Essay to Silence the Outcry Against Regular Singing

DOCTRINE.

The Malignant world, did not know how to speak bad eno', and contemptuously eno' hereof they thought. What scorn and hard frumps had Paul and his Doctrine from the Athenian Philosophers? v.18. Some said what will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter Forth of strange gods, &c. The Apostles offered nothing more harsh to Reason, than convincing proofs, that Christ was the appointed, and expected Messiah to come & save the world; and irrefragable Confirmations of the truth of his Resurrection, that mon might be persuaded, they had a living Savior to trust in; and that they might quit the vices spoken of in Rom. 1.30.1 Cor. 6.10. Tit. 3.3. Gal. 5.21.2 Tim. 3.2. And get washed, sanctified, justified, &c. And appear with the spirit of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance and the like, as a proof that they had closed with the Savior of the world, as their Head and Savior. And could this hurt any, need it to have disturbed any! Yet harsh and very unwelcome treatment, had the Gospel and the first Preachers of it, when Christ anymore instance of this thing, it is but turning back to what the Apostles, at their first setting into the Ministry, met with, Acts 4.18. & 5.40. That was the unpardonable Crime, viz. to preach Christ crucified; for fear men should get into a new & better way of Salvation, than that of following their foolish superstitions, the Commandments of men, that brought more gain to them, than profit to anybody else —. Thus Christianity notwithstanding its brightness and purity, was not only exposed naked in the day of its Birth, but made odious to the People.

Quest. Whence was it thus?

Ans. 1. The first Preachers of the Gospel, were not such promising, taking, quaint men. This was the exception against Paul, 1 Cor. 2.4. And my speech, & my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power. Which the Apostle acknowledged, under the Denomination of infirmity in the flesh, Gal. 4 13. A crucified Christ was the Rhetoric! The Roman Empire was now at its height, Philosophy & Eloquence in its flower & vigor, and the Sages of that time push'd against the Disciples of Christ and their Doctrine with their might, as fine undertakers (to speak ironically) to new model the World. (Say they) No, the messages of God himself shall be slighted, if brought by such hands: like as the Emulation shown itself at the time of the Reformation, under Luther 's preaching, when many Church Dignitarys & Ecclesiastics could not but own, that sundry things wanted Reformation in the Church, but could not bear it should be lead on by a sorry Monk.

2. The Gospel in its Doctrine & Design is very contrary to men's Lusts. And hence might proceed the opposition made unto it. This corrupt nature is very fond of, & doth not know how to away with the hard sayings of the Gospel about them, to deny themselves, & take up their cross, plucking out a right eye, leaving mammon, and laying up treasure on Earth, giving liberally to the poor, & depending upon Heavenly Refundments, loving Christ, &c. which makes some go away from the hearing with damp, as the young man, who when he heard that saying, went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mat. 9.22. And others set up with bold rages, and try to spurn at the Gospel, and run over it.

3. Meerly for its newness the Gospel might be excepted against. For our nature is apt to be fond of things we have had a long Intimacy with, and apt to recoyl at Innovation, if never so much for the better. So you shall see some fond of an old house, 8 house implements, clothes, hats &c. and if those that are never so much better & more useful, be offered in their room, they are slighted, because those they have had such long acquaintance with, are so dear to them. So their old Superstitions, corrupt Customs and Idolatries, the infidel world would not part with, for a sound Gospel —

USE. Hence the best things that God has sent us into the World may be misconstrued & misrepresented. When God sent Christ into the World, some said he was a friend of Publicans & Sinners, & held a compact with Belzebub, to slur & blaspheme his mighty works. And the Gospel was by some reputed babbling, & a setting forth of strange gods. And the Apostles, whose feet should have been beautiful, for bringing the glad & gracious tidings of peace & reconciliation by Christ, they were counted pestilent fellows & mad men. But surely this ought not so to be. This was one effect of the misconduct of Reason depraved, & benighted with the fall, that in some cases it no better discerned good from evil. Whence I would take occasion, to offer to the Consciences of some Neighbors & Brethren, that appear not so well satisfied, about the Essay of Regulation & Amendment, of the defects of our public Psalmody, & to have too tort & smart Objections, viz. that they may miss it, & offend against the generation of the just, though' they seem to be pretty sure to themselves; That I am well persuaded, 'ere this Generation pass away, thousands upon better consideration, will see reason to retract precipitant Censures, on conscionable endeavors, to 〈◊〉 the religious Interests of New English Churches, by to them, lead wrong in an affair of this Nature. But they have so learned Christ, and so they understand the Gospel, as they have held forth to you, relating to this Subject. And in relation to something further that may be added on this head, I would premise,

1. That I cannot see there should be any holiness in a Tune; though' there be holiness in the matter of a sacred Song, to which a Tune is required when it is sung. Singing I take to be but melodious reading, & who can show an Institution for the special moding a Service; nor should any mistake from the propinquity of a Tune, to the matter of a sacred Song, to the mingling and counting that which is unhallowed, with that which is holy —. The grave Tunes used in foreign Churches, are no more holy than ours, nor ours, than theirs; for though' the Bible be an holy Book on all considerations, yet the Cover put on only to preserve, and put honor thereon, none can imagine to be holy. And though' Christ put honor on a certain Tune, (if we knew which of them it was) that he used to sing an Hymn with, at the head of his family, & at the first Administration of the second New Testament Sacrament, & last public Service he was in on Earth, yet I donit conceive that hereby he put holiness thereinto. And suppose it to be as likely that he used then one of those Tunes, that are now excepted against by some, as any other; wherefore I would not have any go too fast in rejecting, or putting a slight upon any particular Tune, that is used in the Churches, & approved by the skillful, learned & judicious, least (inverting Luk. 16 15. for a seasonable check here) they be found abominating that which is approved in Heaven, & was used by Christ in his Family on Earth.

2. Singing is partly a natural, & partly an acquired Gift. The To canere, or posse canendi, is concreated with us; the Ars canendi is an acquisition by practice, & God's blessing thereon. The posse of singing is in-laid with us by the God of nature, (together with the seeing Eye & hearing Ear, Prov. 10.12.) And which Singers rise to some expertness in using, by the Divine blessing, on their reading and hearing the Rules of singing, & practicing thereon, and by minding & conforming to the Voices of them that were Singers before them. Now some have a natural Genius, Sweetness, and Governableness of the Organs, & Strength of Voice above others: but there are but few indeed, than would fall short, of following a Tune in desirable manner, if they would but give their minds to it, and try for it. But still

3 It is a good Gift from the Father of Lights if any can Sing well. Jam. 1.17 Every good gift, & every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, &c. And he that set up Solomon to shine with wisdom in Israel, made David eminently skillful this way, among his people; in which respect, as in many beside he served his Generation; for the dispensation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, be he Prince or Subject: And as everyone hath received the Gift, let him be a Civil or Ecclesiastical Ruler; so let him minifier the same, that God in all things might be glorified. By what I can learn from the lively Oracles, David (& no doubt by Heavens direction) was the first that introduced singing into the Church of God, that assistant to the devotion of the godly; and I take him to be at the head of the Regulation of the sacred Music, for Harmony & Concord at that glorious Solemnity of removing the Ark to the chosen place for it. 1 Chron. 15.16, 22. And other Festivals in Israel. As David was serviceable to the civil Interest of his people, in guarding the Country, & by encouraging trade and business among his Subjects, for such was his upright and princely behavior at the Court, & such his martial Valour & cunning in the field of War, that he soon grew for midable to his Enemies, & an amiable Allie; & everyone ready to court him or crouch to him: So besides this, was he serviceable in penning the Psalms, setting the Tunes, & appointing the Singers, & Instruments of Music, for helping the devotions of the Godly; that it is remembered of him, together with his last things & lies as part of his Epitaph, viz. that he was Amanus Psalms intra Israelitas; and 'tis reckoned among the honors to which David was raised, viz. that he was a Psalmist; by which he was as truly great, as by being the anointed of the God of Jacob, a 〈…〉 There is a mathematical proportion in the ascent, elevation, & falling of the Voice, which they that ar • students in the Science can best speak to; & which other would presently come to the knowledge of by study. The fundamental rules & grounds of all Music are but few, but Mathematically certain, & are for all Ages, Nations & Places: though' as to the particular Tunes the variation is wonderful. There is no English Psalm Tune, but may be soon leared by them that have an Instructor, & give their minds thereto; only let it be remembered, that God who is the Author of all truth, of Theological, Logical, Physical, and Ethical, he is so of Mathematical & Musical Truth; whose Name is to be praised, for the admirable perfection and excellency he has laid into the things of nature & art. And as the Conditor & Framer of all things he has ordered the agreement & disagreement of things, [inter se] so that though' a man & brute agree in animation; yet they differ as to reason; & the earth & sea agree in cold, but differ in respect of dryness; which is for the study & contemplation of Philosophers: So God has ordered Concord & Discord in musical elevations, for the students in Music, that he might be admired in everything.

4. Yet strenuous driving after a Regulation of defects in Singing, or after additional Tunes I approve not; especially if some see it not so practicable, & lothly come into it. For I reckon it to be in this matter, as with the Church of old, a shifting from Judaism to Christianity, & some not sufficiently instructed, in that liberty purchased by the Death of Christ, would have the galling Yoke of Ceremonies longer kept on the neck of Disciples than was fit. Acts 15.1, 5. And certain men which came down from Judea, taught the Brethren, & said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved, &c. which hurt the whole Interest of Christianity, and undervalued the Death of Christ in this point; when yet the result of the Council was (though' they knew it was an error contended for) that there should be a present forbearance; that by length of time, they might get light, and conviction of things, that, may be, at present they did not so well see thro'; and to preserve their peace. Act 19.22, &c. This 〈…〉 the Ceremonies were antiquated, and abolished things, dead and done with, and belonged to the Grave of Christ; yet for the sake of some scrupulous Consciences, they would not drag them out of doors before their eyes; but let them lie by for a while, till they might be carried out to a decent Funeral. So though' we have as much liberty to change our Tunes as our Cloaths, as we may see reason; and to mend the obvious defects in our Tunes as Cloaths: by how much thro' the long use, of imperfectly sounded Tunes in our Congregations, they have gained a veneration from some, as if a sort of sacredness with them, that makes them flinch at the seeming innovation & real amendment essay'd; there should be gentle progress (I count) and forbearance of going the whole circle and latitude of our right and claim, least we bear too hard on our Brethren's Spirits, for whom Christ died.

But next I would say something by way of Answer to some Queries that seem to be obtruded, especially some of them on the Singing side.

Quest. Is it equal, that the Elderly, should yield, to be turned out of the old way of Singing, to gratify the Youngerly, who urge on a Regulation the most.

Ans. It is not to yield to man but to God, to fall in with a more advantageous way of performing his Worship. In the times that we can look back to, there were no such helps and advantages, to get skill in Singing as now; if so I Question not, but our Fathers would have fallen in therewith. And that now God has stirred up some to improve their 〈◊〉 this way, I see not but that elder & younger that would have cases determined by Reason and Religion, ought to improve it, and praise God for it. The younger Generations have ordinarily, the clearest & strongest Voices, and so it will be to the end of time; & 'tis no wonder if there be something the most heard of them, in such an alteration and reformation as seems to be now on foot: who yet must be advised to be soberminded, and to be humble and thankful to the Lord, and full of respect to Superiors, and farthest from Ostentation and despising others, though' grown to Barzillai's condition & infirmity, 〈…〉 and can I discern between good & evil? — Can I hear anymore the voice of singing men & singing women? Wherefore should then thy Servant be yet a burden to my Lord the King? And the elder among us must be exhorted to comply and fall in with the well approved & promising reformation, least their sharp contradiction to their surprise be interpreted at the Supreme Bar, their fighting against God.

Quest. Were our Fathers to blame for Singing God's Praises in that way that is now censured for it's defects.

Ans. Persons are accepted of God, if with a good and honest heart, they Sing, Pray or Read God's Word as well as they can. But to do these brokenly, when they might do them more accurately is a disrespect & dishonor to God, & therefore censurable. A Person performing a holy Service, with many lamenesses and defects while he donit know better, may be accepted of God; but when he knows how to come to amendment hereof and refuses, and sets himself against it, he will have thought to Answer to God—. And I see not but some Congregations, and sundry in many more, are to be blamed for their ignorance and heedlessness about the Tunes, that may be cannot distinguish one Tune from another when Sung, and slide out of one Tune into another, and do not mind it, or Sing the Lines of several Tunes for one: when a little care & study indeed would have saved the Disorder. Therefore I would propose, there might be many Advantages attending a Practice which I could wish all our Congregations were come into, viz to name the Tune together with the Psalm, and all the Skilful of the Congregation be sure to fall in with the first Note & Syllable; nor is this a bare Proposal without Experiment: for some of us have been some time in proof hereof, and see its Expediency.

Quest. This new way is not Singing in the Spirit, is it?

Ans. As much as the old way is, and no odds in that! But it is not the outward sounding of a Song any way, that amounts to that; where this is all with any Sinners, they are but as sounding Brass, & a tinkling Cymbal, let their Voices be never so good and Skill 〈…〉 with the zeal and integrity of the Heart, and by the rules of (Joh. 4.24. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit & Truth. And, Rom. 1.9. God is my witness, whom I serve with my Spirit. &c. ) or by the Holy Ghost furnishing us thereto, and aiding us therein, or both: And so it is too Superior a thing, in the Practice of Singing to bear a flant.

Quest. Can you desire us to be reconciled to the new way of Singing, when it brings in so much disturbance with it?

Ans. I must needs ask leave here to plead, that the blame is mislay'd; and the wrong Horse Sadled. For that which ought to be laid to the weakness or some men's reason, and to strength of passion in others, is brought and charged upon Regular Singing. For consider, if you have an Important Journey to go, and go forth to procure an Horse, or other requisites thereto, and a Shower come upon you, or you dash your Foot against a Stone, or by any other Accident you become Wounded, must your going forth on the Errand be therefore Censured, when it may be the Occasion is as Rational and Vindicable as can be. We always say, it is unreasonable to measure Causes by Effects, or Censure or Justify them by their Consequents. For then if a Son take to ill Courses, his Father, as a Father, must be blamed, though' such Courses of his Son be never so grievous to him, and he never so copious in disswasives against the same.

Quest. Well if you could show this new way of Singing, were commanded in Scripture, I should not dare speak a word against it?

Ans. If I did not suppose it there commanded & required, I should not dare speak a word for it. i. e. though' it be not in terms inserted, if by just Consequence, I could not fairly deduce it therefrom to my satisfaction, I should not appear to Advocate for it. I think it contained in Psal. 33.2, 3. Praise the Lord with Harp, Sing unto him with the Psaltery, and an Instrument of ten Strings. Sing unto him a new Song, play SKILFULLY with a loud Voice. For I cannot suppose, the moral part 〈◊〉 David calls upon the Church of Israel to unite their 〈◊〉 , and to engage their Skill to offer the most High, the best Praises they could possibly—. When Instruments of Music, were more Laudable in the Worship of God, than now under a more Spiritual Dispensation, then the Sweet Singers Direction was, to observe the Consort between Harp and Voice, keep time & measure; and manage each their work dexterously. Besides this plain and direct Precept for it, there are very instructive and convictive general precepts & hints, in 1 Cor. 14.40.2 Sam. 24.24 Mal. 1.14 & 1 Cor. 12.31. Covet earnestly the best Gifts — And how many things do we practice in the Church of God, relating to the Worship of God, deduced from general Precepts; only such as Building sightly and comfortable Meeting-Houses, putting on our best Apparel on the Sabbath, and if at distance we take our Horses to ride &c. that are not in Terms commanded us; Besides Electing Men of Learning and Gifts, apt to teach, for the Work of the Ministry, that may with fittest Expressions carry our requests to God, in the public Prayers, and that can choose acceptable words for Sermons; whereas illiterate Persons could with more ease and less Charge be introduced; which yet you will not hear of or yield to, to avoid the Construction, and imputation; that we count anything good enough for the Service of God; and that the Lame & Maimed of our Flock, will do well eno', when we know God will have the Male and best of us or nothing.

Quest. Well, but Regular Singing is not the great Cause of Religion, is it?

Ans. No, but it is one of the well equip'd hand-maidens waiting upon a Religious Exercise. If one had gotten a Horse, Hat, or Garb, that gave offense, or that a Brother were disturbed at, such might by an act of self-denial consent to put either any or all of them away, to recover their temper; and no Prejudice, but Credit would be to Religion hereby: but that which is under Consideration, cannot be let drop, without a plain hurt to a main Exercise of Religion, altho' it be not itself a principal Pillar 〈…〉 ble Singing, and Sing after a sort, had we learnt neither the new, nor old way of Singing, but to do such a Service most miserably, when we might do it, with more accuracy and Credit; (like them about us that learnt, when we missed our Opportunity, and that may be purposely) is contrary to Scripture caution, not to expose our good to be evil spoken of. Besides as there are weightier matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy & Truth, so there are under them things weighty, though' not equally so with the other. But I could wish, that instead of growing into a ferment and controversy hereabout, we could all set our minds to the Apostle's rule, Eph. 4.2, 3. With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of Peace. And I would have such invectives and flings among Christians kept back, concluding that many will have to retract them in time to come, with the tears of Repentance, and wish over and over they had never let them out of their mouths. I could wish we were more sensible of, and willing to part with, the brokenness of our former Singing, and in the mean time let not them that are for Regular Singing, judge the rest, and vice versa; for God receives both, if they humbly and faithfully come to Him. And let us go and learn what that meaneth, viz. to Love one another with a pure heart fervently, 1 Pet. 1.22. Finally, To such as profess themselves to be yet in the dark, in respect of seeing that which is labor'd for to be a gainful Reformation, I must needs plead, that to me it promises to befriend and serve the Interest of Religion. And as long as you plead that you are thus blinded about it, I entreat you not to let your Passions abroad, nor yet to let your Spirits be soured hereat. Tho' I desire not to hinder your resenting, and faulting misconduct with some, that have rather too earnestly set themselves to hasten the matter on. But I would not have any that hope to endure the Trial at the last Day, under the Righteousness of the GREAT REDEEMER, after an innocent and unblameable Walk among Men, I would not have them allow themselves to fight and strike stand not, to the oppugning and discouraging the Interest of Religion among us, when, I donit mean Religion in the Essentials of it (as when Paul had to retract his error, and said, Act. 26.9. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazereth. ) but in the Circumstantials of it, that have their weight; or our Fathers more than Sixty Years ago and since, were out of the way in the Reformation they stood for: who could have had Prayers, Sermons, Scriptures, and Sacraments in the Church of England, but could not away with the imposed and supposed Adulterating Ceremonies, and were earnest to have them parted from Ordinances; as Now the flaws & imperfections of our Singing, some of our Brethren seek to have removed: And our Fathers suffered much rather than anger Conscience in them: And how desirable was their Practice in their Difficulty for Imitation, in discovering so much of the true Spirit of Piety, and a Native undisguis'd Sincerity, in all their conduct; thoughtful, cautious, and humble, in their Applications to God to direct their way, open to Light and Conviction, willing to weigh everything that deserved regard, and fearful of being deceived and misguided in their Contests: It were unaccountable to think such were left of God, in matters where the Divine Honor and Credit of Religion was so much concerned. Would to God we in our more petty Contests could do likewise. And in the mean time patiently suffer, being most afflicted that Religion suffers, while some too strenuously plead for, the more broken and imperfect carrying on its Exercises; but are the more to be forborne, because not sufficiently aware hereof belike, and so may be said not to know what they do. And we might wind up with 2 Cor. 13.8. For we can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth.

But I cannot forbear adding, that I think David was a very accurate Singer, and that he used many Tunes, and some possibly that some of ours say, they cannot come into of Conscience, though' others say it is of Ignorance and Frowardness; and that as his mind was much in the exercise 〈◊〉 so that he had much Communion with God herein, by which he was the better Christian, and that by the help and blessing of God he made himself so much more a Warriour and better Soldier by Singing over and over such Passages as that when he took the Field, Psa. 144.1, 2. I will bless the Lord who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. And that in the midst of the battle, Psal. 118 9 They compassed me about like Bees, but in the name of the Lord, I will destroy them. Beside, Psal. 18.41, 42. They cried but there was none to save them, even to the Lord but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind, I did cast them out as dirt in the streets. And that in quitting the field, Psal. 144.10. It is he that giveth Salvation to Kings, who delivereth David his Servant, from the hurtful Sword. And it seems as if that were his Storming Song, when in spite of all the Guards his Enemies could set, he was resolved to Scale the Walls of their Fortresses, Psal. 18 29. For by thee have I run thro' a troop, by my God have I leaped over a wall. And Oh! that we were of one mind about the mode of Singing his holy Songs; not only for the sake of making ourselves Masters of Strong Cities and Impregnable Castles if sent against them, and defying Ramparts and Bulwarks, but for the sake of fighting the good fight of Faith, Scaling Heaven, and taking its Kingdom with Violence, and inheriting with him, and all the Saved there, Eternal Life. Amen.