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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47361	An answer to Mr. Marlow's Appendix Wherein his arguments to prove that singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, was performed in the primitive church by a special or an extraordinary gift, and therefore not to be practised in these days, are examined, and clearly detected. Also some reflections on what he speaks on the word hymnos, hymnos: and on his undue quotations of divers learned men. By a learned hand. By B. Keach.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1691 (1691)	Wing K43A; ESTC R223737	27,870	57

Prayer Preaching and Singing also must we not pray preach nor sing if we must not do one of them we must do none of them And therefore in opposition to what you say Pag. 13. of your Appendix If the Practice of Christ and the Primitive Church doth not bind us to the Observation of one Ordinance viz. that of Singing it binds us to the Observation of none 't is time to look about us for your manner of arguing I do declare as 't was intimated to me the other day by my Reverend Brother Knowles tends to the overthrow of all Gospel-Ordinances whatsoever therefore I warn all my Brethren to take heed how they hearken to you in this matter as they tender the Glory of God and the Establishment of all Gospel-Worship and Ordinances But to proceed 'T is an easy thing for any wary Reader who is not willing to be deceived to perceive the Man hath a bad Cause in hand and that he reasons not like a wise and enlightned understanding Christian Which doth fully appear if we consider the false and preposterous Mediums or Ways he takes to make out what he pretends to prove 1. For one while he seems to assert that the Essence of Singing which is he says in our Spirit that will serve our turn in discharge of the Duty of singing forth God's Praises without imploying our Tongues or bodily Organs in it which as I have again and again said doth as well exclude vocal Praying and Preaching c. as Singing See Pag. 8. of his first Treatise 2. Then again at another time because there are other ways to praise God besides singing of his Praises we must not sing his Praises at all Appendix p. 4 5. 3. At another time he seems to exclude all Singing out of the Bible from an improper Signification of a Greek word and strives to make it out 't was only common Praises or Thanksgiving in Prayer See the Epistle to me and Appendix p. 1 2 3 4 5. And so quarrels with the Translators of the holy Bible as if they wanted Skill in the Greek Tongue or else Faithfulness in rendring the Word they sung an Hymn which he tells you they should have rendered they gave Thanks or said Grace But further to clear our Godly Learned and Pious Translators of the Bible let it be considered how carefully they were in other Cases particularly in respect of the word Baptizo which they never ventured to translate Rantizo sprinkling to favour their own Practice but rather chose to leave the word in the Original Tongue and not translate it at all than to give a false Signification of it 4. But lest all these Tricks and Shifts should fail him he flies to another broken Refuge viz. intimating that the Ordinance of Singing doth not belong to us now but may be practised by the Saints hereafter in the thousand Years Reign or seventh thousand Years of this World Which is a very doubtful Point I mean whether there will be such a thousand Years Reign or not in his sense and yet this Duty lies amongst other Gospel-Ordinances and Precepts given 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 fond 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 served 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 Assertion His first Argument to prove Singing was always performed from a special Gift is in Appendix pag. 14. For as the Grace of Joy is the Fruit of the Spirit saith he and as God had promised 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 Tongues 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 Fruit 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

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 assistance 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 Brethren understand themselves better than to go about to impose on the Church or Consciences of their Brethren or to strive to pull down that which the Church and themselves too have been a building for so many Years Can there be a Man so left of God as to countenance any Persons to make a Schism in a Congragation because they cannot forgo a Duty they have so long been satisfied in the practice of and so the whole Body to submit to the Sentiments of a few Persons as if they had Power over our Faith We do not say our dissatisfied Brethren shall sing with us or we will have no fellowship with them no God forbid we should impose on their Consciences We do not look upon Singing c. an Essential of Communion 't is not for the being but for the comfort and well-being of a Church We have told our Brethren since we sing not till after our last Prayer if they cannot sing with us nay nor stay with the Church whilst we do sing they may go forth and we will not be offended Should any countenance through a hot and unaccountable zeal such a Schism it would make strange Confusion in our Churches And since he thus publickly hints at this private Case amongst us I had I thought a clear Call to open the matter plainly as it is to clear my self and the Church to all who may read his Epistle and this my Answer for we have done nothing we have the least cause to be ashamed of or unable to justify in the sight of God or Man I shall add one word to the consideration of the Brethren of our Church I doubt not but they will consider it 1. If they look upon us as equal in Knowledg and Uprightness towards God with themselves they may see we have the same ground to be offended with them in diminishing from God's Word as they may be with us for adding as possibly they think to God's Word 2. And let them consider 't is a horrid Evil to break the Bond of Spiritual Union and unawares to wound the Body of Christ Whose Work is it thus to do but the Devil's and what a reproach doth it bring upon the Truth and how grievous is it to all truly Godly Ones and grateful to the Enemies of our Sacred Profession Besides upon such a trifle can it be so hainous a Crime to be found often in that Duty which they with us have so often and long been in the practice of and in a mixt Assembly too many and many times Besides brought in by almost an unanimous Agreement in a solemn Church-Meeting there being not above five or six that shewed any publick dissent nor they neither signifying any such dissatisfaction i. e. that if we sang at such Times they could not bear it nor do I hear they do desire us now to decline the said practice Love will cover a greater Fault than this for they may see cause to believe 't is not Self-Interest but the Glory of God we wholly aim at But to return The truth is I wonder any should be taken with his Book for I never saw any thing come out in Print upon any controvertible Truth that has less of Argument in it or more of Confidence And 't is not my Thoughts alone nor more destructive Mediums made use of to the whole of the external Parts of Religion Nay one told me very lately that one of our dissatisfied Members intimated to him as if our Bible was not truly or rightly translated and it seems to rise from what Mr. Marlow hath asserted in his Book about the word Hymnos I fear'd that would be the Effect of his Attempt if any Body regarded what he hath said upon that account But pray what Call has he to rebuke me after this publick manner especially before the whole World If I had done any thing amiss in his Judgment in that Matter I could wish he had had more Wisdom and Prudence or