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
praying His Majesty's Royal Allowance that the said Version may be used in such Congregations as shall think fit to receive it His Majesty taking the same into His Royal Consideration is pleas'd to Order in Council That the said New Version of the Psalms in English Merre be and the same is hereby Allowed and Permitted to be Vs'd in all Churches Chappels and Congregations as shall think fit to receive the same W. Bridgman And because a matter of this Universal Moment and Concern requir'd all imaginable Care and Industry for qualifying it for so publick an End as it was Design'd for and that no caution might be omitted for bringing this Work to full Maturity and Pertection the Translators invited all their Friends been in City and Country to supervise and correct what was amiss fearing least an overweening partiality to their own Endeavours might bribe their Judgments and warp their Sentiments into too favourable an Opinion of their own Performances for knowing the variety of Humours it was to struggle with and the great difficulty of suiting a Poem to every Temper which this was to engage they thought of no Method so likely for mastering this Discouragement as to try the Bent of every Genius what Thoughts and Apprehensions they had of it before it was permitted to venture abroad Transcribing herein that excellent Rule of Horace in his Book de Arte Poetica wherein he advises us to submit our Performance to the severest Censure Si quid tamem olim Scripseris in Meci descendat Judicis aures Yet if it ever be your Fate to write Let your Productions pass tbe strictest hand Roscom Transl. Which is a Method whereby any Author may give a remarkable Instance of his Wisdom and Humility tho he cannot always of his Ingenuity After it had been thus Corrected by the Bishops and the Translators friends and the Work it self with the usefulnes of it had been so fairly represented to His Majesty in Council by his Grace the Lord Arch bishop of Canterbury and others that it gain'd a publick Approbation by His Majesty's Royal Indulgence The Lord Bishop of London thought fit to send out his circular Letters of Recommendation to all his Clergy within his Diocess For that worthy Prelate did in this case nothing deviate either from his Native or additional Honour but after the very first time that he promis'd this Version his Favour he was so cautious of giving the least Umbrage of suspition that he was unmindful of his Word that he spread it as much as lay in him universally And at the same time gave an Instance of that Respect which was due both to his Sovereign and himself and shew'd that he was as little capable of neglecting so reasonable a thing which his Prince had countenane'd as he was of violating his own voluntary Obligation And no sooner came his Lordships Letter abroad but it was chearfully receiv'd by several of his Clergy within the City but no where sooner as I am inform'd than in that learned Auditory in Serjeants Inn in Fleetstreet where it was very much approv'd of but more especially by the Right Honourable the Lord Chief Justice Treby whose Judgment and Ingenuity are so unquestionable Much about the same time the Grave and Judicious Members of Lincolns-Inn appointed it to be Sung in their Chappel the following Term as a Mark of the publick Approbation of that Honourable Society And several of the Bishops reading my Lord of London's Letter found it a thing so thorowly weigh'd and such excellent Reasons given for the dispersing it universally that without any further Hesitation they resolv'd to make that the Original for them to Copy after and the Standard of their Direction and therefore transcrib'd it without any alteration but that of their Names and afterward scatter'd it throughout their respective Diocesses Upon which his Grace the Lord Arch-Bishop of York whom all Mankind so justly Respect and Honour acquainted the Authors of this Version by a Letter which he sent up to his Brother in the City that he was then going his Visitation and would recommend it to all his Clergy as he went along and that already some of them pleas'd with so pious a Proposal had sent to the City for Books for their Congregations For his Grace was pleas'd to acquaint the Tranflators some time ago that whenever they could obtain any Encouragement from the Government he would endeavour to disperse it throughout his Province Having proceded thus far in the History of this New Translation and declar'd its Original and that favour able Entertainment it has met with from Persons of such Unquestionable Judgment and Authority of such Eminent Piety and Learning by whose Kindness and Encouragement it has made such Steps and Progress not only in this fam'd Metropolis but in some of the remotest parts of the Nation I will now proceed to give some Reasons for the Vindication of that Encouragement which it has already met with or hereafter may receive and endeavour likewise to answer such Objections as may be made either against the Patrons or Promoters of this Work Not that I can mistrust the Reception of it in an Age so Religious and refin'd as This but only because some persons who can endure nothing but what is Old may be startled at its Novelty and look upon it as some do upon New Fashions which tho' never so decent and proper and convenient for us to use yet they cannot bear the sight of them because neither they nor their Fore-Fathers were ever accustom'd to them And that it is only this unreasonable prejudice which thus imposes upon them and so inslaves them to Antiquity in this matter this very Argument will I hope make evident which is that if this New Version had been so long entertain'd in our Churches as the Old One has been and Sternhold and Hopkins had now offer'd their Compositions instead of it they would certainly be rejected by all degrees of Men with the utmost contempt But I will hasten to the Arguments which as I told you I design'd to make use of to promote a general Reception of this Translation which we e the agreeableness of this Design with Reason the Conformity of it with the Constitutions of our Church and the Authority of Convecations and its subserviency to the Advancement and Increase of Piety By all which I will endeavour fairly to represent the Vsefulness of this Pious and Laborious Work friendly to remove those prejudices that may be rashly taken up against either the Design it self or the Favourers of it and amicably to reconcile the unbias'd Reader to a candid and kind Opinion of it For I think the best Argument loses ground when it looks ill natur'd or severe First therefore I will endeavour to let you see the Agreableness of this Design with Reason And both this and the other Arguments which I have chosen to insist upon are plainly intimated in the Letter of the Bishops