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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92933	A Serious answer to a late book stiled, A reply to Mr. Robert Steed's epistle concerning singing wherein the chief scriptures and arguments are examined, and the weakness thereof shewed : together with an answer to the several reflections, and false charges, against both churches and persons, recommended to the elders, ministers, and members of baptized churches.	Kiffin, William, 1616-1701.; Steed, Robert, of Dartmouth.; Barrett, George.; E. M. (Edward Man)	1692 (1692)	Wing S2607; ESTC R42860	36,728	64

declare his Name to give Glory to him by believing and the Profession of our Faith is the end of all we do Thus we have the Testimony of that worthy Person that Singing to the Praise of God is not to be restrained according to the Scripture to a Musical Melodious Tunable Voice But further we judg it worthy to be observed and seriously considered the Mind of God concerning that Singing mention'd Rev. 14.2 3. I heard a Voice from Heaven as a Voice of many Waters c. and they sung as it were a new Song before the Throne c. Note First it could not be a Song prepar'd in Meeter or any of the Songs mention'd in the Old Testament Because Secondly It was a Song they only could learn that were redeemed from the Earth Thirdly This they did with Harpers harping The Meaning of which as Learned Forbes tells us was the Hearts of the Redeemed Ones Fourthly The Matter and Substance is ther● expressed And Learned Mede by this Song tells us the whole Mystery of Evangelical Worship is in it contained And Brightman on Rev. 15.2 tells us that Drusius on that Place saith they are called the Harps of God because God sendeth the Joy of his Spirit into their Hearts wherewith they may be able to give God his due Praise And by this Song of the Lamb saith Brightman is meant that whereof mention was made Rev. 14.3 wherein they do magnify God the Father for the Grace of their Adoption in Christ The Joy of their Heart is called a Song by a Metonymy the effect ariseth out of Faith in the Righteousness of Christ whereby we feel the fatherly Love wherewith God doth imbrace us which Song hath been always sung by the Saints in all Ages So that whereas they tell us where-ever Singing is mention'd in Scripture it must be understood with a tunable Voice it appears they did not consider these and such like Scriptures We shall only mention one more Job 29.13 I caused the Widow's Heart to sing for joy whereby it appears there is Heart-singing as well as by Expression in Meeter with the Tongue In which Text it appears that Joy and Singing are convertible Terms From all which and many other Scriptures that might be quoted or alledged it evidently appears that Singing to the Praise of God is not to be restrained to a melodious tunable Voice in the direct stated solemn Praising of God in his Church And that there are Praises sung to God in the Language of the Scripture in Praying and Praising and in all the Administration of Holy Ordinances when there is no tunable or musical Voice heard among them as appears from what hath been mention'd from Heb. 2.12 Which we shall further make evident by these following Considerations First We may conclude it to be a certain Truth that no sober Person will deny that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit wherewith our Blessed Lord furnish'd his Church upon his Ascension to be com●leat and sufficient for the fitting of his People ●nto every good Word and Work for every part of his Worship Eph. 4.8 11 12 13. yet there we find no Singing-Masters appointed which would have been absolutely necessary if musical or tunable Singing with the Voice was a Gospel-Ordinance The Old-Testament-Church had such as taught to sing Praise 1 Chr. 25.7 2 Chr. 25.13 which if the New-Testament-Church had needed we may reasonably judg or conclude she should have had them to a higher Degree than the former For the Worship prescribed in the Gospel ought to exceed that under the Law therefore if Musical Singing be that which is now required then the best Voices in Singing do most acceptably perform that Duty to God at least in the outward part of it and therefore it would be absolutely necessary that all Christians both Men and Women should learn from such as can teach them to elevate their Voices and Tunes in the highest Strain Seeing they call this an Ordinance of the New Testament and that no other can be called Singing though Persons with never so great a Sense of the Majesty of God and of their Mercies received with the greatest spiritual Melody and Inlargement of Heart utter his Praise but no such Gifts being given nor any such Art required we may safely conclude it is not a Gospel-Ordinance Secondly If Musical singing with the Voice be a Gospel-Ordinance as they assert then assuredly the Songs of Praise recorded in the New Testament would have been written in Greek Verse as an example for others to have followed them in their Language But that it is otherwise is manifest to all that can read the Greek Testament Moreove● It is not said that those that uttered those Songs d●● it with a Musical tunable Voice but only that they spake after a solemn and audible manner those Praises As may be seen from the Song of the blessed Virgin Mary to those mention'd in the Revelations Lastly Whereas they frequently say that we admit or allow of no singing Praise to or praising of God in the Church but what is in Prayer We answer We are indeed for praising of God with our Supplications to him for Mercy But if the Holy Spirit fills any that are qualified for the Administrations of his House with the Joy of the Lord and so with the matter of Praise such may express it without mentioning any Petitions with a solemn chearful audible Voice as the Spirit of the Lord may give Utterance either with or without a tunable Voice to the Glory of God and Refreshing of others Which is singing Praise in the New-Testament Language whereunto they have not nor can they prove that according to the Scripture-Dialect aforesaid a musical tunable Voice is essential We shall now come to the second Enquiry which is as followeth Quer. 2. Whether singing the Praise of God in the Church of Christ ought to be by a composed Form by the whole Multitude assembled Professors with the Profane or Ignorant or the Church-Members of all sorts lifting up their Voices together in Consort In answer to this Question that we may the more distinctly resolve it we shall divide it into several Branches or Particulars and speak to them severally Namely First We shall consider whether singing the Praise of God in the Church of Christ may be performed by a composed stinted Form Answ 1. In answer to which we desire it may be remembred that the Institutions left by our Lord Jesus in the Gospel as they are very plain so they are more Spiritual and require more of the Spirit than under the Law therefore we have a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit promised It being a State of more Grace as well as of more Truth Therefore our blessed Lord and Saviour as he procured by his Death so by his Resurrection and Ascension he sent his Holy Spirit unto us to fit us for the Worship of God that we might have more intimate Converse with him in the Observation

that printed Book of theirs But shall chiefly insist on the main Pillars of their pretended Reasons for that sort of Singing which they would perswade the Churches to entertain as an Ordinance of our Lord and Saviour For if the Foundation fail the Building cannot stand And we shall return a Reply to some of the most gross most false and grievous Accusations and Reflections that are therein so boldly vented and shall leave it with you in the fear of the Lord diligently and seriously to consider and to search the Scriptures waiting for the Spirit of Truth to lead you into this as well as into all other Truths that either concern your most Holy Faith or Practice whereby you may be preserved from turning aside to those Humane Traditions from which you have been delivered which we desire and pray that the Lord may bless unto you for these gracious Ends before-mentioned That which we shall endeavour with as much plainness and brevity as the matter will bear to lay before you are these following Particulars First We shall detect and answer to some of those false Reflections and Accusations cast upon us and the Baptized Churches which are contain'd in Mr. Whinnel's Epistle and in the Book it self Secondly We shall manifest the weakness of the Foundation on which they build their Practice of common or popular Singing which will be apparent by an Impartial Examination of these following Enquiries 1. Whether Singing to the Praise of God according to the Phrase or Expression of it in the Holy Scriptures be to be restrained or only is to be understood of uttering the Praise due to the most High God by a Musical melodious Modulation or tuning of the Voice as they are pleased to describe it 2. Whether Singing to the Praise of God according to the direction given us by our Lord in the New Testament is to be performed by a composed stinted Form by a whole mixt Multitude with the Church-Members in the solemn Assembly of the Church lifting up their Voices together in Consort 3. Whether those Scriptures Col. 3.16 Eph. 5.19 do command or justify such a sort of popular Singing in or by the Church as aforesaid which they so earnestly contend for 4. Whether that Hymn spoken of Mat. 26.30 and Mark 14.26 or the Hymning or as it is translated the Singing the Praise of God by Paul and Silas Acts 16.25 do further justify that Practice which they plead for And First Concerning their Reflections on us or Accusations against us we find Mr. Whinnel insinuating in the beginning of his Epistle as if Custom not Conscience did hinder us from joining with them in their way of Singing To which we answer First That it is a very unbecoming Censure in which there is not the least Grain of Truth or Charity exercised by him The same rash and unjust Judgment may as well be given against him and others for not conforming to the Common Prayer or the Liturgy of the Church of England by those that are zealous for it which we suppose he would reckon to be a very false and a very uncharitable Censure Secondly We do declare to him and to all Men That the Lord knows it is not Custom or a long disuse or neglect of it that makes us averse to that Practice of theirs But Judgment and Conscience knowing on a deliberate and serious Consideration that it hath no more Foundation from any Precept or Example of our Lord Jesus or his Apostles to warrant it than common set Form of Prayer hath In which we are the more confirmed by the weakness of the Arguments which by them and others are produced for the Justification of it But Secondly He doth positively affirm in that Epistle That they had no mind to have published their Thoughts to the World or to have troubled the Churches with any Dissertations about it but endeavoured to have a Friendly Debate with their Brethren who were conven'd to consult the Churches Welfare But that their endeavours therein were obstructed by the Opposers viz. of that common way of Singing And that soon after some of them from an imprudent Zeal not only openly opposed it but took to themselves a lawless Liberty to calumniate those who endeavoured the restoration of it c. Answ To all this bold Calumny we answer that we believe he cannot prove any part of it to be true It is a very false Suggection which is uttered either from a false Information or great Forgetfulness or from a sinful Contrivance For first Whereas he saith they had no mind to have publish'd their Thoughts about it c. but that they were obstructed in their Desires and Attempts to have a friendly Debate c. We reply What was the reason that before any Person that was contrary-minded to that Practice of theirs had said or printed any thing publickly against it that this Opinion of theirs concerning Singing was preach'd up and frequently and vehemently prest by several of them in variety of Assemblies and asserted in Print to the view of all Men by Mr. Keach in his Treatise call'd Gold Refin'd and in his great Book of Scripture Tropes and Metaphors and by Mr. H. C. in a select Treatise on that Subject though with more Sobriety than any we have seen since that hath been published on that Controversy by any of them Had they no mind to publish their Dissertations about it Was their publick Preaching and publick Printing for it against their Minds which was done by them before any Person did openly contradict them in it Who can believe it And all this before there was any motion or mention of a friendly Debate about it that we know of neither as yet do we know of any such Motion seriously made except it were for a Liberty to introduce it by a major Vote in a Church of Christ c. which was long after they had endeavoured to promote it by their Endeavours aforesaid If we were blame-worthy in this matter it was in being so long silent wher● by they took the opportunity to leaven so many honest Souls and to beguile so many Churches i● their Number be so many as they boast of with this irregular Doctrine and Practice hereby it was that to such a heigth of Confidence Mr. Keach was come who makes Breaches more than he repairs any that when one did but once preach on that Subject of Singing in the Church to which he belongs on a Lord's Day far enough off from Mr. Keach's Congregation because he did it not according to his Sentiments he coming the next day or shortly after in much affection to visit him Mr. Keach having heard of his Preaching as before mention'd immediately falls upon him as soon as ever he came into Mr. Keach's House with a most severe and very uncivil passionate Reprimand for daring to preach after that manner contrary to his Judgment as if he had the preheminence over all But when Mr. Marlow did but endeavour