N01895:70
The accomplished singer. Instructions how the piety of singing with a true devotion, may…
The accomplished singer. Instructions how the piety of singing with a true devotion, may be obtained and expressed; the glorious God after an uncommon manner glorified in it, and his people edified. : Intended for the assistance of all that would sing Psalms with grace in their hearts; but more particularly to accompany the laudable endeavours of those who are learning to sing by rule, and seeking to preserve a regular singing in the assemblies of the faithful. : [Two lines of quotation]
Boston: printed by B. Green for S. Gerrish, 1721
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.
IT is Remarkable, That when the Kingdom of GOD has been making any New Appearance, a mighty Zeal for the Singing of PSALMS, has attended it, and assisted it. And may we see our People grow more Zealous of this Good Work, what an hopeful Sign of the Times would be seen in it, That the Time of Singing is ⟨p. 22⟩come, and the Voice of the Turtle is to be heard in the Land?
BUT in the pursuance of this Holy Intention, it would be very desirable, that people, (and especially our YOUNG PEOPLE, who are most in the Years of Discipline,) would more generally Learn to SING and become able to Sing by RULE, and keep to the NOTES of the TUNES, which our spiritual Songs are set unto; which would be to Sing, as Origen expresses it, [Greek or Hebrew]; Agreeably and Melodiously. In Early Days a famous Council condemned it; in that there were [Greek or Hebrew], Disorderly Clamours, with which the Psalmody was then sometimes disturbed. In later Days, Cassander upbraided it, Ad feritatem quandum barbaricum composito sono, Boant, Latrant, mugiunt, frendunt, rudunt, et quidvis potius quam canunt. — Tarttaricos quosdam clamours Exprimunt. In plain English, They made sad and wild Work on't. It has been found accordingly in some of our Congregations, that in length of Time, their Singing has degenerated, into an Odd Noise, that has had more of what we want a Name for, than any Regular Singing in it; whereby the Celestial Exercise is dishonoured; and indeed the Third Commandment is trespassed on. To take notice of the Ridiculous Pleas, wherewith some very weak People, go to confirm this Degeneracy, would indeed be to pay too much Respect unto them. And they must have strange Notions of the Divine SPIRIT, and of His Operations, who shall imagine, that the Delight which their Untuned Ears take in an Uncouth Noise, more than in a Regular Singing, is any Communion with Him. The Skill of Regular Singing, is among the Gifts of GOD unto the Children of Men, and by no means unthankfully to be Neglected or Despised. For the Congregations, wherein 'tis wanting, to recover a Regular Singing, would be really a Reformation, and a Recovery out of an Apostasy, and what we may judge that Heaven would be pleased withal. We ought ⟨p. 23⟩