Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	form_n	public_a	set_a	3,224	5	10.4233	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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

the Angels sang Isa 6. They cried that is they sang Holy holy holy c. so at Christs nativitie they sang Glory to God on high Therefore it is a divine and celestiall thing So far Zanch. Dr. Ames in his Cases of Conscience 1. Qu. What use hath singing above ordinarie pronouncing Ans 1 It carries to the godly mind a certain sweet delight Psal 104.34 2 It hath in it a more distinct and fixed meditation ibid. 3. A more copious and ample profession of godlinesse Coloss 3.16 4. A greater communion of mutuall edification in singing with others Ephes 5.19 Qu. 2. Whether singing be more sutable to joy or sorrow Answ More agreeable to joy Jam. 5.13 But profitably it agrees to the commemoration of past sorrowes as appears by the penitentall Psalms As also sometimes to remove present sorrow Prov. 25.20 6. The unjustnesse of mens exceptions against singing Psalmes Their Objections answered The last thing we have to doe upon this question is to answer the objections against singing of Psalmes And I am sory to find that godly persons should make some of the same objections as prophane malignant ministers have as that because Davids Psalmes were put into English meetre by Mr. Hopkins Mr. Sternhold who dobtlesse were godly men or else the Churches of England newly refined out of Popery had not used them that therefore it is not lawfull to sing Davids Psalmes As a prophane Priest said of late that the English singing Psalms were Hopkins his pigges I say it is a sad thing when Christians shall joyne with the enemies of Christ against an ordinance and practice of Christ who sang in his language yea likely in Syriacke in which he continually spake and preached differing from the Hebrew in which Davids Psalms are penned as we fing in our language The objections are referred to divers heads Some to 1. The matter 2. The forme 3. Translation 4. Some warrants seeming contrary 5. Communion or fellowship Of Psalmes and singing 1. From the Matter 1. Objection is that it is very doubtfull whether Christ or his Apostles sang Davids Psalmes or no. Answ 1. We have no warrant of Scripture to say to the contrary Christians should assert onely what the Scripture asserts and to deny what the Scripture denies 2. The aneient Hebrew copie of the Gospel of Matthew hath it Matth 26.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they had sung one of the Tehillim which is the name or Title of Davids Psalmes 3. Under Psalms and Hymnes c. are comprehended all Psalmes unlesse we will under Hymne comprehend especially psalmes of praise as we shewed afore Now Davids Psalmes are so full of praises that they are all called Tehillim praises Therefore the Apostles in that Ephes 5. Coloss 3. and Matth. 26.30 useth a Greek word of the same signification namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Hymne And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having sung an Hymne 4. The Apostles prayd a Psalme of David viz. the second Psalme Acts 4.24.25 And singing is nothing else but a more deliberate distinct pausing and mediating praying 5. If they composed other Psalms sure they at least some of them would have been left upon record as wel as we have upon record lesser matters as the people strewing of Palme branches c. 6. If they sang not Davids Psalmes at that time of the Supper if they sang any other penned Psalm either of Moses or Deborah it comes all to one 7. It is said that the most reformed Churches shall sing the Psalmes penned in the Scripture as the song of Moses and the song of David witnesse Hallelujah and Amen three or foure times in foure verses Rev. 19.1 2 3 4. which words are very oft in Davids Psalms Where the Scriptures quote Psalms they would have us take it for granted that Davids Psalms are meant As Luk. 24.44 Act. 1.20.13.35 Therefore they are meant where is mention of singing Psalms 2. This is the objection of The certain Reasons against Singing And of others Obj. from the Matter that the matter of our singing should be somewhat immediatly dictated to us by the Spirit or at least we should compose Psalms by the Spirit For Paul saith I will sing with the spirit And Ephes 5. Col. 3. Sing spirituall Songs Ans Those places are meant of spirituall songs for the matter not the maner of making Of Pauls singing in his own spirit or mind yet so as in a tongue that he might be understood Now to the objection 1. For the Spirits dictating of matter presently sit for singing we say it is a gift not found in one of 10 thousand Saints if in any at all See these times drive mainly at revelations in all things Touching Knowledge Assurance Practice and this of Singing It is an extraordinary gift if Ministers or Christians can speak divine Matter pertinently upon the sudden extemporarily in preaching and exhorting any length of time Who then shal be able upon a sudden to speak matter and forme that is meeter fit for singing For if men will sing though alone any tune and not yell out a confused noise they must measure out their words to a certain length And then who can study matter and meeter all in the same instant and be devout too We never read in the Scripture of any such but rather the contrary David penned his Psalmes Moses penned his Song and both with exactnesse and variety of meeter which argue not sudden rapsodicall singing 2. We say that no Christians can sing together because their meditations will differ if not the meeter too and so make confusion 2. For Christians deliberate composing the matter of Psalms to be sung in common we have no rule in the Scripture to require that Generally those that penned the matter of Psalms were extraordinary men as Moses David Isaiab Jeremiah Habakuk c. 2. We read of a gift of praying and preaching c. But we read not of a particular gift given by Christ in the new Testament to one above another to compose the matter or ditties of Psalms If not then 3. there will be a doubt whose Psalms shall be sung whether those composed by this brother or that brother 3. We preferre mans composall before Gods whereas in preaching the Scriptures is the text In baptizing and administring the communion the Scripture is the form For praying the Lords prayer is the plat-forme And so by the same analogie Davids Psalmes are the dittie for singing In all to keep to the plat-formes of Scripture 4. Men are but men If in the matter or dittie for I do not now speake of meeter there should be any unfoundnesse of doctrine by custome and the musick the people would fall in love with it and as Zanchy saith very well there would be no removing it If all Churches should have their several meeters for singing it would not so tend to the union of Churches and anticipating of emulations But if all Christians should be left to