The reviler rebuked: or, A re-inforcement of the charge against the Quakers, (so called) for their contradictions to the Scriptures of God, and to their own scriblings,: which Richard Farnworth attempted to answer in his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures; but is farther discovered, with his fellow-contradictors and revilers, and their doctrine, to be anti-Scriptural, anti-Christian, and anti-spiritual. By John Stalham, a servant of the great bishop and shepherd of souls, appointed to watch his little flock at Terling in Essex.

(15. Head of their Scripture-contradiction.) Concerning Singing.

Section 42.

I Gave account of their express words, We are against all your Davids Praises and Prophecies in meeter; con∣trary to Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. and other Scriptures. R. F. * 1.1 makes me this return, Singing of Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs, we are not against, but own; but your Poetry we deny.

Rep. He might as well say, your translation of them into English meeter we deny: But if Psalms, Hymns, and spiri∣tual Songs be owned, they are either Davids, and other of the Saints penning, and the Spirits inditing in the Scripture, or of their own composing: if they own none but of their own composing, they reject Davids, and what was left for* 1.2 our use in Scripture; contradicting both it by that rejecti∣on, and themselves also, by owning Psalms, Hymns, and Songs, and dis-owning meeter or Poetry: for never was there Song, Hymn, or Psalm sung forth, as it ought to be, but it had some modulation, musical measure, or tune. What is Poetry, but a confined speech, or words bound up into verses of so many feet? Or, what is meeter, but a form of words ordered into set pauses and rests, and sung in its due measures? And what better Poetry then that in the Scripture? which is translated and ordered as suteth best to our own mother Tongue, for singing, and teaching others to sing Davids words and praises, with Davids spirit.

But saith R. F. We deny your teaching people to sing lyes in hypocrisie, saying, they are not puft in minde, when they are puft in minde; and, they have no scornful eye, when they have.

Rep. 1. We call none to sing that which is not true, for the matter; and we exhort them to sing in a sincere maner, with an upright heart.

2. A sincere heart may sing that, or other Psalms, as Davids frame of spirit more then his own; yet, with de∣sires and breathings after a farther measure of humility, weanedness of affection from the world, faith, joy in the holy Ghost, &c.

3. If the wicked take the name of God in vain, sin lies at their door, we warn them against hypocrisie. For this man therefore to say, We teach people to sing lyes in hypocrisie, is to speak a falshood in plain English. He may think his tongue and pen is his own, and none shall control him, yet I would have him remember, Psalm 52. ver. 2, 4, 5.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Page 21.
• * 1.2

  Psalms cannot be sung with∣out meeter, or due measures of speech.