Mather - Houston-Packer Collection BS478 .M3 1705

488 To the Reader. " ordainthat all Organs, and Frames or Cafes wherein they nand, " in all Churches and Chappels, null be taken away and utterly defa- " ced, and none others hereafter fet up in their places where- " unto all Perfons within this Kingdom, whom it may concern, ate " hereby required at their peril to yield dué Obedience. I have now examined all that I canmeet with, that hath been obje&- ed in this Caufe, and I know not what can be obje&ed further, unlefs, being driven from all their other holds, they will fly for refuge to the Authority of the Church, as their manner is ; which if they do, we may eafily retort the Argument upon themfelves, and beat themwith their own Weapons. If I held any Opinion according with the Churchof Rome, but contrary to theconcurrent Judgment and Pra&ice of all the choiceft Saints and pureft Churches, I would even delve the Lord to write it in Stars and Sun-beams. But fuch is the Mufick now in quefti- on. It is borrowed from the Church of Rome, and they who write for it borrow their Arguments from Bellarmine, who difputes for it againft Peter Martyr, as hath been fhewed ; fo that Papifts and Semi- Proteftants-are almoft the only Sticklers for it; but the Reformed Churches have caft it off; which though it is not in it felf a demonftra- tive or cogent Argument, neither do I fo intend it, for the Scripture is the only infallible Judge ; yet it is enough to confound and ftop the Mouths of fuch Obje&ors, as pretend the Authority of the Church for this Chaunting Idol-Service. For they take part with the Church of Rome in this particular againft all the Reformed Churches. To the R E A D E R. W Hereas the Author in the foregoing Difcourfe fers, that the Reformed Churches have with one Confent laid afide Infiru- mental Mufick in the Worfhip of God, that word Reformed Churches is not to be underffood as including either the Lutheran Churches abroad, or our Prelatick ones at home. And moreover, the Reader muff confider, that he thereinfpeaks according to the declaredYudgment of the chiefand generality of their Writers. For tho' it appears by learned Voetius, Pol. Ecclef. part i. I. z. tr. z. fe&. r. C. 3. that Tome Churches in Holland haveOrgans; yet the Reader may therefind the Yudgment oftheNether- land Synods to havebeen againft them, and that they were brought in among them butoflate, and that too not by any publick Authority, bat only on the private

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