A47407:382
The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,…
The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, proved to be an holy ordinance of Jesus Christ with an answer to all objections : as also, an examination of Mr. Isaac Marlow's two papers, one called, A discourse against singing, &c., the other, An appendix : wherein his arguments and cavils are detected and refuted / by Benjamin Keach ...
London: printed for Author, 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. Most of the Book of Psalms contains proper Instructions for most Occasions the People of God can find: What was written afore Time the Apostle says was written for our ⟨p. 132⟩Learning. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, and for Instruction in Righteousness, 2 Tim. 3. 16. If all Scripture, then the Book of the Psalms, and for instruction by Singing them too, because so required by the Holy Spirit, Eph. 5. 19. Coloss. 3. 16. May you not as well say they are of no use to us? The Book of Psalms good Men look upon as the Heart of our Sacred Bible, and as fruitful a Book for Saints in Gospel-times as any Book in the Old Testament; but if there be any Psalms that can't so well be sung as some others, God's People are at their liberty whether they will sing them or no: however, unless you can tell us there are others called Psalms, besides these, you say nothing, for we are required to sing Psalms. And as to those things contained in David's Psalms that are hard to be understood, they may be opened to the People before they are sung.
As touching singing Prayers, I have spoken to this already. Though we are against humane Forms of Prayer, yet the Singing of David's Psalms (wherein there are some Prayers) are of Divine Institution; and therefore 'tis lawful to sing Psalms and Hymns that have some Expressions Prayer-wife in them. Our Brethren say, praising of God in Prayer, is Singing; and indeed, if they did not thus conclude, I am persuaded they could not satisfy their Consciences to lie wholly short of this Duty; and therefore in their sense, singing of some part of ⟨p. 133⟩Prayer is lawful, or else Singing is something they do not as yet own, nor can tell us what it is.