as well as other Ordinances are What you say in the 27th Page about the Winter of Afflictions when that is past and the time of the Singing of Birds is come at the appearance of Christ's Kingdom which will fully perfect the Glory of Temple-worship You mistake that Text in Cant. 2. for all Expositors generally agree that that Place resers to two things first to the coming of Christ in the Flesh the time of the Jewish-Church-state or the dark and cloudy days before Christ came is set forth by Winter 't is known the Afflictions and Miseries of God's People before Christ came was great but then the glorious Sun arose or the Day-spring 〈◊〉 on high visited the Earth Luk. 1. 79. and the longed-for Spring came in and then the 〈◊〉 of the Turtle was heard in that and other Lands and the Birds of Heaven and Earth began to sing I mean both the Angels and Saints also with Grace in their Hearts in a most spiritual and heavenly manner to the Lord. Secondly By Winter may be meant as they shew that time while a Soul abides in its natural estate and when regenerated by the Grace of God then Winter is past and then the time for that Soul to sing is come and such also then hear the Voice of Christ that blessed Turtle sweetly by his Spirit speaking peace to their Souls But if in the third place it should also allude to the Churches final Deliverance from all outward Afflictions in the latter Days and so they have an extraordinary Cause to praise God and sing his Praises forth in those Times for temporal Salvation doth it follow from thence we must not sing forth his Praises till then 't is a horrible mistake to think Saints are more to be concerned to â—ing to the Lord for outward Blessings and worldly Peace and Prosperity on Earth than for their spiritual Blessings and Priviledges through Christ for the redemption of their Souls from Sin and eternal Wrath no For these Mercies we have infinitely more cause to sing than for all those great things you hint at besides that Song will be rather the Song of Moses than the Song of the Lamb the one was for temporal Deliverance and Salvation the other is for spiritual and eternal Mercies True when that time comes when we shall sing both those Songs together then the Melody may be the sweeter but though there are extraordinary times of Prayer and Praises yet that ought not to hinder the Saints from praying and singing at other times Your Reply in the fourth place to that in Isa 52. 8 9. viz. Thy Watchmen shall lift up the Voice with the Voice together shall they sing is nothing to the purpose at all What though the word will bear their making a noise oâ— shouting yet 't is a joyful Noise or a Noise of Singing and a Singing with their Voice together as a found of the great Jubilee And now though you would have this place to refer to the thousand Years Reign yet the Apostle applies it positively to the time of the Gospel see Rom. 10. 15. Come the Day of Gospel-Grace Gospel-Light Gospel-Glory and Priviledges is like the great Jubilee when desolate Souls who like waste places come to be renewed and the Church rebuilt and Ordinances restored this is the time to sing this is the chief cause of Joy and Gladness Many Men ignorantly apply Prophecies to the thousand Years Reign that refer to the time of the Gospel which began in the Apostles days besides there is a Doubt in the Hearts of many Men about that thousand Years 't is a Mystery not yet understood clearly No doubt the Antitype of Solomon's Temple say you what you please was the Gospel-Church in the days of the Apostles and so downward and not the thousand Years Reign for the Glory of the second Temple was a Type of the Glory of the Church in the latter days of the World as the best of our Expositors have excellently opened it to be so therefore what you speak pag. 28. makes against your self for if the Institution of Singing which was in the Levitical Temple-worship was compleated as to the Antitype in the Apostles Days as touching the beginning of it and not as you imagine and there is no doubt but 't is so for when the Antitype was come then the Shadow of Aaron's Order and musical Instruments fled away and then nothing was left but Singing with Heart and Voice by the Spirit to the Lord. Your fift Reply is to that of Christ and his Disciples singing of an Hymn after the Supper pag. 29. which you say might be no more than giving of Thanks or saying Grace Answ We have answered this Objection fully already but by the way had it been no more than his giving of Thanks why doth the Hloly Ghost express it in the plural Number 't is said He took Bread and blessed it and he 〈◊〉 the Cup and gave Thanks so some Translations render it but now at the close 't is said they sung an Hymn Besides multitudes of Learned Men do tell you that from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they hymned it is truly and rightly translated into English they sung an Hymn Dr. Du Veil who was as Learned a Man as most this present Age hath in it saith in his literal Explanation of the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. ver 25. pag. 67. thus Hymns are Songs which contain the Praise of God If it be Praise and not of God it is not an Hymn if it be Praise and of God if it be not sung it is not an Hymn it must therefore that it may be an Hymn have these three things viz. 1. Praise 2. And of God 3. And a Song Now this being an Hymn our Saviour and his Disciples used in praising of God the Doctor affirms they sung and so did Paul and Silas But this is the old way of such who ever opposed a Truth when pinch'd presently fly out upon the Translators 't is so to be read in the Greek c. whereas all the World knows that as our Translators were able Scholars so they were very holy and upright Men Besides our Annotators and all Expositors generally say 't is truly rendred and 't is a bad thing unjustly to find fault with the Translators of the Holy Bible To perswade your Reader if you could that the Disciples did not sing with our Saviour or they did not sing together you bring that Passage of Hannah's mental praying or speaking in her Heart 1 Sam. 1. 11 13. How impertinent this is I may leave to all You suppose still because there is a Mental or Heart-praying there is a Mental or Heart-singing also you may after the same manner say there is a Mental or Heart-preaching likewise There is no proper Singing I tell you again without the Voice But you think you have done it at last from Acts 4. 24. Where it is said The Disciples lifted up
For we do say and testify we believe you are wholly without Singing in any proper Sense at all The Lord give us Moderation don't let us be bitter one against another I shall beg a part in your Prayers and intreat you to look over what Weakness you may see in this small Tract for I am you know but a Babe in Christ's School and know but in part And now to you my Beloved Brethren and Sisters who meet on Horselydown whom I hope I may say are my Joy and my Crown whose Souls are most dear to me and whom I can say I truly love and long after it rejoices my Spirit to see how generally you are inlightned into this Gospel-Duty but 't is no small grief to me to see since the Church in such a solemn manner agreed to sing the Praises of God on the Lord's Day to find some of you so much offended I am perswaded 't is for want of Consideration for you have no new thing brought in among you Hath not the Church sung at breaking of Bread always for 16 or 18 Years last past and could not nor would omit it in the time of the late Persecution And have not many of the honest Hearers who have stayed to see that Holy Administration sung with you at that time and yet none of you ever signified the least trouble And have we not for this 12 or 14 Years sung in mixt Assemblies on Days of Thanksgiving and never any offended at it as ever I heard What is done more now 't is only practised oftner and sure if it be God's Ordinance the often practising of it by such who find their Hearts draw out so to do cannot be sinful And on that Solemn Day when the Church would have it put up to see 〈◊〉 the Members stood affected about Singing almost every ones Hand was up for it or to give Liberty to the Church at such times to sing And when put up in the Negative but about 5 or 6 at most as I remember were against it Did any one of you at that time say if we did proceed to sing at such times you could not have Communion with us which if you had I perceive the Church nay every one of us who had born our Burden for many Years would have born it a little longer Besides did not the Church agree to sing only after Sermon and when Prayer was ended And if those few Brethren and Sisters who were not satisfied could not stay whilst we sung they might freely go forth and we would not be offended with them so far was the Church or my self from imposing on the Consciences of any But is it not hard that some of us should so long be laid under a Burden when the Church generally was against Singing at that time and you cannot bear it now it is come to be your Lot I am afraid the noise of these things are misrepresented abroad and therefore I thought it might not be amiss to rectify Mistakes in you or any other Brethren The matter of Difference that is at present between the Church and some few of our dear and beloved Brethren and Sisters is not about Singing it self nor singing with others for that has been all along the practise of the Church for many Years as before I hinted but only about singing on the Lords Day unless it be one Member except the Judgments of any other are lately changed But my Brethren will I hope seriously consider of the Matter and labour after that Christian Love Tenderness and Forbearance the Gospel calls for We are exhorted to bear one anothers Burdens and so to fulfil the Law of Christ For the Lord's sake let us not fall out by the way and lay things grievous on one anothers Spirits for we are not Lords over one anothers Faith but Helpers of each others Joy O my Brethren pray let us all watch against Satan and strive to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace I must confess divers of you did much desire me to answer Mr. Marlow's Book before this time but I hope you will excuse my neglect for some of you know the occasion of it â—tis done now and in the fear of God recommended to your perusal And O that the Lord would be pleased to bless it to your Satisfaction then shall I have cause to praise the Lord that I undertook the Work I can â—â—y you lie near my Heart and I would do any thing I am capable of to promote Truth and Peace amongst our selves and in all the Churches of Christ If any of you should say How can we be satisfied to have Communion with the Church when we believe 't is an Innovation that 's a hard word Arâ— you Infallible Is there not ground for you to fear you are mistaken or to think in the least 't is a doubtful case since so much is to be said for it and has been so generally received from the beginning by most enlightned Saints and you your selves with the Church for so long a time been in the Practice of â—t at other times Besides can you find any ground from God's Word that will warrant you to separate your selves from the Church upon this account and also may not the same or like Scruple rise in our Spirits against having Communion with you who we beâ—ieve lie short of a plain Gospel-Ordinance â—nd so through want of light diminish from God's Word as you say we add thereto by doing of it But far be it from us to have a thought to act that way towards any of you Moreover will not such a practice of a Separation from the Church upon this account justify other Godly Christians who are Members of such Churches who do not sing that are convinced as well as we it is their Duty to separate from those Congregations to joyn with such Churches as are in this practice Doubtless that Door that will let you out of this Church will let others out of those Churches I mentioned before and there are not a few such in this City There is one thing I think good to note here to prevent any mistake that tho I call Preaching a moral Duty yet to preach the Gospel only appertains to such whom God particularly hath gifted for that Work and who have a lawful call to it I shall conclude with the words of the Holy Apostle Finally Brethren farewel be Perfect be of good Comfort be of one Mind live in Love and Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you 2 Cor. 13. 11. Which is the Prayer of him Who is Your unworthy Brother fellow Servant and poor Labourer in God's Harvest B. Keach From my House near Horselydown Southwark April 3d 1691. The Contents of the chief Things contained in the insuing Treatise WHat it is to sing Page 5. That there can be no proper Singing without the Voice pag. 6. 'T is not simple Heart-joy or inward rejoicing without
God in his Worship and our Glory viz. our Tongue is brought to shame hereby and 't is no less 〈◊〉 to rob God of the Glory of his Holy Ordinances and his Church and every particular Saint of the use and comfort of them so far as 〈◊〉 Body or Members thereof are employed in 〈◊〉 about them they being of no use at all And what is this but to turn all outward or external Worship into a spiritual inward or heart-business The Essence of Singing then if that word may be admitted lies no more in our Spiriâ— than the Essence of Preaching c. And shaâ—â— the Quakers or any other deceived People 〈◊〉 Person say when they meet together to preach pray or sing the Praises of God thaâ— in their Spirits they have the Essence of thoâ—â— Duties and so perform them to God notwithstanding there is not one of them verbally and vocally done certainly nothing can be more ridiculous Besides the main part Essence too if you please nay the whole of Singing lies in the Voice I speak of the act or thing 〈◊〉 self not of a right spiritual and Gospel-Performance of it for he may be said to preach who has not the Spirit of God to assist him in the doing of it nor is he affected with what he says as properly as he that preaches spiritually or by the assistance of the Holy Ghost in his own Heart Doubtless Birds sing as truly as any Men can be said so to do and so do those who sing prophane Songs tâ—ere's all the parts of Singing manifested in their Act so much difference there is between the doing of an Act or Work and the Manner Design Spirit and End in performing of it Fourthly to proceed By Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs therefore we understand a musical melodious Modulation or tuning of the Voice expressing our spiritual Joy for edifying one another and for glorifying of God 1. And that this is all the Singing the Holy Scripture speaks of and is meant or intended therein will yet further appear if we consider these things following First 'T is called the making of a joyful Noise Sing a loud unto God our strength make a joyful Noise unto the God of Jacob Psal 81. 1. O 〈◊〉 let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyful Noise to the Rock of our Salvation Psal 95. 1. Let us come before his Presence with Thanksgiving and make a joyful Noise unto him with Psalms vers 2. So in Psal 98. 4 5 6. 100. 1 2. this is the Singing the Holy Ghost bears witness of 't is not meerly that in Word Joy or rejoycing in Spirit but an expressing of it wiâ—â— a melodious Voice or by making of a joyful Noise unto the Lord. Secondly What the act of Singing is or what it is to sing may be easily manifested by the Birds of the Air those melodious Notes they make God in his Word Cant. 2. 12. calls Singing and 't is easy to know when they sing and when they do not and 't is as easy to know when the Lord's People sing and which of them sing and who do not if Men will not shut their Eyes and Ears against an Ordinance of Christ and in opposing of it render themselves ridiculous to Mankind Thirdly Singing is distinguished from Prayer as another thing differing from any part or branch of it and that by the great Apostle himself and therefore it cannot be comprehended in that great Duty What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Vnderstanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the Vnderstanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. Prayer all Expositors affirm consisteth in three parts as I hinted before 1. In confession of Sin c. 2. In supplication for what we stand in need of And 3. In giving of Thanks or in Praising of God with raised affections for what Mercies we have received from him As if the Apostle should say I will confess my Sins and Wants to God by â—he help of God's Spirit and with the inward â—ttention and utmost intention of my own â—pirit or greatest devotion and Fervour of Afâ—ections imaginable and so will I seek to him â—nd supplicate his holy Majesty for what I â—ant and so will I praise him and give â—hanks to him for all the good things I have â—eceived at his most bountiful Hands See our â—ate Annotation Phil. 4. 6. They mention there a Petition or Apprecation of Good to our selves or others and also in Prayer a Deprecation of Evils felt or feared 3. A grateful acknowledgment of Mercies received Benefits conferred and Deliverances vouchsafed Implying saith he that no Prayer is acceptable to God without this Ingredient of thankful resentment of his Favours Nor can I think that any gracious Soul doth ever leave out this sweet and great part of Prayer when he is at the Throne of Grace viz. Praising of God Therefore this the Apostle would do when he prayed But observe besides this and as something quite distinct from it he adds And when I sing I will sing with the Spirit c. If therefore Singing were comprehended in Prayer or praising of God when we pray unto him then the Apostle uses as great and palpable a Tautology as can possibly be nay and leaves all Men under a Cloud and Mistake if he meant nothing else or no more than praising of God in Prayer since all the World ever understood a clear distinct difference between those two things viz. Prayer or praising of God and singing of his Praises for though all right Singing to God is a praising of him nay and in the higheâ—â— manner that we in our mortal Bodies are capable to do yet all praisings of God are not singing of his Praise Moreover the difference there between Prayer c. and Singing 〈◊〉 clearly hinted by the Apostle James where he exhorts those in Affliction in an extraordinary manner to pray James 5. 13. Is any afflicted let him pray And is any merry let them sing Psalms Certainly he wills the Afflicted to praise God as well as to pray unto him but to such who are merry or whose Hearts were greatly lifted up or affected with the Love Mercy and Goodness of God why then and upon such Occasions to sing yeâ— to sing Psalms In which words by the way 't is worth noting to observe that the Apostle stirs up Christians to perform these Duties more than in an ordinary manner at suchâ— Times and Occasions for 't is a Man's Duty to pray whether he be afflicted or no and so in like manner 't is a Man's Duty to sing the Praises of God whether he hath such an extraordinary cause and special frame of Spirit upon him or not Fourthly 'T is easy to conceive of Singing or to know what it is if we consider how it differs from meer rejoicing in the Lord for a Man may rejoice in Spirit when he doth not signify
Secondly All Creatures are called upon to praise God to sing to him Now surely the Holy Ghost would not have injoyned this on all that have Breath if it did not belong to them and that which all Men are and ought to do is certainly a Moral Duty nay 't is evident there are more Precepts that injoin all Men to sing the Praises of God in the Old Testament than there are for them to pray unto him which seems to be done as if it were on purpose to silence those Mens Spirits whom the Holy Ghost might foresee would in some Age or another oppose this sacred Ordinance and so more reason to repeat it than that of Prayer that never was opposed or cavill'd against Thirdly That Faculty as one observes which God hath placed in Men to praise him in an harmonious or a melodious manner shews that it is a moral Duty belonging to all Men tho more especially the Saints of God to be found in the Practice of singing forth his Praise God who made nothing in vain but all things for his own Glory even the Tongue of little Birds to warble forth with their pleasant Notes the Praises of their Creator amongst the branches of the Trees Psal 104. 12. Who made our Tongues and placed that singing Faculty in them but the Almighty We see all Men and Women more or less are naturally as apt and ready to sing as to speak Now was this tunable and musical Tongue or that Faculty of Siâ—â—ing not given to us and to all Mortals think you to sing forth the Praises of our Creator Can any be so weak as to think it was given to be imployed to sing any other Songs but such as are sacred and divine If it be a great abuse of the Tongue or rather a Dishonour to God for any to imploy their Tongues to sing profane and carnal Songs that stir up Lust and promote Ungodliness as all will say doubtless it is then it follows clearly this tunable or melodious note or faculty of Singing that God hath placed in the Tongue can be for no other reason but that thereby viz. with a sweet and melodious manner they nay all of them might discharge this Duty of singing the Praises of the Almighty God And indeed upon this account as well as any other or more than upon any other the Tongue may be called our Glory i. e. because thereby we in the highest manner we are capable of do praise and laud the Name of God in singing and setting forth that Glory that is owing to him from Now if to sing God's Praise weâ—â— not the Duty of all Men it would follow God hath given them one Faculty in that Member for no use But of use it is and Men will use it too they will sing and say I they may nay more they ought but not to the Dishonour of God not filthy or vain and foolish Songs but such as may be to the Glory and Honour of his Name who made all Creatures and Things for his own Praise And since Mankind are naturally thus inclined to Singing and that this natural Gift and Faculty might be improved as all others to the Honour of God who as Austine in his Preface to the Psalms observes has left in his Word what they should sing and how to perform that Moral Duty Spiritus Sanctus videns obluctantem ad virtutis viam humani generis animam ad delect atiâ—nes hujus vitae inclinari delect abilibus modâ—lis Cantilenae vim suae Doctrinae permiscuit ut dum servitate carmine mulcetur audituâ— divini sermonis pariter utilitate miseratur The Holy Ghost seeing the Soul of Mankind strugling in the way of Godliness and being inclined to the Delights of this Life he mixed the Power of his Doctrine with sweet Singing that whilst the Soul was melted with the sweetness of the Verse the hearing of the Divine Word might be ingrafted with profit Austin in his Preface to the Psalms Object I know it is objected Hath not God given to the Tongue a faculty to laugh as well as to sing and is it their Duty to laugh Answ There is no doubt to be made but to laugh at some time is lawful and good it may be done without Sin though in much laughter there wants not Folly Man has not that Faculty in vain and many will tell you it is found in some Distempers very good for the Body and tends to remove them too besides it may refresh the natural Spirits when suppressed with Melancholy Gogitations But what a trifling Objection is this for as the one seems to be disallowed unless it be on some special Occasions so the other is given it appears on a far more excellent and subliâ—e Account and Consideration with frequent Injunctions to be found in it which is not to be found of Laughter therefore away with such contentious reasoning against Reason and Scripture too God hath injoined you to sing Psalms c. to hiâ— that dwelleth in Sion Psal 9. 11. Singing forth the Hâ—â—â—ur and Praise of his Name Psal 66. 2. That doth wondrous Works for the Children of Men for his Mercy endures forever Psal 107. 8. And so much the more ought Saints to be found in it because he delights to hear the sweet Voice of his Church Cant. 2. 14. Let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice c. not only of Prayer but of such sweet Praises too no doubt Christ's Ear is affected with this harmonious Praise when performed by his own Spirit with Grace in our Hearts it also elevates and carries up our Spirits to him The Cloud of the Lord 's Divine Presence saith one descended not before but when the Trumpets and Singers were as one to make one Sound to be heard in praising and giving Thanks to the Lord and when they lifted up their Voices in Praises to him saying For he is good for his Mercy endureth for ever then the Lord bowed his Ear and vouchsafed his gracious Presence to his People then the House was filled 〈◊〉 a Cloud even the House of the Lord 2 Châ—â— 5. 13. Then God takes possession of it as his Dwelling-place he is so affected with the Praises of his People when in a right manner they sing to set forth his Glory And as he minds for the neglect of this Ordinance in the Church viz. the not improving our Tongues and Faculties by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost in Singing the Praises of God he may withhold the Influences of his Spirit and may not be found to that degâ—â—â— in his Dwelling-place Fourthly We may perceive what the Nature of this Ordinance of Singing is if we consider how often it is in the Holy Scripture joined with Prayer When we are exhorted to pray to him to worship him we are called upon also to sing his Praises And thus Paul seems to join them together in his practice When I pray I will pray in the Spirit c.
c. Ergo Christ and his Disciples have left a sufficient Rule to shew how singing of Psalms and Hymns should be performed This Argument cannot be denied therefore let our Brethren consider where the fault lies who do not see the way how to sing c. 'T is said Moses was faithful in all God's House as a Servant and was careful to do every thing according to the Patern shewed him in the Mount but Christ as a Son is faithful over his own House Now since Singing was required of the Churches by Christ for what the Apostles injoyned by the Spirit Christ injoyned in the New Testament certainly he has left a sufficient Direction how it ought to be performed otherwise it would reflect upon his Wisdom and Faithfulness Strange is Singing practised by Christ and his Apostles and injoined on the Churches and is there no certain way to know what that Singing is nor how it should be performed I stand in a maze to see how confused some are in their Minds and Sentiments about it one saying 't is only Heart-Joy others 't is no more than to praise or give Thanks to God in Prayer saith another 't is to be performed or done by one single Man alone in the Congregation tho not one Example or Precedent in all the Scripture in God's ordinary Worship for any such Practice O how hard is it to bring Men off from their own conceited Opinions or to receive a Truth they either 〈◊〉 prejudiced against or else not willing to have it to be received as an Ordinance of God! CHAP. XIII Shewing what the Matter is the Saints and Churches of Christ should sing i◠Gospel-Times opening what Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs are ONE Objection that is brought against Singing is this viz. We do not know what we should sing and therefore do not sing in our Congregations I must confess if Singing was practised and injoined and nothing was left in God's Word to shew us what it is we are to sing it would be strange and a sufficient Plea against the practice of it but such a thing could not stand consistent with the Wisdom of the Spirit But blessed be God 't is not so as we by his Assistance shall now further make appear For we have first our Pattern which is Christ's practice with his Disciples in this Case as in others 2dly The Rule which are those Precepts laid down in the New Testament Christ and his Disciples sung an Hymn And be sure the Matter of it was Spiritual it being performed by those Sacred and Holy Persons and in the Sacred Worship of God i. e. just as they had celebrated the Holy Supper But to speak to the Rule see Ephes 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your Hearts to the Lord. So Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord. Here you have six Things observable or the words contain six parts First The Matter to be sung in the general viz. the Word of Christ Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms c. singing with Grace in your Hearts Like as the Word of Christ ought to dwell in us richly that we may meditate thereon and be able to preach it hear it and understand it c. so to sing it The Word of Christ is therefore positively laid down to be the Matter we must and ought to sing in the general for we are injoined to have it dwell richly in us in this place more especially to sing it than on any other account Secondly The Singers that is the Church or Churches to whom he wrote more particularly the Saints and faithful in Christ at Ephesus and at Coloss and in them to all other Saints and Churches of Christ to the end of the World Thirdly More particularly the Matter to be sung viz. Psalms and Hymus and Spiritual Songs Fourthly The Manner or how it should be performed i. e. with Melody or Spiritual Joy in the Heart or Grace What he calls Melody in our Heart in one place he calls Grace in the Heart in the other The Tongue is the Instrument but it must be tun'd with Grace or the Musick will not be sweet in Christ's Ears In Singing of Psalms c. saith one a gracious Heart takes Wings and mounts up to God to join with the Celestial Quire It is Grace which fills the Heart for and sweetens the Heart in this Duty Fifthly The Master of the Chore the Preceptor as Mr. Wells saith viz. the Heart we must look to the Heart in Singing that it is purged by the Spirit God is the Creator of the whole Man and therefore will be worshipped and praised with the whole Man The whole Man is bought with a Price our Tongues as well as our Spirits are not our own therefore we ought to glorify God in our Bodies and in our Spirit which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. My Heart is fixed O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psal 57. 7. Awake my Glory c. I my self will awake What was this which David calls his Glory all tell you it was his Tongue and in Singing and Praising of God the Glory of it much lies when the Heart is filled and fixed with Grace in the discharge of this Duty So in Psal 108. 1. O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise with my Glory Augustine saith It is not a musical String but a working Heart that is harmonious Mary sung with her Tongue and her Heart was in her magnificent Song And as saith another Godly Man When we sing Psalms c. let us take heed that we have the same thing in our Mind that we warble forth with our Tongues and that our Song and our Heart do not run several ways If saith Mr. Wells we in Singing only offer the Calves of our Lips it will too much resemble the Jewish Service Men may hear or pray as well as sing carnally therefore we should remember to do as the Apostle teaches to sing with the Spirit and with the Vnderstanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. Sixthly and lastly The End viz. to glorify the Lord and lift up his Praise God is to be our true and only Scope i. e. to set forth his Glory ought to be our ultimate End I mean when we sing and perform all other Duties of Religion Now then since the Word of Christ is the Matter in general that ought to be sung it appears we are not left without Directions by the Spirit about this Ordinance let Men say what they please for as 't is Christ's Word we should and ought always to preach and hear so 't is his Word we
less of all the Members c. So 〈◊〉 cannot be supposed that all the Ministring Brethren had the Gift of Singing or 〈…〉 was any distinction of its universality in delivery more than of other Gifts in the 〈◊〉 Text besides the Context speaks of single Persons that must exercise in the Church 〈◊〉 therefore those words every one of you 〈◊〉 mean all c. Answ First of all I cannot but take notice how you contradict your self in Ephes 5. 19. you would have the Apostle by Teaching and Singing to mean only a silent Speaking in their Heart without a Voice But in Col. 3. 16. you confess that intends a Vocal Singing Do you think any Man who has the least Light or Knowledg in the Scripture can groundedly suppose that the Apostle doth in Ephes 5. 19. in these words Speaking to your selves in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making of Melody in your Heart to the Lord. And in Col. 3. 16. in these words Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord mean two different things Surely there is not one Man to be found of your Opinion for all generally with one Mouth affirm the Apostle in writing to these two Churches intends the one and the same Practice Nor is â—here any thing said by you to convince us to the contrary for though the Duty seems to be â—id down in different words yet it implies the same thing speaking to your selves and teaching and admonishing one another are of the 〈◊〉 import on this occasion as expressed here for the Speaking is in Singing and so is the Teaching and Admonishing as the close of the Text opens it to every understanding Man 2. 'T is observable how you seem to confound this great Duty injoined in ordinary Worship on these two Churches with the exercise of those extraordinary Gifts mentioned 1 Cor. 14. 26. which hereafter I purpose to explain and shew the purport or main drift of the Spirit in that place in 1 Cor. 14 c. If any Man did sing in an unknown Tongue alone 't was because others were not capable to sing with him and he from thence was not to use such a Gift in the Church unless there was an Interpreter to give forth that Psalm or Hymn that so all might sing with him and be edified in that Ordinance as in others 3. In the third place which is yet worst of all you would have this of Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms c. singing with Grace in your Heart to refer to that Heb. 3. 13. which you apply to such who had the Gift to preach Ministerially and to sing too by the said Gift In answer to this in the first place I thought we should not have had you to affirm the Apostle means by Teaching and Admonishing here in this place to be Preaching according to that in your sense you refer to in citing Heb. 3. 13. Now as to the first part of your Assertion had you read Reverend Mr. Cotton it might have removed this Mistake and so prevented your pains to trouble the Reader with such an Exposition of the Text I find him answering an Objection that directly includes part of yours in these words following Object The Apostle to the Ephesians and Colossians doth not say Sing one to another in Psalms but speak or preach one to another or in other words Teach and admonish one another the Psalms dwelling in their Hearts they were to dispose them in a way of teaching and admonishing but as for singing he makes no mention of that until he came to teach them the manner of dispensing the words of Christ unto God in one Verse and then indeed he teacheth them to sing in the Spirit making Melody with Grace in the Heart If I do not mistake you this Objection contains part of what you say and pray take his Answer I do not doubt but he gives the true sense of the place Answ Such as tremble at the Word saith he as the framer of this Objection professeth himself to do they should rather bow their Judgments and Practice to Scripture-Language than bow the Sense of Scripture to their own Conceptions against the Language of Scripture it is one thing to speak one to another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs as is done in singing and another thing to preach and teach one another out of the Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs 'T is true they were to teach and admonish one another out of the Psalms and the scope of Paul will teach that but if Paul had meant that to wit that they should teach and preach one to another out of the Psalms he would not have said Speak ye one to another in Psalms or with Psalms but out of the Psalms for such is the Language of the Holy Ghost in expressing this Duty Paul is said to have expounded and testified and perswâ—ded the Jews out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets Acts 28. 23. So Philip is said to do begin to preach to the Eunâ—â—h from that Scripture in Isaiah Act. 8. 35. Thus Mr. Cotton 'T is evident my Brother that Paul is not a speaking here to Ministers but to the whole Church and he is not a laying down Directions to gifted Brethren how they should preach and exhort one another that way as sometimes he doth much less about the exercise of extraordinary Gifts but 't is to injoin and exhort the Churches to sing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs how also they should perform this Duty to the Honour of God and their own Comfort in ordinary Gospel-Administration Dr. Roberts in his Key to the Bible pag. 176. saith on these words to this purpose But Christians should be filled with the Spirit not filled with Wine but with the Spirit and speak one to another in Psalms 〈◊〉 Hymns and spiritual Songs c. thus rejoicing with Heavenly Melody in your Hearts to the Lord and the latter words in both places Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. are saith he exegetical to those in the beginning of the Verses explaining what he means by speaking teaching and admonishing viz. thus edifying one another in singing Psalms c. And it 's an excellent way of speaking to themselves and to one another when Christians sing Psalms c. therefore saith he that speaking to themselves and teaching one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs is 〈…〉 singing As to singing with a vocal Voice you have granted 't is intended by the Holy Ghost in Col. 3. 16. which is as much as I desire What you hint or imagine of one singing alone has been fully answered that never having been the Practice of God's People in God's ordinary Worship neither in the Old or New Testament and as touching singing by an extraordinary Gift more of that anon And saith Mr. Sidenham many think there can be no such use of Singing as
their Voice with one accord to God and yet did as you conclude do no more than pray as we do that is only one was the Mouth Answ 1. Some say they lifted up their Voice by an extraordinary manner by a miraculous Spirit that was upon them and all uttered the same thing together Prayer-wise 2. Others say they lifted up their Voice together in Singing And I find one great Author calling this the Apostles Song 'T is evident the Matter they uttered is part of the Second Psalm 3. Our Annotators intimate as if all their Voices were joined together in saying Amen Now there can be nothing concluded or inferred on any certainty for your purpose from hence If I should say that as they prayed for so they did the Text says yet when 't is said they lifted up their Voice to God with one accord they sung the Second Psalm it may be as probably so as any thing else However I have made it appear plain that it may be said there is a Praying together though but one is the Mouth but there is no Singing together 〈◊〉 but one sings and the rest are silent and sing not In your sixth place you reply to that in Acts 16. 25. about Paul and Silas singing Praifes you say just nothing pag. 32. For though Hymnos is nto praise yet say the Learned 't is such a Praising as is by Singing Here I perceive you would quarrel again with the Translators 't is plain you are not willing to have any Singing to be in your Bible If there is no Singing you should not have told us so much about the Essence of it don't abuse the Text 't is not said they prayed and praised God but 't is said they prayed and sung Praises unto God Though all Singing to God is a praising of him yet all Praising is not a Singing his Praises Your seventh Reply is from that in Ephes 5. 19. Your chief Business here is to shew how Psalms Hymos and Spiritual Songs are rendered Pray Brother let you and I leave those nice Distinctions to better Scholars than you or I pretend to be Some do say they refer wholly to the Titles of the Book of Psalms others 〈◊〉 the Psalms of David and to all Sacred Hymns and Songs Besides these 1. Here is Singing enjoined that 's evident 2. Here is the Word of Christ prescribed as the Matter in general to be sung 3. Here are Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs as the Form and this cannot be denied without palpable Violence offered to the Spirit But you would not have Old-Testament Names given to New-Testament Things in Singing but give no reason for it Prayer was called Prayer in the Old Testament and Praises called Praises and Laws called Ordinances and so they are called in the New And why not Singing calling Singing and Psalms of David called Psalms and Hymns called Hymns in the New Testament as well as in the Old These Cavils argue you want Matter to object against Christ's Ordinance of Singing as you fain would do You intimate as if the Holy Ghost had injoined Singing of such Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs that no Body knows what they be but you think they may be known hereafter as if we had an imperfect Gospel and can't understand the Duties of it till some extraordinary effusion of the Spirit comes upon us So it may be objected in other Cases as the Quakers do about Baptism and the Lord's Supper who cry down our Ordinances as none of those the Holy Ghost gave forth nor our Preaching neither but they are all spiritual Things and must be done by a Spirit of Inspiration pag. 34 35. Nothing can be more 〈◊〉 nor destructive to the Christian Religiâ—â— than such arguing as you use Your eighth Reply is to our proof of Singâ—â— being a Moral Duty and the substance of 〈◊〉 you say to this is 1. That the Wicked 〈◊〉 perform Moral Duties acceptably to God 〈◊〉 plowing of the Wicked being Sin and wince 〈◊〉 Minds are Carnal they cannot perform 〈◊〉 which is Spiritual And in regard they 〈◊〉 not their Sins nor need of a Christ they 〈◊〉 no cause to sing Or to this effect I find 〈◊〉 speaking pag. 37. Answ Doth it follow because they cannot 〈◊〉 nor praise God as they ought they ought 〈◊〉 to pray nor praise God at all God deliâ—â— them from such Doctrine And because 〈◊〉 cannot bless God nor sing to him for the work of Grace on their own Hearts or for 〈◊〉 Spiritual Mercies which they have not yet 〈◊〉 ought they not to sing his Praises for 〈◊〉 Works of God in Creation Provision Preâ—â—vation and all outward Blessings they have 〈◊〉 from him as their Creator and Beneâ—â—ctor Nay may they not sing his Praises for 〈◊〉 and the Gospel and for the Means of 〈◊〉 Conversion And why then did David 〈◊〉 upon all Men on Earth to sing and praise God I find you are so lift up here as to cry out against Forms that God hath ordained to be used 〈◊〉 there are many Forms of things that are 〈◊〉 and of Divine Institution All Spiritual Ordinances have Matter and Form 〈◊〉 is no Prayer nor Sermon neither tho ne'r 〈◊〉 Spiritual but it has its Form We read of 〈◊〉 Form of Doctrine Form of sound Words Baptism and Breaking of Bread have their Forâ—â— And if Men must attend as helps upon 〈◊〉 Forms of Religion they must do nothing 〈◊〉 mind wholly that which you call the Essence 〈◊〉 things within their Spirits But what is here 〈◊〉 gainsay what we say that this is a Moral Duty Moral Duties are perpetually obliging 〈◊〉 must be done as well as Men are able to 〈◊〉 them Must not all Men worship and adore the blessed God and discharge their Duties according to the Light and Law of God in their Consciences as far as they may be helped Why 〈◊〉 they suffered to hear the Gospel preached they cannot hear it you may say aright who havâ— not Faith therefore must not hear at all Your ninth Reply is to that about the continual Cause Christians have to praise God â—ay to celebrate his Praises in the highest manneâ— they are able and therefore as we say to sing his Praises in his Publick Worship This in general you grant Yet you say it doth not follow from thence we should so sing his Praises 1. Because in this Life our Joys and Consolations are mix'd with Sorrow and Affliction c. We are in our Sackcloth State c. Answ I have answered this twice already 〈◊〉 What though we have Sorrow and Afflictions 〈◊〉 God lose his Praises therefore As sorrowâ—â— saith Paul yet always rejoicing Nay 〈◊〉 have cause to 〈◊〉 â—nd praise God for Afâ—â—ctions and for his Presence and Help in and 〈◊〉 them Did not Christ and his Disciples sing just 〈◊〉 the most dismal Time of Sorrow and 〈◊〉 and Paul and Silas sung when in 〈◊〉 and their Feet were in the Stocks And 〈◊〉 not the
that Men should go about to restrain or withhold Praises from the Lord which are due to his holy Name and wherein we are said to glorify him Psal 50. 23. I am perswaded they will have but little Thanks from him one day for their thus doing And truly that want of God's Presence or liveliness of Spirit or that cause of Complainings that are in our Churches of which you speak may partly arise from hence i. e. from the general neglect of this great Duty in which God of old appeared amongst his People like a cloud to fill his House with his glorious Presence 2 Chron. 5. 13. owned also by God's gracious Testimony in giving his People 〈…〉 such eminent Victories over their Enemies 2 Chron. 20. 21 22. And when they had consulted with the People and appointed Singers unto the Lord that they should praise the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for 〈◊〉 Mercy endureth for ever And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set Ambushments against the Children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which came against Judah and they were smitten Israel's Success saith Mr. Wells follows Israel's Singing If the Lord's People will be found in their Duty they shall not want God's Presence To this I might add that glorious witness of his Presence in delivering Paul and Silas out of Prison upon their Praying and Singing Praises to him Act. 16. There may 't is true be a natural Joy or false Rapture by an erring Spirit but that Joy and Presence of God we meet with in his own Way and Ordinance nay in the same Ordinance in which he met with his People of old we may be sure is to be prized and esteemed as no natural or counterfeit Joy say you what you please If in singing Psalms Hymns c. there is no other Rule or Directions given in the New Testament differing from the Practice of the Saints before the Law under the Law and in Gospel-days performed by Christ and his Disciples Then no Christian has cause in the least to doubt but so we are to sing since 't is a Duty and injoyned on the Churches in the New Testament Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. But this I have spoken largely to already likewise See Chap. 9. In Pag. 47. of your Book you say As to Forms of Prayer and Singing you have sufficiently treated of them before and that the sufficient Gifts of the Spirit shall continue for the Worship of God in the Gospel-Church to the end of the World and therefore your Business here you say is only to shew that the using a Form of Preaching is no Example for a Form of Singing Because say you there is reason for a Form of Preaching from God's Word and Example of Christ himself who read a Text and then preached from it though as he was not so others are not limited to that or any particular Forms yet it is lawful for them and required of them to compare Spiritual Things with Spiritual and to give themselves to reading and meditation and to hold fast the form of sound Words rightly dividing the Word of Truth So that where the Scripture gives us a liberty we may use it but it is our Sin to take it where it is forbidden as you say you have shewed in a form of Prayer and Singing Answ In vain is all this for all the Saints and Ministers of Christ in all the World know there is no one form of Preaching laid down in all the Scripture We have no direct Precept nor Example to preach in the form of taking a Text of Scripture and to raise a Doctrine from it and then Generals and Particulars with Application 't is left to the faithful Servants of God to make use of such a Form or Manner as the Spirit of God may help them to and the best Form or Method they ought and do make use of which they judg may most tend to the profit of the People That place you mention of our Saviour taking a Text and then preaching from it is scarcely true however 't is a greater proof for a Form of Reading the Scripture in our Publick Assemblies than for taking a Text to preach from it The Text saith He went into the Synagogue of the Jews on the Sabbath-day and stood up to read Aud there was delivered to him the Book of the Prophet Isaias and when he had opened the Book he found the place where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me c. Luk. 4. 17 18. And he closed the Book so do not we and gave it again to the Minister vers 20. And began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your Ears vers 21. We read of no more he spake unto them from that Scripture And as touching those general Directions you mention of comparing spiritual Things with Spiritual c. 1 Cor. 2. 13. the Apostle doth not prescribe a Form of Preaching but shews as our Annotators observe how they did disclaim those Orations of the Athenian Philosophers using a plain and spiritual Stile giving the naked Truths of God without any paint of gawdery Phrase speaking the Oracles of God as the Oracles of God fitting Spiritual Things to Spiritual Persons or opening one Scripture by another But certain it is they preached by an Immediate and extraordinary Spirit or Inspiration And so do not we but by an ordinary Spirit from the mediate Word and therefore must study and are left to use what Method we think may be as I said before most profitable for the Edification of the People so that although the Matter of our Sermons are God's Word and so Divine and Sacred yet the Form or Method you may as well call Formal and Human as so to call our Sacred Hymns c. God hath graciously owned nevertheless this form of Preaching and daily doth for the conversion of many Sinners and so he doth our way of Singing to the comforting and refreshing the Souls of many Saints We have matter to be sung plainly expressed viz. the Word of Christ in Psalms and they are well known and also Hymns and Spiritual Songs which are also easily known by such who are Spiritual whether they be the Sacred Word of Christ as to the Matter of them or not as it may be known that the Doctrine is so which we hear preached As touching David's Psalms they are formally God's Word as well as materially so and since we are exhorted to sing Hymns and Spiritual Songs I ask whether those Hymns and Spiritual Songs could be without a Form either immediately or mediately precomposed by the Spirit and whether the Spirit of God doth not may not assist God's Servants now in precomposed Hymns as he did of old Object But may be you will say They are not in Metre in the Scripture but other words are added to make them fit to be
Songs and that is humane Answ We have none of the words in our own Tongue which were originally given forth by the Holy Ghost for the Holy Men of old who gave forth the Scriptures spake them either in Hebrew or Greek words And therefore some may object our Translation of the Bible is Humane and our Scripture not God's Word besides we have many humane Supplements as I said before added to make the sense good in our English Tongue And as touching Meter Prose and Verse is all one if the same Truth be contained in the Verse as is in the Prose And if it be equal Feet or measured fitly to be sung we do not matter Rhime at all And so some tell you David's Psalms were left in the Original But should we miss it either in the form of Preaching or Singing the Praises of God since we can appeal to God we do both as nigh the Rule of the Word as we have received Light and Understanding Who do you think will be most excusable in the Day of Christ we or such who because they are not arrived to a satisfaction about the Form or Manner of Preaching or of Singing will do neither of them or at leastwise wholly live in omission of the last and yet say they believe 't is an Ordinance of Christ And let me tell you to admit of this nice Exception against practising of an Ordinance because we do not know the exact Form this will run us into a multitude of needless and frivolous Objections in the administration of other Ordinances one or two of which I have met withal As for Example In Breaking of Bread saith one you ought to have but one Loaf because Christ's Body was but one entire Body and the Church is said to be but one Bread therefore saith he if you have many Loaves you err in the form of this Ordinance and as by you practised 't is humane and devised Saith another As soon as you have broke the Bread you must pour forth the Wine because so soon as Christ's Body was broke his Blood came forth Saith a Third You must eat all and let none remain which others deny One says We must eat plentifully for Christ so bids his Friends Cant. 5. 1. Saith another A little quantity of Bread and so of the Cup will answer the Form of the Administration So in the Form of Baptism one may say You must Baptize the Person forwards saith another Backwards one may say with a swift Motion another may say it must be done with a slow Motion and let the Person lie some time buried in the Water that we may have the clear Representation of the Burial of Christ Would not these be silly Objections And yet these appertain to the Form of the Administration of Christ's Ordinance But as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 16. If any seem contentious we have no such Custom nor the Church of God We read the Children of Israel for a long time had lost an Ordinance viz. that of sitting in Booths in the Feast of Tabernacles Nehem. 8. 14. which had not been done from the days of Joshuah the Son of Nun vers 17. so that none were then living to tell them the Form of those Booths Suppose now that one had said they must be made this way and another that way and they should not have agreed about the Form or Fashion of these Booths would this have justified some others among them to have said We will have no Booths at all unless there be some extraordinary Prophet to shew us the Form or Manner how they should be made No sure there were none among them that we read of that were of such a Spirit or if there had doubtless they would have been worthy of Reproof but they all according as they found it written in the Law which God commanded Moses c. they went to work and 〈◊〉 down Olive-branches and Pine-branches and Myrtle-branches and made them Booths Lord grant us the like Wisdom in this great Case about the lost or long-neglected Ordinance amongst us of Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Object Singing is a piece of Art Who can 〈◊〉 if he be not taught so that he may do it artifically c. Can this be a part of Sacred Gospel-Worship Answ As this Objection excludes this Holy Ordinance of Christ so it would likewise exclude other Duties You will not admit it because it cannot be done without Art There is I must tell you an Art in Speaking and no Man but has need to learn and be inâ—tructed to speak as he ought that he may not â—ender himself ridiculous especially when he speaks about Divine Things How rarely and â—egantly do some Men express themselves to â—â—ify others by improving their natural Parts Also there is an Art in Preaching and all young Men when they begin to take upon them that Work need instruction how to handle a Doctrine And so I may say in Praying too but I have shewed in this Treatise that Men are as apt by natural Instincts to sing as they are to speak And Paul shews in 1 Cor. 14. that all who have Spiritual Gifts should use them with all Wisdom so that the Church and all God's People may be edified If the Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound who shall prepare himself to the Battel The Method of Preaching must be learned and improved and that well too Some who have great Gifts yet cannot utter themselves in an Eloquent manner to the profit of others and it may be because they are against studying the Rule or Art of Speaking But all the World knows the way of Singing is easily learned And who gave Men those Faculties of Learning c. Natural Gifts as well as Spiritual are to be improved to the Honour of God Is not Reading of God's Word an Ordinance of the Gospel and part of God's Worship and must not People learn to read And is not that a piece of Art as well as Singing can People read unless they are learned 'T is well if some of them who make this Objection do not suffer their Children to sing vain Songs whilst they plead against singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs But since 't is so natural for all especially in Youth to learn to sing and so easily attained ought not Parents to instruct their Children about what they should sing and what not that so Art and Nature too as some call them may be improved to the Honour of God Grace makes Natural Gifts and Arts to become Spiritual for the very words of gracious Persons are or ought to be Spiritual the more of Art Men have to express themselves the more useful by the Grace of God they are made to others If it had not been for Art and Learning how should we have come to the knowledg of the Scriptures they being locked up from us in unknown Tongues Object Some have objected against Singing because that Gift and Manner
strive to pull down that which the Church and themselves too have been a building for so many Years Can there be a Man so left of God as to countenance any Persons to make a Schism in a Congragation because they cannot forgo a Duty they have so long been satisfied in the practice of and so the whole Body to submit to the Sentiments of a few Persons as if they had Power over our Faith We do not say our dissatisfied Brethren shall sing with us or we will have no fellowship with them no God forbid we should impose on their Consciences We do not look upon Singing c. an Essential of Communion 't is not for the being but for the comfort and well-being of a Church We have told our Brethren since we sing not till after our last Prayer if they cannot sing with us nay nor stay with the Church whilst we do sing they may go forth and we will not be offended Should any countenance through a hot and unaccountable zeal such a Schism it would make strange Confusion in our Churches And since he thus publickly hints at this private Case amongst us I had I thought a clear Call to open the matter plainly as it is to clear my self and the Church to all who may read his Epistle and this my Answer for we have done nothing we have the least cause to be ashamed of or unable to justifâ—â— in the sight of God or Man I shall add one word to the consideration of the Brethren of our Church I doubt not but they will consider it 1. If they look upon us equal in Knowledg and Uprightness towards God with themselves they may see we have the same ground to be offended with them in diminishing from God's Word as they may be with us for adding as possibly they think to God's Word 2. And let them consider 't is a horrid Evil to break the Bond of Spiritual Union and unawares to wound the Body of Christ Whose Work is it thus to do but the Devil's and what a reproach doth it bring upon the Truth and how grievous is it to all truly Godly Ones and grateful to the Enemies of our Sacred Profession Besides upon such a trifle can it be so hainous a Crime to be found often in that Duty which they with us have so often and long been in the practice of and in a mixt Assembly too many and many times Besides brought in by almost an unanimous Agreement in a solemn Church-Meeting there being not above five or six that shewed any publick dissent nor they neither signifying any such dissatisfaction i. e. that if we sang at such Times they could not bear it nor do I hear they do desire us now to decline the said practice Love will cover a greater Fault than this for they may see cause to believe 't is not Self-Interest but the Glory of God we wholly aim atâ— But to return The truth is I wonder any should be taken with his Book for I never saw any thing come out in Print upon any controvertible Truth that has less of Argument in it or more of Confidence And 't is not my Thoughts alone nor more destructâ—â— Mediums made use of to the whole of the external Parts of Religion Nay one told me very lately that one of our dissatisfied Members intimated to him as if our Bible was not truly or rightly-translated and it seems to rise from what Mr. Marlow hath asserted in his Book about the word Hymnos I fear'd that would be the Effect of his Attempt if any Body regarded what he hath said upon that account But pray what Call has he to rebuke me after this publick manner especially before the whole World If I had done any thing amiss in his Judgment in that Matter I could wish he had had more Wisdom and Prudence or else left the Controversy to some more discreet and abler Pen. I cannot forget the two Brethren that oppoposed Singing the Praises of God and would not comply with the Church though they did not separate themselves from the Church when first the practice of it was received amongst us near twenty Years ago One of them soon after brought a great Reproach upon Religion by immoral Actions and came to nothing and the other sometime after turned Quaker and to my Face denied the Resurrection of his Body c. As to that way Mr. Marlow speaks of praising of God in Prayer without singing of Praises as being more suitable as he thinks to the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit I must tell him God's Wordâ— our Rule and since God doth require his People to celebrate his Praises by singing Psalms Hymns c. doubtless that suits as well with the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit as such Gifts suit with Prayer Preaching c. And I fear one day he will not be found able to give any good account of himself in his bold Attempt in seeking to rob God of his glorious Praise by singing to him as he hath enjoined us to do nor do I fear but through the Help and Authority of God's Word I shall in the Day of Christ stand with Joy and Confidence before him upon this respect when possibly he may be ashamed if he has not sincere Repentence for what he has done Is it not a false Assertion for him to say as he doth in his Epistle to me That as to our way of Vocal Singing togetherâ— there is neither Command nor Example for it either in the Old or New Testament I shall leave it to the Consideration of all wise and sober Men. Certainly all will conclude the Man is strangely left of God especially considering he builds his main Confidence from a remote and indirect signification of a Greek Word and yet as I am told understands not that Language neither My Portion is I perceive to undergo hard Censures from Men but 't is no more than my Blessed Master met with and what am I that I should complain One said He was a good Man but others said Nay but he hath a Devil and deceiveth the People John â— 12 20. The Lord increase Love among all the Saints and a bearing and forbearing a gentle and Christian Spirit We all know but in part And O that the Lord would be pleased to deliver Men who profess the Gospel from that horrid Sin of backbiting of their Neighbours and from that bitter and unaccountable Spirit of Prejudice that seems to be gotten into the Hearts of some from whence they seem to tear the Names of their Brethren to pieces through undue Offences These thnigs are matter of Lamentation and I fear the forerunner of a dismal Hour that is coming upon us Cannot Christians have the Liberty of their Consciences from their Brethren to practise a Truth according to their Light without being charged and censured after this manner with Carnal Forms and mischievous Error c. I shall not retain you longer but desire you whoever
all she must not in the Church give an account of her Conversion or declare how the Lord was pleased to work upon her Heart for I have shewed in that Act there is much instruction nay 't is so full of teaching to others that what some pious Women have spoke in the Church upon this account God hath blessed to the Conversion of Sinners as well as it has refreshed and sweetly comforted divers Believers and therefore herein you abuse the sense of the Holy Ghost and indeed are not I fear fit to be a Teacher of others but to learn in silence your self 2. The way therefore to understand this as well as other Scriptures is to have recourse to the main drift or purport of the Spirit of God therein And evident it is the main thing the Apostle drives at in both these places or doth intend is this viz. That Women ought not to be allowed to take part in the ordinary Ministration of preaching the Gospel or ministerially or authoritatively to preach the Word because he that has received a just Call so to do may and ought to exhort and command in the Name of our Lord Jesus with all Authority Tit. 2. 15. and this Work therefore Women should not take upon them because they must be in Subjection and not usurp Authority over the Man To take the bare letter of the Text without shewing the scope and drift of the Spirit of God in it would make sad work as I might shew from many Scriptures and has occasioned many abominable Errors nay Heresies to abound in the World 3. As to that teaching which is in Singing it doth not lie in a Ministerial way and therefore not intended by the Spirit of God here Preaching or Teaching is not Singing nor Singing Preaching or Teaching though there is a Teaching in it You must learn better to distinguish between different Duties and Ordinances before you take upon you to teach others Read what I have before said and also what Mr. Cotton Sidenham c. have said as you will find it repeated in this Treatise in respect of the Nature of Teaching and Admonition that is in the Ordinance of Singing and you may further see how you miss and abuse these Scriptures for he or she that reads the Scripture may be said in some sense to teach there is much teaching in it yet sure a Woman may be suffered to do this as a case may present it self both in the Church or at home either in her Husbands presence and not be deemed to usurp Authority over him for the Usurpation the Apostle speaks of respects a Womans own Husband if not chiefly as well as others and therefore if she must not sing in the Church so by your Argument she must not sing nor read the Scripture at home in the presence of her Husband because there is a kind of teaching in both those Duties and if she should as you intimate she would not only break Silence but usurp Authority over the Man i. e. her Head and Husband which is forbid The Lord deliver poor Women and Men too from such kind of Doctrine as this 4. 'T is evident the Apostle lays no other restraint upon Women than what the Law laid them under they are to be silent or 't is not saith he permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law 1 Cor. 14. 34. And 't is as clear they were always under the Law suffered to sing in the Congregation as well as the Men therefore it was not such a Speaking or Teaching as is in Singing that Paul intends in those Scriptures 5. Whereas you affirm that Women were not admitted to pray nor prophesy in the Church neither in the Old nor New Testament is doubless false as our late Annotators well observed on 1 Cor. 14. 34. which is the very Text you mention take their words This Rule must not say they be restrained to ordinary prophesying for certainly if the Spirit of Prophesy came upon a Woman in the Church she might speak Anna who was a Prophetess in the Temple gave Thanks to the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for the Redemption of Israel and I cannot tell how Philip's Daughters prophesied if they did not speak in the presence of many The reason given why Women should be silent is because they are commanded to be in Obedience A Woman say they might say Amen to the publick Prayers and also sing with the Congregation to the Honour and Glory of God but for her to speak in an ordinary course of Prophesy to instruct People c. she is forbidden The Apostle saith a Friend in a Manuscript doth not prohibit all manner of speaking for that is directly contrary to 1 Cor. 11. 5 6. where Women are admitted to pray and prophesy for Prayer they may say Amen to the publick Prayers of the Church and for Prophesy they may sing Psalms the Apostle using the Expression according to the Ideum of the Jews 1 Sam. 19. 20 21. 1 Sam. 10. 5. they shall prophesy and for they shall prophesy the â—ald Paraphras reads they shall singâ— and thou shalt praise with them Vid. Wilson's Dict. Dr. Hammond's Annotat. on 1 Cor. 11. 5. and so it 's used 1 Chron. 25. 1 2 3. The Prohibition saith he is not restrained only to Church-Assemblies but holds good in all places and at all times and intends a Subjection of Women to their Husbands as plainly appears by comparing 1 Cor. 14. 35. with 1 Tim. 2. 12 13. with the occasion and scope of the Text and is of no greater Restraint now than lay on them under the Law 1 Cor. 14. 34. where they were permitted to sing Object But say you If we should say such a vocal Singing together is for a Teaching then where are the Hearers if all be Teachers c. Appendix p. 35. Answ We have shewed you Singing is a distinct thing from that which is called Teaching or Preaching tho in Singing there is a Teaching but chiefly we speak to our own selves as the Apostle exhorts in Psalms c. and the matter of the Psalm or Hymn is full of Teaching and Admonition yet 't is the Matter â—ung which teaches rather than the Singers may â—e said to do it nor is it any Contradiction to say when I teach others yet I am thereby taught and admonished my self So that if it were admitted to be a common or ordinary Teaching which must not be allowed and all might be said to teach c. yet nevertheless all are Hearers also and are in a sweet manner taught admonished and instructed in singing the Word of Christ in Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs as elsewhere I have shewed Nor is it any Contradiction to say according to the sense of the Apostle Women must keep silence in the Church and yet suffer them to sing c. no more than 〈◊〉 contradicts their Silence when they
should and ought to sing And as we are not tied up by the Lord in Preaching to do no more than barely read the Scripture or quote one Scripture after another which would be rather Reading than Preaching but may use other Words to edify the Church provided they agree with or are congruous to the Word of Christ or the Sacred Scripture and yet we call that the Word of God which is preached and so indeed it is so when that which we sing is taken out of God's Word or is Scripture absolutely congruous truly and exactly agreeing thereunto it may as truly be called the Word of Christ as our Sermons are and may be so called Obj. But you add words to your Hymns that are not in the Text you refer to So we do in Preaching but if those words agree with the Text 't is still the same Word and may be opened thereby the better to the understandings of the People Besides let it be considered that we have not the Holy Scriptures in those words in which they were written by the Pen-Men of the Scripture for they wrote the Old Testament in Hebrew words and the New-Testament in Greek words Also the Translators differ much in words in giving the true sense of the Original so that this Objection is a mere contentious Cavâ—â— Moreover there are in our Bibles all Learned Men know a multitude of Suppliments or words added to make good the sense the Originals being too short to express it in our Language Now you may as well nay if not with more colour of reason say part of the Scripture is Human and not Divine as to call our Sacred Hymns so And so you may by the same Argument call our Sermons likewise 'T is evident as Mr. Barton observes in his Epistle to his Book of Hymns That Justin Martyr Tertullian and many others have signified the Primitive Church used not only David's Psalms but other Portions of Scripture to put in Songs for edification Hymns may as he saith be plainer than Psalms and more suitable to Gospel-occasions such in which Christians may truly say they do teach and admonish one another in such saith he as inculcate our Duties and reprove our Vices out of most piercing Passages of Holy-Scripture and such as may answer or suit with all Sermons and accommodate all Occurrences and are no Innovations but reduction to primitive Use and Order Remarkable is that passage in Eusebius concerning the Christians practice in singing of Hymns to Christ as to God Plinius Secundus to clear the Christians to Trajan adds this viz. Only that they held early Assemblies in Singing of Hymns to Christ as unto God Euseb lib. 3. cap. 33. Doubtless they were compiled by some among them out of the New-Testament as the Spirit of God might enable them in the same manner as they did and we do compile our Sermons and I see no other objection lies here against our Hymns than lies or may be made against our Doctrine Thus as to the general Direction the Holy Ghost has given about what we should sing viz. the Word of Christ But then Secondly we have particular Directions as to the Matter we ought to sing expressed in the Texts viz. Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs I know some do conclude that all these three allude to the Book of Psalms because these three are the Titles they say of Davids Psalms Though that were granted that some of David's Psalms are called Hymns and Songs yet I see no reason that all other spiritual Hymns and Songs should be excluded 1. Because we often find in the New-Testament the Psalms of David or Book of Psalms mentioned as comprehending all those Hymns and Songs contained therein without calling them the Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs of David see Luk. 20. 42. 24. 44. Act. 1. 20. Moreover this seems to exclude other Scripture-Songs that they themselves own may be sung as Moses's Deborah's Isaiah's Habakkâ—k's Simeon's Zachariah's Mary's c. However by Psalms we are assured is intended the Book of Psalms or those called the Psalmes of David because we read not in all the Scripture of any called Psalms but them only so that the Form of these are contained in God's Word I hope these will not be called Humanâ— The Holy Ghost hath enjoined the Singing of Psalms particularly and many of the Psalms of David are 't is evident pure Gospel i. e. Prophecies and Promises that relate or refer wholly unto Gospel-times and divers excellent Psalms there are that be filled full of the High Praises of God for Christ and the Blessings and Priviledges Christians receive by him tho I do not judg all the Psalms of David are so sutable to our days nor can be so properly sung as some others to the Edification of the Church But I do not find any Man giving any convincing Argument that no Hymns that are made out of God's Word or putting other Scripture-Songs as the Canticles c. into Verse or proper Measure to be sung are excluded in those words Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs I am of the same Mind with those Learned Men that Mr. Wilson in his Dictionary and others speak of that Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs comprehend all kinds of Spiritual Songs whereby the Faithful sing to the Glory of God and the Edification of the Church provided they are taken out of the Word of Christ Moreover I have met with a Piece written by a very Learned Man who after he hath given the Sense of some Men about the Titles of the Psalms and various Acceptation of the words Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs speaks thus Yet I must tell you by the way that these words in the Hebrew do not make such a precise difference For Tehillim is the general Title of all the Psalms Mismor the particular Title of most Psalms as well as of the Psalms of Degrees Nor do the Greek Words make such a distinguishing difference for a Psalm is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sing and a Hymn of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sing Praise And 〈◊〉 Odo called a spiritual Ode or Song by 〈◊〉 Translators is of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that it seems to me saith he that the Apostle useth many words to signify that all 〈◊〉 Singing should be of Divine Things and not vain things to glorify God and not to please our foolish Fancies But whether we distinguish the one way or the other 〈◊〉 see saith he the Apostles press the Duty of spiritual Singing whether of this kind or that viz. whether Psalms of David 〈◊〉 other spiritual Hymns whether called of Men of this Name or that Name in which Injunctions the Apostles are so clear that very few since the coming of Christ that I know of have made scruple of the thing and if any have of late they never mention these places as if either they did not remember them or could not answer them And to close this