From Maxims of Christian Chivalry compiled from the work of Kenelm Digby

The power of music
Music is said by some holy men to have drawn the gentiles frequently into the Church through mere curiosity, which ended in conversion of heart and desire of baptism. This gave occasion to Dr. Burney to say that "the generality of parochial music with the moderns is not likely to produce similar effects, it being such as would rather drive Christians with good ears out of the Church than draw Pagans into it."

Influence of Church music
"Whatsoever is harmonically composed delights in harmony; which makes me," says Sir Thomas Brown, "much distrust the symmetry of those heads which declaim against all Church music." Socrates held philosophy to be the highest music and to our fathers it seemed that the music of the Church was full of religion. "It consoles those that are sad at heart," says a monk of St. Gall, "it makes minds more gracious, it refreshes the studious, it invites sinners to contrition, it purifies the inward man and renders him more prompt to works of piety." What Beveridge says of himself was doubtless true of those successive generations of men who took delight in the beauty of the Lord's house and in the exercises of Catholic devotions: "Their souls became more harmonious, being accustomed so much to harmony and so averse to all manner of discord that the least jarring sound either in notes or words seemed very harsh and unpleasant to them."

The object of Church music
It would have been well if the modern composers of Church music had philosophized more on the subject of their profession and had borne in mind the connection between the ancient style and the object to which all Church music is directed. It would have been well if they had attended to the words of St. Augustine where he approves of the use of Church music but observes: "Yet when it happens to me that the singing is to me more moving than the thing which is the subject of the matter of the song I confess that I commit a fault deserving of punishment; and then I had rather not listen to the person who is singing." Still, however, in all essential parts of the service the music of the Church continued the same, as in her prefaces, prayers, chants for the Gospel, for the Credo, and for different offices of night and day. Here the severity of the tones added solemnity to the majestic strain, which, when accompanied with the peculiar pronunciation of the Italians, must have attained its highest beauty.

Ancient Piety
"Who," says Martene, "can attentively consider the diligence of our predecessors in celebrating the divine offices, their reverence, their piety in solemnising the mysteries of Christ, their devotion in observing the festivals of the saints, without being incited and impelled to emulate them? Who must not by observing their continual psalmody, even amidst manual labour, their constant meditation on holy lessons, their deep silence, their assiduous observation of prayer, be withdrawn from vain and earthly desires? Who can read of their attention to the sick, of their solicitude for the dying, of their prayers and suffrages for the dead, without wishing to be dissolved that he may more speedily be with Christ?"

Holy Childhood
St. Louis of France made his children every day hear matins, vespers and complin, chanted in a loud tone with music, and wished them to be present at a sermon that they might hear the word of God. They were also to say the office of our Lady and to study in order to understand the Scriptures.