The Litchfield County post., 1828-07-24
.G@0NTY lp@sT.
LITCHFIELD, JULY 24, l82s.

LITCHFIELD, JULY 24, 182S. MR. SMITH
 The publication, in your paper of the following ex- trac from the writings of the late excellent and la- mented Bishop Heber, will be highly acceptable to many ofyour readers. The passage quoted, is found in the preface of that learned pous and iustrious preate, to collection of his Hymnss and is in- tended, as solemn reproof ofthe indecent fanatcal, and profane familiarity of Language, with which the Deity is frequentymentioned, and addressed, in some of the selections of hymns now in use, in many of our congregations, and throughout the religious community.
 In the preface, referred to, the Bishop proceeds thus 'In respect at least, he hopes, the follow "Ing poems will not be found reprehensibe mo fu- ''some, or indecorous language has been knowingly 'adopted: erotic* addresses to Him, whom no un- "cean lip can approach; DO allegory Misunderstood, and worse applied: It is not enough in his opinion, "to object to such expressions that they fanat ] ''cal they are positively prefans. When Sa- "viour was on earth, and m great humility, conver- ''san with mankind when he sat at the tables, and ''washed the feet, and healed the diseases, of his Creatures; yet did not his disciples give him any 'more familiar name, than Master, or Lord. And now, at the right hand of his Fathers majesty shall i've address him, with duties ofem6races aud passion, "or language, which it would be disgraceful in an earthly sovereign, to endure Such expressions, it Sis said, taken from Scripture; but even if the "orignal application, which is often doubtful, were "ceariy and unequivocally ascertained; yet though the collective Christian church may, very properly, "be personlfed, as the spouse of Christ; appca- 'tion of such language to individual believers, is as "dangerous as it is absurd and unauthorized. Nor is ''if going far to assert that the brutaltes of "common swearer can hardly bring religion into 'sure contempt, or more scandalousy profane the "Name, which is above every name in heaven and "earh, than certain epithets, applied to Christ in ''popular collections of religious poetry" -
 *Amatory.
 It is to be hoped, that such rebuke sanctioned by such name, as that of HEBER, will not be entirely lost upon the public, His animadversions, however, ought not to be understood applicable, erclusiuely to that class of hymns, to which he alIudes. They may be applied, with at least equal pertnency ant force, to language, of similar kind, often heard in sermons, and devotional exercises, in religious as- semblies, and too often found, in religious publica- tons, of various kinds. It has become no uncommon thing to hear the GodheaG, and more especially, the Saviour of men, addressed, mentioned, by profess sed Christians, in such terms of familiarity and equal ty, loyal subject would presume to address to his earthly sovereign-no respectful servant to his master--and no dutul hd, of the age ofdiscretion to his parent But all this is incomparably less offensive and revolGng than to hear or read, as we often do, addresses made to the Supreme Being in such terms of fond endeareat, and tender emotion modest rustic lover would scarcely venture to whis per to his favourite damsel!
 It is certainly, high time, that the fanaticaI, and profane not to say blasphemous, extravaganza, of which am speaking, should be made the subject of public apprehension. It is of a contagious nature i; and there great danger that the devotional aSte f the expression is allowable, of the Christian piblic may, by being often obliged to endure, be brought, at length, to approue of, and embrace, it.
 Let not be supposed, that these strctures gra tuitous, that they are merely the suggestions of censoiious or fastidious spirit To show, that they are neither the one, the other, take the liberty to present very few examples of the presumptuous
 
 Entire columns of your paper might easily be filled, with quotations of similar kind: But am unwilling to introduce of them, than may seem necessary to justify. and exempify, these remarks.-Thc few following selections taken from some of the popu- lar hynns, now in use, in many of our religious plies:
 1. "Hal, prince offe, forever hail!
 '"Redeemer, BROTHER, FRIEND!"
 2. DEAREST of all the names above,
 "MY Jesus, and my God!"
 g. "Jesus, LOVER of my soul!
 "Let me to thy BOSOM fyn't
 A. "Jesus can make dying bed,
 "Feel soft, as downy pillows are
 "Whie on his BREAST Iiean ms head, 'And breathe ay Lite out, SWIFTLY, there!
 And is thIs, such this, the language of Chris tan humility, of Christian rererence or of Christian purity of thought and expression! To this question, it might reasonably be supposed, there could be but tOfthese two lines, there is, indeed, different version, which is endurable to modest reader.