PREFACE.
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THE singing of Hymns and Sacred Songs, in connection with the Psalms of David, appears evidently to have the countenance of Scripture, Ephes. v. 18, 19. Col. iii. 16. And were it necessary, it admits of the clearest proof from history, that in the primitive ages of Christianity, Spiritual Songs, on divine subjects, different from the Psalms, were frequently used by Christians. This is sufficiently obvious from Pliny's letters, which were written about the end of the first century. * The Christians( he says) were in use to sing hymns to Christ, as to God*"
The book of Psalms is indeed greatly to be esteemed, and were Christians allowed to make use of one only of the sacred books in praising God, I am of opinion that the Psalms should be preferred to any other, on account of the great diversity of objects and cases contained in them, But by divine appointment Christians are laid under no such restriction, and therefore no human authority should be suffered to abridge that liberty, which the Scriptures grant them, and wherewith Christ hath made them free.
Are not the Psalms or Songs of Moses, of Isaiah, of Paul, of Peter, of John, and of other sacred writers, as sacred and important as these of David, Asaph, Heman ,. & c.? Particularly, can any just reason be assigned, why Christians should not sing the Songs of their own dispensation, but still confine themselves to those of the ancient tabernacle and temple? They very properly use passages of the New Testament in their prayers, and why not also in their praises? In their prayers they bless God, either in the express words of the New Testament, or words framed by themselves in agreea
Plin Lib x. Epist 97.- Quod essent Soliti( i. e. Christiani) carmen Chrifto, quasi Deo, dicere.