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"the primitive churches were tainted with gross errors, even while the apostles were alive, and the Savior's blood yet warm in Judea." In the following periods the depravity increased; their picture is drawn in dark colors. "There was no charity in works, no discipline in manners." The practice of such periods can go but a little way, in settling controversies respecting divine institutions. For satisfaction, as to the appointments of God, we must rest, not on the practice of the Fathers, but on the dictates of inspired truth. Keeping this in recollectoin, it may, nevertheless, be interesting to ascertain their modes and matter of worship. And, as a pompous and, at first sight, imposing display of research into the ancient practice of the church, on the subject of Psalmody, has been made, by some of those, who treat with little decorum certain parts of the word of God, it may not be inexpedient to inquire, how far their representation of that practice is entitled to our confidence.

The Rev'd Dr. James Latta, late of Chesnut Level, Pennsylvania, appeared as the chief champion, in the latter part of the last century, for a new system of sacred songs, and also

the most confident enemy of the scripture Psalms. Some copyists of the doctor, such as Messrs. Freeman and Baird, of inferior standing in the Presbyterian church, have since appeared in the same cause. As these lag be... hind their original, in every thing but in viru-: lence against the inspired songs of Zion; they: shall now occupy but little of our time; our attention shall chiefly be directed to the conclusions of Dr. Latta.

The results of his historical investigation may be reduced to two positions: First, that evangelical hymns, of human composition, constituted the whole matter of the Church's Psalmody for the first three centuries. And, secondly, That the Book of Psalms was not introduced into the Christian Church, as the matter of her praise, till error and heresy, to which it was subservient, boldly attempted, in the fourth century, to veil the divine glories of the Redeemer.*

But how does this author, and his successors in the same work, substantiate these positions? The first historical proof is drawn from Pliny's letter to Trajan, in which the emperor

* Latta's Discourse, pp. 76-78. Ed. 4.

is informed, among other things, that the christians, assembled on a certain day, "

sung a hymn to Christ as to God."* Now, if not disposed to play upon mere words, would not every man of common sense perceive, that, if those christians sung the forty fifth psalm, they must literally have addressed Christ as God. Compare verses 1-9, with Heb. 1. 8. 9. and this will be evident-Or, had they sung a portion of the 102 psalm, would it not have been a song to Christ as to God? I do not know what our modern hymnologists would think of these; but certain I am, the Apostle Paul did believe them, as well as many others, to be odes to Christ. The reader of the first and second chapters of the epistle to the Hebrews will, too, be satisfied of this. The only ground of quibble is on the term hymn, the

PLINY, the younger, was born at Como in Italy, A. D. 62. He died A. D. 113, He was proconsul, in Bythinia, un der Trajan the Roman emperor, and was for a time engaged in carrying into effect the imperial edicts against the christians. His correspondence on the subject, with the emperor, took place in A. D. 103. He is celebrated as a fine writer, and eloquent lawyer. His testimonial of the christian character, being that of an enemy, is worth a great deal.

The fact is remarkable, that the apostle, in conducting his argument in favor of the personal glories and mediatorial exaltation of Messiah, against the false views of his countrymen, illustrates and confirms it by the authority of the Book of Psalms. In every ode of that sacred collection, to which he

usual version of carmen, which is the word used by Pliny. Now the veriest novice in the Latin language knows, that carmen is a word of general signification, applicable to any poetic, and even to prosaic composition.* This is the reasoning of these gentlemen: Pliny says, the christians of his day sung, or rehearsed, (dicere) a poetic composition to Christ, as to God; therefore they did not sing the scripture songs, but hymns of human composure! What child, that has been taught to read the bible, and is instructed in the rudiments of christianity, would not reason better than such doctors? He could say, if they sung the 45, 47, 68, &c. psalms, and why might they not have sung them? they would have sung to Christ as to God. The christians of that age were not ignorant of this: Irenæus, who was instructed by a disciple of the apostle John, in

turned, he found the Son of God, the Savior of man, dispensing the blessings of his kingdom. If the Spirit of God taught an apostle to find his Redeemer there, by what spirit are they in structed, who say, he is not to be found in those Psalms, and their use is not honorable to his cause;" it deprives him of divine honor" || Believe not every spirit.

Latta's Disc. p. 77.

* Carmen-" Any set form of words, whether in prose er verse, as, Lex borrendi carminis erat. Liv. 1. 26. Adam

proving the deity of Jesus Christ, urged the testimony of the forty fifth psalm.*

The doctor next has recourse to the deduc. tions of Basnage from Tertullian,† who flourished in the second century. Let us hear the testimony of this father? It is this, that it was the practice, in certain companies, for individuals to be called forth in the midst of them, to praise God, in songs, either from the scriptures, or of their own composition. You will remark, that Tertullian is not speaking of the ordinary, united singing in the church, as a stated institution of God; but of a particular practice, in some places, attended to by individuals-Quisque provocatur in ́ medium--Again, these individuals, according to their respective talent, drew their songs, either from the sacred writings, or their own resources→→→ De scripturis sanctis, vel proprio ingenio.‡i

* Milner.

† Tertullian flourished toward the close of the second, and beginning of the third centuries. He was a native of Carthage, educated a lawyer, and ultimately a distinguished presbyter. He was a man of distinguished talents, but of severe manners-inclined to superstition. He was the chief Latin writer of the second century, in the cause of christianity.

Si honesta causa est convivii, reliquum ordinem disciplinæ æimate qui sit, de religionis officio. Nihil vilitatis, nihil immodestiæ admittit. Non prius discumbitur, quam oratio ad Deum prægustetur. Editur quantum esurientes cupiunt: bibi