Church Pageantry Displayed, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
No Organs in the Primitive Church. They were firſt introduc'd into the New Teſtament Church by Pope Vitalian about Six Hundred Years after Chriſt, their uſe in Divine Service a Popiſh Practice in the Opinion of ſome Church-Men. Many of Opinion, they were not Churchify'd as ſoon as Vitalian's Time. For there were no Organs in France, and Germany in Aquinas's Time, which was about Five Hundred Years ago. The Fathers, as Clemens Alexandrinus, St. Chryſoſtom, Iſidore, P. Theodoret, Ambroſe, Auſtiu — againſt the uſe of Organs in the Church.
SIR,
1. IF what is wanting in the Sacred Text cou'd be made good by Authentick Primitive Records, I ſhou'd not have attended this Muſical Buſineſs. I muſt needs ſay, that I owe the Fathers of the Church the Debt of an Honourable Memory; and therefore, if you had fled for Refuge into the abſtruſe receptacles of venerable Antiquity, I wou'd not have preſum'd to haunt you out of your Burroughs; but upon a little ſearch into the Ancient Eccleſiaſtical Regiſters, you'll ſoon find that the Primo-Primitive-Chriſtians never made uſe of Organs in their Applications to the Heavenly Throne.
The Ancient Fathers in their Writings are wholly ſilent; they give us not the leaſt hint that they approv'd of or had Organical Worſhip in the Church; but we have a new Generation of Pipers that are wiſer than their Fore-Fathers, and able to fathom the Indian Gulph, and if need be, reach the twinkling Stars with a Jacob's Staff. Theſe are the evaporating Wits of the Age with whom alone (if you'll believe 'm) the Chryſtal Springs of Knowledge dwell. No doubt, but theſe Muſical Gentlemen drew their firſt breath in Tempe or Parnaſſus, and had Appollo himſelf for their Progenitor, and the Harmonious Spheres for Nurſes; for their firſt and laſt Notes are nothing elſe, but Liſpt Meeter and Caſtalian Lays. But ſee how this ſidling humour draws me out o'th' way.
2. Say ſome, 'twas about Six Hundred Years after Chriſt before Organs were introduc'd into the Chriſtian Church. The†Tandem Anno 666. pleno numero Beſtiae, Apoc. 13. Cantum Latinum cum Organis Eccleſiae a Vitalino Pontifice ſuſceperunt miſſamq deinde. Magdeb. Centur. Cent. 7. Cap. 6. Centuriators tells us, That at laſt in the Year Six Hundred Sixty Six, in the full number of the Beaſt in Revel. 13th. the Churches receiv'd Latin ſinging with Organs from Pope Vitalian, and from thence began to ſay Latin Maſs, and to ſet up Altars with Idolatrous Images.—And of this Opinion are Balaeus, Platina ‖Plat. in Vital.and others. You may Note hence, that this Theatrical pompous ſort of Worſhip was firſt hatcht at Rome, where a great many other Eccleſiaſtical Gewgaws and Gibble-Gabbles have been invented; and had no meaner Perſon for it's Original, than a Soveraign Pontiff, and he none of the beſt of the Purple Order, for by M. Prideaux he's rank'd in the Claſs of uſurping Nimrods. And beſides we muſt obſerve, that theſe Organs were introduc'd into Church in the Time of Popiſh Darkneſs, and were accompany'd with Latin Service and Idolatrous Images —.
And, that this ſort of Organical Devotion looks like that of Rome, I Appeal to the Reverend*Vid. Ceremony Monger, Chap. 1. page 11. 17. Mr. H. the preſent Rector of All Saints — in Colcheſter in Eſſex, who expreſſeth himſelf thus — His Cope, his Hood, his Surplice, his Rochet, his cringing Worſhip, his Altars with Candles on 'm, his Bag-pipes or Organs, and in ſome Places Viols and Violins, and ſinging Boys are ſo very like Popery, that (ſaith he) I proteſt when I came in 1660. from beyond Sea to Paul's and White-Hall, I cou'd ſcarce think my ſelf to be in England, but in Spain or Portugal again, I ſaw ſo little difference but that their Service was in Latin and ours in Engliſh, but leſs intelligible and edifying by Reaſon of the inarticulate Boatus and braying, the alternate Jabberings and Mouthings of the People, whilſt all of 'm read half the Pſalms with a noiſe as confus'd as the rumbling Thunder; that any Man in the World that had ſeen High Maſs beyond Sea, muſt ſay, that the Contrivance of both was to keep People in Ignorance, Bellarmines Mother of Devotion.
3. Some others are of Opinion, that the uſe of Organs in the Chriſtian Church was not ſo early as this Popes Time: For, long after that; Organs were unknown in France and Germany. Marianus Scotus tells us, they were firſt ſent of a Token to King Pepin in France; Aventinus gives the ſame Account, but adds, that they came not into any Church in France till the Year 828. when by the Induſtry of a Venetian Prieſt they were there ſet up. Church-Muſick was not introduc'd into the Weſtern Churches before the Time of Ludovicus Pius about the Year 840. One Georgius a Greek Prieſt, who was recommended to the Emperour by Count Baldric perſwaded him to admit into the Church†Aimon. Monach. de Geſtis. Franc. lib. 4. Cap. 114. inuſitatam adhuc in regno Francorum melodiam. But Aquinas ſaith, there were no Organs us'd in the Church, in his Time, which was about the Twelfth Century. Thus you ſee, tho' the Learned vary in the Account they give of their Original, yet they all agree they were not us'd in Chriſtian Aſſemblies for ſeveral hundred Years after Chriſt.
4. As to the Fathers, it's plain, that they accounted Organs and other Muſical Inſtruments in Divine Worſhip, as Parts of the Old Ceremonial Law, and ſuited only to the Infant State of the Church, and therefore no way Congruous to the ſpirituality of Goſpel-Services; this will more plainly appear, by conſidering the ſubſequent Paſſages collected out of 'm.
(1.) We'll begin with Juſtin Martyr †foreign— Juſt. Martyr. ad Orth. Queſt. 107., who Dy'd about the Year 164. He ſaith to this Purpoſe, That in his Time there was only plain ſimple ſinging with the Voice us'd in the Church: And he calls the uſe of Church Muſick under the Old Teſtament, a puerile carnal Service, or a Childiſh ſerving of God.
(2.) Clemens Alexandrinus, ‖foreign— Paedag. Lib. 2. Cap. 4.who Liv'd about the Year 196. ſaith, we're commanded to Praiſe God on the Pſaltery, that is on the Tongue, becauſe the Tongue is the Pſaltery of the Lord. Praiſe him with the Harp, that is, with the Mouth; Praiſe him with the loud tinkling Cymbal, that is, the Tongue. And a little further he ſaith, That then they made uſe only of one Inſtrument, the peaceful Word with which they honour'd God. Note hence, (1.) That he look'd upon the Jewiſh Church-Muſick to be Typical, i. e. a reſemblance, to emblematize or ſhadow out that inward Melody — which ſhou'd be in Goſpel Times, ſo ſaith Junius, Of thoſe Things commanded by the Law, ſome were ſignificative of ſome future Thing: Others were peculiar to that Church; now (ſaith he) to make uſe of things which were ſignificative of ſome thing Future after the coming of Chriſt, is Wicked; and now to uſe thoſe things which were peculiar to that Church is ridiculous. So that according to his Judgment the uſe of Church-Muſick under the Goſpel is either impious or ridiculous. (2.) Clemens in ſome of's Writings, complains much of the decay of Zeal and of the Power of Godlineſs among Profeſſors in his Time, and yet I believe it ne'r enter'd into the Brains of the good Man, that a pair of Organs wou'd have been a Remedy for that growing Evil.
(3.) St. Chryſoſtom, †foreign— in Pſ. 144. Edit. &c.who Di'd about the Year 407. ſaith, That under the Old Teſtament, there were Organs by which Songs of Praiſe were offer'd up to God, but now in the ſtead of Organs we make uſe of the Body, the Members of which become a Pſaltery and a Harp—. And in another Place*foreign. ſpeaking of Muſical Inſtruments in Gods Service, he ſaith, Let no Man deceive you, theſe appertain not to Chriſtians: Theſe are Alien to the Chriſtian Church; all theſe the Nations of the World ſeek after. Note hence, (1.) He aſſerts that Organs — did not belong to Chriſtian Worſhip. Either he was erroneous in's Judgement, or the Patrons of our melodious Organs are guilty of an unchriſtian Practice. But (2.) He makes thoſe to be deceivers of the People that introduce Organs, or any other ſort of Inſtrumental Muſick into Church-Worſhip: Here's a heavy Charge, and ſome Body muſt be Guilty; either the Father of the Church, or the Eccleſiaſtical Organeer. You muſt either brand the good old Man for a lying Scribbler, or own Organical Worſhip to be a meer Cheat, and a Church Deluſion — Ʋtrum horum mavis accipe — (3.) He makes Organ-Worſhip to be a Heatheniſh Practice. This puts me in mind of what the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet †Orig. Sacr.late Biſhop of W. tells us out of Strabo, that the Corybantes of old in their Worſhip danc'd about with their Cymbals, Pipes, Drums, and Arms, as if Bedlam had been broke looſe among 'm.
(4.) Iſidore Peluſiota, ‖Iſid. Pel. lib. 1. Ep. 457. in Pſ. 150. foreign.who Liv'd about the beginning of the Fourth Century, ſaith, If ye ſeek an Explication of that Muſick mention'd in Scripture, underſtand after this manner; viz. They prais'd God with the ſound of a Trumpet in Memory of the Reſurrection; which will be with a Trumpet. Praiſe him with the Pſaltery and Harp, that is, with the Tongue and Mouth. Praiſe him with Strings and Organs, that is, with the Body and all the inward Parts.
(5.) Theodoret, *foreign. — Theod. foreign. Serm. 7.who flouriſh'd about the Year 430. after Chriſt, ſaith, God indulged 'm (the Jews) the uſe of Muſical Inſtruments, not that he was delighted with their Harmony, but ſo by little and little he put a ſtop to the deceit of Idols. And in another Place, he ſaith to this Effect,†foreign— Comment. in Pſ. 32.2, 3. that thoſe Muſical Inſtruments ſpoken of in the Old Teſtament agree to us, if they're underſtood ſpiritually — And we muſt render our ſelves an Harmonious Organ to God, and Praiſe him by the Inſtruments of all the Senſes.
(6.) Ambroſe, who Di'd Anno 397.‖Aug. Confeſs. IX. 7. introduc'd the Eaſtern Way of Singing at Milan, to divert the good People that watch'd with him in the Church, to prevent Juſtina, Valentinian's Mother, from delivering it to the Arians, whoſe Hereſie ſhe favour'd: And from Milan that more artificial way of ſinging ſpread through the Weſtern. Churches.
(7.) This melodious Singing did ſo tickle St. Auſtin's Ears, and cauſe in him ſuch a degree of carnal Delight, that the wiſhes 'twere laid aſide in the Church,†— Ab auribus meis remcveri velim atque ipſius Eccleſiae. Conf. X. 33. and reckons it much ſafer to imitate the Alexandrian Way of ſinging in Athanaſius's Time, who made his Reader to ſound the Pſalm with ſo ſmall a turn of his Voice, ut pronuncianti vicinor eſſet quam canenti. *Ibid.If the more artificial Way of Vocal Singing ſeem'd enſnaring to this devout Father, what wou'd he have ſaid to our Modern Organical Conſorts?
(8.) Add to all theſe the Account we have of the Primitive Worſhip, viz. When the Congregation was aſſembl'd they firſt read the Scriptures, and ſometimes other Writings, then Pray'd, and then Preach'd, and concluded with Prayer. In our Publick Aſſemblies ſaith†Scripturae leguntur, Pſalmi canuntur, ad locutiones proferuntur, & petitiones delegantur. Tertull. de Anima Cap. 3. Tertullian, (who Liv'd about the Year 202. after Chriſt) The Scriptures are Read, Pſalms are Sung, Sermons Preached, and Prayers preſented. Not a Word of Common Prayer, nor of the Vitalian and Gregorian Organical Cant; which things were not known in the Primitive Church.
Thus you ſee the Venerable Fathers unanimouſly declare againſt the Eccleſiaſtical uſe of Organs; and therefore, you muſt either Rebel againſt their Paternal Authority, or be content to Knock under, as we ſay. The Church of Old look'd like it Self, a Pure, Holy Virgin; and had no Superſtitious Ornamental Appendages to enhance it's Native Simplicity.
But Alas! How is her beautiful Face now mangl'd? As ſome of our modiſh Ladies, who (tho' Nature has accommodated 'm with comely Features, yet) ridiculouſly paint 'mſelves: So ſome of our Prelatical Tantivies have ſo miſerably daub'd the Face of the Church with Organical and Spaniſh Dyes, and other Ceremonious Untemper'd Mortar, that if the Primitive Fathers were now alive again, they cou'd not know their own Daughter.
— Hinc illae Lachrymae —
We'll conclude this Chapter with that excellent Prayer of our Church, viz. God grant all us, the Kings Highneſs, faithful and true Subjects, to feed of the ſweet and ſavoury Bread of Gods own Word: And (as Chriſt commanded) eſchew all our Phariſaical and Papiſtical leven of Man's fained Religion — Homily of good Works, Part III. Page 38.