and his place of
•* prayer*."

A great number of the clergy in the firfl
convocation of queen Elizabeth in 1562,
earneftly laboured to have organs, and that
pompous theatrical way of finging laid afide,
and miffed the carrying it only by one vote.
And in this, archbifliop Parker concurred
with them, or at lead did not oppofe them.

And it is a memorable fad: that whea
fubfcription to the canons of the fynod of
Dort was required from fchoolmafters, and
even from organlfts, fome refufed to fign
them. An organift, in contempt of the
canons, and as a proof that he feparated the
confent of his mind for the mufic of his
inflrument, — declared that if they were fet
to mulic, he would play them upon the
occafion, but that he could not fubfcribe
them with a good confcience*."

V/e

* Homily of the place and time of prayer, part 2. fo,
edit. p. 231. t Brandt Hift. gf Ref. abridged, v. ii.

( 26 )

" We may add even the teftlmonies of Pa*
pifts againft the pradice of finging in parts,
and ufing mufical inftruments in churches.
Polydore Virgil having taken notice of
Auguftine's diflike of that v^^r.y of finging
in bis time, he thus proceeds : *' But in
** our time it feems much lefs ufeful to
** the commonwealth, now our fingers
** make fuch a noife in our churches, that
^* nothing can be heard befide the found
** of the voice : and they who come there
'* (that is all that are in the city) are fatis-
*^ fied with the concert of mufic, which
** their ears itch for, and never mind the
** fenfe of the words. So that we are
*' come to that pafs, that in the opinion of
** the common people, the whole affair of
*^ religious worihip is lodged in thefe fing-
^* ers ; although, generally fpeaking, there
** is no fort of men more loofe or wicked :
*^ and yet a good part of the people run to
*« church, as to a theatre, to hear them
** brawl : they hire and encourage them ;
** and look upon them alone as ornaments
** to the houfe of God. Wherefore,
** without doubt, it would be for the in-

" tereft

( 27 )

<* tereft of religion, either to caft thefe
** jackdav/s out of the churches; orelfe to
** teach them when they fing, they ihould
*• do it rather in the manner of reading,
^' than bawling ; as Auftine fays Athanafius
*' ordered." *

Next hear the judgment of Erafmus.
'* Let a man, (fays he) be more covetous
** than Craffus, more foul-mouthed than
*^ Zoilus, he ihall be reckoned a pious man,
** if he fings thofe prayers well, though
*' he underftands nothing of them. But
** what, I befeech you, muft they think of
** Chrift, who can believe he is delighted
*' with fuch a noife of mens voices ? Not
** content with this, we have brought into
** our churches a certain operofe and thea-
** trical mufic ; fuch a confufed diforderly
** chattering of fome words, as I hardly
*' think was ever heard in any of the Grc-
^* cian or Roman theatres. The church
** rings with the noife of trumpets, pipes,
** dulcimers ; and human voices ftrive to
*' bear their part with them. — Men run to

** church

* De Invent. Rer. lib, vi. c. 2. p. 379.

( 28 )

** church as to a theatre, to have their ears
*' tickled. And for this end organ-makers
** are hired with great falaries, and a com-
** pany of boys, who wafle all their time
** in learning thefe whining tones. Pray
** now compute how many poor people in
** great extremity might be maintained by
** the falaries of thofe fingers/' *

Laftly, Lindanus fays, — ** who will
** compare the mulic of this prefent age,
*^ with that which was formerly ufed ?
** Whatever is fung now, figniiies little
•* for informing the people ; which 'tis
*^ certain the ancients always defigned." -f-

* In I Cor. xiv. ig. t Panopl. lib. iv. c. 78I.

Postscript.

( 29 )

POSTSCRIPT.

THE editor having received from the
reverend Dr. Price and the reverend Dr.
Kippis, their approbation of the fentiment
and defign of the foregoing tradate, to-
gether with leave to publifh their commu-
nications, he is happy to add fuch re-
fpeftable teftimony in favour of his attempt
to preferve the limplicity of public worfhip.
And he is the more defirous of fubjoining
the opinions of thefe gentlemen, becaufe
he knows the deferved efteem with which
their names are regarded in America, and
that If any thing can add honor and efleem
to the name of Peirce among the body of
rational proteftant diffenters, it is the con-
currence of a Price and a KiPPis.

Extradl

POSTSCRIPT,

Extrad of a letter from the reverend
Dr. Price, dated April — 1786

** I have read thefe extradts from the
excellent Mr. Peirce's Vindication of the
Dijfenters with much fatisfaftion. I can-
not but ftrongly difapprove inftrumental
mufic in churches. It is a deviation from
the fimplicity of chriftian v^orfhip v/hich
has a dangerous tendency and may termi-
nate in all the fopperies of popery."

Extrafl: of a letter from the reverend
Dr. Kippis, dated May 5. 1786,

** I have read with attention the Trac-
tate on church mufic, taken from Mr.
Peirce's Vindication of the Dijfenters^ and en-
tirely agree in opinion with the ingenious
and learned author. The ufe of inftru-
mental mufic in chriftian worfhip has no
foundation in the new Teftament, which
is the ftandard of our faith and prailice.

If

POSTSCRIPT.

If once we depart from this -^ftandard,
there will be no end to innovations. An
opening will be laid to the introduction
of one fuperftition after another, till the
fimpllclty and purity of the gofpel fervice

are wholly loft. Every thing, therefore,
which tends to divert men from a ra-
tional inward devotion to external pomp
and ceremony ought to be difcouraged as
much as poffible."

FINIS,