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

Touching the first of these Scruples; It is out of doubt. 1. That a Christian man for his own private solace and edification, may sing a Psalm alone by himself; as Asaph had his Songs by night, Psal. 77.6.2. It is granted, that he who had a spiritual and extraordinary Gift of inditing a Psalm, might sing it himself, and the rest of the Church join with him in Spirit, saying Amen: though in the old Testament, he that indited the Psalm, gave it to the Master of Song, to be sung publicly, by others as well as himself. But the Question is of Singing the Psalms of David and other Scripture Psalms, whether they are to be sung by the whole Congregation, or by one alone for all the rest, (the rest joining only in the Spirit, and in the close) saying, Amen; And to make good this latter way,

Touching the first of these Scruples; It is out of doubt. 1. That a Christian man for his own private solace and edification, may sing a Psalme alone by himselfe; as Asaph had his Songs by night, Psal. 77.6.2. It is granted, that he who had a spirituall and extraordinary Gift of enditing a Psalme, might sing it himselfe, and the rest of the Church joyne with him in Spirit, saying Amen: though in the old Testament, he that endited the Psalme, gave it to the Master of Song, to be sung publiquely, by others as well as himselfe. But the Question is of Singing the Psalmes of David and other Scripture Psalmes, whether they are to be sung by the whole Congregation, or by one alone for all the rest, (the rest joyning onely in the Spirit, and in the close) saying, Amen; And to make good this latter way,

Object. 1. It is alleged, In the Church of Corinth, one had a Psalm, 1 Cor. 14.26. And he that had a Psalm sung in the Spirit, and was directed to sing with understanding also, (that is, in a tongue understood by the whole Church) that they might join with him in Spirit, and say Amen, ver. 15, 16.