tarem Domini et Dei et servatoris nostri Jesu Christi generationem thoro strato exprimunt: et quæ sunt supra rationem et mentis cogitationem humanis adinventionibus describunt: to let a pigeon fly to signify the coming of the holy Spirit; to light up candles to represent the epiphany; to dress a bed to express the secret and ineffable generation of the Saviour of the world;' to which he might have added, to prepare the figure of the crucifix, and to bury an image to describe the great sacrifice of the cross for the redemption of mankind; these are things to no purpose: not only for the levity and theatrical gaieties and representments unbefitting the gravity and purity and spirituality of christian religion; but also the manner of teaching these truths by symbolical things and actions is too low, too suspicious, too dangerous to be mingled with the divine liturgies. Christ may as He please consign His own good things that He gives us; but He consigns no good, and represents none but what He also gives and effects in that ministration and under that sign: but a symbolical rite of human invention to signify what it does not effect, and then introduced into the solemn worship of God, is so like those vain imaginations and representments forbidden in the second commandment, that the very suspicion is more against edification than their use can pretend to. But if any such ritual or ceremony be introduced by custom or by consent, it ought to be used as men use their champignons; they boil them in three or four waters, cleansing them both by water and fire before they be used at all; much more before they be persuaded into a law. § 8. 2) But when they can be innocently used, that is, when they can be made useful, and yet be innocent in themselves, yet it is to be taken care of that they may not only by their abuse, or by mistake, but that by their number they be not troublesome and inconvenient. This advice I learn from S. Austin, in whose time the church had gone beyond her rule and beyond her power in the introducing or permitting to be introduced very many significant ceremonies; every one of which he could not directly blame, but yet they were servile burdens, and intolerable besides, by their number and their load. Etiamsi non intelligatur quomodo contra fidem sunt, tamen quoniam onerant religionem et servilibus oneribus premunt, quam Christus voluit paucissimis et manifestis celebrationum sacramentis liberam esse; propterea faciunt ut tolerabilior sit conditio judæorum, qui etiamsi tempus libertatis non agnoverunt, legalibus tamen sarcinis subjiciebantur, non humanis præsumptionibus: although it is not to be - understood how these things are directly against the faith, yet they burden religion, and load with a servile pressure her whom Christ left free and charged only with the two sacraments: therefore our case is worse than that of the Jews; for though they had not a time of liberty, yet they were charged only with burdens that God im Epist. cxix. [al. lv.] cap. 19. [tom. ii. col. 142.] posed, but not with the presumptions of man: which words are a severe condemnation of such laws and customs ecclesiastical. And therefore there is reason to celebrate and honour the wisdom and prudence of the church of England, which hath in all her offices retained but one ritual or ceremony that is not of divine ordinance or apostolical practice, and that is, the cross in baptism: which though it be a significant ceremony, and of no other use, yet as it is a compliance with the practice of all ancient churches, so it is very innocent in itself, and being one and alone is in no regard troublesome or afflictive to those that understand her power and her liberty and her reason. I said, she hath one only ceremony of her own appointment for the ring in marriage is the symbol of a civil and a religious contract, it is a pledge and custom of the nation, not of the religion and those other circumstances of her worship are but determinations of time and place and manner of a duty; they serve to other purposes besides signification, they were not made for that, but for order and decency, for which there is an apostolical precept, and a natural reason, and an evident necessity, or a great convenience. Now if besides these uses they can be construed to any good signification or instruction, that is so far from being a prejudice to them, that it is their advantage, their principal end being different, and warranted, and not destroyed by their superinduced and accidental use. In other things we are to remember that figures and shadows were for the Old testament, but light and manifestation is in the New; and the Egyptians indeed did teach religion by symbolical figures; and in the eastern empire their laws were written with characters and abbreviatures: and in the schools of Plato and Pythagoras they taught their scholars by numbers and figures; and Diodorus of Tarsus and Origen brought in an allegorical way of expounding the scriptures, and almost wholly, but certainly too much, left the literal and simple way of interpretation, and so do the perfectionists and some others at this day: but we that walk in the light of the gospel, and rejoice in that light, have received from. Christ and His apostles an easier way of teaching the people; and are not therefore to return to the elements and rituals of Jews and pagan schools. Christ left no sign but two that did also effect as well as signify and if they had only signified, and done no other good, we have no reason to believe that they would have been appointed. But this thing is gone into so great inconvenience in the church of Rome, that there are not only so many ceremonies as do fill a book in folio, but the reasons and significations of them are offered to us by Durandus, Durantus, Vicecomes, and others but it is certain that all the propositions and mysteries signified by them are very much sooner learned than the meaning of those ceremonies. But that those rituals or circumstances of liturgy, the actions, ges ⚫ S. Cyprian. de lapsis. [p. 122.] et epist. lvi. [al. lviii. p. 125.j tures, habits, and instruments of order and decency, be also significant, gives an advantage to the things themselves, and makes their first intended ministry of some more usefulness. § 9. 3) Ecclesiastical laws are not then for edification when they give offence to the wise and to the good, to the lovers of peace and the obedient to government; that is, when there is in their nature so much real evil, or so much cause of jealousy of which the lawgivers cannot purge them, that the good and complying principles that are in the good subjects cannot be sufficient to give them entertainment. But of this the lawgivers are to be the judges; and if they insist upon them when there is cause enough to lay them aside, they sin against their brethren,' and they 'sin against Christ.' But the laws themselves do not bind, if the exceptions against them be just and reasonable and sufficient: which whether they be or no, the church rulers shall judge at present, and God shall judge at last and in the mean time there can be no other rule given, but that the superior and the inferior endeavour by all ways of prudence and humility to satisfy one another. A peaceable mind, and willingness to learn, and a charitable exposition, are the just dispositions of the subject's duty; and the governors are to take all the care of souls that can be supposed to be the duty of spiritual fathers and if these things be done, there will be no hatred, and no reproach, and no schism. But if the question be who shall yield, the governors certainly have authority, and the others say they have reason: the one ought to be pitied, and the other ought to be obeyed; but both ought to yield: only the subject must yield outward obedience, though otherwise it were not necessary, yet if it be lawful it accidentally becomes so; and if it be not lawful, or if he thinks it is not, yet he must be careful he give no offence, but modestly, humbly, and without reproach offer his reasons against the law. But then the governors also must yield: they must not consider how much is possible for them, but how much is fit; they must meditate nothing of empire, but much of charity; they must consider which will do most good to the souls to whom they do relate; they must with meekness instruct the gainsayers, and with sweetness endeavour to win them, and bear with the infirmities of the weak, if they can perceive the weakness to be innocent. But if a crime be mingled with it, and be discerned, it is a matter of edification that such criminals be discountenanced, and the authority be immured and kept from contempt. But in these and the like accidents the Spirit of God must be invocated and implored and endeared, that by His aids the church may be safely and wisely and charitably governed. Whoever wants wisdom must ask it of God; and God will be easily entreated to do good, and to give good things. § 10. This only is to be added, that according as the matter of the laws is of advantage, or necessity, or only of convenience more or less, so are the governors of churches and guides of souls to be more or less easy in dispensing or annulling their laws: till then, neither the rulers nor the subject can by any other means be excused from sin but by a hearty enquiry, and a sincere humble labour to do their duty to each other according to the best of their understanding. For if this does not procure a just compliance, it will at least preserve peace and innocence: and though the first is best, because it includes these, yet these are the next best. § 11. 4) Ecclesiastical laws that encourage and adorn, and add degrees and moments and zeal to the service of God, are good ministries of edification; and till by excess or accident they convert into evil, are of themselves fit to minister to religion. OF MUSIC IN CHURCHES. Thus the use of psalmody or singing of psalms, because it can stir up the affections, and make religion please more faculties, is very apt for the edification of churches. The use of musical instruments may also add some little advantages to singing, but they are more apt to change religion into air and fancies, and take off some of its simplicity and are not so fitted for edification. Ad disciplinas aliquid artificiale organum non esse adhibendum, said Aristotlef as he is quoted by Aquinas, 'artificial instruments are not fit to be applied to the use of disciplines.' That is, the music of instruments of itself does not make a man wiser, or instruct him in any thing. This is true, and therefore they are not of themselves very good ministries of religion. But vocal music, being natural, and the action of a man with the circumstance of pleasure, if it come to invest religion is of great use, as all the experience of man can tell. Instruments may guide the voice, and so they may be used; but they are but a friend's friend to religion, and can have no near relation to the service of God. Justin Martyrh asks the question why the church uses songs in her liturgy after the manner of the unwise and weak under the law: answers, οὐ τὸ ᾆσαι ἁπλῶς ἐστι τοῖς νηπίοις ἁρμόδειον, ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τῶν ἀψύχων ὀργάνων ᾆσαι, καὶ μετὰ ὀρχήσεως καὶ κροτάλων, 'that merely to sing is not proper to weak and ignorant persons, but to sing with inanimate instruments, with dancings and with timbrels : therefore in the churches we do not use hymns with such organs or instruments.' And S. Chrysostom' saith that those instruments were permitted to the Jews ob eorum imbecillitatem, for their weakness:' and he adds, as the Jews did praise God by all the instruments of music, so we are commanded to praise Him with all our members, our eyes, our tongues, our ears, our hands.' The same thing is also affirmed by Isidore Pelusiot;-Since God permitted sacrifices and b.] [Pol., lib. viii. cap. 6.] 2. 2. q. 91. art. 2. [tom. xi. fol. 229 Quæst. cvii. ad orthod. [p. 468 A.] : effusions of blood for their childishness, it is no wonder that He did tolerate that music which is made by the harp and psaltery.' But then in relation to us, he expounds that psalm to signify not literally, but mystically. By 'the sound of the trumpet' he understands the memory of the resurrection; by 'psaltery and harp,' our tongue and mouth; by 'timbrel and dances, our body and mind; by every thing that hath breath,' every spirit: angels and men are called upon to praise the Lord. But now upon this account we may easily perceive the difference of vocal from instrumental music in churches; this being but typical of that, and permitted then when they knew not so well to use their voices and tongues to praise the Lord. And certainly the difference is very material, not only because we find these wise men saying that instruments were typical and permitted dià vηióτητα, 'for their tenderness and infancy" but also because by the voice and tongue we can properly and directly serve God, and as well by singing as saying, and better, if it be better; which can never be said of instrumental music: which though I cannot condemn if it be used as a help to psalmody, yet it must not be called so much as a circumstance of the divine service, for that is all can be said of vocal music. But of this the use is very great, and I will only represent it in the words of Justin Martyr1; úñoλéλeittai Tò doaι anλas, 'simple and plain singing is left in churches. For this stirs up the mind with a certain pleasure unto an ardent desire of that which is celebrated in the song; it appeases the desires and affections of the flesh; it drives away the evil thoughts of our enemies that are invisible and secretly arise; it makes the mind irriguous and apt to bring forth holy and divine fruits; it makes the generous contenders in piety valiant and strong in adversity, and it brings a medicine and remedy to all the evil accidents of our life. S. Paul in his spiritual armoury calls this the "sword of the Spirit :" for it is all of it the word of God which is celebrated in the mind, in the song and in the verse; it drives away evil spirits, and the pious mind is by the songs of the church perfected in virtue.' The eulogy is fair and large but yet all wise and sober persons do find fault when the psalmody which is recommended to us by the practice of Christ and His apostles, does sensibly pass further into art than into religion, and serves pleasure more than devotion; when it recedes from that native simplicity and gravity which served the affections and holy aspirations of so many ages of the church; when it is so conducted that it shall not be for edification, that is, when it is so made accurate and curious that none can join in it but musicians, and they also are not so recitative, they do not sing and express the words so plainly that they which hear do understand; for by this means the greatest benefit and use of edification is lost: as appears in those words of S. Basil", who when he had highly commended ris μeλ : 1 [Ubi supra.] In psalm. [i. tom. i. p. 90 B.] |