laudable Practice

Last week's reading from Robert Nelson's The Life of Dr. George Bull (1713) considered the place of metrical psalms in Bull's devotional and congregational life. Following his comments on this, Nelson turns to another great High Church exponent of the singing of metrical psalms and a contemporary of Bull, Bishop William Beveridge (d.1708).  The various debates which surrounded metrical psalmody in the 18th century Church of England never doubted the practice itself. However, in addition to complaints that congregations too often left the singing of psalms to the clerk and groups of singers, another frequent complaint was that where congregations did participate in the singing of the psalms they sat to do so. There are consistent exhortations for congregations to stand when praising God in psalm singing. Nelson is pleased to point to this being the practice in Beveridge's congregations: I have with pleasure beheld the Conformity of the whole Congregation to his own D...

By happy coincidence, following on from yesterday's post for Charles Inglis Day , our next reading from Robert Nelson's The Life of Dr. George Bull (1713) addresses the place of metrical psalms both in Bull's personal piety and in divine service: Before I quit this Head of his Private Devotions, I must beg leave to observe, that Singing the Praises of God, made a Part of his Spiritual Exercises in his Retirement, which he chose to Celebrate in the Words of the Royal Psalmist, as Translated into Metre for that Purpose. A Duty recommended by St. Paul in several of his Epistles; and yet how few can be prevailed upon to join in Psalmody, when it is made a Part of the Publick Service of the Church? It is evident that Nelson sees nothing at all unusual about Bull's personal piety including the singing of metrical psalms. That metrical psalms had a place in the devotions of an Arminian and High Church divine was clearly unremarkable. What is more, as can be seen in the above ...

Saturday past, 16th August, was the commemoration of Charles Inglis in the Church of Ireland calendar of 'worthies'. Today, therefore, we have a belated observance of Charles Inglis Day on the blog. Each year, Charles Inglis Day is an opportunity both to reflect on the witness of this son of the Church of Ireland (his father was a rector in the Diocese of Raphoe) and to consider the character of early Canadian Anglicanism, not least in light of the abysmal state of the contemporary Anglican Church of Canada. This year, we consider a short, passing reference in Inglis' 1803 visitation charge , to the clergy of Nova Scotia: It may be proper to add, that, at the present time, great attention is paid to the Improvement of Psalmody by the Members of our Church in England; and that several excellent Publications have lately appeared there, which will much assist those who are disposed to promote, or engage in this laudable design. In a footnote, Inglis highlights two then recentl...

Last week we considered John Shepherd's reflections on The Grace in his A Critical and Practical Elucidation of the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Church of England (1796). While The Grace does, of course, conclude Morning and Evening Prayer, we have not yet quite finished with Shepherd's commentary. He turns to the 18th century practice of metrical psalms being sung in parish churches after the conclusion of Matins: In our church it is customary to sing a few stanzas of one of the two authorized translations of the psalms, after the Morning Prayer and Litany are ended, and again, before the Sermon. In these instances, the introduction of psalmody is proper, and in some degree, even necessary. Without something of this kind, the transition from the Litany to the office of the Holy Communion; and from the Nicene Creed to the Sermon, might appear too sudden and abrupt. Evidence of this practice is found in older editions of the Book of Common Prayer. For example, my copy sma...