A47407:522
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.
Object. Singing is a piece of Art; Who can […] if he be not taught, so that he may do it artificially? &c. Can this be a part of Sacred Gospel-Worship?
Object. Singing is a piece of Art; Who can 〈…〉 if he be not taught, so that he may do it artifically? &c. Can this be a part of Sacred Gospel-Worship?
Answ. As this Objection excludes this Holy Ordinance of Christ; so it would likewise exclude other Duties. You will not admit it, because it cannot be done without Art. There is, I must tell you, an Art in Speaking, and no Man but has need to learn and be instructed to speak as he ought, that he may not •ender himself ridiculous, especially when he speaks about Divine Things. How rarely and •egantly do some Men express themselves to ••ify others, by improving their natural Parts? Also there is an Art in Preaching; and all young Men, when they begin to take upon them that Work, need instruction how to handle a Doctrine. And so I may say in Praying too; but I have showed in this Treatise, that Men are as apt; by natural Instincts, to sing, as they are to speak: And Paul shows, in 1 Cor. 14. that all who have Spiritual Gifts, should use them with all Wisdom; so that the Church, and all God's People, may be edified. If the Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound, who shall prepare himself ⟨p. 184⟩to the Battle? The Method of Preaching must be learned and improved, and that well too. Some who have great Gifts, yet cannot utter themselves in an Eloquent manner to the profit of others, and it may be, because they are against studying the Rule or Art of Speaking: But all the World knows the way of Singing is easily learned; And who gave Men those Faculties of Learning? &c. Natural Gifts, as well as Spiritual, are to be improved to the Honour of God. Is not Reading of God's Word an Ordinance of the Gospel, and part of God's Worship? and must not People learn to read? And is not that a piece of Art as well as Singing? can People read unless they are learned?