A02990:84
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulness of a stinted liturgy and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keys: tending to satisfy the doubtful, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulnesse of a stinted liturgie and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes: tending to satisfie the doubtfull, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.
Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the University of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640
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.
This is not to the purpose.1 For the psalms penned by the prophets are patterns and forms of spiritual songs, but not set forms prescribed to us as psalms to be sung in those very words and forms. Though the psalms be parts of the canonical scripture, our brethren must esteem the use of them as a prescript form to be the devise of man; because ⟨p. 59⟩God hath not given them to that end, nor by his commandment tied us and all churches to them and none others, in the precise form of words. When in the new Testament we are exhorted to sing psalms,2 they will not say that we are tied to Davids psalms,3 or other songs given by immediate Divine inspiration. If therefore a prescript form of psalms be lawful,4 it must be of such as are devised by men, and not immediately inspired by the holy Ghost. Besides, we cannot say that the psalms as they are sung in metre in our churches, or (for ought I know) in any churches in the Christian world, are the immediate and infallible truth of God, given by inspiration of God, any more then we can say of an holy paraphrase upon the scripture,5 that it is the scripture it self. In the new Testament since Christ we have no precedent of any stinted form of singing recorded in scripture: and if we look to the practice of the times after the Apostles, we shall find the church used other hymns, and not scripture-psalms only.6
This is not to the purpose.1 For the psalmes penned by the prophets are paterns and forms of spirituall songs, but not set forms prescribed to us as psalmes to be sung in those very words and forms. Though the psalmes be parts of the canonicall scripture, our brethren must esteem the use of them as a prescript form to be the devise of man; because