Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
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A33245
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An answer to Richard Allen's essay, vindication and appendix wherein he endeavors to prove that singing of Psalms with conjoyn'd voices is a Christian duty / by R.C.
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Claridge, Richard, 1649-1723.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing C4431; ESTC R33307
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88,028
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139
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Hymnus If it be Praise and of God and be not Sung it is not an Hymn Answ This being an Assertion without Proof and contrary to the Primary and Proper Signification of the Word which is Simply Praise let us see how R. A. endeavours to make it out R. A. Tho' some render it viz. Hymnesantes an Hymn being said yet this is so far from contradicting ours viz. Our Translation which tells us they Sang it that it indeed implies the same thing a Hymn necessarily including Singing as hath been proved And tho' some oâ— our Old Translations render it they said Grace or They Praised God yet none of them tell us they did it not by Singing Essay p. 18 19. But supposing these Translators intended so to Intimate which is not likely they being themselves in the Practice of Singing as a part of Divine Worship it will only follow that they have mistaken the Sense of the Words Those ancient Translations being not made so much from the Original as from some other Latin Versions as the Learned Bishop Wilkins tells us in his Gift of Preaching p. 48. and they might take the Latin Version Hymno dicto in the Vulgar and Montanus to signifie no more than a Hymn being said whereas indeed it properly signifies a Hymn being Sung for so this Word Dicere generally signifies in the best Latin Authors when used with a Word that signifies any Poetical Composure Thus Dicere Versus in Virgil Eclog. 5. line 2. is To Sing Verses and Dicere Carmen in the same Author Eclog. 5. line 50 51. is To Sing a Song and Dicere Laudes in Horace Carmen seculare line 76. is To Sing Praises In all which and many other Places where it is used in such Phrases 't is rendred Canere to Sing by those very Learned Expositors of these Authors in Vsunt Delphini for the Use of the Dauphin Appendix p. 63. Answ There are many that render Hymnesantes Hymno dicto an Hymn or Praise being said as Hierom Beda and the Latines generally ' til Erasmus undertook to Correct the Vulgar Latin and changed Hymno dicto an Hymn or Praise being said into Cum Hymnum cecinissent when they had sung an Hymn or Praise thereby stretching the Greek Word beyond it's Native and Proper Signification to One Adventitious and Improper And what tho' there is no Contradicton between Saying and Singing an Hymn It doth not follow that the former implys the latter for how many Thousand Synonymous Words and Identical Propositions should we have more than there are if things not Contradictory imply'd the same Were this True as undoubtedly 't is not there would be no Distinction but where there is a Contradiction and then Dipping and Sprinkling Preaching and Praying would not differ for these are not Contradictory Terms or Acts and therefore according to R. A. imply the same thing Nay if Saying an Hymn implies Singing then it seems if a Man should Say an Hymn of Prudentius or One of his own Composure and not use any such Modulation of the Voice as is called Singing he implicitely Sings it But surely R. A. will dismiss this Notion upon better Thoughts especially if he thinks he spake properly Essay p. 29. where he describes Singing to be an Expression and Modulation of the Voice different from meer Speaking and all other Expressions of it For if this Description of Singing be stood to Saying cannot possibly imply Singing which he himself makes so vastly different from When I compared what he says Essay p. 19. with p. 29. I could not see how he could reconcile them unless he had imbibed this Notion that Two Contradictory Propositions are Equipollent or Convertible and that 't is no Absurdity to Affirm and Deny the same thing of the same Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same respect as the Logicians speak But tho' R. A. is pleased one while to Confound Saying and Singing and another while to distinguish them yet in all English Authors to the best of my Observation they are constantly distinguished If he can produce one Example to the contrary I desire him to do it I will give him a few Instances for the present to prove their Distinction which the Compilers of the Common-Prayer-Book out of which I have Collected them do constantly observe in the Rubricks Then shall be * Morn Prayer Said or Sung this Psalm following Then shall be †Ibid. Said or Sung in English the Hymn called Te Deum laudamus Then shall be ‖ Ibid. Sung or Said the Apostles Creed by the Minister Then shall be * Even Prayer Said or Sung the Psalms in Order as they are appointed Then a Lesson out of the Old Testament as is appointed and after that Magnificat or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary in English Then shall be †Ibid. Said or Sung the Apostles Creed by the Minister and the People standing The like Direction is given about the Litany the Athanasian and Nicene Creeds And in the Order for the Burial of the Dead The Priests and Clerks meeting the Corps at the Entrance of the Church-yard and Going before it either into the Church or towards the Grave shall Say or Sing I am the Resurrection and the Life c. While the Corps is made ready to be laid into the Earth the Priest shall Say or the Priest and Clerks shall Sing Man that is born of a Woman hath but a short time to live c. And while the Earth shall be cast upon the Body the Priest shall Say Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great Mercy to take unto himself the Soul of our Dear Brother or Sister here departed c. And after this 't is added Then shall be Said or Sung I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write from henceforth Blessed are the Dead c. And in all these Places the Distinction is observed both in the Latin and Greeks Translations of the Common-Prayer-Book But R. A. proceeds Tho' some of our Old Translations render it They said Grace or They Praised God yet none of them tell us they did it not by Singing What then because they do not tell us they did it not by Singing is it good Logick to infer they did it by Singing Suppose â— Paedo-baptist to prove the Lawfulness of Sprinkâ—ing or Pouring Water upon Infants or Adult Persons should use this Medium viz. Tho' the Scriptures tell us that Adult Persons were Baptized yet they do not say that any were not Baptized by Sprinkling or Pouring for this the Scriptures do not say in Express Terms Or a Papist to prove the Corporal and Carnal Presence of Christ â—n the Eucharist should argue that when Christ took Bread and said This is my Body he did not tell â—is Disciples there was no Conversion of the Bread â—nto his Body Would R. A. grant either of them their Argument upon so Weak a Bottom as this â—ind of Plea must
not I conceive in his Judgment special Revelation about these two great Duties of Religion viz. the Worshipping of Christ as God and the Believing that Salvation is to be had through him alone since 't is demonstrable from his Hypothesis who divides Religious Duties into Moral and meerly Positive that neither of these before-mentioned can be meerly positive but must of necessity have something Moral because they have an intrinsick Goodness in them and flow from that relation we have to Christ as Creatures for he is our Creatour no less than our Mediatour For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1.16 17. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1.3 Once more If Moral Duties of Religion may still in a great Measure be discerned by serious Attention and Consideration without any special Revelation then it will follow that the contrary Vices are discernable by the same way For that which directeth Men to the Knowledge and Practice of Vertue directeth them also to the Knowledge and shunning of Vice Now if Moral Evil is still in a great Measure to be discerned by serious Attention and Consideration without any special Revelation then surely it was so in former Ages And if so whence was it that some of those Moralists that had the greatest Reputation for Humane Wisdom were so mistaken about the Nature of Moral Evil Will R. A. say they were not Men of serious Attention and Consideration I suppose he will not What thinks he then of * Dixit omnia peccata esse paria nec minùs delinquere eum qui Gallum gallinaceum cùm opus non fuerit quà m eum qui Patrem suffocaverit Tul. Orat. 23. pro Muraena Zeno who made no difference between one Sin and another but accounted him as great an Offender who kill'd a Cock no necessity requiring it as he that slew his Father If any Credit may be given to Tully who writes his Character in short he was a very great Man And * Justitiae primum munus est ut ne cui quis noceat nisi lacessitus injuria De Offic. l. 1. Tully himself one of the chief of his Age both for Philosophy and Eloquence a Man of profound Study and Speculation expresly allows of Revenge in case of Injury And commends †Nonnunquaem mortem sibi ipsi consciscere alius debet Catoni autem c. moriendum potius quà m Tyranni vultus aspiciendus fuit De Offic. l. 1. Self-murder in some Persons at some times and particularly in M. Cato who chose rather to be his own Executioner than to see the Face of Caesar 'T were easie to multiply ‖ See Taylor 's Ductor Dubit l. 2. c. 1. r. 1. n. 33 46. p. 176 180. Instances of this kind and to shew that some Men of great Attention and Consideration have been so very confused in their thoughts about Moral Good and Evil that they have perverted the distinction of both making that Duty which is Sin to do and that Vice which is a Duty to practice And 't is no wonder these Men of Consideration were at so great a Loss for they expected more from themselves as to these Matters than they did from God The Philosopher saith (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enchirid cap. 71. Epictetus expects all from himself Our Life saith (b) Deorum immortalium munus est quod vivimus Philosophiae quod bené vivimus Itaque tantò plus nos debere huic quà m Dijs quanto majus beneficium est bona Vita quam Vita Epist 90. Seneca is from God but that which is greater than Life our Vertue is from Philosophy Therefore we owe so much the more to Philosophy than we do to God by how much Vertue is better than Life And (c) Virtutem nemo unquam acceptam Deo retulit Cic. de Nat. Deorum another hath this strange Expression No Man saith he ever thought himself obliged to God for being Vertuous These were Men of great Attention and Consideration but while they scorn'd to acknowledge Moral Vertue Rem beneficiariam a Benefit collated by Heaven but * Illam sibi quisque debet non ab alio petitur Sen. Epist 90. owed it wholly to themselves How was it possible they should ever attain to distinct and certain Notices of Good and Evil or to use R. A's Words discern in a great Measure Moral Duties of Religion For such knowledge is from God which they proudly disowned They did understand many Truths and were eminent for many Parts of Morality but if serious Attention and Consideration were their alone Guide how came the chiefest of them to be so misguided in several important Duties wherein 't is not improbable they used equal Exactness and Care in their Disquisitions For my part I cannot conceive what is intended by this Assertion of R. A. wherein so much is attributed to serious Attention and Consideration unless he would depreciate Divine Revelation and if not set up Theism or Natural Religion in it's Room yet at least place them upon equal Ground or what is very near of kin to Theism raise the long buried Pelagian Notion out of it's Grave Sect. 3. From the Explication of his Thesis viz. That Singing the Praises of God is not a meer Positive Duty but a Moral one and consequently the Duty of all Men thus examined I proceed in the second place to his five Considerations which he brings to prove it 1. His first Consideration is That 't is a moral Duty for Men to praise God with all the Faculties wherewith he has endowed them To †1 Cor. 6.19 20. glorifie him not only with the Faculties of their Souls but also with all the Members of their Bodies Essay p. 8. Answ The Apostle makes it a pure Evangelical Duty and argues not from our Creation but from our Redemption Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's 1 Cor. 6.20 I do not deny it to be a Moral Duty to praise God with all the Faculties of Soul and Members of the Body but in the place quoted the Apostle presseth the Corinthians to glorifie God from a pure Evangelical Principle Christ hath given himself a Ransom for Soul and Body and therefore with both ye are obliged to glorifie him And what is this to Singing Yes saith R. A. 'T is certain that Men have not only a Faculty to praise God in their Hearts by an inward acknowledgment of his Goodness and Excellency but also with their Mouths and this not only by Speaking but also by Singing his Praise Answ 'T is certain all Men ought to praise God with all the Faculties of their Souls but 't is not certain that all Men have a Faculty