Singing of Psalms a Gospel-ordinance, or, A TreatiseSinging of Psalmes a Gospel-ordinance, or, A Treatise

A double ground or reason may be given hereof: The former is this; If it be lawful to translate and turn the Hebrew Bible into English Prose in order to reading, then it is lawful also to translate and turn Davids Hebrew Psalms, and verse into our English Psalms and Verse, in order to Singing. But the former of these, is a confessed Truth, and generally received amongst Protestants; except only Mr. Smith, who had a singular conceit in this Point, That all Letters in the writings of the old Testament were typical (•yping out the Law written in our hearts:) and therefore […] ••ve all reading of the holy Scripture to be abolished under the New Testament. But Christ himself commanded his Disciples to search the Scriptures, Joh. 5.39. And how shall they search •hem, except they read them? And the noble Beraeans are commanded for searching the Scriptures, in the examining of Pauls Doctrine, ⟨p. 55⟩Acts 17.11, 12. which how could they have done without reading? And wherefore did all the Apostles and Evangelists write the New Testament in Greek? a language of all more generally known then the Latin, and therefore much more then any other in the world, as Tully himself testifieth Pro Archiâ Poetâ: was it not for this end, that the New Testament might be read, and generally understood of all Nations? And where it was not understood, there it might most easily be translated out of a language well known unto the several language of every Nation? And as for the old Testament, it was translated to their hands out of the Hebrew into Greek almost three hundred years before the Apostles times. Yea wherefore did God commit the whole Counsel of his will and word to writing, for the edification and salvation of all his people, but that it might be read and understood of them all? If then it be the holy will of God, that the Hebrew Scriptures should be translated into English Prose in order unto reading, then it is in like sort his holy will, that the Hebrew Psalms (which are Poems and Verses) should be translated into English Poems and Verses in order to Singing.

A double ground or reason may be given hereof: The former is this; If it be lawfull to translate and turne the Hebrew Bible into English Prose in order to reading, then it is lawfull also to translate and turne Davids Hebrew Psalmes, and verse into our English Psalmes and Verse, in order to Singing. But the former of these, is a confessed Truth, and generally received amongst Protestants; except onely Mr. Smith, who had a sngular conceit in this Point, That all Letters in the writings of the old Testament were typicall (yping out the Law written in our hearts:) and therefore ve all reading of the holy Scripture to be abolished under the New Testament. But Christ himself commanded his Disciples to search the Scriptures,