church, cathedral, and chapel of the Church of England you hear the Psalms of David chanted every Sunday. There is no exception to this rule, I believe. 1 know, so far as my observation is concerned, that every small chapel which I entered, as well as the cathedrals, chant the Psalter of David, to the great edification of the common people and of all classes of the people.

I say, sir, it is an indictment against the fathers of our American Church to say that they intended to rob us of any privileges belonging to us as our inheritance from the days of the Reformation. This does not hinder the retaining of the old orthodox method. Any man may still have his quartet, his wellinstructed choir in a high gallery at the rear of the church, trilling and warbling to the rafters and beams above them, while the congregation below stand or sit listlessly idle, and unemployed in the worship of God in the pews below. He may have that, if he chooses. I do not, if I can get something better.

But why shall those who wish to have that old method revived stand in the way and hinder us from having what we deem to be a better method, more edifying method, a method more

a

adapted to drawing out the spiritual element in the hearts of the people? This last method I have referred to was not the idea of the great Puritan poet-Puritan poet, I say to my friend from New Jersey-who said respecting the cathedral service:

"There let the pealing organ blow

To the full-voiced choir below,
In service high and anthems clear,
That may in sweetness through mine ear
Dissolve me into ecstasies,

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And bring all heaven before mine eyes." That was the idea of the great Puritan poet, and it does not differ much from the effect produced upon a Puritan preacher not far from this place in attending the cathedral service of the Church of England. What does he say of the effect produced upon his mind and his devotional feelings in attending the glorious cathedral service? could hardly find language to express the power of that cathedral service to raise and elevate his spiritual affection; but he tells us that it carried him upward almost to the confines of the celestial regions; reiterating the same impression which the great Puritan poet expressed in such beautiful language. And I believe, sir, that any one who goes into the cathedrals of the Church of England, or generally into the parish churches of the Church of England, and sees the revival of the devotional element produced-I am sure I may say literally produced by the introduction of the choral service by the restoration of the Psalter to its legitimate office in calling out devotional feelings and inspiring the sacred feelings of the heart and raising them up on the wings of language inspired for that very purpose-no one can go there in the midst of such congregations without being himself elevated and filled with the feeling that this is true worship.

It does assimilate us to the heavenly choir; for what is that but the musical expression of devotion before the Throne Eternal? It is prolonging the voice of that heavenly choir which introduced the Gospel at the Saviour's birth. It is enabling us to obey the precept of the Holy Apostle singing to himself, alternating antiphonally among ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making offering of our hearts to the Lord. It is enabling us to fulfil the precept incorporated into every ancient Liturgy, Sursum corda.

I do not wish to dwell upon this subject. I believe the hearts of the convention are disposed to go

with me. But I have one word to say upon the pecuniary objection which I believe is to be brought up against this measure. Objection is raised as to the cost of it, that the Prayer-Book Society will be put to some expense in altering the Prayer-Book to conform to this resolution. As I have already said, it is merely cutting off in most cases the small appendage to the semicolon. That could not involve a very great expense. Sometimes the plates will have to be altered by an insertion of a colon. I have heard three thousand dollars mentioned; then again that has been raised to five thousand dollars. I supposed it might be raised still higher; but I have consulted with a practical printer, and he tells me that it will not nearly come up to the least of these sums; but whatever it may be, is that to be an obstacle in the way of such an object as this? I say that this light was lighted by the Great Illuminator for the benefit of the Church, and it cannot be put out by any such pecuniary extinguisher as is proposed to be put upon it.

I hope that the matter will be sent down to the various Conventions in our Church, to be acted upon at the next General Convention, and I propose a resolution to that effect.

Rev. Mr. MARPLE, of Central Pennsylvania. I should like to ask this question: Owing to our punctuation varying, I believe, from the English Book, will it not require other changes in the punctuation of the psalms? If not, I am in favor of it.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. No, sir, it will not.

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Rev. Dr. HALL, of Long Island. I sympathize entirely with the eloquent remarks which have been made; but I would be very glad to see exactly the connection of the question whether in the PrayerBook, the standard edition, this colon was inserted by the compilers of our book. That Prayer-Book was made the standard after due consideration. Then again it was corrected, and in the PrayerBook as made the standard and corrected the colon is not to be found, and has not been in the PrayerBook of the American Church since that time. Therefore this would work necessarily change of the Prayer-Book. It is the introduction into the Prayer-Book of something that is not there. The change, I think, is valuable, but I think it is very undesirable to have it done in any other way than the constitutional method. If it is now proposed as an amendment or change of the Prayer-Book, under the Article of the Constitution, to be acted upon by another Convention, very well; but I submit respectfully that this Convention has not within it the power to make the change in the Book, because the Article of the Constitution shuts them out from it.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. That is what I want to do.

Rev. Dr. HALL, of Long Island. I say that the Prayer-Book is to be determined by the first standard Prayer-Book of 1793, as that Prayer-Book was amended by the correction of certain errata therein found. I have here a copy of it. That is the standard Prayer-Book which decides what the Prayer-Book was it left the hands of the compilers, and remained the standard Prayer-Book this Church to the end

of

as

of the century. Then the standard Book was the Book of the Prayer-Book Society in Pennsylvania. Now the Standard Prayer-Book is as you have it issued by the New York Bible and Common PrayerBook Society, without the colon. I understand that the colon is a musical sign. I think it a good thing to have; but I submit that you cannot have it until you alter the Prayer-Book, and that is to be done in only one way.

Rev. Mr. BROWN, of Michigan. Allow me to ask a question. Is it not proposed by the gentleman

who offered the resolution to have it sent to the Dioceses to have the Prayer-Book altered?

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. is what the proposition is.

That

The SECRETARY. There is nothing of that sort in the resolution at the desk.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. I am going to offer a new resolution.

Rev. Dr. BEACH, of New York. I suppose that if the gentleman intends that that resolution shall affect only the standard, it will be very harmless, for I am told by the publisher of the standard Prayer-Book that it will probably take some fifteen or twenty years to work off the first edition. If the cutting off of the tails of commas would make good singers in the Church, or if it would accomplish that which I think is more to be desired and more necessary-the making of good readers-I do not know but that I should go for it notwithstanding the expense, for I believe the gentleman had reference to

me.

As I understand it, however, all the Prayer-Books are to be altered by the insertion of these colons hereafter, or after the expiration of three years, if this passes. Now, it is to be considered by the Convention, I think, that there are thousands upon thousands of Prayer-Books in the hands of publishers of the Prayer-Book and the various societies which are getting out that book, and it is a very serious thing to these gentlemen and these societies to have such a resolution as this put in here. Already, this Hymnal business has made them stand aghast; and fears have been entertained that fortunes would be lost by the action of this Convention. I think that the money question is a very serious one.

Sir, the whole of this improvement which the gentleman speaks of in our services is already provided for. Books have been prepared with the pointed Psalter. The Psalter itself is published separately with the musical points. Another thought occurs to me. By whose authority, under whose management, and skill, and knowledge are these pointings to be made?

do

As I understand it, there is great difference of opinion among musical people as to where these points should be; and that is a question which ought to be decided in some way or other. If we are to have these points, I not think we must go to work and simply cut off the tails of the commas wherever they happen to be. I imagine that it will be found that these points will have to be put in in some different places from those which the Committee regard as the pro

per ones.

For all these reasons, I think we had better let the Prayer-Book alone in this regard, and leave the Churches to sing antiphonally, and use the Psalter in the Choirs according to the methods which have been already provided for them.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. It is to keep the Prayer-Book in our own hands that this resolution is proposed, and not to give it up to those who have no authority to publish it with the pointed Psalter. As to the place in which the colon is to be put, it is definitely determined by the resolution, that is the place where it has been in the English Prayer-Book since the days of the Reformation. That is good enough for us; that is all we want. It does not make so much difference where the point is, as that there is a point where we can come up. Rev. Mr. McCULLOUGH, of South Carolina. I venture to say a word which I would not presume to say if it were not that since I have been in New York I have ascertained that copies of Bishop White's history of the early proceedings of the Church are not very common, and, therefore, the fact may not be known to all the members of the

House that Bishop White defends himself with his usual humility for his persistence in insisting upon selections of Psalms, and gives, as a reason for it, that he thought those Psalms selected and published in selection were better adapted to be sung, a method which he considered the only proper method of using the Psalms of David in public worship; and thence I infer that the omission of the musical point in the Psalter was rather accidental and from carelessness. I merely call the attention of the House to this fact that Bishop White was an advocate, and so he has recorded himself, of the musical rendering of the Psalms.

The PRESIDENT. The question is on the adoption of the resolution.

Mr. MONTGOMERY, of Western New York. I should like to ask whether if the punctuation be so altered it will promote the intelligent reading of the Psalter, or whether it will interfere with it ?

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. It will not interfere with it.

Rev. Dr. DE KOVEN. of Wisconsin. It is simply the colon as it is found in the English Prayer-Book, and has been in the English Prayer-Book since the time of the Reformation.

The resolution was read as follows:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That the Standing Committee on the Standard Prayer-Book be authorized and instructed to introduce into all future editions of said standard Prayer Book the colon or musical pause in each verse of the Psalter and Canticles, in accordance with the pointing of the Prayer-Book of the Church of England."

That

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. resolution was reported favorably by the Committee on the Prayer-Book, with great unanimity, but the constitutional objection has been raised since, and I submit that the resolution which I offer now should be considered as an amendment to that, because it was supposed at the time the thing could be done immediately. But we find it cannot be done immediately, and therefore I propose the other method of sending it down to the Dioceses and acting upon it at the next General Convention. That is an amendment to the report of the Committee. The PRESIDENT. The amendment will be read. The Secretary read as follows:

"Resolved, That the resolution respecting the restoration of the colon or musical pause in the Psalter from the English Prayer-Book, as reported by the Committee on the Prayer-Book, be approved, so as to send the same down to the several Diocesan Conventions for their consideration, to be acted on at the next Convention."

Mr. MONTGOMERY, of Western New York. The resolution, to read properly, should be:

"Resolved further, That the above proposition be submitted to the Dioceses as a proposed amendment to the Prayer-Book, according to the article of the Constitution in such case provided."

Rev. Dr. HALL, of Long Island. I move that the matter be recommitted to the Committee on the Prayer-Book.

Rev. Dr. ADAMS, of Wisconsin. There is no use. of recommitting it. We are unanimous upon it, and I think it can be fixed in five minutes.

The PRESIDENT. The object of recommitment is merely to put it in form.

Mr. MONTGOMERY, of Western New York. I move that we suspend this order until it can be put in form and go on with the next.

Mr. SHEFFEY, of Virginia. The Committee on the Prayer-Book reported a resolution that "the original resolution requires constitutional action." Then, if you desire that that shall stand as a propo

sal to the Dioceses, all you have to do is to make it read thus:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That the following alteration of the Prayer-Book be proposed, to wit, that the Standing Committee," etc. The PRESIDENT. That is right. Is the House ready for the question?

Rev. Dr. GEER, of New York. I wish to ask if the Committee were unanimous in recommending that resolution?

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. There was no objection to it.

Rev. Dr. ADAMS, of Wisconsin. The Committee were unanimous.

Mr. MASSIE, of Virginia. That is a mistake. The Committee were not unanimous.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. At the suggestion of the Clerical Deputy from Kansas [Mr. Bakewell], I will put in the Selection of Psalms.

Rev. Dr. HALL, of Long Island. I do respectfully protest against this kind of loose legislation on important matters. There is a regular way of coming at this matter, and it is certainly going to be put through in a careless way. Here we have the report of the Committee, and the Committee itself seem to have had constitutional difficulties. we are going to add the Canticles, the other part of the Psalms, and so on.

Now

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. It is already added.

Rev. Dr. HALL, of Long Island. There is a regular way, I think, of proposing these matters:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That it be proposed to the several Dioceses that it is at the next Convention proposed to consider and determine upon the following resolution."

The PRESIDENT. I expect the resolution is substantially to that effect as it has now been amended. It will be read.

The Secretary read as follows:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That the following alteration in the Prayer-Book be proposed, to wit: That the Standing Committee on the Standard Prayer-Book be authorized and instructed to introduce into all future editions of said Standard Prayer-Book the colon or musical pause in each verse of the Psalter, Canticles, and Selection of Psalms, in accordance with the pointing of the Prayer-Book of the Church of England."

Mr. MONTGOMERY, of Western New York. That will not do. That gives power to a standing Committee to make changes. That is an alteration of the Prayer-Book.

The PRESIDENT. I suppose what you do by another you do by yourself.

Mr. MONTGOMERY, of Western New York. I wish to say but a single word. I stand alone, representing the lay Delegation of my Diocese, and I am utterly opposed to the pasage of the resolution at all. In another meeting I heard great credit given to the persons who have taken the dissemination of the Prayer-Book in hand. A large number at great expense have been disseminated, and great good has been accomplished. I am opposed to any alteration of the Book of Common Prayer. I am opposed to making the Psalter principally designed for singing instead of reading, and I am opposed to doing that which will destroy the value of tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of volumes already printed.

There are numerous objections to this in my mind. It seems to me that we are entering upon the question of altering the standard Book of Common Prayer, which has been sacredly preserved as the standard. Gentlemen here would not even commit the power to this Convention to make selections from Scripture, but they do not hesitate at all to alter the standard Book of Common Prayer. If

you alter it in a comma, you may alter the sense very materially.

Nobody knows, without a detailed examination, what would be the effect of putting a colon in the Psalter in reading. I know, in listening to the singing of anything, the division made is often such as utterly to destroy the sense; and the demands of the musical art, with which I am not familiar, require that changes in the sense should be made, thus unfitting the matter for reading. But my general principle is that I am opposed to any alteration of the standard Book of Common Prayer as now preserved in the archives of this Church without the greatest object; and the object of this is to make the Psalter to be sung instead of read. A Rubric in the beginning of the Prayer-Book says the Psalter shall be read. I do not deny the right of people to sing the Psalter if they think fit to do so. But we have Rubrics, which authorize many parts of the Prayer-Book to be either said sung a distinction which is maintained throughout, and you will here sanction the practice in the Church by the vote of this Convention that "said" and "sung" are indiscriminate terms, and whether the Rubric says "the following shall be said or sung or merely says it "shall be said" makes no difference. Perhaps that has passed into a law already, but I am not in favor of voting for it in this way.

or

Mr. KING, of Long Island. In ninety-nine parishes out of a hundred, I venture to say, the Psalter is read and not sung.

I

Rev. Dr. BEARDSLEY, of Connecticut. should like the colon, as it is in the English PrayerBook, but I was opposed to this resolution in Committee, and did not vote for it. A majority of the Committee, however, were in favor of presenting it here, and I have said nothing against it, and did not intend to say anything against it; but my brother from Long Island (Rev. Dr. Hall) has intimated that the constitutional question was not thought of by the Committee. It was thought of and considered.

Rev. Dr. HALL, of Long Island. I beg pardon; I meant here on the floor of the Convention.

Rev. Dr. BEARDSLEY, of Connecticut. I should be willing to see the resolution adopted, but I do not think, at the present stage of the session, this House ought to go into such an important matter as this; for it is an important matter. It will disturb the feelings of a great many persons in our Church, and it will be better to let it go over for the present. Three years ago this same resolution was introduced, and referred to the Committee on PrayerBook, and that Committee reported against it. Precisely the same resolution was introduced this year, and a majority of the Committee were in favor of it.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. I beg pardon; this resolution was not proposed at the last Convention.

Rev. Dr. BEARDSLEY, of Connecticut. You will find a record of it in the Journal of the last Convention.

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. Not this resolution, but another resolution.

Rev. Dr. BEARDSLEY, of Connecticut. stantially the same thing.

Sub

Rev. Dr. HUBBARD, of New Hampshire. That wasa resolution to point the Psalter by the cadence, and all the musical points. This resolution only proposes one point, the colon.

Rev. Dr. BEARDSLY, of Connecticut. It is substantially the same thing. I have no objection to it personally, but I do not think that it would be well for the House to adopt it at present.

Rev. Dr. FARRINGTON, of New Jersey. I simply wish to call attention to the fact that this action is not final. It is simply to propose this change

sents the Canon in precisely the language that it has come from the House of Bishops. After the report was agreed on it was thought that something had been done last Saturday by this House that would interfere with the Canon in the way in which it was decided on ; but the Committee of Conference after consideration think that their report need not be changed; that all the matters which were given to them as a Joint Committee of Conference are completely stated and fully treated upon in the report. But it appears to them that in order to reconcile this report with former proceedings of the House, and also in order to complete the Hymnal so that everything about it will be just as it should be, some resolution of this kind should be passed:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That the Canon on Church Music be printed in all anthorized editions of the revised Hymnal, upon the fourth page of the same, in place of the matter now upon that page, and that this resolution take the place of the third, passed by the House of Bishops, as in Message No. 73 to this House, and concurred in by this House on the twenty-second day of its session."

That resolution was that the matter which is now upon the fourth page of the revised Hymnal be printed there, and have the authority of a Canon. Now a Canon has actually been adopted which, in some respects, varies from that matter which is there printed. Hence it is proposed that that Canon be printed in the place of the inatter which we have already authorized to be printed there, and we repeal, in substance, the resolution which was passed on last Saturday. If, then, the House will take up the Canon, either as concurring with the House of Bishops or else as it is presented by the Committee of Conference and will pass it, this resolution following after that Canon will be sent to the House of Bishops, and when concurred in by them will complete this vexed matter.

I move, first, that we concur in the message from the House of Bishops.

Rev. Dr. FARRINGTON, of New Jersey. As I understand the message from the House of Bishops, it does not state, in accordance with the requirements of Canon 2 of Title 4, where this proposed Canon shall come in the Digest. It is expressly required by Canon 2 of Title 4 that it shall be named that the Canon is adopted as Canon so-and-so of Title so-and-so. That omission ought to be corrected before we pass it. Perhaps the Committee on Canons can straighten that out now. Where shall it come in the Digest?

The PRESIDENT. The question is on concurring in the message just read with regard to the music of the Church.

Rev. Mr. DOUGLASS, of Delaware. I hope this proposition will pass. Some of us law and order men had doubt as to singing before; but if we have the authority of the Church, all will be well. Some one has said, "Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who may make its laws." I do rejoice that in matters of Ritual, so far as music is concerned, there has been so great an advance within the last few years. I do most heartily thank the Committee.

The message was concurred in.

Rev. Dr. BURGESS, of Massachusetts. Now I move this resolution:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That the Canon on Church Music "

And then mention the message in which it oc

curs

-"be printed in all authorized editions of the revised Hymnal, upon the fourth page of the same, in place of the matter now upon that page; and that this resolution take the place of the third passed by the

House of Bishops, as in Message No. 73 to this House, and concurred in by this House on the twenty-second day of this session."

The PRESIDENT. The question is on the adoption of the resolution just read.

The resolution was agreed to.

THE REVISED HYMNAL.

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Mr. SHEFFEY, of Virginia. A committee was appointed on Saturday, under a resolution offered by the Rev. Dr. Hall, of Long Island, in respect to the correction of typographical, clerical, and other mistakes in the revised Hymnal, and they have prepared and unanimously agreed to the report which I hold in my hand. I will state, before reading the report, that "I have myself, in connection with member of the Committee and one of the Trustees charged with the duty of publishing the Hymnal, very carefully examined the subject, and we are satisfied that the emendations or corrections specified in this report are all that will be required, so that the two Houses will know that the Hymnal as revised and printed with these modifications will be the Hymnal to be used. I submit, therefore, the following report:

"The Special Committee to whom was referred the resolution offered by the Rev. Dr. Hall, in respect to certain typographical, clerical, and other mistakes found to exist in the revised Hymnal, and the correction thereof, in order that the editions to be published may, as far as practicable, be accurate, have carefully considered the subject, and recommend the adoption of the following resolution:

"Resolved (the House of Bishops concurring), That the Trustees authorized by a former joint resolution of the two Houses of the General Convention to superintend the revision and publication of the revised Hymnal, with power to make the typographical and other changes necessary to conform it to the report of the Committee on the Hymnal, be instructed in the discharge of their duties:

"1. To make all necessary corrections of clerical or typographical errors, or mistakes in punctuation in the text of the Hymnal, as revised and authorized by the General Convention at its present session:

"2. To substitute for the word 'Jesu' the word 'Jesus' wherever it occurs.

"3. To make the following corrections, in the printed slip, distributed to the Convention, and headed Changes in the Hymnal,' and reported by the Joint Committee:

"a. Hymn 315 to be printed as in the 'Hymnal' instead of as in 'Prayer-Book.'

"b. Hymn 378 to remain as in the 'Revised Hymnal,' being Hymn No. 63 of Prayer-Book.

c. Hymn 393, substitute for this the Hymnal version. At the end of the Hymn add the 'PrayerBook' version as Hymn 532.

"4. To make the following alterations, so that as to the Hymns named the revised Hymnal may correspond with the standard edition of the Hymnal:

a. Hymn 219, verse 3, line 4, substitute 'might well' for would their.'

"b. Hymn 405, verse 2, line 1, substitute 'know that the Lord' for the Lord ye know.'

"c. Hymn 489, verse 3, line 3, substitute 'farseeing' for foreseeing.'

"d. Hymn 496, insert fourth verse from Bickersteth, and omit fifth verse, as now printed.

"e. Hymn 502, verse 2, line 4, substitute the word 'sovereign' for the word 'gracious.'

5. To make the corrections as proposed by the Hymnal Committee, and as set forth in the printed sheet, submitted to the Convention and headed 'corrections.'