E-text prepared by Stephen Hutcheson
THE STORY OF OUR HYMNS
by
ERNEST EDWIN RYDEN
Pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
St. Paul, Minnesota
Augustana Book Concern
Rock Island, Illinois
Copyright 1930
by
Augustana Book Concern
First Edition, December, 1930
Second Edition, April, 1931
Augustana Book Concern
Rock Island, Illinois
To the Sweet Memory
of Our Bonnie Boy
Richard Edward Ryden
Who at the Age of Ten Years Went
Home to Sing with the
Angels.
He is not dead: he only sleeps,
Safe in the arms of Him who keeps
His lambs secure from earth's alarm,
From grief and sin and foes that harm.
He is not dead: he is at rest,
Content upon his Saviour's breast;
Dear little child, we loved you so,
But Jesus loved you more, we know.
He is not dead: the Shepherd came
To call His little lamb by name;
The gentle Shepherd watch will keep,
While His beloved child doth sleep.
He is not dead: by angel bands
Now welcomed to the heavenly lands,
With theirs a childish voice shall sing
Hosannas to the children's King.
He is not dead: though tears may flow,
Faith whispers: "It is better so."
With joy we'll meet on that fair shore,
Where God's own children weep no more.
FOREWORD
The hymn lore of the Christian Church offers a fascinating field for
profitable research and study. To know the hymns of the Church is to know
something of the spiritual strivings and achievements of the people of
God throughout the centuries. Henry Ward Beecher has well said: "Hymns
are the jewels which the Church has worn, the pearls, the diamonds, the
precious stones, formed into amulets more potent against sorrow and
sadness than the most famous charm of the wizard or the magician. And he
who knows the way that hymns flowed, knows where the blood of true piety
ran, and can trace its veins and arteries to the very heart."
This volume has been inspired by a desire on the part of the author to
create deeper love for the great lyrics of the Christian Church. In
pursuing this purpose an effort has been made to present such facts and
circumstances surrounding their authorship and composition as will result
in a better understanding and appreciation of the hymns themselves.
A hymn is a child of the age in which it was written. For this reason the
author has followed a chronological arrangement in an endeavor, not only
to set forth the historical background of the hymns, but also to trace
the spiritual movements within the Church that gave them birth.
The materials contained in this volume have been gathered from sources
too numerous to mention here. The author feels a special sense of
gratitude for information drawn from David R. Breed's "The History and
Use of Hymns and Hymn-Tunes," Edward S. Ninde's "The Story of the
American Hymn," and John Julian's monumental work, "Dictionary of
Hymnology." No claim is made to originality, except in the manner of
presentation and interpretation. A popular style has been adopted in
order to appeal to the lay reader.
Thus we send forth this book with the earnest prayer that it may inspire
many hearts to sing with greater devotion the praises of Him who redeemed
us with His blood and made us to be kings and priests unto God.
Ernest Edwin Ryden.
St. Paul, Minnesota, November 14, 1930.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I: EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNODY
The Early Christian Chants 13
Greek and Syriac Hymns 19
The Rise of Latin Hymnody 25
An Ancient Singer Who Glorified the Cross 31
The Golden Age of Latin Hymnody 35
PART II: GERMAN HYMNODY
Martin Luther, Father of Evangelical Hymnody 43
The Hymn-Writers of the Reformation 53
Hymnody of the Controversial Period 59
The King and Queen of Chorales 65
Hymns of the Thirty Years' War 69
A Hymn Made Famous on a Battle Field 77
The Lutheran Te Deum 81
Paul Gerhardt, Prince of Lutheran Hymnists 85
Joachim Neander, the Paul Gerhardt of the Calvinists 93
A Roman Mystic and Hymn-writer 99
Hymn-writers of the Pietist School 103
The Wuerttemberg Hymn-writers 111
How a Great Organist Inspired Two Hymnists 117
Gerhard Tersteegen, Hymn-writer and Mystic 123
Zinzendorf and Moravian Hymnody 127
Two Famous Hymns and some Legends 131
Hymnody in the Age of Rationalism 135
Hymns of the Spiritual Renaissance 141
PART III: SCANDINAVIAN HYMNODY
The Swedish Reformers and Their Hymns 149
A Hymn-Book That Failed 155
David's Harp in the Northland 161
The Golden Age of Swedish Hymnody 169
The Fanny Crosby of Sweden and the Pietists 177
Kingo, the Poet of Easter-Tide 185
Brorson, the Poet of Christmas 191
Grundtvig, the Poet of Whitsuntide 197
Landstad, a Bard of the Frozen Fjords 203
PART IV: ENGLISH HYMNODY
The Dawn of Hymnody in England 209
Isaac Watts, Father of English Hymnody 215
Doddridge: Preacher, Teacher, and Hymnist 221
Wesley, The Sweet Bard of Methodism 225
A Great Hymn that Grew out of a Quarrel 233
The Bird of a Single Song 239
England's First Woman Hymnist 245
A Slave-trader Who Wrote Christian Lyrics 249
An Afflicted Poet Who Glorified God 253
An Irish Poet and His Hymns 259
The Hymn Legacy of an English Editor 263
Heber, Missionary Bishop and Hymnist 269
An Invalid Who Blessed the World 275
How Hymns Helped Build a Church 279
A Famous Hymn by a Proselyte of Rome 285
Henry Francis Lyte and His Swan Song 291
Sarah Adams and the Rise of Women Hymn-writers 297
A Hymn Written in a Stage-coach 301
An Archbishop's Wife Who Wrote Hymns 305
Bonar, the Sweet Singer of Scotland 311
Two Famous Translators of Ancient Hymns 317
Baring-Gould and His Noted Hymn 323
Frances Ridley Havergal, the Consecration Poet 327
A Unitarian Who Gloried in the Cross 333
A Model Hymn by a Model Minister 337
Matheson and His Song in the Night 341
Part V: AMERICAN HYMNODY
The Beginning of Hymnody in America 347
America's First Woman Hymnist 353
Thomas Hastings, Poet and Musician 359
Francis Scott Key, Patriot and Hymnist 363
America's First Poet and His Hymns 367
The Hymn-writer of the Muhlenbergs 371
The Lyrics of Bishop Doane 375
The Quaker Poet as a Hymn-writer 379
America's Greatest Hymn and Its Author 383
Samuel Smith, a Patriotic Hymn-writer 389
Two Famous Christmas Hymns and Their Author 395
Harriet Beecher Stowe and Her Hymns 399
A Hymn Written on Two Shores 407
A Hymn That Grew out of Suffering 411
A Famous Hymn Written for Sailors 415
A Tragedy That Inspired a Great Hymn 419
Anna Warner and Her Beautiful Hymns 423
Phillips Brooks and His Carols 427
Women Who Wrote Hymns for Children 431
Fanny Crosby, America's Blind Poet 435
One of America's Earliest Gospel Singers 441
The Lyrist of Chautauqua 445
Gladden's Hymn of Christian Service 449
A Hymn with a Modern Message 453
A Lutheran Psalmist of Today 457
Survey of American Lutheran Hymnody 463
Index of Notable Hymns 471
Alphabetical Index of Hymns and Sources 477
Authors' and General Index 493
Bibliography 503
PART I
Early Christian Hymnody
The Angelic Hymn
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. We
praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify
Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord
God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sin of the
world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right
hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord; Thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHANTS
The first Christians sang hymns. The Saviour went to His passion with a
song on His lips. Matthew and Mark agree that the last act of worship in
the Upper Room was the singing of a hymn. "And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out unto the Mount of Olives."
How we wish that the words of that hymn might have been preserved!
Perhaps they have. Many Biblical scholars believe that they may be found
in the so-called _Hallel_ series in the Psaltery, consisting of Psalms
113 to 118 inclusive. It was a practice among the Jews to chant these
holy songs at the paschal table. Fraught as they were with Messianic
hope, it was fitting that such a hymn should ascend to the skies in the
hour when God's Paschal Lamb was about to be offered.
The Christian Church followed the example of Jesus and His disciples by
singing from the Psaltery at its worship. Paul admonished his converts
not to neglect the gift of song. To the Ephesians he wrote: "Be filled
with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord."
And his exhortation to the Colossians rings like an echo: "Let the word
of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts unto God."
The praying and singing of Paul and Silas in the midnight gloom of the
Philippian dungeon, their feet being made "fast in the stocks," also is a
revelation of the large place occupied by song in the lives of the early
Christians.
The double reference of the Apostle to "psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs" would indicate that the Christian Church very early began to use
chants and hymns other than those taken from the Psaltery. The younger
Pliny, in 112 A.D., wrote to Emperor Trajan from Bithynia that the
Christians came together before daylight and sang hymns alternately
(_invicem_) "to Christ as God."
These distinctively Christian chants were the _Gloria in Excelsis_, or
the "Angelic Hymn," so called because its opening lines are taken from
the song of the angels at Jesus' birth; the _Magnificat_, Mary's song of
praise; the _Benedictus_, the song of Zacharias, father of John the
Baptist; and the _Nunc Dimittis_, the prayer of the aged Simeon when he
held the Christ-child in his arms. Other chants that were used very early
in the Christian Church included the _Ter Sanctus_, based on the "thrice
holy" of Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8; the _Gloria Patri_, or "Lesser
Doxology;" the _Benedicite_, the "Song of the Three Hebrew Children,"
from the Apocrypha; and the _Te Deum Laudamus_, which is sometimes
regarded as a later Latin chant, but which undoubtedly was derived from a
very ancient hymn of praise.
Eminent Biblical scholars believe that fragments of other primitive
Christian hymns have been preserved in the Epistles of Paul and in other
portions of the New Testament. Such a fragment is believed to be recorded
in 1 Timothy 3:16:
He who was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the spirit,
Seen of angels,
Preached among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
The "faithful saying" to which Paul refers in 2 Timothy 2:11 also is
believed to be a quotation from one of these hymns so dear to the
Christians:
If we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him:
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him:
If we shall deny Him,
He will also deny us:
If we are faithless,
He abideth faithful;
For He cannot deny Himself.
It will be noted how well these passages adapt themselves to responsive,
or antiphonal, chanting, which was the character of the ancient Christian
songs. Other passages that are believed to be fragments of ancient hymns
are Ephesians 5:14; 1 Timothy 6:15, 16; James 1:17, and Revelation 1:5-7.
There are strong evidences to support the claim that responsive singing
in the churches of Asia Minor was introduced during the latter part of
the first century by Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, a pupil of the Apostle
John. The _Gloria in Excelsis_ was used in matin services about this
time, while the _Magnificat_ was sung at vespers. Ignatius suffered
martyrdom about 107 A.D. by being torn to pieces by lions in the circus
as a despiser of the gods.
Liturgies also were employed very early in the worship of the Christian
Church. An ancient service known as the "Jerusalem" liturgy was ascribed
to the Apostle James, while the so-called "Alexandrian" liturgy claimed
as its author Mark, fellow laborer of Paul and companion of Peter. There
is much uncertainty surrounding these claims, however.
Both Tertullian and Origen record the fact that there was a rich use of
song in family life as well as in public worship.
The singing of the early Christians was simple and artless. Augustine
describes the singing at Alexandria under Athanasius as "more like
speaking than singing." Musical instruments were not used. The pipe,
tabret, and harp were associated so intimately with the sensuous heathen
cults, as well as with the wild revelries and shameless performances of
the degenerate theatre and circus, that it is easy to understand the
prejudice against their use in the Christian worship.
"A Christian maiden," says Jerome, "ought not even to know what a lyre or
a flute is, or what it is used for." Clement of Alexandria writes: "Only
one instrument do we use, viz., the word of peace wherewith we honor God,
no longer the old psaltery, trumpet, drum, and flute." Chrysostom
expresses himself in like vein: "David formerly sang in psalms, also we
sing today with him; he had a lyre with lifeless strings, the Church has
a lyre with living strings. Our tongues are the strings of the lyre, with
a different tone, indeed, but with a more accordant piety."
The language of the first Christian hymns, like the language of the New
Testament, was Greek. The Syriac tongue was also used in some regions,
but Greek gradually attained ascendancy.
The hymns of the Eastern Church are rich in adoration and the spirit of
worship. Because of their exalted character and Scriptural language they
have found an imperishable place in the liturgical forms of the Christian
Church. As types of true hymnody, they have never been surpassed.
The Oldest Christian Hymn
Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant King,
We come Thy Name to sing,
And here our children bring
To join Thy praise.
Thou art our holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife:
Thou didst Thyself abase,
That from sin's deep disgrace
Thou mightest save our race,
And give us life.
Ever be near our side,
Our Shepherd and our Guide,
Our staff and song:
Jesus, Thou Christ of God,
By Thine enduring Word,
Lead us where Thou hast trod;
Our faith make strong.
So now, and till we die,
Sound we Thy praises high,
And joyful sing:
Let all the holy throng
Who to Thy Church belong
Unite to swell the song
To Christ our King!
Clement of Alexandria, about 200 A.D.
GREEK AND SYRIAC HYMNS
Very soon the early Christians began to use hymns other than the Psalms
and Scriptural chants. In other words, they began to sing the praises of
the Lord in their own words. Eusebius informs us that in the first half
of the third century there existed a large number of sacred songs. Some
of these have come down to us, but the authorship of only one is known
with any degree of certainty. It is the beautiful children's hymn,
"Shepherd of Tender Youth."
Just how old this hymn is cannot be stated with certainty. However, it is
found appended to a very ancient Christian work entitled "The Tutor,"
written in Greek by Clement of Alexandria.
Clement, whose real name was Titus Flavius Clemens, was born about 170
A.D. He was one of the first great scholars in the Christian Church. An
eager seeker after truth, he studied the religions and philosophical
systems of the Greeks, the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Jews.
In the course of time he entered the Catechetical School conducted by
Pantaenus at Alexandria, Egypt, and there he became a convert to
Christianity. Some years later Clement himself became the head of the
institution, which was the first Christian school of its kind in the
world. Among the students who received instruction from Clement was the
famous Origen, who became the greatest scholar in the ancient Christian
church. Another of his pupils was Alexander, afterwards Bishop of
Jerusalem, and still later Bishop of Cappadocia.
One of Clement's most celebrated works was "The Tutor." It was in three
volumes. The first book described the Tutor, who is Christ Himself; the
second book contained sundry directions concerning the daily life and
conduct; and the third, after dwelling on the nature of true beauty,
condemned extravagance in dress, on the part of both men and women.
Two poems are appended to this work, the first of which is entitled, "A
Hymn to the Saviour." This is the hymn known as "Shepherd of tender
youth."
The "Hymn to the Saviour" in all the manuscripts in which it is found is
attributed to Clement himself, but some critics believe that he was
merely quoting it, and that it was written by a still earlier poet. Be
that as it may, we do know that, aside from the hymns derived from the
Bible, it is the oldest Christian hymn in existence, and it has always
been referred to as "Clement's hymn."
Clement was driven from Alexandria during the persecution of Severus in
202 A.D. Of his subsequent history practically nothing is known. It is
believed he died about 220 A.D.
A number of other beautiful Greek hymns have come down to us from the
same period, but their date and authorship remain in doubt. Longfellow
has given us an exquisite translation of one of these in "The Golden
Legend":
O Gladsome Light
Of the Father immortal,
And of the celestial
Sacred and blessed
Jesus, our Saviour!
Now to the sunset
Again hast Thou brought us;
And seeing the evening
Twilight, we bless Thee,
Praise Thee, adore Thee,
Father omnipotent!
Son, the Life-giver!
Spirit, the Comforter!
Worthy at all times
Of worship and wonder!
An inspiring little doxology, also by an unknown author, reads:
My hope is God,
My refuge is the Lord,
My shelter is the Holy Ghost;
Be Thou, O Holy Three, adored!
Doctrinal controversies gave the first real impetus to hymn writing in
the Eastern church. As early as the second century, Bardesanes, a Gnostic
teacher, had beguiled many to adopt his heresy by the charm of his hymns
and melodies. His son, Harmonius, followed in the father's footsteps.
Their hymns were written in the Syriac language, and only a few fragments
have been preserved.
The Arians and other heretical teachers also seized upon the same method
to spread their doctrines. It was not until the fourth century,
apparently, that any effort was made by orthodox Christians to meet them
with their own weapons. Ephrem Syrus, who has been called "the cithern of
the Holy Spirit," was the greatest teacher of his time in the Syrian
Church, as well as her most gifted hymnist. This unusual man was born in
northern Mesopotamia about 307 A.D. His zeal for orthodox Christianity
was no doubt kindled by his presence at the Council of Nicaea in 325
A.D., and thenceforth he was ever an eager champion of the faith. Not
only did he write hymns and chants, but he trained large choirs to sing
them. He exerted a profound influence over the entire Syrian Church, and
even today his hymns are used by the Maronite Christians.
The greatest name among the Greek hymnists of this period is Gregory
Nazianzen. Born in 325 A.D., the son of a bishop, he was compelled by his
father to enter the priesthood at the age of thirty-six years. He labored
with much zeal, however, and eventually was enthroned by the Emperor's
own hand as Patriarch of Constantinople. Through the machinations of the
Arians he was later compelled to abdicate his office, whereupon he
retired to his birthplace. Here he spent the last years of his life in
writing sacred poetry of singular beauty and lofty spirit.
Another of the important writers of the early Greek period was Anatolius.
Concerning this man very little is known except that he lived in the
seventh or eighth century. He has left about one hundred hymns, among
them, at least three that are still in common use, "Fierce was the wild
billow," "The day is past and over," and "A great and mighty wonder."
This last is a little Christmas hymn of unusual charm. His description of
the storm of Galilee is one of the classics of Greek hymnology:
Fierce was the wild billow,
Dark was the night;
Oars labored heavily,
Foam glimmered white;
Trembled the mariners,
Peril was nigh;
Then said the God of God,
"Peace! It is I."
To John of Damascus, who died about 780 A.D., we are indebted for two of
the most popular Easter hymns in use today, namely, "The day of
resurrection" and "Come, ye faithful, raise the strain." Further
reference to these will be found in the chapter on the great translator
of Greek and Latin hymns, John Mason Neale.
When John of Damascus forsook the world and left behind him a brilliant
career to enter a monastery founded in 520 A.D., by St. Sabas, he took
with him his ten-year-old nephew, Stephen. The boy grew up within the
walls of this cloister, which is situated in one of the deep gorges of
the brook Kedron, near Bethlehem, overlooking the Dead Sea. Stephen, who
came to be known as the Sabaite, was likewise a gifted hymnist, and it is
he who has given us the hymn made famous by Neale's translation: "Art
thou weary, art thou languid?" Stephen died in 794 A.D.
The last name of importance among the great hymn-writers of the Greek
Church is that of Joseph the Hymnographer, who lived at Constantinople in
the ninth century. It is he who wrote the hymn on angels for St.
Michael's Day:
Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright,
Filled with celestial resplendence and light,
These that, where night never followeth day,
Raise the "Thrice Holy, Lord!" ever and aye.
As early as the fourth century the Council of Laodicea had decreed that
"besides the appointed singers, who mount the ambo, and sing from the
book, others shall not sing in the church." How far this rule may have
discouraged or suppressed congregational singing is a subject of dispute
among historians. However, it is a matter of record that hymnody suffered
a gradual decline in the Eastern division of the Christian Church and
eventually assumed more of a liturgical character.
An Ambrosian Advent Hymn
Come, Thou Saviour of our race,
Choicest Gift of heavenly grace!
O Thou blessed Virgin's Son,
Be Thy race on earth begun.
Not of mortal blood or birth,
He descends from heaven to earth:
By the Holy Ghost conceived,
God and man by us believed.
Wondrous birth! O wondrous child
Of the virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
Still to be in heaven enthroned.
From the Father forth He came,
And returneth to the same;
Captive leading death and hell--
High the song of triumph swell!
Equal to the Father now,
Though to dust Thou once didst bow,
Boundless shall Thy kingdom be;
When shall we its glories see?
Brightly doth Thy manger shine!
Glorious in its light divine:
Let not sin o'ercloud this light,
Ever be our faith thus bright.
Aurelius Ambrose (340-397 A.D.)
THE RISE OF LATIN HYMNODY
The first hymns and canticles used in the Western churches came from the
East. They were sung in their original Greek form. It was not until the
beginning of the fourth century that any record of Latin hymns is found.
Isadore of Seville, who died in the year 636 A.D., tells us that "Hilary
of Gaul, bishop of Poitiers, was the first who flourished in composing
hymns in verse." Hilary, who died in the year 368, himself records the
fact that he brought some of them from the East. His most famous Latin
hymn is _Lucis largitor splendide_.
The father of Latin hymnody, however, was the great church father,
Aurelius Ambrose, bishop of Milan. It was he who taught the Western
Church to glorify God in song. Concerning this remarkable bishop,
Mabillon writes:
"St. Ambrose took care that, after the manner of the Eastern Fathers,
psalms and hymns should be sung by the people also, when previously they
had only been recited by individuals singly, and among the Italians by
clerks only."
The father of Ambrose was prefect of the Gauls, and it is believed that
the future bishop was born at Treves about 340 A.D. The youthful Ambrose,
like his father, was trained for government service, and in 374 A.D. he
was appointed Consular of Liguria and Aemilia. During the election of a
bishop in Milan, a bitter conflict raged between the orthodox Christians
and the Arians, and Ambrose found it necessary to attend the church where
the election was taking place in order to calm the excited assembly.
According to tradition, a child's voice was heard to cry out in the
church, "Ambrosius!" This was accepted at once by the multitude as an act
of divine guidance and the whole assembly began shouting, "Ambrose shall
be our bishop!" Ambrose had been attracted to the Christian religion but
as yet had not received baptism. He therefore protested his election and
immediately fled from the city. He was induced to return, however, was
baptized, and accepted the high office for which he had been chosen.
The story of his subsequent life is one of the most remarkable chapters
in the annals of the early Christian Church. Selling all his possessions,
he entered upon the duties of his bishopric with such fervent zeal and
untiring devotion that his fame spread far and wide. He early recognized
the value of music in church worship and immediately took steps to
introduce congregational singing. He was the author of a new kind of
church music, which, because of its rhythmical accent, rich modulation,
and musical flow, made a powerful appeal to the emotions. Withal, because
it was combined with such artless simplicity, it was easily mastered by
the common people and instantly sprang into great popularity. By the
introduction of responsive singing he also succeeded in securing the
active participation of the congregation in the worship.
Empress Justina favored the Arians and sought to induce Ambrose to open
the church of Milan for their use. When Ambrose replied with dignity that
it did not behoove the state to interfere in matters of doctrine,
soldiers were sent to enforce the imperial will. The people of Milan,
however, rallied around their beloved bishop, and, when the soldiers
surrounded the church, Ambrose and his congregation were singing and
praying. So tremendous was the effect of the song that the soldiers
outside the church finally joined in the anthems. The effort to compel
Ambrose to yield proved fruitless, and the empress abandoned her plan.
Augustine, who later became the most famous convert of Ambrose, tells of
the great impression made on his soul when he heard the singing of
Ambrose and his congregation. In his "Confessions" he writes: "How
mightily I was moved by the overwhelming tones of Thy Church, my God! Thy
voices flooded my ears, Thy truth melted my heart, the sacred fires of
worship were kindled in my soul, my tears flowed, and a foretaste of the
joy of salvation was given me." Ambrose himself has left us this
testimony: "They say that people are transported by the singing of my
hymns, and I confess that it is true."
Ambrose was no respecter of persons. Although he was a warm friend of the
Emperor Theodosius, he denounced the latter's cruel massacre of the
people of Thessalonica, and, when Theodosius came to the church of
Ambrose to worship, he was met at the door by the brave bishop and denied
admittance.
"Do you," he cried, "who have been guilty of shedding innocent blood,
dare to enter the sanctuary?"
The emperor for eight months refrained from communion; then he applied
for absolution, which was granted him after he had done public penance.
He also promised in the future never to execute a death sentence within
thirty days of its pronouncement.
It was at Milan that the pious Monica experienced the joy of seeing her
tears and prayers answered in the conversion of her famous son,
Augustine. The latter, who had come to Milan in the year 384 as a teacher
of oratory, was attracted at first by the eloquence of Ambrose's
preaching. It was not long, however, before the Word of God began to grip
the heart of the skeptical, sensual youth. At length he was induced to
begin anew the study of the Scripture, and his conversion followed. It
was on Easter Sunday, 387 A.D., that he received the rite of holy baptism
at the hands of Bishop Ambrose. There is a beautiful tradition that the
_Te Deum Laudamus_ was composed under inspiration and recited alternately
by Ambrose and Augustine immediately after the latter had been baptized.
However, there is little to substantiate this legend, and it is more
likely that the magnificent hymn of praise was a compilation of a later
date, based on a very ancient Greek version.
As Athanasius was the defender of the doctrine of the Trinity in the
East, so Ambrose was its champion in the West. It is natural, therefore,
that many of the hymns of Ambrose center around the deity of Christ.
There are at least twelve Latin hymns that can be ascribed with certainty
to him. Perhaps his best hymn is _Veni, Redemptor gentium_, which Luther
prized very highly and which was one of the first he translated into
German. The English translation, "Come, Thou Saviour of our race," is by
William R. Reynolds. Another Advent hymn, "Now hail we our Redeemer," is
sometimes ascribed to Ambrose.
The beloved bishop, whose life had been so stormy, passed peacefully to
rest on Easter evening, 397 A.D. Thus was seemingly granted beautiful
fulfilment to the prayer Ambrose utters in one of his hymns:
Grant to life's day a calm unclouded ending,
An eve untouched by shadows of decay,
The brightness of a holy deathbed blending
With dawning glories of the eternal day.
While Ambrose was defending the faith and inditing sacred songs at Milan,
another richly-endowed poet was writing sublime Latin verse far to the
West. He was Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, the great Spanish hymnist. Of
his personal history we know little except that he was born 348 A.D. in
northern Spain, probably at Saragossa.
In early life he occupied important positions of state, but in his latter
years he retired to a monastery. Here he exercised his high poetic gifts
in writing a series of sacred Latin poems. He was preeminently the poet
of the martyrs, never ceasing to extol their Christian faith and
fortitude. Bentley called Prudentius the "Horace of the Christians."
Rudelbach declared that his poetry "is like gold set with precious
stones," and Luther expressed the desire that the works of Prudentius
should be studied in the schools.
The finest funeral hymn ever written has come to us from the pen of this
early Spanish bard. It consists of forty-four verses, and begins with the
line, _Deus ignee fons animarum_. It is sometimes referred to as the
"song of the catacombs." Archbishop Trench of England called this hymn
"the crowning glory of the poetry of Prudentius," and another archbishop,
Johan Olof Wallin, the great hymnist of Sweden, made four different
attempts at translating it before he produced the hymn now regarded as
one of the choicest gems in the "Psalm-book" of his native land.
An English version, derived from the longer poem, begins with the stanza:
Despair not, O heart, in thy sorrow,
But hope from God's promises borrow;
Beware, in thy sorrow, of sinning,
For death is of life the beginning.
A Prophetic 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.
Maker and Redeemer, Life and Health of all,
Thou from heaven beholding human nature's fall,
Thou of God the Father, true and only Son,
Manhood to deliver, manhood didst put on.
Hell today is vanquished; heaven is won today!
Thou, of life the Author, death didst undergo,
Tread the path of darkness, saving strength to show;
Come then, True and Faithful, now fulfil Thy word;
'Tis Thine own third morning: rise, O buried Lord!
Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say.
Loose the souls long prisoned, bound with Satan's chain;
All that now is fallen raise to life again;
Show Thy face in brightness, bid the nations see;
Bring again our daylight; day returns with Thee!
Welcome, happy morning! Heaven is won today!
Venantius Fortunatus (530-609 A.D.)
AN ANCIENT SINGER WHO GLORIFIED THE CROSS
The joyous, rhythmical church-song introduced by Bishop Ambrose made
triumphant progress throughout the Western Church. For three centuries it
seems to have completely dominated the worship. Its rich melodies and
native freshness made a strong appeal to the human emotions, and
therefore proved very popular with the people.
However, when Gregory the Great in 590 A.D. ascended the papal chair a
reaction had set in. Many of the Ambrosian hymns and chants had become
corrupted and secularized and therefore had lost their ecclesiastical
dignity. Gregory, to whose severe, ascetic nature the bright and lively
style of Ambrosian singing must have seemed almost an abomination,
immediately took steps to reform the church music.
A school of music was founded in Rome where the new Gregorian liturgical
style, known as "Cantus Romanus," was taught. The Gregorian music was
sung in unison. It was slow, uniform and measured, without rhythm and
beat, and thus it approached the old recitative method of psalm singing.
While it is true that it raised the church music to a higher, nobler and
more dignified level, its fatal defect lay in the fact that it could be
rendered worthily only by trained choirs and singers. Congregational
singing soon became a thing of the past. The common people thenceforth
became silent and passive worshipers, and the congregational hymn was
superseded by a clerical liturgy.
One of the last hymnists of the Ambrosian school and the most important
Latin poet of the sixth century was Venantius Fortunatus, bishop of
Poitiers. He was born at Ceneda, near Treviso, about 530 A.D., and was
converted to Christianity at an early age. While a student at Ravenna he
almost became blind. Having regained his sight through what he regarded a
miracle, he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Martin at Tours, and
as a result of this journey the remainder of his life was spent in Gaul.
Although all of the poetry of Fortunatus is not of the highest order, he
has bequeathed some magnificent hymns to the Christian Church. No one has
ever sung of the Cross with such deep pathos and sublime tenderness:
Faithful Cross! above all other,
One and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peer may be;
Sweetest wood and sweetest iron!
Sweetest weight is hung on thee.
Bend thy boughs, O Tree of Glory!
Thy relaxing sinews bend;
For awhile the ancient rigor
That thy birth bestowed, suspend;
And the King of heavenly beauty
On thy bosom gently tend!
Thou alone wast counted worthy
This world's Ransom to uphold;
For a shipwrecked race preparing
Harbor, like the Ark of old;
With the sacred blood anointed
From the smitten Lamb that rolled.
And again:
O Tree of beauty, Tree of Light!
O Tree with royal purple dight!
Elect on whose triumphal breast
Those holy limbs should find their rest:
On whose dear arms, so widely flung,
The weight of this world's Ransom hung:
The price of humankind to pay,
And spoil the spoiler of his prey.
Fortunatus' famous Passion hymn, _Pange lingua glorioso_, is also the
basis for the beautiful Easter hymn:
Praise the Saviour
Now and ever!
Praise Him all beneath the skies!
Prostrate lying,
Suffering, dying,
On the Cross, a Sacrifice;
Victory gaining,
Life obtaining,
Now in glory He doth rise.
Another Easter hymn, "Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say," has
a triumphant ring in its flowing lines. His odes to Ascension day and
Whitsunday are similar in character.
That Fortunatus had a true evangelical conception of Christ and His
atonement may be seen in his well-known hymn, _Lustra sex qui jam
peregit_:
Holy Jesus, grant us grace
In Thy sacrifice to place
All our trust for life renewed,
Pardoned sin and promised good.
A Tribute to the Dying Saviour
O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded,
With thorns Thine only crown!
Once reigning in the highest
In light and majesty,
Dishonored now Thou diest,
Yet here I worship Thee.
How art Thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,
Was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour,
'Tis I deserve Thy place:
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
Receive me, my Redeemer;
My Shepherd, make me Thine,
Of every good the Fountain,
Thou art the Spring of mine!
What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end!
O make me Thine forever,
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love to Thee.
Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153 A.D.)
THE GOLDEN AGE OF LATIN HYMNODY
During the Middle Ages, when evil days had fallen upon the Church, there
was very little to inspire sacred song. All over Europe the Gregorian
chants, sung in Latin, had crowded out congregational singing. The
barbarian languages were considered too crude for use in worship, and
much less were they regarded as worthy of being moulded into Christian
hymns. Religious poetry was almost invariably written in Latin.
However, in the midst of the spiritual decay and worldly depravity that
characterized the age there were noble souls whose lives shone like
bright stars in the surrounding darkness. Their sacred poetry, a great
deal of which was written for private devotion, bears witness of their
deep love for the Saviour.
The beautiful Palm Sunday hymn, "All glory, laud, and honor," was
composed by Bishop Theodulph of Orleans in a prison cell, probably in the
year 821. The immortal _Veni, Creator Spiritus_ also dates from the same
period, being usually ascribed to Rhabanus Maurus, archbishop of Mainz,
who died in the year 856.
The religious fervor inspired by the Crusades, which began in the year
1098, resulted in the production during the twelfth century of Latin
poetry of singular lyrical beauty. This may be regarded as the golden age
of Latin hymnody.
It was during this period that the most touching of all Good Friday
hymns, "O sacred Head, now wounded," was written. It is ascribed to
Bernard of Clairvaux, preacher of the Second Crusade, and one of the most
brilliant of Latin hymn-writers.
Although composed in the twelfth century, the hymn did not achieve
unusual fame until five centuries later, when it was rendered into German
by the greatest of all Lutheran hymnists, Paul Gerhardt. Lauxmann has
well said: "Bernard's original is powerful and searching, but Gerhardt's
hymn is still more powerful and profound, as re-drawn from the deeper
spring of evangelical Lutheran, Scriptural knowledge and fervency of
faith."
Gerhardt's version in turn was translated into English by James W.
Alexander of Princeton, a Presbyterian. Thus, as Dr. Philip Schaff puts
it: "This classic hymn has shown in three tongues--Latin, German and
English--and in three confessions--Roman, Lutheran and Reformed--with
equal effect the dying love of our Saviour and our boundless indebtedness
to Him."
Yet another Lutheran, none other than John Sebastian Bach, "high priest
of church music," has contributed to the fame of the hymn by giving the
gripping tune to which it is sung its present form. Strangely enough,
this remarkable minor melody was originally a rather frivolous German
folksong, and was adapted by Hans Leo Hassler in 1601 to the hymn,
"Herzlich thut mich verlangen." It was Bach, however, who moulded the
tune into the "Passion Chorale," one of the world's masterpieces of
sacred music.
Many touching stories have been recorded concerning this famous hymn. In
1798, when Christian Schwartz, the great Lutheran missionary to India,
lay dying, his Indian pupils gathered around his bed and sang in their
own Malabar tongue the last verses of the hymn, Schwartz himself joining
in the singing till his voice was silenced in death.
Of Bernard of Clairvaux, the writer of the hymn, volumes might be
written. Luther paid him an eloquent tribute, when he said: "If there has
ever been a pious monk who feared God it was St. Bernard, whom alone I
hold in much higher esteem than all other monks and priests throughout
the globe."
Probably no preacher ever exerted a more profound influence over the age
in which he lived than did this Cistercian monk. It was the death of his
mother, when he was twenty years old, that seemed to have been the
turning point in his life. The son of a Burgundian knight, he had planned
to become a priest, but now he determined to enter a monastery. He did
not go alone, however, but took with him twelve companions, including an
uncle and four of his five brothers!
When he was only twenty-four years old, in the year 1115, he founded a
monastery of his own, which was destined to become one of the most famous
in history. It was situated in a valley in France called Wormwood, a wild
region famous as a robber haunt. Bernard changed the name to "Clara
Vallis," or "Beautiful Valley," from which is derived the designation
"Clairvaux."
Among his pupils were men who afterwards wielded great influence in the
Roman Church. One became a pope, six became cardinals, and thirty were
elevated to the office of bishop in the church.
As abbot of Clairvaux, the fame of Bernard spread through all
Christendom. He led such an ascetic life that he was reduced almost to a
living skeleton. His haggard appearance alone made a deep impression on
his audiences. But he also was gifted with extraordinary eloquence and
deep spiritual fervor.
Frequently he would leave his monastery to appear before kings and church
councils, always swaying them at will. During the year 1146 he traveled
through France and Germany, preaching a second crusade. The effect of his
preaching was almost miraculous. In some instances the whole population
of cities and villages seemed to rise _en masse_, flocking to the crusade
standards.
"In the towns where I have preached," he said, "scarcely one man is left
to seven women."
Emperor Conrad and Louis, King of France, were easily won to the cause,
and in 1147 the vast horde of crusaders started for the Holy Land.
Probably only one-tenth reached Palestine, and the expedition resulted in
failure. A miserable remnant returned home, defeated and disgraced. The
blame was thrown on Bernard and it was no doubt this sorrow that hastened
his death, in the year 1153.
His noble Good Friday hymn, which in Latin begins with the words, _Salve
caput cruentatum_, alone would have gained undying fame for Bernard, but
we are indebted to this gifted monk for another remarkable poem, _De
Nomine Jesu_, from which at least three of our most beautiful English
hymns have been derived. One of these is a translation by the Englishman,
Edward Caswall:
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
A second by the same translator is equally beautiful:
O Jesus! King most wonderful,
Thou Conqueror renowned,
Thou sweetness most ineffable,
In whom all joys are found.
The third derived from Bernard's Latin lyric is by the American hymnist,
Ray Palmer:
O Jesus, Joy of loving hearts!
Thou Fount of life! Thou Light of men!
From fullest bliss that earth imparts,
We turn unfilled to Thee again.
Throughout the Middle Ages the verses of Bernard were a source of
inspiration to faithful souls, and it is said that even the Crusaders who
kept guard over the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem sang his _De Nomine
Jesu_.
A noted contemporary, Bernard of Cluny, shares with Bernard of Clairvaux
the distinction of occupying the foremost place among the great Latin
hymn-writers. This Bernard was born in Morlaix in Brittany of English
parents very early in the twelfth century. After having entered the Abbey
of Cluny, which at that time was the most wealthy and luxurious monastery
in Europe, he devoted his leisure hours to writing his famous poem, _De
contemptu mundi_. This poem, which is a satire against the vices and
follies of his age, contains 3,000 lines. From this poem have been
derived three glorious hymns--"Jerusalem the golden," "Brief life is here
our portion," and "For thee, O dear, dear country."
Other noted Latin hymn-writers who followed the two Bernards included
Thomas of Celano who, in the thirteenth century, wrote the masterpiece
among judgment hymns, _Dies irae, dies illa_, of which Walter Scott has
given us the English version, "That day of wrath, that dreadful day";
Adam of St. Victor, who was the composer of more than one hundred
sequences of high lyrical order; Jacobus de Benedictis, who is thought to
be the writer of _Stabat mater dolorosa_, the pathetic Good Friday hymn
which in its adapted form is known as "Near the cross was Mary weeping";
and Thomas Aquinas, who was the author of _Lauda, Sion, salvatorem_, a
glorious hymn of praise. With these writers the age of Latin hymnody is
brought to a close.