The praise of musicke wherein besides the antiquitie, dignitie, delectation, & vse thereof in ciuill matters, is also declared the sober and lawfull vse of the same in the congregation and church of God.

Sentences of the Scripture, for the vse of Church Musick. Chap. 11. (Book 11)

BEcause it may seem a mat∣ter impertinent, to heape a great number of testimo∣nies of the Scripture, for the proofe of that, which can by no reason be denied, I meane, after some fewe testimonies and groūds of the Scripture alleaged, to touch the point and quicke of this controuer∣sie. For asmuch therefore as I haue hi∣therto sufficiently proued by the practise of the Church, and authoritie of Fathers, that there is a lawfull vse of Musicke in the Church, I wil content my selfe with these

sentences of Scripture which I shall here cote, for confirmation of the same, meaning in one conclusion, to proue those two things which are in question: that aswell artificial as also instrumentall Musicke may be vsed in Gods congregation. My grounds there∣fore are these: first the testimonies in the old Testament, whereof I will cite some, be∣cause all are infinite. Psal. 33. Reioice in the Lord O ye righteous:* 1.1 for praise be∣commeth well the iust: praise the Lorde with harpe, sing vnto him with viall and instrument of ten stringes: sing vnto him a new song, sing cheerefully with a loude voice, &c. Likewise in the last psalm: praise him in the soūd of the trumpet, praise him vpon the viall & harp, praise ye him,* 1.2 with timbrell & flute, praise ye him, with Vir∣ginals & organs, praise ye him, with soun∣ding cymbals, praise ye him vpō the high soūding cimbals: let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Ad hitherto Psal. 81. the 5. first verses: sing we ioyfully vnto God our strēgth, &c. I willingly for bre∣uities sake omit al other speches of the psal. Read besides these the particular examples of Miriam, Exod. 15. of Debora & Baruck,* 1.3

of Anna the mother of Samuel, 1. Sam. 2. of all the tribes of Israel, Nehem. the 12. 2. Chron. 5. 1. Esdras 3. and infinite more? Whereof I gather not onely precept, as in the former places out of the Psalmes: but also example and practise as out of these places last alleaged. And surely consi∣dering that Musicke is no ceremoniall thing, and therefore not abolished with those thinges that are ceremoniall, I see no sufficient cause, why that which was so excellent an ornamēt to diuine seruice in those times, shold now in these latter daies, be cast out as an vnclean thing, and haue no place, nor vse in Gods Church.

Neither is this practise & seruice of God, a thing either vnused in the Primatiue church,* 1.4 or not heard of in the new testamēt: which is manifest by these testimonies. Let the word of God dwell in you plenteous∣ly, in all kind of wisedom, teaching & ad∣monishing your own selues, in Psalms & hymnes & spiritual songes, singing with a grace in your heartes to the Lord. And again,* 1.5 speaking vnto your selues in psalms & hymnes & spirituall songes, singing & making melody to the Lord in your harts

&c. Hitherto ioyne also the examples of Christ and his disciples, Mat. 26. of Zacha∣rias and the virgin Marie, Luke the 1. and tell me, why both the commendation of this exercise, giuen by the Apostle, (for I wil not cal it precept) and the example, both of our Sauiour, and other blessed Saincts of God may not bee a sufficient warrant for vs, to practise that in our Churches, which they performed in former ages. And surely if e∣uery action of Christ be our instruction, and an example, wherunto we should frame our selues: why should Christ haue bin author of that which he allowed in himselfe, & in his Apostles: if hee were not willing, that wee should take example therby to imitate both thē & him? Now if we consider to what end the custome of singing was vsed: wee shall perceiue, that it was not so vsed, as that sing¦ing & the soūding of organs, shold be a deed meritorious, to obtaine remission of sinnes and life eternall (as the Iewes imagine of their songs, and the heathē of their sonnets) or as the hypocriticall Monkes and Friers sang their seuen canonicall houres that the doing of that work, whether w^t vnderstand∣ing, or w^tout vnderstanding, it was not ma∣terial,

yet the bare performance of it, should be meritorious for the sinnes of the quicke & the dead: But so, that the Lord might de∣cently be praised, whether with humble and harty prayer, as in the time of heauinesse, when griefe oppresseth: or with singing of Psalmes, and playing on instrumentes, as in the time of ioy and mirth, according to that counsell of the Apostle, If any man bee afflicted let him pray, and if any man bee merry,* 1.6 let him sing Psalmes.

In mine opinion, excellent is that inter∣pretation of Maister Caluine, vppon these words in Luke,* 1.7 Then was with the angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praising & singing, glory be to God on high. The Lord saith he by the example of this heauē∣ly melodie, would commend vnto vs, the vnity of faith, and stir vs vp here on earth, to sing the praises of our God &c. Where∣fore a good argument may be gathered out of diuerse places in the Reuelatiō: That for asmuch as our life here on earth should with all industry and indeuor, apply it selfe to bee like that heauenly life which the angels liue aboue, where the 24. Elders fall down be∣fore the Lamb,* 1.8 hauing euery one harpes, &

goulden viols in their handes.* 1.9 The voice of which harpers, harping with their harpes, Iohn himselfe testifieth hee hearde, and that they sang as it were a new song before the throne, &c. We therefore ought not to omit any part of that seruice, which may either stir vs vp in deuotion, or make to the testifi∣eng of our earnest & harty setting foorth of diuine seruice, and beautifieng of the church of God. And surely in the praising of God, whome should the Church militant follow, rather than the Church triumphant? And whome shoulde the Sainctes on earth i∣mitate rather than the Sainctes in hea∣uen? who behould the Lord face to face,* 1.10 and knowe euen as they are knowen.

Doubtlesse there can be no greater com∣fort for a pensiue soule, than to thinke, that he is partaker of the same saluation, with the Sainctes. And no one thing can pierce deeper into the heart of manne than that hee is called, to the same state of pray∣sing and lauding GOD, with the ho∣lie Angelles. Howbeit because I would displease no man, nor giue iust occasion of offence vnto any: I put this as a prin∣ciple: that as nothing is to be taught,

so nothing to bee song in the Church, but either that, which is set downe in the ex∣presse word of God, or that may certainly be shewed to be collected out of it. For I pro∣fesse that rotten rythmes of popery, & super∣stitious inuocation or praying vnto Saints doth not giue greater cause of vomit to any man than to my selfe: & al either vnwritten, or vnwarrātable verities, I so far abhor, as that I iudge thē fitter for Grocers shops, & fishmongers stals,* 1.11 than for Gods congrega∣tiō. So that I thus far agree with the grea∣test aduersaryes of our profession, that I would not admit any other matter, than is contained in the written word of God, or consonable therunto: only herein we differ, that they would haue no great exquisite art or cunning thereunto, neither the noise of dumbe instruments, to fil vp the measure of the praises of god: & I alow of both. Wherin if I be not too much affectioned, me thinks they do great iniurie to the word of God, in that they can contentedly permit it to bee song plainly, denying the outward helpes & ornamēts of art, to adde more grace & dig∣nity thereunto. And truly if in all other fa∣culties, it be not only lawfull, but commen∣dable

also, as in painting & speaking, to set out their matters with coulors & eloquence of words: I see no reason, why to adde more grace to the ditty, with the exquisitenes of Musick, should be condēnable in the church. Wherfore I am of opinion that few of our aduersaries can answere this reason, which seemeth to me a general rule, & infallible de¦monstration for the allowing aswell of the cunning & exquisite art of singing, as of the vse of organs and dumbe instruments. The Psalmes may bee vsed in the church as the authour of them appointed: But the holy Ghost, the author of the Psalms, appointed and commanded them by the Prophet Da∣uid, to be song, and to be song most cunning∣ly, and to be song with diuerse artificiall in∣struments of Musick, and to bee song with sundry, seuerall, and most excellent notes & tunes: Therefore in our English church, the psalmes may be song, and song most cū∣ningly, and with diuerse artificiall instru∣ments of Musick, and song with sundry se∣uerall and most excellent notes. For proofe that the holy Ghost would haue them song, hee calleth diuerse Psalmes by the name of the Hebrew word Shir, which is a song, and

such a song, as ought of necessity to be song: as Psalme 7. and 120. That he would haue them song most cunningly, hee directeth many Psalmes especially and by name Lamnazzeath, that is, to the skilfull chan∣ter, or to him that excelleth in Musicke, as Psalm 4, &c. That he would haue them song, with diuerse artificial instruments of Musick, gittith and neginoth, and diuerse other kinds of musicall instruments are ex∣pressed in the titles of certaine Psalmes, as Psalm 6. & 8. That he would haue thē song with sundry seuerall and most excellent notes and varietie of tunes, in diuerse parts and places of sundry Psalmes, it is to bee seene by the word Sela set downe in sundry places, as Psalme 77. &c. which Hebrewe word properly signifieth, now change your voice and that cunningly, now lift vp your voice, and that with an other excellent tune, that the people may be more attentiue; and the word Sela is neuer written, but where the matter of the Psalme is most notable.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psalm. 33.
• * 1.2

  Psalm. 150.
• * 1.3

  Exod. 15. Iudges 5.
• * 1.4

  Coloss. 3.6.
• * 1.5

  Ephes. 5.19.
• * 1.6

  Iames 5.13.
• * 1.7

  Caluin. in Lu. cap. 2. vers. 13.14.
• * 1.8

  Reuel. 5.8.
• * 1.9

  Re. 14. ver. 23.
• * 1.10

  1 Cor. 13.12.
• * 1.11

  Persius