that dutie of singing For when God redeemed his people out of the Captivitie of Babel not onely their hearts the hearts of them who were returning to Zion were filled with rejoycing but even their tongues also with singing Psal. 126.1 2. And though the Trees cannot be said in proper speech to clap their hands for they have no hands to clap yet common sense will easily tell you that there is a Mataphor either in clapping of hands or in the trees If trees be taken properly then clapping of hands is put by a Metaphor for the flourishing fruitfulnesse of the trees of the field which by the blessing of God is wont to follow the prosperitie of the Church in such aboundance that their boughes and branches shall clap and dash themselves and their fruite one upon another whereby as by hands they reach forth refreshing and food to the children of the Church But if Trees be put by a Metaphor for trees of righteousnesse as the Saints are so called Isa. 61 3. then they shall clap their hands and shout for joy and sing aloud expressing externall signes of comfort to behold and consider the wonderfull goodnesse of the Lord to themselves and their brethren And so in the same verse Isai. 55.12 when the Mountaines and hills are said to break forth before the Saints into singing if there be not a Metaphor in singing then Mountaines and hills are put by a Metaphor for Princes and men of high degree as Psal. 72.3 which shall give example to others in holy rejoycing and particularly in singing praises to the Lord So that these Texts in Isaiah which you thought might excuse you from singing with the voyce which David exhorted to be done with a loud voyce they will not exempt you at all from this duty but rather bind you the stronger to it And therefore looke as when David saith I cryed to the Lord with my voyce Psal. 3 4. 77.1 a man shall detract from his meaning that shall say he cryed onely to God with his heart So when David exhorteth the Gentile Churches to make a joyfull noyse unto God with Psalmes you doe detract in like sort from his meaning when you make his meaning to be not that wee should sing unto God with our voyces but that we should onely make melody to him with grace in our hearts Such detracting from the Word is alike disallowed and accursed of God as is adding to the Word Object 2. Singing of Psalmes with the voyce is but a type of singing Psalmes with grace in the heart Answ. 1. No Scripture speaketh of it as a type nor doth any evidence of reason so declare it 2. You might as well say that Praying with the voyce was a type of praying with the heart and so is now abolished 3 If singing of Psalmes with a loud noyse had been a typicall worship David would not have exhorted us to the practise of it on the Lords day of the New Testament Psal. 95.1 2.7 4. Christ and his Apostles would not have used it in the Lords Supper which is a feast of the New Testament Mat. 26.30 nor would Paul and Silas have used it in prison among the Gentiles Acts 16.25 5. The light of Nature which is never wont to teach us types and shadows doth as well teach us to praise God in singing with our tongues in times of our rejoycing as to cry to God with our voyces in times of our distresses CHAP. IV. Propounding the second Question Stating it and Prooving it THe second Question about singing of Psalmes concerneth the matter of the Psalmes to be sung for there be some who doe not scruple singing with the voyce as the former sort did but singing of the Psalmes of David now in these dayes of the New Testament As conceiving Davids Psalmes were penned for Temple worship during the Paedagogy of the old Testament But now in the dayes of the New Testament when God hath promised to powre out his Spirit upon all flesh now the whole worship of God should be carried on not by set formes of Psalmes no more then by set formes of Prayer bâ—t by personall spirituall gifts whereby some one or other of the members of the Church having received a Psalme by the enditement of the Spirit he singeth it openly in the publique Assembly of the Church and the rest of the Brethren say Amen to it in the close But touching the persons of those who should sing it pertaineth to the third Question This second Question chiefly concerneth the matter to be sung whether the Psalmes of David or some Psalme or Hymne endited by the personall gift of this or that member of the Church Wherein we hold and beleeve 1. That not onely the Psalmes of David but any other spirituall Songs recorded in Scripture may lawfully be sung in Christian Churches as the song of Moses and Asaph Heman and â—than Solomon and Hezekiah Habacuck and Zachary Hannah and Deborah Mary and Elizabeth and the like 2. Wee grant also that any private Christian who hath a gift to frame a spirituall Song may both frame it and sing it privately for his own private comfort and remembrance of some speciall benefit or deliverance Nor doe we forbid the private use of an Instrument of Musick therewithall So that attention to the Instrument doe not divert the heart from attention to the matter of the Song Neither doe we deny but that in the publique thankesgivings of the Church if the Lord should furnish any of the members of the Church with a Spirituall gift to compose a Psalme upon any speciall occasion hee may lawfully be allowed to sing it before the Church and the rest hearing it and approving it may goe along with him in Spirit and say Amen to it When Christ ascended up on high to sit upon his throne of glory looke as Princes are wont to doe in the day of their Coronation Spargere Missilia Donaria so did he powre out his gifts abundantly on all sorts gifts of Miracles Healing Tongues Psalmes And the Churches were willing when they saw such speciall gifts of the Spirit powred out to make use of them as occasion served Whence it was that sundry of the members of the Church of Corinth as they had received a gift of Psalmes and tongues from the Lord Jesus so they had allowance from the Church â—o imploy their gifts to the publique edification of the Church But as such gifts now are not ordinarily bestowed which were at first given chiefly for admiration and conviction of Infidels 1 Cor. 14.22 so we would not call upon men now to preferre their ordinary common gift as more fit for the publique edifying of the Church before the extraordinary gifts of the holy men of God in Scripture who by the Spirit were guided to prepare spirituall songs suitable to all the conditions and affections and temptations of the Church and people of God in all ages So then the Question is
of new Apostles to be raised up in every age the Holy Ghost telleth us the Church of the Jewes at their last conversion shall be built upon the foundation of the Lambes twelve Apostles Rev. 21.14 The twelve Apostles of the Lambe shall have a fundamentall influence in the rearing and building of the Church of the Jewes not by their resurrection to life againe in those dayes but by the power of the Spirit breathing in their gifts and writings And as Abel being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 and that to edification So the Apostles though dead speake also and David being dead speaketh and singeth likewise to the edification of the body of Christ till we come to sing Hallelujahs in heavenly glory Say not these writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of David and the Prophets doe not speake to the edification of the Church but as they are expounded and applyed by the spirituall gifts of the Ministers and people of God in each age For the very reading of them is an Ordinance of God and no Ordinance of God is empty and beggarly and destitute of the Spirit which is the vanitie of mens traditions and may not be imputed to any of Gods Ordinances Neither ought you to say That in singing the Psalmes of David there is no more personall gift manifested then there is in reading a stinted forme of Prayer For 1. in reading a stinted forme of prayer there is no gift of the Spirit at all manifested but rather as I conceive a manifest breach of the second Commandement of God which is a grieving of the Spirit But in singing of the Psalmes of David there is a gift of the Spirit manifested even the gift of obedience to the command of the Apostle And that is the personall gift of him that singeth And secondly all the treasures of the gifts of the Spirit breathing in the Psalmes of David are likewise manifested in the reverent and holy singing of them You might more truly have said there is no more personall gift of the Spirit manifested in singing the Psalmes of David then in reading the Psalmes of David because either of both those duties are alike acts of obedience to Gods Commandement But if you had so said your objection had answered it selfe Object 9. Many of Gods people now have gifts to compose spirituall Songs as well as carnall Poets to make carnall Sonnets or as drunkards that make Songs of Gods people Now every one that hath a gift is to administer it by Christs Command 1 Pet. 4.10 And if any for want of experience of such a gift in themselves should question it they may consider the promise of powring out the Spirit in a more plentifull measure now in the dayes of the New Testament then in the old Answ. 1. Though many of Gods people have gifts to compose spirituall Songs as well as carnall Poets carnall Sonnets and Drunkards prophane Sonnets yet that will not argue that the spirituall Songs which many of Gods people have gifts to compose are fit to be sung in the publique holy Assemblies of the Saints no more then the carnall and prophane Sonnets of drunken Poets are fit to be sung in civill Assemblies Let drunken carnall Poets sing their carnall Sonnets in their Tavernes and Ale-houses and such of Gods people as have received a gift to compose a spirituall Song fit for their private solace sing it in their private houses But every spirituall Song fit for private solace is not fit to be sung in the solemne Assemblies of the Church for publique edification no more then it is fit for every private Christian who hath a gift to compose a spirituall prayer to utter and powre forth the same in the publique Congregation of the Church Answ. 2. It is more then probable that many of the people of God in the old Testament had gifts to compose spirituall Songs besides David and Asaph and yet unlesse their gift were carried along by an infallible Spirit they were not received among the Songs of the Temple Answ. 3. Suppose that spirituall Songs composed by an ordinary gift might be received among the publique Songs of the Congregation yet will it thence follow that the Church shall be bound to sing onely such Songs and deprive themselves of the Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs of David and Asaph which were composed with a farre larger measure and power of the Holy Ghost Answ. 4. It is readily granted that as every man hath received a gift so let him administer and dispense it according to the Text alledged 1 Pet. 4.10 But yet in Christs way every private gift is not fit for publique Administration nor every publique gift fit to be administred to the shouldring out of a greater gift then it selfe Answ. 5. If such as want the experience of such a gift of spirituall Poetry in themselves should be encouraged to expect it from the promise of powring out the Spirit on all flesh in the dayes of the Gospel Acts 2.17 they might as well looke for the gifts of tongues and healing and miracles For it is the same Spirit though not the same measure which is there promised to be powred out upon all flesh Let every man administer the gifts of the Spirit according to the measure which he hath received within his own line Object 10. But the Lord is as full of the Spirit now to helpe us to endite Psalmes as in the dayes of David and Asaph And it seemeth a dishonour to Christ to dispense his word by reading and singing without the exercise of the glorious and various Administrations of the spirituall gifts of the New Testament Answ. 1. The Lord is as full of the Spirit now and as able to furnish us with a Propheticall Spirit now to endite Propheticall Scriptures as he did furnish the Prophets in the old Testament But yet God thought it no dishonour to Christ to leave us the Scriptures of the old Prophets for our edification in the New Testament as well as in the old It is the same Spirit of the same Christ that spake by the Prophets of the old Testament and speaketh in the Saints of the New And it is no dishonour to Christ to dispense his word and to guide the body of his Church as well by the unity of the same Spirit as by the variety of the divers gifts of the Spirit now And though we doe not exercise the glorious and various Administrations of the spirituall gifts of the New Testament in the enditing of New Psalmes no more then in the enditing of new Scriptures Yet wee can neither sing the old Psalmes of David nor read the old Scriptures of the Prophets acceptably to God nor comfortably to our selves without the exercise of the gracious and various spirituall gifts of the New Testament Object 11. Wee have examples in the New Testament of exercising personall gifts as well in singing as in praying and Prophecying 1 Cor. 14. Which Epistle is directed to all
100.1 Make a joyfull noyse unto the Lord all yee Lands and vers. 2. Come before his presence with singing All yee lands implieth the Nations of the Gentiles as well as of the Jewes which pertaineth to the times of the New Testament So that now all are exhorted to sing before the presence of God with a lowd noyse or voyce So Psal. 95.1 O come let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noyse to the rock of our salvation And ver. 2. Let us make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes Which Psalm the Apostle himself interpreteth to be meant of the times of the Gospel Which is the more to be observed because the Psalmist exhorting to the holy and reverent performance of the ordinary duties of the Sabbath he mentioneth first thankesgiving in singing of Psalmes with a loud voyce and the Reasons thereof vers. 1. to 5. And then solemne Prayer with the reasons thereof vers. 6 7. and then faithfull attention to the preaching of the Word on that day not hardning their hearts against it through unbeliefe in the end of ver. 7. and vers. 8. to 11. To day if yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts And this day the Apostle interpreteth to be meant not of the 7.th day of rest from the Creation nor of the day of rest wherein Joshua gave the people inheritance and rest in Canaan but of the day of rest in the New Testament Heb. 4.3 to 9. Whence the Apostle inferreth That there is remaining to us another Sabbatisme or day of rest now in the dayes of the Gospel different from the seventh day of rest kept in regard of Gods rest from the Creation and different from the day of rest in Joshuahs time but the day of rest remaining to us he declareth to be that day wherein the Lord Jesus entred into his rest And that was our Lords day which David so long before foretold should be celebrated with solemne Prayer preaching and hearing the Word and singing of Psalmes and that with a joyfull noyse Object 1. Though David exhorteth all Lands to sing to the Lord with a loud noyse it doth not appeare wee should make such a manner of loud noyse as our forme of singing is no more then such a loud noyse as was made in Davids dayes with ten stringed Instruments for so the Lord was to be praised I doe acknowledge from these Texts That it is the duty of all those who are called to the knowledge of the Truth when they doe come before the Lord not to come before him with sorrow and sadnesse and with a dejected spirit but with a singing or else they dishonour the Lord Jesus the spirituall chiefe singer author of their new Song But although this prophecy doth foretell of the joyfull approaching of the spirituall worshippers before the Lord yet it bindeth them no more to make such a noyse as the singing booke teacheth then the trees are to clap their hands as Isaiah prophecieth or as the new Converts are bound to come with externall singing when they come to joyn themselves with the Church Isai. 51.11 And as for such a manner of noyse as is made in our mixed Assemblies the Psalme speaketh nothing to it Answ. The manner of noyse which is made by singing in our Assemblies it pertaineth not to the present Question in hand and therefore we referre it to the sequell The Question now is whether in the dayes of the New Testament we are to sing the praises of God with a loud voyse or noyce And for this we alledge beside the Text in Isaiah the Prophecies of David who foretelleth and exhorteth all Lands at least the Churches and people of God in all lands To make a joyfull noyse unto the Lord to make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes to come before his presence with singing Psal. 100.1 2. Psal. 95.1 2. Yea but this bindeth us no more to make such a manner of loud noyse as our forme of singing is then to make such a loud noyse as was made in Davids dayes with ten stringed Instruments for so the Lord was to be praised Answ. So the Lord was to be praised Praised with ten stringed Instruments When was he so to be praised In Davids dayes True And therefore it was the dutie of all the people in any land that became Proselytes to the Church of Israel in the dayes of David and during all the time of the Temple worship to come before the Lord not onely with the loud noyse of singing Psalmes but of playing with Instruments But after the dayes not onely of David but of the Temple and that worship be past in the day when our Jehovah the Lord Jesus hath entred into his rest in the day of our Lord when he commandeth us not to harden our hearts but to heare his voyce to fall downe and worship before him in prayer both which are to be performed every Lords day he then commandeth us to come and sing unto the Lord to make a joyfull noyse to the rock of our salvation and to make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes Psal. 95.1 2. Here is now no mention of making a joyfull noyse with Instruments but with Psalmes And therefore the making a joyfull noyse with Psalmes doth still continue even on our Lords dayes when making a joyfull noyse with Instruments continueth not but is laid downe in silence save onely so farre as it is kept alive in the antitype the affections of our hearts our Praecordia making melody with the songs and professions of our lips and with the gracious and peaceable conversation of our lives When you acknowledge it to be the dutie of such as are called to the knowledge of the Truth to come before the Lord not with sorrow and sadnesse and with a dejected spirit but with singing What singing doe you meane If you meane onely the gracious rejoycing of the heart that indeed though it be requisite to avoyd hypocrisie yet it is not compleate to reach the full extent of the dutie the dutie of making a joyfull noyse with Psalmes Our chiefe Singer of whom you speake when he set the Lord and his own death and resurrection before his face which he was to undergoe for our sakes he was not onely glad in his heart but his glory also that is his tongue rejoyced in singing a Psalme at his last Supper Psal. 16.8 9. with Math. 26.30 And therefore it will be a discord from the practise of our chiefe Singer and so a dishonour to him if our hearts sing with joy but our glory to wit our tongues be mute with silence Say not then as you doe We are no more bound to make a loud noyse with our voyces then the trees are to clap their hands as Isaiah prophecieth or then the new Converts were to come with externall singing of Psalmes Isai. 51.11 For in so saying you will not avoyde the authoritie of the Commandement nor the necessitie of
the Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 in all places And consequently that Church is to be Precedentiall in dispensing personall gifts in this Ordinance of Singing as well as in any other Answ. 1. The Directions given in that Epistle to the Church of Corinth we willingly grant are Precedentiall to all the Churches as well as the Directions given in other Epistles to other Churches And the Directions there given be that in dispensing spirituall gifts Prophecy be preferred before Tongues nor any Tongues dispensed without interpretation That order be observed without confusion That divers may speake without interruption That no man may speake without subjection That women be not permitted to speake unto usurpation That all things be done to edification And all these Directions are Precedentiall to all such Churches as have received the like gifts But there is no direction given to the Church of Corinth or any other that every man should have a gift of tongues or a gift of compiling a Psalme or if he have a gift of compiling a Psalme for his private use by an ordinary Spirit that then he should present it to be sung before the whole Church and the Church to say Amen to his Psalme For the gift of Psalmes which the Apostle there speaketh of was not an ordinary gift to compile some spirituall Ditty in verse but extraordinary as joyned with the gift of strange Tongues For it appeareth by the Context that the gift of Tongues was used by the Members of the Church of Corinth foure wayes 1. In speaking mysteries ver. 2. 2. In prayer ver. 14. 3. In singing ver. 15. 4. In thankesgiving ver. 17. So that the singing there mentioned was by an extraordinary gift as the Tongues were in which it was dispensed Object Indeed the gift of Tongues wherein these Psalmes seeme to be uttered was extraordinary but it doth not follow that the gift of composing those Psalmes was an extraordinary gift no more then prayer wherewith it was joyned ver. 15. or Prophecy ver. 26. Singing Psalmes and Prophecy differing no otherwise then Poetry and Prose and if it was extraordinary in the Corinthians wee have no warrant for publique ordinary singing in the New Testament from any example Answ. 1. As the gift of Tongues was extraordinary so was every Ordinance dispensed in it whether Prayer or Psalme or Prophecy all of them extraordinary both for sublimity of matter in the Spirit he speaketh Mysteries ver. 2. and for power and demonstration of the Spirit and for suddennesse and dexteritie of utterance without previous study or meditation as Acts 2.4.11 What though there be an ordinary gift of Prayer and Prophecying as well as of singing Yet neverthelesse the Apostles and Prophets had an extraordinary gift of Prayer and Prophecying and so had those Corinthians also an extraordinary gift though in lesse measure of Praying and Prophecying and Singing also It is not credible that he who would have new wine put into new Bottles would powre forth ordinary and common matters in new Tongues and so raise extraordinary expectation of ordinary things Answ. 2. It is an uncouth comparison to make no more difference between singing Psalmes and Prophecy then between Poetry and Prose In Prophecy we open the Scriptures and Counsels of God in Psalmes we open the Counsels and thankesgivings of our own hearts In Psalmes we sing to glorifie God in Prophecy we speake to edifie men you might with farre more reason and congruitie have said That Prayer and singing Psalmes differ no otherwise then Poetry and Prose And yet there is more difference even between them then so as the Apostle James noteth James 5.13 Answ. 3. When you say that if the singing in the Church of Corinth was extraordinary then wee have no warrant for our publick ordinary singing in the New Testament from any example Neither doth the Argument follow nor if it did is it of any force For though this example of singing in the Church of Corinth was extraordinary yet that singing of Christ and his Disciples at the last Supper was ordinary Mat. 26.30 And though there were no example of puhlique ordinary Singing in the New Testament yet it is enough that there is a precept of publique ordinary Singing given to the Churches both of the Ephesians and of the Colossians Eph. 5.19 Colos. 3.16 And what the Spirit speaketh to those Churches it speaketh to all CHAP. VI Propounding a second and third Argument for the singing of Davids Psalmes HAving thus by the helpe of Christ cleared the first Argument for the Singing of Davids Psalmes and such like Scripture-Psalmes Let us now proceed to a second Argument taken from the end and use of the Psalmes of David The Psalmes of David and Asaph and the like were written for a threefold end as we see expressed by the Apostle Col. 3 16. to wit 1. For Instruction or Teaching 2. For Admonition 3. For singing Praise and Thankesgiving to the Lord Now if the Psalmes of David and the like were written as doubtlesse they were in the Old Testament for this three-fold end and each of them of morall that is of generall and perpetuall use and none of them abrogated in the New Testament looke then as it would be a sacrilegious sinne to take away from the Psalmes either of the two former uses the use of Instruction or Admonition so it will bee alike Sacriledge to deprive them of the three-fold use by forbidding them to be sung for praise and thankesgiving to the Lord Whereto a third Argument may be added taken from the duty of singing of Psalmes every Sabbath and the defect of provision of other Psalmes if the Psalmes of David and other Scripture-Psalmes be refused It appeareth from Psalme 95.1 2 7 c. That when we present our selves before the Lord to heare the voyce of his word as we do every Lords day wee should come before his presence with singing of Psalmes If so then some must have a gift either to prepare set formes of Psalmes aforehand for every Sabbath day or at least a gift upon the present occasion suddenly to invent and utter a Psalme fit for the present Sabbath from weeke to weeke Neither of both which are easie to be beleeved For if it were so then doubtlesse Christ would have appointed some or other Officer to attend to this duty of compiling Psalmes as hee hath appointed Elders to attend to the Ministery of the Word and Prayer Acts 6.4 Or else he would inspire some or other Member of the Church with such a Gift and Spirit of Psalmistry as might suite the occasions of the Church from Sabbath to Sabbath But neither of both these doe wee finde either in the Scriptures of the New Testament or in experience we finde neither Ordinance appointing it nor Providence granting it And yet evident it is that the gracious providence of God is not wanting in supplying well ordered Churches with all such gifts of Preaching and Prayer and Rule and the like as God
Objections brought from the ancient Practise of the Primitive Churches OBject 1. That practise which was anciently used in the Churches immediately after the Apostles times is most probable to be nearest the constitution of the Apostles and that practise which followed a great while after it is most probable to be furthest off as the water is purest and clearest nearest the fountain and runneth more troubled and muddy afterwards Now the practise of singing Psalmes which were made by the faithfull was first in use For those Psalmes which the Primitive Christians used before day in the time of Persecution wherein they sang Praises to Christ their God as Pliny writeth to Trajan they are said to be made of the faithfull These were in use even in Johns time after he was called from Banishment after Domitians death to order the Churches which practise also continued about three hundred yeares wherein there was more purity in Doctrine and Discipline as useth to be under Persecution then afterwards Answ. 1. This Syllogisme falleth short of Truth in both the Propoâ—â—tions For it is not alwaies true that the practise which was used in the Churches immediately after the purest times is nearest to their constitution as the water is purest and clearest next the fountaine and that which followeth a great while after it is furthest off As water neare the fountaine may fall out to be troubled and so become lesse cleare and pure then in his running course further off The night following the day though it be nearest to the day yet it is more darke then the day following after though it be further off from the day before The Elders and People that lived in the dayes of Joshuah they served the Lord but when that Generation were gathered to their Fathers there arose another Generation after them which knew not the Lord and they did evill in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim Judg. 3.7 to 11. Paul forewarneth the Elders of Ephesus He knew that after his departure grievous Wolves should come in amongst them not sparing the flocke Acts 20.29 30. And Eusebius complaineth out of Hesesippus That after the Apostles times the Church did not long remaine a chast and undefiled Virgin Histor. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 26. 2. Neither is it true that the practise of singing Scripture-Psalmes followed a great while after the Apostles times as if the faithfull had onely made use of their own personall gifts in compiling Psalmes for the first three hundred yeares For it is evident that in the next Century after the Apostles times the Church did as Tertullian testifieth Apologet Chap. 39. Deo canere either de Scripturis Sanctis or de proprio ingenio that is either out of the holy Scriptures or out of their own gift Yea and Pliny himselfe which is all the Testimony you alledge of the Churches practise for three hundred yeares he doth not expresse what Psalmes they sang whether out of the holy Scriptures or out of their own gift or that any one alone did sing but that they did Carmen Christo quasi Deo dicere suo invicem Plin. Epist. lib. 10. Epist. 97. Which Tertullian and others expresse they did Caetus antelucanos habere ad canendum Deo Christo Apologet. cap. 2. They met before day to sing Praises to God and Christ and to confederate Discipline 3. Though they had made use of their personall gifts more then they did in the times of the Primitive Persecutions during the first three hundred yeares yet that would not argue they neglected the use of Davids Psalmes much lesse would it incourage us to neglect the use of Davids Psalmes now During the times oâ— those bloudy Persecutions as the sufferings of the Saints abounded so did their Consolations through Christ abound also As God honoured sundry of them with miraculous gifts so especially with a large measure of spirituall joy in the Lord which might furnish them with more enlargement of heart to compile Psalmes to set forth his Praise then God is wont to bestow in more peaceable times 4. Though sometimes they sang Scripture-Psalmes and sometimes spirituall Songs by personall Gifts yet both sorts evidence the judgement and practise of those times touching vocall Singing They did not onely make melody to the Lord with Grace in their hearts but with Songs also in their mouths Yea Justin Martyr who flourished within fiftie yeares after the Apostles time or whosoever was the Author of those Questions and Answers ad Orthodoxes amongst his works though he speak of Musicall Instruments as utterly unfit for Church Assemblies yet simple singing with the voyce he much magnifieth as that which stirreth up the heart to spirituall joy and holy desires as that which subdueth the passions and concupiscences of the flesh as that which scattereth the evill suggestions of spirituall enemies as that which watereth and refresheth the soule to fruitfulnesse in good Duties as that which stirreth up courage and constancy in wrestlings for the Truth and as that which giveth some medicine to all the griefes which befall a man through sad and sorrowfull Accidents in this life Justin in Answ. to Q. 107. 5. After the three hundred yeares after Christ were expired yet not long after the times of Persecution returned in the dayes of Julian the Apostata when the Christians of Antioch together with the women and children sang such Psalmes of David as cursed and reproached Heathen Idolls and Idolaters Socrates Eccles. Histor. lib. 2. cap. 16. in Gn. cap. 18. Theodoret expresseth by name Psal. 115. Psal. 68. Histor. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 17. 6. Although before the three hundred yeares were expired wee reade in Eusebius that one Nepos though a Millenary was well respected as for other good gifts and works so for divers Psalmes and Hymnes composed by him which some brethren did willingly use a long time after yet wee suppose that was such a practise as your self would not allow to sing set formes of Psalmes invented by men and to continue to sing them after their departure and in the meane time to refuse set formes of Psalmes endited by the Holy Ghost as if the Psalmes endited by an extraordinary measure of the Spirit were more uncleane then the Psalmes endited by the common gift of an Ordinary Elder or Brother Object 2. Samosatenus the Heretick who denyed the Diety of the Lord Jesus was the first that within those first three hundred yeares opposed this singing by personall gifts Answ. Not out of respect to Davids Psalmes but to avoyd the Hymnes which did set forth the Glory and Godhead of Christ and to bring in Psalmes which did set forth his own Heresie and therewith his own Praises as Eusebius testifieth Eccles. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 24. in lat cap. 30. in gr. Object 3. The practise of singing Davids Psalmes was a later invention brought into the Church of Antioch by Flavianus and Diodorus And hence this custome was taken up by Ambrose and