Gibson Note B
James Dodson
NOTE B.—PAGES 126, 149.
WITHOUT vouching for the perfect correctness of the following statement by Mr Macfie, it seems to carry the marks of truth on the face of it:—
“A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS SOME FUTURE ANNALS.
“At this time, the Presbyterian Church in England, moved by the same healthful breeze which, throughout all the churches, was impelling a triumphant wave of public opinion towards hymnody more ample and more characteristically Christian, afresh took into consideration the question of superseding, for a better, the collection which they had adopted in 1857. But differences of opinion, as was to be expected, arose, and no formal resolution was adopted in favour of a new collection. Nevertheless, one of their elders, whom the Church much esteemed, associated with himself, in an informal and private manner, certain of the preaching and non-preaching elders, chiefly resident in and near London, and of these constituted a voluntary Committee, who accordingly set to work to select many hymns. After they had made a selection, it is recorded that they sent to each of the preaching and teaching ministers of the Church a copy, and sometime afterwards, not to these only, but to a representative non-preaching elder of almost every congregation, a different copy wherein was music. The request was probably, at same time or times, made, that the Committee should be favoured with any remarks which recipients might desire to offer. It is doubtful, however, if many replies were given. Paucity and imperfection of replies, indeed, could be no matter of wonder, inasmuch as it was not by authority of the Church that the application was made. Moreover, that any should devote much time to critical and minute inspection, though most necessary, was, in such a case, not to be expected, as the Church might reject the work; and was not as yet required, seeing one thing surely could be relied on, according
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to all precedent, viz., that the Church would not be hasty in giving the book its final imprimatur; but, on the contrary, would, after formal approval, if it should have a mind for that, submit the book in its probationary condition, if not to the Presbyteries, at least to the body of the Church through the members of Synod, for a sufficient time to allow of leisurely examination, reflection, and perfectonation. That the Committee, as a matter of fact, did not circulate the book with adequate wideness and in sufficiency of time to secure this object, there is indirect proof, for one person, whose taste may be questionable, but whose interest had been proved by his printing and sending to every minister of the Church notes and suggestions upon the existing collection, and who had otherwise exhibited interest in hymn books, never had a copy sent to him till long after the Synod adjourned, and then only an incomplete copy. He did indeed get loans in sufficient time to enable him to make some hasty pencillings, which he had not time left to pursue to the end. Such as these were, there is no reason to believe that as much had been done by other persons more qualified and better entitled; and little wonder, for nobody could have anticipated that the book would be off-hand referred to a Committee, (mostly consisting of the very men who, in combination, had executed the plan by which the work that in ordinary circumstances the Synod should have undertaken was performed—undoubtedly with zeal and honourable motives—by them instead; and this, with instructions) to report during the sittings of the Synod; still less could it be supposed that at that same Synod, and in a hurried manner, when there was no time for due deliberation, would the book be adopted. Yet such a thing did happen. A resolution was passed, of which the following is the substance:—
“That the Collection had been most carefully prepared.—Yet, after the Synod closed, it was proved that, however careful the collecting had been, there had been no due care in regard to the hymns collected.
“That the Collecting had been done by a large number of the Ministers and Elders of the Church.—A statement which is explainable on the supposition that what some would reckon small, the Synod deem large.
“That copies of the first draft of the Collection had been sent.—Not, however, by the Church, but by private individuals, and, therefore, with no authority that ensured attention.
“That thereby ample opportunity for examination and discussion was afforded.—Opportunity of a sort, no doubt, if there was a will, but was it availed of?
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“That as it now stands, the Collection embodies the results of criticisms and suggestions from all quarters of the Church.—How many such ameliorations is not even hinted at.
“That no serious objections have been made.—The reason why may be inferred. There had not been the examination and discussion, for which there was ‘opportunity.’ But objections have been made since that are most serious.
“That, the Report says, it had been universally admitted that, as a whole, the Collection is an admirable one.—Anybody may pretty safely say this, but what does it amount to?
“That, the Report also says, the accompanying Music is of a very high order.—This must have been taken for granted on a limited amount of examination. Was there more warrant in regard to the previous equally laudatory and emphatic assertions?
“That therefore a Committee was appointed to consider the emendations suggested in the Report.—Which emendations could not be very thorough, for all was done during the spare hours of a hard-worked Synod; and generally to complete the volume.
“It would require very great confidence in any collection, that it has been thoroughly scrutinized, to warrant the representative of any Committee to propose a resolution so partial and (in a sense) partisan in its aspect.
“The Synod, however, did adopt it; and, soon after, the evil of undue haste became disappointingly apparent. The Collection was found to be one-sided, inasmuch as, throughout, it contradicted what students regard the most Scriptural opinions in regard to the future state; unsafe, inasmuch as, by overstating Bible revelations in regard to the Godhead, it created difficulties in the way of receiving the truth, and tended thereby to Unitarian error—ritualistic and superstitious—inasmuch as it conforms to Roman and High Church fancies, as to angels, priesthood, the sacraments, and the sacredness of places.
“Two other features, which, so far as appears, had never before been considered, also came to light, viz.: That the Scriptural order of prayer, and Scripture doctrine as to the offices of the blessed Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, were (be it deferentially said) either disregarded or overridden; and that the Collection was so framed as to deprive the Church certainly of nearly a half of its favourite Paraphrases, and too probably in the end of the time-honoured Scotch Version of the Psalms.
“The leaders of the movement in London were well supported by a newspaper which it was at one time expected would be the organ of the whole Church. That paper did not indeed advocate
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the Book, but it more effectually served the satisfied promoters by withholding most of the letters that were sent it, not anonymously, by a considerable contributor to the fund for starting and maintaining this vehicle of intercommunication.
“The executive of the Committee also did what they could to carry the point on which their heart was set, by withholding information during the progress of their work.
“At last a book was ordered to be printed for sale, as the fulfilment of their task, which contained, besides other peculiarities, a number of hymns that were never before published, and so had not the test of public use in their favour, as well as a number of hymns that were not in the book when submitted to the Synod, and therefore cannot be held to have its approval and sanction. Emendations certainly have been made, but they merely affected details, and were fewer than regard for exact truth demanded. Pervading faults, fundamental error, had not been eliminated nor neutralised.
“The English Presbyterians had a noble example before them. Twice had the Church of Scotland distinguished itself for scrupulous regard to truth and taste. The preparing, revising, and perfecting of their good old psalms was a work of years. By way of contrast, its English sister approved of a collection of 525 hymns, composed by irresponsible persons, and selected without authority, on no acknowledged principle, and adopted it per saltum.
“The Church of Scotland, after like elaboration of a few paraphrases and hymns, issued a collection of great value, containing almost nothing objectionable or doubtful, in such manner that by ‘monopoly,’ (to use its own expression,) cheapness was secured, and the power of further improving was doubtless retained without interfering with publishers’ private property—a precautionary power of great practical value, the want of which the Presbyterian Church in England may often have urged as an insuperable difficulty in the way of amendments that certainly will be greatly desiderated.
“The confidence reposed in the English Committee was so great and so generally diffused, that the sound of alarm might have been ineffectual; remonstrances of reiterated character might not have been heeded, if a representation from some commercial members of the body addressed to the good Moderator had not stimulated him to plead with the Committee for at least delay, in order that a preliminary issue might be examined and the truth and cogency of the numerous new objections be subjected to proof.
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“It therefore became the Committee’s duty to consider whether or not they should yield to the recommendation, one perhaps almost unprecedented and never in any case slighted by want of concurrence. The reasons for yielding are obvious enough. It was clear to all parties that without delay the opponents could not be satisfied. It was plain too that new matter in the way of objection had arisen, and indeed was distinctly specified. There could not but be consciousness that unusual haste, and a certain degree of closeness, had marked part of the procedure. To all which was necessarily superadded other considerations, such as a sense of the vital importance of being assuredly orthodox, and of giving no misleading sound where the tendencies of the age towards externalism were alleged to have rendered meanings ambiguous and dangerous, and, on the other hand, of not giving a dogmatic sound on points where Scripture and the standards of the Church had not spoken authoritatively. The force of this last consideration could not but be great. Love to the brethren, weaker brethren they might be dictated, no less. Catholicity, and especially regard for the Presbyterians of other Churches with whom union was then a matter of hope, urged similar caution. One reason above all constrained to delay and re-examination. It is this: that the influence of hymns as a source, yet not a system, of doctrine, though silent and casual in its mode of action, is far more pervasive and powerful than that of Creeds and Catechisms. How incumbent, therefore, that even the feeblest appeals and monitions should be heard—every care taken to exclude dubious matter, for the sake of the uninstructed, who have not had the corrective advantage of the old Scottish domestic theological training, and of the young, who may, in the course of nature, grow up to be one day the bulk of the people and the formers of the Church.
“It was felt that little harm could be caused by delay, and that much good, though no doubt further work and cost, might be the result. But the Committee would not grudge this, if the honour of the truth and of the Church was one hairbreadth affected. They would not be the cause of heart-burning, nor even seem to carry things with a high hand.”