Secondly That no humane prescribed or precomposed Forms are to be used in Gospel-Prayer or Singing appears from the Ministration and Conveyance of the Spirit and Power by the Gospel First The Gospel conveys the Spirit as Paul saith Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life or quickneth Here the Law is called the Letter and the Gospel Spirit not because the Law was not spiritual and the Gospel was not transcribed in the Letter but 1st Because the Law required perfect Obedience to the Letter on Pain of Eternal Death and the Gospel sincere Obedience through the Spirit 2dly Because the Legal Worship was more formal in the Letter than the Gospel-Ministration which is in Spirit For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and have no Confidence in the Flesh viz. in the formal and carnal Ordinances of the Law and much less in the humane precomposed forms of Men. 3dly Because the Law did not minister nor convey the Spirit to us it commanded in the Letter but gave no spiritual Power to perform Obedience to it which the Gospel did by giving the Spirit with the Word Therefore the Apostle calls the Gospel the Law of the Spirit of Life Rom. 8.2 And it is not through the Works of the Law that we receive the Spirit nor minister the Spirit but through the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 5 14. And this agrees with that great Commission which Christ himself gave to his Disciples Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Lo Math. 28.19 20. I am with you always even to the End of the World Not only by his outward Providence which is over others as well as they but by his Spirit which shall abide with us for ever John 14.16 And the Prophet saith As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Here the Word and the Holy Spirit are conveyed throughout all Generations to the end of the World by the Covenant or Gospel of Jesus Christ And as none can say that the Words which the Lord had put in his Mouth were a humane prescribed form but as Christ himself saith John 6.63 The Words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life So the same Words proceeding from us by the same Spirit are Spirit in opposition to humane and legal forms which reject and deny the sufficient successive Gifts of the Spirit So that it is clearly manifest that the sufficient Gifts of the Holy Spirit do still remain and shall remain for the Service and Worship of God to the end of the World Secondly The Gospel doth minister and convey Power For where the Spirit is there will be Power The Apostle saith Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage viz. of the Law again to fear Rom. 8.15 16. but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit gave a sufficient Power not only to the Apostles as such or to the Saints in Rome as partaking of the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit in that present Day but Gal. 4.6 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Here is the Reason of their Power because ye are Sons therefore all that are Sons according to the measure of the Spirit of Adoption which beareth Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God have Power to pray to God as to their Father 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power and of Love and of a sound Mind 1 Cor. 4.19 20. And the Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power There were some in the Church of Corinth that were puffed up in their Minds whose Speech the Apostle would not know or regard but the Power of Religion was that which he looked for and did expect to find amongst them because the Kingdom of God viz. his Gospel-Church is not in Word but in Power A humane prescribed Form is no Power and therefore is none of this Gospel-Kingdom Jude 19. These are they that separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit And the Apostle Paul prophesied of such a professing People that should arise in the last Days Having a form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 but denying the Power thereof and from such we must turn away They had an outward Form of Godliness but not the inward Power contrary to true Godliness which hath its Form from the inward Power and Workings of the Holy Spirit with the Word Now it is no Wonder that this formal People deny the Power of Godliness for an invented Form and the Power are Opposites and are inconsistent with each other for if there be a spiritual Power it refuses and denies the invented Form for then there is no need of a prescribed nor pre-composed humane Form and if we use such a Form we deny the Power and reject the sufficient successive Gifts of the Holy Spirit by relying on that Form And so the Apostle argues that as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these resist the Truth 2 Tim. 3.8 Men of corrupt Minds Reprobate concerning the Faith Thirdly Seeing that those Persons with whom I am chiefly concerned do not only oppose deny and refuse the Use of a humane prescribed and precomposed Form of Prayer but also of that Prayer which our Lord taught his Disciples of which they rightly say that it was but an Epitome of all Prayer and was never intended to confine Prayer to the Compass and Form of those Words For we find that none of those many Prayers in the New Testament were so limited but according to the State and Circumstances of Persons and things they made Supplication by the Holy Spirit and so must Singing also be left to the Liberty of the Holy Spirit of God And one might think that I need not use farther Arguments for their own Practice confutes their Error in Singing prescribed Forms and testifies the Truth I am pleading for for what Reason can be given for Forms of Singing when they deny all Forms of Prayer and how can they reject a Form of Prayer or the Form of Prayer which Christ hath left us in the New Testament while they maintain the use of a humane Form of Singing which is no where found in the Holy Scriptures IV. Of Womens Singing That Women ought neither to teach nor pray vocally in the Church of Christ is generally believed by all Orthodox Christians and is asserted from 1 Cor. 14.34 35. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches for it
PRELIMITED FORMS of Praising GOD Vocally sung by all the Church together Proved to be no Gospel-Ordinance In a Sober Discourse concerning SINGING With a Large APPENDIX Thereunto added Containing several Things not treated of before and wherein the Case of SINGING is more fully opened and discussed in divers principal Branches of it Greatly tending to the clearing and confirmation of the Truth discoursed of in the Former Part. By ISAAC MARLOW 1 Sam. 15.22 Behold to obey is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Rams London Printed for the Author 1691. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO THE Baptized Churches Of Christ in England and Wales Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied unto you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour Honoured and Beloved Brethren AS the subject Matter of the following Discourse is in defence of the true Apostolical Scripture manner of Divine Service and of the Spiritual Worship of God which you have owned and suffered for and in which thrô the Grace of Christ you still continue and as it tends to the mutual Peace and Unity of the Churches so I hope that my Work and Service herein will find the greater acceptance with you And seeing it hath graciously pleased God to preserve you so stedfastly in the Truth under the greatest Trials and Sufferings of our Age it is to be hoped that the Errors of some Persons shall never corrupt your Minds from the Simplicity that is in Christ in any part of Divine Worship or to offer your Praises to God in such humane Forms and after such a manner as we have no example for nor can be any ways warranted from the Word of God And that those Churches which have had a watchful eye against the finest-spun Errors of their Day will not be now lull'd asleep by any among themselves to suffer the bringing in of such a humane Tradition as is utterly inconsistent with their professed Principles and to their Practice in other parts of Divine Worship but that they will labour to have Oil in their Vessels with their Lamps that so when the Bridegroom cometh they may be ready to enter into the Joy of their Lord. For though this Error is dearly fondled by some Christians and as it is observed mostly by such among us who have not well digested those things which they have received yet of about an hundred Churches in England according to the best and strictest Information I have received I hear of but seven or eight and those are in and about Norfolk Suffolk and Essex one of them lately in London and but four or five of all those Churches in South-Wales which own the Doctrine of Personal Election and final Perseverance and but two of all those Churches that are for the general Point that practise such formal Singing in the publick and constant Worship of God with the Ministry of the Word Some few also there are that use it at the Administration of the Lord's Supper To whom and to all others in particular of my Christian Brethren that herein differ from the Body of the Churches and are declining from the Truth and Spirituality of Gospel-Worship I humbly present that which the Lord hath convinced me of through the Light of the Holy Scriptures to remove the Mistake you are under concerning Singing And truly the Sense I have of the sad Effects of this apostatizing Principle in some Christians if it should grow and increase among us and the unwearied Endeavours of some Persons to lead us back to such Traditions of Men from which we were clean escaped with the Love I have for the Truth and Simplicity of the Gospel are the only Motives of my appearing in this Work or Service And it is matter of Grief and Lamentation to many Christians that while the Lord is saving his Church and People and is drawing of us with the gracious Cords of his Love that any should be departing from the Truth and Purity of his Worship which after so clear a light and recovery of it from the mists and darkness of Men is now called in question amongst our selves And it is somewhat marvellous to consider that some Persons who are studious and understanding in the Holy Scriptures should not see their Practice to be opposite to the positive Command of Jesus Christ through whose knowledg others that are weak are made to sin And that any should be so cold in their Love and Affections to Christ and so indifferent in their Obedience unto his revealed Will as that they should rather trust to others for what is truth than to take the pains to search the Scriptures for satisfaction from a good Understanding within themselves whereby they follow the Dictates of Men more than the Precepts of Jesus Christ But forasmuch as humane Forms of Worship do naturally proceed from a carnal and worldly Spirit we may then fear that some Christians excepting others that err through a mistaken Zeal having left their first Love begin to cast off their first Faith and to turn unto Mens Traditions of whom and to whom we may say as the Apostle did to those who were turning again to the weak and beggarly Elements of the Law O foolish Gal. 3.1 3 4. Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the Flesh Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain And is it a small and indifferent thing with you how and in what manner you worship God and offer your Praise unto him Have ye not as much reason to observe the Rule of Christ in praising and giving Thanks as well as in Prayer Baptism and other Ordinances in the Church If any should tell you that because Prayer and Baptism are commanded by Jesus Christ therefore you must use Forms of Prayer and Infants-sprinkling will you not say to them again That the Conclusion is not rational For though these are commanded yet the manner how these Ordinances are to be performed whether in and through the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit and by dipping or by humane precomposed Forms and sprinkling is not left to our own Wills but are also shewed to us in the holy Scriptures which are the Rule for the manner of performance of all the essential Parts of Gospel-Worship And if any should further say that Infants sprinkling is not expresly forbidden in the Scriptures and therefore it may be used by us will you not make reply that though it is not forbidden in such express words yet there being but one manner of Water-Baptism commanded by Christ and his holy Apostles whose Precepts and Examples therein we are bound to follow it is a sufficient Warrant for our practice of it and to exclude the form of Sprinkling as a sinful Practice in that it changeth the Ordinance and maketh void the Command of Christ through Mens Traditions And therefore if you
will not reject your Manner and Forms of Singing from the observation of the Command and Rule of Christ for the manner of Praising God which is contrary to your Manner and Forms I see not how you can escape the battering and confounding of your own Profession in other things Do ye provoke the Lord to jealousy 1 Cor. 10.22 are ye stronger than he Hath he not said What things soever I command you Deut. 12.32 observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it And have we not divers instances of his sore Displeasure for breaking his Rule of Worship as in Nahab and Abihu Lev. 7.11 to 19. who for offering of strange Fire died before the Lord And might not some have thought it a small matter to have eaten of the Peace or Thank-offering after the First-day or of the Vow-offering if any of it had been left on the Third-day but we see how great an Offence it was to make so small an Addition to God's Ordinance as that it should not be accepted neither should it be imputed unto him that offereth it it should be an Abomination and that Soul should bear his Iniquity 2 Sam. 6.6 Moreover We read how Vzzah lost his Life for touching the Ark of God because that they sought him not after the due order and how Vzziah the King for medling with God's Ordinance 2 Chron. 26.16 1 Chron. 15.13 and burning Incense before the Lord contrary unto his revealed Will was smote with Leprosy unto his dying Day But notwithstanding these Old Testament Examples and the Word of Christ which saith In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men yet some there are amongst us that dare adventure to break the Commands of Christ in their Vocal-singing together in the Worship of God contrary to the Rule of Worship and Institution of Jesus Christ And therefore seeing that their Practice is charged with the guilt of Sin yea and of such a Sin as indangers the well-Being and Peace of the Church of Christ and the bringing of God's Displeasure upon us I hope they will be awakned to a serious Consideration of what is proposed to them herein as the Mind and Will of God And surely if they were truly sensible of the natural Consequences of such a Practice of formal Singing that the introducing of it into those Churches that have been established on contrary Principles is the ready way to divide and break them into pieces and that those Persons who should be instrumental therein would be looked upon as the Troublers of the Churches and may be justly charged with Schism it would be a Bar to their zealous promoting of it And it is rational to believe that if such formal Singing should be admitted and imbraced by the Churches it would lay such a Foundation for other formal and carnal Worship that if it be followed in its natural Tendences and Consequences it will greatly indanger our reformed Separation and make it easy for us to glide into the National Way of Worship And therefore whatever our mistaken Brethren may think of themselves as if they were reforming the Gospel-Church and restoring the Primitive Worship of God therein yet the holy Scriptures witness against them and I believe that they will be found in this matter Leaders to Apostacy and Defilers of the pure Worship of God with Mens Traditions Which that the Lord may graciously prevent and preserve the Churches in Peace and Union and in the mutual fellowship of the Gospel and that they may flourish and grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of Jesus Christ and become a great Mountain and fill the Face of the whole Earth is and shall be the Prayers of your unworthy but affectionate Brother and Servant to his power in Jesus Christ our Lord. I. M. THE Author's EPISTLE TO Mr. Benjamin Keach Christian Brother AS the holy Apostle Paul praised the Church of Corinth in all things so far as they kept the Ordinances of Christ as they were delivered to them and yet faithfully reproved their disorderly manner of eating the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11.2 17. so in imitation of him as our Example I commend you in those things wherein you are praise-worthy and do honour you for your labour in the Ministry of the Word which God has been pleased to bless to the awakning of many Souls and to the comfort of many Christians But yet Sir seeing you have divers ways I think I may safely say singled forth your self more than others in London in pushing forward the Practice of formal Singing and in your private and publick Challenges of Disputes which have been divers times accepted of by some of our worthy Elders but were never thought convenient by others and so have been laid aside and in that you have lately brought in the practice of it into your own Church to the grief and trouble of many of your Members I conceive that it is not improper for me to acquaint you in this manner That I think I am divers ways engaged and do believe it is my Duty to imploy the Talent which God hath given me according to my Capacity in the defence of his sacred Truth against that mischievous Error which you so vigorously promote to the disturbance of your Brethren Have not you been for many years a Preacher up of spiritual Worship how is it then that you are now so zealous for that which is asserted to be natural Have you begun in the Spirit and do you leave the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ to go on unto perfection in natural Worship On what Foundation does your Practice stand We do all agree that it is our Duty to praise and thank God as well as to pray unto him and I believe that you will not say but that we do thank and praise him in his Worship thô not with Songs in your way And I am perswaded that our thanking and praising God in Prayer or Prayer-wise is suitable to the other ordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit which are only attained unto in our present Day and is proportionably accepted of God and that as your manner of vocal singing together hath neither Divine Command nor Example for it in either the Old or the New Testaments so your singing of formal precomposed stinted matter is no better than counterfeitiag that excellent Gift of the Holy Spirit which was in the Primitive Gospel-Church And herein also I believe that we do not differ That by the Light of Nature the Eternal Power and Godhead is made manifest unto us from the things that do appear and that we are capable thereby to understand that we should perfectly keep the Law of God and praise and worship him But from hence ariseth a double Question 1. Whether the Light of Nature it self as it is in us can direct us the Manner how we should worship God and whether we should rely on it under the Gospel as our Rule of Worship 2.
Whether you will assert that meerly natural Worship without Gospel-Institutions and Qualifications for that which is Legal and Ceremonial is done away will please God and ought to be exercised in his Gospel-Church Or 3. Do you say that the acceptable manner of praising God in his Gospel-Church for that is the chiefest Point in question is discovered and warranted to us both from the Light of Nature and Divine Revelations and Gospel-Institutions and so because you have no Warrant from either of them for your Practice of formal Singing together do you shuffle between them both If you say that your Practice of singing Praises to God in his Church is a constant Ordinance by Divine Revelation and Institution only then you cannot pretend to the Practice of it from the Law or Instinct of Nature and if you found it on the Law of Nature only then you bring it into the Gospel-Church without regard being had to the Tenor of the Gospel which is that as God is a Spirit so they that worship him must worship in Spirit and in Truth as Christ saith The Hour cometh and now is Joh. 4.23 24. when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Which is not to be understood of worshipping in our natural Spirits only For the Apostle saith Rom. 8.8 26 27. that they that are in the Flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And that the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered And we are commanded to pray always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 And to pray in the Holy Ghost and to be filled with the Spirit Chap. 5.18 19. speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs And I will pray with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and I will sing with the Spirit And the Apostle saith in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians Rom. 8.15 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And ye have received the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4.6 whereby we cry Abba Father So that Gospel-Prayer and Singing is in with and by the help of the Holy Spirit And therefore if no regard be had to Gospel-Institutions and Qualifications for Prayer Singing but that they are to be practised from the Law Light or Instinct of Nature only then such Prayer and Singing so perform'd can't be part of Gospel-Worship nor should they be knowingly suffered in any Gospel-Church For the design of God in erecting the Gospel-Church was that he might have a Spiritual House 1 Pet. 2.5 9. an Holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual not natural Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Moreover if Singing and Prayer are put together and performed by you as spiritual Duties why do you not follow the spiritual Rule and plain Gospel-Order for Singing as well as Prayer And if you put them together as natural Duties from the Law or Instinct of Nature only without regard being had to Divine Institutions and Qualifications it is the ready way to bring the World by Shoals into the Gospel-Church and so to turn it by major Votes which is no argument of Truth into a natural Church-state And it also opens a wide door for Forms of Prayer as well as for Forms of Singing for if the Practice of both are alike from the Law of Nature and Singing be performed in stinted precomposed Forms what reason can you render why such Forms of Prayer should not be used as well as such Forms of Singing But if Singing and Prayer are not put together by you as founded alike on the Law of Nature how can you demonstrate their Essences to be from the different Principles of Nature and Grace when true Gospel spiritual Singing is from the Fountain of the Holy Spirit as well as Prayer and preserve the Gospel-Church from the Confusion of apparently-known natural and spiritual Persons in having full Communion together if natural Worship meerly as such should be allowed therein Farthermore what Scripture-Grounds and Reasons can you render when you perform Prayer according to Gospel-Order in the Church with a single Voice by one at once in subjection to the Rule of Christ 1 Cor. 14.26 to 34. though Prayer is not expresly mentioned therein wherefore you do reject the Psalm expresly named and annexed with other Gifts unto the Rule from coming under the Order of it And what can you say to the Practice of Womens vocal Singing in the Church when it is so directly against the plain and positive Command of Christ To conclude this Epistle to you it highly concerns you to consider whether your practice of Singing or what I have herein asserted in this Treatise 1 Cor. 3.12 13 14 15. Rom. 2.16 can stand our Trial at the Day of Jesus Christ when both you and I shall appear before him and receive our Loss or Gain according to the Gospel And therefore that the Lord would graciously awaken you and convince you of your Error which I am perswaded that one day or other you will be made ashamed of and pardon your Sin and Injury to the Church of Christ therein and prevent your building of Hay and Stubble on the true Foundation and make you an Instrument of his Glory and his Peoples Comfort as it hath been my earnest Prayers to God for you so I desire in Love and Faithfulness to continue I. M. The CONTENTS of the Brief DISCOURSE or the First Part. 1. A Brief Exposition of Ephes 5.18 19. Col. 3.16 1 Cor. 14.26 Page 5 2. Of the Essence or Being of Singing Page 5 3. Of David's Psalms Page 9 4. Of Precomposed Songs and Hymns Page 15 5. Of Womens Singing Page 21 6. Of the Order of Singing Page 22 7. Objections answered 1. Of Moses Deborah and Barak's Singing Page 24 2. Of Musick used by the Prophets in Saul's Time Page 25 3. That Musick and Singing was an Institution to continue till Temple-Worship was made void is no Argument to prove that Gospel-Singing should continue in constant use from the Primitive Church till the second Coming of Christ Page 26 4. To Isa 52.8 9. Page 28 5. To Matth. 26.30 Page 29 6. To Acts 16.25 Page 32 7. To Ephes 5.19 Page 33 8. Of Wicked Mens praying and singing Praises Page 36 9. That true Believers having cause to praise God is no proof that they must constantly sing his Praise in his Worship Page 38 10. That Formal Prayer and Singing under the Law is no Argument for such under the Gospel Page 43 11. That Prayer and consequently Singing are of the same Nature under the Gospel as
Excellency of a true Christian who being sanctified by the Holy Spirit in the Faculties and Powers of his Soul he out-doth the most refined Hypocrite in the World who may glorify God with his Tongue while his Soul is destitute of the Graces of the Holy Spirit but the true Christian being bought with a Price 1 Cor. 6.20 glorifies God not only in his Body but in his Spirit which are the Lord 's Thirdly If the Essence of Prayer be inwardly in the Spirit why not of Singing also 1 Cor. 14.15 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 The Apostle expresses them alike because their Essences are alike inwardly in the Soul or Spirit But some will say This is meant of vocal Singing in the Church and therefore comes short of proving the Essence of Singing in the Spirit True this is meant of Vocal Prayer and Singing in the Church Ver. 11 13 14 15 16 17. which the Apostle calls Speaking viz. in Prayer Singing and giving Thanks But in ver 28. it is said That if there is no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church and let him speak to himself and to God And that this speaking to himself and to God relates to the Gift of Singing as well as to other Gifts is manifested ver 26 27. in that with other Gifts a Psalm is there mentioned and to be delivered or interpreted in a known Tongue but in case there is no Interpreter then the Psalm c. must be spoken to God and to himself for improving his own Soul Now what can be more plain than that Singing and other Gifts of the Holy Spirit have their Essences in our Spirits Phil. 3.3 wherein we are capable of worshipping God without the verbal and vocal Instruments of the Body Moreover as the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Prayer so the same Spirit is also the Spirit of Joy Rom. 8.26 and as there is unutterable Prayer so there is unspeakable Joy 1 Pet. 1.8 and Rejoicing full of Glory viz. inward Glory and Melody in the Heart see the Text. The Essence of Singing is in the Heart such as cannot be vocally expressed by Words of the Tongue And though vocal Joy and Singing may be teaching to others yet the speaking to Gr. in your selves viz. in your own Hearts in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord is Musick of an higher strain surpassing all verbal and vocal Melody in the Ears of God as unspeakable Joy and rejoicing full of Glory excels that which is speakable Indeed we find in Scripture another kind of unspeakable Singing which is more inferiour than this we have treated of viz. the virtual Singing of the Creatures 1 Chron. 16.32 33. Let the Fields rejoice and all that is therein Then shall the Trees of the Wood sing out Psalm 65.13 The Pastures are clothed with Flocks the Vallies also are covered over with Corn they shout for Joy they also sing Now if the flourishing State of the Creatures and of the Fruits of the Earth are called a Singing how much more properly may the harmonious Melody of the Spirit of God with our Spirits be called Singing which is the Essence and Being of it II. Of David's Psalms First There was no Institution of Singing before David's time for though we find the Song of Moses Deut. 32. Ex. 19.19 ch 20.22 Gen. 31.11 Gen. 37.7 8 9 10. ch 15.12 13. containing a prophetical Description of the State and Accidents of the Jewish Church for time to come yet this was no present Institution for the Church in the constant Service of God but a way of Conveyance of his Word which in those times was in divers manners delivered to us Num. 24.4 viz. by Dreams Heb. 1.1 Visions Words Songs and Musick but now by Jesus Christ And though we find the Songs of Moses Num. 12.6 7. and of Deborah occasioned from those great Deliverances of the Children of Israel 2 Kings 3.15 yet none was instituted for the Levitical Worship and constant Service of God till David's time 1 Sam. 10.5 who had prepared prescribed and set in Order Matter Persons and Things for the most splendid and perfect Worship of God and Temple-State of the Church which should be in Solomon's Days Now as the Law was a Shadow of good things to come let us see what the Jewish Church in her Wilderness afflicted unsetled Tabernacle-State may be said to prefigure out to us in the case of Singing As for her Minority in the Wilderness through Sin and Unbelief they had many Judgments which did befal them and cut them short of the promised Rest so that of six hundred Thousand Footmen that came out of Egypt there was but two that entred into the Land of Canaan wherein there were many Wars and Troubles that did attend them till the latter end of David's Reign therefore while the Jewish Church met with so many Sorrows Troubles and Afflictions the Worship of God was suited to her State but when they had Rest from all their Enemies in David's time 1 Chron. 23.25 and Solomon a King of Peace and Type of Christ to reign over them God was pleased to beautify inlarge and perfect his Service and Worship according to the Temple-State top-Glory and Happiness of his Church and People Now if these things were a Figure of Gospel-times what may we then say but that as Moses and Deborah for the signal Deliverance of that Day sung to God through the Gift of the Holy Spirit so the Church of Christ under the New Testament have their occasional Songs as the 144000 being the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb who sang not David's Psalms Rev. 14.3 4. ch 5.9 for no Man could learn their Song but the 144000 which were redeemed from the Earth And the new Song for the opening of the Book of the Revelations and the Song of Moses and of the Lamb ch 15.2 3 4 6 7. by those that had gotten Victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the Number of his Name about the going forth of the seven Vial-Angels with the seven last Plagues of the Wrath of God but none of these were David's Psalms or do warrant the singing of them or any other precomposed Songs in Gospel-times in the constant and ordinary Worship of God by all the Church any more than those particular Songs of Moses and Deborah were an Institution for the Jewish Church for the constant Service of God in their Day For there was no such Institution of Songs in the Wilderness nor while that Church was under Troubles until David's and Solomon's time Eccl. 3.11 Prov. 25.20 for the Temple-Worship For every thing is beutiful in his time As he that taketh away a Garment
in cold Weather so is he that singeth Songs to an heavy Heart And sometimes it was unseasonable while it was yet an Institution Psal 137.1 2 3 c. By the Rivers of Babylon there we sat down we hanged our Harps upon the Willows They that carried us Captive required of us to sing one of the Songs of Sion How shall we sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land Is any afflicted Jam. 5.1 let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms So then if Singing be the expressing of Joy Gladness and Mirth of Spirit and the Church of Christ be now in a Wilderness Mourning Sackcloth-State why should we imagine that Christ should appoint such an Ordinance for her constant universal Practice while she is in such Estate that is so improper and contrary to her State and Spirit but that the Typical Glory of the Jewish Church in Solomon's time shall be compleatly answered in the external and spiritual Glory of the Church of Christ in her Kingdom-State Secondly The Singing of David's Psalms were suitable to all the rest of the Levitical Ceremonial and external instituted Worship of God in the Old-Testament-Church in its most perfect splendant State in David's and Solomon's Days consisting of a wordly Temple Heb. 9.9 10 23. ch 7.12 ch 8.13 ch 10.1 for if the Sanctuary was worldly the Temple was also worldly and of carnal Ordinances which was a Figure for the time then present and Pattern of Heavenly things and Shadow of good things to come but not the very Image of the things and were imposed on them until the time of Reformation and change of the Priesthood Law Temple and Service or Worship of God which things being all removed by Christ the Body and Substance of them Acts 15.10.28 Rom. 7.6 who hath taken off that Yoak and delivered us from the Law that we should serve in Newness of Spirit and not in the Oldness of the Letter 2 Cor. 3.6 to bring in any part of the Levitical Ceremonial Institutions into Gospel-Worship for that is a mingling of Letter and Spirit of Law and Gospel together Thirdly David's Psalms were instituted appointed and appropriated not only to vocal Singing but to divers kinds of musical Instruments which are all named 1 Chron. 15.16 to 25. See Dutch Annot. on Psal 9. Psal 22. Psal 16. 1 Chron. 15.20 21. 1 Chron. 13. ch 14. ch 28.12 13. viz. Cymbals Harps Psalteries and Trumpets together with vocal Singing and limited by the Spirit as divers are of opinion to certain Tunes or Parts of Musick ordained and commanded by the Spirit of God and of as great Force as Singing was And therefore to follow the Old-Testament-Institution of David's Psalms there will be a Necessity of having David's Instruments of Musick and Tunes or Parts and of the Courses and several Orders of the Levites which Antichrist somewhat imitates mixing together the Christian Jewish and Pagan Religion instead of conforming to the true Apostolical Institutions and Pattern of Divine Worship Fourthly The matter of David's Psalms and of other Holy Mens contained in the same Book suited to the Levitical Service and not to Gospel-Worship for many of them were suited to particular Occasions and Experiences and Accidents of that Day as you may see by divers of their Titles others were general of Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt and from divers other Enemies Some were clear Prophecies of the Sufferings of Christ which to sing now were to deny that Christ is come in the Flesh and of his Church and the Glory that should follow under the Types and Names of David and Solomon and many legal things in which Gospel-Mysteries are wrapped up some of which are hard to be understood by the greatest Proficients of our Day and therefore improper to be sung by all the Church who can't sing them with Understanding and others of them being Prayers and miserable Complainings may as well justify the singing Prayers as finging Praises Fifthly The Psalms of David were limited to Persons viz. the Levites who were the Ministers of the Songs 2 Chron. 29.25 c. to 31. 1 Chron. 16.4 to 8. ver 36. ch 25. 1 to 8. ver 36 41. Psal 106.48 both by Voice and Musical Instruments for the People did not sing together with the Levites but only bowed the Head and worshipped and concluded with Amen and praised the Lord with Amen Hallelujah or Amen Praise ye the Lord. Therefore from this Davidical Institution there is no Ground Pattern or Example for the Gospel-Churich to sing together Sixthly Such singing the Psalms of David is no where instituted ordained or practised either by Christ or his Holy Apostles there is no Instance can be given in the New Testament that any of David's Psalms were ever sung by any Persons or Churches or that Christ or his Holy Apostles did ever use them but as they did other Scriptures or that the Holy Apostles when ever they had occasion to translate any one Text out of the Hebrew into the Greek Tongue did ever turn them into Metre and therefore finding no Institution nor Example we have no Warrant for the Singing of them III. Of prescribed and precomposed Songs and Hymns First If the Essence of Singing as before is shewed consisteth in an inward spiritual Exercise of the Soul or Mind of Man and that as I shall farther demonstrate both the Matter and the Melody of it proceedeth from the inward Graces and Operations of the Holy Spirit with the Word then surely no humane prescribed or precomposed form of Singing can be accepted of God but that which proceedeth from the Word of God by the Dictates and Teachings of the Holy Spirit which is manifest from those two Texts Ephes 5.18 19. Col. 3.16 saith the Apostle Be filled with the Spirit Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you in all Wisdom c. Here is the Fountain of Gospel-Worship viz. the Word and Spirit of Christ not the Word alone for that cannot inrich the Soul in all Wisdom without the Spirit of Wisdom to understand it for to have the Word in the Head only is but a poor thing but we must have it to dwell richly in our Hearts by the Holy Spirit to sing with the Understanding and with Grace in our Hearts to the Lord. And as the Word in the Head only cannot create Melody in the Heart without a Fullness of the Spirit so the Spirit works not without the Word but fills us with matter from the Word and is witnessed to by the Word otherwise we know not the Spirit of Truth from the Spirit of Error Now the Essence of Singing consisteth of these two Parts viz. Matter from the Word and Melody by the Spirit so that neither the Word nor the Holy Spirit can be wanting and therefore whatsoever Forms are used which proceed not from within us out of a Fulness and Enrichings of the Word and Spirit cannot be spiritual Gospel-Singing
Christ under her Troubles and Persecutions in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ Rev. 1.9 For all that will live godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.12 shall suffer Persecution And we must thrô much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 Seeing therefore it is given to us not only to believe on Christ but also to suffer for his Sake Phil. 1.29 and that God has appointed his Church her Days of Mourning and that thrô her falling away from her primitive Love and Zeal she has lost much of those blessed Gifts of the Holy Spirit she then had Let us not deceive our selves and think to recover the Gift of Singing with our carnal Spirits Isa 22.12 13. in an improper and contrary Season Israel-like when we should mourn for the great Apostacy Pride Covetousness and Carnality of Spirit which is found in the Church of Christ and fast and pray for the Pardon of Sins Isa 32.15 the full Deliverance of the Captive Daughter of Sion and the Return of the Holy Spirit that the Wilderness may become a fruitful Field And therefore as our Sins deprive us and as God hath not allotted to us a Heaven of continual Joy and constant Singing in this present evil World so the different Graces of his Holy Spirit and Duties required of us are suited to the different Circumstances of our Lives which are mostly filled with Troubles Sins and Temptations And though particular Saints may and oft-times do rejoice and glory in Tribulations when the Spirit of Glory rests upon them and raises their Hearts above their Troubles yet this is but now and then at certain Times through a sight of Faith when God is sealing his Love upon their Spirits to incourage their Souls to persevere Otherwise if it were constant Troubles would be no more Troubles nor Afflictions no more Afflictions or if their Joys were greater and more constant than their Sorrows it could not so properly be called a Sackcloth mournful afflicted State for either of them which is most constant and in which we have the greatest Share and Exercise of our Lives deservedly beareth the Name And therefore if particular Souls or the Church of Christ in general be in a State of Trouble and Affliction they are so far uncapable of the constant Exercise of the Grace of Joy and consequently of constant spiritual Singing in the publick Worship of God as their Troubles and Sorrows must needs exceed their Joys and then the Graces and Duties suitable to that State should be in exercise as Long-suffering Patience Faith of Reliance Meekness Watching Praying c. which are more strongly injoined and oftner pressed on us in the New Testament for our constant Practice than Singing is and that because our Troubles and Sorrows are more constant than our spiritual Raptures So that from our Incapacity of maintaining a constant and sufficient Exercise of the Grace of Joy in our Souls through the Troubles Sins and Temptations of this World the Weakness of our Faith and want of the sufficient Gift of the Holy Spirit we are not now able to sing with the Spirit and with the Understanding also in the constant and publick Worship of God and to press it beyond our Understanding proportion of Faith and measure of the gracious Gift of the Holy Spirit when other Graces should be in exercise is a Sin 2. Every true Christian nor the Church of Christ in general is not capable to sing Praises to the Lord in his publick and constant Worship because the greatest number of Christians as it is believed especially in our Day have not attained to a sufficient Faith of Assurance of the Love of God in Christ Jesus unto their Souls Rom 5.1 to 5. which made the Apostles to rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory but have their doubtings between Hope and Fear of what shall become of them to all Eternity 1 Pet. 1.8 And therefore while they are in the new Birth or Babes in Christ and have not met with the witnessing Power Rom. 8.15 or perswasive Influence of the Holy Spirit with their Spirits that they are the Children of God they cannot sing his Praise for their Redemption for if they are not sufficiently assured of it by Faith they cannot so rejoice in it And we should not think that God requireth more of his Church and People than he hath given Ability and Qualifications to perform Tenth Objection Formal Prayer and Singing were used under the Law and therefore why not formal Prayer and Singing under the Gospel Answer As the visible and successive Ministers of the Worship and Service of God under the Law were not called as spiritual converted regenerated Believers but were an Election out of the natural and carnal Seed of Abraham in their Generations by Succession unto the Ministerial Office so the Body of the Old-Testament-Church were not called into that visible Church-State as spiritual regenerated Believers but as the natural and carnal Seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. And therefore as that People were carnally and nationally imbodied into a visible Church-state so their instituted Worship was formal literal ceremonial carnal and typical suitable to them and the Design of God to make them and their Church-State a Type Shadow and Figure of his calling a spiritual People into a more spiritual Church-State to serve him in more spiritual Ordinances in Spirit and in Truth And therefore since Christ is come in the Flesh and hath removed and abolished the Mosaical and Levitical Church-State Heb. 7.12 17 18. Chap. 9.8 to 11. the New-Testament-Writers have described Gospel-Things in opposition to them as Power to Form Rom. 2.20 29. 2 Cor. 3.11 Gal. 3.2 3. 2 Cor. 3.6 Rom. 7.6 Chap. 1.28 29. Phil. 3.3 Gal. 3.29 Chap. 4.21 c. 29 to the End Heb. 10.1 Chap. 9.1 11 23. Col. 2.17 as Spirit to Flesh as Spiritual to Literal and Carnal as spiritual Seed to fleshly or carnal Seed as Shadows to Bodies as Worldly to Heavenly as Types and Figures of good Things to come So that there is no legal instituted Worship as found in the publick Levitical Service and Circumstances that can be either proper or a sufficient Warrant for our Practice in Gospel-Times and therefore it is our Duty to look more directly into the Gospel-Institutions for Gospel-Worship than to confuse the Minds of weak Christians with Questions from the dark Shadows of the Law which tend to Bondage and have proved very mischievous to the Gospel-Church for which cause many whom God hath graciously enlightned in the Holy Scriptures have been forced to treat the more largely on Legal Ceremonies 2 Cor. 3.14 15 17. to remove the Vail of the Law which to this day too too much remains on the Minds of many Christians Eleventh Objection Prayer under the Gospel is an Ordinance of the same Nature as it was under the Law and therefore Singing under the Gospel
may also be of the same Nature and intend the same thing as it did in the Legal Worship Answer It is true that private Prayer is a Duty of the same Nature under the Gospel as it was under the Law both with respect to the like Occasions Wants and Necessities of the Saints and to the same Spirit by which all true Believers do offer up spiritual and effectual Prayers to God But as to the Conveyance and Delivery of Prayer as an Ordinance in and for the publick ministerial and ordinary instituted Service of God in his Church there is a Difference in Gospel-Times to what it was under the Law for such publick Prayers were conveyed and delivered formerly with dark Shadows and carnal Ordinances by which means the Spirituality of spiritual Persons as David of whom it is said that he praised God by the Ministry of the Priests and Levites in the publick Worship of God was greatly vailed to what it now is 2 Chron. 7 6. 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. 2 Chron. 29.25 to 31. Nehem. 11.17 22. since all those Forms Ceremonial Shadows and carnal Ordinances are removed for while the Priests were offering the Sacrifices the Priests and Levites in Songs with Instruments of Musick delivered such Psalms of Prayers and Praises as were appointed for the publick Service of God So that publick Prayers in the ordinary and constant Worship of God in the Old-Testament-Church was ministred in a different manner to what it now is and ought to be under the Gospel and therefore whatsoever Singing hath been or still may be in Gospel-Times may as well differ from the Old-Testament-Temple-Singing But having before shewed that Temple-Singing was no Type of Singing in the Gospel-Tabernacle-Church-State there is the less need of any Reply to this Objection Twelfth Objection Since the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit are ceased we must now pray and preach by its ordinary Gifts and if we are allowed to use precomposed Forms of Preaching why not of they might say Prayer and Singing also Answ 1. I do acknowledg and assert that we should not neglect Prayer till we have an extraordinary Gift or Impulse of Spirit unto Prayer but we should constantly go to God as we can not only for Continuance of those Mercies we have but for further Supplies of our inward and outward Wants which are the chiefest part of Prayer But Singing proceeds from a Fulness of Injoyment and is called a Breaking forth Isa 52.9 and therefore requires a greater Measure of the Holy Spirit For we can pray for what we have not but we should break forth into Singing from what we have otherwise we mock God and draw nigh unto him with our Mouths Isa 29.13 and honour him with our Lips when our Hearts are far from him and our Fear towards him is taught by the Precepts of Men and therefore when I consider the present State and Frame of the Churches of Jesus Christ I much wonder that so many should be for Singing when their Hearts are so much below Prayer for if we should go from Saint to Saint we should find that this is the general Cry I have a dead and stony Heart saith one and another mourneth under the Strength and Power of Sins and Temptations and a third for the Light of God's Countenance and the great Complaint is I am dull and heavy and cannot profit in Ordinances and that which is worst of all I am shut up in my Spirit that I cannot pray I want the Spirit of Prayer and Supplications Now if thus it be then where is the Spirit of Singing Will you lie and express that with your Lips to God which you have not in your Hearts But some of these will say Singing will raise my Spirit I find Refreshment by it and therefore I am for Singing To this I answer That there may be a natural sensual Joy in the Heart when it is not from the Light and Influence of the Holy Spirit and therefore we must beware that we make not our Spirits a Standard for the Worship of God but that we try our Spirits by the Scriptures 2dly As to Forms of Prayer and Singing I have sufficiently treated of them before and that the sufficient Gifts of the Holy Spirit shall continue for the Worship of God in the Gospel-Church to the end of the World and therefore my Business here is only to shew that the using a Form of Preaching is no Example for a Form of Singing if it be why not of Prayer also which you deny because there is Reason for a Form of Preaching from the Word of God 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 other particular Forms yet it is lawful for them and required of them to compare spiritual things with spiritual to attend on Reading and Meditations 1 Cor. 2.13 1 Tim. 4.13 15. 2 Tim. 1.13 ch 2.15 1 Cor. 4.6 and to hold fast the Form of sound Words rightly dividing the Word of Truth as a Workman that needs not to be ashamed of his Work as Paul who saith These things Brethren I have in a Figure transferred to my self and to Apollos for your sakes So that where the Scriptures do give us Liberty we may use it but it is our Sin to take it where it is forbidden as I have shewed it is to use a Form of Prayer or Singing I could say more of the different Nature of Preaching to that of Prayer and Singing but I think it is needless here and therefore I shall conclude with my humble Request to all those that are for Singing of David's Psalms or any prescribed Forms of Singing as the Custom is that they would be pleased seriously to consider of these several things following 1. That the vocal Singing together either of David's Psalms or any humane precomposed Forms is a corrupting of the pure Worship of Jesus Christ in mingling of Law and Gospel or humane and divine things together 2. It will lead us to Apostacy to return from whence we came as a Dog to his Vomit and as a Sow that is washed to her wallowing in the Mire 3. Consider seriously you that are Leaders of the Lord's People and are for such formal Singing Whether the same Arguments you now urge to your Fellow-Brethren will be pleadable for your Practice at the Bar of Jesus Christ you may plead them here to us but will you not be ashamed to own them there The Lord give you a true Sight and Sense of the evil Consequences of this your Error that you may not cause his People to sin but may yet with sound Doctrine strengthen the weak Hands and confirm the feeble Knees and make straight Paths for your Feet Heb. 12.12 13. lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed 4thly Consider that if you err from the Rule
Worship whereby the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were to be appointed otherwise to be exercised in his Church so we should rather conclude that because Christ did sing if it could be proved as it cannot who had the Spirit without measure and because the primitive Gospel-Churches had the special Gift of Singing that therefore we might also sing in the publick Worship of God or at the Supper after the same Order with a single Voice if we had the sufficient Gift of the holy Spirit for it But to affirm that because Christ did sing at that Ordinance if it were so as it is not to be proved that he did and because that Singing was used in the primitive Church therefore it is binding on us now as a constant Ordinance is to bind us to the constant use of that Gift of the Holy Spirit we never had SECT III. I Come now to discourse of that which I find is made the greatest Plea for such vocal Singing together and that is say they It is commanded by Christ in the New Testament and therefore we must practise it in the constant Worship of God And that I may the better remove this grand Obstacle of the Truth as they make it in not understanding the true Nature and Intentment of Christ's Command concerning Singing I shall premise two things 1. That such Spiritual Singing as was used in the Primitive Apostolical Church was from a special Gift of the Holy Spirit 2. That the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were not given alike to every particular Member of the Church of Christ for publick Worship First It is evident that such Spiritual Singing as was used in the Primitive Apostolical Church was from a special Gift of the Holy Spirit Gal. 5.22 1 Joh. 2.27 Isa 61.3 Eph. 1.14 Rom. 5.2 For as the Grace of Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit and as God had promised the Oil viz. the Spirit of Joy for Mourning so the primitive Church had some Earnests 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 Prophesy Tongues and melodious Singing which I shall here demonstrate was also a special Gift of the Holy Spirit for after the Apostle had exhorted the Corinthians to covet earnestly the best Gifts and to desire Spiritual Gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 chap. 14 1 13 14 15 16 17. and to seek that they might excel to the edifying of the Church and that he that spake in an unknown Tongue should pray that he might interpret for if saith he I pray in an unknown Tongue my Spirit prayeth but my Vnderstanding is unfruitful He mentions Prayer and Singing saying 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 Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of Thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest From whence I observe that as the Saints of Corinth were moved by the Apostle to covet after the best Gifts so it is evident that both the Prayer and Singing here mentioned were from the special and excellent Gifts of the Holy Spirit for as the strange Tongues and the Interpretations of them which were then given to the Gospel-Church were from the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit so this Prayer and Singing with the Spirit and with the Understanding also being with the Inspiration of strange Tongues and from the extraordinary Gift of Interpretations of them delivered in a known Tongue for the edifying of the Church must needs be granted to be an extraordinary Gift of Prayer and Singing For though Prayer in some other places may be taken as a more common Gift of Grace from the holy Spirit and so might occasion some scruple if it were to be found joyned with Singing without any adjunct to demonstrate Singing to be a Gift of an higher attainment than Prayer is that Singing also was a more common Gift than is here asserted yet seeing that it is no where in the New Testament so expressed and joyned with Prayer but with a sufficient adjunct to shew that it is an higher Gift than ordinarily Prayer is as James 5.13 where Affliction exerts Prayer but spiritual Mirth in a sufficient fulness of Joy from the Holy Ghost puts forth Singing and that it is here joined with a more than ordinary Gift of Prayer there is no reason for such a doubt but to conclude that Singing is an extraordinary Gift of the holy Spirit Moreover common Reason tells us so far as it is elevated to discern spiritual Things that spiritual Singing is an excellent Gift of the Holy Spirit from its different manner of delivering the Word of God for as the excellent Gifts of the Spirit that were for the ministring of the Word consisted in an extraordinary Inspiration of Light and Understanding together with a sufficient Power and Capacity to open and declare the wonderful Counsels and Works of God so they were sometimes farther evidenced to be such excellent Gifts in that the same sort of Worship that was performed by a more ordinary gift and way of Delivery viz. Prayer giving Thanks and Teaching and Admonishing were delivered with Interpretations of Tongues and some of them with melodious Singing which were both a Witness of and suitable to the extraordinary Gifts and Inspirations of the holy Spirit but not of the common Gifts Nor doth the Blessing and Thanksgiving mentioned in the following Verses afford an Argument to make Singing a common Gift for as the Dutch Annotations on the word Bless allow that it is to be understood with respect to this Gift viz. of Singing of the holy Spirit being given to make publick Thanksgiving in the Church so to me it is plain that this Singing Blessing and Thanksgiving are meant of but one and the same Gift which the Apostle is here speaking of under these several Names the Nature of the two latter as having relation to the Gift of Singing as the immediate preceeding and annexed subject Matter treated of are Denotives of the nature of the Song before-mentioned For though we do allow and maintain that Blessing and Thanksgiving have relation to Prayer also yet seeing that Singing is here last mentioned and that the Apostle speaks of giving Thanks not so as any ways to intimate to us that it is to be understood of ordinary Thanksgiving mixt with Prayer but treating of the extraordinary Gifts of the holy Spirit and of Thanksgiving as such a Gift saying For thou verily givest thanks and Amen at thy giving of Thanks by which words relating to the Gift of Singing and both of them as appears in the Text being accompanied with the extraordinary Gift of an unknown Tongue or Tongues See Samuel
Spiritual Songs are most of them Prayers to God and Praises of God and so they are set Forms of such Prayers and Praise And if it be warrantable to sing prescribed and set-Forms of Prayer and Praise it is equally lawful otherwise to deliver such set-Forms of Prayers and Praises Prayer-wise and to say them as well as sing them and I cannot see it possible for those that are for singing of David's Psalms and yet deny the Lawfulness of prescribed and precomposed Forms of Prayer to answer the Doctor 's Argument but that such forms of Prayers and Praises must stand or fall together 2. These Words teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs are no more binding for the constant use of them than teaching and admonishing by the extraordinary Gifts of Prophecy Doctrine and Revelation proves that such Gifts shall continue for the constant Worship of God in the Gospel-Church to the end of the World SECT IV. IT is objected See more Part 1. pag. 36. That it is a Moral Duty to praise God and therefore we ought to sing his Praise in his constant Worship Answer This I have spoken somewhat unto already in the former Part but finding it is made the Refuge of some Persons who cannot maintain their Practice of formal Singing by Gospel-Institution I shall take the more notice of it here For though they do assert their manner of Singing both from the Gospel-Institution and the moral Law for if it be a moral Duty it must be so by the moral Law yet as I have plainly proved before that there is no foundation in the New Testament for such a Practice so their flying to the moral Law seems virtually to confess the same seeing that other Worship hath been maintained by them from Gospel-Institutions and therefore they not being able to produce that which is not viz. such a Gospel-Institution nor to make their Practice to appear in any example of the Apostolical Churches found in the New Testament I shall now demonstrate how little relief they can have from the Moral Law either given by Moses Rom. 2.12 to 17. or written in the Heart of Man by Nature which is in substance the same 1. As to the Moral Law of Moses Exod. 20.3 5. Deut. 6.13 Mat. 4.10 though it requires Worship to be given to God alone yet the Manner of it under the Old-Testament was not alike Moral but Ceremonial Temporary and Changeable according to the Revelation of the Mind and Will of God to his Gospel-Church otherwise if the manner of Worship under the Law were alike moral and durable as the Command it self to worship God we are then as firmly bound to the observation of that which we call and in truth is Mosaical and Ceremonial Worship as of the moral Command to worship God But that which was Ceremonial was no other than the peculiar manner of exerting or putting forth of that morally commanded in the Worship of God during the Time and Dispensation of the Law 2. It is an absurd and irrational thing for any to make the Moral Law or Light of Nature written in the Heart of Man by Nature a Rule to exert the Worship of God by when nothing is more certain than that the Law and Light of Nature is through the Fall much obliterated and corrupted that we know not perfectly what it was in the state of Innocency or that it did simply of it self discover to our first Parents before they sinned the perfect manner how they should worship God For God by Institution allowed Adam to eat of every Herb and of the Fruit of every Tree of the Field yielding Seed Gen. 2.16 17 and 3.1 2 3 23. and by Institution he commanded Adam in the state of Innocency that he should not eat of the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil. And therefore seeing that Adam had a supernatural Revelation of the Mind and Will of God therein for his Obedience and not unlikely for his resting on God's Sabbath otherwise he might have been dressing the Garden of Eden on that day or tilling the Ground from whence he was taken it not being possible for him to know what time had passed before he was created but by a supernatural Revelation given to him It is rather rational to believe that he had other Institutions given to him for the manner of exerting or putting forth his Worship unto God otherwise we must allow that from his very instinct of Nature he knew the Mind of God as it was in God himself though unrevealed to Adam by supernatural Revelation which I think will hardly be affirmed by any And then if the pure Light of Adam's Nature before the Fall was not sufficient of it self to discover the Will of God for his perfect Obedience to it why should any go about to make it a Rule for the manner of exerting the Worship of God now when it is corrupted and when we are so opposite in our Natures to the Law of God As the Apostle saith Rom. 7.14 Chap. 8.7 The Law is Spiritual but I am carnal sold under Sin And that the natural Man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God Because the natural Mind is Enmity against God 1 Cor. 2.14 for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.8 So then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God For though the visible things that are seen do declare the Eternal Power and Godhead and the Law of Nature binds us to worship God yet as Moses said Exod. 10.26 We know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come thither So the manner how is not known by this Law but by the Divine Revelation and Institutions of God unto us without which the Sons of Men are left to the uncertain Dictates of their own Hearts by which as their Practice in all Ages hath witnessed they have greatly varied from each other and grofly erred from the Mind and Will of God in his Worship Yea and if Christians do so much differ in their Apprehensions concerning the Will of God recorded in his written Word what Union can be expected if instead of cleaving to that as our Rule of Worship we should adhere to the Light of Nature which cannot savingly reveal Christ Mat. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.11 to 15. How should it then reveal unto us the manner of Christian Worship which is now discovered by Gospel-Institutions through which alone our moral Duty is exerted Moreover as Gospel-Institutions do not destroy nor repugn but exert and shew forth the moral Commands so our moral Obedience to them Rom. 8.3 through our weakness in the Flesh and want of Perfection in them Gal. 5.6 cannot be accepted of God but as they are performed according to Gospel-Qualifications Heb. 11.6 So that whatever may be said for the Morality of praying or praising God yet if it be not done in
may see that the holy Apostle in his constant Prayers for those Churches had the mixture of Sorrow and of the Grace of Joy and Thanksgiving to God But some may farther say That the Spirit of Christ can variously affect our Hearts and direct us to premeditate such a Form of Prayer that may sute the different Actings of his Graces in us in Prayer and this reconciles the use of a stinted premeditated Form with the various Workings of the holy Spirit in Prayer My Answer is That the Spirit of Christ can predirect our Meditations in those various things that he himself may help to ingage our Hearts in in vocal Prayer according to the same stinted Words as were premeditated in our Hearts before But as we cannot find any warrantable Footsteps thereof in the New Testament and as this is not the known way of the Spirit in Gospel-Worship so to assert that the Spirit of Christ does predirect and limit the Form of Prayer so as to suit his various Actings in us while we are praying does create these following Consequences 1. That no Improvement can be made of other matter in Prayer Psal 78.41 and that no other things can be expected from God in Prayer than what our Thoughts were fixed upon before Prayer which is a limiting and tempting of the Holy One of Israel not to meet with his People as he hath promised those who remember him in his ways Isa 64.5 Chap. 65.24 Dan. 9.20 21. Acts 10.30 Luke 3.21 Acts 11.6 and as the Lord by the Prophet saith While they are yet speaking I will hear and as Daniel and Cornelius while they were praying had a Message from God in answer to their Prayers and also Jesus Praying the Heaven was opened and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily Shape like a Dove upon him Which Examples do demonstrate that God was wont of old to meet with his People in the Duty of Prayer and it is the daily Experience of many Christians James 4.8 that while they are drawing nigh to God in the Duty of Prayer God is drawing nigh to their Souls and giving them many Tokens and fresh Assurances of his Love and Favour to them 2. It is a Temptation to us to neglect Prayer unless we find the matter preformed in us fit for vocal Prayer for if the Spirit composes the matter in our Premeditations for us to be stinted to in our verbal Prayers then we must wait for those Workings of the Holy Spirit in us before we can go to Prayer or else we must approve of our going to Prayer without a premeditated stinted Form and to rely on the gracious Income and Guidance of the holy Spirit for the well-performance of it as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.26 The Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought that is we have not the full Fore-knowledg of what we should pray for viz. of the matter of our Prayer but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us viz. in Prayer with Groanings which cannot be uttered So that the Spirit it self does help our Infirmities and supply our fore-Ignorance of the matter of Prayer which we may not have a full and sufficient knowledg of but by the help of the holy Spirit in Prayer and therefore Prayer must not be limited to premeditated Forms 3. This seems to reflect on the Spirit 's sufficient Power to form an extemporary Prayer as though he were not able to furnish the Soul with sufficient matter and words to express it by immediately from his Dictates but that he must first have time to precompose the matter of Prayer and afterwards limit himself to it lest his immediate Help and Guidance of us in Prayer should not be so good a Composure for our Acceptance with God through Jesus Christ as his premeditated stinted Form And therefore seeing that we are not to tye our selves in Prayer to premeditated Forms this Argument cannot draw in a prescribed Form of Prayer nor Singing to be allowed in Gospel-Worship SECT VIII Obj. THE singing of humane precomposed stinted Forms of Psalms and Hymns and Songs in the Church are spiritual Worship if their Matter be agreeable to the Word of God and if they are sung with Grace in our Hearts Answer First Par. 1. pag. 15 16 c. pag. 43. That such Forms are not spiritual Worship is proved in my former Discourse and appears from the proof I have made herein that the primitive Gospel-Singing was from the special Gift of the holy Spirit and also from the foregoing Section for if such premeditated or prescribed Forms are not lawful we cannot expect that the Spirit should own them with his actual Presence in his Graces to make them spiritual Worship Unto which preceding Evidence I refer the Reader and shall farther add in answer to the latter part of this Objection That it is not the use of precomposed Forms of spiritual Words or matter so called because they are scriptural or agreeing to the sense of the holy Scriptures which were given by the Spirit that are Spiritual Worship because a Soul that useth such forms of Worship may have Grace in his Heart For true Spiritual Worship does not barely consist of spiritual Words and some Grace unless they be spiritual Words from Grace For if a Soul should be praying or singing to God with spiritual Words and with the habit of Grace in his Heart and is not in some exercise of it together with these words will you say that this is spiritual Worship when it is only verbal and the Graces of the Spirit of Christ in the Heart of the Person is in no degree active with them no surely 2. Though we are exhorted to sing with Grace in our Hearts Col. 3.16 yet it is not enough barely to sing with Grace but with the Grace of Melody see the other Text Ephes 5.19 that is so to be filled with the Spirit as that by his gracious influencing Power not only the Matter is formed from the Word and according to the Word of God but that the Grace of Joy is raised up in our Souls to that height of Melody as wanteth to be vented forth by the Tongue For Singing is called a breaking forth Jam. 5.13 Isa 52.9 Chap. 65.14 and it proceeds from the Joy of Heart and Mirth of Spirit And if any should farther say that there is as much reason to conclude that no Prayer also is spiritual Prayer if there be not a powerful Influence of the holy Spirit to form it in our Hearts I shall thus answer That the more or less our Prayers are formed and produced by the Influencings of the holy Spirit in us the more or less our Prayers are spiritual Prayers And as we cannot deny but that the least exercise of true Grace in our Hearts in Prayer gives essence or being to inward spiritual Prayer so the least exercise of gracious melodious Joy gives
praying in the Holy Ghost does confine that Text to be understood of teaching or edifying one another in a disorderly way speaking all together or that from those words your selves praying in the Holy Ghost spoken in general unto the Saints they are commanded to pray all vocally together Moreover if any say that the following words ver 20. Giving Thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ are explanatory of the former Verse and being in such general terms cannot exclude a vocal Singing and Thanksgiving to God of the Church all together from being understood therein I do make reply That though speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs ver 19. and Giving Thanks always for all things ver 20. are from the Fillings of the holy Spirit yet I make a difference between them for the one is limited to your selves and making Melody in your Heart to private Edifications Praises and Thanksgivings but the other is in such general Words as may comprehend all Thanksgiving both vocal and mental in the Heart So that the Apostle Paul is here pressing the Saints of Ephesus to endeavour after a plentiful measure of the holy Spirit of Christ and to put forth his Gifts and Graces both in mental and vocal in private and more publick Praising and Thanksgiving to God according to the different occasions and circumstances that might attend them 2dly Coloss 3.16 I confess that vocal Singing is here to be understood otherwise it could not be teaching and admonishing to others in Word and Deed ver 17. but yet herein is nothing to prove a vocal Singing together by all the Church For teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms c. is meant of the ministring Brethren whose Work and Office it was to teach and admonish the other Members according to the Gift of the Holy Spirit they had received And none can prove any more by these words one another than what must be understood from Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called To day c. And therefore as the Word of Exhortation is not used in the Service of God in the Church but in an orderly ministerial Way by one at once so teaching and admonishing one another c. must be used also according to Gospel-Rule 1 Cor. 14.30 31. 3. Nor can 1 Cor. 14.26 How is it then Brethren when you come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine c. be understood of a vocal singing all together for I think none will say that those words Every one of you hath c. were spoken of their all having of all those spiritual Gifts which cannot be thought of every Minister in that Church ver 28. and much less of all the Members therefore it follows that as all the ministring Brethren were not supposed to have all those Gifts but every one of them had one or more of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit so there is no Conclusion can be made that all the Ministry had the Gift of Singing or that there was any distinction of its Universality in Delivery more than of other Gifts in the same Text besides the Context from ver 27 to 32. speaks of single Persons that must exercise in the Church and therefore those words Every one of you can't be meant of all together That Spiritual and Vocal Singing was used in the Primitive and Apostolical Church of Christ is undeniable and that such spiritual Singing is you allowed is freely granted but the Question is Whether David's Psalms or any humane prescribed or precomposed Matter may or ought not to be vocally sung by all the Church together as part of the publick constant and ordinary Worship of God instituted in his Gospel-Church To demonstrate which I shall treat of these six Particulars I. Of the Essence or Being of Singing II. Of David's Psalms III. Of prescribed or precomposed Songs and Hymns IV. Of Womens Singing V. Of the Order of Singing VI. Of Scriptural and other Objections I. Of the Essence of Singing Though intelligible Singing for teaching and admonishing others cannot be without the use of the Organical Instruments of the Voice yet the Essence or Being of Singing consists in an inward spiritual Exercise of the Soul or Mind of Man And this must be granted for we all do own that true Prayer may be made in our Hearts to God without the use of our Voice otherwise we deny all worshipping of God in the Church save only what is done by the Minister and exclude the Members of it from adding to joining with or having any share in Divine Worship and consequently that nothing can be properly called Sin that is only in the inward exercise of the Spirit but that which is so manifested by Words or Deeds And as I think that none will deny either the Principal or its contrary Consequences so the Scriptures do clearly witness that the Essence of Prayer and Praises and of Sin do all consist in an inward Exercise of the Soul or Spirit First The Essence of Sin is in the Spirit for Paul saith Rom. 7.7 That he had not known the Sin of Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Psal 94.11 And the Lord knoweth the Thoughts of Man that they are Vanity And that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart are only evil continually Gen. 6.5 And Christ saith That whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart So that the Essence of Sin consists in the corrupt and evil Thoughts and Imaginations of the Hearts and Minds of the Sons of Men tho not expressed by Words or Actions Secondly The Essence of Prayer is in the Heart or Spirit Neh. 2.4 for Nehemiah while he was in the King's Presence made his Prayer to God which most rationally must be taken for secret Ejaculations and Heart-Prayer And Hannah in the bitterness of her Soul prayed and spake in her Heart 1 Sam. 1.13 c. only her Lips moved but her Voice was not heard And for the sighing of the Needy now will I arise Psal 12.5 Psal 79.11 Ps 102.20 saith the Lord. Let the Sighings of the Prisoners come before thee And the Lord heareth their Groanings And this kind of Prayer our Lord himself used for looking up to Heaven Mar. 7.34 he sighed when he was opening the deaf Ears Rom. 8.26 And these are the Prayers that the Apostle calls unutterable for many times there is more in our inward Sighings Groanings Longings Pantings Breathings and Supplications of Heart and Spirit than can be expressed by our Tongues and God looketh on the Heart more than on the outward Appearance 1 Sam. 16.7 for he being a Spirit seeketh spiritual Worshippers And they that worship him John 4.23 24. must worship him in Spirit and in Truth And herein lies the