Singing of Psalms a Gospel-ordinance, or, A TreatiseSinging of Psalmes a Gospel-ordinance, or, A Treatise

Object. 11. We have examples in the New Testament, of exercising personal gifts, as well in singing, as in praying and Prophesying, 1 Cor. 14. Which Epistle is directed to all the Saints, 1 Cor. 1.2. in all places. And consequently, that Church is to be Precedential in dispensing personal gifts in this Ordinance of Singing, as well as in any other.

Object. 11. Wee have examples in the New Testament, of exercising personall gifts, as well in singing, as in praying and Prophecying, 1 Cor. 14. Which Epistle is directed to all the Saints, 1 Cor. 1.2. in all places. And consequently, that Church is to be Precedentiall in dispensing personall gifts in this Ordinance of Singing, as well as in any other.

Answ. 1. The Directions given in that Epistle to the Church of Corinth, we willingly grant are Precedential to all the Churches, as well as the Directions given in other Epistles to other Churches. And the Directions there given be, that in dispensing spiritual gifts, Prophecy be preferred before Tongues, nor any Tongues dispensed without interpretation; That order be observed without confusion; That divers may speak without interruption; That no man may speak without subjection; That women be not permitted to speak unto usurpation; That all things be done to edification. And all these Directions are Precedential to all such Churches as have received the like gifts. But there is no direction given to the Church of Corinth, or any other, that every man should have a gift of tongues, or a gift of compiling a Psalm; or if he have a gift of compiling a Psalm for his private use by an ordinary Spirit, that then he should present it to be sung before the whole Church, and the Church to say Amen to his Psalm. For the gift of Psalms, which the Apostle there speaketh of, was not an ordinary gift to compile some spiritual Ditty in verse, but extraordinary, as joined with the gift of strange Tongues. For it appeareth by the Context, that the gift of Tongues was used by the Members of the Church of Corinth, four ways: 1. In speaking mysteries, ver. 2. 2. In prayer, ver. 14. 3. In singing, ver. 15. 4. In thanksgiving, ver. 17. So that the singing there mentioned, was by an extraordinary gift, as the Tongues were, in which it was dispensed.