Chapter 7: Who Should Sing — One Person or the Whole Church?

The third Question about Singing of Psalmes, concerneth the Singers. For though vocall Singing be approved, and also the Singing of Davids Psalmes, yet still it remaineth to some a Question, who must sing them. And here a threefold scruple ariseth. 1. Whether one be to sing for all the rest, the rest joyning onely in spirit, and saying, Amen; or the whole Congregation? 2. Whether women, as well as men; or men alone? 3. Whether carnall men and Pagans may be permitted to sing with us, or Christians alone, and Church-Members?

Touching the first of these Scruples; It is out of doubt. 1. That a Christian man for his own private solace and edification, may sing a Psalme alone by himselfe; as Asaph had his Songs by night (Psalm 77:6). 2. It is granted, that he who had a spirituall and extraordinary Gift of enditing a Psalme, might sing it himselfe, and the rest of the Church joyne with him in Spirit, saying Amen: though in the old Testament, he that endited the Psalme, gave it to the Master of Song, to be sung publiquely, by others as well as himselfe. But the Question is of Singing the Psalmes of David and other Scripture Psalmes, whether they are to be sung by the whole Congregation, or by one alone for all the rest, (the rest joyning onely in the Spirit, and in the close) saying, Amen; And to make good this latter way,

Object. 1. It is alledged, In the Church of Corinth, one had a Psalme (1 Corinthians 14:26). And he that had a Psalme sung in the Spirit, and was directed to sing with understanding also, (that is, in a tongue understood by the whole Church) that they might joyne with him in Spirit, and say Amen (ver. 15, 16).

Answ. This onely concerned the extraordinary Psalmes, endited by such as had also a gift of Tongues as well as of Psalmes. For therefore it is, that such are directed, as they sing in the Spirit, that is, by a spirituall gift, so to sing with understanding also, to wit, with the understanding of the Church. But this concerneth not the Singing of the Psalmes of David, which now are not given by any peculiar gift to any one man.

Object. 2. It is also alledged, That Singing of Psalmes is an act of Prophecy. And the Prophets were to speake one after another, and if any thing were revealed to another that sate by, the first was to hold his peace (1 Corinthians 14:30, 31).

Answ. Prophecy is taken two wayes in Scriptures, to omit other acceptions of the word, not pertinent to the point in hand. 1. Sometimes more strictly and properly, for Preaching, that is, for expounding and applying Scripture to edification. 2. Sometimes more largely, for the publishing of spirituall things to the glory of God, and edification of our selves or others. And in this sence Master Perkins (in his Prophetica) maketh two parts of it, 1. Preaching of the Word. 2. Prayer; for which he quoteth (Genesis 20:7), Abraham is a Prophet, and he shall pray for you; he quoteth also (1 Chronicles 25:1), where the Sonnes of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were Singers, are said to Prophecy with Harpes. Which argueth that singing of Psalmes as well as Prayer, may in some sence, (to wit, in this large sence) be called an act of Prophecy. But in this sence Paul does not speake of Prophecy; for hee does expresly distinguish it from Prayer, and much more from singing (1 Corinthians 11:4, 5). And in this 14 Chapter to the Corinthians, hee does plainly distinguish prophecy from singing Psalmes; for when he exhorteth them to covet after spirituall gifts, chiefly, that they might Prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1), it is not his meaning, they should chiefly covet after the gift of enditing or singing of Psalmes, but rather after the gift of Preaching, to wit, of expounding and applying Scripture to edification. When therefore Paul directeth the Prophets to speake one by one (ver. 30, 31), He speaketh not of that kind of Prophecy, whereby many may sing one and the same Psalme together, but of the other kind of Prophecy, which is Preaching. Howbeit, true it is also, that if many shall sing severall Psalmes at one and the same time together in one and the same Congregation, it would breed the like confusion in the Church, as if the Prophets should speake two or three, or more of them at once.

If it be said, Why, is it not a confusion for so many voyces to joyne together in singing a Psalme, though it be one and the same Psalme?

Answ. No more now in the New Testament, then it was in the Old, when the Trumpeters and Singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising the Lord, and when they lift up their voyce, with the Trumpeters, & Cymbals, and Instruments of Music, and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever (2 Chronicles 5:13). For then God shewed his approbation and acceptance of that concourse and consent of so many voyces together, by filling the house of the Lord with a Cloud, which was a gracious signe of his visible presence with them, and acceptance of them, and of their worship. And surely, If the concourse and consent of so many voyces had been a confusion, doubtlesse it would have been as much displeasing to God in the old Testament, as in the New. For God is not a God of confusion in the Churches of the Saints, whether of the New Testament, or of the old (1 Corinthians 14:33). And if our desire be, the will of God may be done on earth as it is done by the Angells in Heaven, we reade of a multitude of an heavenly hoast of Angells, praising God, and saying, Glory be to God on High, &c. without any confusion.

Object. 3. Scarce any example can be given of any entire Congregation, that sang together, mentioned in Scripture.

Answ. 1. Though no example could be given, yet it is a sufficient warrant for the Duty, if any Precept have been given of it in Scripture, and the Precept is plaine in Colossians 3:16, where the whole Church of Colosse is exhorted to have the word of Christ dwell richly in them, not onely to Teach and Admonish one another, (as well in the Psalmes, as other Scriptures) but also to sing the Psalmes with holy melody to the Lord. If God had reserved this Dutie to some select Choristers, he would have given some direction in the New Testament for their Qualification and Election: But since he speaketh nothing of any such select Musitians, he commendeth this Dutie to the whole Church.

Answ. 2. It is not safely said, that scarce any example in Scripture can be given of any entire Congregation that sang together.

For 1. In Exodus 15:1, Moses and the children of Israel are said to sing a song of thanksgiving to the Lord. And the same, they, that sang this song, the same are said soon to forget God's works, and not to wait for his counsel, but to fall a lusting (Psalms 106:12, 13, 14), which was the body of the people.

2. Christ and his disciples when they administered and received the Lord's Supper, (which was a church act) they were an entire congregation. And they after supper sung a psalm or hymn (Matthew 26:30). To say, that one sang it, and the other joined in spirit, saying Amen, has no foot-hold in the text. It might as well be said, they all took the bread, they all blessed it, and broke it, and gave it, in that one did it, and all the rest joined in spirit, and consented, and like enough to the blessing of it, said Amen.

3. It is no strain of wit, but a solid and judicious exposition of the fourth chapter of the Revelation, to make it a description of a particular visible church of Christ, according to the platform and pattern of the New Testament: where, as the four living creatures, are the four sorts of officers, so the twenty-four elders set forth the brethren in the church, who are as elders (in respect of their ripe age, Galatians 4:1, 2, 3.) and twenty-four, in number, answering to the twenty-four orders of priests and Levites (1 Chronicles 25:9, &c.). And these are all said to join together in singing a new song to the Lamb (Revelation 5:8, 9, 10).

Object. 4. If the whole church should sing together, then all the members were teachers. For the Apostle bids us to teach and admonish one another in psalms (Colossians 3:16). But the same Apostle denies all to be teachers (1 Corinthians 12:29).

Answ. Though the Apostle bids us to teach and admonish one another in psalms; yet he does not say, that we should teach one another by singing psalms together; but he there holds forth a twofold use and improvement of the whole word of God dwelling richly in us, and a threefold use and improvement of the psalms. The whole word of God dwelling richly in us, is to be improved to the teaching and admonishing of one another: but the psalms are to be improved, not only to both these ends (as all the rest of the Word beside) but to a threefold end also, even to the singing of praises to the Lord. Now in this third end, all the congregation may join, in improving the psalms thereunto, though not in the public teaching or admonishing of the church by them, yet in setting forth the praises, the counsels, the works of God declared in them.

Answ. 2. Though not every one that sings a psalm, may be said forthwith to teach or admonish them that sing with him, yet he that appoints the psalm to be sung, may be said to teach and admonish the whole congregation that are to sing it, or hear it. Julian the Apostate, took himself to be admonished, yes and reproved when the Christians sang in his hearing the 115th and 97th Psalms; which declare the vanity of idols, and the confusion of such as worship them, as is recorded in the church-story by Socrates, Theodoret, Nicephorus.

Answ. 3. Though the Apostle denies all to be teachers, his meaning is only to deny, that they are all teachers by public office, to attend upon expounding and applying Scripture to public edification: but it was no part of his meaning, either to forbid private teaching, or admonition of one another, (for then Aquila and Priscilla had gone too far in instructing Apollos (Acts 18:26),) or to forbid the quickening and edifying of the spirit of one another, by singing together psalms of instruction, admonition, consolation to themselves, and prayers and praises to the Lord.