what they speak of God as in psal 8.1 O God our Lord how wonderfull One that hath not the psalm in their memory knoweth not if the works or mercies or fearfull judgements of God or the great power and cruelty of the enemies be called wonderfull untill that the line be sung out and the next line read In psal 84.1 O Lord since vengeance doth to thee c. three lines are sung out and the fourth read before they know the sentence and weak memories forget what they sing before the second or third line be read some can not repeat the first line after the reading They abuse Gods name also when the last line is read albeit they understand it for it is a none sense to sing only apart viz. the last line not the whole sentence with understanding and many understand not the sentence even at the hearing of the last line because they forget the former lines before the last be read so God is rather mocked than praised by this blind implicit faith modest silence hath more true devotion 2. They say that learned men themselves understand not many words which they both read and sing Ignorance is tolerable when God revealeth not the mater but not when men procure it by a rash practise nor yet when they will seem wise in the thing they understand not Will not a king be offended if his servants speak to him as drunken men not knowing what they say but more justly may God be offended at such contempt 3. The proclaimer of lines of times forgetteth the words of his book and he speaketh other words for them 4. Sometimes his book is wrong printed and he bableth as he findeth it 5. Sometimes people distant from him hear not his voice because he heareth his own voice he believeth that all the rest hear it 6. It is a great contempt of Gods worship at every line to interrupt and mar it giving place to a reader Will any interrupt the shearing of corn by tilling so much ground as is shorn at the shearing of every sheaf this interruption is more uncomely 7. Musick orderly used stirreth up mens hearts to praise God cheerfully this interruption diminitheth cheerfulnesse and hindereth attention unto the matter Quest It is comely in the church that one part of the people shall sing and nes all the rest Ans It is as comely as when some read the word with the Reader and the text with the Preacher and as when some use ejaculations at preaching and not all the rest 2. It is more comely than that all the people shall so often interrupt Gods worship giving place unto a Reader 3. Gods Spirit thought it comely that twelve men only should sing at once in the temple not all the rest Chron. 25. the rest may praise God in a vocall manner saying with Iob Blessed be the name of the Lord Or For thine is the kingdome power and glory for Christ in the Lords prayer did conjoin praise with prayer 4. The Lord in Math. 11.25 said I thank thee O heavenly Father Lord of Heaven and Earth c. this was as true praise as when after his last supper he sung a psalme 5. At the Lords birth the sheepheards heard the Angels praised God without reading of lines for concurrance of the sheepheards this angelicall praise may suffice all the world if the musicall praise be not rightly used 6. If men have in their hearts the substantiall praise of the love reverence and of an high estimation of God the matter is little though all their lifetime they want the shaddow of musicall praise 7. The ignorant may be taught a more comely musicall praise without abusing of Gods Name Quest How shall it bee done Answ Teach them to get in their memories short and materiall psalmes for they are capable of badrie songs that once or twise every Sabboth they may sing some of them with the people they may also sing them in their houses and they may sing the conclusion Glory to the Father c. It were better in the Sabboths after publict service to cause them learn to read then interrupt Gods worship with reading Quest Why do sundrie godlie men cause proclame the lines Answ The blind zeal of some thinketh it the best custome 2 Others do it only till they find a fitter occasion to draw unruly people to a better custome as the apostles did permit some I gall rites Act. 15. which in themselves were become dead untill the estate of the church were better satled Quest May we not thus sing to gain such as cannot read as Paul gained the weak ones 1 Cor. 9. Answ Blind zeal neglecteth that which is more needfull viz. by repeating prayers to gain such as can not pray when as men may be good Christians without musicall praise all their lifetime 2. Paul might not be an idolater a drunkard nor a blasphemer to gain others from these vices but he might use or not use the legall rites which in his dayes should end and be buried honestly without sudden violence he gained people from superstition you teach them to be superstitious making them so esteem of musicall praise as if God could not be praised and themselves could not be Christians without it you teach them to abuse Gods name and to be hypocrites in singing words that they understand not so their words mind agree not together Qu. We thus keep them from idle thoughts vvhen others are in a holy exercise Ans You draw them rather both upon idle thoughts idle words when they sing that which they know not 2. Good Christians do confesse that oftimes in their best exercises of prayer and divine praise when they understand the mater they are assaulted with evill thoughts Satan so hateth Gods worship what then can be expected of such as know not what they speak 3 When twelve persons only did sing at once 1 Chron. 29. the Lord knew that their musicall praise did stir up holy reverend thoughts of God in the hearers rather then if the hearers had sung without understanding So Elisha prophesied not being cheared up by his own musick but by a ministrel 2 King 3. when David danced and leaped before the ark rejoising that God was present with his people his joy was stirred up by the musick of others as well as if it were his own musick 1 Chron. 15.28 29. Qu. Do not these Words pertain to all Christians to vvit that they should speak to them selve in psalmes and hymnes and make melodie in their hearts to the Lord Eph. 5.22 Ans None can rejoice to the Lord not knowing a reason of their joy as they do who sing without understāding if the sound of singers stir up their mirth and cheerfulnesse they not knowing the mater it is a melodie in their hearts but not to the Lord except some holy meditations of their own minde concur with the sound 2. If they rejoice in the assurance of
Gods favour and mercie it is a spirituall song and melodie in the heart to the Lord though it want outward musick Quest But in Coloss 3.16 he biddeth admonish one another in psalmes and hymnes Answ When men know not what they sing they neither admonish nor are admonished by such melody 2. Paul admonisheth Christians not to be like Pagans who at their feasts and other occasions were delighted with badry filthy and protain longs but they should use songs of heavenly consolation and of spirituall admonitions and instructions tending to edification See the end of Chapter 6. CHAP. VI. Some never sing the words Glory to the Father to the Son and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Some sing them at every passage of the psalmes Quest ARE these words or their meaning in the Scriptures Answ In Math 28. the Disciples are bidden baptise in the name of the three persons of the Godhead In 2 Cor. 13.14 Paul prayeth to them In Esay 6.3 the three persons are pointed at in the words Holy holy holy c. In Revel 4.8 is the meaning of the whole sentence viz. Holy holy holy Lord God almightie which was and is and is to come In Psal 45.7 God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows That is The Father hath declared the Son to be anoynted with the holy Ghost fully dwelling in Him by whom His manhead is replenished with gifts above all measure And thus John 1 John 2.27 calleth the Holy Ghost the anointing that teacheth The psalm 136. biddeth Give glorie to God pointing at the unity of his essence in the words Iehovah and Adonai and in the relative His and at the plurality of persons in the words Elohim Haadenim And at His Unchangablenes and Eternity in the words His mercie endureth for ever His mercy indureth not without Himselfe for it floweth from Him In Psalm 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord that is The Father hath said to the Son And in vers 2. the Holy Ghost is called The rod of thy strength Hee is a golden Scepter holden out to comfort the godlie but an Tron Rod to bruise the Wicked Item the three persons are mentioned in the second psalme Quest Should these vvords be sung concluding every passage of the psalmes or should they never be sung at all Ans It is a necessary duety of thankfulnes to make expresse mention of our benefactors so far as we know them such are the persons of the Trinity The papists superstitiously said these words at the masse and at the end of every psalm read in proofe albeit they had read ten psalms in an hour as if the psalms had no religious use without these words others reject them altogether The papist by the frequent use of the words make great shew of holines that men may take lesse notise of their errors and heresies They who neglect the words make a great show of precisenes that their erroneous novations may seem to be nothing else but precisenesse 2. Therefore these words or words of the like sense should be used because the duty of thankfulnes should distinctly expresse our benefactors and sometimes they should be omitted to eschew superstition and the appearance thereof and to show that God may be praised expressing only the Unity of Essence as well as the distinction of Persons Quest May vve not glorifie God sometimes expressing onlie one or tvvo of the persons Ans We may do it both in prayer divine praise for as the wife is inriched by the riches given to her Husband so is the Husband by the riches of his wife Matrimoniall union maketh their riches not to be divided The soul the body and all the members thereof are honoured if a crown be put on a mans Head a ring on his finger a chain on his neck because of the naturall union of the members of the body and because of the personall union which is a more strict naturall union of the soul body so if thou honour any of the three peisons it redoundeth to them all not only because they all work together in every work that God doth to the creatures and therefore all the three merit the same glory honour but also because of their essentiall union in one Godhead 2. This is practised in Philip. 4.20 Vnto God our Father be glorie Paul prayed to the Father and to the Son 1 Thess 3.11 and to Christ only 2 Thess 3.18 2 Tim. 2.22 Peter glorisieth Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 Christ said Pray Our Father vvhich art in heaven Luk. 11.3 If then the Honour expresly given to one of the three persons redound unto all of them it can not be prejudiciall to any of the three if the Honour be expresly given to all the three 4. Albeit neither the whole sentence nor the parts thereof were so expresly mentioned in Scriptures as they are yet either this or the like sentence with good reason should be sung in divine praise because not only the whoole book of the psalms but all the Scriptures all Gods works mercies also tend to the setting foorth of the praise glory of all the 3. persons 5. Christ might have commanded the Apostles to baptise in the name of Father only or of God ony but He commanded to expresse all the three persons to show that as we increase in the knowledge of God so we should expresse more punctually that which we know of God 6. As for the last verse of the 28. psalme containing a short prayer for Gods people it is very pertinent to sing it or the like sentence with the words of praise foresaid because prayer and praise agree well together so Christ conjoined them together in the Lords prayer adding to the prayer the words For thine is the kingdome the power and glory c. and also it is fit oftimes to use such short verses of prayer and praise as we conclude the singing of psalmes that such as can not read may get these lines in their memories to sing them with the people if they can do no further this may be done without abusing of Gods name and it is used by many in a laudable custome Many of the psalmes do conjoin praise and prayer we then may do the same both at the singing of psalmes and in our prayers CHAP. VII Some after Divine Service blesse the People in a legall manner Quest SHould not the Preacher after Divine Service say The Lord blesse you c. Answ He should say The LORD blesse us and save us c. not excluding himself in a legall manner for these reasons 1. To acknowledge thereby his owne miserie and that he hath need of blessing as much as any of the people and so he casteth away pharisaicall holinesse 2. To eschew Judaisme the priests did pray and offer sacrifice for themselves and for the people acknowledging thus their own sinfull condition and miserie
but they spake the typicall blessing to the people in the second person only not including themselves Numb 6. because in it they were not to acknowledge their own miserie but to typifie and represent CHRIST who blesseth really and substantially and of whose fulnesse every man receiveth blessing but he of no man and therefore when CHRIST came in the flesh the Priest of Aorons seed being about to blesse the people was made speechlesse to show that the true high Priest who blesseth really was now coming in the flesh Luke 1. Then he that imitateth Aaron in blessing the people so far he denyeth CHRISTS coming in the flesh 3. To eschew affectation of grandour for though some honest man say The Lord blesse you c. through simplicitie and custome yet others do it in ambition and desire of preheminence thinking the words in Hebr. 7.7 do militar for them viz. The lesse is blessed of the greater c. But the sense is that GOD almighty is greater absolutely and every manner of way than all his creatures because he blesseth them really and the high Priest is greater than the people whom he blesseth typically not every manner of way but by representation only thus he represented Christ who blesseth really but ambitious men preach their owne pride when they should preach Christs humilitie they blesse in the second person to show their affected vain grandour that they may be esteemed greater then the people whose servants they should be for Iesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 4. To eschew conformitie with antichristians for it is also a popish rite the popes in the years of their Iubilee in their progresse through Rome they stretched forth their hands towards the people saying The Lord blesse you my people c. Their clergie in the Letany of the service book are said to blesse such as receive orders including themselves but when they demit the people from the communion they blesse excluding themselves to show that they are greater then the people When the priest endeth his divine service a bishop if he present saith the blessing to show his grandour above the priests and the people A deacon if he say the service if then a priest be present he blesseth for the same respect Quest Are not ministers called to blesse the people Answ That particularly pertained to the priests as well as the bearing of the ark and the burning of incense and sacrifices Deut. 10.8 1 Chron. 23.13 Mimsters are not called to the one more then to the other 2. CHRIST sent them to preach the Gospel and not to blesse neither typically nor substantially the one is abrogate He taketh the other in his own hand and therefore in his first preaching he altered the form of blessing the Apostles used not their forme of blessing but prayed in other wordes 3. If a preacher take blessing only for preaching he may blesse the people as he doth himself he is alike called to both 4. Hee may blesse new marryed persons saying The Lord blesse you c because he prayeth for a particular blessing viz. the prospering of their new begun estate of marriage 5. If any salute his neighbour present or absent he may say The Lord blesse you c. that it may be shown unto whom the honour is given for saluation is a kinde of honour given to our neighbour superiour inferiour or equall for intertaining friendship it is used both among pagans and Christians but ambitious courtasie should not conclude Gods worship though by way of praise people may blesse GOD Deut. 8.21 and by way of prayer beggars may blesse Princes are they therefore greater When Melchisedeck blessed Abraham he was greater in a typicall grandour representing Christ but when he blessed God he glorified God as a servant Gen. 14.19 unto Abraham he sought a blessing from God as a supplicant Qu. May I not say Blessed are they that hear Gods vvord and do the same An You may safely do it for it is a preaching sentence proclaiming salvation to such as obey GODS word 2. It excludeth neither preacher nor people and so it is no note of singularitie nor pride Quest Some say that the priests blessing vvas no prayer but a ceremoniall blessing Whether it be a prayer or a blessing if it be ceremoniall it should not be used 2. Thus you may say the moon is no planet it is but a moon the words are in the imperative mood therefore they import either praying counselling or commanding Is GOD inferiour to the priests that they should command him Is he weak witted or rash in his interprises that they should counsell him 4. The Hebrews who best understand the words take it for a prayer so Maimony discourseth of it in a treatise of prayer 5. Some say that the words are equivalent both to a prophesie and to the pronouncing of a blessing so were the words of Noah saying God perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Sem but that hindered none of their words to be prayers the form of pronouncing of blessings which are also prophesies but no prayers are written in Deuter. 28. CHAP. VIII Others reject presbyteriall government Qu. IS it lawfull seeing Gods church is independent upon any except Christ as their supreme and absolute ruler head Answ If that independencie forbid presbyteriall government much more should it forbid civile government which doth lesse participat in spirituall things and therefore is lesse able to rule according to GODS word CHRIST only hath supreme and absolute authoritie to rule in all lawfull government In church government mens lives and consciences are ruled by church discipline and by GODS word the sword of the Spirit In policie civile laws and the civile sword must rule people but their sword and laws must also be ruled by GODS word 2. All creatures depend immediatly upon GOD in their bodily and spirituall existence and being in the secret providence whereby he overruleth their actions and operations and in the secret blessings which he addeth to his bodily and spirituall benefits but in giving the outward benefits themselves and in keeping people inorder they have a mediat dependance on GOD by using his appointed outward means thus Salomon Prover 8. saith By me Kings reigne and Princes decree justice See Rom. 13.1 Cor. 6. Of church government Christ saith Math. 18.18 Whatsoever you shall binde or louse on earth shall be bound or loused in Heaven 3. The budding of Aarons rod and the giving of the keyes of the kingdome of heaven to the apostles are infallible witnesses that GOD hath ordeined church government to be ministred by certaine persons qualified to that effect and that every member of CHRISTS church hath not this power see Act. 15. 1 Cor. 5. and 2 Cor. 2 4. If any offend his brother why should the offended person tell him thereof secretly next before one or two witnesses thirdly to the church should not the Lord only take order thereof because of independancie see