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C\hv<xxy of Che t:heolo0ical Seminar jp 
 
 PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Mrs. Winthro^'j) W. Aldrich 
 
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A DIALO GUE 
 
 BETWEEN A 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN 
 
 AXD A 
 
 ( ( 
 
 ERIEND." 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. A. ALEXANDER, D.D. 
 
 " Prove all things : hold fast that which is good." 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
 
 No. 265 CHESTNUT STREET. 
 
DIALOGUE. 
 
 Presbyterian. Friend Thomas, I was 
 glad to see you at our church on last Sab- 
 bath evening — I think you were never there 
 before. How did you like our young 
 preacher ? 
 
 Friend. Neighbour John, I am not fond 
 of being catechized. I went on the evening of 
 First-day, to the meeting, because I was told 
 that the preacher intended to speak of our 
 deceased friend Jeremy Jones, a neighbour 
 I much esteemed. But in regard to this, I 
 was disappointed. And as to the matter of 
 the young man's discourse, it was well enough ; 
 but to tell thee the truth, neighbour, I have 
 a strong dislike of these hireling preachers, 
 who make a traffic of the truth of God. 
 
 P. Is not the labourer worthy of his hire ? 
 If any man spends his time and strength 
 in serving you, is it not reasonable that you 
 should support him ? 
 
 F. The Bible tells us that none should be 
 induced to seek the ministry for the love of 
 filthy lucre ; that what we receive freely, we 
 should give freely. 
 
 P. I agree with you, friend, that it is 
 wicked for any one to be moved to preach by 
 
 (3) 
 
4 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 the love of money ; but that very text shows 
 that it was common in the days of the apos- 
 tles, to receive remuneration for preaching; 
 Otherwise, there would have been no tempta- 
 tion to seek that office from the love of filthy 
 lucre. I agree with you, also, that the mira- 
 culous gifts of healing, conferred on the 
 apostles, were to be exercised freely, and not 
 sold for money. "We know that Simon Ma- 
 gus was declared to be in "the gall of bitter- 
 ness and bonds of iniquity," because he 
 thought these miraculous gifts could be bought 
 with money. But when the apostles were 
 sent out at first by our Lord, and he said, 
 "Freely ye have received, freely give," he 
 intended that the people to whom they were 
 sent should support them ; for he commanded 
 them to take no money, nor any clothing, 
 but what they had on ; and the reason as- 
 signed is, " The labourer is worthy of his 
 hire." As they could not live without food, 
 and were not permitted to take money in 
 their purse to buy, they must have been sup- 
 ported by the people among whom they 
 laboured. 
 
 F. But Paul refused to receive any thing 
 for his preaching, and supported himself by 
 the labour of his own hands. 
 
 P. When Paul came to Corinth, there 
 was no Christian church there, and he could 
 not expect to be supported in preaching the 
 
ADIALOaUE. 6 
 
 gospel by the heathen ; therefore he resorted 
 to ^vorking at the trade of tent-making, which 
 he had learned in his youth. 
 
 F. But, afterwards when there was a 
 numerous church gathered at Corinth, Paul 
 refused to receive any thing from them for 
 his labours. 
 
 P. His refusing to receive any pecu- 
 niary compensation for his labours at Cor- 
 inth, was not owing to any opinion that 
 that was unlawful in itself ; but he pursued 
 this course for prudential reasons, on account 
 of certain false teachers, who had come in 
 among the people, and who were endeavour- 
 ing to lessen the influence of the apostle. 
 That this is a true statement, appears from 
 what he says when speaking on this very sub- 
 ject. "Have I committed an offence in 
 abasing myself that ye might be exalted, be- 
 cause I have preached to you the gospel of 
 God freely ? I robbed other churches, taking 
 wages of them, to do you service." (2 Cor. xi. 
 7, 8.) Accordingly, he expresses warmly his 
 gratitude to the church at Philippi, because 
 they had, above others, been attentive to the 
 supply of his necessities. '' Notwithstanding 
 ye have well done, that ye did communicate 
 with my affliction. Now, ye Philippians, know 
 also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when 
 I departed from Macedonia, no church com- 
 municated with me as concerning giving and 
 1^ 
 
6 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 receiving, but ye only. For even in Thcssa- 
 lonica, ye sent once and again unto my neces- 
 sity !" (Phil. iv. 14— IG.) 
 
 F. Why, then, did not Paul explicitly de- 
 clare, that the preachers of the gospel ought 
 to be supported by the people ? 
 
 P. Friend Thomas, I really thought that 
 you were more familiar with the writings of 
 Paul, than to ask such a question. The very 
 thing which you require has been done. 
 There is not a truth more clearly taught, nor 
 a duty more expressly inculcated in the New 
 Testament. 
 
 F. Point me to the passage ; for it has 
 escaped my notice, or slipped from my 
 memory. 
 
 P. I have a New Testament with me, 
 and I will read it to you from the ix. chap, 
 of first Corinthians. '' Who goeth a warfare 
 at any time, at his own charges ? Who planteth 
 a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit there- 
 of ? Or who fcedeth a flock, and eateth not 
 of the milk of the flock ? Say I these things 
 as a man, or saith not the law the same also ? 
 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou 
 shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that 
 treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care 
 for oxen ? Or saith he it altogether for our 
 sakes ? For our sakcs, no doubt, this is writ- 
 ten. If we have sown unto you spiritual 
 things, is it a great thing that we shall reap 
 
A DIALOGUE 
 
 your carnal things ? Do ye not know that 
 they -which minister about holy things, live 
 of the things of the temple : and they which 
 wait at the altar are partakers with the altar ? 
 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they 
 which preach the gospel should live of the 
 gospel." 
 
 F. I remember the passage now, since 
 thou hast recited it. But our people do not 
 take it literally ; but suppose that Paul is 
 speaking of the spiritual blessings which they 
 enjoy who preach the gospel. 
 
 P. It is impossible, friend, that they 
 should be right in their interpretation, for 
 Paul calls the things which religious teachers 
 received from the people whom they served, 
 " carnal things ;" that is, things which relate to 
 the sustenance and comfort of the body. But 
 what Paul says of himself demonstrates, that 
 they were not spiritual blessings of which he 
 speaks, unless you would suppose that he had 
 no experience of grace. For he says, ex- 
 pressly, " Nevertheless, we have not used this 
 power ; but suffer all things lest we should 
 hinder the gospel of Christ." And again, 
 " But I have used none of these things, nei- 
 ther have I written these things that it should 
 be so done unto me ; for it were better for 
 me to die, than that any man should make 
 my glorying void." (1 Cor. ix. 12, 15.) 
 
 F. I am unable to explain this matter 
 
» ADIALOGITE. 
 
 now ; but I Avill consult the elders of our 
 meeting, and ascertain how they dispose of 
 this passable. I am sure they must have some 
 method of interpreting it, consistently with 
 our sentiments. 
 
 P. My good friend, I do not think that 
 you need go to any one to explain these words. ' 
 The meaning is as plain as it could possibly 
 be made. In this case, you should judge for 
 yourself. I know it is a cross to depart from 
 that religion in which we have been brought 
 up ; but it is the interest of every one to for- 
 sake error, when discovered, and to prize the 
 truth as the most precious jewel. " Buy the 
 truth, and sell it not." 
 
 But, friend Thomas, I wish to ask you one 
 question. Is it not the custom in your so- 
 ciety to defray the expenses of travelling 
 preachers when they are poor ? 
 
 F. It is, and this is necessary to enable 
 these public friends, when moved, to go forth 
 and visit places distant from their home. This 
 we do not consider in the lii^ht of hire for 
 preaching, but merely as necessary to enabl'e 
 these public friends to travel, as they cannot 
 live on air. But our public friends, who are 
 accustomed to speak in our meetings, never 
 receive any thing for their services. 
 
 jP. Very well. You may call this contri- 
 bution to travelling friends by what name 
 you please ; but the principle is the very 
 
ADIALOGUE. 9 
 
 same as that adopted by us. "We do not pay 
 our ministers for dispensing the word; but 
 we support them, that they may have it in 
 their power to preach the gospel ; and as to 
 what you observe in regard to such as preach 
 in their own meeting, I am fully of opinion 
 that they should receive nothing for their 
 services ; because they employ no part of their 
 time in preparation. But our ministers are 
 required to spend much money in preparing 
 for the ministry — frequently their whole pa- 
 trimony ; and they are expected to spend much 
 time in studying the Scriptures and preparing 
 their discourses. Your preachers can follow 
 their secular pursuits without interruption ; 
 but ours must devote their lives to study and 
 to pastoral duties ; so that they cannot and 
 ought not to engage in worldly business. 
 The apostle Paul has given them a rule, 
 which, without sin, they cannot neglect. 
 
 F. What rule is that? 
 
 P. I will read it to you out of his first 
 epistle to Timothy, (iv. 13—16.) '* Till I 
 come, give attendance to reading, to exhor- 
 tation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that 
 is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, 
 with the laying on of the hands of the Pres- 
 bytery. Meditate upon these things. Give 
 thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may 
 appear unto all. Take heed unto thyself, 
 and unto the doctrine ; continue in them ; for 
 
10 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and 
 them that hear thee." Now if any man de- 
 votes his whole time and talents to the in- 
 struction of a congregation, nothing can be 
 more equitable, than that they should furnish 
 him and his family with a decent support. 
 
 F. Well, neighbour, I will think more 
 about this matter ; but there are other things 
 in which thou diiferest from the Friends, 
 which I do not think thou canst defend ; at 
 least to my satisfaction. 
 
 P. I know that I am liable to error, as 
 well as others ; and all I can say is, that as 
 soon as I am convinced that any tenet of 
 mine is contrary to reason or the word of 
 God, I will renounce it ; for my earnest 
 desire is to be found walking in the truth. 
 Mention then, what it is in my creed, which 
 you think cannot be defended. 
 
 F. I had reference to those external cere- 
 monies which thy church retains and prac- 
 tises. I mean baptism and the Lord's supper ; 
 which ordinances might have suited a dispen- 
 sation of figures and shadows ; but which seem 
 to me altogether unsuitable to the spiritual 
 dispensation of the gospel. 
 
 P. The ordinances to which you refer, 
 "Would be mere will-worship, if not appointed 
 by Christ, whose commandments we are bound 
 to obey. We reject every ceremony for which 
 we have not a "Thus saith the Lord." But 
 
ADIALOGUE. 11 
 
 if he commands us to observe any external 
 ceremonies, then it is undoubtedly our duty 
 to comply, for we are bound to keep all his 
 commandments. 
 
 F. The ceremonial law is abrogated, and 
 all these external institutions, like shadows, 
 have passed away, since Christ, the substance, 
 is come. In my opinion these outward forms 
 are unprofitable, and have been the occasion 
 of much contention, and of much superstition. 
 And as mere bodily exercise can profit little, 
 it is the part of wisdom to lay all such things 
 aside, and rather attend to the inner man, 
 and to the motions of the Spirit prompting us 
 to seek communion with the Father of our 
 
 spirits. 
 
 P. No doubt an undue dependence may 
 be placed on external ordinances, and men 
 may attend hypocritically on these outward 
 forms, when the heart is far from God ; but 
 while we are in the body, we need some ex- 
 ternal rites of worship, that we may glorify 
 God with our bodies as well as with our 
 spirits. (1 Cor. vi. 20.) Even in Paradise, 
 God gave to man in innocence, certain ex- 
 ternal objects, connected with his religion. 
 There was the tree of knowledge of good and 
 evil in the midst of the garden, and also the 
 tree of life. Besides, when God had finished 
 all his works of creation, he sanctified the 
 seventh day; that is, set it apart from a 
 
12 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 common to a holy use. And as soon as man 
 had fallen, sacrifices were instituted ; and 
 from time to time, other ceremonies, most of 
 vhich had a prospective aspect ; thev pointed 
 to Christ, the Redeemer, and to his c^l' riouB 
 vork. When Christ came and suffered on 
 the cross the tvpical ceremonies were of 
 course no longer needed. The bodv having 
 appeared, the shadows became useless. But 
 there was nothing in the new dispensa- 
 tion which rendered it unsuitable to appoint a 
 fev simple, striking institutions, which might 
 serve as emblems of spiritual blessings, 
 seals of God's covenant, and memorials of 
 important events, and which might serve as 
 modes of external worship. But I admit, 
 that if Christ has not instituted these cere- 
 monies, it would be impious in us to attend 
 on them. Christ is King, and makes his own 
 laws, which it is our duty to obey, of what- 
 ever kind they may be. I think, friend, that 
 you will not deny, that we ought to obey all 
 the commandments of Christ. 
 
 F. Certainly not. All I want is to be 
 convinced that Christ requires such services 
 at our hands. My opinion, however, is, that 
 if any such ordinances were observed by 
 Christ and his apostles, it was only in com- 
 pliance with Jewish prejudices. We know, 
 that Paul circumcised Timothy ; and that he 
 made a vow, and shaved his head, at Cen- 
 
A DIALOGTE. 
 
 13 
 
 chrea, and went into the temple at Jerusalem, 
 and passed through a course of purification. 
 Xow. would any r^an infer from these actions 
 of the apostle, that these ceremonies were 
 binding on us ; or that it would be right tor 
 us to iollow his example in these things ? 
 
 P. AYhat you say has force, as it relates 
 to Jewish ceremonies"; but, if Christ has com- 
 manded certain positive duties to his disciples, 
 entirely distinct from the Mosaic rites, and 
 havin2;'a spiritual end, we cannot be at liberty 
 to dis'pense with these, unless we can prove 
 that they were intended to be temporary. 
 
 When our Lord was about to leave the 
 world after his resurrection, he said, " Go, 
 teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost, teaching them to observe all things 
 whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I 
 am with you always, even unto the end of the 
 world." To be sure, water is not mentioned ; 
 but it would not be ingenuous to found an ob- 
 jection on that omission. Ko other than water 
 baptism was administered, or could be adminis- 
 tered by the apostles, in the name of the sacred 
 Trinity. No doubt it was premised that Christ 
 should baptize with the Holy Ghost and with 
 fire ; but that baptism was internal, and not to 
 be administered by man, nor in the name of the 
 Trinity. When the three thousand converts, 
 on the day of Pentecost, were exhorted by 
 
14 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 Peter to be baptized, it was that they might 
 receive the Holy Ghost ; that is, be endued 
 with his miraculous gifts. And when Cor- 
 nelius and his family were baptizod, water is 
 expressly mentioned. " ^Yi\o can forbid 
 water?" said Peter. And when Paul was 
 baptized, he was exhorted by Ananias to 
 " arise and be baptized and wash away hia 
 sins ;" and from that day to this, baptism 
 has been practised in every age and in every 
 section of the Christian Church, with the ex- 
 ception of the society of Friends and a few 
 others. And that the ordinance was intended 
 to be perpetual, is evident from the Saviour's 
 promise, " Lo, I am with you always, even 
 unto the end of the world" — with you in 
 preaching and baptizing. What Paul says, 
 when he thanks God that he had baptized few 
 of the Corinthians, shows that it was not spi- 
 ritual baptism to which he referred, but water 
 baptism. If Christ intended water baptism 
 to be a temporary ordinance, he has left no 
 hint of his will on record ; and the whole 
 Church in all ages, has fallen into a grievous 
 mistake. 
 
 F. Let me now hear what thou hast next 
 to say in favour of the Lord's supper, as a 
 standing ordinance. 
 
 P. It is my candid opinion, that all that 
 
 is necessary to convince an impartial mind, 
 
 . of the binding obligation of this sacrament, 
 
ADIALOGUE. 15 
 
 is a careful consideration of what the sacred 
 Scriptures teach on this subject. It has been 
 a matter of astonishment to me, that serious 
 inquirers among the Friends could avoid 
 seeing that this is an ordinance of Christ, 
 and a very delightful privilege, which Chris- 
 tians have always greatly prized, and which 
 will be perpetual in the Church. 
 
 F. Well, neighbour, I have read the New 
 Testament from the beginning to the end, as 
 often as almost any one, and I was never con- 
 vinted that these ordinances, or sacraments 
 as thou callest them, were binding on me. 
 " Let every man be fully persuaded in his 
 own mind." It would be sin in me to par- 
 take of that bread and wine ; for Paul saith, 
 "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." And I 
 assure thee, I have no faith in this thing. 
 
 P. Our believing a thing does not make 
 it true ; nor does our disbelieving it make it 
 false. I do not doubt but that you sincerely 
 believe as you say ; but, friend, you will par- 
 don me for thinking, that when you read the 
 New Testament, your eyes were hood-winked 
 by the prejudices of your education. Per- 
 mit me, therefore, to direct your attention to 
 some texts of Scripture Y»hich have a bear- 
 ing on this subject. 
 
 F. Well, neighbour John, thou mayest ; 
 but I tell thee beforehand, that I do not think 
 thou wilt ever convince me that I ought, as a 
 
16 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 religious ceremony, to eat a bit of bread, and 
 take a sup of wine. There is no religion in 
 this. Religion is in the heart, and not in 
 outward ceremonies. 
 
 P. It is very probable that we shall both 
 be, when our conference is ended, just where 
 we were when we began. But still it is a duty 
 which we owe one to another, to communi- 
 cate what we believe to be truth to our neigh- 
 bour. As to what you say, that religion has 
 its seat in the heart, I believe it ; but, '* out 
 of the abundance of the heart the mOuth 
 speaketh." " Out of the heart are the issues 
 of life." If God has commanded us to per- 
 form this external act of eating bread and 
 drinking wine, you cannot deny that we ought 
 to obey him. Whatever he commands is 
 right, whether we can see the reason of it or 
 not; and we have no right to judge of the 
 reasonableness of his commands. Now, he 
 has said, ** Do this in remembrance of me ;" 
 that is, eat bread and drink wine in remem- 
 brance of me. It is a thing easy to be per- 
 formed, and we ought to comply with this 
 injunction of our dying Lord. 
 
 F. Neighbour, let me tell thee that 
 thou dost run too fast to a conclusion ; thou 
 oughtest to prove, that that commandment is 
 binding on us. Eemember it was addressed 
 to the twelve disciples more than eighteen 
 hundred years ago, and nothing is said about 
 
ADIALOGUE. 17 
 
 doing this often. If thej did it once, they 
 obeyed the Lord's commandment. And not 
 a word is said respecting its observance by 
 those who were to come after them. 
 
 P. I confess, if this were the only text 
 on the subject, I might find it difficult to 
 prove what you require. But I will now 
 refer you to another passage, which contains 
 full proof of both the things for which you 
 demand proof. 
 
 F. If thou canst do this, it will be more 
 than I have ever seen done yet. Come, I 
 am anxious to hear what thou hast to say. 
 
 P. I will again read out of my New Tes- 
 tament the passage to which I refer. It is 
 found in xi. chap, of 1 Cor. Paul says, " For 
 I have received of the Lord, that which also 
 I delivered unto you ; that the Lord Jesus, 
 the same night in which he was betrayed, 
 took bread, and when he had given thanks, he 
 brake it, and said. Take, eat ; this is my body, 
 which is broken for you : this do in remem- 
 brance of me. After the same manner also 
 he took the cup." Now, Paul received his 
 instructions immediately from the risen Sa- 
 viour ; and with the gospel, he received this 
 ordinance, to be communicated to the 
 churches which he should gather. And that 
 it was not to be, like baptism, observed but 
 once, is evident from the words " as oft as ye 
 drink it," from which it may be inferred, 
 
 2* 
 
18 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 that it was an ordinance to be often cele- 
 brated. 
 
 F. But still, tills does not prove that this 
 practice was to be continued through all ages ; 
 and that it is now binding on us. 
 
 P. The constant understanding and prac- 
 tice of the Christian Church unto this time, 
 ought to satisfy us, that it was intended to 
 be a standing ordinance, especially as no- 
 thinsr is said to lead to the idea that it 
 was to cease. And this is the most reason- 
 able construction, when we consider that 
 Christians now have as much reason to re- 
 member Christ's death as those who lived in 
 the apostle's days. 
 
 F. I thought from thy positive manner of 
 speaking, that thou hadst some more express 
 testimony for the continuance of this cere- 
 mony through all ages. 
 
 P. I was just about to adduce the text 
 which proves it, from the same chapter 
 already quoted. Paul says, " For as often 
 as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye 
 do show the Lord's death till he come.'^ 
 "What could be more express? When Christ 
 shall come in his glory, he will find some of 
 his disciples occupied in thus remembering 
 him. And it is a memorial calculated to 
 keep up a lively remembrance of the death 
 of the Redeemer, and is adapted to our 
 nature; for how often do departing friends 
 
A D lALOGU E. l9 
 
 leave some token of remembrance to those 
 left behind ! It is good to remembei our 
 best Friend ; and this ordinance assists in 
 calling him to mind. 
 
 F. Thy church, neighbour, has another 
 practice, which is very offensive to our peo- 
 ple. I mean the singing of psalms and 
 hymns, set to artificial music. It is a strange 
 conceit, that God, who is a pure Spirit, can 
 take delight in hearing these musical sounds. 
 It is something akin to the notions of some 
 heathen, who believed that their gods were 
 refreshed with food set before them, and re- 
 galed with the savour of meats, and the odour 
 of incense. 
 
 P. No opinion of the society of Friends 
 is more unaccountable to me than their pre- 
 judice against sacred music, in the worship 
 of God. In the other ordinances to which 
 they are opposed, there is of the nature of 
 ceremony and positive- institution ; but in 
 this case they set themselves in opposition 
 to a natural expression of our feelings. Music 
 of some kind is found among all nations, 
 ancient and modern, and is undoubtedly a 
 natural expression of lively emotions. 
 
 F. Nature does not teach us to sing in 
 artificial measure and tune; but merely to 
 emit such sounds as correspond with our 
 feelings at the moment. 
 
 P. If certain tones of voice are natural 
 
20 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 expressions of certain emotions of the mind, 
 surely there can be nothing evil in the regu- 
 lation of these sounds, and reducing them to 
 systems ; so that a number of persons may 
 unite in the same song of praise to God. 
 And if singing tones are prompted by the 
 constitution which God has given us, there 
 is nothing unreasonable in supposing, that if 
 the emotions of love and gratitude in the 
 soul are pleasing to God, the expression of 
 these feelings by appropriate sounds, cannot 
 be offensive to him. The Scripture teaches, 
 that we should " present our bodies as a liv- 
 ing sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable, 
 which is our reasonable service." And again, 
 "Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a 
 price ; therefore glorify God with your body 
 and spirit, which are God's." Now it is 
 written, " He that offercth praise, glorifieth 
 me." How can we offer our bodies a sa- 
 crifice, but by presenting them before God 
 in reverential and huuible acts of worship, as 
 we are taught in Ileb. xiii. 15? "By Ilim, 
 therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to 
 God continually; that is, THE FRUIT OF OUR 
 LIPS, giving thanks to his name. 
 
 F. Well, I must confess, that the prac- 
 tice is not at all edifvino; to me. It has a 
 trifling and puerile appearance, to see a whole 
 congregation or a select choir, chasing one 
 another by artificial sounds, and in such 
 
ADIALOGUE. 21 
 
 tunes often, as seem better suited for idle 
 people to dance after, than to aid devotion in 
 public worship. 
 
 P. Friend, you confound two things which 
 should be kept distinct ; unsuitable and im- 
 proper tunes, with the propriety of using 
 sacred music of any kind. I have heard 
 prayers offered with a very unbecoming tone ; 
 but that does not prove that it is not proper 
 to use the voice in prayer. I admit that there 
 is often a want of good taste in the selection 
 of tunes, and that this part of worship is 
 often performed in a very unsatisfactory 
 manner. But we have many good tunes, and 
 praise may be offered by a whole congrega- 
 tion with elevated feeling and delightful 
 solemnity. 
 
 F. What dost thou say of instrumental 
 music in the worship of God, for I observe 
 that it is being introduced in many of your 
 churches ? 
 
 P. I shall not enter on the discussion of 
 that subject at present, because it forms no 
 part of our system, and it is not adopted by 
 most of our churches ; but singing we hold 
 to be an imperative duty on all Christians, 
 and it is a grand defect in your meetings that 
 the sound of praise is never heard there. 
 
 F. Neighbour John, thou dost rather sur- 
 prise me, by asserting that singing is a com- 
 manded duty. I thought that at most it was 
 
22 ADIALOGUE. 
 
 a matter of option, for every one to adopt or 
 reject, according to his taste and inclination. 
 
 P. Friend Thomas, it grieves me to find 
 that YOU make duty so much a matter of 
 feeling and taste, and so seldom refer to the 
 Holy Scriptures, to ascertain the mind of the 
 Lord. If there were no positive command to 
 sing the praises of God, the thing would be 
 lawful, for nature prompts men of all coun- 
 tries to its performance under strong emo- 
 tions of gratitude. Thus Miriam and her 
 company sang at the deliverance at the Red 
 Sea. And the sons of the prophets, when 
 under the divine afflatus^ sang and played on 
 instruments. 
 
 F. "What was done under the Old Testa- 
 ment, in the worship of the tabernacle and 
 temple, is no more a rule for us, than the 
 command to offer a sacrifice or burn incense. 
 
 P. There is a great difi'erence. Prais- 
 ing God with the voice, I have proved to be 
 a moral and not a ceremonial duty. It \s 
 therefore proper in every age, and under 
 every dispensation. But I will undertake to 
 prove from the New Testament, that sinsins 
 in the worship of God is a commanded duty. 
 
 F. Do this, and it will be to the purpose ; 
 but I have not yet seen such a command, 
 often as I have read the New Testament. 
 
 P. Prejudice often blinds our eyes, so 
 that we see not in Scripture what is plainly 
 
ADIALOGUE. 23 
 
 set do-wn there. Have you not read, that 
 Christ and his disciples, after the Passover, 
 "went out and sang a hymn ? Have you not 
 read that the angels sang a glorious anthem 
 at the birth of Christ ? Have you not read, 
 how Paul and Silas sang praises in the pri- 
 son at Philippi, at midnight, and the prisoners 
 heard them ? 
 
 F. All this does not amount to a com- 
 mand for us to sing. 
 
 P. "Well, I will give it to you in the 
 words of Paul, in his epistle to the Colossians, 
 (iii. 16,) " Let the word of Christ dwell in 
 you richly in all wisdom, teaching and ad- 
 monishing one another in psalms, and hymns, 
 and spiritual songs, singing with grace in 
 your hearts to the Lord." 
 
 I do not know what your society will do 
 when they arrive at heaven ; for there the 
 redeemed sing a new song, which none others 
 can learn : " To Him that loved us and 
 washed us in his own blood, and hath made 
 us kings and priests unto God." If we ex- 
 pect to join in the praises of heaven, we 
 should begin our song here upon earth. 
 
 F. I trust that if we shall ever be so 
 happy as to reach heaven, we shall be pre- 
 pared to join in all the sublime services of 
 that glorious place. But the question is, not 
 what we shall do in heaven, but what God 
 requires of us here. And in regard to this 
 
24 ADIALOQUE. 
 
 I a^rree with tliee, that, prejudice aside, we 
 should impartially and diligently seek to 
 know the Divine will. I confess that some 
 things which thou hast brought forward, do, 
 in some measure, shake my confidence in my 
 former opinions ; and I am determined to 
 give the subject an honest investigation, and 
 to follow the lisiht of truth whithersoever it 
 may lead. 
 
 P. Permit me before we part, to put you 
 in mind of the necessity of the teachinor of 
 the Holy Spirit. Without his guidance, we 
 are almost sure to err. And this is in ac- 
 cordance with the principles of your Society, 
 who profess in all their religious acts to fol- 
 low the promptings of this Divine Monitor. 
 The only point of difference between you 
 and us, touching this matter, is that while 
 you expect this guidance, without the word, 
 w^e believe that it is afforded only through 
 the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 May that effectual Teacher make us both 
 wise to salvation ! 
 
 F, So let it be ! 
 
 THE END. 
 

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