Breach Repaired in Gods Worship, Treatise 1 · Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. IX.
Shewing the true Form or Manner of Singing in the Goſpel-days; and that it ought to be with united Voices, or to ſing together harmoniouſly.
I Having in the firſt Chapter proved there is no proper Singing but what is with the Voice, part of my Work here is done already; till I come to the Objections? I need not handle that Point any farther. But the Queſtion is, Whether one Perſon only, or the whole Church, ſhould ſing together with united Voices?
'Tis the latter that I do aſſert, and ſhall, by God's aſſiſtance, endeavour to make appear; and I ſhall begin with our Pattern, I mean that Example our Lord Jeſus and his Diſciples have leſt us; Is it not ſaid they ſung? that is, Chriſt himſelf with his Diſciples ſung a Hymn… together, in the end of the Adminiſtration of the Holy Supper, Matth. 26. 30.
The ſecond place I may direct you to, is Acts 16. 25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and ſang Praiſes unto God, and the Priſoners heard them.
Obj. The place in Mathew 26. 30. may as well be tranſlated, they praiſed God.
Anſw. Though it is true they praiſed God, and it will bear that ſenſe, yet, as Mr. Cotton and all learned Men I can meet with ſay, the Greek word ſignifies, their Praiſing of God in a Hymn. That is to ſay, they praiſed God by Singing. [See Dr. Du-Veil on Act. 16. 25.] Where is the Man that ſaith the Word will bear a praiſing of God without Singing? if there ſhould be ſuch a Perſon, I perceive (by my converſe with ſeveral Learned Men) that I ſhall bring twenty, may be an hundred to that one that will refute and contradict him in what he ſays.
But let this be conſidered, viz. Though all ſpiritual Singing is a Praiſing of God, yet all Praiſings of God, are not Singing his Praiſe.
I have already proved that Singing in the Spirit in a melodious manner, is the higheſt manner to expreſs the Praiſes of God that the Scripture bears witneſs of; ſo that 'tis no marvel that ſome tell you it ſignifies Praiſing of God. But it is a poor ſorry Cauſe that puts Men upon a temptation to quarrel with the Tranſlators of the Bible, who from the word they hymned, poſitively affirm, they ſang a Hymn. This is enough to ſtumble many weak Chriſtians, who from ſuch Dangerous and unneceſſary exceptious may be ready to conclude, the Holy Bible is not truly tranſlated in other places, and ſo may not know what to receive as a Truth, eſpecially when they ſhall render a Greek word Singing, and another ſhall ſay it ſignifies no more than giving of Thanks. Yet Mr. Marlow ſeems to affirm no leſs, pag. 30. All know theſe are two different things, and tho he ſays truth, that ſays they praiſed God, when they ſung an Hymn … yet if they did no more than in the common manner ſay Grace, or give Thanks, he that ſays they Sung, tells an untruth; in plain Engliſh, he lies; and ſo every Man will ſay: Should I give Thanks after Supper, and one that is by ſhould ſay I ſung a Hymn, would not others who were with me wonder at his Impudence, and ſay he related a falſe Story, and teſtify I did no more than ſay Grace, or give Thanks?
Nor doth it ſignify any thing, if ſome Greek Copy or old Traſlation ſhould render it, they gave Thanks, from the word [they Hymned:] For of what Authority is ſuch a Tranſlation, when compared to our late faithful and laborious Tranſlators, who having many Greek Copies, and comparing them together, do affirm the Greek Word ſignifies, they ſung … Hymn? and ſo ſaith Learned Dr. Du-Veil.
Object. But might they not be ſaid to ſing together, tho none ſung but Chriſt only, and … Diſciples at the cloſe ſay, Amen; as in Prayer Men are ſaid to pray, when there is but one that is the Mouth?
Anſ. This can't be, ſince there is ſo great a difference between the nature of Prayer, and that of Singing, which I have clearly opened in the firſt Chapter of this Treatiſe; there is Mental Prayer, praying in the Heart, and Heart-rejoicing; but there is no proper ſinging without the Voice, ſo that this would be juſtly to confound the Propriety of Speech. A whole Multitude that hear a Sermon, and ſay Amen to what they hear, may as well be ſaid all of them to preach, as many may be ſaid to ſing, when there is but one only indeed that doth ſing.
2. But further, to remove this Doubt; I muſt ſay with Mr. Cotton, If the Diſciples did not joyn in ſinging that Hymn, but only by ſilent Conſent, then they might as well be ſaid to have taken the Bread and bleſſed it, and broke it and diſtributed it, and ſo the Cup; for all this Chriſt did with their ſilent Conſent. But what our Saviour did alone, is expreſly recorded as done by himſelf: He took the Bread and gave Thanks; it doth not ſay, they gave Thanks; and he took the Cup, &c. But obſerve, this of Singing or Hymning, is laid down in the plural Number, when they had ſiung an Hymn, they departed into the Mount of Olives: They that departed into the Mount, were they that ſung the Hymn: Now it was not Chriſt alone, but his Diſciples with him that departed into the Mount of Olives; therefore, ſaith Mr. Cotton, it was Chriſt and his Diſciples that ſung the Hymn together.
CHAP. X.
Proving Singing the Praiſes of God with united Voices, from the Practice of the Saints in the time of the Old Teſtament.
BUt to proceed in the next place, to prove the Ordinance of Singing ought to be performed with united Voices, pray conſider the Practice of Moſes, and the Children of Iſrael in ſinging after their Deliverance at the Red Sea, Exod. 15. 1. Then ſang Moſes and the Children of Iſrael this Song, &c. Moſes did not ſing alone, but the whole Congregation ſung with him: Pſal. 106. 12. They believed his Word, they ſang his Praiſe; but ſoon forgot his Works; namely, the moſt of them that ſung at the Red Sea; not Moſes, but the Children of Iſrael who ſung with him, they that ſung his Praiſe ſoon forgot his Works: Moſes, ſay our late Annotators, compoſed the Song, and he, together with the Iſraelites, ſung it to the Honour of God. Thus ſung Deborah and Barak, and indeed we find no other Singing generally throughout the Old Teſtament. And therefore, ſince we are commanded to ſing, and Chriſt hath given no other Direction about it but that of his own Practice, with his Diſciples after the Holy Supper, and that of the Practice of Paul and Silas, who ſung together, we may aſſure our ſelves there …s no other manner of Singing to be brought into the Church but that with united Voices; and he that ſhould ſet up, or bring in any other way or manner, doubtleſs would be guilty of an Innovation. Should one alone ſing in the midſt of the Congregation, like a Ballad-Singer, what Word of God is there to juſtify any ſuch Practice? I doubt not but to make appear, when I come to it, that that Refuge in 1 Cor. 14. will fail them.