The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-03-01
BAPTIST APPRECIATION OF
WHICH CHURCHMEN."

BAPTIST APPRECIATION OF
MHIGH CHURCHMEN."
A writer in the Examiner (Baptist
says
Prominent among our debls 10 the
Tractarians is the restoration to our
Church services of the idea of worship
The reformers, reacting naturally from
the custom of the Roman Church, placed
undue influence on the element OF IN
struction to the neglect of worship Inc
influence of this reaction is still telt'-
We have been going to church simply
IN hear a sermon, The whole service
has been conducted with reference to
that sermon; we have forgotten that the
same God who is pleased'by the foolish
ness of preaching to save such as are
saved has said, Whose offereth praise
glorifieth me- The High Churchmen
have called renewed attention to the
Importance of worship, and this idea is
gaining ground in all churches. Ii Is
exemplified in the growing frequency
with which the Lords Prayer is recited
in concert and the Psalms read respon-
siveiy.
Further, our worship has been en-
riched by the attention which the High
Churchmen have paid to hymonology.
Their mastery translations from the
Greek and Latin are everywhere known,
everywhere loved. Taking up the
hymnal compiled by DR., Robinson, DIR.
Macarthur, l find fifty or sixty hymns
due to this source. In DR.. Robinson's
latest book the percentage is much
higher, They are sung also in Sunday
schools and social meetings. Gospel
Hymns and Sacred Songs are the anti
podes of Hymns Ancient and Modern,
vet it is not without its Indebtedness to
the latter. These statements mean more
if we remember the quality of the hymns
which the Tractarians have given u.s.
To them we owe such translations as
Jerusalem the golden and Jesus, the
very thought of Thee They have Civ
en- us 'Hark! bark my soul, Son of my
SOUL, and Abide with me- Many more
could be named which deserve, and will
in time win, almost as great favor.
Cooperating with these hymnlsts
were number of most able musicians
to whom our psalmody is greatly in
debted. Prominent among them are
Monk and Dykes, Hopkins and Gaunt-
lett. by them many of the hymns Just
mentioned have been welded to tunes
of the highest musical beauty which in
expression are exactly suited to the
words. The High Church musicians
have embodied, though not formulated,
certain vital principles of psalmody.-
Their hymnals, for instance, do not CON
tain extracts from Tampa and Der
Freischutz,' nor do they, like some, hold
it as means of grace to
MAKE the soul dance u on Jig to hea-
ven.'
Their music is always well adapted to
the words. AS far as possible their
tunes are either written especially for
hymns or fitted to them by general Gus
tom. They are tunes which satisfy the
severest taste, yet touch the popular
heart, tunes which yield the palm, if at
all, only to the German chorale as an
expression of the peoples praise to God
But Tractariauism has influenced work
as well as worship; it has inspired no
BILE efforts to help the poor and the de-
graded. 1t is a well known fact that
the most potent influence at work in
evangeli7ing the outcasts of London is
the labor of the High Church clergy
This influence has crossed the ocean and
is felt throughout our land. Not only do
our High Church friends show us an ex-
ample of activity. but they could teach
us much as to the best methods of di'
recting our activity.
When a single movement has exerted
an influence so far reaching, and on the
whole so beneficent, we may not admire
it, but we surely owe it far more respect
than some of us are accustomed to give
it. Recognition of the dangers attending
this movement is by no means incom-
patible with recognition of and graft
tude for the benefits that English
speaking Chrstendom has received from