a Cathedral should acquaint his Quire that such a New Anthem he thought might very properly be Sung and they notwithstanding should Tune their Voices to an old One and tell him that they thought themselves more capable of judging what was fit to be Sung than he Nor can I think that the Patrons of this Work are any more culpable for encourageing it than a Dean would be for Designing a New Anthem nor the Promoters of it any more to blame than the Quire would be had they chearfully obey'd him For these Reasons it was that a person of Honour in this Nation living in a Parish where the Bishops Recommendation came to the Minister and finding it neglected spoke to his Pastor to this effect Sir How can you expect that your Parishioners should pay a due respect to you when you pay so little to your King and your Diocesan Or readily comply with that Advice that you give when you hearken so little to that which is sent you by your Superiors And for this Reason it is that so many Reverend and Devout Persons are heartily dispos'd towards the promoting this Design because they are loath to expose the Authority of their Superiors to contempt which they judge they must incur by a careless or violent Opposition to it And which they sancy would amount to little less than this viz. When their Lordships tell them they cannot do no less than wish a good Success to this Royal Indulgence should they contemn it it would be in effect to tell their Lordships nor we do less than wish it no Success at all When their Lordships say they sind it a Work done with so much Judgment and Ingenuity Should these decry and run it down it would look as if they should answer we could never find out where either the Judgment or Ingenuity lay And when the Bishops affirm that they are persuaded it may take off that unhappy Objection which has hitherto lain against the Singing Psalms Should these Men after this make use of the Old Ones would it not be to tell the World that they think the Objection is very frivolous and the Old Psalms are a laudable part of our Devotion Thus they argue for their just compliance and should they be of a contrary Opinion this would be to magnifie their own Judgment in Opposition to that of their Superiors Whereas the tender Regard and Veneration they have for the Reputation and Advice of their Ecclesiastical Governours and the fear of exposing their Counsels to contempt especially in an Age so licentious and wild as this binds them within the Rules of a filial Obedience and ingages them not to be too remiss in paying Honour to whom such Honour is due This therefore shall serve for the first Argument I have chosen for the Use of these Psalms being drawn from Reason which is always willing to support Government to pay a due respect to Superiors and a chearful complyance to their good Advice The Second Argument I propos'd to insist upon for Vindicating the Design of the Patrons and Promoters of this Work of introducing it into the Churches was deriv'd from the Conformity of it to the Constitutions of our Church and the Authorit of Convocations And so it plainly appears as much as it is allow'd of by the King and recommeded by the Bishops For in the Rubrick before the Sentence at the Offertory are these Words And nothing shall be proclaim'd or publish'd in the Church during the time of Divine Service but by the Minister nor by him any thing but what is prescrib'd in the Rules of this Book or enjoyn'd by the King or the Ordinary of the place Where by the way thus much we may observe that no Clark of a Parish can Sing in the Church but as he is directed by his Minister and as he Acts as his Deputy But against the strength of this Rubrick I fore-see you may thus argue That this New Version is neither enjoyn'd by the King nor the Ordinary of the Place as the Rubrick specifies and therefore it can receive no Countenance or Authority from thence And so far I confess the Objection seems to be valid but yet tho' neither the King nor the Ordinary literally enjoyn yet they allow and recommend these Psalms and that Rubrick which impowers them to enjoyn does much more impower them to allow and recommend for Omne majus in this case includit minus And tho' 't is true I confess that by this Authority these Psalms are not enjoyn'd to be Sung Yet by the Authority of this Rubrick none else can be Sung because none else are expresly allow'd of and recommended by the King and the Ordinary Now we must remember that the Rubrick contains in it the Power and Force both of a Convocation and an Act of Parliament because it is Establish'd by both their Authorities And tho' in its Original it was only a Canon yet was it confirm'd as a Law And therefore this Version coming abroad recommended by the Anthority of this Rubrick which impowers both the King and the Ordinary not only to enjoyn but much more to allow and recommend comes abroad stampt with the Approbation both of Convocation and Act of Parliament And he seems to vacat both their Authorities who opposes that Encouragement which it has already receiv'd from His Majesty and the Bishops and endeavours to enervate all their Efficacy and Strength by rendring them useless and insignificant And since it has been thought fit that the Persons Constituting that Learned Body of the Convocation should have their Vote for approving at least what was sit to be us'd in the several Parts of the Publick Service and since this very Society have by their own voluntary Consent allow'd that the King or the Bishops may enjoyn or recommend what is fit or decent upon occasion whoever therefore it is that contradicts this Authority which they have freely consented should be vested in the King and the Bishops seems directly to oppose the Power of that Sacred Body and to be a direct Enemy to the Rights and Priviledges of a Convocation Besides By vertue of that Authority which is vested in our Kings K. James the I. Issued out his Royal Commission for that New Translation of the Bible which is now daily read in Churches Nor can I find that ever any Convocation since that time have thought that Commission an Infringement of their Rights and Liberties but rather an Allowance and a sign of the Ratification of them And certainly it is none of the least Honours and Felicities that our Convocations have reason to boast of when Kings are pleas'd thus to act by their Canons and to be directed by their Constitutions so making good the Prophetick Character given of them that they should be nursing Fathers of the Church Isa. 49. 23. If then the present Version of the Bible be thought sit to be used upon all occasions in our Churches Chappels and Congregatious by
A BREIF And Full ACCOUNT OF Mr. Tate's and Mr. Brady's New VERSION OF THE PSALMS By a true Son of the Church of England LONDON Printed for Joseph Wild at the Elephant at Charing-Cross M DC XCVIII TO All the Learned and Pious PATRONS AND PROMOTERS OF THE New VERSION OF THE PSALMS This small TREATISE SHEWING That the Vse of them in Churches Chappels and Congregations Having the Royal Allowance of His Majesty in Council and the Recommendation of several of the Bishops is agreeable to the Constitutions of the Church of England and the Authority of Convocations Is Humbly Dedicated by Their Most obedient Servant A Modest Vindication OF THE New VERSION OF THE PSALMS THE fond Affection which Men retain for ancient Customs is generally so very powerful and prevailing that a Reformation even from the most prejudicial of them is hardly obtain'd without putting an ungrateful task upon Humane Nature for by lonḡ acquaintance they insinuate themselves so insensibly into our Love and Esteem that they frequently blind our Reason inslave and captivate our Inclinations and we can never release our selves from their Tyranny without mighty Strugling and Reluctance 'T is to these prejudices mainly that the various false Religions in the World owe their maintenance and support and to these likewise must be ascrib'd all those several Heats and Contests which so grievoufly disturb'd these Nations at the time of our Reformation from the gross Errors of the Church of Rome And to what else but these can we more candidly impute those unexpected Endeavours that have been used against the New Version of the Psalms Which design'd to retreive that part of our Devotion from the many palpable Absurdities which were in the Old Translation and has been so lasting a reproach to the Honour of our Church However it is hoped that this unhappy Objection may at length be taken off and nothing retain'd in our publick Service which may be matter of just offence to any and that therefore we shall not indulge any Error when we have so fair an opportunity of seeing it Corrected And that I may vindicate our Church from such as asperse her in this particular and are willing to impeach her Credit and impair her Reputation by alledging that the Anciens Psalms of Sternhold and Hopkins were injoyn'd as part of her publick Devotion I must crave leave to correct this great Mistake and do acquaint them that the Old Version never had any particular Recommendation either from the King or Bishops or Convocation and that this New Translation is that which has obtain'd both the Allowance and Recommendation of Authority And after I have given them a short account of its Rise and Proḡress will endeavour to let them see that the publick use of it in our Churches is agreeable to Reason conformable to the Constitutions of our Church and the Authority of Convocations and subservient to the Advancement and Increase of Piety And therefore that this fmall Tract does hereupon humbly presume to bespeak the Favour of all such persons as have any regard for Reason or Devotion or the Government in Church or State But First I will endeavour to give some account of the Rise and Progress of this New Version which has been thought by some of the greatest Men of the times to be a Work so well perform'd and so favourable a Providence has all along attended it that they seem to promise it a very kind Reception and Encouragement in the World and it has already met with considerable Encouragement The Undertakers at first propos'd this pious Design between themselves but in a little time it was Communicated and as speedily Receiv'd and Nourish'd by Persons of the Highest Rank and principal Authority in the Nation both in Church and State Whose Abilities being agreeable to the Eminence of their Quality gave them an advantageous prospect into all the convenience and necessity of so good a Work and what a dissusive and opportune Blessing it was likely to prove to the Reform'd Church of these Dominions particularly in removing those daily Exceptions which are made against this part of our publick Devotion Whereupon the late Queen of Blessed and Immortal Memory was pleas'd to promise it Her Royal Countenance And the late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury whose excellent Endowments were so suitable to the Dignity of his Station did freely acquaint the Translators That he was glad so useful a Work was carrying on in his Days After the Kingdom had sustain'd so considerable a loss by the Death of those two Eminent Persons who were such Ornaments to the Nation the present Arch Bishop who was chosen to succeed in the See of Canterbury and acquits himself so well in that weighty Charge which he has in the Church was pleas'd to look favourably upon this Religious Design and support that Patronage which they had promis'd it And many more of the learned and judicious Prelates who were unwilling that a Design so Pious and Useful should meet with any Obstruction gave it likewise their Encouragement Besides these Sir John Sommers now Lord High-Chancelour of England the Earl of Pembroke Lord Privy-Seal the Earl of Dorset and Middlesex and the Right Honourable Charles Mountague Chancellour of the Exchequer all Persons of singular and shining Parts were the great support of the Undertaking and the mighty Patrons and Promoters of this difficult and Religious Work Among whom there are not wanting Persons of such accurate Judgment in all Poetick excellence and of such skill in that Language wherein the Psalms were originally writ that the very mention of their Names in such a Work as this is sufficient to Recommend it effectually to all this part of the Ingenious World and their Stamp upon it to make it pass currant for Standard Verse with all the best Masters of Poetry among us The Translators who attempted it were sufficiently known to them for their Qualifications and Abilities who were neither Ignorant of the Nature and Genius of true Poetry nor Strangers to the Learned Languages And such as are absolute Judges in this matter do justly own the near Relation there is between the English and the Original When the Work was finish'd and had pass'd the Censure of his Grace the Arch-Bishop and several more of his Brethern the Right Reverend Prelates who vouchsaf'd to peruse it and give in their Alterations and Remarks a Petition was presented to His Majesty in Council for allowing the liberty of a publick Reception of it in all Churches Chappels and Congregations which was accordingly granted and is now Printed before the Book and runs thus At the Court at KENSINGTON December 3. 1696. Present The King 's Most Excellent Majesty in COUNCIL UPON the humble Petition of Nicholas Brady and Nahum Tate this Day read at the Board setting forth that the Peti'ioners have with their utmost Care and Industry compleated A New Version of the Psalms of David in English Metre fitted for Publick Use and humbly
the Authority of the King which is backt by that of Act of Parliament and Convocation I can see no reason why the same Authority should not interpose and be allow'd of which has appear'd in the Approbation of this New Translation of the Psalms And as for that Version which has hitherto been used it never found that Encouragement from any persons legally vested with Authority in spirituals that this new one has been favour'd with no not from a Convocation it self and sor the rest of the late ones they cannot pretend to it And the silence of so many Convocations since the Reformation is so far from being an Argument for the Old One that on the contrary it is a presumptive Evidence that that Religious Assembly thought it their Prudence not to interpose their Influences in encouraging such a thing as in their Opinion did not deserve it Whoever therefore it is that opposes that Authority which the New Translation has obtain'd seems plainly to deprive the Convocation of those Signal Honours and Immunities appertaining to them which the Parliament has been pleas'd to confirm and the King and the Bishops are pleas'd to Act by who have the executive Power of those Laws and Constitutions which the other fram'd confer'd on them As appears in that Order which was given by King Charles II. for using the three Forms of Prayer which are annext to the Common prayer-Prayer-Book CHARLES R. Our Will and Pleasure is That these three Forms of Prayer and Service made for the 5th of November the 30th of January and the 29th of May be faithfully Printed and Publish'd and for the future annext to the Book of Common Prayer and Liturgy of the Church of England to be used yearly on the said Days in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Chappels in all Chappels Colleges and Halls within both our Vniversities and of our Colledges of Eaton and Winchester and in all Parish Churches and Chappels within our Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed Given at our Court at Whitehall the 2d day of May in the 14th Year of our Reign By His Majesty's Command Edw. Nicholas And what is more observable these very Forms were with such Alterations as were then necessary receiv'd and us'd in the Church by virtue of a like Order from the late Queen of ever blessed Memory For the Right that is attributed by our Laws to our Kings is lodged in the Constitution of our common Laws and is an Original Contract between the King and the Estates of this Realm and that upon a civil Incorporation of the Church and its Powers and Ordinances into the Civil State and Secular Authority Municip Eccles. p. 136. But still you 'l say that tho' by this Rubrick which I lately mention'd the Use of any Psalms but the New Ones is forbid because they only are approv'd of and by Authority recommended yet are we not enjoyn'd to Sing these publickly and there fore it is at our liberty to forbear in our Churches all Psalmody if we please But in Answer to this I only desire that that solemn Ingagement which was made to the Bishop at the Time of Ordination may be consider'd For then the Bishop asks the Person that is to be ordain'd Priest this Question Will you reverently obey your Ordinary and other chief Ministers unto whom is committed the Charge and Government over you following with a good Mind and Will their godly Admonitions and submitting your self to their godly Judgments Answ. I will do so God being my helper Where it is plain that the Priest obliges himself by a Solemn and formal Promise reverently to obey his Ordinary and submit himself to his godly Judgment therefore if any one reject this New Translation of the Psalms recommended to him by his Bishop I cannot see how he can avoid the Censure of casting a scandalous Reproach upon the godly Judgment of his Ordinary and palpably violating that religious obligation which he solemnly enter'd into at the time of his Ordination before the Bishop the Priests and all the Congregation But I fancy the Persons are but few who will be so hardy against their own Conscience and cancel all that Veneration which is due both to their Diocesan and themselves if they hope that God should be their Helper However it is apparent that the Use of this New Version is conformable to the Constitution of our Church which lays upon all her Sons a very strict Ingagement of acting suitably to her pious Intentions And therefore those that encourage and promote it tell us this in their own vindication that till a civil complyance with our Governors must pass for an instance of factious Obedience and the Observance of the Constitutions of the Church and the Authority of Convocations in a thing lawful and commendable is Vncanonical Till it be prov'd that the Governours in Church and State have countenanc'd a thing impious or unlawful or have recommended a thing for which they had no just Authority this New Translation cannot easily be rejected by them 2. And they justly think it cannot be inveterately oppos'd by any unless it be by some few persons who may envy the production because it is not their own or because it has met with such good Success or those that are prejudic'd against the Royal Allowance because William R. is on the Front of it or such as look upon the recommendatory Letter of a Diocesan as only a meer matter of Form or lastly those who are such zealous Admirers of Antiquity that they will object against any thing barely for its being New The third Argument for the reception of the New Psalms is That they are subservient to the advancement of Piety and Devotion And this arises from the genuine Excellence and Composure of this New Version which by many degrees surpasses the Old But if any will vindicate the Old and think them preferable to these their Judgment it seems runs quite counter to that of the Government which would never have thought fit to encourage this New Version had it not esteem'd it far Superiour And that the Wisdom of the Government was not herein if any one imagin it mistaken I appeal to the Sense of all Mankind who will please as the Patrons and Promoters of this Version have done impartially to peruse and compare them and I could easily make appear by several Instances taken from such Old Psalms as are esteem'd the most unexceptionable among them But I rather choose to cast a Veil upon their Infirmities and since they formerly liv'd in some Repute to let them die without exposing their weaknesses Whereas in the Translation which is recommended we commonly find such devout and shining Sense as makes them fit to be Sung in the Beauty of Holiness such heavenly Expressions as are apt to inflame and inspire the Soul and raise it to David's seraphick pitch and with such a mixture of Majestick Gravity as fully represents the