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

so through the Grace of God, I hope shall continue to do unto the end of my days; and 'tis only Spiritual Worship, you may perceive, I plead for, in contending for singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, none of which three can be without their special and particular form. But must they needs be therefore carnal and humane Forms which appertain unto them? I see 'tis time to stand up for the Form of Ordinances, for the Form of Doctrine, and for the Form of sound Words; for if we must part with singing of Psalms, Hymns, &c. from his pretended Arguments about Forms, all external Ordinances must go as well as that of Singing: In a word, we must give up our whole visible Profession, and wait for those extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit that were in the Primitive Time, if we must not sing till we have that extraordinary Gift to do it, which some had in the Apostles Days, and the ⟨p. 7⟩like in discharge of every Gospel-Ordinance, which were to abide in the Church to the end of the World.

He may as well therefore say, I do but counterfeit that excellent Gift in Preaching (when I preach) which was in the Primitive Gospel-Church, as thus to charge me in the case of our singing by the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit: Read his Epistle to me, Append. p. 15.

It seems to me as if my Brother does not understand the nature of Moral Duties, or natural Worship, but mistakes, and thinks natural or moral Worship must needs be carnal, tho we never plead for the performance of any Duties that are moral naturally in themselves, without the help and assistance of God's Spirit, and the Graces thereof in our Hearts. Is it not part of natural Religion and Worship, to fear God, to love God, and trust in God, and that too with all our Hearts, and with all our Souls, and with all our Strength, and love our Neighbours as our selves? &c. These Duties appertain to natural Religion; yet without the divine Help and Influences of the Spirit, we can do none of them in a right manner; no more, say I, can we pray, nor sing the Praises of God, which are Duties comprehended in our fearing, honouring, worshipping, and loving of him. And whereas Mr. Marlow reflects on me, as if I singled out my self more than others in London, in pushing on this practice of Singing. I must tell him, I have abundance of Peace in my Spirit in what I have done therein: And if our People (I