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TO the pracise of the church, it may seeme superfluous to ad the opiniōs of the fathers for that it is likely, that they which vsed Musicke in their churches, allowed it in their opiniōs. And yet because the fathers set down the vse therof in ecclesiastical mat∣ters,
that we may leaue no place of cauil for the aduersary, I think it not amisse, though in few words, to adde their particular spee∣ches to this purpose. Iustinus Martyr, who flourished about the yeare of our Lord 164. in his questions, which the Gentils propo∣sed to the Christians, mouing a question touching this matter maketh aunswere thereunto. His question he putteth down in this form. If verses and songs were inuen∣ted by them which detested religion,* 1.1 pur∣posely to deceiue, & were cōmended to them which liued vnder the law for their weakenesse only, & because they were to be trained vp as childrē: why should they which haue receiued perfect giftes of grace, and different from those meanes which we haue spoken of, vse singing in their churches, to the imitation of those which were vnder the law as children & infants? His answere is this: To sing doth not at all become children, but to sing with dumbe instruments, and with daun∣cing and cimbals. Therfore the vse of such instrumentes and others which are fit for children, is thrust out, and expelled the church, and singing onely is retained: for
it inflameth the heart with a feruent de∣sire of that which in singing delighteth vs, it subdueth the motions of the flesh, it driueth away those wicked cogitations, which our inuisible enimies put into our mindes, it watereth the mind, and causeth it to bring forth fruite of heauenly things, it armeth and strengthneth the reueren∣cers of religion with patience in aduersi∣tie, it ministreth a remedie vnto the god∣lie against those molestations which spring of worldly affections. This Saint Paul calleth the sworde of the spirite, where-with hee furnisheth christian sol∣diers, against their spiritual enimies: for the word of God is that, which being meditated vppon, song, and sounded out, chaseth away and putteth to flight the diuels themselues. It is of force to adorn the minde with christian vertues, which spring vp in them that reuerence religion with ecclesiastical songes. Thus farre Iustinus Martyr. Of which wordes being in themselues so cleare and euident to proue the lawfull vse of Musicke in the church, I say nothing but this, that as hee plainely alloweth singing, so he excludeth
not all Musicall instrumentes, but such as are fit for children. Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria in Africa, who liued about the yeare of our Lord 329.* 1.2 writing to Marcel∣linus of the interpretation of the Psalmes, among other thinges which he speaketh in the commendation of this excellent gift of God, sheweth why it pleased God to or∣daine the vse thereof. As we do vtter (saith he) and deliuer our inward thoughtes by our words: so god willing to haue the me∣lody of our words to be a signe of the spi∣rituall cōsent which is in our minds, Psal∣mos vt modulis canerentur instituit, & cū hu∣iusmodi harmonia recitari voluit, ordained that Psalms shold be song with Musick & would haue thē recited with such harmo∣ny: Vt inde cōcinnitas animorū, &c. That ther¦by the quietnes of the mind which is wel∣disposed may be known as it is writtē, If a∣ny mā be sorowful let him sing And a litle after speaking of instrumental musick he v∣seth these words: to praise god vpō the wel tuned cymbals, vpon the harp & psaltery of ten strings, is a note & significatiō that there is such a consent between the parts of the body, as there is among the strings.
And sure this his saying is proued by expe∣rience: for as euen our senses witnesse vnto vs,* 1.3 that if we strike onely one string of any instrument the rest of that tone also giue a certaine kind of sound, as if the striking of one partained to thē all: so in our bodie, if a∣ny thing be pleasāt or grieuous to any part, it is also pleasant or grieuous to the whole. Good reason therfore that the toūg professe in diuine seruice, yt which ye heart beleeueth: & what both hart beleeueth, & toūg cōfesseth, good reason that both hand and whole body testifie to their power.* 1.4 The like hath S. Austen in the prologue he writeth before his enarrations of the Psalmes. Because (saith hee) that the holy Ghost did see that mans mind by nature did forsake the way of vertue and incline to the delightes of this life, and that it might be incited and stirred vp to tread the pathes of vertue by sweete harmony, he mingled the efficacy of singing with his doctrine: that whiles the eares are delighted with the sweete∣nesse of the verse, the profit of the worde of God might by little and litle distill in∣to their mindes: much like vnto a skilfull Physition: who when he wil minister anie
sharp or bitter potiō to his patient vseth to annoint the mouth of the cup with hony: least the diseased or sicke person, shold re∣fuse the profit for the bitternes therof. And least we should thinke that he speaketh not this of the Musicke in the church, he defineth a Psalme to bee one voice of the whole church: whereupon in the same place brea∣king into a wonderfull commendation of Psalmes, he addeth, Psalmus tranquillitas animarum est, &c. A Psalme is the quiet∣nesse of souls, the stādard bearer of peace, a restrainer of the perturbations and rage of our cogitatiōs, repressing wrath, bride∣ling wantonnsse, inciting to sobriety, ma∣king friendship, bringing those to cōcord which were at variance, and a reconciler of vtter enimies. And in another place tel∣ling first how he became a christian, he vseth these words, Quantū fleui in cāticis tuis, &c.* 1.5 Howe great aboundance of teares did I shed at the hearing of thy hymnes and Psalmes, and how inwardly was I moued with the voice of thy sweete singing con∣gregation?* 1.6 Among other vertues Gregory Nazianzen commendeth this one in his si∣ster Gorgonia, that she was skilful in sing∣ing,
and vsed it verie often. And surely no maruel, seeing Chrysostome attributeth these diuine properties thereunto. Musica, saith he,* 1.7 mentem e terra abducit, &c. Musicke doth withdraw our mindes from earthly cogitatiōs, lifteth vp our spirites into hea∣uen, maketh them light and celestial. And therefore it is that Tertullian giueth this generall exhortation, sonent inter duos Psal∣mi,* 1.8 &c. Let Psalmes and hymnes be song euen of two, and let them prouoke one an other, whether of them can sing better to his God. Athanasius in the place aboue cited giueth this reason, why we should not onely sing, but also sing cunningly and arti∣ficially to our maker: Modulatim recitare Psalmos,* 1.9 &c. To sing Psalmes artificially is not to make a shew of cūning Musick, but an argument, that the cogitations of our mindes do aptly agree with our musicke, & that reading, which obserueth the lawe of feete & numbers, is a signe of a sober & quiet affection in the minde. For both to praise God vpon well sounding cymbals, & vpō the harp & psalterity often strings, is a note and signification that the partes of our body are so conioyned and linked
together as be the stringes &c. To the same purpose speaketh Athanasius at large in the same place, and his meaning is as well to shewe how good and comely an ornament Musicke is in the churche, (which as in those daies it was not doub∣ted of, nor once called in question, so needed no exquisite apologie) as to de∣clare the profitte and vse which it hath euen in priuate meditations: for saith he, they that sing so, as the melody of wordes with the quantitie of them, may agree with the harmony of the spirit, bee those which sing with the tung & with vnder∣standing also, neither do they delight thē∣selues only, but also bring wonderful help to those that heare thē. For he that singeth well doth frame his minde to his song, & bringeth it, as it were, frō an inequality to a certain equality & proportiō, not that he is moued by any thing, but rather that he doeth perceiue thereby the affections and imaginations of good things, & stirreth vp in his mind a greater desire to do good afterwardes. For the soule being inten∣tiue to the wordes doeth forgette the af∣fections & perturbations: & being made
merie with the pleasant sound is brought to a sense and feeling of Christ, and most excellēt and heauenly cogitations. To their former authorities, it were an ea∣sie matter to adde more innumerably: but I will content my selfe and the reader with a few.* 1.10 Eusebius in his twelft booke de praepa∣tione euangelica vseth these wordes: vt pueri animus legem ita sequatur, vt vnà cum ea &c. To the end that the mindes of children may so follow the law, that they may to∣gether therwith reioice and be sorowfull, let them learne and sing often such odes and songes as containe the praises and dispraises of those things which the law doth praise and discommend: and he ad∣deth this reason: Quoniam teneriores animi rationem virtutis non suscipiunt, ludo atque cantu praeparantur: Iure igitur apud nos pro∣phetarum odae a pueris addicuntur. For the tender mindes of children are therefore to be prepared, with daliance and mirth, because they cannot conceaue the reason of vertue at the first. Good therfore is that vse amōgst vs, that the Psalms of the Pro∣phets should be learned by children. And S.* 1.11 Chrysostom vpon these wordes of the
134. Psalme, Psallite nomini eius quia sua∣ue est: hath this sentence, Hoc dicit, ostendens rem ipsam habere quandam vel per se volup∣tatem vnà cum vtilitate, &c. This he saieth to shew that the thing it selfe hath of it selfe, a certaine pleasure with profitte: for the principall gaine thereof, is, to sing himnes vnto God, to purge the soule, to lift our cogitations on high, to learne true and exquisite knowledge, to argue of things present & things to come. Besides these thinges it hath also by melody great pleasure and some comfort, and recreati∣on, and maketh him that singeth graue and reuerend. And that it maketh men such, it is manifest, in as much as one inter∣preter saith, it is a comely thing, and an other, it is a pleasant thing: for both say true: for although he that singeth be ne∣uer so outragious, yet while he doth re∣uerence the psalme, he doth pacifie the ti∣ranny of his outrage. Although he be ouerwhelmed with mischeifes, and ouer∣come with the heauines of his soule: yet while he taketh pleasure in singing he ea∣seth his hart, extolleth his cogitations, and lifteth vp his mind on hie.
This part might wonderfully be ampli∣fied as with the speaches of auncient fa∣thers: so also with the practise and example, not only of themselues, as is before decla∣red, but also of most noble and renowned Emperours: as of Constantine the great, Iustinian, Theodosius the yonger, Valens the emperour, and Carolus Magnus: which may be confirmed by the testimones of Eu∣sebius, Nicephorus, Gregory Nazianzen, & Carion in his thronologie.* 1.12 Eusebius thus testifieth of Constantine: Cantare primus in∣caepit, vnà orauit, conciones sacras reuerenter audiit: adeo vt rogatus vt consideret, respōderit: fas non esse dogmata de Deo remisse & segniter audiri. He first began the psalme, praied together with the people, heard holy sermons with reuerence, insomuch that being desired to sit downe, he answered, it was not meete that those thinges which were declared concerning God should be heard remisly and negligently. Nicephorus speaking of Iustinian sayeth,* 1.13 Iustinianus imperator octauo sui imperii an∣no, constituit vt in concionibus ecclesiasticis concineretur illud: Vnigenitus filius & verbum dei &c. Iustinian the emperour in the eight
yeare of his raigne, instituted that that ditty, the only begotten sonne & word of God &c. should be song in ecclesiasticall meetings. And of Theodosius the yonger,* 1.14 Theodosius minor imperator, cum tota ecclesia supplicationem fecit pro serenitate, & ipse qui∣dem medius hymnis canendis praeiuit priuati habitu incedens, Theodosius the emperour made his supplications with the whole churche for faire wether, and went in the middest before them in the habite of a priuate person while they song their hymnes. So Nazianzen speaketh of Va∣lens. When the emperour Valens entred into the churche where Saint Basil prea∣ched 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.15 hearing the sound of the psalms was stri∣ken as if it had beene with thunder. So doeth the historie recorde of Charles the great. Quandocunque fuit in vrbibus accessit ad psalmodiam, &c. When so e∣uer he came to anie cittie hee went to the Psalmody and sang him-selfe, ap∣pointing vnto his sonnes and his o∣ther Princes, Lessons to bee song, and ioyned his earnest prayer with the godly.
The epistle of the bishops, which were of the counsell of Antioch against Paulus Sa∣mosatenus the heretik, among other things laieth this to his charge,* 1.16 quòd psalmos & can∣tus, qui ad honorem Domini nostri Iesu Christi decantari solent, tāquam recentiores, & a viris recentioris memoriae editos exploserit. That the hath thrust out of the church as newe and made by mē of late memory those psalms and songes which were woont to bee song in the honor of our lord Iesus Christ. Wherby it may appeare that as al the reue∣rent assembly disliked of the attēpt of Pau∣lus in abolishing the vse of singing, so also they thought it a meete ceremonie and or∣nament for their churches. To these anti∣quities of former times, it shall not bee vn∣needful to ad the opinions of later writers: as of Bullinger, Peter Martyr, Caluine, Wolphius, Beza and others; who all with one consent (although some I confesse bee earnest against prickesong and artificiall musicke in the church) yet make this reso∣lution, that as all other thinges, which of themselues be good, may be both wel & euil vsed: so Musicke likewise hath doubtlesse a good and profitable vse in the church, how∣soeuer
in the time of popery, the right and lawfull vse thereof hath been quite extin∣guished and forgotten. And surely if any man thinke that I haue in this treatise, ta∣ken vpon me the defence of the vnlawfull vse thereof, he may well take iust occasion of offence. But I am so farre from allowing of the abuse, and of popish church Musicke, that I detest both the one & the other. Looke vpon the seuerall tractes of these men, whō I last mentioned, Bullinger in his 5. Decad and 5. Sermon: Peter Martyr vpon the 5. chap. of the Iudges: Caluin in his Instituti∣ons & in his cōmentaries vpon the Psalms, namely vpon the 4.48.67. and 98. Psalms: Wolphius vpon the 12. chap. of Nehemiah: Beza vpon the 3. chapter to the Colossians, & in diuerse other places, and you shal finde all the contention to be against the abuse: no one word against the right and lawfull vse therof.* 1.17 Here I willingly omit Brentius & al the Lutherans: with whom I see no reason why in this point wee should not most con∣stantly agree: so that all thinges be done to edifieng and to the praise of God. Wherfore I will conclude this part with that saying of S. Ambrose in his Hexameron: Quis
sensum hominis gerens, non erubescat sine psal∣morum celebritate diem claudere, cum etiam aues minutissimae solēni deuotione & dulci car∣mine orius dierum ac noctium persequantur: Who is he bearing the sēse of a mā which is not ashamed to ende the day without the singing of Psalms,* 1.18 seeing euen the li∣tle birdes with solemn deuotion & sweet notes do both begin and end the daie?
Iustin. Martyr Quaest. 107. Quaest. à Gēt. christian. pro∣positarum.
Athan. ad Marcel. de int. psal.
Baptist. Port. Magiae Natur lib. 2.
Aug. in praefat. in Psalm.
Augu. confess. lib. 9. cap. 6.
Greg. Nazia. in funeb. orat.
Chrysost. in Psalm. 148. in principio.
Tertul. lib. 2. ad vxorem loquitur de viro & coniu∣ge.
Athan. de in∣terp. Psal. ad Marcellinum.
Euseb. praepar. Euang. 12. ca. 14. ex Platon.
Chrysost. in Psal. 134. ver. 3
Euseb. lib. 4. de vita Constan.
Nicepho. lib. 17. chap. 28.
Niceph. lib. 14 cap. 3.
Greg. Nazian. in funebre orat. de Basi∣lio. Cario. chro. li. 4.
Euseb. eccles. hist. lib 7. cap. 24. episc. epist.
Brentius Ho∣milia 14.
Ambr. Hex. lib. 5. cap. 12.