In 17>9 the new version of the Psalms by Messrs. Tate and Brady was adopted entire by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, with the addition of a few hymns. Since the year 1836 a collection of 21 2 hymns has been in use under the au- thority of the General Convention of that Church, com- posed of the House of Bishops and of clerical and lay delegates: and since October. 183-2. under the same au- thority. 124 selections of entire psalms, or of portions of psalms, from the new version i with certain necessary alterations or corrections, and occasionally with the sub- stitution of a better version) has been in use in all the churches of that communion.
The constitution of the Reformed Church in America declares that "Xo psalms or hymns may be publicly sung in the Reformed Dutch) churches but such as are approved and recommended by the^General Synod." The manifest reason of this prohibition is to be found in the vital relation that subsists between the psalmody and the theology of that Church. This is further il- lustrated by a rule of its General Synod which forbids the issue of any edition of the psalms and hymns of this Church without the Confession of Faith, the Catechisms, and the Liturgy. The history of the hymnology of this denomination, which dates back to the period of the Reformation, makes an interesting chapter of the gen- eral subject. From an elaborate report made to the General Synod ot 1869 by the committee which pre- pared the - Hymns of the Church."" we condense a brief narrative : " The Church Orders ratified by the National Synod of Dordrecht i A.D. 1018-19 >. which are still -rec- ognised' as containing the distinctive and fundamental principles of our Church government, declare that • the one hundred and fifty psalms of David, the Ten Com- mandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Twelve Articles of the Christian faith, the songs of Mary. Zaeharias. and Simeon, versified only, shall be sung in public worship." The churches are left at liberty to adopt or omit that entitled 0 thou, vho art our Father. God.' All others are prohibited. This usage, prevailing in the Nether- lands, was transferred to this country. Several copies of the psalm -books which the fathers brought with them are in the hands of the committee." They are in- variably bound up with the Bible, or the New Testa- ment at least, the Catechism, and Liturgy. These Psalms in Dutch are the version of Peter Dathe. the eminent Biblical scholar and critic, by whom they were translated: however, not from the original, but from the French. This was zhefrst book in use in the Reformed Church in America. It contains, besides the Psalms, the Ten Commandments, the Song of Zaeharias, the Song of the Virgin Mary, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Articles of the Christian fail lated from the German bv Jan Uvtenhoven\ tl
PSALMODY
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PSALMODY
ing Prayer, the Evening Prayer, the Prayer before Sermon, Prayer before Eating, Prayer after Eating, the Evening Prayer entitled Christe qui Lux es <t Dies, and a translation by Abraham Van der Meer, from the Greek Bible, of the lolst Psalm of David. Every! word of these psalms and creeds and prayers is set ' to music of a simple recitative character, in which all might join, by Cornelius De Leeuw. This book was in use in all the Dutch churches in this country, until the consistory of the Reformed Protestant 1 Hitch < Ihurcb of the city of New York found it necessary to have di- vine service performed in the English language ; and on Nov. !•. 1707. approved and recommended for the use of their Church and schools an English psalm-book, published by their order, " which is greatly indebted to that of Dr. Brady and Mr. Tate, some of the psalms be- ing transcribed verbatim from their version, and others , altered so as to lit them to the music used in the Dutch Church" (prefatory note). This book contains, besides the Psalms of David, fifteen pages of" hymns" — viz. the Ten Commandments, the Song ofZacharias, the Song <>f the Virgin .Mary, the Song of Simeon, the Creed, and J the Lord's Prayer — all set to the simple music in which all the people joined, so that the compiler could truth- fully say. " A great part of divine worship counts in harmonious singing." This iirst book in English was the second book in use in our churches. The '-Articles of Union," adopted in 1771, make no mention of psal- iii. uly. luil agree to "abide in all things" by the regula- tions of the Synod of Doit, hereinbefore quoted. In' 1773 a new version of the psalms and hymns was com- piled and adopted in the Netherlands, and was soon in- troduced into some of the Dutch churches in America, constituting the third bock thus used. It differs from the preceding chiefly in the higher critical character of the psalms. In 1787 the General Synod appointed a committee to compile a psalm-book "out of other collec- tions of English psalms in repute and received in the Reformed churches; no congregation, however, to be obliged thereto where that of the New-York consisto- ry is in use." Additional instructions were given the next year to print " some well-composed spiritual hymns in connection with tin' psalms." Al'ter approval by the Synod of L789, this book -was speedily published." It contains, besides the Psalms of David, a century of hymns, of which •• 1 to 52 are suited to the Heidelberg ! Catechism. ~>.\ to 7:! are adapted to the holy ordinance of I he Lord's Supper, and Hymn 71, to the end, on mis- cellaneous subjects." Among these are such titles as "Christmas," "The Song of the Angels," "Resurrec- tion," -Ascension," "Whitsuntide," "New Ifear," etc. This book, prepared by order of the General Synod, be- ing the /•■mill booh used in their churches, is without music, as have been all subsequent books until this time. This selection continued in use for full a quarter of a century, and is still an admirable one. In 1812, on petition of the Classis of New York, the General Synod requested the Rev. Dr. John H. Livingston to prepare an improved and enlarged selection of psalms and hymns. This was reported to the Synod of 1813, and by its order was "forthwith introduced into all our j churches." Its use was recommended also 'Mo all fam- ilies ami individuals in place of the book hitherto in use." \.. radical change has been made in the psalmody of the Reformed Church from thai day to this— the fifth bool sanctioned in the churches. It embraced 273 more hymns i ban the former collection. Additions, however, were made, in 1831, of 172 hymns, and published as Book II. Rev. I»r. Thomas DeWitl was chairman of the committee which prepared it. This was the sixth bi.nl;. In 1843 a book of Sabbath -school and Social Hymns, :'..;i in number, was published by order of the Synod, lu 1845 46 a committee, of which Rev. Dr. [saac Ferris was chairman, prepared, by authority of the Synod, a new arrangement of psalms and hymns, em- bracing 342 additional selections. This was soon pub- lished, and constituted the ,'. venih book thus used in the