left us a Pattern or an Example himself Is it not said they sang an Hymn viz. he himself with his Disciples And since there is no other Rule Mode or Manner of Singing differing from that practised by Moses and Israel before the Law and others after them and these in the New Testament what can be clearer the manner is plainly described But will your utter neglect of it upon this pretended Ignorance excuse you before the Lord ought you not to do it as well as you can But I am afraid rather some have taken up a Prejudice against it and do not desire to be informed about it But I shall from what I have said upon this last Proof draw one Argument and proceed to the next thing Arg. 1. That which Christ practised in Gospel-Worship and his Holy Apostles by the Authority of the Holy Ghost did injoyn on the Gospel-Churches as their Duty to do is the undoubted Duty of the Saints and Churches of Christ to do and perform to the end of the World But Christ did practise the Singing of a Hymn with his Disciples in Gospel-Worship and his Apostles did injoyn or require the Gospel-Churches to sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs as their Duty by the authority of the Holy Ghost Ergo 'T is the undoubted Duty of the Saints and Churches of Christ to practise Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs to the end of the World The Minor as to the practice of Christ and his Disciples I have already proved the Scripture is plain read Mat. 26. 30. And when they had Sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives The same is recorded by St. Mark Chap. 14. 26. And his Apostles did injoin it on the Churches Ephs 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. As touching the Major if that be not granted farewel to all Gospel-Institutions For if neither Christ as our Pattern nor the Apostolical Institutions and Injunctions contained in the New Testament as our Rule gives no sufficient Authority as to do what was so practised and injoined what Ordinance can bind us CHAP. VII Proving Singing of Psalms c. An Ordinance because it was confirmed by Miracles as other Ordinances were MY next Argument to prove it is a Gospel-Ordinance to Sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs is taken from that visible witness that God did bear to it in the New-Testament it seems to me and others whose Eyes God hath opened that it was confirmed by a Miracle as all other Gospel-Ordinances more or less were Heb. 2. 3 4. As the whole of Christ's Doctrine or the Christian Religion was confirmed by Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Spirit according to God's own Will and good Pleasure so were most if not all Gospel-Ordinances particularly 1. Meeting together on the first Day of the Week was miraculously owned and confirmed by that wonderful effusion of the Holy Ghost Acts 2. 1 2 3. 2. Preaching the Word was after the same manner confirmed Whilst Peter yet speak these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word Acts 10. 44. For they heard them speak with Tongues and magnify God vers 46. 3. Baptism was as wonderfully confirmed at the Baptism of our Saviour for when he came out of the Water the Heavens were opened and to a Voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. 16 17. And the Spirit descended like a Dâ—ve and lighted on him 4. Laying on of Hands was after the like manner owned and confirmed And when Paul had laid his hands on them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with Tongues and magnified God Act. 19. 6. 5. Also when the Apostles had prayed 't is said the place was shaken where they were assembled and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 4. 31. 6. In the last place we find Singing also was in the same sort confirmed And at Midnight Paul and Silas prayed and Sang Praises 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 the Prisoners heard them And suddenly there was a great Earth-quake so that the Foundations of the Prison were shaken 〈◊〉 immediately all the Doors were opened and every Man's Bands were 〈◊〉 Act. 16. 25 26. Mr. Wells taking notice of this place saith God honoured the Ordinance of Singing c. with Miracles Behold here faith he an eminent Miracle Prisons saluting their Prisoners Liberty Paul and Sâ—lâ—â— Singing set God on working And if their Tongues were loosed in Duty their Hands shall be loosed for Liberty Singing and Praying can work â—â—â—ders Certainly had not this Duty as well as others been to continue in the Church as most acceptable to God he would never have witnessed to it after this manner but since he hath let such tremble that slight and contemn it As these Miracles confirmed the Gospel in general so all must needs confess each Ordinance thus owned and born witness to was miraculously confirmed and as others so this Joyntly with this Argument it is necessary also in the next place to consider how Singing of Psalms was brought into the Church in the Gospel-times as other Ordinances were even as a Doctrine Prophesying Interpreting c. 1 Cor. 14. 26. Nay and it seems it was in their Publick Assemblies when Unbelievers were admitted to come in among them as appears by vers 33. Object But this was an extraordinary Singing or a Singing by an extraordinary Gift and there are none have such Gifts now and therefore none must sing in these days since the miraculous Gifts are ceased Answ That the Psalm was extraordinary as to the Matter is doubtful because we know no Psalms but the Book of Psalms or those called the Psalms of David so that it is very likely it might be one of them but let it be a Psalm or an Hymn given forth by the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit and sung too by the same extraordinary Spirit yet this doth not weaken but strengthen my Argument 1. Because as I said even now all Gospel-Ordinances were witnessed to by the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost in the Apostles days and so likewise they had extraordinary Gifts to discharge those Duties respectively 1. They had an extraordinary Gift of Prayer extraordinary Gifts to Preach and handle a Doctrine the like in Interpreting and Prophesying so no doubt likewise for Singing But if after these extraordinary Gifts ceased in the Church the Saints were to sing no more but leave off that Ordinance notwithstanding the Churches are enjoined to sing by the Holy Ghost Pray consider the direful Consequences of such an absurd Conclusion i. e. the Apostles had an extraordinary Spirit nay an infallible Spirit in Preaching in Praying in Prophesying in Interpreting the Scripture and in the whole of their Work in the Administration of the Gospel in respect of every Duty and Ordinance thereof these are all ceased since none have these miraculous Gifts now From hence it will follow There 's none now
For if he brought out a Psalm of David in an unknown Tongue who could sing with him But if he had been to sing alone the Melody might have refreshed those who sung not 〈◊〉 as some say they have been in hearing the French Protestants sing who understand not their Language But to prevent this the Apostle Paul resolved when he sung he would sing with the Spirit and with the Understanding also because 't is the Matter sung that is fruitful to the Understanding and what is the Melody without that Your third Reason or Argument is taken from that in Ephes 5. 18. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves c. Answ Doth not the Apostle pray that God would â—ill all the Saints with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. And pray that they might be filled with the Fruits of Righteousness Now singing flows from that Joy that all the Saints ought to labour after and also from the Fruits of Righteousness we have an equal need to be filled with the Spirit to pray to meditate to praise God and to preach and hear the Word as well as to sing Psalms and Hymns c. But you say pag. 18. That the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were not given alike to every Member of the Church Answ 'T is granted But doth it follow because some had the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit to pray must not the others who had not those Gifts no more than we have them now not pray at all Brother I am grieved to see how you are deceived and would â—eceive others But as they who had not the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit to pray were notwithstanding to pray so they who had not the extraordinary or special Gift to sing were nevertheless to sing the Praises of God What you speak pag. 18. about the diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit from 1 Cor. 12. is rather more against the performance of those other Dâ—ties and Ordinances than Singing because Singing is not there mentioned But all that you say there has been answered already so is what you infer from Col. 3. 16. Ephes 5. 19. For to think the Apostle refers to the special Gift of Singing in those places is of a pernicious tendency for you may as well say the same of all other Precepts enjoined on the Churches and so free us from all Gospel-Obedience for want of such Gifts Why must not Spiritual Songs be allowed as well as Psalms and Hymns What do you mean in pag. 23 Brother you were better be silent till you can distinguish better between Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs and the manner of the bringing of them forth by a special Gift A Doctrine may be as Spiritual that is precomposed as that which was brought forth by a special Gift so may an Hymn or Spiritual Song though 't is by the ordinary Gifts or Help of the Spirit precomposed there cannot be an Hymn nor Spiritual Song without its Form but if it be a Spiritual Song it has a Spiritual Form The very word may convince yoâ— of your Error if the Song be taken out of Christ's Spiritual and Sacred Word the Form is Spiritual and if it be sung with a gracious Heart and Tongue 't is doubtless Spiritual Worship and acceptable to God I shall conclude this Section of yours with one honest and plain Argument That Assertion or Notion against Singing the Praises of God that hath a natural tendency in it to overthrow the practice of all Gospel-Ordinances as well as singing the Praises of God is a vile and pernicious Assertion or Notion But for a Man to assert the Saints and People of God now in these days ought not to sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs because we have not that special or extraordinary Gift of the Spirit to do it hath a natural tendency in it to overthrow the practice of all Gospel-Ordinances in these days Ergo. That Assertion is vile and pernicious The Major cannot be denyed the Minor I have abundantly proved in this Treatise In Sect. 4. You seem to Answer what we say about Singing being a moral Duty Which you say Is the refuge of some who cannot maintain their practice of formal Singing by Gospel-Institution Append. pag. 27. Answ You mistake we need no Gospel-Institution 't is as clear a Precept in these Scriptures Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. as any we have in the New-Testament But we say Singing the Praises of God is more than a mere positive Duty What you further say under this Head doth but betrary your own Ignorance about moral Precepts and needs no Answer I having fully explained it in this Treâ—â—â—e Is it absurd and irrational for us to make the Moral Law or Light of Nature a Rule to exert the Worship of God see Append. p. 28. 'T is not so much the matter of Moral Duties as the manner of the performance of them that renders them Spiritual and for the more orderly and spiritual performance of such Duties that are in their own nature Moral they are brought under Gospel-institution as Prayer Preaching and Singing the Praises of God are and therefore all Moral Duties must be discharged by the help of the Spirit and with Grace in the Heart if accepted of God In pag. 33. of your Appendix you repeat your former Objection against Womens Singing in the Church because the Apostle saith he suffered not a Woman to teach nor usurp Authority over the Man but to be in silence So that Christ say you makes it an usurpation of Authority for a Woman to teach or to speak or any ways to break her Silence in the Church But then say you 't is objected These Scriptures that forbid Womens teaching and speaking in the Church do intend only that they should not be the Mouth of the Church as in Prayer and Doctrine c. To this Objection against your Exposition of these Scriptures you give your Answers 1. That such a sense as this we speak of is against the Letter of these Texts 2. By asserting that in Singing together there is Teaching Instruction and Admonition pag. 34. Answ This kind of arguing against Womens Singing we have all ready fully refuted but for the sake of our good Women and to detect this falsity I shall add a word or two further in way of Reply 'T is a hard case that Women should be debarred to speak in any sense or any ways to Break Silence in the Church as you affirm through a mistake of the Text. 1. For then they must not ask a Friend how he or she doth when in the Congregation 2. She must not be suffered to be an Evidence in the Church against any Offender in the case of Discipline 3. Then she must not ask where the Text is if she comes too late for that is in some sense a speaking and breaking Silence 4. Nor must she then say Amen at the close of Prayer for that 's a breaking Silence 5. Which is worst of
all she must not in the Church give an account of her Conversion or declare how the Lord was pleased to work upon her Heart for I have shewed in that Act there is much instruction nay 't is so full of teaching to others that what some pious Women have spoke in the Church upon this account God hath blessed to the Conversion of Sinners as well as it has refreshed and sweetly comforted divers Believers and therefore herein you abuse the sense of the Holy Ghost and indeed are not I fear fit to be a Teacher of others but to learn in silence your self 2. The way therefore to understand this as well as other Scriptures is to have recourse to the main drift or purport of the Spirit of God therein And evident it is the main thing the Apostle drives at in both these places or doth intend is this viz. That Women ought not to be allowed to take part in the ordinary Ministration of preaching the Gospel or ministerially or authoritatively to preach the Word because he that has received a just Call so to do may and ought to exhort and command in the Name of our Lord Jesus with all Authority Tit. 2. 15. and this Work therefore Women should not take upon them because they must be in Subjection and not usurp Authority over the Man To take the bare letter of the Text without shewing the scope and drift of the Spirit of God in it would make sad work as I might shew from many Scriptures and has occasioned many abominable Errors nay Heresies to abound in the World 3. As to that teaching which is in Singing it doth not lie in a Ministerial way and therefore not intended by the Spirit of God here Preaching or Teaching is not Singing nor Singing Preaching or Teaching though there is a Teaching in it You must learn better to distinguish between different Duties and Ordinances before you take upon you to teach others Read what I have before said and also what Mr. Cotton Sidenham c. have said as you will find it repeated in this Treatise in respect of the Nature of Teaching and Admonition that is in the Ordinance of Singing and you may further see how you miss and abuse these Scriptures for he or she that reads the Scripture may be said in some sense to teach there is much teaching in it yet sure a Woman may be suffered to do this as a case may present it self both in the Church or at home either in her Husbands presence and not be deemed to usurp Authority over him for the Usurpation the Apostle speaks of respects a Womans own Husband if not chiefly as well as others and therefore if she must not sing in the Church so by your Argument she must not sing nor read the Scripture at home in the presence of her Husband because there is a kind of teaching in both those Duties and if she should as you intimate she would not only break Silence but usurp Authority over the Man i. e. her Head and Husband which is forbid The Lord deliver poor Women and Men too from such kind of Doctrine as this 4. 'T is evident the Apostle lays no other restraint upon Women than what the Law laid them under they are to be silent or 't is not saith he permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law 1 Cor. 14. 34. And 't is as clear they were always under the Law suffered to sing in the Congregation as well as the Men therefore it was not such a Speaking or Teaching as is in Singing that Paul intends in those Scriptures 5. Whereas you affirm that Women were not admitted to pray nor prophesy in the Church neither in the Old nor New Testament is doubless false as our late Annotators well observed on 1 Cor. 14. 34. which is the very Text you mention take their words This Rule must not say they be restrained to ordinary prophesying for certainly if the Spirit of Prophesy came upon a Woman in the Church she might speak Anna who was a Prophetess in the Temple gave Thanks to the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for the Redemption of Israel and I cannot tell how Philip's Daughters prophesied if they did not speak in the presence of many The reason given why Women should be silent is because they are commanded to be in Obedience A Woman say they might say Amen to the publick Prayers and also sing with the Congregation to the Honour and Glory of God but for her to speak in an ordinary course of Prophesy to instruct People c. she is forbidden The Apostle saith a Friend in a Manuscript doth not prohibit all manner of speaking for that is directly contrary to 1 Cor. 11. 5 6. where Women are admitted to pray and prophesy for Prayer they may say Amen to the publick Prayers of the Church and for Prophesy they may sing Psalms the Apostle using the Expression according to the Ideum of the Jews 1 Sam. 19. 20 21. 1 Sam. 10. 5. they shall prophesy and for they shall prophesy the â—ald Paraphras reads they shall singâ— and thou shalt praise with them Vid. Wilson's Dict. Dr. Hammond's Annotat. on 1 Cor. 11. 5. and so it 's used 1 Chron. 25. 1 2 3. The Prohibition saith he is not restrained only to Church-Assemblies but holds good in all places and at all times and intends a Subjection of Women to their Husbands as plainly appears by comparing 1 Cor. 14. 35. with 1 Tim. 2. 12 13. with the occasion and scope of the Text and is of no greater Restraint now than lay on them under the Law 1 Cor. 14. 34. where they were permitted to sing Object But say you If we should say such a vocal Singing together is for a Teaching then where are the Hearers if all be Teachers c. Appendix p. 35. Answ We have shewed you Singing is a distinct thing from that which is called Teaching or Preaching tho in Singing there is a Teaching but chiefly we speak to our own selves as the Apostle exhorts in Psalms c. and the matter of the Psalm or Hymn is full of Teaching and Admonition yet 't is the Matter â—ung which teaches rather than the Singers may â—e said to do it nor is it any Contradiction to say when I teach others yet I am thereby taught and admonished my self So that if it were admitted to be a common or ordinary Teaching which must not be allowed and all might be said to teach c. yet nevertheless all are Hearers also and are in a sweet manner taught admonished and instructed in singing the Word of Christ in Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs as elsewhere I have shewed Nor is it any Contradiction to say according to the sense of the Apostle Women must keep silence in the Church and yet suffer them to sing c. no more than 〈◊〉 contradicts their Silence when they
can or ought to Preach Pray Interpret c. or dispense any one Ordinance of the Gospel c. Nay and 't is not unknown to many there are some have lately made use of this Argument against all Ordinances And this I will say and by the help of God stand by it too That if Singing must be rejected or thrown away by virtue of this Argument viz. Because none have an extraordinary Gift to bring 〈◊〉 forth all Ordinances are gone or must be cast off God deliver poor Christians from the pernicious Arguings of such weak Opposers of Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Besides 't is evident none of those Duties and Gospel-Administrations were tied up to such who 〈◊〉 those extraordinary Gifts but that others who had but the ordinary Gifts might and ought to attend upon the Administration of the same Duties and Ordinances as well as those so miraculously endowed for the main Business the Apostle strives to do there was not to order the Matter of the Worship of the Gospel but to regulate the Manner how those extraordinary Gifts in the Church should be used to prevent Confusion and that all might be done to edification of the People whilst God saw good to continue them in his Church Doubtless there cannot be a stronger Argument brought to prove and confirm this Ordinance The Holy Ghost inspired the Saints with Miracles Gifts of the Spirit to bring forth a Psalm as well as to bring forth a Doctrine and so witnessed to it and established it as a standing Ordinance in the Church as being of the same Nature and Authority with Prayer and Preaching or any other Gospel-Institution I will close this with one Argument Arg. That Duty or Ordinance which was owned and witnessed to by the Lord in the New Testament with Miracles and the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit is to abide in the Church as a standing Ordinance But Singing of Psalms c. was thus confirmed owned and witnessed unto Ergo Singing of Psalms c. remains in the Church as a standing Ordinance CHAP. VIII Proving Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs a Gospel-Ordinance to continue in the Church from the practice of the Churches in the succeeding Ages next the Apostles Times particularly in the second and third Centuries with the practice of all the Godly generally in all Ages nay the most strict in Grace and Godliness till this present Age. AS Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs was instituted and given forth by the Holy Ghost in the Gospel and practised by Christ and his Saints in the Primitive Times so we shall shew you from the best and most approved Ecclesiastical Histories it was practised in the Ages next unto the Apostles Days Here I shall give you what Mr. Roberts in his Key to the Holy Bible hath said upon this account pag. 173. And as Singing of Psalms c. saith he was used in the purest Primitive Apostolical Times in the Church-Assemblies so it was continued all along in the successive Churches hitherto though it is too evident that some Corruptions and Vanities by little and little crept into this as into other parts of God's Worship Singing of Psalms c. was used in the second Century to celebrate Christ and his Deity against the Calumny of Theodosiâ—â— Euseb Eccl. Hist Lib. 5. cap. 28. Eusebius tell us that Pliny the Second aboâ—â— Anno 98 wrote an Epistle to Trajan the Emperor that the Christians being gathered together before day were wont to sing Hymns together and praise Christ as God And the same Eusebius affirmeth that Philo-Judaeus did testify the same of this Christian Practice and also assures us that the said Pliny and Traja lived in the Time of the Apostle John who did not die till about 100 Years after Christ This very Passage out of Eusebius I find cited by Mr. â—â—berts Mr. Wells Mr. Cottâ—â— and also by Mr. Sidenham 〈◊〉 others But having the History I need not mention them yet for one Reason I shall add the same over again out of Mr. Sydenham's Treat of Singing p. 209. Eusebius saith he in his Eccles Hist lib. 3. cap. 35. quotes two Epistles of Plinius Secundus to Trajan the Emperor testifying that the Christians were wont to assemble themselves before day to sing Psalms and Hymns together The same doth Philo-Judaeus testify who lived in the Apostles Time as the same Esebius saith Lib. 2. cap. 22. Now in the Time of Plinius and Trajan did the beloved Disciple live saith Zanch on Ephes 5. 18 19. Tertullian who flourished near the Apostles Time about 194 saith the Christians were wont to sing out of the Holy Scripture Apol. cap. 1. 9. as their usual custom Athanasius maintains it was practised in his Days Episcop eo locis Cyprian pressed this Duty in his Epistle to Donatus Chrysostom in his Commentary on Psal 41. admonishes all Persons Countrymen Mariners Weavers c. to sing Psalms and Spiritual Songs Estius cries out saith Mr. Wells to take notice of the Custom of the Primitive Christians who did not only sing Psalms and Hymns in their publick Assemblies but in their private Families I might quote Ambrose who zealously pressed this Duty on the Western Churches of singing Psalms and Hymns Lib. 9. Confessionum Mr. Cotton saith that one Samosatenâ—â— the Heretick who denied the Deity of the Lord Jesus was one of the first that within these first 300 Years opposed the Singing he speaks of No marvel if the Saints sung to Christ as unto God that such a Man opposed the practice of Singing such Hymns Basil the Great a most Famous Pious and Learned Man mightily commends the Singing of Psalms as I find him quoted by several worthy Writers I need not go lower Obj. But they Sung with Orrgans or musical Instruments the Ordinance was corrupted and we cannot come at it now c. Answ 1. We find no mention in the least of any other Singing but that of united Voices in Eusebius nor Tertullian c. 2. But pray what Ordinance hath not been corrupted and the purity of it as practised in the Primitive Time lost Now by the same Argument viz. because adulterated and intermixt with foolish Ceremonies we must not Sing So we must not practise Baptism nor the Lord's Supper nor any other â—â—stitution of the Gospel for none have been more abused and corrupted than they have and indeed it is rather an Argument for Singing than against it for here in Satan shewed his Malice and Hatred of it by seeking thus 〈◊〉 add Poison to it But ought not we to labour to restore it 〈◊〉 its primitive Practice as in other Ordinances through Grace we have been helped to do Shall we not have the pure Food of Godâ— Word because Antichrist hath put Poison 〈◊〉 theirs There is one thing I omitted which is worthy to be noted in Eusebius It seems the Christians would not part with this sweet Ordinance of the Gospel though it cost them
of God in Jesus Christ Pardon of Sin Justification Union Communion Adoption c. No no here is the Spring of Joy and cause of true spiritual Singing and none can learn David's Psalms nor any other Scripture-Hymns or Songs thus to sing them but the 144000 none but such who have that new Name that new Nature can learn this Song as thus to sing it Rev. 14. 3. And let me tell you this Singing of the hundred and forty four thousand spoken of was under the Reign of Antichrist for the seven Angels with their seven Vials came out of the Temple afterwards who destroy Babylon Take what our late Annotators speak on the place The New Song here spoken of is probably the same with that we met with before chap. 5. 11. sang by the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders called a new Song either for the excellency of it or because sung unto God after Christ was manifested in the Flesh The design of it was to declare the worthiness of Christ to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Blessing A new Song signifies a Song which praises God for new benefits received from him During the Reign of Antichrist none could learn this Song to give Power Riches Wisdom Strength Honour Glory and Blessing but a small number redeemed through the Blood of Christ Annot. on Rev. 14. 3. Secondly You say The singing of David's Psalms were suitable to all the rest of the Levitical Ceremonies and Temple-Worship pag. 12 13. Answ There is no doubt but the Singing of David's Psalms with Instruments of Musick was suited to the order of the Levites and to the Temple-worship What then must not we sing Psalms in the Gospel-days with Grace in our Hearts to the Lord We know no Psalms but David's Psalms or those called the Book of Psalms and the holy Ghost doth injoin the Gospel-Churches to sing Psalms as well as Hymns and spiritual Songs Will you take upon you to countermand God's holy Precept Will you say Very Tightly Bound we must not sing Psalms when the Churcheâ— are exhorted so to do Pray when you writâ— again tell us what Psalms they are the Holy Ghost there speaks of if not them or some oâ— them called the Psalms of David True all Types Shadows and Ceremonies are removed and done away but Singing thâ— Praise of God was no Ceremony but a Moraâ— Duty and performed by the Children of Israel before the Law of Shadows and Ceremonies was given forth Exod. 15. 1 2. You may 〈◊〉 well say Prayer was a Ceremony because theâ—â— were divers ceremonial Rites used in the performance of it particularly that of Incense 2. Did not Christ sing an Hymn after thâ— Supper Would he have left that as a Patteâ—â— to us and annexed it to such a pure Gospel-Ordinance had it been a Ceremony and only belonging to the Jewish Worship Or would the Apostle Paul have given by the Authority of the Holy Ghost such a Precept to thâ— Church of Coloss to sing Psalms c. whom 〈◊〉 strives so much to take off from Jewish Ritesâ— Days and Ceremonies Had singing of Psalmsâ— Hymns and spiritual Songs been a Jewish Ceremony he would not have done thus This is sufficient to convince any sober and unbiaâ—â—eâ— Person i. e. that Singing the Praises of God iâ— a Gospel-Duty and that it did not belong only to the Jews in the Days of the Old Testament But you contradict this your self foâ— afterwards you grant that the Saints when the extraordinary Gifts are given as you suppose they will in the thousand Years Reign you intimate then they shall sing as we do or else I know not what you mean How shall they use a legal and Typical Rite that only appertained to the Jews and Levites in that glorious state of the Church Doubtless their Singing of Old with musical Instruments was a Figure of that sweet spiritual Melody the Saints should make from a well-tuned gracious Heart and with united and melodious Tongues together in the Gospel-days as I have again and again shewed and this therefore is not mixing Law and Gospel together but continuing a Gospel-Ordinance in the Church that is of Gospel-Authority both from Precepts and Examples as I have proved in this Treatise so that I have answered your second and third and part of your fourth Thesis together Thirdly you say The matter of David's Psalms and other holy Men were suited to particular Occasions and Experiences and Accidents of that day as may be seen by divers of their Titles Some Prophecies of the Sufferings of Christ c. And some Places hard to be understood so improper to be sung by all the Church who can't sing them with Vnderstanding as well as justifying the singing Prayers as well as Praises Pag. 14. Answ Most of the Book of Psalms contains proper Instructions for most Occasions the People of God can find What was written afore Time the Apostle says was written for our Learning All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and for Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 16. If all Scripture then the Book of the Psalms and for instruction by Singing them too because so required by the Holy Spirit Eph. 5. 19. Coloss 3. 16. May you not as well say they are of no use to us The Book of Psalms good Men look upon as the Heart of our Sacred Bible and as fruitful a Book for Saints in Gospel-times as any Book in the Old Testament but if there be any Psalms that can't so well be sung as some others God's People are at their liberty whether they will sing them or no however unless you can tell us there are others called Psalms besides these you say nothing for we are required to sing Psalms And as to those things contained in David's Psalms that are hard to be understood they may be opened to the People before they are sung As touching singing Prayers I have spoken to this already Though we are against humane Forms of Prayer yet the Singing of David's Psalms wherein there are some Prayers are of Divine Institution and therefore 't is lawful to sing Psalms and Hymns that have some Expressions Prayer-wife in them Our Brethren say praising of God in Prayer is Singing and indeed if they did not thus conclude I am perswaded they could not satisfy their Consciences to lie wholly short of this Duty and therefore in their sense singing of some part of Prayer is lawful or else Singing is something they do not as yet own nor can tell us what it is As to what you say in the fifth place p. 14. Object That David's Psalms were limited to the Levites Answ 'T is nothing to your purpose 't is rather an Argument for singing Psalms by the whole Church for the whole Church is that spiritual Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by
because we have not those Gifts must we not be found in this Ordinance viz. to sing which is required in the New Testament we by the same Argument must lay all others aside likewise as the None-Churches have done from such a way of arguing as you use here the Lord deliver us But what you speak on this occasion doth not concern them that sing David's Psalms therefore if composed Hymns were not justified by God's Word as comprehended in Hymns and spiritual Songs Col. â— 16. then the Book of Psalms as our Brethren say are wholly intended and then they must be sung and them only but we see no reason so to believe Eusebiw speaks of the Christians singing of Hymns to Christ as to God in the first Century which shews it was the Practice of the Church in the Primitive Times to sing other Hymns besides those in the Book of Psalms As to Forms of Prayer the Lord hath left us a Form by which we are directed how to pray and so he has left us his Word and the Psalms of David that we may know how to compile our Hymns as well as our Sermons by the help and assistance of his Spirit there is no more a Form of Preaching left than there is a Form of Hymns and what tho Christians differ in their singing they also differ in their method or form of Preaching as much and your Argument say you what you will 〈◊〉 alike against the one as against the other But is it unlawful to premeditate what we design to ask of God in Prayer Have not some in Prayer and Fasting-days in Churches drawn 〈◊〉 several things as a Form of those Cases 〈◊〉 they agreed together to spread before the Lord and is this Form sinful think you But 〈◊〉 of this hereafter IV. Of Womens Singing Object You say Women ought not to sing in the Church because not suffered to speak in the Church and also because singing is teaching By the way then it appears the bare Melody in the Heart where you say is the Essence of Singing that is not Singing by your own Assertion Thus you destroy what you would build Answ But if Women may not speak nor â—â—ach in no sense in the Church they must not be admitted to give an account of their Conversion in the Church or how God was pleased to work upon their Souls for that Practice is full of Teaching and Instruction and has been blessed to the Conversion of some other Persons that have been by But I will be at the pains to transcribe what worthy Mr. Cotton hath said to this Objection it appears others have brought it before you The second scruple about Singers is saith he whether Women may sing as well as Men for in this Point there be some deal with us as Pharaoh dealt with the Isrâ—â—litesâ— who tho he was at first utterly unwilling that any of them should go to sacrifice 〈◊〉 the Lord in the Wilderness yet being 〈◊〉 length convinced that they must go then 〈◊〉 was content the Men should go but not 〈◊〉 Women Exod. 10. 11. So here some that were altogether against singing of Psalmâ—â— at all with lively Voices yet being convinced that it is a Moral Worship of God warranted in Scripture then if there must be a singing one alone must sing not all 〈◊〉 if all the Men only and not the Women He then mentions your Objection to which he replies 1. One Answer saith he may at once remove both Scruples and withal clear the Truth it is apparent by the Scope and Context of both these Scriptures that a Woman is not permitted to speak in the Church 1. By way of teaching whether in expounding or applying Scripture for this the Apostle accounteth an Act of Authority which is unlawful for a Woman to usurp over the Man 1 Tim. 2. 13. And besides the Woman is more subject to Error than the Man ver 14. and therefore might sooner prove a Seducer if she became a Teacher 2. Yet nevertheless in two cases it is clear a Woman may speak in the Church â— In way of Subjection when she is to give account of her Offence thus Peter questioned Sapphira before the Church touching the price of Land sold by her and her Husband c. and she accordingly spake in the Church to give her Answer to the Question Acts 5. 8. 2. In way of singing forth the Praises of God together with the rest of the Congregation for 't is evident the Apostle layeth no greater restraint upon Women for silence in the Church than the Law put upon them before for so himself speaketh in the place alledged 1 Cor. 14. 34. it is not permited to a Woman to speak but to be under Subjection 〈◊〉 also saith the Law 2. The Apostle then requireth the same Subjection in the Woman which the Law put upon them Now it is certain the Law yea the Law-giver Moses did permit Miriam and the Women in the Song of Thansgiving to sing the Praises of God Sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea which may be a ground sufficient to justify the lawfulness of Womens singing together with the Men the Praises of the Lord and accordingly in the Primitive Churches it was the ancient Practice of Women to sing the publick Praises of the Lord we read recorded in the Ecclesiastical History Socrates Chap. 18 Greek Copy and Chap. 16. of the Latin Theodoret's third Book Chap. 17. Obj. But say you there is no Institution for Womens Singing Answ No need 't is a Moral Duty You may ask whether they are to praise God as well and demand a word of Institution for their Breaking of Bread with the Church for you know some demand a Proof for that V. Of the Order of Singing What need you talk of Order about Singing or of Womens Singing when the Essence of it being in the Heart is sufficient though the Act or Thing it self be never done But to proceed This you say we have plainly and clearly delivered to us 1 Cor. 14. 20 to 34. How is it then Brethren when ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath an Interpretation let all things be done to edifying That which you infer from hence is that this is the Rule for our Practice viz. one by one or one after another must speak and exercise their Gifts and not all together and so he that has the Gift of a Psalm he is singly or alone by himself to sing as in Prayer and Preaching Answ The Apostle directs that Church in the exercise of extraordinary Gifts There was 't is clear confusion about the exercises of those Gifts in the Church of Corinth it seems this was their practice some times viz. Every one of them who had a Doctrine and that had a Psalm and so of the rest would come forth with them together May be many
to Mr. Marlow's Appendix OTher ways to praise God than by singing of his Praises yet that is one way notwithstanding pag. 16. Dr. Owen is cited by Mr. Marlow to no purpose for his Cause p. 17. The direct and primary signification of Hymnos is to sing or they sung p. 18 19 20. Obj. Singing in the Primitive Days was by a special Gift Answered again pag. 21 25 26 27. Mr. Marlow has a bad Cause to plead appears by the Mediums he uses shewed in five things p. 22 23 24. Inward Joy Peace c. not the Fruit of the special Gifts but of the Graces of the Spirit p. 25 26. Fillings of the Spirit necessary for Saints in discharge of all Duties p. 29. Mr. Marlow's Arguing dangerous proved by one Argument p. 31. Obj. Women must not sing in the Church because they must not speak in the Church again answered p. 32 33 34 35. Women may speak several ways in the Church and sing too p. 33. Not for women to speak in the Church it is not to usurp Authority over the Man Singing not Teaching tho a Teaching in it p. 34. Women allowed to prophess in the Church p. 35. What Teaching is in Singing How all may be said to teach and yet all Hearers too p. 37 38. Mr. Marlow confounds Singing and Preaching together one while and Prayer and Singing at another p. 38. Mr. Marlow's Singing in the 1000 Years Reign examined And what Precepts the Saints shall have to sing then that do not impower us to sing now p. 38 39. Every word of a Sermon may be premeditated by the Spirit and yet be Spiritual and so may Hymns too p. 40. What Mr. Marlow says may lay Men under Temptation not to pray at all for want of a Gift p. 41 42. If we must not sing who have not a full assurance of God's Love we must not also rejoyce in God p. 42 43. We are come to such a Perfection of Divine Worship as to know what God's Ordinances are p. 45. One Note more worth observing on Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. p. 44. Obj. How shall we sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land answered p. 45 46. Singing a Moral Duty and more acceptable to God than Sacrifice or Mosaical Rites p. 44 45. The genuine and proper Signification of the word Hymnos and Mr. M's Citation of Dr. Owen examined by another Hand p. 48. Other Authors upon that Greek word examined and his Mistakes about it detected p. 49 50. to the end Reader before you read you are desired to correct these Faults that have escaped the Press PAge 27. last line blot out as the Hebrew word signifies P. 33. l. 22. for in r. to P. 64. l. 19. for with Miracles Gifts r. miraculous Gifts Appendix Pag. 19. lin 32. r. Is the Greek word there he hymned The Introduction IT cannot but be lamented to see what Temptations many Men have been laid under by the great Enemy of Truth in every Age of the World in their fierce opposition against one or another blessed Ordinance and Institution of Jesus Christ and this not only by bad Men but also by Men fearing God All which no doubt arises either from their Ignorance or else from that Prejudice there is in their Hearts against it from a fond Conceit that it can't be a Truth of Christ because they never looked upon it so to be nor some wiser than they nor are they willing to believe it to be a Truth since some who have not such Light and Knowledg in other blessed Truths do practise it as if because some Men who hold and maintain some gross Errors and Falsities can hold and practise no Truths at all whereas 't is evident the Church of Rome which is Mystical Babylon are sound in the Doctrine of the Trinity as far as I can gather and possibly in some other Points also For they believe the Resurrection of the Body and the Eternal Judgment and that Christ died without the Gate of Jerusalem but I am afraid some Men have a Fancy they know all the whole Mind of Christ and that they need not be taught any other Truths than those which they have received notwithstanding can't but know the Church is but newly come out of the Wilderness or Popish Darkness and not so fully neither as to be as clear as the Sun as in due time she shall Reformation 't is evident is a hard and â—â—â—ficult Work and ever was 't is no easy thâ—â—g to restore lost Ordinances I mean such as have for many Years been neglected and strangely corrupted through that Antichristian Darkness that hath for so many Ages and Generations overspread the Earth which is manifest 〈◊〉 respect of Baptism and Imposition of Hands upon Baptized Believers as such One would even stand and wonder to see how many godly learned and good Men should be so dark as to maintain and that resolutely too that corrupt Practice of Pedo-Baptism or rather Rantism considering it hath not the least footing in the Word of God but is so directly contrary to the Nature and Constitution of a Gospel-Church and Administration of New-Testament-Ordinances But let not those of our own Perswasion much longer wonder at this since some of them seem as blind and dark in another Blessed Truth and Sacred Ordinance of the ever glorious God that hardly was ever opposed as by them but hath been generally owned in every Age of the Church and that by the most godly and enlightned Christians from the beginning of the World till of late days and not now neither but by some People of the Baptized Way and others who are against all Ordinances I must confess no Man through the Grace of God can be better satisfied touching the Truth of Baptism as practised by my Brethren than I am and of the true Order and Constitution of our Churches and soundness of their Faith in all the Fundamentals of Religion yet do I not think we have arrived to such a perfection of Knowledg of all practical Truths that we need not enquire after any thing which we may not yet have understanâ—ing in I must confess as one observes that the great Design of Satan is and always was to put a Cheat upon God's People as well as to hold the World in Blindness and Wickedness by the one saith he Satan holds Men in a state of Impenitency and by the other he deludes Christians to neglect their Duties and to obstruct their own Comfort and Priviledg He acts as well in the shape of an Angel of Light as of a Prince of Darkness stirring up vain Scruples and Objections especially in the Minds of weak Christians and filthy Imaginations in those who have not yet turned to God I must confess I my self when first God enlightned me into his Truth was an opposer of this Sacred Ordinance but it was not for want of Ignorance and partly through Prejudice perhaps to such who I esteem and even looked upon
the outward Senses of Children under Age such as the Israelites were under the Old Testament Gal. 4. 1 2 3. yet now in the grown Age of the Heirs of the New Testament such external pompous Solemnities are ceased and no external Worship reserved but such as holdeth forth Simplicity and Gravity c. I might add and by the same Argument we may not sing because they used Instruments c. We must not pray or their praying is no Rule to us because they offered them up to God with Incense and divers such like Absurdities in other respects would follow therefore there is now no other Instrument to be used in singing but that of the Tongue well tuned with Grace from a holy and spiritual Heart But more of this hereafter 'T is enough to remove this Objection Singing is given forth a-fresh in the New Testament and no Instrument of Musick mentioned Which brings me to the sixth and main Argument to prove Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs a Gospel-Ordinance CHAP. VI. Wherein it is proved that singing of Psalms and Hymns c. is a Gospel-Ordinance because instituted and required of the Churches by the Holy Ghost WE shall now shew you it is one of Christ's Institutions or that which the Holy Ghost doth positively require or injoyn the Churches of God in the New Testament to be found in the Practice of To make this fully to appear I shall direct you to Ephes 5. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalmis Hymnis in Psalms and Hymns and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canticis spiritalibus and in spiritual Songs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cantantes psallentes singing and psalming in your Hearts to the Lord. Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts The holy Apostle in this Epistle to the Colossâ—ans strenuously laboured to take off this Church from all Jewish Rites Shadowy-Ordinances and Ceremonies and yet injoyns the Duty of singing of Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs upon them by the Authority of the Holy Ghost as that which is the absolute Duty of the Saints and Churches of Jesus Christ in Gospel-days What a foolish thing is it for any to object against this Ordinance because in the performance of it under the Law it was with Musical Instruments since 't is to these Churches so plainly given forth as a Gospel-Duty and in them to all the Churches of the Saints to the end of the World For by the same Argument one may deny singing of Psalms c. to be a Duty notwithstanding so fully commanded or enjoyned by the holy Spirit another may object against any other Precept and so till they leave us not one Gospel-Ordinance I must confess whatsoever was given forth under the Law or injoyned as an Ordinance unless a Moral Precept that is not given forth anew under the New Testament there being neither Precept nor Precedent for it I never believed it doth in the least concern us Hence we object against the Jewish Sabbath for tho a time of Worship is Moral yet the Seventh Day which was coâ—manded to the People of the Jews and proselyâ—â— Stranger that was within their Gates yet it â—â—ing not given forth in the Gospâ—l by 〈◊〉 nor his Apostles nor ever observed as we 〈◊〉 find by any gospel-Gospel-Church it concerns us 〈◊〉 in the least especially considering that 〈◊〉 Gospel Churches observed another Day in 〈◊〉 Worship and not that viz. the first Day of 〈◊〉 Week But as touching this of Singing there 〈◊〉 remain certainly no doubt about its being 〈◊〉 Duty since as I have already proved it 〈◊〉 observed before the Law and under the 〈◊〉 and in the Gospel and given forth here 〈◊〉 these Churches as an absolute Institution 〈◊〉 if these words don't contain a Precept we 〈◊〉 be at a great loss to find a Precept for 〈◊〉 other Duties in the New Testament which are no otherwise expressed As for Example Only let your Conversaâ—â—â—â— be as it becomes the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. Is any afflicted let him pray James 5. 1â— Let no corrupt Communication proceed 〈◊〉 of your Mouth c. Ephes 4. 29. Let every one of you so love his Wife â— Ephes 5. 33. All these Precepts are injoyned in the very same form of Speech Let the Word of 〈◊〉 dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching 〈◊〉 another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritâ—â—â— Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts to 〈◊〉 Lord. Is any merry let him sing Psalms James 5. 13. 'T is not left to our liberty whether we will sing or not or that we may or may not do it 't is as absolutely injoyned as Prayer or any Gospel-Duty and that not only on single Persons at special occasions but on the Churches also they are here required to sing Psalms and Hymns and Spirituals Songs likewise A Man may as well say any one of them who were Members of the Churches were not concerned in other Precepts as to say this doth â—ot concern them all generally as well as some in particular May not you as well say and stand by it too All are not to be filled with the Spirit or to desire the further influence and assistance of it or all are not required to pray nor to put on the whole Armour of God or all are not to let their Conversation be as becomes the Gospel nay what not Now since one Command or two at most for breaking of Bread is judged a sufficient ground for all Christians Obedience and we finding no mention made of the practice of it in divers Gospel-Churches Why is not this Command thrice repeated in the New Testament as binding on our Consciences as the other especially considering how it corresponds with the Practice of Christ and his Apostles as shall God willing be further evinced For we have in a word both Precepts for it and Examples too Tho if we had no Precedents for Singing in the New Testament yet these Precepts are sufficient and where we have the one we need not the other Besides where there is the like Ground or Reason of a Law one would think that might tend somewhat to satisfaction Have not we like cause to praise God and to sing forth his Praise as they had And doth not God deserve the like Glory and Honour from us as from them And do not our Souls need those sweet Soul-refreshing Comforts and Consolations which many meet with in that Ordinance as much as they did And is not every Word of God alike pure and righteous and equally to be esteemed Nor will that Objection some raise against it signify any thing viz. Why we cannot come at it we do not know how we should sing Ans How has Christ not been faithful then who is the Son over his own House in declaring the manner how we should sing hath he not
Time this Prophecy did refer to which you may soon see if you read the Context How beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of them that bring good Tydings c. Which the Apostle absolutely applies to the Time of the Gospel and to Gospel-Ministers Rom. 10. 15. And the Prophet doth not only say The Watchmen shall lift up their Voice and with the Voice together sing but also calls upon the desolate and waste places to sing together which can refer to none but the Lord's People who in Gospel-Days shall be made a Praise to him who had been as a poor barren and waste Wilderness For saith the Prophet in the next words The Lord hath made his Arm bare in the Eyes of all Nations and the ends of the Earth shall see the Salvation of God Vers 10. Now this place directly declares the manner how we ought to Sing that is with Voices together And thus I find a most Reverend and Learned Man speak upon the place David's Psalms saith he were Sung together in Heart and Voice by the twenty four Orders of the Musicians who typed out the twenty four Elders which our Annotators and others say signify the Church and Ministers of Christ and so saith this Author viz. All the Members of Christian Churches Rev. 5. 8. who are made Kings and Priests to God to praise him as they did for if there had been any other Order of Singing besides the Body of the People to succeed those formerly used the Lord would doubtless have given directions how or what it was Not Moses only but all Israel sang and the Women as well as the Men also intimateth that that Song John speaks of Rev. 15. 3. which saith he the Protestant Churches getting Victory over the Beast with Harps in their hands and Singing the Song of Moses refers to that Song and manner of Singing Exod. 15. 1 2. And there is no doubt of it but it doth Moreover saith he Isaiah foretells in the days of the New Testament that God's Watchmen and dissolates lost Souls signified by desolate and waste places should with their Voice Sing together Isa 52. 8 9. The Song of the Lamb saith he was with many together Rev. 7. 9 10. And the Apostles expresly command the Singing of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs not to any select Christians but to the whole Church Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. Paul and Silas sang together in Prison Act. 16. 25. and must the Publick hear only one Man Sang I must say it would be a strange sight to see and hear and without any Warrant from God's Word or Practice of any Church of Christ To all these saith he we may add the Practice of the Primitive Churches the testimony of the ancient and holy Basil is instead of many Epist 63. When one of us saith he hath begun a Psalm the rest of us set in to sing with him all of us with one Heart and with one Voice and this saith he is the common practice speaking of Basil of the Churches of Egypt Lybia Thebes Palestina Syria To the same purpose Eusebius gives witness Eccles Hist lib. 2. cap. 17. The Objections saith he made against this do most of them plead against joying to Sing in Heart as well as in Voice as that by this means others out of the Church will sing as also that we are not always in a suitable Estate to the matter Sung and likewise that all cannot Sing with understanding and are not all therefore who have understanding to join in Heart and Voice together Are not all the Creatures in Heaven Earth Seas Men Beasts Fishes Fowles c. commanded to praise the Lord and yet none of these but Men and Godly ly Men too can do it spiritually and with understanding The third Scripture Prophecy is Hos 2. 15. which clearly alludes to the Gospel-days 〈◊〉 Expositors shew viz. when God should make a New Covenant with his People and betrâ—â—â— them to himself for ever vers 19. I will allâ—â—â— her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto ber Vers 14. And 〈◊〉 give her Vineyards from thence and the Valey of Achor for a Door of Hope and she shalâ— sing as in the days of her Youth and as in the day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt which is clear has respect to that of Exod. 15. see our Annotators on this Text for it fully confirms Singing under the Gospel and such a Singing as was of Old I shall close this with what Dr. Roberts saith in his Key to the Holy Bible pag. 175. Finally that passage in the Prophet Thy Watchmen shall lift up the Voice with the Voice together shall they Sing is saith he prophetically spoken of the Times when the Feet of the Messengers of glad-tidings shall be beautiful who shall say unto Sion Thy God reigneth This is interpreted by the Apostle Paul of the Gospel-times under the New Testament I rather chuse to give my Understanding of this glorious Truth in the words of other Men such worthy and renouned Men as these than in my own thinking some may more readily incline to receive the Truth from them than from such a poor Nothing-creature as I am yet did not I verily believe as they did in this matter I should not have cited a word from their Pens Besides some of their Works â—ie in great Folio's that very few may meet â—ith and what they say which they prove from God's Word we ought carefully to receive though in some things they differ from us Therefore if any Answer me they must also answer them in what I have cited out of their Writings or I shall conclude I have no Answer at all CHAP. XII Proving 'tis our Duty to sing the Praises of God with united Voices from the great Noise such are said to make when they sing THis appears by that in Exod. 32. 17 18. And when Joshua heard the noise of the People as they shouted he said to Moses There is War in the Camp vers 17. And he said It is not the Voice of them that shout for mastery neither is it the Voice of them that cry for being overcome but the noise of them that sing do I hear vers 18. Certainly one Man's Voice could not have made such a Noise nothing can be more clear but that they sung with united Voices together Obj. But here it is objected This was in praise of the Golden Calf and so no rule Answ 'T is no matter to whom they sung it was their Sin and horrid Wickedness to give that Divine Worship and Praise to a moltenâ—mage that belonged to God only but there is no question but they sung now to this false God as they had done cap. 15. to the true God of Heaven and Earth and therein lay part of their wicked and horrid Deed. The second Scripture is Psal 81. 1 2. Sing aloud unto God make a joyful Noise which cannot be apply'd to
c. Ergo Christ and his Disciples have left a sufficient Rule to shew how singing of Psalms and Hymns should be performed This Argument cannot be denied therefore let our Brethren consider where the fault lies who do not see the way how to sing c. 'T is said Moses was faithful in all God's House as a Servant and was careful to do every thing according to the Patern shewed him in the Mount but Christ as a Son is faithful over his own House Now since Singing was required of the Churches by Christ for what the Apostles injoyned by the Spirit Christ injoyned in the New Testament certainly he has left a sufficient Direction how it ought to be performed otherwise it would reflect upon his Wisdom and Faithfulness Strange is Singing practised by Christ and his Apostles and injoined on the Churches and is there no certain way to know what that Singing is nor how it should be performed I stand in a maze to see how confused some are in their Minds and Sentiments about it one saying 't is only Heart-Joy others 't is no more than to praise or give Thanks to God in Prayer saith another 't is to be performed or done by one single Man alone in the Congregation tho not one Example or Precedent in all the Scripture in God's ordinary Worship for any such Practice O how hard is it to bring Men off from their own conceited Opinions or to receive a Truth they either 〈◊〉 prejudiced against or else not willing to have it to be received as an Ordinance of God! CHAP. XIII Shewing what the Matter is the Saints and Churches of Christ should sing i◠Gospel-Times opening what Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs are ONE Objection that is brought against Singing is this viz. We do not know what we should sing and therefore do not sing in our Congregations I must confess if Singing was practised and injoined and nothing was left in God's Word to shew us what it is we are to sing it would be strange and a sufficient Plea against the practice of it but such a thing could not stand consistent with the Wisdom of the Spirit But blessed be God 't is not so as we by his Assistance shall now further make appear For we have first our Pattern which is Christ's practice with his Disciples in this Case as in others 2dly The Rule which are those Precepts laid down in the New Testament Christ and his Disciples sung an Hymn And be sure the Matter of it was Spiritual it being performed by those Sacred and Holy Persons and in the Sacred Worship of God i. e. just as they had celebrated the Holy Supper But to speak to the Rule see Ephes 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your Hearts to the Lord. So Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord. Here you have six Things observable or the words contain six parts First The Matter to be sung in the general viz. the Word of Christ Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms c. singing with Grace in your Hearts Like as the Word of Christ ought to dwell in us richly that we may meditate thereon and be able to preach it hear it and understand it c. so to sing it The Word of Christ is therefore positively laid down to be the Matter we must and ought to sing in the general for we are injoined to have it dwell richly in us in this place more especially to sing it than on any other account Secondly The Singers that is the Church or Churches to whom he wrote more particularly the Saints and faithful in Christ at Ephesus and at Coloss and in them to all other Saints and Churches of Christ to the end of the World Thirdly More particularly the Matter to be sung viz. Psalms and Hymus and Spiritual Songs Fourthly The Manner or how it should be performed i. e. with Melody or Spiritual Joy in the Heart or Grace What he calls Melody in our Heart in one place he calls Grace in the Heart in the other The Tongue is the Instrument but it must be tun'd with Grace or the Musick will not be sweet in Christ's Ears In Singing of Psalms c. saith one a gracious Heart takes Wings and mounts up to God to join with the Celestial Quire It is Grace which fills the Heart for and sweetens the Heart in this Duty Fifthly The Master of the Chore the Preceptor as Mr. Wells saith viz. the Heart we must look to the Heart in Singing that it is purged by the Spirit God is the Creator of the whole Man and therefore will be worshipped and praised with the whole Man The whole Man is bought with a Price our Tongues as well as our Spirits are not our own therefore we ought to glorify God in our Bodies and in our Spirit which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. My Heart is fixed O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psal 57. 7. Awake my Glory c. I my self will awake What was this which David calls his Glory all tell you it was his Tongue and in Singing and Praising of God the Glory of it much lies when the Heart is filled and fixed with Grace in the discharge of this Duty So in Psal 108. 1. O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise with my Glory Augustine saith It is not a musical String but a working Heart that is harmonious Mary sung with her Tongue and her Heart was in her magnificent Song And as saith another Godly Man When we sing Psalms c. let us take heed that we have the same thing in our Mind that we warble forth with our Tongues and that our Song and our Heart do not run several ways If saith Mr. Wells we in Singing only offer the Calves of our Lips it will too much resemble the Jewish Service Men may hear or pray as well as sing carnally therefore we should remember to do as the Apostle teaches to sing with the Spirit and with the Vnderstanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. Sixthly and lastly The End viz. to glorify the Lord and lift up his Praise God is to be our true and only Scope i. e. to set forth his Glory ought to be our ultimate End I mean when we sing and perform all other Duties of Religion Now then since the Word of Christ is the Matter in general that ought to be sung it appears we are not left without Directions by the Spirit about this Ordinance let Men say what they please for as 't is Christ's Word we should and ought always to preach and hear so 't is his Word we
Chapter take what worthy Mr. Wells minds in his late Sermon about suâ—â— who neglect this Ordinance either about endless Scruples or Objections concerning the matter or manner of Singing Let us says he not disturb our selves with these groundless Objections but let us pursue and imbrace this holy Duty which is the very Subuâ—â—s of Heaven And observe what a Reverend Person notes upon this occasion I observe saith he they never thrive well who neglect or scruple singing of Psalms they commonly begin at this Omission but they do not end there but at last come to be above all Ordinances and so indeed without them whose Condition is not sufficiently to be deplored Suppl to Morning Exercis p. 189. To which let me add my Thoughts without offence I am perswaded for several reasons since this is so clear an Ordinance in God's Word that the Baptized Churches who lie short of the Practice of singing Psalms c. will never thrive to such a degree as our Souls long to see them to the Honour of the Holy God and Credit of our sacred Profession and Joy and Comfort of those who are truly spiritual among us for tho many things as the Causes of our sad witherings have been inquired into yet I fear this and the neglect of the Ministry are the two chief which are both holy Ordinances of Jesus Christ and yet our People that is some of them do not love to hear of either of them CHAP. XIV Shewing who ought to sing Psalmâ— Hymns and spiritual Songs whether it ought to be done in the publick Congregation and in a mixt Assembly or no. 'T IS strange that any should doubt whether it be the Duty of the Church to sing as well as private Families or Persons since our blessed Saviour with his eleven Disciples upon the closing of the holy Supper sung together an Hymn in that solemn Assembly if we may not ought not to follow them in the Practice of Singing an Hymn from thence what ground is there to break Bread in our publick Assemblies from that Example This is the Institution of that Ordinance and as he took Bread and blessed it and took the Cup after the same manner c. so 't is said when they had done they sung an Hymn and went out c. 'T is observable 't is not said Do this in your publick Assemblies and therefore some may say we will break Bread or celebrate that Ordinance in our own private Families in an upper Chamber as Christ and his Disciplies did and sing an Hymn when we have done and so exclude publick Assemblies for that part of God's Worship But to proceed we read as I have again and again shewed you that the Apostle injoins Singing on the Churches Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. Object But he doth not bid the whole Church to sing c. Answ The Apostle injoins the Lord's-Supper on the Church of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. But some may say he doth not bid every one of them to break Bread how doth it follow every Member ought so to do there would be no end of such Objections But by this Rule any Precept injoined on the Churches may be restrained to a few Persons only and so it would open a Door to Men to excuse themselves from being concerned in other parts of Gospel-Duties and Worship therefore where a Duty is injoyned by the holy Spirit on the Churches without the least hint or intimation that it concerns only some of them nay and an Ordinance in which there is the same parity of Reason why one should be found in it as well as another that Duty concerns the whole Church or every Member but it is so in the case of singing of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs pray what ground has one Man to sing from hence more than another Are not all equally concerned to praise God nay and having received equal Mercies Blessings and Priviledges to sing his Praises since 't is required of all without the least exemption of any one Object But what ground is there to sing thus in the Church before or after Sermon Answ 1. As much surely as there is to pray before or after Sermon nay 't is evident if we do not take our Rule to pray before and after Sermon from those general Precepts that injoyn Prayer then I do declare I know no Rule at all for it in all the New Testament for we have neither Precept nor Example in the case but where we read of Duties that concern only some Persons and not the whole Church the Holy Ghost mentions the Persons 1. Either by their Relations they stand in one to another Or 2. Else by their Condition in the World Or 3. By their Office or Place they stand in As there are particular Duties that concern Parents Children Masters Servants Ministers Members Also Kings Subjects rich Men poor Men Men in Adversity or Men in Prosperity all sorts and conditions of Men. But here this Duty comes under no such particular Consideration but as 't is the Duty of all to hear God's Word and to pray with united Hearts so to sing together with united Voices there being no other manner or way prescribed as I have shewed for the discharge of that Duty or Ordinance of God But I would fain be resolved by my Brethren or any other what Ordinance of God or Duty it is that appertains to his Worship which ought to be performed in private that may not be performed in publick Take what famous Mr. Cotton of New-England speaks as to the Answer of this Objection 't is thus stated by him viz. Object Scarce any Example can be given of any intire Congregation that sung together mentioned in the Scripture Answ Tho no Example could be given for it yet it is a sufficient Warrant for the Duty if there be a Precept and saith he the Precept is plain Col. 3. 16. where the whole Church of Coloss is exhorted to have the Word of Christ dwell in them richly and to admonish one another in Psalms c. to sing with Grace or holy Melody to the Lord. If God saith he had reserved this Duty to some select Choristers he would have given some Directions in the New Testament for their Qualification and Election but since he speaketh nothing of any such c. he commandeth this Duty to the whole Church 2dly The Practice of God's Israel of old i. e. Moses and the Children of Israel is a further Solution to this Objection for there is an Example of singing together and besides that there was a mixt Multitude with them too is evident who no doubt sung with them having received the like Mercies they did See Exod. 12. 38. In the Manuscript I have by me before cited which seems to be wrote by a Man of Parts and good Ability who speaking to this Objection says much to the same purpose First That we have a Precept which is more than a Precedent
Secondly That we have Precedents for it in the Old Testament And say I it being no ceremonial Rite but a moral and perpetual Duty that in the Old Testament is as much a Rule for us herein as their religious reading the Scriptures and keeping of Days of Prayer and Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving if this be not so in vain are our People pressed and stirred up to those Duties by the Authority of those Texts in the Old Testament as I said in Chap. 4. pag. 47. Besides we find 't is prophesied of that in Gospel-days as has been shewed Sions Watchmen and desolate Souls or waste places should lift up their Voice and with their Voice together shall sing Isa 52. 7 8. And certainly that in Rev. 19. 1 2 3 4. those Hallelujahs that shall be sung in the Gospel-Churches at the downfal of Babylon will be doubtless with Voices since 't is said to be the Voice of much People as the Voice of many Waters and as the Voice of mighty Thunderings Christ saith Mr. Cotton and his Disciples when they received the Lord's-Supper which was a Church-Act they were an intire Congregation and they after Supper sung an Hymn To say that one sung it saith he and the others joined in Spirit saying Amen hath no foot-hold in the Text it might as well be said they all took the Bread they all blessed it and gave it in that one did it and all the rest joyned in Spirit and consented in that and in the blessing of it But 't is said they sung the Hynm not he alone yet he is said to give Thanks or to bless the Bread c. It is no strain of Wit saith he but a solid and judicious Exposition of the fourth Chapter of the Revelation to make it a Description of a particular visible Church of Christ according to the Platform and Patern of the New Testament whereas the four living Creatures are four sorts of Officers so the twenty four Elders set forth the Brethren of the Church in respect of their ripe Age Gal. 4. 1 2 3. and twenty four in number answering to the twenty four Orders of Priests and Levites 1 Chron. 25. 9 c. and these are all said to joyn together in singing a new Song unto the Lamb. If his Exposition may not be admitted yet all Expositors agree that by the four Beasts and twenty four Elders are meant the Church and the Officers in the Church and then their singing together doth confirm the manner of Gospel-singing with united Voices together in God's Worship Object But what ground is there for the Church to joyn in singing of Psalms c. with Vnbelievers Answ 1. Unbelievers joyning with them is one thing and their joyning with Unbelievers is another And since 't is a Church-Ordinance as we have clearly proved all along it is what Rule or Ground hath the Church to put Unbelievers forth of their Assemblies if they knew them from others there may be Unbelievers in the Church and there may be Believers out of the Church 2. What ground hath the Church to pray with Unbelievers certainly the Communion together in Spirit is more close and intimate than that of uniting the Voice so that if it be unlawful to let them sing with us 't is unlawful to let them in their Hearts joyn in Prayer with us Must not the Children have their Bread because Strangers will get some of it Besides in the Church of Corinth when Singing was brought in amongst them as well as a Doctrine c. the Apostle speaks of Unbelievers coming into their Assemblies and 't is one Reason he gives why they should take heed to prevent Confusion and not to suffer one to bring in a Doctrine or many together and another an Interpretation and another a Psalm to put them all on Singing and so have all these Ordinances confounded together in a disorderly and confused manner So 1 Cor. 14. vers 26. compared with vers 23. 3. If Singing be a part of natural Religion or a moral Duty as Prayer is this Objection is gone for ever So that he that answers what we say here will do nothing unless he can make it appear Singing the Praises of God is a meer positive Precept and had never been known to be the Duty of Mankind without some written Law or Prescription Are not all Creatures called upon to sing and praise their Creator and have not Unbelievers cause to praise God nay sing his Praise for the Mercies and Blessings God doth bestow upon them Nay have they not cause to praise God for Christ and the Gospel c. What is Singing but praising of God And would you not have â—ny to do this but the Saints Ought not all Men on Earth to pray tho till they have Faith their Prayers are not accepted of God I shall conclude this Chapter with what Mr. Sidenham hath so well said to this Objection Many who grant Singing to be an Ordinance saith he among Saints yet stumble to sing in a promiscuous manner with others especially because so many Psalms c. are of such composition that doth not seem to concern a mixt multitude For opening of this I must lay down this general Position That Prayer and Praises are natural Duties belonging to all Men as Men though only the Saints can do them best and spiritually it is so upon all Men by the Law of Creation to seek to God for what they want and to thank him for what they have this is due unto God owing unto him as Creator and Benefactor and though Singing be a part of instituted Worship yet it is as an addition of Order and a regulation of a natural Duty And as there is no Man but is bound to pray for Mercies so none are exempted from praising God for Mercies though they sing in a lowâ—â— Tune than Saints Thus David calls in 〈◊〉 Creatures to bless and praise God as a natural Duty according to their several Capacities Psal 136. Psal 117. Psal 10â— Psal 20. 21 22. Praise is the natural Duty of all the proper Duty of Saints and 〈◊〉 perfect Duty of Angels and glorified Souls Object You will say They cannot perfâ—â—â— it aright Sol. 1. Their want of Ability doth 〈◊〉 discharge them from such a Duty engravâ—â— on their Consciences from the natural respects they have to God as a Creator 〈◊〉 perform which God gave them full power Let every Man do his Duty conscientiously he may afterwards come to do it spiritually 〈◊〉 though I should lose the sense of a Duty iâ— my Conscience yet the Duty lies on my Conscience from God's Authority and my Relation to him By the same Rule every one should abstain from performance of a Duty for 〈◊〉 of present Ability whereas the Duty muâ—â— be done and strength expected from Heaven and waited for according to the divinâ— manner of Dispensation 2. It 's not unlawful to join in any Act with others or to countenance them in
it which is really their Duty as well as 〈◊〉 own I cannot sin in joining with any one in that Act to perform which is the Duty of another as mine though he may want the present Ability For Duties must be measured according to the Rule not the Ability of the Performer Now it 's no Duty for any Man to receive the Lord's Supper or be a Member of a Church in order to Communion without he find himself in some measure fitted by Grace these Sealing Ordinances of the Gospel suppose and require some other Qualification and are peculiar to visible Saints but where there is a natural Character or an Ordinance as to the Substance of it at least equally concerning all there is no Sin to join in the administration of it And if we consider of it warily unregenerate Men are great sharers in the Mercies of the Churches besides their own particular Duty that they may well join with them in setting forth God's Praises But more closely and particularly 1. When the Church and Saints of God are gathered together to worship him in Singing it is no more unlawful to sing with others that stand by and join their Voices than when in Prayer they stand by and give their Consent we do not so much join with them as they do own God's Actings among us It is no sin in them to join with us in such a Duty neither can it be any sin in us to sing though others very carnal will outwardly praise God with us 2. The Carriage of the Saints in their hearty and real Expressions of Praises may convince others in the coldness and lowness of their Spirit and stir them up to some spiritual Apprehensions Sidenham 〈◊〉 Singing pag. 213 214 215. 'T is evident the Church is not bound to worship God alone in the Administration of the Gospel and not suffer the People to come among them unless she intends to become no Church in a short time for how shall she increase or have Children born in her Is not Hearing the Word of God preached and Publick Prayer as Sacred Ordinances of Gospel-Worship 〈◊〉 Singing Why then may they be admitted to join with the Church in those Ordinances which they are no better able to perform acceptably to God than in Singing and be denied to sing By this Rule others must not be admitted to join with the Church in one part of Gospel-Worship you must not suffer them to join with us in any but even 〈◊〉 the Doors upon them and worship God alone And should we deny them to do this it might also lay a Stumbling-block in their way and give them a just offence against the Lord's People See more in Chap. 9. where we have spoken further to this Objection CHAP. XV. Wherein Mr. Marlow's Book and many other Objections raised against singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs are fully and plainly answered THough all that are impartial who shall read Mr. Marlow's Book against Singing and consider what I have already said in this Treatise will say He is answered Yet I shall now give a particular Reply to all that is any ways material contained in it which I have not detected and answered before That which he insinuates pag. 3 4. about the Weakness and Imbecility of some Christians about their reception of this Ordinance as a dangerous thing needs no Reply he would fain make his Reader think to receive singing of Psalms c. as an Ordinance is no less than a falling away from the Truth So clearly saith he manifested by the Holy Scripture and witnessed to by the Sufferings of the purest Churches in our Age who have born a lively Testimony not only against the humane prescribed and precomposed Forms of Prayer but against singing David ' s Psalms and other Hymns or Songs precomposed by Man Answ 'T is not a falling away from Truth to restore a lost or neglected Ordinance of the Gospel as you I perceive dare not deny but this of Singing is The main difference is about the Manner or what Singing is We say it is going forward iâ— the glorious Work of Reformation What though some Baptized Churches who I do believe have attained to greater Purity in some things than some others have born such a Witness against Singing of David's Psalms is it therefore no Ordinance of Christ must they needs know every Truth of Christ Is there any Church that is yet arrived to such a perfection of Knowledg that they need not the discovery of any Truth but what they have received I am afraid some of those Churches are yet short of the Knowledg and Practice of another Ordinance as well as this and speak against it as against this though it is one of the first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6. 1 2. Are they against the Singing of David's Psalms and Hymns do ye say God forbid since the Holy Ghost hath enjoyned the Churches to sing them pag. 3 4. But to pass over this you come to consider that Text Ephes 5. 14. Speaking to your selves in Psalms c. Object From these Words nor the Context relating to them is there any Wâ—â—for a vocal Speaking but otherwise it must be understood a speaking to your own Heart These are your words Answ 'T is well you do not affirm this Teaching is then a Preaching from Psalms c. in ordinary Gospel-Administration for some there have been and may be are now that assert that and I think we shall find you there too by and by however let the Speaking be what it will that is here meant it is evident 't is such a speaking that is used in Singing for so the following words explain it which you are not willing it may be to cite Singing and making of Melody in your Hearts to the Lord. You then mention Col. 3. 16. I confess say you that Vocal Singing is here to be understood otherwise it could not be Teaching and Admonishing to others in Word or Deed but yet here is nothing to prove Vocal Singing together for Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms c. is meant of the Ministring Brethren whose Work it was to teach and admonish the other Members according to the Gifts they had received and none can prove any more by these words one another than what must be understood from Heb. 3. 13. But exhort one another daily whilst it is called to day And therefore as the word Exhortation is not used in the Church but in an orderly ministerial way by one at once c. must be used also according to Gospel-Rule 1 Cor. 14. 26. How is it Brethren when you come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine c. be understood of a Vocal Singing all together for I think 〈◊〉 will say that those words Every one of you hath c. were spoken of all having those Spiritual Gifts which can't be though of euery Minister in that Church Vers 28 much
less of all the Members c. So 〈◊〉 cannot be supposed that all the Ministring Brethren had the Gift of Singing or 〈…〉 was any distinction of its universality in delivery more than of other Gifts in the 〈◊〉 Text besides the Context speaks of single Persons that must exercise in the Church 〈◊〉 therefore those words every one of you 〈◊〉 mean all c. Answ First of all I cannot but take notice how you contradict your self in Ephes 5. 19. you would have the Apostle by Teaching and Singing to mean only a silent Speaking in their Heart without a Voice But in Col. 3. 16. you confess that intends a Vocal Singing Do you think any Man who has the least Light or Knowledg in the Scripture can groundedly suppose that the Apostle doth in Ephes 5. 19. in these words Speaking to your selves in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making of Melody in your Heart to the Lord. And in Col. 3. 16. in these words Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord mean two different things Surely there is not one Man to be found of your Opinion for all generally with one Mouth affirm the Apostle in writing to these two Churches intends the one and the same Practice Nor is â—here any thing said by you to convince us to the contrary for though the Duty seems to be â—id down in different words yet it implies the same thing speaking to your selves and teaching and admonishing one another are of the 〈◊〉 import on this occasion as expressed here for the Speaking is in Singing and so is the Teaching and Admonishing as the close of the Text opens it to every understanding Man 2. 'T is observable how you seem to confound this great Duty injoined in ordinary Worship on these two Churches with the exercise of those extraordinary Gifts mentioned 1 Cor. 14. 26. which hereafter I purpose to explain and shew the purport or main drift of the Spirit in that place in 1 Cor. 14 c. If any Man did sing in an unknown Tongue alone 't was because others were not capable to sing with him and he from thence was not to use such a Gift in the Church unless there was an Interpreter to give forth that Psalm or Hymn that so all might sing with him and be edified in that Ordinance as in others 3. In the third place which is yet worst of all you would have this of Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms c. singing with Grace in your Heart to refer to that Heb. 3. 13. which you apply to such who had the Gift to preach Ministerially and to sing too by the said Gift In answer to this in the first place I thought we should not have had you to affirm the Apostle means by Teaching and Admonishing here in this place to be Preaching according to that in your sense you refer to in citing Heb. 3. 13. Now as to the first part of your Assertion had you read Reverend Mr. Cotton it might have removed this Mistake and so prevented your pains to trouble the Reader with such an Exposition of the Text I find him answering an Objection that directly includes part of yours in these words following Object The Apostle to the Ephesians and Colossians doth not say Sing one to another in Psalms but speak or preach one to another or in other words Teach and admonish one another the Psalms dwelling in their Hearts they were to dispose them in a way of teaching and admonishing but as for singing he makes no mention of that until he came to teach them the manner of dispensing the words of Christ unto God in one Verse and then indeed he teacheth them to sing in the Spirit making Melody with Grace in the Heart If I do not mistake you this Objection contains part of what you say and pray take his Answer I do not doubt but he gives the true sense of the place Answ Such as tremble at the Word saith he as the framer of this Objection professeth himself to do they should rather bow their Judgments and Practice to Scripture-Language than bow the Sense of Scripture to their own Conceptions against the Language of Scripture it is one thing to speak one to another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs as is done in singing and another thing to preach and teach one another out of the Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs 'T is true they were to teach and admonish one another out of the Psalms and the scope of Paul will teach that but if Paul had meant that to wit that they should teach and preach one to another out of the Psalms he would not have said Speak ye one to another in Psalms or with Psalms but out of the Psalms for such is the Language of the Holy Ghost in expressing this Duty Paul is said to have expounded and testified and perswâ—ded the Jews out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets Acts 28. 23. So Philip is said to do begin to preach to the Eunâ—â—h from that Scripture in Isaiah Act. 8. 35. Thus Mr. Cotton 'T is evident my Brother that Paul is not a speaking here to Ministers but to the whole Church and he is not a laying down Directions to gifted Brethren how they should preach and exhort one another that way as sometimes he doth much less about the exercise of extraordinary Gifts but 't is to injoin and exhort the Churches to sing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs how also they should perform this Duty to the Honour of God and their own Comfort in ordinary Gospel-Administration Dr. Roberts in his Key to the Bible pag. 176. saith on these words to this purpose But Christians should be filled with the Spirit not filled with Wine but with the Spirit and speak one to another in Psalms 〈◊〉 Hymns and spiritual Songs c. thus rejoicing with Heavenly Melody in your Hearts to the Lord and the latter words in both places Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. are saith he exegetical to those in the beginning of the Verses explaining what he means by speaking teaching and admonishing viz. thus edifying one another in singing Psalms c. And it 's an excellent way of speaking to themselves and to one another when Christians sing Psalms c. therefore saith he that speaking to themselves and teaching one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs is 〈…〉 singing As to singing with a vocal Voice you have granted 't is intended by the Holy Ghost in Col. 3. 16. which is as much as I desire What you hint or imagine of one singing alone has been fully answered that never having been the Practice of God's People in God's ordinary Worship neither in the Old or New Testament and as touching singing by an extraordinary Gift more of that anon And saith Mr. Sidenham many think there can be no such use of Singing as
Preach together who had Doctrines and at the same time every one that had a Psalm they would come forth with their Psalm and Singâ— and so those who had the Gift of Tongues and a Gift to interpret might do the like which the Apostle shews them was Confusion and if they did thus and Unbelievers come into their Assemblies at such time would not they say they were mad Now 1. to open this place of Scripture it will be necessary to consider what disorderly practice it was Paul reproves them of and no doubt it was the Confusion before mentioned two three or more bringing forth their Doctrine together and others who had other differing Gifts coming forth together with them too 't is very like at the same time 2. The Rule to regulate these Disorders And now let this once and for ever be noted and well heeded viz. That the ordinary way of the Administration of all Gifts and performance of all Ordinances in the Churches must be the Rule for the extraordinary Gifts and performance of Ordinances 3. Then in the third place we must consider the manner of the performance of Ordinances and exercise of Gifts according to the Nature of the Gifts and Ordinances And now as to the Gift of Teaching Interpreting Prophesying c. only one was to be the Mouth Let the Prophets speak one by one and let the other judg if any thing be revealed to him that sitteth by let the first hold his peace To act contrary to this Rule is Confusion and so of some other Gifts and Ordinances whole Nature were in themselves the same so they were to be done And now as to Singing that being always performed with Voices together both in the Old Testament and by Christ and his Disciples and by Paul and Silas and so enjoined on the Churches they who had a Psalm that is as I conclude a Psalm of David to bring forth by an extraordinary Spirit which might not be the Matter of the Psalm but the Manner of bringing it forth in an unknown Tongue and it may be in a Tune too that others might not understand and so upon both respects others could not sing with him nor the Church be edified he was not so to bring forth his Psalm unless there was an Interpreter who might give it forth to the People that they might sing together as always that Ordinance was practised in the Publick Congregation And this appears to be the sense of the place by Paul's own words When I pray I will pray with the Spirit and with the Vnderstanding that is in a known Tongue to my own Understanding and to the Understanding of others And when I sing I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the Vnderstanding also that is If I sing in the Church I will not sing in an unknown Tongue so that others cannot understand what I sing and so cannot sing with me He doth not mean doubtless his own Understanding only but the Understanding of others also so that according to the Nature of the Ordinance all might be edified and all might be comforted Now this being so as I am well satisfied 't is the meaning of the Spirit what an endless stir is here of one Man's singing alone in the exercise of an extraordinary Gift which cannot be proved by the Wit of Man from the Text much less had it been so would it have been a Rule to the Churches in ordinary Administrations of Christ's Ordinances Though for several to preach together that would be Confusion yet to sing together would be none but the greater and the more sweet Melody as Mr. Sidâ—ultan â—â—ws Nor would the Unbeliever to hear a Congregation sing together say Are they not mad because this sort of Singing was always practised both among the Jews and also among the Gentile Nations And so much to this Text. And whereas you say If any one had such a Gift and came forth to sing alone in the Church as you fancy some did in that Church you should bless God for so great a Presence of his Spirit among his People pag. 23. I assure you I should charge him with introducing a Practice no where warranted in the Scripture and so no sign of God's Presence at all but a meer Innovation in God's Worship being without Precept or Example VI. Objections Answered I am now come to your last Thesis wherein you pretend to answer some of our Arguments and Scriptures for Singing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs And if I meet with any thing pertinent I shall reply to it or else pass it by as not worthy of an Answer And such is the first you bring as alledged by us from 〈◊〉 15. And the second is like to it about 〈◊〉 and Barak as if they together did not could no sing that Song when the Holy Ghost positively says they did The Holy Ghost saith that Moses and the Congregation of Israel sung and you would fain make us believe it was some extraordinary Extasy 〈◊〉 we from thence must have Dancing too which I have already fully answered Your third Reply That the Singing that was in the Temple was extraordinary and so in the Apostles Time Answ We deny the latter Singing was no more performed in the Gospel-time by an extraordinary Spirit and Manner than Prayer Preaching and all other Ordinances and by the Argument we have not those extraordinary 〈◊〉 now to perform one Duty so not another And if we must throw one Ordinance away from thence we must as the Non-Churches say lay them all aside and practise none at all till we are endowed with Power from on High as the Apostles were viz. to Preach Prophesy and sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs by Inspiration or by the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost For as Singing it being a moral Duty as well as Prayer so it was in the Church of the Jews before the Glory of their Temple-Worship so Prayer and Preaching being ordinary Duties and parts of Natural Religion as well as brought under Divine Institution for the more orderly and spiritual performance of them yet in the glorious Time of the Gospel were all done by an extraordinary Spirit or by Miraculous Gifts 't is evident therefore extraordinary Gifts in the Gospel-day were not only suited as you imagine to tune their Hearts and Tongues to sing the Praises of God only but also to Pray Preach Prophesy and so to perform the whole of Gospel-Ordinances and Worship which was to confirm each Ordinance in particular and the whole of the Christian Religion in general Mark 16 17 18 19. Heb. 2. 3 4. And therefore we have no more reason to lay aside or neglect Singing the Praises of God till those extraordinary Gifts shall return which we have no ground to expect ever will than we have to lay aside Prayer Preaching Baptism the Lord's Supper and every other Duty and Ordinance since Singing of Psalms c. is injoined on the Churches
as well as other Ordinances are What you say in the 27th Page about the Winter of Afflictions when that is past and the time of the Singing of Birds is come at the appearance of Christ's Kingdom which will fully perfect the Glory of Temple-worship You mistake that Text in Cant. 2. for all Expositors generally agree that that Place resers to two things first to the coming of Christ in the Flesh the time of the Jewish-Church-state or the dark and cloudy days before Christ came is set forth by Winter 't is known the Afflictions and Miseries of God's People before Christ came was great but then the glorious Sun arose or the Day-spring 〈◊〉 on high visited the Earth Luk. 1. 79. and the longed-for Spring came in and then the 〈◊〉 of the Turtle was heard in that and other Lands and the Birds of Heaven and Earth began to sing I mean both the Angels and Saints also with Grace in their Hearts in a most spiritual and heavenly manner to the Lord. Secondly By Winter may be meant as they shew that time while a Soul abides in its natural estate and when regenerated by the Grace of God then Winter is past and then the time for that Soul to sing is come and such also then hear the Voice of Christ that blessed Turtle sweetly by his Spirit speaking peace to their Souls But if in the third place it should also allude to the Churches final Deliverance from all outward Afflictions in the latter Days and so they have an extraordinary Cause to praise God and sing his Praises forth in those Times for temporal Salvation doth it follow from thence we must not sing forth his Praises till then 't is a horrible mistake to think Saints are more to be concerned to â—ing to the Lord for outward Blessings and worldly Peace and Prosperity on Earth than for their spiritual Blessings and Priviledges through Christ for the redemption of their Souls from Sin and eternal Wrath no For these Mercies we have infinitely more cause to sing than for all those great things you hint at besides that Song will be rather the Song of Moses than the Song of the Lamb the one was for temporal Deliverance and Salvation the other is for spiritual and eternal Mercies True when that time comes when we shall sing both those Songs together then the Melody may be the sweeter but though there are extraordinary times of Prayer and Praises yet that ought not to hinder the Saints from praying and singing at other times Your Reply in the fourth place to that in Isa 52. 8 9. viz. Thy Watchmen shall lift up the Voice with the Voice together shall they sing is nothing to the purpose at all What though the word will bear their making a noise oâ— shouting yet 't is a joyful Noise or a Noise of Singing and a Singing with their Voice together as a found of the great Jubilee And now though you would have this place to refer to the thousand Years Reign yet the Apostle applies it positively to the time of the Gospel see Rom. 10. 15. Come the Day of Gospel-Grace Gospel-Light Gospel-Glory and Priviledges is like the great Jubilee when desolate Souls who like waste places come to be renewed and the Church rebuilt and Ordinances restored this is the time to sing this is the chief cause of Joy and Gladness Many Men ignorantly apply Prophecies to the thousand Years Reign that refer to the time of the Gospel which began in the Apostles days besides there is a Doubt in the Hearts of many Men about that thousand Years 't is a Mystery not yet understood clearly No doubt the Antitype of Solomon's Temple say you what you please was the gospel-Gospel-Church in the days of the Apostles and so downward and not the thousand Years Reign for the Glory of the second Temple was a Type of the Glory of the Church in the latter days of the World as the best of our Expositors have excellently opened it to be so therefore what you speak pag. 28. makes against your self for if the Institution of Singing which was in the Levitical Temple-worship was compleated as to the Antitype in the Apostles Days as touching the beginning of it and not as you imagine and there is no doubt but 't is so for when the Antitype was come then the Shadow of Aaron's Order and musical Instruments fled away and then nothing was left but Singing with Heart and Voice by the Spirit to the Lord. Your fift Reply is to that of Christ and his Disciples singing of an Hymn after the Supper pag. 29. which you say might be no more than giving of Thanks or saying Grace Answ We have answered this Objection fully already but by the way had it been no more than his giving of Thanks why doth the Hloly Ghost express it in the plural Number 't is said He took Bread and blessed it and he 〈◊〉 the Cup and gave Thanks so some Translations render it but now at the close 't is said they sung an Hymn Besides multitudes of Learned Men do tell you that from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they hymned it is truly and rightly translated into English they sung an Hymn Dr. Du Veil who was as Learned a Man as most this present Age hath in it saith in his literal Explanation of the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. ver 25. pag. 67. thus Hymns are Songs which contain the Praise of God If it be Praise and not of God it is not an Hymn if it be Praise and of God if it be not sung it is not an Hymn it must therefore that it may be an Hymn have these three things viz. 1. Praise 2. And of God 3. And a Song Now this being an Hymn our Saviour and his Disciples used in praising of God the Doctor affirms they sung and so did Paul and Silas But this is the old way of such who ever opposed a Truth when pinch'd presently fly out upon the Translators 't is so to be read in the Greek c. whereas all the World knows that as our Translators were able Scholars so they were very holy and upright Men Besides our Annotators and all Expositors generally say 't is truly rendred and 't is a bad thing unjustly to find fault with the Translators of the Holy Bible To perswade your Reader if you could that the Disciples did not sing with our Saviour or they did not sing together you bring that Passage of Hannah's mental praying or speaking in her Heart 1 Sam. 1. 11 13. How impertinent this is I may leave to all You suppose still because there is a Mental or Heart-praying there is a Mental or Heart-singing also you may after the same manner say there is a Mental or Heart-preaching likewise There is no proper Singing I tell you again without the Voice But you think you have done it at last from Acts 4. 24. Where it is said The Disciples lifted up
judgment for it it be you contend against that which all Christians say they do own and perform But to proceed There may be 't is plain an extraordinary Spirit of Prayer at some times and an extraordinary Influence in Preaching and an extraordinary Occasion to perform those Duties likewise and so in Singiug But must not we therefore be found in the performance of each of these Duties at any other time And have not all true Christians always in themselves the chiefest cause or ground of Singing forth the Praises of God that can be viz. the consideration of Redeeming and Regenerating Grace though sometimes to such degrees they do not find that liveliness in their Spirits to do it Moreover we ought to strive to be filled with the Spirit that we may both Pray Preach and Hear also But sometimes we have not those fillings of the Spirit in such a measure as at other times yet must Pray Preach Hear and Sing also for the Argument or Motive of Singing as of our other Duties doth not lie in our being so exactly qualified to do it or in our extraordinary fitness for the Duty but in the requirement of God 't is his Ordinance and may be our Sin if we are not so fit to praise God as we should be nor are no more fit to pray and hear the Word preached Object But some may object Doth not James only injoin Singing of Psalms when People are merry or find great cause of inward Joy in the Lord Answ No by no means this must not be granted for if so then People must never pray but when they are afflicted Do but read the Text Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms Jam. 5. 13. Sure 't is the Duty of the Lord's People to pray as well when they are not afflicted but are in Health and in Prospirity 't is always on fit and proper Occasions to be done but when afflicted more especially then in a more than ordinary manner to be in the Duty of Prayer So and in the like manner 't is our Duty to rejoice and sing the Praises of God always on all proper Occasions but when any are more then ordinarily lifted up with the Goodness of God or filled with the Comforts of the Holy Spirit which is intended doubtless in that phrase Is any Merry then they should in an especial manner sing Psalms or Hymns of Praises to God Also from hence we may argue that as it is the Duty of one afflicted Person thus by himself to pray so when the whole Church is afflicted they in an especial manner should keep days of Prayer together and so they oftentimes do on such an account Yet it is the Duty of the Church to pray at other times notwithstanding Why so it is in the case of Singing when the whole Church of God hath received some signal Mercies in an especial manner they ought together to give Thanks to God and sing his Praise but yet notwithstanding they ought to sing the Praises of God at other times as well as pray at other times and nothing is in the least hinted here in this place by the Apostle James to the contrary Object But we have no Command to sing in our Publick Assemblies either before or after Sermon nor any Precedent that any gospel-Gospel-Church did so Answ You must take heed and avoid needless Questions and Contentions We have no Command to pray in our Publick Assemblies either before or after Sermons nor no Precedent that any Gospel-Church did so Must we not use that Practice therefore I am sure this Argument is as strong against the one as 't is against the other Obj. But we are commanded to pray always and that is a very convenient time when the Word of God is preached every thing is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Answ So we are commanded to rejoice evermore 1 Thess 5. 16. and in every thing to give thanks to God Phil. 4. 4 6. And to sing his Praises is the highest way or manner of rejocing and giving Thanks to God we are capable of attaining to as it appears in all the Scripture And also by the example of the Holy Angels who this way rejoice and give Thanks to God Besides the Preacher may pray before he comes out of his Closet or secretly in his Heart when in the Pulpit and answer those general Precepts so that you may see what such kind of Cavilings will bring us to 'T is evident we read of several Sermons the Apostle Peter preached and Paul too and some of them in Church-Assemblies but no more mention is made of praying before or after their Sermons than is of their Singing And is it not as convenient a time when we hear the Excellencies of Jesus Christ and the infinite Love of God and the Happiness of Believers opened then to sing and praise God as it is a proper Season to pray to God for a Blessing upon the Word there is the like parity of Reason for the one as there is for the other If any has the advantage 't is the Ordinance of Singing for two Reasons the one is a Precept the other a Precedent The Precept is given us by David containing a Prophecy of the Gospel-days and Gospel-Church Psal 100. 1. Make a joyful Noise unto the Lord all ye Lands Come before his presence with Singing So Psal 95. O Come let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyful Noise to the Rock of our Salvation And vers 2. Let us make a joyful Noise unto him with Psalms This all People i. e. the Gentile-Churches are required to do as well as others and to do it too when they come into the Presence of God which 〈◊〉 Expositors say intends our coming into God's Presence in his Publick Worship Moreover the Watch-men and desolate Places or Souls who have been like desolate Places saith 〈◊〉 Prophet shall lift up the Voice with the Voice together shall they sing Isa 52. 7 8. And these Watch-men are those whose Feet are beautiful 〈◊〉 the Mountains who preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad-tidings of good things And this very Text the Apostle applies in geâ—â—â—al to Gospel-Ministers in their publick Preaching of Christ in Christian Assemblies see Rom. 10. 15. But we having so largely in this Treatise opened this we shall say no more to it here As touching Examples we have the Church of God viz. Israel of old who sung together in Exod. 15. 1. and in many other places 〈◊〉 always generally when they came together to worship God as they prayed to him so they sang Praises to him which we have proved is no Ceremony of Moses's Law but a Moral Duty and so a Perpetual Ordinance And in the New-Testament we have the Example of Christ himself with his Disciples who after that part of Publick Worship viz. celebrating the Holy Supper sung an Hymn together O how sad a thing is it
Songs and that is humane Answ We have none of the words in our own Tongue which were originally given forth by the Holy Ghost for the Holy Men of old who gave forth the Scriptures spake them either in Hebrew or Greek words And therefore some may object our Translation of the Bible is Humane and our Scripture not God's Word besides we have many humane Supplements as I said before added to make the sense good in our English Tongue And as touching Meter Prose and Verse is all one if the same Truth be contained in the Verse as is in the Prose And if it be equal Feet or measured fitly to be sung we do not matter Rhime at all And so some tell you David's Psalms were left in the Original But should we miss it either in the form of Preaching or Singing the Praises of God since we can appeal to God we do both as nigh the Rule of the Word as we have received Light and Understanding Who do you think will be most excusable in the Day of Christ we or such who because they are not arrived to a satisfaction about the Form or Manner of Preaching or of Singing will do neither of them or at leastwise wholly live in omission of the last and yet say they believe 't is an Ordinance of Christ And let me tell you to admit of this nice Exception against practising of an Ordinance because we do not know the exact Form this will run us into a multitude of needless and frivolous Objections in the administration of other Ordinances one or two of which I have met withal As for Example In Breaking of Bread saith one you ought to have but one Loaf because Christ's Body was but one entire Body and the Church is said to be but one Bread therefore saith he if you have many Loaves you err in the form of this Ordinance and as by you practised 't is humane and devised Saith another As soon as you have broke the Bread you must pour forth the Wine because so soon as Christ's Body was broke his Blood came forth Saith a Third You must eat all and let none remain which others deny One says We must eat plentifully for Christ so bids his Friends Cant. 5. 1. Saith another A little quantity of Bread and so of the Cup will answer the Form of the Administration So in the Form of Baptism one may say You must Baptize the Person forwards saith another Backwards one may say with a swift Motion another may say it must be done with a slow Motion and let the Person lie some time buried in the Water that we may have the clear Representation of the Burial of Christ Would not these be silly Objections And yet these appertain to the Form of the Administration of Christ's Ordinance But as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 16. If any seem contentious we have no such Custom nor the Church of God We read the Children of Israel for a long time had lost an Ordinance viz. that of sitting in Booths in the Feast of Tabernacles Nehem. 8. 14. which had not been done from the days of Joshuah the Son of Nun vers 17. so that none were then living to tell them the Form of those Booths Suppose now that one had said they must be made this way and another that way and they should not have agreed about the Form or Fashion of these Booths would this have justified some others among them to have said We will have no Booths at all unless there be some extraordinary Prophet to shew us the Form or Manner how they should be made No sure there were none among them that we read of that were of such a Spirit or if there had doubtless they would have been worthy of Reproof but they all according as they found it written in the Law which God commanded Moses c. they went to work and 〈◊〉 down Olive-branches and Pine-branches and Myrtle-branches and made them Booths Lord grant us the like Wisdom in this great Case about the lost or long-neglected Ordinance amongst us of Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Object Singing is a piece of Art Who can 〈◊〉 if he be not taught so that he may do it artifically c. Can this be a part of Sacred Gospel-Worship Answ As this Objection excludes this Holy Ordinance of Christ so it would likewise exclude other Duties You will not admit it because it cannot be done without Art There is I must tell you an Art in Speaking and no Man but has need to learn and be inâ—tructed to speak as he ought that he may not â—ender himself ridiculous especially when he speaks about Divine Things How rarely and â—egantly do some Men express themselves to â—â—ify others by improving their natural Parts Also there is an Art in Preaching and all young Men when they begin to take upon them that Work need instruction how to handle a Doctrine And so I may say in Praying too but I have shewed in this Treatise that Men are as apt by natural Instincts to sing as they are to speak And Paul shews in 1 Cor. 14. that all who have Spiritual Gifts should use them with all Wisdom so that the Church and all God's People may be edified If the Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound who shall prepare himself to the Battel The Method of Preaching must be learned and improved and that well too Some who have great Gifts yet cannot utter themselves in an Eloquent manner to the profit of others and it may be because they are against studying the Rule or Art of Speaking But all the World knows the way of Singing is easily learned And who gave Men those Faculties of Learning c. Natural Gifts as well as Spiritual are to be improved to the Honour of God Is not Reading of God's Word an Ordinance of the Gospel and part of God's Worship and must not People learn to read And is not that a piece of Art as well as Singing can People read unless they are learned 'T is well if some of them who make this Objection do not suffer their Children to sing vain Songs whilst they plead against singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs But since 't is so natural for all especially in Youth to learn to sing and so easily attained ought not Parents to instruct their Children about what they should sing and what not that so Art and Nature too as some call them may be improved to the Honour of God Grace makes Natural Gifts and Arts to become Spiritual for the very words of gracious Persons are or ought to be Spiritual the more of Art Men have to express themselves the more useful by the Grace of God they are made to others If it had not been for Art and Learning how should we have come to the knowledg of the Scriptures they being locked up from us in unknown Tongues Object Some have objected against Singing because that Gift and Manner
as they suppose which was used in the Primitive Time in Singing was not continued and successively handed down to us Answ By the same manner they might object against the Bible and say We ought not to receive it because God did not continue the Gift of Tongues in the Church that by virtue of those Gifts the Old and New Testament without Humane Art might be delivered to us Nay and against Preaching too c. for those Gifts in the Apostolical manner of Preaching was not continued nor handed down to us nay what Ordinance had not lost its Primitive Form under the Apostacy The Conclusion AND now Brother suffer me to make a little Improvement likewise as well as you and notwithstanding your Conclusion savours of much Bitterness I would fain have mine end with all Sweetness if there is any Tartness I cannot well help it First Whereas you infer singing together of David's Psalms or any humane precomposed Forms is a corrupting the pure Worship of God in mingling Law and Gospel or humane and divine things together First I infer That to sing David's Psalms and Scripture-Hymns and sacred Songs taken out of the Word of Christ together in the publick Worship of God is an holy Ordinance of Christ and not in the least to mingle Law and Gospel together any otherwise than the Holy Ghost hath done it for Moral Duties are the same in the Law and Gospel Secondly Whereas you say This will lead us to return from whence we came at a Dog to his Vomit and as a Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire I say 1. You do not write like an humble and trembling-hearted Christian but shew too much Gall and Worm-wood in your Spirit And 2. I say to sing the Psalms of David and other sacred Scripture-Hymns and spiritual Songs is to build up the old waste places and restore the ancient Paths to dwell in and a going forward and not backward Thirdly You would you say have the Leaders among us seriously consider that are for such formal Singing as you call it whether they will be able to plead at the Bar of Christ for this Practice tho they may urge it on their fellow-Brethren here c. and you put up a kind of Prayer that God would give us a true sight and sense of the evil Consequences of this Error as you are pleased to call it that we may not cause his People to sin but that with sound Doctrine we may strengthen the weak Hands and feeble Knees c. Answ I must intreat you to consider whether you will be able to give a good account at the Bar of Jesus Christ for endeavouring to diminish from God's Word nay from Christ's New Testament for sure we are singing of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs is one Ordinance found therein which you strive to take way and foolishly plead only for a thing called the Essence of it without the Act or discharge 〈◊〉 the Duty according to the nature of the Ordinance and so contrive a new kind of singing out of the dark Imagination of your Heart and add that in the stead of it which is not understood by the generality of Mankind and so make us to believe if you could that Christ hath left an Ordinance that there is no way to come to any Certainty how it should be performed and hereby also lay a just occasion of Offence or a Stumbling-block in the way of weak Christians to think they may practise Ordinances acceptably to God which requires the bodily Organs without the Body and so deny the Body to glorify God tho redeemed to that end and expose our Glory viz. our Tongue to Reproach and Shame and consequently rob God of some part nay one great part of his glorious Praise and his poor Church of much sweet Comfort and Soul-Refreshment in his blessed Ordinance as I have shewed in the first Chapter Moreover consider what an account you will have to give to the Judg of the Quick and Dead for saying when the Scripture saith they sung viz. Christ and his Disciples they did but give Thanks or say Grace from the remote and indirect Signification of the Greek Word or else sung alone and not his Disciples with him See what Reverend Mr. Cotton hath said in Pag. 14. of his Book in Answer to such a kind of Objection as you make mentioning that place of David Psal 3. 4. Psal 77. 1. I cried to the Lord with my Voice Shall a Man detract from his meaning and say saith Mr. Cotton he cried to God only with his Heart So when David exhorteth the Gentile Churches to make a joyful Noise unto the Lord you do detract from his meaning when you make his meaning to be not that we should sing unto him with our Voice but that we should only make Melody to him in our Hearts such 〈◊〉 â—aith he from the Word is alike disallowed and accursed of God as adding to his Word or otherwise say I a diminishing from it Object But saith he you object singing of Psalms with the Voice is but a Type of that Melody in the Heart or to that purpose I find he speaks Answ 1. No Scripture saith he speaketh of it as a Type nor doth any Evidence of Reason declare it 2. You might as well say that praying with the Voice was a Type of praying with the Heart and so it is abolished 3. If singing of Psalms with a loud Voice had been a typical Worship David would not have exhorted us to the Practice of it on the Lord's-Day under the New Testament Psal 95. 1 2 7. 4. Christ and his Apostles would not have used it in the Lord's-Supper which is a Feast of the New Testament nor would Paul and Silas have used it in Prison among the Gentiles nor would the Apostle have injoyned it on the Churches 5. The Light of Nature is never wont to teach us Types and Shadows doth it not as well teach us to praise God in singing with our Tongues in times of our rejoycing as to cry to God with our Voices in times of distress Fourthly Whereas you would have us to consider that if we err from the Rule in offering Praises to God contrary to his Appointment whether we do not worship God in vain I say to you whilst we thus offer Praises to God it appears we worship him according to his Appointment and so acceptable to him and to his Glory and our Comfort Strange ours is not right and spiritual Singing and yet you can find no other way according to the Rule to perform that sacred Duty and Ordinance Thus I have answered your Book as well as the Lord hath been pleased to help me according to your Request for I was 〈◊〉 by you to do it you well know before several Witnesses But did not I think the Name and Honour of God lay at stake and the Information of manâ— of his dear Saints and People in order to
Persons who have wrote upon this Truth like Men and Men too of great Parts Learning and Piety or let them not trouble me nor the World any more As touching his Epistle to the Churches I shall take but little notice of it nor of that he hath writ to my self sith in my Judgment neither of them signify much you are Men of greater Wisdom than to be frightned out of an Ordinance or deterred from seeking after the Knowledg of it with these scurrilous Names of Error Apostacy Human Tradition prelimited Forms mischievous Error Carnal Forms Carnal Worship c. These are hard Words and do not bespeak a trembling Heart nor a humble Spirit and better becomes a Man that pretends to Infallibility But what some Men want of sound Arguments they think to make up by hard Words and Confidence but this will never do with you How hath our Practice of baptizing Believers c. been branded with the reproachful Name of Error and 't is very observable how some Men of far greater Parts and Ability than my Brothers or mine either have cried out against the Reign of Christ Conversion of the Gentiles and calling of the Jews as a gross Error as witness Mr. Richard Baxter particularly of late 'T is Arguments I know you look for and if you find those of Mr. Marlow's to prevail against what I have said do not regard what I have wrote in the least for I would have your Faith as the Apostle speaks to stand in the Power of God and not in the Wisdom of Mâ—n The smallness of the Number of our Churches who are in the Practice of this Ordinance I also know will signify nothing with you provided it be proved to be a Truth of Jesus Christ What tho there was not one of our Churches that had Light in it it would certainly the more concern them to enquire after it And tho he hath so coursly saluted me c. yet I am not concerned at it further than to bewail his Confidence and Ignorance to say no worse I know no Men in any Age who appeared first to vindicate a Truth which others call an Error but have met with the same Usage I meet withal from our Brother who I hope is a good Man and means well yet is he strangely beclouded As I have been a Preacher up of Spiritual Worship as he says and that too more than thirty Years tho a poor and unworthy one so through the Grace of God I hope shall continue to do unto the end of my days and 't is only Spiritual Worship you may perceive I plead for in contending for singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs none of which three can be without their special and particular form But must they needs be therefore carnal and humane Forms which appertain unto them I see 't is time to stand up for the Form of Ordinances for the Form of Doctrine and for the Form of sound Words for if we must part with singing of Psalms Hymns c. from his pretended Arguments about Forms all external Ordinances must go as well as that of Singing In a word we must give up our whole visible Profession and wait for those extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit that were in the Primitive Time if we must not sing till we have that extraordinary Gift to do it which some had in the Apostles Days and the like in discharge of every Gospel-Ordinance which were to abide in the Church to the end of the World He may as well therefore say I do but counterfeit that excellent Gift in Preaching when I preach which was in the Primitive Gospel-Church as thus to charge me in the case of our singing by the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit Read his Epistle to me Append. p. 15. It seems to me as if my Brother does not understand the nature of Moral Duties or natural Worship but mistakes and thinks natural or moral Worship must needs be carnal tho we never plead for the performance of any Duties that are moral naturally in themselves without the help and assstance of God's Spirit and the Graces thereof in our Hearts Is it not part of natural Religion and Worship to fear God to love God and trust in God and that too with all our Hearts and with all our Souls and with all our Strength and love our Neighbours as our selves c. These Duties appertain to natural Religion yet without the divine Help and Influences of the Spirit we can do none of them in a right manner no more say I can we pray nor sing the Praises of God which are Duties comprehended in our fearing honouring worshipping and loving of him And whereas Mr. Marlow reflects on me as if I singled out my self more than others in London in pushing on this practice of Singing I must tell him I have abundance of Peace in my Spirit in what I have done therein And if our People I mean the Church to whom I belong are one of the first Churches of our Perswasion in this City found in the practice of this Sacred Ordinance I am satisfied it will be to their great Honour and not to their Reproach and that not only in succeeding Ages but also in the Day of Jesus Christ But blessed be God the greatest number of our worthy London-Elders are as well satisfied in this Truth as my self and many of their People too and will generally I doubt not in a little time get into the practice of it Our Reverend Brother Knowllys 't is known is clear in it and has practised it for some Years though at present 't is not used in his Congregation He told me lately he is about to write in Vindication thereof which he intends to publish in a short time if the Lord please to spare his Life And whereas Mr. Marlow affirms as if I had brought Singing into our Congregation to the grief and trouble of many of our Members it is false for 't is known the Church hath been in this practice near twenty Years after Breaking of Bread and near 14 Years on Thanksgiving-days in a mixt Congregation And what was done of late in bringing it in after Sermon on the Lord's Days was done by a regular Act of the Church in a solemn manner And though some of our worthy Brethren and Sisters are at present somewhat dissatisfied with it yet I doubt not but will in a little time see their Mistakes if such busy Men as he do not in an undue manner blow up Coals of Contention amongst us Can any sober Christian think he hath done well to publish the Private Affairs of a Particular Church to the whole World It seems to some as if he has hopes there will be a Breach in the Church upon the Account of our Singing the Praises of God but I hope he will find our worthy Brethreâ—â— understand themselves better than to go about to impose on the Church or Consciences of their Brethren or to
out by the Spirit and enjoyned on the Churches which is enough to shake the Faith of our People in respect of other Ordinances which they have as much reason to say may not belong to us but shall be practised in time to come when the Church as the Seekers say shall attain its first or original Purity See Pag. 27. of his Discourse 5. And lastly like a wary and fore-seeing Man to be sure to carry his Cause he retires to his last Fort and Strong-hold and affirms That the Ordinance of singing of Psalms Hymns c. was only in the Primitive Time performed by an extraordinary Gift and unless we have such a Gift we must not sing the Praises of God now in these days Tho I have said enough to detect this 〈…〉 Conceit yet since he leads me in this Path I must I perceive reply again as I have already done that this Objection lies equally against Prayer Preaching and interpreting the Scripture c. sith all these Gospel-Duties and Ordinances in the Primitive and Apostolical Days were performed by the said extraodinary Gifts of the Spirit If he could make this appear there was no need for him to trouble us with the Greek word nor with any of his other Mediums he uses to exclude Gospel-Singing it cannot but appear by this last shift he acknowledges that Singing is somewhat more than that Praising of God he speaks of But these things betray the Man's Integrity or rather his Weakness and shew he doth not argue but plays the part of a Sophister though not a cunning One because his Nakedness plainly appears to the meanest Capacity through his pittiful threadbare Covering For if he had thought his other Mediums would have 〈◊〉 his turn or held the Test we should not have I am perswaded heard any of this But however we will come to examine his pretended Arguments he brings to prove this Affertion His first Argument to prove Singing was always performed from a special Gift is in Appendix pag. 14. For as the Grace of 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 of the Spirit saith he and 〈◊〉 God had 〈◊〉 the Oil viz. the Spirit of Joy for Mourning so the primitive Church had some earnest of it and did rejoice in hope of the Glory of God and through the abundance of the Spirit wherewith she was baptized her Ministers delivered the Word of God in extraordinary ways and manners viz. by Prophesying Tâ—â—gues and melodious Singing Answ 1. Have not Believers now the Holy Spirit as well as they had it then though not in such an extraordinary manner And have not we the Fruit of it i. e. Joy Peace c. in believing Also you mistake your self Joy doth not appertain to the Gifts of the Spirit but 't is a â—ruit of the Graces of the Spirit Do not the Saints now rejoice in hope of the Glory of God as well as they did then There is no such cause or ground from the Reception of Tongues or the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit as you intimate to sing the Praises of God For many our Saviour saith shall say in that Day We have prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works To whom he will say Depart from me I know ye not And the Apostle saith Though I speak with Tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal 1 Cor. 13. 1. From whence it appears that inward Joy and Peace of which you speak as the Cause of Singing in the Apostles Times did not flow from that extraordinary Gift of the Spirit but from the saving Graces of the Spirit either it flows from the consideration of common or external Mercies and Blessings wherein all are concerned to sing the Praises of God who gives them fruitful Seasons filling their Hearts with Joy and Gladness or else it flows from those special and internal Blessings which only concern the Saints viz. Union with God Communion with God Faith Love c. Tongues were for a Sign not for them who believe but for them who believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. Extraordinary Gifts were to convince Unbelievers of the Truth and not for the Joy and Comfort of such who did believe Men that have the Gift of Tongues may be graceless and so without Christ and perish eternally in Hell therefore the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit fits not tunes not the Heart nor Tongue to sing the Praises of God You may as well deny the Saints may not ought not in these our Days rejoice in God nay not praise him in any other manner of ways as well as not fing from this Argument you make use of here on this account Therefore it follows that you strangely mistake pag. 15. Appendix in intimating when Paul exhorts the Saints to covet after the best Gifts he means the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit for certainly those are the best Gifts that most tend to the edification of the Church which Tongues could not be said to do And in the very next words he speaks of a more excellent ways viz. that of Charity or Love which refers to the Graces of the Spirit And of so little use were those special or extraordinary Gifts to the Church that if there were no Interpreter they were to be silent and not use them in the Church at all who were that way gifted 2. You confound Tongues which did appertain to all sorts of Gifts with Prophecy and Singing He that had a Doctrine might have the Gift of Tongues to bring it forth so might he that had the Gift of Prophecy and he also that had the Gift to Interpret and so might he also that had the extraordinary Gift to bring forth a Psalm And pray why must ordinary praising of God be now admitted and Preaching Prophesying and Interpreting the Scripture by the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit be still allowed and yet Singing by the same ordinary Gifts must not be admitted What Reason do you give for this Is not this to darken Counsel with words without Knowledg I have demonstrated that the End of those extraordinary Gifts that were then in the Church in the Administration of every Duty and Ordinance was to confirm the ordinary practice of all those Ordinances and so to continue them in the Church to the end of the World And God hath equally honoured and confirmed Singing of Psalms c. to continue and the â—â—â—ctice thereof to abide as of any otheâ— Ordinance You need not therefore spend your time to prove the Apostles Prayed Preached Prophesied and also Sung by an extraordinary Gift we acknowledg it but say this is no moâ—e against our Singing than against our Praying c. who have not now those special Gifts 2. He that had a Psalm of David might bring it forth in an unknown Tongue as well as he that had a Doctrine and so not to the Edification of the Church