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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	glory_n	holy_a	host_n	2,049	5	9.6437	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47407	The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, proved to be an holy ordinance of Jesus Christ with an answer to all objections : as also, an examination of Mr. Isaac Marlow's two papers, one called, A discourse against singing, &c., the other, An appendix : wherein his arguments and cavils are detected and refuted / by Benjamin Keach ...	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1641 (1641)	Wing K50; ESTC R21273	133,739	273

we may do the Will of God on Earth as the Angels do it in Heaven i. e. do what is his Will and do it so viz. with all readiness Mr. Caryl tells us They are not worthy to be reckoned Sons of God who have not a readiness or present disposition in them to join with all or any of his true Sons in this Work to celebrate the Praises of God at his graciou● Appearances in his mighty Works of Mercy c. Secondly As the Angels sang at God's laying the Foundation of the first Creation so also they sang at the beginning or bringing in the second Creation as Mr. Caryl also observes even at the Birth of Christ they sang Glory to God on High and on Earth Peace good Will to Men. To teach us that as we should sing the Praises of God for the Works of Creation and so much the more for the Work of Redemption Shall they sing to see the good Will of God towards us and shall we be dumb Shall we who are thus raised to Glory and magnified by the mighty God not sing or imitate the Angels to join together with united Voices to sing and celebrate his Praises When the Disciples rejoiced and sang those Hosannahs to Jesus Christ Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord Peace in Heaven and Glory in the Highest Luke 19. 38. the envious Pharisees saith Mr. Caryl did not like the Musick and therefore said unto him from among the Multitude Master Rebuke thy Disciples By this it appears that the Devil is a great Enemy to Singing he does not love such Hosannahs and Praises should be sung to Jesus Christ he it is that rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience and 't was he no doubt that influenced and stirred up these Pharisees with Envy to have Christ's Disciples rebuked for singing and praising him in such a high and triumphant manner Take heed you that are God's People who do 〈◊〉 see it is your Duty to sing Hosannahs to Christ you do not forbid others so to do lest you are found in doing of it to degrade the Holy Jesus and take from him through the Temptation of Satan part of the chiefest Glory that is due to his glorious Name For pray observe the Answer of our Lord Jesus to those blind Pharisees Vers 10. I tell you if these should hold their Peace the Stones would immediately cry out as if he had said you labour in vain to suppress or hinder these to sing my Praises or to give Glory unto me for should they be silent the Stones would cry shame of them for neglecting their Duty and God would rather cause sensless Creatures to proclaim his Praise than to want it Object But some may say 'T is not said they s●ng Answ There is no doubt to be made but they sung all generally understand those Hosannahs were delivered in a Song Our Annotators hint that it might be the name of a Song that was used to be sung in Festivals Moreover they tell you that the Expressions seem to be taken out of Psal 118. 24 25 26. Also they were uttered as with one Voice The whole Multitude of the Disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud Voice Luke 19. 3● and uttered these words Hosanna blessed it he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosannah in the highest As God always was praised with Singing so now they seem to be raised with holy Triumph to express his Praise in the highest manner and therefore they sung But that I may close this take one or two Arguments Arg. 1. If Angels in Singing do the Will of God do that which is pleasing and acceptable to God and in so doing worship God then Singing or to sing is the Will of God well-pleasing to him and is acceptable in his sight and is a part of his Worship But Angels in Singing do the Will of God do that which is well-pleasing to him and acceptable in his sight ●and in so doing they worship him Ergo To sing is to do the Will of God 't is well-pleasing to him and acceptable in his sight and in so doing we worship him I never met with any that deny Angels to sing the Praises of Jehovah but all as one Man grant 't is part of their great Work and Business And this being so my Argument needs no Confirmation but is unanswerable Arg. 2. If Heaven and all the Host of Heaven or all that is therein and Earth and all that is in it are commanded by the Holy Ghost to sing the Praises of God then 't is the Duty of Men and Angels to sing his Praise But Heaven and all the Host of Heaven and all that is therein 〈◊〉 Earth and all that is in it are so commanded to do Ergo 'T is the Duty of Men and Angels to sing the Praises of God See Psal 148. There and in divers other places all in Heaven and Earth all are commanded to praise God in the Heights that is to sing Hallelujahs as the Hebrew word signifies Vers 1. CHAP. III. Proving Singing the Praises of God to be a Moral Duty OUR third Argument to prove Singing 〈◊〉 Ordinance of God shall be taken from the Nature of the Duty it self which generally worthy Men call a Moral Duty as well as it is brought under express Institution and so consequently a Branch of natural Worship And now because some weak Christians are offended at this Phrase viz. calling Singing a part of natural or moral Worship or Religion I shall explain what we mean when we speak thus First of all not but that 't is a spiritual Ordinance and a positively Law but we must distinguish between Precepts that are purely Moral and meerly Positive Breaking of Bread and Holy Baptism are meer positive Ordinances and they had never been known nor practised if there had not been a positive Institution to give being to them but to fear God to love God to pray to God and divers other Precepts of the same Nature had been the Duty of all Man-kind if there had been no written Law or Prescription positively to injoin them on the Creature and that by the Law or Light o● God in the Conscience of Men as Paul sheweth in Rom. 2. 14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law those having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their hearts All Mankind throughout the World know by that of God written in their Hearts they ought not to wrong their Neighbours they ought not to Steal nor commit Adultery nor Kill c. They are taught in a word the substance of the whole moral Law of God hereby if not wholly darkned and obliterated by their Sin and horrid Lusts Even so we say if there had been no written Law or positive Injunction to pray and sing the Praises of God

yet the Light of Nature would have taught us thus to do Remarkable is that passage of Moses in Gen. 4. Then began Men to call upon the Name of the Lord Ainsworth sheweth that the Text is taken two manner of ways the Chaldee in the Masovites Bible saith Then in his days Men left off Praying or became prophane so that they prayed not in the Name of the Lord. Others understand it directly the contrary way i. e. Then Men begun to pray or call on the Name of the Lord or erected publick Worship Preaching in the Name of the Lord. So Ainsworth Take it either way it appears they knew it was their Duty to Pray and Preach yet there was no positive Law or written Precept for either in those Days nor for many Years after even till Moses came so that 't is clear these are parts of moral or natural Worship And so is Singing no doubt for as all the Heathen generally invocate their Gods pray to them so they sing their Praises as might abundantly be demonstrated And what is more clear further to evince this than that Passage of the Children of Israels's Singing after their great Deliverance at the Red Sea Exod. 15. 1. Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song c. Either they did it by the Dictates of their own Conscience as a part of Divine Homage due to God from the Law or Light of God in their own Hearts to magnify him for That wonderful Salvation or else by some special means of Inspiration or Injunction from the Lord though I incline to the former Plain it is this was before the Law was given forth or there were any written Prescription or Rule to walk by which clearly shews take it either way it was no Levitical Ceremony as some are ready to assert but a Duty it was and it has been practised by multitudes that never had any knowledg of the Scripture or positive Precepts Further to confirm what we have said upon this respect i. e. that Singing the Praises of God is a moral Duty and a part of God's natural Worship as well as Prayer take what Mr. Robert's says Singing of Psalms c. to God with the Voice saith he seems to be part of God's natural Worship which upon due consideration of God's Nature Man by the Light of Nature should perform to him though there were no particular Law requiring it nor Institution appointing it For 1. Singing of Psalms c. to God is a king of Prayer a Prayer not in Prose but in Meeter with Melody The Apostle joins them together as of like Nature And who can be so gross as to deny Prayer to be part of God's natural Worship 2. Singing of Songs to God was practised by God's People at the Red Sea before the Law was given forth or any particular Law for that Duty 3. Singing the Praises of God is a Duty of the first Commandment peculiarly requiring all natural Worship to be performed to him and so it is ranked by the Godly Learned and say Singing with Heart and Voice is a Moral Worship such as is written in the Hearts of Men by Nature As to pray in distress so when we have cause of solemn Thanksgiving unto God to sing his Praises Now saith he that which is a part of God's natural moral Worship is a Duty under the New Testament as well as under the Old natural Worship is always and in all times a Duty obliging semper tho not ad semper Doubtless even the Pagans by the Light and Law of Nature are bound to sing Praises unto God for his invisible Excellencies made known to them by his visible Works of Creation and Providence tho they never come to the Knowledg of the Scriptures of Psalms and Songs Roberts's Key to the Bible pag. 172. But further to evince this and make it appear yet plainer that it is without all doubt ● Moral Duty to sing forth the Praises of God I might argue thus All Men are to pray to God every one saith Prayer is a Moral Duty then all are bound to praise him since Praise is comprehended in Prayer as a branch or part of it This being granted readily by all I further argue Ought not every Person then to perform this Duty of praising of God in the highest and most acceptable manner they are capable to do none to be sure will deny this why then say I they are all therefore taught to sing by natural or moral Principles 't is evident First Because to sing forth the Praises of God or Man is the highest manner or mode of praising either God or Man that we know of or are able to attain unto which doth appear 1. Because when any Man naturally is filled with Joy and Gladness or sees extraordinary cause of rejoicing he by a natural Instinct falls into singing all the World knows this is so Now who is he on such occasions bound to rejoice in● and sing to but the Lord only who gave him those good things he possesseth or delivered him from those evil things he seared and so upon the one account or other filled his Soul with Joy and Gladness Why ought the Saints particularly to rejoice in Christ Jesus and sing to him but because all that Good their Souls are made partakers of is in and through him Why did the People break forth into those sweet and triumphant Songs of Praise to David when they sang Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands was it 〈◊〉 from the Consideration of those singular Blessings and Victories they had received from David and hoped further to partake of from his Hands as an Instrument in the Hand of God And if Moral Principles lead People forth thus upon all occasions of this nature to sing to the Instrument of Blessings and Salvation how much more to the great Agent and Author of them viz. the great God of Heaven and Earth who will not give his Glory in another c. 2. Because this way of praising of God by singing is called by the Holy Ghost a praising of him in the Heights or as the heavenly Hosts Praise God with Allelujahs or in the highest manner Praise ye the Lord praise ye the Lord in the heights Psal 148. 1. Praise ye him all his Angels praise ye him all his Hosts vers 2. See Ainsworth The Angels singing forth God's Praises there can be no higher way doubtless to praise 〈◊〉 than that way by which the glo●●●●s S●●●●●ims and Cherubims do express and perform 〈◊〉 Also all the Godly in every Age have ●●●ified it as their stedfast Belief as well as ●●e holy Scriptures bear Witness to it that this is the way by which the glorified Saints in Heaven do and we with them shall when we come thither celebrate the Praises of God viz. by Singing therefore this of singing sorth the Praises of God is the highest and be●●●●y and manner Praises can be given to the ●ord

Divine Worship as to know what Gospel-Worship is and also that we ought not to neglect one Ordinance more than another because we are not arrived to the height of Perfection I am sure the way you would lead poor Souls in is not to bring them forward towards perfection ●in Worship but to keep them back and hinder them in pressing on to that which some have not yet attained unto Moreover your folly appears too much in calling our Singing an Irregular way of Worship unless you had 〈◊〉 strength of Argument to convince your Reader what you say is true May be 〈◊〉 you had Truth on your side you might have 〈◊〉 like a Man But I am satisfied all wise Men will say there appears nothing less than Argument In both parts of your Book there are many words indeed but little else as I can see If what I have said have no more strength of Argument and Scripture and good Sense in it for Singing of Psalms c. than appears in your Book against it I do intreat my Reader to reject what I have said and 〈◊〉 it as worth nothing but if it be otherwise viz. upright even words of Truth O then ye Saints receiv● this Ordinance and let what I have said by the assistance of God's Spirit be as Go●rds and as Nails fastened by the Master of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Prov. 12. 10 13. One word more to those Texts in Paul's Epistles Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. where he enjoins those Churches to admonish one another in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs c. Can any Man suppose 〈◊〉 these words the Apostle exhorts Ministers to preach and so sing in Preaching or to admonish one another to pray and so to sing in Prayer How absurd would it be to affirm either Why then say I he can mean nothing else but this Ordinance of Singing c. Object But say some Did not the Lord's People of Old in their Captivity say How can we sing one of the Lord's Songs in a strange Land Psal 137. 4. Answ 1. Under that Dispensation the Lord's People had a special and peculiar Right to Temporal Blessings and when they were deprived of them and in Exile they might not see they had that cause to sing the Praises of God But our Promises and Privileges are better ●nd more inward and Spiritual And therefore under the Gospel-Days we find the Saints sung in the midst of their greatest Sufferings for as ou● Sufferings do abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 5. 2. I know not but we nevertheless might see cause to refuse as they did to sing the Lord's Song at the taunting and reproachful ●●quests of an insulting Enemy the Lord's People are not to do the Lord's Work at the Devil's Instigation 3. But blessed be God we are not in Exil● we are delivered like Men that dreamed our Liberty and Mercies are great if we do not sin them away In the last place consider how acceptable and well-pleasing to God his Praises are in a Song read Psal 69. 30. I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnify him with Thanksgiving Vers● 31. This also shall please the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs Two things you may observe from 〈◊〉 1. That to sing God's Praises is acceptable to him 2. That 't is no Ceremonial Rite but in it self a Moral Duty Sacrifices appertained to the Ceremonial Law and though acceptable to God in their Nature and Design yet Moral Duties have always had the preference He hath shewed thee O Man what is good i. e. that excells that which God most delights in to do justly love Mercy c. Mic. 6. 8. And this of praising God in a Song seems from hence to be a Duty of the same Nature 't is not only acceptable but very acceptable it pleases God better than shadowy Ordinances or the Offering of an Ox or Bullock The● few things Brethren I thought good to add at the Close that you may stick close to this Heavenly Ordinance and not be removed by the subtil opposition of any Men whatsoever Remember there is no Truth of Christ but has met with its Opposers but though we can't as yet agree to sing the Praises of God together yet let us love one another and let not the practising or non-practising of this Duty for want of Light break our Communion one with another nor make a Breach in our Affections Let us walk as we have attained If any be otherwise minded God may reveal it to them Phil. 3. 15. Let us live holy Lives and not sing God's Praises and soon forget his Works that so though we can't all sing together on Earth yet may so walk to the Praise of his Glory that we may sing his Praises together in Heaven FINIS Some Reflections on Mr. Marlow's undue Citations of several Learned Men shewing the genuine and proper Signification of the word Hymnos By another Hand THE Foundation of Singing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs in the Publick Assembly of the Saints is too firmly laid in Scripture and in the Judgment and Practice of Christians in general to be shaken by the New Notions of some few amongst us whom I hope the Lord in his time will lead into the knowledge of this Truth and make them sensible of their injurous Attempts to overthrow and remove it particularly Mr. Marlow in his late Book and Appendix which are answered in the preceding Tract and no more is intended in these few Pages but some short Remarks on the two first Sections of the Appendix In the first whereof he would not have Praising God con●●ed to Songs of Praise or Vocal and Melodious Singing For my part I know not where he will find an Antagonist in this Point for without Controversy it will be generally granted that all Creatures according to their Natures and Capacities are obliged to praise their great and bountiful Creatour and the allowance hereof doth not in the least injure the Duty which he strenuously pleads against As for his long Citation out of the Learned Dr. Owen on Heb. 2. 12. to me seems very little for his purpose for the Doctor after he had made some Reflections on the translation of the former part of the Verse saith in the rest of the words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in the midst of the Church I will sing Praise unto thee the Original Heb. Psal 22. 24. is expresly render'd for though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be render'd simply to Praise yet it s most frequent use when it respects God as its Object is to praise by Hymns or Psalms as the Apostle here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sibi hymnos canam I will sing Hymnes unto thee or te hymnis celebrabo I will praise thee with Hymns which was the principal way of setting forth God's Praise under the Old

in Scripture tho I must confess I know none yet it could be no more a proper singing than the Blood of Abel which is said to speak is a proper speaking so that if they could shew us in any place of God's Word where any Godly Man is said to sing and yet his Voice was not heard it would signify nothing to their purpose in turning all singing unto Heart-Melody or inward rejoycing only without the Tongue expressing of it musically or in a melodious manner for this is just to destroy the Propriety of different Actions and Things said to be done As to the other Objection take what Mr. Sid●●●am in his Treatise of Singing saith in Answer to this Objection pag. 208. Obj. But if one say saith he when one prays all may be said to pray tho they do but consent it may be so in singing of Psalms c. Answ It is answered saith he All Ordinances must be considered according to their proper nature some Ordinances are so to be administred as that only one at once can perform it as publick Prayer and Preaching and yet there must be a distinction even in these my Silence in Prayer ought to be when I pray with another and yet I may be said to pray as well as he which is the mouth of the whole because my Heart is with him in the same Petitions and my Desires go equally with him but in Preaching where Silence must be likewise from the nature of the Ordinance yet tho I consent fully with the Matter and agree in all that is said with never so much Affection yet I can't be said to preach but only he that speaketh preaches So now as to Singing there is a difference likewise of another Consideration if only one sing none else can be said to sing tho they joyn with the Matter and agree to it in their Hearts for it is an outward Act and terminated in the Person that performs it And tho in my silent Conjunction I may readily praise God yet I can in no sense be properly said to sing with others without I do use my Voice and bodily Organs as they do This Consideration saith he may give light to Men that mind the nature and distinction of Ordinances in their Administrations that which is the Confusion of other Ordinances is the Beauty of this for two to preach or pray together at the same time and place were the greatest Confusion imaginable but for an hundred to sing together is most harmonious and pleasant so far from the breach of Order that Harmony is most discovered by it So far Mr. Sidenham I hope our Brethren do not think there is Confusion in Heaven where the Heavenly Host with one Voice-celebrate the Praises of God by singing to him 2. Further to prove that Singing properly can't be done without the Voice it is material to observe the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 104. 12. where our Dictionaries as well as our Annotators on the Bible shew it signifies giving a Voice and such a Voice too that is melodious in Odulation or tuning the Voice And saith Reverend Dr. Roberts To limit Singing only in the Heart and inward Melody of the Spirit is utterly besides the Apostle's intent and contrary to the nature of Singing and destructive to all Edification or Advantage to others by Singing Where do we read of singing in all the Scripture without a Voice How gross saith he and ignorant a Contradiction in the Adject and absurd Nonsense is it to talk of singing in the Heart without a Voice Dr. Roberts's Key of the Bible p. 177. Moreover Mr. Caryl whose Learning and excellent Parts and Wisdom shines tho dead through the World positively affirms That Singing is an Act of the Voice on Job 38. 7. So that it appears from hence tho there is Heart-Prayer Mental-Prayer and that may be said as properly to be Prayer tho the Voice be not heard as in Hannah's Case as that which is vocal yet there is no proper singing but that which is performed with the Tongue 3. Were it not so all Mankind are and would be mistaken in one of the common Acts of the bodily Organs and not be able to resolve so plain a Question What is it to sing or what is singing But so easy a Question is this to be answered that every Child can readily resolve it that is not above six or seven Years old nay if a Turk Indian or Pagan should come into our Assemblies that understands not one word of English and so can't distinguish in other Acts of Worship the one from the other yet if he hears us a singing he knows what that is and if but one Man sings tho the rest may shew their liking or approbation of it if any should say they all sing every one would say he told a Lie there was but one Man only who sung but in Prayer that being an Act of Worship that may be performed without the Voice 't is quite another thing all may be said to pray tho but one is the Mouth Now this being so what is become of Mr. Marlow's Essence of Singing for tho I shall not answer his Book until I come to the main Objections yet what he speaks in that place and upon that occasion I shall take notice of ●ere Now saith he what can be more plain ●han that Singing and other Gifts of the holy Spirit have their Essence in our Spirits wherein we are capable of worshipping God without Verbal and Vocal Instruments of the Body These are his very words I answer Some have so smiled at this Expression that they can't tell what he intends by ●t unless he would shew himself skill'd in Chymistry But since he meddles with Divine Things I must confess I am troubled to see such kind of words used that no Body knows what to make of them By Essence of a thing I always understood the Substance or Being of a thing Now if the Substance and Being of Sing●ng and other Gifts of the Spirit by which I suppose he means other Duties of God's Worship which are to be performed by those Gifts ●ie in our Spirits and may be wihtout distinction performed acceptably to God without Verbal or Vocal Instruments of the Body ●hen farewel to Verbal or Vocal Preaching and Praying too It grieves my Soul to see the Ho●y Truths of God's Worship invaded Is not the Essence of Preaching in our Spirits as much as the Essence of Singing is there And are we not as capable in our Spirits to worship God in all other Ordinances without the Verbal or Vocal Instruments of the Body as well as in Singing without Voice by your Argument And let me tell you you have said more to justify the Quakers Silent Meetings than you are aware of Nay 't is an Argument as far as I know they may thank you for but by this way of reasoning there is no mo●● need of the poor Body to glorify