Prayer Preaching and Singing also must we not pray preach nor sing if we must not do one of them we must do none of them And therefore in opposition to what you say Pag. 13. of your Appendix If the Practice of Christ and the Primitive Church doth not bind us to the Observation of one Ordinance viz. that of Singing it binds us to the Observation of none 't is time to look about us for your manner of arguing I do declare as 't was intimated to me the other day by my Reverend Brother Knowles tends to the overthrow of all Gospel-Ordinances whatsoever therefore I warn all my Brethren to take heed how they hearken to you in this matter as they tender the Glory of God and the Establishment of all Gospel-Worship and Ordinances But to proceed 'T is an easy thing for any wary Reader who is not willing to be deceived to perceive the Man hath a bad Cause in hand and that he reasons not like a wise and enlightned understanding Christian Which doth fully appear if we consider the false and preposterous Mediums or Ways he takes to make out what he pretends to prove 1. For one while he seems to assert that the Essence of Singing which is he says in our Spirit that will serve our turn in discharge of the Duty of singing forth God's Praises without imploying our Tongues or bodily Organs in it which as I have again and again said doth as well exclude vocal Praying and Preaching c. as Singing See Pag. 8. of his first Treatise 2. Then again at another time because there are other ways to praise God besides singing of his Praises we must not sing his Praises at all Appendix p. 4 5. 3. At another time he seems to exclude all Singing out of the Bible from an improper Signification of a Greek word and strives to make it out 't was only common Praises or Thanksgiving in Prayer See the Epistle to me and Appendix p. 1 2 3 4 5. And so quarrels with the Translators of the holy Bible as if they wanted Skill in the Greek Tongue or else Faithfulness in rendring the Word they sung an Hymn which he tells you they should have rendered they gave Thanks or said Grace But further to clear our Godly Learned and Pious Translators of the Bible let it be considered how carefully they were in other Cases particularly in respect of the word Baptizo which they never ventured to translate Rantizo sprinkling to favour their own Practice but rather chose to leave the word in the Original Tongue and not translate it at all than to give a false Signification of it 4. But lest all these Tricks and Shifts should fail him he flies to another broken Refuge viz. intimating that the Ordinance of Singing doth not belong to us now but may be practised by the Saints hereafter in the thousand Years Reign or seventh thousand Years of this World Which is a very doubtful Point I mean whether there will be such a thousand Years Reign or not in his sense and yet this Duty lies amongst other Gospel-Ordinances and Precepts given out by the Spirit and enjoyned on the Churches which is enough to shake the Faith of our People in respect of other Ordinances which they have as much reason to say may not belong to us but shall be practised in time to come when the Church as the Seekers say shall attain its first or original Purity See Pag. 27. of his Discourse 5. And lastly like a wary and fore-seeing Man to be sure to carry his Cause he retires to his last Fort and Strong-hold and affirms That the Ordinance of singing of Psalms Hymns c. was only in the Primitive Time performed by an extraordinary Gift and unless we have such a Gift we must not sing the Praises of God now in these days Tho I have said enough to detect this fond Conceit yet since he leads me in this Path I must I perceive reply again as I have already done that this Objection lies equally against Prayer Preaching and interpreting the Scripture c. sith all these Gospel-Duties and Ordinances in the Primitive and Apostolical Days were performed by the said extraodinary Gifts of the Spirit If he could make this appear there was no need for him to trouble us with the Greek word nor with any of his other Mediums he uses to exclude Gospel-Singing it cannot but appear by this last shift he acknowledges that Singing is somewhat more than that Praising of God he speaks of But these things betray the Man's Integrity or rather his Weakness and shew he doth not argue but plays the part of a Sophister though not a cunning One because his Nakedness plainly appears to the meanest Capacity through his pittiful threadbare Covering For if he had thought his other Mediums would have served his turn or held the Test we should not have I am perswaded heard any of this But however we will come to examine his pretended Arguments he brings to prove this Assertion His first Argument to prove Singing was always performed from a special Gift is in Appendix pag. 14. For as the Grace of Joy is the Fruit of the Spirit saith he and as God had promised the Oil viz. the Spirit of Joy for Mourning so the Primitive Church had some earnest of it and did rejoice in hope of the Glory of God and through the abundance of the Spirit wherewith she was baptized her Ministers delivered the Word of God in extraordinary ways and manners viz. by Prophesying Tongues and melodious Singing Answ 1. Have not Believers now the Holy Spirit as well as they had it then though not in such an extraordinary manner And have not we the Fruit of it i. e. Joy Peace c. in believing Also you mistake your self Joy doth not appertain to the Gifts of the Spirit but 't is a Fruit of the Graces of the Spirit Do not the Saints now rejoice in hope of the Glory of God as well as they did then There is no such cause or ground from the Reception of Tongues or the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit as you intimate to sing the Praises of God For many our Saviour saith shall say in that Day We have prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works To whom he will say Depart from me I know ye not And the Apostle saith Though I speak with Tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal 1 Cor. 13. 1. From whence it appears that inward Joy and Peace of which you speak as the Cause of Singing in the Apostles Times did not flow from that extraordinary Gift of the Spirit but from the saving Graces of the Spirit either it flows from the consideration of common or external Mercies and Blessings wherein all are concerned to sing the Praises of God who gives them fruitful Seasons
filling their Hearts with Joy and Gladness or else it flows from those special and internal Blessings which only concern the Saints viz. Union with God Communion with God Faith Love c. Tongues were for a Sign not for them who believe but for them who believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. Extraordinary Gifts were to convince Unbelievers of the Truth and not for the Joy and Comfort of such who did believe Men that have the Gift of Tongues may be graceless and so without Christ and perish eternally in Hell therefore the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit fits not tunes not the Heart nor Tongue to sing the Praises of God You may as well deny the Saints may not ought not in these our Days rejoice in God nay not praise him in any other manner of ways as well as not sing from this Argument you make use of here on this account Therefore it follows that you strangely mistake pag. 15. Appendix in intimating when Paul exhorts the Saints to covet after the best Gifts he means the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit for certainly those are the best Gifts that most tend to the edification of the Church which Tongues could not be said to do And in the very next words he speaks of a more excellent way viz. that of Charity or Love which refers to the Graces of the Spirit And of so little use were those special or extraordinary Gifts to the Church that if there were no Interpreter they were to be silent and not use them in the Church at all who were that way gifted 2. You confound Tongues which did appertain to all sorts of Gifts with Prophecy and Singing He that had a Doctrine might have the Gift of Tongues to bring it forth so might he that had the Gift of Prophecy and he also that had the Gift to Interpret and so might he also that had the extraordinary Gift to bring forth a Psalm And pray why must ordinary praising of God be now admitted and Preaching Prophesying and Interpreting the Scripture by the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit be still allowed and yet Singing by the same ordinary Gifts must not be admitted What Reason do you give for this Is not this to darken Counsel with words without Knowledg I have demonstrated that the End of those extraordinary Gifts that were then in the Church in the Administration of every Duty and Ordinance was to confirm the ordinary practice of all those Ordinances and so to continue them in the Church to the end of the World And God hath equally honoured and confirmed Singing of Psalms c. to continue and the practice thereof to abide as of any other Ordinance You need not therefore spend your time to prove the Apostles Prayed Preached Prophesied and also Sung by an extraordinary Gift we acknowledg it but say this is no more against our Singing than against our Praying c. who have not now those special Gifts 2. He that had a Psalm of David might bring it forth in an unknown Tongue as well as he that had a Doctrine and so not to the Edification of the Church For if he brought out a Psalm of David in an unknown Tongue who could sing with him But if he had been to sing alone the Melody might have refreshed those who sung not as some say they have been in hearing the French Protestants sing who understand not their Language But to prevent this the Apostle Paul resolved when he sung he would sing with the Spirit and with the Understanding also because 't is the Matter sung that is fruitful to the Understanding and what is the Melody without that Your third Reason or Argument is taken from that in Ephes 5. 18. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves c. Answ Doth not the Apostle pray that God would fill all the Saints with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. And pray that they might be filled with the Fruits of Righteousness Now singing flows from that Joy that all the Saints ought to labour after and also from the Fruits of Righteousness we have an equal need to be filled with the Spirit to pray to meditate to praise God and to preach and hear the Word as well as to sing Psalms and Hymns c. But you say pag. 18. That the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were not given alike to every Member of the Church Answ 'T is granted But doth it follow because some had the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit to pray must not the others who had not those Gifts no more than we have them now not pray at all Brother I am grieved to see how you are deceived and would â—eceive others But as they who had not the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit to pray were notwithstanding to pray so they who had not the extraordinary or special Gift to sing were nevertheless to sing the Praises of God What you speak pag. 18. about the diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit from 1 Cor. 12. is rather more against the performance of those other Duties and Ordinances than Singing because Singing is not there mentioned But all that you say there has been answered already so is what you infer from Col. 3. 16. Ephes 5. 19. For to think the Apostle refers to the special Gift of Singing in those places is of a pernicious tendency for you may as well say the same of all other Precepts enjoined on the Churches and so free us from all Gospel-Obedience for want of such Gifts Why must not Spiritual Songs be allowed as well as Psalms and Hymns What do you mean in pag. 23 Brother you were better be silent till you can distinguish better between Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs and the manner of the bringing of them forth by a special Gift A Doctrine may be as Spiritual that is precomposed as that which was brought forth by a special Gift so may an Hymn or Spiritual Song though 't is by the ordinary Gifts or Help of the Spirit precomposed there cannot be an Hymn nor Spiritual Song without its Form but if it be a Spiritual Song it has a Spiritual Form The very word may convince yoâ— of your Error if the Song be taken out of Christ's Spiritual and Sacred Word the Form is Spiritual and if it be sung with a gracious Heart and Tongue 't is doubtless Spiritual Worship and acceptable to God I shall conclude this Section of yours with one honest and plain Argument That Assertion or Notion against Singing the Praises of God that hath a natural tendency in it to overthrow the practice of all Gospel-Ordinances as well as singing the Praises of God is a vile and pernicious Assertion or Notion But for a Man to assert the Saints and People of God now in these days ought not to sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs because we have not that special or extraordinary Gift of the Spirit to do it hath a natural tendency in it to overthrow the practice
AN ANSWER TO Mr. Marlow's Appendix Wherein his Arguments to prove that Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs was performed in the Primitive Church by a Special or an Extraordinary Gift and therefore not to be practised in these Days Are Examined and clearly Detected Also some Reflections on what he speaks on the word ὑμνοσ Hymnos And on his undue Quotations of divers Learned Men. By a Learned Hand Psal 119. 141. I am small and despised yet do not I forget thy Precepts 1 Cor. 14. 22. Wherefore Tongues are for a Sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not but Prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them that believe By B. KEACH London Printed for the Author and sold by John Hancock in Castle-Alley on the West side of the Royal-Exchange and by the Author at his House near Horselydown in Southwark 1691. To all the Saints and Churches of Jesus Christ Christian Salutation Honoured and Beloved IT grieves me I have further occasion to trouble you after this manner I know not what should move Mr. Marlow to write his Appendix just at a time when he was told I was writing an Answer to his first Discourse he might have had a little Patience and have staid till my Treatise was published whereby he might the better have perceived whether what he wrote the last Year would abide the Test or Trial of God's Word or not This is therefore his second Attempt in publick against God's holy Ordinance of singing of Psalms Hymns c. before any body appeared visibly to oppose or put a stop to his undue Proceedings For what Call he had to begin this Controversy at such an unseasonable time I know not but since he has done it certainly none can see any just cause to blame me for standing up in the Defence of that Truth of Jesus Christ which I am so well satisfied about and established in and that too as it is practised by the Church to whom I am related as an unworthy Member and above twenty Baptized Congregations besides in this Nation Tho before I went about it I offered my Brethren him or any other a sober and friendly Conference in the Spirit of Meekness which I could not obtain tho I did not give such a publick Challenge as my Brother intimates in that strange Epistle he hath wrote to me but upon the coming forth of his Book I was troubled and would have had it been discoursed in the General Assembly but that was not consented to and then I told my honoured and Reverend Brethren my purpose was to give an Answer to his Book but did not enter upon it till I was urged by several and particularly by Mr. Marlow himself before divers Witnesses in such kind of words as these i. e. Answer me like a Man Whether he is answered like a Man or but like a Child is left to your Consideration 't is done according to that Light and Ability God hath been pleased to bestow upon me But if he or any of his Helpers do see cause to reply they must answer such Persons who have wrote upon this Truth like Men and Men too of great Parts Learning and Piety or let them not trouble me nor the World any more As touching his Epistle to the Churches I shall take but little notice of it nor of that he hath writ to my self sith in my Judgment neither of them signify much you are Men of greater Wisdom than to be frightn̄ed out of an Ordinance or deterred from seeking after the Knowledg of it with these scurrilous Names of Error Apostacy Human Tradition prelimited Forms mischievous Error Carnal Forms Carnal Worship c. These are hard Words and do not bespeak a trembling Heart nor a humble Spirit and better becomes a Man that pretends to Infallibility But what some Men want of sound Arguments they think to make up by hard Words and Confidence but this will never do with you How hath our Practice of baptizing Believers c. been branded with the reproachful Name of Error and 't is very observable how some Men of far greater Parts and Ability than my Brothers or mine either have cried out against the Reign of Christ Conversion of the Gentiles and calling of the Jews as a gross Error as witness Mr. Richard Baxter particularly of late 'T is Arguments I know you look for and if you find those of Mr. Marlow's to prevail against what I have said do not regard what I have wrote in the least for I would have your Faith as the Apostle speaks to stand in the Power of God and not in the Wisdom of Men. The smallness of the Number of our Churches who are in the Practice of this Ordinance I also know will signify nothing with you provided it be proved to be a Truth of Jesus Christ What tho there was not one of our Churches that had Light in it it would certainly the more concern them to enquire after it And tho he hath so coursly saluted me c. yet I am not concerned at it further than to bewail his Confidence and Ignorance to say no worse I know no Men in any Age who appeared first to vindicate a Truth which others call an Error but have met with the same Usage I meet withal from our Brother who I hope is a good Man and means well yet is he strangely beclouded As I have been a Preacher up of Spiritual Worship as he says and that too more than thirty Years tho a poor and unworthy one so through the Grace of God I hope shall continue to do unto the end of my days and 't is only Spiritual Worship you may perceive I plead for in contending for singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs none of which three can be without their special and particular form But must they needs be therefore carnal and humane Forms which appertain unto them I see 't is time to stand up for the Form of Ordinances for the Form of Doctrine and for the Form of sound Words for if we must part with singing of Psalms Hymns c. from his pretended Arguments about Forms all external Ordinances must go as well as that of Singing In a word we must give up our whole visible Profession and wait for those extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit that were in the Primitive Time if we must not sing till we have that extraordinary Gift to do it which some had in the Apostles Days and the like in discharge of every Gospel-Ordinance which were to abide in the Church to the end of the World He may as well therefore say I do but counterfeit that excellent Gift in Preaching when I preach which was in the Primitive Gospel-Church as thus to charge me in the case of our singing by the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit Read his Epistle to me Append. p. 15. It seems to me as if my Brother does not understand the nature of Moral
else lest 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 Word is 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 Repentance 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 together 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 you are impartially to read and well weigh my sober Reply to my Brother's Appendix I am glad it came forth before all my Treatise was printed off though it is true it makes the Price more than I intended There is a Reverend and Learned Friend who meeting with Mr. Marlow's Appendix finding him quoting learned Authors in an undue and unaccountable manner to little purpose which because it might possibly amuse the Unlearned and more unwary Reader he has in love to this Sacred Truth and to deliver the Souls of Men and Women from Mistakes made some Reflections on what he has wrote on that account at the close of this Reply If the Lord please to bless what I and my Reverend Friend have said to the further clearing up the Truth I shall not be troubled at my Pains nor Charge I have been forc'd to repeat some things twice or thrice by reason of his leading me in such an unusual Path. This is all at present From him who is your unworthy Brother in the Gospel and Service of Jesus Christ B. Keach AN ANSWER To Mr. Marlow's APPENDIX FIrst of all you tell us That to praise God or praising of God is not confined to Songs of Praise but that there are other ways and manner of praising of him than such melodious Singing Answer We never yet asserted there was no other way or manner to praise God than by singing of his Praise Nor is there a Man who affirms any such thing that I know of but it is one thing to own those other ways of praising of God and another thing for you utterly to deny this way or the way we use in singing his Praise But I must tell you most Learned Men nay all that I have met with do conclude the Disciples or those Children you speak of Matth. 21. 16. Luke 19. 37. did sing those Hosanna's to the Son of David as I have shewed in the first Chapter of the foregoing Treatise I perceive you have now at last raised the Auxiliaries against this Blessed Truth of Jesus Christ But as a worthy Brother hinted the other day Dr. Owen is a press'd Man and as forced in so he doth you no service at all as will appear by what follows but more especially by what my worthy Friend has wrote at the close of this our Answer The Doctor from Heb. 2. 12. from the Greek word Hymneso se I will hymn thee i. e. I will praise thee saith 1. what Christ will do viz. He will sing Praise to God 2. Where he will do it i. e. in the midst of the Congregation The expression of both these he saith is accommodated unto the Declaration of God's Name and praising of him in the Temple The singing of Hymns of Praise unto God in the great Congregation was then a principal part of his Worship c. 2. That chearfulness and alacrity of the Spirit of Christ in this Work he would do it with Joy and Singing These are the Doctor 's words as cited by you Appendix pag. 4. And thus did Christ sing with his Disciples in that great Representative Church as our Annotators call it Now what is this to your purpose the Doctor tells you that Hymneso se is Singing Praises to God And how do you know but Christ might also often sing in the Temple and in other great Congregations though we do not read of it since 't is said that many other things did Jesus that are not written Joh. 21. 25. 1. Especially considering since it was prophesied of him that in the great Congregation he should sing God's Praise 2. Because as the Doctor observes Singing in the Temple was one great part of God's Worship from whence 't is not likely our Saviour should neglect that part Moreover he positively affirms Christ did with chearfulness and joy give Praise to God
of all Gospel-Ordinances in these days Ergo. That Assertion is vile and pernicious The Major cannot be denyed the Minor I have abundantly proved in this Treatise In Sect. 4. You seem to Answer what we say about Singing being a moral Duty Which you say Is the refuge of some who cannot maintain their practice of formal Singing by Gospel-Institution Append. pag. 27. Answ You mistake we need no Gospel-Institution 't is as clear a Precept in these Scriptures Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. as any we have in the New-Testament But we say Singing the Praises of God is more than a mere positive Duty What you further say under this Head doth but betrary your own Ignorance about moral Precepts and needs no Answer I having fully explained it in this Treatise Is it absurd and irrational for us to make the Moral Law or Light of Nature a Rule to exert the Worship of God see Append. p. 28. 'T is not so much the matter of Moral Duties as the manner of the performance of them that renders them Spiritual and for the more orderly and spiritual performance of such Duties that are in their own nature Moral they are brought under Gospel-institution as Prayer Preaching and Singing the Praises of God are and therefore all Moral Duties must be discharged by the help of the Spirit and with Grace in the Heart if accepted of God In pag. 33. of your Appendix you repeat your former Objection against Womens Singing in the Church because the Apostle saith he suffered not a Woman to teach nor usurp Authority over the Man but to be in silence So that Christ say you makes it an usurpation of Authority for a Woman to teach or to speak or any ways to break her Silence in the Church But then say you 't is objected These Scriptures that forbid Womens teaching and speaking in the Church do intend only that they should not be the Mouth of the Church as in Prayer and Doctrine c. To this Objection against your Exposition of these Scriptures you give your Answers 1. That such a sense as this we speak of is against the Letter of these Texts 2. By asserting that in Singing together there is Teaching Instruction and Admonition pag. 34. Answ This kind of arguing against Womens Singing we have all ready fully refuted but for the sake of our good Women and to detect this falsity I shall add a word or two further in way of Reply 'T is a hard case that Women should be debarred to speak in any sense or any ways to Break Silence in the Church as you affirm through a mistake of the Text. 1. For then they must not ask a Friend how he or she doth when in the Congregation 2. She must not be suffered to be an Evidence in the Church against any Offender in the case of Discipline 3. Then she must not ask where the Text is if she comes too late for that is in some sense a speaking and breaking Silence 4. Nor must she then say Amen at the close of Prayer for that 's a breaking Silence 5. Which is worst of 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 any 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 Cald. Paraphras reads they shall sing 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 sung which teaches rather than the Singers may be 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 it contradicts their Silence when they speak at other times which they are allowed to do In Sect. 6. You speak of those prophetical places of the Psalms c. urged by us for Singing under the Gospel-days where all the Earth is exhorted to sing unto the Lord Psal 96. 1. Psal 95. 1 2. Psal 100. 1 c. 1. This you would have refer to the preaching of the Gospel i. e. as the Apostles sound went forth into all the Earth Rom. 10. 18. confounding Preaching and Singing together one time and Prayer and Singing at another 2. You would have it chiefly to refer to the seventh thousand Years of the World or Reign of Christ hinting in your first Part as if then there shall be a Singing besides the Essence of it in their Spirits but if that thousand Years you speak of shall be before the end of the World or Gospel-Dispensation pray where lie those Precepts that will authorize them in those days to sing and yet do not authorize or warrant us to sing now Shall they have a new Bible for those Times But if the Precepts for Singing then are contained in our holy Scripture and yet do not belong to us 't is good for us to consider whether other Precepts written therein do not wholly refer to those Times too nay all Ordinances till the Spirit comes down in an extraordinary manner and so now we must throw off all Gospel-Administrations and turn Seekers I am sorry to see such Stuff as this published to the World But what I have said or cited from the Writings of other Godly Men in respect of those Prophetical Psalms and other places of Scripture that enjoin the Gentile-Churches to sing the Praises of the Lord I would have you and others consider well of before you write again In Sect. 7. you heap up a company of confused words to no purpose about premeditated Matter for Prayer to oppose premeditated Hymns c. Append. pag. 38 39 40 41 42 43 c. Answ 1. The Form of Prayer Christ hath left us is a Rule for us in Prayer and we may premeditate what we intend to lay before the Lord it appears from thence and so is the Word of Christ our general Rule by which we must premeditate and precompose our Spiritual Hymns and Songs 2. But Prayer and Singing differ the one from the other we may use other words in Prayer than what we premeditated as the Spirit of God may help us But we are limited by God's Word to sing David's Psalms or else Hymns and Spiritual Songs composed out of the Word of God Now let them be either they must be so many words and no more or else none can sing with him that has the Hymn Now we say the extraordinary Influences for Singing Preaching Interpreting c. are gone therefore every Ordinance must be performed by the ordinary Gifts and Influences of the Spirit or else we must have none at all Was Singing or any other Ordinance performed in the Gospel-Days by an extraordinary Spirit not performed then also and afterwards as well and as acceptable to God by the ordinary Gifts Shew if you can that other Ordinances which had such special Gifts then to attend them as well as Singing do notwithstanding remain Ordinances and yet Singing of Psalms and Hymns doth not so continue If therefore a Man should premeditate every word of his Sermon by the Assistance of the Spirit who dares to say he speaks not by the Help of the Holy Ghost or that his Sermon is not part of Spiritual Worship 'T is no matter whether we have our Sermons or our Hymns mediately or immediately composed and brought forth provided they be Spiritual and done by the help of the Spirit But to close all Are not David's Psalms part of Spiritual Worship and are not the Churches exhorted to sing them In Sect. 8. Appendix pag. 43 44 c.
in answer to what we say That our Psalms and Hymns are Spiritual though precomposed you say 1. That such Forms are not Spiritual Worship because Singing in the Primitive Gospel-Times was from the special Gift of the Spirit 2. Though say you the Matter of precomposed Forms of Singing be Spiritual yet the Heart must be Spiritual too or Grace and Melody must be in exercise in performing of them The Grace of Joy must be raised in the Soul to the heighth of Melody and so break forth Or to that purpose you speak pag. 44 45. Answ 1. We need no more the special Gift in Singing to render our Singing Spiritual than those special Gifts in Preaching to render our Sermons Spiritual 2. As to have Grace in our Hearts not only in the Habit but also in the Exercise in Singing we acknowledg it is necessary to a right performance of it And so 't is in Prayer Preaching and all other Spiritual Duties of Religion And let me tell you we need no greater assistance of the Spirit in Singing than in Praying or Rejoicing therefore what signifies that which you say pag. 45. Viz. The least exercise of true Grace in our Hearts in Prayer gives Essence or Being to Prayer so the least exercise of gracious melodious Joy gives Essence to inward Singing And say you as we ought not vocally to pray in the Publick Worship of God in the Church without a sufficient Gift of the Spirit so also we ought not vocally to sing in the Church unless it be by a sufficient Gift of the Spirit And seeing we have not such a Gift we are not capable of vocal Spiritual Singing And so we must be contented as you intimate in pag. 46. with the Essence of it in our Spirits only Answ By this way of arguing you may lay Godly Christians under Temptations about Prayer especially in the Church because they may plead they have not the Gift whereas the Grace of Prayer viz. a broken Heart is that which God chiefly looks at and so should we too This makes no more against Singing than it doth against Praying And thus I must argue upon you If I have not the special Gift of Singing I must content my self with the Essence of it in my Heart and yet as I have shewed the essence of it is not in the Heart as it is in the Voice and so since if I have not the special Gift of Prayer I must be contented with the Essence of Prayer only Heart-Prayer and not pray vocally at all But you intimate that none ought to sing but such who are in the full assurance of the Love of God But you might as well say none ought to rejoice in the Lord nor to praise him but such only as well as to say what you do here against their Singing who want that assurance But you hint in pag. 46. as if we must be satisfied with your Essence of Singing viz. inward joy in the Heart till we come to the primitive perfection of Divine Worship c. Answ We doubt not through Grace but we are come to such perfection of Divine Worship as to know what Gospel-Worship is and also that we ought not to neglect one Ordinance more than another because we are not arrived to the height of Perfection I am sure the way you would lead poor Souls in is not to bring them forward towards perfection in Worship but to keep them back and hinder them in pressing on to that which some have not yet attained unto Moreover your folly appears too much in calling our Singing an Irregular way of Worship unless you had more strength of Argument to convince your Reader what you say is true May be if you had Truth on your side you might have answered like a Man But I am satisfied all wise Men will say there appears nothing less than Argument In both parts of your Book there are many words indeed but little else as I can see If what I have said have no more strength of Argument and Scripture and good Sense in it for Singing of Psalms c. than appears in your Book against it I do intreat my Reader to reject what I have said and esteem it as worth nothing but if it be otherwise viz. upright even words of Truth O then ye Saints receive this Ordinance and let what I have said by the assistance of God's Spirit be as Goards and as Nails fastened by the Master of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Prov. 12. 10 13. One word more to those Texts in Paul's Epistles Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. where he enjoins those Churches to admonish one another in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs c. Can any Man suppose in these words the Apostle exhorts Ministers to preach and so sing in Preaching or to admonish one another to pray and so to sing in Prayer How absurd would it be to affirm either Why then say I he can mean nothing else but this Ordinance of Singing c. Object But say some Did not the Lord's People of Old in their Captivity say How can we sing one of the Lord's Songs in a strange Land Psal 137. 4. Answ 1. Under that Dispensation the Lord's People had a special and peculiar Right to Temporal Blessings and when they were deprived of them and in Exile they might not see they had that cause to sing the Praises of God But our Promises and Privileges are better and more inward and Spiritual And therefore under the Gospel-Days we find the Saints sung in the midst of their greatest Sufferings for as our Sufferings do abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 5. 2. I know not but we nevertheless might see cause to refuse as they did to sing the Lord's Song at the taunting and reproachful Requests of an insulting Enemy the Lord's People are not to do the Lord's Work at the Devil's Instigation 3. But blessed be God we are not in Exile we are delivered like Men that dreamed our Liberty and Mercies are great if we do not sin them away In the last place consider how acceptable and well-pleasing to God his Praises are in a Song read Psal 69. 30. I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnify him with Thanksgiving Vers 31. This also shall please the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs Two things you may observe from hence 1. That to sing God's Praises is acceptable to him 2. That 't is no Ceremonial Rite but in it self a Moral Duty Sacrifices appertained to the Ceremonial Law and though acceptable to God in their Nature and Design yet Moral Duties have always had the preference He hath shewed thee O Man what is good i. e. that excells that which God most delights in to do justly love Mercy c. Mic. 6. 8. And this of praising God in a Song seems from hence to be a Duty of the same Nature