Gospel Music, Text
A Diſcourſe of our worthy Brethren of New-England, declaring their grave Judgement touching not onelyonly the lawfulneſſe, but alſo the neceſſity of the heavenly Ordinance of ſinging Scripture Pſalms in Meeter in the Churches of God. Which Diſcourſe coming to the hand of the Author, after he had finiſhed his weak Tract, he thought good to annex for ſtrengthening his, and ſetling the doubting Chriſtian.
THe ſinging of Pſalms, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melodie: yet ſuch is the ſubtiltie of the enemie, and the enmity of our nature againſt the Lord, and his waies, that our hearts can find matter of diſcord in this harmonie, and crotchets of diviſion in this holy melodie: for, There have been three queſtions eſpecially ſtirring concerning ſinging. Firſt, what Pſalms are to be ſung in Churches? whether Davids and other Scripture Pſalms, or the Pſalms invented by the gifts of godly men in every age of the Church? Secondly, if Scripture Pſalms, whether in their own words, or in ſuch meeter as Engliſh poetrie is wont to run in? Thirdly, by whom are they to be ſung? whether by the whole Churches together with their voices? or by one man ſinging alone, and the reſtjoyning in ſilence, and in the cloſe ſaying, Amen.
Touching the firſt, certainly the ſinging of Davids Pſalms was an acceptable worſhip of God, not onelyonly in his own, but in ſucceeding times. As in Solomons time, 2 Chron. 5.13. in Jehoſaphats time, 2 Chron. 20.21. in Ezra his time, Ezra 3.10, 11. and the text is evident, in Hezekiahs time they are commanded to ſing praiſe in the words of David, and Aſaph, 2 Chron. 29.30. which one place may ſerve to reſolve two of the queſtions (the firſt and the laſt) at once, for this commandment was it ceremoniall or morall? ſome things in it indeed were ceremoniall, as their muſical Inſtruments, &c. but what ceremonie was there in ſinging praiſe with the words of David and Aſaph? what if David was a type of Chriſt, was Aſaph alſo? was every thing of David typicall? are his words (which are of morall, univerſall, and perpetuall authoritie in all nations and ages) are they typicall? what type can be imagined in making uſe of his ſongs to praiſe the Lord? If they were typicall becauſe the ceremonie of muſicall Inſtruments was joyned with them, then their prayers were alſo typicall, becauſe they had that ceremony of incenſe admixt with them: but we know that prayer then was a morall dutie, notwithſtanding the incenſe; and ſo ſinging thoſe Pſalms notwithſtanding their muſicall Inſtruments. Beſide, that which was typicall (as that they were ſung with muſicall Inſtruments, by the twenty foure orders of Prieſts and Levites. 1 Chron. 25.9.) muſt have the morall and ſpirituall accompliſhment in the New Teſtament, in all the Churches of the Saints principally, who are made Kings and Prieſts, Rev. 1.6. and are the firſt-fruits unto God. Rev. 14.4. as the Levites were, Numb. 3.45. with hearts and lips, inſtead of muſicall Inſtruments, to praiſe the Lord; who are ſet forth (as ſome judiciouſly think) Rev. 4.4. by twenty foure Elders, in the ripe age of the Church, Gal. 4.1, 2, 3. anſwering to the twenty foure orders of Prieſts and Levites, 1 Chron. 25.9. Therefore not ſome ſelect members, but the whole Church is commanded to teach one another in all the ſeverall ſorts of Davids Pſalmes, ſome being called by himſelfe foreign: Pſalms, ſome foreign Hymnes, ſome foreign: ſpirituall ſongs. So that if the ſinging Davids Pſalms be a morall dutie and therefore perpetuall; then we under the New Teſtament are bound to ſing them as well as they under the old: and if we are expreſly commanded to ſing Pſalms, Hymnes, and ſpiritual ſongs, then either we muſt ſing Davids Pſalms, or elſe may affirm they are not ſpirituall ſongs: which being penned by an extraordinarie gift of the Spirit, for the ſake eſpecially of Gods ſpirituall Iſrael; not to be read and preached onelyonly (as other parts of holy Writ) but to be ſung alſo, they are therefore moſt ſpirituall, and ſtill to be ſung of all the Iſrael of God: and verily as their ſin is exceeding great, who will allow Davids Pſalms (as other Scriptures) to be read in Churches (which is one end) but not to be preached alſo (which is another end) ſo their ſin is crying before God, who will allow them to be read and preached, but ſeek to deprive the Lord of the glorie of the third end of them, which is to ſing them in Chriſtian Churches.
Obj. 1. If it be ſaid that the Saints in the primitive Church did compile ſpirituall ſongs of their own inditing, and ſing them before the Church. 1 Cor. 14, 15, 16.
Anſ. We anſwer firſt, that thoſe Saints compiled theſe ſpirituall ſongs by the extraordinarie gifts of the ſpirit (common in thoſe dayes) whereby they were inabled to praiſe the Lord in ſtrange tongues, wherein learned Paraeus proves thoſe Pſalms were uttered, in his Comment on that place, ver. 14. which extraordinarie gifts, if they were ſtill in the Churches, we ſhould allow them the like libertie now. Secondly, ſuppoſe thoſe Pſalms were ſung by an ordinary gift (which we ſuppoſe cannot be evicted) doth it therefore follow that they did not, and that we ought not to ſing Davids Pſalms? muſt the ordinarie gifts of a private man quench the ſpirit ſtill ſpeaking to us by the extraordinarie gifts of his ſervant David? there is not the leaſt foot-ſtep of example, or precept, or colour of reaſon for ſuch a bold practiſe.
Obj. 2. Miniſters are allowed to pray conceived prayers, and why not to ſing conceived Pſalms? muſt we not ſing in the ſpirit as well as pray in the ſpirit?
Anſ. Firſt, becauſe every good Miniſter hath not a gift of ſpirituall poetry to compoſe extemporarie Pſalms as he hath of prayer. Secondly, ſuppoſe he had, yet ſeeing Pſalms are to be ſung by a joynt conſent and harmony of all the Church in heart and voice (as we ſhall prove) this cannot be done except he that compoſeth a Pſalm, bringeth into the Church ſet forms of Pſalms of his own invention; for which we find no warrant or preſident in any ordinarie officers of the Church throughout the Scriptures. Thirdly, becauſe the book of Pſalms is ſo compleat a Syſtem of Pſalms, which the holy Ghoſt himſelf in infinite wiſedome hath made to ſute all the conditions, neceſſities, tempations, affections, &c. of men in all ages; (as moſt of all our interpreters on the Pſalrues have fully and particularly cleared) therefore by this the Lord ſeemeth to ſtop all mens mouthes and minds, ordinarily to compile or ſing any other Pſalmes (under colour that the occaſions and conditions of the Church are new, &c.) for the publick uſe of the Church; ſeeing, let our condition be what it will, the Lord himſelfe hath ſupplied us with farre better: And therefore in Hezekiahs time, though doubtleſſe there were among them, thoſe that had extraordinary gifts to compile new ſongs on thoſe new occaſions, as Iſaiah and Micah, &c. yet we read, that they are commanded to ſing in the words of David and Aſaph, which were ordinarily to be uſed in the publick worſhip of God: And we doubt not but thoſe that are wiſe will eaſily ſee; that thoſe ſet formes of Pſalmes of Gods own appointment, not of mans conceived gift, or humane impoſition, were ſung in the Spirit by thoſe holy Levites, as well as their prayers were in the Spirit which themſelves conceived, the Lord not then binding them therin to any ſet formes; and ſhall ſet formes of Pſalmes appointed of God, not be ſung in the Spirit now, which others did then?
Queſtion. But why may not one compoſe a Pſalme and ſing it alone with a lowd voyce, and the reſt joyne with him in ſilence, and in the end ſay, Amen?
Anſw. If ſuch a practice was found in the Church of Corinth, when any had a Pſalme ſuggeſted by an extraordinary gift, yet in ſinging ordinary Pſalmes, the whole Church is to joyne together in heart and voyce to praiſe the Lord. For
Firſt, Davids Pſalmes as hath been ſhewed, were ſung in heart and voyce together, by the twenty foure Orders of the Muſicians of the Temple, who typed out the twenty foure Elders, all the members eſpecially of Chriſtian Churches, Rev. 5.8. who are made Kings and Prieſts to God, to praiſe him as they did: for if there were any other order of ſinging Choriſters beſide the body of the people to ſucceed thoſe, the Lord would doubtleſſe have given direction in the Goſpel for their qualification, election, maintenance, &c. as he did for the Muſicians of the Temple, and as his faithfulneſſe hath done for all other Church-officers in the New Teſtament.
Secondly, others beſide the Levites (the chiefe Singers) in the Jewiſh Church, did alſo ſing the Lords ſongs; elſe why are they commanded frequently to ſing, as in Pſal. 100.1, 2, 3. Pſal. 95.1, 2, 3. Pſal. 102. Title, with v. 18. and Exod. 15.1. not only Moſes, but all Iſrael ſang that ſong, they ſpake ſaying (as it is in the orig.) all as well as Moſes, the women alſo as well as the men, ver. 20, 21. and Deut. 32. (whereto ſome think John had reference as well as to Exod. 15.1. when he brings in the Proteſtant Churches getting the victory over the beaſt with Harps in their hands, and ſinging the ſong of Moſes, Rev. 15.3.) this ſong Moſes is commanded not only to put into their hearts, but into their mouthes alſo, Deut. 31.19. which argues they were with their mouthes to ſing it together as well as with their hearts.
Thirdly, Iſaiah foretells in the dayes of the new Teſtament, that Gods watchment and deſolate loſt ſouls (ſignified by waſt places) ſhould with their voices ſing together, Iſa. 52.8.9. and Rev. 7.9, 10. the ſong of the Lamb was by many together, and the Apoſte expreſly commands the ſinging of Pſalms, Hymnes, &c. not to any ſelect Chriſtians, but to the whole Church, Eph. 5.19. Col. 3.16. Paul and Silas ſang together in private, Acts 16. 25. and muſt the publick heare only one man ſing? To all theſe we may adde the practice of the primitive Churches, the teſtiſtimony of ancient and holy Baſil, is in ſtead of many, Epiſt. 63. When one of us (ſaith he) hath begun a Pſalme, the reſt of us ſet in to ſing with him, all of us with one heart and one voyce; and this, ſaith he, is the common practice of the Churches of Egypt, Lybia, Thebes, Paleſtina, Syria, and thoſe that dwell on Euphrates, and generally every where, where ſinging of Pſalmes is of any account. To the ſame purpoſe alſo Euſebius gives witneſſe, Eceleſ. hiſt. lib. 2. cap. 17. The objections made againſt this, doe moſt of them plead againſt joyning to ſing in heart as well as in voyce, as that by this means others out of the Church will ſing, as alſo that we are not alway in a ſuteable eſtate to the matter ſung, and likewiſe that all cannot ſing with underſtanding; in all not therefore all that have underſtanding, joyn in heart and voyce together? Are not all the creatures in heaven, earth, ſeas, men, beaſts, fiſhes, fowles, &c. commanded to praiſe the Lord, and yet none of theſe but men, and godly men too, can doe it with ſpirituall underſtanding.
As for the ſcruple that ſome take at the tranſlation of the book of Pſalms into meeter, becauſe Davids Pſalmes were ſung in his own words without meeter: we anſwer. Firſt, there are many verſes together in ſeverall Pſalmes of David, which run in rithmes (as thoſe that know the Hebrow, and as Buxtorf ſhewes, Theſau. p. 629.) which ſhewes at leaſt the lawfulneſſe of ſinging Pſalmes in Engliſh rithmes.
Secondly, the Pſalmes are penned in ſuch verſes as are ſutable to the Poetry of the Hebrew language, and not in the common ſtile of ſuch other books of the old Teſtament, as are not poeticall; now no Proteſtant doubteth but that all the books of the Scripture ſhould by Gods ordinance be extant in the mother tongue of each nation,☟ Obſerve Reader that this Note, viz. that they may be underſtood of all: hence the Pſalms are to betranſlated into our Engliſh tongue: and if in our Engliſh tongue we are to ſing them,*See Mr. Mede on 1 Cor. 11.5. where he proves that it is ſo far from being unlawful for a woman to ſing, becauſe ſhe is not permitted to ſpeak in the Church, that in ſinging ſhe ought to ſpeak as being her duty of propheſying. I ſay this note being omitted in his place, muſt be referred thither viz. 10 pa. 9. lin. the laſt. then as all our Engliſh ſongs (according to the courſe of our Engliſh Poetry) do run in meeter, ſo ought Davids Pſalms to be tranſlated into meeter, that ſo we may ſing the Lords ſongs, as in our Engliſh tongue, ſo in ſuch verſes as are familiar to an Engliſh care, which are commonly Metrical: and as it can be no juſt offence to any good conſcience to ſing Davids Hebrew ſongs in Engliſh words, ſo neiher to ſing his Poeticall verſes in Engliſh Poeticall meeter: men might as well ſtumble at ſinging the Hebrew Pſalms in our Engliſh tunes (and not in the Hebrew tunes) as at ſinging them in Engliſh meeter (which are our verſes) and not in ſuch verſes as are generally uſed by David according to the Poetry of the Hebrew language: but the truth is, as the Lord hath hid from us the Hebrew tunes, leſt we ſhould think our ſelves bound to imitate them; ſo alſo the courſe and frame (for the moſt part) of their Hebrew Poetry, that we might not think our ſelves bound to imitate that, but that every nation without ſcruple might follow as the graver ſort of tunes of their own countrey ſongs, ſo the graver ſort of verſes of their own countrey Poetry.
FINIS.
End of the text · Nathanael Homes, Gospel Music (1644)