New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-04

Are Excised
from Hymns
OLD ORDER VANISHES
Watts, Wesley and Others Sup
pressed or Lxpureated for
Modern Use.
In 1919 Bishop Reginald Heber wrote the
missionary hymn.
From Greenland's Icy mountains,
From midas coral Strands
| Ever since Protestant Christians have
been singing 1t at their missionary rallies.
| The other day committee OF Episcopal
ians appointed to prepare a hymnal for use
at mission services omitted this famous
hymn from its list Of those considered ap-
propriate to the form Of revival services
conducted by the adherents Of this denom-
| ination. Whether not the failure to rec
ognize in this hymn, with It's reference
to coral strands in q region where there
are said to be none, q special value IN tho
stimulation Of Christian zeal be accepted
| as reasonable, the omission has served to
draw attention to the constant antiquat1on
Of hymns.
HYMNS so universal In their character
that they are not affected by changing the
| illogical doctrines and religious beliefs are
| relatively few. Hymn thinkers are constant
| ly patching up the weak doctrinal lines.
and now and then favorite of other days
drops by the wayside. No healthy minded
| Christian in these days. for instance. could
Join Wesley In singing his diatribe against
Unitartanism:
"Stretch out thine arm. thou triune God!
The Unitarian fiend expel,
And chase his doctrine back to he'll"
II tho hymnology Of to-day should be al
tered to meet the views OF many sincere
religious persons who have reached conclu-
sions different from those held by their
! fathers some OF the favorites upon Whlch
men have been nurtured and which are
counted great hymns would require the re-
modelling which has already overtaken
many of them
The wedding hymn which begins The
voice that breathed DER Eden" historically
and theologically, would have to be changed
before 1t would suit the parents of some
| bridal pairs. even II the all-absorbing in
| terest Of the event itself served to swal-
| low up .any possible scruples on the part
Of the couple themselves. 1t reads:
BE present, awful Father.
To give away this bride,
| AS Eve Thou gav'st to Adam
| Out Of his own pierced side.
The theory Of evolution has made great
| Roadway since this hymn was written
only one year before Darwin laid the foun-
dation upon which 1t built. There is
also picture OF the Creator which would
| be unacceptable to many Christians to-day.
! Few thinking men live as if they agreed
| literally with Luther when they sing. "A
mighty fortress Is our God" and he forces
| them to utter such statements as these:
For still our ancient foe
| Doth seek to work US woe;
| His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate.
On earth is not his equal
"And though this world with devils flied,
Should threaten to undo US.
We will not fear, for God hath willed
| His truth to triumph through us:
The prince of darkness grim
| We tremble not for him:
His rage we can endure,
For loi his doom Is sure
One little word shall fell him.
Few New Workers expect to witness
repetition of the exploit Of st. Dunstan
! when Satan appeared to him In his mcnas-
tic cell. They have no belief that to the
| catalogue OF street disturbances OF this city
will be added the cries of Satan suffering
| from the effects of red-hot pair OF pincerS
applied to his nose even II they swallow
| the suggestion that Satan is not impervtous
| to heat.
There are many who do not think OF GOD
| as Charles Wesley did when he addressed
| his soul in this wise:
Arise, my soul, arise;
Shake off thy guilty fears
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears"
because
MY God is reconciled;
His pardonng voice hear
He owns me for his child.
/ can no longer fear
They do not think of God did the
writer Of hymn selected for Sunday
school hynlnal published in 1926, in which
ne exnressed himself in Stanza as fol-
lows:
IT'S dangerous to provoke a God.
His pow'r and vengeance none can tell
One stroke of his Almighty rod
Shall send young sinners quick to hell
This writer for young sinners lacked
the imaginative and poetic capacity of the
writer of the fiery old Latin hymn, Dies
IrR'':
DAY of wrath, o day of mourning
See fulfilled the prophets warning,
Heaven and earth In ashes burning.
oh what fear mans bosom rendeth,
When from heaven the Judge descendeth,
On whose sentence all dependent!
What shall !, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
When the 'ust are mercy needing?
Worthless are my prayers aud signing.
Yet. good Lord, in grace complying,
Rescue me from fires undying!
with thy favored sheep, o, place me.
Nor among the goats abase me,
But TO the right hand upraise me.
while the wicked are COMPOUNDED,
Doomed to flames Of woe unbounded.
Call me with thy saints surrounded