It's been charged that my listening to Palestrina implicates me in Beast worship...

Protestants, let us examine the Ordinary (standard lyrics, if you will) of your average Renaissance mass:

Kyrie eleison
(Lord have mercy)

Chiste eleison
(Christ have mercy)

Kyrie eleison
(Lord have mercy)

Protestants, we have survived the first section of the average mass. I see no Beast doctrine in the above. Let us proceed on, trepidatiously...

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax
(Glory in the highest to God. And on earth peace)

hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te.
(to men of good will. We praise thee. We bless thee.)

Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi
(We worship thee. We glorify thee. Thanks we give to thee)

propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex coelestis,
(because of great glory thy. Lord God, King of heaven,)

Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.
(God Father almighty. Lord Son only begotten, Jesus Christ.)

Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
(Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of Father.)

Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
(Who take away sins of world, have mercy on us.)

Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.
(Who take away sins of world, receive supplication our.)

Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
(Who sit at right hand of Father, have mercy on us.)

Quoniam tu solus sanctus. Tu solus Dominus.
(For thou alone holy. Thou alone Lord.)

Tu solus altisimus, Jesu Christe.
(Thou alone most high, Jesus Christ.)

Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
(With Holy Spirit in glory of God Father. Amen.)

I think we've come through that section unslimed by the Beast, eh? Now, for the third section, the Credo. I'm not going to print it all out because it is basically the Apostles' Creed, and I think we can all agree that Protestants have no problem with the Apostles' Creed. Why? Because it is biblical doctrine, that's why.

Now, the fourth section of the average mass:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
(Holy, Holy, Holy,)

Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
(Lord God of Hosts.)

Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua.
(Full are heaven and earth of glory thy.)

Hosanna in excelsis.
(Hosanna in highest.)

OK! Wipe the sweat off your brow, we've come through that one clean. I don't feel Beast-like yet! I hope it doesn't get Beast-promoting in the final sections (and I should say that the fifth section of the average mass is sometimes broken up into two). Let's continue:

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
(Blessed who comes in name of Lord.)

Hosanna in excelsis.
(Hossana in highest.)

The Latin is troubling, Protestants, but it's not saying anything Beastish. Let's now go to the final section:

Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
(Lamb of God, who take away sins of world,)

miserere nobis.
(have mercy on us.)

Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
(Lamb of God, who take away sins of world,)

dona nobis pacem.
(grant us peace.)

Yes, I think Protestants can listen to these words without entering into compromise with the Beast or representatives of the Beast. Enjoy Palestrina, and Victoria, and Byrd, and Tallis, and Dufay, and Josquin...and give the glory of their inspiration and talent to compose such beautiful music to God's common grace which he showers on and in even professed atheist composers!

As I wrote elsewhere: you don't have to worship Zeus and Athena to appreciate and learn from the Iliad and the Odyssey. Neither do you have to engage in ancient Greek ritual and religion to appreciate the modal harmonies they bequeathed to the composers of Renaissance mass... Nor do you have to consider that Bach's music, and all composers who were subsequently influenced by his music (especially his championing of a certain type of tuning in his Well-Tempered Clavier) was created by a Lutheran. No, it's not 'Lutheran' music. Nor do you have to consider the doctrine and ritual of Lutheran masses when you enjoy Bach's music as absolute music... OK? Have we cleared that up? (I speak to our philistine friends at a certain weblog.) OK.