The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,…

That which he insinuates, pag. 3, 4. about the Weakness and Imbecility of some Christians about their reception of this Ordinance as a dangerous thing, needs no Reply; he would fain make his Reader think, to receive singing of Psalms, &c. as an Ordinance, is no less than a falling away from the Truth. So clearly (saith he) manifested by the Holy Scripture, and witnessed to by the Sufferings of the purest Churches in our Age, who have born a lively Testimony, not only against the humane prescribed and precomposed Forms of Prayer, but against singing David's Psalms, and other Hymns or Songs precomposed by Man.

Answ. 'Tis not a falling away from Truth, to restore a lost or neglected Ordinance of the Gospel, (as you I perceive dare not deny, but this of Singing is); The main difference is about the Manner, or what Singing is. We say it is going forward i• the glorious Work of Reformation. What though some Baptized Churches (who I do believe have attained to greater Purity in some things, than some others) have born such a Witness against Singing of David's Psalms; is it therefore no Ordinance of Christ? must they needs know every Truth of Christ? Is there any Church that is yet arrived to such a perfection of Knowledge, that they need not the discovery of any Truth but what they have received? I am afraid some of those Churches are yet short of the Knowledge and Practice of another Ordinance as well as this, and speak against it as against this, though it is one of the first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, Heb. 6. 1, 2. Are they against the Singing of David's Psalms and Hymns, do ye say? God forbid! since the Holy Ghost hath enjoined the Churches to sing them, pag. 3, 4.

Answ. 'Tis not a falling away from Truth, to restore a lost or neglected Ordinance of the Gospel, (as you I perceive dare not deny, but this of Singing is); The main difference is about the Manner, or what Singing is. We say it is going forward i• the glorious Work of Reformation. What though some Baptized Churches (who I do believe have attained to greater Purity in some things, than some others) have born such a Witness against Singing of David's Psalms; is it therefore no Ordinance of Christ? must they needs know every Truth of Christ? Is there any Church that is yet arrived to such a perfection of Knowledg, that they need not the discovery of any Truth but what they have received? I am afraid some of those Churches are yet short of the Knowledg and Practice of another Ordinance as well as this, and speak against it as against this, though it is one of the first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ,