^ ^^^^5 ^^^\^.'^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V A O y. #/% fA 1.0 I.I 11.25 l££|23 yo ■^" US Hi lAO 1.4 2.5 1.6 V] (meaning "CON- TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning 'END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols —^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le •ymbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuv«nt itre film^s d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 «k partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche h drc^te, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 —i 6 ^OVA SCOTJ4 ,:\ I ^^M> t0mmmm y/u-f SOMERVILLE OS . PSALMODY: <7 BEING A DEFENCP: OF THE PRACTICE OF SINGING IIYAINS OF PRAISE TO GOD, OPPOSED TO THE "EXCLUSIVE USE" OF DAVID'S PSALMS, AS ADVOCATED BY REV. W. SOMERVILLE, fir ELDER WILLIAM W. LIVINGSTON, €orun)aHi0, N. j3. : PUBLISHED BY LIVINGSTON AND T. R BAUNABY, 1850. I ; t I' ^ EEVIEW OP SOMERVILLE ON PSALMODY: BEING A DEFENCE OF THE PRACTICE OF SINGING HYMNS OF PRAISE TO GOD, OPPOSED TO THE "EXCLUSIVE USE" OF DAVID'S PSALMS, AS ADVOCATED BY REV. AV. SOMERVILLE, BT ELDER WILLIAM W. LIVINGSTON. €ornt»alli0, 3)^'. 0. : PUBLISHED BY LIVINGSTON AND T. E- BaRNABY. 1856. \^^ ^ / 'I ■' \<^MV > INTKODUCTION. I To those acquaiiitod with the person or reputation of the .gentle- man to whom the following epistle is designed to he add resse.!; there IS no douht It will look like presumption in a stranger and ibrei-ner as your humhle servant is, to attempt to reply to a work which waiits no other ment, to seeure it any amount of credit. l,„t the name of Rev. W. hoMERv.LLE of Cornwallis, Nova Seotia. Indeed, I mean -r flattery either to that gentleman or myself when I say that his ^ation IS th?.t of the very best elassieal scholar and critic, and ' og. J., "nrelentingreasoner in the whole Province. Indeed '' >t It .. ' -uperior can be found in the British Provinces, or in -3W I . MP 1 States. And I sincerely hope the gentleman will i-a, 'u . -" makmg thus free with his reputation, ofwhichlknow nothing, nly as I have heard. So if I misrepresent the worthy gentleman, ^hom I will take the liberty of addressing, the mistake IS not mme, but that of my honored and esteemed friend, the .rene- rous public ; and I am but giving them back their own. That generous public are hereby reminded, that in addition to the er '.arrassment consequent on my consciousness of the reputation of the individual to whom the following are to be addressed, there is an additional reason why they should not expect too much at our hand The reason is this : we are far from home, and thoughts of friends crowd not unfrequently upon our recollection ; we are day and night engaged in teaching, having the largest school in these parts; and even Lord's days and the ^^enm^/. of Lord's days are denied having all that time taken up in addressing two congrega^ tions of dear brethren. But it will be asked, " When will he write" ^ It ,s, It has been, it must still be, while others sleep. Scraps thrown thus together can at be^' be patch-work, and if it were a display which we sought, here is certainly a most barren prospect. _ But under such circumstances, what can be the motive that cao induce a stranger, thus forlorn, thus circumstanced, to review thg J jiL IV. INTIJOnrCTION. wrilinjis of surlj an author posscs»in;r such advantages, l)otli of'gonius and popularity V My motives are ci-rtainly not sinistt ■, as no sinis- tor inotiv(! coulil induce mc to overtax myst'lf witli work, when I have perliaps as inu'-h on liand without it as any man should have, and, my friends think, much more than is siihitary. But tye praises of God are wont to be sung ir all this Christian land. The aspirations of glad and grateful heart-; arise every day and every hour to God's throne. The hopi-s, the fears, the wishes, the humble prayer and praises of the children of their Father, arise in almost xmbroken strains to the throne of God. " Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks," is the injunction of the Gospel. Servants of (iod, reformers of every age, and good men of every sect and denomination under heaven, in all Christendom, liave prayed to God, Jiave rejoiced and given thanks ; rnd most of their praying, rejoicing, and thanksgiving, have ascended to God's throne, and arisen like sweet inscnse on the pinions of measured line, and been chanted in tuneful lays. Hymns have been always the vehicle of three fourths of all the praises awarded to Heaven's King since the day of Pentecost. Indeed, the Ood of nature seems to have adapteing anything else. When reniindcri that the same ohjecticn may, with the same propriety. be urged against prayer, k-eaiise it is light, per- haps, to pray the Lord's Prayer, which he taught his disciples to use when they prayed ; he urged arguments something like these : In prayer, only one man speaks, whereas, in singing, a whole ccngre- gation join,— therefore it is necessjiry that there be "prescribed term." And (lod has given a book of Psalms but newr a book of prayer. Now, Ibr these reasons alone, are wu to eoneludc^ it Avron"-, heinous, sinful, to praise God in hymns and songs, unless we are able to find the hynui or song in the eoUeetion ascribed generally to king David, and thrown into admli-able jargon by the Scot- tish bard — Rouse. Jkit we will not begin arguing the (piestion here. "VVe design addressing a short epistle to him on the subject, calling for an explanation of what seems to us so stranf^e. We how- ever despau- of ever receiving an answer : this is more luinonr than we ever anticipate at the hands of so distinguished a gentleman as the Rev. William Sommerville. If he should in the i)lenitudeof his eondeseension, deign to favor us and our readers with a rcfulation of our views, on this subject, they will be kindly roecived on the part of his humble servant. If we shall say some things rather hard, it is because we know that we have hard material to work upon, and must strike hard or make no impression : and wo hope he will take it for the consequence of the high opinion wo entertain of his powers, and the strength of his mind, more than of any want of re- spect, or of the kindest feelings we could possibly entertain, for one we never addressed in our life. We sincerely hojie our feeble let- ter will be so received, if we succeed in getting it prepared. W. W. LIVINGSTON. 1 JMiOPGSlTlONS. " The evidence which wc propo-se to bring forward in support of the rroposition, that these Psahns were given of fiod for the use of the Church to the end of the world, in whatever cou,>try or in what- ever age, rests upon the following four fiicts :~ 3. The Rsalmh wkiu-: ,uven by anspiuation. ' 2. TriEV WERE GIVEN T.) HE SUNG BY THE MeMBLUH OF THE LHUKCH— THE WORSKfl'l'ERS OF (U)D. 5. No .SUBSEQUENT BoOK OR BoOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY IXSPIRA noN FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. 4. The Book of Psalms is no less adapted to the present STATE of the ChUROH, THAN TO HER STATE WHEN THEY WERE ORKaXALLY W^RITTEN." SOMERVILLE ON P.SAOIODY, mlrorl. p. IG. REVIEW. V t- CornvmUiz, N, S., Dec. 25, 1855. Respected Sir: I am tree to confess that it is witli some degree of embar- rassment I address to your " Reverenec ' this episth\ I con- fess likewise being highly gratiticd, much entertained, }'« P^'^tas were 'i "in ,1^,1 ,• • , ™*« "' '''-'™^ ! '"'•'"M His humiliation rt^.tateTSi',f L''''T'™v'^'V """ "'^^ "-^be-Hr^^ nous state of llis Church. Nor liave you. Sir, shown inv „» cuhar ment to be attaehed to that book, over he oZr7ook; of ,hv,„e n,s,,iralion. But you will doubtles.s coneede ,Ht i,oin .^d, and to give Xencf tH: p" r' or'SU'rd^ot another, would be to say that one pari was fc«.. tharanother But li,s would deny the absolute perfection of the wCe for over Mo L " mlT."' "'?' "'""'^^ '» ">« ^^''f ""^ ^^^^^, mCof Godllv h'„ J"! "'f '"" '" ■•ijvhteousness : that the feclion rf7h„ V 'f ■" """ *" ?'•«»' "''Jf^c" ft"- the pe/- of CscSu " of I'e nT''"'' '" '"= *?'''"^'' V >te teachi;,^ Tor,MST^.U-,t ^^ Testament, were « doctrine, reproaf, Z,tl T' \ ""''•'•'""»' "1 righteousness." Those «eem io oo"™m 7o te~,T .f''°u?^'*' the mediator of abetter th "eovent?^, "? T ""! "'". "»'-''"' <'"»<'«'> ! ™t according t^ am a«a,e that, to many, this appears like a rude way to I 9 treat the word of God ; which was once enfbroed by Him, whose spirit dictated the sentiments „..,. „u.u,> i.ujtur. i>e- vertheless, there could be no perfect testament till the death ol' the testator. '^ And for this cause He is the mediator of the jyew lestament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the Jirst (covenant) testa- ment, they which are called, mijrlit receive the {>romise of eter- nal mhentance. For, where a t^.tament is there must al-o of ne^ssity be (brought in) the death of the testator." Hcb. ix. 15. But, Sir, you may perhaps say: this tends to dishonor the Jiom/ Law of Moses. Sir, if the decalogue falls, it fidls not m our weak hands; l)ut if the same Almightv power Who dic- tated that then excellent code, on Sinai's sublime h(>io-ht, and amid Its tremendous thunders and liditenings, has since by hi< all wise dictates, through his Holy Spirit, declared that law null and void, he had the right so to do, and we will at lea^t assume the liberty of noticing the fact. Paul compares the two testaments to Sarah and Ha^^ar, or rather to their sons, Isaac and Ishmael. He says tluU they are alllgorical or figurative of the " law" ami the " faith" or gospel dispensation. " For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond woman and the other by a free woman. But he that was -S the bond woman was born' after the flesh, but he of the free woman, by promise ; which things are an al- hgory (or figure, or tyi)e) : for (mark) these are the two cov- enants (or testaments) the one on Mount Sinai which gender- eth to bondage, which is Hagar: For this Hagar i^ mo'imt Si- nai m Arabia, and answereth for (or represents) Jerusalem which now is, and in bondage with her children. But Jorusa- • lem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all."— Gal. iv. 22. " Now we brethren, as Isaac was, arc the chil- dren of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him after the s])irit, even so now, (doth the Jews persecute us). Nevertheless what saith the scripture?" Now mark the fate of the law of Moses deli vered /?-o?« Mount Sinai. "Cast out i\\Q bond woman (law of Moses, 'decalogue and all) and her son : for the son (law) of the bondwowan "shall not be heir with the son (testament) of the free woman (or Church of Christ). So then, brethren, we are not children Of the bond- woman but of the free." Gal. iv. 28. But what says Paul's exhortation to those who, (as some m-^;; 10 Judaizers do now) regarded the law of Moses a.s binding as t»iut ot Chnst? It had better be put on and and worn by those whom It may fit. Stand fast, therefore, in tlie liberty where- with Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again witJi the yoke of bondage." Gal. v. 1. & » ^ But you are no doubt ready to enquire— What, then, do you insist on the ten commandments having been repealed ^ " Thou shah love the Lord thy God with all chy power, and thy neighbour as thyself, on these two commandments hano- the whole Z««; and the prophets." Jesus. For all the Imv is fit!- jMed m one word, even in this : " Thou shalt love thy neiffh- are NOT UNDER THE LAW." Paul. That an old law has been repealed, is no conclusive evidence that no part of it has been re-enacted. Tiie old law was be- yond all doubt repealed, and so much thereof as it Avas the will ot God to still enforce was re-enacted in the new code. But Isaiah, in the spirit of prophecy, not less graphic, poeti- ca/, and ins*-ired than the Psalms themselves, in describing «ie futui;e state ot the Jews, and the times of the dispensation of 'the laith, writes as follows: " Bring no more vain obla- tions ; incence IS an abomination to me : the new moons and the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies I cannot away with: it IB iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them." Is. i. 13, 14. Parallel to the fbregoing are the words of Paul "Let no man therefore judge you in meats or in drinks or in respect of a iiohday or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ." Biif Paul says in very plahi terms, to the elders of Ephesus, at Miletus: " >V hereore I take you to record this day that I am free from the blood of all men : for I have not ceased to de^ cUue unto you the whole counsel of God." Now, was Paul prepared to do this ? Wa. the - whole counsel" delivered to «ie ajjostles, and by t hem to us ? Peter says : - Grace be mul- taphed unto you through the knowledge of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, according as his divine power hath givr>n unto us all tilings that pertain to life and godUness, through the know- ledg<. of Him that hath called us to glory and virt'ie " So we hnd - all things that pertain to life and godliness" mmm mm U even - the whole counsel of God," delivered to us fuithiuUy in the New Testament writings. And among other things we find there the fiict so little understood, and seldom believed, tliat the old Testament dispensation has long since gone by. If the counsel of God contain such things, is there ^ot danger of re- jectmg them, that we be like the '' Pharisees and Lawyers" who ^' rejected the counsel of C jd against themselves, being not baptized of him." But again : The old Testament dispen- sation says : " Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot ^r foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Exoa. xxi. 24. But Christ in his sermon on the mount says : " Ye have heard that it hath been said, *an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say unto you that ve resist not evil : but whosoever shall smite thee on thy rif^ht cheek turn to him the other also." ° Though adapted to the times in which they were delivered, yet we think decidedly that that order of things which tolera- ted polygamy, slavery, and retaUation, is but })oorly fitted to the reign of him who taught his followers, that whosoever was angry with his brother without a cause was guilty of murder ! Will you. Sir, condemn your humble servant, for doing just what our Saviour has done in so strong terms, and what'has been so plainly sanctioned by the Holy Spirit in the writings of His holy apostles ? — for drawing a distinct line between the old and new Testaments? -The law of the Lord is indeed perfect, under every dispensation of divine grace ; but it is equally true, that additions have been made to the divine re- velation from the beginning ; and it is manifest, that unless these had been needed, tiiey would not have been granted by Infinite Wisdom." But I find not half so nuuiii difficulty in finding arguments, enough to satisfy any reasonable mind, as I do in stopping, after my point has certainly been made out. — For I read that there is even danger of adducing too much proof to j)rove a proi)osition ; thereby giving that the ai)[)ear- Jince of strength, wliich is weak, by saying more than is ne- cessary to refute it. But your second proposition concerning the Psalms is " T/tef/ loere fjiven to be sung hy the members of the church— the icorshippers af God:' ^ Your first argument, if I understjuid your arrangement, is, The Psalms were originaJy written in measured line. They were poetical ; were calculated to be sung. In this, as in your riii. 12 for mcr proposition you carry yon: poinf, and prove tl.at which we have no JiieJination at all to d of " confession and avoid of the Psalms,— and not lead us throii«.X deed tEf' '^"' *''■"""■ ^^'"'^"■' *'^^^ '^'^'^ or wisdom In- much n^ '"''' ""^'^ ^'^'^'^^ ^'^''"^ ^'^' ^"^^fher David, ina.- ent ttfwn ^ '• ^''^^''^ ^'""'^"'' ^^^^^''^ '"^ ^«ther was not ent ted because Ins hands were poliute^ ^^^ ^^^"^'^l^- They were sung by the murderers of God's prophet. » rp, therefore, appears .0 be .c„ short Zf:!^ ',':U^ZZ: "^' ^'^"" 15 Pray, tie of a !(1 to the This '' But you direct our attention to tlie circumstance of the Sa- viour cfuoting iroin tiie Psalms to ]>rove his divinity. So iu- deed he did, what follows ? That therefore he and his di.-«cii)lfcs sang nothing else ? He quoted also ii-om Isaiah, perhaj)S much I oftener than he did from David ; the book of Isaiah is for the most part metrical, — must we thence infer that He sang Isaiah and nothing else ; and so also his apostles, and all his true dis- iciples from that time to the present ? This proves too mucii, and consequently proves just nothing. ■ Again, you kindly inform us that '• There is a circumstance which is deserving of particular attention, as it appears to teach :; that the Psalms which, in a collective form, constitute a por- J tion of divine revelation, were not only designed to supply the matter of the church's praise under the Jewish dispensation, but embrace all that (iJod dictated for that purpose. Several songs, composed on particular occasions, have no place assign- ed them in the book of Psalms. Such are the songs of Moses, composed when the Israelites had passed through tlie Red Sea, and immediately before his removal from their head ; David*s pathetic lamentation over Saul and Jonathan ; the song of De- borah and Barak after the defeat of Sisera ; the song of Han- nah when she came to present her son Samuel before the Lord at Shiloh ; the song of Hezekiah after his recovery from sick- ness, with several others. BE IT REMEMBERED, that the collection of the Psalms into one book must have been the work of inspiration; no less than their composition, otherwise the Saviour never would have given them his sanction in their present form. Since, of the songs interspersed through the different parts of the old Testament, some are inserted into the book of Psalms, and several are passed by, it naturally occui's to ask what the ground of distinction is, between those which have been omitted, and such as have been incorporated with the Songs of Zion." In other words, there are just so many songs incorporated in what you say is called the Songs of Zion, (because the same Psalms call something " the Songs of Zion") and there are no more than just so many, therefore they are to be sung in Chris- tian assemblies to the exclusion of all other compositions ! ! !— - But you are not done yet : The Saviour quoted from them, therefore the collection of them into one book is no less the work of inspiration than their composition ; and taking you:? 'tM 1() last coiiclusioii thus ocouv-edior voiir npvf .......v • • r> TJIKRFM^'OT^Ft n ^ ^""''' "* inspiration (?) mu^t be sung to the abroluto exclusion ofeveryth n' In You must sornewl.ere have f'oun.l an ea.y system r^l a systeui of eas, lo,ie, by which perso."^ p^,!^ ^^L^r IS convenient, at small expense ^ ' wJutevei A^k not bod to do what you mav do yourself Mau could „ot ,.r,.atc tho world.-God made tl o world •• In t :;;;;;';."' "r '"■-".^ -'-i *™'"'--. '".^ «ioriou; work ffucnilv nrov,. fi,.., u»e(l ni his public service, conse- fo su imK , ■' '""'»""■ >«" '"*l'i™l. was not at all ,|ualified to sup lij tins desideratum n tlii> ("'liiir..li " tu """eu mav be stited th.,.. f' "' t"e L,nurel]. The argument th4t,,!'r'.i,t.-,i; e ;rjc™r*s nTr "■"^" to ns c/,,,,.;, by „,e nnm^diate liSence 1 S*' s' ■ it^'Il™ book of l.,ai,„,, ,„ be „,„,, i„ „,„ ,,,,,br„ti(,„ of hisT^. • "'" lberefor(. man, not immediately directed bv l,e ^ ll •"" adequate to the composition of fucira lio k b ud "'r e " God has given to his church" the book of Psi n w "^ K,', m,or of the Psalms over any and every other book of the I y fciiiiiMfriiiii i^^^ 17 Paul exploded old Testiiment song-! ? Did Chnet saj to hw diaciple-s, whoii ye aing prau?ea to God ye shall use; Uie Paalms of David ? And if he even h.'id said ao : and Oh ! what a vic- tory you would have claimed : but even if he had so said to his disciples, that would not prove the exclusive right you claim for the Psalms. ^ Christ did say to his disciples, " When ye pray, aay, Our Father which art in heaven, hallow(;d be thy name," eU;. If we arc therefore forbidden to pray any other than the prayer which the Lord taught his disciples, th(m we would have been prohibited singing any other than David's Psahns if Christ 'iad used tluise words in reference to them, liut I have no doubt you yourielf habitually use your own words in pn ^er to him. Now, if your logic is good, you should be very car^' I, for if t mistake not, cvcsry objection you have urged in your bo.>k against tiie use of hjmns of iiuman oomposkion, holds equally against the use of a prayer of human composition. And more than all, the word of the Lord says, " When ye pray say Our P'ather," etc. Almighty power wii3 tOso put forth, and vol- umes of doctrine preached by our Saviour on the mount. This according t« your dictum was Absolutely necessary, because man could not have done it. Therefore— we must not preach any other sermon. But you may object that there are other Kormons giveu by inspiration, in God's book. What then ?— Is the difficulty removed.? Nay, it is enhansod. The more has been done by Divme agency, the less, yourself deciding, is our excuse for doing any thing. The Holy Spirit has, on^'so- veral occasions, put forth Divine agency in Uie production of inspired disco irses, suited not to any particular, loc^l occasion, bat of a general nature ; suited to the wants of man in society generally. All good men in the Jewish nation, and in the church, have prayed. Very many of their prayers were left on record, and are given tx) us: were inspired by the Holy Spirit. No prohibition lies against passing them all by with silence, as it were, and asking in faith, nothing doubtin*, those things which we feel desirous of obtaining for ourselves and others. But these arguments may apply better perhaps to your third proposition which we now propose to notice: i. e. 'No subsequent book or books have been written by inspiration for that purpose:* Neither has any subsequent book or books oontammg prcyitrs or sermons " been written by inspiration for 2 18 llial purpose " Yet , hat j.rovex no arpument ir favour of tho ;ionX" "■" "* "" "™°" """ "™y^- g-"" Kr in°pi--«- But, you mlvance an argument in starting out upon ihi. proposition to all the benefit of whi<.h you are ecrtai XveilJ .eleome. It ,s tins. " The New Testament, whiel, we uZ the happmess to possess, is umlerstoo,! to he eompleTc Its parts are vanous-historieal, .loetrinal and atZmemative praelteal or preceptive, and pro,,hetieal ; hut itCteins no collect,o„ of songs, no one portion written n metriea Ifo™ „r pr<-sent,ng a shadow of internal evidenec that the HoIvTniri? If the New Testament be " complete," yet wanting in soncs of praise, dictated by the Holy Spirit; or if the New Testa ment does not regmrejn.^nred «ongs and is still " colivle! " man compute.^ What are we to nndersta-id from vour cxpresHion "complete?" My understanding is that™ com! plete so far as mspiration can go; so far as is nece 4i4 'for doctrnu^, reproof, conviction, and instruction Trigh eou^ne.s '' And these thmgs perfect the man of God and^Sh Mm ' thoroughly unto every good wort" But still the N^w S ^ament leaves us at liberty to preadi, pray, and sing priises t God ; to exhort one another; without dictating the precise words to be used. If inspiration furnishes the'man of S thoroughly unto evenj good work by furnishing him the mat^ rials, or the rules of" doctrine, reproof; correction and mruo tion in righteousness," it is indeed complete witho^ d cS; ^rmons, exhortations, prayers, or hymns of praise, provided i^ furnishes the doctrine according to which they must be indked or spoken, or the reproof and correction wherrthey mat be wrong, and lustruetion generally as to their fo^ Z naL^ But It was the ".m>^,,..." which were thus "profitable"- True It ,s not however the source, but the princiSe" to which tionm righteousness may be found, the scriptures are «rS. A/^ for them, and they " thoroughly furnish.^ ^^ l-erhaps you are not aware that your third proposition co- vers more ground than necessurv Tt \^ r.r.1 ^^^"P"^'"^'" co- prove thflt th*. ..^^l;! "^^^^^'^^y-. . -^t IS not necessary that we prove that the apostles and primitive saints sang nothing but I * 19 Lir of the ' inspira- ipon th\fi \]y very we have 2te. Its L'ntative, tains no form, or f Spirit latter of n songs Testa- iplete ," it more m your is com- 7 "for isness." ish him w Tes- aises to precise >f Gud ! niate- nstruc- s^ating ided it ndited lay be lature. le."-~ which istruc- 'afita- n co- at we gbut inspired mx\ff9, in praising God. If wf proved that they had songs given them by inspiration Kubsccpimt (o the day of Pen- tecost we would prove too much, for we wouh! pro\c ultno.-t that modem christians should sing nothing but inspin-tl songs. You can afford to amend your df'claration by erasing " I y in- 8|»iration, and not raise a false issue, lest ymx drown yourself in ; our own sophistry. But will you preten of fiiith and practice, or any such rule." IJut you assert that "if (Christ, or his ajwstles, by the Spirit, made or wrote p>alms oi- hynms or 8f)iritual songs, (iod, in his providenc*', has been l(!s's caniful of them than of other inspired compo.^itions." Such indeed is true of all hymns. They pass away after they have become, old fashioned. But that is no argument that IIk^ apostles and primitive saints did not all sing hymns of their own com|M)si- tion. " There is no need to occupy much time in proving that in the primitive church hymns were used in addition to the psalms. No man who pays any regard to his leputation fijr knowledge will dispute this fact. Ev»^ry jxM-son who is com- petent to pronounce .judgment has given it in one direction. AH the scholars who have spent their days and nights in in- vestigating the early i-,.c to t ns .tatwHent and .nuintain, n. you are dispel t_) d'<, tl U thrso words hivo rrflrcn.-P mrrcdy to a threefold d.v.sH.n of tlH> PsHll.T its<,lf; cne ehuHs l,ein^ de u m r^Ued psahns anoll.er l,vrnn., and a third spiritual .on,.s W'Tillta den.7.Ls ;,o..sv/./.V.y." But aeeordinl' to law ami the laws a" o s-.y t. .M,„H. t.n.) or phni.e .neant Homethioi. at u former ptT,o. .1, h.n.„t ,,o,,. ,.hat it ever sun- save the P.alms of David. ^ Uj)on tJH. tirst fiiee, flu. mere readin- of the verses the in ft'rone.; ,s all in favor of those whose vi^ws we rep'M ;/t and h.s evHlenee reeolves overwheln.in. ecnflrmation'llylle 1^ vUue ,s thrown upon ,t by tlie imn.edialclysneeeedhi,. period We thns eonelnde, that thiriy years after our Lord's areonsbn there were Hun^ in the ar.ostolie ehurehes hymns .-md "onS not found u, David's Psahns." In n.i oinciardoeumentor mf mona drawn up for the En.peror Trajan, furnishin^hlrwTh .^on.e a,ls n. re latum to the ehn.tians in this provinee ^^^ tm, ebb l?nt It also furnishes us with data for another rur pose. "Some of tJie ehristians hul beer, put to Uie tortur^ to oornpel them to di.elose what took place in ^ n^J^Uiol What was the result of sueh invesLj^ations ? 'They Tffin^; T^u^' '/'f "'fJ "'^'t on a eertaln stated day beforri; "In the coivf^e of tioie, contrororsies arose in the christian oiiureh on th. .u :.mc divinity of our blessed Redeemer!^ There was one Paul, (of Samosata,) bishop of AntTo^h to wards the close of the third century, who endeavored oinf^ duce his heresy into the church. What was one oft^e nla^' use.1 for tins ^.rpose ? He banished the hynm-bo^k 'om (h^ Xt^'of T '" '"". "^^ ^"P^^^«^^ the^ymoTthatw ro •n honor of Jesus, on the ground that they wei4 of reoent ori' mi Mil 21 '■ disposed thn'cfbid lominatcd '! will not ri laws oC a former le ground the man OOmfKKHl- s, the m- <'rit ; and the light ;^ period, ic.oiision, id songa itormc- ilm with nee, vvr, L wa.s on ler pur- rture to Rmbliea. affirm,' ^.fore it elves a d'fl day supper no fair of the irifitian mcr. — oh, to- inf,ro- i plans >m (ho . were It ori- I gin and eomposed by modern aulhor?. Tli. book of Psjilms waa lean i*i his way, and ti.r an cthvions reason, than th«Mtrtho- dox hynift^ of thr churih, which \v(!rc full of Christ, in the followinj; cenfiny th" poairf of th<* chui(;h was far more dis- turbed by flu' ontbrojik of th"-<' hen'tical opinions. It was af- firmed that t!w (iivinity of dhrist was a ii"\v doctrin*', a cor- ruption which iiM-l been iritrodn-ed of late years, Jind which (y)uld claim neither the authority of the apo des nor that of the {Tftneration which succeeded them. It wa^ a (loelrin*', they Haid, unkru)wn till a!br the death of Victor, a bishop of Uome, at the end of th(^ second century. Mark how this MijL'ument was met. Ku-^eliins, th(^ ecchisias'icnl hislorian, arjiuos that this mi;.!;ht be probable if it wen? not f()r tiir- testisnotiy of (he, scripture-i, for tli;- te..(iniony of distinfrni- .icd wi-itejv since; the apwthis, who jUI say that .lesus (Jhrist is (iod. Vr-d then he introduced a third ar;.':nment, which w(; state in ids words : ' How many son;;s and hymns are Ihere anion- flie brethren, written from the beginnin.ij: by tii'' fiiilhfid, who "-in^thal .h'sus Christ is the AVord of (jlo;l arid is a> (Jod ?' Fnither proof is superfinous." "Ti'.us it is clear, that fhe ad'.ocat<\s of the exclusive use, ot psalms, are the innovalors who have abandoned tin' pra'5tic.e of the ehristian church." " AMBUOSIAN JllANT. a mode of sinj^nn- or (thanting introduced by St. Ambrose." — Webster. " Aj-'bro^e the iamoiis bishoj) of Milan, belon^'s to (he tbiirth century. He was born in ^;40. He was Mtiy fluid of sacred music, and was the author oi' twelve hymns, wliich are still ex- tant. So eminent was his name, in connexion %vith sacred poetry, thai a hynm wa"-' often ealUid from him Anibrosian." — Were not the saints in liie first, second, th^rd, and ioin'th cen- turies, as likely to have been right in their jn-aetices as (Jhris- liansnoware? and that, too, before the days ot I'apal dark- ness, when the pure, simple gospel of Christ Wivs the lamp to their feet and the light (o their patii. 1. So, yon have succeeded in })roving, that the Psalms of David werr- inspired as the Thirty-lirst ('iiaptei- ol* Numbers, or any other ^ .-k m tlic old Testament. 5. Yr,u iiave proved that they were adapted to be sung by the Jews, as well, perhaps, as Isaiah, dereuuiLn, or the •• Song of Songs." ^^%5^v^*' " "■ j I }«;■„ M 22 "Sing tl.e words wWol ,U"eS ,t' '""■'' ''"'*'''• P-^^-' ^"•- 8. Finally th^H,. ^^ themselves to our minds, and V'our W ,1 "'"■'■? -™" P™™ "'e less yo.. effect lor ftisl three propositions Imye been prolific %.n:r..::L;:,: t':fS'"^off ^""-"'p'^ «- -Modem Whose works a.? most ev?o!, • T 't^,'""' ?«'«• »"'' 'hose ally used «(m|d. as we Xtll l!f -^^ express.onsoccasion- upon a, nK,rrcl c-^tc .^ ?Z '.l '''™*'1.''^™''''<='» '«'*»'«i ere." ''"^" l"*"""" "■"" SO""* of the inspired writ- vere!^'''' tHuZ^::;: :':* ;" ■t^ •"■-' ."•"'^^s'' - '- - credit, and even eE tot^f • a ''^''^''^s unwarranted Jamente,! I,y ever " Ohri ,'•"''"'' 'I'' *^?" "'^''y ""'<^'' «- "e God's !,„ly Lk ^.«B ISr th'e me^k """r t", ''"T^''^^ assume the .-ittiiud,. of an insXJ •' ^"' '"' "''o will HiiiiS els.. s.,vs (L TJiM " P "■"'*■'■' <"■ speaker, or any .„• ^ ,.'•' 'ne Bible 13 not eomnletc in .i ■ ' "*"/ taunnir to t^ ftriJ mwii:., "«• '■ompurf. All thmjfs per- for me to declare The ,1„„; • ; ^"' ^"^ something struetion in S ^ou^ne s T .''• '7"""*^ correction, and in? roughly furni^ rr^VSf !" ,"" '''"''""''' «'""«' «>o- not make liim ,„rfe(t in .h„ • ""' "l"''^ ««"' "'"•'I'-can- to God hin,sdf - de , "J^tk i''"f • , '" '""" ''« S'™'^ "'« "e "f ""■ glory of l,is bKf hook 'i ^ " "'"^'"P" "> '■"'' ^^ the merit of the salv;Vr>nVr '^".V'' P^''-*"" would claim aed Redeemer " P""*"^'"'' '"^ «""'"' "'»>• "y the hie" '•"'• ■"> "- "ume of the five sense, wh.t ha.s tl.at to do with iiai&iiitf II ffiBfei-, ifound the he quoted »g nothing, 'aul "ceas- all neees- te." written by of human )ray, etc., (Is, and sfFect. "Modern md those anything oceasion- waiT.f.it I to stand red writ- " too aor- arranted ch to be v^rence vho will or any gs per- Paul nething and in- lot tho- — ean- Mie lie >b God I claim bles- with f 23 the singing of hymns ? Because some men are superfluously rash and indiscreet, is no good rea^son, it would seem to me, why we should not sing the praises of God which they have set and rhymed in order to be sung. The arrogance and as- ^ssumptions of a poet can be no objection to his productions, if they are right. We might reduce the argument to an argu- mentum ad absurdum, by throwing it into sylogistic form, thus : The productions of the pretender to inspiration should not be used in worshipping God. But, ministers of the gospel often pretend to inspiration, Therefore — Sermons being the productions of ministers, should not be used in worshipping God. But you may object that only some ministers pretend to in- spiration : And you have not pretended that more than some poets pretend to inspiration. So much i'ov that argument, which is certainly not too cheap. If you have nothing to urge against the innocent lines that chant the praises of God and the dying love of a Redeemer ; the lost estate of the natural man in his imregenerated state, and the glory that awaits the justified through Christ's blood ; it certainly is not generous to cast up theu- parentage to them; to abuse them, and turn them "out of meeting" on account of their father's indiscretion. After winding up your Jlrst three great propositions, with all the energy and learning which I have so frequently heard as- cribed to you, having been certainly displayed to advantage, if not totally exhausted, you begin your Chapter IV. with a truth, than which my existence is not more plainly demonstrated to me. Tlius you begin : " The reason why it was not necessary that a second collection of songs for the use of the church should be given by inspiration remains to be pointed out." How long it will thuis remain, remains a matter'for the remainder of your book to decide. But you say "It is found in the fourth FACT, from which we argue in favor of the exclusive use of the ' Songs of Zion' in the celebration of praise." "The fourth fact from which we argue in favour of the ex- clusive use," etc. And what, pray, have you been writing about all this time, if you are just now going to commence ar- guing in favor of the exclusive use of the Psaims on ti\e 150th page of your book, which contains but 189 pages. May we not legally and logically set that down to yoti as an admission, that all you liave said amounts to ;just nothing, 24 plus ipse dixit. But we proceed to notice your fourth all pre- vailmg proposition, which promises to do it all. You huve mo- aJZr ''T./^-''^ ''.'^^' '^ ''''^ •^^■'"«'^"^» of Israelites, and the times of their i^aiionn] existence," Wcli til. : term " na^iowaZ cx/.9^^«^e," oomos nearer the Jer- irsalcm laiiguage than the one you sometimes take to represent the Jewish nation an being a church. But in speaking of Z r/JZfr ^'"'^''^'r']' y'}',''y "This/ac^ will be Admitted hj every one acquainted with tlie book." What ' is your rn^ghty proposition going to begin begging the question with Its very nrst breath ? No Hercules, certainly. If it were not " a « r/' "' Tf'^ '"'^ ^'''' ""^ '^"^«'-' ^^ y«" ^he definition doL Tf \i • I - ""^T^' ^"derstood it to be Bomething to^i- I r "" '' •'"'* definition, what fact are you here speakmgofwhenyousay "^Ais/acr-^" :f ^^-^ bJt!drvp''''?^^'^'''^"ri'^ ^^^ T>«r-^f your excellent r. C " f' proved that -fact" or whatever else it may be, to prove wh.eh you started out, and this "fact" is so wiThtreb.uk ^7'%"^^ V ''^''y ^^^'- ^>" »'"^oming aequainted have been o have proved to those n„acu daiTn 111" thre<^ nts my ve it. — II adap- wt at all ?d that III your- ifer an •• For )w.; ? — !y were ively," 25 but with many others of their own comj.osition. Therefore Chnstians are not bound to use the PHalms of David " exclu- sively," hut with mamj others of their own composition. Now, suppose we admit your " fact" a,s you call it— what have you proved, pray? that you may 'Miavo a .-^cal for God " but accordmg to the knowledg(; of educational prejudice. But siippose we pp^v'"''«''^^^ else, ami both be most happy' Om,hT>: "■^'"'» "nothing persons ? If one is mos? h^nnv Vi '"' """ """^ *"??» language ofthel4Xs J inon^' ,"i *' '"fer that S tl/ch,^eh ,b„: .hat? ■ X Z '^^ '"te'' ro'"^ ^'"^ "f pt^lt^^»ut;srr^ directed expressly to tl e churnh f "'". u'*^' '^"'''^' ^^^" praise him from the /'W^r But ^rhl ,h J 1 ""' ""■""'" ^ s J- s^rn - ns£f '^« -r^^» tf GmI God Tthinit ^''^'"'^^^'^' ^*^«'^« «ingeth h^ns piXtr::^!;;;!^:^^/-^-^^^ U. cheapest .to tow nearly it resembles someinWr^^^^ \ ^^^^"^^ propos tion. You sav tl.^ p!„i ^ • "^ ^ ^" ^^"^^ JO""- aptation of thlZ^lJ^ ^otZTT u "?''' '^Wj'' ad- order to prove tKsTrtJnn . "" ""^ .^^^ '^•"•'^'^- ^nd in Psalms witrLtffsolr' 'T^^'\\^'^ '^ngi.a^e of tlie less " hapriVa^uD ed '^^^^^^^^ '^'k' T^"''^' ^^'^^^^^^ "'^^^ ^^ a-Uelism, JTZdbT^'c^^ ''^^'''"" i'T *''" «"^^^^a"ent par- the pen „e,rof thp pLf ^<>n\Pfnson of the ternis emplo>ed by ^TewishamlcSv' in ^v'"'^ 'J'^l '^''' '' something ^'oudy ,n t vvr.tmas of Christ and hi. apostJea, !ij 'i ^^^^y^< ' sser i';t;: hna more iguage to perlative, anything 'St happy 's happj, that tlie J state of strange I is better, h, when lar con- sh never on page If jou ht have at who- loose to fe is too rans of 10 sings oso of- hymn$ '■ use of >t hi to lowing e your y" ad- Vnd in 3f tlie ust be >Iance, itency istitu- t par- ed by New ithing wtJes, 27 which is removed by tlie more hicid modes of sjjeech which some of their more spiritual followers may teach us to use" : PSALMS. NEW TESTAMENT. S- •Jvi.4. There is a river, the Heb. xii. 22. But ye are come streams of which shall make glad unto Mount Zion, and unto the the city of God, the holy place ot city of the Living God, the hea- thetebernacle of the Most High, venly Jerusalem. Rom. ix. 6,7,8. xlvm. 2. Beautiful for situation. They are not all Israel which arc the joy of the whole earth, is of Israel : neither, bef^aujc they Mount Zion, on the sides of the are the seed of Abraham, are they north, the city of the great king, all children : but, in Isaac shall h. 18. Do good in thy good plea- thy seed be called. That is, they sure unto Zion: build thou the which are the children of the fesh, walls of Jerusalem, liii. 6. Oh these are not the children of God : that the salvation of Israel were h\xi tha children of the promise ixrQ cope out of Zion ! When God counted for the .sW. Gal. vi. 16. bnngeth back the captivity of his Peace be on them, and upon the people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Is- Israel of God. rael shall be glad. Ps. xxvii. 4. One thing have I John ii. 19. Jesus answered and desired of the Lord, that will I said unto them, destroy this ^em- seek after ; that I may dwell in pie, and in three days I will raise the /iowsg ()/<7je Zor^ all the days it up. 1 Cor. iii. 16. Know ye of my life, to behold the beauty not that ye are the temple of God, of the Lord, and to enquire in his and that the Spirit of God dwel- Temple. xlviii. 9. We have lethinyou? 1 Tim. iii. 15. That thought of thy loving kindness, thou mayest know how thou O God, in the midst of thy Tern- oughtest to behave thyself in the pie. Hi. 8. But I am like a green house of God, which is the church olive tree in the house of God. of the Living God. _ Ps. liv. 3. For strangers arc Eph. ii. 19. Now, therefore, ye risen up against me, and oppres- are no more strangers and foreign- sors seek after my soul, cxxxvii. ers, but feUow citizens, with the 4. How shall we sing the Lord's saints, and of the household of song in a strange land ! God. I have copied thus far fliithfully your garbled and detached quotaxions from the Psalms, beside texts from the New Testa- ment containing the same. vmrd. Do you imagine it would be hard for us to take the Th'-jlogical works of the \lv.\. Thomas Paine, and garble and detach sentences contuining certain words; unA set them opposite certain New Testament phrases containing tlie same words. A strong argument this would be to prove, that " h\ Thomas Paine's Theological works especi- ally, there is a most happy adaptation of the language, to tlie ^|l I 2H state oi tije chiir^k " ii' w^ni/^ .., « ' but th. «rr/.«,.., is just the same. SsU^.^^^t it '' we still doubt if yvuiZ^^^t^"^' ^'^ '^'^^ ^^ ^^^^'' '^"^ /• • j^^ii. «jv,.i nymris of iiuinan corn now fm. m.. fau-or way of tryir.g th, adaptatior. wo. d bfto 'dV ,^7 f samp e, a whole r^-dm ^ ^ „ j '*'^^ '^ 'My/e your.,:,; ,l.„,,,,.H,ln,,, .„„ .ic Jl ,^^-"^,,0,. /„'f,'r"' position, to liave your sentouorq thnt, .i .^ i i /'"irpro- in some word or L-d< IvT'^ ^''"'^/^'^■f' '^.^'^^^^ fo 'i.irroo oniy i'fiALM. Sot thou the jmii- man ovor hun, and let .Vrr^an st- lot tacin seek their bread also oui, ot the desolate places. Let the extoruoncr eateh all he hatli away: and let the stran<];er s})oiJ his la- bor. i,ot there be none to CKtend mercy to hiiii : neithar let there be any to favor hi, fathcrlesi^ ebiidren Let ids posterity be cut oj;,a.na m the generation fbl- lowmg let their name bo b!oi:cd out. Let the mi(iuitv of his h- father be remembered with th<- son ; and let nor the ^;in of his mother be blotted out Let then) be before tlie Lord rontiuualiy, ;7;, '"' ;"ay cut off the memory oj them from the (;arth. Because he remembered not mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy >(KW TESTAMENT. , I'e have hoard that it hath '^e-n said, an vye for an eve and a tooth for a tooth: hut' I say into you tnat ye resist not evi] • i^nt if any man shall smite thee Oil thy right cheek, t.irn unto him the other also. And if any i^un will sue thee at the law, and take away tiiy eoat. let him have tny cloak also. And who- sout J say i-Htoyou, love your enemies, bless them that cuive you, do good to thern that liate you, and pray for them which despite^ illy use you, and perse- euteyou; that ye may l>c the ehddron of your Father which is m heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the gooa, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unju-'t. For if ye to jro a Give 29 inan, that h-. mi^ht .ven si.y tbo iovc them which lovo you, wl.at broken m heart. As he loved reward have ye ? do not even cui^in^r so ot It come imfx, him ; the pu^.licans the same ?-ard if and as he d,.hshte,l not in hies- ye salute your brethren, what do ye more than others? do not even tlie publicans .so? Ho yc I)erFe(;t. oven an your Fatlier in heaven is perfect. Jesvs. aing so hhv^s him not at all (or lot it be far from him). As he (cloth- ed himself with cursinof like as with his ijarment, so lot it (jome into his bowels lik(! wat>',r, and 'ike oil into his bones. David Now, hero, is no j^mrblinnr, and such a plain hone.^t paniilol as Rhows olHhe whole matter of resemblanee in hnwlm-rQ^ AdmiL your provin- a man U) be the be.st looking, man of all men, by compa.nn,i.- his Iwka with tlHwe of sorr.o -ood lookinff man, to be good log ., which no m;m ir. hia senses" can believe! still vvhat docs a j.ist and fair oornpariion offacitd do to prove fiiat In the P.a ins morrj cspcciaHy, there is a most happy .^idaptation of the lan-uage to the citato of riiv. ciujkcii '^ A. dc^e ULspection of the above will s-jpersede anv commenta 5,ut last, thou-h not least, section 3 lifted up its voice say- '"^'•" t\ ,1^/1'"' '^'"''^^ "^^^""S ^""^ ^^'« lan-iage of Unvm. vennrf FAITH." N\)w this ia all that remains of the last and ail-r,revailln dolh his , on„se a, (or , vern.orc i Ilath God fi,rgotte.rto be "raei- ous/ ha h he n. anger shut up his lender mercies " fiSt we .10 not w,sh any advantage ot' this as an argumen We 1,2 wsh to show that, if we chose, we might pfove"te lism^ quue so nude as you have afHrmed them to be. But where there is faith there must be the object of tha- fa,th llow extensive is the object of faith .as eiprLed t the "language of unwavering faith" of David's Psalms Vtk! .foetrme of the eternal Godhead is nowhere so mueHs himed f, v,^'"^' "" «™" mferencially do we find a hint at thTof Ihc Resurrection from the dead, a doctrine of Xh •» verv ■Cnn; If" "T ''"''^■" '""' "'-'J -■•ician has expressed his prescription ac- curately and lucidly, and that the interj)reters peifectly under- stand hoth th(^ language of the physician and that of his 'patients, and honestly communicati^ to each, in his own tongue, the mind of the jdiysician, no i)e»-son would hesitate lo ascribe to hir.j the direction given to the sick, although he understands not the words in which it is expressed, more than if all who are under his care spake a Iai:guag(^ <'onmion to him and them, and re- ceived instructions innnediately from his own lij>s. The ui- terpreter is not transnmtcd into the doctor, nor is lie in any sense the author of the given preser-' Mons." This n^asonin- IS cerlaudy not such as 9/ou can cci/ijilain of, fi)r the ol)viou3 reason that it h—your own faifhfully (pioted from your "iVp- ' pendix." And if it prove any thing it cerlainly Iroos far to- wards establishing the fiict, tht.t the last j)icce which we have given, as an example, of modern hymns mav be consied by the ipi- ration attaches to the ideas, to the sentiments rather than to the words, then what are you contending; for? When modern poets give you the sentiment, the ven/ same sentiment, in words better adapted to tlui ajje, you contend tor tlie wouds of Esquire; Uou!«(^ just as it'/ie had been in-pired. as W(dl as I)avi7 the book," etc. Rev. v. 9. " I will ^\\\^ a nevj song to thee," etc. Ps. cxliv. 9, and almost innumerahle other example.^ are given of exhortations to praise God with " new songs" both in the Old and New Testaments. The scripture exhortations to i)ray, j)raise, exhc»rt, sing, etc., are all couched in precisely the same j^eneral term< ; no one being restricted as to how or what or >\hen or where ;_ but the injunction is to " Rejoice evermore, prny without ceasing, and iri every thing give thanks." And in-t'>ed there is no devo- tional exercise of which we know a!,\ thing that api)ears to bring the soul so n'\'ir to God as singing. And the overflow- ings of a heart, fraught witii lively emotions, with love to God and the children of their Father, with a sense of their weak- ness and dependence on God, and with a sen^e of their neces- sities, can in no way be so fully expi-essed a-; through well- executed songs of praise. » The man that hr.th no nuisic in Vii^ soul. And is not moved with conconi of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils : The motions of his heart arc in his ])raise, for giving uttereuce to their own feelings — s})eaking forth their own sentiments. What shall damp and mar the anlor of the sincere worshipper of (iod ? — Those who speak forth the boiuidless mercies of the God of love, tlie God who is love, in songs of love, from purest motives of praise, are to be told that the Psalms of David are entitled 3i) to tlu; " cxdasive" right to be sung. ILjw many luindreds of tlioustiiid^ of dovout and devoted Chi-istians — lovers of God and his Ciirist, who sing praises to (iod from the [iiirest mo- tives, who join with all created things i!i ;\scril>ing glory to tlie IriiaeuiaLe. name of Jehovah, are to be told now, in the en- lightened tiineleenth century, that th.«'y and their predecessors have, for eighteen hundred years, b< en disj)ieasing that Ood of Love by singing ])rai«es to his name. If we are in this he- retical, we are cortai'.dy in very good company. You do not take into (jalculation the Greeli and the Roman Catholic church- es ; the ciiurches in America, of every (ienomination ; all the mission (tlmrche^ })lantcd by Britain and Arnei-ica ; Jill the Protestant churches; all the"E>>iscopali:in clmrchesin the liri- tisji empire; all the Independant churches; all the Baptist eimrches ; all the Methodist churches; the Established church of Scotland; the Free cluu'ch of Scotland ; tiie United Presby- teriiin church, yea. all who Wi)r.-hip God of own-y denomination, are ail discovered to be displeasing C/od. What! seal the moutln of all wnu ('hoo-e tc sing the praises of tlieir God, of every denomlnatio:!, m Qvarj lam.^uage and of every land. But he who would sing the TucriLs of Clu'ist's death : he who would tell in >ong of the fallen condition of our imture : who would e^'timatc the value of (:iirisL^s aioncinent, the glory iVom which he descended ; wiso would prai.-e God in soniis of adoration ibr his boundless ..tores of grace and mercy bestov.-ed \\\ the un:-]^cakable gift of his Son, must go (dx'where than to i.\ivids Psalms. il(rwho would sing of the crown of riiriiteousness purchased by the common Redeemer of our once lost ra."e, must lind his sejiiimcnt in the New Testament, ile who would sing of that immortality and its infinite joys winch are merited to \v> by the sacrifice oftered on rugged Calvary, will have to find his strains <'l,ewhere than in the odes com- posed by the king of the; Jewish nation. In those odes the idea of a fut} ire 'stale of existence b(;yond the confines <)f the tomb is not so much as hinted at / Who is this who will ^Imt tile mouths of all who sing praises to (Jod fortiie gift of Christ.'' Who is he who seals the lips of praise to Christ for the pur- chase of Immortal Glor>f? Who says to the Christian world of worshippers that Cah ary's Hill shall not inspire then- songr' Who that prescribes the shadow of things to come and pro- scribes the body which is Christ? Who would prosecute the I 1 40 study of the old and pe; ttpcute tho .students of the new cove- nant? Who is it that sing ''exclusively" the hatred of the king of the Jewish nation to his enemies ; anathematizes all the Christian world, excf'j)t a little handful of a particular sect of the Church of Scotland, for professing the dying *Ofe of the '• King of kings and Lord of Lords." Uut the praises of Christ; the inostiniahle value of his sacrifice, the unspeakahlo Love of God in the giil of his Son to reconcile a world of rebels ; the lost condition of the sin sick and guilt stricken world, dead in Adam ; the meritvS of Christ's blood in furnishing the means of salvation ; and the conditions implied in the covenant of Grace ; the glorious plan of salvation, are themes which can nerer, NEVER emanate from the lips of the "exclusive" sin"-er of David's typical Hebraisms, now to us alm.ost unintelligible. Vainly do you quote from such excellent Christian reformers as Athenasius, IJasil, llorsley, Bishop Home, etc., eulogiums of David's Psalms : tb(^y do not cover your ground. Be it remembered they all used hymm in public worship. Tliey can be of no use to the advocates of the " exclusive" use of the Psalms of David. But they are inspired and good, and there- tore they alone are good, is the syllogism to which the whole matter is reduced by your logic. We can do without hymns, therefore, it is Scottically wrong to use them ! We might le- gitimately go on and say, upon the samo princi[)le, having thus established the ''facV (us you would say) that whatever the Psalms teach is right; therefore, whatever they do not teach is wrong. But they never mention one word of a future state, the Divinity t)f Christ, the merits of his blood, the su« perior merit.s of the New Covenant, nor of His second coming --yea, many other points of most vital interest to the 67«m- ^mn— therefore, by your logic, if ifc be worth anything, these doctrines aro essentially wrong. Yea, the doctrines of Bap- tism and the l^ord's Supper — the very name Christian, or dis- ciple is, by your theory, essentially ivrong, and you would by it unchristianise the Christian world. Indeed, the very least that may be said of the salutary effects of your doctrine is, that it is in its tendency most decidedly anti-Christian. It is a doctrine no where to be found but among those who have gone as tar as possible towards destroyiiuj the ordinances of Christ. Now this may seem a very harsh charge, but what would be said if it were found time ? But it is neither the i ill 41 time nor place to drag in another question, — and say how the Clu'iMtian ordinances have suffered to make v/ay for Judaism : how Christ, in iiis ordinance.^, has been saeriticed to Moses. You have, Sir, searched long and successfully for miat, thyme, and rue ; but we are labouring under a great mistake, if you have not been passing by some of the most weighty matters of the law of Christ. Have you not, in common with your brethren, to wiiosc imrty we had the honor in early life to belong, set aside the " ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Christ for the remission ofsijis,' and substituted it with an ordinance claim- ing no higher authority than the ^'•traditions rf the fathers." — You must be aware that that ordinance which you have en- grafted into the " Perfect law of liberty," is not yet six hun- dred years old. The saints of God met always on the Lord's- laws for the governnieiU of his own Church. If he could not, which you will not be disponed to insist upon ; or if he v