Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

There were shut up within that city, abundance of people of the best rank and quality besides the soldiers and citizens, who all or most of them came constantly every Sunday, to hear public prayers and sermon in that spacious church. And their number was so exceeding great, that the church was even cramming or squeezing full. They had then a custom in that church (which I hear not of in any other cathedral), that always before the sermon the whole congregation sang a psalm together with the choir and the organ; and there was then a most excellent, large, plump, lusty, full-speaking organ, which cost a thousand pounds. This organ, being let out into all its fullness of stops, together with the choir, began the psalm. But when that vast conchording unity of the whole congregational chorus came thundering in, even so, as it made the very ground shake under us: oh the unutterable ravishing soul’s delight! I was so transported, and wrapped up into high contemplations, that there was no room left in my whole man for anything below divine and heavenly raptures; nor could there possibly be anything in earth, to which that singing might be truly compared, except the right apprehensions or conceivings of that glorious and miraculous choir, recorded in the scriptures, at the dedication of the Temple [2 Chronicles 5]. But yet still beyond this, I can truly say it was useful to me in a much higher manner, as a most lively similitude of the beatifical, celestial, or angelical choirs above, which continually rejoice before God, adoring and singing praises to Him and of Him in all eternity.

Trinity Sunday is on 26 May 2024.

Comment

Comment

Paul Gameson re the date:

Mace, either an eyewitness to the event himself or relying on information from his brother, Henry, a vicar choral at York, is probably describing the events that took place on 16 June 1644, Trinity Sunday: York had been surrounded by the joint forces of the Scottish and Parliamentarian armies for two weeks, and on this day the besiegers mined the city walls at King’s Manor, not far from the Minster (Lawes 2002).

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Original

By This occasion, there were shut up within that City, abundance of People of the best Rank and Quality, viz. Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen of the Countries round about, besides the Souldiers and Citizens, who all or most of them came constantly every Sunday, to hear Publick Prayers and Sermon in that spacious Church.

And indeed their Number was so exceeding great, that the Church was (as I may say) even cramming or squeezing full.

Now here you must take notice, that they had then a Custom in that Church, (which I hear not of in any other Cathedral, which was) that always before the Sermon, the whole Congregation sang a Psalm, together with the Quire and the Organ; And you must also know, that there was then a most Excellent-large-plump-lusty-full-speaking-Organ, which cost (as I am credibly informed) a thousand pounds.

This Organ, I say, (when the Psalm was set before the Sermon) being let out, into all its Fulness of Stops, together with the Quire, began the Psalm.

But when That Vast-Conchording-Vnity of the whole Congregational-Chorus, came (as I may say) Thundering in, even so, as it made the very Ground shake under us; (Oh the unutterable ravishing Soul’s delight!) In the which I was so transported, and wrapt up into High Contemplations, that there was no room left in my whole Man, viz. Body, Soul and Spirit, for any thing below Divine and Heavenly Raptures; Nor could there possibly be any Thing in Earth, to which That very Singing might be truly compar’d, except the Right apprehensions or conceivings of That glorious and miraculous Quire, recorded in the Scriptures, at the Dedication of the Temple, of which you may read in the 2 Chron. ch. 5. to the end; but more particularly eminent in the two last verses of that Chapter, where King Solomon (the wisest of men) had congregated the most Glorious Quire that ever was known of in all the world: And at their Singing of Psalms, Praises, or Thanksgivings, the Glory of the Lord came down amongst them, as there you may read.

I say, the true apprehensions of This Quire, comes nearest of any thing to be admitted as a Comparison.

But yet still beyond This, I can truly say, it was usefull to me in a much higher manner, viz. even as a most lively Similitude, or Representation of the Beatifical, Coelestial, or Angelical Quires above, which continually Rejoyce before God, Adoring and singing Praises to Him and of Him in all Eternity.

But still further, that I may endeavour to make this something more livelily apprehended, or understood to be a real true Thing;

It would be considered, that if at any Time, or Place, such a congregated Number could perform such an outward Service to the Almighty, with True-ardent-inward-Devotion, Fervency and Affectionate-zeal, in expectation to have it accepted by Him; Doubtless it ought to be believ’d, that it might be and was done There, and Then.

Because that at That Time, the desperateness and dismaidness of their Danger could not but draw them unto it, in regard the Enemy was so very near, and Fierce upon them, especially on That side the City where the Church stood; who had planted their Great Guns so mischievously against the Church, and with which constantly in Prayers time they would not fail to make their Hellish disturbance, by shooting against and battering the Church, in so much that sometimes a Canon Bullet has come in at the windows, and bounc’d about from Pillar to Pillar, (even like some Furious Fiend, or Evil Spirit) backwards and forwards, and all manner of side-ways, as it has happened to meet with square or round Opposition amongst the Pillars, in its Returns or Rebounds, untill its Force has been quite spent.

And here there is one thing most eminently remarkable, and well worth noting, which was, That in all the whole time of the Siege, there was not any one Person (that I could hear of) did (in the Church) receive the least Harm by any of their Devillish Canon Shot: And I verily believe, there were constantly many more then a thousand Persons at That Service every Sunday, during the whole Time of that Siege.

Thus much shall suffice to notifie the (General-unknown or unconceiv’d) Excellency and Divine worth of Singing Psalms well.

997 words.

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• Books of Chronicles (1) ·
• Cavalier (17) ·
• Church music (8) ·
• English Civil War (1642-1651) (27), a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of religious freedom ·
• First English Civil War (18), August 1642-June 1646 ·
• Old Testament (8) ·
• Organ (music) (6) ·
• Psalms (13) ·
• Roundhead (20) ·
• Siege (2) ·
• Singing (4) ·
• Trinity Sunday (1) ·
• 📌York Castle (36) ·
• York city walls (9) ·

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