dorttopaOtittr.
THE ANABAPTISTS.
FRONI THE HISTORY OF THE REFOR.
MATION IN THE NETHERLANDS.
BY N. XL
(Continued.)
In, May, the bishop of the diocese be
sieged the city. This stirred up afresh
the fanaticism of the usurpers. All goods
were held in common. Mathys, the
leader, believing himself called on to
slay the besieging foe, made a sally
from the gates, in which he was slain.
Bockelson was the name of his successor.
It was agreed that twelve elders, under
the control of this prophet, should govern
the city. Bockelson now introduced
polygamy ; and all the abominations
with which Mormonism in this age has
made us familiar, were practised in Mun
ster. Bockelson himself had three, and
afterward thirteen wives. Some of the
better class of the Anabaptists resisted
these scandals, but they were overpower
ed, and with their leader were mercilessly
put to death. Bockelson was then pro
claimed king of the whole earth, and
set up a splendid court. He claimed
authority to introduce the millenium ;
he sent out twenty-eight apostles and
appointed twelve dukes to govern the
world as his vicegerents. But his apos
tles were seized and mostly put to
death, and instead of governing the
world, his little kingdom of Munster,
after undergoing a siege of many months
and being dreadfully reduced by starva
tion, was captured in 1535 by the
bishop's army ; and King John, with his
governor and chancellor, were seized
and actually pinched to death with red
hot tongs by their Catholic conquerors.
While this siege was going forward,
the Anabaptists were causing great dis
turbances in Amsterdam and other parts
of Holland. They embarked at one
time in twelve vessels, scarcely knowing
whither they were bound, and foolishly
hoping that God would guide selfish,
corrupt and fanatical men, to some place,
where they might carry on their vile
practices in safety. But it is melan
choly to think, that by the connivance
of our own Christian government, in
this nineteenth century, the half-formed
plans of the licentious errorists of the
sixteenth century, are enjoying the most
complete and prosperous fulfillment in
the great Mormon settlement of Salt
Lake City.
These wild and furious reformers
would rush through the streets of Am
sterdam with drawn swords, crying
"Woe!woe!" • "Repent ye I" On the
night of the 11th of February, 1535,
seven men and five women of this fana
tical party, some say fifty persons in all,
having spent four hours in preaching
and praying after their manner, threw
off all their clothing and cast it into the
fire, and then rushing out of doors, ran
up and down the streets of the city,
perfectly naked, and crying out in dread
ful tones, "`Woe, woe, woe ; the wrath
of God, the wrath of God, the wrath of
God !" When arrested, they refused to
put on clothes, saying that they were
-" the naked truth." They were con
demned to death, and so deep was their
delusion, that one of them, on the way
to execution, declared that they could
not kill him with any instrument,
though his head was soon after struck off.
These miserable creatures were treated
with all the severity which a persecuting
age was accustomed to exercise toward
heretics of every class. They were hunt
ed out, burned, beheaded and drowned
in great numbers. The records of those
times are full of bloody executions of
poor creatures, many of whom could
have been reclaimed by kindness; while
many others, with all their errors, were
perfectly harmless, and should have no
more been disturbed than were the Miller
ites of our own country, thirty years ago.
Many others needed treatment for luna
cy, rather than punishment for crime.
But others still, and these the leading
spirits among them, were men made
dangerous by fanaticism, with the most
extraordinary aims and ambitions, open
-enemies to the peace and order of society.
*What wonder that the people and au
thorities of Amsterdam were ready to
inflict the severest penalties upon the
Anabaptists, when they were kept in
constant alarm with rumors of a con
spiracy to seize upon their city, and
_give it over to violence and rapine, as
.had been the case with unfortunate
Munster ? The people of New York,
Philadelphia, Buffalo and other cities,
who remember the alarm created and
-the vehement feelings stirred by rumors
of rebel plots to burn these cities, can
sympathize with the alarm of the citizens
of Amsterdam when rumors of Anabap
tist plots came to their ears ; when ac
tually over one thousand of these wild
people flocked from other parts to Am
sterdatn, and had to be dealt with as
cautiously as a madman who has you
by an open window and wishes you to
jump out with him ; when the siege of
Munster was yet undecided and likely
to be abandoned, and when one hundred
:soldiers fell in capturing Oudwater, a
little town in Freeslaud, across the
Zuyder Zee, where they bad established
themselves and ' were committing all
their accustomed acts of violence.
On the 10th of May, the goodly city had,
in fact, well nigh fallen into their hands.
One John van Geelen, . who had been
appointed by the Anabaptist king of
Munster, general of all the Anabaptists
in the world, came publicly to Amster 7 : :
dam and professed to have renounced
his errors. In secret, however, the
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 1, 1866.
traitor maintained the closest relations
with the Anabaptists, and carried on his
detestable plots ; and having got to
gether a sufficient number of followers
who believed that God had given the city
to their king, he named the night of the
10th of May as the time, and appointed
as the signal the ringing of the state
house bell.
But on that very night, the plot
was, by some means, made known
to the burgomasters. It took some
time for these worthy men to allow them
selves to be convinced of its reality,
and still longer to settle in what way
the citizens should be armed and assem
bled with the utmost privacy. Mean
time, the revolutionists did not wait_for
them to complete their preparations, but
marched from their rendezvous to the
market-place, with drams beating and
colors flying. They attacked the build
ing in which the tardy burgomasters
were still deliberating, so that they
escaped with difficulty ; most of the
watch were killed or taken prisoners..
One of them, who was lying drunk in
the state house during the attack, was
frightened half into sobriety, by the
tumult, and ran up stairs and hid the
rope of the alarm bell, without knowing
what he did. The officers of the militia,
overcome with the effects of a feast of
the preceding day, were not at their
posts, and the rebels, for a time, bad
everything their own way. Such of the
citizens as finally rallied to meet them
were repulsed, and several were shot
dead with poisoned bullets. A barri
cade of sails and hop-sacks was then
erected by the Citizens, and the conflict
ended for the night. The rioters sang
Psalms and looked fora complete and
bloodless victory by ten o'clock next
morning. But the morning brought with
it some pieces of artillery, with which the
citizens and soldiers broke down the
doors of the state house, and then rush
ing upon the building, they killed all the
Anabaptists in it but twelve. lohn
van Geelen, the leader, ran up to the,
tower, and there exposed his naked
breast to the aim of the soldiers, prefer
ring to die by a shot, rather than suffer
the horrible fate which he knew was in
store for all who were taken alive. With
the capture of the state house, ended
the rebellion in Amsterdam, and the
news of the failure greatly discouraged
the king of Munster in his desperate at
tempt to hold that place; no doubt hasten
ing the capture, which took place in less
than three weeks time, May 28, 1535.
(To be Continued.)
THE EASTERN REF. PRESB. SYNOD OF
IRELAND ON 'UNION.
MR. EDITOR :—lt has occurred to us,
in reading your paper, that a brief:state
ment as to_the position of the, Eastern
Reformed Fresbyterian Synod of Ireland
in respect to the union movement now
in progress, might be interesting to your
readers, and might also serve to prevent
misapprehension upon the subject. There
are two bodies with which the Eastern
Synod has been negotiating upon the
subject of union : the Reformed Presby
terian Synod of Scotland, and the United
Presbyterian Presbytery of Ireland.
With the first of these,. it was thought a
union might easily be effected. Some
of the leading ministers of the Church
in Scotland had expressed themselveS in
favor of such a union ; and as both
Churches had the same name, the same
Testimony and the same 'historic asso
ciations, it was thought there could be
no difficulty in the way.
A difficulty, however, did arise where
it could least have been expected, viz
in the union movement itself. For as
the Scottish brethren have alreaiiy en
gaged in negotiations for union with the
other Presbyterian bodies ; and as the
design was, (should these negotiations
be successful,) to form a United Church
for Scotland, and another for England ;
it was felt by those brethren that they
could not, in such circunistances, unite
with us without interfering with the ne
gotiations in which
. they were already
engaged. The result is, that while the
Reformed PresbYterian Synod of Scot
land and the Eastern Reformed Pres
byterian Synod of Ireland continue, as
sister Churches, to sustain the most
friendly relations to each other, yet the
idea of forming an organic union between
the two bodies has been abandoned.
The other body with which the East ,
ern Synod has been conferring upon the
subject of union, viz : the United Pres
byterian Presbytery of Ireland, is also
very closely connected with us in doc
trine, discipline and worship. The
United Presbyterians of Ireland were
originally old. Seceders. They are strict
in their discipline, acknowledge the ob
ligation of the Covenants, use only an
inspired Psalmody in worship, and are,
moreover, very anxious for union with
our Synod. Still, there is a difficulty in
the way here, also. The United Pres
byterian Presbytery of Ireland is con
nected with the United Presbyterian
Synod of Scotland. And the same dif
ficulty that stood in the way of our
uniting with the Reformed Presbyterian
Synod of Scotland, stands in the way of
our uniting with the United Presbyterian
Synod ; together with some additional
difficulties arising out of the greater
differences existing between the two
bodies. Hence, while we continue on
the most friendly terms with those es
teemed brethren of the United Presby
terian Presbytery of Ireland,. and while
our Synod, at its last meeting, agreed to
unite 'with them in the prosecution of
home missionary work, there is no im
mediate prospect of an organic union
being effected.
Besides these bodies with which we
have been negotiating concerning union,
there are others, with which it may be
supposed that we ought at least to have
had some conference upon the subject.
Why not unite, it may be said, with the
other section of the Reformed Presbyte
rian Church in Ireland ? Our reply is,
that is a union that will no doubt come
in its time, but as yet there is not s.
readiness for it. We must have patience
and wait—the time is approaching..
Again it may be said, Why not; unite
at once with the Presbyterian Church of
the General Assembly, and so constitute
a large, powerful and united Presbyte
rian body in Ireland ? Our reply is, so
long as the Presbyterian Church re
ceives the " Regium Donum," the qnes
tion of union with her cannot, for a mo
ment, be entertained. There are, no
doubt, other difficulties in the way, but
this is the chief. If this difficulty were
removed, we think the Presbyterian
Church might be induced to occupy
substantially the .same ground as that
now accupied by the Reformed Preby
terian Church on the subject of the cove
nants, and also on the question of
Psalmody.
And having alluded to this question
of Psalmody, we may take the opportu
nity of saying that the question is' one
that has never come up for discUssion
in the Eastern Synod. Our practice is
uniform ; we confine ourselveS in', wor
ship to the Book of Psalms; and we are
.not aware of any difficulty being felt by
any of our ministers or members in re
gard to this matter. The only case in
which this Psalmody question could
wise with us would be in connection
with some question of union ; and even
in this connection, we think it is not
likely to be raised. For, should a union
be attempted of all the uneudowed Pres
byterian bodies in Ireland, such as that
which is contemplated in England and
Scotland,.then, as all those bodies are
already in favor of the exclusive* use of
an inspired Psalmody, on this point
there would be perfect unanimity. The
only case, then, in which thistlinestion
of Psalmody is likely - , to arise with us is,
in connection wite - a question of union
with the General Assembly of the. Pre
sbyterian Church of Ireland. And as
great changes must take place before
such a question can be entertained, it is
unnecessary, we think, to indulge in
conjectures as to what may or may not
be done in, circumstances which, in all
probability, may never occur.
From these remarks it will appear
that while the Eastern Reformed Pres
byterian Synod of Ireland has no imme
diate prospect of entering into union
with other bodies; still; as a Church,
she sympathizes most heartily with the
union movement. We are all delighted
to see the different tribes of our New
Testament Israel drawing nearer and.
closer to each other. And we doubt not
but that good Covenanters all over the
world will be fatorable to. this union of
the Churches. The Old Covenanters
were all union men ; and the " Solemn
League and Covenant" itself was just a
bond of union on a large scale. Still,
in taking our measures in such a case,
it is import - ant that we should avoid
anything like hasty or precipitate action ;
that we should seek, as far as possible,
to act in concert; and that, should any
of us feel as if the time for making a
movement had come, yet find that bre
thren with whoin we have long been
associated are not prepared to move with
us, in that case let us not be impatient.
Let us only "wait a little longer." When
the fulness of the time has come, God
will give such measures of light as will
enable us to march on in unbroken line
to that higher vantage ground that He
is doubtless preparing for us. And, by
thus acting in concert, we may rest - as
sured that in the changes that are about
to take plate, we shall be able to exert
a far greater influence in bringing the
Churches and the nations up toward
that high platform of principle for which,
as a Church, we have been so long hon
ored to contend. Juni BOLE.
BELFAST, Oct. 3d, 1866.
* Recent movements contemplating the tol
eration of hymn , books in some of these char
ches have taken place, which our correspond
ent apparently overlooks.
REV. MR. HAMMOND'S LETTER FROM
VENICE.
VENICE, ITALY, Sept. 28, 1866
DEAR Mn. MEARS :—You see we are
now in Venetia. The King of Italy'
was expected here on the 15th; but it
takes a longer time than was at first ex
pected to adjust matters with Austria.
The Italians have set their hearts on
having the Southern Tyrol, and there
are many preliminaries to be adjusted
before the multitude of Austrian soldiers
will take their final departure from this
part of Italy. ' The movables of Venice
in the shape of guns, stores, &c., alone,
which Austria claims as her own, amount
to not far from a quarter of a million of
dollars. There will be great rejoicings
when the Austrians take their final de
parture. Mrs. Cotton, the wife of our
excellent American consul, told me- that
she knew of a Venetian lady who had
a large number, of tri-colored flags Bp
creted in her house ready to hoist'when
she sees the last of the Austrian power
in Vepice. The Italians are very much
chagrined that they are obliged to re
ceive back Venetia through Napoleon.
They do not look upon him as so gener
ous and philanthropic a man as he pro.
fesses.
The Italians ; also, are much humiliat
ed at the ill success of their own arms
against their great enemy, Austria. At
the battle of Custozza, near which place
we passed on our way here, they were
sadly defeated. An intelligent Italian
gentleman stated to me the occasion of
the defeat. The Austrians numbered
60,000 and the Italians but 28,000.
There were plenty of Italians across the
Po, but its angry waters were so high it
was impossible for them to pass over and
assist their comrades. The battle (or
the " fight," as the Italians insist upon
calling it), lasted from morning till nine
o'clock at night. The Austrians went
back to Verona, having lost 25,000 men,
killed and wounded, while the Italians
crossed the Mincio; having lost 14,000.
So it appears that both armies lost near
half their number. The Italians, there
fore, arter having made such great sacri
fices, are mortified that they have not
directly nccomplished their object The
following letter to a private gentleman
in Venice, has recently come to light.
It is expressiVe of the feelings of very
many
"When the comedy of the plebiscite shall
have been carried to a conclusion, it is pro
bable that there will take place in Venice and
the rest of the province great fetes in which
high personages will take part, though they
ought, and probably would wish, to keep out
of the way. lam sure that you, a man wise,
just, and appreciating truly things as they
exist, can well understand that if the Vene
tians of town and country have reason to be
contented with the final result obtained in
the last campaign, and if they can hastily
make merry over an event so long sighed for,
other powerful motives will not permit the
rest of the Italian citizens to be equally sat
isfied either with reference to the deeds of
arms by land and sea, or the conduct of the
diplomatical arrangements; therefore I have
renounced with much pain my visit to Venice
on this occasion, though I had set my heart
upon it."
But visitors at Venice trouble them
selves very little with the political aspect
of affairs. The' strange appearance of
this city, rising from the water, with its
many attractions, is enough to absorb all
one's attention for days. The Italian
interpreter for Mr. Cotton, the Ameri
can Consul, said to us, You will need
two or three months to see Venice well."
Lord Byron evidently thought so from
his long residence here. The house
in which he . dwelt was pointed out to
us. A woman is often . seen selling
bread on one of the streets of Venice,
with whom Lord Byron's name was
once closely associated. History tells
us that Venice owes its existence as a
city to the fugitives who, on the inva
sion of Italy by Attila, sought safety
from the sword of the Huns among the
neighboring islands. As early as A. D.
421 a church was erected on one of the
seventy-two islands on which the city
of Venice now stands. How little did
those who .so long ago fled for their
lives to these low, marshy islands, then
think that they were laying the founda
tion of a beautiful and powerful city.
San Marco is one of the most remark
able churches in Venice. It professes
to contain the real remains of St.
Hark, the evangelist, which were stolen
from Alexandria. It was commenced in
977. It is ornamented with many fine
Mosaics. Over the central portal are
four bronzed horses, brought from the ,
Hippodrome at Constantinople by the
Venetians, as their share of the plunder,
when the city was taken by the crusad
ers in the fourth crusade. In 181—'Na
poleon took themto Paris, when he carried
so many of the paintings and ornaments
of the city with him ; but they were af
terward brought back. In the pave
ment of the vestibule there is pointed
out by the guide a lozenge of white and
red marble, which marks the spot where,
on the 23d of July, 1177, Pope Alex
ander was reconciled to the Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa. It is said that
the Pope placed his foot on the head of
the prostrate Emperor, repeating the
words of the Psalm: " Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and adder." This, how-.
ever, looks like an exaggeration. But
how changed are affairs now I Emper
ors are putting their feet on the neck of
Pio Nono.
The treasury of St. Mark's contains,
it is affirmed by - the guide, some precious
relics. He shows " a bit of the cross
of our Saviour ; a small quantity of earth
which drank up his blood, and a frag
ment of a pillar to which he was bound."
As a matter of course, an ancient and
renowned church like this has " a piece
of the 'true cross.'"
The Doge's palace has most deeply
interested us. No words of mine can
describe it. It was here that the " coun
cil of ten" held their secret meetings. Its
halls and senate chambers and library
are filled with most magnificent paint
ings. The largest one on canvass in
the world, by Tintoretto, is here. It re
presents Paradise as having nearly three
fourths of its inhabitants composed of
children. It did my heart good to look
at it. Here is one of Titian's great
works. It portrays the Doge Marino
Grunani on his knees before Faith. I
was also much impressed with a life
size painting in the .senate chamber,
which showed the venerable Doge on
his knees addressing the Saviour. It
made me think of what I had heard of
Abraham Lincoln being daily on his
knees, in. the early morning, with his
Bible before his Saviour, in acts of devol
tion. Would that in the • Capitol at
Washington some of our American
painters would render immortal the re
membrance of this repeated act of our
late President. From what we hear of
the speeches of President Johnson, we
fear there is little reason to believe that
he knows what it is to ask the guidance
of Heaven in his deliberations.
From these gilded apartments we de
scended to the pazze, or wells, as this
word means. They are certainly darker
than the bottom of any well would be,
though it were five hnndred feet deep.
Only one hole, as large as a man's arm,
admits what feeble light may chance to
find its way into the cell from a dark
passage. 0, how many sad hours have
been spent in these dismal, dark dun
geons. In one of these, the guide told
us, the King, or Doge, as they called
him, was imprisoned, and from thence
taken to the guillotine. Yes, in a few
days he went from the brilliant halls of
his own palace down into its deepest
dungeon, and from thence to execution.
From thence we crossed over " the
Bridge of Sighs." Prisoners, it is well
known, were led from the prison to the
palace across this gallery to hear their
sentence of execution.
In one of the churches of Venice we
saw - a beautiful painting depicting the
martyrdom of St Catherine. A pro
fessor from a New England college, who
spent some time with us visiting Venice,
related to us one day, as we were leis
urely gliding along in a gondola, the fob
lowing interesting event in the history
of St. Catherine.:-- •
She lived in Egypt in the 4th century,
and was the daughter of a powerful
king. When the time came for her to
think of securing a husband, her father
asked her whom she would choose. Her
answer was, " Whomsoever I be satis
fied with. For he must be richer than
the richest man on earth—so beautiful
that son of man never equalled him—so
powerful that all the kings of the earth
must do him homage—so good that no
one can think of his excellencies without
admiration." Her father could think of
no prince who possessed all these quali
fications. But in the night, in a vision,
the Prince of Peace revealed himself to
the young princess. She at once recog
nized in him all that she lad desired in
the person of her husband. He placed
upon her finger a ring in token of her
espousal.
Though this , may be an unfound
ed legend, yet it is suggestive of the
great fact that Christ alone can fill
the soul with lasting peace and happi
ness. Your brother in Christ,
Sidsttlianttato.
THE PSALMS OF DAVID.
BY EDWARD IRVING
As in political affairs the enlightened
Scottish patriot and statesman, in order to
work upon the people, asked for the songs
of a nation, rather than its profound and
laborious literature; and in ecclesiastical af
fairs, the politic churchmen of Rome ap
prehended more danger to their craft and
mystery from Luther's spiritual songs than
from all his writings of controversial and
popular theology; so, in spiritual affairs, it
is to be believed that no book ni; the sacred
canon seizeth such a t hold upon the spirit
ual man and engendereth in the Church so
much fruitfulness of goodness and truth,
of comfort and joy, as doth the Book of
Psalms. We say not that the Psalms are
so well fitted as the pure light of the Gos
pel by John, and Paul's Epistles, which are
the refraction of that pure light over fields
of human well-being, to - break the iron
bone, and bruise the millstone-heart of the
natural man; but that they are the kind
liest medicine for healing his wounds, and
the most proper food for nourishing the
new life which comes from the death and
destruction of the old. For, as the songs
and lyrical poems of a nation, which have
survived the changes of time by being en
shrined in the hearts of a people, contain
the true form and finer essence of its
character, and convey the most genial
moods of its spirit, whether in seasons of
grief or joy, down to the children, and the
children's children, perpetuating the
strongest vitality of choice spirits awak
ened by soul-moving events, and holding,
as in a vessel, to the lips of posterity, the
collected spirit of venerable antiquity; so
the Psalms, which are the songs and odes,
and lyrical poems of the people of God, in
spired not of wine, or festal mirth, of war,
or love, but spoken of holy men as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost, contain
the words of God's Spirit taught to the
souls of His servants, when Wey were ex
ercised with the most intense experiences,
whether of conviction, penitence, and sor
row, or -faith, love, and joy; and are not
only fit to express the same most vital
moods of every renewed soul, but also
powerful to produce those broad awaken
ings of spirit, to create those overpower
ing emotions, and propagate that energy of
spiritual life in which they had their birth.
Be it observed, moreover, that the songs
of Zion express not only the most remark
able passages which have occurred in the
spiritual experience of the most gifted
saints, but are the record of the most won
derful dispensations of God's providence
unto His Church,—containing pathetic
dirges sung over her deepest calamities,
jubilees over her mighty deliverances,
songs of sadness for her captivity, and
songs of mirth for her prosperity, prophetic
announcement of her increase to the end
of time,, and splendid anticipations of her
ultimate' glory. Not, indeed, the exact
narrative of the events as they happened,
or`are to happen, nor the prosaic improve
ment of the same to the minds of men;
but the poetical form and monument of
the event, where it is laid up and em
balmed in honorable-wise, after it had been
incensed and perfumed with the spiritual
odors of the souls of inspired men. And
if they contain not the code of the Divine
law, as it is written in the Books of Moses,
and more briefly, yet better written, in our
Lord's Sermon on the Mount, they cele
brate the excellency and glory of the law,
its light, life, wisdom, contentment,' and
blessedness, with the joys of the soul
which keepeth it, and the miseries of the
soul which keepeth it not. And if they
contain not the argument of the simple
doctrines, and the detail of the issues of
the Gospel, to reveal which the Word of
God became flesh, and dwelt among us,
yet, now that the key is given, and the
door of spiritual life is opened, where do
we find such spiritual 'treasures as in the
Book of Psalms, wherein are revealed the
depth of the soul's sinfulness, the stout
ness of her rebellion against God, the hor
rors of spiritual desertion, the agonies of
contrition, the blessedness of pardon, the
joys of restoration, the constancy of faith,
and every other variety of Christian e x .
perience ? And if they contain not th e
narrative of Messiah's birth, and life, and
death, or the labors of His apostolic ser
vants, and the strugglings of His infant
Church, as these are written in the books
of the New Testament, where, in the whole
Scriptures, can we find such declaration s
of the work of Christ, in its humiliation
and its glory, the spiritual agonies of Hi s
' , death, and glorious issues of His resurree,
tion, the wrestling of His kingdom with
the powers of darkness, its triumph over
the heathen, and the overthrow of all its
enemies until the heads of many land s
shall have been wounded, and the people
made willing in the day of His power?
And where are there such outbursting re.
presentations of all the 4ttributes of Jeho
vah, before Whom, when He rideth
through the heavens, the very heavens
seem to rend in twain, to give the vision
of His going forth, and we seem to see
the haste of the universe to - do her hom
age, and to hear the quaking of nature's
pillars, the shaking of her- foundations,
and the horrible outcry of her terror?
And oh ! it is sweet, in the midst of these
soarings into the third heavens of vision, to
feel that you are borne upon the words of
a man, not upon the wings of an archan.
gel; to hear ever and anon the frail but
faithful voice of humanity, making her
trust under the shadow of His wings, and
her hiding-place in the secret of His tent,
and Singing to Him in faithful strain,
"For as the heaven is high above the
earth, so great is his mercy toward then
that fear Him. As far as the east is from
the west, so far hath He removed our trans
gressions from us. Like as a father pitieth
his children, so the Lord pitieth them that
fear him." So that, as well by reason et
the matter which it contains, as of the
form iu which it is expressed, e Book or
Psalms, take it all in all, may be safely
pronounced one of the divinest books in
all the Scriptures; which hath exercised
the hearts and lips of all saints, and be
come dear in the sight of the Church;
which is replenished with the types of all
possible spiritual feelings, and suggests
the forms of all God-ward emotions, and
furnishing the choice expressions of ail
true worship; the utterances of all Divine
praise, the confession of all spiritual hu
mility, with the raptures of all-spiritual joy.
If we now turn ourselves to consider the
manner or style of the book, and to draw it
into comparison with the lyrical productions
of cultivated and classical nations, it may
well be said, that as the heavens are high
above the earth, so are the songs of Zion
high above the noblest strains which have
been autos in any land. For, take out of
the lyrical poetry of Greece and Rome the
praises of women and of wine, the flatteries
of men, and idle invocations of the muse
and lyre, and what have we left? What
dedication of song and music is there to the
noble and exalted powers of the human
spirit—what to the chaste and honorable
relations of human society—what to the
excitement of tender emotions toward the
widow and the fatherless, the stranger and
the-oppressed—what to the awful sanctity
of law and government, and the practical
forms of justice and equity ! We know,
that in the more ancient time, when men
dwelt nearer to God, the lyre of Orpheus
was employed to exalt and pacify the soul;
that the Pythagorean verse contain the in
timations of a deep theology, a divine phi
losophy, and a virtuous life; that the lyre
of Tyrtseus was used by the wisdom of Ly
curgus for accomplishing his great work of
forming a peculiar people, a nation of brave
and virtuous men: But in the times which
we call classical, and with the compositions
of which we imbue our youth, we find little
purity of sentiment, little elevation of soul,
no spiritual representations of God, nothing
pertaining to heavenly knowledge or holy
feeling; but, on the other hand, impurity
of life, low, sensual ideas of God, and the
pollution of religion so often as they touch it.
Bat the songs of Zion are comprehensive as
the human soul, and varied as human life;
where no possible state of natural feeling
shall not find itself tenderly expressed and
divinely treated with appropriate remedies;
where no condition of human life shall not
find its rebuke or consolation; because
they treat not life after the fashion of an
age or people, but life in its rudiments, the
life of the soul, with -the joys and sorrows
to which it is amenable, from concourse
with the outward necessity of the fallen
world. Which breadth of application
they compass not by the sacrifice of lyrical
propriety, or poetical method ; for if there
be poems strictly lyrical, that is, whose
spirit and sentiment move congenial with
the movements of music, and which, by
their nature, call for the accompaniment
of music, these odes of a people despised
as illiterate, are such. For pure pathos
and tenderness of heart, for sublime im
aginations, for touching pictures of natu
ral scenery, and genial sympathy with
nature's various moods; for patriotism,
whether in national weal or national woe,
for beautiful imagery, whether derived
from the relationship of human life, or
the forms of the created universe, and for
the illustration, by their help, of spiritual
conditions; moreover, for those rapid trans
actions in which the lyrical muse delighteth,
her lightsome graces at one time, her deep
and full inspiration at another, her exuber
ance of joy and her lowest falls of grief,
and for every other form of the natural
soul, which is wont to be shadowed forth
by this kind of composition, we challenge
anything to be produced from the literature
of all ages and countries, worthy to be
compared with what we find even in the
English version of the Book of Psalm! ,
Were the distinction of spiritual frOo
natural life, the dream of mystical entlill;
siasts, and the theology of the Jews,.
es
cunningly devised fable, like:the mytholo es
of Greece and Rome, these few od .n,
should be dearer to the man of true feebleient,
and natural taste, than all which have oo .
derived to ue from classical times, rh con ,... s ° .
of l n "
they could be sifted . of their abomiria •
and cleansed from the incrustation
purity which defiles their most e
exq uisit
parts.
E. P. HAMMOND
(To be Continued.)