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FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 
\0 
 
 ^fT,4^ 
 
 RELIGIOUS ys 
 
 For the Presbyterian Advocate. 
 
 DR. WILSON'S LECTURES ON PSAL- 
 MODY. 
 Mr Annan, i' 
 
 Dear Sir, — Will you hnve the goodness to j 
 
 insert in your increasingly valuable paper, | 
 
 two or three short ariicles from the pen ol a| 
 
 4||y|glMMIF, on the subject cf Psaimody. ! 
 
 I piesume you are aware that I am in the I 
 habit of frequently aitendin^i the Lectures of { 
 the venerable Dr. Wilson, Principal o\' thej 
 Pvef. Pre?. Theol. Sem'ny. Allegheny. I j/o ! 
 o'^ten, and I love to hear him, as I adm>re 
 him very much, on account of his extensive 
 learning, his extraordinary talent??, and a'so, 
 because I consider him a devotedly pious 
 man. But ahhough I love to hear him, I) 
 cannot embrace all his views. And the last! 
 two evenings that I was present, I dissented ' 
 more perhaps iha^at any other time. He 
 was dscussing the subject of Psalmody. 
 x\nd as h3 had previously announced the sub- 
 ject, I went expecting to hear something in i 
 favor of an exclusive Jewish Psalmody, pret- ! 
 ty conclusive, and calculated lo cariy home' 
 'conviction; for there can be no doubt bui 
 that the Dr. in point of ability, stands far a- 
 bove, all the other advocates of a Jewish 
 Psalmodv? about th? se cities. And 1 believa 
 if any mar can support his notion, the 
 Dr. can, he is qualified, he has the lenrn- ^^ 
 \u^, the talents ancl the zeal, that are re- - 
 quisite. On ihis mooted qu^-stion, I hiive • 
 never rei^d any <hing, except some scraps of 
 the controversy betivc en Dr's. R. and P. I 
 wa5 therefore anxious to hear what could be 
 said t.'poa the subjccf. I had ^e-xpecied 
 Trmchjbut verily my expectations 'were noi 
 realized, for I did not hear any thing eilhci . 
 •eoncl'jsive or calculated to produce convic- 
 tion . : __„ ' 
 
 
It seemed to nie liie Dr. reckoned very 
 largely on the credulity of his audience: and 
 if assertions without proof were snfficie\it, 1 
 have no doubt but I hat every body was fully 
 convinced of the truth of the Dr's. views. 
 
 His first position wa-, that we have a 
 Divine Wnrrani for -inglng David's Psdni's. 
 And here it appeared to me tliat a good part 
 of his fir?l Leciure was spent lo no pu' pose, 
 in nfiaintaining what his opponents do noi 
 deny, for thej believe as well^s he, that we 
 are authorize d to sing Divid's Psalms bui 
 not exclusively. He maintained however, 
 that it is positively enjoined upon the chris- 
 tian church t<) use an exclusive Jewish psal- 
 
 ^lody. Aud^Tvhere do you suppose he 
 luiind ills pT?;^ t-H^^.a^i^T,,«rticj:-fer-tJa/4 <--nrT^^ 
 
 Church to use a Jev^ish Psalmody? Don't 
 be astonished when you are told that he 
 found it among the Instiiuiions of (he Tem- 
 ple service! 2Chron. 29: 25 '^And he (Hez- 
 ekiah) ?et the Levites in the House of the 
 Lord, vvith cymbals, with psalteries and with 
 harps, according lo the commandm' nt of 
 David and of Gad the King's seer, and Na- 
 tlian the prophet, for so was the rommand- 
 ment ot the Lord by his prophets." v. 30. 
 "Moreover Hezekiah the king and the Prin- 
 ces commanded the Levites ij sing praise 
 unto the Lord with the words of David and 
 of Asaph ihe seer, and they sung praises 
 with gladness^ and they bared iheir headi 
 and worshipped.**' Here (he Dr. says an 
 exclusive Jewish system of Psalmody is en-j 
 joined upon the Christian church; and why? 
 just because the Levites in the Temple were 
 commanded to sing praises to the Lord with 
 the words of David and ofAsaph! Now sir,l 
 confess that 1 am too dull lo see the (oic<' of 
 the argumeni; I can't percfMvehowther onclu- 
 Bion is logical, that the ^liristian ch. is limited i 
 to a Jewish Psalmody, bi cause tlie Levites 
 under the law were commanded to s'mo( 
 praises with the words of David and of A- 
 saph. If thrse Jewish Institutions affoid 
 any proof in favor of the Dr's. position, it 
 mu4 be on the principle ihatlho Chri-iiani 
 
\ 
 
 Church is b(5und to adopt all ihe usages of 
 the Jewish Church, with the exception of 
 whatever was typical. But this principle, I 
 presume, would prove too much for the Dr. 
 It would prove that Ave ought lo have Choirs 
 in our churche^^; that these Choirs ought to 
 be present in the churches every mornhig 
 and evening: that none but the choir ought 
 to take any part in the singing: that the 
 Choir ought to use musical Instruments; and 
 that they ought to stand up when they sing. 
 2^ww ir tiiv^ i>r. \vo^<^ to to happen info a 
 Church regulated in this fashion, whf^n the 
 Choir would get up and commence with iheir 
 Timbrels and Trumpets, and Psaltories and 
 Cymbals, their Organs and Cornets and T;^- 
 l)rets, and Harps, I rather think he would be 
 makmg towards the door. I know at least, 
 
 that Rev. Mr. would. But perhaps 
 
 the Dr. would say that all these parts of the 
 Temple service were lypical, inasmuch as I 
 heard him sny in one of his lectures that 
 Musical Instruments were types of Christ. 
 He mentioned one instrument as an example, 
 and if his explanation was not edifying it 
 was at least amusing. An instrument of 
 ten strings, he said, wps ^a tj pe of Chri-i, 
 because he had fiv^e senses, and five mental 
 faculties!! 1 wish the Dr. had (old us what 
 these five menial faculues were. But tak- 
 ing this as a sample of mterprelation, if J 
 I wished to have a mood of melancholy driv- 
 en away I should like to hear the Dr. ex- 
 plain in what respects all the other instru- 
 ments used in the Jewish worship, were 
 rtypes of Christ; the Timbrel for instance, 
 -which consists of a thin wooden rim cover- 
 ed with ifiembrane and hung around wifh 
 brass bells or rattles. I wonder if it was 
 'typical for the Musicians to stand np when 
 they engaged in praising; if it was not^ the 
 :Dfs. church has positively departed from tij^^^ 
 ^constitution of God's house, (1 Chron. 5W'T 
 30, II Chron. 29: 26,) for in his church th'^ 
 sit when they sing, which is a mere human \ 
 
^oo^posture utterly d< sti ut(Vjf any ^cripime 
 wanant. Now why depart from the Scrip- 
 ture model in ihis oue instance? If it be 
 right to intfoduc.? one ^'human invention' 
 w[iy not a second, and a third and so on ad in 
 finilum uniil we be surrtiunded with all ih.^, 
 fooleries of Popery. lam here adopting the 
 Dr's. own argninenl: his strong hold is. thai 
 we have no sciipture warrant to sin^ any 
 Ihuig but Jewish Psalms, and therefore it is 
 svick' d to sing any others. Now it is obvi- 
 ous to every reader of the Bible thai we have 
 Scripiuie warrant to stand up when wesin^ 
 praise in the public congregation, but no au 
 ihoiity for any other posture, and ih^^refore 
 to sit IS positively wicked. Alas! alas! that 
 any people should ihus venture to offer 
 •^sirange fire" io the Lord; well may it be 
 I said 10 them— ^*Who hath required th s ai 
 yopr hand when ye (read my courts/' P. r- 
 
 ^ haps the Dr. would reply thai staudii^g up 
 was typical, be it so, this does not relieve 
 him, for he is still wiihoiit aulhoiiiy for sit- 
 ting, and hence it is a mere '••l.mman inven- 
 tion/' Bat now, when the Dr. asserts tha' 
 all parts of the Temple service w^re lyp - 
 cal, except the insiitution of praising with 
 the words of David and of Asaplu he ought 
 to have offered some proof, for I really do not 
 see -riny reason to believe it. If the Jew s!) 
 (Jho r was typical, and standing up typical, 
 and the Musical Instruments typical, so wl.s 
 the appointmrnt to praise with llie words of 
 D.iVid and of A-aph also typical, because we 
 iiave no ground for distinction. But ver.ly 
 it appears to me alt'>g' ther incorrect to con- 
 sider any of them typical, and tDe reason is 
 because there is no authority in Scripture for 
 
 ^ considering them as such. I^mesti anrl his 
 ffanslaior ?u'(^ liolh csi'('in"(l ii^nod [iniimi 
 
tity in tacrecl Hf^rmeneuiirs. Tlv y say 
 p'Types are not words biU things, which God 
 (has designated as signs of future events. Nor 
 /is any special pains necessary for the inier- , 
 preiation of ^h^ m The exph.notion of, 
 them, which I'ne Holy Spirii hunself has jiiv- 
 len, renders them inlelligible. Beyond h\s 
 instruciions on this subject, we should b v 
 very careful never to proceed/^ If i: be 
 asked; How far are vve to consider the Old 
 Tesiament as typical? I should answer 
 Without any hesUation: Just so much of it 
 is to be regarded as typical, as (he New Tes- 
 iament affirmsto be so; and no more. The 
 fact, that any ihmo; or event under ihe Old 
 Testament dispens'jjtion was designed to pre-, 
 figure someihing under the New^ can b(- 
 known to us only by Revelaiion; and of 
 course, all thnt is not designated by divine; 
 authority as typical, can never be made so,: 
 by any auihoriiy Irss than that whirh ^ui 
 ded the writers of tlie Scripiares." No^vj 
 accord'U^ to this canon of ir.terpr tation it| 
 would b<i Dotli i}g: ies5-4lig_n pre^SAunptioiu *o 
 ?ay that anv paits of the Temple ses vice. mro-j 
 iioned above, were typical; because we have I 
 no intimation, in the N. Testam- nt, to that j 
 effect. Peihapsit may be said that theyj 
 v/ere conneclei \viihthe Aaronic priesthood, | 
 and it Whs typical. Tr'.ie they were conn^c-j 
 ted wiih it, but they were no part of it, for! 
 it was fully instituted long before ;hey were; 
 brought in. They weie brought in as pos-j 
 ' itive mstituiions under the o;d disp' nsition I 
 because ih; y were suitable for i'; and h^nre | 
 , they are bitjding upon us under the New.ju tj 
 jsofnraslhey are suiiable to the , Nov/, and j 
 j no fariher. We are to u^e our wisdom and | 
 jour judgment as (o what of them is best a- 
 dapied to our edification and iIl^prov^menf. ' 
 And this is in acrordanre with tlie i\islrnc'| 
 tic^n> of the Apostle Paul on this subject of 
 I'salmody, "Let the Word of Christ dwell, 
 in you, richly in all wisdom^' &:c. What is; 
 U\it use of wisdom unless it be t||teeleci from 
 
 ^^A4il%^d^<&^*-v<e^ 
 
the Word of Chrisc lliat which js mostshif-' 
 a'^Je to discrimi'ia e and adopt fr songs of 
 praise, bo;h as lo matter and manner, tliai: 
 v^hich appears best adapted to our ediiica-' 
 tion and growth in giace? 
 
 From the above remaiks it will appear 
 that the Dr's. '^'hiis saiih the Lord," in 
 Ipiorf of an exclusive Jewish Psalmody, n- 
 nnuntsto merely a thus sailh Dr. Wilson: 
 :and consequently it failed to carry con viciion 
 I to n?y mind. And in order to show thai the 
 Dr. himselfattached but little importance to 
 hic ^'Thus saith the Lord" we need only ad- 
 vert to the fact that he does not render obe- 
 bience to It. The positive command is to 
 ^ing praises v\ith the words of David and 
 01 Asaph. Now the Dr. and his people do 
 not sing praises wiih the words of David 
 and of Asaph, but wiih the words of Rouse. 
 This he n^^ed rot attf^mpt to deny, for tlie 
 fuct is too plain io afford any ground of de 
 nial. The Dr's. words are not my woru-^:. 
 Dr. Prrssly's words are not my words, a-.) J 
 so D ivio's words are not Rouse's words, 
 neiiherare Asaph^s words Rouse's words. 
 Hence then before die Dr. can show thai he 
 jand his people sing praise with the words 
 i of David and Asaph, he must prove that 
 I Rouse is David and Asaph!! Prove 1 sa\. 
 notasseit. The command i^ not to sing tlie 
 I sentiments of David and Asaph, bnt wiih 
 I the words, lliat i? tiie po4 ive command on 
 ! which the Dr. insists. But the Dr. disobey^ 
 , il^c command in another respeci, for he sings 
 p alms composed neither by David or A-aph. 
 I bnl by Mo-es and Solomon. Now evei 
 j were he singing these in the original, he 
 I would not be singing prai-e with the words 
 I of David and Asaph. So that his whole 
 1 flourish about the "words'^ of David and A- 
 saph, is truly a flour sh about words. 
 ' G. M. 
 
.^^ 
 
 t 
 
 
 *« 
 
 [e should dance too, when they go to ^ 
 Chur2h? Ift/^ey ought, he need not be so sever.; 
 on the <TOod Methodist breliiren because they ma' 
 happenlo dance occasion illy at iheir meetings. 
 
 Under the history of Jewish Psalmody the Dr, 
 brought forward whathe considered a powerful ar 
 gnment. It was, *^that Ezra, under the guidanc-. 
 of Inspiration, collected, revised and arranged thv 
 book of Psalms, with the design of providing for 
 the Church in all ages, suitable songs of praise. 
 Bat here it is obvious that the Dr. assumes what 
 ought to be proved. He says that Ezra revised 
 the Psalms with the design of preparing them to 
 be an exclusive Psalmody for tlie Church in all 
 age?. Now there is no proof of this, there is no 
 proof that this was the design of having them revi- 
 sed. Ezra revised almost the whole of the Old 
 Testament, Now the question is, did he revise 
 the book of Psalms as Psalms merely, or as a 
 part of the Sacred Canon, in common with other 
 parts? There is no proof at all that he revised 
 the psalms-merely as psalms, with the design of 
 preparing a Manual of praise: And doubtless, it is 
 far more reasonable to suppose tiiat he revised 
 them with the same design, with which he revised 
 th^ other parts of the Old Testament, viz.. that 
 she Divine Record might be perfect — free from 
 error, and a sutHcient rule of faith and practice as 
 far as the. Old Testement is concerned. So that 
 E7:ra's revising tfie book of Psalms proves just 
 nothing at all, as to what may be sung, or may 
 not be sung. But suppose we admit the assunif)- 
 lion, that the book of Psalms was revised with the 
 design of preparing a manual of praise, then the 
 argument will be a powerful one, so powerful, 
 that it will prove a great deal more than the Dr, 
 would wish: for it will prove that ?re ought not to 
 read the New Testament. Here is the argument: 
 Ezra revised the book of psalms, with the design 
 that they should be sung in the Cimrch, therefore, 
 ^Te ought not to take songs of praise from the 
 New Testament. But Ezra revised the Old 
 Testament to be read in the Church, and there- 
 fore, by parity of reasoning, we ought not to read 
 the New Testament. If the mere fact of Ezra's 
 revising the book of Psalms, preclude the use of 
 any other Psalms; then the mere fact of Ezra's 
 revising the Old Testament will preclude the use 
 of the New Testament. Here I presume the 
 Dr. would say that my reasoning might hold, pro- 
 vided we had any other Psalms, or in other words, 
 provided we had any thing tJise suitable for songs 
 of praise, but as we have not, my reasoning is 
 
 
■ 
 
 : 
 
 ion of i\ie Cook oi' Psalms, proves tiiat they "arc t 
 be sung exclusively because wc have i^p thing eku? 
 suitable; but the revision of the Old Testament 
 does not prove that it is to be read exclusively, be- 
 cause the New Testament is also suitable. I ad- 
 mit the force of the objection. And now the con- 
 troversy must turn upon the suitableness of the 
 N. T. for songs of praise. And here, by the way, 
 1 would remark that this is one of the Dr's. 
 fitrongholds in favor of an exclusive Jewish Psal- 
 mody, and in opposition to Evangelical: He says 
 the New Testament is not suitable foi songs of 
 praise: and why? Just because it is not poetical: 
 for he asserts, that there is not a l ine of Poetr y in 
 It from beginning to endmg. U'tners, re^rted 
 as being scholars, say there is. Now I make no 
 pretensions to scholarship, and it is not for me to 
 judge between them. Nor does it all ^ffect the 
 I Vmatter, in my estimation, whether, there be poe- 
 *^try in the New Testament or not, I still think it 
 V ^is suitab/e for songs of praise: And one reason 
 :^ '^twhy I think so, is because I find songs of praise ', 
 , ^^ff-eeorded in it. And if songs of praise be not suit- I 
 r^^abkforjongsj: know not what is suitable. T, 
 ^ '^inlTnofEliF'^^f^^s, about which cavils might 
 be raised. But I wr)uld just ask the reader t«) ^ 
 look inlo the 5th, i5th, and 19th chapters of Rev. 
 where he will find specimens of the songs ut 
 praise that are recorded in the N. T. 
 
 Now I will take the Dr. on his own ground, 
 and with the aid of his assertions prove that tho 
 whole of the N. T- is suitable for songs of praise. 
 His assertion is that there is not one line of poetry 
 in the N. T. But tliere are songs of praise in i 
 it: and therefore poetry is not essential to a song] 
 of praise. But if poetry be notessential to a song 
 of praise, then the absence o[ poetry in theN. 
 T. is no objection at all to its suitableness. And 
 as we fmd'in it songs of praise in prose, prose ij, 
 therefore, suitable for songs of prai.sc: But the >, . 
 T. is all prose, and therefore it is all suitablcll 
 Quod Erat demonstrandum; there's no getting^ 
 round it. Another reason, why I believe the N . 
 T. to be suitable for 5ongs of praise is, that I hud 
 it positively enjoined upon us to use it fur that 
 purpose, ColM^ 16, **Let the Word of Cbrist 
 dwell in younc//ly,in all wisJom, teaching afid 
 admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, 
 and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your 
 hearts to the Lord*'* Now who would-be so^sdly, 
 as iOBuppose that by *nlie word of Chris^t" we 
 are to understand notliing but the Book ol Psalms.^ 
 iWie Apostle meant ilie bool^of psalms when he^ 
 ju»ed the oli r^i--- .mTTo^.^ ..r rhristJ' l^e mofeLassn 
 
•'<t*-v> 
 
 reaiy failed to eoQvey the idea intended, and u" 
 men d j not k-iio w ihai he meant the book of psalms 
 tt is certainly not their fault, for his words must 
 iead them into erroH But I presume there is no 
 man ea foolhardy as to say liiat the N- T, if? BOt 
 the word of Christ. Well th^n, if it be sdrflitted, 
 ihxi the N. T, is the Word of Cfiri^t, it follows 
 that we are eonjma^ided to use N. T. for songs of 
 praise. The injunction is, ^'Let the word of Christ 
 dwell in y<»u'* — for the purpose of '^singing.'' 
 But the N. T. is the word of Christ, therefore, we ^ 
 are r ornraanded t\. let the N. T, dwell in us riehly, ! 
 <fcc., for the purpose of ^'singing with grace in our ! 
 heartg to the Lord.'* The matter is just as plain , 
 as A. B. C, and it would be rubbing a pen away , 
 for no purpose, to jd\yel[ upon it, 
 
 Thi?s, tiien we have stormed and taken two 
 more of the Dr's. strongholds. One was the re- 
 vision of the book of psa/ms, and ttie other the 
 iinsuitableness o[ the N. T. for songs of praise. 
 Pderhap^ (hey were considered impregnable: But 
 when^broken into and examined, so far from being 
 strong, they seem io have been constructed of old 
 dry cobwebs; 
 
 But let us return to the history of Psalmody. 
 As to what the Jewish Church sung, there can be 
 but litde controversy, ?/3 there is but little diversity 
 of opinion. Our views, perhaps, run parallel un- 
 til we come down to New 'i'est., times, and then 
 they begin to diverge. The lirst account of sing- 
 ing, which we have in the N. T., about which 
 there is a diversity of opijiion, is that spoken of al 
 t le celebration of the Passover, and institution of 
 the Eucharist, Christand liis discipies having sung 
 an hymn, they went out. Some say tliat this 
 hymn was the gre it IPallel. Others say that it 
 was a hymn composed for that special purpose. 
 
 Wnen Doctors disagree, Disciples they are free'* 
 It matters not to me, which party right may be: 
 
 For even sliould we grant that it was the great 
 HaJIel, it doss not affect the question; because ' 
 it was sung under the Old dispensation, it was 
 «nng at a Jewish ceremony, and^was a part of the , 
 Jewish worship, and we have afready shown that I 
 ^he Christian Church is not required to copy after 
 the Jewish worship in all things. So that admit- 
 tiiii/it to have been the great Ilallel which Chri.s: 
 ^nJ hicv disciples sung at the Passover, it does n^^ 
 prove any thing at all with regard to wha' 
 
 mamm 
 

 jCau^CS^, Ti.i iim^ bnmi uc no iiiurv: 
 
 For the rreabylerlan Advocate. 
 
 • PSALMCDY No. 2. 
 
 la my last No. I attempted to examine Dr. 
 Wil^on*s first position in support of an exclu^ 
 sive Jewish Psalmody: and I tliink offered 
 I reasons sufficient to satisfy any unprejudi- 
 iced mind, that he entirely failed to prove 
 : that there is any e5:press command o( God 
 j enjoining an exclusive Jewish P.-almcdj upon 
 } the christian church, 
 
 j Kis second position was, (o prove his the- 
 jory from the '^iistory of Psalmody." And 
 I heie it seemed to me that his failure .vas much 
 more notorious than on his first. He spent a 
 considerable time on (he history of psalmcdy 
 imdcr the. Old Testament dispensation- Con: 
 mincing wiih Moses at the Red 8ea, and 
 bringing us down to the christian era, ho 
 showed pretty fully that the Jewish Church 
 used an exclusive Jewish Psalmody! Th'-- 
 wa^ very important orcour-:e: and I have lio 
 doubt had a oonsidt-r b'e effect uponl)is peo- 
 ple. But I would ask any reasonable man, 
 wlietb^r the concia^ion bereasonable, that ir. 
 a^?^luch ns the Jewish Church nr.ed n Je\v!s?h ps:^> 
 modr, therefore the Chriatian Church ou^^hlto' ' 
 r.othing e/tcl The Jews danced sonielin 
 Uvhen ihev woraliipped, does the Dr euppc^dj iU-»^ 
 
 . .. J:<i.. ....!> .^..A .e nk^t.- he m^^UM. 
 
: aii^ag^^l^2EggS23Zr!ga£^2]^;sS/&!!ga&^ 
 
 Christian Church ought to sing. But Dr. Wilson 
 :ays that it does prove much, for Christ is our 
 iii'eat example, and we ought to imitate him in all 
 things. If we ought tlien, we should weai san- 
 dals, and let our beards grow, and by the way: 
 we sfjould be circumcised also: And not only 
 in these things, but even in the matter of smging ' 
 itself, the Dr. does not follow the example of ^ 
 Christ. Christ sung the llallel at the celebration : 
 of the Eucharist: Now does the Dr. sing these! 
 same five psalms at the celebration of the Eucha- 1 
 rist? Not at all, he sings the 45th and 72d, he ; 
 departs entirely from the example of Christ, and j 
 introduces a *'human invention" of his own. And' 
 if Christ, by singing these five psalms, has left | 
 him an example of what he ought losing at the | 
 Eucharist, how can he venture to sing any thing* 
 else? how can he justit^y himself in refusing to | 
 sing these same live psalms!! Perhaps the Dr.. 
 would say, ^'Christ sung from one part of the; 
 book of psalms, I sing from another part of the ' 
 book of psalms, and therefore, I do imitate, 
 Christ." Well then, I say, Chiist sung from one ' 
 part of the Word of Christ, I sing from another; 
 part of the W'ord of Christ, and therefore, I do | 
 imitate Christ. If the Dr. plead for liis latitude' 
 in imitating Christ, I have as good a right to : 
 plead for my latitude. So then we both imitate ; 
 Christ, though he sings from the O. T, and I sing • 
 from the N. T. It appears then ihe holy exam- 
 ple of Christ, and the disciples singing praises at 
 the Passover, furnishes no proof whatever for an 
 exclusive Jewish Psalmody. 
 
 And here I must stop, as it is understood that 
 my articles are to be brief. But thus far, on the 
 liistory of Psalmody, it will appear evident to ' 
 every impartial reader, that the Dr. has verily fail- 
 ed to bring any testimony, either preceptive or 
 i exemplary, that would render it obligatory upon 
 tlie Christian Church, to use an exclusive Jewish i 
 Psalmody. Q. M. I 
 
South-east Corner of Market and Third Streets 
 
 RELIGIOUS 
 
 For the Presbyterian Advocate. 
 
 DR. WILSON'S LECTURES ON PSAL- 
 MOD Y.— No. 3. 
 
 In my last No. I followed the Dr. cri the 
 history of Psalmody down to the introduc- 
 tion of the Gospel dispensation: in which it 
 appeared that he liad not brought forward 
 any thing that wo<jld make it imperative np- ] 
 on the Christi in (/hurch to use an exclu- 
 sive Jewish Psalmody. ' 
 
 The next question then that comes up is. 
 What did the Apo toUc Church smg? And it 
 is one which cannot be answered with much, 
 satisfaction: as we havp n > historical testi- 
 mony on the su Jert, excppt what is found ,| 
 in the N. T. There we have exhortations 
 to sinji; praises— to sing psalms — to siig 
 psahns and hymns, and spiiitual songs. All , 
 these term^ ''Psalms Hymns, Spiritual songs," 
 says Dr. Wit-on, mean one and the e^ame 
 thing, viz: Psahns ol Davidj and therefore, 
 when the Apostle exhor s, to S'ng Psalms 
 and hymns and spiritual songs, he n^eans that 
 we should sing what we find written in the 
 booU of Psalms and nothing more. Now if 
 the Dr. had proved this it would have done 
 'much for the support of his cause. But 1 
 am inclined to believe that he liardly ^atisfi- 
 *ed auy man, except such as were predispos- 
 ed to be ^ati^fied with V( ry slim arguments. 
 *He m-ntioned some Commentators whoscid 
 that it was so, forbearing to name those tiiat 
 thought otherwise. His prit.cipal argument, 
 however, was, that these terms, psalms, 
 iiymnsi spiritual songs werr all found in the 
 titlcs,pf the psalms of David. But C( rtamly 
 it woiild be a very loose m<»de of inttirpre- 
 I ation, t3 say that inasmuct» as these ternts 
 ;.7e u-ed in the titles of the psalms, therefore 
 1 hey never designate atiy thin^ hut psalms; ;f 
 ihe Dr. could sliow that these t- nns \\v"*' 
 
i evi'T u-ed to signify any tlii;g el.-e, iheti lUe 
 *'onc!asinn iirjiht be adti-itted. To interpret j 
 i'orrectly,i- to give the id^^as, which the wri-j 
 ter intended t'» convey by the terms that he 
 i.sed. Novv did the Aposte by the t^rm 
 1 salms, wish to convey one idea, and by 
 l^ymns, the same idea, ?ind by songs the 
 .*ameidea? Suppose the Dr. wished to en- 
 j jin it upon the ^'sons of the prophets*' to | 
 lead Turretin, would he say "read Turrttin,' 
 J nd Owen ai^d Dick?" But suppose we , 
 1 ad a work comprisnig these three Authors,! 
 (call it Bibha) and he wished them to read 
 Jiiblia, might he not th n say ^'read Turretin 
 I nd Ov^en and Dick?" Most certainly, be- 
 cause then he wonid convey a different ide^ 
 I y.each term. And thus tlie Dr. alledges 
 ii is with tlie Book of Psalms; it comprises 
 1 sahns, otie kind of Psahiis, and hjmns, a- j 
 I other kmd of PsMlms, and song^ another | 
 kind of P-Mlms. Th"se several kinds, are ! 
 ( la-sed under the different titles, Palms,! 
 Hymns, Songs; Hud therefore the Apostle; 
 ( oes not use d^fft rer t t. rms to convpy tlie | 
 5am^ idea. By psalms h^* meant oneclas*, | 
 I y hymns another, and by songs an (her 
 And hence the word psalms is not used by 
 the Apostle as a general term to convey the 
 i lea of the whole book, but only one class in 
 the book, ar.d the term-j Hymns; Sonaiij, are 
 also used in the satne manner. Now we 
 come to the conclusion that the Apostle en- 
 j )ined tDe use of psalms, not by a general 
 tsirm, but by enumerating the different clas 
 ses comprised in the B.)ok, There are bu 
 taetwo ways in which ht could well do it, ei- 
 ther by lakmg a general term which cover^ 
 the whole ground, orelse byenumerating t ie 
 terms which designate all the classes. 
 
 The matter is fully settled then that the A- 
 ] ostle does not enjom the u-e of the Plains 
 I y employing a general term. Now the J 
 CjUestion is, does he do it by enumeiating the i 
 several chisses? We think not. Let us take; 
 cur Biblia again; and suppose nov7 that it: 
 comprises Turretin, Owen, Dick, Er-kme, 
 l Uxter and Howe. Novr were the Dr. to 
 
say 10 the sons of the prr7phets,read rurretin, j 
 DweuHnd Dick/' would he enjoin it on thenn ! 
 to read the whole of BibU^? Certainly not. 
 lie does not say read Bibha which is the I 
 j;er)eral term, n. r does he enum' rale all the 
 ■ ] articulars, and iherefore only a part of Bib- , 
 liais required to be read. And ihns it h 
 with the Apostle- \-5 exhortnt on, if he has no | 
 general term, he reqiire? only a part of the| 
 I)ook of Psalms to be used, because he enn-jj 
 iH' rates only some of \he classes. In the i 
 1 ook of Psalms there are at least six or tev- 1 
 
 < n different titles, Mizmor, Mi^ktam, Maskeei, \ 
 Sheer, Shijigayon, Tehillah. and Tephllnh I 
 Now the Septiiagmt does not translate all I 
 these titles, by the three terms, Psalmos, I 
 HumiiQS and Ode, which the Apos'le h^s u- 
 ^ed. The Sept. translates these titles by the 
 several terms, Psalmos, Ole, Prosuche, Sun- 
 
 < sis, Stelos;r;iphia, and Ain sis. Now as; 
 ther-^ is no doubt but that each of th'^se terms 
 denotes a different kmd of psalms, and desig | 
 iiatps a distinct class, and this is the Dr's. ^ 
 (iWn explanation, it undeu'ably fo lows that 
 the Apostle has not ^numerated all the clas-l 
 ses, and conspquently , he has not ri quir^^d all j 
 the book of psalms to be smg. If Bib/ica' 
 consist of Turr^tin, Owen, Dick, E»skitie, 
 Baxter and Ho*v, obviously Tu<retin, Owen, 
 an! Dick do not con-ititute Bibha, bu^ only a 
 
 J art of it: So in like manner if the book of 
 ij salm^ consists of Psalmos, Humuos, Ode, 
 uSunesis, Stelographia, Aine-is and Prosuclu^ 
 *hen obvious'V Psalm )s and Ode, do not 
 ^ Q^,stitute ihe book of psalms but only a part 
 of it Perhaps it may be said that the A- 
 1 ostle used .^« »lmos as a general term, and 
 then merely sp^V^^^^J some of the classes un- 
 der it. so that he su'.n enjoins the use of the 
 whole' book. But thi^ cannot be, becaust^ 
 there is a copulative conjiincliou between 
 Psalmos and Ilumnos, denoting that that 
 which follows the conjunction is something 
 different from that which precedes it, which 
 would not be the case if Psalmos were a ge 
 iieralterm. This reasoning may be made 
 

 more obvious by an example, Man. 2.11, 
 "Tliey presented unto him, ^iits; gold and 
 frankincense, aiid myrrh." Gifts is the ge- 
 neral term, but ihe writer does not «ay, gifts, 
 and g' Id &c. Now, one of two thitigs we 
 must admit, viz: that Psalmos is either a 
 general term, or else it is not: if it be not, 
 Then we have shown that Xhe Apostle does 
 rot mean that we ought to sing the whole 
 of the book of psalms but only a part of it; 
 and if P^^almos be a general term, it covpis 
 (he whole book of p?alms; and then, by the 
 Vrry cons'ruciion ot the sentence, Humnos 
 and Ode must designate somet^ ing different 
 from what is contained in ih.t book. I pre- 
 sume the Dr. would wi be willing to admit 
 the first supposition, he would not be willing 
 th-it any part of the book of psahiis sliou d 
 fa/I into di-i)S'^;aiid in this I cordiaily agree 
 with him, and I ver.ly believe that the A- , 
 po?tle exhorts christians to use ihevvholei 
 book of psalms for the purposes of prai-e. j 
 And this 1 thinK he does by the use of a ge- 1 
 fieral term, and that term is Psalmos. This; 
 wdl appear more obvious perhaps if we con ! 
 sider that tlie Apostle was in t'iC habit ofquo- 
 ting from the- Sept., wh^ n he found it corr( ct, 
 instead of translating from the Hebrew. 
 Now if the Apostle wished to enjoin the use 
 of the psalms, is it not likely that he would 
 use such a term as would designate that 
 book, if there were stich a term. In the 
 Sept. thf^n be found just such a term, 
 t*»almoi, is the title of the book of Psalms: 
 and hence desiring to inculcate the use 
 oi the book of Psalms, he says, "teach 
 'mg and admonishing one another in psalms 
 i — singing with grace in }our hearts to the 
 jLord.'' And not only in psalms, but also 
 jin Something else besides, "in [lymn-* and 
 spiritual songs" such as Mary and Z^chaiias 
 composed — such as tlie Angels sung to tlie 
 Shepherds by night — such as the rans >m' d 
 thion^i in glory sung to Him who ledeemed 
 them, and washed them from their sins in | 
 his own blood — such asgodiy men compos- 1 
 
'I 
 
 uil s.ing in honov of Cwirisr, as though lie 
 \v( re GjcI— such r^s Paul of Samo^aia re- 
 moved from the Church "counting them new 
 found figmtLts of la(e writers.'^ 
 
 But jf enoug!) has not been already said, 
 ^vt; m «y disprove the assumption on anotf.er 
 ground. The hs umption is, i!iat Psahiios, 
 llumnos. Pneumaiike Od(^, are nrthiuii Init 
 tlie Flehr.' \v titles of the ps^ihiis translated in- 
 to Greek, But as the man said, this is ^'a 
 false fact" for the Hebrew titles of tUe psalms! 
 are not translated by these terms. lVa!-l 
 mos is used, but tlie other two are not, Hum- 
 nos is not found in one si'igle instance thrn-- 
 ou. the whole book of psalms, as a (i le. 
 Now if the Translators of tlie^'Psalnn have 
 not used Humnos to desij^nate any kind of; 
 psalm, is it at all probable th-t the Ap silo 
 would use it for that purpose ? Arid so in 
 like manner with \he oiher t.rm. Ode is us- ' 
 ed, but Pneumat'ke Ode is not used in one 
 single if)?tanre;so tliat by this phrase the A- 
 posi'e certainly meant to express somethiui^ 
 diffeient from any thing conta ned in the 
 bo- k of Psalms. If he had meant a psa'm, 
 merely, Ode would have been sufficient for 
 his purpose, f(*r that is what the Translators 
 use io desgnate a psalm, but as he has qual- 
 ified it by Pneiima ike lie must havede.-ign- 
 ed to convey a different idea. And I call 
 upon any man to point out any term, either 
 in the psalms or in the titles of the psalms, 
 u'hich !S translated by good authority, Pneu- 
 matike Ode, or spiritual song: it can't be 
 dofie, i''s not a literal translation of any 
 t^ rm, ii Was not d» signed as such, it was u- 
 sed for a diderent purpose, to preverit those 
 to whom the Apostle wrote fiom singing li- 
 centious songs The churches at EphesDS 
 and Colosse were composed boili of Jew^ 
 and Gentiles. The Apostle says to II. em, 
 s ng psalms: the Jews nnd« r?tood uhat 
 I he meant, because they had been in the babii 
 j of singing p-alms, but he says sing hymns, 
 this the Gentiles understood, for they knew 
 iMiu hymns v/ere son^s designed to celebrate 
 I praises of som'i one, but he sa\s, sing 
 IPS. "What," the Genti es would berea- 
 
 ^ . . ji tim/vsiiall we sin^/ song*! we have 
 
T 
 
 ■>- 
 
 " ^jij hi tiie lianit oi sUigiuijj song*, but veii- 
 1) liisy vonsisfed of every thirig that wa* 
 aboinin:\ble.*' Yes answers the Apostle, sing 
 sonii?, bill in order to teac h yon, that yon 
 are not to sing your light and war»ton songs, 
 I sny to you sing Fneumatikais Odais or spir- 
 itual son^>s, songs coTiposed on spiritual sub- 
 jticts, by which you may make melody in 
 your hearts to the Lord, instead of th(.se 
 j lewd Bicchi^rialian songs which yoii used to 
 sing, beng drunk vvith wine, and runnui^ 
 to every excess of riot,whf n you indulged in 
 those things of wh cli yoVi are now ashamed 
 Here ! cannot refrain from making a practi- 
 Crt! rem.'4rk. li is. that the Ronsites, (I use 
 this term for noother purpose than to express 
 what I could not otherwise, Tvithout circum- 
 roruti'>n,) lose much by refusing to cdmpiy 
 with ths injunction of the Apo-tle io sng 
 '^jspiritUHl song-'.'^ For they will not sing 
 them, except itbtra psalm in time of wor- 
 sliip, and ijit'eed they usually look upon a 
 person as profane v\ho < ill sing ^vspiritua! 
 songs.'' And hence tl^ir religion seems to 
 be cold, and lifeless, and form d. Their voi- 
 fcsare never Uined in praise to God excepi 
 twice in each day; they eojoy none of those 
 d'^li;ihtful feel rigs, holy emotions — none of 
 th it devout "melody in their hearts to the 
 Lord," which are aUvays awakened in the 
 pioiis bosom by singing; a "spiritual song." I 
 -ay they deprive themsrjjves of much reliiii- 
 ous enjoyment; and every godly man who is 
 in the habit of singing "spiritual song>j," 
 can bear testimony to what I say, from his 
 own experience. But tliis is not their only 
 lo-s for they suffer a positive mjury. Young 
 peop'e wi I sing: they are not allowed to 
 learn "sp ritual soogs'' and they will there- 
 fore learn something else, for they must 
 have something to sing, and hence their 
 memories will be stored with light, vain,silly 
 songs, if nothing worse. I know it both 
 from eX'perience and observation, 111 the 
 
 
i^ei^hborlioo I where I was raised, the chil-l 
 drt n were ijot penn.'lted to siug "spiritual! 
 son^'S,'^ and the result was that instead o/* 
 having ' the Wo~d of Christ dwelling in them 
 richly in all v^isdom/' they had their minds 
 filled w:th every sort of vile bacchanalian 
 trash, fuel for their own lusts, and materials 
 for the devil, on which to work, to secure 
 their ruin: Whereas if they had been trained 
 up to sing spiritual songs, their hearts miglil 
 have been sown with tlie good seed of the 
 wo;d, and their tongues made vocal with 
 the Hosam>as of praise to Him who comeih 
 in the name of the Lord, Hosannas in the 
 higliest! 
 
 On the argument above, I have dwelt! 
 lor.ger than I would otherwi-e, 'oec-uise it is| 
 fumd ready in the mouths of all the| 
 Rousites both Preachers and p- opie. If you! 
 are talking with any of the people on this 
 suhject, and say to them that we are exhort- i 
 ed to "?inu psalms aid hymns and spu'itualj 
 songs,'^ they will tell you th-it these all meanj 
 nothing but psalm-, and if you ask ihem how! 
 they know th^t, they will lell you that their 
 Preacher sa}S so, and there's an end to the 
 matter. Now I confess that when 1 he tr an 
 argument urged before a public audience, 
 which is obviously foun ed in the ii^norance 
 of the people, I always look upon such an 
 argument in a very unfavorable light, it al 
 ways appears to me to be d( ficient in some 
 thir.g, I'll not say what. And ihe above ex- 
 ample is not the only instance in which I 
 have heard the Dr. on the subject of psalmo- 
 dy, ur^e an argument of this very kmd. It 
 was when i^e was lecturing on the 14th ch. 
 Rev. Ur. RaNton had foUnd^ d an aiguinent 
 on the words ^^NewSon?,^' D-. Wilson over- 
 tlnewhiSargfUTientby observmg that (he text 
 did not say ^NcA' S »ng,^ bui <'.'S it were New 
 SotiL'/' He n» ver hinted to (he peop'e that D . 
 
 Ralston had as good a riiih: to ?ay -'New 
 Sf.ng" as ho had lo say '^as itwereN'^w 
 Sonrr/^ i!;asnnic!i as the copies oi th 
 
Alw Tc^stameiit, |(Jiffe3r, some having-, '-ns 
 il were" and some tmve it not. Neither did 
 the Dr. refer them to ih.e 5th ch. where all 
 copies have "New song," and nothing but 
 'new scng '^ Hence the arizument was 
 founded in the is^norance of the peop'e, il, 
 was potont, and had its effect. Ai.d besides i 
 in that same argument, 1)6 repr^sented Dr.} 
 Ralston as havint^^aid, in his ''Inquiry" ihat| 
 there is ro passa^e in all the book of psahiis: 
 that speak-; of Christ. And remark^ d that he 
 was perfectly astoni^^hed, that a man of Dr. 
 Ral ston's character and standing, should ;- 
 make such an assertion. And indeed I was' 
 peifectly artoundtd and grieved to think that 
 Dr. Ra!<(on had made such an as ertion. I 
 had glanced at some parts of the work be- 
 fore, but when I came home I searched the, 
 book, but the expression a ludvd to I couM 
 not find. I found thai Dr. Rallston had .-aid: 
 *'There is no pavSsa^e in all the book of 
 psalm«? that -peaks of Christ as the L uiih of 
 God, and redeeming his people by his blood." 
 Tliis is certainly true, but the people didroij 
 know that this was Dr. Ralston's assertion;^ 
 and hence there was an argument founded on; 
 the peopi ?s ignorance, which overwhelmed; 
 poi r old Dr. R. Oi th s speciesof argumenri 
 take another iristance. In hi?hite lectures on I 
 Ps-ilmody. he endeavored to show thatthosej 
 who had abandoned the use of Roue, were 
 dissatistied, and were about returning again 
 to '-the good old way." In proof of this, 
 hn said that the last General Assembly had 
 appointed a committee to inv^s igatt- this 
 maiter. Now the people did not know that 
 the last General Assembl) had not appoint- 
 ed any such commi'tec: and therefore, the 
 argumertt founded upon their ignomnce had 
 great weight and made a coasid'-rable im- 
 pression. These are a sample, then of the 
 kind of arguments v/hich some use in order 
 10 keep the pec^ple faithf d to their cause; bui 
 verily, it seems to me that the cause, which ■, 
 needs such arguments for its support, is, to; 
 say the very iea^t, doubtful. G. M, 
 
 w II 'It:!: - \v ui u UL v^ijii::j\ 
 
 jriL I '.^auilLMi \'. 
 
'li. ^"r^rwic'cr ■ 
 
 rrp u K 1. 1 c; A T fl o M o F F i c e^- 
 
 feoLUh-east Corner of iMarkei and Tliiid Si'ecTs 
 
 RKLIGIOUS 
 
 Foi- the Picsby'ierian Advocate. 
 
 IDR. WILSON'S LECTURES ON PSAL- 
 MOD Y.— No. 4. 
 
 Perhaps ^was seltled, and perhaps ^was nol*^ 
 Let readers answer, if they've not foigol; 
 
 As to the meaning thai of right belongs 
 To terms — "psahiis and hymns, and 5;piiitu^ 
 al songs." 
 
 If it was not settled, in our last No. we 
 are inclined to suppose that it was made at 
 least pretty satiifaclory to all — except to 
 those who are in the habil of viewing ih-ngs 
 through a dense Cameronian medium, and 
 who hence conclude thai we ouglit not to 
 sing any thinii but ihe words of David and 
 Asnph, uttered by Mos^s and Solomon and 
 furnished by Rouse. We say that except to 
 sUch, we suppose it was made pretty obvi- 
 ous, th.at ihe Aposiohc church did not use an 
 exclusive Jewish Psalmody. 
 
 And now wc must follow the Dr. in Ihe 
 history of psalmody, down through iimes 
 subsequent to ihatof tlie Apostles, and ser, 
 if po.^sible, what was the stute of psalmody 
 among prmiilivc Christians. And the first 
 hint, from whi^ h we can gather any thing a- 
 to the nature of their psalmody, is that foimd 
 in the leiter of Pliny lo Tiajnn. Pliny s.>\s 
 the Chrisiians who were arraigned before his 
 bar, aiijrm(d that th^^ amount of iheir 
 fault or error was, that tuey were acrusiom-' 
 ed ii meet on a set day before the morning 
 hghl, and (carmen dicere) sing a song of 
 praise to Christ, as God, &.c. TJie J)r. al- 
 ledges thai this carmen which they sung lo 
 Ctnisl, w;)S a psalm of David. Biit is there 
 any f vidciicc of this? if (here be, ihe Dr. 
 did I'oi niodnrc i(. Tl^ore \< I'oMimo in }\\c. 
 
word cauuen iliot woukl lead u^ to hehevc 
 dial by li ^ psahn of Ddvid is meant; and [ 
 'ihink it is doubtful wlKnher iherc can ho a 
 sin-^le example prodnccd where ihe t^-i-u 
 cnmoii necessarily meansa psalm of David: 
 and every one, at all acquainted with Latu), 
 knows very \vell,lhni ihe word carmen is u- , 
 tjcd to designate any kiiid of poetic compo- 
 sition. So iha' the cornten wliich ihcsc- ear- 
 ly Christians sung io Clrrist moy very wcM 
 have been one laken from the New Te^ta- 
 men,\ because in it ihey c.^nld iind metier 
 more sntable to iheir purpose. They wis!i- 
 cd to sing to ( hrisi, as tlieir exaUed U'*- 
 deemer: now is there any thing in ihe book 
 of Psalms, so directly suitable to th-ir pur- 
 pose, as that which is coniained iti the N. 1 ? 
 The Apostle had commanded them to let the 
 '^Word of Chrisi'' dwell in them lichly f^^r 
 the purpose of singing praise. Now when 
 ihey wished lo sin<i praise to Chiist would 
 they not likely break I'oith and ?ay, <'Thou 
 art worthy to take the book and open the 
 seals thereof: for thou w^ast slnin, and iiast 
 redeemed us to God by thy b'-^od. — Wor 
 thy is the Lamb that was slain to receive 
 power, andriche?, nnd wisdom, and sirength. 
 and honor, and glory, and blessing?'' Song- 
 similar to this, every one would understand, 
 to be songs of praise to Christ, but had they 
 used the p.^ahiis of David, it would liaidiv 
 have occurred to any one, that they were 
 singing '^to (Jhrist, a- God:'' arid indeed the 
 majority of themselves would never have 
 supposed that they were singing to Chrisi 
 iinlcss the psalm had been previously ex- 
 plained to them, and ihey directed (o use 
 H for th;U purpose. And this We see fully 
 exemplified in the ciiurches of the Rousites 
 at tlie present time; they are under the ne- 
 cessity of explaining the psaim to the peo- 
 ple, in order that they may Know that they 
 are living under the christian dispensaiion. 
 and that ihey are worshipping a Savior that 
 has already come. So that they need not 
 look for anothei. Were they to comply. witii 
 the injunciion of the Vposlle, and use the 
 \\h .le ^'word of Clnis",'' lor ilieir psalmodv. 
 
this difficulty would not exist, tlie pe.p,. 
 would know that they were not Jew?, with- 
 out formally telUngtheni so. Of the nature 
 and extent of this difflcuUy, the Dr. gave us 
 an elegant example, at the close of his first 
 lecture. He called upon them to sing the 
 l50th psalm. But^before they commenced 
 he had to explain it. The Cymbals and 
 p?alteries and organs and dance, he told 
 them, meant pious feehngs; holy affeclion?, 
 &c., and thus tiiey were singing away a- 
 bout timbrels, trumpets and organs, withthej^ 
 '^inspired composition" of Rouse in their j-^^^ 
 mouths, and the ^'human composition'^ of the lic^;: 
 Dr. in their heads, and what could they make^"^ 
 out of ihe whole matter? The psalm toldP;- 
 them, to praise with the ^^ymbals and psal-j^>^ 
 tery, and dance: tl e Dr. told them that it 
 did not mean what it said! I but that it meant 
 what he said: of course it was only joking^ 
 and they ought to recollect that tliey were 
 not Jews but Christians. Does not such a 
 scene, admirably demonstrate the folly of 
 those, who would impose an exclusive Jew-j 
 ish Psalmody upon the Christian Church?| 
 The beauty and consistency ofthe system,and ! 
 its advocates, will further appear, if we con- ; 
 sider that previously the Dr. had asserted 
 that musical inslniments were types ot^ 
 Christ, but now he says they are typical of 
 mental emotions: if this be not self-contradic- 
 tion, I know not what to call it. Perhaps 
 it may be said, that an object may be typical 
 of two things. Well yes, it maj^ if these 
 two things be, at least, identical in nature. 
 According to this evasion then, musi( al instru- ; 
 ments are typical of Chris?, and also of men- 
 tal emotions, because they are identical in 
 nature: then mental emotions are Christ, and 
 Christ is nothing but a mental emotion! If; 
 this be not the same, it ;s very similar to the j 
 doctrine of Paul of Samosata. 
 
 But if here isn't Paul of Samosat>! 
 Good evening, Mr. l^aul, you are the very 
 man 1 wanted to see. 
 
 * Good evening, Mr, G. M. how are you." 
 Well Paul, yoa have come ail the waj 
 
1 
 
 i ffoii} Samosaia; liave yon? J j-uppooe you 
 have been ;u Anlioch lately, and }ou know 
 something about tnaiters and ihini^s Ihere, 
 how (hey condnci llieiraQairs in ihcciinrci*. 
 what knid of psaUiislljey sin<i: anil I wani 
 especially \j know what kind of psalmody 
 they had in the third centnry, when you 
 were bishop of Antioch. 
 
 ''Why do you ask that question?'^ 
 
 Oh 1 just WHiit (o know. 
 
 "Ah, you are wriiing on Psalmody are 
 you?'^ 
 
 Aye. 
 
 ^•'You r.re writing upon Psalmody! I llnnk 
 you are railier green: What do you. kiiow v- 
 l3ont Psahnodv?'' 
 
 \Vell Paul, I guess 1 don't know nni 
 
 ( 11 
 
 bout it. hnl i w?nt io know somcihing ?bonl 
 iu and fhnt's the reason uhy T ask you. Now 
 ijust tell me, what kind of psahns did ihey 
 
 sing in Antiocl), \v 
 
 op lhe»e? 
 
 10!! wlienyou wcic lisn 
 '.vonbl ihev sii] 
 
 oni 
 
 not 10 
 
 poinl. 
 
 t!ie 
 he ma tier. 
 IMiey sung D.-vid's 
 
 ''Wliy, w!iai kind 
 (lie nghl kind?'' 
 
 Well but Pan', thafs 
 you neecl"nt try lo cloak 
 
 *"\Vh;.it do yoij me ;i)? 
 !^s ilms of conr-e,'' 
 
 ^i^.w P.iukyou need"nt try lo sriernyonr- 
 self.'by shnffiing m this way, you know yor 
 are gu Uy. 
 
 "'GdiUy! guilty of wliai?*' 
 
 Whv Sir, I understand ihotyou were (he 
 rirst man ih.'U biouoht in huiu^i composi- 
 tion (o be sungii ihe church. 
 
 ''Well sir, you are misti'ken, i^'ov « d'd no 
 '^nch {hing.'^ 
 
 O but you dd do iL 
 
 ^'Bui I did not do it.'' 
 
 B »t yon did. 
 
 '-But I did'nf. Ai.d you a^e I'cry i:nppr- 
 inicni indeed, \o ehorge me wni an\ such 
 iliing." . 
 
 Well now Piiul, iliere's lo use in getling: 
 if) o saicli a Onsitn' a'^Oiit i(, yon nuy jn>t as 
 \v« M I e' cnim, km' ih ' ilini^ is iio(f^''<ons,.ov 
 
I cry I^ocIn ki.ows il, and 1 cdo. i)rovc il "oal 
 
 ; you. by good aiUhnriiy. 
 'Wjiaraulljoriiy?'' 
 Wfiy sir. Dr. \Vil^on s;H.d, tlial you were 
 
 I (hr first VDon, vho l»ronghl hi hiimaii coui- 
 
 ; posilicn rordiurcli Psalm(?dv, and he is a 
 
 'man whose venniiy i coiinoi doubt. 
 
 ; "What proof did hn brii^g in suppo.t of 
 
 ! his assert Ton. '-' 
 
 i Why sir, 1)0 did not briitg aiiy |)»oor. hut 
 
 I he ^aid \ou were guiity, and I repeat ii. il at 
 I beheve there is no man, who knows him. 
 
 ' ihat w-oLild 1 e at all deposed to djuht his 
 veracity. 
 
 ''W('H ili( n,if lie b^ a uir-u of verari^y.oi'd 
 sa\slhat I wasguihy of sndi a thing, he luiist 
 have bee inisVnloinied, he must liavi- fol- 
 lowed son>r ('ubicus authority, I'or I cnn 
 
 ' prove that nistead of bringing in, I lemovcd 
 
 ■ ;rom ilie churi h, what iie ( idls hunv'Ui com- 
 
 ■ position." 
 
 Where's yoir ;;uihotiiy for |!.;>t, PauL 
 '^Have you got Ensebins?'' 
 1 Yes, here it is, 1 have not got the o. iginpl, 
 I however, but this is- ( onsideied a Aiitiifu! 
 {translation, it's lyJRIeredhh llai^mei, Lor.- 
 j don edition, 1619. 
 
 "Weh now ]\Jr, G. M. let us ^ct booh 7, 
 ! chnp. 29. Here you Sf e is "The Epistle of 
 (ortain Bishops containing: the acts of .hef 
 Synod held ; t Aniiocli, agdinst Paul ofSa-l 
 mosata. an i tie heretic's life -and trade ofl 
 living." Here)OU see I nni called ahere-| 
 tic: The D. D's. ^-excinced'' me because J 
 taught what tiiev c/dled erior, and ihischap.| 
 contains the charges which they preferred a^ 
 oainsi me. Look heie now, among otherj 
 charges they say, ''The Plains sung in the 
 church to (he laud of our Lord Jesus C»trht,| 
 lie removed, counting them licw-found (ig- 
 Imentsof late writ rs: instead whereof ni ihej 
 ' midst of the church upod the highest feast of 
 Easter, he suborned certain women which | 
 sounded out sonn- ts 'o his raise, tln^ which 
 ifany now heard, liis hair i^^ould stand star 
 ing on his head.'' Now sir, is tliere any 
 tiling lieie (hat looks hkc wliat you snv ^he 
 
V 
 
 Dr. cliarced n^;<^ wirh, I le moved froai lijc 
 chiircli the psilms lliat were sung to i'm 
 prai-e of Chn.^t, Ixcause tney wore' new- 
 found figments' of It ie \v»i(ers.'^ These D. 
 D'.-. had got ii into iheir heads that Christ uds 
 a Divine person; and then nothing won'd do 
 ihem but ihey niu-t have a new Psahiio<ly. 
 with which they migin praise Cijrist i^s Di- 
 vine, and Uie Wnirch had become filled wi'i 
 the.-e new psahns and hymns and spi'^itn 'i 
 songs, long before n)y day. This 1 ccmi 
 prove to you 'roni ihe 5ih book, 25l() chrip 
 ter. Here you see we have an '^ancient \vr<- 
 tei (supposed io lie Maximns) in the confma 
 lion of tlie sect of Ar-emon.'' Thi- Arten) p 
 hved ill the 2d ceuiiiry, and he believed I ke 
 myself, th?( Christ is not Divjn^\ And hc' 
 is what ihis ^'aficient wriier'^ say> in tryi's 
 to confute him. ^-Who knoweth not, tlial tlic 
 works of Ircnseus, Mf^liio, and all oilier 
 Christians do confess Christ to be both God 
 and man? I'o be short, liow many r^'r'^hn . , 
 aud- hymns, and Canticles, were wiitieo froiii 
 ilie beginning by trie faithful Clirisiian^. 
 wliich do celebrate and praise Chiisiihej 
 word of God. for no oiher ihan God indeed?'' j 
 Now have I not proved Io you what I ^a-d.i 
 that the Church was filled with thes- new ' 
 psalms and hymns a- d spiiitnal ^ong-, long' 
 before my day? This writei lived long he-[ 
 fore me, and he says that very many psahi^ 
 ar,d hymn*, and canticles uCfC v/ritten froii! 
 jhe beginninnr by the fa thfnl Christians: so 
 yo!j see the thing i-s perfectly ridiculous, if 
 nothing; more, to suppose that I was the 
 first that introduced such compositions. Now 
 Mr. I\I. are you not satisfied: is the case not 
 c''.Mr as the shining sun?'^ 
 
 Well, I believe. I mu^tgive it up. Ent 
 Ml. Paul let us look over here again, I 
 
 lhi:;k~ 
 
 ^•AVhat time is it Mr. G. M?'' 
 
 it's early yet; let us look over here I 
 i::ink I noti 'cd something about women- sing- 
 ing in — 
 
 'A'/'hv I d:c!are it's niM'.c laie/'' 
 
sssssssssss^sBissiaastm 
 
 j Don'l be i'l 0. liaste, you liavelime eiiougn 
 , I want io see aboui woiiitn singing -onuels 
 jit]at would — 
 
 ''I did'ul expect io si?y near so ioiig-" 
 I wauled to see about thesonnets lliat we'd 
 make ihe hair ^tand j taring on a man's 
 heavl, lliat's — 
 
 '^Good evening Mr. G. M. I see it's gat- 
 ing li«te/^ 
 
 O good-bye J\h\ Paui, gooiUbye, if you 
 nnisl go: give my respects (o llie Antioch- 
 
 DU^j UOh't foigPi' 
 
 80U1-. Well Paul vou nie a slippery sub- 
 j Tt,and }0ii f^lways were sOjamiMi might as 
 well al(en>pt to ctjtnn.gle an eei. But since 
 jyou Die gop.e. It us see this place about the 
 sonneis that would uiake l!je hairaand sta- 
 lling on a man's hei»d. 
 
 The p.is.sage re;ids thus: '^In the mids; of 
 Uhe (huich upen he high feas of Easte, he 
 sub'Miied ceilain \Nomen which sounded out 
 sonnets (o his ptai-se^the which if any now 
 I heard, his |iaii v;ould sland slanng on l)is 
 ■hrad.'^ • _ .^ 
 
 No^v Can i l)e possiJjie, ihat it is from dn- 
 
 [passage, diat the llou^ites liave mvenied tlie 
 
 s'ory. about Prad of Samosain, being the 
 
 6r>t \v!^o u-'Od '-hnnun comp<snion?'* li 
 
 >ucli be iho Tu't, then their ma))oe'iViin^ is 
 
 [C' rtainly^iot less wils tlion ih;a p»a«tised b*. 
 
 [P.ih! iiiii,s('lf~and it shows. is lo vyhal won 
 
 [derful slratogen>- men are driven in order - 
 
 -Ufpn.t peril !iar no "o s. That, an ]^\.H'U<^'- 
 
i'.'ji p--olri;ocly v.c^s ns< cl in ilio prim nv'c 
 
 jChiirc I13 we inn.\ piovt^ (rom oiiollier anidor- 
 
 iiv^ Mosliciar's CIni-xh lli-tory i'l the Iuuk^s 
 
 ofcilinost cveiy oi^o. Jii Ccnl. lY. po^l H. 
 
 'r\\op. i"^^ .fhd .sc<\ JV. In spriiLing of tlic 
 
 'hangcs iniroclnced iiUo raai-y nnrfs of i\\c 
 
 i7mI'- worshiji, he says, '-The pnb'ic psay- 
 
 '■^'^ ha«l ixnv h)st much of ihju soh-uin and 
 
 i'lcJcMic s^n]p,i<'itv, [hal cliararic- ^zed ih-cin 
 
 |jii ihe priniiiive liiiiGs, .'-nd uhich we'c ai 
 
 I ! roceiU degener.'Uing' itilo ;« vaio and swe!- 
 
 ' iiiig b.nr.ijast, 'j'hc P.^^hus oT David wCiC 
 
 iM)vv roroiv^ed aino<!:i llie public hyn^iS lh;d 
 
 vcve sni;g as ;< ])art of Divine Sf'rvic^\'' Now 
 
 ' is ceviaiily obv'ous ihat if David's psalms 
 
 were r^-ceived ''among the public iiymns,'' 
 
 oiher p-;drt}- than D.^vid's must have been :ii 
 
 (i e prrvion.^ (o ih.i'. iiine. lUu \He may drop 
 
 I'lC hisiory of psalmo-Jy, for .-Uicly ilicre 
 
 jhns Ijccn en-nigb said ij s!u)w ihai lb- le i^ 
 
 - : noi ihe le ;s: shndow of iest-m.'ny in snpport 
 
 ■of an excbis ve Jewish P^^almody. BiU (!iat 
 
 iiicreis, on ihe ro:itrory. amph^ lesliaiony o 
 
 *" be found. i>oih in the N. 'l\ and also in an- 
 
 ' ient (Jhnrcli hisioiy, lending lo s!ie\v that 
 
 hf ('hris'icUj chnreh mny, and on^ln'. to use 
 
 n Evangnhcal PsjhiiodV. " i^> ^^ 
 
m 
 
 in-pu li 1. 1 c A T i.6 jr o f f i c i: q 
 
 South-east Corner of Mtyket and Third Streets.' 
 
 RELIGIOUS 
 
 For the Presbyterian Advocate. 
 
 DR. WILSON'S LECTURES ON PSAL- 
 MOD Y.— No. 5. 
 
 ^'Thon shalt arise and mercy yet 
 
 Thou to Mount Zion shall extend; 
 
 Her time for favour which was set, 
 , Behold is now come to an end." 
 
 Rouse. 
 
 More poetry! Well yes, more poelry. 
 But I trust my good read '.rs will excuse r 
 quotation, astheym=iy have observed 1 e- 
 lore this, that I am rather inclined myself] 
 to indulge in a little Rous'an verse some- 
 times. But this is of a different character,! 
 ii'^s no human invention )f mine, it's the si- 
 mon pure, the true ^'inspired composiiion" 
 of Rouse: and any senti.nent tlint is ^'in^pir- 
 ed" ought to meet with a favoral le recep- 
 tion. 
 
 Whatever may be the kind o'verse. 
 His thoughts the poet may express. 
 
 This rhymes very well, and yet it seems 
 to be defective somehow, but I can't see 
 how to fix it. My readers will understand 
 it however, 1 nd that's enough. i 
 
 But is Milleri^m true, after all, that's the 
 question? It seems so, according to Rouse, [ 
 for there is to be no Millenium before thej 
 ^^endofthe world, because the church's day 
 of grace has long since cone to a close, the 
 time in which she was to receive favor, came 
 to an end about two hundred years agol 
 peihaps about the time of Cromwell's lon^^ 
 Parliament. And is it not probable that 
 Rouse penned this ^'inspiret'" sentiment in a 
 morning's mood of melancholy, after the ex-! 
 citementof the la>t night's debate, beingj 
 weary and dejected on account of having |-^ 
 failed to carry through his own bigoted anJk 
 fanatiral notions? IVat be the slate of mind ' 
 
what it would, Zion's doom is sealed! There ^ 
 is no mor3 favor for the church! For Rouse 
 assures us that the time in which she was to 
 expect favor,, had positively come to an end 
 in his day! And that settles the matter: for 
 thus it is written, and it's the "inspired com- 
 position" of Rouse; so that the church need 
 no longer hope for days of prosperity! But 
 although this be the "inspired composition*' 
 of Rouse, 1 am of opinion, that Dr. Wilson 
 does not put any faith in it, he does rot be- 
 lieve even Rouse himself.— This opinion 1 
 form for two reasons. I know from the Dr's. 
 prayers that he yet expects a lime of favor 
 and prosperity for the church; he still pleads 
 the promises in her behalf. The last night 
 I heard him he prayed for the speedy arri- 
 val of the time when Zion's watcnmen shall 
 see eye to eye, '-and with the voice together, 
 they shall sing the psalms of David." Now 
 it is obvious that he who pleads such promi- 
 ses, stili hopes for times of favor for the 
 church, notwithstanding the "in.'-pired com- 
 posit'on" cf Rouse to the contraiy. But my 
 second and principal reason for the opinion 
 expressed above is, thai the Dr. says, ^^Ihe 
 psalms of David will yet purge the Church 
 from all her corruptions." And this is the . 
 substance of the Dr's. third posi'ion, in sup- 
 port of an exclusive Jewish Psalmody. He 
 says it should be used on account of the in- 
 fluence which it exerts in preventing the en- 
 trance of error: and al^o in order to preclude 
 the pernicious influence of every other ki id 
 of psalmody. It will readily be perceived 
 that this head of his discourse would neces- ^ 
 sarily be very barren, that it would be ditff^ 
 cult for him to collect any thing in support 
 of his position. And such was the case, for 
 he had to spend the greater part of his time 
 in descanting upon the character of Dr. 
 Watts; which is entirely irrelevant to the sub- 
 ject, for even could he prove that Dr. Watts' 
 was an infidel, it would not aff'ect the ques 
 tion: whether the Christian Church ounht i^ 
 
use an exclusive Jewish p^^almody? He la- 1 
 bored to prove that Dr. Watt's was an Ari- 
 an. But I defy him, or any other man, to 
 point out a single sentent e, in all the Assem- j 
 bly's collection of psalms and hymns, com-; 
 posed by Dr. Watts, which they can possibly 
 torture into Arianism. But on the contrary,: 
 (he passages in which the opposite doctrine I 
 is taught, are exceedingly numerous. In! 
 his last lecture also, he spent much time on ' 
 the character of Dr. Watts and wound up 
 by saying that, perhaps he was a good man i 
 but he was rather doubtful of it. But Rouse,, 
 he said, was a very learned and eminent Pro- ' 
 fessor. Lempriere, in his Biographical Dic- 
 tionary, speaking of Rouse says, **His work- 
 which breathe the same spirit of enthusiasm, 
 virulence and bigotry, which he every where 
 exhibited, appeared, fol, 1657. — He was 
 called in ridicule «'The illiterate Jew of E- 
 ton." Respecting Dr. Watts, he says, ^4n 
 his character he was an amiable man, niild,i 
 generous and charitable, and it may be said 
 of him, that few have left behid such purity 
 of conduct, or such monuments of laborious 
 piety!'' 
 
 While the Dr. was on this pari of his ar- 
 gument it occurred to me that he mu-t have 
 supposed, that he was addressing people, who 
 knew very little about the history of the 
 church, if he imagmed that he could lead 
 them to believe, that the use of David's 
 pscilms, ever had prevented the introduction 
 of error; nor did he point out a single exam 
 pie of the Und. He referred us to one or 
 two cases where he imagined the use of 
 of Watts, (as he calls all th a is not Rouse) 
 had been the cause of the introduclion of 
 much error. The New Eoorland churches, 
 he said, had become awfully corrupt by the 
 use of Watts. More than six hundrerl min- 
 isters now in these churches who were teach- 
 ing every form of heresy. And then again 
 the Presbyterian church in tliis country, was 
 another example: she had absolutely bc^'! 
 rent in twain, by corruption, resulting frori, 
 (he use of Dj. Watts' psalms. But bavc 
 
a,a„,,^^£Ssa^i^SSSSZ 
 
 Other churches notbeco/ne corrupt, nnd even ^ 
 those that used David's psalms exclusively?! 
 If they have, then (here is.no ground for \he I 
 prsurnption, that the Churches mentioned a-} 
 bove, became corrupt on account of the ab- ! 
 ?er.ce of David's psalms, or in consequence 
 of the use of any other. The first Church 
 that used David's psalms exclusively, ^vas 
 the Jewish. And did the Jewish Church 
 not become corrupt? Whence came the in- 
 fidel Sadducees, the self-righteous Pharisees, 
 and the visionary Essenes? Why did Christ 
 say to them "Ye serpents, ye generation of 
 vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of 
 hell?"' Why did the Apostle Paul say, 
 "They both killed the Lord Jesus and their 
 own prophets, and have j er?ecuied us; and 
 they please not God, and are contrary to all 
 men." Surely, then the Jewish church had 
 become exceedingly corrupt; and yet they 
 used the psahn? of David exclusively! Their 
 corruption did not result from the use of 
 Watts', nor yet from the absence of David's 
 psalms. How then can it be accounted for? 
 1 think I hnve fo\uid out the secret: the Dr. 
 is (obe undcr.'tood, as he unders!ands tiic 
 l50th psalm; vvhen it says cymbals, it means 
 affection?, and when he says David, he means 
 Rouse: the Jev/s had David^s psalms and yet 
 became corrupt; but ah! they didn't have 
 Rou-^e, and see t'e deleterious ''onsequences! 
 Tlie Christian Church affords another ex- 
 ample. The Dr. says /hat the primitive 
 christians used nothing but the psalms of' 
 David. Well now if the psalms of David 
 : purge the c'.iurch, and prevent the introduc- 
 ; iion of error, how was it that the Christian \ 
 I church became so corrupt? How came the 
 great W^estern apostacy? how did x\nticl rist 
 the man of sin and son of perdition become 
 sented in the temple of God, showing him- 
 self that he is God? It can only be, becanse 
 the primitive church was not favored with 
 Rouse; that^s the grand antidote against ail 
 such evils. What a pity, that Rouse was 
 not born in the early ages, so that tlie Church 
 
[and the world might have been save 1 from 
 [all the abominations and woe?, inflicted by 
 [Popish Paganism! We have ariother strik- 
 ing example in the Episcopal Church. She 
 also uses the psalms of David, but has the 
 use of David's psalms preserved her in sound 
 ness of faith, and purity of doctrine? Does 
 the Dr. I elieve that the psalms of David 
 I have purged that Church, or that they are 
 j protecting her against the encroachments of 
 error? Does he believe that there is no her- 
 esy intermingled with that entire conglome- 
 ration of legendary mummeries introduced by 
 Popish Puseyism? Does he beheve that there 
 is no error among men who maintain that 
 they ought to lord it over God's heritage — 
 who maintain that (he ministerial office is 
 something like electricity, descending from 
 the crown of the head down through the 
 arms, and communicated from the tips of 
 rhe fingers to the pate of another — cind who \ 
 maintain, that no man can communicate this 
 ministerial electricity to another, until he 
 ; cease himself, to be a single jar, and become 
 ja complete battery, by having the contents 
 ; of another battery previously discharged into 
 ! him; and who maintain there is no minisiry 
 except where their ministerial electiicity haS: 
 been imparted, and hence no church; so that 
 all who are beyond the sphere of their elec-, 
 trical influence, are sent afloat upon the wide; 
 ocean of uncovenanted mercy, in old Harry's 
 boat! for these men will have it that their! 
 Ship is the only true craft, because they arei 
 '^apostolically descended from Noah and his 
 ark full of animals.'' David's psalms arc 
 purifying the Episcopal chur h, are they! 
 They are preventing the introduction of error! 
 Perhaps they are; but I would just leave it to 
 those who know any thing about the state 
 of ihat churchy to decide the matter for them 
 selves. Here again, lUe explanation given 
 above, forces itself upon us, viz. that by the 
 psalms of David we are not to understand 
 the psalms of David merely, but the Rousian | 
 psalms of David. They are the great pana- 
 cea foi all these heretical maladies! 
 
But in order to show that the iiUroduc- 
 tioii of error ought not to be ascribed to 
 the use of^'Walts'/^ we may very easily 
 bring forward examples of churches becom- 
 ing corrupt where they did not have Watts 
 at all, and where they u?ed David's psalms in 
 their purest Rousian form. Look at the 
 Presbyterian Church in Ireland. That 
 church did net use Watts^ but the pure Rou- 
 sian psalms of David: it is (rue they had a 
 few paraphrases. bound up in their psalm 
 book^, but it is well known that the) scare- 
 ly ever used any of them, and as for Wat;s' 
 psalmsj'ihey did not use them at all. And 
 who does not know, that that church became 
 flooded with the very heresy, which the Dr. 
 ascribes especially to the use of Watis'. For 
 Arianism became exceedingly prevalent, and 
 threatened to effect the ruin of the church:, 
 so that It became i ecessary for her to throw j 
 ofFa large m ss of corruption. x\nd thusj 
 we see that the errors which existed in that | 
 church, where they did not have Watts,! 
 were worse than lho>e found in the Pres')y-' 
 terian church in this country, before the divis- 
 ion. For in the Irish Presbyterian church 
 they had not only Arminianiism, and Pela- 
 gianism, but also Universalism, and especi- 
 ally Arianism, which the Dr, ascribes to the 
 use of Watts, in all the New England 
 churches. 
 
 But let us refer to 5o ne examples in our 
 own country. 
 
 Tlie Ref. Presbn. church dll not use even 
 a paraphrase, nothing but the pure Rousian 
 psalms of David. And yet early in her his- 
 tory error crept in; and a corrupt party a- 
 rose. And then again the Associate ch. she 
 used nothing but the pure Rousian psalms 
 of David, but error crept in there also, and a- 
 tiother corrupt party arose. And then (fur. 
 another example) these two corrupt parties' 
 united, and formed one pure Associate Ref ' 
 Church, She used nothing but the pure 
 Rousian'psahns of David. And now it is re- 
 ported commonly that m the East, there i> 
 
heresy arii^ng iliem, and siicii I ic' rosy as) 
 ought not 10 bo named amoiig the Roasite^J 
 thcit one should sing Watt's psaluis. And} 
 even here in the West, that church seems in| 
 danger of being cornipted with this samei 
 pestiferous 'Mium^n composiiion'" heresy,! 
 notwithstanding the many huge Bulls issued J 
 from (he Pontifical chair, semi-monthly, to} 
 the condary! I 
 
 ' But let us again revert to the Ref. Pre-bn \ 
 church, in this country. After the corrupt 
 party, spoken of above, had left her, she still 
 used nothmg but the puie Rousian psalms 
 of David; and behold, she again became ror- 
 rupi! And there spnmg up a party in her 
 which the Dr. calls *4iew lights.'' A party 
 which I know the Dr. once alleged, ''had 
 made a covenant v\ith death, and with hell| 
 Were at agreement.'' And consequently in j 
 his estimation, exceedingly corrupt. So that 
 the Dr's. great argument is again blown off 
 in a vapour of .-moke. And at the present 
 time, there is commotion, even in his own 
 httlecamp! two parties violently contending 
 for iheir respective opinions, and almost 
 3atening another division. Now, can 
 both parties be right, is there not error some- 
 where in the camp? And there, they are- 
 surely protected against the influence ofj 
 Watts, they use nothmg but the pure Rourian! 
 psalms of David. I 
 
 Jlut my readers will be ready to say "whyj 
 „weary us out by multiplying examples, for is'; 
 not the folly of such an ariiumenf, in support! 
 of an exclusive Jewish Psalmody, perfectly! 
 obvious to every one, who knows any thing! 
 about the history of the church?" I agree; 
 and indeed, the whole harangue, ubout the 
 Arianism of Walts, and the corruption of the 
 N. E. ('hurches, and the division of the Pres. 
 Church, appeared to me, to amount to a 
 great big nothin', as complete a bundle of 
 fudge, as 1 have lately got acquainted with 
 Bui if the use of a Jewish Psalmody does not 
 preclude error, there seenns to be a great deal 
 of truth in (he remark of some one, who has 
 said that it t^nds to preclude the spirit o^ 
 Missions. This may be verified by an ap- 
 peal to the action of Lbe varioiv " '^^ - 
 
Mhis suliJGCt. And indeed it wcuild ^6en'l,tll;l 
 ; those who conteud ior hii exclusive Je^vi-'h 
 psi^lmody, have in a great measure imbibed 
 the spirit of the Jews in reference to this! 
 subject. They seem to think that Heathen 
 Gentiles have no claims upon their benevo- 
 lence or christian phiianihropy; and when; 
 they are appealed to in behalf of the perish- j 
 ing Heathen they will very readily reply | 
 tha" '^charity begins at home.^^ To the^e 
 I remarks, however, the Dr. is a noble and 
 praiseworthy exception. 
 
 MOD Y.— No. 6. 
 
 i have often thoughf, that Dr. Wither- 
 spoon's advice to the young men under his 
 care, was an exceedingly good one. He to d 
 them, never to speak but when they Lci 1 
 sometluiig to say, and alway? to quit wlicii 
 they had done. Now as to my compli?in( e 
 with the fir?t part of this advice, I will not 
 say; but for the consolation of the readers cf 
 the Advocate, I will promise ihem, my stri- t 
 observance of the latter par/, and ceitainiy 
 quit when I am done. Bu! I am not done 
 yet, 1 ecause I have something more tj do. 
 
 Hitherto I have been feeling at 'lie 
 Di's three main pillars, v/hich he erected ' 
 support the fabric of an exclusive Jervi.^h 
 Psalmody, for the Christian Church. And 
 I need noi tell my readers, that these pillais 
 appear to be unsound, and inadeqtiate !o tlie 
 purpose assigned them, that they are in dag- 
 ger of giving way, and then the whole bui!- 
 ding must tumble to (he ground. /\nd it 
 seemed to me that the Dr. himself, wr.s 
 somewhat dul ious, as to the sufficiency of 
 his three main pillar?, after he had set them 
 up; because, in his second lecture, he added 
 a fourth pillar, although in his firsi, he I. ad 
 given us to understand that he would re. : 
 the edifice upon three. The fourth pillai. 
 however, w^as in leed an elegant one. On' 
 whith no lover of the Bible can behold, bui 
 with mucli admiration and delight. But not- 
 T^rithstanding its beauty and e:^cellence, it dnl 
 not appear io be adapted to the end desi::in^- 
 ed. It vv^as creeled, by des 'ribing the (x 
 traordinars' wort i. moral bcvau'v ai.d f^piritn- 
 al cx'H ! iis, and itsj 
 
a^laptation to the diversified circumstances, 
 and varied states of religious feeling, experi- 
 enced by the believer. And he dwelt espe- 
 cially on the many precious promises record- 
 ed in the book of psahiis. While on this ar- 
 -oument he (old an anecdote wi'h very good 
 effect. It was a description of a death-bed 
 scene, where a little girl expired with the 
 words of Rouse on her Ips, which was ex- 
 hibited as satisfactory evidence that she had 
 ^one to glory. He also knew another little 
 girl, in the same village, who died, but not 
 affording the same assurance^, that she had 
 gone to happiness; for she expired with the 
 words of Watts upon her 1 ps. He admitted 
 that she may have been saved; but where 
 was the man, he asked, who would not pre- 
 fer, that his cliild should die with the words 
 of the former m her mouth, rather than 
 those of the laUer? Now it appeared to me, 
 that uo Gcnciblo man, who understands the 
 nature of true religion, would consider it a 
 matter of much importance, whether his 
 child qifoted cne set of devotional words, or 
 another. Because he would not consider a- 
 ny set of words, as a sure evidenct^ of her 
 salvation: each child v/oiild be apt to re- 
 hearse the words which she had previously 
 memorised, certainly without affording by 
 the mere rehearsal, any evidence as to her 
 spiritual state. Unless we believe like Ro- 
 man Catholics, that a set form of words, 
 acts bke a charm, or talisman to glory, and 
 that sinners are saved by an endless succes- 
 sion of riles and ceremonies, kneelings, cros- 
 sings, counting beads, lustral spii;.klin«s, and 
 muiteringsof Ave Marias and Pater Nosters; 
 and by greasing the eyes, ears and nose of 
 the dying man, or the mere enchantment of 
 a name. Tins reminds me of the priest, some 
 dozen years ago in Scotland, who, when on 
 the scaffold with the notorious Burk, who 
 liad lived by killing subjects for the dissect- 
 ing room, and confessed that he had killed 
 fifteen, told him, ^ say your creed now, and 
 when you come to the words. Lord Jesus 
 Chrict, give the signal, and die v/ith the name 
 of the Messed Saviour in your i^^Q^^^hil J,|l^^^ > 
 
the Popislir 1 riest, by [he aiagic of a name, 
 would cend this man to Heaven, who was 
 such a monster of wickedne-s and crime^tha' 
 the multitude around the sc? ffolcl were cry 
 ing out, ^-drive him to hell!'^ Bat such V 
 Popery. And surely no man, unless he i 
 inflaenced by popish notions, will consider i 
 of much impcrtancej whether his child ex 
 pires uttering one set of devotional ward, 
 rather than another. 
 
 But to return from this digression^ we may 
 remark that the value and excellence of the 
 booh, of Psalms are readily admitted- Bu 
 does their excellence preclude the use of ev- 
 ery other part of God^s word, for son^s of 
 praise. If no part of'^ihe Word of Christ'' 
 ought to be sung, but the book of psi Im?. 
 because it is excellent; by parity of reason- 
 ing, no part of the Word of Christ, ought to 
 be read, but the book c[ Psalms, because it 
 is excellent. So that the excellence of the 
 book of Psalms affords to us, no kind of a- 
 pology, for disobeying the injunction ©f the 
 Apostle, to "let ihe Word of Christ dwell in 
 us richly in all wisdom; (eaciing and ad- 
 monishing one another m psalms and hymns 
 and spiritual songs,— sn^igins: with grace in 
 our hearts to the Lord.'' Many indeed, r.i. 'i 
 consololary, are the promises contained in l ^ 
 book of Psalms, but certainly there are ver; 
 many, great and precious promises found !: 
 other parts of God's word. The RedeeiPir 
 said to his children, "1 will not leave voi 
 comfortless." And on tljat encouraein^-- 
 promise may we not found a song of prais ^ 
 It is certainly ^-tho Word of Christ," An! 
 with regan' to his people may we notsavV 
 
 ^'His wisdom, goodness, power and care, 
 They largely, sweetly, daily, share 
 He will their every fear suppress, 
 Nor will he leave them comfortless." 
 
 I may be toll tliat t!)is i'.-not in-pired co i 
 i^'J^ition. Bai I ,-im mclined to bjiove tli .. 
 13 as (nuclj i:js|rir.jd as- nv 'Iiin-j- c int.ii'iv : 
 
timent of the verse, is ce] tainly thai of inspi- 
 1 ration. And more than this ( an not be fc iind 
 ' in Rouse. For it is absolutely preposte- 
 rous, to supprse that an uninspued man 
 ' cou!d make in every respect an inspired trans- 
 lation. In the 43d chap, of Isaiah, there are 
 -ome precious promises. From ii there has 
 been composed a song of praise, some would 
 .call it *'^h;iman," but I consider it a precious 
 composition. It is called ^precious promises.' 
 And I am glad to find it in the coUeciion of 
 psalms and hymns adopted by the Inst G^n. 
 I Assembly. From singing it when alone, 1 
 have often derived much comfort, and have 
 { b Jcn consoled and encouraged, in the midst ^ 
 of trial?, difficulties, and vexation of mind. 
 Every person who wishes to drav/ consola- 
 tion from the promises of the Bible oughl to 
 memorize it. And in order (o show that 
 [other pans of the Word of Christ, as well| 
 I as the book of psalms contain prom ses t 
 worthy to be embodied in songs of praise, I 
 will insert a few verses of this iiymn as an 
 I example. 
 
 p^When tliiougli the deep waters I call thee 
 to LO, 
 The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'er 
 
 flow; 
 For I will be with thee, thy troubles to 
 
 bless, 
 I And sanctify to thee, thy deepe:t distress. 
 
 I When through fiery tiial>, thy pathway shivl, 
 
 lie, 
 My grace all-sufficient, shall be thy supply. 
 I The flame shall not hurt thee, I only do 
 
 sign 
 iTiiy dross to consume, and thy gold t.^ rr- 
 
 fine. 
 
E'en down to old age, all my people sliul 
 
 prove. 
 My sovereign; eternal, unchangeable love; 
 \nd. nhen hoary hairs shall theh' teaiplc; 
 
 adorn, 
 L'ke liimbs they shall still in my bosom be 
 borne. 
 
 ^ ho sojI that on Jesus hath leaned for re- 
 pose, 
 
 I will not, I cannot, desert (o his foes; 
 
 That soul, though all hell, should endeavor 
 to shnke, 
 
 I will never, no never, no never forsake. 
 
 Now if this be, in every re^-pect, humni 
 composition, \ know not, with what m::: 
 man it ever originated. Perhaps it may In 
 said, that the words are not inspired. Gra 
 
 but are the words of Rouse inspir (? 
 V.'ho would suppose it? Could it be pos > 
 a for Rouse, or any other uninspired mir . 
 < do more, than merely express the inspii ! 
 iitimcnt, in human words? Rouse's Vli 
 u], then, can be inspired, only as far _ 
 sentmient is concerned. But if the s. 
 aientof the hymn above, be from hea, a. 
 lu (leaving oiU hi^ own sentiment^) i: i 
 ■t OR an equality with the version of Ron 
 d as much inspired as any thmg he 1 
 er written. lliU on this however, I can 
 veil at present. 
 
 Again, the Dr. mainiained that the ^^hri-- 
 ;] church ought to use an exclusive Jev;i 
 -;lmody, because in singing these ps:i i. 
 We hold communion and fellowship w * 
 those great and godly men, who compos . ,. 
 them, David, x\saph, Solomon, Moses 6cc. 
 But to meet this argument, is it not enough 
 to ask, would it not be desirable to ho 
 I conamunion and fellowship, also with otlior 
 " great and godly men? If the communion 
 i.intained with David and x\saph, in smg- 
 tlieir words, be valuable: would not the . 
 
communion maintained with Jsaiah, JNIalach:, 
 Christ, Peter, and 1 aul and John; in singing | 
 their words, be also valuable? The Dr.' 
 however, endeavored to foreclose .this objec- 
 tion, by saying, that in using the psalm.^ 
 we hold communion not only with the wri- 
 ters, but also with ail those thai have sung 
 them. So that by singing David's psalms 
 we hold communion with Christ and all his| 
 Apostles, merely because they once sun§ 
 them aUo Now this to vhe~^ is certainly a I 
 new idea; that when I read a book, I hold 
 communion with all who have ever r( ad it 
 before, I am aware, that it is usual to say, 
 we hold communron with an author, p/hen 
 we read his »vorks, but 1 never knew before 
 that we held communion also with all hisj 
 readers. Verily I would not covet such a 
 communion. I would not desire, when II 
 read the Bible, to hold communion wiih| 
 Manichaeus, nor Popes Hildebrand and VI- 
 exander VI., nor yet with Rosseau, Voltaire, I 
 Hobbs, Hume, nor Tom Paine! No. no. 1 
 fondly (rust that sach a notion is visionary, 
 and I do not believe that the Dr. would wish 
 to hold communion and fellowship, even] 
 with all those that huve sung David's psalms. 
 He would not wish to commune with sjch 
 .vomen as Jezebel and Athaliah, nor with 
 such men as Herod the great, arid Judas Is 
 Icaiiot. So that the notion of holding com- 
 munion and fellowship with ull who have I 
 
 sung D.ivid's ps 
 
 ilms, when we sin^ them, 
 
 must be abandoned. If then, it be desirdble | 
 
 I to sing David's psalms, because in doing so, 
 we have communion and fellowship with the] 
 
 I godly men who wrote the n: so in like man- 
 ner it is deslraMc to have songs of praise I 
 from other parts of the Word of Clirist, in 
 
 I order tliat when we shig, we mafy hold com- 
 munion and fellowship wiih those great and | 
 godly m n, who wrote the Scriptures under 
 
 ltl;c guidance of Divine inspiration. 
 
 f'Blest bo tl^c tie that I inds 
 Our hearts in chris ian love! 
 
 Tnc iVllowship of kmdrcJ minds 
 U like to '.hat abov-/' 
 
I'thatthe great excellence of the book rl 
 iiPsahiJS affords no kind of reason, why thvy 
 ;^ should be sung exclusively. Neither is 
 there any foundation for their exclusive use. 
 from ihe l^act, that iheycon'ain many great 
 and precious promises; inasmuch as ihesc 
 sources of > hristun conifort are very numer 
 ous, in 
 V lirist. 
 
 other parts abo, of the Word 
 
 ^^\fflicted Saint! to Christ dra.v near. 
 Thy Saviour's gracious promise herii.' 
 His faithful word declares to thee, 
 That '^as thy day^ thj strength shall b /' 
 
 Tliy fititb. is we?ik. thy kes are strong; 
 And if the conflict should be long, 
 Thy Lord will make tb,e cempter flee; 
 For '-as thy day, thy strength shall b^^ ' 
 
 if any of the young people, among t'lc 
 flousites, were caught singing such '^spirit- 
 ual songs'' ac these, it vNOuld be horrible ii]- 
 ueed! It would probably be regarded as a 
 -re sign that they were going to de?uuclicn. 
 b. it not wonderful, that the discernment of 
 : nsible people, should be so obscured by tlie 
 [LA:ve force of educational prejudice? 
 
{Tri^UBt. I C A T I OBT OFFlCExr 
 South-east Corner of Market and Third Streets. 
 
 RELIGIOUS 
 
 For the Presbyterian Advocate. 
 
 DR. WILSON'S LECTURES ON VSAL- 
 
 MOD Y.— No. 7. 
 
 We must have now, a chapter of oljec 
 tions, to the objections of the objector, on the 
 oljections of the objectors, (o the use of an 
 exchi>ive Jewish psalnnody in the Christian 
 Church. 
 
 After the Dr. had erected his exchjsive- 
 jewish psalmody fabric — let none be fright- 
 ^, ^ 6nrd at a lengthy epithet: what's the use of 
 ^,,^' ^-^ cntfiny np nbTPr( i^g,fl,s into fragment? find 
 ^^' besides, who would care for readir)g an au- 
 thor who couldn't use^big words? — We say 
 then, that after the Dr. had erected his^x4i^i- 
 isive Je^wi,^li^psalmQcl y^ fabric, it appearetf 
 'ro'^smiilar to otherS; erected befoie, in which 
 defects were found, that he seemed to fear 
 th3 same thing might happen in reference lo 
 his own. But in order to prevent thi?, he 
 wentarounci the building, examining ihe 
 flaws and defects, atteui;[Dting to ^end and 
 conceal them from the view. But it seemed 
 to me, like ^'daubing with untempered mor- j 
 tar;'' for in some place?, the plaster wouldn't 
 stick, and even where it did adhere , it serv 
 ed no good purpo-e, for the deficiency stil 
 appeared prominent, to all who looked witF^ 
 their own eyes. It was objected, he said,t(i 
 the use of David's psalms, that they werd 
 typical and highly figurative. Thisobj<c] 
 tion he answered, first, by remarking thai 
 the New Testament was also fij^urative. 
 And in attestation quoted Rom. 12: 1; '^l 
 beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God 
 that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, 
 holy, acceptable unto God, which is your rea- 
 sonable service." And hence the conclusion 
 was, that if David's psalms were unsuitable 
 for songs of praise, so also is the N. T. bn- 
 cause it is likewise fisuraiive. Now surdv 
 
 S^^ 
 
anv man at all acquainted, with tTieTlDook ot 
 psalms, and also with the N. T., canno't but 
 wonder that such an argument should be 
 used. For who would for a moment miag- 
 ine, that there was .any thing like equahty 
 in these two parts of Scripture, as to their 
 typical and figurative character? Can any 
 man believe that the N. T. abounds with 
 types and shadows of good things to conie, 
 with types t lat are to be fulfilled at the in- 
 troduction of the gospel dispensation, when 
 Christ shall appear in ihe end of thp world 
 to put away sin by the sacrifice of hinisf^lf! 
 If ltd) not. then it is by no means figurative, 
 in the same sense in which David's psj Ims 
 are. And if it be n^t figurative in the same i 
 sense, it is obvious, th;it the ansv^'er to the j 
 objection, is just no answer at all, because j 
 the types and figures id David's psalms may 
 render them unsuitable, while the figures in 
 the N. T., do not mal^e it unsuitable, for the 
 plain rea-on, that these figures are altogeth- 
 er different from those found in ihe psalms. 
 And herein, I ] resume, Ues the force of the j 
 objection to the use of David's psalms, that ! 
 the types conU ined in them, have been ful- 1 
 filled in the coming of Christ: so that, they 
 cannot have the meaning now, which they 
 had before Christ appeared. Audit would! 
 he positively wicked to comply v^ith the in- 
 junctions, contained m th^ language u*ed in 
 reference to these types. For example, 
 
 **Bindye unto the altar's horns 
 With cords the sacrifice." , , 
 
 •^So to thine holy altar go 
 And compass it will I." 
 
 Now it is plain that all this langtiage a- 
 bout going to the altar and offering sacrifice, 
 belongs to a former dispensation, and if ad- 
 dressed to us, enjoins upon us, that which 
 we dare not do. Unless we adopt the mon- 
 strous noiion of Roman Catholics, who 
 reaintain that they can bring Christ down 
 from Heaven, and offer him upon the altar 
 
whenever they please; in direct contradic 
 tion of Heb. 10: 12-14. "Bat this man after 
 he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever 
 sat down on the right hand of God. For 
 by one offering he hath perfected forever 
 them that are sanctified.'^ It is unnecessa- 
 ry however, to dwell on this argument, for 
 any one can see, that the N. T., may abound 
 in figurative language, and yet be suitable 
 for songs of praise, in the Chricstian church, 
 because its language is not typical; while the 
 book of psalms may be unsuitable, because 
 its language is typical, and used in reference 
 to (hat futurity, which is now past. 
 
 But again, the Dr. answered the objection, 
 secondly, by averring, that so far from the- 
 typical character of the psalms, being any 
 objection to iheir use, it was a positive rec- 
 ommendation, and a sufficient reason why 
 they should be used coniinually; uiasmuch 
 «s the frequent mention of sacrifices, led the 
 worshippers lo consider that without the 
 shedding of blood there is no remission, and 
 thus they were made to reflect upon, and to 
 become familiar with,the great and all impoj. 
 tant doctrine of the atonement, and wer«' 
 brought to rely, not upon tbeir owi 
 works, but upon the righteousness of th-. 
 Lord Jesus for their salvation. Now if thl 
 were the invariable result of using the 
 psalms, it might be considered a strong ar- 
 gument for their use, but not exclusively. 
 It would appear, however, that the Dr. wish 
 es to attribute to the use of the psalms, more 
 than the facts in the case will justify. The 
 Jews used these psalms constantly; and yet 
 it seems they lost, eventually, all correct 
 views of the atonement, and depent^ed upon 
 their own works for justification. Rom. 10 
 3. ^^For they being ignorant of God's righte 
 ousness, and going about to establish ihci 
 own righteousness, have not subnntted trie;; 
 selves unto the righteousness of God-" 
 
.; nicre use c.f the pSMlms, dorr not 
 accoxipiieii such wonder-, as the Dr.seenis 
 to suppose, in leading men to adopt correct' 
 vievVSj and in protecting the church against' 
 the encroachments of error,and therefore it is 
 unnecessary (o dwell upon the argument it) 
 this aspect; for it has been answered already. 
 But suppose we admit that the use of the 
 p?alms has the influence which the Dr. ailed- 
 tes; that men are brought to embrace the: 
 doctrine of the atonement, and to rely by | 
 faith upon the rightcousnfss of Christ for j 
 pardon, because that saciifices and expi;i- ' 
 tions are often spoken of; certainly this wo'd ; 
 uo! afford any reason v\hy we should notj 
 tak^ song- of praise from other pans of the | 
 Word of Christ. Nay, rather would it not 
 furnish a powerful ariiUment, why wesho'd 
 nsp other portions of Scripture, in *vhich we 
 find the docfrine of the atonemer^t, and the 
 vicarious nature of Christ's sufferings, more 
 fully and clearly taught. It is said, that 
 correct views of the atonement are embraced 
 by the use of such pasr-ages as ihesej 
 
 '•God is the Lord who unto us 
 
 hath made light to ari-^e: 
 Bind ye unto the altar's horns 
 
 Wiih cords the sacrifice.'' 
 
 "Dl bring burnt offerings to thy house; 
 
 to thee, my vows V\\ pay, 
 Which my lips uttered, my mouth spake 
 
 when trouble on me lay. 
 
 Burnt sacrifices of fat rams, 
 
 with incense I will bring; I 
 
 Of bullocks and of goats I will 
 
 present an offering.'' 
 
 Now if the worshippers acquire correct 
 views of the sufferings of Christ, and are 
 led to tru-t in his righteou-iiiess and atone- 
 ment for their salvation, by sinking the veises 
 above, might we not reasonably expect the 
 same result to accrue from singing those that 
 fo 1 1 w ? 
 
'^Hail, thou agonizing Saviour, 
 Bearer of our sin and shame! 
 
 By thy merits we find favour, 
 Life is given, through ihy name. 
 
 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, 
 All our bins on thee were laid; 
 
 ]\y Almighty love anointed, ^ 
 
 Thou hast full atonement made. 
 
 All thy people are forgiven, | 
 
 Through ihe virtue of thy blood: \ 
 
 Opened is the gate of heaven; i 
 
 Peace is niade 'twixt man and God.'^ | 
 
 But I suppose it would be sa^d we cannot 
 'expect the blessing to attend the use of ihiSj 
 hymn, because it is offering ^^s rang* fire'* lo 
 the Lord: It is human composure, and we 
 . have no aUtiiority to compose a hymn and 
 then sing it. Well now, I would ask any 
 candid man, any man, whose mind is noi ?o 
 influenced by prejudice, as to prevent him 
 from thinking coolly and rationally, just to 
 read this hymn agam, and put the qu^ stion 
 to him?elf, "is it fr.m heaven, or of mr^ri?" 
 If he say of men; then I a--k him, cvhence 
 the verses of Rouse quoted above? If he 
 say from heaven I a4c him, wliy? If he 
 say, '»ecau<e (hey are inspired. 1 a«k him, 
 how inspired? If he say, the words are in- 
 spired, I deny itj for no man ever imagined 
 that Rou-e was under the influence of inspi- 
 ration, when he versified the psalms; and 
 without inspiration, his words could not be 
 inspired; they must be human words, just 
 as much as though fie were tran-lating Tac- 
 itus' history into Englir-h. And how is it 
 then, thai ihib verses of Rouse are inspired? 
 It is simply, because the idea*, contamed 
 n tlipm, are frcm heaven. And where did 
 Ronse get these ideas? He got them in the 
 Bible. Now. let this candid man look at 
 the verses of Win^rove again, and see uh* th- 
 er the ideas cor.t;>ined in iheni. be fr^m 
 
heaven or ot men. He wili certaitjiy c,)me 
 to the conclusion that the ideas must be 
 from heaven, because it is impossible for 
 them to have any other origio. And wIk re 
 did Wingrove get these ideas? He got them 
 where Rouse got his; in the Bible. Now 
 then, 1 have no doubt; but that my candid 
 ! man will candidly acknowledge, that the 
 versus of Wingrove are just as much i/ispir- 
 j cd as an*, the verses of R )use: and tliat if the 
 j use of the latter be not offering ^^strange fire'* 
 so neither is the use of the former; and also, 
 that the blessing may be expecledto accom- 
 pany the use of the former, just as readily 
 as that of the latter. Thus much then, up- 
 on the Dr's. answer to the objection, that 
 theJevvish psalms are typical and figura- 
 tive. 
 
 But again: the advocates of an Evangeli- 
 cal Psalmody say, that taking the word of 
 God for our guide, it is considered sight to 
 compose our prayers; and why then, taking 
 the word of God for our guide, may we not 
 also compose our songs of praise? This ar- 
 gument is one, which the Rou^ites find it 
 very difficult to dispose of; this was obvious 
 while the Dr. was attempting to answer it. 
 One answer which he offered was, that all 
 men are UQt poets, all men cannot compose 
 poetry; and therefore every man may not 
 make a song of praise, although every man 
 may m ike a prayer. From the manner in 
 which he advai.ced this argument, it was ob- 
 vious that he considered it irrefragable, and 
 such seemed to be theccnvictions of the peo- 
 ple. Let us see then, whether it be really 
 irrefutable. First; we may remark, that we 
 have seen already, that poetry is not essen- 
 tial to a ?ong of praise, because ^e find songs 
 of prai'C in the N. T., and the Dr. tays: 
 there is not a line of poetry in it from be 
 urnrang lo en^\ing. Awd hericc it is- obvious 
 
that although a mtn be not a poet, }et he 
 ma) make a song of pr«iise, just ns well as 
 make a prayej, because pcelry is not essen- 
 
 ;iibl to (iiher. 
 
 j But agMin: Is it really true, that every man 
 
 'may make a prayer in the public congrega- 
 tion? We think nut, for there are some men 
 
 jvvho, if required to pray in public, would 
 make a prayer, just ns little edifying as their 
 poem won d be. Well then, although one 
 man cannot tnake a prayer for the edifieation 
 of oiher-, I suppose that is no reason whj 
 another may not. And in like manner, al- 
 though every man cannot make a ?ong of 
 praise, it does not follow, that those who 
 can, ought not. And indeed the Dr. and all 
 his peop'e, a(t upon this very principle, that 
 it IS proper for the man who can, to make 
 poetiy for those who can not, and also for 
 ihem to i^ing his poetry. Perhfips the Dr. 
 would say tl)al they do not act on this prin- 
 ciple, for their poetry was not composed by 
 man, hut by the dictation of the spirit, for 
 David's psalms are all wii.ten in poetry. 
 But what advantage is it to the Dr's congre- 
 gation when they sing, that the psalms were 
 written in poetry? i3o they sing that poe- 
 try? or can they sit g it? Let the Dr. just 
 get the HebicN^" Bible and read out the first 
 psalm; and try them, see what they will 
 make of it, whether it will be any thing very 
 edifying. Were he to try the experiment, 1 
 rather think, he would conclu e, that they 
 could not sing the poetry in which the ps ilms 
 vAcro written. 
 
 Well then, suppose he try ihem with the 
 Eiiglsii prose ver-ion. Which they consider 
 I presume, as the inspired psalms, both as to 
 words and idea?. Can they fing the prose 
 version of the psalms. I presume not. They 
 could just as easily sing the Epistle to the 
 Rom-ius. Whai diirerence then, dors it make 
 
to ill' m, whether the psalms were origmahy | 
 written in poetry or not? It does not make 
 a tittle of difference; for wh-^u the psalms 
 are brought into ihat form, in which they 
 jean sing them, the poetry i:^ surely any tiling 
 but inspired. But this is the result of abso- 
 lute necessiiy. For what can the people do? 
 They carnot sin^ the psalms as they were 
 fisi written, they cannot sing them, until 
 they are made into poetiy. And now they 
 are inextricably shut up, to one of two thing*, 
 if they sing at all, either each man shall 
 make hi^ own poetry, or eUe they must use 
 the poe ry which soriie other man has made 
 for them. But every man can't make his own 
 poetry, and herce they have agreed, that iti 
 is better to let Rouse make poetry for them i 
 all. And I think myself that is better; for j 
 were they, every aian, to make poetry for I 
 himself, I presume they would have some j 
 worse, than even that of Rouse. h it not | 
 ^obvious to a demons-ration (hen. that the Dr, i 
 and his people act upon the principle, that j 
 it is proper for the man who can, to make I 
 poetry for those who cannot; and that it is 
 proper for them to u?e his poeiry? And does j 
 not, the ohj' ction, **that all men are not po- 
 ets" bear with as much force upon them- 
 >elves. as upon those for whom it was intend- 
 ed. In view, ihen,of all that has b^en said, 
 does there seem to be any plausibility in 
 the Dr'? great argument, <^that although we 
 comp« se our prayers, yet v\e OMglu not to 
 ompose songs of praise, because all men 
 are not poets?" But verily, I did think it 
 strange, that such an artiUment should be 
 afivanced by a man of the Dr's abili ies. But 
 men always have had, and alway* will liave, 
 r»-cour»c to su« h arguments, when they un- 
 dejiake t) defend theological opinions, that 
 have no loundation in the ;iitle. 
 
 G. i\r ' 
 
RELIGIOUS 
 
 For the Presbyterian Advocate. I 
 
 DR. WILSON'S LECTURES ON PSAL-I 
 MOD Y.— No. 8. 
 
 Why I declare! another rap at the door; 
 who can this be? It seems I'm to get noth- 
 ing done to-night; [ must go and see how- 
 ever. 
 
 O indeed! Mr. Rousite, how do you do 
 «ir, why you are quite a stranger. 
 
 "Pretty well Mr. G.JM. how areyoii, this 
 evening, s;r?'' 
 
 Walk in Mr. Rcusite, walk in sirjit's quite 
 <:old this evening. 
 
 "Yes sir, I think we are about to have 
 winter now in real earnest.'^ 
 , Just leave your hat and coat hete sir; 
 This fire needs to be stirred up a little. Sit 
 ferward sir, sit forward, it must be freezing 
 j5retty keen to night. 
 
 "Yes sir, a few more nights like this 
 would close up the river; 1 think the folka 
 will be able to get a pr<3tty good supply o 
 ice this season.'' 
 
 Well Mr. R, what's the news? You art 
 but mingling with the folks in town, where 
 they are like the Athenian?, spending their 
 time, either in telling or hearing some new 
 thing. 
 
 "O inJfeed sir, I do not know, that I h^v e 
 any thing particular, except it be some gossip 
 that's afloat about the Theological students 
 of Allegheny." 
 
 Is it possible! Have they become a sub- 
 ject of chit chat at preser»t? 
 
 What can they have to say about the stu 
 dents pray? 
 
 "Why sir it is said, they are subject to a 
 kind of mazy fits, something like what used 
 to affect my grandmother's young ducks, she 
 called it the megrim: I used to watch the lit- 
 tle fellows many a time, in a hot day: they 
 would start i^nd run, hither and yon, mix 
 up, fly off, whirl, and shoot about in the 
 most delightful manner.'" 
 
What! you don't pretend to say that any 
 Of the students flirt and caper about in this 
 manner! that theyj are subject to the 
 zigzag mazy>jnotions of young ducks in the 
 megrim! You are rather incomprehensible, 
 I think sir, you will have to explain your- 
 self a little. 
 
 *'Well sir, in plain English, the state of 
 the matter is this, Mr. Davis in his sermon 
 the other day, said that the students of Alle- 
 gheny were in the habit of participating in 
 promiscuous dancing.'' 
 
 Ah! indeed, that's the charge, is it? ' 
 
 "Yes sir, and it's generally believed that j 
 Mr. Davis would not have made the assertion | 
 without having knowledge of some facts | 
 tvhereby he could verify it.^' | 
 
 I rather presume sir, that the general be- i 
 lief is correct, and I am Sorry to say, that 
 from some hints I have had, I suspect there 
 is perhaps sufficient ground for the accusa- 
 tion. But did Mr. Davis give no intiniaUoti 
 to whirh Seminary these dancing students 
 belonged. 
 
 "No sir, he just sail thf^ students of Alle- 
 gheny. But I'm inclined to believe that it's 
 the students on the Ijill, bplongiiig to thai 
 Presbyterian Seminary.'^ 
 
 1) then Mr. R. 1 can assure you, that you 
 are positively mistaken; for I am well ac- 
 quainted with all the students of that Semi 
 nary; and besides, I know all about the 
 rules and regulations, and lam confident 
 that no student would be allowed to remain ^^ 
 theie, who would, even occasionally, parti- 
 cipate in promiscuous dancing. 
 
 *^Well then, there are but the other two 
 Seminaries, the Ref. Presbn. and the Asst. 
 Ref. and I do think it has not occurred a- 
 mong the students of the former, for even 
 wei*e the young men themselves so thought- 
 less, I have no idea that Dr. Wilson would 
 allow of si:T3h a thing. Mr. Davis, how- 
 ever, I think ought to be required to sub- 
 stantiate his allegation, by stating particu- 
 lars; and not unjustly confound the innocent 
 with the guilty, in one broad sweeping ac- 
 cusation. 
 
^Ji' 
 
 ^^But Mr. G. iM. this conversation is lor-f 
 eigii to the subject in relation to which I 
 have called with you to night/^ I 
 
 0, Mr. Rousite you have some special 
 business with myself, have you? Whatj 
 might it be? 
 
 ''Why Mr. G. M. I have been appointed a 
 committee of two, to wait upon you gir;ir 
 order to ascertain something about that sus- 
 pended version ol Ro>jse which you said 
 was received in our Church. '^ 
 
 Suspended version of Rouse! What do 
 ^''OU mean? You don't pretend to intimate, 
 thai Rouse^s version has been suspended for 
 .dancit>Yg! 
 
 "O I beg your pardon, sir. did I say sus 
 ©ended? i mean the uninspired version of I 
 Rouse, which you said was received in our f 
 Church. You intimaled in your last article 
 on Psahnody, that our version by Rouse was| 
 not inspired. Now sir, that is a very seri 
 ous charge to bring against us." 
 
 Mr. R.1 guess you have misunderstood] 
 me, I did not say that your psalmody was 
 uninspired. If 1 recollect right, I said thatl 
 Rouse^s poetry was not inspired, and per- 
 haps I may have insinuated also that Rou- 
 se's translation was not inspired, 
 
 "Yes sir, you did both; and then it's need- 1 
 less for you to deny but that you charged us I 
 with aaing an unin^piied psalmody. For if I 
 the poetry be not inspired, nor the translation 
 inspired, then certainly the psalmody can 
 not be inspired." 
 
 Why sir, your conclusion does not follow I 
 from your premises: you confound things that 
 are different: poetry is not psalmody, nor is a , 
 translation psalmody, th^sethen, may bothj 
 be uninspired, while the psalmody may bei 
 ^/nspired: its inspiration deA^cn h '-'.eitlicr npoij 
 
the putiiy nor the translation, but upon the 
 sentiment contained in the writing. i 
 
 ^^Youdj really maintain then, that Rouse's j 
 translation is not inspired.'^ i 
 
 Precisely so^ have you any idea that Rouse i 
 was an inspired man? ^ 
 
 ^'Not at all, I entertain no such notiori, as 
 that he was inspired. '^ 
 
 How then could he make an inspired 
 translation? The translation is entirely his 
 own work: and how ( ould a man uninspired 
 be (he author of any thing inspired? 
 
 ^' Well then, according to your reasonmg, 
 our Enghsh Bible is not inspired; for unin- 
 spired men were the authors of it.'' 
 
 No sir, they were not, they were only the 
 authors of our English translation: you a- 
 gain confound things that are different; a i 
 translation of the Bible, is not the Bible. 
 The Bible is a divine record, and it always I 
 remains the same, however various, imper-, 
 feet, or erroneous the translations of it may] 
 be; and it is obvious that the translations arej 
 I not the Bible. But suppose your opinion toj 
 be correct, and that our translation is inspir- 
 ed; where would be the necessity then, of 
 I always appealing to the original, on every^J 
 controverte^l passage? If the translation! 
 were inspired it would be of as good au^ 
 thority as the original, and such an appeall 
 would be superfluous. But look agaiiil 
 where your doctrine will lead you. Youri 
 doctrine is, that the tranalatiDn of an unin- 
 spired man, is inspired. Now if this be the! 
 oase with one translation, it is so v/iih ev* ryi 
 other. And your doctrine leads you to this,! 
 that yoii must either do penance like the! 
 Papists, or else be condemned! There is noj 
 escape for you. Here is the Doway Testa-I 
 ment, published in Philadelphia. Now lookl 
 here in Luke 13th ch. 3rJ v. ^'l say to you,] 
 No: but unless >ou do penance, you shall all] 
 likewise perish." And again in the 5ih vA 
 "I (e!l you, No; but Unless you do penance] 
 you shall all likewise perish.'^ Now, accor- 
 ding to your doctrine these are the words of j 
 'ii-piration. And therefore, unless you do] 
 
penance like tfie Papists, there is no salva- 
 tion for you. See again in Heb. 11: 21, the 
 manner in which the Romish church trans- 
 lates, in order to give countenance to her 
 image worship. '^Bjr faith, Jacob, When he 
 was dying, blessed each of the sons of Jo- 
 seph: and worshipped the top of his rod'^!! 
 |I might point you sir, to other passages in 
 this Romish translation; but these are suffi- 
 cient to show that translations may I e erro- 
 neous, and if erroneous they cannot b3 in- 
 spired. And is it not perfectly obvious, that 
 the Romish Church might have made this 
 translation so I'orrupt, that it would not be 
 the Word of God at all. And this she has 
 done in a great measure, by her comments, 
 which are published with her translaiion,and 
 without which, her people dare not read the 
 Scriptures. Now those passages on v/hich 
 her comments are made, might just as well 
 have been left out, and the comments in- 
 serted in their place. For to the Papist the 
 passage has no meaning but whi t the com- 
 ment gives it: and he dare not believe the 
 passage, when the comment contradicts it: 
 for the authority of the Church is greater 
 than that of the Scrip(ure&; because their 
 doctrine is that the Scriptures have no au- 
 thority, but what they receive from the 
 Church. 
 
 ^'Well now Mr. G. M. if it be not taken 
 for granted, that translations are inspired, 
 how shall ihe unlearned, who cannot read 
 the original, know whether they have the 
 Scriptures at all or not?'^ 
 
 Why sir, they must defend entirely upon 
 those who are learned; and this shows us the 
 imporfanre of having a well educated min- 
 istry; for were we to carry out the princi- 
 ples of those, who declaim against <^human 
 learning," and especially againss the "study 
 of languages," we must eventually come to 
 that condition, in which it would be abso- 
 lutely impossible for ns to know, whether we 
 had the ScripturcvS in the Church or not! 
 
 *' Well then sir, if the unlearned are thus 
 dependent, may the learned not practice col- 
 lusion, and impose upon them, by giving 
 
them for Scripture ^hat is not iScnpturei 
 at all?'^ ^ 1 . 
 
 No sir, this is impossible, for two reasons. 9 
 I Firsi: the principle of moral honesty in man^ 
 I prevents it. And, second: even supposing 
 I suc;i a principle to be wanting, yet it could 
 ! not happen, because there are such a diver- 
 1 oity of religious views among Christians. 
 For if one sect of Christians were to give a 
 : corrupt translation in order to fjvor their 
 own views, another sect would come for- 
 ward and ex] ose their fraudulent dealing. 
 And even supposing that the learned of all 
 Sects should attempt to practice collusion up- 
 on the unlearned; the learned Infid I would 
 come forward and expose the fraud. So 
 that although the unlearned cannot read the 
 original, they are perfectly safe in believing 
 thai (he received translation is not an 
 imposition, 
 
 ''Well but Mr. G. M. what advantage.js it 1 
 to them whether or no it be an imposition, ifj 
 rt be not inspired?^^ 
 
 Why feir, although the (lanslation be noL 
 mspued, it may convey to their minds inspi-^ 
 red truth, and the exis'tenceof this truth does] 
 not depend on the translation; a differend 
 translation might be made and still convey^ 
 the same truth. For example, '^Blessed is 
 i he whose trans^rer.^ion is forgiven, whose 
 sin is covered.'' And again, 
 
 '•0 blessed is the man to whom 
 
 i? freely pardoned 
 All the transgressions he hath done, 
 
 whose sin is covered,^' 
 
 Sow sir you acknowledge that both these 
 translations express the same inspired truth. 
 '•Yes sir, both these are the words of in- 
 piration? 
 How the words of inspiration.^ 
 ^•Wliy tfu'V were dictated by the Spirit.'' 
 
If they were^then King James' tratisla 
 tors Were inspired, and so also was Rouse, 
 for these are their words, and their own 
 words cannot be inspired, unless they were 
 inspired men. 
 
 '^Weli I do not believe that they were in- 
 spired men; and vet I cannot but believe 
 that these passages are inspired ,'' 
 
 And my dear sir, so they are, but do you 
 not perceive that their inspiration does not 
 depend Upon the words, but upon the senti- 
 ments expressed^ the words are not dictated 
 by the Spirit, but the sentiments were. 1 
 hav^ no doubt but that the words in which 
 inspired men wrote tie original were dictat- 
 ed by the Spirit, but the words cf our trans- 
 lation must be merely human. 
 
 Well Mr. G. M. I believe I must yield 
 the peint. Candor requires me to admit, 
 that the inspiration of our English Bible does 
 not depend upon the v^^ords, but upon the 
 sentiments alone; and also that the words 
 are no more inspired than the words of any 
 other composition. And 1 noA' understand 
 your insinuations with regard to Rouse's ver- 
 sion being uninspired. You meant I sup- 
 pose that it was not inspired except so far 
 as the sentiment is concertied?" 
 
 Yes sir, that is precisely what I meant; 
 that every thing pertaining to Rouse's ver- 
 sion is human, except the ^entinents contain- 
 ed therein: and (hi- is (he only sense in which 
 v\e can sj eak of a translation being inspired. 
 Now vve have read two translations of a 
 verse, boih of which are acknowledged to be 
 inspired in this sense; let us read another. 
 
 ^ Oh blessed souls are they 
 Whose sins are covered o'er; 
 
 Divinely blest, to whom the Lord 
 Imputes their guilt no more." 
 
 Now Mr. Roudte is this inspired? 
 
 ^Where's that from? I never saw that in 
 the Bible. Let me see that book you have 
 -ot.^' 
 
There it is sir, look at it. 
 
 '*Poh! that's* Watts' psalms. No sir, ] 
 have no notion that that's inspirec*." 
 
 And why is it not inspired.^ 
 
 "We/^ that's a sensible c^uestion for you to 
 ask! D^in^t you acknowled^^e jourself that 
 it's Watts'. How could Watts write any 
 thing inspired? He was'nt an inspired 
 man." 
 
 I Well but now my dear sir, are (he senti- 
 Iments not the 
 
 '•Watts was an Arian. Who ev( r saw] 
 that, any where in the Bible? 
 I But are the 
 
 *'We are commanded to sing with the 
 
 I words of David and Asaph. The psalms 
 
 I of Diivid are inspired, and Paul of Samo-ata 
 
 I was a heretic, we have no authority (o make 
 
 a hymn and then sing it, Ezra revised the 
 
 book of psalmsj there's not a line of poetry in 
 
 the New Testament, we shouldn't offer 
 
 strange fire to the Lord, what nonsense it is 
 
 to talk about Waits' psalms being inspir 
 
 rd." 
 
 ! Mr. R. what's the matter! What are you 
 1 ranting about! You seem to be inspired 
 j yourself. 
 
 '*Is it any wonder that one should be pro- 
 voked, to hear you ask such a question, 
 whether Walts' psalms are inspired.^' 
 
 And is this verse which I have read not 
 inspired? 
 
 "No It's not." 
 
 Why? 
 
 "Why because it's Watfs'; and I have' 
 given sufficient arguments already to con.' 
 vince any sensible man." 
 
 now Mr R. there's no use in you get- 
 ting into a pet about it. Let us look at 
 this verse again, and reason about it like ra- 
 tional and intelligerit beings, v^^ithout being 
 driven out of our senses by the force of our 
 prejudices. Are the sentiments ot the verse 
 n )t the same as those in Rous.^? 
 
 ^iWell yes I believe ihey are." _ _ __ 
 
Well then, did you not admit a!ready,that 
 Route's version is inspired, only as far as the 
 sentiments are concerned; that thei e is noth- 
 ing pertaining to it inspired except the senti- 
 ments? Now this verse has every thing 
 that renders the version of Rouse inspired. 
 And therefore his version cannot possibly 
 be one whit more inspired than that of 
 Watts. 
 
 "Weill don't know; the sentiments may 
 be the same; perhaps it is some way inspired; 
 but then, after all its Watts-^' 
 
 Yes it^s Watts, but it maters not whose it 
 is, if the sentiments be inspired, it is as much 
 inspired composition, as any pan of the ver- 
 sion of Rouse. 
 
 Let us examine this matter then a little , 
 farther. "Blessed is he that considereth the 
 poor." Is this it\«pired? 
 
 "Ye? sir, undoubtedly it is.'^ 
 
 "My heart is inditing good matter." Is 
 I thi5 inspired? 
 
 "Yes certainly." 
 
 Well then let us put theni together. "Bles- 
 sed is he that considereth the poor, my heart! 
 is inditing good matter." Is this inspired? 
 
 "Most certainly." 
 
 Well then if two sentiments be taken from 
 different parts of the Bible, and be written 
 j together, it does not destroy their inspiration. 
 [Well suppose we write them in poetry. 
 
 "lUessed is he that wisely doth 
 i the poor mans case consider; 
 
 ! My heart brings forth a goodly thing; 
 
 j my words that I indite. l^ i 
 
 i ' 
 
 I Now this is still inspired, is it not? 
 
 I "Yes sir, there is no doubl but that it is 
 
 jall inspired." 
 I 
 
 I Well then let us read again, "Who are 
 ' kept by the power of God through faith unto 
 ! salvation." [suppose you admit that this 
 is inGj)ired, well again, "We walk by faith! 
 and not I>y sight." This also is admitted to j 
 he inspired. Now let. us read them togeth-= ' 
 
er. ''Who ate kept by the power ot ooa 
 through faith unto salvation. We walk bj 
 faith and not by sight/' They are slill in- 
 spired; and we have sean that changing thenij 
 into poetry would not destry their inspira- 
 tion. 1 
 
 ^!Saints by the power of God are kept, j 
 
 Till the salvation come; 
 We walk by faith as strangers here, \ 
 
 Till Christ shall call us homco'' j 
 
 Take another verse: j 
 
 ^4f love to God, and love to men, \ 
 
 Be absent, all my hopes are vam: 
 Nor tongues, nor gifts, nor fiery zeal. 
 The "vork of love can e'er fulfil.'' 
 
 Now sir, according to the very same prm- 
 ciple on which you admitted the inspiration! 
 of the other verses, theee must be inspired 
 also. And then yoti see, it matters riot from 
 what parts of the Bible the sentiments may 
 tome; or whether they be written in prose 
 or poetry, the lanauage by vvhich they are 
 expnssed, must be inspired composure, just 
 as much as any other translatione And if 
 there beany senument in our Psalms and 
 Hymns, which cannot be'found in the Word 
 of God, in my opinion, it ought to be discar- 
 ded. Because we have no authority to u?e 
 any thing but the ^'Woid of Christ" for 
 *-psahns and hymns and spiritual songs." 
 Now Mr. R. I hope you will deliberately re-l 
 fleet on this subject; and not hastily charge 
 people with singing "human composure" 
 when you have no grounds for it: 
 
 ^^Well Mr. G. M. I will certainly think of 
 this matter. But before I leave I wish to 
 say, that you did not give the whole of the 
 Dr.'s argument in answer to yours, for the 
 right of making hymns as well as prayers." 
 
 1 know it sir, and I was just about to write 
 something more when you came in this even- 
 ing; our conversation however, may perhaps 
 be profitable, and I will do him full justice 
 in my next article. 
 
 ^ This overcoat of mine is rather tight, it 
 always gives me trouble in getting it on. 
 
Call over and see us Mr. G. M. whenever 
 you cfm make it convenient.^' 
 
 Yes sir I will; but my leisure hours are so 
 occupied with this psalmody matter, that I 
 have no time to call and see my neighbors 
 
 ^•Good night, Mr. G .M/^ 
 
 Good nigit sir, good night. 
 
 G. M. 
 
 MOD Y.— No. 9. 
 
 '''Godwin the gospel of his Son, 
 Makes his eternal counsels known: 
 Where love in all iis glory shines, 
 And truth is drawn in fairest lines. 
 His kindest thoughts arehere express'Jj 
 Able to make us wise and blessed; 
 The docrrines are divinely true, 
 Fit for reproof and comfort \oo/' 
 
 It will be recolle ted, that in a former 
 No. we were examinifig the Dr.'s answer to 
 .the argument for a Chjistian Psalmody, 
 which is arawn from our praciicein prayer. 
 It !S said, that t \kinii; the word of God for 
 our guide, it is esieemed proper to compose 
 our prayers; and why then in like manner, 
 may it not be proper, taking the word oi 
 God tor our gnide, also to compose our songs 
 of |)raisp? One part of the Dr.'s answer to 
 this argum^ent has been already examined, 
 and I r; ther think, my readers generally. 
 are inclined to believe, that it does not tend 
 much to invalidate owi argument, to siy. 
 that "(Very man is not a poer; and theref r ■ 
 it is improper to compose son^s of p aisc, 
 although we may compose our prayeis.'' 
 
 Bu/ again; he endeavored to refute our 
 argument, by maintain-ng thai prayer .ini 
 praise were parts of worship, that were 1; ; 
 no means of equal importance. Praisii.: 
 God, he sa'd, ^ as « far morp soh mn and si 
 cred part of religious worsnip, ihnn thai d 
 addrtsing a thfo-ic of i^riice in pra>er ai) i 
 supplicaton: and conscquMitly, *ve mav ad 
 dress God, wi li Irnni-i nmp isuro, in pray- 
 er, but oul:'^: ^'1 li hii:ii;iii 
 
r in: ' •! praise. 
 
 lliere ;:i,;;i:i^-:;re„. <.-..: rence hetw^...; ,._o.- . 
 parts of religious worship, but 1 confess thai 
 I hiVe never met with a y satisfactory proof I 
 of it. ' The pfincipal reason a>si^ned by the j 
 Dr. for th s difference, was, that praise is tie | 
 employment ol Htvav*^ n: the ^aiiit-^ a?:d an- 
 gels in glory unite (heir voices in hHileiujahsj 
 of praise and adoration to God, but tiiey 
 never address him in the language of piay- 
 er. Now I would merely ask, is there any] 
 certainty ihu prayf^r is ih^ver offered )n hea- j 
 van? Have we no xe-ison to believe, th- 
 angels pray for aid m ex cu ing the woik| 
 assigned ihem, as ministr-ri-ig spirits? Th.- 
 angel that appeared to Daniel, (1(J: 13,) told 
 him, that he met with opp )-ition, and tliat he 
 had receivf d assistance. For says he, "The [ 
 drince of the kingdom of Persia withs ood ; 
 me one and twenty days: l)Ut, lo, Mfchae', 
 one of the chief princes cauK^ to help m .'' 
 Now might we not reasonably suppose, that j 
 before he obtained this help he cried to the; 
 Lord for as-is*ance, to enable him to over- 
 come tlie opposition whatever it may have 
 been? Again, we are o^d in Jude 9, tha? 
 "Michael the archangel, when rontendi :: 
 with the devil, he di>p it(^d abom tlie br;dy 
 of Moses, dnr.-t not bring ai^ains him a lail-i 
 ing accusation, but said, tne Lord rebuke i 
 thee*'' Now this express on, '-The Lord 
 rebuke thee/' seems to me very 1 k • pri\er: 
 if seems like askm^ the Lord to do to Sjtan , 
 that which, it was not the province of iho 
 angel lo do himself. x^Vnd ag*Mn; is not our 
 exalted Redeemer repiesented as maicini> 
 supplication in heaven? *'If any man ^in, 
 we have an advocaie with the Father, Jesus ; 
 Christ the r ghteous.'^ 1 Jno. 2: 1. <<where* 
 fore he is able also to save them to the ut- 
 termost, that come unto God by him, feeing j 
 h^, ever liveth to make intercession for 
 them,'' He^b. 7: 25. *'\Vho is he that con-j 
 denmetli? It is Christ ihat died, yea raiherJ 
 that IS risen again, who is even at the right! 
 hai;d of God, who also makeih interct^s>ion 
 f:)r U'.'' Rom. S: 34. Now, taking tlie' 
 
Scri[)tares for our guide, have we -.iwy ri^li\ 
 
 to assert that pray rf.rms ii )pait of the ein-\ 
 
 ployment of heaven? And if th'^ i^l rions y j 
 
 exahed God-ma-i mediator, be represented 
 
 as maki')g intercession in heaven for us, ! 
 
 ehoild not the though, render she es:ercise j 
 
 of prayer, as ven "nbl'^, as sarred and sol-j 
 
 emn, in onr esliniation, as that of adoration i 
 
 and praise? BiU even snppos ng th a tlie ! 
 
 inhi^bitants of heaven never do offer pra)e',| 
 
 it would seem to have but li th- bearuig on J! 
 
 the question. Because our conduct is fiot to j' 
 
 be regulatod by the em})loytnents of lieaven. |l 
 
 The Scriptures alone, we acknowic^dge to be j 
 
 our rule of fait < and practice. Well then,! 
 
 api ealii)^ to the Scriptures do we find there, ! 
 
 any cuch difference made bet veen prayer 
 
 and prai-e, as wou!d jiistify us in believing, | 
 
 that the one may be offered to God in human I 
 
 composur* ; and that ihe composure of the! 
 
 other must be inspire'!? I think, on an im-! 
 
 partial exam naiion of the Scriptures, we will 
 
 find no such diff^jrence. Ar.d indeed it ap^ I 
 
 pears to me, that the scnptmes are more full I 
 
 an I explicit, ;n teaching: us that our prayers j[ 
 
 should be inspired, than they ore in refer- 1 
 
 ence to the mspiraion of our son^s of praise, j 
 
 And here it will be observed that I set up 
 
 claims in behalf of inspired compo^iure more 
 
 comprehensive, (h^m even those of the Dr 
 
 himself. He maintains thai our pra\( 
 
 may be himan composure, and I believe tiif 
 
 all our prayers oug it to be inspired. M, 
 
 decided opinion i-^ that we have no warr i 
 
 to embody any sen iment in our prayeis 1 i 
 
 ?ucli as are found in the word of i^od. T. 
 
 Scripniros furnish us al imdantiy with sir 
 
 ject matter for every j) )S il \r lormofsuj): 
 
 cation. vV'» niav plea 1 the promses; we in 
 
 deprecate ih' threat-ninus: w.e m »y implf . 
 
 grace to enable us fo obey the preG'.}>ts, ;i; 
 
 copy the examples &c, contained in the 1> 
 
 ble; but we iiave no au;hor.ty to o Ter a pr.i\- 
 
 rr 00 mpri^ing sentiments foreign to the 13i- 
 
ble: such as the following used hy Roman 
 Catholics. — :'0 Mar) ! the star of the sea; the 
 heaven of health; the learu'^d advocate of the 
 guilty; the only hope of (he desperate; the 
 saviour of sinner?. — Pr<iy hiui, (Christ) and 
 command him from above, that he lead us 
 to his kingdom at the world's end." Now 
 this prayer is pcrfiaps ^'human," but 1 think 
 it might be called diabolicril coipposure. For 
 the sentiments are not «nly foreign to the 
 Bible, but positively contradictory to ii. And 
 when the papist prays this prayer he gives 
 the lie direct lo the word of God: for it say^ 
 there is salvation in none but Christ, Act:^ 4; 
 12, but he says that is false, for Mary is ''the 
 saviour of ainners;'' it says, *nhere is none 
 otlicr name under heaven given among men 
 wher(^by we mist be saved,'' but he'^say 
 that's a lie, fur Mary is 'Hhe only hf^pe of th- 
 desperate." Now all sucri prayers are uri- 
 warriUiied, becau-e tiie senaments of tiiem 
 are foreign to the Bible. And we liave no 
 authoii yto beheve that any prayer will b- 
 Hccepted, if the sentiaients thereof be no* 
 contained in the Scriptur< s. 1 Jno. 5: 14, is 
 sufficient proof of t .is, ^'And this is the con- 
 fidence that we h .ve in him, that if we ark 
 anything according to [lis will, he hearetli 
 us,'* Now It it is obviously implipd in these 
 word?, that if we ask things, not according to 
 his will, he will not hear us. But how sh ili 
 we know, that the things v^e ask are acrordin: 
 to hii will, unless v. e ascertain fioru the Bi^ 
 ble: th^Me alo-^je we havtr a revehition of his 
 will, and from it along can we learn what 
 is agr(^able to h's will. And if we ask fo; 
 things, nbout which the Bihle affords us liO 
 informaiion, it is impossible'for us to know 
 whether they are accordiUi^ to h[< will or ; 
 fiOt, and we have no gr<HUid Jo believe that 
 he will hear us. And thus it' appear^ that : 
 no prayer is acceptable to God, except the I 
 sentimems thereof, be the s ntioients of in- 
 piration. Bat this is not all, for we have] 
 ;idditi.)nai pr»>of that our prayers shouM be] 
 ,Mc,^,^,wl Ao....,.f.,i^j,, prav rs rnu t b'^ '>'T 
 
ec! u; t .c name of (' .ri^l. Jolui 16; 23, 24^\ 
 and by tho assista ce of the Spirit, Rom. S; j 
 26. And Epli. 2: 13, givps in few words a 
 fn i idea oftlie nat-rn of Scriptural pr-i^^er. 
 • For through him we both have access h. 
 one Spirit uniD the Father." He who prays 
 with acceptance then, recognises God, as ' \ 
 G d in covenant, a God \\\ Christ, reconcil 
 in.g sinr.ers unto limsolf; and he relies upo:i 
 ti.e merits of Christ. as Mie Mndiaior b twees 
 Goi and man; and offers his petition by th" 1 
 nssistance of tlie Holy Sprisihe comforter. 1 
 Now in such a prayer there is a full rec i: 
 nitionofthe doctrine of the Triidiy. Bii 
 irKit doctriiiC is purely ojt*> o^rovel !tien. E 
 ^'.x'j idea conneced with it, is conveyed to n> 
 by in^spiration. But every acceptable pray- 
 er involves all these seiitimenis in referenc 
 to the ( haracter of God; and therefore, ev< 
 ry such prayer must be inspired. And b( - 
 sides, we may corsider prayer in another 
 a-pect, without having regard to the ?enti 
 ments, and easily prove that every accepta- : 
 b'e prayer is the fruit of inspiration. This |, 
 will nppear obvious, when we consider that | 
 no prayer can be acceptable to God, unless \ 
 ti^at whicli pr 'ceedsfrom a heart under the i 
 nirr'ct ;uid immediate influence of the Spirit. ' 
 [he unreg-nerate man c;mnot worship Godr 
 \\\.\\ afceptance. For -^God is a S^)rit and j 
 they tliat worship him must woishiphim in ' 
 spirit and in truth." John 4: 24. But the 
 imregenerate man cannot do thn, becau-e 
 he is dead in trespasses and sins. — Eph. 2: 1. 
 And his nnind is enmiiy Mgainsl God — Rom. 
 S: 7. He is sill in a state of unbelief; but 
 wh-itsoever is not of faith, is sin; and it is on- 
 ly to tlic prayer of faith that the Apostle 
 James ascribes any efficacy. Buf faith i- 
 th^ fruit of the Spirit— Gal. 4: 22. And 
 thus it is manifest that every acceptable 
 priyeris the direct result of in-piratirn op •- 
 ra im? in the renewed heart of ilie beiiev' r. 
 And also, we are taught this i^ame doctrine n 
 Rom. 8: 26 — * Likewise the S[)irit also In 
 |)eh our mfirinilies: f^r we kno^v not wh . 
 
j-ray 'or as wo oui^fif: l)ii t <^, j 
 spiiii ii-st'ii liiakelli iut^fi essioii (or us wifh ! 
 groariiijo^s which can not hr wttered.'^ Now i 
 it isdirec \y taught here, that ^hen we nrrv, 
 ar ght, It i' by tlio inspir^jtion of the Spiii . 
 that he excites in our hear s desires and e- 
 mniions, to vhi. ii it is inipussible for us to 
 give utterance: but ho that seareheth the 
 hearts, knovveth what is the mind of the 
 spirit; so that, nhhongh these our desires 1) 
 n 't expressed in words, yet they are un 
 doubtedly heard andaiswered. 
 
 Now then, d-^es it not appear indubitable, 
 that the Scr ptuies plainly teach us, thai the 
 sen iments of all our prayer- should be those 
 of inspiration? And not only so, but do th-y 
 not teach us also. tl»at our prayers must pro- 
 ceed ironi a heart that is renewed by tlie 
 Spiril; a heart that is under the influpn( a of 
 inspiration? And do the Scriptures justify 
 us, u\ demanding more thau this, for oui 
 songs of praise? Nay verily; for the Apos- 
 tle iiimself", puts them just on an equality, ^ 
 Cor. 14; 15-— ^' What is it then? I will prn 
 with the Spirit, and I will pray with the un- 
 derstanding also: I vvillshig with t';e spiri . 
 and I will sing with the unclersanding also/'- 
 Obviously teaching, that prayer and praise, 
 are parts of worship equally sacred, solemn 
 and impoitant. But I suppose the Dr. 
 would say that it is not enough, that tiie sen- 
 timt'nts of our songs jf praise be inspirerl 
 b cause we are commanded to sinjj with t!, 
 words of Divid^tnl Asaph. And therefor 
 we should eon fin '^ our-e ves to a literi 
 tr.i- sl:»tion of thfir word-i l»ut here w 
 ci') iueet him again; and ea^'y sliow tli 
 we ar'' authorized to claim fully as muc 
 in he^>alf of pr->)er. Luke II; 2. — '-And I 
 said unto tb^ ni. when ye pray,5ay, Our Fat 
 er which art in heaven,!^ &c. N.ow ti 
 eomriKind to pru^ wiih tliese words, is ju 
 is p'ain,as pr;siiive; and certainly isbindi: 
 npoo us; as is the command to p;ai.-: ui 
 ^lie words of David and Asapli: and if i-. 
 j comiiand in.the latter case, forbid tlio t: 
 of any thing but a literal translation of tbeii* 
 
Bsmsi 
 
 I words, t'len most assured')', the ( ommand in 
 jtlie former case, forbids tlie use of any thina 
 j but a literal transiHtiou of the Savior':s 
 ! ^ord?. But in order to evade the force of 
 this reasoning, the Dr. says, we iSnd numer- 
 ous exampjes of prayer in the Bible, sphere; 
 the Savior's words are not used, and there- 
 , tore, the command dors not confine us to a , 
 ; htei al trayslalion of his word:^. Weil t!,en 
 we reply, that we find numerous example- ' 
 of praises in the Bible where the words of! 
 David and As^ph are r]Ol used, and there-' 
 fore ihe command does not confine u? to al 
 literal translation of their words. But the: 
 Dr. says again we cannot justify our?elves in 
 'ccmp< sing hyaftns,from (he examples of thes.^ 
 hymns f)und in the Bible, because they are a! 
 iispired.- Well then we say, that he cannot 
 jus ifj^nmself in composing prayers, from 
 the f^xample of these prayers found in the 
 llible, because they arelikewis-^, all inspired, 
 [ so triftt dodge as he may, there is no getting 
 clear of the difficulty; for according io the 
 ; Bib'e, he has just as good a right, to compose 
 :m hymn, as he has to compose a prayer. In 
 reffrence to prayer, his and our doctririe i-. 
 that we should not be conlined to any fo?ms, 
 even those found in Scripiure; andihat, ^^'The 
 wliole ^crd of Go'l is of use to direct us in 
 prayer, but the special rule of direclion is 
 .that form of prayer, which Christ taught his 
 (lisciples, commonly called, the Lord's pray- 
 er. '^ So that we may compose our own 
 prayers, taking care at the same time, that 
 th< re he no scniiments in thera, but such as 
 are found in the word of God. And so 
 in like manner, though he does not, we be- 
 lieve, on Scripture authority, that the whole 
 vvord ( f G(id is of usp to ciirect us in praise, 
 
discretion, r^nd David's psalms for our 
 n del, we should be careful not to em'^ody ii 
 
 it :'i sjuicial rule of di.ectiori s, (haf ft^iriiis 
 
 piai^e, which David t^iuglu his di-ciplcs, 
 
 :amoiily called David's psalms. But while 
 
 ^ take t'le whole word of God for our rule 
 
 r 
 
 r .^ongs of praise any sentimenls but those 
 
 ;f inspiration. For although the Apostlii al 
 ; )\vs us to exercise our own wisdom in rel?', 
 
 1 to our psalms and hyainsand spiritual 
 S)ngs, he Circ!un."^cribes the fxercise of that 
 wisdom within the limits of ihe^-word of 
 Ciirist.'' Teiiching us, that our vvisiom is ntit 
 to beemployediU order (o invenfjbjit in order 
 to discMmiiiate and select, from the whoh- 
 
 vord of God, whatever may be ni^^st suita- 
 ble for our soniis of praise. 
 
 But after what has been s sid ii is needless 
 to dwell on this p^nofW.e di>cus-ion. F r 
 ny impartial reader of the Bible ( an easily 
 :- ' i'»at we have just r.»s much au hoxlty tn 
 ^npubri our isongs of praise, as ne have ij 
 mpose our prayers; and also that praise 
 J M;^ not seem to be more sacred, solemn 
 
 M,d important part of worship, than that of 
 prayer. 
 
 ^•What various hindrances we meet, 
 I coming to a mercy-sea'! 
 Yet who that knows the worth of prayer, 
 But wishes (o be often there? 
 
 Prayer makes the darkest c'oud withdraw,! 
 Prayer climbs th^ ladder Jacob saw, 
 Gives exerci^e to faith nnd love; 
 Brings every blesing from above." 
 
 G. M. 
 
KI'LIGIOIS 
 
 For the Presbyterian Advocate. 
 
 DR. WILSON'S LECTUrffes ON VSAL- 
 MODY.— No. 10. 
 **LGt the word of Christ dwell in you rich 
 ly, in all wisdom; teaching and admonisliiiii: 
 one another in psalms and hj'mnsand spirii 
 iinl !?ongs, singing with grace in your hearts 
 to the Lo:d.'^ — Col. 3: 16. Thi5 passage oi 
 Scripture, most obviously authorizes tho 
 Chris! ian Church to use a New Testament 
 Psalmody in the \7orship of God. And 
 when the Dr. was summing up and answej- 
 Ing all onr objections, and all our ar^unn nts. 
 I was eagerly waiting to hear how he voM 
 Jisj>ose jl .Ids \ hcle p.i.-^>agf ; but to eiiy ut- 
 ter surprise he did not take it up at all: tho* 
 he told the audience, in the close, that all oui 
 objections and arguments had now been fnl- 
 'y presented and examined. He merely 
 brought forward the latter part of th3 verse, 
 which speaks of psalms anJ hymns and spir- j 
 iuial songs, and told us that all these terms 
 meant nothing but psalms: but the former I 
 part of the verse, Vvhlch informs us where 
 we are to obtain the subject matter of our 
 psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, he 
 ^jwrer so much as mentioned. And really I 
 ;: appeared to me like a virtual surrender ofjl 
 the whole matter: for if he be unable toj 
 :^rove, that by ihe "word of Christ'^ nothing 
 ^ meant but the Jewish psalms, then most I 
 undeniably, we are commanded to use other] 
 pans of Scripture, for songs of praise, be- 
 " des these psalms. And when he foieborej 
 J meniion this argument, it occurred to 
 .:e, that he considered it unanswerable, and 
 :at it was therefore better, just \o leave itj 
 nroticed. 
 
 And no.v, as far as I recollect, I have bro'tl 
 
 ^rward, and briefly reviewed all the Dr'sJ 
 
 nncipal arguments in favor of an exclusive J 
 
 - :• . ' -Jy;andh •' --^ ^i the 
 
 swer^ w onr 
 
Chnsiiaii psalrriociy. Aad it is bciievedjt lai 
 those who have read tliese articles with care 
 and impartiaHty, will not wondf^r^that I sai 
 at the commcnceJihent, that I did not heai 
 any thing in the Lectures, that app'-ared to 
 me, to be either conclunve or convincin:r 
 For we have seeii,thrit the command, i^ 
 sing praise with the words o( David and A- 
 sa[)h, in 2 Chr. 27,d.'>es net serve the pur- 
 pose for wliich it was brought forward; bo 
 cause the appoiniment formed a part of th 
 '^emnle service. And in r^dafion to ih 
 service there can be but two different view.. 
 entertained. One is, that the whole of that 
 Institution was typical, and consequently 
 that every appointiD'^^nt, connectod with th 
 
 ■ Temple ceased, from it^ very nature, to bo 
 
 longer binding, at the close of the Mosai . 
 
 dispensatior^. Now if :his be the correct 
 
 view, it undeniably follows, t.hat thore is no ^ 
 
 command in the Bible, requiring the Christi- 1 
 
 an Church to' use an exclusive Jewish Psal- 1 
 
 mody; because the app >intmenlto sing praise I 
 
 with the words )f Ddvid and Asaph, reach- I 
 
 ed the hmit of its existence at the closa ofl 
 
 the Old Testament dispensation, as well as I 
 
 all (he other appointments connected Vv^thJ 
 
 the Temple Institution. Well then, there I 
 
 has been another view taken, in reference to I 
 
 the Temple Institution. It has been suppoiM 
 
 ed that all parts of the seivice were not typ^ 
 
 ical; but only so much as necessarily «pper-l 
 
 tained to the Aaronic Priesthood: and con- I 
 
 sequently all those parts of the Temple wor- J 
 
 ship, that were introduced subsequent (o the 11 
 
 full organization of the Aaronic Priesthood,! 
 
 are still in force under the Gospel dispensa- M 
 
 lion. And hence it loUows, that the Chris- 1| 
 
 rian (yhurch is commanded to s:ng praise ■ 
 
 With the words of David and of Asaph. ■ 
 
 And it follows a!sa, that the Christian churc!) jl 
 
 :^ commanded to employ choirs: and also, J 
 
 tbdt none shall take part in the singing but 
 
 tl:e choir: and that the choir shall stand up 
 when they sing: and also that the choir 
 
 shall use mu?ical instruments. FqjlJ utterly 
 
defy any man to show, that the appoint- 
 ment to use musical insirimien'.s was (y)n 
 cal, while the appomtment to praise with tlio i 
 words of David and of Asaph, was not typi* i 
 cal. The very mention of su h adistincti'.n^ 1 
 is absolutely ridiculous. If the appointment i 
 them to sing with the v/ords of David and 
 Asaph, be obligatory upon us, we must al .j 
 admit the instruments- And I am almo-t 
 ready to 1 elieve, thai the Dr. would per- 
 haps be willing to dispense with the Jewish 
 psalms, ralher than admit the Pi(tsbur£:ii 
 hrass Band inio the Church to conduct tiuj 
 music. And I suppose that Band has not a 
 greater variety of Instruments, than was us- ' 
 ed in the Temple-worship. But even gram- ' 
 ing, that the appointments of the Tem| !r 
 service, in relation to this part of (he worship 
 are still binding upon us, it does not follow. 
 that we should use no other part of the 
 "word of Chrisi" for psalms and hymns and 
 spiritual songs. Because this is not only not i 
 forbidden, but it is positively commanded,! 
 Col. 3: 16. And hence, we may safely coPi- ■ 
 elude, that (here is no command in the Bi- 
 ble, for the Christian Church to use an excl'j- ^ 
 sive Jewish Psalmody. .- 
 
 But again, we have briefly surveyed tiu 
 Dr.'s argument, drawn from the History of 
 Psalmody; and have seen, that there are iio 
 facts found there, which would make it m 
 perative on the Christian church to use notli- . 
 ing but the Jewish psalms. We havesecn' 
 that the usage of the Jewish Church is no 
 rule of direction for the Christian Churc'i. 
 And we have seen, that thrre is noihin : 
 fourid in the History of the (Christian churci 
 which has the least appearance ,of inculc;;- 
 ting on MS, the use of an exclusive Jewis'i 
 Psalmody. Bu' on the contrary, all the hin 
 WR find relative to tliC subject, are, for tl; , 
 most part, of a directly oppo5^ ah^ractc. 
 The ^postl" . ' i • '■ '■' 
 
I 
 
 ?.:-d hymns and spiri/ual songs _\ .. 
 
 dave seen, that it it is altogether unreasona- 
 ble to suppose, that by these terms he meant 
 nothmg but Psulms; because these terms are 
 not used in translating the Hebrew titles of 
 the Psahns into Greek. Psalmos is Uiecl;b^at 
 Humnos is not usee! in oiio single instance. 
 And so in lii^e manner, Pneumatike Ode, 
 which the Apostle employs, is not used in 
 translating the title of a single psalnn. So 
 that, by these terms, the Apostle must have 
 designed to express something different, from 
 anything contained in the Jewish psalms: 
 (see Article No. 3.) And also ve hi ve seen 
 that the History of the Church, subsequent 
 to the Apostolic age, furnishes no support 
 whotever for an exclusive Jewi-^h Psc^lmody; 
 as all the hints that are found have a directly 
 opposite tendency. We learn from Euse-^ 
 ' :up, that many Psalms and tlymns, and 
 Canticles, were ^vritien from the beginning, 
 by the Faithful Christians, which celebrate 
 Christ as God. And we learn also from the 
 same source, that Paul of Samosata removed 
 these hymns from tlie Church, esteeming^ 
 them new-found figments of late writers. 
 And we learn from Mosheim u\so, that in 
 the fourth century, when the public worship 
 began lo degenerate into an ostentatious andl 
 pompous form, the PsalnDS of David were] 
 introduced, in addition to the hymns that 
 had ireviousiy been used. And iience we| 
 come to the conclusion; that there will havel 
 to be some ne^ light struck out from histo^ 
 ry, before we can have any reason to beheve] 
 hat the Christian Church ever used an ex 
 elusive Jewish Psalmody. 
 
 And again, with regard (o the Dr.^s third 
 position, we have seen, that it is perhaps,] 
 /veaker than either of the two former. Be- 1 
 cause it cannot be shown, that the use of I 
 Watts^ psalms has ever had the corruptmg| 
 :ifluence. which he tries to make appear. 1 
 presume he believes, that ex President Ad- 
 ams, by filling Harvard University with U- 
 ■ "v-""-- "-ritihgSjhad a greater influence in' 
 
■nnng tile J'n ', :, ^^land churches, than 
 n the psalms of Dr. Watrs. And be- 
 
 js we have seen that numerous oth^i 
 
 irches have become corrupt, vN-here they 
 
 i not use Watts' psalms at all. And als . 
 have seen that the Jewish psalms d 
 
 L prevent the introduction of error, not c- 
 
 .] where they are used in their purest Ro : 
 sia.i form. And therefore it is no argumenr 
 lor their exclusive use, to say that they will 
 purge the Church from all hercorruptioi- 
 because there cannot be a single nislar/:: 
 ])ointed out in which their use hashad t! i- 
 ■ juente. x\nd finally, if the excellence of 
 
 "id's psalm?, be a reason v>rhy they shoul i 
 I: :d for fongs of praise, so likcvi^c, u: 
 
 cellence of other parts of the word of God. 
 IS a re^feon why (hey should be usedfor songs 
 of praise also. 
 
 And, moreover, because the ^'Preachei'^ 
 , is wise, it .-till teaches its people knowledge. 
 I Yea it give? good heed, and seeks out, ar.d 
 I sets in order many proverbs. Some of thesF 
 extraordinary items of knowledge are found 
 in the last No.; and among otherivise say- 
 ings, Dr. Pressly makes the following state 
 ment: 'It is (rue, that the host of little sciib. 
 ' xrs, who figure in the Presbyterian Advo- 
 
 iO; are endeavoring to make an impres- 
 sion upon the public mind, that it is for a 
 mere version we are contending: .^' Now the 
 cjie^tion is: of whom does this ^-host of little 
 scribblers'^ consist, who are endeavoring to : 
 make this false impression? I was not a- 
 •^/are, that (here were any writmg for tii I 
 
 vocate, on the subject of Psalmody, ex- ' 
 cept Dr. Ralston and my 'Hittle'^ self.. 
 Now as far as I nm concerned; 1 openlv de- 1 
 ny the charge; and I challenge Dr. Pressly I 
 to the proof, that I have been cndeavori: g j 
 to make an mipression upon the public' 
 mind, that (he Rousites are contending for i\ \ 
 n;<'re version. If the Dr. cannot prove this,' 
 iionivvhati have written, then the public' 
 iji;iy consider his assertion .'is without the' 
 -iii^hicst foundation, as far as rclntes to my- j 
 self. And as to Dr. Ralston, those who; 
 
have read his aricles on Psalmocf}^ can 
 judge whether the imputation is apphcable 
 to him. In my opinion, there is nothing of 
 it he kind contained in all that he has written 
 jon tne subject. I suppose then, that the, 
 statement was made, merely because the | 
 Preacher wanied to teach its people know- ; 
 ledge: to teach thern that something was a ; 
 1 a fact, which was not a fact. Or perhaps it \ 
 ji- an official intimation to tbe people, appri- 1 
 ,'sing them, of what i\ritings they are to con- : 
 sider, as placed in the Index Prohibitory, so 
 that their faith may not be sliaken by read- 
 ing the productions of '^little scribblers.*' 
 But the Preacher still teaches its people; 
 knowledge. For according to Dr. Pressly,; 
 two individuals constitute a "host/' ,No^' 
 that's an item of knowledge which the peo 
 pie did'nt have before. It is truly a new 
 idea as to the nature of a ''host.'' But it's 
 Dr. Pressly's definition- and "the words of 
 the wi-:e are as goads, and as nails fastened 
 by the masters of assemblies," so that, it 
 must be sj. The Dr.'s people will not forget 
 then, that two constitute a host!! And that 
 Dr. Ralston and my litile self, are esteemed 
 by Dr. Pressly, to be a "host of little scrib- 
 b'ers." The public will judge, however,: 
 whether it be becoming, even in Dr. Press-' 
 ly, to make such an insinuation in relation; 
 to Dr. Ralston. Once before, by implication, | 
 liC had him an old v\ife, and now, by im- 
 j iication, he has him a "little scribUler.'M 
 :^ome people will be ready to say, "mast | 
 not that Dr. Pressly boa very modest manj ' 
 ?lust he not h'.ivea very lowly opinion of l/s 
 c^\n abilities, when, in his estimation, Dr. 
 lakton deserves the appellation, "littie 
 :: ibbier!!" Dr., Pre-^sly has been driving his 
 ;Li pretty steadily, for the last twelve 
 , ::>:ith5, on the siibj ,^ct of Psalmody, but of 
 ;iirse he does not belong to the lit-le btood: 
 (MS not to be classed with Dr. Ralston a- 
 ong tiie littie 5cribhlers, nor yet in the or- 
 •r oCmediocr ty; welt then, if he must have 
 ic rank of a Big one, I do not wisli to de- 
 
;;t 
 
 j uy 1)1111 that hoiior. The little sciibblers, m j 
 j tlie Dr.'s estimation, Mre a contenipible 
 ' chiss, and of course, none of tlieir comnfiiuii- 
 c:i(ions are admitted into the Preacher: the, 
 biggest one being the editor, nothing is re- ;' 
 recited but that which comes from the order ■[ 
 of Big ones. What a mighty Periodical, I 
 then, that Preacher must be, when there are | 
 none that write for it, except Big scribblers 
 It has been suiigerted to me, (hat it might 
 uu a good amusement for a little scribble 
 just to review the Dr.'S ^^'great work'' on psal- | . 
 mody. Well I have thought it might; and |, 
 j then again I have thought it riiight be con- 1 
 : sidered too amusing, to see a little scribbler 
 crate hiiig away at a Big one; and there} 
 would be such a fearful odds on the side of! 
 I the B!g one, that it would be enough to dis- i| 
 ! []earten the little dnc; For what could a j- 
 j liuie scr.'bbl '.r do, wi(h the mighly prodiic- ij 
 i tions of such a giant intellect! When I look !' 
 into the work, and sea the profundity of tho'i 
 i the close logical reasoning: jind the keen 
 ! discrimination of mind, (hat are displayed 
 I upon every page, it is obvious, that he must 
 I be a mighty man, who would have the in- 
 wrepidity to tou( h if. Dr. Wilson's nrgu^ 
 inent on psalmody, may have been consider- 
 ed by me, expugnable in some parts; but not 
 so with the argument of Dr. Pressly, it's the 
 real grit all through; just like the old lady's 
 foundation of the earth. But in order to be 
 an^lerstood I must relate the anecdote. The 
 old lady then, lived in the vicinity of a lite 
 rary instituiion. A boy one day played tru- 
 ant; and during his rambles, in pursuit of 
 bird< nes^s and blackberries, he called at the 
 old lady's cottage to get a drink. She re- 
 marked to him, that she understood, they 
 taught them some wonderful things over 
 ih.ere at College and among the rest, that (he 
 f^arth was round! The boy, wishing to s!)ow 
 lis larnin', replied, yes it is round, and more 
 too, for it whirls all about the sun. She 
 I told him, that was all nonsense, for any bo- 
 ' (ly could see, that the earth was broad and 
 flit, and that it rested on a rock. The boy 
 
askeu ■. :. ;;' ^. ■ ; ■ Si., 
 
 [)iied^ oil aijolliei' oi coLir:vu. lie again n^k- , 
 ed, what (he other rested on. Child! said she. 
 (]ovv stupid you are! isn't it rock all (he way 
 down! And tiius it is with Dr. Pressly's ar- 
 gument on Psalmody, it's ROCK, all the 
 way down, 
 
 CL3 r 
 
 MODY.— No. 11. 
 
 The theory of an exclusive Jewish Psal- 
 mody for the Christian Church, has now been 
 hunted from a variety of its resting places. 
 There appears to be no refuge for it in the 
 Bible; in history; nor utility; neither yet in 
 reason, nor common sense. Like Noah's 
 dove, because it is not in the ark of Scrip* 
 ture, It finds no rest for the sole of its foot.' 
 To this we must make au exception, how- 
 ever. For although it may be driven from 
 a variety of resting places, it still has a cov 
 ert, to which it can retreat, and rest in per- 
 fect safety: a strong hold, 
 
 Intrenched in which, defiance forth it flings,! 
 f'And vaunts aloud, in face of evciy foe. 
 fror who, by art or argument, can move, 
 The adamantine walls of prejudice, 
 Imbibed in)OUth, and blended with the mind, 
 From infancy, by trainings evr'y stroke! 
 
 For this opinion, that the theory^is founded 
 in the prejudice of education, 1 have several 
 reasons. Of these I will give only a few. 
 
 The first is, that there are scarcely any, 
 who hold the theory, but such as have been 
 educated in these views from their earliest 
 infancy. And on the other hand, I suppose 
 there could hardly be a man found, who, be- 
 ing educated otherwise, has embraced the 
 theory, because convinced by investiga- 
 tion. I admit, that men may perhaps 
 be found, who hav3 embraced Rousism, al- 
 though otherwise educated. But this change 
 of their views, has result( d not from an in- 
 vestigation cf this subject, but altogetherfrom 
 other circumstances, viz: because they have, 
 in some way, become connected with, and 
 have been brought under the influence of 
 
Rousites. For instance, a man may unite 
 himself with a Rousian church, not because 
 he thinks the Jewish Psalms alone, should 
 be used for songs of praise, but merely be- 
 cause he believes that Church to hold the 
 truth on some other doctrines. And then by 
 minghng ^ith the people, and adopting their 
 modes of worship, he gradually imbilesi 
 their views on the subject of Psalmody, andl 
 commences of course to oifer the usual argu-[ 
 ments in their defence. And m this manner, 
 men may perhaps become Rousites, wh-ji 
 were otherwise educated. But as 1 said be- 1 
 fore, I consider, it almost impossible to find 
 a man who has become a Rousite, merely 
 by an investigation of the subject of Psal- 
 mody* Now, if the theory of an exclusive 
 Jewish Psalmody for tlie Christian Church, 
 -be hold by many individuals; and if none 
 ever embraced the theory, because convinced 
 by mere investigation, then obviously, the 
 theory is held by the mere force of education- 
 al prejudice. And moreover, that the theo- 
 ry is founded in the prejudice of education, is 
 testified by the fact, that multitudes, and not 
 a few of them distinguished for piety and 
 talents, who were educated in the Rousian 
 or exclusive Jewish Psalmody views, have 
 abandonod those views. Clearly proving 
 that they held these views for a time by the 
 merefoiceof education; for alter impartial 
 investigation they renounced them, as being 
 without support in the word of God. ; 
 
 But again; another consideration which ' 
 tends very much to confirm the opinion, that 
 the theory rests in tho prejudice of education 
 is this, viz. that the Rousites have held oth- 
 er peculiar views in relation to this part of 
 religious worship; the greater part of which i 
 ttvey have now relinguished, as having no i 
 foundation except in prejudice, others of^ 
 these peculiarities some Rousian Churches; 
 still retain. Of these things I have a per- ' 
 sonal knowledge, because I was a Rousite [ 
 '•ancQ myself. I held the Rousian vicvvs how. j 
 ever, not because I was convioced by inves- 
 
ligation, but merely because my father held 
 them before me: and this subject has never 
 yet been fully discussed in Ireland; in my 
 time, indeed it was scarcely ever mentioned. 
 Well then, to come right to the subject; I 
 recollect when we had no small commotion i 
 in our church, in Ireland; about what tunes 
 it was proper to sing. Our '^singin' book'' 
 contained twelve tunes, or rather 1 should 
 say, parts of twelve tunes, eleven common- 
 metre, and one long. This Uook was the on- 
 ly one that had been u?ed for generations: so 
 that it had become truly consecrated. And 
 hence it became the settled opinion, that to 
 aing any thing except one of these "old 
 twelve tunes'' was "offering strange fire he- 
 fore the Lord:" a down right ".human inven- 
 tion." For we had a kind of indefinite no- 
 tion that David had made these "old twelve 
 tunes," as well as Rouse's version of the 
 Psalms. That this latter opinion prevailed, 
 can be proved to a demonstration, from a 
 proverb that was in common use. When a 
 person wished to compare one object with 
 another, he would say, '^It's another of the 
 same, like David an' the Psalms." Clearly 
 intimating the prevalence of the notion, that 
 this expression, "another of the same" which 
 is found in Rouses's version, were no other 
 than the words of David. On one occasion, 
 the regular Clerk being absent, some upstart 
 arose to lead the music, and to the horror 
 and amazement of not a few, he struck up 
 12 tune of "human composure;" nothing less 
 thanBingor: not found ia the old twelve 
 tune book at all; and therefore not inspired! 
 With the aid, however, of a fcv radical 
 New Lights like himself, he got through 
 with his human composure tune. And it was 
 the means of opening the way for some im- 
 provement, inasmuch as no fire came forth 
 to devour him, for doin^ that which was 
 not commanded. But what a commotion 
 there was! In the opinion of some, there 
 •^ere dismal times coming upon the Church. 
 
I recollect good old Mr. , said that sing- 
 ing such lunes was as bad as blasphemy. 
 And it was a subject of controversy for some 
 considerable time, whether any other tunes 
 might be sung besides the old twelve. We 
 could muster various arguments to prove 
 that the twelve should be sung exclusive- 
 ly. There were twelve tribes of the chil- 
 dren of L'^rael: and also twelve Apostles. 
 And besides all that, the city had twelve 
 gates, and twelve foundations. So that eve- 
 ry mi n who was not carried away with the 
 devices of a corrupt and carnal age, could 
 easily see, (hat we should sing nothing but 
 ihe twelve old tunes. All these notions, 
 however, about old tunes, and new tunes, 
 have now been abandoned by the Rousites, 
 and they are ready to confess that they had 
 their foundation«A|j^io place, except in the 
 prejudice of education. 
 
 But again: another notion entertained by 
 the Rousites, which was obviously founded 
 in the prejudice of education, was, that not 
 more than one line of the psalm should b^ 
 read out by the Clerk, at one time. Those | 
 who have not seen the opinion put into 
 practice, may not understand me: I will 
 therefore explain. Take for example the 
 50th psalm, "Another of the same" 3rd v. 
 The Clerk would read out 
 
 *'Our God shall come, and shall no more'^ 
 
 There lie must stop umil they sing these 
 words: which taken by themselves, intimate 
 that God shall come once, and only once. 
 When thay get through with this he reads 
 out again, 
 
 *'be silent, but speak out;'^ 
 
 And there stops again, until they sing a 
 bout being silent, and speaking out. Thed 
 he reads again, 
 "Before him fire shall waste, great storms'^ 
 
 And stops till they sing, about the fire 
 wasting great storm. And then again sing 
 out, 
 
 
^^shall compass him about.'^ 
 
 Which has no meaning, when taken by 
 itself. But we were just as strenuous abcut 
 this mode of murdering Rouse's bad poetrj, 
 as we were for the poetrj'' itself. The read- 
 ing of two lines at once, was violently oppo- 
 sed on the giound of its being an mnova-' 
 tion, a pernicious human mvention. And 
 for years the conlroversy existed about the 
 propriety of reading one hne, or two lines. 
 In this country, I believe it is generally ad 
 mitted, slrhohg the Rousites, that the one- 
 line theory has no foundation except in the i 
 prejudice at education. But in Ireland, 1 ; 
 am not certain that the controversy has' 
 yet come to a close. 
 
 Then again, when the New Lights had fi- 1 
 nally prevailed, and the reading of two lines \ 
 were generally admitted, there soon arose ' 
 another controversy, for some were for dis- 
 pensing with the reading of the lines altogeth- 
 er: but this was violently opposed as ^'ano- 
 ther innovation, another departure from the 
 truth, teaching for doctrines the command- 
 ments of men." When the Old Lights could ' 
 not quote any Scriptures very pertinent, 
 they would bring forward the authority of 
 the Westminster Assembly. And when the 
 New Lights would reply that the circum- 
 stances had ceased, which called for that 
 appoiniment. because all could now read,and 
 have books also; the others would reply, that 
 I we should not pretend to know more than 
 the Westminster Assembly; that it was not 
 good to make change?, for when we got into 
 the downward road of innovation, it was 
 hard to tell where we might stop. Taking 
 it for granted that the improvement was the 
 "downward road." This prejudice however, 
 has yielded considerably to the influence of 
 intelligence and common sense; and some of 
 the Rousian Churches vow venture to sing 
 without reading out the lines by the Clerk 
 at all. But the practice was once r ontendcd 
 for, with about as much zeal, as is now man- 
 ifested in behalf of an exclusive Jewish; 
 Pealmody. i 
 
But again: another developement of the 
 prejudice of education is seen, in the opinion 
 which is entertained, as to the character of 
 the tunes that ought to be s^^ng. They be- 
 heve it is not right to sing any tui)e in which 
 there is a repeat, or rather they believe it i? 
 not right to sing the repeat; they omit the 
 repeat altogether, and sing the strain but 
 once. This prejudice obviously had its ori- 
 gin in the use of the old Irish singin'-book 
 which contained the twelve tunes; for no one 
 of these tunes had a repeat. And these having 
 been used so long, they became a venerat- 
 ed standard: so that if a repeat was to be 
 sung in any tune, it would be considered 
 exactly like ^'the sin of Nadab and Abihu.'' 
 And it would be said of those guilty, "In 
 vain do they worship me teaching for doc- 
 trines the commandments of men." I am 
 not certain whether any of the Rousian 
 churches have yet got over this prejudice. 
 But in the last one, in which I was present, 
 they gave a demonstration that it still ex- 
 isted there; for they sung, or rather mutilat- 
 ed Devizes, for the last strain was sung but 
 once. But they preferred to murder the 
 tune, rather thau murder their prejudice. 
 But whfit is it, that has not to yield to pre- 
 judice! 
 
 'Tis like the stubborn flinty rockjthat fixed, 
 Divides the flood; and's only washed away, 
 By streams of ages, in perpetual flow. 
 
 And thus it is with these prejudices, that 
 have been handed down from one genera- 
 tion to another. It requires the influence 
 of various circumstances, to bear upon them 
 for about the same number of generation?, 
 before they can be made to disappear. But 
 it is obvious, that if these prejudices be cher- 
 ished and strengthene I, by pursuing a cer- 
 tain course in relation to certam subjects, in- 
 stead of being destrojed, they will cling with 
 unabated vigor, to a person through life. 
 
Arid I have learned this is tiie Very course i 
 which some of the Rous ites pursue, in rela-|^ 
 lion to the sabject of Psalmody. I arnper-j 
 sonallf acquainted with individuals, whoj 
 are so completely under the influence ofi 
 prejudice, that they will not be persuaded to| 
 examine any, but one sideoftha question.,; 
 Did I deem it prudent, I could state facts ' 
 at which Protestants might wonder. For 
 really I did wonder, to find individuals in 
 the Protestantranks, jiclingin relation to this 
 sul)ject in such a manner, as I had suppos- 
 ed, none would act, except Roman Catho- 
 lics. The manner also, in uhich the coniro* 
 versy is conducted by their clergy, has a; 
 great influence in fosiering their prejudice- 
 They are contmually tolc* that Rouses ver-; 
 sion is inspired; while Watts' is uninspired: 
 that the one is divine composition, while the| 
 olhei is human composition: that the use of; 
 the one is commanded, while the use of thel 
 other is teaching for doctrmes the command-| 
 ments of men; that the use of the one is thej 
 observance ol God's own ^ordinance, while | 
 the use of the other is off'ering strange fire 
 before the Lord: that the one is orthodoxy, 
 while the other is heresy, &c. &c. Sncli 
 representations as these, and the very epi-; 
 thetj employed, have a great influence on the! 
 people. Dr. Pressly being aware of this,' 
 and fearing that the old epithets were begin-' 
 ning to lose their power, has invented a new* 
 phrase, for the vocabulary of the Rousites.! 
 He says now, (hat he is contending for; 
 ^^God's Psalm Booli!" And then, could a-; 
 ny have the hardihood to contend against 
 him! Who would dare to fight against God! 
 But this has always been the policy of those 
 who know, that the people look up to them 
 as oracles. Thus the Popes of Rome in all 
 their usurpations, always cried out, that they 
 were contending for the honor of Christ, for 
 God's Church. So in like manner, Dr, 
 Pressly is contending for -God's Psalrh book.' 
 By which, however, he means nothing but 
 the Jewish Psnlms. The Holy Ghesit says, 
 
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 
 in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one 
 another in psalms and hymns and spiritual 
 songs/^ Dr. Pressly says; let not the worJ( 
 of Christ, but only a part of of the word of 
 Christ, dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, for 
 purposes of praise. Now, readers, "Wheth- 
 er it be right in the sight of God , to hearken 
 unto'^ Dr. Pressly "more than unto God, 
 judge ye.'' 
 
 liut as my reaJers are here introduced, I 
 think I ought to say to them, that these ar- 
 ticles have been written without premedita-! 
 tion, or any previous preparation: they have \ 
 been written hastily, in the midst of other 
 studies, and handed over to lie Editor, with- 
 out my having time to revise, or so much as 
 to transcribe them. These consideratians 
 will perhaps, in some measure, account for 
 any crudities that may have appeared ei- 
 ther m thought or e?cpression. 
 
 And now Mr. Editor, as you are aware 
 that these articles are to be reviewed, I wish 
 to say a word in relation to my reviewers. 
 I say reviewers; for in accoi dance with Dr.: 
 Pressly 's idea of a "host," I understand there 
 is a "host'' preparing for the review. I have 
 been told, that certain persons have made an 
 arrangement, according to which they are 
 to conduct the review in copartnership. Now 
 sir, through you, I should like to know 
 something aboiit my reviewers; whether they 
 are an individual or a host! Because it 
 would be contending at a great disadvantage,! 
 not (0 know whether a person was maintain- 
 ing a coniest with an individual, or with a 
 Club. And also, I claim it a3 my right, with 
 your permission, to reply, even to the first 
 article of the Review, should I think it ne- 
 cessary. This they may consider uiifair, as 
 iliey were required to wait till I would be 
 through. But the cases are different. They! 
 were not the Principal, and therefore theyjl 
 had no right to reply to my first Article, they' 
 had no right to be heard till I had closed.} 
 But I will be the Principal, and therefore my 
 right will be, to reply to their fir^t Article] 
 should I thmkjproper. I 
 
And now I will close the serie?, with a 
 few verses frona the pen of "Dr. Watts the 
 x\rian.^^ And I would recommend to my 
 reviewers, just to commence where 1 leave 
 off. For it will subserve their cause very 
 much, to prove in the outset, that the follow- [ 
 ing hymn is human composure. If they are! 
 not able to do this, they might just as well 
 ';quit before they begin.'' For if the hymn j 
 has every thing that renders Rouse's version 
 inspired; then when we sing it, we are not^ 
 "offering strange fire before the Lord.'' ' 
 
 <'Wo glv-o immuilal piaise 
 
 To God the Father's love, 
 For all our comforts here, 
 
 And all our hopes above: 
 He sent his own Eternal Son, 
 To die for sins that man had done. 
 
 To God the Son belongs 
 
 Immortal glory too, 
 Who saved us by his blood 
 From everlasting woe: 
 And now he live^, and now he reigns, 
 And sees the fruit of ail his pams. 
 
 To God the Spirit, praise 
 
 And endless worship give, 
 Whose new-creating power 
 Makes the dead sinner live: 
 His work completes the great design, 
 And fills the soul with joy divine. 
 
 Almighty God! to thee 
 
 Be endless honors done; 
 The sacred Persons Three, 
 The Godhead only one: 
 Where reason fails with all her powers. 
 There faith prevails, and love adores." 
 
 G. M 
 
■.Av/r/tc j.TXCOd 
 
 Fer the Presbyterian Vdvocate. 
 
 KOUSIAN MAx\(EUVRING. . 
 
 **Who steals my purse, steals Irash: but he who ' 
 filches 
 
 From me, my good name, takes that which not 
 Enriches him, but makes me poor indeed." 
 
 Shakspeare. 
 . Mr. Editor. 
 
 The only thing which appears in the first arti- 'i 
 cle of D. .y. worthy of notice, is his assertion in 'I 
 relation to the term Humnos. I said, that this || 
 term is not found, in one single instance through- | 
 out the whole Book of Psalms, as a title. Mr. ,[ 
 D. S. asserts, that this is a **sheer falsehood," jl 
 J because it is so found in several instances. And ; 
 I he says, *no prove the assertion false it is only I 
 j necessary to refer to the titles of the Psalms, 6, 
 54, 55, 61, 67, 75." And thus, in a summary 
 manner, proves that I am the author of a '*sheer 
 I falsehood." It will be apparent to all, thut it is 
 incumbent on me to attempt a removal of this \ 
 •tigma. For although the gentleman intimates 
 , that my ignorance may palliate my crime, I think 
 otherwise. A code of morals, which teaches that j 
 men may falsify, because they aie ignorant of the j 
 truth, would be exceedingly pernicious* It is ad- ; 
 I mitted that in consequence of misapprehension, a 
 [man may make a misstatement, and not be con. 
 [•idered culpable; but in such a case he states what: 
 "le believes to be true. Whereas, the man, who j 
 [makes an assertion about that of which he is ig- i 
 fiorant, cannot believe that his assertion is true; 
 for it is impossible to believe without evidence, 
 hnd a man can have no evidejce in relation to * 
 Ithe nature of that of which he is ignorant, so that 
 [he deliberately asserts what he doei not know to 
 Jbe true. And hence I cannot at all admit, that 
 la man may consider himself in any measure 
 1 excusable in falsifying, because he is ignorant of 
 the truth. Indeed the man who would hold 
 such views, would be considered by me, a dan- 
 gerous member of society; liable to be suspected 
 by every man with whom he had dealings; be- 1 
 cause his principles would justify him iu making ^ 
 false statements in a multitude of instances. Ancl j 
 hence all will see, that my ignorance does not ex- 1 
 tenuate my crime of asserting that which is a j 
 **sheer falsehood." But now for the falsehood I 
 itself. And here I wou/d remark, that if all could • 
 
read the Greek language, 1 would not attempt any 
 explana' ion, for every man could then say, that 
 the gentleman's charge IS without foundation: ev- 
 ery man could see for himself, that Humnos is not 
 found <*as a title" in the whole Book of Psalms. 
 I shall endeaver to explain then, for the sake of 
 such as cannot decide for themselves. And here 
 let it be observed, that what, in common usage is 
 called the **title" of a psalm, is also called the "in- 
 scription" and the ^^superscription." Tiiese 
 three terms are used interchangeably. And for 
 this usage I liave before me three Authorites, 
 which will be esteemed sufficient: these are 
 jDodd's Bible, Robinson's Gr. and Eng. Lex. and 
 Geseriius^ Heb. and Eng. Lex., so that for tlie 
 sake of perspicuity I may use the term "inscrip- 
 tion," instead of the term *title.' And now I say, 
 [that Humnos is found in several inscriptions, but 
 I not in one single instance, *as a title.' A.nd here 
 jmay be observed a samf)le of true Rousian ma- 
 noeuvring. I say, lliat Humnos is not found *? 
 j a title.' D. S. replies, that is a 'sheer falBehooa' 
 jfor Humnos is found IN several tides, and refers 
 Ito certain psalms IN the titles, of which it is 
 [found, but he dogs not refer lo any psalm where 
 tit is found 'as a title,' E\ery one can understand 
 |that Humnos may be found in the title, i. e. the 
 puperscription, i. e. the inscription of a psalm, and 
 et not be there 'as a title.' To illustrate this, 
 |let us make a supposition. Suppose I assert ihat 
 D. S. is not found in all Pittsburgh or AUeoheny, 
 as an Editor; 3ir. D. S. replies, that is a 'nheer 
 falsehood,' because he is often found in Pitts- 
 burgh; for he keeps store on Market st.; would that 
 piove my assertion false, or would it prove that 
 D. S. maybe found in either City, as an Editor, 
 So in like manner though Mr. D. S. may lind 
 Humnos in the inscription of a psalm, thnt docs '' 
 not prove that it is there 'as a title.' Evei-y woid i 
 on the tidepage of a book, is not the title of that! 
 book; nor does it require <xl] that is on tl.e title 
 page to constitute the title. Take for instance the [ 
 New Testament; the tide is obviously comprised ' 
 in the following words: "The New Testament] 
 cf our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," and all 
 that followcj is merely explanatory. And so take ; 
 the inscription, or call it tide if you choose, ofl 
 the Cth psalm. "To the chief Musician on Ne- ' 
 ginotb upon Shemineth. A Psalm of David."" 
 Now any onp can see, that the words, 'A Psalm 
 of David" constitute the tide of the psalm; and 
 
; Uial the other woius luiiiiu i-i ul^ lii:^ ■:j;.i'jrj, it- 
 I late to the m-^nner of conducti.'g the music. 
 jISow 1 will give the Hebrew words, then the 
 I Greek words by which it is translated, and thet; 
 ' uie English; and in this way it will be seen wheih- 
 T Ilumnos in the Greek is used as the title of tlie 
 0th psalm. Lamnatseali — Eis to telos — to tfu 
 chief nuisician. Bingeenotli — En.llnmnois — on 
 stringed instruments; Al-hashmeeneeth — llupei 1 
 ics ogdoes — oil the Octave or bass; iMizaior — j 
 Psalnios — a psalm* Leihavith — To David — of Da- 
 vid. Now it will be seen, that bingeenoth i^ 
 translated into Greek by En-IIumnois. Anci 
 Humnos is not used in the inscription of an} 
 psalni, except where it is put for Negeenoth in the 
 Heb. In the inscriptions it occurs only in tlic 
 following psalms, Sep. G, 53, 51, 60, 66, 75, which 
 correspond to the 6, 54, 55, 61,67, 76, in the 
 EngZish version. Now^ could it be possible to 
 find a man, who would say, that Negeenoth is the 
 title of any psalm? Well then, if itbenota ti- 
 tle, Humnos cannot be a title, for it is used in tlie 
 inscriptions only as a translation of negeenoth. 
 I And thus it will appear, that perhaps it was not a 
 I *sheer falsehood' to say, that Humnos is not found 
 ' in a single instance throughout the whole booi-: 
 of psalms *as a title.' But perhaps there might 
 ' be some one found who would say, that Negeenotli 
 is the title of a P^alm. I wou/d not be at a/l as- 
 tonished if my friend D. S. should make sucli 
 an assertion. Well then, according to all the 
 best authorities, the meaning of Negeenoth is 
 "htringed instruments" and Humnois is this same 
 title in Greek, and according to the Rousites, 
 Psalmois, Humnois, and Odais, found in Col. 3; 
 16, are nothing but the titles of the Psalms. Now 
 according to this interpretation, the text will read 
 somewhat different from what it used to: Let the j 
 Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wis- 
 dom, teaching and ^admonishing one another in I 
 psalms and stringed instruments? and spiritual 
 songs, &c. The Rousites may think, that this 
 place with the stringed instruments in it, will not 
 .suit them. But how can they reject it? It's a le- 
 ffitimate translation, and accord' ng to their views, 
 a translation is inspired, so thsM they are bound to 
 ndmonish one another, in psalms and ?tri!?^'^ ' in- 
 ^niinents. _^ ^ _ . 
 
i^utl ciQl a \\ <ii .', u • iL ail 1 iinv !? yaui lii rciLili;);: 
 to llumnos, will fail to convince the Rousltes, for 
 Mr, D. S. haslo/d them, that I "write nonsenso'^ 
 because I <*neither knovv what I say, nor whercoi 
 Iaffi'm;"ancl v/ith Rousites, the assertion of a 
 Ro^ .lie, is far more convincing, than the mo 
 lucK. argument of an opponent. Well then, to | 
 settZe the matter, I will appeal from argument to i 
 authority; and submit tlie case to the decision of a- | 
 ny gentleman of good literary standing, that Mv. j 
 D. S. may select; I care not what may be his thc^ ' 
 ©logical views, if he has any regard for his reputa 
 tion as a>3cholar, I will ciieerfully risk his decis- 
 ion. 
 
 From this instance then, in relation to Humnos, 
 readers will be able to judge of how much conti- ; 
 dence they ougl.t to repose iti the *'broad ancri 
 sweeping assertions" of Mr. D. S. that m.av ap- ' 
 pear ia his subsequent numbers. 
 
 Ci. M.