THE ENGLISH REFORMERS AGAINST ORGANS IN WORSHIP.
James Dodson
Matters remained in this position, and the worship of the Church was conducted now, in its primitive simplicity, without any alteration. It is worthy of notice here that the early Reformers of England were also opposed to instrumental music in worship. One of the homilies of that Church (on the Place and Time of Prayer, Part II.), condemns this mode of worship very emphatically. A woman is represented as saying to her neighbour, “‘What shall we do now at church, since all the saints are taken away, since we cannot hear the like piping, singing, chanting, and playing upon organs that we could before?’ To which it is answered, ‘Dearly beloved, we ought greatly to rejoice and to give thanks to God that our churches are delivered from all those things which displeased God so sore, and filthily defiled His holy place and His house of prayer.’”
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Bishops Grindal and Horn wrote to Bullinger, Feb. 6th 1567—“For almost all these articles are falsely imputed to us; very few indeed are acknowledged by us; and not one of them is obtruded upon the brethren by subscription. We do not assert that chanting in churches, together with organs, is to be retained, but we disapprove of it as we ought to do.”—“Zurich Letters,” First Series, p. 178. Parker Society.