Setting out a series of objections and answers addressed to the scruples of "antipsalmists," who argued that singing was a distraction from worship, Cotton points out that Christ sang a psalm or hymn with his disciples after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30) and that Paul exhorts us to sing psalms aloud in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Like the divines of Westminster Assembly, Cotton would rule out the use of non-canonical hymns in public worship, but not the spiritual songs of Moses, Deborah, Mary, and the like. The singers should be the entire congregation, women as well as men (Exod. 15:1), and, as psalm singing is a "general Commandment," those present who are not members of the local congregation and unbelievers are bound to join in. Touching the manner of singing, Cotton defends English tunes. Since God "hath hid from us the Hebrew tunes, and the musical accents wherewith the Psalmes of David were wont to be sung, it must needs be that the Lord alloweth us to sing them in any such grave, and solemne, and plaine Tunes, as doth fitly suite the gravitie of the matter, the solemnitie of Gods worship, and the capacitie of plaine People." He suggests that the ministers read the first line of each song before the congregation sings it, "so they who want either books or skille to reade, may know what is to be sung, and joyne with the rest in the dutie of singing." Apparently this was common practice of the time, also mentioned by the divines of Westminster Assembly. (Bookseller description).