The Lords Day, Book 2 · Chapter 12 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XII.
The manner of ſinging in the Church, was, according to the vulgars capacity, modeſt and ſober: the incommodities of a ſweeter voice in ſinging. The profit of a well moderated ſinging. Hymns were ſometimes ſung of one, ſometimes of divers. Antiphones, Organs. How none were to ſing in the Church, but thoſe that were choſen to this purpoſe. Broken Muſick diſallowed. A cenſure of that Muſick which is uſed among the Papiſts.
IN the ſecond place, this is to be obſervedSinging to the vulgars capacity. of the manner of ſinging uſed by Chriſtians in their aſſemblies, although ſinging was every where uſed, yet the ſame manner of ſinging was not uſed by all. At leaſt, the ancients did chiefly regard that their ſinging might be underſtood of the people, leſt through the ſweetneſs of the voice in ſinging, without the pious affections of the heart, they ſhould be deceived. The Corinthians, excelling in the gift of tongues, ſung commonly in an unknown tongue, but Paul abrogated that errour, and commanded them to uſe a known tongue, that the people might ſay, Amen. 2 Cor. 14. 15. Neither could they that ſung to the Lord in their heart, any otherwiſe ſtir up themſelves by Pſalms, hymns, and ſpiritual ſongs. Which yet was enjoyned the Church by the Apoſtles Canon, Col. 3. 16. Eph. 5. 19. which do teach, that all the art of ſinging in the Church, ought by the Apoſtles ſentence, to be ordered into the vulgars capacity.
So was is alſo uſed in the following Church. St. Athanaſius made the Reader of the Pſalm to ſound it ſorth with ſo little a changing of the voice, that he was likelier to one that pronounced it, than ſung it, witneſs Auſtin, Confeſs. l. 10. c. 33. St. Hierom Hier. Ep. ad Ruſtic.being bold upon the teſtimony of St. Paul (2 Cor. 14. 15. where the Apoſtle ſaith, I will ſing with the ſpirit, and I will ſing with underſtanding alſo) teaches us, that in ſinging a Pſalm, not the ſweetneſs of the voice, but the affection of the mind is to be obſerved. For it's better to worſhip God in praiſes and hymns that are tuned in a pure mind, which God onelyonly looketh at, than thoſe that are ſung with a loud and ſhrill voice: as ſometime Philo de Plantatione Noe. The Africans did ſoberly ſing their Divine ſongs of the Prophets Aug. Ep. 119. c. 18.in the Church, whereas the Donatiſts ſung their immodeſt roarings, like ſongs compoſed by mans wit, as if they were ſounding a trumpet to battel. Where Auſtin finds fault with them for two things. Firſt, becauſe they betook themſelves to ſing hymns, which they deviſed by their own invention, leaving the holy ſongs of the Prophets. And ſecondly, becauſe they ſung them not ſoberly, as the Church did, but as puffed up with pride. Auſtin blames them for both. Quaeſtiones ad Justinum Mariyrem, acknowledge ſimple ſinging in the Church. Qu. 107.
Austin relates the incommodities of aThe inconveniency of a ſweet voice in▪ ſinging. ſweeter concord in ſinging: who was ſome time more moved with the ſinging, than the thing which was ſung: for which cauſe, he acknowledgeth, that he ſinned grievouſly, and had rather that he had not heard whenConf. l. 10. c. 33. he ſang: for the contentment of his fleſh beguiled him, and he gave more reſpect to Muſical delights in the Church, than was ſeemly.
For avoiding theſe inconveniences, it is ordained in Conc. in Trullo, Can. 75. that thoſe who ſing, foreign, i. ſhould neither uſe diſorderly ſhoutings, nor ſtrain nature to clamour. Nor is the reaſon of this Canon aſſigned by Zonaras, contrary to religion, or right reaſon. Singing of Pſalms, ſaith he, is a kind of deprecating God, wherein, by ſuppliant prayers, we beg the pardon of ſins. Now it's fit that ſupplicants go in humble habit, but clamours and rude ſhoutings are no argument of humility and modeſty, but of a mind raſhly vaunting, and carried away with preſumption. Thus Zonaras.
Hierom is clearly of the ſame opinion, who thinks, that our ſinging muſt be to God, not with the voice, but the heart; Nor are we like Tragedians, to anoint our throat and mouth with ſweet modulation, that our Theatrical tunes and ſongs may be heard in the Church, but we are to ſing with reverence, indeed, and in knowledge of the Scripture.
None doth better than Chryſoſtom reproveChryſ. hom. 1. de verb. Iſaiae, t. 5. p. 128. that unſeemly manner of ſinging, borrowed from the Theatres, that ſignifie no certainty to us by their clamours. It is a notable place, which, though it be large, I will ſet down for the Readers ſake. There are ſome men, ſaith he, who, contemning God, and reckoning the Oracles of the Spirit, for common and profane, do utter diſordered voices, carrying themſelves no better than thoſe that are mad, ruffling and rowling with the whole body, and ſhewing manners far off from a ſpiritual ſtability. O wretched and unhappy man! thou oughteſt with trembling and reverence to reſound the angelical glorification, and with terrour to make confeſſion to thy Creatour, and by this to beg the pardon of ſins. And here thou bringest in the faſhions of Mimicks and Dancers, while thou throweſt the hands undecently, and jumpeſt with the feet, and turneſt about with the whole body. And how is it, that thou feareſt not, nor trembleſt to hear of theſe things against ſuch Oracles? doeſt thou not think that God is inviſibly preſent here, who meaſureth the motion of every man, and hath a conſideration of the conſcience? doeſt thou not think, that the Angels do ſtand by this stupendous table, and with reverence compaſs it about? but thou doſt not think on theſe things, becauſe the things which are heard and ſeen in the Theatres have darkned thy mind; and therefore doeſt thou bring in that to be uſed in the Church, which is done there? therefore doeſt thou diſcover a diſordered mind, in clamours that ſignifie nothing certain? how therefore wilt thou beg the pardon of thy ſins? how wilt thou receive the Lord into thy houſe, who doſt ſo contemptuouſly offer him a prayer? Thou ſayeſt, Have mercy on me, O God, and declareſt, that thy manners are far from mercy. Thou crieſt out, Save me, and expreſſeſt an outward ſhew far from ſalvation. Why are thy hands ſpread out to pray, which are alwayes thrown aloft, and turned about in an unſeemly manner. Which, through the importunate impulſe of a vehement and violent ſpirit, make a ſound which ſignifies nothing certain? are not thoſe examples partly of ſilly women, that exerciſe whoriſh tricks in the ſtreets, and partly of them that bawl in the Theatres? &c. Theſe are the words wherein that grave Father taxes thoſe rude voices in ſinging of hymns, which ſignifie nothing certain; as being ſuch as rather become Theatres, than the Church of God; becauſe they were borrowed from thence, and are unſeemly for the Church of God: in which all things are to be done with reverence, becauſe of the tremendous preſence of God, who obſerves the motion of every one in the Church, yea, he reckons thoſe rude voices in ſinging, for tokens of an uncompoſed mind; which do declare, that men are rather mad, than humbly confeſſing their ſins to God, and lowly begging pardon of God for them.
But if there be any one that deſires toThe good uſe of a well moderated ſinging. hear the commodity of a moderated ſinging, conſiſting of a clear voice, and convenient moderation therein, let him read Austins tenth Book of Confeſſions, and chap. 33. When I call to mind, ſaith he, the tears I ſhed at the hearing of the Church-ſongs, in the beginning of my recovered faith, yea, and at this very time, whenas I am moved, not with the ſinging, but with the thing ſung; I then acknowledged the great good uſe of this inſtitution.
And elſewhere, Confeſs. lib. 9. c. 6. he ſaith, How abundantly did I weep before God, to hear theſe Hymns of thine, being toucht to the very quick by the voices of thy ſweet Church-ſong! the voices flowed into my ears, and thy truth pleaſingly diſtilled into my heart, which cauſed the affections of my devotion to overflow, and my tears to run over, and happy did I find my ſelf therein. This ſhews, that Auſtin did approve that ſort of ſinging in the Church, which tended to edification: by the help whereof, the hearers mind was more lift up to God (ſuch was the manner of ſinging uſed at Millain, of which Auſtin here ſpeaketh) not that which onelyonly pleaſed the eares, nor that which ſuffered the words, when they were uttered in ſinging, to be heard or underſtood. This kind of ſinging, which is delicately pronounced with a certain allurement of the voice, is a delight to unregenerate eares (for there followeth the contempt of the fleſh, unto which, it was not fit to give Aug. Conf. l. 10. T. 33.over the ſoul to be effeminated) but will be of no advantage to move the mind, from whence the calm affections of religion ſhould be excited.
Then again, we muſt obſerve alſo, in the manner of ſinging then uſed by the Church, that Pſalms were ſung ſometimes of one, ſometimes by the Quire, ſometimes of all together.
At firſt they ſung all at once. So Chryſ. Hom. 36. in 1 Cor. 14.who ſaith, they had all one voice, and one heart. He adds alſo in the ſame place, he that ſings, ſings above, (that is, rehearſes the words of the Hymn to be ſung, and goes firſt before the reſt in ſinging, as ſhortly after the words of Baſil will tell us) and when all ſung after him, the voice came as it were out of one mouth.
When Ep. ad Neo Caeſ. 63.Baſil deſcribes the manner of ſinging of Pſalms in his age, he ſaith, now when they ſing, they are divided into two parts, and ſing after one another by courſe, then this charge being committed to one of theſe perſons, to begin before the reſt in ſinging, then the reſt ſung after him; (but he ſaith, this variety of ſinging Pſalms was ordained, that now and then prayers being mixed alſo, they might paſs the night with leſs weariſomneſs) when day appeared, they all offered up a Pſalm to God, as with one mouth, and one heart.
The cuſtome of Anthemns [or Antiphones] that is, of ſinging verſes alternately by way of anſwer, not onelyonly at Antioch, but in other Churches, the writers of Eccleſiaſtical hiſtory do derive from Ignatius, whom they report did firſt inſtitute Anthemns. So Socrates, Hiſt. 6. 8. and Niceph. 13. 8. although this ſeems improbable to divers men of no mean judgment, becauſe Reſponſory Hymns or Anthemns are not ſo much worth, as for their ſake there muſt needs Angels come down from Heaven, and appear to ſing before others (which the aforeſaid writers, ſearching out the reaſon of Anthemns, do affirm) whereas the Church at that time wanted not Pſalms and Hymns; which the Epiſtle of Plinius Secundus to Trajan witneſſeth; for Ignatius ſuffered Martyrdome when Trajan was Emperour. And after Ignatius, for a long time, there was one voice of all in the Church, while they prayed to God, one prayer of all, when they ſung hymns: the voice was uttered as out of one mouth, as formerly we heard out of Chryſoſtom*Chryſ. Hom. 36. in 1 Cor. The author of harmonious tuning.
The invention of harmonious tuning among the Syrians, they attribute to Ephraimus Syrus, Soz. 3. 15. but Theodoret acknowledges it received from Flavianus and Diodorus: who having divided the Quire into two parties, gave them Davids Pſalms to be ſung by courſe. They followed the manner of Antioch, which, Theodoret ſaith, ſpread afterwards to the uttermoſt parts of the earth, Lib. 2. 24.
In the Weſtern Churches, Platina *In vita Damaſ.aſcribes this to Pope Damaſus; whoſe opinion agrees with Damaſus his Epiſtle to Hierom, and with the Pontifical, as we have formerly mentioned.
Platina in his Life relates, that Vitalianus Organs.the firſt Pope of Rome, did ordain ſinging, uſing Organs (as ſome would have it) for harmony. But the author of thoſe anſwers, whoever he was, ad Orthodoxos, which are added to Juſtin Martyr, ſaith, that the cuſtomeJust. Mart. q. 107. of ſinging by inanimate inſtruments in the Church, was taken away in his time, and upon that account ſimple Prayers were retained, becauſe ſongs, rattles, and organs, are fitter for children and fools than the Church.
Leo the ſecond brought Hymns to a better concord. Plat. in vita Leonis.
It was provided by the fifteenth CanonHow none but a few ſhould ſing in the Church. Conc. Laod. that none ſhould ſing in the Church, beſides certain that were choſen for ſinging: the reaſon of which Canon is aſſigned by Baronius *An. 60. n. 28.to be this; Becauſe, ſaith he, when the people and Clergy ſung promiſcuouſly, through the unskilfulneſs of the ſingers, it oft fell out, that by the diſordered ſound of voices, the diverſity marred that harmonious ſinging, which was congruous to the Churches dignity; therefore it was prohibited the people in the Church, that none ſhould ſing but thoſe unto whom this work was aſſigned. To confirm this conjecture, he hath recourſe to Chryſoſtom: the ſame doth Binius, Conc. T. 1. in Notis Conc. Laodic.
To me it is not manifeſt what was the true reaſon of ordaining the Laodicean Canon. After the Laodicean Council, the foreobſerved teſtimonies have ſhewed us, that it was an uſual thing for the Chriſtian people to ſing with others in the Church: but as for the place in Chryſoſtom, cited by Baronius, it brings no help at all to eſtabliſh the conjecture of Baronius. For in that place (of which we have formerly heard in this Chapter) St. Chryſoſt. only blamesHom. 1. de verb. Iſa. that unſeemly manner of ſinging, which was borrowed from the Theatres, Mimicks, and Dancers, and confiſted of clamours which ſignified no certainty. But he hinders not the people from the liberty of ſinging in the Church. This none will deny, that looks into the place of Chryſostom, cited by Baronius. When all is done, ſaith he, we forbid not jubilation (the contrary whereto is affirmed by Baronius, and his follower Binius) but a voice that ſignifies nothing; not the voice of praiſe, but a rude voice of abſurdity, the vain and raſh throwing up of the hands into the air, ſtamping with the feet, unſeemly and effeminate ſongs, which are the playes of them that ſit idle in the Theatres, and at Horſe-races. Thus Chryſoſtom: which is far from the ſenſe for which Baronius brought it. Which doth alſo more evidently appear, from the end of that Homily, in which he ſpeaks to his hearers, that they would come to God with a calm and repreſſed voice, and not lift up their hands in diſorderly motions, but preſent them to God both together. Which things being well obſerved, with what face can the Papiſts alledge Chryſoſtom, for denying the people a liberty to ſing in the Church?
Now from the premiſes it may eaſily beThe Church could not endure broken muſick. obſerved, that the Fathers approved not of that, which they call Broken Muſick, that conſiſts rather in the noiſe of the voice, than the fervour of the ſpirit; as if from ſuch Muſick God neither got any praiſe, or the Church profit. Therefore paſſing over that, they preſcribed the Church ſimple ſinging. It diſpleaſed Gregory the Great, Li. 4. ep. 44.that thoſe who were choſen to office of preaching, and the holy Miniſtry, ſhould, having that charge, betake themſelves to ſinging: in a Synod at Rome, held in the time of Mauritius. Gregory would not have ſo much time taken up in ſinging, and almoſtIn Can. 22. Conc. Lao. no place left for preaching. Zonaras alſo teacheth, that Readers in the Church ought rather to attend the care of ſinging, than the reading of holy bookes.
To conclude, I leave it for others toA cenſure of the muſick among the Papiſts judge, what to think of that Popiſh ſinging, which is fitted to the exact meaſures of all kind of Muſick; ſince Cornelius Agrippa, one of their own profeſſion, hath copiouſly enough painted out the liberty of Muſick, which they allow for ſetting out of hymns. There is, ſaith he, at this day, ſuch a licentiouſneſs of Muſick in Churches, that even a deal of bawdy ſongs on the Organs, have equal place with the Canon of the Maſs; and they chaunt the Divine offices, holy myſteries, and prayers, having hired a company of wanton Muſicians with a great ſum of money, not to the Hearers understanding, not to the Elevation of the Spirit, (hearken here, you Papiſts, that number your Pſalms, but love to bray them out like Aſſes, without underſtanding them) but for lecherous tickling, not with mens voices, but belluine clamours, while the boyes whine the deſcant, others bellow the tenor, others bark the counterpoint, others roar the treble, others grunt the baſe, and they make that many ſounds may be heard, but no words or ſentences be underſtood, but the authority of judgment is taken away, both from the ears and mind. Thus he who warrs with you in your tents, De vanitate Scientiarum, in the end of the ſixteenth chapter: in which he doth paint out to the life, as they ſay, the bawdry of Roman Muſick, in their holy myſteries, (well enough befitting the Babyloniſh whore) and the incommodities thereof, little agreeing to the holy worſhip of God. And the like doth Polydor Virgil, De inventione rerum, lib. 6. c. 2.
And theſe are the things which I had to mention of the two exerciſes of Religion, comprehended under the Miniſtry of the Word, and Prayer, that were to be performed upon the Lords Day.
CHAP. XIII.
Adminiſtration of the Sacraments on the Lords Day.
THe third thing among the publick exerciſes of Religion, wherein the obſervation of the Lords day was ſolemnized among the ancients, follows; viz. the adminiſtration of the Sacraments. Which (although not tied to the Lords day) were adminiſtred on the Lords day, the Scriptures bearing witneſs, Acts 20. 7. the Diſciples being gathered together on the firſt day of the week, to break bread, Paul preached to them, &c. where breaking of bread is not to be expounded of a domeſtick feaſt, but of the H. Supper, as we have ſhewn Book 1. chap. 2. For having continued his ſpeech until midnight, St. Paul took bread (the comparing of ver. 7. with 11. evinces this:) now the Diſciples met not at that time of night to break their daily bread. But we muſt make account, that there was a ſolemn day proclaimed amongſt them, for celebrating the Holy Supper; which ſhould be more commodious than all the other: and that was the firſt day in the week, on which that place doth evidently enough conclude, that the Church met together. And the Apoſtle teaches, that it met in the ſame place to eat the Lords Supper. 1 Cor. 11. 20.
Juſtin, in the place above ſo often cited,Ap. 2. doth witneſs, that the Euchariſt (or as Tertull. lib. 2. ad Ux. cap. 4. the Lords Feaſt) was wont to be adminiſtred by the Church on the Lords day. So Chryſ. Hom. 18. in Act. Ap.
Ambroſe delivered to the Catechumeni Ep. lib. 5. ep. 33.(whom he calls Competentes, that is, thoſe that were inſtructed in the Chriſtian faith, ſuing for Baptiſm) on the Lords day, after the reading and Treatiſe, the Symbol of the Church in the fonts (which we underſtand of Baptiſm, without which none were admitted to the Euchariſt.)
That the Sacraments were adminiſtred on the Lords day, none doubts; concerning the adminiſtration whereof, I leave the prolix narration to be drawn out of the learned Commentaries of Divines (of whom this age by the grace of God reapeth a fruitful crop) who profeſſedly handle common places of Divinity: leſt I ſhould loſe my labour, with the Reader that's well exerciſed in theſe things, and after Homer write an Iliad, as the Proverb goes.