A sermon preach'd at St. Paul's Cathedral, November 22, 1699 being the anniversary meeting of the Lovers of Musick / by W. Sherlock ... Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707. 1699 Approx. 31 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A59892 Wing S3363 ESTC R4275 12019048 ocm 12019048 52602 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A59892) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 52602) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 878:19) A sermon preach'd at St. Paul's Cathedral, November 22, 1699 being the anniversary meeting of the Lovers of Musick / by W. Sherlock ... Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707. [2], 27, [1] p. Printed for W. Rogers ..., London : 1699. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Advertisement: p. [1] at end. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Church of England -- Liturgy. Bible. -- O.T. -- Psalms LXXXI, 12 -- Sermons. Music in churches -- Early works to 1800. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2003-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-12 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-02 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2004-02 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preach'd at St. PAUL's Cathedral , NOVEMBER 22. 1699. BEING The ANNIVERSARY Meeting OF THE Lovers of MUSICK . By W. SHERLOCK , D.D. Dean of St. Paul's , Master of the Temple , and Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY . Published at the Request of the Stewards . LONDON : Printed for W. Rogers , at the Sun against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet . MDCXCIX . PSALM LXXXI . 1 , 2. Sing aloud unto God our strength , make a joyful noise unto the God of Iacob . Take a Psalm , and bring hither the Timbrel , the pleasant Harp , with the Psaltery . TO Praise God is acknowledged by all men to be the most Excellent part of Divine Worship ; it is the Religion of happy Creatures , and the Natural Homage due to Infinite Goodness , which is the most Glorious Perfection of the Deity . It exercises the best Passions of our Souls in the most perfect manner , Love , Ioy , Reverence , Admiration , which are the proper Passions of Devotion , made for God , who is their last Object ; and made for the Praise of God , which is their most perfect Exercise . We cannot well conceive , What other Acts of Religion can be proper for Heaven ; when we shall be advanced to the utmost perfection of our Natures ; when we shall have put off Mortality and Corruption , and all other Wants with them ; When a Complete and Consummate Happiness shall leave no more place for Desire ; When we shall have nothing more to ask of God , nothing more to expect , but the secure Possession and Enjoyment of those Pleasures which fill , but never satiate ; which are Eternally repeated , and are Eternally New and Fresh : I say , in such a State as this , as Faith will be turned into Sight , and Hope into Enjoyment ; so Prayer also , which is so great a part of the Worship of Sinners , and indigent Creatures , will be all turned into Thanksgiving and Praise . Now as for this reason St. Paul prefers Charity before Faith and Hope ; because , though they are admirable Graces for the State of Christians in this World , and absolutely necessary to carry us to Heaven ; yet they cannot enter into Heaven themselves , where Charity attains its greatest Glory and Perfection ; so by the same reason it appears , That Praise and Thanksgiving is the most excellent part of Worship , because this is the Religion of Heaven , and therefore ought to be the chief Delight and Entertainment of those who hope to go to Heaven . But what is it to praise God ? Is it only to sing aloud , and to make a joyful noise to God ? Does it consist merely in the Harmonious Melody of Voices , and Musical Instruments ? Does he praise God best , who composes the best Anthems , or Sings them best ? Or do we think , that we then praise God best , when we feel our selves the most Transported and Ravished with Excellent Musick , performed by the best Voices , the choicest Instruments , and the greatest Masters ? This is a very easy and a pleasant way of praising God , if this would carry us to Heaven ; but this is only to praise the Musick , the Composition , or the Performance , when we think of nothing else , come for no other End , and mean no more by it . I would not have you mistake me ; I do not appear in this place at this time to decry or disparage the use of Musick in the Worship of God , which would neither become this Presence , nor my own Character ; but to persuade and direct you to turn the Delights and Charms of Musick , into the Raptures of Devotion , which would the most effectually silence all the Enemies of Church-Musick , and Cathedral-Worship , while as a Divine Poet of our own Sings , This would visibly turn Delight into a Sacrifice . Now since Musick , whatever it be , and how well soever performed , is of no Use or Value in Religion , but as it serves the true Ends of Devotion ; we must Enquire , What that Harmony and Melody is , which is so acceptable to God ; How fit External and Sensible Melody is to promote this ; And how it may and ought to be improved to that purpose . 1. As for the first , I need not tell any Man , who understands the Nature of Christian Worship , That it is only the Melody of the Heart , as St. Paul speaks , that pleases God ; All True Christian Worship , whatever the Externals of it are , is the Worship of the Mind and Spirit . This alone is that Worship which it becomes a reasonable Creature to pay to his Maker , his Sovereign Lord and Saviour , as the Blessed Virgin Sang , My Soul doth magnify the Lord , and my Spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour . For it is the Mind only that can praise God , though the Tongue must Sing his Praises . The Best Composed Hymns , the Most Musical Instruments , the most Charming Voices , are but Lifeless Mechanical Sounds , till they are Animated and Inspired by the Devotion of the Heart ; And God takes no more pleasure in the Best Voices , than in Bodily Strength or Beauty . Now the Melody of the Heart , is the Consent and Harmony of all the Powers and Passions of our Souls in the Praises of God. When Love , and Joy , and Admiration , and the profoundest Reverence bear their several Parts , and offer up our whole Souls as a Living Vocal Hymn of Praise : Then we Sing aloud in our Hearts to God , when we feel the greatest Transports and Extasies of these Divine Passions , which Swallow us up in God , and Unite us to the Heavenly Quire : Then we Sing with True Melody in our Hearts to God , when these Divine Passions , which are Essential to Praise and Thanksgiving , Charm all our Earthly Passions into a Calm ; Quiet all their Storms and Tumults ; Leave no jarring Discords , no Discontents , no Solicitous Cares , no Jealousies , no Envyings , to discompose the Harmony of our Souls , which must be all Peace , all Love , all Joy , to Sing with a True Divine Melody the Praises of God. This , and nothing else , is the true Praise of God , when our Minds are filled with such bright Ideas of his Glory and Perfections , with such a lively Sense of His Majesty , Wisdom , Goodness , Power , discover'd in his Great and Wonderful Works of Creation , Providence , and the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ , as Transport us with Love , Admiration , and Joy. A Heart thus full of God , will break forth into Songs of Praise ; When the Fire is kindled within , as the Psalmist observes from his own Experience , we shall then speak with our Tongues ; Here our Praises ought to Begin , to be sure here they must always End , in the Heat and Fervour of our Affections , and an inward feeling of the Divine Praises , if we would have them an acceptable Worship of God. As far as the Harmony of Voices or Musical Instruments serve this End , they are Excellent Helps to Devotion ; but it is only their Subserviency to the Devotion of the Mind , which gives them any Value , or allows them any Place in Religious Worship . 2 dly . Let us then consider of what Use Musick is to Excite and Quicken our Affections , and to give a New Life and Spirit to Devotion . Man is not all Soul and Spirit , but a Compound Creature , consisting of Soul and Body ; And while our Souls are Vitally united to Bodies , they receive most of their Passions from them ; at least feel the most Strong and Vigorous Motions from those Impressions which our Senses make ; And Sight it self does not more variously affect our Minds than Hearing does ; Words and Sounds have very powerful Charms , and give as quick a turn to our Thoughts and Passions , as Sight it self ; and not only Words , but even a Diversity of Sounds , are fitted by Nature to Express , and to Excite very different Passions . Love , Joy , Admiration , Desire , Fear , Sorrow , Indignation , Revenge , give some distinguishing Notes and Accents to the very Voice , which no Art , but Nature Teaches , and which betrays the Passion without speaking a Word ; And such different Notes will also as forcibly imprint such Passions on our Minds , as they naturally represent , and that many times whether we will or no ; which is a great secret in Nature , and shows an unaccountable Sympathy between Sounds and Passions , which are by turns the Natural Effects and Causes of each other : and there needs no other Proof what the Natural Power of Musick must be , to Raise and to Calm our Passions ; And the Experience of all Mankind tells us , that thus it is ; When the Composer knows how to fit Notes to Passions , which the Knowledge of Human Nature , not the meer proportion of Sounds must teach him . Without this , a Fine Piece of Musick is like a Company of Fine Words put together , without any great Sense or Meaning ; they make a Fine Sound , and that is all . Now if there be a Natural Sympathy , and Mutual Causality between Sounds and Passions , there is no doubt , but True Devotional Musick will Excite or Heighten our Devotional Passions , as we daily see and complain , that Wanton and Amorous Aires are apt to kindle Wanton Fires ; For Nature will act like it self , whether you apply it to Good or to Bad Purposes . If there be no force in Musick to give a Good or Bad Tincture to the Mind , Why do any men complain of Wanton Songs ? They may then blame the Poet , but neither the Composer nor Singer ; For the Musick , it seems , does no hurt : if there be , Why do they Condemn Church-Musick , which will have as good an influence upon a Devout Mind , as the other has a Bad One ? Why then should any Man think Musick improper for the Worship of God ? It is a Natural Power , though improved by Art , as most other Natural Powers are ; and all Natural Powers are made for the Worship and Service of God , as far as they are capable of serving him ; which Musick is in a very high Degree , if it have such a Natural Power over our Passions , as to Increase and Actuate , though it can't Create Devotion . Both Poetry and Musick were Originally used to Celebrate the Praises of God ; lost their Glory , when they descended to meaner Subjects , but were Prophaned by a Prostitution to mens Lusts and Vices . The first Account we have of Singing , is the Song of Moses , Exod. 15. when God had made the Children of Israel to pass through the Red-Sea on dry Ground , and had Drowned the AEgyptians ; and we can't have a more Ancient Account than this , which is the most Ancient History in the World. And throughout the Old Testament , both Vocal and Instrumental Musick , was not only used in the Worship of God ; but this was the Chief , if not the only Use of it . This is acknowledged by all ; but some will not allow it to be a Pattern for Christian Worship . They reckon Musick among the Ceremonies of the Iewish Law , sitted to the Carnal State of that People , and Abrogated with the other Legal Ceremonies , by the more perfect Dispensation of the Gospel , which requires a more Spiritual Worship . But a few Words will shew , how unreasonable this Pretence is . The Song of Moses and Miriam was before the giving of the Law , and therefore no part of it ; and though this is the first time we Read of Singing , there is no Reason to think , That this was the first beginning of it . We Read of no Institution of Singing , though we do of Singers ; that Singing seems as Ancient and Natural , as Publick Worship . But suppose Singing had been part of the Mosaical Law ; the Gospel of our Saviour Abrogates nothing of that Law , but such Types as receive their Accomplishment in Christ , or such Appendant Ceremonies as were meer Signs and Figures of an Evangelical Righteousness : But what is Singing a Type of , any more than Speaking ? For it is only a more Harmonious and Emphatical way of Speaking ; and I see no Reason , Why men may not reject Vocal Prayer , as well as Vocal Musick , because they were both used by the Iews . Whatever Objections are now made against Church-Musick , which I have not now Time particularly to Examine , were as good Objections in David's Time , as they are now ; and yet then Prophets Composed Hymns , and Prophets set the Tunes ; for so the Chief Musicians to whom David directs his Psalms , as the Titles of some of them Express , were Prophets as well as Musicians ; and methinks Men should speak more favourably of such Practices as were under the Direction and Government of Inspired men . In the Vision of the Prophet Isaiah , 6 Ch. 1 , 2 , 3 , v. The Scraphims are represented crying one to another , Holy , holy , holy , is the Lord of Hosts , Heaven and Earth are full of his Glory . This is acknowledged to be a great Example of Antiphonal Singing , in which One Answers another . But then they say , this plainly refers to the Ancient Temple-Worship , and must not be admitted a Precedent for Christian Practice . But if the Temple-Worship be a fit Precedent for the Worship of Angels , Why may it not be a Precedent for the Worship of Christians ? Whose Worship , as Pure and Spiritual as it is , falls vastly short of Angelical Worship . But do not the Angels then thus Worship God in Heaven ? This would be a New Objection against our Liturgy , never thought of before , which in the Te Deum teaches us to Sing , To Thee all Angels cry aloud , the heavens and all the powers therein . To Thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry , Holy , Holy , Holy , Lord God of Sabbaoth . Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory . And if the Angels thus Sing in Heaven , surely the Precedent is not unworthy of the Christian Church on Earth . The like Representation we meet with of the Four Beasts , and Twenty four Elders , Rev. 4. And the same Answer is given to it , That the Images in the Apocalyptick Visions are fetched from the Law , and not from the Gospel . But whence soever these Images were Originally taken , this Book was Directed to the Christian Churches , and therefore was a Rule and Precedent for them . It all along describes the State of the Christian , not of the Iewish Church , and therefore their Worship too : And if we look into the Fifth Chapter , we shall find these Four Beasts , and Twenty Four Elders were Christians , who were Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb , and Sung the Song of the Lamb ; Thou art worthy to take the Book , and to open the Seals thereof ; for thou wast Slain , and hast Redeemed us to God , out of every Kindred , and Tongue , and People , and Nation , and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests , and we shall Reign upon the Earth , Ver. 9 , 10. This I take to be a Christian Hymn , and therefore a Pattern for Christian Worship . And as much as some Smile at the Conceit , I can't but think , That the General Exhortations in the New Testament , to Sing to God , To admonish one another in Psalms , and Hymns , and Spiritual Songs , Singing and Making Melody in our Hearts to the Lord ; Though they are not an Apostolical Institution of a Quire , nor do prescribe the particular Forms of Cathedral Worship ; yet they justify it all , as far as it is fitted to the True Ends of Devotion ; for the Apostles knew after what manner they Sung in the Iewish Church ; and had this been so unfit , as is pretended for Christian Worship , they would not have Exhorted Christians to Sing , without giving them a Caution against Iewish Singing . And now it does not seem to me much to the purpose , to Enquire whether this Practice was for any time intermitted in the Christian Church ; and When , and upon What Occasion it was Restored ; For if what I have now Discoursed hold good , it justifies the Use of Musick in Religious Worship , whenever it can be had ; though there may be some Times and Circumstances , which will not allow it . Though it could be certainly proved , That this was disused for the First Three Centuries in the Christian Church , while they were under a State of Persecution : This would be no greater Argument to me against Cathedral-Worship , than it is against Cathedral-Churches : The Poverty and Afflicted State of the Church at that Time would allow neither ; but Prosperity by Degrees restored them to both . We may as well Argue against the Use of Musick in the Iewish Church , because under the Babylonish Captivity they hung their Harps upon the Willows , and refused to Sing the Songs of Sion in a Strange Land , to those who carried them away Captives . The Primitive Christians in those Days never declared their dislike of this way of Worship , but their Condition would not bear it . No Christian will deny , That Singing the Praises of God and their Saviour , was always a Principal part of Christian Worship , and therefore was the Worship of the Primitive Christians , unless they were Defective in a Principal Part of Worship ; so that the only Dispute can be about the manner of Singing ; and the Chief thing Objected , is the Antiphonal way of Singing ; which is acknowledged to have been used in the Iewish Church , and therefore has the same Authority that Singing has : But yet I will yield the Cause , if any Man can give me a good reason , Why it should be very Lawful , and an Excellent Part of Religion , for a hundred Men , suppose , to Sing a whole Psalm together ; but very Unlawful and a Corruption of Religion , to Sing it Alternately ; Fifty to Sing One Verse , and Fifty the Next ; when by their Answering each other , they mutually Excite each other's Devotion , and signify the Consent and Union of their Prayers and Praises in the Whole . But setting aside the Afflicted State of the Christian Church , the Profess'd Enemies of Cathedral-Worship allow us as Great and Early Authorities as we desire . St. Basil , St. Ambrose , and St. Chrysostom , always will be Venerable Names . The Church was restored to Peace but in the Fourth Century , and then this Worship revived , and that by the Authority and Example of as Great and Good Men as any the Church had . That Erasmus himself , and many Reformers , were great Enemies to this way of Worship , as it was then Practised in the Church of Rome , is no great Wonder , when their Hymns , as well as their Prayers , being performed in an unknown Tongue , all their Singing was meer Noise , which could contribute nothing to Devotion . But this is no greater Argument against our English Hymns and Anthems , than against our English Prayers . If they meant any thing more , we must demand their Reasons ; For as for Authority , our own Reformers , and Reformation have , and that deservedly , a much greater Authority in the World. But I must hasten to a Conclusion , Which brings me to the Third Thing I proposed , How Musick may and ought to be improved to the Purposes of Devotion : And here I must beg leave to speak something briefly to Three Sorts of Men ; Composers , Singers , and Hearers ; which will serve for the Application of the Whole . First , As for Composers , Those who set our Hymns and Anthems to Musical Notes . I do not pretend to Skill in Musick , much less to be able to Teach such great Masters as this Age hath Bred ; but I hope in some Measure I do , and may be allowed to Understand and Teach Devotion , which is all I intend in This ; for that which according to all the Rules of Art must be allowed for Excellent Musick , may not always be proper for Devotion . It is a great Mistake in Composing Hymns , and Anthems , to consider only what Notes are Musical , and will Delight and Entertain the Hearers ; The true Rule is , What Notes are most proper to Excite or Quicken such Passions of Devotion , as the Words of the Hymn or Anthem Express . This indeed can't be done without Skill in Musick , but true Devotion is the best Directer of that Skill ; for a Devout Mind will judge of the Devotion , as a Skilful Ear does of the Musick of Sounds : That the most certain way for the greatest Masters to Compose such Hymns and Anthems as are fit for the Worship of God , and may best serve the Devotions of Christians , is to work their own Minds first into all those Heights and Flames of Devotion , which they are to Express in Sounds : which they will find a double Advantage in ; it will make them Good Christians , and Admirable Composers of Church-Musick . A Devout Ear without any great Skill in Musick , soon finds the want of this . A Grave , Serious Mind , which is the true Temper of Devotion , is disturbed by Light and Airy Compositions , which disperse the Thoughts , and give a Gay and Frisking Motion to the Spirits , and call the Mind off from the Praises of God , to attend meerly to the agreeable Variety of Sounds , which is all that can be expected from such Sounds as have nothing of Devotion in them : Which is so much the worse still , when , ( as is now grown very common in such Compositions ) they are clogged with Needless and Endless Repetitions . A Repetition serves only to give an Emphasis , and it requires a great Judgment to place it Right ; and is very Absurd , when it is placed Wrong ; but we often see , that there is too little Regard had to this ; The Skill of Altering Notes is the whole Design , which , when there is not very great occasion for it , is like School-Boys , Varying Phrases , or like Ringing the Changes ; which how Entertaining soever it be , when we have nothing to do but to attend to Sounds , is yet very Nauseous and Offensive to Devout Minds in Religious Worship . I thank God , the Ordinary Service of our Church is very Grave and Solemn , and well fitted to Devotion : And as for more Modern Compositions , the Governors of Churches ought to take care to receive nothing into the Worship of God , but what is fitted to serve Devotion ; and this would Effectually Answer the greatest Objections against Church-Musick . Secondly , As for those who are Employed in Singing the Church-Service and Anthems , to assist the Devotions of the Congregation , it certainly becomes them to behave themselves very Devoutly in it . Musical Instruments , which have no Life and Sense , may Minister to our Devotions , though they are capable of none themselves ; but it gives great Offence and Scandal , to see those who are daily Employed in the Singing Praises to God , to shew no Signs of Devotion in themselves , much more by an irreverent Behaviour to betray great Symptoms of want of Devotion . I thank God we have no great reason to make this Complaint in this Church , and , I hope , shall every day have less ; but this is a good occasion to mind all such Persons , how Devout they ought to be , ( if Musick be a help to Devotion ) ; who have this Advantage from Art and Nature , first to Excite their own Devotions , and then to Assist the Devotions of others ; which last must be a very tasteless uneasy Employment , if they have no Devotion of their own . And a great Reproach also to their Art , when they themselves are Witnesses , how little Devotion it Teaches . But there is one thing , which I believe is not so well considered , which yet is just matter of Scandal ; for those who Sing Divine Hymns and Anthems at Church , and whose Profession it is to do so , to Sing Wanton and Amorous , Lewd , Atheistical Songs out of it . Men , who have enter'd themselves into the Service of the Church , have Consecrated their Voices to God ; not so , as never to Sing any thing else but Hymns and Anthems , but yet so as never to Sing any thing to the Reproach of God , Religion , or Virtue . This unbecomes any Man , who calls himself a Christian , much more those whose peculiar Employment it is to Sing the Praises of God. Thirdly , As for Hearers , they ought also to consider , That their business at Church is , not meerly to be Entertained with Musick , but to Exercise their Devotions , which is the true End of Church-Musick ; to Praise God with the more fervent Passions . It is a Contempt of Religion , and of the House of God , to come only to please our Ears , to hear Better Voices , and more Curious Compositions , and more Artful Singing than we can meet with in other places . This I have reason to fear is the Case of very many who Resort hither ; who , especially on the Lord's-Day , Crowd into the Church to hear the Anthem , and when that is over , to the great Disturbance of the Worship of God , and the Scandal of all good Christians , Crowd as fast out again . Though there is this good in it , that they make Room for Devouter People , who immediately fill up their Places , to attend the Instructions of God's Word . But I hope this will not be charged upon the Service of our Church , that Men who have no Devotion , come only for Musick : For Church-Musick can't Create Devotion , tho' it may improve it where it is . But indeed we ought all to be aware that the Musick does not Emply our Thoughts more than our Devotions ; which it can never do , if as Common Sense Teaches us it ought to be , our Minds be in the first place fixt and intent upon the Praises of God , which are Express'd in the Hymn or Anthem ; which when conveyed unto us in Musical Sounds , will give Life and Quickness to our Devotions ; not first fixed on the Musick , which most probably will leave the Devotion of the Anthem behind it . Those who find that Musick does not Assist , but Stifle their Devotion , and many such there may be , had much better keep to their Parish-Churches , and prefer Devotion before Musick . For to come to Church without any intention to Worship God in his own House , or to pretend to Worship him without Devotion , are great Affronts to the Divine Majesty . In a word ; Those who profess themselves Lovers of Musick , ought to consider , What the true End of Musick is ; and to improve it to the Noblest purposes . The meer Harmony of Sounds is a very pleasant and innocent Entertainment : Of all the Delights of Sense , this is in it self the least sensual , when it is not abused to recommend Vice , and to convey impure Images to our Minds : But yet meerly to be delighted with Charming and Musical Aires , does not Answer the true Character of a Lover of Musick : For it is the least thing in Musick to please the Ear ; its proper , natural Use , and the great Advantage and Pleasure of it , relates to our Passions : To Compose , Soften , to Inflame them ; and the Diviner Passions it inspires us with , the more it is to be admired and valued ; and then Musick must attain its greatest Glory and Perfection in true Devotion ; That the Lovers of Musick ought to be very Devout Men , if they love Musick for that which is most valuable in it , and its last and noblest End. To Conclude ; It concerns the Lovers of Musick to vindicate it from all Prophane Abuses ; not to suffer so Divine a thing to be prostituted to Mens Lusts : To discountenance all Lewd , Prophane , Atheistical Songs , how admirable soever the Composition be : To preserve Musick in its Virgin Modesty , and without confining her always to the Temple , make the Praises of God her Chief Employment , as it is her greatest Glory . Thus I have spoke my mind very freely ; showed you the Use , and the Abuses of Musick , which was one great Inducement to me to comply with the desires of those Honourable and Worthy Persons , who imposed this Office on me ; that I might have an Opportunity of saying that which I thought fit should be said at one time or other , and for saying of which , there could not be a more proper Occasion than this . And I hope this may plead my Excuse with all good Christians , if it have drawn my Sermon out to too great a Length , and given too long an Interruption to the Entertainment of those , the least part of whose business it was to hear a Sermon . To God the Father , God the Son , and God the Holy Ghost , be Honour , Glory , and Power , Now and Ever . Amen . FINIS . Books Published by the Reverend Dr. Sherlock , Dean of St. Paul ' s , Master of the Temple , and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty . Printed for W. Rogers . AN Answer to a Discourse , entituled , Papists protesting ●gainst Protestant Popery . 2d Edit . Quarto . An Answer to the Amic●ble Accommodation of the Differences between the Representer and the Answerer . Quarto . Thirteen Sermons preach'd on several Occasions . Quarto . A Vindication of some Protestant Principles of Church Unity and Catholick Communion , from the Charge of Agreement with the Church of Rome . Quarto . A Preservative against Popery , in Two Parts ; with the Vindication , in Answer to the Cavils of Lewis Sabran , Jesuit . Quarto . A Discourse of the Nature , Unity , and Communion of the Catholick Church . First Part. Quarto . Case of Allegi●nce due to Sovereign Powers , Stated and Resolved , according to Scripture and Reason , and the Principles of the Church of England . Quarto . A Vindication of the Case of Allegiance due to Sovereign Powers . 4 to . A Discourse concerning the Divine Providence . Quarto . Second Edition . Price 5 s. A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity . 3d Edit . 4 to . A Modest Examination of the Authority and Reasons of the late Decree of the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford , and some Heads of Colleges and Halls , concerning the Heresy of Three Distinct Infinite Minds in the Holy and Ever Blessed Trinity . Apology for Writing against Socinians . Quarto . A Vindication of the Sermon of the Danger of corrupting the Faith by Philosophy ; in Answer to some Socinian Remarks . Quarto . A Defence of Dr. Sherlock's Notion of the Trinity . Quarto . The Distinction between the Real and Nominal Trinitarians examined , in Answer to a Socinian Pamphlet . Quarto . A Practical Discourse concerning Death . In Octavo . Tenth Edition . Price 3 s. A Practical Discourse concerning a Future Judgment . The Fifth Edition . Octavo . Price 3 s. 6 d. The Present State of the Socinian Controversy , and the Doctrine of the Catholick Fathers concerning a Trinity in Unity . 4 to . Price 5 s. An Answer to the Animadversions on the Dean of St. Paul's Vindication of the Trinity . By I. B. A. M. Quarto . A Defence of the Dean of St. Paul's Apology for Writing against Socinians . Quarto .