*T «fc r >>• FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Sect]... 10 / 5 Errata in the Preface. PAge ii. /. 4. Popifli r. Popery. /. 28. give r. gave Inftances, p. 26. /. 1.3. Perfwafions, r. Penfions/>. 31. /. 9. when they had r. when he had, />. 32. /. 13. enjoyned in it, blot in, />. 55. /. 27. £/o* o«/ them, r. That it is, /. 28. r. Then that it was not, ]>. 59. / 19. thisr. the. ERR AT A. P4$* 9- I- !• propagating, p. 33. Leaprofy. p. 4£ 1. 24. 7&a I. 25. ^K»p^y. ib. w^ak. I- 26. J7re^i" 0*/. p. 46. 1. 1 8. a Comma after dire&ly. p. 58. marg- vki£. p. 63. 1. 7. divided, p. 63. 1.21. j>'j. p. 66. 1. i^.Teftament. Tp.'joA.l^.difprovd. But. 1. 22. [after] Scriptures [add] w- «Cf. p. 91. I. 26. Deference, p. 97. 1 7- *»**be voice of the Bride, jha'l. 1. 18. Fcllivityes. p. 59. I. 4. kw 1. 25. <&/. 9/>en. p. ice. l f 16. granted r. grounded. p. 102. 1. 4. Antecedent. 1. 5. fW**4. 1. 12. Wfl/J. !• IO- c/ r6• ♦• the Dedication to the BiQiop of Exon, is very trifling, and needs no Reply. ;And his feveral times accufing the Au- thor of the want of Charity, and mak- ing many Rightful Reflections upon Pro- Anf p. ^4- teftant Dijfenters, is very groundiefs, for he cannot find any fuch thing through- out his Sermon, nor fuch Inftances of A 4 the The PREFACE. the eructation of his Gall, nor of the ftir- tng up of his Spleen, in the Courfe of his Life, as he would infinuate. But methinksit fhould be very ftrange that the Anfwerer fhould accufe the Au- thor of the want of Charity, or any one elfe, when his Pamphlet from the be- ginning to the end, has lb very little of it, 'tis fcarce any thing elfe but a ma- licious Inve&ive againlt the Church of England ; and a fcandalous Intimation, which is another way of accufing her, as being Popifhly affe&ed, and that her Rites ai:d Ceremonies partake of the Innovations and Superiiitions of the corrupt Church of Rome. Abundance of this fort of Dirt is thrown upon her at every turn; but ^tis eafily rub'd off. And tho' there is really nothing in the Accufation, nor any tolerable ground for fuch a Report, however it comes to pafs, that among the unthinking, injudicious and deluded Multitude, it is frequently given cut as a popular Argument againft any thing in the Service of our Church, which our Adverfaries dillike, or rather, which they would Teem to be offended at, more out of a pretence to keep up a Separation, than that any Offence can be juftly taken at the things themielves. And J he PREFACE. 7 And that this is no uncharitable or groundlefs furmife, is evident from their Averfionto Alterations, in the time of the Seffions of the laft Convocation, as they were before in that of 1660. And the Conference at -the Savoy, when they might have been fatisfied in any thing, could they have agreed in what would have fatisfied them ; befides a total Subverfi- on of the Englijb Conflitution, which is at this time in an efpecial manner, and always has been fince the Reformation, the greateft Bulhvark of the Protectant Religion againft Popery, of any in the whole Chriftian World. And 'twas fad- ly apparent what great advances Popery made in the late times of Anarchy and Confufion, when this excellent Conftitu- tion was fubverted, and thro 7 the Poli- cy of the Church of Rome, her moft Zeal- ous and Religious Defenders were tra- duced as Popifhly affected, and by their fnftigation cut off, becaufe in truth they were the moft irreconcilable Enemies to the Tyranny and Corruption of that Church, as any People whatfbever: Witnefs , befides the Royal Martyr himfelf, the incomparable Arch-Bifhop Laud, * who; if Times would have fa- mS^J vourM him, had Zeal and Courage, and frp irts - Learning, and Intereft enough to have Hw&. at driven 8 The PREFACE. driven Popery out of any Kingdom in Chriftendom : And for certain the return of it in this Kingdom, will for ever be prevented, whatever is pretended by ill defigning Men, if the Doctrine and Dif cif line of our Church be but maintained with a like Refolution and Chriftian Bravery, as he maintained them, when he adorned the See of Canterbury. The flicking clofe to which, is the readieft Courfe that can be taken to keep out Poperj, and nothing elfe will be able to do it. For notwithftanding * the Out-cry of Popery be at every turn made againft our Church Service/which is one of the groffeft and fouleft Slan- ders that ever was invented or credited, and could proceed from nothing fo much * Nothing as an ill Defign againft her, * or from honSnSan g reat Ignorance of what Popery is) were fufpea our this excellent Conftitution deftroy'd,Po- Poper^but pery in all probability would foon de- his Ig w"hat ft r °y t ' ie P r o te ft ant Religion quite, and Popery is. we fhould be clearly over-run with the ^tV^~ Tyranny, as well as Superftition of that corrupt Church, which at prefent do- mineers over fo great a part of Chriften- dom, and threatens Ruin and Delblation to all the reft. We fee too much what would be our own Cafe, by the barbarous Pcrfecution of The PREFACE. of the Proteftants in France, Savoy, &c. notwithftanding the Edi&s, and Oaths, and Declarations of thofe Princes to the contrary, if we fhould through the fub- tiky of the Court of Rome, be perfwaded by any of our Diffenters to alter our Englifb Conftitution, or fo much as ad- mit of the defired Comprehension, un- der theplaufible pretence of Union; but in truth it would be a means of dividing and weakning us the more among our felves, than we could hope to win from abroad. 'Tis plain we might gratifie our Enemies thereby, but we fhould never oblige our Friends, nor ftrengthen our Intereft, nor one jot the lefs be ca- lumniated as Popifh. But that the Church of England is free from any fuch Imputation of Po- pery, is fb clearly and! candidly evinc'd by the learned Dr. Hooper, the prefent Dean of Canterbury, in his excellent Treatife on that Subject, at the end of the London Cafes, that it will be needlefs for any one to fay more to it ; for thofe that will not be convinced of the con- trary by his Reafons, do but expofe their Ignorance to the World, or what is worfe, their Prejudice or ill Defign. Among other things, which fbme of thofe who diffent from us diflike, and againft io The PREFACE. againft all Honefty and Reafbn make to be a part of Popery, is the Practice of Instrumental Mufick in our Church Ser- vice : But 'tis a very ridiculous Argu- ment to fay fb, becaufe the Church of Rome ufesit, and very uncharitable and unjuft ; while the generality oiProteftant Churches abroad (as well as ours at home) which are any where eftablifhed, have the ufe of it, as well as that, and have had fo ever fince the Reformation. Our firft Reformers were certainly wiferthan to account that for Popifh, and to be quite abolilhed, which was as ufeful then in the Chriilian Church as before,and which they did Reform where they found it grofsy abufed, but did never think fit to abolilh the ufe of it, or account it a piece of Popery to be caft off. Thofe excellent Men were not poffeiTed with fuch a Spirit of Oppofition, as a- * gainfl: all Senfe and Reafbn to run away from every thing in Divine Worfhip, which the Papifts did ufe or allow; this would be bad indeed, and a much greater Errour than that which they pretend to avoid ; for then they muft dilown God, and his Son our Saviour JefaCbritf, be- caufe the Papiiis believe them ; then they mull lay alide the Hierarchy, becaufe the Papifts maintain it j and havcnoPAiw, nor The PREFACE. n nor Times fet a part for divine Wor- fhip, nor fet Forms of Prajer to add refs themfelves by to the great God of Hea- ven and Earth, becaufe the Papifts have them ; nor indeed have any Decency or Comlinefs in the Houfe of God, be- caufe fuch are to be feen in the Church of Rome. No, 'tis the Corruptions and Supersti- tions of the Church of Rome we are Re- formed from, and 'tis not requifite vvc fhould be jftill a Reforming what is thought Decent, Regular, Primitive and Edifying in our Church. And I Challenge any, even the mod Bigotted Dijfenters from the Church of England, to fhew any one Superftitious Rite, or corrupt Doftrine of the Church of Rome, which is allowed or maintained in our eftablifb'd Church. They may accufe the Surplice for being fuch, but with what ihew of Reafbn to (atisfie an unprejudiced Man? Why, they may as well account a Black Gown to be Fopifh, or a Judges Scarlet, being the Garb of the Whore 0/ Babylon; or Rev. 17-4- a grey Cloak, becaufe it is worn by fbme of the Friars. And fb for the *Crofs *ThisSigtj. - r T1 . r r 1 . . { - 1 . both Tertui- aiter Baftijm, tor there is no luch in it, //*» and sr. the Minifters making that Sign as a fig- $£ r '**; % nificant Ceremony,, that in Token hereaf- ter* I2 The PREFAC E. fed from the t er, the Child which is Baptized, (hall not Apoftks, & he afbamed to confefs the Faith of Chrifi uff \n llC tbe n cr Mified, &c. is no more Popifh than the time of o/- fpeaking thofe Words is Popifh ; nor thofe "SrcatT and decent and fignificant Rites and Ceremo- thercfore n j es w hj c i 1 our Church Governors have could not be J -t an invention thought fat to appoint, lor the more order- pifts the a ly and fblemn Performing the Service of ilf unfs' God m his Church, are no more Popifh caiv. Redi- than the Time and Place of Prayer, nor vivusi p. 7*. t j ie kneeling at it \ nor that very Form of Prayer which our Saviour taught his DiP- ciples. And the ufe of Inftrument alMu* fick is no more Popifh than the ufe of Vo- calis, fince they are both made ufe of in the Proteftant,as well as Popifh Churches, and both for the fame excellent Ends, namely, for the more lively and afte&i- onate Praifing of the Goodnefs of God, and the moreeffe&ual raifing 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 ProteftantChurches abroad, as well as ours at home, do ufe Inftrumental as well as Vocal Mufick in the scrm.p. 13. Worfhip of God. I give Inftances in the Lutheran, as moft of the Foreign are, which are planted in Germany, fuch as the Dominions of the Eleftor of Saxony, the The PREFAC E. 13 the Duke of Brandenburg, the Houfe of Lunenburg, and many imperial Cities, in the large Territories of Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Rufjia, &c. Alfo in the few Churches which were Reformed accord, ing to Calvin's Model, in part of Switzer- land and Holland. The Reformed in France I do not mention, becaufe they have been all along fb kept under, as not to be able to obtain an Eftabliftiment according to Primitive ufage and their own Defire, otherwife they would have had the Hierarchy, and I Queftion not a like Decency in their Church Service, as other Reformed have. This they Zealoufly Petitioned for in the time of Cardinal Richlieus Admini- stration. * But that great Minifter was *Thejudg? too Politick to admit of their Petition for p^^'rJS an Hierarchy, forefeeing that fuch an A- fovm^o-c, poftolical Inftitution , and thofe Decen- p ' 47 ' cies in Divine Worlhip, would make their Church too Beautiful and Regular, and loon draw many from the Romifh E« ftablifhment to their Communion. Now this ufe of Inftrumental Mufick fo univerfilly obtaining in moll, if not all NationalProteftant Churches, being a proper help to excite and enliven Mens Minds in Devotion, as well as to regu- late' their Voices, as moft unprejudiced Pco- 14 The PREFACE. People find ; it is no great matter if fbme few of Angular Humours, and unrea- \a S formtdo Enable *6Vr«^/*j are difTatisfied about it, Temeran-a, and diflike fuch a Pra&ice. For 'tis im- TamZo^ poffible to pleafe every Body in any one ^ajeonm eftablifhed Church whatfbever. lire. ° The Rules for Decency, however In- a£&!*i. d * »°cent and Inftru&ive, will not meet c.6. with fuch an univerfal Approbation but fbme will be prejudiced againft them, and then 'tis much, if through the Craft of others, they be not eafily brought to diflent from them.There is fcarce any one part of our Church Service, though ne- ver fb excellent and edifying, but fbme or other diflike it, and ibme diflike all ; fhall we therefore lay afide our Book of Commox Prayer ? 'Tis very unreafonable flirely, unlefs there were a better fub- flituted in its room; and fuch a one I believe, neither this Age nor the next will be able to produce. But to pleafe whom (hall we be per- fwaded to lay afide or alter our Church Service? Why, fomefew, who will not otherwife join with us therein. I am well iatisfied could that heal or remove the Schifm that is among us, it would have been done a long while fince. But our Church Governours know too well, that the Spirit and Genius of the diflent, is The PREFACE. 15 is of fuch a Nature, that nothing will fatisfie that Medly of People, and the different Parties concerned in it, other- wife their Charity is fb great, that they would have condescended to the Satis- fadtion of the meaneft Party. But then again, their Prudence does direct them to confider, there is a far greater num- ber of People, which make a more con^ fiderable Body of the Catholick Church, which would be offended if that Ser- vice, and this excellent Conftitution were laid afide ; and who then fhould be rather fatisfied ? Thofe who are for a regular and decent Church Service, ac- cording to the Primitive Pattern, as that of the Church pf England is, or thole who being Biaffed by feme unreafon- able Scruples oppofe the fame, and are .really for no fuch thing. . And what does it matter if fbrne few- inharmonious Souls do difllke the Organs in our Church, as fome others through Prejudice diflike our Church Service; and both through extreme Ignorance, or an^ill Defign, account them Popery. Will it be reafonabie to expe£t our Go- vernors fhould fo far neglect their Duty to the Church, and their regard to the mod confiderable Body of Prote- ctants, to gratify thefe few, by altering B the 16 The PRE F AC E. the one, and laying afide of the other? When at the fame time, by fuch a filly Objection of Popery, (which is given by many as a common Term of Reproach to any thing which they do Rot like in the Church) they muft alio accufe all Foreign Churches of the lame Guilt, while all of them well approve of our Church Service, and of Instrument al Mu- fick too. And it is very little co the purpofe to Objeft againlt the univerfa- lity of this Approbation, as the Answerer AnCp. p. does. Becaule fome very confiderable Dutch Churches have no Organs in them, as that an Ley den for Inftance, and fbme Others, though they may be fuppofed to be of Ability to procure them. But I am credibly informed, 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 RomiJJj Church. All this Out-cry of Popery is nothing elfe but Artifice and Detign againft our Church, 'without any tolerable Reafon, or juftifiabie Grounds to fupport the Im- putation, chiefly railed and fomented and encouraged by the Fapifts them- felvet-, that they may by means of that, Slander, The PREFACE. i 7 Slander, Diftratt and Divide us, and make us become an eafier Prey to them. This is fb very evident, that in that little Traff, called Foxes and Firebrands, fet forth by Dr. Naif on, it is undeniably fb. Mnom^ It being a Specimen of the Danger and Harmony of Popery and Separation ; where- in is proved from undeniable matter of Faff and Reafon , that Separation from the Church of England, is in the judgment of Papijls, and by fad Experience, found the mo ft Compendious way to introduce Popery, and to ruin the Protefiant Religion. By this means Popery does by degrees continually get Ground; and our Prote- ftants not uniting among themfelves, for want of joining in our excellent Church Service, will not be able to hin- der the Progrefs of it for the future. And to ipeak freely, an ungrateful but certain Truth , I concur with fbme worthy Men in believing, * The Irnpu- *rhave fcetf tation of Popery may be clearly laid at * ng that tI! the Di (Tenters Door, and we have no ; ] V which - reaion to account any thing Popery in the the muter ; Kingdom, nor to fear any Danger of it, i t f s hoped but from thofe few who are profeffed ^J^? 1 ]^ Papifts themfelves, or fuch as too near agree with them in Principles and Prac- tices, * and who are, and always have * Another , been their prime Agents and Ini^^STSS B -2 ments i 18 The PREFACE. °fQ, £/''*, ments, I mean the feveral Sefts among tiful Adver- ijs, which diifent from the Church of tifemmt to 17' -t Mam L J beware of kngland. the Puritans by the Papifts, and of the Papifts by the Puritans ; difcovering the great Coherence :>nd agreement between both the Sects, in manifold and divers regardable both erroneous and perillous Pofitions, &c. See rhi at large, proved, in the Compendious Hi (lory of all the Popijh and F.-nnrical Plots and Confpiracies againjl the eftablifhcd Government in Church and State, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, from the Fir it <>f Qitein Elizabeth, to 168+. By the Reverend Mr. Tho. Long of Ex on. Which Church is by far the greateft, if not the only Support of the Prote- ftant Religion and Intereft, and con- fequently the greateft Enemy the Church of Rome has in the World. 'Tis look'd upon to be lb, by thofe of that Com- munion, and therefore is it become the Objeft of its greateft Fury and Envy ; to deftroy which is its greateft aim, and if by any means it can be effected, they may truly think iliey have done the bufinefs of the Reformation. This Church had beyOnd others of the Proteftant Profellion, a great advan- tage in the Reformation, for when Lu- ther % who firft began to reform the Er- rors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome, and to fcparate from it, had made a great ftep that way ; he not- with (landing left a great many things unreformed, which were oiTeniive and could not be juftified by Primitive An- quity The PREFACE. 19 quity, fuch as the two great number of Ceremonies, and almoil ail the exter- nal Worfhip in the Church of Rome ; AuricuLr Confeffion, the ufc of Crucifixes The ufc tf t^ • ' \ - 1 a J ~+ ~~ . the Crncihx *# Devotion* but without Adoration , allowed by the abfurd Pictures of the Trinity, and ^ ^££ the Do&rine oi Confubftantiation^ deter- c*uf*Mtf- mining the Mode of the real Pretence, va ' &c - inftead of the abfurder Papiih Dofitrine of Tranfubftantiation. Afterwards Calvin carried on the Re- cure ofch formation at Geneva, to which Place DiV ' he was invited by the Citizens, A. D. 1536. when they had expelled their Po- pifli Bifhop, who was alfo their Tem- poral Lord, and refufed to re- admit him, unlets he would dilclaim Popery, upon whole refufal they took the Go- vernment of Church and State into their own Hands, which fbon occafioned great Diforders and Confufions. And upon this, to gratifie the Magistrates, s« Mr.y; and yet to keep the Authority of thq/J.ij^r Church ; he fuits his Model of Govern- ?• :o ce- ment to the exigence of the Tjmes, and upon this account, was in a manner neceffarily obliged to make a direct op» pofition to Popery, the great Meafure of his Reformation, for which Reafon lie laid afide the Hierarchy, notwithitand- ing its being Primitive and Jpoftofical, be- B 5 caufc 20 The PREFACE. caufe he muft not come near the Popijb Government. caivinw in But yet he plainly approves of it, and cef!°Reforin. very fharply rebuked thofe Englijb Men Zcciefm. whodiddiffentfromit. If any (lays he) be found, that do not reverence fuch an Hierarchy, ( i. e. fuch as is in England) and fubject themf elves to the fame with the loweB Obedience , / confefs there u no Anathema, whereof he it not worthy. However his Model was never re- ceived in the Church of England, nor fuited to it, and his affiftance was not accepted by Arch-bifhop Cranmer, who with Bifhop Latimer, Bifliop Ridly, Dr. Taylor, and our other worthy Refor- mers, had the Honour of Martyrdom, for the fake of that tranicendent Part of the Reformation, which they had e* ftablifhed among us. This was fo admirably well contrived as to be in the moderate w r ay between that of L$ther, and the other of Calvin. They did not carry matters fo high, as this latter, by running from one ex- treme to the other, That becaufe the Church of Rome was over-run with Abufes from the Hierarchy ; and its Service burdened with a vail number of Ceremonies, and the outward Orna- ments of the Church, being fo extrava- gant, The PREFACE. 21 gant, had almoft deftroyed the inward Beauty of it, and turned its Worfhip inco Shew and Appearance, and made to afte£t more the outward Senfes of the People than their Hearts and Minds; therefore he did not feek to reform thole Abufes fo much, as to deiiroy the An- cient Government of the Church, and utterly to abolifh all its Rites and Or* naments. Which, fays the Learned Puffendorf \, £ In his Intro- u£tion to proved a main Qb facie to the increase ^Hiftory, p. the Protectant Religion, and caufed an a- 4 ° verfion and Animofity in the common Peo- ple againjl that fort of Reformers, and inereafed their Zjal for that Religion which they had received from their An- ce/lors. Neither did our Reformers fall fo low in their eftabhfhing the Reformation, as Luther at firft did, by retaining too much of the Popifh Service, and mak- ing very little Alterations in outward Matters. But they kept an excellent Mean, and a regular Difpofition of the whole Conftitution, according to Primi- tive ufage, before Popery had Corrupt- ed it. Their Bufinels was to Reform the Chriftian Church from Popifh Su- perftition and Error, and not to fafhion it according to their own Humour and B 4 Fan- 22 7be P REFAC E. Fancies, or for the pleafiog of others, to make a direft Oppofition to Popery the meafure of the Reformation. But the Method they took, was by Exa- mining into what .was moil agreeable to the Senfe of the Scriptures, and the Opinion of the Primitive Church, con- cerning tho(e Rules for Deceny, Order and Edification, which thefe only recom- mended in general to the Governours of the Church : But the particular ap- pointment of fuch things, was left to their Prudence and Care, fb as to fit particular People and Nations, only they were to be careful fb to manage the Af- fairs of the Church, as not to do any thing in contradiction to thole general Rules of the Apoftle : Let all things be * Cor. xir- done unto edifying. And Let all things be done Decently and in Order. Agreeable to which, thofe excellent Men our Englijh Reformers, fettling the Doftrine, Difcipline and Worfbip of our Church, did not fly fb high, as not to allow the Papifts to be right in any thing, nor go fb low as to comply with them in any one Superftition and Cor- ruption, which two Extremes the other Reformers fell into, but ours keeping the middle way between them, did by their jnoderatc and difcreet Proceeding, pro- duce The PREFAC E. 23 duce our incomparable Eftablifhment, which we are now bleffed withal, be- yond any other Proteilant Church. For which Reafbn, ours is look'd up- on as the Center of Union, and Harmony of all the Protectant Churches in the World. And fb accounted by the moft eminent Foreign Divines, whole Judg- ment and Opinion of it, I fhould here fet down, but left I be too tedious,I will moftly Refer to them in the Margin. Cafaubon, a very learned FftH6hMAfi r ^ u %*' t * lays, The Church 0/" England comes nearer theFirft. the Form of the flour ifbing Chriflian Church of old, than any other. It hath taken a middle way betwixt thofe Churches which are amifi, either through Excefi or Defect. If my Judgment doth not deceive me, the molt found vart of the whole Reformation it in England. And by its being in Epift.40.ad. England^ he means plainly that part clem ' Mn * of the Reformation which is Eftablifh- ed by Law in the Church of Eng- land. This I quoted in the Sermon, but Serm. p. i + ? tis ft'rangely wrefted by the Anfwerer An£ p. & to a contrary meaning. His learned Country-man the famous Bochart. who was the Glorv of the French Reformed, fpeaks very great things in the Praife of the Church of England, not 5£jJ ,toB * only 24 The PREFACE. only as his own Opinion, but of all the Paflors of the Reformed Religion in France. \V h * ? K ^° t ' ie ^ ame e ^ e ^ ^P ca ^ s Peter du Father? An! Moulin. See alfb what Characters of ^ r toPfr- Commendation are given of it inthofe three Letters written to the Bifhop of London^ by Monfieur le Moyne y Monfieur C Angle, and Mr. Claude % concerning the Nature of our prefent Differences, and the unlawfulnefi of Separation from the Church of England, Published by Dr. Stillingfleet, in the latter end of his Hiflory of Sepa- ration. in his view Monfieur le Moyne, in his Letter to or the KjCh J . s ' . _ vemment Dr. Brevint , and rubhlhed by Dr. Durtl worC C <* and Dr - Durel himfelf. God in the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas, and (hewing their Agreement and Confbrmiry with the eftablifhed Church of England, p. 91, 91. To which I will add, what Monfieur Rome a French Ambaffador in England, once told King James I. when he faw our folemn Rites and Services: That if the Reformed Church of France had kept the fame Order among them y which we have, he was ajfured y that there would have been many Thoufands of Proteflants more than nw there are. If we look farther abroad, and take the Opinions of the Learned from Gene- va. In the firft place, Calvin gives a very The PREFACE. 25 very ample Teftimony in Commenda- )^ r h ^ tiort of the DoQxine, Difcipline and ung in his Worfliip in the Church of England * ^*£^ Next to him Beza, in his Letter to Arch-bifhop Whitgift. Spanhemius, Pro- feffor at Geneva, in his Letter to Arch- BiftiopZ^r, J.D. 1638. And his Sue- ceffor jfo/&# Diodate, in his Anfwer to the Affembly of Divines at Wejiminfier, when they delired his Opinion about their Proceedings. If we look into Holland, we have the two famous Vo{fws\, the two Juniuis, Grotiut, and other excellent Men, giving the like Teftimony. And thefe are the Men of the greateft Note, who have been of Calvin s Reformation. Then for the Lutheran Churches, they See the Let- arc all for us, we have their Appro- Mewbe/of bation and Agreement in Difcipline and {S^SS^s ** Worfhip, as Denmark* Norway, Sweed* flawing the 7 j o judgment of land, &C tartign Re- formed Churches, concerning the Rites and Offices of the Church of Eng- land, 1690. So that we may well fay with Arch- vvork°/ hi * Bifhop Bramhal, All Protefiants, both Lutherans and Calvinifts, did give unto the Bnglifh Church the Right -hand ofFel- lowjhip. But yet no Luther, no Calvin, s \r Edwin was the f yuan of our Faith, &c. Smd y s - And 26 The P RE F AC E. And is it not now very ftrange, That this excellent Church, ib great an Ornament to the Reformation, and lb much applauded and commended by all Foreign Divines, whofe Articles and Canons, and Homilies, and Rubricks, lo plainly directing, its being truly Or- thodox in Doftrine, Government and Worflup, and lb cxprefly declaring a- gainft the Superftitions and Corruptions of the Church- of Rome, from which it is fo well Reformed, fhould by the Artifice, and Defign and Perfwafions of that corrupt Church, be notwithftand- ing reprefented as Popifh, and by fome Ignorant, and other Hypocritical defin- ing Men, be lookM upon as fuch ? This is ftrange indeed, and what amazes all c-&3- ri ? CCTe ftoteftants, both at home and Folio. abroad to confider of it *. So much I have thought fit to fay in a general Vindication of our Churches Rites and Service, and the ufe of In- ftrumntal Mujlck, from the Imputation of Popery y becaufe thefe things are many times hinted as fufpefted of it in the Jnjwer. But I fliall now attend to what it lays more particularly. Several Pages are taken up with Re- marks and Obfervations upon the Ar- serm. P .*. gument for this Practice, from the Light The PREFACE. 2? of Nature, or the natural fitnefs of the thing : And for faying, The early and ge^ neralufe of Jn/lrumental Mufick, feems to argue fuch a way of Worfhip to proceed from the Dilates of natural Religion.' But methinks this obvious diftinaion will be able to Vindicate that Particular from fb great a Clamour; and Ihew An cp, n . the Inftance is brought by the Anfwerer out of Dr. Taylors Duttor Dub. to be little to the purpofe. That by the Light of Nature y or the Dictates of a natural Religion, I do not mean fuch a Primary, and Neceffitous Preceptive Diftate, as is perpetually Obligatory upon all Peo- ple, and upon all Occafions, NeceJJitate Precepti, as the Phrafe is ; but that it is Secondarily fb, and direftive to all Nations : The natural fitneft of Mufick prompting them to the ufe of it, at leaft to a general Affent and Approba- tion, as the effe£t abundantly fhews that it does. And to this agree the Writers which I have met with upon this Subject, Dr. Hammond mentions how early it was ufed by Mojes, Miriam and the Prophets, Annot .i n pf. upon a Religious account. And as to *s°- the -Heathen Practice, he quotes Homer, giving an account of the Greeks ufage of Mufick in the Praife of their Gods, &c. And 23 The PREFACE. And jufl: before he has thefe Words. Ihe univerfal ufage of Inftrumental Mufick, among all Nations that we read, of, gives Cau/e much rather, to afjign it a Place in the natural Religion, which the common Light of Reafon directed all Civilized Nations to, in attributing Ho- nour to God, than to number it among the Ceremonies of the Mofaical Law. butyoffing- Dr. fVetennal, Bifliop of Cork fpeaks standi: much «> the fame effed. To thefe I add two others, Mr. Baxter calls it an Help partly Natural, and partly Artificial, And Dr. Hickman, in his Sermon at the ?Z S T)?y £Ci ' ^nniverfary Feast of the Lovers of Mufick, i69s. »n P£ lays, That God is to be Worshiped with lZ 9,l i ? ' ll 'folemn Mufick, is fo ancient and jo univer- sal an Opinion, that it may well be looked upon , as one of the Prime Notions of a rational Soul, one of the fundamental Laws of Nature, which like theWorJbif of God it felf, we receive not by Imitation, but by Injlintf. It was not inculcated into us by Education, but we fucked it in at our very Birth, or rather it was infujed in- to us at our Creation. And as the Opinion, fo the Practice of it is univerfal too, and therefore ihe Pfalmift directs his Precept not to the peculiar Church of God, but to All Lands, to lerve the Lord with glad- nefs The PREFAjC E. H nefs, and to come before his Prefenee with a Song. To which I will add the Words of a very eminently Learned Man, who fpeaking of Inftrumental Mujiek, fays, It has the Advantages of being Recom- mended by Natural Religion, ^dofhav-^J^ y ing been required by Divine pofitive In- stitution, &c I fuppofe I need not feek for better Authorities to juftifie the drawing an Argument from the Light of Nature, for this Pra&ice in the Cbrifiian Church. However, I can by no means allow the Cafe of Sacrifices, Dancing, and Circum- Anf. p. * cifion, to be of a like validity in point of Argument, as he pretends: For, to his firfi Inftance, in the Cafe of Sacrifices, I Reply, That tho* Sacrifices be difconti- nued in the Times oftheG^A becaufe the ufeof them is abolifhed ; and the rea- fon of their being abolilh'd, is becaufe of the great Sacrifice of our Saviour on the Crofs,of which they were but fo many Types and Figures. This Subftance being come into the World,leaves no Reafon for thofe things,which were but the|Shadows of bim to continue.The fame Reafon can- tiot;hold as to InftrumentalMufick \ which is granted by our Adverfary, to have bjje^fteblijhed it} ?he Worihip of God under 3 o 7 he PREFACE. under the Law. But we cannot find either any Reafbn for its difcontiuance in the Times of the Gofpel, or where the ufe of it is Abolifh'd, or fpoken againft by our Saviour, or his Jpoft/es, to warrant its being unlawful now : They all Communicated in thejemfb Churchy where that was ufed. And as long as the ufe and expediency of it holds good, as it will do in all Ages, being an allowed proper Help to raile the Spi- rits in Devotion ; it is altogether as reafonable it fhould be continued in the Times of the Gofpel, as well as it was • Dr. sker- under the Law. * There being fuch a ft&fjw" Sympathy between Sounds and Paflions, aww.12. as are by Turns the Natural Effcfts and Caules of each other : And if fb, then true Devotional Mufickwill excite or heighten pur Devotional Paflions, and for that Reaiori is to be continued frill, while Sacrifices iofing their proper ufe, are Abolifhed. His 2d. Argument, to invalidate the ufe of Injlrumental Mufick, is by making AnCp. 9. it as lawful to juftifie Dancing in the Werjhip of God y as that. And the Reafbn he draws from the Antiquity of the one, Ex. xv. zo. as well as the other, becaufe Miriam and the Women Danced, as well as plaid with Timbrels in the Service of God. And The PREFACE. 31 Arid David Danced before the Ark, and frSam.*,*^ devout Men among Gods own People ^jj; 1 * 9 h did Praife him in the Dance, 8cc. They did fo in their Procefiions, when they welcomed the Ark, which did fig- nifie Gods Prefence among them> at its being removed from one Place to another. And as they went to meet Saul, when they had the additional Ho- nour of being admitted among the Pro- phets. And fince the Modes and Circum- fiances of Reverence in Devotion are alterable, jfb as they may ferve particu- lar Occafiohs , Where would the Abfur* dity lie, if now, on fbme Solemnities ? a: Grave, Sober and Religious Dance was . inftituted and allowed by good Autho- rity ? Truly I do not lee, neither does the Anfwerer advance any thing to prove it abfurd, but by ftyling it a.Capering Devotion, as among the Corybantes of old. And altho 7 he adds a Confidence of faying : That no Man of Thought will allow fuch a Condufion to pafi for WdrrdnU able ; He may find the Author of the fol- lowing Treat ife, who perhaps has &s clofe and -confident Thoughts as any Man id the Kingdom, is of another Opinion, end gives fuch a Reafon for it, as I C pre- 32 The PREFACE. prefume he will not be able to Con- fute. His $d Argument is by making Gr- cumcifwn as allowable now, as Instru- ment al Mufick, becaufe of its Antiquity, aud the general Confent of Nations for it. To which I reply, That tho' all or moft Nations did ufe the Rite of C/>- cumcifion heretofore ; and the Jews moft particularly, having an exprefs Com- Levit.xij.3- mand from God for it. As before A- Gen. xvn. y rA i, am t { je p at } }er f the Faithful was enjoyned in it in token of the Covenant between God and his Seed ; yet this was painful to the Plefh, far from being adapted to their Natural Tempers, as Mufick was, only to be obferved by a Temporary Command, and to laft no longer than the Jewijb State was to laft. The Institution of which, was to give Admiffion to the Jewifl) Profelytes, and to diftinguifli them from other Nations, in imitation of which, the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Syrians, Arabians, ALthiopi- ans, and other Gentiles, might take up the fame Practice, and yet be no Ar- gument for its continuance ftill, neither does any one fay, that I know, That confent of Nations is an Argument of validity, when it is nothing elje but Imi- tation, and therefore the refutation of i Mr. The PREFACE. 33 Mr. N. from Dr. Taylors Duff. Dub. lib. An n p . lz 2. p. 571- is very needlefs. For the In- ftituted Rite of Circumcifion among the Jews, which might be imitated by the Gentiles, was to ceafe of courfe in the times of the Gofpel, when another ini- tiating Rite, viz. that of Baptifm was appointed to fucceed in its Place : But Inflrumental Mufick was not to ceafe, nor to have any other Rite to fucceed it ; neither was it made ufe of at that time in the Jewiflj State, or Heathen, nor fince in the Christian, meerly becaufe of the confent of Nations for it : But becaufe it had the Inftitution of God at firft; the prefcriptions of all Ages fince ; no where forbidden ; and by Experience found to be a great help to Devotion, being adapted to the Tempers of Men, and to which they have a natural In- clination ; wherefore it may be as ufeful and fit for the times of the Gofpel as' before ; and being plainly pra&ifed by the generality of all Nations, Chriftian and Heathen, may without any falfe Logick be admitted as an Argument for an univerfal Practice, and for better Reafbns to be bbferved than Circum- cifion. The 2d Argument made ufe of, iti Defence of the Organ, needs no Vindi- C 2 cation 34 fye PREFACE. cation from the Exceprions of the An- fiverer ; neither do I fee an Abfurdity in faying, That the injpired Prophets in- troduced into the Church among the Jews, the ufe offucb Infiruments as were thought Scrm. p. p. fit by them , being fo Divinely Injpired, to raiji the Spirit of Devotion among the People, &rc. Being lo Divinely Inferred, fhews fufficiently it was a Dire&ion •from'God ; and therefore he needed not have Carped at the Expreffion; I As were thought fit by them~\ had he not left out the following Words {being jo Divinely Injpired~]. toCp.il. But then for a lure Retreat, he fays, Shew us a Command in the Go/pel, for the ufe of Organs in publick Worjhip. So lay the Anabaptifs, Shews m- a Text to command the Baptizing of Infants in the New Tefiament. And a Man who Marries one too near of Kin to him, may fay the fame thing, Shew me a Text in the New Tefiament against" it. But I con- ceive a tew Words will take off the edge of the ObjeQ-ion, and fhew there is no need of a Text directly to command either of them. For the Reafbn of a Law continuing, and that Law being no where forbidden, either directly, pr byneceffary Confequence, it is ilill in force, and then the Confcience is bound to The PREFACE. 55 to the obfervation of it, according to a known Rule of the Canonifts, Ratio Legis eft nexus Confcienti*. This is agreeable to the Pra&ife of the Church in thofe feveral Inftances, as well as that concerning Inftrumental Mufick. The admitting Infants into the Jewifb Gen. 17. Covenant by Circumcifion, was a pofitive i5 e Lit- 2.0. I O, Law of the Old Te/iament, and for the *'» '*■; fame Reafon, Infants not being forbid- A&jz. W den to be admitted into the New Te- ftament Covenant by Baptifm, are as ca- pable of receiving the Sacrament otBap- tifm now, as they were of Circumcifion then ; the Reafon of it being ftill the fame. And if this way of arguing from Scripture by juft and neceffary Confe- quence be not allowM, then Infants are in a worfe Condition fince the coming of Chrift, than they were before; and the Gofpel Priviledges are now ftraiter and narrower to them than before, which is very abfurd to affirm. So the State of Marriage within the Degrees and Limitations of Lev. iS,cfo. is not exprefly Commanded in the New Tefta- meat, yet is of force ftill, and the Reafon of i£ is taken from the OldTefl. becaufe it remains ftill the fame, the Old Tsftm?nt,z.s to Moral Precepts, being as much the Obje£tofour Faith and Practice as thi C J New: 3$ The PREFACE. New : 'tis both together, and not one fingly makes the Rule we are to walk by. ]f hr T l 6 In * ike manncr Inftrumental Mufick in Ichmn^zp.'the Worfhip of God, being exprefly pfai. 14P . 3 . Commanded in the QldTefament, and ijo. 4 . not being forbidden in the New, and there being ftiJI the lame Reafon for its continuance, does fliew the Lawful- nefs and Expediency of it now, altho' there be no exprefs Text for it in the New Teftament. To exact a particular Command or Precept in Scripture for a Practice of this Nature, is m reafonable |Pm? t ( ikys the Bifho P of Cork ) M t0 "1*'n a Text for having convenient Churches, or decent Places to affemble in, for hav- ing Seats in Churches, or Cufhions to kneel or lean upon, or f§r any fuch ufeful ac- commodation, and hone Ft Advantage of Di- nfr.BurKet vine Worfhip, So if we do not allow V$j& p. Scripture Confequences ; * How fljall we t- prove Women ought to receive the Sa- crament of the Lords Supper? or that the Sabbath u to he changed from the Seventh to the frit Day of the Week, &c. But then 'tis faid, That Organs or In- firuments of Mufick were permitted the In Lot. Jews, for the Jake of their Weaknefl, to fiir up their Minds to perform their ex- ternal Worfhip with fome Delight ; and for this St. Chryfoftomis Quoted, and the Author .21,11. The PREFACE. 37 Author of the Queftions and Anfwers; in AnCp. Juftin Martyrs Works, for faying this life was to Perfons in a State of Child- hood, after the manner of the Law. To the fame effe£fc Ifidore Pelufiota, Clem. Alex and. 3cc. And in the Reign of David, 'tis intimated, That God fuitedfuch means AnC P 77. to the Infant State of the Church. To which it may be Anlwered, That theft Fathers do not by their Allegorizing the 1 50 Pfalm, argue againft the life ot In- ftrumental Mufick Abfolutely, but {hew rather the true ufe of it is, becaufe of the Imperfe&ion and Weaknefs of Hu- mane Nature, and that God condefcend- ing to a regard of the lame, did not only permit and allow Injhumental Mu- fick in his Solemn Worfhip,but expreily commanded it. And thd the Command was delivered by David and the Contemporary Prophets to the Nation of the Jews, jet it is obliga- tory ft ill, (at leaH by way of Direction to the Governours of the Church) in like State of Affair s y thro* all Ages and People, be- caufe the Reafons hereof are not Tempo- rary,^ but likely to latt as long as the World does. So we may make our Ap- peal to what St. Chryfoflom fays as the inPfci. iyo- Reafon of it, with which agrees Clem. Alexandrine, that it was Inftituted and ? *^z lz ' C 4 Com- |§ Ike PREFAC E. Commanded rather than permitted, for tht fake of Mens Weaknefs, to ftir up their Minds to perform their external Worjhip with fame Delight — . And as he goes pn, 4 For that God had a Mind to bring 1 them to a great deal of Diligence by c fuch Allurements. For God coniidering < their Sordidnefs, and Sloth, and grovel* f ing Nature, contrived by this means I to awaken them, mixing with the la- i bour of Attendance the pleafingncfs of ( Melody- Much like this (peaks St. Bafil, fcSfiST'j anc * * rom ^ uc ^ Authorities as thefe it was £e:vp%. 10. urged, to be as ufeful under the State of Chriftians as of the Jews, ■ becaufe I they have fbmetimes the iarqe Dead- * nefs and Dulnefs, and fpiritual Indif- i pofition in the Service of God which 4 the Jews had, which lack to be fha- f ken off. And fince the Members of * the Chriftian Church, in the perform 4 mance of their Worfhip, labour under * the fame defe£ts of thefe forts, there- ? fore they ftand in need of fbme fuch ! Helps and Afliftances to move their € Affe&ions, to raife their Devotion, tq f fhake of their Drowfinefs, and to in- * fpire their Thoughts with Chearfulnefe 1 and Zeal, with Love and Veneration I when they make their AddreiTes unto 'him in Prayer and Thanklgiying. Neither The PREFAC E. 33 Neither does this ufe for thofc Rea- Ibns, in the leaft reflect upon the Wi(- dom of our Saviour, by not enjoining of it, as it is not very handfbrply infi- Anf. p 14, nuated. For our Saviour himfelf, and ** * 3, his Jpojlles, did not difallow of, nor fpeak againft the Praftice of Infi rumen- tal Mufick, when they Communicated with the Jews who uftd it in the Tem- ple ; as certainly they would have done if they had difliked it, or thought it im- proper for ChrifliAn Worship. Neither did the Primitive Chriftians declare their diflike of it, or judge it unlawful. But £he State of the Church did not admit of it at that time, when Chrifnanity was under Perfecution, nor Lift rumen- tal Mujick, as the Anlwerer Miftakes Anf. P . is, me, no more than the Jewifb did, when under the Babylonifli Captivity, they hung up their Harps upon the Willows, and Pfaim 137. refufed to Sing the Songs of Sion in a firange Land, to thofe who carried them away Captives. And 'tis no wonder, that in the Pri- mitive Times of Chriftianity,there lhould be a difcontinuance of it. For we know the outward Modes and Circumftances of Divine Worfhip, muft give way to the exigencies of the Times, and have been ever Modelled and altered accord* ing 4 o The PR EFACE. ing to the outward State of the Church. Duty offai- j[ n£ i fhx ^ tltc Reafon why Inftrumental #»£• p 4 4- Muficky# J[ i V ly came into the Churchy both Jewifh and Chriftian. At first the Stat* of neither would admit it, when the Jewifh Church arrived at a fettled Eftate, it came in thereto by Gods anointment. The Chriftian Church remained longer under Perfecution and in an an fettled Condition ; and hence it comes to pafs, that as the Primitive Chriflians took up only the motf fimple way of Singing, fuch as their Con- dition would admit, jo the advances to Art were more leifnrely, and came on by fuch gradations y as Providence has given way and occasion for, Sam p. \s» And therefore I faid, To the Bene eile and Flour ijh ing State of the Church, the ufe of the Organ, with refpeft to the fuit- ablenefs of the Times, and ufefulnefs of the Thing, does abundantly conduce. The Ann p. 41. latter part of the Sentence the Anfwerer leaves out, and then he takes occafion molt notably to defcant upon his own Fancy. I fhall not fpeak of the Fathers Allegorical Expofitions of P£ 150. with- out the Literal meaning fometimes , which the Anfwerer mentions in three p.io,n,ii. Pages, becaufe their Sentiments and Miftakes in this Matter are Diicourfed in the Treatife following. Clem. Alex- andrintu The PREFACE. 41 tnMnus particularly is obferved fome- where, to have fpoken again it Church MuJIck 9 but he does it not in purfuance of the Principles of the Chiiftian, but of a Philofophical Religion then in Vogue; fbmewhat like that of the Quiet iBs, or of our Philadelphia's, who are for a mental Religion, abitra&ed from all that is external or fenfible. I come now to the next thing to be taken notice of, which is, The Antiquity of lnftrumental Mufick in the Chnflian Church. To fay when, or by whom it was introduced therein at firft, is not certainly known, and for thar Realbn it is thought to be the more Ancient and more Early received, for it being ge- nerally ufed in Divine Worfhip by Jem and Gentile, it paffed infenfibly into the Pra£Hce ofChriftians, as many other in- nocent Cuftoms, in which they were bred up, ordinarily did. But to make it favour of Popery, the Anfwerer likes thofe Authors who alledge it was intro- duced ijito the Chriftian Church by Pope Vitalian, about the 5fear 656, or rather, that it may not want the Mark of the Beast, in the Revelations, it was fay the Magdeburg Centuri at or s, A.C- 666. He is well pleafed if it can bethought to be of Popifh Extraction, therefore < . he 42 The PREFACE. he mentions it twice, but yet confefles Anf. p. 17. Some think that this fort of Mufick was *** p ' not of fo early an ufe in the Chriftian Church. 'lis no great matter who is of this Opinion, but there be Authors of good Credit, who make it to be of 3. much ancienter u(e by feveral Cen- turies of Years. The prefent Subdeanof %'A™.o{tteCbappel Royal, hath theft Words, We th« ".Lawful- m ay and ought to look upon it. as the ne* dcis and Ilx- r*. ** • ' pediency of ceffity of the frft Chriflians^ rather than fi c K U f r p h ™ x ~ their choice y and that they had not where- withal to be at the Charge of thofe Aids and Ornaments to their Religious Worship, rather than that they witheld the Expence hecaufe they thought it unlawful, or unbe- coming their Affemblies. For no fooner did the Church begin to Flour ijb, but they grew into Vfe and EJleem : And we read of St.. Ambroie, who lived a- bout the latter end of the Fourth Century, A. c. 37?' foon after Conftantines Time, that he pined Jnflruments of Mufick with the pub- lick Service in the Cathedral Church of Millan, where he was then Bifljop ; which Example of his was jo well approved of that by degrees it became the general Practice of other Churches thereabout ', and has jince obtained in almost all the Chriftian World be fides. \ Others The PREFAC E. 45 ' \ Others have referred this to another i Caule namely, that as Inipiration in finging Pfalms, ( which was doubtleft ' an extraordinary Gift common to the primitive Chriftians) began to ceafc, Inftruments and Skill were brought in its Room, even as Learning and or- dinary Means took place inftead of thofe extraordinary Gilts. The Bifhop of Cork fays, St. Ambrofe ^ z ' p ' took nf a more Artificial and Melodious may of Singing from the Eafterlings. And Dan. 5. 5. will inform us that the Eaftern Practice, had the Sound of the Cornet , Flute, Harp y Sackbut, Pfaltery, Dulcimer and all kinds of Mufiick in the Worfhip of their Idol Gods. In the time of St. Ambrofe flourifhM St. Baft I and St. Chryfoflom, who both mention the ule of hiflrumental Muftck as Advantages to the Weak in Devotion, regarding humane Infirmity. And St. Auguftine being a Contemporary of St. ♦ Lib Conf Ambrofe, and who as fome lay, joined 9>,e.is. with him in Gompofing the TV Deum, com^ a fed he which at this day is lung in ourChurches, jJJ^S mighun all probability be fb much mov- /*rr,sr.GwI ed, as he lays he was with the melodious Begird m Hymns in the Church, of St. Ambrofes * compofe! j^r r , _ 7 J many other* Compohng and Improvement, for the ser- vice of the Church. M tin 44 Tt* PREFACE. Jttftin Martyr, or whoever was the Author of the famous Queft toils and Anf- vers Bound up with his Works, Quoted wT f h l * Sc * l i& er '*n& \E6febiat, mentions the p . 6 g. ' * ufe of In/trumental Mufick in the Church Jefu.c E 7: forthe fame Reafon which St. Chrj/b- H.//WPcius {torn and St. Baftl did before; which Book is Confeffed by all to be very Ahtient, and to be Writ, fome fay, in the Fourth Century, the Bifhop of Cork lays in the beginning of the Third. Thefe Authorities mull needs fhewthat Inftrumental Mufick was much earlier m the Churches Service than Pope Vi- talisms Time, and fo could not be in- troduced by him. However, 'tis not to be expected we fliould find this Religious ufe in the very Primitive Tittles: But that can be no Objection againft fuch an ufe of them now, for Cliriftianity was not got then to that Height and Grandeur as to ad- mit of fuch an Ornament, and we need not (land much upon the early Ufe of it, fince its fober ufe is of fo great an Advantage in Chriftian Aifcmblies, now the Art is brought to a greater Perfecti- on than formerly,. And iincc fome Men of great Eitates are at a vail Charge to adorn their Houfes, and to have the helps of Mufick for civil Purpbfes, it is fome- whac The PREFACE. 45 what unreafonable they fhould judge the Expence Burdenfome in Sacred ones, Whenfbever, or by whomfbever this Advantage was at firft Introduced into the Chriftian Church, and made ufe of inter Sacra, it was certainly done out of a great deal of Wifdom, Zeal and Devotion. And they did therein, but that for which they had fb good a Prefident as David, who did the like in the Jewifb Church, and what greatly tends to Edification. For Mufick may be fuch, and of that Ef- ficacy, as to carry the Mind as it were in- to ExtafieSy filling it with heavenly Joy for the Time, and in a manner fevering it from the Body ( as fays our judicious Mr, Hooker) the. Harmony of Sounds, if we Ecd.Poi* Ca lay afide the Confederation of Ditty, and s ' p * 37 ' Matter framed in due fort , and carried from the Ear to the Spiritual Faculties of our Souls is by a native Puijfance and Ef- ficacy , greatly available to bring to a per- fect Temper whatfoever is there troubled, apt as well to quicken the Spirits, as to allay that which is too eager, fovereign a- gains! Melancholy and Defpair, forcible to draw out Tears of Devotion. The Prophet David, having therefore finguLr knowledge not in Poetry alone, but in Mttfick^alfo, judged them both to be most necef- 4* The PREFAC E. neceffary for the Houfe of God, and left behind him to that purpofe, a number of Divinely Indited Poems, and farther added Melody both Vocal and InftrumentaJ; for the raifing up Mens Hearts, andfweet- ring their Affections towards God, &c. And why may it not be ftill an Or- nament to Gods Service, and an help to our Devotion, while it makes our Church an Emblem of the Heavenly Quire, which is reprefented as praifing God after this manner, compare Rev. 14. 2, 3. with 1 Chron. 16. 5, 42. It cannot be prefumed we fhould have read in Holy Writ of Citharifls and Harpers in Heaven, if fuch Injtruments of Mufick were offenfive to God ori Earth j or fay there is no Mufick in Heaven : Yet as one well obierves, there- is a kind of Heaven in Mufick, and fuch as raifeth the Soul to Angelical Exaltations. Srrm. Nov. ' If the Temple Worfhip, ( fays the fi t6 "' p ' Reverend Dean of St. Pauls, fpeaking. //. $. 1,2,3. of Ifaiahs Vifion juft before ) ' be a fie ' precedent for the Worfhip of Angels; * why may it not be a precedent for the * Worfhip of Chriftians, whofe Wor- i fhip as pure and as Spiritual as it is> 1 falls vaftly fhort of Angelical Wor- * fhip,dx Bur The PREFACE. 4 ; But yet obferve what he faid before; Mufick whatever it be, or how well foever performed, is of no ufe or value in Reli- gion , hut as it ferves the true ends of Devotion And again , All true Cbrifliah IVorfbifr whatever the externals of it are, is the Worfhip of the Mind and Spirit. It is the Mind only that can praife God, tho* the Tongue mu sf Sing his Praifes. The best compofed Hymns, the moft mufical Inflruments, the moH charm* ing Voices , are but lifel'efi mechanical Sounds, till they are animated and infpi- red by the Devotion of the Heart . As far as the Harmony of Voices, or Mufical Inftruments ferve this end, of moving the Affections of the Mind towards God', they are excellent helps to Devoti- on \ and ^tis only their fubferviency to the Devotion of the Mind, which gives them any value, or allows them any place in Religious JVor/hip. So that we may fpeak againft Focal, as well as Inftrttmental Mufick in the Service of God, if it does not help us in Devotion. And 'tis but a foolifh Fancy, to think that Organic al Mufick is a part of Popery, for it is no more fiich than Singing is. And, notwithstanding the Scoffs and Reflections are made on the Men of that D Imploy- 48 The PRE F AC E. Imployment, by the Enemies of Church * ? r -* ur -Mu(ick. we are told, that * Robert Tefl- the Refor, wood, and John Marbeck, two Singing- ^p!Ti^ Ft ' ^ en at W™tf or > were as early Prote- *£? ^'ftants as an y? and as conftant andhear- wnts, ° 7 p.~ ty in the Reformation ; the one differed 6o°£. no 7 . Martyrdom for it, and the other was *. V©. Condemned to be Burnt, but obtained his Pardon for his great Induftry and Ingeni^ufnefs , in being the firft who Compoled an Englifh Concordance. Having now given fome account of the early ufe of Instrument d Muftck in the Chriftian Churches, and fhewn, That it can neither be Popifb nor Jew- rjhy tho ufed in the Jewijb and Popifb Worihip. It was ufed in the Chrifti- an Church, before Popery had currupt- ed it, and before the Reformation, and fince, in almoft all Nations and Coun- tries. It came firft into the Temple IVor- fljip by Divine Inftitution, and into the Chrifiian Church, upon juftand reafon- able Grounds, as being a proper Help to Devotion, and a great Ornament to Chriftian Worfliip. It was no part of the Mofaical Law, to be abrogated by the coming of our Saviour. It is very- advantageous for the ftirring up the Attentions, and railing in the People a more Heavenly Temper of Mind, when they The PREFACE. they are about the facred Offices of Prayer and Praife to Almighty God. It will ftrike a Reverence and Awe upon their Spirits, and keep their Minds in a grave and ferious Temper. It will both raife and calm ourPaflions, asoc- cafion requires. * True Devotional Mu* •Dr, sbd§ fick, will excite or heighten our Devotion- £ ^ al Pajjions ', Why then foould any Man think it improper for the WorfoipofGod? &c. * St; Cryfofom is of Opinion, That *■ Ho^up Organs, or Inftruments of Mulick, were to Jlir up mens Minds to perform their external Worjhip with fome Delight. In the Old Teftament it ferved to ftir up the Spirit of Prophecy, as in the Cafe of Saul, When the Prophets came s m ^ down from the high place, with a Pfaltery,\.<* and a Tabret, and a Pipe, and an Harp before them, and they Prophefyed. i. e. Their Minds ( fays the Bifiiop of Cork) being hereby quickened, and their Inten- tions raifed towards God , the infpirecl Principle in them began to move in the Diving Praife. It is remarkable, That Inftrumental Mufickalone,^ there made ufc of, its a means to awaken their infpired Souls, &c. Where you find that Learned Man, .makes ufc of the fame Expreffioh in a JD 2 mm-* 5 The PREFACE. manner, which is fb much Carped at by p - v- ihtAnJwerer\ when alio to raife the great- er Cavil, he makes a notable Remark of falfe Grammar, of [_tbefe~] inftead of [this] But 'tis to be obierved, hefirft leaves out the remote Antecedent, viz. Inftrumoits of Mufick, to Which [ thefe ] in the Sentence plainly refers. Soalfb ***" to fhew his Criticiims, he finds fault with this Expreilion, In the ufe ofln- ftrumental Mufick, that it will regulate untuneablc Voices. For the fameRea- fbn he may excufe the unprofitable Ser- vant in the GofpeL But this is trifling with a Word. Notwithlianding, there may be many other ufes of Injlrumental Mitfick, which it might be proper to mention here; for it fingly , and without Voice or Pfalms joyned thereto, fervedfor foiling the Soul towards God, for quieting tu- multuous Fa (lions, and begetting a fe- date ferious Temper, fit to receive D:- itfe.3. 13. yine Impreffions, as in the Cafe of£/> flja, being Con fu! ted by the wicked King Jehoram, who being difcompofed there- at, and afterwards importuned by him and Jehofiaphat together, he changed his Mind, arid for the competing it when v. 15. difturbed with Fa • J ion, faid; Bat nm bring me a Mi*ftrel\ and it cami ?to pajT when The PREFACE. 51 when the Minfirel plaid, that the Hand of the Lord came upon him, i.e. the Spi- rit of Prophecy, or the infpired Prin- ciple of his Soul was ftirred up in him. Jofsphus fays, being Injpired at the Voice the Mufick. He directs a miraculous Courfe for their Relief, on which Words the Learned Munfter thus (peaks ; * Bring fflj$j£ me a Mufician, who by the fveetnef of his qui sc. in- Inftrument, may remove this p^rturbation^/^f^. of Mind, and apveafe thefe tumultuous fa? P er ' J-,, , 7 r - l j ' 1 r rr 1 turbfttionem 1 bought s of m?ne y winch Jujfer not the ammi&tu- Spirit of Prophecy to move in me. This Jjjjgj, is dire&ly contrary to what the Anfver- ctgitatiow? er has thought fit to deliver as his O- utnmad- pinion, p>59- where he flatly denys that^f^f^ 1 ' Inflrumental Mufick in the alleged Cafe, was made ttfe of to fir up the Spirit of Pro- phecy in the P erf on mentioned. At other times, it generally ferved for the raifing of mens Afleftions in the Ser- vice of God, for the quickening ofDe- votion, and preparing their Minds for it, as now it is ufed in the Chriftian Churches, Protectant and Popifh, Fo- reign and Domeftick. 'Tis mucnabui- ed in; the Popifh Churches, but regu- lated by the Reformation in the Pro- teftant, and if we will be but confi- dent with our felves, the regulating this and other Abufes, is the proper end of D j Re- V- $2 The PREFACE. Reformation, and not quite to abolifh the ufe of it, becaufe it has been abu- led, if fo, I wonder what we fhould re- tain. Luther's Opinion was doubtlefs for Injlrumental Mufick, but he did not ex- prefly declare for it at that very jun- cture, when he began to feparate from the Church of Rome, and wrote his Formula mifl. & commun. fro Ecclefia Wittenberg, becaufe he was not then clear, what in fuch outward Decencies he would have fettled. But he then profeifes, He never defign- eel to ab cliff j the whole Order oflVorfhip then in ufe in the Roman Church, but to Purge it from the vile Additions^ with which it was corrupted, and to /hew its Godly ufe ■ 'Tis very plain in that Treatife, lie never defignM to Condemn Church Mu- fick and Organs, but as they were a- bufed by the Papifts, for he allows much more of Mufick in the Communion Ser- vice than we do, tho' not fo much as the Papifts ufe. . • Aud whereas the Anfverer fays, He 5 u inclined to believe, that he never ap- proved, but dijliked it. The Reafbn of which is, from his Quoting H. Eckard, who was one of his Followers, and Su- per- The PREFACE. 53 perintendent of the Church of Schwattz,- burg, for faying, *Tb« Luther m*. *^*£ ^rj Inftrumental Mufick antongft the triers. Badges of Baal, which looks as if he ** r was no Friend to this fort of Mufick. But had he Quoted this Difciple ofL#- thers more fairly in this matter , and not left out what follows, lam inclin- ed to believe, he might have been of another Opinion: For, Luther having reckoned up a large Catalogue of Abu* fes in the Communion Service, &c . calls Churches, and Altars, and Fonts, and Chalices, and Organs, &c. The Rnfigns of Baal, but upon what account ? He does not call them fimply fo, Sed fi fingu* I arts aliquis Cultm illk affingatur : But if there be any Angular Worfhip as- cribed to them, this quite alters the Cafe, and for the fame Reafbn he may fpeak againft Churches, Altars, Fonts, &c. as well as againft Organs, and lb would any one, fhould they be made Idols of, and not as we fay, onlyUtenfils for the more orderly, comely and devout Wor- shiping of God. To which I will add what Sethus Calvifius Quotes him for, in ^Epifl. ad Senfelium Muficum. Plans judico, nee pudet afferere pott Theologiam p. p ' 43 ° 4 . ,'. ejfe nullam Art em qti& pofjit Mafic jz acjita- ri. D 4 So 54 Tk PREFAC E. So for Calvin s inconfiftency in this matter; "lis apparent, that he fornc- ^ . times fpeaks favourably for it, when i CoT'i™ he fays, ■* He doubted not at all y but the Chriftians from the very beginning, Imitated the Jewifll Cufiom in Singing Pfa/ms. Now that we know was with Injlruments. And in his Comment on *nffic& CoL I' he „% s > *Tbat it « the Na- tintndo, ad- ttire of a Pfalm, that in the Sinking there- fiZZt 1 °f? f° me Mufical Inftruments be joymi quod infirur with the Voice. pr*:er Lin- At other times he Ipeaks againft it, pam. and rC ck Qn s Instrumental Mufick among the number of the legal Ceremonies^ introduced into the Chriftian Church through inconfiderate Zeal, &x. This certainly is an inconfiftency with him- comment, felf, And from his Temper and Pra- inPj. 33.2. ai C e, it may without contempt be tru- ly faid, That he was a Man of an in- temperate Heat and PafTion, however great he was as to his Learning and Zeal, in carrying on the Work of the Reformation. And notwithftandinghis Opinion, the primitive Chriftians in the main were of another, and did not chink Inflramen- tal Mufick peculiar to the Jewr/b Oeco- homy, and ib might well 'be revived under Chrillianity. Now The PREFAC E. 55 Now the Followers of Luther and Calvin, who in all probability, may be fuppofed to underftand their Mailer's meaning beft, have the general life of Inflrumental Mufick in their eflabliihed Churches, as in Germany, Poland, Swede- land, Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, and ethers of the Helvetic k ConfefJIon) as well as in England. And tho' it cannot be fuppofed, that every Parifh Church in thofe Coun- tries, fhould be able to have fb great an Advantage in the Worfliip of God ; yet their Approbation and Deflreofit, is fufficiently (hewn by their union with the chief Towns and Cities, where in their refpeiKve Countries, their Abilities are great enough to procure it. *Mv.y£»£;% Duret fays, The Reformed Hungarian &c.p.$> and Tranfilvanian Churches have chem ; and likewife Trumpets founding at the Church-doors. If they have not in thofe in Pied- mont and France, the Reafbn of it is, ™ s e '^ their unhappinefs, being fuppreffed and the Anf. P , kept -under by the Papal Power. a: ' Than that it was not in Scotland, is no more to be v/ondered at now, than it was not In England in the long Rebellion , none I fuppofe, will take a Preiidenr from them in Devotion, who haven a • 5 6 The PREFACE. a third time fince the Reformation, caft of almoft all Decencies in Divine Wor- ihip, and for about ten Years laftpait, have changed their Glory, from being an uniform Chriftian Church, (accord- ing to the Primitive and Apoftolical Pattern ) into the Novelty of a Nati- onal Conventicle. They have not 'tis •Arfp.57. true > ]ike the * French Nimrod, Dra- gooned the Epifcopal eftablifhed Church, into a Non-conformity, but they have • see iuw7 done almoft as bad. * tt But that new Eftablifhment may not theBorders.be defign'd to ftand long, being Built upon a bad Foundation : And I have been credibly Informed ; the' the Came- raman Party have carried the Day, and got Presbytery to be for the preientin the Nature of an Eftablifhment; yen throughout the whole Kingdom, there is not one in Five approves of it, or one in Three is a Presbyterian ; and among the civiliz'd Parts of it, not one in Ten ; and of Perfons of the belt Quality and Education, not one in Thir- teen. I fhall conclude this Digreffion, jt&ntrf' the Words of * Diodate to the aty Affianbly of Divines at Weftminfter ; o-c in a when they had done the fame thing in MembV°ot -RngUniy and defired his Opinion of it. xh.HoaicoflVb.u a fad Spectacle it it, to fee that Church The PREFACE. 57 Church troden under Foot ! An horrid Common?* thing ye have done ', and never before heard of amongft the Reformed Churches I We are ftruck with Horrour at the change of the glorious Face of that Church ! May God re ft ore it to its high Efi ate and fitch of Holinefi and Glory again. And give true Repentance to the Abettors and Promoters of that Change, which is fb Monftroufly for the worfe, that they may in time make what Satisfaction and Restitution they can, tho' not fully, yet to the utmoft of their Power, for the manifold Injuries they have done. And tho' I mult confefs, I am not of Age enough to remember the Trans- actions of thole Times in England, which the Anfrverer lays go to the Tune ofp-«- Forty one , yet I utterly deny any Fal- fity in the Paragraph of the Sermon, p. 16. Relating the Miferies of them; fome of which I have felt: My much Ho- noured * Father being forced to remove *TheRc??- his Family feven times, becaufe of that v i unnatural War, his Sequeftrators threa- Nw !i R ^ T ii« x- 1 A • tor otT'.t'e!'- tenmg to throw his Children out into m. the^ High- way: But being all now gone -to their proper Place, without making a fuitable Repentance, or offer- ing a Satisfaction, I fhall leave them to Judg- 58 The PREFACE. Judgment, without mentioning their in- famous. (Names. And to return, I know not what Rea- An£ P . 43.f on t { ]e Anfwerer has, for faying, That all the Reformed Churches in German)', Worjjjip God without Organs. Many of them 'tis true, are fofup- preffed and kept under, that they can no more have the benefit of them, than they can of the Hierarchy ; nor than the French Protectants could of both, before they were unmercifully Banifh- ed out of the Kingdom : But thefe are *\ST%-c m r ' ie Churches at Hamburg, Munfter, p. 1%'w. Hejfen, Caffel, Dort, Heidelberg, and Se- veral other great Places, where Peoples Abilities, and their Governours will give them leave. So likewife they are mHt foe- tid, as at Bazil, Bern, &c. But that they fhould be any where in theGw£Churches is much, fince tliey are generally very Poor ; for which Reafbn, in the Eajlern Aftatick. they cannot be expeded, be- caufc; they are much Poorer. •Bp.©fc** I will not here omit, what my * Au- thor fpeaks of, Zjnchy particularly, (be- Anr ?• 5^cau(e he is Quoted by the Anfwerer, againft this fort oiChurch-Mufick) and Diodate, two Followers of Cafoin, •Onct/. |. Tbe former fays; * Manifold tnd lUx&M0i'grc*t is the ufe of this Mufick, ift.T6dt the The P REFAC E. S9 the Glory of God may thereby be made more V'-jf^S. llluflriom and AuguH. 2diy. The mind **, &c of Man is after a marvelous fort affect- ed therewith, jdly. Our Heart being by this Mufick made the more Chearful, the Grace of God dwelling in us y is fined up. The fame is the Judgment of Dio- date ? and many of the later Calvinifls, who, tho' it was the Fate of fbme, of them, to he neceflitated to be without Orcans in their Churches, have declar- ed their Defire of them. And from this Content of their Doctors, undoubtedly it is, that Organs are at this Day in ufe in moft Places of the Belgick Church- es, and long Time have been, is as e- vident by the Decrees of their Synods, forbidding this ufe of them upon Poli- tical and Common occafionsi, out of Divine Worfhip, and Commanding they fhould found nothing but Pfalms and the Praifes of God. And not only they, but feveral of the Pallors of the Re- formed French Churches, who live in Places where they can conveniently have Organs, have alio introduced them, as the worthy * Dr. Dare/ teftifies touch- ***** &- ing the Reverend Rochfort, Pallor of c Jn g r.c.x7 the French Church at Rotterdam^ and ethers, > And 6o The PREFACE. And now with what Confidence can Anf. p. 43. the Anfwerer fay, that the Hungarian, Tranftlvanian, Helvetian , and all the Reformed Churches in Germany, are thofe that do Worfhip God without the ufe of Organs ) When the direct contrary is as notorioufly evident, asa- fcrm. p. 1$. ny thing can be. So true it is, that all the heft eflablifbed Churches in the whole Chriftian World do concur with us here- in, who are of Ability to make fo great Provifion for the better carrying on the Worfbif of God in the Ajjemblies of his People. That except our Diffenting Con- gregations, and their Brethren in Scot- land, there is fcarce any where any confiderable Number of Chriftians Difc lent from us, fb as not to approve of Jnfrumental Mufick in their Devotion, tho' many be fo unhappy as not to have it. But now our Adverfaries being pref fed with this plain matter .pf Faft, can- not with any Colour of Truth, deny the frequent ufe of them in the Churches under the Helvetisk , as well as o- thers of the Aujpurg Confeffion, (which Calvin Signed as well as Luther, tho' they would make the Diftancc between thern to be ir-reconcilably great ) they would feek to evade the chief Defign and The PREFACE. 61 and ufe of them, by faying, That altho AnCp.i7- the Dutch have Organs in their Churches', yet they pretend not, ( as the Author of the Sermon does) that they are to ex- alt their Devotion, and the more to ex- cite their Affections ; but they ufe them to regulate the Voices of the People, and to direct them in the Tune of the Pfalm they are to Sing. In Anfwer to which, three things will evidence the quite contrary to be true, ift. Ex Confeffo, he grants in AnC p. v\ the Cafe of }Eli[ha y That this fort of Mufick wds enjoyned then, for the quick- ening of Devotion. And again, Inflru* mental Mufick was Commanded by God then and Bleffcd for the exciting of Mens Af- fections in his Service now ; if fb 'tis ve- ry abfurd to turn oft' the ftrefs of the Argument upon the Divine Command as he does there, whereas 'tis as clear as the Sus, that the quickening of Mens Devotions, was by the means, and there- fore the Defign of Injlrumental Mufckj and not by the Divine Command which enjoyhs it. idly. The Nature of the thing is al« ways,, the fame ; if it had that Effica- cy under the Law, to quicken and ex- cite Mens Affeftions. in Devotion, as 'tis certain it had, and for that Ilea- f on 62 The P REFAC E. fon was enjoy ned by the Divine Com- mand, it has not altered its Nature fincc. And tho' it be granted, there is no exprefs Command for it now, while there is none againft it, and the Rea- ibn and ufe of the thing ftill continu- ing, it may ^very well be allow'd and approv'd of, as ferviceable for the fame end. But, fdh. Matter of Fa£t is dire£Uy againft this Allegation of the Anfwerer. For, to fhew that the Defign of the Organ in the Dutch Churches, is to raife Mens minds, and to quicken their Affeftions for Devotion, and net fblely to regulate the Voices of the People, and todireftthem in the Tune of the Pfalm. It isnoto- rioufly evident, sis I have an Account from feme who have Lived and Con- vened aijion'g the Dutch, and their Neighbours for feveral Years, and found it to be their Practice. For the Or- gans to Play their Voluntaries for an Hour commonly before the Service be- gins, and while the Congregation is filling; and then afterwards when the Organ flops, the People Sing a Pfalm, and the Organ does not Play all that while to regulate their Voices, but did before to raife their Afteftions, and to chear their Minds for Devotion : This is The PREFACE. 63 is done particularly at the Hague , at Ant-^^f^ fterdam^xHambourg, 8rc. At Hajfen, they?. 38, ' /^i^ a peculiar kind of alternation in Sing- ing their Pfalms. The Precentor, or May- ter of the Mujick with his Scholars , who are like our Singing-Boys and Chorifters, Sing out the jirfi Verfe, with all the People^ then th? Organs Play the fecond. The Mu* ficians and Peopley?^ the Third Verfe as the Firft, the Organs Play the Fourth as the Second, Some fuch way they have at Bre* men, Caflel, &c> In many of the Dutch Churches, for the Reafons aforefaid, is the Mufick up* on their Bells, where they have Forty or Fifty in a Steeple, upon which thejr play fbme taking ravifhing Tunes for an Hour or more together, before the .Church Service begins 3 not fbmuch for the calling the People together to their Devotion, becaufe they are to be heard but a little way, being fmall and well tu- ned for variety of Parts, to play feveral LefTons upon, according to the Occafions of the Solemnity and theSeafons of the Year ; but the better to fit them for their Devotion, and to ftrike a reverential awe upon them when they come to Church, to raife the Paflions of Joy or Grief, to enliven their minds when dull E and rf 4 The PREFACE. and heavy, and to compofe them when vain and roving, &c. Next he fays, It defer ves Confederation, That Organs were introduced into the Dutch Churches by fome Magiftrates againfl the conjent of the Minifters. Iffb, theyfhew- ed a better regard to the welfare of the Churches than the Minifters did, and de- ferve Commendation for it. But doubt- lefs the Dutch Minifters, would never have Communicated with the Dutch Ma- giftrates in their Churches, where Inftru- mental Mufick was generally ufed, if they had thought the ufe of it unlawful in the Chriftian Church ; neither can we. well fuppofe their Ecclefiaftical Synods would ever have fuffered it to continue lb long as it has done, had they had any interelt among their Magiftrates or any Authority left in their own Churches,lf they had not thought it Expedient alfoand ufe- ful, as well as Lawful in Holy offices, whatever is pretended by our Adverfary to the contrary, to favour his diflike of the Dutch Magiftrates, for their Adhering to fo advantageous a practice, as he Saith againfl: the content of the Minifters.] Anf. p. 39- I need not now, as the Anfwer would lead me, prove the Difcipline of the Church of England exceeds that of the French Proteftants Churches, the Dutch, Scofs The PRE FA C E. 65 Scofs, &c. than I need prove the Sun fhines at Noon day. And then touching the holinefs of its Members in Life and Converfation. Hefeems very partial by insinuating as if the vaft number of De* bauchedy Profane and Atheifiical Sots, were of that Communion, and not among the DifTenters. Truly theft area great Scandal to any Party whatfoever, who profefs fo holy a Religion as the Chriflian : And I believe all Parties a- mongus need & great Reformation on that account, and have too little caufe to up- braid each other. But yet I knew a very noted old Non-conformift Preacher in the Wefi, who having lufficientiy experi- enced the Practices of his own Party for along time, did fome fliort time before his Death, advife his Children rather to truft a Church of England Man in Deal* ing than a Dilfenter from it. The preceding Difcourfe I fuppofe luf- ficientiy Vindicates the Sermon from the Exceptions of the Anonymom Letter writ- ten againft it. I have anfwered the main Objections in the Argumentative part,and rectified feveral Mifrepreientations and partial Quotations which are found there- in. Should I have followed the Anfmrer in all his Excuriions and rieedlcfs Repeti- tions, I fhould have drawn this Reply E i id 66 The PREFACE. to a much greater length 5 I fear it is too Jong already. The Arguments and Au- thorities I have brought together, do I hope, abundantly jultifie the Larvfulnefs of Infirumental Mnfick in divine Offices to ail unprejudiced Readers, and for others 'tis in vain to go about to perfwade. As he fays And if my Adverfary cannot clo/e with » p- +>*£fag judgment of bis beloved Mr. Baxter in this Matter ( who offers the fame Argu- ments I do but with more Strength he fays, p. 12. But why with more Strength? Had he fpoken thefe things it might have been perhaps with a greater Tone ; but furely the reafon is the fame when fairly quoted, and at large in the very fame Words) I cannot iuppofe he will clofe with the judgment of fuch great Wor- thies of our Church as the 'Judicious Mr. Hooker, Dr. Hammond, Bi/hop Stilling- fleet, Bijbop Wetenhall, Dr. Comber, &c. quoted by the Author whole Authorities and Opinions he thought not fit to take / notice of. But by fome means or other, the Separation mult be kept up, tmd before there will never bew r anting presences enough for that purpofe. Thefonii5c To which I (hall fubjoin what Dr. Com- fays in his Comment on Pfalm 98. 1 ince the Glory of God is manifefed to all Lands, they oiwht all to \oyn in Prat fine his all People in 7 * ° J ' hi 7 be PREFACE. 67 holy Name, nnd that by all due means whith^ ^ hr ?J i - may exprefs an hearty Joy, particularly by * n all forts of Mufick, by ftringed InftrumeiH' , and Voices, and by Wind Inftrumems alio ; for Mufick is the Gift of God, and tends not only to exprefi, but to beget the Affection of Joy \ it doth compofe the Thoughts, calm the Mind, and put the * Soul into a pofture of gratefvl Serionfnels, and therefore we (1j all find it of as early ufe in Divine Worfbip as any where elje ; and fince all Ages have ufed it fo, me m.iy aje it in more folemn Places, and on more ex- traordinary Occafions without jttjl offence to any unprejudiced Perfons, efpeciall) being Commanded in this and other places of Half Scriptures. And alfb the Judgment of "Dr. Sdii- den Bifhop of Exon. I know, fays that " Reverend Prelate, * Jome have been more *inhis^ at difcord with the Liturgy, becanfe they onsto™-~ find in Cathedrals, and other great Church p s 7 J2? ' ^ 5m the ufe of Mufick both/ Vocal and Qr- church of ganical, have, been applied to fome parts f *5 * of it; which certainly is as Lawful as any - Meetcr , Plalmody , Hymnology, or- finging to Tunes} which was never quefiioned by learned and godly Men for lawful in the Worfbip of God, publick or private, efpecially that of Praifing and giv- ing Thanks: Nay, there ts no jcruple but E l that 6% The PRE F AC E. that even in Prayer, and the deepefi notes of that, viz. Penite-ntials, both Mufick of Voice and Instruments may he fo gravely and folemnly applied, as may very much jit the temper of Mens Sprits, and the Spirits of that Duty ; when either fad andfohmn with Grief, or chearfd and exalted with Joy : Who doubts but David and the whole Church of the Jews ferved God in Spirit and in Truth, amidfithofe joyful and Har- monious Noifes, they ufed with Singers and Mafical Inflruments ? The Gift and ufe of Mufick is Jo fweet, fo Angelical, fo Hea- venly and Divine, that it is pity God fhould not have the Glory and Honour of it in his Service , and the Church ap holy Com- fortable ufe of it. That fuch an Orient Pearl may not be ufed only in civil Conven- tions, or abufed in wanton Cai'ols and vain Effufions, which is to put a Jewel in a Swines Snout : Certainly the Chriftian Church hath more caufe to rejoice than the Jews had, and we fee the Angels at Chrifi^s Nativity began the Church Mufick with the heavenly Quire. And having given his Judgment for Ibme difcreet Regulations of Church- Mufick in the nefct Paragraph, he con- cludes, It was only fit for thofe Me ns rude- nefs to abandon Church-Mufick, who inten- ded to fill all things with the Alarms of War and Cries of Confufion. But The PREFACE. 6 9 But in requital for the Citation of Mr. Baxter and the Jjjembly of Di- vines for Inftrumental Mufick, he brings two Church-men directly againfi it, as he fays. The one Mr. Maxwel a Scot* ijb Divine, and the other Bifhop Taylor. I have not feen the Book * he quotes of jK^g Mr. Maxwel, and fo can fay but little to &£du*j it; only I cannot imagine what thofe^^i^ Reformed Divines Are which he agrees with y bove that of that fhould fay, Instrumental- Mufick is neither a help to, nor a fart of Divine or Ecc left aft ical Worfhip. For I am fure, I have Impartially fhewn in the foregoing Difcourfe, the mod eminent and learn- ed Reformed Divines, both Foreign and Domeftick to be of another Opinion, and therefore I may doubt of the fairnefs of the Quotation ; or well fuppofe, with- out prejudice to the fubje£i in Hand, that every individual Perlbn of Note and Learning, may not have the fame Sentiments and good Opinion of it which the generality have. And as for Bifhop Taylor, * He is not di- T DuiU\: -. reSlly againft it, becaufehe allows InBru- ^4 g&l mental- Mufick may add fome little advanta- tion - gel to Singing,cLtid in the fame Page fays, / cannot Condemn it, if it be ufcd as an help to Pfalmody. ( But then indeed he fays ) It is more apt to change Religion into Air E 4 and 7° The PREFAC E, and Fancies, &c. i. e. When it is not uled as it ought be, and therefore againft the abufe of Church Mufick, and pre- ferring that of the Voice before Init.u- ments, which moft People doubticfs do ; he finds fault 'when it is made fo acu- 'rate and curious that none can joyn in ' it but Muficians, who do not fing and f exprefs the Words fo plainly, that they 'which Hear do underftand, and by this ' means the greateft benefit and ufe of 'Edification is loft. I ft all not enlarge this Difcourfc by bringing more Authorities in Juftificati- on of the lawfulnefs of InftrumentaLMu- fick in Chriftian Worftip. And I think there needs nothing more be faid in Vin- dication of the ufe and advantages of it: For I do not find what is written againft thofe mentioned in the Sermon do at all jeflen their Expediency. Neither ftall I need farther to trouble my ieW with Anfwers to the Objeftions, which Ialfo there mentioned, as commonly brought againftChurch Mufick. Km h*b,t But in Vindication of this Pra£tife of Z'cTfJnn™ ™y Mother, the Church of Eat- fcf £f la " d > f rom thofb Four popular Objecti- tr,m. cypr.ons winch are made againft it by the \^t' * An f mnr ' l fllal! g^e a brief, and I hope The PREFAC E. ?l hope a full and fatisfa&ory Reply, and Jo conclude. One of thefe we are Threatned with before, and here at firft reading being propoled with an Air of Confidence in ai/ Argumentative way, may deceive the unwary Reader, if betakes them upon t ; but when examined into, will found to be very fallacious, and to Cc :ry more of Popularity than Truth and Weight in them. he ifi. of them is, That the ufe of \,\ r Organs in Chrifiim Jffemblies for Di- ' vine Wor(bip, is Condemned as unlawful by the Book of Homilies. Now that it is fo, is fo far from being mofi plain, as he fays, p r 8 2 . That fcarce any thins can be plainer to any one that heedfuliy reads that Homily of the fupe and Place ■of Prayer, Part II. (out of which the Objection is made ) but muft fee the true ufe of Organs in Divine Worfhip is not at all Condemned therein; but on- ly the great Abufe and Superfluous ufe of them, asfuppoled in the Times of of Pcpery, aganut which the Homily is mainly bent. J This Abufe and Superflitioh, the Church of England is now fufficiently Reformed from ; and being lb, as it is plainly expreffed in the Homily, it is ve- ry 7 2 The PREFACE. ry evident, that the life of Organs a- mong other things there mentioned, is fb far from being Abolifhed by the Re- formation, or difliked by the Compofers of the Book of Homilies, that they are by the very fame Homily, which is Quoted by our Adverfary , adjudged Decently to be retainedin the Church, as things that God is either Honoured with, orhis "People Edified by, which I hope, if made good, will clearly overthrow this the moft formi- dable Obje&ion againft the ufe of Organs in the Church of England. Let us then attend the Place of the Homily, which is towards the latter end of it, and there we lhall find, That after it has inveighed very feverely againft the many Corrupt, Superfiitious and Ido- latrous Practices in the Church Service before the Reformation; as againft the Images and Idols, and nnmbers of Altars,, with an infinite number of Toys and Trifles, to make a goodly outward Shew, 3cc. which it rightly accounts, a Mocking and Blaf fheming of Gods holy Ordinance : It comes at length to blame thole who refufed to frequent the Parijh-Churches, becaufe they were fcoured of fuch Gaygxzing Sights, as their grofi ¥ ant aft e was delighted with, be- caufe they fee the falfe Religion abandoned, /snd the true rejlored. This it does under the Repre- The PREFAC E. 73 Reprefentation of a Woman thus Dif- .courfing her Neighbour on that occa- fion, Alas Goffip, what /ball we now do at Churchy (ince all the Saints are taken away,fince all the goodly Sights rve were xvont to have are gone, (ince we cannot hear the like Piping) Singing, Chaunting, and Play- ing upon the Organs that we could be- fore. To which the Reply is, But, (dearly beloved} we ought greatly to Rejoyce, and give God thanks that our Churches are. delivered out of all thcfe things which dif- f 'leafed God fo fore, and filthily defiled his holy Houfe and his Place of Prayer. Where, obferve, the Complaint of the Perlbn, who refufed to come to the Parifh-Church , was not among other things, that there fimply was no Playing npn the Organs there, as the Anfverer Anf.p. Si, would infinuate, but exprefly that there was not the Like Playing upon the Or- gans. The Words are ; Settee we cannot hear the like Pipings Singing, Chanting, and Playing upon the Organs that we could before* Where the Word [Like~] being Craftily left out, the Senie and Mean- ing' of the Homily is quite inverted. For the Like ufe of Singing, and Play- ing upon the Organs, moft apparently refers to the fuperftitious Ufe, and abo- mina-» 74 The PREFACE. minable Abufe of thefe things, which by the Reformation was clearly taken away ; but the Difcreet and Sober ufe of thefe in God's Service, was never abfolutely Abolifhed, or ever accounted juftly fo to be \ neither was it ever the Opinion of the Church of England, in the Days of Queen Elizabeth, ( or fince ) That Organs in Churches are dijpleafing to God, and filthily defiling his Houfe, as 'tis untruly mentioned by the Anfwerer in two Places. For lft. In the Days of Queen Eliza- Ann p. *i>y et ij^ w hen thefe Homilies were Com- poled,and ordered to be read inChurches, it is to be Noted, that the ufe of the Organ was allowed and approved of every where ; and was in moil Pariffj Churches in England,not only in the grea- ter Towns, but in abundance of Idler ones,infome very fmall Parifh-Church- es, where either pious Benefactors, or Peoples Abilities did reach to Maintain them ; and this continued fo, through- out her long and happy Reign ; and af- terwards, in the Reigns of King James J. and King Charles I. which Practice is lb manifeft, that it cannot be denyed with any degree of Truth; which cer- tainly no body could fuppofe would have been, if it were the meaning of the Homily The PREFACE. ?s Homily to Condemn them, and to ac- count '-cm as Difpleafing to God, and jilthily defiling his Houfe. II. Ir is alio to be confidered, That if we allow this Reafoning of the dnfwerer, from the Homily againft the ufe of Or- gans, by the fame we muft argue a- gainft Singing too, for that is exprefly mentioned with it. Since we cannot hear the like Piping, Singing, Chaunting, and Playing upon the Organs, that we could be- fore. Where the fuperftitious and cor- rupt Ufe of either Singing or Playing upon the Organs, is only adjudged by the Church to be taken away and not the ufe of either, or both of them to be Aboliflied. And indeed I think not on- ly from thence, but well nigh as much may be Objected on other accounts a- gainft Focal, as againft Inflrumental-Mu- fick in the Church, fince both are equal- ly capable of Abufe : But yet both of them may be of excellent ule, if Grave, Difcreet,and Regular, and of Angular ad- vantage for the promoting the Praife of God, and the Edification of his People, when skilfully joyned together. And then III. The Opinion of the Church of England is the fame as to this matter, with what I have faid above, as will appear by conf uking the fubfequent Words 7 6 The PREFACE. Words of the Homily, which are theft ' This ought we greatly to Praife 'God for, That fuch Superftitious and 4 Idolatrous manners , as were utterly i nought and defaced God's Glory, are 1 utterly Abolifhed, as they moft juftly 'deierved : And yet, thofe things that ei- 4 ther God was Honoured with, or his 1 People Edified,are decently retained,and 'in our Churches comely Pradtifed. Among which things, our Church does reckon the ufe of the Organ , where- with God is honoured, and his People edified, and for thofe Reafons, was it decently retained, and in our Churches comely PracJ/fed, both at the Reforma- tion, and in Queen Elizabeths time, when it Flourished as much as ever, and ever frnce when it did. 'Tis very Arrange now, that the Church Practice, which is ib clear in this matter, fhould be fo ftrangely mifconftrued and mifre- prefented, asifitfpake againft the fame thing, which it fo decently retains and allows, and finds fo great Benefit by. But to fhew farther, That it cannot be the profefl: Judgment of our Church to Condemn the ufe of Organs in it, as the Anfxverer pofitively avers it is, from the Homily y -altho the oblblete expreffion of its being delivered from Superftition' and The PREFACE. ' ?f and abufe in the Place of Prayer, feems repugnant to its conftant Praftice : Take this fhort Story, ' The Lord Chief Juftice S Cook, was made a Sheriff by King James 4 ift. with a defign of Difpleafure, and 4 upon account of his being of the Re- 4 publican Party. He to excufe himfelf 4 infifted on a particular of the Sheriff's 4 Oath not then repealed, and perhaps 4 not yet, whereby he was obliged to 4 Profecute the Lollards for Herefy. Will 4 the Adverfary therefore conclude that 4 he was obliged to Profecute the Pro- 4 teftants under a Proteftant Govenment, 4 and after fo many Laws made in fa- 'vour ofProteftancy, only becaufe this 4 particular had efcaped their obfervation 4 and was not a&ually repealed ? Could 4 he think his not Prolecuting the Prote- - 4 ftants prevaricating with the defign of 4 the Legislators, who had fignified their 4 fenfe by fo many more and clearer Laws 4 than were to the contrary? or could 'he think, that the fenfe of the Legis- lators of the paft Age were to over-rule 4 the fenfe of the Legiflators of the pre- sent Age in a cafe of Contradiftion ? £ _ Hi * * d - Objedion is, 'That if theoy. m 4 Praifing of God with Organs be thus 6 Lawful in the Worfhip of God, then 4 will it for the fame Reafon be Lawful 4 to 7 8 7 he PREFACE. 'to introduce other Mufical InftrumentSj ' in the Worfhip of God, as Harps,Trum- 6 pets, &c* The confequence of which is very true ; and at preient in fbme Or- gans, there are fuch Stops, as reprefent Drums, Trumpets, and divers other forts of Mttjick. And where is the Fault, that fo ufeful an Art is now much improved beyond what it has been ? *Dr. Ditrel informs us, That at Hef- *inhi«View{en they Sing Anthems, not only with Or- vernment&gans, but with load Instruments, and Vi- ^ofG^olins too. At Bern they have Cornets, #v- p- w>and Sacbuts, which Play in the Churches when they Sing the Pfatms. Vpon Fefti- val Days they have alfo Trumpets in Hungaria dW*Tranfilv T ania,*p/wA Play at the Church Door, &x. And what if our Church-Governours think fitting to introduce other Rites too? They may do fo, keeping with- in the Apoftles general Rules of Decen- cy, Order, and Edification, and yet not at all Ad: repugnant to the Nature of * 5 C °£ H, the GofpelWorihip. For thefe Modes or Gircumitances of Worfhip being variable, may be altered with refpe&to different Times and Places. see the p«- But yet I will not call their Piety "feok C of tlw and Prudence in Queftion; or be fb un- ^^ lit charitable to think, they will everfuffer , the *thePREFAC E. j9 the Church Service to be burdened with h y JPp- s f*j n 4 . . a> ^ c g^ aerjon. And luch a numerous Company or Ceremo- of ceremo- nies, as fhall be rather an HinderanceSmJ Na- than an Help to our Devotion. boiifhed &' His jd. Objeftion againft Instrumental- ed. Mufick, is a Syllogifm, wherein the mi- obl ' IIL /wr Propofition, upon which he lays the ftrefs of his Argument is utterly falfe, and fo being denyed, will let the whole fall to the ground. For, The granting Inftrumental-Mufick to be the mo(t proper mentis to quicken our Heart s, and to raife our djfecJions, and to make us the more De~ vout in the Wor/hifing of God. Will not in the leaft impeach Chrift and his Apoftles of the want of Wifdortiin mak- ing provifion for the Edification of the Church. Altho* we grant that they have not Inftituted Inftrumental-Mu- fick in the Service of God, for the rail- ing Mens Affedions, and quickiling Anf. p- *? their Devotion : And 'tis a grofs Mift- ake to fay, That they did Injlitute Vocal Mufickj as the Anfwerer fuppofes moji certainly they did, and that Miftake will deftroy his Argument. For the Inftitution of Vocal Mufick, as well- as Instrumental) was long before the Writing of the New Teftament, and perhaps before the Writing of the Old. We read indeed of no particular Time, 1 t when' So The PREFACE. when either of them was firft Inftituted, tho'. we may when they were firft ufed. Singing fteming to be as Antient and Natural as publick IVorfljip. And Inflruments muft be owned to be helpful to Singing, where an unreafbn- able Prejudice does not hinder the Un- derstanding. Both were in ufe before the Law was given ; as the Song of Mo* fas, and the* Practice of Miriam do tefti- *fie ; but we have no Reafon to think this was the firft beginning of them, when the one Sung, and the other Plaid. And both being of eternal ufe, for the railing of Peoples Affections, and quickning their Devotion, where con- veniently they may be had ; does not re- fled upon the Wijdom- of Chrift and his Apofties, or the primitive Chriftians in not having them ; but, if he will, it may upon their Poverty, and the Afflitled State of the Church in their Days, when it was conftantly under Perfecution, this denyed thole Advantages in the Primi- tive times, which fume Proiperous after Epher^.i9.Ages had. tVcOi- The Apofties Admonition, To [peak ticks. ir«-to o??e another in Yjalms and Hymns, &C. w ffin-$Q®> not exclude Injhurnents, but allows firmmenta, them where they may be had; and 'Xdlnw™' then they may well exalt their Affcftions in The PREFACE. 81 in Devotion, according to the Mind ^ A " t 't i '& i , Chrift and his Apoitles. & m**i* inci\.xs Pjaimos o- UmadHarpdm h.e.^et^eiov vel-M'- *• of weight in it, but becaufe he has a ■ mind to ask the Author of the Serm£ with the Inftrumental Mufick ,to which unlawful) ( thofe Hymns were Sung ; and there- G fore ( * ) fore that the Apojfles could not avoid it. For the Apofiles, who were all made be- fore it was thought Urvful to receive any into the new Peculium befides Jews, or Profelytes of Juftice, ( who are reckoned as Jews by Nation upon that Profelytifm) muft therefore have been Jews by Na- tion, and therefore oblig'd upon z Nati- onal Account to appear Personally before the Lord in the Temple, as all Males were on the three annual Fejlivals of the Pajfover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, and to communicate in the Sacrifices and Sa- crifical Hymns, Sung to the Injlruments appointed for that Service. But this they would not have done, if they had known of any new Revelation for- bidding it under the new Peculium. Yet certainly they did it long after they had declared againft the Impofition of the Law on Gentile Profelytes ; and therefore could not poffibly have been underftood to have condemned Inftrumental Mufick Afbxx. i5. by t j 10 f e Declarations. St. P**/himIelf ufually contrived to be at Jerujalem at thofe annual Solemnities, not only to bring the Alms of his Nation, which were to be laid out on thofe who were then ajjembled in obedience to the Law, . A£tsxxi.2o, but alio to fhew that himfelf walked or- dcrly, according to the Law. The last Aft (3) Act mention'd of him in the Acts before his Imprifonment, and his being lent as a Prifoner to Rome, was his offering the Sacrifice of a Nazarite, purpoiely to fa- tisfie the many Myriads, who, as St.James told him, were zealou* for the Law, and to clear himfelf from the Scandal of teaching an Apoftafy from the Law, and to convince them that he as,aj£w,though t himfelf oblig'd by the Law of the Tem- ple upon the Jewifb Nation. It was therefore impoffible that he could, in his former Preaching, have condemn d that as //#/#/, which he hereby own'd himfelf as obliged to, on account of his Jeiv/f/J Extra&ion. So far he was from con- demning Inftrumental Mufick as unlaw- ful , as that he could not condemn the A** crifces themfelves in Jews by extraction, , If therefore our Adverfaries will prove even Sacrifices unlawful for Jew* by Ex* tra&ion, they muft do it by Tcftimonies /rftr'than this Practice of St. Paul. It muft on the contrary appear that all their Testimonies for this purpofe, drawn from his Epiftles, written before this time,were manifeft mifunderftandings of his Wordsj when drawn to a Senfe, in which it is impoffible that he ccw/d intend them, with- out contradiction to his own Practice. In- deed they can produce nothing to this G -z pur- (4) purpofe, even from the latefi of the N. T. Writings. The Chriflians in the Afrs had feparated before that time from the Synagogue Worfhip in many Places. But we find nothing there, nor in any of the N. T. Hiftory , that they ever attempted it with relation to the worfhip of the Tern* pie. St. James the^// 3 theBi(hop ofjeru- falem, the Bifhop of the Jpojiles, fre- quented the Temple Worfhip, not only then when he advisM St. Paul to dofb, but alfb afterwards, if we may believe Hegefippus and Jojepbus. For he was Martyred there, and the Church of Je- rufalem is reprefented in the Revelations as having Harpers playing to Hymns. The Archetypal Church in all likelihood,af- ter the way of Prophetick Vifions, accord- ing to the Cufloms of the Etfypal. And ra- ther the Chrijlian Archetypal than the Jewifb, becaufe there is no mention of bloody Sacrifices, but fiich as became the new Peculium, when the Temple was de- Diaio g .cum. ftroy'd. Nay, Jujtin Martyr ,• admits Trjphon. even — j^ t - me ^ t j lat j etps ^y Extraction might obferve the Law of Mojes in their own Perfons; on Condition that they would not impofc it on the Gentiles. So far St. Hierom\ Obfervation is from be- ing true, that the Rites of the Law were mortiferous after the deftruttion of the Temple. (5) Temple. Thus far therefore it was im- poffible, that there could have been any Revelation to the Apoftles, concerning the unlawfulnefs of Inftrumental Mufick. BUT perhaps our Ad verfaries may fay, "• That the Apoftles might allow it to the %«$„ % yews, fuch as themfelves were; and yet fo, as for a* Y .- • » r i - i n ^-/ r \ it was in the believe it unlawful tor the Gentiles, iucli p owcr of as we are now. Indeed the Gentiles *? $&' were, by the Difcipline of the Temple^ them. excluded 'from the Sacrifices themfelves, and the Sacrifical Hymns, and confe- quently from the lnfirumental Mufick, to. which thefe Hymns were Sung.They were not permitted to come into that Ho- lier part of the Temple, where the Sacri- fices were offered. All Jerufalem was al~ larm 7 d by it, when they thought St. Paul had brought an Ephefian Gentile ' into that part of the Temple. But the Apoftles were fo far from adding to the feverity of that Difcipline, that they not only permitted, but obliged, Gen tile Chri- Jlians to partake of that Mufick, as far as it was in their Power to do ft), whilft the Difcipline of the Temple was kept up by fuch Jews as were by Principles profefs'd Enemies to the Chriftian Religion. They admitted Gentiles indeed into the new^ Peculium. without the Profelytifm of G j 3f*//" ( o Juftice by Circumcijion. But plainly on filch Terms as obliged them to depend on the Terms of Judaifm, for the bene- fits of the Peculium. They were oblig'd to be one Body with the Apoflles, to be built and fuperjlrutted on them, if they could pretend to any (hare in the cor- ner Stone. They obliged them to be grafted into the natural Olive, if they would have any of the Sap and Fatnefi of it. This gave a Prerogative and Pre- cedency to the Jews fo long as this engraft* ing lafted, acknowledged by the Apo- ilk himfelf, when on this account he reckons the Jews firsJ, then the Gentile. For what can that Fame/ and Sap of the natural Olive be, but the My flic al benefits of their Sacrifices, and their 7Vw/>/ nor ac- quainted with y thQ Originals oiChriftianity. But thefc are Authorities by which they are unwilling to be concluded in other Cafes. If therefore they will be true to their Principles, they will do well to lay afide ( H ) afide thefe Prejudices, and fee what they can find for thofe Opinions in the Scrip- tures themfelves, which are the only Au- thorities they pretend to follow. But when thefe Prejudices are laid afide, they will not find thofe things fb clearly decided there as they have been ufed to believe. No, nor in the Writings of the frit and pur elf Originals of the Chriftid* Religion. AND yet I do not deny but thztfeve- v. ral of the Mofaical Precepts were in- The chief deed abrogated by the Gojpel, and fo ab- £on made" rogated, as that it is now unlawful tojj*jjg inlift on them as they were then impol- the Gentiits ed. What I defign , is only to (hew Si med that the general way of Reasoning usM by *^£" our Jdverfaries, neither has, nor can mediately have, the leaft Countenance in the Writ- ^4fa».^ ings of the New Teflament. This alone will fufRce to fhew, that before they can make Application to our Cafe of Instru- mental Mufick, they fliould firfl: fhew up- on what Conference it comes to pais, that any of the Mofaick Rites are made unlawful by the Eftablifhments of the Goj)el ; and then, that this particular of Inftrumental Mufick is concern'd in that Conference. This has not been, that I know* attempted)^ them, tho'abfblute- l 7 I *4 I ly necejfary, if they will realbn acurately. For this purpofe, I fhall defire them to remember, that the great difpute of the Apofiolical Age, was concerning the Co- alition of the 'Jews and the unarcumcis^d Gentiles into one Society and Communion of God$ peculiar People, in order to the partaking of the fame publick Worfljtp on Earth y and their being thereby entitPd to the Spiritual benefits promised by God, as his part of the Covenant, ro that pecu- liar People, which he was pleas'd to own as his, and to receive inco his Covenant. For the Principal thm^ defign'd in thofe new Revelations made to the Affiles in the A£ts, was to fhew that the Gentiles were to be admitted into the new Pe~ culium, without any Obligation to obferve the Law of Mofes, as it had been particu- larly impos'd on the Jewiffj Nation. That is, without any Obligation to incorporate themfelves into ttie particular Nation of Aas x. 4.4. the Jews. This God fhew'd by his effu- fion of his Holy Spirit onCorneliw and his Companions, tho' uncirsumcis'd, purpofe- ly to let St. Peter know that they were not co be reputed as common and unclean y and uneatable of joyning in Holy Offices on the Terms of the new Peculium, on that account alone of their not being Circumcised, as St. Peter hath thought before ; I ('5 ) before, when he faw the Vifion of the unclean Beafts and Reptiles. The de* fign of this, was not to affert their actu~ al Holinefi, or being actually of the new Peculium without Baptifm, as many of our feparating Adverfaries have under- flood it. That was no Dilpute at that time; but it was only to let St. Peter know that they were capable of being admitted into the new Peculium immedi- ately by Baptifm, without being Circum- cised. So St. Peter underftood it, who took care they fhould be Baptized, tho* he did not infift upon their being C/V- cumcis^d, which he would never have done, if he had thought them as much excused thereby from Baptifm as from Circumcifion. This Revelation to St. Pf- ter y was that which fatisfied the reft of the ApoflleSy when they Expoftulated with him concerning his freer Convcrfa- tion with Cornelius than was allowable Aa$ xi. it, by their former Opinions. Afterwards they were farther Confirmed by the mi- raculous cfFufions of the Spirit on the Gentiles Converted by St. Paul and St. Aa$xW.i 7 . Barnabas, without any Circumcifion that xv * 4 ' IZ ' might qualify them for it. But moll of all, by thofe ordinary Manifeftations of the Spirit then accompanying their Ba$- tifms, even of Pcrfons uncircumcis'd ; nay, nay, which Circumcised Perfons could not pretend to, till they were alfb Bap- tized. It being the peculiar Prerogative of our blefled Saviour's Baptifm, that it was not only of Water but alfo of the Gal. fii. *. Spirit. Thence St. Paul argues to the Galatians, as a thing very notorious,that they had not received the Spirit by any r//WObfervances of the Law, but by the Obedience of faith, And very fblid- ly, even according to the Notions of thofe times. For the Holy Spirit being own'd for the Principle of Confecration of the holy People, I mean of the Mj- i fiical, which was alfb own'd for the on- ly true Confecration ; it thence appeared that Baptifm alone, without Circumcifwn, Ivas fumcient for admitting a Perfon in- to the Holy People, which was one of the proper Titles of the peculiar People, which were in immediate Covenant with the Supreme Being, VI. NOW this Conftitution of the new Pecu- This was i tum was perfe&ly inconfiftent with the * rmai of Ola one. The Old one admitted none *fi$i££ t0 thei r Sacrifices, by which Gods Cove. %K X inToni nAnt W ^ t ' iem WaS tran ^ft C d, but On- fitnt wkh it. ly Circumcised Perfbns. No Gentiles therefore could be admitted into it till they were fir(t Circumcised, that is, In* cor^ ( *7 ) torporated into the Jewiflj Nation, and thereby made liable to all the Imfb fit ions On that Nation: And that by the ex- prefs Command of God, who had exclud- ed all ukcircumcis^d Perfbns from par- taking of thofe Sacrifices of the Jewifij Temple, and confequently from the Ar- chetypal Heavenly Sacrifices reprcfented by them, and from all the Mjftital Benefits of the Archetypal Sacrifices which were apply'd to the Communicants in the ex- ternal Sacrifices y as well as reprefenied by them. By the new Covena-at grounded on thefe new Revelations, the Gentiles were admitted into the Hew Peculium by Baptifm immediately, without any Ob- ligation ioCircumcifionfin tb Incorporation into the Jewifh Nation, Both of them therefore being confeffedly divine efta- blifhments, were to be receiv'd as far as they were confident with each other. The firjl was id take Place confeffedly till the Jecond was introduced, becaule fo long it had no Rival that might pretend equal Authority with its' feff. Af- terwards it was to give way on account of xh&x. general Authority every Legijlative Power^hzs to repeal its Own Sanctions ,and on the general account that where the re* peal is not exprefl, the latter San&ion is to take Place, in Cafe of inconfiftency, as H being ( x3 ) being the Sen ft of the Legiflative Power, at leaft from that time forwards. This could not have been Difputed,if the Jews had granted, that their own Eftablifh- ment was deftgnd only for a time. But obferving in the Old Teftament, fre- quent mention of an everUfting Cove- nant, it was very natural for them to apply it to that of which they were al- ready poifefs'd, and of which their Edu- cation had given them fb great an Opi- nion. And when this Opinion had ob- tained, it was then very natural for them to gather farther, that God had thereby declared that their prefent Conftitution fhould laft for ever: and that therefore whofoever fhould pretend to repeal it, either wholly, or in any fart, was for that reafbn to be prefum'd not to be from God, becaufe it was in their Opinion lb contra- ry to his former exprefs Declarations a- gainft any future Innovation. This Miftake therefore, the Chriltians of that Apofiolical Age Difpute againft. They obferve in thofe Writings of the Old Teftament, exprefs mention not of one alone, as the Jews conceiv'd, butof/*rel, of which I have already fpoken. So alfb it was necelTary that the Peculium muft no longer depend on the Temple Sacrifices. For thofe were not in the Power of the Apoftles, nor could they admit whom they pleas'd to them. They were per- fectly at the difpofal of the Jewijb San- hedrin, who were profelsM Enemies to our Saviour, and would admit no uncir- cumcis^d Perfbn to partake in them, nor could do otherwife whilft they difowrfd the new Revelations of the Gojfelby the J 00 file. So alfb that Ceremonial Holineft o\ abflaining from certain forts of Meats, could no longer be required in order to the Holinefi 'of -the Peculium. For thofe had never been required from any Na- tion befides that of the Jews, and there- fore fore could not be expe&ed from the Gentiles, when they were no longer o- bJiged to an Incorporation into the Jswifh Nation, in order to their being entitled to the highefl: Benefits of the Pecultum. Nor could the Jews infill on thefe things as requifite for their communicating with the uncircumcifed Gentiles in Holy Offices, if themlelves would partake of the my* fiical Benefits of the new Peculium, on its own Terms. Their doing fb made the Wall of Partition, menticnM by the Apoftle; and made it impoffiblefor them to coalefce into one Body with the uncir* cumcis*d, as the new Revelation of the Gojpel requires. It were eafy by this Rea- loning to account for all the particulars of the old Mofaital Inftitution, that arc fuppos'd unlawful in the Go/pel. If this which I have given be the vw. true Original how it came to pals that ™* i * C0H - f *Pr . » tx. i i > i [iftency can- iome Mojatck Rites have been abrogated not be pre- by the Gopl ; there will thence follow ^cUV no pretence for condemning them as uni~ itf™™ 11 : verfAtly unlawful now, tor no other rea- Ion but becaufe they were Duties then upon positive \ as well as upon Moral and univerJallyobligzngjRQd.ibns. All that will follow from this Topick wiU be, That only thofr Particulars of the Mojaick In- ftitu- ( 22 ) ftitution will be thus affected, that are inconfiltent with the Gentiles free admif- (ion to the highest Priviltdges of the new Peculium, immediately without Circum- cifion or Profelytifm of Juflice; and which being admitted would have made that breach of Communion which was prin- cipally difputed againft by the Apoflles and Writers of the Apofiolical Jge. Thofe could not be things wherein the uncir- cumcifd Gentiles were already agreed, as they were in the ufe of Inflrumental Mu- (ick, in their Sacrifical Hymns, and in their pttblick Solemnities. How could that have made a breach between them, wherein they did not differ ? How could that have excluded Gentiles from the new Peculium, without fubmitting to the whole Law of Mofes, which was already prac- tised by the Gentiles, before they con- cerned themfelves to know what had been requirM by Mofes ? How could that have been taken for an Impofition which they had freely taken upon them- ielyes, without any regard to the practice of the Jews? Then all that Difpute was concerning what might be lawfully im~ pos*d on the Gentiles, not concerning what may be lawfully praclis^d by the Jews by Nation. This is fb certain, that even the moft indifputably abrogated in- inftance of Circumcifton, and the Tem- ple Sacrifices were uled by the Ap-files themlelves, as being Jews by Extraction j by St. Paul himfelf, the mod zealous Actsxxus Oppofer of thole very fame Rites, as im~ pos'd on the Gentiles ; and that *//*r lie iiad laid and done fo many things a- gainft their Impofition. If therefore eventhefe Particulars, neither were, nor could bethought unlawful, How can our Adverfarics gather it concerning thole many other things againft which they can pretend no other Exception but their originally Mofaick Impofition \ The Apo- file himfelf rather implys that fome of the Mo/dick Infiitutions did, and ought to, remain according to the defign of the Gofpel. What elfe can he mean ? when applying that Paffage of Haggai, -concerning the ftate of the Gojpel, that That God would {hake not the Earth only, but alfo Heaven, he lubjoins the event of that {baking, and tells us, that it Signi- fied the removing of thofe things that are {haken, as of things that are made, that 2 ^ 2; . thofe things which cannot be Jhaken may re- main. v What this /baking means may eafily be underftood fiom what I have already Difcourled. That Convulfion de- pended on the inconfiftency of the Do£t- ' rine of the Gofpel, by which the Gentiles H 4 were were admitted into the new Petulium without any Incorporation into the Jewijh Nation, with the Mofaick Eftablifhaicnt, whereby the PecuUum was by God him- fdf confined to the Jewif/j Nation, and could not be Communicated to the Gentiles on any other Condition than Profelytifm of Juftice and Incorporation. This new Eftablifhment mull in courfe remove all thefe Mofaical Confitutions, vyhich either fuppos^d or caused this con- finement.But all thofe other Mofaick Con- flitutions as well Pofitive as Moral, which were confi/lentwith this enlargement of the Peculium, could not therefore be thought foaken or removed by it. If therefore they were not fbaken, what can hinder by the ^poftles reafoning, why they fhould not iiill remain ? Poffibly not as to the ob- ligation which they had receivM from the Mofaick ' Santf ion, yet lb, at leaft,as to continue in their own native indiffe- rencj, which may qualify them for a new Ecclefiajiical Santjion by tjie Power of the Church. Such ah Ecclefiaftical Sanction Would plainly fuppofe no antecedent Ob- ligation from the Law of Mojes, and therefore could be no lmp the concern dm the change made by the Gof- {&%'&£ pel; that even where there had been *** %$* °£ n confijlency, and therefore a change was hoWs - really ^4^, they yet allow a reafoning from the aboliftfd Conftitution of the Law, to that which anfwerd it under the Gofpel) as far as the 0/£<5 in Circumcised, to the ( 26) the Holinefi of the Seed of Baptised Per- Ions. So the Go/pel Priefihood was not confinM to the Tribe of Levi, or the Fa- mily of Aaron, as that was inftead of which it was fubftituted. Yet in other things I have given inftances of Argu- ments from the Levitical to the Evange- lical Priefihood, allow'd by the Apoflles and Apofiolical Perfons. So the Eucharifii- cal Sacrifice, in which Gentiles alio might Communicate, fucceeded the bloody Sacri- fices of the Temple, which had been appropriated to the Jews alone: Yet even here alfo St. Paul reafons from one to the other, i Cor. x. 1 8. and St.Clemens alfo in his unqueftionable Epiftle to the Corinthians. None can doubt but the precept of not muzzling the Mouth of the Ox that trod out the Corn was Levi- tical and Temporary. Yet the Apofile ar- gues thence alfo, that the Presbyters alfo Ihould partake in the Ecclefiafiical Alms which they minifired to thofe who were to be maintained by them. If this way of arguing be defign'd to prove a Duty in a matter lb arbitrary as this is, con- cerning the Perfons who were to partake of the publick Contributions; it will follow that even in thefe abrogated Par* ticulars, they ftill judged it to be the Divine Pleature that the old San&ion fhould (2 7 ) fhould ftill continue, where the Reafon holds the fame. Had the Reafons been, without any regard to the Legiflator, drawn from the nature of the things themfelves; fuch might have provM the things rztbsrPrudent than Obliging, and rather fit to be made Laws than to have had any $an&ion from the former Legifla- tion. But the Reafoning here infilled on, why the Ox fhould not be muzzled when he trod out the Corn, is to fhew the Senfe of the Legiflator. Doth God take care , Ctr ix 9# for Oxen . ? Or faith he it not for our fakes ? I0 - Why fo, if God had not been to have been regarded in the Duty here infill- ed on? If as a Law-maker, then even the Sanction will continue, by which fuch Laws as thefe obliged formerly: So they will ftill oblige as Laws, whilft -the fame reafon continues for which God was at firft pleas'd to imfofe them. If as an infallible Judge of Reafon, ftill it will follow, that whilft the Reafon holds, they will be fo far from being made un- lawful, in fuch particulars wherein the Reafon does indeed hold, that their per- formance will ftill be accepuUz. to God, thoVnot commanded by him. Either way of Explication is fufficient to overthrow this whole way of reafoning, as manag'd by our Adveriaries. 7 / But (tfj x. But what if wc fhould turn this way The fame of ' reafoning y us'd by the Apofiles, againft ShfdTmade our Adversaries ? What if we fhould jnpumen- conclude, That becaufe Instrumental Mu- &^sacri- JIck was usM then in their Temple Sacri- S^dm, . f< therefore it fhould ftill be at leaft make it fit* fit and acceptable in our prefent Euchari- $ il1 - fiical Sacrifices ? I cannot forefee what they could fay, why we fhould not have Major? d as the Apofiles did ; or how the Apoflles could blame us for doing fo; or why our Ad verfaries/&0tfW blame us, who profefs themfelves fuch Emmies of Impositions, if they did not impofe upon us more than the Apofiles, in fo eafily condemning matters of this nature as u»- lawful. They can pretend no more con- demnation in other places of the Writings of the Apofiles in this Cafe, than in thole others wherein the Apofiles themfelves allow this way of Arguing. And I know no reafon from the natures of the things themfelves, that even our i^dverfarics can pretend to be Temporary^ or that will not make Injlrumental Mufick as fuitable to our prefent Worfhip, as it was to that of the Apofiles. No fort of Sacrifices were more proper for Hymns than thofe that are Eucharifiical y and fpch all ours arc aow, but were not lb in t%9) ill the Days of the Afoftles. And the ufe of Hymns neither is, nor can be de- nied by our Adverfiries, ds well in the private Synaxes of the Jpojlolical Chri- stians, as in the Worfhip of the Temple. The Hymn to ChriB as a Gdd, in Pliny, appealed to in the latter end of the fe- pifciintjt cond Century, as a very early evidence 97 ' of the belief of his Deny , feems to have been joined with the EucbariJt. For Pliny tells us, on the fame occafion, of the Covenant the Chrijlians entred into againfl: all the liberties us'd by wicked Perlons. And the publick Singers are mention'd in the earlieft diftinft Ac- counts we have of their Offices, not as newly introduced, but as a&ually obtaining without any memory of a late Original. Had the reafons of the things been all that fiad been requifite for raifing of the Affections, I cannot conceive any need our Adverfaries can pretend for Singing: That does no o* therwife contribute to the faifing of the Jffe£iions y than as the affiftance and Improvement of the Imagination may be fuppofcd to contribute to it. The Singing does not add a aew Reafon, nor improve the old ones, why the Afte&ions fhould be railed. But however they do tiff oft the Jffettions to follow Reafdn, more t f* ■■ J more readily and more vigoroufly ttjan they would if they had not the afUft- ance of a favourable Imagination ; and that by the Nature of the things them- felves; and in that regard, Muftck Instru- mental alfo was acknowledged to have the fame influence that Singing had by the Imagination over the Affections ; and to add to the advantages of Singing Vo- cally : So it was that Davids playing on the Harp cured Saul of the evil Spirit , by curing that Melancholy which difpojed him to receive the Influences of the evil Spirit : So it was that the like ufe of In- flrumental Mufick clifpos'd Elifba for the Influences of the good Spirit, by com- pofing; that Paffion which his Zjal againft the Idolatry of the Kjng of Ifrael had put the Prophet into ; it made him capable of being acted by the Spirit of Prophefy. For chearfulnefi of Temper is one of the Difpofitions required by the Rabinical Jews themfelves, for fitting Men for Prophtfie. That may poflibly be the Reafon why the Scriptures mention In- flrumental Mufick as received in the Schools of the Prophets, efpecially when they were i sam.x. ;. a&ually Prophefying ; as it fliould feem iChr.xxv.j. t0 difpofe them for the freer Influences of . the Divine Spirit. The Singing Hymns to fuch Inftruments is call'd Prophefying i iri ( |i ) in the places now mentioned. So far the nature of the Spiritual Wo'rfhip of the Gojpel is from fuperjeding this affiftance of Instrument d Mufick, as our Adverfa- ries would have us believe, that on the contrary it contributed to it, if we would rather believe the Scriptures and the a£tu* a 1 Opinions of the [acred Writers. So Mi* riam Prophefied with a Timbrel, the In* ftrument moft usM by Women : So Sa- muel's Difciples, the Sons of the Prophets, the Candidate expectants of that facred Gift : They alfb Propbefie with a Pfaltery, aTabret, and a Harp, and a Pipe: So the ordinary Officers in the Jewifi Li* turgicksy were to Prophefie with Harps and Pfalteries, and Cymbals according to the order of King David, i Chr. xxv. i, 2. And Jeduthun is laid to Prophecy with a i&r/>, to give Thanks, and to Praife the Lord, v. j. Why fhould we therefore think it ftrange, that the Church of J*- rufalem in the Revelations, fhould be re- Rev.v.s.xiv. prefented Harping with the //*r/\r of God? z ' We fee it was the proper Employment of Prophets, according to the fenle of the fa- cred Writers ; that is,of thofe wherein that Church of Jerufalem did fb much abound. How could thofe Sacred Writers judge In- ftrument al Mufick improper for a Spiritual Difpenfation, when they thought it fb ufe- XV. 2. vi*} njeful in an ordinary way, to dijpofe Men for the receiving the Spirit of Pro- phecy. JH- If Our Adverfaries would learn from rfM^t the Scriptures, they Jhould reaion from th'Ju hfn'l C ! le ®P nions received in the Ages of the £2f; and Sacred Writers, rather than irom preju- *™™ dic ' s imbibM from Modern Sj/?*«/. tosirdnsry That would be the way to rftf/00 as rrw r. /^ jjj r ^^ anc j the belt expedient for finding the Senfe of them who were uid to that W4> of Reafoning. They pretend that all the efficacy of Instrumental Mu- fick then, was due to a particular Inter- position of God feconding his own Infli- tution. Had the Infiitution been Angu- lar and different from the Cuftoms of o- ther Religions, or the event other than what Would have been expected, accord- ing to the opinions then received among thofe who had no regard to the Mofakal Inftitutioii ; there had been indeed fbme pretence for afcribing the Benefit rather to the extraordinary Interpofition ofGod> than to the Natures of the things thfcm- lelves. The jealous God, who will not give his Glory to another, makes choice of the moft unlikely means in the opinions of thole with vrtiOtfi he has to deal, wheri hfc defigns to challenge the Glory of the event C 33 ) eve nt, entirely to hirnfelf. So it was when he was pleas'd to reftore the Sight of him that was born Blind, by anointing his Eyes with Clay : So when Naaman was to be Cured of his Leaprode by Wafh- ing in Jordan, rather than in Abana and Pharpar y the Rivers of his own Coun- try : So when he redue'd the Nam- bers of 'Gideons Army, from many Thou- fands to 300. Here, on the contrary, thofe very means are usM^ which even the Heathens themfelves had agreed on as moft naturally conducive to the fame end, and which leaft needed an extraor^ dinary Interpofitionof Providence, in the Opinions of thofe who were to u(e them. It was ealy to forefee that they would afcribe the event to the natural Courlc^ of fecond Caufes themfelves, and that, in the way direajoning fuited to their Ca- pacities, they would alfo think they had reafon to do (b, and that Gd intended they fliould do fo, whilft he fignifiecl nothing to the contrary : And therefore God muft have indeed intended they fliould 'think lb, if he did at all intend they fliould underftand him rightly.' And who can think Sauls Servants par- ticularly injpired when they recommend- ed a Mufictan to their Mailer, as an ex* f>edient againft the Ailings caufed by the. I evil ( 34) ■ evil Spirit ? The realon in all likelihood why they recommended it, was becaufe they knew it a likely Cure of Melancho- ly, and they believed withal, that when the Melancholy was cured, the evil Spirit who was confinM to Rules, could not exercife his Malignity on a fubjeQ: indif- pofed to receive his Influences. This is a plain Account how the thing might be done,in their Opinions, hy Instrumental Mufick, as an ordinary means, without any pretence to Revelation, which they neither did, nor had any reafon, to pre- tend to. The like Account feems moft probable of the Cafe of Eli/ha, when he alfo made ule of Instrumental Mufick for difpofmg himielf to receive the Spirit of Prophecy. He pretends no Revelation for it ; nor indeed could he do fo, if he was yet indtjpos^d for it, till he had us'd the remedy of Mufick. For if he had been capable of Injpiratton without the ufe of Mufick, he might as eafily have anfwered the principal Queftion demand- ed of him, as haveuled one Revelation for an expedient to qualify him for a fe* cond. But it has appeared that the practice was already received in the Schools of the Prophets, which might eafily put Eli/ha in mind of it, when he found his cafe re- quircd it. And for its being received/ in hofb CM ) thole Schools) no divine Revelation is,that I know, fo much as pretended. The moft likely original therefore, is its natural con- ducivenefs to difpofe the Mind for being a&ed by Prophet ick Infpirations.The He** then* uled it for that end, purely on ac- count of its natural ufefulnefs for that purpofe. The Priejls of Cybele y the Galli, advanced their Enthufiajm by the ufe of Cymbals : So did the Baccbx in the Rites of Bacchus, who for the time were trans- ported befides themfelves, and knew not what they did, ib abfolutely they were under the power of that emotion of Mind which they believed PropheticL They brought themfelves to that Condi- tion among other means^ by this alfb of Inflrttmental Mufick. The Paffage of Nero, ridicuFd by Per fins, is famous to this purpofe: Torva Mimalloheis imple- runt cornua bombU. To the lame pur- pofe, I conceive, may be referred thofe PafTages of the New Teft anient that re- quire our rejoicing always \ that forbid our grieving, as well a* quenching, of the Holy Spirit ; that require perfeft Concord between married Perions, that their Pray* ers might not be kindred. By all thefe things it appears, that, in the received Opinions of thole Ages, CheerfulneJ! of Temper was thought to difpofe for the I % In- Influences of the good Spirit, and Melan- choly for the Influences of the evil one; and that Mufick Inflrumental, as well as Vocal, contributed to promote that Cheerfulnefl^ and to remove that Melancholy. Thcfe 0- pinions, being fuppofed and alluded to in the Scriptures, ought therefore to be taken for the meafures of Interpreting them. And what is there in thisHy- pothefis, that can, in Reafon, be fuppos'd Temporary ? Can we fuppofe God to have made new Rules, for the Influen- ces of the two Spirits now,that were not in the Age of the Apoftles ? Or, fup- pofing the Rules the fame, Can we fuppofe any Change in the Nature of Instrumental Mufick, that may now make it unufeful, forthofe very fame ends, for which it was then believ'd (b very Advantageous ? XIL OUR Adversaries, who have been al- ccs of"' w ways more intent on the Words, than Ttrti ^ 1S Reafonings of the Scriptures, have onM»»,fuch not, I think, fo well confiderM the Rules ^SiTorOf Providence, by which both Spirits •bpttped ars confin 7 d in Acting upon Mankind. Tnmt*iht*-\xht rather, becaule they are rather///^- ^ L po(ed than delivered in exprefs Terms. But God does not deal with Mankind Arbitrarily^ nor fuffer Spirits to Influ- ence (37) cnce him otherwise, than may be con- fident with that Free will that he has given him, in order to the making him capable of Rewards and Punishments, and of Politic aI Government. That the good Spirit fuggefts good Thoughts, and that the evil ^Spirit tempts by inje&ing evil ones, is undoubtedly fuppofed in the Scriptures. But the manner, how this is done, is not ib clearly Explain'd. Yet it is certain, that neither of them do it to the uttermoll of their Natural Power. The Holy Spirit being Omni- potent, could do more Good \ and the Evil Spirit, tho' Finite, yet being fo much Superiour to Man, could do more Mifchief than we fee isdoae by them. They miojjt affume Bodily Shapes , and propofe their Arguments as vifibly to us, 3s we do to one another. But this is not the way of Converfation obferv'd. They might imprefs Ideas immediately uporl our Imagination, if God had been pleafed it fhould have been fo. But that had been too great an Impofltion upon oqr Humane Liberty. As for that im- mediate Converfation with them which feparated Spirits have with each other, of that we are incapable whilft we our felves are in Bodies. . Even ouvfupenour Soul, ufes the Imagination, and is inca- 1 5 pable ( 1*) pable of framing any difiincl Ideas of things that are not Material. The way therefore remaining, how Spirits may Influence us, without violence to our Liberties, is by their Exciting or Com- pounditg Ideas already in us on fit Oc- eaftons, when external Objects are before us, that may Invite us to what is Good, or Infnare us to what is Evil. So the Injpiration of the Good Spirit , is callM vTripMnf, a putting us in Mind of what we knew before, on the Seafon where- in we are to Praftice. For the adapt- ing Thoughts to the Seafons of Practice, is that upon which the Event does prin- cipally depend. This therefore the Good Spirit may do undoubtedly, as well in Ideas of the Vnderfianding^ asoftheAfo- terial Faculties. And there was no fort of Prophecy, wherein both forts of Fa- culties were not conccrn'd. Prophet ick Dreams had their principal Scene in the Imagination. Prophet ick Vifwns not on- ly there, but alio perhaps in the £*- temal Senfes. The Bath Col. was to the Senfe of Hearing. Even the Mofa- ick Degree of Prophecy, was a Conver- fation with the Deity, under a fenfible Reprefentation, tho' not of any parti- cular living Creature that might have been Reprefented by an Image. The Jews (3*) Jews therefore do reafonably require in him who would be difposM for the Spi- rit of Prophecy, a lively Imagination, as well as a good Vnderftanding. So that no good Mw who wants either of them, is by his Goodnefi alone, difpos'd, as is requfite, for receiving the Gift of Prophecy. But the Imagination requifite for the Influences of the Good Spirit, was fuch as Was Calm and Sedate, free from tumultuous Pafltons, and ungovern- able Fancies, and confiftent with the moft accurate ufe of Reafoning. This therefore was the Reafon, why the firft C^r//?/^iimputed theH^^Divinations of the PythU, the Sibyls, the Bacch*, &c. rather to Enthufiafmznd malignant Spirits, than to a Gift of truly Divine Prophecy, becaufe of the Brutifh Tran- Jports, and indecent, undifciplin'd, Be- haviour, into which thofe Perfons were driven, when they furrendred themfelves to the Conduft of thofe pretended Dei- ties. And what difficulty is there, why grave and grateful Tunes of ( Inflru- mental as well as Vocal ) Mufick might not contribute to the allaying the Paffi- ons, and to invigorate the imagination to fuch a degree, as would ftill be con- fiftent with Decorum, and perfeft Sub* jtclion to the Nobler Faculties x which I 4 this ( 4o ) this Divine Principle kept in poffeflion of theii; Native Right of Government ? On the other fide, the Evil Spirits were not believed, in the Apoftles Days, fo pure from Matter as they have been fince the modern Ariftotelean Philofophy, received at Second-hand from the Spa- vijh Arabians, has prevailed. It was ra- ther the Groffnefioi their 4 e 'nalC loath- ing that was then thought to Confine them to thefc Aerial Regions, and to make them need the Nidour of Bloody Sacrifices for their Nourifbment and De- light, and that inclined them to that Malignity of Nature, that made the De- vils; that ungovernable Pride, that£#- *f at the Prosperity of others, that Rc- Jiih of Cruelty, and doing ill Offices to their fellow Creatures, which are the Characterifticks of thole wicked Beings. This being fuppos'd, ijiuft make them imcapable of Adting the reafonable, but only the inferiour material, Faculties. Their Power therefore was conceiv'd to be only in the Imagination, and the m&terid Facilities depending on it. Thefe being fuitpd to their degenerated Nature, they can therefore Ail upon them as far as the Rules oiPryvidenpe (ha ]1 give them leave, for the tryal of jre? 4gents, in order to llewxrds or funi foments. Their Their way of Tempting therefore, is to awaken thofe Ideas which lie Dormant in the Imagination and fen fit ive Memory, as the effects ot vicious Inclinations , con- firmed by frequently repeated vicious Affs. 1 mean, to awaken them at the Prefence of vicious Objects, and fuitable Opportunities. This may be allowed them, if they be permitted to A£t up- on the Brain, the Seat of the Imagina- tion, and the other material Faculties and Ideas which raife the Vafjlons^ and make them Head-Jlrong, and confequenfc- ly affeQ: the whole Body, m the Di- fturbances following upon them. Ac- cordingly Madnejfes, which arife from Diforders of the Brain, were ufually af- crib'd to Devils in thofe Times. The Excellent Mr. Mead,, has ^ong fince made this Obfervation on thofe Words of the Evangeiift : He hath a Devil, and is Mad ; why hear ye him ? Joh. x. 20. . So having a Devil, is the fame with being Mad, in the Language of that Age. Thou haft a Devil : Who go- eth about to kill thee I Joh. vii. 20. And when the Jews charge our Saviour with Incofjfiftency in his Difcourle, they tell him that lie had a Devil, Joh.viii. 48. but more plainly v. 52. Now we know that thou k&fi & Devil ) Abraham is dead, and (42 ) and the Prophets, and thou fayefi, If 4 Man keep my faying, he /hall never tafte of Death. So St. "John x. 21. Thefe are not the Words of one that hath a Devil. From the Coherence §i our Saviour's DiP courfe, they infer that he had no De- vil. The fame Opinion is rep relented Apoio-y. by St. Jujlin Martyr, as the Senfe of the Chriftians of his Age, that Mad Perfons were believed to ba Dtmoniacks. As therefore King Saul was Punifhed by having an evil Spirit fent him from the Lord ; fo alfb, frequently in the Poets, the ancienteft Writers of the Greeks, and the Perfonator j of the el deft Antiqui- ties they knew of, it is mentioned as the Pumfamentof piacular Perfons ; that they were delivered over to Furies, and by them alienated from their Senfes, and driven into Madnefi. So in the Cafe of Athamas, of Hercules, of Ale- maon, of Orefits, &:c. And their Cure was ufually by Expiations and Of- fices of Religion, rather than Phyftck , which proved the Aylings to be causM immediately by Spirits. Yet fbmetimes alio by Phyfck, which proved withal, that the Dijpojition of the matter was removeable by Natural Expedients, and that when it was fb, the Evil Spirits had no longer Power to moleft thofe who ( 43 ) who were fo Cur'd, by the Rules pre- fcrib'd to them by Providence. This Hippocrates proves particularly in the Cafe of the Morbus Steer. Beiides thefe sL ™ ' Dijlraclions of Mind, there were alio other Aylings and Difeafes inflicted by way of 'Punishment on Criminals by the Sentence of God, and the Intervention of Evil Spirits. Such were the Falling- Sicknefl, fuch were A)lings returning with the Changes of the Moon, fuch were Leprous, fuch fevcral forts of Fe- vers and Agues, fuch all thofe Molefta- tions which were removable by Charms^ and the like fufpe£ted means of Cove- nants and Intercourfe with Evil Spirits. For it was the received Opinion, as Tertullian fhews, that the Devils could Cure no Maladies but fuch as had been caus'd by them, by ceafing to ufethe Means that had caus'd them, when they were adrefs'd to in the ways appoint- ed by themfelves, and permitted by Providence for the Punifljrwnt of thefe who rely'd on them, and maintained fuch .unlawful Intercourfe with the Spi- rits, that had appointed them. They did not fo much as pretend toCurea!! forts of Difeafes by Charms and Expi- ations. I believe all thofe Difeafes which 'were fb Cured, may be reduced to the Brain '> ( 44 ) Brain : that part which I have (hewn was thought liable to the Devils Influ- ences. I mean, including the Spinal Marrow, which is of the fame Nature with the Brain. This alfo is included in the Part allowed to the Devils to A& by the Romancer, under the Name of St. Clemens, in the third Century ; and therefore a good Witnefs of the Opinions received among the Chriftians of that Age. This is exprefs'd Iefs clear- ly in the Recognitions, whereof we have Rccog. /.v. only the Tranflation by Ruftnus, in thefc i. 17. Words. Ante omnia ergo inteUigere debe- tit deceptionem Serpentis antiqui & pal- lidas e]sis fuggefliones, qui quafi per pru- dentiam decipit vos y & velut ratione qua- darn ferpit per fenfus vejlros .) atq; alip- fo vertice incipiens, per interiores dilabi- tur medullas ; lucrum magnum computans deceptionem vejlram. But more clearly in the Greek, perhaps more Faithfully am. .Horn, preferyed in the Clementines: Ue) **»- 1*>V % V WOnbhutU 0«^©- # v(&7iteur dx*i(w. It is no great matter whether the Tradition be true, that is mentioned by the Ancients, that the Spinal Marrow of a Man, when cor- rupted ( 45 ) rupted turns into a Serpent. Such as it is, we have it from Authors anci- ent, and not contemptible, Ovid, Pliny, Plutarch, and ALU an. However, we ovU Met. know, even pretended Phyfiology isS^a taken, by the My flic al Interpreters of the *■*• Old Teft anient, as a Rule of Myftical^ Interpretation, and doth really fer ve the ^ d f, £ end of God, for recommending Myfti-* **• cal Senfesto theobfervation of the Read- er, better than truer Phyfiology, that had not been fo well underfiood by the Readers of thofe Times. Befides, wc know what a Subjed the Fallot Man, and the Devils concern in it, under the Allegory of a Serfent, the Old Serpent, as he is called in the Revelations, af- forded of Myflical Interpretations. We know withal, that even among the Hea- thens, a lower fort of Damons, efpeci- ally thofe called Heroes, were ufually reprefented under the Symbols of Ser- pents, poffibly in memory of this Scrip- ture Hiftory, as has been obferv'd by the late Learned Bifhop of Worcefler, in his Origin. Sacr. Why might not then this Natural Hiftory be adapted to fig- nifie the Seat of the Devils Influence ? There^ is a not-unlike Experiment pre- tended by thz Pythagoreans, for Explain- ing their .Symbol for Abstaining from ( 4* ) iwncui, the rather appofite to this purpofe, becaufethey, as well as our Sacred Wri- ters, defignd myfiical Senfes, efpecially in their Symbols. But I cannot allow my felf at prefent, to follow this Argu- ment as far as it would lead me. It {ufficcs now, to obferve that this Hy- pothefs feems generally alluded to in the Sacred Writers, efpecially of the New Teftament, and therefore cannot indeed be thought Co precarious as our Adver- faries might otherwife conceive, if they will fufter themfelves to be led away with popular Prejudices, without examin- ing it. The New Tejlament plainly e- nough diftinguifhes the Gift of Healing, which Cured Difeajes riot causM by Devils, diredliy from the Curing In- finities causM by Devils, which were fufficiently Cured by calling out the Devils that caus'd them. And I think alio, that they mention no Ay lings of the latter fort, which may not be ac- counted for by their Power allow 'd them by God on the Parts now men- tioned. However, this Difference between Divine Prophecy and Diabolical Enthufi- afm, feems to have been generally a- greed on, that Prophecy requir'd Imagi- nation, but perfected and duly fubordi- naied to the Nobler Faculties ) but En- thu- (47) thufidfm went ho farther than the Ima- gination) and therefore diforder'd and hindred the Vnderflanding, and the im- material Faculties depending on it. And our Adverfarics muft be very difficult indeed in their Conceflions, if they can doubt whether Inftrumental MuJIck can affefl: the Imagination, io as to Compofe or Diforder it. Yet this alone is fuffi. cient for difabling Devils to Influence it, if their Power be confined by Pro- vidence t© difpofed Matter, and Mu~ fick may indifpofe the Imagination for their Influences, and it be not withal, in their Power to make or hinder Dif- pofitions. BUT our Adverfaries have a ftrange Xin. Notion of the Spirirualnefl of our Chri- Such a No- fit an Religion, as if all Bodily and Ex- ^ritual e 'ternal Affiftances were now perfectly j^ion°as afelefi and inconfiftent with the Nature makes ^ of our prefent Difpenfation. On this ^Affiftaal account, they are averfeto all Affiftan- S^l^ ces of our Senfes, as well as this of In- iWjto ftrumental MttftcL But why fhould God Soarine of have Inftitutetf Sacraments for Aflifting*;^'- our §enfes y if the whole kind of fuch Afliflances had been fo derogatory to the Nature of his new Eftablifhment ? „ Why {hould he have allow'd cvenf*- cal (4«) cat Mu[ttk\ if even our Senfes could con- tribute nothing to the raifmg of the Devotion of our Sfirits ? I know our Adverfaries are more willing to impute this Vj'efdneji of ' Injlr time mat Mufick, ra- ther to the extraordinary Interpofition of God, feconding his own Inftitution. But why fliould they think it deroga- tory to the Providence of God, that he fliould make ufe of the Power, himfelf has given to the Natures of Things ? Or why fhould they deny the Expe- rience of fb many Heat hens , who, tho* they regarded not the Inilitutions of the God of the Jews, yet received the fame Pra&iceof Inftruwental Mujick, on account of the Devotion they pretend- ed to feel rais'd in themfclvesby it, in their feveral falfe Religions. This could be imputable to nothing but the Na- tures of the things themfelves. But where have they learned fuch a Noti- on of the Spirittialnefi of the Chriflian Religion, that fliould exclude the Vfe, or even the Neceffity, of Corporeal Affi- ilanccs. The Scripture is not moreex- prefs in requiring a Spiritual Worfhip, than it is in requiring that alio of the Body. Our Bodies are Temples of the Ho* ly Ghost, and we are accordingly re- quired to Glorife God in our Bodies, as well ( 4* ) \vell as our Spirits which are his, i Cot; vi. 19,20. The unmarried Woman, isfo to care for the things of the Lord, thai {he may be Holy both in Body and in Spi- rit, vii. ^4. We are to prefent our Bo- dies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reafonable Service, Rom. xii. 1. And our whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, are to be preferved Blame left un* to the Coming of our Lordjefus Chrilf, i Thef! v. 2 j. If Service be expected from the Body as well as the Spirit, How can it be difagreeable to the Na- ture of our Spiritual Religion, that fuch Parts of Bodily Worfhip may be re- tained or introduced as may in their own Nature contribute to the Wor- fhip of the Spirit ? There was indeed near the Apojlles times, an Opinion in- troduced among the Philofophers, Nu<° menius perhaps may be the firft that brought it in , from whom Porphyry owns Plotinus to have borrowed what he has to this purpolc, That the Soul alone was the Man, and that the Body was no; part of the Man, but a Prifon to the Soul, and therefore preternatur- al to it, and to be avoided by it, that it might be qualified for a perfeft State. ^And thefe did indeed (6 infift on the 'Spiritual Nature of Religion, as todif- K charge (So) charge the Body from any fhare in it. The Good Man with them was the on- ly Prieit, the Soul it felf the only ac- ceptable Temple, the Devotion of the Mind the pleafing Sacrifice. And the the way to union with God, was to alienate themfelves as much ss was poilible from the Body, and from the external Societies of Men, and to enure themfelves to abftracted Operations of the Mind, in order to the Cultivating of the Spirit, which was the only Power that they thought capable of an Union with the Supreme Being. This is that Philofophical Religion fo much Celebrat- ed by Plotinns, Porphyry himfelf, and Hierocles, and feveral other of the later Philofophers. Porphyry particularly was very much pleas'd with it, as appears from his Sentences, and his Books de Abfiinentia^ but efpecially from his E- piitle to A/who, where he does by thefe Principles undermine all Obligation to fclSkiL ^ Eternals of the Heathen, as well &pu . as the Chriflian Religion. This put p°& Vlt 'him on Starving himfelf in his Lilybtan Retirement, if his MafterPA?//7w (whom he followed in thefe Opinions ) had not reclaimed him. Tliis fecms to be the Original of all that Enthufxafm that has decry 'd the external Ordinances and Sa- craments IS} ) craments even of Chrifc himfelf, upon Pretences to greater Perfe&ion, and fe- veral Fancies of the old Monks relating * this way in Anaftafin* Sinaita; of the Popifh Myftical Divinity and Quietifm f of the Fami lifts and Quaker \r, of the Bourignonifts and Philadelphia^, &c. It is ftrange, our Presbyterian Adverfaries who diflike thefe Conferences in others, fo definitive of their own Difciplinc> are notwithftanding infenfible of ^head- vantage they have given to others, of juftifying Separation horn themfelves,by thefe Pretences of the Spiritual Nature of the Evangelical Worfliip, by which themfelves defended their own Separa- tion from their own Superiours. This might at leaft have warned them to a more accurate Examination of the Prin- ciple, when they found they could not juftifie the Confequences which followed from it. For us it is abundantly fuffi- cient that thi^Do£trine,tho 7 taught by the Adverfaries of the Apoftles Age,was not- withstanding perfe&Iy different from the Senie of the Jpoftolical Church it felf. The Hereticks by this means evaded the Re- furrecfion of the Body, pretending the Refurretfion promis'd was already part, f in their myftical Refurre&ion from Sin. For the riling of the Bvdy could nofie K 2 thought (5*) thought a Reward, if the being in the Body was preternatural, and a State of Punifhment. Thence alfoit proceeded, that fb many of thofe firft Hereticks de- filed the Flefh, as not belonging to them, and condemned Marriage, as con- tributing to confine Souls to Bodies, up- on this very Pretence of being them- felves Spiritual, and being therefore for a more Spiritual way of Worfhip. But it is as certain, that this Do&rine was different from the Doftrine of the Apo- files, as it is certain the Apojlles were for the Holy Treatment and Refur- reftion of the Body, and that they Con- demn^ thole for Hereticks, who Rea- fbnM from this Principle infifted on by our Adverfaries, of which they had o- therwife no better means of Informati- on. How therefore can our Adverla- ries Reafon loofly for the Reformation of Chriftianity from that fame Principle which we fee was contrary to the very Foundations of truly Primitive Apojto- lical Chrijlianity ? Which was the Foun- dation of moll: of thofe Herefies which were then Condemn'd by that Unque- ftionable Authority. XIV. The fame FOR my part, I can fee no Difference, prov^Sli/! in this particular, between the Old and the (53) the New Peculium. Wc have Bodies a$ feSuK well as they, and of the lame frail MofaickDiC Make and Conftitution as theirs were. p£ve C, it fo Our Souls are alfo of the fame Kind, ml as dependent on our Bodies as theirs,, and as apt to be Influenced by them. Providence has imposM.no new Rules, that we know of, for the Influences of Good and Evil Spirits, from what were imposM then. What then fhould hin- der, but that ftill our Minds fliauld be InfluencM by the Good and Evil Dif- pofitions of our Bodies as much asibr- merly ? And that in order to the re- ceiving the Influences of both forts of Spirits. And certainly they cannot think that Mufick has loft any of that Influ- ence on our Bodies that it had formerly. How can they therefore doubt, but that it might ftill have the fame effeft on the like Bodies^ alike Influencing the fame kind of Souls? The Church is ftill as much a Body as it was then, and as much obligM to Worfhip God in Aftemblies, tho* not confinM to one particular Nation, as it was then. And the Apoftle requires that all Acts of the Worfhip in Aftemblies, were to be per- formM with a defigu of Edifying the whole Aftemblies. He permits no Ex- ercife of Gifts, even of the Divine Spi- lt j lit (54) fit the^e, but fuch as were for com- mon Edification. But the Edification of AfTemblies is not otherwife perform- able than by Senfible and Corporeal Significations. Thefeare the only means by which the whole Body can Com- municate in the Devotion of every par- ticular, by which they can mutually give arid receive Edification, It is there- fore ftill as impoflible to fignifie a great Honour for the Deity Ador'd in fuch AfTemblies but by Signs greatly affect- ing the very Senfcs. And what is done in the Name of the whole Body, ought to be fuited to the Dignity of the Body reprefented. That muft be by Signs by which Bodies ufually fignifie their great Refpect by the Cuftoms of fuch Bodies. But Bodies do not ufually fig- nifie their great Refpeflt in their World- ly intercourfe otherwife than by Pomp and Magnificence. They cannot there- fore fignifie it in Affairs of Religion by Signs, mean and ordinary. Efpeeialiy if their Defign be to fignifie it to the Senfes, and for the Edification of others. For certainly Signs which fignifie a mean or no Refpeft on other occafions, can- not be thought to fignifie a great one in the Affairs of Religion. It is on the contrary taken as an Aifront to Hon- our ( 55 ) our excellent Pcrfons in a way unfuita- ble to their Character, tho 5 the fame Significations might juftly be reputed Honourable, if performed to aninferiour Perfon ft) whom they had been propor- tionable. This Consideration mult make all Significations fhort cf the utmoit that can be done difhonourable when paid to an Infinitely Perfect Being. The Magnificence therefore of the Worfhip of God, ought to be fuch as it us\l to fignifie the greateft Refped to the Sen- fes of the Spectators, if the Refped be to be fignified Senfibly. I know not how our Adverfaries can deny any part of this Reafoning on the Principles now mentioned. xv. BUT I know they do pretend Au- The vvor- . ** i • r * •*_ r> ~J «"P of God thonty for this way of Arguing, C/flfl ins P irit,noc is a Sprit, fays our Saviour, and they J^ hi £ that Worfhip him> mult Worfhip himmystnpitK Spirit and, in Truth, St. Joh. iv. 24. This bu? t TVhc is fpokcn with relation to the Worfhip £^ fthe of the.Jww at Jeru fa/em, and the Sa- pwot u^ maritans on Mount Geriz,im ; and there- Jes fore muft fignifie fomething Spiritual in the Chrifiian Religion, which was not fb in the Worfhip of the Jews and the ^ Samaritans. But this might very well be true without making external Wor- K 4 ftnp ( 56' ) fhip lnconftftent with the ftiritual Na- ture of the Chrifiian Religion. The true Account of this Matter, I take to be this : That in what was common to the Jews and the Samaritan^ there were two Parts, the Sensible and the External Part, which was proper to tliemfelves, and which the Qhrifiians were not concerned in ; and the Myjti- c&l and Spiritual, which was principally defign'd by God, which was thencefor- ward to obtain as the peculiar Glory of the Chrifiian Religion. So the New Tefiament \s opposed to the Old, that it is not of the Letter as the Old was, b]it pf the Spirit^ 2 Cor. iii. 6. that is, that the New Tefiament is really the fame with the Old, the fame thing in the 6)^/7*4/ Sen fe, which was prefigur'd by the Literal Senfe, of what was en- joyn'd on the Jiws then. Thus the Letter and Circumcifwn are taken for Circumcifwn in the Literal Senfe, Rom. ii. 27. by a known Hendiadis, andC/>- cumcifion of the Heart, is laid to be in the Spirit, not in the Letter, v. 29. So the Service in newnefi of the Spirit, is oppos'd to that which had been in the cldnefi of the Letter, Rom. vii. 6. And when the Jews underftood our Saviour's Bifcourfe concerning Eating his Fleft, ' and ( 57 ) and Drinking his Blood in a Carnal Sen fe> he Corrects their Miftake, by telling them, That the Words he had ftoken to them were Spirit and Life, St. Joh. vi. 6 3 . that is, by warning them, that his Words were to be understood not Li- terally but Mjfiica/ly. Life is join'd with Spirit in our Saviour's Words> exadly as it is by the Apoftle, when he alfo tells us, that the Letter killeth, tjut the Spirit giveth Life, 2 Cor. iii. 6, intimating, that the Life promisM by Mofes, when he fet Life and Death be- fore the Ifraelites, was not to be ex- pe£ted from the Obfervation of the Li- teral Senfe of the Mofaical Law, but the Myfiical, which was a ftrong Obli- gation to the New Peculium. Becaufe the Myfiical Senfe even of the old Law, which was the principal Senfe defign'd by God, was fuppos'd to be the lame with the Gofpel. So Spirit and Truth are alfo fitly joinM together in the Difcourfe of our Saviour with the "Woman of Samaria. For the Myfiical Senfe,; was the Senfe truly intended by God, and the Literal no ctherwife then as cbnveying the Myfiical. The Truth here is alfo oppofed to the Shadow. So the Apoftle tells us, that the Law was a neb. v\\if. Shadow of things to come, that is, of coi'ii. 17. thofe (58) thofe which were to be fulfilled under the Gofpel. The Shadow is oppos'd to the Body that caufes it, therefore the Word Body as fignifying Truths in op- pofition to the Shadow of the Body, is apply'd to the Realities of the Gojpel^ even in things not properly Corporeal. So the fullnefi of the Godhead was faid CoJ *"' 9 ' to dwell \xx our bleffed Saviour Bodily. (Not like that which was in the Taber- vith.vm.^nacle of Mofes, which was but a Shadow s. ix.t 4 . f the true Tabernacle. That the Mo- faick Tabernacle was but a Shadow, was granted by the My fi teal Interpreters of the Law, as appears from Philo. They Ep//k/iJt- gather'd it from the Name ofBezaleel raj Iv b«, W J 10 made the Tabernacle, which figni- S^Vfl-fies fo, and from its being made in U. ' Philo. Imitation of the Pattern in the Mount, A«cg.Lcg. w i 1 j c j 1 ¥ A tt e rn the New Tejlament Rea- C U Jum fonings fuppofe to be meant of the Gofi miSv ep- ^/. This way of Reasoning, tho* it S^pte would be pecariout in other things, yet Noe. p. ' is the propcrcft for underftanding Pro* a, r 8 ' a^* ^"^> which were ufually underftood &SkS by the God that gave them in that Senfe ciesoiimp. which feem'd otherwife mod remote 596 ' from their Literal Signification. This is fo notorious, that not having leifure for it, I cannot think it neceflary to heap Examples. Our Saviour's Defign there- (S9) therefore in this Difcourfe with the Woman of Samaria, is to (hew that the confinement of the folemn Wor- ship of God to one Place, either Je- rujalem or Mount Gerizim , was cliia- greeable to the Nature of the Worfhip of the Go/pel, and therefore to qqJ- brogated by it. And as to that par- ticular Defign, I take our bleffed Lord; Reafbning to be this. The original Covfecration both of the Tabernacle and the Temple, was by the Defcent of a Luminous Body on them, as a Symbol of the MajeftatickPrefence of God, which the Rabbins call a Schechinah. This vifible Appearance at firft, was fupposM to be the caufe of the Confecration y which lafted afterwards, long after the vifibte Appearance it felf had difappear- ed, as the Jews fay it did under the fecond Temple. This way GiConfecra- tion, confinM Consecration to Places. The Schechinah it felf, as a Body, could not be otherwife than confin d. And whilft God was pleasMto referve this Power to himfelf, that befides the Con- [ecration of Men, which was requisite to feparate the Place Confecrated from common ufes, no Place however fhould be counted Holy, till God himfelf bad fignified his own Acceptance of it, by fuch fuch a vifibkSymbol of his own Prefence • it followed necelTarily, that if God flaew- ed this Symbol only in one Place, no Other Place befides that one could be counted Holy as accepted by him. But the true Prefence of God fignified by that Symbol, our Saviour oblerves, and that by the myftical way of Reafonin? then receiv'd, to have been fuitable to the Nature of God himfeif, who was a Spinr, and therefore Spiritual, and mieht as well be ( if God pleas'd ) in Places where no fuch Appearance was to the Senfes, as where it was. Withal, that thele invifible Archetypes were the E- ternal things that were to hold when the vifibkEcljpes were abolifhed;this was aifo granted bun in the Platomck Reafbn- ings or that Age. When therefore the Gofpel was to take place, which was a State of thofe very Archetypes which were Prefigur'd in the Law,from that time for- ward God was not to infift on that way of Conlecration,by vtfMzScbechinahs which had been required before. But as the re- paration of a Place from common ufe,was UifticientonMan'sparttoConfecrateit,if God fliould be pleas'd to accept it ; fo when this way of iignifying theDivine ac- ceptance immediately by a Schechimh was laid afide, the Divine acceptance would (6i ) would be fufficiently fignified by the acceptance of the Prieft whom God had Inverted with an indefinite Authority, of not only reprefenting, but obliging, him to ratifie what he was to do ta his jName, in tilings wherein God had not particularly obligM him to expect a more particular Signification of his Pleafure. When therefore this myftical Difpenfation was to take place, then as every City was to be equal with Mount Gerizim, or even Jerufalem it felf, then the Bifhops of particular Cities, were to be equal with the High-Prieft of Je- rufalem, and might as freely Conkcrate as he, and exercife the fupreme Power of the Evangelical Myftical Sacrifice within his own Jurisdiction. This I take to be the true Defign of our Sa- viours Difcourfe in that Place, to pre- pare both Jews and Samaritans, not to be Xurpriz'd at this Change, which wi's punctually fulfilled in the Event, how- contrary fbever it feemM to their pre- lent receiv'd Opinions and Expe&ations. xvi AND what is there in all this Rea- Nothing foning, wherein our Adverfaries can t^whb, think our prefent Caufe concerned ?j>a«*to/*. spiritual we lee here, is not opposd tOM*jtct\mit Bodily, but Literal, that is Literal bf^SS?. the (62 ) ttr^he" the Law of Mofis, where itwastoin- mrjhip oftcrfax with the Myftical Senfe, which the isolpd. ii • J i , , „* vu was principally intended by th&Legi/lator. Do we revive the Literal Senfe as it con- cerned the particuIarNation of the Jews f Or do we extend the Obligation of it far- therfo as to oblige otherNations,on whom it was not impos'd then, and for whom it was never intended, under the Spiritual Difpenfation oftheGofpel? Do we 16 urge the Literal Senfe as to exclude the Myftical, foas to exclude Gentiles from the Benefits of the Lm> whilft they do indeed more comply with the true De- fign of the Legiflator, than if they had obferved the Literal Senfe? Do we ex- clude any from the new Peculium^who have the Circumcifion of the Spirit, for no other Reafon, but becaufe they want the Circumcifion of the Letter"? This had indeed been repugnant to die Defigft of the Gofpel, which was to convince us, that, in all things incon- fiftont, the Obfervation of the Myfticai Senfe was to take place of the Literal, and thenceforwards to take away its Obligation. And do we fay otherwise ? Or do we lay, that Schecbinabs are to be expe&ed for Confederations now, or any other Significations of the Divine Acceptance of what is feparated for his ufe ( *3 ) ufe by Men, befides the acceptance of them, who are Authorized in general to reprefent and oblige him in things whereof he has made no particular ex- ception ? Can they pretend, that our prefent Difpute has any Relation to thofe which devided the Jews and Cbrsftians in the Apoftolical Age ? They very well know, that our prefent Difpute is wholly between Chriftians, and has no relation to the Obligation of the Mo/k- ick Law in any Senfe. It is very true, that the Literal Senfe of the Mtfaick Law ufually related to External Sen- fible Things, and the My ftical to Things Infenfible and Spiritual. And the My- ftical Senfe being the Spiritual, may give the occafion why our Adverfarks fancy that the Myftical Senfe Ihould always relate to Spiritual Things. But it is not being opposed to Senhble or Bodily, but Literal, fhews plainly that the things concern 'd in the Literal Senfe, are not confider'd in this Reafoning, as Senfible and Corporeal, And on the other fide, in the Reaibnings of the Ne*. Tefiament y the Evangelical Inftitu- tions even in this World, are all fup- pos'd to belong to the Spiritual Senie of the old Law. And for that very Reafon it is inferred, that they were princi- principally regarded by God, becaufe the myfiical Senfe of the Law was more principally intended by him than the Literal. The w T hole Evangelical Institution, is, in the fame Reajoning, fuppos'd to be the Pattern fhewed ta Mofes in the Mount , in Imitation of which, the Tabernacle was to be made. And this in order to the proving, that the Evangelical Inftitutions were to be Eternal, becaufe the Ideal Patterns of things were in the Platonick way of Reasoning fuppos'd to be fb. This Eternity concerned in this Difpiite, can only be meant of that which was to laft as long ais this World ; lb the ever- lifting Hills, Gen. xlix. 26. And the everlafting Mountains, Hab. iii. 6. And the Land of Canaan, is -laid to be gi- ven for an everlafting Poffef/Jon, Gqt\ xvii. 8. xlviii. 4. For in this Senfe, the Everlaftingneft of the Gofpel, is opposed to the Duration of the Law, which was, even in this Life, to give way to a more lafting Eftablifhment. But it is certain, that thole very Inftitutions of the Gof- pel, which have lucceeded the abrogat- ed Inftitutions of the Law, and which are therefore fupposM to be Spiritual in this Senfe, as Spiritual is oppos'd tar the Literal Senfe of the Law, are not- witli* ( *5 ) withftanding themfelves Senfible and Corporeal. So is Baptifm, which has fucceeded in the Place of the abrogat- ed Circumcifion of the Letter. So alfo is our Euchariftical Sacrifice, which now anfwers the abrogated Bloody Sacrifi- ces. Theie therefore muft be fuppos'd to be Spiritual in this Senfe of the Word, notwithftanding their being Senfible and Corporeal. Our Adverlaries therefore do certainly miftake the meaning of this Reafbning, when they hence ga- ther that any Obfervations are con- trary to the Spiritual Nature of the Gofpel, on that account alone, becaufe they are Senfible and Corporeal. BUT, tho' Senfible Affiftances fliould P ™[ nd not be inconfiftent with the Nature of Magmfc- Evangelical Worfhip, yet our Ad verfa- «/<'»*/* ries think, at Icaft, that Pomp and Mag- JjfcS^J niSc^ce muft needs be fo One would ^ cnt Jf 1 ^ think, by the gradation, that their Ar- of C thc &>fi guments on this Head were more co- ? eL gent and conviftive, but it proves quite the corttrary. Not one Text can they pretend againft the Pomp and Magnifi- cence of the publick Worfhip of God. rather all the appearance of Scripture Reafonings is againft them. The Wor- fhip of the Old Teftament was manifeft- (66) ly very Magnificent ; nor can our Ad- verfaries deny that it was lb \ what have they therefore to lay, why it ought not to be to JIM? Can they fhew any Text of the New Teflament againft it as a thing that was toceafeznd to be noaaw* pra&is'dr I know of none they do pretend either in the fame, or in equivalent Terms. Can they then pretend any thing inconfifktnt with it in the conftitution of the G^/, or of the new Peculium ? Thele things I have (hewn to be the true Originals of the abrogation of what was indeed abro- gated in the old Mofaick Law. The rea- soning of the Old Test', as well as the po- fttive Precepts of it, rather favour y than contraditt, theMagnifrence and SumptuouJ- nefi of the publick Solemnities of the di- vine Worfhip. David would not offer Burnt Offerings unto the Lord his God, of that which coff him nothing. 2 Sam. xxiv. 24. and Malachy makes mem Sa- crifices to redound to the contempt of the Religion wherein they were tiled. He makes them to be a polluting God's Altar^ and interprets the offering them as if the Offerers of them had faid, The Table of the Lord is contemptible, Mai. i. 7. HeExpoftulates concerning them far- ther, v. 8. Offer it now to thy Gozernour, will he be pleafed with thee, or accept thy Per- Per/on faith the Lord of Hofis ? Plainly- intimating, that God did as much expect' expenfive Sacrifices from thofe who were able to Offer them, and had reafon to do fo, as any of their Govemours ; and would as much refent the contrary as an affront, as Govemours would mean Prefents from fuch as were able to offer great ones. The Reafoning is the very fame in If xl. 16. Lebanon is not fufficient to burn, nor the Beafis thereof for a Burnt Offering. Ar- guing / 2 Cor. xi. j. It is usM as fynonymous with uhttrnvAa. 2 Cor. 1.12. which plainly (hew that it fignifies Sincerity and Heartinefs, only in oppofition to double Dealing. But fo far it is from implying Inexpenfivenefs, that on the contrary, it rather fometimes de- notes Liberality, when it is ufed concern- . in<* zfubjeff that is capable of it. So, o{mt&- MUl***tiim* Rom. xii. 8. As the *r*ft 3p0**pdf is opposM to that which is calPd *DPi»£fr S.Mat, vi. 22. 23. And as the mweoe orf&Kpls is oppos'd to lyA'tm S. Mat. xx. 1 5. as that fignifies Bounteouefnefs and Liberality. In this way of Interpretati- on the Simplicity of the Gofpel fignifies the Generofty of the Gofpel, and will rather countenance Magnificence than difcourage it. BUT our pvcfcntJdverfary is folicitous & *]*„. for the Con/equences that may follow « ; not** L 4 from ( 7* ) /*»/»^ Jj™ from the refritution of Jnfirumental Mu* fore necefs-fick. He conceives that by the like Z»- *Z£d%fcferences we may reftore Circumcifion and ^TiXer M°°fy S acr tf ces ) an d the old Cuftom of >c °- jj Anc i n ^ t0 t ] ie Injimmental Mnfick. And what if we fhould grant him his laft Confequence concerning Dancings fbfar at leait, as to acknowledge that the Church might lawfully reduce it ? I doubt he would be hard put to it to prove it un- lawful. It mufi be fo, at leaft, if he would confine himfelf, as they pretend to do, to the Scriptures. He cannot fure think there is any Argument in the irreverent Expref [ion he ufes concerning it. It is no other than what Michol would, probably, have ufed if (he had fpoken Englijh. But David was contented to bear the Re- proach of it, and to juftify it againft her. And I believe our Adverfaries will not eafily queilion but that we are fafer in- following the Senfe of David than they are in following that of Michol. The De- fign of the Objection in both Cafes, both of our Adverfaries and of Michol, is to Charge the Pofture of Dancing with the Imputation of Levity. As if there could not be Grave and Decorous Dances as well as Grave zndDecorousTunes; and as if there Could not be Grave and Decorous tunes on InjtrumentaL, as well as -on Vocal, Mu- fick. C 73 ) fick. At prefcnt, it is fufficient for us now, that if their Objection had been true in general, God would neither have allowed facred. Dancing then, nor would David have avowedly defended it, nor would God have feconded him in doing fb by inflifting a Punijhment on Michol for her Prophane upbraiding her Prince ^nd Husband with it, as if in PraCtifing it he had done any thing beneath the Dignity of his Station. It they will de- fend David in it, they are as much o~ biig'd, as we are, to own the weakneis of this general Charge. I think therefore the Pra£tice, if it had been again received, fecure enough if they will be pleasM to admit no Objections againfl: it now that would have prov'd it unlawful then. For we have a greater Evidence, than any their Reafbns can pretend to that it was not unlawful then. But fuppofing it law- ful, yet the Apoftle himfelf will allure them that all things indeed lawful are not on that account alone to be therefore pwn'd as expedient. i.Cor. vi. 12. x. 23. And therefore fit to receive a new Sancti- on. Xhere will be no more Obligation to revive that ancient Cuftom now, than many others which were undoubtedly * allowable and prudent in thofe times where- in they; were universally rece$vd\ .but have (74) have now loft the reafbn that made them ulefiil the*, by their being fince as uni- verfally difus^d. Singularity alone is an inconvenience in a thing indifferent in its own Nature, where there are not more momentous Considerations to make amends for it, and to recommend it. However the genuine Ignatius in his uninterpola- ted Epiftles reafons from allufions to holy ^ l ^i°2' Dances and Inftrumental Mufick. This wtsrCvT*- fhews that, whether they practiced them 8?*-*** or not, yettheChriftians, of that Age at z^J\^ leaft, did not Condemn them. And there »P^j?a/ is reaion to believe they did not. The TyiOTfl-aJ- Pythagoreans greatly approved them, as «ki-«9*p£ we ^now the Jewtjb Rjjenes were great A&<£m>h admirers of the Pythagoreans, whcderi- TV<"* n *ved many of their own Cufloms to the sfe <* A-m/ whole £0^ of the Chrijlians. Such *! i k*t x were their Praying to the £*//, their great averfnefs even to lawful Oaths, their Plutarch, Reconciliations before Sunfet, their ufe of m& ^n a- Milk and Honey as a Symbol of the /zo? A*fi*r. £ />7 / 7# Thefe things we find the Church poffefs'd of in very antient Monuments, without any Account of their firft Or/g/- /?<*/. And the firft and /^y? are not fb ac- countable from any other Original as this of their being brought among the Chrijlians by the univerfal Converfion of the Effenes, So the Author of the Book ( 75 ) Book of Judith makes the Jews exprefcjud. w. fing their Joy for the defeat of Holofer- nes^s Army by Dances with Mufick alfo Inftrumental. This appears partly from x c &?V >#V«- the Gw£, partly from the Latin, which &&*>*>&* in thofe JpocryhalBooks are ftrangly dif-f*^ ^ ferent. This fhews, at leaft, the Senfe of^«^ $*$ the y^^ in that ^ I'arf mention Judith in his Epiftle to the O?- Xffi? £* rinthians. And indeed, within frefh Me- Ep. ad E- mory of Ignatius, the Apoftolical Church, P*ps- N - 4- which was the Head of all other Church- es, had notorioufly approved and communi- cated with Instrumental Mufick, at leaft in the Worfhip of the Temple. It is not alio improbale but that the Apofiles con- tinued it in the Head Church, whether in Pe/la, or in the Ruins of Jerufalem, after the Diffolution of the Worfhip of the Temple. That mention of Harpers with it in the Vifion of the Revelations has nothing joynM with it Character^ tick of the Jewijh Worfhip before the Dif- folution. And therefore may reprefent the Fact truly as it was in this Interval between the Deftruction of the Temple and the new troubles which befell the "Chrifians'm the latter end of Domitian, but efjpecially under Trajan. This is a time. (70 time wherein we have no Monuments that can inform us any thing to the con- trary. And within this time it mulr lave been that St. John faw thai: Vifion in his Exile at Patmos. The eideft Tefti- rnony produced by our Ad verfarv from Clsmens Aky zntirinus is confid z\\\,)i , la- ter than Agnatic w • ij0i - y f the Traditions of the - " J i .;u>rch of Jirufdem was no, c! gotten by the many Dtjlurbanc \\ , w> ed on the Ruin of the Tem t It is not improbable that the Infirtuental Mnfick was the Prerogative of that Supreme Church, as it feems alfb to have been of the Temple Wor/hip of the Jews in Jerufa. lem. The Mufick ufually accompained the Sacrifices, which by the Jewijh Law were to be OfFer'd only at Jerufalem, we never find it mentioned in the Synagogue- Worfliip. And this may give a probable Account, why it was not received in other Chrifiian Churches befides that of Jerusalem. They were form'd in imita- tion of the Jewifi-Synagogues at firft, with the fame dependance ( in many regards) on theChurch of Jeruf alem that thzSynago- gues had on the Temple. And when alter the Deceafe of all the Jpoftles, the other Churches iuccecded into the iuWRights of the/&4 neither Circumcifion nor bloody Sa- crifices were fb. That is becaufe Instru- mental Mufick is noway repugnantto the Conftitution of the new Peculiar*) which is not true of the Jewijb Circumcijion,nor the Jewijb Sacrifices. For no uncircumcis'd ferfon could partake of the Jewijb Sacrifi- c ex,and he that was Circumcifed,was there- by Incorporated into the Jewijb Nation. Whilft thefe two things were infifted on it was impoffible for a Gentile notlncorporat- ed into the Jewijb Nation to be admitted to the Benefits of the new Peculium, which Was direftly contrary to the new Revela- tions of the Gojpel. But our Author urges the Circumcifion of other Nations as if their Agreement in it would have gone as far to have recommended it for a Law of Nations as their Content in Instrumental Mufick. But he did not re- member that no other Nation that ufed Circumcifion did pretend to ule it as the Jews, as a Ceremony of AdmifTion into the peculiar People of God, which is the only Coniideration, that made it incon- fiStent with the Conftitution of the Goj- pel. Several of them leemM to have us d it, not as an Initiation to their Nation, but to their Sacerdotal Di^nitv. tn rmali- (79) fie Men for being admitted to the Secrets of their Religion. So it feems to have been in the Cafes of Pythagoras and A- pion, who were Circumcifed among the ^Egyptians. And therefore alfb among other Nations who derived their Circum- cifion from the ALgyptians, as particular- ly the Colchians are faid to have done by Scfoflris. And perhaps this may be the Reafon why the old Peculium is call'd a Royal Priejlhood, as well as a Holy Na- tion, becaufe the right of Admitting in- to that Nation was equal to that which among other Nations was thought fuf- ficient to confer that higher Degree of Sanctity which all Nations afcrib'd to their PrieHs above the ordinary Holi- nefi y thought requifite to partake of the National Sacrifices which were common to the whole Nation. But no Nation however befide the Jews pretended to be the peculiar People , who were fa- voured with the immediate Patronage of the fupreme Being. They could not there- fore impofe Incorporation into themfelves as a Condition of Admiflion into the new Peculium on other Nations befidcs them- felves, tho' their Circumcifion had been defign'd as a Right of Incorporation. Their Circumcifion therefore not being imposed as a Condition of the Peculium, ( 8o) Jiad been as Innocent as that of the Jews was, when obfervM only by their own Nation, and not impos'd on others, as a Condition requifite to qualify them for the Spiritual Favours of the Feculium. Upon thole terms the Jews themfelves, were permitted theufe of it whilft they Commnnicated with the Vncircumcis^d Gentiles, in the Offices of the Chriflian Religion. Much lefs could it be Con- demned in other Nations, who never im- posed it farther than their own Nation. There was therefore neither parity of Reafon, nor fufficient Confent of Nati- ons to prove the JewifihCircumcifion lawful now, tho^we fhouldon, thofe Accounts, grant that Instrumental Mufick werefo. XH. guy Bloody Sacrifices, our Adverfary ^sZmfas f conceive* might at leaft pretend to them. wbatfoeter ^ Qt ce rtainlv fb as to unite all Nations were tit tor # J .. iheDetign mto one Body, which was the true De- Jto^sLr/-fign of our Evangelical Encbariftical Sd- fi*'< en flees. The Jetviffj Sacrifices none were capable of, but one only Nation, that of the Jews. The fame was the Cafe of many others of the publick National Sacrifices. None were indeed fuppos'd to have a Right in them, but the Nati- on for whole ufe they were originally Jnftituted. Some were, as fevere as the J;ws themfelves, to make it Piacular and Capital, if one of another Kfation did but come into that part of their Tem- ples, where the publick Sacrifices were Offered. So it appears that it was on- ly the remiffnefs of their Difcipline a- bove that of the Jews, that made them allow others that were not of their Na- tion, to partake of their publick Sacri- fices, Auguftus when he was in Egypt, fjjf;^* would take no notice of Apis, and com- mended his Grandibn Cains, becaufehe would not Pray at Jerufalem. The like was the Practice of Hadrian, who pre* spartja^ tended to znlnquifitivenefl into dl\ things^ 1 ' anji to beafevere Qbjerver QiDifcipline. And it was a Favour ufually defir'd from the Senate, that other Nations might have leave to Offer their Donaries at the Roman- Altars, Thefe arefufficient Evidences of what was generally taken for the Rule, which is the only thing to be regarded in this Reafbning. It is true the Jews allow'd publick Sacrifices for the Per pan Kings and the Roman Em- perQurs. But not fb, as to luffer any Heathens to partake in them. Yet even this was blamed by the ftricbeft Pretend- ers >to the Obfervation of the Law a*, mong them, the Galileans and the Zea- lots. Tho' otherwife if any other Na- tion cotild admit others to their Natk M on at (** ) onal Sacrifices, the "Jews had more rea- ibn to do 16. They by their own Con- feflion Worfhipped a God, to whom all other Nations ought Duty as well as themfelves, which otherNationsdidnot pretend concerning their own Deities. There was therefore no Sacrifice of this kind, that all Nations with their, jNati- onal diftin&ivcs could pretend an equal Right to. How could they therefore unite all Nations into one Body, as it was the Defign of our Chriftian Religi- on to unite them ? None of them pre- tended to a Right to be confirmed in Heaven, befides that of the ^.r, which yet could not unite all Nations, whilft it was believed to be the Right of one only Nation. There were no Bloody Sacrifices in the World, which being received into one Place, gave a Right to all other Sacrifices in the World. I Parade do not now infill on what Porphyry his Ab * ' endeavoured to prove at large, that the firft Sacrifices received among the Na- tions, were not Bloody, but Innocent, and fuch as were perfeftly agreeable with his Pythagorean Notions., which vtfere for the Cm^ dvuiMtflu. They did not either know or regard the moft ancient Example of Abel to the contra- ry. However he has faid very confide- ' rable rable things for it, from the Hiftories of the He at hem. That is enough to dis- prove that fort, at leaft of Sacrifices, from being a Tradition of the Law of Nations. And the Reputation of being AVcu[jMrC\oi y had thenprevaiPd not only in thofe Cities which had fubmitted to P/- thagorean Legislators^ but alfb among the Romans tbemfelves. I am apt to think this was the Reafbn, why lb many of the good Emperours who affe&ed Fell* tia Tempora, affe£ted alfb that their Reigns might be /> free from the Piatulum of fhedding Civil Blood, at leaft of the better Quality. But the Pythagorean Do&rines were parti- cularly grateful to the Jeivi/b Effenes, who were as I faid, the beft diipofed to the Chriftian Religion, and who feem therefore to have been extirpated by an univerfal Converfion, upon the appearance of it. They were moft ad- dicted to the Myftical fenfe of the Law, which is the Foundation of moft of the Reafonings of the New Teftamento Numenitts the Heathen, who firft joyn- ed the Myftical Interpretation of the Law of Mofes with the Heathen Philo- lophy, was a Pythagorean, and fb was Philo the Jew y arid the Ej[enes y as the fame Philo teaches. This alone was Ms fuffic^ iufficient to difpofe the EJjfenes to an a- variation to Bloody Sacrifices, and to have the better Opinion of the Chrifti- an Religion, when they underftood, that by it they could fatisfie. the Defign of tl\Q Legijlator without them. If they could once free themfelves thereby, from the Obligation of the Bloody Sacrifices, required by the Law of Mofes, there were no other in view, that were like- ly to be fubftituted inftead of them, at leaft by them. But the Myftical In- terpretations of the Old Teftament, af- forded an eafier account of the Change which was to be made by the Gofpel, and more grateful to the Relifli of the Py- thagorean Effenes^nd the Philofopkical Af- citicks. Theeverlafting Priefthood which was to anfwer'd by that of the Gofpel, v/as fuppos'd to be that of Melchize- deck. So 'tis exprefly called by the Pfalmist, as the Apoftle has obferved: No doubt as granted him by the Myftical Reafonings of thofe Times. His Sacrifice, ( *s& alds « Reafbners, would firft have prov'dthe Hurtfulnefs of many lawful Impofiti- ons, if fubmitted to by the Eccleiiafti- M 4 cal XXII. Reifi •ppoling I s cal fubjech The Government might indeed be blamed for it; butinthefub- ject, (for whom they are concern'd) tho' the Impofition were indeed hard, yet fubmiflion to it for Peace fake, would for that Reafbn be highly commendable, as an Aft of the greater felf-denyal and the greater Zeal for Pecae and Difcipline, and the greater Abhorrence of needlefs Divifi- on, whilft nothing Sinful were impos'd. Then they would have given fome wrivu* concerning the due Number that might be impos'd, that might neither be too fmall nor too numerous. This they would have done, if they had defir'd to have purged themfelves to God, and their own Conferences, that they had not oppos'd fubjection to thofe who were over them in the Lord, but Rigours of thole who had abus'd the juft Autho- rity committed to them* But to flop at the firft Impofitions, before they can pretend them Rigorous, looks as ifFlefh and Blood, as if Stomach and Refent- ment, as if an averfation to fubjeftion it felf, had been the original of their Quarrel. It runs into the oppofite ex- treme, as indeed their Defences of their Schifm generally do, as if the Autho- rity it felf, not any Tyrannical ufeof it, were the thing regretted by them. The The Topick it felf they cannot defend, nor juftifie the Confequences of it ? who are notwithftanding 16 forward to warn others of Confequeqcts. There is hard- ly anything neceflary in Humane Life, but what excefs may make pernicious. Eating is (b. Yet how great a part do Surfeits make in our Bills oi Mortality ? Will they therefore chink it reafonable for avoiding Surfeits, to diffwade from Eating ? If they had no defign of running into an extreme of oppofing all Irnpofi- tions in things indifferent ; our Churches Impofitions, (whatevei the Out-cry has been againft them) have been" fb few, that 1 cannot tell how, even our Ad- verfaries themlelves, could charge our Churches Impofitions with being excef- five, if they had allowed of any Im- pofitions at all : If they allow ofnone, they would do well to own that their Difputes are not againft Abufes only of Authority, but againft Authority it felf. Their doing fb, would let the Fa- vourers of£omprehenfion fee 5 that our Difputes are not indeed of ib trivial an Importance, as they are commonly con* ceiv'd to be. That they are indeed, whether we fhall have any Authority which our Adverfaries fhall think them- felves oblig'd in Confcience to own, and (9o) and to be concluded by, when nothing but Conference can oblige them to it, in a State of Perfecution. That is in- deed whether we our felves fhall 1 any Body Politick, when they are once receivM into it. For we cannot any long- er have fuch a Body than we have the Authority eflential to the Conftitution of fiich a Body. Then it would become the Favourers, of Comprehenfion to con- fider whether any Grants of our Adver- faries can make amends for fb great a Conceflion on our Parts, as the Diffo- lution of our felves ? Or whether any other independent Body in the World, would think fit to aamit Enemies to their Conftitution, into their Body to- gether with their hoftile Opinions ; or whether they could think any Preten- ces, how fair fbever they might feem otherwife, to be fufficient to compen- fate a Reconciliation of fb fatal Confe- rence. The rather fo, becaufe it per- fectly difcharges Perfbns reconciPd on fuch Terms! from all Obligations to perform, whatfliould afterwards be per- formed as a Condition of the Reconci- liation on their Parts. For it is only their Difference to our common Authority, that can make them really one with us, when they are admitted into our Af- femblies : v y 1 y femblies. The giving this up to them as a Condition of their coming in tons, is like opening a Gap which may feem to let them in whilft themfelves pleafe, but lets them out again as ibon as their old Animofities fhall put them on lay- ing hold of new Pretences, or retriev- ing the old ones. But a regular Ad- mifTion of them, fhould be by the Gate. And the fame Power of the Keys, which opens the Gate to them at their Ad- million, fhould lock them in after they are once admitted. I know no poffi- bility they have of avoiding thefe Con- fluences, unlefe they can fhew, either that a Body Politick can fubfift with- out Government, 'or. rhatt Government can fubfift withe right of impofing in things indifferent, either of which in- deed would be a great Performance. If therefore ( to avoid the odium of ib hard Terms impofed on us, ; of an Admiffi- o.n which when it is made, fhall give us no longer fecurity of their Union with us,, than themfelves pleafe ) they will pretend a Dcflerence to our Com- mon Ecclefiaftical Authority that may k£ep them ours by Principles afterwards. I could then wifh, that they would be pleasM to conGder farther, that when a true Authority is once admitted, That muft jnufl: be allowed to judge concerning the Exigences of the Society to which it is related, and therefore to judge concern- ing the true mean between both extremes, of what is deficient and what is fuper- fluous. I mean fo as to conclude the fubjeft in Affairs of that Nature. This Confideration will fhew, that were there indeed any excefs, yet the Authority would be refponfible for it, but not to the SubjeQ: to whom it owes no ac- count, but to God, from whom the Au- thority is indeed received. This will fhew that the fubjed cannot be refpon- fible for the Sin of the Impofition, fo long as there can be prov'd no Sin in fubmitting to the Impofition, becaule the Impofition is a right to which the Subject cannot pretend. Where therefore the Sin of Impofition is feparable from the Sin of Submiffion, there certainly the Duty of Submiflion ftill holds. The Reafon is manifeft, becaufe the Subject cannot deny its Duty for a Cauie that does not concern it to enquire into, and for which it is not refponfible unto God, whatever may be amifs in it. And this will always be the Cafe, whilft the Im- pofitions are only in matters of their own Nature indifferent. BUT S J BUT our Author pleafeshimfelf par- xxnu ticularly with a Paffage in the Reve. ^ c cc * rm s relations) where it is foretold concerning ««2f Afi- MuficianS) and of Pipers and Trumpeters * s? eat Ca - fiould be heardno wore inher 9 Rev.xviiL 22. dnoot He urges it modeftly, and it became him KiX to do lb, having before decried all Ar- guing from that fame Book, becaufe of its Obfcurity, The Reafon holds in refer- ence to Fads to come.Thele are the things wherein the Prophetical Style is profet fedly oblcure, even to thole who were then living ; not fo in Fads, then be- ing or pall. Thefe, there is no Realbri to believe that God intended to conceal from the meaneft Capacities, • becaufe they were not likely to hinder the Free- wills which were to contribute their Parts in fulfilling the Prophefies here de- livered. And of this kind are the Al- lufions, for which weareatprefent con- cerned, to the then prefent Cuftoms of the Church of Jerusalem. But to urge the Authority of this Book, as our Adver- fary does, with relation to the State of AntiChrift, is to urge it in a Senfe where- in .God ufually defign'd that his Pro- phecies fhould not be underftood till they were fulfilled, that they might not give warning to thofe who were to fulfill them, them, astheymuft certainly do, if they could certainly be underltood before. Till therefore this Prophefie (if it relate to Antichrift ) be fulfilled, it is not to be expected that it fhould be underilood fb certainly as to be Argumentative. But, to give him the utmoft that he can, with any Reafon defire, all that he can make of it, is only to have it underftood as a Prophefie, not as a Law ; as a Pre- diction of the event, not as a Determi- nation of what was lawful or unlawful. It is very common in the Prophetick Scriptures, to foretel Judgments by the deprivation of what was delightful on any account, Good or Evil, evenonac* count of ^Religion as well as Luxury. So Hofea Prophefies that the Children of Ifrael fhould abide many Days without a tsjng, and without a Prince, and wit h~ out a Sacrifice, and without an Ephod. Hof. lii. 4. Can our Adverfary there- fore gather, that Kjngs, and Sacrifices, and Ephods, were Sins then ? No, but it is denounced as the moll afflictive tiling to them, who in themidft of their Impieties, were full of their Preten- fions of Zeal for God and for his Tern* pie, Jer. vii. 4. The like Predictions againlt the Temple, as a Punifhment of the unworthy Worliiipers in it, are ire- * J frequently mentioned on other occafi- ons alfb, which can by no means be interpreted as a Condemnation of the Temple then, but rather of the People, as unworthy of fb great a Favour. So, in the Babylomjb Captivity, they are re- prefented as bunging their Harps on the Willows, when their Adverfaries infult- ingly demanded of them one of the Songs ofSion, Pfal. cxxxvii. 2, $,4. We can- not therefore conclude, that the Temple- Songs pfeyM on their Harps, were fin- ful then, but unfeafbnable, notfuitable to the Condition they were then in, and the Behaviour that became them in the defblation of the Temple. So God threa- tens to turn their Feafts into Mourning, and their Songs into Lamentation, Am. viii. 10. HoC ii. 11. We mull not Therefore fay, that their holy Feafis or Songs were finful. All that is imply'd thereby, is only this, that they fhould be To eftranged from Joy, that it fhould find no place in their holieft Offices, even of Religion. So Job exprefTes the (adnefs of his Condition : My Harp alfo is turned into mourning, and my Organ into the- Voice of them that JVeep, Job. xxx. Ji; So in I fa. xxiv. 8. The mirth of Tabrets ceafeth y the not fe of them that re- joice erideth, th? ^oy of the Harp ceafeth. And And ih Ez>ek. xxvi. I will caufe the noife of thy Songs to ceafe y andthe found of thy Harps (ball be no more heard. Who fees nor, from thefe and the like Places, that thefe Expreffions are ufed to defcribe a State not Sinful but Penal rather and Calamitous? The. fame appears from the other things following in this very Text, concerning which we are dis- puting, of the Revelations. It follows, And no Crafts-man of whatfoever Craft he be , fly all be found any more in thee. Will our Adverfary therefore fay, that all forts of Crafts are here condemned as unlawful ? It is eafie to obferve, that there is nothing more foretold in thefe Words, but the failing of the Trade oiBabjlon, for which fhe had been fb very famous. It follows farther, And the found of a Milflone fhall be heard no more in thee ; and the light of a Candle fljall fhine no more at all in thee. Muft Mil- jlones therefore and Candles be unlaw- ful alfo? This only fhews a Famine that lhould befall them, and a want of Corn to employ the Millflone, as clean- nefi of Teeth for want of Bread to foul them is likewise threatned, Am. iv. 6. Teeth as well as Mills are called the Grinders, Eccle. xii. 3, 4. It alfo de- scribes the Difconfolatencfs of their Con- dition, dition, when they fhould want the com- mon comfort of Light. Exa&ly paral- lei to the PalTage injer. xxv. 10. where it is threatned that the found of the Mill- pone, and the light of the Candle fhould be taken away. Next it is added, And the Voice of the Bridegroom, and of the Bride, fbotl he heard no more at all in thee. The Ad verfary himfelf will not, I believe, con- clude that the rejoycirigs in Marriage are therefore unlawful. This is alio another way of fignifying a very dejefted State in the Prophetical Poetick Stile. So Jer c vii. J4- xvi. 9. xxv. 10. Thus it was counted to have no /hare in thofefew So- lemnities of Joy, which were allowed in States not utterly ruin'd, at leaft at Nu- ptial Feftialties. So clear it is, that tho' wc fhould grant that thefe things were to be understood of Antichrijl, yet they would not prove the Sinfulness of the things of which he was to be deprived, but the Calamity of the Deprivation. BUT our Author has an Obfervatioh XXIV., from the very learned Dr. Light footer. ££**- , * it - 1 / 1 tit 'foots Obfer- which if it had been true, would, I con-vatbn, that fefs, weaken what I have faid for Iriftru-^^ 7 ' mental Mufick; Chrift, fays that excel- was wholly lent Perfon, abolijh'd the Worfbip of the^l^sy' Tern fie as purely Ceremonious ; but he pef-y$Zfa\ ? petuatedthe Worship of the Synagogue 9 read- wholly m*~ N ihg true ralh not fog the Script fires j Praying, Preaching and Singing of Vfiilms'y and Transplanted it into the Chri(lian Church as purely Moral. For I have already granted that Inflrumental M:,'fck was iiifed not in the Worfhip of the Synagogues, but of the Temple. But there are noJVords ofCbrift, that I know of, that could be fo much as pretended for file wing what he defigned concern- ing theie two Worfhips in General, and much lels to fliew that this was ChriJPs defign concerning them. We hive feen withal, that the Apofiles did feparate from the Synagogue worfhip, tho" > they never did fo from that of the Temple. This would rather imply the contrary to what that great Man has advanced, if Argu- ments were allowed to proceed universally on either fide. But as there is no Text, lb lieither is there any Reafon, to pais this Judgment concerning both thefe kinds univer'i'xlly. I know not why tinging of Pfalms Qiould be counted Moral. Efpeci- aily according to our Adverfaries Opini- on, which afcribes its efficacy for promot- ing Devotion, not to its own Nature, but to its divine Inftitution. This muft needs r ; e away the antecedent Reafon of its In- fill ut ion. So far it is from allowing it an Antecedent Reafon, that it muft necejjarily and i.niverfaliy oblige without any pofitive San&ion. V 77 / San&ion. This is ufually thought necef« fary according to the commonly received notion of a Law of Nature. And on the contrary the ufe of Lots were taken by the Apoftles from the ufe of the Temple Worfhip, where it was ufually made ufe of, for determining which particular Pr lefts of the whole l^iud* were to per- form the duty of the Week. This could be ufed by the Jews no where but at Je- rufalem, becaufe there was no other place w r here Priefts could lawfully Officiate. But by the Apoftles it was made ufe of not only for choofing a new Apoftle of their own order, as in the Cafe of St. Mathias, but alfb for determining the Perfons that were to be inverted with Ecclefiaftical Sa- cerdotal Power. And that very confequent- fy, becaufe the exercife of the Evangelical Priefthood was not confined to one place as that of the Jemjfj Priejihood was, to Je- rufalem. This was ufed to generally, that frotn thence the name of Cleruscams to be appropriated to the/acred Order in oppo- sition to the Laity, as I have often fliewn elfewhere. It is therefore a plain inftance Diff C yt>. i; that the general way of Reafoning will not hold that any thing muft be unlawful now y on that alone account, that it had been ufed in the Worfhip of the Temple* I know no ground the Do&or could have N 2 for for this Dtftin&ion, but that he teems to have believed, that the Temple worfhip was univerfaS) fettled by a pojitive Law of God, as having no antecedent reafbn why itfhould have obliged without fuch a pofitive Sanation ; and that the Syna- gogue worfhip having no/0/fm;* Sanction in the Scriptures ( without which our Ad- verfaries allow no proof of a pofitive De- vine Sanation ) mull therefore have re- ceived the Sanction it pretended to from the nature o( the things themfelves, and therefore as immutable as thole natures of things from which they thought it was derived. This is indeed ib far iuitable to our Adverfaries Principles, granted on popular received Prejudices, that in things of this nature they allowed no humane Sanftion to be of any force. This preca- rious Suppofition did naturaly put them upon finding a Divine original for all the 0/^EItablifhmentof the Worfhip of the Synagogue, which becaule they could not pretend to find in the Scriptures, they were obligM to derive from the Moral Law, which was indeed fuppos'd to de- rive its Authority from a divine Legiflati- on. But the Moral Law, being founded, as they thought, on the Nature of the things, they muft therefore believe its Obligation as Ettrnal and Immutable, as thofe thofe Natures were fupos'd to be. So on the contrary, becaufe the written Law was written, with a profpett on one fixed Place for their fblemn Affemblies y which fixation was made by a pofitive divine San&ion, which was defignedly to ceafe upon the Defiruffion of the Jewifb Tem- ple, and the Difperfionof the Jewijfj Na- tion ; therefore they think the whole writ- ten Law relating to the Temple, was to have zwend with the Temple , for the ule of which it was contrived. But neither way does the Argument proceed as our Ad- versaries are concerned for it. The Syna- gogue Worfhip not being a thing exprefsly provided for in the old Teitament) where there is no mention of Synagogues in the latter Senfe of the Word) I ihould rather have taken for an Argument againft the Reafonings of the Nonconformi(ls\ from the Teftimonies of thea/af Tefta'ment, for the necefjity of an exprefs divine Com- mand for every indifferent Circumfiance of Divine-Worjhip when the whole kind of Synagogue-Worihip cannot pretend to a divine Command in the Scriptures. And without the Scriptures, there can be no divine Command pretended, by their Principles, but what is Moral , which mufl: therefore be grounded on Eternal and Immutable Realons, which will (lot N 3 be ( io2 ; be To eafily found for every particular of the Worfhip of the Synagogue, as our Adverfaries may fancy before they con- fider it. Every atnecedent Reafon will not do. For inded no Law, however pojltive can be thought prudent, that has not an antecedent Reafon, that might move the Legiflator to add his Sanction to it. But if that had been alone fiifficient to oblige the SubjedJ, there could have been no ne- ceffity of thefub/equent Law. The reafon therefore requisite for a moral Law, muds be fuch as muft hold neceffarily and **i- verfa/fy, and ib as to expofe the Perfbn who is not ruled by it, not only to incon- v enient Confequences, and prejudicial to his Temporal concerns, but fo as to in- volve him in the guilt of fm^ with rela- tion to God, and the conlequent indefi- nite EfjeEls af the divine Difpleafurs, be- lides the natural Confequences of the Acti- ons it felf. Such Reafons as thefe, our Adverfaries will not be fo eafily able to find for all the particulars of the Sjna- £0gj/*-Worfhip, when they fhall be plea- fed to coniider it fedately. I am fure the fVorfbip of the Body, and of the Mouth too may be without finging, if they will allow no more natural conducivenefs to Vocal Mufick for raifing the Imagination and the Affection^ than they do to that which which is Infirumental. The Reajbns men- tioned in the things Sung, receive fid more acceffion of flrength by their being Sung Vocally, than they would by being Sung Inftrumentally. I am apt to think the whole Synagogue-WorShip was introduced after the Captivity perhaps mftead of the Schools of the Prophets, that is, after that ordinary way of Educating Prophets in Schools had faiPdof which we find no more mention after the Captivity. From that time forwards the failing of the or- dinary ufe of Prophets is owned in the Scriptures. Pf. lxxiv. 9. Nehem. vii.65.^ ontr - A ^ and Jofephas, as well as in the lefs cer- tain Teftimonies of the Rabbins. At lea ft as to Colleges and Schools. Whilft, thoie ordinary Bodies of the Prophets were ftill in being, the People feem to have made the fame ufe of them, as was afterwards made of the Synagogues, for performing thofe parts of the Offices of their Reli- gion with them, which by the Law, were allowed to be performed elfewhere than at Jerufalem, 2. Kings iy. 23. The new Moons and the Sabbat hs^vz mentioned as ordina- ry otcajions of having recourfe to them. Ifib, the whole Synagogue way 01 Wor- fhip muft have been fettled by prudential Provisions, which could alone take place upon the failing of the Spirit of Prophefy. N 4 Efpecially -- ;--:••■*.•. ( 104 ) Efpecially if we will not allow any proof of Prophetick difcoveries, by thofe few Prophets which even then remainM after the Prophetick Colleges were generally dif- folved. This our Adverfaries are averfe to on other occafions. If they be true to themfelves on this occafion alio, I do not forefee how it is poffible for them to pre^ tend any Divine Revelation for this way of Worfhip in the Synagogues, from thofe few Prophets yet remaining, whofe Writ- tng we have extant. And how can they polfibly prove a Revelation that is no where Writitnl What then will become of their Negative Arguments from our prefent Scriptures'! Nor does their Argu- ment hold on the other fide, that every particular of the Temple Worfhip, mult for that only Reafon, becaufe it wasfo, be unlawful now. They might indeed infer that its confined uiQ in the Temple muft ceafe, when the confinement of all facer dotal Offices to that Temple, was its felf abrogated and repealed. But they very well know our prefent Difpute, is not whether Inflrumental-Mufick be to be con- fined new, as it was formerly, to that particular Temple. They might fay, far- ther, that the Obligation it then had from that Mofaical Sandtion, is expired when the Mofaical Sanftion is it felf repeal *d from v I0 5 ; from whence that Obligation was deriv'd. But neither is that our prefent Queftion* whether the fame Infirumental- Mufick fhal] oblige us now, on account of that Mofaic^ Impofition, which even then was never intended for uncircumcis*d Gentiles fuch as we are now. All that can be thence inferred by any regular Reafoning, is, that, upon the Revocation of the Con- finement of facer dotal Worlhip to the Tem- ple, Inftrumental-Muftck returned to its own Nature as it was before, either to remain as it was at firft, Indifferent, or to receive, or retain, fome other Sanation diftma from that. But that it muft be thenceforward unlawful, is more than f think our Adversaries will ever be able to prove from this conceffion alone, that it was formerly a part of the Worlhip of 'the Temple. ANOTHER pretence the Adverfary™ ™sf? r P™ vi "g Infirumental Mufick abL^X. If d, is, becaufeit was zfiOem offome-£™l"L- tmng then to come, of our Praifine God dm of ^ with*he Organs of our Bodies under the «££* of Oojpe/., This would indeed hold if it founder**" fii»ified fomewhat to come, as to be guiltv ««K ' h " or £# -Signification, when the tbingJSftS. Jtgmped was 4c?«a/A come to oafs If th ;?"'#«" ha , d , b f ".the Cafe, that, whSc ^iwffiL' S Ul Mufick was ufed, it (tgnified Bodily it'ttTbt Worfhip^ 1 '*' r** I 106 ; Worfhip only to come, our Adverfaries would do well to confider how it could have been ufed by the Jews, even in the time of the Mofaick Law. For it is certain that the Jews ufed the Worlhip of the Organs of their Bodies together with their Injtruntental Muftck, not only of their Mouths as we do, but alfb of their Feet, in their Religious Dances. If bodily Worfhip being ufed at the fame time with it made a falfe fignification in- confiftent with the futurity which it is pretended to fignifie now. Why flbould it not do fb then alfo ? If even then when it was was defigned as a Prophet ick Symbol of the Organical Worlhip of the Body, that fame Organical Worlhip of the Body might notwithftanding be Jifed at the fame time with it, Why not now ? This was, one would think, fufficient to (hew that it's fignif cation of bodily Organical Worfhip, was not lb effential to it but that, when that particular Reafbn fhoulcl fail, it might notwithftanding be continued on other Confiderations which might give no pretence of /^fignification, and in- confiflency with the prefent Innovations of the Revelations peculiar to the Gojpel. This I have fhewn to be the only true Rea/on of the abrogation of all the particulars of the old Mofaick Law, as abrogation is un- derftood derftood by our Advarfaries, not only to make things unobliging but unlawful alfb. But how does our Adverlary know that Inflrumental Mufick was a Type of our bodily organical Worfhip under the GoJpel 9 or of any other particular Practice now m ulef No other Reafon is pretended, but the general precarious pr e jump ;;on that all ufages then pra&is'd^hat were not Moral y rauft needs be fo. The Apoftle does in- deed acknowlege, that of events, they were rcW of what we might expeffc in the like Cafes, i.Cor,x. n. Healfoowns that the Law in general had a jhadow of good things to come. Heb.x. i. But thac eray particular Impofition of the Law was a jhadow of fomo particular Impofiti- on that was to anfwer it under the Gojpel y I know no Text our Adverfaries can pre- tend to that could inform them. Many of the pofitive, as well as the Morah Precepts of the Jewijh Law, were adapted to the particular Exigencies of that Nation. Many were fitted to the Vices that Nation was generally more inclined to than other Nations, as Idolatry r , Covetoufnejs, &c. Many to thofe they were more in danger of, ""on account of their particular Situa- tion, the Vices of their Neighbour Nati- ons. Many to other Reafbns and cuf- toms long fincc antiquated, as Maimonides has ( io8 ) has judicioufly obfervM from the Caldean Writings by him afcribed to the Zjbij. Many to particular Favors of Converfa- tion, which God was in thofe Ages pleaP- cd to grant to other Nations, as well as his Peculium. Such were thofe of the Waters of Jea/oufy, of the ways cf at on- ing unknown and involuntary Murthers, and the Oracles of Lots, and Prophets and Vrim. Why fhould we think that fuch Laws as thefe fhould have any pro- fpect farther than thofe Ages, and that Nation for which they were defign'd ? Elpecially fince the reafons of many of them failed long before the Publication of the Gojpel ; anfl when they obtained, concerned no other Nation whatfoever befides that of the Jews. xxvi. OUR Adverfaries might have been ah Wo// pleafed to confider that the way of deli- tLesdtd vering even known Moral Duties under "n C fumre Myflical Symbols, wastheufual Cuftom 'innovations of thofe of thofe earliefi Ages, even SteJbSSii where no farther future Innovations were £fT32fck ever thought of. Such were the ancient could not be Oracles , the Fables and Parables and dark £&££ Mayings and Riddles of the Wife. Such the of th ™^ ip PythagoreanSymbols 9 ta.kcn up from theOb- as being a fcrvations of the Cnfloms of thofe Orien- &****'*- ta l Nations thro 7 which Pythagoras had travell'd for Cultivating his Knowledge, by by the Inventions of thofe Nations that were then famous for Inventions. And fo the Jews of the Apoftles Age under- stood that by prohibiting the eating of Animals, God's true defign was to forbid the Vices, of which thofe Animals were counted Symbols by the received Traditi- ons of the Phyfiolcgers. So Pbilo and St. Barnabas, that I may confine my felf to the Age that I am fpeaking of. Thefe had no more relation to the times of the Gofpel than of the Law, nor could be thought to be more obligatory then, than now. The Vices defign'd by thofe Ani- mals the Jews were oblig'd to avoid as much as we are, and in order thereunto, were obliged to under ftand the Myftkal Senfes intended by thofe Symbols. Nor are we more excufed from the Myftical ' Senfe than they, tho' we be not obliged by the letter of the Prohibitions of thofe Animals. The reafbn why fuch things were delivered by Myftical Symbols was not to conceal them from the Perfbns to whom they were delivered for any time, much left till diftant events might come to pafs ; but only to difpofe the Hearers to receive them with the greater Reverence, according to the Cuftoms of thofe times, wherein all wife zndfacred Documents were fo v recommended, that too much familiarity { II© ) familiarity might not expofe them to con- tempt. Clemens Alxandrinus has at large fhewn that to have been the Falhion of thofe Ages. But the Symbols we are con- cerned for in judging what particulars of the Jeivijh Ceremonial Jaw were to be abro- gated in our Adverfaries Senfe, foas that from the time of the Publication of the Gojpel, they were to become unlawful, and uncapable even of any new humane Sanction, were quite of another kind. Thefe were purpofely contrived to be Symbolical, that they might not be under* flood till the Go/pel was clearly publiftfdj and that, when it was fuSiciently pub- lifh'ed, it might then be underftood that all the changes that followed upon the new Revelations of the Gojpel, were Ori- ginally defigned by God. By their not being underftood before they found themfclves obliged, not to admit Gentiles to the Pri- vileges of the new Peculium, without Projelytifm of Jttftice and Incorporation into that particular Nat ion of the Jews,. Perfectly agreeable to what God himfelf defignd till then. But from that time/^r- tvard God intended his new Eftablifhments of the G^e/fhould take Place, whereby Gentiles were to be admitted to thefe/iw^ Privileges, without the Condition of Incorporation. Thence forwards there- for fore it was neceffary that there fhould be that evidence concerning what was to be abolijhed, that might latisfie, even the Jews by Nation, of their Duty of ad- mitting Gentile Profelytes into the R ecu- Hum, without exa&ing from them, thofe particulars of the Mofaick Law, which were abrogated by the new Revelations of the Go/pel. For they were "Jews by Nation / who had then the Power of admitting into both Peculiums. The Old was in the Power of the Sanhedrin \ the New was in the Power of the Apples, who were themfelves alio Jews by Na- tion, and under the fame prejudices of Education with other Jews, from which they were to be reclaim'd by the Evi- dence of thefe new Revelations of the Gojpel. This being fb, it plainly ap* "pears, that it is not every (hadow that is fufficient for our Adverfaries purpofeof proving a thing unlawful. A /hadow con- fident would only return to its own na- ture of Original indifferency, and would ftill be as capable as formerly of receiv- ing a new Obligation from a new law- ful Sanation. But the Symbolical Ilia- dowirig, we are here concerned for, was to per figure and prediff a new and ungrateful Innovation of the Go(j?el, which fhould in courfe repeal fome Cuftom, they ( U2 ) they were then in polTeffion of as incon- ffient wich it, fuch could not be the Sing- ing with the Organs of our Body , as fjadowed by the old inanimate Organs. For vocal Mufick was even then alio in pefent ufe, not only future. It was not ungrateful to the ^>ny themfelves, and therefore had no need of being conceaPd from them, till the times of the Gojpel. It was not inconjifient with any other re- ceived Cuftom of theirs, which might have been abrogated by that inconfifiency, not with that very Practice of Instrumen- tal Mufick which is pretended to have jhadowed it. So far from that, that even then the Jews had been ufed to PraQice them together. There can therefore be no pretence here for Jbadowing a thing to come, when that fame thing was in pre- fent ufe among the Jews themfelves, and which could not therefore feemflrange to them, and againft which they could not therefore be pofleiTed with any prejudice. xxvil SO little our Adverfary would gain by The Harp- it for his purpofc, tho' his Obfervation vfn could* had been true, that Instrumental Mufick ™LfoU*gof h ac * b een one of the (Ijadows of the Mojaic that a$ % be La w. But the contrary will appear more 9b*dt». 'likely* if he will be pleas'd to remem- ber, that it is mentioned in Heaven, in the Revelations. Which by the way will make the way of Arguing from thofe PaiTages in the Revelations which men- tion Harping in the Heavenly Jerufdlem, ftronger than perhaps our Adverfary was aware of. For in the Reafonings of the Apoflolical Age, the {hadorvs of the Law which were made, as I have fheWn, by Bezaleel, are directly opposed to the Heavenly things themfelves^ which are fuppos'd to be the Pattern fhewn by God to Mofes in the Mount that was to be copied by Bezaleel. The fhadorv is laid to be W im&viay, Heb. viii. 5. as'an imi* tat ion of them. The /hadorvs therefore are calfd uVo/«^at* <%f U *&>*"*> to which the AVTdt fA km&vi* are profeffedly opposed by the fame Apoftle, Heb. ix. 23. If therefore Harping have any place in Hea- ven, it cannot, by this way of Reafon^ -ingy be reckon 7 d among the /hadorvs of the Mofaic Law, which were to be abo- lished* Thefe Archetypes are the Qnmu&l yiwnv* hidden in the Kby& according to St. Paul, Col. ii. j. exaftly anfwering the Hellenijlical Platonical Language of that Age from which the Apoftle Reafbns, The Platonifis placM their !^r«//« in the Contemplation of thofe lde&°m the a6>©% The Pythagoreans from whom Plato bor- rowed his Timxus, and who were more clofely folio wM by Philo and the Helle- O nifts, V 114 ; . nijls, call the fame thing ^^ f , which j& csm t j ie pitfonifts call iarfpfc, as appears in their golden Verfes. And the fame Word is ufed by the LXXII, who are followed by Philo, who reprefent the Requeft of Mofes thus, t' VA yVtt ^ ^ n . And QH m ve)< an d yv**< are 1 erms ufed in this lame matter, by the fame Phi/o. It is further obfervable, in the fame/tf*- foning, that the Heavenly things are fup- pos'd to be Eternal. So the Platonifls of their Idea. Their dw Wf0p£/V/; are not feen are eternal, 2 Cor. iv. 8. And eternal in the Heavens , v. 1. and where he fpeaks of the foaking of the Heaven and Earth, he mentions this e- venc of that jhaking, that it fhould be, that the things which cannot be JJjaken fjould remain, Heb. xii. 27. Who lees not that thofe Words of the Apoftle, are defignedly us'd concerning thefe very Changes which were to be made by the Gojpel'i And that the Heavenly things, are thofe which are fuppos'd uncapable of that jhaking, and therefore to remain? uivnv is the Word us'd by St. Paul, and plainly flgnifies the lame thing with tdw fli*)w+> in St. John, in 17, and elfewhere frequently. The lame Word is ufed on the fame occasion, and in the fame Senfe by Philo, **<:**£ W^riM, to eumv yvoei£«, *t &ro SKIAStcMENON :p& AIIe S< And we fee how he oppofes it to the «%/*;. H,p,;9 * . By this Reafoning therefore. Harping can- not be reckoned among the Jhadows, nor can it be fuppofed abolished by the Inno-» vations of the Gojpel, if it be reckon'd among the Caleflials, which are not ca- pable of being affe£ted by the great /baking of the Gojpel, and which muft therefore remain unmoved under tlitGofpel Difpenfation. This Argument will re- ceive a farther Confirmation, if he will be pleafed to remember farther, that the Go/pel State fuppofed in the Reafon- ings of the N. T. is really f iippos'd to, - be the fame with that of the Ctleftid Patterns fhewed to Mofes in the Mount s in imitation of which the Mofaic Difpen- fation was formed. And that even in this World, before its compleat Perfecti- on, which it is to receive in the future State. Hence it is, that it is faid, that the Jerufalem above, is even now, the Mother of us all \ That even now, we are Fellow-Citizens with the Saints in Heaven \ That our ^xitAa ls there ; That here we *re T&yuu and 4^nafii^itx as having here O 2 n4 ( n6) no abiding City ; that we are faid to have aftually fate down in Heavenly places. Who can therefore wonder, that con- fiders this, if the Heavenly Jerufalem defcribed in the Revelations, reprefent the prefent State of the Church of Jeru- falem then on Earth ? Our Circumcifio* is the Circumcifwn made without Hands, *Col. ii. 1 1 . opposM to the Jervijh Cir* cumcifon, made by Hands , Eph. ii. n. Exattiy as our Saviour is faid to be a High Priejt of good things to come, by a, greater and rnore perfect Tabernacle, not made with Hands, that is. to fay, not of this Building,Heb. ix. ii. And as he is faid, not to have entred into the holy places made with Hands, which are the figures of the true ; but into Heaven it felf, v. 24, If the Tabernacle, and the Holy Places made without Hands, be Heaven it felf; why fhould we doubt, but that theGV- cumcifion made without Hands, fhould have been then thought Myflical and Heaven* ly ? The fame Apoftle gives it elfe-were, as a Chara&er of the things that were to be abrogated by the Gofpel ; that the Reafon of their abrogation, was their being made. So he tells us, yet once more fgnifieth the removing of thofe things that are (Ijaken, as of things that are made, Heb. xii. 27. It feems plainly to allude to (»7) to the Eclypes of the Tabernacle which were made by Bezaleel, in oppofition to thofe Patterns of which there is no men- tion of their being made, but only fhewn by God to Mofes in the Mount. For their not being mentioned as made, is the fame Reafbn for reckoning on them as not made in this myjlical way of Reafoning, as it was to reckon on Melcbizedeck's ha- ving no Father^ no Mother, no Genealogy, no begining of Days, nor end of Life', be- caufe none of theft particulars are menti- oned concerning him in the Scripture, Nor muft this be calPd precarious Rea- foning, in Interpreting Propbefies, being the ufiial way taken, ever fince there were Propbefies in the Prediction of dif- fiant future Events. The lame thing is fuppos'd in all thofe Places, where the things of the Gofpel are called Eter nal, in oppofition to the things anfwer- ing them under the Mofaic Law. So the Life promifed in the Gofpel, is calPd Eternal, in oppofition to the Life proniil- cdby Mofis, in Deuterqpomy. So the Sal- vation of our Lord Jeftts, is call'd Eternal, Heb. v. 9. in oppofition to that of the Jervijhjefus, the Son of Nun. So his Re- demption alio is call.d Eternal, in oppofi- Hcb. \*. u< tion to the many Redeemers mentioned in inany places of the old Teftament, where the ( n8 ) the fame Word is ufed in the LXXTI. So the Inheritance of the Gofpel, is likewile called Eternal, in oppofition to the In* heritance of Canaan. So the everlafiing .ThzCi&Defirustion, the everlafiing Conjolation, 2 Thef ii. 16, The everlafiing Covenant, Heb. xiii. 20. The everlafiing Kjngdom. 2 Pet. i. 1 1 . The everlafiing GoJpeL Rev. xvi. 6. By the fame Allufion it is, that the things of the Go/pel are laid to be things themfelves, and the true things. So the Gofpel Worjhippers, are the true JVor- Jhippers, St.Joh.W. 2 J. ThzEucharifii- cat Bread, the true Bread, in oppofition to the Manna of the Ifraelites, St. Joh. vi. $2. The Holinefi of the Gofpel, the /r#? /&- ///zf/T, Eph. iv. 24. The Tabernacle of the Go/pel, (which none can doubt to be Heaven itfelf) t\\Q true Tabernacle, Heb. viii. 2. For the Archetypal Idea, were fup- pofed only to have TwA in them, accor- ding to the Platonifis. So Grace and 7Vtf/£ which came by Chritf. is oppoied to the Law given by Mofes, St. jfo^# i. 17. And being (ledfafk to the Gofpel Commui- on, in oppofition to the Communion of the Hereticks, is faid to be the abiding in the 7>////;. All thele Forms of Speech un- derflood according to the Cuftom of that Age, do plainly fuppofe, that all the Hea- venly Archetypes of the Law were Evan- gelical, gelical, and uncapable of any revocation that fhouldjmake them unlawful under the Gofpel; and that all the pofitive In- stitutions of the Gofpel, were reckoned on zsHeavenly, and therefore Harpers, be- ing mentioned in the Heavenly Jerufalem, muft needs be fuppofed to have place among thofe antient Cuftoms that were not to be abrogated. It is certain that In- strumental Muflck could be it felf no Sha- dow, according to the Doctrine of the Gojpel, feeing the Evangelical Writers reckon it among the Heavenly Archetypes, which were the Truth and the Body that anfwered thofe Shadows. Nor is it any more difficult to prove Harps in Heaven, which the Adverfary inf ultingly requires, than to prove a Circumcifion there not made with Hands ; than it is to prove a Manna and a Bread there, that is the Food of Angels. This fure, is an eafier Account of that Idiome in the Style of the new Teftament, which my late excellent Friend Dr. More, called Ifraelitifmus, than that infifted on by our Adverfary. He might have been pleafed to remember, two Ifraelitifms there mentioned, the Myf- tical, which by the Chrifiians of that Age, was believed to be perfectly the fame with their :>:x THOSE very excellent Ferlbns did not ™j»«^fufficiently confidcr how very eafy it was, ^/. r £mstofor matters of this Nature to htdif continue rin«ed dif0 S:^ without the leaft A//** of thofe im- ;, ni:;diately fucceeding Ages, thatdifcon- iny^yitinued them. Suppoiin^ this Mufick pro* *j;,,.per tor the Jerufdem Sacrifces, as they were were plainly in the Temple of ¥erufalemJg n f of . tha there could be no pretences to them, in any from tbe other OW^ in the World, befides thzchUdZd, //mf Church of ferttfalem* where the /&7? an !j D ^* Apojtie had the lame right over all the // Elements C^r^ in the World, as the High Prief^™*' of the Jervijh Sanhedrin had over all the 3 f «iv/i& Synagogues, in all their Difperfions. This was an eafie Account why this Pra&ice of Instrumental Mufick might have been referved to the Apojtolical Church, till that Church was utterly ex- tinguijbed by the Death of the loft Apojlles. After the laft refidence of the Apojtolical Body at Ephejus, in Trajan's time, all the Churches in the World, were equal to that Church where the Apojlles had made their /*/? refidence, and ^/W with- al among themfelves. Then they «/£A/, if they pleafed, have taken up that fame Cuftom univerfally. But were very un* likely to do fb, having never till that time ufed it. And for any one jingle Church to have done fb, when the reft did not fb, would have been thought invidious and aiTuming. It might have been Interpre- ted as a Challenge of the Catholick 'Juris- diction, to have alone exercisM the Prero* gative of 'that Church, which before had a Right xo a Catholick Jurijdittion. So Sohmpn Interpreted it m his Brother A- P donijahy ( '3° ) donijah, that de defired one of thzRoyal Concubines. For they alfb followed the right cf the Crown, as appears from the 2 Sam. xii. 8. This was far from the Humility of thofe Times,and gives aclcar Account, why it might have been univer- fally difuid, how lawful foever it might have been thought otherwife. But this could be no hindrance why it might not have been refumed afterwards,by any par- ticular Church that pleafed, when there was no danger of that Confequence. When the memory of the Apofiolical -prerogative w r as loft, and when no Title could be pretended for any particular Church in the World, why it ihould fucceed to the Apofiolical prerogative. The pretence of the Church of R^sfar later than thefe earlieit itmes of Chriftianity, of which I am now fpeaking. However it was very natural for their earliefi Succeffors^ when they found this Practice dijcontinu- ed in Fact, to impute the discontinuance of it, to Ibme difapprobation it had re- ceived from the Chrifiian Religion ; and to bethink themfelves of fbmei'uch Rea- fons as thefe produced by chem why it might have been difliked by them who dif continued it, as unfuitable to the Dignity of the new Peculium. But I have fhewri, that this Reafoning of theirs in this this particular, could not poflibly be the Reasoning of the Apojlolical Age, who both a&ually Communicated 'with Instru- mental Mufick, and who allowed it a place in Heaven, which was not accounted the Place of Rudiments and Children, accord- ing to the Hypothefis of myHical Reafon- ing. This is abundantly fufficient to difcharge us from any Obligation to be concluded by the Reafonings of thefe Fa- thers m this particular, how great a Ve- neration foever we may profefs for their Authority in attesting Traditions, either of their own Age, or the Apo&les. In- deed the whole cjefign of this Topick of Reasoning from the State of Nonage and Rudiments was, not to prove the obfer- vation, even of the externals of the Mo- faic Law unlawful, but the Hopping at them, fo as not to admit the farther Dis- coveries of the Go/pel. The Mmo-m is op- poled to the &»»? 7&«©-, the ^ T e)i »W« ™ *mip»(mI& *5Xet«. Eph. iv. 13. And to the nhfyafjut, ;goi>s, which was when Godfent his [on made of a woman made under the Law, Gal. iv. 4. This was to Hop at the j{X4YJv, Heb. ix. 1 , is oppofed to the h } any thing, but the new Creature >&ivn tCl'ms, Gal . vi. 1 5. Here we fee the \%v* in oppofition to the *&'*vu*. and dfiwccrici is afcrib'd to the )@tv» jflw in Baptifm, which was Inftituted in- ftead of Circumcifion under the Gofpel. For the j0*y» hTw was alone to be expected by the Spirit, which was the Prerogative of our Chriftian Baptifm. This was theaV^f- vacns *& voot. Rom. xii. 2- and the dvetyj.iy»at( vvtvfjuLl&y which is joined with the akt^V tttKiyfwcojv. Tit. iii. 5. which could be no 0- ther than that of our Chriftian Baftifm^s it is alfb defcribed St. "Job. iii. 5. This, by the way gives a clear account why the Law is faid d&iv&v Jid m^m. Row. viii. J. P 4 For ( i3* ) For Fleji, is ordinarily ufcd in the old I eltament alio as a Symbol of WeakneR as the Spirit is of Strength. And the' Apoftle plainly warns that the Spirit was not received by the works of the Law but by the hearing of Faith. Gal. iii. 2. So the Apoftle {hews that the literal Jem. Mw to which the feparmng Jews pre- tended, could give no 77//, to that Liber- ty which both farts agreed to be a privi- lege of the true Feculium, as the Off fpring of Sarah the F«* WW*. So far from that, that heobferves that that f e - rualem was even then in Bondage with her Children. Hut the Jerufalem, continues he, which is above, * Free, which is the Mother of * all .Gal. iv. 2 5. 26. So he alio elfe where obferves, that it was the Zeedoi Abrahams Faith, not of his Flelh that had a juft Right to /tfyft the Fro- mijesmzfc to his o,W. Rom.iv. 10 n ".13,7,18. ix.7,8. This therefore kerns to be the true account why the le»al Symblos are called i** w h en compared with the Origins which were to /W them under the >Gofpel. The fame „,**« are alio faid tobe*^, Gal. iv. 9 , p£ Jy in o#o/fr«,« to the mS7©- which is fre- quently afcribed to the Mystical Spiritual Benefus expected by them, but in vain. *or the Keajomng of the Jpoflles fuppofedj that ( 137 ) that they are really to be expected only from the Rites which were to fucceed thofe legal Symbols under the G off el. So we read the ta«7©- * %psMI& Rom. ii. 4. the ta??®- ^ JS£nt, Rom. ix. 2}. Eph. hi. 16. Col. i. 7. the /s*8©- -a-air**) 0>?W *5 ^raJ««? 0sb. Rom. xi. j 3. Alluding all to the Myftical Senfes of the Law, and the Benefits fignified and conveyed by them. So again the **?t©- #&]©■. Eph. i. 7. with relation to the Spiritual ^eV*-?* lb literally poured out then upon the Chrift- ians, but not on the dividing Jews, who kept to the literal Inftitutions of the Law, which afforded them no Riches of this kind, whilft they obftinately pcrfifted in their Separation, Juftly therefore they might be ftiled in this Senfe Poor, when ^compared with the richer Inftitutions of the Gofpel, which in that Age, yielded thefe invaluable Treasures of Wifdom and Knowledge in fo very great abundance. The fame Expreffion of «*«?■$• with re- lation to the myftical Benefits of thefe ex- ternal wix** thus ex plained, is ufed alfb in Philo * before St. Paul, as well as Ignatius* *K*oia.t after him. This is abundantly fufficient **