SINGING
776
SINGULAR
in (le Sinr/aleeie Tale Overfjehracht, etc. A revised and corrected edition was published in 1780 by the Revs. Fvbrands and I'hilipsz, who also superintended an edi- tion of the Acts printed in 1771, and published under the title De /fiimkliii(/en der Apostelen Beschnven door den KfaiKjeliM Lncas. For this part of the New Test, two learned Singhalese natives were engaged, who pros- ecuted their translation under the direction of the Rev. S. Cat. In 1770 the whole New Test, was issued, while of the GUI Test, only some parts were published. When, in 1812, the Colombo Auxiliary Bible Society was formed, one of the first measures adopted by the society was the examination of the Singhalese version of the New Test. It was found that a thorough revi- sion or a new translation was deemed indispensable. The work of revision progressed but slowly ; and it was not till 1817 that the revised New Test, left the Colom- bo press. Six years later the Old Test, was printed. In the meantime, the Rev. Mr. Lambrick, of the Church Mission at Cotta, a village near Colombo, had under- taken another translation of the Singhalese Scriptures, which was completed in 1834 at the expense of the Church Missionary Society. This version, which is generally distinguished as the " Cotta Version," differs from the one set forth by the Colombo Bible Society in the following particulars : " 1. All the honorific termina- tions— that is, peculiar terminations of the verbs, nouns, and pronouns indicative of respect — used in books in the high Singhalese dialect are omitted in the Cotta ver- sion. 2. Those terminations of nouns, etc., in common use in the colloquial dialect are adopted. 3. One pro- noun for the second person singular (there are twelve others in use in Singhalese books) is uniformly used throughout the Cotta version, wlioever may be the per- son spoken to, human or divine. 4. Words in common use are invariably substituted for learned ones." As both versions had their merits, yet the missionaries of various denominations engaged in Ceylon came to the conclusion that one version shoidd be for common use ; and a revision committee was appointed in 1853 to pre- pare a new translation. In 1857 the revision of the New Test, was completed; but when that of the Old Test, will be completed it is difficult to say. Meanwhile it has been found necessary to print more than one edi- tion of the Old Test, according to the previously exist- ing versions. See Le Long-Masch, Bihliotheca Sacra (Haliv, 1778), II, i, 210 sq.; The Bible of Every Land, p. 147 s(i. ; tlie Annual Reports of the British and For- eign Bible Society, 1857 sq. (B. P.)
Singing, an ordinance of divine worship, in which we express our joy in (iod, and gratitude for his mer- cies. It has always been a branch both of natural and revealed religion in all ages and periods of time. It was a jiart of the worship of the heathen. It was prac- ticed by the people of God before the giving of the law of Moses (Exod. xv) ; also under the ceremonial law. Under the Gospel dispensation, it is particularly en- joined (Col. iii, IC; Eph. v. 19). It was practiced by Christ and his apostles (]\Iatt. xxvi, 30), and in the ear- liest times of Christianity. The praises of God may be sung privately in the family, l)ut chiefly in the house of (to<1 ; and should be attended to with reverence, sin- cerity, jov, gratitude, and with the understanding (1 Cor. xiv, 15).
From the apostolic age singing was always a part of divine service, in which the whole body of the Church joined together; and it was the decay of this practice that (irst brought the order of singers into the Church. The Council of Laodicea (canon 15) prohibited singing by the congregation; but this was a lem])orary provi- sion, designecl only to restore and revive the ancient psalmody. We find that in after-ages the peo|ile en- joye<l their ancient privilege of singing all togetiier.
Among the Anti-l'a-doljaptists, during the early part of their existence, psalmody was generally excluded as a human ordinance; but some congregations having adopted it about the beginning of ttie 18ih century, a
violent controversy was excited. About the middle of the century, however, the praises of God were sung in everj- Anti-lVdobaptist church.
It was customary, early in the present centurj', for the precentor in the Church of Scotland to read the psalm line by line as it was sung. When the practice of continuous singing was introduced, it was a source of great and numerous congregational disturbances, and it was popularly stigmatized as an innovation. As to the use of instrumental music as an accompaniment to sing- ing, see Ciioiu; Music; SiNGEK.
Singing -cakes, a name given formerly among Romanists to the consecrated wafers used in private masses.
Singing-schools were established for the instruc- tion of the order of singers as early as the 6th century, and became common in various parts of Europe, partic- ularly in France and Germany-. These schools were very much patronized by Gregory the Great, under whom they gained great celebrity. From them origi- nated the famous Gref/orian Chant (q. v.), a plain sys- tem of Church music. The prior, or principal, of these schools was a man of great consideration and influence. The name of this officer at Rome was archicantor eccle- sue Romawe, and, like that of prelatus cantor in their chapters and collegiate churches, it was a highly re- spectable and lucrative office. — Coleman, Christian A n- tiquities.