Page images
PDF
EPUB

Day to fing Hymns Christo quafi Deo, [to CHRIST God;]" for this manifestly implies Canticles made find and particularly suited to, the Christian Æra. Indeed' generally allow'd, that the Gloria Patri, the Gloria in exc fis, and probably several more, were in Ufe even at th Time.

If fome Nations and Churches have again confined ther felves somewhat strictly to the Pfalms, no one must im gine that this is done from a Supposition of the Unlawfu ness of all newer Hymns whatsoever. For if the Lord Prayer, tho' dictated by the blessed Founder of our ov Religion, is granted on all hands not to have been giv as the fole Form of Words on that Occafion, but as a Pa tern for many more such like; much less can Forms of fin ing drawn up under a different Dispensation of Religio and not so explicitly reaching our Cafe, be look'd upon the only Melody we Christians ever can or dare use. T removing of such a weak Reason, which indeed was the Reason with those Churches in this their Regulatio leaves them the brighter Honour of their true one, viz Solicitude to prevent the Luxuriancies and Abuses, so har ly separable from a Species of Writing and of Devotio which in itself was lawful enough.

There is no denying the Wisdom of this Caution.

And I would make no farther Remark, than only to d monstrate from it, that if any Body of People should be Grous, notwithstanding, to have a Hymn-book, and to ade into it a good number of Hymns in Use among other F low Chriftians, (in real, ecclesiastical, established and imm morial Ufe ;) they cannot avoid, tho' very thankful for wh is to be found here at home, going out of England for mor

The German Nation has always excell'd in the Article Hymns. Luther himself composed many, and encourag the bringing of Religion much into that Channel. Fro whence it has come to pass, that every District there has public authorized Hymn-book; serving, to a very gre Degree, the double Purpose, both of Liturgy and found I truction in the Faith. For the more ancient Hymns espe fingecially, (which are always most regarded in fuch Books) are greatly helpful to maintain for ever the Christian Truths in the Minds of the common People, with the self-fame Simplicity and Force, which adorned those worthy and golden Times when they were endited.

OWD

irer

Pat

The

The Brethren therefore had the general Taste and Practice of their Nation on their Side, when publishing lately their large German revised Hymn-book; confifting as well of Hymns out of preceding Church-Collections of their Neighbours, as of others composed by themselves. Which Hymnbook of theirs, afforded both the Model, and most of the German Materials to this.

Concerning the High-Dutch Language, one Observation is necessary. It is indeed a living one, and spoken in a Country not very remote: This will disincline the Reader to believe, what I must nevertheless say of it, that it has a good deal of the old Oriental Genius. As to the Brethren in particular, they have not damp'd, but rather pursued, these ingenuous Sparks they found in their Mother-Tongue. For which, no good Critic will blame them : but their Translators, it must be own'd, are hereby put to some Difficulties, and render'd obnoxious to just Criticism sometimes. We don't doubt however, but it is in the Compass of the English Tongue, to afford one time or other the fully corresponding Phrafes: And indeed the Cause of some less happy, too flat or obfcure Translations hitherto, has been not only that intrinfic Obftacle now mention'd, but withal a Care to tranflate literally, carried to a needless Excess.

Some may think it also a needless Conformity to the Original, that we make use of double Rhymes, or a Trochaic Ending of Lines; whereas English Poetry commonly contents itself with the Iambic. It has prov'd difficult enough to procure such Rhymes in a Language not made for it, and it may have left fome farther Stiffness upon the Performance: but when the Reader confiders the Motive, it being done for the fake of the original Tunes, and has himself tafted the soJemn

A2

lemn and expressive Harmony of those Tunes, he will cer tainly excuse all.

After these Preliminaries, it may be time to take a View the present Work, both in the Whole, and in its Parts.

Confidering it all together, it is a continued Series of god * and Christian Sentiments, both doctrinal and practical, throa the Ages of the Church; and consequently a Kind of Eccle fiaftical History, with regard to the State of Piety and De votion. For tho' Poetry otherwise has not that Character yet Hymns furely ought to be supposed a faithful, if not th faithfullest, Picture and Conveyance of the Heart.

The several Divisions, or Classes, are as follows.

The first are Anthems out of the Bible; facred Words, tha are and must be laid as the Foundation of all. There is no thing farther to be observ'd concerning these, but that w have follow'd the Translation of the English Bible; only few times preferring the marginal Reading; and in the Pfalm taking the liberty to choose between the new Bible-Tranfla tion and the old one in the Common-prayer Book.

These are follow'd by Scripture-Hymns; or Portions Scripture put into Metre, either already by others, or no by us.

As the History of former divine Oeconomies, and the fir Institution and facred Basis of the Christian, are contain' in the preceding; now ensues a Taste of the Spirit and De votions of the Christian Church, in her several Periods ( Superstructure upon that Basis.

That whole Space of Time, from the Apostles down, du ring which we usually give our Predecessors in the Miniftr the venerable Appellation of Fathers, is comprehende under the Title of Primitive Church. The Hymns of thi Class are not many, confidering what an Interval they fi up; but they are weighty, and taken from all the chie Branches of the Church universal.

The first, fo far as appears, after the Appellation of Fa thers ceased, that were more special and confpicuous Depo Staries of the Christian Truth, were the ancient Bohemian an

Mor C

• Moravian Brethren. (The Waldenses incorporated with them.) The Reader will find their Hymns no rougher than he w of might have expected; and instead of thinking them so at all, he can call them, if he please, solid and mafculine.

Next follow, according to Chronological Order, the Gerpan Hymns of the fixteenth Century, or those made about te the Time of the Reformation. The strong Impressions of De-Truth which reign'd in that remarkable Age, are known to every one; and so it will be needless to say any thing of the the Hymns, except in regard of the Tranflation. In that refpect it is incumbent upon us to acknowledge the confiderable Ufe we have made (here and in fome other Parts) of the at foregoing Labours of Mr. Jacobi, and the Rev. Mr. Wesley, to- in the fame Kind.

? Then come (and I mention it with a peculiar Pleasure) fome excellent old Hymns of the English Church. The Aus, thors, befide the Common-prayer Book itself, are Robert Smith, Herbert, Dr. Donne, Faithful Teate, Crashaw, Bishop Taylor, Sir Matthew Hale, Rees Pritchard the Welch Hymnologift, of St. Some of these, particularly Herbert, having wrote in Stanza's adapted to noTune that we know of, a Liberty has been taken sometimes fo far as to make them fingable, yet with as little Alteration as poffible of the Senfe.

Hence we pass to the Hymns, first the German, then the English, of the seventeenth Century. The Authors of the latfter (for our Readers will not think themselves so immediate ly interested in the literary History of the former) are Bishop Kenn, Mr. Norris, Rawlet, Mason, &c.

1 Several more German Hymns of the fame Century, are inferted in the next Divifion; together with some Extracts of 3 Englishones of the Eighteenth, or now current Century, which indeed has been the richest in that kind of writing that Eng. land can ever remember. The Names here are very recent and well known, as Dr. Watts, Stennet, Davis, Erskine, Wesley, Cennick, &c.

After these Christian Breathings (indeed cotemporary with, or prior to fome of the laft) succeed in order of Time, the Hymns

Hymns of the Brethren in the Eighteenth Century, that is, of th present Brethren's Congregation. And fince this whole Boo was properly compiled for the Service of Persons in Unio with that People; no one, it is hoped, will think it strange that this Division is so much larger and fuller than any of th reft.

The Time from whence the present, or reviv'd Brethren Congregation is to be dated, is the Year 1724, when feve ral of the Descendants of the above-mention'd ancient Bre thren in Moravia, retired on account of Religion to a Plac call'd Herrnhuth in Upper Lusatia; and, by the Divine Be nediction, and not only Bounty but Ministry of their territo rial Lord there, became such a living Church, as hath ob tained (I may say it with Modesty) in several respects an un deniable Signature and Glory in Christ.

As she has given a free Account of herself elsewhere to a true Lovers of our Saviour's Kingdom; I shall enter no far ther here, than the present Subject obliges me.

It was but natural for the Members of this Church, to ex press their Ideas from time to time in Hymns. I have pur posely avoided hitherto, the endeavouring to fix the peculia or differencing Characters (amidst the noble Unity in Effer tials) of the several Classes of Hymns; that so every Reade might have the Pleasure of making this Discovery and Com parison, and accordingly carrying on his Remarks as Church bistorian, for himself. But I am now come to a Class, whic I cannot help characterizing in few Words.

The Brethren's grand Topic in their Hymns, as every or may fee, is the Perfon and Propitiation of Jesus Chrift: the collect, as in the Focus of a Burning glass, what has defcend ed to them from past Ages, or properly from the Bible itsel upon this Head; and that it may not be evaded under t! Notion of dicta ardentia, they present it in a System, and a ply that System to Practice. They affirm our free Accep ance with God as Sinners, and thro' pure Grace; and ye the Neceffity of, and powerful Assistances for, a most re Holiness of Life afterwards: with such a Warmth upon eac

!

« PreviousContinue »