t·ifions in the Churches, and drive away the other parr. Therefore I would wilh Church-mulldr to be no where Let up, but where the Congregation can accord in the ufc of ir; or at kaft wherethey will not divide rhereupon. . 2 • And 1 think it unlawflll to ufc fuch fireins of Mufick as are Light, or as the Congregat:on cannot eati!y be broug,ht to underlhnd; Much more: on purpofe to con~mir rhe whole work of finging to the Choriflcrs, and txclude the Congregarion. I am not willing to )O}'D in fuch a Church where I Ot 1 !I be fhnt out of this noble work of praifc. 88; 5· But plain intclligibk Churc:h-rnufick, w~ich occafionc:th_ not divifioris, but the Church agreet11 in, for my part l never doubtc:d to be lawful. For, I· God fer tt up long after Mvfei Ceremonial Law, by Vavid, SelomoJt, &c. 2 • lt is not au infiitutcd Ceremony meerly, bat a 1tatural help to the minds, abcrity: And ir is a I Slm. 1£. (. duty and net a Gn to uft: the helps of nature and Lawful arr, though, to infiirute Sacrammts, &c. ofour : Chron.I).I~. own. As it is lawful to ufc the comfortable helps of fpcCbclcs in reading the Bible, fa is it of Mu· & ~~r;_n·5• 1 )' fick to exhilerate the foul towards God. & 2. 3· 1 3. ;. JeCus Chrifl joyned with the Jews that _uCed it, and never Cpake a word againll it. ": 34· "· 4 • N o Scripture forbtddeth H, therefore tt JS not unlawful. 1fal,98. & 99· . '5• Nothing c1n be againfi ir, that I know of, but what is faid againfi Tunes and Melody of Voice. & 149 · &. 150 • For whereas they fay that it is a hum~ne iNvention, fo arc our 'Tunrs (and Metre, and Vtl'fions) Yea ic is not a b11mane inVention: As the lafi Pfalm and many orher fi~w)•which call us to praife the Lord With infirumt:nts of mufick. And whereas it is hid to be a carnal ~ind of pleafure, they may fay as· much of a Melodious har– monious confort of Voices, which is mOte excellent Mufick than any Inqruments. And whcreasfome fay that they find it do them harm, fo others fay of melodious finging: But as wife men uy they find it do them good.. And why !Qould th: experience of fomc prejudiced felf– conceitcd perfon, or of a half-man that knoweth not what melody is, be fct againfi the exp~ricncc of all others, and deprive them of all fuch helps and mercies, as thefc people fay they find no benefit by. And as forne deride Church·mufick by many fcornful names, fo others do by finging (as fome Con– gregations neer me tcfiifie who there many years have: forfa.k~n it and will not endure it : but their Pafior is f.;.in to unite them, by the conllant and total omdhon of finging Pfalms J. It is a great wrong that fame dQ to ignorant Chrifiians, by putting fuch whirnfcycs and fcruples into their heads, which as foon as th~y enter, turn_ tl~at to a fcorn and fnarc and trouble, which might be a real help and comfon) to them as well as tt 1s to others. · <2.kte!l:. n8. Is the Lords day aSabbatiJ, and[oto be called a1zd kept, a11d tbat of 'Di~ cvine in[titHtio11 ~ And u the fewmh day Sabbath abrogated, &c. . ·A,.fw. ALL the CaftS about the Lords day (except thofc _prafrical direClions for keeping it, in the Oeconomical put of this Back) I have put into a peculiar Treatife oiJ that tub.. jcct by it fc.lf; and therefotc fi1all here pafs.them over, referring'Jibe Reader to them in that dif~;ourfc. ~ell:. 12 9. Is it Law[«l to appoint huma11e Holy d~es,and obferlJe tlmn ~ .;!>t[rv. THis alfo I have fpoke to in the foreCaid Trcatife, and in my DiJPut. of Chtmh-Govtrn. · and Crr. Bmfly, •· It IS not lawful to appomt another weebJy fabboth, or day wholly feparatcd to t·he Commemorationof our redempti6n: For that is to mend ( pretendcdly) the infiitu– tions of God ; Yea and to contradict him who hath judged one day only in fevcn to be the fittcil weekly proportion• . >· Aspart of fomc daycs may be weekly ufcd in holy affcmblies, fo may wh•le dayr on jufi cxtraordmary occafions, of prayer, preaching, humiliation, and thankfgiviJtg. . 3·.The holy doc\rine, lives and Cuffe~ings of the Martyrs and other holy men, hath been fo great a mercy to the Church, that ( for any thing I know) it is lawful to keep annivcrCary 'J;hankfgivings m remembrance of them, and to encourage the weak, and proYoke them to confl:ancy and imitation. 4· But to dedicate dayes or Temples to them in any hight:r fence, as the Heathens and Idolaters , did to .rheir Hero's is unlawful; or any way to intimate an attribution ofDivinity to them)by word or Wmili>p. S And they that live among Cuch Idolaters mufi take heed of giving them fcandalous encourage– ment. 6.' And they that fcrupuloufly fear fuch fin more than th<re iscaufe !hould not be forced to fin agiinl\ their Confcienccs. ' Uuuuu 2 7· But
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=