munion, at this outrage upon human liberty. The bishop will find himself at the head of a mere fragment of his own church, and may even be subjected to the fearful alternative of schism or excision. We trust that the Episcopal church will seize upon this occasion to vindicate her Protestant character. We hope, however, that the bishop, if condemned, will not be persecuted. In conclusion, let the reader re

member, that these persecuted brethren are in urgent need. Their pres. ent wants must be relieved by contributions from abroad. This is a grand occasion for the exhibition of Christian unity to the world. Christ moreover, is testing the love of each of his disciples by this appeal; and will remind them of the response they make to it, at his appearing. (Mat. xxv, 34, seq.)

WITHIN the last fifteen years, Dwight's edition of Watts's Psalms, with his own supplementary versions and his selection of Hymns, after being used for a long time almost exclusively by the Congregational churches in Connecticut, and many churches elsewhere, had been superseded to a great extent by new compilations, larger and more diversified. The Church Psalmody had been adopted in many places, the Christian Psalmist in some others, and a still later work had entered its claims; while some of the principal congregations in the state were not willing to adopt any of these new collections, nor yet contented to retain the old. In at least one town, the three works we have named were in use at the same time in three several churches of the same communion.

This diversity among kindred churches, in respect to an important part of public worship, was felt to be for many reasons undesirable. The subject was accordingly brought before the General Association of

* Psalms and Hymns, for Christian use

and Worship; prepared and set forth by the General Association of Connecticut. New Haven, Durrie & Peck, 1845.

Hymns, for Christian use and Worship, prepared and set forth by the General Association of Connecticut. New Haven, Durrie & Peck, 1846.

Connecticut, at their session in Wethersfield, in the year 1842, by an overture from the Hartford North Association; in order to secure greater uniformity by the recommendation, or other regular action of that body, in whom the churches have always reposed confidence. A committee was appointed, consisting of Rev. Drs. Day, Tyler, Fitch, Hawes and Bacon; who reported at the next annual session, that they could not recommend any one of the existing collections as satisfactory, and that it was expedient for the General Association to prepare another, in the use of which the churches under their care might generally agree. The same committee were then reappointed, and empowered, in behalf of that body, to prepare such a work. It was accordingly begun in September, 1843. In the following year, report was made of its progress, and the same committee were authorized to complete and publish it. The result was the publication, in the spring of 1845, of the "Psalms and Hymns" referred to at the head of this arti

cle, and which has begun to be known as the new Connecticut or Congregational collection.

The chief" labor of compiling and editing" this volume devolved on the two gentlemen named in the

preface, who were employed in it as their business jointly sixteen months, and one of them three or four months longer, bestowing time equiv. alent to three years from a single editor. The committee also bestowed on it as much careful attention as their other avocations would allow, from time to time spending successive days in laborious consultation on the numberless minute questions it presented. Besides using their own judgment and diligence, the compilers acted, as is said in the preface, under the "close and constant superintendance" of the committee; submitting to them all parts of the work, first in the preparation and then in the "proof-sheets"; and "hardly any thing" was "admitted or rejected, hardly any change of expression, however trivial," was made, "without their express direction and consent." Abundant materials were provided also for the most judicious selection, in about seventy works, many of them imported, consisting of original sources and of compilations down to the latest date.

This collection, therefore, really emanates from the General Association, on the responsibility not of the more active compilers alone, but of the well known and most competent committee who sign the preface. Such a fact affords to all who can not fully examine it for themselves, the safest guaranty for the care and judgment exercised in the work. No single editor, how ever accomplished he might be, could alone give the requisite security, for on subjects of this nature every man's individual bias and accidental associations, require occasional correction from other minds; nor can such security be had in certificates solicited from clergymen here and there,* who look at an ele

* We have been surprised that such certificates should be so readily given, and so much relied on, in many cases. It is certain that pastors generally have not

gant copy of a new book, and of course like it or say nothing. The churches ought to have the best assurance which the case allows, the most deliberate and significant sanction, for a work which they are to employ statedly in the worship of God. As coming from the General Association, the Connecticut collection not only has this advantage, but another which deserves the consideration of the churches; for instead of being the private enterprise of any publisher or author, who may make it only a matter of pecuniary speculation, it is the property of that well known ecclesiastical body, and "the entire proceeds of the copy right," are by them devoted "to some of the benevolent enterprises of the day."

The committee and the compilers had a clear understanding among themselves, with the sanction of the Association, from the outset of their undertaking, as to the principles on which such a work ought to be constructed. They aimed to prepare a collection of Psalms and Hymns which, in respect to quality, variety and extent, might generally satisfy the ministers and congregations of Connecticut, better than any other; in which they might cordially harmonize, with no reference to minor theological differences; and which should be truly adapted to "Christian use and worship." With this view, the proper idea of worship, as distinguished both from mere instruction or persuasion, and from mere poetical entertainment, has been chiefly regarded in the character of the selections. They are generally expressions of devout thought and feeling, with the aid of numbers and a chastened imagination; rather than the versified doctrines and exhortations that some good people admire, or the morbid sentimental

time nor disposition to go into that minute examination and comparison of such works which a committee is understood to make.

ism and fanciful painting that captivate another class. They are selected also with a view to good versification and variety of metre, in reference to singing, as the principal use to be made of them; yet the marks for musical expression employed in some popular collections, are dispensed with here, as being often superfluous or arbitrary, and belonging rather to the province of choirs than of compilers. Words and phrases are not exchanged for others smoother but less pertinent, and there is no attempt to make the corresponding measures of different stanzas in the same piece always uniform in accent, for the sake of greater exactness in singing.* A tune ought to wait on the hymn, not the hymn on the tune. Moreover this book was made not only to be sung but to be read, or, as Dwight says, "for Christian use" in general as well as 66 worship." So far as it answers its avowed design, it must bear and reward an attentive perusal in the family and in the closet.

It will be found that in the preparation of this volume, special attention has been bestowed on the Psalms. As compared with those of Watts, or of Watts and Dwight, it has the advantage of intermingling with their best versions other pieces of acknowledged merit in the same department, selected from various authors.† Among these

additions several are from Montgomery's "Songs of Zion," a collection of paraphrases worthy of his poetical fame and of Christian

* In all Iambic verse the first foot in a line is often a Trochee-e. g. Watts' Ps. 5, "Lord in the morning," &c., in several stanzas. To make the stanzas uniform in this respect, as has been sometimes attempted, is exchanging variety for monotony.

Among them-though not all peculiar to this book-are Ps. 19, 6th vers.; 34, 3d vers.; 72, 1st vers.; 77, 1st and 3d vers.; 148, 6th vers.

work before us gives a larger space to the Psalms as distinguished from the Hymns, and more carefully marks the difference between the two, which have sometimes been so imperfectly classified as to present "a distinction without a difference," a hymn being called a Psalm, if only suggested by a single verse, or treating of the same subject. The pieces here described as Psalmsand numbered consecutively as versions,† to save the necessity of naming the unusual metres from the pulpit-are either versions, in the stricter sense, or else paraphrases or imitations, of the whole or some considerable portions of the Psalms to which they are severally referred, with the exception, however, of certain well known pieces, which can scarcely be thus described, and yet which have become too closely associated with the Psalms that suggested them, to allow of a new arrangement. Among several versions of the same Psalm, those are placed first which refer to the whole; and the others generally follow in the order of the parts in the original,‡ which are carefully indicated by the verses, after the manner of Watts and Dwight. Besides their principal use, these versions, thus arranged, may serve as an animated evangelical comment, if read in connection with the inspired book, and will have the more interest for devout minds the more they are thus regarded.

On the subject of omissions and alterations, the persons who pre

* In the Church Psalmody, the amount of matter in the Psalms is to the Hymns about as 7 to 11; in this book it is about as 7 to 9.

The word "Part," employed in the same manner in the Church Psalmody, was before appropriated by Watts to a different use, designating the portion of the original Psalm.

e. g. Ps. 72, 139, 103. A peculiar case is on Ps. 19, where versions 5-10 alternate, as it were, completing and renewing the contrast.

pared this work cherished the same sacred associations with those for whose use it was intended; and they have aimed to shun the extreme of innovation, which has been an occasion of serious complaint against some modern collections, yet to exercise their own discretion as their appointment required. They did not feel at liberty to disregard either the popular judgment already formed in matters of this kind, or the decisions of cultivated taste; either to give needless offense even to accidental prepossessions and prejudices, or to forego an unquestionable improvement through a mere dread of change. If, in the progress of their work, they have used more freedom than they intended in the outset, such is, we believe, only the experience of compilers generally. Among Watts's Psalms, some whole pieces have been omitted, either be cause they are never sung, or be cause he has embodied the same thoughts in other pieces of higher merit. His practice of repeating the same part of a Psalm in different metres, certainly left room for abridgment. In other pieces particular stanzas have been omitted, either as blemishes, or as encumbering and obscuring the other stanzas, which form a more eligible piece by themselves.* Some of his longest versions are divided with obvious advantage to each part. It is believed that the body of his Psalms will have a more lasting value, better answer his own design, and reflect more honor on his genius, when thus judiciously curtailed for public worship, than if retained entire. Moreover, such omissions are found to be necessary, in order to make room for the versions added from other authors. More matter from his pen is retained in this book, however, than in most of the

* The first part of Watts's 68th Psalm, for example, began with the 6th stanza, as in Church Psalmody, and this book also.

miscellaneous collections; and all the versions brought together here, contain over two hundred stanzas more than the Psalms as he left them.* The verbal changes that seemed to be required in a work of this kind, have been made with all the caution that could reasonably be demanded. Those pieces, both among the Psalms and Hymns, from Watts, Doddridge, Mrs. Steele, and others, which are familiar and dear to our ministers and churches, have been here considered as already their hallowed property, and in a measure exempt from change, even where liable to criticism. The editors have not been disposed to sacrifice sense to sound, nor to recast an author's phraseology after any later pattern, either in literature or theology.— Some passages, which many have learned from other books, and may suppose to be altered here, are really restored according to the original.† Yet in some of the pieces here retained or for the first time introduced, the editors have made what they believed to be necessary or important amendments. They hold it proper still to give an author's name to his hymn, though it has been altered, if it is set down as altered, and such an acknowledgment is here affixed to the name, whether the changes are new or made before in other collections. And wherever it seemed necessary either to alter a piece slightly or to reject it altogether, they believed the author would have chosen it should be thus retained with his name, rather than lose its place in the sanctuary. But after the utmost care, it can not be expected

* Watts's Psalms contain about 2171 stanzas; these, 2384. Dr. Dwight's Memoirs state that his 33 versions contained "about 1250 lines."

te. g. "What peaceful hours I then enjoyed"-Cowper wrote "once"-but Dr. Dwight seems to have taken it from Rippon's Collection, whose verbal alterations he usually followed.

that all minds will be alike satisfied with any attempt at improvement in matters so nearly related not only to taste in general, but to the accidental partialities of individuals. If there are those who set them selves against all omissions and cor. rections, who avow a blind hostility to change, of course they can not be accommodated by any scheme of improvement. But while intelliBut while intelligent readers generally agree that the blemishes of Psalmody ought to be removed, and the inferior matter exchanged for better, there will be some diversity of judgment as to the particular application of these terms; and an undertaking of this kind must therefore be estimated as a whole, and in reference to the varied tastes and wants of the Christian community.

This volume is one of the largest ever prepared for such a purpose. It contains 1203 metrical pieces, (besides doxologies,) drawn from a great variety of sources, and adapted to all the occasions for which such compositions are wanted. They comprise the best productions of Watts, Doddridge, Mrs. Steele, Montgomery, Newton, Dwight, Charles Wesley, Cowper, and more than thirty other writers. We have here arranged these names according to the number of pieces contained in this collection, from each author; Watts standing ever at the head, having contributed about seven fold more than any other single writer, and about five twelfths of the whole.t

*We will only stop to ask persons of that sort, what attractions they find in such rhymes as the 2d and 4th lines of the 2d stanza in Watts's Psalm 16. c. m., part 1st-"The saints may profit by't"

The men of my delight;" or would they have their children learn grammar from these lines of a popular hymn

"I'll go to Jesus, though my sin
Hath, like a mountain, rose."

After the writers above enumerated, in the order of their contributions to the whole collection, there follow Tate, (16 pieces.) Goode and Kelly, (each 15,) Lyte and Heber, (each 12,) Mrs. E. Scott, (11,)

In respect to the hymns alone, their respective shares keep the same order, with the exception of Dwight's. The size of the book-so long as it does not cost the purchaser more than other similar works-is itself a popular recommendation, enabling every class of readers to make a narrower selection for themselves. Moreover, it has become almost necessary, in view of the abundant materials spread out before a modern compiler, since our language has been enriched with so many versions of the Psalms, and other more popular sacred lyrics, by devout, ingenious and accomplished writers, of successive times. It would have been easier to enlarge than to reduce the number; many pieces that were scarcely inferior, if at all, to some contained in the book, being rejected only for lack of room. Of the whole number adopted, about seventy have never appeared before, so far as we know, in any American collection; and some of these are compositions of such rare and unquestionable merit, that we can only wonder they have not been sooner transferred from the English collections to our own. A few were written originally for this work, chiefly for special occasions. It should be added, that one or two well known pieces are properly omitted here, as belonging to the copyright of the collection in which they first appeared.† Some compilers have not scrupled to take

*

Toplady and Beddome, (each 10,) Conder, (9,) the Stennetts, (11.)

* On a hasty reference at the moment, we may note, as new to our readers, hymns 5, 15, 41, 80, 96, 100, 117, 405, 594, 595, 645, 661, 665, 676. Among the original hymns, we refer to 556, 635, 638, 706.

t One is "I love to steal awhile away," which belongs to the proprietors of the "Village Hymns." It has been suggested that some other collections have treated this piece in the spirit of the first four words. As it could not lawfully be taken, the last hymn in this book may be read in its place.