Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	find_v	scripture_n	2,794	5	5.7360	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44281	Gospel musick, or, The singing of Davids psalms, &c. in the publick congregations, or private families asserted, and vindicated, against a printed pamphlet, entitled, Certain reasons by way of confutation of singing psalms in the letter, objections sent in, in writing, scruples of some tender consciences by thy loving brother, N.H., D.D., M.M.S. ; vnto which is added, the iudgement of our worthy brethren of New-England touching singing of psalms, as it is learnedly and gravely set forth in their preface to the Singing psalms, by them translated into metre.	Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1644 (1644)	Wing H2567; ESTC R13654	26,991	33

and perpetuall authoritie in all nations and ages are they typicall what type can be imagined in making use of his songs to praise the Lord If they were typicall because the ceremonie of musicall Instruments was joyned with them then their prayers were also typicall because they had that ceremony of incense admixt with them but we know that prayer then was a morall dutie notwithstanding the incense and so singing those Psalms notwithstanding their musicall Instruments Beside that which was typicall as that they were sung with musicall Instruments by the twenty foure orders of Priests and Levites 1 Chron. 25.9 must have the morall and spirituall accomplishment in the New Testament in all the Churches of the Saints principally who are made Kings and Priests Rev. 1.6 and are the first-fruits unto God Rev. 14.4 as the Levites were Numb 3.45 with hearts and lips instead of musicall Instruments to praise the Lord who are set forth as some judiciously think Rev. 4.4 by twenty foure Elders in the ripe age of the Church Gal. 4.1 2 3. answering to the twenty foure orders of Priests and Levites 1 Chron. 25.9 Therefore not some select members but the whole Church is commanded to teach one another in all the severall sorts of Davids Psalmes some being called by himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalms some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hymnes some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall songs So that if the singing Davids Psalms be a morall dutie and therefore perpetuall then we under the New Testament are bound to sing them as well as they under the old and if we are expresly commanded to sing Psalms Hymnes and spiritual songs then either we must sing Davids Psalms or else may affirm they are not spirituall songs which being penned by an extraordinarie gift of the Spirit for the sake especially of Gods spirituall Israel not to be read and preached onely as other parts of holy Writ but to be sung also they are therefore most spirituall and still to be sung of all the Israel of God and verily as their sin is exceeding great who will allow Davids Psalms as other Scriptures to be read in Churches which is one end but not to be preached also which is another end so their sin is crying before God who will allow them to be read and preached but seek to deprive the Lord of the glorie of the third end of them which is to sing them in Christian Churches Obj. 1. If it be said that the Saints in the primitive Church did compile spirituall songs of their own inditing and sing them before the Church 1 Cor. 14 15 16. Ans We answer first that those Saints compiled these spirituall songs by the extraordinarie gifts of the spirit common in those dayes whereby they were inabled to praise the Lord in strange tongues wherein learned Paraeus proves those Psalms were uttered in his Comment on that place ver 14. which extraordinarie gifts if they were still in the Churches we should allow them the like libertie now Secondly suppose those Psalms were sung by an ordinary gift which we suppose cannot be evicted doth it therefore follow that they did not and that we ought not to sing Davids Psalms must the ordinarie gifts of a private man quench the spirit still speaking to us by the extraordinarie gifts of his servant David there is not the least foot-step of example or precept or colour of reason for such a bold practise Obj. 2. Ministers are allowed to pray conceived prayers and why not to sing conceived Psalms must we not sing in the spirit as well as pray in the spirit Ans First because every good Minister hath not a gift of spirituall poetry to compose extemporarie Psalms as he hath of prayer Secondly suppose he had yet seeing Psalms are to be sung by a joynt consent and harmony of all the Church in heart and voice as we shall prove this cannot be done except he that composeth a Psalm bringeth into the Church set forms of Psalms of his own invention for which we find no warrant or president in any ordinarie officers of the Church throughout the Scriptures Thirdly because the book of Psalms is so compleat a System of Psalms which the holy Ghost himself in infinite wisedome hath made to sute all the conditions necessities tempations affections c. of men in all ages as most of all our interpreters on the Psalrues have fully and particularly cleared therefore by this the Lord seemeth to stop all mens mouthes and minds ordinarily to compile or sing any other Psalmes under colour that the occasions and conditions of the Church are new c. for the publick use of the Church seeing let our condition be what it will the Lord himselfe hath supplied us with farre better And therefore in Hezekiahs time though doubtlesse there were among them those that had extraordinary gifts to compile new songs on those new occasions as Isaiah and Micah c. yet we read that they are commanded to sing in the words of David and Asaph which were ordinarily to be used in the publick worship of God And we doubt not but those that are wise will easily see that those set formes of Psalmes of Gods own appointment not of mans conceived gift or humane imposition were sung in the Spirit by those holy Levites as well as their prayers were in the Spirit which themselves conceived the Lord not then binding them therin to any set formes and shall set formes of Psalmes appointed of God not be sung in the Spirit now which others did then Question But why may not one compose a Psalme and sing it alone with a lowd voyce and the rest joyne with him in silence and in the end say Amen Answ If such a practice was found in the Church of Corinth when any had a Psalme suggested by an extraordinary gift yet in singing ordinary Psalmes the whole Church is to joyne together in heart and voyce to praise the Lord. For First Davids Psalmes as hath been shewed were sung in heart and voyce together by the twenty foure Orders of the Musicians of the Temple who typed out the twenty foure Elders all the members especially of Christian Churches Rev. 5.8 who are made Kings and Priests to God to praise him as they did for if there were any other order of singing Choristers beside the body of the people to succeed those the Lord would doubtlesse have given direction in the Gospel for their qualification election maintenance c. as he did for the Musicians of the Temple and as his faithfulnesse hath done for all other Church-officers in the New Testament Secondly others beside the Levites the chiefe Singers in the Jewish Church did also sing the Lords songs else why are they commanded frequently to sing as in Psal 100.1 2 3. Psal 95.1 2 3. Psal 102. Title with v. 18. and Exod. 15.1 not only Moses but all Israel sang that song they spake saying as it is in the orig all

prayers c. For Hieron and Augustine it makes no matter which we put first though in age we know Hieron was ancienter then Augustine we look to the order of times when men likely might write those things we quote yet that men may not mistakingly think we mistook we put Augustine first as younger in age Augustine 385. who was made Professor of Rhetorick and heard Ambrose as Bucholcerus saith about 385. after writing divers bookes Aug. lib. de Catechizandis rudibus Retractat lib. 2. cap. 11. commends the Churches in Egypt for their sweet ejaculatory singings saying that not voyces but devotions ascend up to Gods eares Adding that he would have their publick singings to be such as that all the people might understandingly say Amen He wrote also a booke as we have said against Hilarius in the behalfe of singing Hieronymus made a Presbyter at 20 years of age about A.D. 353. 353. so Helvicus and wrote his Catalogue of Illustrious men about An. Dom. 392. Canon Non mediocr distinct 5. so Bucholcerus finds fault that in his time they sang no more reverently And he is cited to say Better it is to sing five Psalmes with purity serenity and spirituall cheerfulnesse of heart then all the Psalter with distractions of heart Ambrose made Episc Mediol 369. about 369. yeares after Christ as Bucholc affirms Lib. 9. Confessionum is said by Augustine to have zealously put on the Westerne Churches in singing of Hymnes and Psalms Among whom the Roman Church was then eminent Basil the great 365. a learned pious man mightily commends the singing of Psalmes as we shall heare afterwards in the usefulnesse of it and therefore no doubt it was the custome of the Greek Churches in his time who flourished about 365. yeares 365. after Christ So he in his Com. in Gr. upon the Psalms Athanasius advanced singing in the Greeke Church of Alexandria who flourished about the yeare 325. viz. then made Episcop eo loci which Augustine commends and Gregory in imitats 325. in the Latin Church Tertullian who flourished neerer the Apostles times saith 194. that the Christians after their Love-feasts as Jude calls them Apologet. cap. 19. Jude 12.98 Tertullian useth the same word were wont to sing out of the holy Scriptures Eusebius tells us that Plinie the second about Anno 98. wrote an Epistle to Trajan the Emperour In the time of the Apostles This Epist of Plin. is extant in Euseb in hist Eccles lib. 3. cap. 33. Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 2. cap. 17. that the Christians being gathered together before day were wont to sing together Hymnes and praises to Christ as to a God And the same Eusebius testifies that Philo Judaeus did testifie the same of the Christians singing which Philo Judaeus did as Eusebius affirmeth live in the time of some of the Apostles And assures us also that the said Plinie and Trajan lived in the time of the Apostle John who died not till about 100. yeares after Christ And thus I have brought the practice of the Churches in singing of Psalmes up to the Apostles times by the writings of the most godly and learned men of former ages whose judgments you have heard approving the goodnesse of the practice as well as their Histories affirming the truth of the fact Upon which Zanchie boldly affirmes that singing was an Apostolicall institution And no wonder he should be bold in this when the text of Scriptures we laid down at first are so evident from which no doubt the Churches took their warrant 4. The necessarinesse of Singing with other Ordinances The Churches well knew that some ordinances are maimed without the connexion of this Gospel Musick with them if we follow the Scriptures and example of Christ and the Apostles How doe we celebrate a day of praise for deliverance according to the Scriptures unlesse we have Psalmes and Hymnes of praise as Moses had Exod. 15. Deborah had Judg. 5. David had 2 Sam. 22.2 See also Junius on Judg. 5.2 which Psalmes all Israel sang Exod. 15.1 Psal 18. How doe we receive the communion after the example of Christ which we justly urge for sitting at the Communion if after the administration thereof we doe not sing an Hymne or Psalme When are we Christian-like merry if not for receivall of mercies from the hand of God And how are we merry according to the prescript of Scriptures Jam. 5. if we sing not Saints glory in tribulation oft-times Rom. 5.2 so that Paul and Silas sing Psalmes in the prison yea in the stocks What kind of Christians then are we that will not sing at all Season no duties with singing Whereas the Churches in the primitive times in the ten persecutions sugared and sweetned their meetings and duties with singing of Psalmes afore they parted as we heard before The truth is devout singing of Psalmes is a savourie sauce to relish every condition and ordinance that is an iterated ordinance For Baptisme after once administration is never to be repeated Before Sermon the Churches sing to quicken their hearts to prayer After the communion they sing to raise them up in praise Yea I may say this spirituall sauce is meat it selfe In singing we pray we praise we confesse we petition we exhort we meditate we beleeve we joy we mourn Singing is praising Ephes 5.19.20 Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and giving thankes alwayes It is joying In the same place Making melody in your hearts Psal 38. ritle or first vers So in Hebr. So Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is meditating In the same place Speaking to your selves As David entitles one of his Psalmes A Psalme to bring to remembrance It is teaching Exhorting and admonisting our owne souls Coloss 3.16 Teaching and admonishing your selves in Psalms c. It is mourning See Davids many Penitentiall Psalms And that 102. Psalme whose title or first verse so in the Hebrew is A prayer of the afflicted when he is over-whelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. When we will be merry in the Lord we must sing Jam. 5.13 But he doth not say but that when we are sad before the Lord we may sing as the Saints have done as we see in the instances we have given To which adde the sad song of the Lamentations of Jeremiah for the afflictions of the Church and made in curious meetre with great varietie as they that know the Hebrew can see which the Jewes sung for many yeares 2 Chron. 35.24 25. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah for his death was the beginning of the ruine of the Church and Jeremiah lamented for Josiah For 22 yeares at least till the captivity in Zedechia his time and all the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations By that we have said of mourning in

compose severall spirituall songs upon all varieties of occasions the strong would be forced to spend much time in metricall composalls and yet not have one in a readinesse sutable to a new emergent occasion when the cause and the cheerful mind call for it and the weak shall never sing because they can compose none at all For a generall close to all that is objected of singing with the spirit and worshipping in spirit Joh. 4. We say That we may sing Davids Psalmes and yet sing with the spirit As preaching the text of the Gospel is a ministery of the Spirit 2. Cor. 3. And so in using Scripture forms of baptizing and holy Supper the Spirit doth come in with it the more we say or pray or sing the words of the Spirit the more do we those according to the mind of the Spirit All what the Spirit suggests is what it hath already written and for us to use as Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever was written afore time was for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 3. Objection from the matter is this Is not say the reasons against singing this a confused praising God when we shall offer to him the exhortations of praise This is giving to God his exhortation again and leaving the duty undone Is not this sinfull to answer God in his own words God commands his people to praise him Now for us to take those words God speakes to us and speak them to God again and thereby think we have done the duty when indeed we leave the duty undone This is sinfull Answ Why may we not as well sing to God what God sayes to us as well as pray that in prayer which God saith to us David did both Psal 27. Thou Lord saydst seek ye my face My heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek David thinks he praiseth God in song by singing exhortations to praise Psal 136. See the first three verses and the last verse So Psal 148. Psal 149. Psal 150. As Luther said Praying is the best preparation to prayer for then we set upon it in Gods strength But in meditation in our own strength So sure singing exhortations to prayer is an excellent preparation to sing praises And therefore David begins many of his Psalms with exhortations to praise 2 sort of Objections are from the Form 1 Obj. Set forms in singing Psalms are invented by men So the Certain Reasons 1 Answ If turning Davids Psalms into English Meeter be humane invention when the matter is purely divine Scripture how much more may that be said to be humane invention when the matter and form is composed by you that make this Objection 2 By the same Argument you may call composing of Sermons humane inventions 2 Obj. From the Form is That the singing of Davids Psalms in our English Meeter is an imposition imposed by men So the Certain Reasons 1 Answ There was never any Law or Canon or c. extant that I know to impose our English Meeter on the Churches All that is said is in the Title to the singing Psalms viz. Set forth and allowed to be sung in Churches and private Families to prevent ungodly Balads Here is no imposition but onely permission men may sing them and not sing them and yet not be punished For in all the prelaticall persecutions men were never persecuted for omitting to sing them publickly or privately 2. That were a farre greater imposition if as we have seen instance men shall compose Psalms or spirituall Songs for matter and form and read them to the Church upon the sudden to sing without the advise of the Church whether they were orthodox or no and without their allowance and leave that they should be used by the Church and so causing men to offer up to God instantly that which they did not well know what it was and so could not sing with that faith and affection as they ought doubting what might follow in the next line not having any sight of it in their books nor any impression of it in their memories whether it were warrantable or no to the great offence of some of the Congregation 3 Obj. From the Form is that it is Liturgicall and Cathedrall as in Pauls and Westminster c. So those Reasons Ans Davids Psalms sung some phrases in our English Meeter differ much from Cathedrall singing which is so abominable in which is sung almost every thing unlawfull Letanies and Creeds and other prose not framed in Meeter fit for singing Besides they do not let all the Congregation neither sing nor understand what is sung battologizing and quavering over the same words vainly Yea nor do all they sing together but first one sings an Anthem then half the Chore then the other tossing the Word of God like a Tenice-ball Then all yelling together with confused noise Hieron on 5. Bphes Aug. Confes This we utterly dislike as most unlawfull As Hieronius of old declaimed justly against it calling it Musicam Theatralem Stage play singing And Augustine A studying of Musick rather then heavenly melodie and devotion And the glosse quipping it with two verses Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor Non clamor sed amor psallit in aure Dei Soul vows not ayrie voice Not Art but heart God hears Not loud noise but love joyes Make Musick in Gods eares 3 Obj. from the form The Prophets Christ or his Apostles never praised God by any form invented by man but upon all occasions by the powerfull operation of the Spirit 2 Pet. 2.21 Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost So those Reasons 1 Answ This text is not meant of singing and expressing what we find penned in the Word of God But of the extraordinarie inspiration of the Spirit directing infallibly some few extraordinarie men Prophets Apostles c. to pen the divine texts of Scriptures Among which we find in other Scriptures that they penned some Psalms and spirituall Songs and sang them themselves and there expresly left them to the Churches to sing Exod. 15.1 Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song 2 Chron. 35.25 And Jeremiah lamented Josiah and all the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations That is in the Lamentations of Jeremiah penned with great varietie of meeter as they that can but read Hebrew may see somewhat of it And what is the meaning of the titles of the Psalms which are very Text To the chief Musitian A Psalme for Asaph A Psalm for the sons of Korah A Psalme for the Sabbath day A Psalm of degrees of which there are many which being excellent Psalms were appointed to be sung upon the stairs of the Temple in the beginning of their publick worship and therefore some translate Psalms of or for the stairs I

as well as Moses the women also as well as the men ver 20 21. and Deut. 32. whereto some think John had reference as well as to Exod. 15.1 when he brings in the Protestant Churches getting the victory over the beast with Harps in their hands and singing the song of Moses Rev. 15.3 this song Moses is commanded not only to put into their hearts but into their mouthes also Deut. 31.19 which argues they were with their mouthes to sing it together as well as with their hearts Thirdly Isaiah foretells in the dayes of the new Testament that Gods watchment and desolate lost souls signified by wast places should with their voices sing together Isa 52.8.9 and Rev. 7.9 10. the song of the Lamb was by many together and the Aposte expresly commands the singing of Psalms Hymnes c. not to any select Christians but to the whole Church Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 Paul and Silas sang together in private Acts 16. 25. and must the publick heare only one man sing To all these we may adde the practice of the primitive Churches the testistimony of ancient and holy Basil is in stead of many Epist 63. When one of us saith he hath begun a Psalme the rest of us set in to sing with him all of us with one heart and one voyce and this saith he is the common practice of the Churches of Egypt Lybia Thebes Palestina Syria and those that dwell on Euphrates and generally every where where singing of Psalmes is of any account To the same purpose also Eusebius gives witnesse Eceles hist lib. 2. cap. 17. The objections made against this doe most of them plead against joyning to sing in heart as well as in voyce as that by this means others out of the Church will sing as also that we are not alway in a suteable estate to the matter sung and likewise that all cannot sing with understanding in all not therefore all that have understanding joyn in heart and voyce 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 men too can doe it with spirituall understanding As for the scruple that some take at the translation of the book of Psalms into meeter because Davids Psalmes were sung in his own words without meeter we answer First there are many verses together in severall Psalmes of David which run in rithmes as those that know the Hebrow and as Buxtorf shewes Thesau p. 629. which shewes at least the lawfulnesse of singing Psalmes in English rithmes Secondly the Psalmes are penned in such verses as are sutable to the Poetry of the Hebrew language and not in the common stile of such other books of the old Testament as are not poeticall now no Protestant doubteth but that all the books of the Scripture should by Gods ordinance be extant in the mother tongue of each nation ☟ Observe Reader that this Note viz. that they may be understood of all hence the Psalms are to betranslated into our English tongue and if in our English tongue we are to sing them * See Mr. Mede on 1 Cor. 11.5 where he proves that it is so far from being unlawful for a woman to sing because she is not permitted to speak in the Church that in singing she ought to speak as being her duty of prophesying I say this note being omitted in his place must be referred thither viz. 10 pa. 9. lin the last then as all our English songs according to the course of our English Poetry do run in meeter so ought Davids Psalms to be translated into meeter that so we may sing the Lords songs as in our English tongue so in such verses as are familiar to an English care which are commonly Metrical and as it can be no just offence to any good conscience to sing Davids Hebrew songs in English words so neiher to sing his Poeticall verses in English Poeticall meeter men might as well stumble at singing the Hebrew Psalms in our English tunes and not in the Hebrew tunes as at singing them in English meeter which are our verses and not in such verses as are generally used by David according to the Poetry of the Hebrew language but the truth is as the Lord hath hid from us the Hebrew tunes lest we should think our selves bound to imitate them so also the course and frame for the most part of their Hebrew Poetry that we might not think our selves bound to imitate that but that every nation without scruple might follow as the graver sort of tunes of their own countrey songs so the graver sort of verses of their own countrey Poetry FINIS