Breach Repaired in Gods Worship, Treatise 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Shewing who ought to ſing Pſalm… Hymns, and ſpiritual Songs; whether it ought to be done in the publick Congregation, and in a mixt Aſſembly or no.
'TIS ſtrange that any ſhould doubt, whether it be the Duty of the Church to ſing (as well as private Families or Perſons) ſince our bleſſed Saviour, with his eleven Diſciples, upon the cloſing of the holy Supper, ſung together an Hymn in that ſolemn Aſſembly; if we may not, ought not to follow them in the Practice of Singing an Hymn from thence, what ground is there to break Bread in our publick Aſſemblies from that Example? This is the Inſtitution of that Ordinance; and, as he took Bread and bleſſed it, and took the Cup after the ſame manner, &c. ſo 'tis ſaid when they had done they ſung an Hymn, and went out, &c.
'Tis obſervable 'tis not ſaid, Do this in your publick Aſſemblies: and therefore ſome may ſay, we will break Bread, or celebrate that Ordinance in our own private Families in an upper Chamber, as Chriſt and his Diſciplies did, and ſing an Hymn when we have done, and ſo exclude publick Aſſemblies for that part of God's Worſhip. But to proceed; we read, as I have again and again ſhewed you, that the Apoſtle injoins Singing on the Churches, Epheſ. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16.
Object. But he doth not bid the whole Church to ſing, &c.
Anſw. The Apoſtle injoins the Lord's-Supper on the Church of the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 11. 23, 24. But ſome may ſay, he doth not bid every one of them to break Bread; how doth it follow every Member ought ſo to do? there would be no end of ſuch Objections. But by this Rule, any Precept injoined on the Churches may be reſtrained to a few Perſons only, and ſo it would open a Door to Men to excuſe themſelves from being concerned in other parts of Goſpel-Duties and Worſhip: therefore where a Duty is injoyned by the holy Spirit on the Churches, without the leaſt hint or intimation that it concerns only ſome of them, nay, and an Ordinance in which there is the ſame parity of Reaſon, why one ſhould be found in it as well as another, that Duty concerns the whole Church, or every Member: but it is ſo in the caſe of ſinging of Pſalms, Hymns, and ſpiritual Songs: pray what ground has one Man to ſing from hence more than another?
Are not all equally concerned to praiſe God? nay, and having received equal Mercies, Bleſſings and Priviledges, to ſing his Praiſes, ſince 'tis required of all, without the leaſt exemption of any one?
Object. But what ground is there to ſing thus in the Church before or after Sermon?
Anſw. 1. As much ſurely as there is to pray before or after Sermon; nay, 'tis evident, if we do not take our Rule to pray before and after Sermon from thoſe general Precepts that injoyn Prayer, then I do declare I know no Rule at all for it in all the New Teſtament, for we have neither Precept nor Example in the caſe, but where we read of Duties that concern only ſome Perſons, and not the whole Church, the Holy Ghoſt mentions the Perſons, 1. Either by their Relations they ſtand in one to another; Or, 2. Elſe by their Condition in the World. Or, 3. By their Office or Place they ſtand in.
As there are particular Duties that concern Parents, Children, Maſters, Servants, Miniſters, Members: Alſo Kings, Subjects, rich Men, poor Men, Men in Adverſity, or Men in Proſperity, all ſorts and conditions of Men.
But here this Duty comes under no ſuch particular Conſideration; but as 'tis the Duty of all to hear God's Word, and to pray with united Hearts, ſo to ſing together with united Voices, there being no other manner or way preſcribed, as I have ſhewed, for the diſcharge of that Duty or Ordinance of God.
But I would fain be reſolved by my Brethren, or any other, what Ordinance of God or Duty it is that appertains to his Worſhip which ought to be performed in private, that may not be performed in publick.
Take what famous Mr. Cotton of New-England ſpeaks as to the Anſwer of this Objection, 'tis thus ſtated by him, viz.
Object. Scarce any Example can be given of any intire Congregation that ſung together mentioned in the Scripture.
Anſw. Tho no Example could be given for it, yet it is a ſufficient Warrant for the Duty if there be a Precept; and, ſaith he, the Precept is plain, Col. 3. 16. where the whole Church of Coloſs is exhorted to have the Word of Chriſt dwell in them richly, and to admoniſh one another in Pſalms, &c. to ſing with Grace or holy Melody to the Lord. If God, ſaith he, had reſerved this Duty to ſome ſelect Choriſters, he would have given ſome Directions in the New Teſtament for their Qualification and Election; but ſince he ſpeaketh nothing of any ſuch, &c. he commandeth this Duty to the whole Church.
2dly, The Practice of God's Iſrael of old, (i. e. Moſes and the Children of Iſrael) is a further Solution to this Objection; for there is an Example of ſinging together; and beſides, that there was a mixt Multitude with them too is evident, who, no doubt, ſung with them, having received the like Mercies they did. See Exod. 12. 38.
In the Manuſcript I have by me before cited (which ſeems to be wrote by a Man of Parts and good Ability) who, ſpeaking to this Objection, ſays much to the ſame purpoſe; Firſt, That we have a Precept which is more than a Precedent. Secondly, That we have Precedents for it in the Old Teſtament. And ſay I, it being no ceremonial Rite, but a moral and perpetual Duty, that in the Old Teſtament is as much a Rule for us herein, as their religious reading the Scriptures, and keeping of Days of Prayer and Faſting, and Days of Thankſgiving: if this be not ſo, in vain are our People preſſed and ſtirred up to thoſe Duties by the Authority of thoſe Texts in the Old Teſtament, as I ſaid in Chap. 4. pag. 47.
Beſides, we find 'tis propheſied of, that in Goſpel-days, as has been ſhewed, Sions Watchmen, and deſolate Souls, or waſte places, ſhould lift up their Voice, and with their Voice together ſhall ſing, Iſa. 52. 7, 8. And certainly that in Rev. 19. 1, 2, 3, 4. thoſe Hallelujahs that ſhall be ſung in the Goſpel-Churches at the downfal of Babylon, will be doubtleſs with Voices, ſince 'tis ſaid to be the Voice of much People, as the Voice of many Waters, and as the Voice of mighty Thunderings.
Chriſt (ſaith Mr. Cotton) and his Diſciples when they received the Lord's-Supper, which was a Church-Act, they were an intire Congregation, and they after Supper, ſung an Hymn. To ſay that one ſung it, ſaith he, and the others joined in Spirit, ſaying, Amen, hath no foot-hold in the Text, it might as well be ſaid, they all took the Bread, they all bleſſed it, and gave it, in that one did it, and all the reſt joyned in Spirit and conſented in that, and in the bleſſing of it.
But 'tis ſaid [they] ſung the Hynm, not he alone, yet [he] is ſaid to give Thanks, or to bleſs the Bread, &c.
It is no ſtrain of Wit, ſaith he, but a ſolid and judicious Expoſition of the fourth Chapter of the Revelation, to make it a Deſcription of a particular viſible Church of Chriſt, according to the Platform and Patern of the New Teſtament; whereas the four living Creatures are four ſorts of Officers, ſo the twenty four Elders ſet forth the Brethren of the Church in reſpect of their ripe Age, Gal. 4. 1, 2, 3. and twenty four in number anſwering to the twenty four Orders of Prieſts and Levites, 1 Chron. 25. 9, &c. and theſe are all ſaid to joyn together in ſinging a new Song unto the Lamb. If his Expoſition may not be admitted, yet all Expoſitors agree, that by the four Beaſts and twenty four Elders, are meant the Church and the Officers in the Church, and then their ſinging together doth confirm the manner of Goſpel-ſinging with united Voices together in God's Worſhip.
Object. But what ground is there for the Church to joyn in ſinging of Pſalms, &c. with Vnbelievers?
Anſw. 1. Unbelievers joyning with them, is one thing, and their joyning with Unbelievers, is another: And ſince 'tis a Church-Ordinance (as we have clearly proved all along it is) what Rule or Ground hath the Church to put Unbelievers forth of their Aſſemblies if they knew them from others? there may be Unbelievers in the Church, and there may be Believers out of the Church.
2. What ground hath the Church to pray with Unbelievers? certainly the Communion together in Spirit is more cloſe and intimate than that of uniting the Voice; ſo that if it be unlawful to let them ſing with us, 'tis unlawful to let them in their Hearts joyn in Prayer with us.
Muſt not the Children have their Bread, becauſe Strangers will get ſome of it? Beſides, in the Church of Corinth, when Singing was brought in amongſt them, as well as a Doctrine, &c. the Apoſtle ſpeaks of Unbelievers coming into their Aſſemblies: and 'tis one Reaſon he gives why they ſhould take heed to prevent Confuſion, and not to ſuffer one to bring in a Doctrine, (or many together) and another an Interpretation, and another a Pſalm, to put them all on Singing, and ſo have all theſe Ordinances confounded together, in a diſorderly and confuſed manner: So 1 Cor. 14. verſ. 26. compared with verſ. 23.
3. If Singing be a part of natural Religion, or a moral Duty, as Prayer is, this Objection is gone for ever: So that he that anſwers what we ſay here, will do nothing unleſs he can make it appear Singing the Praiſes of God is a meer poſitive Precept, and had never been known to be the Duty of Mankind, without ſome written Law or Preſcription. Are not all Creatures called upon to ſing and praiſe their Creator? and have not Unbelievers cauſe to praiſe God, nay, ſing his Praiſe for the Mercies and Bleſſings God doth beſtow upon them? Nay, have they not cauſe to praiſe God for Chriſt and the Goſpel? &c. What is Singing but praiſing of God? And would you not have …ny to do this but the Saints? Ought not all Men on Earth to pray, tho till they have Faith their Prayers are not accepted of God?
I ſhall conclude this Chapter with what Mr. Sidenham hath ſo well ſaid to this Objection.
Many who grant Singing to be an Ordinance (ſaith he) among Saints, yet ſtumble to ſing in a promiſcuous manner with others, eſpecially becauſe ſo many Pſalms, &c. are of ſuch compoſition, that doth not ſeem to concern a mixt multitude.
For opening of this, I muſt lay down this general Poſition, That Prayer and Praiſes are natural Duties belonging to all Men as Men, though only the Saints can do them beſt and ſpiritually; it is ſo upon all Men by the Law of Creation, to ſeek to God for what they want, and to thank him for what they have: this is due unto God, owing unto him as Creator and Benefactor; and though Singing be a part of inſtituted Worſhip, yet it is as an addition of Order, and a regulation of a natural Duty: And as there is no Man but is bound to pray for Mercies, ſo none are exempted from praiſing God for Mercies, though they ſing in a low… Tune than Saints. Thus David calls in … Creatures to bleſs and praiſe God, as a natural Duty, according to their ſeveral Capacities, Pſal. 136. Pſal. 117. Pſal. 10… Pſal. 20. 21, 22. Praiſe, is the natural Duty of all, the proper Duty of Saints, and … perfect Duty of Angels and glorified Souls.
Object. You will ſay, They cannot perf… it aright.
Sol. 1. Their want of Ability doth … diſcharge them from ſuch a Duty engrav… on their Conſciences, from the natural reſpects they have to God as a Creator; … perform which, God gave them full power▪ Let every Man do his Duty conſcientiouſly▪ he may afterwards come to do it ſpiritually … though I ſhould loſe the ſenſe of a Duty i… my Conſcience, yet the Duty lies on my Conſcience from God's Authority, and my Relation to him.
By the ſame Rule, every one ſhould abſtain from performance of a Duty for … of preſent Ability, whereas the Duty mu… be done, and ſtrength expected from Heaven, and waited for according to the divin… manner of Diſpenſation.
2. It's not unlawful to join in any Act with others, or to countenance them in it, which is really their Duty as well as … own: I cannot ſin in joining with any one in that Act, to perform which is the Duty of another, as mine, though he may want the preſent Ability.
For Duties muſt be meaſured according to the Rule, not the Ability of the Performer. Now, it's no Duty for any Man to receive the Lord's Supper, or be a Member of a Church in order to Communion, without he find himſelf in ſome meaſure fitted by Grace, theſe Sealing Ordinances of the Goſpel, ſuppoſe and require ſome other Qualification, and are peculiar to viſible Saints; but where there is a natural Character, or an Ordinance as to the Subſtance of it, at leaſt equally concerning all, there is no Sin to join in the adminiſtration of it: And if we conſider of it warily, unregenerate Men are great ſharers in the Mercies of the Churches, beſides their own particular Duty, that they may well join with them in ſetting forth God's Praiſes. But more cloſely and particularly.
1. When the Church and Saints of God are gathered together to worſhip him in Singing, it is no more unlawful to ſing with others that ſtand by and join their Voices, than when in Prayer they ſtand by and give their Conſent; we do not ſo much join with them, as they do own God's Actings among us: It is no ſin in them to join with us in ſuch a Duty, neither can it be any ſin in us to ſing, though others very carnal will outwardly praiſe God with us.
2. The Carriage of the Saints in their hearty and real Expreſſions of Praiſes, may convince others in the coldneſs and lowneſs of their Spirit, and ſtir them up to ſome ſpiritual Apprehenſions. Sidenham … Singing, pag. 213, 214, 215.
'Tis evident the Church is not bound to worſhip God alone in the Adminiſtration of the Goſpel, and not ſuffer the People to come among them, unleſs ſhe intends to become no Church in a ſhort time; for how ſhall ſhe increaſe or have Children born in her? Is not Hearing the Word of God preached, and Publick Prayer, as Sacred Ordinances of Goſpel-Worſhip, … Singing? Why then may they be admitted to join with the Church in thoſe Ordinances, (which they are no better able to perform acceptably to God, than in Singing) and be denied to ſing? By this Rule others muſt not be admitted to join with the Church in one part of Goſpel-Worſhip, you muſt not ſuffer them to join with us in any, but even … the Doors upon them, and worſhip God alone. And ſhould we deny them to do this, it might alſo lay a Stumbling-block in their way, and give them a juſt offence againſt the Lord's People. See more in Chap. 9. where we have ſpoken further to this Objection.