Breach Repaired in Gods Worship, Title page 1 – Dedication
THE Breach Repaired in God's Worſhip: OR, Singing of PSALMS, HYMNS, and Spiritual Songs, proved to be an Holy Ordinance of JESUS CHRIST. With an Anſwer to all Objections.
AS ALSO, An Examination of Mr. ISAAC MARLOW'S two Papers, one called, A Diſcourſe againſt Singing, &c. the other An Appendix. Wherein his Arguments and Cavils are detected and refuted.
BY BENJAMIN KEACH, Preacher of God's Word, and Paſtor of the Church of Chriſt meeting on Horſelydown, Southwark.
Job 6. 25. How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
Iſa. 52. 8. Thy Watchmen ſhall lift up the Voice, with the Voice together ſhall they ſing.
London, Printed for the Author, and ſold by John Hancock in Caſtle-Alley on the Weſt ſide of the Royal-Exchange, and by the Author at his Houſe near Horſelydown in Southwark. 16….
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO ALL THE Baptized Congregations In England and Wales, Who are in God the Father, and in our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Grace, Mercy and Peace be multiplied. Particularly to the Church of Chriſt, meeting on Horſlydown.
Holy and Beloved,
IT cannot but rejoice my Soul, when I conſider of the exceeding Grace and abounding Goodneſs of the Holy God towards you his poor and deſpiſed Churc… and People, in reſpect of that clear Diſcovery he hath given you of moſt of the glorious Truths of the Goſpel, and of the true Apoſtolical Faith and Practice thereof. You have not made Men, General Councils, nor Synods, your Rule, but God's Holy W…d: your Conſtitution, Faith, and Diſcipline, is directly according to the Primitive Pattern; God hath made you (in a moſt eminent manner) to be the Builders of the old Waſtes, and Raiſers up of the former Deſolations, and Repairers of the waſte Cities, the Deſolations of many Generations, Iſa. 61. 4.
You have laboured to ſever the Gold from the Droſs, and to build with proper and fit Goſpel-Meterials, viz. Spiritual and L…ing Stones, well hewed and ſquared by the Hammer of God's Word and Spirit, and will not take one Stone of Babylon for a Corner; you will go forth (as far as you have received Light) by the Footſteps of the Flock, and feed your Kids beſide the Shepherds Tents, Cant. 1. 8.
And God of a ſmall People hath graciouſly made you a Multitude; you have been helped, and ſo born up by everlaſting Arms, that you have held faſt your Holy Profeſſion in the Day of Trial, and expoſed all that you have had in the World to ſpoil and loſs, for the ſake of Jeſus Chriſt, when many turned their Backs, and expoſed the Holy Name of God to Reproach; and to our further Joy, many of you have of late, more eſpecially in your General Aſſemblies, ſhewed your great Zeal for the Name of God, and Care of his Church, in a more than uſual manner; and particularly you have endeavoured to revive our hopes, for the continuation of a faithful and laborious Miniſtry for the time to come, by ſtriving to promote ſuch Learning and Studies as God's Word directs to; and not require (like Iſrael's Task-Maſters) poor Miniſters, as I may ſo ſay, to make Brick and allow them no Straw; but you do now more fully ſee that Goſpel-Miniſters ought to have a Goſpel-Maintenance, even ſuch as God hath ordained; that ſo they might not be intangled with the Affairs of th… Life, but wholly give themſelves up to that great Work they are called to. Go on and proſper, Holy and Beloved, Let not your Hands be weak, nor Satan obſtruct or hinder ſo hopeful a Beginning; let it appear you do love Jeſus Chriſt more than Father or Mother, more than Son or Daughter; and labour to reform what is amiſs as to thoſe great Evils that abound too much in the Churches of the Saints, tho I hope not ſo much amongſt you as among ſome others, particularly in reſpect of Pride and Covetouſneſs, or that baſe Worldly and Earthly Spirit that is the Bane of Religion, and makes the Lor'd People of ſo ill a ſavour in the World; let your Lives declare whoſe you are, and to what Countrey you belong; and as you have a good Doctrine, ſo labour for a ſuitable Converſation; and then, Brethren, what can or will be wanting to make you compleat in the whole Will of …? Truly, according to my ſmall Light, I know not, unleſs it be a reſtoration of this loſt and neglected Ordinance of Singing Pſalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, which I fear, and partly underſtand, ſome of you want light in. I have therefore made bold to dedicate this ſmall Treatiſe to you all, hoping you will take it from me in good part, and well weigh what is here ſaid, before you judg and condemn it for an Errour.
I am afraid of ſome old Prejudice ſome of you have taken againſt this Sacred Truth of the Goſpel (for ſo I muſt call it); you can't think you have as yet come to a full attainment, or are already perfect in Knowledg. Beſides, I hear you generally own Singing of Pſalms, &c. an Ordinance of God; and indeed I cannot ſee how any, who own the Bible and New Taſtament of Chriſt to be their Rule, can deny it. Why then, conſider whether you have this Ordinance at all, or can be ſaid to ſing in any proper Senſe: Certainly many of you are wholly without it, as will I hope appear fully, if you read this Treatiſe quite through impartially. Can …t be thought the Churches ſhould be enjoined by the Holy Ghoſt to ſing Pſalms and Hymns, and yet there's no coming at the practiſe of it… without an extraordinary Spirit, or miraculous Gifts?
I have been provoked by our Brother, who wrote againſt Singing, to ſet Pen to Paper, and not only by him and his Book, but I have been induced by Multitudes, for ſeveral Months, to give him an Anſwer, ſo that I hope you will not be offended with me in what I have done. I have much Peace in the doing of it; and truly, Brethren, the loſs of this Ordinance doth, I am afraid, more obſtruct the increaſe of our Churches than many are aware of. What a Multitude are convinced of Chriſt's true Baptiſm, and yet refuſe to have Communion with our Churches when baptized, becauſe they ſay, if they …hould, they muſt loſe this Ordinance of …inging, which they have an equal Eſteem …or: And how doth it open the Mouths of …ur Godly Brethren of other Perſwaſions, …o ſpeak againſt us, for being ſo zealous for …ne Goſpel-Ordinance, and ſo careleſs about …nother, that very few Chriſtians, who have …ad the greateſt Light, Zeal and Piety in …ny Age of the Church, ever doubted of? … grieves me to think there ſhould be a …reach made in God's Worſhip among you, …o whom God hath given ſo much Light in other Caſes. And, O that what is here ſaid, might through the Bleſſing of God prove a Means to repair it.
In a Word, Singing is injoyned; Some …hing it is: If we have it not (but 'tis with …ou) we would willingly know what your Singing is, or what you call Singing: For we do ſay and teſtify, we believe you are wholly without Singing in any proper Senſe at all. The Lord give us Moderation; don't let us be bitter one againſt another.
I ſhall beg a part in your Prayers, and intreat you to look over what Weakneſs you may ſee in this ſmall Tract, for I am, you know, but a Babe in Chriſt's School, and know but in part.
And now to you, my Beloved Brethren and Siſters, (who meet on Horſelydown) whom I hope I may ſay are my Joy and my Crown, whoſe Souls are moſt dear to me, and whom I can ſay I truly love and long after; it rejoices my Spirit to ſee how generally you are inlightned into this Goſpel-Duty; but 'tis no ſmall grief to me to ſee (ſince the Church in ſuch a ſolemn manner agreed to ſing the Praiſes of God on the Lord's Day) to find ſome of you ſo much offended; I am perſwaded 'tis for want of Conſideration, for you have no new thing brought in among you. Hath not the Church ſung at breaking of Bread always for 16 or 18 Years laſt paſt, and could not, nor would omit it in the time of the late Perſecution? And have not many of the honeſt Hearers (who have ſtayed to ſee that Holy Adminiſtration) ſung with you, at that time, and yet none of you ever ſignified the leaſt trouble? And have we not for this 12 or 14 Years ſung in mixt Aſſemblies, on Days of Thanksgiving, and never any offended at it, as ever I heard? What is done more now? 'tis only practiſed oftner: and ſure if it be God's Ordinance, the often practiſing of it, by ſuch who find their Hearts draw out ſo to do, cannot be ſinful.
And on that Solemn Day, when the Church would have it put up, to ſee … the Members ſtood affected about Singing, almoſt every ones Hand was up for it, or to give Liberty to the Church at ſuch times to ſing. And when put up in the Negative, but about 5 or 6 at moſt (as I remember) were againſt it. Did any one of you, at that time ſay, if we did proceed to ſing at ſuch times, you could not have Communion with us? which if you had, I perceive the Church, nay every one of us who had born our Burden for many Years, would have born it a little longer? Beſides, did not the Church agree to ſing only after Sermon, and when Prayer was ended? And if thoſe few Brethren and Siſters who were not ſatisfied, could not ſtay whilſt we ſung, they might freely go forth, and we would not be offended with them; ſo far was the Church, or my ſelf, from impoſing on the Conſciences of any. But is it not hard that ſome of us ſhould ſo long be laid under a Burden, when the Church generally was againſt Singing at that time, and you cannot bear it now it is come to be your Lot? I am afraid the noiſe of theſe things are miſrepreſented abroad, and therefore I thought it might not be amiſs to rectify Miſtakes in you, or any other Brethren. The matter of Difference that is at preſent between the Church and ſome few of our dear and beloved Brethren and Siſters, is not about Singing it ſelf, nor ſinging with others, for that has been all along the practiſe of the Church for many Years (as before I hinted) but only about ſinging on the Lords Day, unleſs it be one Member, except the Judgments of any other are lately changed.
But my Brethren will, I hope, ſeriouſly conſider of the Matter, and labour after that Chriſtian Love, Tenderneſs and Forbearance the Goſpel calls for. We are exhorted to bear one anothers Burdens, and ſo to fulfil the Law of Chriſt. For the Lord's ſake let us not fall out by the way, and lay things grievous on one anothers Spirits; for we are not Lords over one anothers Faith, but Helpers of each others Joy. O my Brethren, pray let us all watch againſt Satan, and ſtrive to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. I muſt confeſs, divers of you did much deſire me to anſwer Mr. Marlow's Book before this time, but I hope you will excuſe my neglect, for ſome of you know the occaſion of it; …tis done now, and in the fear of God recommended to your peruſal. And O that the Lord would be pleaſed to bleſs it to your Satisfaction, then ſhall I have cauſe to praiſe the Lord that I undertook the Work. I can …y you lie near my Heart, and I would do any thing I am capable of to promote Truth and Peace amongſt our ſelves, and in all the Churches of Chriſt.
If any of you ſhould ſay, How can we be ſatisfied to have Communion with the Church, when we believe 'tis an Innovation? (that's a hard word.) Ar… you Infallible? Is there not ground for you to fear you are miſtaken, or to think in the leaſt 'tis a doubtful caſe, ſince ſo much is to be ſaid for it, and has been ſo generally received from the beginning by moſt enlightned Saints, and you your ſelves with the Church for ſo long a time been in the Practice of …t at other times?
Beſides, can you find any ground from God's Word, that will warrant you to ſeparate your ſelves from the Church upon this account? and alſo may not the ſame or like Scruple riſe in our Spirits againſt having Communion with you, who we be…ieve lie ſhort of a plain Goſpel-Ordinance, …nd ſo, through want of light, diminiſh from God's Word, as you ſay we add thereto by doing of it? But far be it from us to have a thought to act that way towards any of you. Moreover, will not ſuch a practice, of a Separation from the Church upon this account, juſtify other Godly Chriſtians, who are Members of ſuch Churches who do not ſing, (that are convinced as well as we it is their Duty) to ſeparate from thoſe Congregations, to joyn with ſuch Churches as are in this practice? Doubtleſs that Door that will let you out of this Church, will let others out of thoſe Churches, (I mentioned before) and there are not a few ſuch in this City. There is one thing I think good to note here, to prevent any miſtake, that tho I call Preaching a moral Duty, yet to preach the Goſpel only, appertains to ſuch whom God particularly hath gifted for that Work, and who have a lawful call to it.
I ſhall conclude with the words of the Holy Apoſtle, Finally, Brethren, farewel: be Perfect, be of good Comfort be of one Mind, live in Love and Peace, and the God of Love and Peace ſhall be with you. 2 Cor. 13. 11.
Which is the Prayer of him Who is, Your unworthy Brother, fellow Servant, and poor Labourer in God's Harveſt, B. Keach. From my Houſe near Horſelydown, Southwark, April 3d 1691.