The Washington times., 1903-10-16
Gospel Hymns Defended.
An Indignant Correspondent Expresses
His Belief in Their Beauty.

AL AHO1SHohb correspondent Expresses
His Belief in Their Beauty.
A voluminous letter, written on pa
per of saffron hue, has been received
from an indignant reader of Tn
Times, who takes exception TO the
statement of the musical director in
Nashburn College, that the songs
known as Gospel Hymns are immor-
al. He thinks 1T is all a question o.
taste" and goes on to support his
OWL taste with arguments quite as
yellow as his stationery
He quotes the New York Tribune
a saying that the religious sentiment
OF the American people us more
nearly ideally expressed in the Cos
pei Hymns than in any other class of
LymEs,' a statement to which excep-
ticn will be taken so long as the aver
age American, in his moments of
deepest feeling, Instinetisely thinks
OF such hymns as Nearer, My God
10 Thee" Coronation" or "Old
Hundred" rather than of "Ring the
Bells of Heaven" Pull for the
Shore" or Nothing But the Blood
of Jesus" 1t VIII scarcely be denied
that the statener measures of the old
hymns are better adapted to the ex-
preston of genuine religious feeling
than twittering melodies of the type
which make up the most of the Moody
and Sankey collections; one need only
iiEagine a cathedral resembling TO the
notes Of Hold the Fort" to see that.
II the average American ever really
comes TO that point at which he wants
IL express his deepest religious feel
ing by quicisstep, there viii not be
much depth in him anywhere.
The fact that Moody and Sankey
were responsible for this collection Of
sc-called music-as they were, and it
was very good Commercial manage
n.ent on their part which foisted il
on the eomtrv-is not a particularly
good recommendation for it in the
eyes Of sensible people. Mr.. Moody's
sermons were a mixture of anecdote.
sanguinary metaphor, and practicqi
a. mmon sense: an common sense.
not spirituality, gave them their DOW
e.. The fact that a man teaches that
Sit is Improbable does not make 1t
suitable for him TO exhort his listen
ers TO battle in the blood of the Sa-
yiour, metaphor which frequently
occurs IN these hymns. When one
thinks Of children becoming familiar
with the idea that they need blood to
wash away sin, one wonders what i'm
preston it conveys to their infant
minds, and what spiritual influence
slaTghter-house phraseoloey like this
Is supposed to exert on anybody
The writer of the letter, which we
take pleasure IN printing elsewhere,
then goes on to say that some Of the
older hymns are usually sung very
fast. They are, especially since the
introduction Of the gospel quickstep /;
and that is one Of the important counts
against the latter He goes on 10 ex-
plain: "When Mr. Moody began the
work Of evangelization, he and his CO.
laborers discovered that the hymnals
contained only few selections with
any particular adaptation to revival
work" Very good. This being so,
why are these hymns not kept for
revival work, instead Of being IN
fleted on audiences at all kinds of re-
heious meetings7 As to the further
statement thar "many Of the brightest
minds IF the period were engaged IN
writing the hymns and tumes." when
T. p Bliss, Ira d. Sankey. and Fanny
Crosby are considered on q level with
zeal musicians, the situation Is too re-
lnarkable for words. There is an
other page or two, filed with praise