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heresy. This controversy, however, was but of a short duration, and the exceptionable passage of the hymn in question maintained its credit, notwithstanding all the efforts of Hincman, and continued as before to be sung in the churches." Mosheim, v. 2, p. 339.

We find as before, that this hymn is termed very ancient, and although the term is indefinite, and does not specify any particular period of time, it yet unavoidably leads to the conclusion, that the chain of facts is unbroken, with respect to the practice of the church, in the use of modern hymns, in her praises to God, and also their being a depository of her doctrines, and a confession of her faith.

Our author, after all his exertions to evade or deny the most unquestionable historical evidence, for five or six hundred years-and often employing language calculated to deceive common readers, only some of which I have noticed, comes at last to his confessions as follows: "It nevertheless may be admitted, without injury to our cause, that in those days of evil, when clerical ambition, and ecclesiastical profligacy appeared with such unblushing effrontery, advantage was taken of the commotions of the times,.. to introduce by every mean, the conflicting corruptions of doctrine, order and worship. And it would be strange if the united charms of poetry and music, were not laid in requisition to further their designs. I admit the probability of hymns of human composure being numerous; and that they were frequently used in public worship, we need not doubt. That many of them were intended to honour, and as many others intended to dishonour the Redeemer of men, neither the opinions of the times, nor the characters of the prime actors of those days forbid us to suppose.

But when all this is granted, I assert, without apprehension of any well supported contradiction, that there is no ground to believe, that inspired songs were not used, from the beginning, in the church of God; or that uninspired hymns were exclusively adopted, or at all adopted with divine approbation," Apol. 53. After this, Mr. M'M. gives his readers another misrepresentation of our reasoning and conclusions, in his usual manner, which I do not think necessary farther to notice. On the quotation which I have given, however, I offer the following remarks:

1 Our author, finding himself utterly unable to resist

the concurrent testimony of history, at last admits-that hymns of human composition were numerous-that many of them were intended to honour the Redeemer-and that they were frequently used in public worship.

2. To destroy the effects of these concessions, he ascribes all this to ecclesiastical profligacy-unblushing effrontery-the commotion of the times-and the united charms of poetry and music. With those who can believe that these causes combined, or contributed, to the use of hymns in worship TO HONOUR THE REDEEMER, it would be utterly in vain to reason. Were these the reasons that induced the christians, even in the apostle's time, to meet before daylight to sing a hymn to Christ as God? were these the causes that produced those hymns, composed by the faithful brethren from the beginning, representing CHRIST AS GOD INDEED? and were these the reasons why the first defenders of the divinity of Christ, referred to these first hymns as a most unanswerable proof of the faith of the first christians?

3. To help the matter, our author alleges that there were as many hymns both calculated and intended to dishonour THE REDEEMER, and the reasons assigned are that neither the opinions of the times, nor the characters of the prime actors forbid us to suppose it. Mr. M'M. would let himself be heard, were any of those writers whom he opposes, to take a matter for granted, because they were not forbid to suppose it. Hymns, however, in honour of the Redeemer, is historical truth-those intended to dishonour him, our author's supposition. But if it were true, it interferes no more with the question of evangelical hymns, than the preaching of heresy does with the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

4. After all this contest, the whole question rests on the assertion of our author. After passing through so many ages, and being able to offer, from the birth of Christ until the fourth century, only the solitary instance of the 133d Psalm, of the Old Testament Psalms having been sung, and but few instances after it-after being obliged to yield up the argument, in the ungraceful manner we have seen, he at last asserts, without any apprehension, &c. Mr. M'Master's assertion, therefore, is the whole of the argument that remains, and the reader may take it for

what it is worth. Whether I have produced evidence to establish the fact, of the first and purest christians composing their hymns in honour of Christ-whether they did not feel themselves obeying the injunctions of the apostles in so doing-and whether we are not both authorised and required to unite at present, as in the visions of John, the songs of Moses and the Lamb-or whether I have failed as to my historical references, and deductions, in all these points, is now left to the candid and conscientious deliberation of the intelligent reader.

CHAPTER V.

Modern History of Psalmody Reviewed.

"It appears from the records of the early periods of the church, that christians, in their public assemblies, praised God in the language of scripture songs. It also appears, that the term hymn was applied to David's Psalms." Apology, p. 55.

"They affirm that all our ancestors, even the apostles themselves, were of that opinion, (viz. that Christ was a mere man) and taught the same with them."—"This might carry a plausible appearance of truth, were it not first contradicted by the holy scriptures, next by the books of several persons long before the time of Victor. In fine, how many psalms, and hymns, and canticles were written from the beginning, by faithful christians, which celebrate Christ, the word of God, as no other than God indeed?" Milnor, V. 1, p. 249.

We have already observed, that this writer, which was Caius the Presbyter, although Milnor seems to think the book anonymous, refers to the times of the apostles, and indeed he, in the most express terms, states these psalms to have been composed by the faithful brethren from the beginning, and thus refutes the claims of the heretics to a descent from the apostles. If there is any confidence in church history, this author shows that these hymns were in use in the days of the apostles, and that the term psalms, was applied to those of modern composition, as readily as

to those of the Old Testament; and helps very much to confirm our explanation of the language of the apostle. Nay, this has an authenticity stamped upon it, beyond the bare veracity of the historian; for, had the author of this book, whoever he might have been, referred to supposed facts that had not existed, or had not been known, the argument would have recoiled upon him, and the world would have heard it. It is also a fact, that the term psalm, was much more frequently applied to modern compositions, than the term hymn, was to the Psalms of David. These facts, will not only fairly balance the sentiments of our author, above expressed, but overturn the inference he wishes to deduce from them. We return again to our history.

In his "Modern History of Psalmody," our author carries us at once to the tops of the mountains, where the Waldenses, mid Alpine cliffs," sung the songs of scripture; "the Albigenses, in 1210," who, were metre psalmsingers."

As we have no wish to question these facts, we just observe, that it proves about as much as if any future historian were to write that the Americans, in 1825, were psalm-singers; in relation to which, two queries might readily be offered, viz-What psalms did they sing? and whatever might be the reply to this, if any particular system were specified, it might be returned, Did they sing no other? Such is the case of these now mentioned. We add besides, that if, as our author states, they were metre psalmsingers, their psalms were not those of David; as I think all respectable historians agree, that the version of Marmot was the first; and of course their's are more likely to have been some other than the Old Testament songs. We find indeed that some of them attempted to turn the scripture

into low Dutch rhymes, for the edification of their brethren," but there are no exceptions made, and no particular parts specified, unless it is the reason assigned for the work, which was, that "In scripture there are no jests, fables, trifles or deceits, but words of solid truth;" so that no particular reference is made to the psalms.

In the catechism of the Waldenses, we have the following question and answer- -Quest. In what manner do you adore and serve the God in whom you believe? Ans.

I adore him by the adoration of external and internal worship; externally by bending of the knees, elevations of the hands, by inclinations, by hymns, by spiritual songs, by fasting, by invocation."-Milnor, Ledger's Gen. Hist. and Perrin's Extracts It is indeed abundantly evident that the Waldenses, the Paulicians and Lollards, used human compositions in their praise, and were reproached as hymn-singers, which Mosheim shows to be the etymology of the epithet Lollard.

Mr. M'M. says, 66 John Huss, in the fifteenth century, as Wickliffe had done in the fourteenth century, sung the Psalms in verse. "" Whether the Psalms of David were then in verse or not, or whether it were them or some other psalms that Huss sung, is not material; but we have unquestionable evidence that he sung other songs, at a time when, if ever he acted in a conscientious manner, and in full view of eternal consequences.

John Huss and Jerome of Prague, were both burnt for heresey; the first on the 6th of July, 1413, and the other on the 30th of May, 1416. Eneas Sylvius, a Roman Catholic historian says, "They went to the stake, as to a banquet; not a word fell from them, which discovered the least timidity; they sung hymns in the flames to the last gasp without ceasing," Milnor, v. 4, p. 219. Lest Mr. M'M. might be tempted to call all these hymns, Psalms of David, I will add the case of Jerome, who "As he went to execution, sung the apostle's creed, and the hymns of the church, with a loud voice and a cheerful countenance. He kneeled at the stake, and prayed. Being then bound, he raised his voice, and sung a paschal hymn then much in vogue in the church.

Hail! happy day, and ever be adored,

When hell was conquered by great heaven's Lord. L'Enfant in Milnor, v. 4. p. 230. To these may be added, "Henry Voes and John Esch, who cheerfully underwent the fiery trial on the same day; testifying a wonderful constancy. As they were led to the stake, they cried with a loud voice, that they were christians; and when they were fastened to it, and the fire was kindled, they rehearsed the creed, and after that sang the verses alternately of Te Deum laudamus, till the flames deprived them of life." This was A. D. 1523. Milnor,

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