Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	hymn_n	psalm_n	song_n	3,209	5	9.5347	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04473	A clear confutation of Mr. Richard Allen, and his five commendators, from their own confessions, collected out of the vindication of his essay, and fairly improv'd against them, to the overthrow of their conjoined singing in artificial tunes in gospel-worship. To which is added, an answer to Mr. William Collins's defence from the charge exhibited against him in my book, entituled, The controversie of singing brought to an end, &c.	Marlow, Isaac.; Marlow, Isaac. The controversie of singing brought to an end.	1696 (1696)	Wing M692B; ESTC R180372	25,446	47

A CLEAR CONFUTATION OF Mr. Richard Allen And his Five Commendators From their own Confessions collected out of the Vindication of his Essay and fairly improv'd against them to the Overthrow of their Conjoined Singing in Artificial Tunes in Gospel-Worship To which is added An Answer to Mr. William Collins's Defence from the Charge exhibited against him in my Book Entituled The Controversie of Singing brought to an end c. THere being so much already said in my former Treatises to the Argumentative Part of the Controversie of Singing and having in my last Discourse I published brought it to an End for my own part I see but little or nothing else to do than to clear it at the end and so to finish my present Testimony for the Truth And that I may do it the more effectually I shall first answer some few Exceptions in Mr. Allen's Reply to me which I think are most material to clear the way for a full Confutation of his Error from his own Confessions And 1. Mr. Allen saith in page 59. That there is no Evidence in the Text Exod. 15.21 that either these Dances or Musical Instruments were used by them in the Church of God as such but those Dances of the Women with Musick mentioned ver 20. seem plainly to be spoken of as a Consequence of their Religious Thanksgiving in the Church-Assembly mentioned in the foregoing part of the Chapter Answer I have sufficiently proved in my last as well as in my other Treatises of singing that Deborah and Barak did not sing vocally together For 1. Some part of the Song Judges 5.7 viz. until that I Deborah arose that I arose a Mother in Israel was not proper for Barak to express 2. 'T is said ver 12. Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a Song Arise Barak and lead thy captivity captive thou Son of Abinoam which Expressions shew that this Song was uttered by Deborah and part of it to Barak and so all of it was not proper matter for Barak to express and also that this was sung at the same time before Barak had led his captivity away and yet in ver 1. 't is said Then sang Deborah and Barak c. and so in Exod. 15.1 Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel yet it does not follow that the Children of Israel sang all vocally together any more than that Deborah and Barak sang with conjoin'd voices which we find they did not neither does it from thence follow that the Womens singing with Timbrels and Dances seperate from the Men Exod. 15.20 was afterwards at a different Season any more than if we should against the Light of Scripture suppose that Barak join'd in spirit with Deborah in the chiefest part of her Song at a different Season or after he had led his captivity away Besides as there is nothing expressed that lays a foundation for this Objection so there is reason to believe that the Women sang with Timbrels and Dances at the same time when Moses and Israel sang v. 1. seeing that as 't is said Moses and Israel sang to the Lord so also Miriam began the Song to the Lord which shews that Miriam's and the Womens singing was as much a religious Thanksgiving to the Lord as the Children of Israel's was ver 1 c. and at the same season and not afterwards 2. To what Mr. Allen in page 59. says concerning my Authors which shew the signification of the Greek Word Hymneo which is simply to praise or give thanks and also to lament or complain I shall here answer 1. That he plainly owns that the word Hymneo is not limited in its signification to Songs of Praise but he strives to prove that its most proper signification is to sing praise which I deny and have produced witness enough against it and there is no need to contend about it seeing our last Translators have rendred the Hebrew Word Tehillah and the Greek Word Hymnos in the Old Testament simply Praise 2. By his picking out of several of my Authors which render the word Hymneo various ways some expressions that renders it to sing a Hymn or Praise and by his improving those that speak most in this Language he has laboured to raise a dust that their Testimony should not be so clearly discerned But Observe he has not neither can he charge me with any false Citation of them and so cannot destroy the Evidence I bring them for nor the fuller and clearer Testimony of the rest of my Authors that are noted in my little Tract where I have only briefly mentioned them and not largely cited the Evidence of several of them whose Testimonies were more fully given before in my prelimited Forms and in my Reply to Mr. Keach to which I refer the Reader if he please for further Satisfaction in this and many other matters that I could not treat of in so small a Tract on Singing as I lately published with my Remarks on Mr. Allen's Essay But 3. Mr. Allen says page 61. That the Learned Mr. Ainsworth does not translate the word as our Author represents him simply praise as if it signified no more but he tells us on Psal 3. that there be three kinds of Songs mentioned in this Book of which one he tells us is called Tehillah in Greek Hymnos a Hymn or Praise Answ 'T is true Mr. Ainsworth says that there be three kinds of Songs in that Book of Psalms viz. Psalms Hymns and Songs but tho' he calls them all Songs whatever Titles they bare yet it is because they were all Songs for Temple-worship and not from the signification of every Title for some of the Psalms viz. Psalm 17 and 86 and 90 and 102. are entituled a Prayer of David of Moses c. which denote the nature of those Psalms or temple-Temple-Songs to be Prayer and not that they are Songs from their Title of Prayer and so the word in Hebrew Tehillah Greek Hymnos signifies the nature of the Psalm or Song to be a Praise as the word is simply and rightly translated by Mr. Ainsworth who translates it in the Psalms and renders the word in his Annotations on them in eight several places singly or simply to praise See Psal 40.3 Psal 65.1 Psal 71.6 Psal 119.171 Psal 148.14 Annot. Psal 1. An. Ps 145. An. Psal 3. and I cannot find that he renders it in any one place a Song of Praise or to sing praise but singly to praise And therefore Mr. Allen has done ill to joyn with Mr. Collins against my former complaint which is now justly against them both with the rest of their Companions for abusing my Author in so plain a case as renders them very unfair in their dealing with me 4. Mr. Allen in page 71. says The Divine Psalmists do often not only speak of their own singing the Divine Praises but also call upon others to joyn with them therein see Psal 9.2 11. and 27.6 and 145.7 and 146.1 2. c.

say How well he has acquitted himself in the management of this Argument is by himself submitted to the judgment of the world in his publication of it We shall only say that as 't is not our Business to use many Words to prepossess the Reader in his Favour so 't is our Opinion that the Book is able to speak for it self and needs not our Suffrage to recommend it So that those five Ministers have begun their Testimonial Recommendation to Mr. Allen's Vindication with a false Insinuation that in their la●● Preface they gave their Opinion of the Ability of the Author to speak for himself without needing their Recommendation when in truth they said it of the Book it self distinguished by them from the Author Now I cannot conceive why they should utter this false Insinuation unless it be to squeez themselves from under their absolute commendations of those Errors in Mr. Allen's Essay which are justly charged upon them But surely no sober judicious Christians will either take this false Insinuation for the least acknowledgment or publick satisfaction for the wrong they have done our Profession or the Truth or will from this latter Preface discharge them from those Errors which they have without exceptions recommended in their former Preface to Mr. Allen's Essay Especially considering that in their last to his Vindication They stoutly tell us that they are neither afraid nor ashamed to let the World know that they have seen no reason to retract their former Words and also that they dare adventure to say as much for this his Reply So that I conclude from their former Preface confirmed in their last wherein they likewise recommend Mr. Allen's Vindication of his Essay that both his Books without the least Exceptions are recommended by those five Ministers Thirdly The next thing therefore to be considered is what those five Ministers have recommended As to the former part of their Vindication I leave the particulars thereof if any think them worth their Notice to such as are or may be more properly concerned with it And as to the latter part of it which had also the approbation of the aforesaid five Ministers this relating to me I have said something in answer to it before and therefore I shall now proceed to confute Mr. Allen's practice of singing from their own Confessions collected from both the Parts of his Vindication As in page 59. he says on Mat. 26.30 and Mark 14.26 That tho' this be true that this word Hymneo be not limitted only to Songs of Praise it will not prove saith he what this Author affirms that it is properly used or signifies simply to praise And in page 69. Mr. Allen says thus I bring not these Testimonies viz. James 5.13 Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 to prove conjoynt Singing of the whole Congregation together but only to prove that singing of Psalms is the Duty of every Christian The lawfulness of conjoynt finging I argue from other Scripture Grounds in my Essay And in page 12 13. Mr. Allen says as to singing with the conjoin'd voices of many together I only plead for the lawfulness and warrantableness of it which I prove from several Scripture Arguments Not but that I allow that 't is also lawful for one voice alone to sing the praises of God Indeed in a publick Assembly I conclude 't is much more warrantable for the whole Congregation to sing with conjoyn'd voices than for one Person there to sing by himself because we have several unexceptionable Instances in Scripture for the former but none as I know of of the latter And therefore seeing Singing either singly or conjointly are but different Circumstances of performing the same thing I appeal saith he to every impartial Reader whether I ought not as I did to consider whether singing the praises of God be at all a Christian Duty before I discourse of these or any other Circumstances of it And much more is it unreasonable that he should oblige me to prove that 't is no less than a Christian Duty to sing in Metre or Rhime and with artificial Tunes which are but accidental modes of singing and not essential to it And so far am I saith he from asserting it to be a Christian Duty in this particular mode of it that I expresly declare it wholly indifferent to sing the Divine Praises either in Prose or Metre or Rhime according as we judge most for Edification Indeed I give my opinion for the preference of the latter before the former as more easie to be performed in a harmonious and regular manner and therefore more generally practised by the protestants than singing in prose And in like manner says Mr. Allen I discourse concerning singing by artificial Tunes not asserting or believing them essential to the Performance of this Duty but only requisite for the more regular performance of it And in page 82. Mr. Allen further says That whatsoever becomes of these accidental Modes of Metre Rhime and Artificial Tunes 't is singing the Divine Praises it self in a proper sence viz. vocally that I assert to be a Christian Duty which Duty may be performed tho' I think with the generallity of Protestants not so well without these modes as well as a Person may be rightly baptized after another manner than with his Face upward And in page 81. Mr. Allen says The difference I have shewn to be between the parts of Divine Worship and the accidental modes and ways of its performance And he also tells us that the Holy Scriptures is to be our only Rule in Divine Worship and that therefore 1. For all the essential parts of Divine Worship we must have an express Prescription in the word And 2. All the accidental Modes and Circumstances of Divine Worship must be ordered suitable to the general Rules thereof viz. so as may be most for Order and Edification as he saith in the foregoing part of the same page that Christian Churches have liberty to order such accidental modes and circumstances of Divine Worship as are not particularly prescribed in the Word as they shall judge most for Edification And in page 47. speaking of external modes and circumstances of Worship which saith he I take to be in the power of the major part of a Church so far as to warrant their own practice therein Fourthly Having made the preceeding Collection of Mr. Allen's words recommended and approved by the foresaid five Ministers I shall make Observations on them as follows And 1. That seeing Mr. Allen on Matth. 26.30 and Mark 14.26 confesseth that the Greek word Hymneo which in our last Bibles is there Translated to sing an Hymn is not limitted in its signification only to Songs of Praise then surely considering also that the same Bibles render the same word Hymneo and Tehillah in the Old Testament simply to praise notwithstanding the stir he makes about it he cannot from his own Confessions prove from those Texts that Christ and his Disciples sung the

Hymn or Praise after Supper nor that Paul and Silas sang their praise for 't is the same Greek word Hymneo that is there also used Acts 16.25 2. In page 69. Mr. Allen says That he does not prove conjoynt singing from James 5.13 Ephes 5.19 Colos 3.16 but only that singing of Psalms is a Duty So that their own Pens having owned so much of the insufficiency of those Texts of Scripture to prove their way of Singing I think we may fairly conclude from their own Confessions that it cannot be a Gospel-Ordinance 3. Mr. Allen plainly distinguisheth and makes a difference between the Essential parts of Divine Worship and the Accidental Modes and Circumstances thereof 4. He says That for all the Essential parts of Divine Worship we must have an express Prescription in the Word But that all the Accidental Modes and Circumstances thereof which he distinguisheth and makes no Essentials of Divine Worship these he saith are left to the liberty and he takes to be in the power of the major part of a Church to warrant their own Practice therein 5. Mr. Allen tells us what those accidental modes and circumstances of singing are that are no essential parts thereof nor of Divine Worship And 1. He says that the conjoin'd singing in a publick Assembly or of a whole Congregation is but a circumstance and that he only pleads for the lawfulness and warrantableness of it Observe it well he only pleads so for it as he says from several Scriptural Instances which to reconcile his Discourse fairly together must imply that he does not plead for singing with conjoyn'd voices as an absolute Duty from any express prescription in the Word of God but as a lawful Circumstance from some pretended instances and so he makes his conjoyn'd voices but an accidental Circumstance of singing and no essential part of Divine Worship 2. Mr. Allen asserts that singing in Metre and Rhime is no essential part thereof And 3. That singing with artificial tunes are but accidental modes of singing and not essential to it nor to Divine Worship 4. Mr. Allen says that singing the Divine Praises it self may be performed without these modes viz. of Metre Rhime and Artificial Tunes and I may fairly add without their singing with conjoyn'd voices it being as he says but a circumstance of singing and so also as I have shewed 't is no essential of it nor of Divine Worship So that Mr. Allen and his five Commendators viz. Joseph Maisters William Collins Joseph Stennet John Piggot and Thomas Harrison having expresly owned and confessed publickly in print that singing with conjoyn'd voices is but a circumstance of singing-worship which they themselves shew is no essential part thereof and that singing in Metre and Rhime and also by Artificial Tunes are all but accidental modes of Divine Worship and no essential parts thereof it is all one as to say except their prestinted forms of words and matter that their whole external mode manner way and practice of singing is no essential part of Divine Worship and herein I agree with them and so except their prestinted form of words they have joyned issue with me to bring this Controversie of singing to an end and to a single point viz. That a Christian Church has liberty to order such accidental modes and circumstances of Divine Worship as are not particularly prescribed in the Word of God as she shall judge most for Edisication 5. The Controversie of Singing being now reduced from Mr. Allen's and his five Commendators Confessions to this single point and they having shewed and asserted their singing with conjoyn'd voces in Metre and Rhime by Artificial Tunes to be but accidental modes and circumstances of Worship that differ from the essential parts thereof so as that for all the essential parts of it we must have an express prescription in the Word and that all the accidental modes and circumstances of it are lest to the Liberty of a Church it consequently implies that all their aforesaid accidental modes and circumstances or ways of singing have no prescription in the Holy Scriptures And suppose we should grant them as he asserts them to be no Essentials of his Singing-worship yet I cannot conceive what his Cause will gain by it for whatever Name he gives them and flutter he makes as if he had some Scripture-ground for his conjoint-singing more than for his artificial Tunes Rhime and Metre yet seeing he makes it but a circumstance and all of them accidental modes and circumstances that are left to the Liberty of a Church and consequently that none of them are prescribed in the Word of God I cannot see but that they are of the same nature as all the superstitious modes and circumstances of Worship of the Church of Rome are and so Mr. Allen has still no better warrant for his practise of singing than the Papists have for all their Trumpery which according to his Doctrine before recited the major part of his Church has Liberty and Power to warrant their practice of So that Mr. Allen's and his five Commendators Popish principle tends to the ruine of ours and the Protestants Reformation more in general Fifthly I shall demonstrate That altho' Mr. Allen asserts his unscriptural accidental modes and circumstances of singing to be no essential parts thereof and I agree with him that they they are no essentials nor any parts of Divine Worship yet I do not agree with him that they are no essential parts of his singing-worship because he useth his artificial Tunes and conjoint vocal singing as such modes and circumstances of it that without them he cannot perform his singing Church-worship and therefore they are essentials of it for that which is essential to any thing is that which so belongs to the being of it that without it it cannot compleatly be which I shall explain more particularly And 1. That his singing with conjoined voices is an essential part of his standing Church-ordinance is plain because without this mode of conjoyn'd voices his Ordinance ceaseth and he must either bring into the Church the practice of singing with a single voice or no proper vocal melodious singing at all 2. Tho' he calls his artificial tunes accidental modes of singing yet they are essentials of his singing because he cannot perform his Singing-Worship with conjoin'd voices without such Tunes Indeed he tells us That that Singing it self which he asserts to be a Christian Duty may be performed without such tunes pag. 82. but what kind of singing he there means which is not his practice by artificial Tunes he yet conceals from us As for Tunes immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost he pretends not to them and as for natural Tunes they may serve to make a natural noise enough to fright away natural men rather than to gain their affections to his Worship 3. His singing in Rhyme and Metre he calls an indifferent thing and also accidental modes of Worship but tho' he terms them

wounds to confirm the minds of their Brethren whom they have shaken and to satisfie all that are concerned with sincere Acknowledgements of their Errors and Hearty Assurances that hereafter they will joyn with their Brethren against all Innovations in Gospel-worship and Defilements of Humane Inventions whatsoever And in so doing our Churches will have cause to give thanks to God for their Recovery And their Objection against my present being no Member of any Church the occasion whereof is so well known as that they do not neither can they justly blame me for it I hope will quickly be removed for excepting some of them whose Churches differ in Profession and are not in Comnion with the rest of their Churches as I know of 't is they and other Singers that have so muddied the Communion of their Churches that I cannot with Satisfaction of Conscience joyn my self to any of them until I see a Reformation The foregoing matters being concluded I shall now proceed to answer Mr. William Collins's Defence at the end of Mr. Allen's Vindication of his Essay But before I treat thereof I shall here premise That the practice of singing with united voices of Men and Women Professors and Prophane in the Worship of God in his Gospel-Church being first preached up and vehemently prest upon us by several of our Brethren and asserted in Print to the view of all men I thought it necessary for the preservation of the Peace and Purity of the Baptized Churches to present them with some Arguments against that way of Worship which notwithstanding they were offered in a Christian manner and were consonant to the Principles of our Churches yet several of our Singers have appeared in print against me in such a subtil Spirit of Injustice Deceit and Lying as hath cost me much Labour Time and Money out of my own private Purse to maintain the Truth and Common Cause and Interest of our Churches from being crush'd by them an Account whereof has been already given in Print so far as hath been thought sufficient to answer the Calls of Providence and to clear my Books from those false Representations of my Principles about Singing gross Abuses and foul Untruths published in Mr. Keach's Breach Repaired and other Pamphlets in wrong to me and my Printed Treatises which Abuses being justly charged upon him and them in Print many of them under the Hands of several Pastors of Churches and several particular things by nine other Brethren they still remain unanswered on so clear a Record as that they have not since in more than four years time appear'd in vindication of themselves And the reason why they have not done it may easily be perceived for the matter charg'd upon them is in their own Books and so cannot be stifled from the knowledge of any that will take the Trouble to look into it But to proceed my chief Business being to give an Answer to Mr. William Collins's Defence and to clear my self from his Slander I shall here recite Mr. Collins's Words which are the ground of my Charge against him and are as follows Saith he The Author which Mr. M. cites out of Marlorate on Mat. 26.30 pretends it is uncertain with what words they praised God that is whether it was with the common Passover Hymn or some other of Christs own which might be more suitable to the occasion and whether they saug this Praise or spake it simply the following Words of the Author not being well rendred by Mr. Timme I shall set down they are these Graecum verbum laudem quidem maxime quae Deo debetur includit non autem necessario evincit quòd cecinerint i. e. The Greek Word indeed includes praise chiefly that which is due to God but undoubtedly it doth evince that they sang 1. From the genuine signification of the Original Word And 2. From the Current of Learned men who go this way Thus the Latine was falsly Englished for it should be as it was afterwards altered by them in a few of those Books but it doth not necessarily evince that they sang which is the same in sence as my Author Mr. Timme reads it viz. but it doth not thereupon follow that they did sing it Now as to the Correction that was made after this Abuse was taken notice of abroad the whole Paragraph was not taken away as it ought to have been neither was the former part of it at all altered which discovers the Design of Mr. Collins to deceive his unlearned Reader with a false Translation of the Latine as plainly appears from the Paragraph 1. Because for Mr. Collins to tell us that Mr. Timme had not well rendred Marlorate's Latine when he had rendred his true sence he must needs do it on purpose to deceive his unlearned Reader with his false translation of it for otherwise seeing Mr. Timme had done it in the right sence there was no need at all for Mr. Collins to write that Paragraph against him 2. If the word not had only been left out in Mr. Collins's English we might have imputed it to be the Printers fault but we also find that Mr. Collins saith that Mr. Timme pretended it is uncertain whether they sang that Praise or spake it simply and then in contradiction to him he asserts That undoubtedly it doth evince that they sang 3. 'T is plain that the word not was left out on purpose to deceive the unlearned Reader because there is no Reason to believe that Mr. Collins did design positively to affirm from Marlorate's Latine That Christ and his Disciples did not sing the Hymn after Supper by translating the Latine falsly to give an undoubted Testimony against his own Cause but to make his unlearned Reader believe that undoubtedly they did sing when he knew in his Conscience that the Latine leaves it undetermined saying only That it doth not necessarily evince or shew that they sang Mat. 26.30 Moreover I well remember that I told Mr. Collins between him and me alone of his abusing my Author and he excused it with laying the fault upon the Printer but I answered that tho' Printers sometimes correct Words yet they never use to add a whole Paragraph to their Authors Books and therefore I said it look'd like a design'd Abuse to which he made me no answer and so we parted And as to the Correction that was made in some few of those Books to cover the Deceit from me at first it was not of the former part of the Paragraph for the alteration began at the last Clause of the Englishing the Latine And I have yet reason to complain that it was no sufficient satisfaction for the wrong done me because some time after it was told me that this Abuse was corrected I desired my Brother Mr. Luke Leader to go to Mr. Keach for one of them and my Brother testifies that Mr. Keach took down several of those Books from off the Shelf before he could find one that was corrected