I do not find any Man giving any convincing Argument, that no Hymns that are made out of God's Word, or putting other Scripture-Songs, as the Canticles, &c. into Verse, or proper Measure to be sung, are excluded in those words, Psalms, and Hymns and Spiritual Songs. I am of the same Mind with those Learned Men that Mr. Wilson in his Dictionary, and others speak of, that Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs comprehend all kinds of Spiritual Songs, whereby the Faithful sing to the Glory of God, and the Edification of the Church, provided they are taken out of the Word of Christ. Moreover, I have met with a Piece written by a very Learned Man, who after he hath given the Sense of some Men about the Titles of the Psalms, and various Acceptation of the words, Psalms, Hymns and spiritual Songs, speaks thus, Yet I must tell you by the way, that these words in the Hebrew do not make such a precise difference: For Tehillim is the general Title of all the Psalms; Mismor the particular Title of most Psalms, as well as of the Psalms of Degrees: Nor do the Greek ⟨p. 98⟩Words make such a distinguishing difference, for a Psalm is of [Greek or Hebrew] to sing, and a Hymn of [Greek or Hebrew], to sing Praise: And […] Odo, called a spiritual Ode, or Song, by […] Translators, is of the word [Greek or Hebrew], so that it seems to me, saith he, that the Apostle useth many words to signify that all […] Singing should be of Divine Things, (and not vain things) to glorify God, and not to please our foolish Fancies. But whether we distinguish the one way or the other, […] see (saith he) the Apostles press the Duty of spiritual Singing, whether of this kind or that, (viz. whether Psalms of David, […] other spiritual Hymns;) whether called of Men of this Name, or that Name, in which Injunctions the Apostles are so clear, that very few since the coming of Christ, that I know of, have made scruple of the thing; and if any have of late, they never mention these places, as if either they did not remember them, or could not answer them.
I do not find any Man giving any convincing Argument, that no Hymns that are made out of God's Word, or putting other Scripture-Songs, as the Canticles, &c. into Verse, or proper Measure to be sung, are excluded in those words, Psalms, and Hymns and Spiritual Songs. I am of the same Mind with those Learned Men that Mr. Wilson in his Dictionary, and others speak of, that Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs comprehend all kinds of Spiritual Songs, whereby the Faithful sing to the Glory of God, and the Edification of the Church, provided they are taken out of the Word of Christ. Moreover, I have met with a Piece written by a very Learned Man, who after he hath given the Sense of some Men about the Titles of the Psalms, and various Acceptation of the words, Psalms, Hymns and spiritual Songs, speaks thus, Yet I must tell you by the way, that these words in the Hebrew do not make such a precise difference: For Tehillim is the general Title of all the Psalms; Mismor the particular Title of most Psalms, as well as of the Psalms of Degrees: Nor do the Greek ⟨p. 98⟩Words make such a distinguishing difference, for a Psalm is of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 to sing, and a Hymn of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, to sing Praise: And 〈…〉 Odo, called a spiritual Ode, or Song, by 〈…〉 Translators, is of the word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, so that it seems to me, saith he, that the Apostle useth many words to signify that all 〈…〉 Singing should be of Divine Things, (and not vain things) to glorify God, and not to please our foolish Fancies. But whether we distinguish the one way or the other, 〈…〉 see (saith he) the Apostles press the Duty of spiritual Singing, whether of this kind or that, (viz. whether Psalms of David, 〈…〉 other spiritual Hymns;) whether called of Men of this Name, or that Name, in which Injunctions the Apostles are so clear, that very few since the coming of Christ, that I know of, have made scruple of the thing; and if any have of late, they never mention these places, as if either they did not remember them, or could not answer them.
