100.1 Make a joyfull noyse unto the Lord all yee Lands and vers. 2. Come before his presence with singing All yee lands implieth the Nations of the Gentiles as well as of the Jewes which pertaineth to the times of the New Testament So that now all are exhorted to sing before the presence of God with a lowd noyse or voyce So Psal. 95.1 O come let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noyse to the rock of our salvation And ver. 2. Let us make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes Which Psalm the Apostle himself interpreteth to be meant of the times of the Gospel Which is the more to be observed because the Psalmist exhorting to the holy and reverent performance of the ordinary duties of the Sabbath he mentioneth first thankesgiving in singing of Psalmes with a loud voyce and the Reasons thereof vers. 1. to 5. And then solemne Prayer with the reasons thereof vers. 6 7. and then faithfull attention to the preaching of the Word on that day not hardning their hearts against it through unbeliefe in the end of ver. 7. and vers. 8. to 11. To day if yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts And this day the Apostle interpreteth to be meant not of the 7.th day of rest from the Creation nor of the day of rest wherein Joshua gave the people inheritance and rest in Canaan but of the day of rest in the New Testament Heb. 4.3 to 9. Whence the Apostle inferreth That there is remaining to us another Sabbatisme or day of rest now in the dayes of the Gospel different from the seventh day of rest kept in regard of Gods rest from the Creation and different from the day of rest in Joshuahs time but the day of rest remaining to us he declareth to be that day wherein the Lord Jesus entred into his rest And that was our Lords day which David so long before foretold should be celebrated with solemne Prayer preaching and hearing the Word and singing of Psalmes and that with a joyfull noyse Object 1. Though David exhorteth all Lands to sing to the Lord with a loud noyse it doth not appeare wee should make such a manner of loud noyse as our forme of singing is no more then such a loud noyse as was made in Davids dayes with ten stringed Instruments for so the Lord was to be praised I doe acknowledge from these Texts That it is the duty of all those who are called to the knowledge of the Truth when they doe come before the Lord not to come before him with sorrow and sadnesse and with a dejected spirit but with a singing or else they dishonour the Lord Jesus the spirituall chiefe singer author of their new Song But although this prophecy doth foretell of the joyfull approaching of the spirituall worshippers before the Lord yet it bindeth them no more to make such a noyse as the singing booke teacheth then the trees are to clap their hands as Isaiah prophecieth or as the new Converts are bound to come with externall singing when they come to joyn themselves with the Church Isai. 51.11 And as for such a manner of noyse as is made in our mixed Assemblies the Psalme speaketh nothing to it Answ. The manner of noyse which is made by singing in our Assemblies it pertaineth not to the present Question in hand and therefore we referre it to the sequell The Question now is whether in the dayes of the New Testament we are to sing the praises of God with a loud voyse or noyce And for this we alledge beside the Text in Isaiah the Prophecies of David who foretelleth and exhorteth all Lands at least the Churches and people of God in all lands To make a joyfull noyse unto the Lord to make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes to come before his presence with singing Psal. 100.1 2. Psal. 95.1 2. Yea but this bindeth us no more to make such a manner of loud noyse as our forme of singing is then to make such a loud noyse as was made in Davids dayes with ten stringed Instruments for so the Lord was to be praised Answ. So the Lord was to be praised Praised with ten stringed Instruments When was he so to be praised In Davids dayes True And therefore it was the dutie of all the people in any land that became Proselytes to the Church of Israel in the dayes of David and during all the time of the Temple worship to come before the Lord not onely with the loud noyse of singing Psalmes but of playing with Instruments But after the dayes not onely of David but of the Temple and that worship be past in the day when our Jehovah the Lord Jesus hath entred into his rest in the day of our Lord when he commandeth us not to harden our hearts but to heare his voyce to fall downe and worship before him in prayer both which are to be performed every Lords day he then commandeth us to come and sing unto the Lord to make a joyfull noyse to the rock of our salvation and to make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes Psal. 95.1 2. Here is now no mention of making a joyfull noyse with Instruments but with Psalmes And therefore the making a joyfull noyse with Psalmes doth still continue even on our Lords dayes when making a joyfull noyse with Instruments continueth not but is laid downe in silence save onely so farre as it is kept alive in the antitype the affections of our hearts our Praecordia making melody with the songs and professions of our lips and with the gracious and peaceable conversation of our lives When you acknowledge it to be the dutie of such as are called to the knowledge of the Truth to come before the Lord not with sorrow and sadnesse and with a dejected spirit but with singing What singing doe you meane If you meane onely the gracious rejoycing of the heart that indeed though it be requisite to avoyd hypocrisie yet it is not compleate to reach the full extent of the dutie the dutie of making a joyfull noyse with Psalmes Our chiefe Singer of whom you speake when he set the Lord and his own death and resurrection before his face which he was to undergoe for our sakes he was not onely glad in his heart but his glory also that is his tongue rejoyced in singing a Psalme at his last Supper Psal. 16.8 9. with Math. 26.30 And therefore it will be a discord from the practise of our chiefe Singer and so a dishonour to him if our hearts sing with joy but our glory to wit our tongues be mute with silence Say not then as you doe We are no more bound to make a loud noyse with our voyces then the trees are to clap their hands as Isaiah prophecieth or then the new Converts were to come with externall singing of Psalmes Isai. 51.11 For in so saying you will not avoyde the authoritie of the Commandement nor the necessitie of
manner but what nature and art may attaine unto There is no exercise of any spirituall gift held forth in it as is in all other administrations which Christ hath ordained 2. Besides as such a singing is not a gift of Christ so neither doth it tend to the glory of Christ The Church not edified by it else a Pagan singing with us might edifie the Church 3. From both these it appeareth That such singing of Psalmes tendeth to the dishonour of Christ seeing it holdeth forth externally no more then what a carnall man a man out of Christ yea a Pagan might expresse Answ. 1. Singing of Psalmes holdeth forth as much of Christ externally as reading of the Word or as the hearing of it read or preached or as the falling downe upon our knees in prayer and saying Amen in the end of it Fot though the Word when it is publiquely read ought also to be opened after the reading yet the very reading of it is it selfe an Ordinance and is not without a blessing to the faithfull reader or hearer of it â—o more then other Ordinances Or else there would be some Ordinances of God like unto humane Ceremonies empty and beggarly Answ. 2. Morall duties even in Pagans may edifie the Church as Abimeleths reproofe of Abraham and Sarah Gen. 20. Pro. 9 10. Answ. 3. Singing of Psalmes is accompanied and blessed of God by his grace with many gracious effects above nature or art As 1. It allayeth the passions of melancholy and choler yea and scattereth the furious temptatians of evill spirits 1 Sam. 16.23 Whence also is helpeth to asswage enmity and to restore friendship and favour as in Saul to David It was not the sound of Davids Harpe that could have this power either over the evill spirit or over the sinfull passions of Saul himselfe if the sound of the Harpe had not been quickned and enlived as it were by a spirituall song and by the Spirit of God breathing therein 2. Singing of a spirituall song prepareth to prophecy by ministring the Spirit 2 King 3.15 Whilest the Minstrell played the hand of the Lord that is his Spirit came upon Elisha The Minstrells playing if it had not been accompanied with a spirituall song it could not have conveyed such a spirituall blessing In 1 Sam. 10.5 6. they could not be said as there they be to have prophecied with Harpes and Violls unlesse they had sung some holy songs together with their playing on Instruments For Prophecy is an unterance onely of the word of God and of the things of God contained in it which Instruments without voyce cannot doe Nor had their playing with Instruments been a means of conveying the Spirit to Saul had not their voyces concurred and sung with their Instruments 3. Singing of Psalmes honoureth God with our glory Psal. 108.1 Psal. 57. â— 8. Where Davids glory being distinguished not onely from his Harpe but from his heart it cannot fitly be understood of any other member but his tongue by which he was wont in singing to glorifie God Object These gracious effects and fruits of singing Psalmes doe plead as much for singing and playing with instruments as for singing with voyces Answ. 1. This last effect of singing to the glory of God with our glory is peculiar onely to singing with our tongues Answ. 2. Suppose it were true that these effects of singing Psalmes did plead as much for singing and playing with Instruments as singing with voyces yet evident it is that singing with voyces had the preheminence as that which uttering the word of God did chiefly utter the Spirit of God breathing in it And withall evident likewise it is that it is no impeachment to an Ordinance that the outward dispensing of it may be performed by nature and art but notwithstanding that it may be accompanied of God with a spirituall blessing Answ. 3. Singing with Instruments was typicall and so a ceremoniall worship and therefore is ceased But singing with heart and voyce is a morall worship such as is written in the hearts of all men by nature As to pray in distresse so when we are mercy and have cause of solemne thankesgiving unto God then to sing Psalmes which the Holy Ghost by the Apostle James approveth and sanctifieth Jam. 5.13 Or suppose singing with Instruments were not typicall but onely an externall solemnitie of worship fitted to the solace of the outward sences of children under age such as the Israelites were under the Old Testament Gal. 4.1 2 â— yet now in the growne age of the heires of the New Testament such externall pompous solemnities are ceased and no externall worship reserved but such as holdeth forth simplicitie and gravitie nor is any voyce now to be heard in the Church of Christ but such as is significant and edifying by signification 1 Cor. 14.10 11 26. which the voyce of Instruments is not Answ. 4. It is an honour to Christ and to his grace not onely when we hold forth spirituall gifts but also when wee performe Christian duties And duties performed in Faith without which prayer it selfe is not accepted they goe not without a spirituall blessing though Nature and Art might performe the same for the outward worke The Trayling of the weapons of the Israelites and their Military March both in silence and shouting about the walls of Jericho was no greater worke externally then carnall men and Pagans might have performed as well as Israelites but this being done by Israelites in faith and obedience to Gods command it was mightie through God to cast downe the high and strong walls of Jericho Josh. 6.13.14 15 16 20. And the Apostle looking at this and the like Precedents setteth forth Faith as that which is prevalent and effectuall in both Testaments howsoever the worke or worship be externall Heb. 11.30 In like manner is it with the reading of the Word and the hearing of it as also the silent joyning in Prayer and concluding it with Amen though all these be such duties as Nature and Art may performe the outward worke of them yet when the people of God doe performe the same in the faith of Christ and in the obedience of Gods command they find a gracious blessing of God Yea carnall and prophane persons and Pagans though they cannot expect the like blessing from their empty outside performances yet they sometimes taste more sweetnesse and enlargement therein then flesh and bloud could imagine 1 Sam. 10.5 6. Saul joyning with the Prophets in their holy melody found another Spirit coming on him which also argueth by the way that the joyning of prophane and carnall hypocrites in such spirituall songs doth not evacuate the blessing of God to his people but rather reach forth some spirituall blessing though common to such carnall hypocrites Object It may be in the old Testament such an outward worship as Nature and Art could accomplish might be allowed and blessed of God But now in the New Testament as God is a
of new Apostles to be raised up in every age the Holy Ghost telleth us the Church of the Jewes at their last conversion shall be built upon the foundation of the Lambes twelve Apostles Rev. 21.14 The twelve Apostles of the Lambe shall have a fundamentall influence in the rearing and building of the Church of the Jewes not by their resurrection to life againe in those dayes but by the power of the Spirit breathing in their gifts and writings And as Abel being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 and that to edification So the Apostles though dead speake also and David being dead speaketh and singeth likewise to the edification of the body of Christ till we come to sing Hallelujahs in heavenly glory Say not these writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of David and the Prophets doe not speake to the edification of the Church but as they are expounded and applyed by the spirituall gifts of the Ministers and people of God in each age For the very reading of them is an Ordinance of God and no Ordinance of God is empty and beggarly and destitute of the Spirit which is the vanitie of mens traditions and may not be imputed to any of Gods Ordinances Neither ought you to say That in singing the Psalmes of David there is no more personall gift manifested then there is in reading a stinted forme of Prayer For 1. in reading a stinted forme of prayer there is no gift of the Spirit at all manifested but rather as I conceive a manifest breach of the second Commandement of God which is a grieving of the Spirit But in singing of the Psalmes of David there is a gift of the Spirit manifested even the gift of obedience to the command of the Apostle And that is the personall gift of him that singeth And secondly all the treasures of the gifts of the Spirit breathing in the Psalmes of David are likewise manifested in the reverent and holy singing of them You might more truly have said there is no more personall gift of the Spirit manifested in singing the Psalmes of David then in reading the Psalmes of David because either of both those duties are alike acts of obedience to Gods Commandement But if you had so said your objection had answered it selfe Object 9. Many of Gods people now have gifts to compose spirituall Songs as well as carnall Poets to make carnall Sonnets or as drunkards that make Songs of Gods people Now every one that hath a gift is to administer it by Christs Command 1 Pet. 4.10 And if any for want of experience of such a gift in themselves should question it they may consider the promise of powring out the Spirit in a more plentifull measure now in the dayes of the New Testament then in the old Answ. 1. Though many of Gods people have gifts to compose spirituall Songs as well as carnall Poets carnall Sonnets and Drunkards prophane Sonnets yet that will not argue that the spirituall Songs which many of Gods people have gifts to compose are fit to be sung in the publique holy Assemblies of the Saints no more then the carnall and prophane Sonnets of drunken Poets are fit to be sung in civill Assemblies Let drunken carnall Poets sing their carnall Sonnets in their Tavernes and Ale-houses and such of Gods people as have received a gift to compose a spirituall Song fit for their private solace sing it in their private houses But every spirituall Song fit for private solace is not fit to be sung in the solemne Assemblies of the Church for publique edification no more then it is fit for every private Christian who hath a gift to compose a spirituall prayer to utter and powre forth the same in the publique Congregation of the Church Answ. 2. It is more then probable that many of the people of God in the old Testament had gifts to compose spirituall Songs besides David and Asaph and yet unlesse their gift were carried along by an infallible Spirit they were not received among the Songs of the Temple Answ. 3. Suppose that spirituall Songs composed by an ordinary gift might be received among the publique Songs of the Congregation yet will it thence follow that the Church shall be bound to sing onely such Songs and deprive themselves of the Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs of David and Asaph which were composed with a farre larger measure and power of the Holy Ghost Answ. 4. It is readily granted that as every man hath received a gift so let him administer and dispense it according to the Text alledged 1 Pet. 4.10 But yet in Christs way every private gift is not fit for publique Administration nor every publique gift fit to be administred to the shouldring out of a greater gift then it selfe Answ. 5. If such as want the experience of such a gift of spirituall Poetry in themselves should be encouraged to expect it from the promise of powring out the Spirit on all flesh in the dayes of the Gospel Acts 2.17 they might as well looke for the gifts of tongues and healing and miracles For it is the same Spirit though not the same measure which is there promised to be powred out upon all flesh Let every man administer the gifts of the Spirit according to the measure which he hath received within his own line Object 10. But the Lord is as full of the Spirit now to helpe us to endite Psalmes as in the dayes of David and Asaph And it seemeth a dishonour to Christ to dispense his word by reading and singing without the exercise of the glorious and various Administrations of the spirituall gifts of the New Testament Answ. 1. The Lord is as full of the Spirit now and as able to furnish us with a Propheticall Spirit now to endite Propheticall Scriptures as he did furnish the Prophets in the old Testament But yet God thought it no dishonour to Christ to leave us the Scriptures of the old Prophets for our edification in the New Testament as well as in the old It is the same Spirit of the same Christ that spake by the Prophets of the old Testament and speaketh in the Saints of the New And it is no dishonour to Christ to dispense his word and to guide the body of his Church as well by the unity of the same Spirit as by the variety of the divers gifts of the Spirit now And though we doe not exercise the glorious and various Administrations of the spirituall gifts of the New Testament in the enditing of New Psalmes no more then in the enditing of new Scriptures Yet wee can neither sing the old Psalmes of David nor read the old Scriptures of the Prophets acceptably to God nor comfortably to our selves without the exercise of the gracious and various spirituall gifts of the New Testament Object 11. Wee have examples in the New Testament of exercising personall gifts as well in singing as in praying and Prophecying 1 Cor. 14. Which Epistle is directed to all
the Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 in all places And consequently that Church is to be Precedentiall in dispensing personall gifts in this Ordinance of Singing as well as in any other Answ. 1. The Directions given in that Epistle to the Church of Corinth we willingly grant are Precedentiall to all the Churches as well as the Directions given in other Epistles to other Churches And the Directions there given be that in dispensing spirituall gifts Prophecy be preferred before Tongues nor any Tongues dispensed without interpretation That order be observed without confusion That divers may speake without interruption That no man may speake without subjection That women be not permitted to speake unto usurpation That all things be done to edification And all these Directions are Precedentiall to all such Churches as have received the like gifts But there is no direction given to the Church of Corinth or any other that every man should have a gift of tongues or a gift of compiling a Psalme or if he have a gift of compiling a Psalme for his private use by an ordinary Spirit that then he should present it to be sung before the whole Church and the Church to say Amen to his Psalme For the gift of Psalmes which the Apostle there speaketh of was not an ordinary gift to compile some spirituall Ditty in verse but extraordinary as joyned with the gift of strange Tongues For it appeareth by the Context that the gift of Tongues was used by the Members of the Church of Corinth foure wayes 1. In speaking mysteries ver. 2. 2. In prayer ver. 14. 3. In singing ver. 15. 4. In thankesgiving ver. 17. So that the singing there mentioned was by an extraordinary gift as the Tongues were in which it was dispensed Object Indeed the gift of Tongues wherein these Psalmes seeme to be uttered was extraordinary but it doth not follow that the gift of composing those Psalmes was an extraordinary gift no more then prayer wherewith it was joyned ver. 15. or Prophecy ver. 26. Singing Psalmes and Prophecy differing no otherwise then Poetry and Prose and if it was extraordinary in the Corinthians wee have no warrant for publique ordinary singing in the New Testament from any example Answ. 1. As the gift of Tongues was extraordinary so was every Ordinance dispensed in it whether Prayer or Psalme or Prophecy all of them extraordinary both for sublimity of matter in the Spirit he speaketh Mysteries ver. 2. and for power and demonstration of the Spirit and for suddennesse and dexteritie of utterance without previous study or meditation as Acts 2.4.11 What though there be an ordinary gift of Prayer and Prophecying as well as of singing Yet neverthelesse the Apostles and Prophets had an extraordinary gift of Prayer and Prophecying and so had those Corinthians also an extraordinary gift though in lesse measure of Praying and Prophecying and Singing also It is not credible that he who would have new wine put into new Bottles would powre forth ordinary and common matters in new Tongues and so raise extraordinary expectation of ordinary things Answ. 2. It is an uncouth comparison to make no more difference between singing Psalmes and Prophecy then between Poetry and Prose In Prophecy we open the Scriptures and Counsels of God in Psalmes we open the Counsels and thankesgivings of our own hearts In Psalmes we sing to glorifie God in Prophecy we speake to edifie men you might with farre more reason and congruitie have said That Prayer and singing Psalmes differ no otherwise then Poetry and Prose And yet there is more difference even between them then so as the Apostle James noteth James 5.13 Answ. 3. When you say that if the singing in the Church of Corinth was extraordinary then wee have no warrant for our publick ordinary singing in the New Testament from any example Neither doth the Argument follow nor if it did is it of any force For though this example of singing in the Church of Corinth was extraordinary yet that singing of Christ and his Disciples at the last Supper was ordinary Mat. 26.30 And though there were no example of puhlique ordinary Singing in the New Testament yet it is enough that there is a precept of publique ordinary Singing given to the Churches both of the Ephesians and of the Colossians Eph. 5.19 Colos. 3.16 And what the Spirit speaketh to those Churches it speaketh to all CHAP. VI Propounding a second and third Argument for the singing of Davids Psalmes HAving thus by the helpe of Christ cleared the first Argument for the Singing of Davids Psalmes and such like Scripture-Psalmes Let us now proceed to a second Argument taken from the end and use of the Psalmes of David The Psalmes of David and Asaph and the like were written for a threefold end as we see expressed by the Apostle Col. 3 16. to wit 1. For Instruction or Teaching 2. For Admonition 3. For singing Praise and Thankesgiving to the Lord Now if the Psalmes of David and the like were written as doubtlesse they were in the Old Testament for this three-fold end and each of them of morall that is of generall and perpetuall use and none of them abrogated in the New Testament looke then as it would be a sacrilegious sinne to take away from the Psalmes either of the two former uses the use of Instruction or Admonition so it will bee alike Sacriledge to deprive them of the three-fold use by forbidding them to be sung for praise and thankesgiving to the Lord Whereto a third Argument may be added taken from the duty of singing of Psalmes every Sabbath and the defect of provision of other Psalmes if the Psalmes of David and other Scripture-Psalmes be refused It appeareth from Psalme 95.1 2 7 c. That when we present our selves before the Lord to heare the voyce of his word as we do every Lords day wee should come before his presence with singing of Psalmes If so then some must have a gift either to prepare set formes of Psalmes aforehand for every Sabbath day or at least a gift upon the present occasion suddenly to invent and utter a Psalme fit for the present Sabbath from weeke to weeke Neither of both which are easie to be beleeved For if it were so then doubtlesse Christ would have appointed some or other Officer to attend to this duty of compiling Psalmes as hee hath appointed Elders to attend to the Ministery of the Word and Prayer Acts 6.4 Or else he would inspire some or other Member of the Church with such a Gift and Spirit of Psalmistry as might suite the occasions of the Church from Sabbath to Sabbath But neither of both these doe wee finde either in the Scriptures of the New Testament or in experience we finde neither Ordinance appointing it nor Providence granting it And yet evident it is that the gracious providence of God is not wanting in supplying well ordered Churches with all such gifts of Preaching and Prayer and Rule and the like as God
and were choice Singers endued with choice though common singing gifts which made the service most beautifull as men call beauty But the melody of our Assembly compared with theirs hath no outward beauty in it So that if their melody were a Type of ours then the Type is more glorious then the Antitype which is a dishonour to Christ Answ. 1. It is no dishonour at all to Christ that the Type should be farre more beautifull and glorious to the outward man then the Antitype Solomon was a type of Christ and the Temple of Solomon was a type of his body and both Solomon himselfe and his Temple were farre more beautifull and glorious then Christ himselfe to the outward man Isa. 53.2 Yet this was no dishonour to Christ whose beautie and glory was so divine and heavenly in the inner man that all their outward beautie and glory were but dim and darke shadowes to it Answ. 2. Wee doe not say that their melody in the Temple which was made with voyces was a type of our melody made with our voyces and singing the same Psalmes of David and Asaph For though their Choristers were types of the whole Church and their instruments of Musicke were types of the inward affections of our hearts in singing forth the Praises of the Lord to the honour of his name to their own edification Answ. 3. Though their melody might be more beautifull and glorious to the outward appearance as being more artificiall and more musicall yet seeing the Spirit of Grace is more abundantly poured out in the New Testament then in the old if the holy Singers sing with more life and grace of the Spirit our melody is the more beautifull and glorious before the Lord and his spirituall Saints though theirs was more beautifull and glorious in the outward sence Answ. 4. Whether the Scribes and the Pharisees were any of them Musitians of the Temple endued with choice gifts and appointed to that office as you say though wee doe not know it yet neither will we deny it But this we dare say That if they were appointed to sing so now not any choice order of men but all the sonnes of men are commanded to Sing as well as to Pray as hath been shewed above Object 9. Where many sing together as in a great mixt Assembly many sing they know not what and they that doe know what they sing cannot but see that many of the Psalmes which they doe sing are not suitable to their own condition And how then can they sing such Psalmes as Songs of their own Answ. 1. The ignorance of men in discerning the true matter or the right manner of a Dutie doth not excuse them from performance of the Dutie we speake of such morall Duties as the morall Law of God and the Law of Nature requireth to be done What if a man know not what nor how to pray Yet that will not excuse him either from praying himselfe or from joyning with others that are better acquainted with prayer then himselfe So it is here what if many a man know not what nor how to sing to Gods Praise yet that will not excuse him either from singing himselfe or joyning with others that have more spirituall skill in that kinde then himselfe Answ. 2. It is an ignorance of a mans selfe and of the wayes of God to thinke that any Psalme is unsuitable to his own condition For every Psalme setteth forth either the attributes and works of God and his Christ and this yeeldeth me matter of holy reverence Blessing and Praise Or else it describeth the estate and wayes of the Church and People of God and this affecteth me with compassion instruction or imitation Or else it deciphereth the estate and wayes of the wicked and this holdeth forth to me a word of admonition Or else it doth lively expresse mine own affections and afflictions temptations and comforts and then it furnisheth me with fit matter and words to present mine own condition before the Lord But whatsoever the matter of the Psalme concerning God or his Christ the godly or the wicked my selfe or others the good or evill estate of one or other It ever ministreth fit matter and occasion to me of singing forth the Praises of the Lord since the Name of God is to be blessed in all whether it goe well or ill with our selves or others CHAP. X. Of the manner of Singing THe fourth and last head of Scruples remaineth touching the manner of Singing concerning which a threefold Scruple ariseth 1. Whether it be lawfull to sing Psalmes in Meeter devised by men 2. Whether in Tunes invented 3. Whether it be lawfull in Order unto Singing to reade the Psalme The two former of these Scruples because they stand upon one and the same ground may fitly be handled together The judgement of the Churches of Christ in these Points is doubtlesse sutable to their Practise That it is lawful to sing Psalms in English verses which runne in number measure and meeter and in such grave and melodious tunes as doe well befit both the holinesse and gravity of the matter and the capacity of the Singers A double ground or reason may be given hereof The former is this If it be lawfull to translate and turne the Hebrew Bible into English Prose in order to reading then it is lawfull also to translate and turne Davids Hebrew Psalmes and verse into our English Psalmes and Verse in order to Singing But the former of these is a confessed Truth and generally received amongst Protestants except onely Mr. Smith who had a sâ—ngular conceit in this Point That all Letters in the writings of the old Testament were typicall â—yping out the Law written in our hearts and therefore 〈◊〉 â—â—ve all reading of the holy Scripture to be abolished under the New Testament But Christ himself commanded his Disciples to search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 And how shal they search â—hem except they reade them And the noble Beraeans are commanded for searching the Scriptures in the examining of Pauls Doctrine Acts 17.11 12. which how could they have done without reading And wherefore did all the Apostles and Evangelists write the New Testament in Greeke a language of all more generally knowne then the Latine and therefore much more then any other in the world as Tully himselfe testifieth Pro Archiâ Poetâ was it not for this end that the New Testament might be read and generally understood of all Nations And where it was not understood there it might most easily be translated out of a language well knowne unto the severall language of every Nation And as for the old Testament it was translated to their hands out of the Hebrew into Greeke almost three hundred yeares before the Apostles times Yea wherefore did God commit the whole Counsell of his will and word to writing for the edification and salvation of all his people but that it might be read and understood of them all If then it