Breach Repaired in Gods Worship, Treatise 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Wherein it is proved, that ſinging of Pſalms and Hymns, &c. is a Goſpel-Ordinance, becauſe inſtituted and required of the Churches by the Holy Ghoſt.
WE ſhall now ſhew you it is one of Chriſt's Inſtitutions, or that which the Holy Ghoſt doth poſitively require, or injoyn the Churches of God in the New Teſtament to be found in the Practice of. To make this fully to appear, I ſhall direct you to Epheſ. 5. 19. foreign, Pſalmis & Hymnis, in Pſalms and Hymns, and foreign, & Canticis ſpiritalibus, and in ſpiritual Songs, foreign, cantantes & pſallentes, ſinging and pſalming in your Hearts to the Lord. Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Chriſt dwell in you richly in all Wiſdom; teaching and admoniſhing one another in Pſalms, and Hymns and ſpiritual Songs, ſinging with Grace in your Hearts. The holy Apoſtle in this Epiſtle to the Coloſſ…ans, ſtrenuouſly laboured to take off this Church from all Jewiſh Rites, Shadowy-Ordinances and Ceremonies, and yet injoyns the Duty of ſinging of Pſalms and Hymns and ſpiritual Songs upon them by the Authority of the Holy Ghoſt, as that which is the abſolute Duty of the Saints and Churches of Jeſus Chriſt in Goſpel-days. What a fooliſh thing is it for any to object againſt this Ordinance, becauſe in the performance of it under the Law it was with Muſical Inſtruments, ſince 'tis to theſe Churches ſo plainly given forth as a Goſpel-Duty, and in them to all the Churches of the Saints to the end of the World? For by the ſame Argument one may deny ſinging of Pſalms, &c. to be a Duty, notwithſtanding ſo fully commanded or enjoyned by the holy Spirit, another may object againſt any other Precept, and ſo till they leave us not one Goſpel-Ordinance. I muſt confeſs, whatſoever was given forth under the Law, or injoyned as an Ordinance (unleſs a Moral Precept) that is not given forth anew under the New Teſtament (there being neither Precept nor Precedent for it) I never believed it doth in the leaſt concern us. Hence we object againſt the Jewiſh Sabbath (for tho a time of Worſhip is Moral) yet the Seventh Day, which was co… manded to the People of the Jews, and proſely… Stranger that was within their Gates, yet it … ing not given forth in the Goſp…l by … nor his Apoſtles, nor ever obſerved (as we … find) by any Goſpel-Church, it concerns us … in the leaſt, eſpecially conſidering that … Goſpel Churches obſerved another Day in … Worſhip, and not that, viz. the firſt Day of … Week.
But as touching this of Singing, there … remain certainly no doubt about its being … Duty, ſince, as I have already proved, it … obſerved before the Law, and under the … and in the Goſpel, and given forth here … theſe Churches as an abſolute Inſtitution: … if theſe words don't contain a Precept, we … be at a great loſs to find a Precept for … other Duties in the New Teſtament, which are no otherwiſe expreſſed.
As for Example, Only let your Converſa… be as it becomes the Goſpel, Phil. 1. 27.
Is any afflicted? let him pray, James 5. 1….
Let no corrupt Communication proceed … of your Mouth, &c. Epheſ. 4. 29.
Let every one of you ſo love his Wife, &…. Epheſ. 5. 33.
All theſe Precepts are injoyned in the very ſame form of Speech, Let the Word of … dwell in you richly in all Wiſdom; teaching … another in Pſalms, and Hymns, and Spirit… Songs, ſinging with Grace in your Hearts to … Lord.
Is any merry? let him ſing Pſalms, James 5. 13. 'Tis not left to our liberty, whether we will ſing or not, or that we may, or may not do it; 'tis as abſolutely injoyned as Prayer, or any Goſpel-Duty, and that not only on ſingle Perſons at ſpecial occaſions, but on the Churches alſo; they are here required to ſing Pſalms and Hymns, and Spirituals Songs likewiſe.
A Man may as well ſay, any one of them who were Members of the Churches, were not concerned in other Precepts, as to ſay, this doth …ot concern them all generally as well as ſome in particular. May not you as well ſay, and ſtand by it too, All are not to be filled with the Spirit, or to deſire the further influence and aſſiſtance of it; or, all are not required to pray, nor to put on the whole Armour of God; or, all are not to let their Converſation be as becomes the Goſpel? nay, what not?
Now ſince one Command, or two at moſt, for breaking of Bread is judged a ſufficient ground for all Chriſtians Obedience, and we finding no mention made of the practice of it in divers Goſpel-Churches; Why is not this Command, thrice repeated in the New Teſtament, as binding on our Conſciences as the other? eſpecially conſidering how it correſponds with the Practice of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, as ſhall, God willing, be further evinced. For we have, in a word, both Precepts for it, and Examples too. Tho if we had no Precedents for Singing in the New Teſtament, yet theſe Precepts are sufficient; and where we have the one, we need not the other.
Beſides, where there is the like Ground or Reaſon of a Law, one would think that might tend ſomewhat to ſatisfaction: Have not we like cauſe to praiſe God, and to ſing forth his Praiſe, as they had? And doth not God deſerve the like Glory and Honour from us, as from them? And do not our Souls need thoſe ſweet Soulrefreſhing Comforts and Conſolations which many▪ meet with in that Ordinance, as much as they did? And is not every Word of God alike pure and righteous, and equally to be eſteemed?
Nor will that Objection ſome raiſe againſt it, ſignify any thing, viz. Why, we cannot come at it; we do not know how we ſhould ſing.
Anſ. How! has Chriſt not been faithful then (who is the Son over his own Houſe) in declaring the manner how we ſhould ſing? hath he not left us a Pattern, or an Example himſelf? Is it not ſaid, they ſang an Hymn, viz. he himſelf with his Diſciples? And ſince there is no other Rule, Mode, or Manner of Singing differing from that practiſed by Moſes and Iſrael before the Law, (and others after them) and theſe in the New Teſtament, what can be clearer? the manner is plainly deſcribed. But will your utter neglect of it upon this pretended Ignorance excuſe you before the Lord? ought you not to do it as well as you can? But I am afraid rather ſome have taken up a Prejudice againſt it, and do not deſire to be informed about it. But I ſhall from what I have ſaid upon this laſt Proof, draw one Argument, and proceed to the next thing.
Arg. 1. That which Chriſt practiſed in Goſpel-Worſhip, and his Holy Apoſtles by the Authority of the Holy Ghoſt did injoyn on the Goſpel-Churches as their Duty to do, is the undoubted Duty of the Saints and Churches of Chriſt to do and perform to the end of the World. But Chriſt did practiſe the Singing of a Hymn with his Diſciples in Goſpel-Worſhip, and his Apoſtles did injoyn, or require the Goſpel-Churches to ſing Pſalms and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs as their Duty, by the authority of the Holy Ghoſt. Ergo, 'Tis the undoubted Duty of the Saints and Churches of Chriſt, to practiſe Singing of Pſalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs to the end of the World.
The Minor, as to the practice of Chriſt and his Diſciples, I have already proved; the Scripture is plain, read Mat. 26. 30. And when they had Sung an Hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. The ſame is recorded by St. Mark, Chap. 14. 26. And his Apoſtles did injoin it on the Churches, Ephſ. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16.
As touching the Major, if that be not granted, farewel to all Goſpel-Inſtitutions.
For if neither Chriſt as our Pattern, nor the Apoſtolical Inſtitutions and Injunctions contained in the New Teſtament as our Rule, gives no ſufficient Authority as to do what was ſo practiſed and injoined, what Ordinance can bind us?