EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNODY
To About 600 A. D.
The Christians of the first century sang hymns, both in private and in
public worship. The writings of the New Testament testify to this fact,
as for example 1 Cor., chapter 14, also the well known places Eph. 5:19
and Col. 3:16. To begin with the Christians sang the hymns of the Old
Testament, especially the Psalms of David. Among early Christian songs,
we note the following: the Gloria in excelsis Deo (the angelic hymn),
the Gloria Patri, the Ter Sanctus (Isaiah 6:3), the Hallelujah, the
Benedicite, the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29), the Magnificat (Luke 1:46),
the Benedictus (Luke 1:68), and the Te Deum Laudamus.
From Paul’s references to sacred song in his epistles we learn that the
early Christians possessed hymns of their own composition, besides the
Bible songs. But we know very little about these very early hymns of the
Apostolic Age; we know of no great hymn writer of that age. One of the
earliest hymn writers that we know of is Clement of Alexandria, who
lived about 200 A. D. To him is attributed the Greek hymn, “Shepherd of
tender youth,” which has been regarded as the first Christian hymn. It
is found in most of our standard American hymnals—number 282 in Common
Service Book. In 1846 this hymn was freely translated into English by
Rev. Dr. Henry Martyn Dexter, editor of The Congregationalist, Boston.
EARLY GREEK HYMNS
Looking at the Christian ancestry of our church hymnody, in a narrower
way, it may be said that its history goes back to the hymn writing of
christianized Greece—1500 years back—1500 years of Christian hymn
writing and hymn singing. The church hymnody of the different countries
varies, of course, in time and duration. A German, for example, finds
about seven hundred years of German hymn writing in his hymn book. We
have inherited and appropriated this common legacy.
In Syria there arose in the second century several prolific hymn
writers. They were Gnostics, who sought to propagate their heretical
teachings through sacred song. Bardesanes and his son Harmonius were the
leaders of this Gnostic hymnody in the Syriac Church. This heretical
hymnody was the negative cause of the great hymn writing of Ephrem
Syrus, who was born at Nisibis in Northern Mesopotamia, 307 A. D., and
died at Edessa, 373. He is regarded as the foremost representative of
the orthodox hymnody of the old Syriac Church. In order to counteract
the dangerous influences of Gnosticism, Ephrem Syrus produced a large
number of fine hymns, which became very popular throughout the Eastern
Church. Thus a new era in Christian hymnody was introduced. See pages
63-68 in “The Hymn as Literature,” by J. B. Reeves.
Like the Gnostics of Syria in the second century, so also the Arians of
Constantinople in the fourth century sought to propagate their heretical
doctrines through sacred song. Again great champions of orthodoxy arose,
men like Ephrem Syrus, who produced fine hymns, mainly in defense of the
doctrines of the Trinity and Christ’s divine nature. Among early well
known Greek hymn writers we note the following: Gregory of Nazianzus
(died 389), Anatolius (seventh or eighth century), St. Andrew of
Jerusalem (660-732), St. Cosmas, the Melodist (died about 760), St. John
of Damascus (died about 780), St. Stephen of St. Sabas (died 794), and
St. Joseph the Hymnographer (died about 840). As examples of their hymns
we have “O Thou the One supreme o’er all” by Gregory, “The day is past
and over” by Anatolius, “The day of resurrection” by St. John of
Damascus, and “Art thou weary, art thou languid” by St. Stephen. Rev.
Dr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866) of East Grimstead, England, has
produced many excellent translations of the old Greek hymns, which are
found in nearly all modern hymnals.
In the Eastern Church, as early as the third century, the custom of
singing had become so general as to be recognized as one of the Church’s
predominating features. In the Eastern Church, at Antioch, antiphonal
congregational hymn singing had its origin, and from thence spread in
all directions in the fourth century. An interesting fact comes to light
in connection with the use the Eastern Church made of its hymns.
Theodoret, in his historical writings, tells us that “while Chrysostom
(347-407) was bishop of Constantinople, at the opening of the fifth
century, the orthodox Christians were in the habit of assembling
themselves in the public squares, then marching in midnight processions,
through the city, singing sacred songs, in order to combat those who
were enemies of Christ’s divinity.” This is a testimony concerning the
anti-Arian hymnody.
The early hymnody of the Eastern Church possesses a great deal of poetic
beauty and fine rhetorical style. But many of these old Greek hymns
indulge in a certain amount of tedious broadness and dogmatic prosiness.
They are often vague and fantastic. Fine language seems often to be of
greater importance than spiritual content. In the Eastern Church sacred
song never received the development and the place in the life and the
cultus of the congregation as in the Western Church. During the last
half of the third century the Eastern Church advocated the use of the
Psalms of David only in divine service. It must also be borne in mind
that attempts were made in the Eastern Church about the middle of the
fourth century to suppress congregational singing. The character of the
hymns that were produced in the Eastern Church, their bombastic and
often turgid style, their complicated rhythmical structure, and their
unpractical Christianity, prevented them from becoming a property of the
common people.
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
Early sacred song in the Western Church is characterized by noble
simplicity and clearness in form, as well as by a more practical
Christianity; fine qualities which go to make the old Latin hymns more
accessible and serviceable to us than the old Greek hymns.
The fourth century witnessed a remarkable activity in Latin hymnody. The
Western Church was far more active in the hymnological field than the
Eastern Church. One of the founders of Latin hymnody was St. Hilary, the
good bishop of Poitiers, great scholar, and great defender of the
Christian faith. During his exile (356-360) in Phrygia, St. Hilary came
in touch with Arian hymn singing. When he was permitted to return to
Gaul, he brought with him a great enthusiasm for hymn singing. He edited
the first hymn book of the Western Church, and introduced singing of
orthodox hymns among his people. He died in 368 A. D.
But the great author and leader of Latin hymnody is, undoubtedly, St.
Ambrose, the admirable and amiable bishop of Milan. He was born in 340
and died on Good Friday, 397. St. Ambrose has been called the father of
Latin church song, because of his great work in hymnody and church
music. The first stanza of one of his beautiful hymns is here quoted.
O Jesus, Lord of heavenly grace,
Thou Brightness of Thy Father’s face,
Thou Fountain of eternal light,
Whose beams disperse the shades of night.
Prudentius (Aurelius Prudentius Clemens) is a prominent Latin hymn
writer of this period. He was born in Spain, 348 A. D. Prudentius has
been called “the first great Christian poet.” With him the Latin, the
language of a stern and hard people, is, as it were, tempered by faith.
He, like most of the early Latin hymnists, sings the praises of the
faith, hope and love of the Christian Church. The subjective, with its
“I,” “me” and “mine,” so characteristic of modern hymnody, had no place
in the hymns of Prudentius. He received high honors from the Roman
emperor, but in old age he preferred to devote himself quietly to
religious literary work. He died about 410 A. D. We quote the first
stanza of a beautiful Christmas hymn, Corde natus ex Parentis, from
Prudentius, the translation by Neale.
Of the Father’s love begotten,
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore.
St. Patrick (fifth century), called the Apostle of Ireland, wrote
several hymns for his people. Coelius Sedulius, of the fifth century,
wrote several great Latin hymns, among which we refer to one that has
been sung quite extensively, namely, A solis ortus cardine—From lands
that see the sun arise.
Gregory the Great (545-604) and Venantius Fortunatus (530-609) mark a
period of transition in the hymn singing of the Western Church. It was
at this time, about 600 A. D., that the Ambrosian church song was
superseded by the Gregorian. Here it was that congregational song in the
Western Church was abandoned and that part of public worship given over
to the priests and the monks. The only part the congregation took was in
a few responses. Gregory the Great was a man of unusual ability. He was
pope from 590 until his death in 604. He was a zealous missionary to
Britain, great as a champion against the heretics, and great as a
preacher, but his best service to the Church is undoubtedly his
liturgical and musical contribution. He strove to make public worship
worthy of Him to whom it was rendered. It must be borne in mind that
good congregational singing was something which presented great and
perplexing problems in those days. The Gregorian chants, still in use,
after a lapse of more than a dozen centuries, show the Gregorian style
and indicate how Gregory changed the melodious and flowing hymns of St.
Ambrose into the more severe and solemn style of the new period. But we
have several hymns from Gregory’s pen which indicate that he was not
without the Ambrosian spirit. Take, for example, his beautiful hymn,
O Christ, our King, Creator, Lord,
Saviour of all who trust Thy word,
To them who seek Thee ever near,
Now to our praises bend Thine ear.
Venantius Fortunatus, the troubadour, holds a very important place in
early Latin hymnody. He wrote one of the greatest hymns of the Western
Church, namely, Vexilla Regis—The royal banners forward go, the Cross
shines forth in mystic glow. We quote the first stanza of another great
hymn by Fortunatus, a grand Easter hymn.
Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say;
Hell today is vanquished; heaven is won today.
Lo! the Dead is living, God for evermore!
Him their true Creator, all His works adore.
Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say.
Simplicity, depth, fervor, divine sentiment, full-hearted confession,
are some of the outstanding characteristics of the early Latin hymns.
They are, on the whole, Scriptural, pure, and devotional. The key-note
in these venerable old hymns consists of the main points of
Christianity, the protection and care of the Father, the redemption of
Christ, the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, strains of thanksgiving
and praise, invocation of God’s support against the devil, the flesh and
the world.