V' ^^ 
 
 THE 
 
 VOL. IV. 
 
 OCTOBER, 1026. 
 
 NO. X. 
 
 NOTICE OF BAIRD S INQUIRY, AND EXAMINATION, 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF PSALMODY, IN A LETTER TO 
 THE EDITOR. 
 
 My Dear Sir, — I have just read the last publica- 
 tion of Mr. Baird, on the subject of psalmody. — 
 You request me, as you have not seen the pamph- 
 let, to give you my opinion of its merits. With 
 this I comply, as it furnishes me an opportunity of 
 addressing an old friend, which is always gratify- 
 ing ; and as the form of your request lays me un- 
 der no obligation to give you a formal and full re- 
 view of the work, it is hoped a simple opinion, 
 with a few references in justification of it, is all 
 you expect. Indeed, a review, or any thing like a 
 direct notice of Mr. B.'s book, or any thing that 
 could be fairly construed into the appearance of 
 controversy with him, is out of the question. My 
 opinion you will easily gather from what follows. 
 
 The body of the work consists of six chapters, 
 i Introduced by a dedication, a kind of double pre- 
 face, an Introduction — a letter, to whom address- 
 ed is not said, and the v/hole closed up by what, 
 in the style of Mr. Plowden, may be called a PosU 
 liminous Advertisement. " All this kind of thing'* 
 affords Mr. B. an occasion of telling us, that he 
 has, at least, two reputable gentlemen whom he 
 ♦ considers his friends ; and likewise of giving the 
 very edif^ying information of I he urgency of friends, 
 the difficulties through which his work had to 
 
 Vol. IV.— No. x, 37 
 
434 Kotict ofBairds ^Jnqutrt/ andExaminalion 
 
 make its way to the public, and withal, what he 
 has done, what he ivoidd like to do, what he could 
 do, what he has not done, what he may do, and 
 what he may never attempt to do. A work upon 
 grace, which he contemplates at a distance, from 
 such a man, after what many consider a very un- 
 gracious work, is doubtless a desideratum. 
 
 Of the work before us, his estimate is far from 
 humble. He expresses a "confidence \vhich he 
 does not effect to conceal." in the 'weight and cor- 
 rectness" of his argument, and that his readers 
 " will not have cause to regret the expense of pur- 
 chase, or the trouble of perusal." Yet he author- 
 izes us to believe, that worthy as his book is, he 
 could have made it much better ; for under the 
 urgency of friends, and the calls of the printer, 
 l)e wrote " cum calamo currente !" They gave him 
 time only to score some words, and to interline 
 others, in the correction of his copy. Thus he 
 informs us, he had no time to make his language 
 better, to expunge repetitions, to better work his 
 argunrents. What pity that those solicitous 
 friends, had not given Mr. B. a few years more, in 
 addition to the six or seven, which elapsed between 
 tlie publication of the " Apology for the Psalms/ 
 and his "Examination" of that work, in order 
 that the world might have been favoured with 
 those fine specimens of rhetoric and logic, which 
 he was capable of furnishing. 
 
 Let us now come to the matter of his six chap- 
 ters. Tlie first chapter, contains the author's ar- 
 gument in proof of a human psalmody being em- 
 ployed, with divine approbation, by the church in 
 the ages of the patriarchs, from Adam to Moses. 
 (See pp. 23 — 31.) And how, my dear sir, do you 
 suppose he proceeds? You could hardly divine 
 how he manages his point. He lays down two 
 
On the Subject of Psalmody. 43.i> 
 
 tables, a chronological one of Scripture songs, 
 but which refers, likewise to all the expressions of 
 praise, whether by song or otherwise, and to the 
 mention of musical instruments, which came be- 
 fore the author ; the second table is a catalogue 
 of Scripture names, nineteen in all, the countries 
 to which they belonged, and a doubtful and de- 
 fective explanation of their meaning. From them, 
 by a logical process, somewhat new, indeed, but 
 the ''weight and correctness" of which, I am yet 
 unable to perceive, he proposes to establish his 
 position. Thus, in proof of it, he adduces the 
 song of the angels, at the laying of the corner 
 stone of the earth, before Adam was created. Job. 
 38:6, 7. His next proof is taken from Tubal, a 
 descendant of Cain, having invented the harp and 
 the organ. Gen. 4 : 21. And in Laban, no very 
 good man either, he finds a witness, for he talked 
 of his mirth, his songs, his tabret, and his harp. 
 Gen 31 : 27. In this period he places the book 
 of Job; and from the whole, for this is all that his 
 chronology furnishes as applicable to the ages be- 
 fore Moses, he deems the proof very satisfactory. 
 Inq. p. 16G. 
 
 You, sir, may be disposed to think that the song 
 of angels, L jfore man was made, before he had 
 fallen, and before a Saviour was revealed, could 
 teach u:. xevy little about ari evangelical psalmody; 
 and surely the fact of angels praising God, can 
 decide nothing in favour of human psalmody, in 
 the stated worship of the church. Nor will the 
 fact that Tubal, an excommunicate from the fam- 
 ily of God, invented the harp and the organ, ap- 
 j)car to you sufficient evidence, that songs of hu- 
 man composition were employed hi the worship 
 of the church at that eaily day. Laban's mirth, 
 and songs, and tabret, and harp, will go, I should 
 
436 Xoiice of Ba'ird s 'Inquirij and Examination," 
 
 think, a very little way in proof ot the di\ine right 
 of the practice contended I'er by Mr. B. Tliat the 
 book of Job was theij employed in the psalmody 
 ef the church, admilling it to belong to that pe- 
 riod, no man will affirm. And yet this is the 
 whole proof of this chapter, when we take in his 
 nineteen proper names, Enos, jMakalateel, Iladdaw, 
 Uarra/i Anor, 6^'C. down to Anathoth. This is the 
 proof which Mr. B. is confident " will convince 
 every unbiassed and judicious reader, that songs 
 of human composure — with divine approbation," 
 were employed from the time of Adain, till tl;at 
 of Moses, in the psalmody of the ciiurch. What 
 is it, do you ask, in which this satisfactory proof 
 consists? Why, sir, review it. The morning 
 stars ^ang together before Adam was made, Tu- 
 bal, an exile from God's house, invented the organ 
 and the harp, Laban, an idolater, was fond cf 
 mirth, and with mirth, and song, and harp, and 
 tabret, lie said, he w^ould have sent Jacob away 
 had he told him of his departure ; and there is the 
 book of Job, a part of our Bible, perhaps the old- 
 est poem in the world. ?^^ow, sir, if all this Le 
 not sufficient proof of our author's position, Le 
 most triumphantly adds, Enos, Mahalahcl, Havo- 
 rum, Harran, find ail the rest cf tJe nineteen 
 names of men, mountains, rivers, cities, and, it 
 would seem, of he knew not what, down to Ana- 
 ihatk, Tliisis conclusive ? He who feels not th.c 
 satisfying force of this, in proof of the^?/,? divinum 
 of a human psalmody, mus^,, indeed, be biased, and 
 without judgment ! 
 
 Mr. B. tolls us a tale of a sermon by a Mr. Wal- 
 lace, on the subject of psalmody, from the ShibLo' 
 leih and Sd>bo!cth of Judg. 12 : 6. Now, for one. 
 I really do not know liow Mr. B.'s argument for a 
 human psalmody, from the names of Enos, Maha- 
 
On the Subject of Psalmody. 437 
 
 laleel, Harran, &c. could be better answered than 
 by repeating the word Shibboleth. The one sure- 
 ly nneets the other in absurdity. But there is an 
 internal evidence to me, that our author's tale is 
 not just the exact truth. Mr. B.'s assertion, that 
 what he states could be estabhshed in a court of 
 justice, increases the doubt upon my mind. We 
 know, for we have seen the value of such proofs 
 in courts of justice, in reference to irreligious con- 
 tests about religion. But were it all true, our au- 
 thor more than matches his antagonist. Jubal in- 
 vented the organ and the harp ; Laban had mirth, 
 song, harp, and Tabrct at command ; Enos, Arnon, 
 jhwthoth ^ Therefore hymns of human compo- 
 sition were sung, ^wrs divino, from Adam to Mo- 
 ses !! ! Find, if you can, sir, any thing in the re- 
 cords of nonsense to match this.* 
 
 The second chapter purports to exhibit the use 
 of human composures, jure divino, in the church's 
 psalmody, from Moses to Christ. He adverts to 
 six songs of which we have mention, and which 
 comes to us under the sanction of divine inspira- 
 tion, between the call of Israel from Egypt, and 
 the time of David. These, however, prove noth- 
 ing for the divine right of a human psalmody, and 
 of course must be dismissed from this argument. 
 That such a psalmody existed, Mr. B. presumes, 
 and very confidently refers to instances of its be- 
 ing employed. His first instance, is certainly an 
 
 *That God was praised in his church, since there was one upon 
 earth, and that that praise was oflfered through the mediation of 
 Christ, are facts admitting of no doubt. The forms in which 
 praise is offered to God are very numerous. Psalmody is only 
 one of them. And, as a stated part of worship, we hear little of 
 it before the days of David. Mr. B. appears to think that v.hen- 
 ever God was praised, it must have been by singing. Hence the 
 little sophistry of his argument. The religion of the Bible was, 
 j4t no time, the little sing-iong which many seem to think reli* 
 gfion should be now. 
 
 37* 
 
438 Notice ofBairds 'Inquiry and Exanunal ion,* 
 
 unfortunate one for his cause ; it is the shouts of 
 Israel, in the worship of the golden calf, at Horeb, 
 and the song they sung — These be thy Gods, O Is- 
 rael, (i'c. p. 32. That this song was not of divine 
 appointment deducts very much from the aptness 
 of it as proof The assumption that, because Is- 
 rael made the song addressed to their idol, they, 
 therefore made those addressed to Jehovah, is gra- 
 tuitous. He refers likewise to " the Book of the 
 wars of the Lord," Num. 21 : 14, arid to the Book 
 of Joshua,^ mentioned Josh. 10: 13.; but as he 
 knows nothing about these, they being either long 
 since lost, or embodied in books bearing another 
 name, the reference is useless. That either of 
 these books was a collection of poems, is without 
 evidence. Dr. Lightfoot's conjecture respecting 
 them is as probable as any other, which you know, 
 is far enough from their being books of songs. — 
 Our inquirer s next reference is to the dance of 
 the daughters of Shiloh, Judg. 21 : 21. As this 
 says nothing about psalmody, I leave it. His 
 next instance is that of the timbrels, and the dance 
 of Jeptha's lovely daughter, Judg. 11; 34.; and 
 the salutations of the daughters of Israel, ad- 
 dressed to the son of Jesse, Sam. 18: 7.; upon 
 the defeat of the Philistines. Does Mr. B. himself, 
 think you, really beheve that all of these were ex- 
 emplifications of solemn religious worship? To hail 
 the victor has been common in all ages and lands ; 
 and the civic song of the daughters of Israel, cel- 
 ebrating the heroism of David, is finely illustrated 
 in modern times, as for instance, in the case of 
 our own Washington, by the ladies of Trenton, 
 when, while strewing his way with flowers, they 
 sung, 
 
 " Vir2:ins fair and matrons grave, 
 (Then the conquerin;2: arm did save !) 
 Build for thee triumphant bowers. 
 
On the Subject of Psalmody. 439 
 
 Strew, ye fair, liis way v/ith fiowers ; 
 Straw your hero's way with (lowers." 
 
 In all these cases, Ave have honours rendered to 
 brave mihtary leaders, successful in their country's 
 cause ; but no part of religious worship. In ihe 
 case of Jeptha's beautiful daughter, there was 
 music and tlie dance, of song we hear not. The 
 burden of the song of the females of Israel, in 
 the instance before us, was Scad hath slain his 
 thousands, and David his ten thousands. The 1004 
 songs of Solomon, which are lost, and the funeral 
 wailings of the professional and real mournings of 
 the Jews, it seems to me, prove no more for our 
 Examiner, than the inventions of Jubal, or the 
 doubtful import of Hebrew and Chaldean names. 
 The rest of the chapter is taken up in proof of 
 w^iat no body denies ; that psalms should be ap- 
 propriate to particular subjects and occasions. — 
 We say so too ; and we say farther, with Dr. 
 Scott, and many other distinguished men, that we 
 are furnished with inspired songs, suitable to all 
 the subjects and occasions of christian praise.-*- 
 No friend of inspired psalmody, Mr. B.'s assertion, 
 notwithstanding, to the contrary, ever opposed 
 this. But we say farther still, that a sacred ode 
 may be sung by us, very profitably, though there 
 be some truths in it not literally applicable to every 
 one's present case. That Mr. B. himself does so 
 sometimes, in singing the hymns of his church, is 
 very probable, nay very certain. 
 
 I now dismiss the chapter, assuring you, sir, that 
 our Inquirer has not adduced a single example of 
 an uninspired ode being used in God's worship, 
 during the whole period, from Adam till the Apos- 
 tolical age, zDith or without divine approbation. In 
 that period, many divine songs were indeed com- 
 posed, and introduced into the service of the 
 church ; but among them we know not of one Un- 
 
410 yoticc ofBairds 'Inquiry and Exauiinaiiou ' 
 
 inspired. If there were, when introduced ? — Lr 
 whom ? — where is it ? The song of the morning 
 stars, Jubal's harp, Laban's mirth and song, the 
 nineteen names, beginning with Enc^, and ending 
 with Anathoth. the unknown book of Joshua, even 
 the song addressed to the ido! calf, together with 
 all the complimentary expressions, with which he- 
 roes were hailed, and all the funeral Ullallcos of 
 the singing men and singing women, whether of 
 antiquity or of modern days, will do little, I am 
 disposed to imagine, for this man's cause. And 
 yet he has laboured over many a page, to bring 
 proof of the divine right of his hymns from these 
 sources; and, poor man, I fear he really thinks he 
 has done something to the purpose. He seems 
 to have been encouraged by some indiscreet or 
 w^aggish companion, to make a book ; lie made it, 
 as he says, cimi calamo currente, and truly he has 
 reason to apologize for an argument which shouM 
 Jiave been ' better lor ought.'' 
 
 The third chapter cf Mr. Baird's book extends 
 from page 48, to page 84 ; and takes up the proof 
 of a human psalmody being divinely approved, 
 and used, in the Apostolic age. He has recourse, 
 like others before him, to the thanksgiving cf Ma- 
 ry, Zecharias, Simeon, the angelic song, the cx- 
 j)ressions of praise by those who beheld or expe- 
 rienced the healing power of the Redeemer, the 
 extraordinary gifts of the Corirrthian church, &c. 
 itc. This, like his other chapters, is confusedly 
 filled. He crowds his pages with quotations from 
 the commentators and historians, some of them 
 partially made, others inappropriate, and the 
 whole useless as to establishing his point. In order 
 to establiiih his position, from these examples, it 
 behooves Mr. B. to settle, previously, the three fol- 
 lowing questions : Were these compositions, 
 
On the Subject of Psahnocly. 441 
 
 whether of saints or angels, really introduced into ' 
 the psahiiody of the church iii that age, or sung 
 upon any occasion in her worship I Secondly, 
 were they hinnm composures ? This Mr. B. will 
 not affirm, and therefore they prove nothing fof 
 his assumption. Thirdly, were the compositions 
 of those saints actually sung by themselves ? Fail- 
 ing in an affirmative answer to any of these ques- 
 tions, his authorities do nothing for him, and fail- 
 ing in all, as he most assuredly docs, his cause is 
 hopeless. Give one of those many hymns of hu- 
 man composures, used in that age, give a certain 
 testimony of such being so used, and the cause is 
 gained. This Mr. B. has failed to do, and of 
 course he proves nothing to the point. 
 
 The conjecture of Heunlannus respecting Eph. 
 5 : 14., IS but conjecture, and if that text be un- 
 derstood as an extract from a hymn of humaji 
 co:n^:)03uro, the text itself opposes the conjecture. 
 The A;70stlo in the quotation refers to no au- 
 thority kfss than the inspiration of God. Where- 
 fore hz skith, Axoake, ^-c. This chapter of our au- 
 thor, though perhaps not so ridiculous as the for- 
 mer ones, is really as inconciusi.ve. You will, I 
 am sure, release me from further notice of it at 
 present. 
 
 The fourth and fifth chapters of this book, treat 
 of the history of psahnody, ancient and modern, 
 I do n-^i see, so far as tlio merits of the question 
 Jire concerned, much to be gained on tins field. — - 
 Tiic advocites of an inspired psalmody ,|at least the 
 autiior of the " Apology for tlie Book of Psalms," 
 ad^r-lts f: dly, and 1 think, as far as justifiable, the 
 ciirly existence and use of hymns of human com- 
 posure. This admission, is all the other side can 
 })rove. History will do nothing in settling ih^^. 
 qiicriioa of divine authority. Wo must have re-* 
 
A^2 Notice ofBaird's 'Inquiry and Examination,' 
 
 course to God's own testimony for this ; and, froi>i 
 this source, I am persuaded, Mr. B. has failed in 
 bringing such proof as the ease demands. The 
 testimony upon the subject, to bo gleaned from 
 ancient history is not direct. It is only incidental. 
 The dispute is rather modern than ancient, though 
 not altogether so. The real state of the matter 
 appears to be this : the Book of Psalms had its 
 j)lace as the fixed liturgy of psalmody, in the 
 church. In every congregation, where psalmody 
 was used, duly organized and settled, it was in use. 
 But from a very early period, upon special occa- 
 sions, individuals made and used occasional 
 hymns. These were sometimes used in certain 
 congregations, in the usual public worship ; or, 
 upon the occasion of being called together, they 
 would be frequently used by many individuals, 
 though not in the stated public services of psalm- 
 ody. But still the Book of Psalms, as the matter 
 of her stated psalmody, had its place inthe church, 
 pre-eminently above every hymn of human com- 
 position. This pre-eminence of place was never 
 disputed, except by a very few enthusiasts, and the 
 occasional hymn of humble pretension, was suf- 
 fered to pass without animadversion. It is be- 
 lieved that, were all that ancient history says upon 
 the subject brought into one point, this would be 
 the amount of its testimony. That v^^ith the 
 liymns of Xepos m the 3d century, "many of the 
 l)rethren werede'iahled." Spanheim, to whom Mr. 
 B. refers, states that the hymr.s and songs and 
 psaims, besides the Psalms of David, which were 
 brought into the v/estern church, in the 4th centu- 
 ry, were " private ;" that is, not of public aiHhori- 
 ty ; yet they were in the church and very numer- 
 ous. Mr. B. in this chapter, reasons with his usu- 
 al sagacity, and abates not in the indications of 
 
On the Subject of Psalmody. 443 
 
 diseased temper, over which, he need not have 
 informed his reader, he has too hltle control. To 
 a few things in this and the foregoing chapters, I 
 may.fgain advert, mean time, I shall give you a 
 peep into Mr. B.'s Sixth and last chapter. This 
 professes to be an examination of Mr. McMaster's 
 '* Apology for the Book of Psalms." This might, 
 indeed, have been the title of his whole pamphlet. 
 The Apology and its author are seldom out of his 
 view. Mr. B. discovers an unceasing hritabihty 
 in reference to that work, and a snappishness to- 
 ward the writer of it not to be accounted for, ex- 
 cept on the ground of the wounded vanity of a 
 little mind. Mr. McMasters had represented his 
 ''' Science of Praise," as inferior to the " Discourse" 
 of Dr. Latta, Mr. B. was treated, in a note of 
 the Apology, as unworthy of notice. He w^as re- 
 presented as ^copyist oiTh. L. Out of these re- 
 presentations Mr. B. has manufactured some nick- 
 names, and gives them out as the production of 
 Mr. McM.'s pen. The term copyist he makes sy- 
 nonymous with plagiarist, and then complams of 
 misrepresentation. What the author of the Apol- 
 ogy intended by copyist I know not, but as it is 
 not synonymous w^ith plagiarist, it is not Hkely he 
 meant that. To copy, in one of its acceptations, 
 means to imitate, and of course a copyist is an 
 imitator. The judgment that Mr. B. falls behind 
 Dr. L. seems to fix this as the idc^a intended. But 
 it is of little consequence. I hope the Author of 
 the Apology will give credit to Mr. B.'s claim to 
 originality, and soothe so far, the irritation of his 
 feelings. It must however, be noted, that in the 
 " Science of Praise," there was nothing to induce 
 the belief that its author had not seen Dr. L.'s dis- 
 course. As to Dr. L/s superiorty over Mr. B. as 
 a writer, I fear this latter work, now before us, 
 
444 Xoticc ofBcnrd's 'Inqulrij a) td Examination,' 
 
 will furnish, it* necessary, a lamentable additional 
 proof. He, indeed, in all (hat marks the gentle- 
 man and man oi mind lags far behind Dr. Latta. 
 It comes not m my way to take notice of the uni- 
 form style of crimination, in which Mr. B, speaks 
 of the author of the "Apology." It would be dif- 
 ficult for you to conceive the vice of an author, 
 moral and hterary, which is not charged upon the 
 head of Mr. McMaster, and in a form of uncourt- 
 liness unsanctioned by even the example of the 
 abusive daily journals of our times ; yet it would 
 seem Mr. B. is unconscious of any impropriety of 
 manner, for his pages are much employed in re- 
 peating the assurances of the delicacy of his lan- 
 guage, and of his fredom from all that is rude. — 
 The frequency and confidence of these charges 
 really induced me to seek a reeding of the ' Apol- 
 ogy for tl>e Psalms," to see whether these things 
 were so. Mr. B.'s want of candour, or self-con- 
 trol, which you please, will be best seen by a pe- 
 rusal of the work he abuses. You do not expect 
 me to enter into details. I may be allowed, how- 
 ever, to advert to a circumstance or two on which 
 our Inquirer and Examiner, dwells with a sensi- 
 tiveness, or petulance rather, peculiarly his own ; 
 indicating, I should suppose, some latent con- 
 sciousness of the justness of these rem.arks under 
 which he seems so sensitive. 
 
 The author of the Apology had represented him, 
 and some others, as treating the Book of Psalms 
 with a disrespect amounting to hostility. This 
 Mr. B. in his own chaste manner, pronounces a 
 " slanderous falsehood." You will allow me to 
 appeal to those writings in order to ascertain 
 whether this charge of slander and falsehood be 
 well founded or not. 
 
 In turning to the 'Discourse on Psalmody," I 
 
&n the Subject of Psalmocly, 445 
 
 find the author representing those churches, and 
 of course the Presbyterians among the rest, which 
 had used, and continued to use the Scripture 
 Psalnnody, as dishonouring the gospel, and depriv- 
 ing tlie Son of God of those honours given him 
 by the primitive church, Pref p. 5. And in p. 10, 
 he teaches, that, by those wiio use the Bible 
 Psalms, *'not so much as a single Psalm or Hymn" 
 is sung in conformity with Apostolic direction. — 
 And again, p 12., that such praise is not offered 
 to God, through the iiezc and living zvay ^ and of 
 course cannot be accepted Adhering, he says, p. 
 29., " strictly to the Old Testament Psalmody, 
 we cannot be said to do a7iy thing in the name of 
 the Lord Jesus. No mention is therein made of 
 the Father, as a distinct and special object of our 
 devotion ; nor of the Son, as being the appoint- 
 ed way of access to him. And, p 42., that the 
 injfluence of the Spirit of God could not be de- 
 signed tu inspire christian converts, with "vene- 
 ration and respect for the Psalms of David." 
 
 Now, sir, can you imagine that it is treating the 
 book of psalms with respect to say, that the use of 
 it in psalmody, dishonours the gospel and deprives 
 the Son of God of those honours once paid him ? 
 — that the use of it turns the worshipper to some 
 other object of devotion than the Father, and to 
 some other medium than the Son, for acceptance ? 
 — that such is their character, that the Holy Spirit 
 designed not to inspire christians with veneration 
 and respect for those psalms ? Is this the language 
 of respect or of disrespect and hostility ? Let 
 the religious world judge. Is it ** slanderous false- 
 hood" to say, it is disrespectful. 
 
 Without going further, let us hear Mr. Baird 
 himself I give you a quotation from his " Sci- 
 ence of praise," p. 81. ''By recommending the 
 
 Vol. IV. — No. x. 38 
 
446 Notice ofBairds 'Inqmri/ayid Examination,' 
 
 Psalms of David in their" (hymns of human in- 
 vention,) " stead, under the specious argument of 
 {heir dizinc authority, their minds might be gradu- 
 ally led, from the doctrine of a divine Saviour, to , 
 that of a pattern of piety,'' ^c. 
 
 '* The Psalms of David were properly suited to 
 such a designed perversion of truth. Their appli- 
 cation to Christ is obscure and Jigurative, and of 
 course they were more easily evaded or misappli- 
 ed." Mr. B., in his " Inquiry," contends that the 
 language and sentiment of the above quotation 
 are correct, and sufficiently respectful to the Book 
 of Psalms. The author of the " Apology," it 
 seems, thought otherwise, and I mistake if you 
 do not think otherwise too. Is it possible, con- 
 sistently with due respect for it, to affirm of any 
 portion of God's word, viewed in its proper con- 
 nection, that it is calculated to lead the mind 
 from the doctrine of a divine Saviour ? Is the 
 language allowed, in any circumstance, which af- 
 firms of a Book of sacred Scripture that it is 
 *' properly suited to a designed perversion of truth V' 
 You, I am well assured, will say, such language 
 and sentiment are more than disrespectful ; and 
 decidedly indicate a spirit of hostihty to that 
 against which they are directed. It is not a style 
 similar to that which represents what is good, in^it- 
 self being hable to be perverted to evil, by a wick- 
 ed hand ; but rather that style which represents a 
 wicked hand employing an evil instrument, ''prop- 
 erly suited,'' to the end, for a wicked purpose. It 
 is not true, as Mr. B. asserts, that the grace of 
 God manifested to Abel, was ''properly suited" to 
 call forth the malignity of Cain's heart ; but the 
 reverse is the truth ; it w^is properly suited to have 
 repressed that malignity, and to have softened the 
 heart of Cain. Nor was the coming of Christ, 
 
On the subject of Psalmody. 447 
 
 and the promulgation of his gospel properly suited, 
 as our author further affirms, to bring wickedness 
 and misery upon the world ; but the reverse. But 
 it is true that the iifialignity of Cain's heart was 
 properly suited to hate the grace of God, bestow- 
 ed upon his brother and to murder him on that ac- 
 count ; and tiie wickedness of the world was prop- 
 erly suited to lead it to hate Christ, and to per- 
 secute his cause and people. And may we not 
 say, without breach of charity, it is further true, 
 that Mr. B.'s ignorance of, and enmity against, the 
 Book of Psalms, were properly suited to lead him 
 to affirm, that it was " properly suited to a perver- 
 sion of truth," in leading the mind " from the doc- 
 trine of a divine Saviour"? No explanation can 
 Justify the assertion. 
 
 But has not Mr. B. explained himself by assign- 
 ing the obscurity and figurative character of that 
 Book, as the reason of his assertion? And w^hy 
 did not the author of the ''Apology," give the ex- 
 planation in his quotation ? Why he did not, I 
 candidly answer, I do not know^ ; but I do know 
 if he had, it could have made nothing for Mr. B. 
 To know the value of the reason he assigns, that 
 is, the obscurity of the Book of Psalms, it must be 
 taken in connection with the tenor of thought 
 which prevails throughout his pages, and in that 
 connection, you will perceive it goes as an addi- 
 tional proof of his enmity to the Book of Psalms, 
 in the psalmody of the church, and, in that light, 
 v/as intended to produce opposition to it in the 
 minds of others. Attend then, sir, to the manner 
 in which he has spoken, in his previous pages, of 
 this inspired book : he represents attachment to 
 the Scripture Psalms as flowing from a Judaizing 
 disposition — Science of Praise p, 12.; the use of 
 those psalms by christians, in addressing their 
 
448 .Xoticc cfBalrcls 'Inquiri/ and Exambmihjn. 
 
 heavenly Father, as an imperfeet babyish lati 
 guagc, p. 19.; like worshipping in an unknowii 
 longue, p. 37.; he represents their language as oi'- 
 ^•Qure and unprofitable, p. 39. ; that, the use of i.t: 
 does not honour God, p. 49. ; that it is a yoke of 
 hondagc. j). 71.; and in the quotation alrcadj 
 given, that it is calculated to lead the mind from 
 a divine Saviour, nuA so properly suited \o ?i per^ 
 version of truth. The additional sentence, ex^ 
 pressivc of the obscurity &c. of the Book of Psalms, 
 instead of doing away the bad impression, made 
 by his previous affirmation, when taken as it ought 
 to be, in connection with the spirit of his pamph- 
 let, and strain of his language, can be understood 
 in no other light, than as a constituent part of that- 
 studied tirade of obloquy, which he had all along 
 been pouring upon this portion of the sacred vol- 
 ume, and consequently going to confirm the most", 
 unfavourable interpretation that has been put- 
 upon his Janguage. 
 
 We have not yet done with the evidence of Mr. 
 B.'s hostility against the Book of Psalms. His "In- 
 quiry," gives further evidence of thi^. In the use 
 of the inspired Psalms, he holds, the Messiah can- 
 not be owned, nor God approached ^hrough him ; 
 for if so, he asks, what was the use of giving a 
 large portion of the New Testament? p. 75. ; — 
 that in the use of those psalms, there is no act of 
 worship performed in the name of Christ ; for 
 those who used them acted only in common with 
 the Jews who hated Christ." p. 75, 76. ; that it is 
 demonstrated, that, in singing those Psalms, there 
 is no confession of Jesus as the Messiah, nor per- 
 formance of devotion in his name, p. 77. ; that 
 the psalms are a part of the beggarly elements, p. 
 1 52. ; that from these beggarly elements, the pas- 
 tors of the Presbyterian Church are gradually 
 
0,1 the Subject of Fsalniodij. . 449 
 
 weaning ihcir members, and that all who refuse to 
 reject these psalms, as beggarly elements, and do 
 not adopt a neio song are not disposed to honor the 
 Son even as they honour the Father ! p. 1 7 1 . Mr. 
 B. too, by his manner of approving the " Carlisle 
 Hints," which you noticed in vol. 1 . of your jour- 
 nal, may be fairly understood as approving of the 
 impious sentiments of that profane pamphlet, in 
 charging upon the Book of Psalms, without dis- 
 guise, a spirit of extermination, havoc and destruc- 
 tion ,' as having a tendency to foster malevolent 
 feelings, &c. &c. 
 
 Will you now, sir, tell me who will affirm that 
 Mr. B. gives not evidence of enmity against the 
 Book of Psalms I With what face can Mr. B. 
 profess friendship to that book, if he really believes 
 what he whites ? Can he be attached to that, to 
 wiiich he says none can adhere but from a Juda- 
 izing disposition? Can he reverence that book 
 which teaches only an imperfect and babyish lan- 
 guage, the use of which is hke that of an un- 
 known tongue ? Can he respect that which he 
 reckons so obscure and unprofitable? — which does 
 not honour God ? — w^hich is a yoke of bondage? 
 — which contains no hymn to the Saviour as God ? 
 — the use of which does not own the Redeemer ? 
 — w^hich leads him, not by the Son, to the Father ? 
 — which conducts to act in common with the Jew 
 who hated Christ ? — which is beggarly ? — Can he 
 love tliat book which under any circumstances, 
 would lead the mind from the doctrine of a di- 
 vine Saviour, and h properly suited to such ^per- 
 version of truth ? Can he be cordial to that book, 
 which would keep him from worshipping the Son 
 even as the Father ? Can he regard those Psalms, 
 fcora attachment to which, he says, he and others 
 *38 
 
450 jS^ot'ice ofBalrd's 'Inquiry and Exajninalion/ 
 
 are gradually weaning the people, as from beg- 
 garly elements ? Most assuredly not. 
 
 These sentiments, now under notice, give body 
 and spirit to Mr. B.'s scheme of Psalmody. Take 
 them away and nothing remains. He neverthe- 
 less, occasionally professes regard to the Book of 
 Psalms. My dear sir, is there no reason to sus- 
 pect, in these occasional professions, something 
 of the hollowness of hypocrisy ? Something of 
 the meanness of pious fraud, to still, in the mean 
 time, the fears of those whom he is employed in 
 bringing off, gradually, from these beggar/ 1/ ele- 
 ments of a Bible Psalmody ? Think you differ- 
 ently ? Is he still an honest man ? Is your chari- 
 ty for his heart at the expense of respect for his 
 head? Be it so, then. Let the exclamation of 
 the fox in the fable, furnish his apology : c^ci^ Ki(focXr,r 
 
 I purposed to have noticed to you some instan- 
 ces of Mr. B.'s uniform want of candour, in the 
 treatment of the subject before him ; such as in 
 his proposed attack on the first argument of the 
 Apology for the Book of Psalms, which he takes 
 care to keep out of view, falling only upon some 
 collateral considerations, the historical state of the 
 question so far as disputed, which he certainly mis- 
 represents ; and his claims to originality were 
 they not too silly to be laughed at, might have 
 been noticed. His representations are too uni- 
 formly at variance with truth, to be ascribed to 
 mere oversight, were we not to admit his apology 
 of the urgency of friends, the speed and demands 
 of the press, the unmanageable rapidity of his 
 pen, for he assures us he was obliged literally and 
 truly to write crmi calamo current e, and his less im- 
 
On the Subject of Psalmo(hj. 4j1 
 
 manageable temper,"* all combined to allow him 
 no time for the correction of his copy, or the bet- 
 ter working of his argument ; exce[)t to score and 
 interline a httle. To treat with severity a book 
 written under such circumstances, you could not 
 have the heart, and to give credit to its statements 
 no man of candour will be disposed. 
 
 Now, my dear sir, do you^ still ask my opinion of 
 this pamphlet ? If so, permit me to say to you, 
 its hterary character invites neither pleasure nor 
 animadversion. It is lower than contemptible. 
 Its moral bearings are deplorable, when it is re- 
 collected that it h the production of an actual mi- 
 
 /nister of a respectable denominatk)n of christians. 
 
 /it is the lowest production upon the subject, if we 
 except the profuse ' Hints' from the Carlisle author, 
 wdiich Mr. B. so highly eulogizes. That such a 
 book should really have appeared, at this day, will 
 not be readily believed by those who have not read 
 it, or who have not confidence in the report of 
 those who have. 
 
 Your goodness, when you know the merits of 
 the pamphlet, will, I trust, excuse the frequent ab- 
 sence of gravity which will have appeared to you 
 in reading this letter. You, sir, serious as you are, 
 could not be always grave, with the odd mixture 
 of vanity, petulence, nonsense, pretension, and 
 gossipinc^ tales, served up before you in the pages 
 of Mr. B. Had I supposed the thing likely to do 
 any harm, I would, had none other done it, have 
 noticed it gravely ; but those for w hom he said he 
 w^rote, the ignorant, it will not hurt, and to those 
 of another description it is not calculated to do 
 either good or evil. It is indeed a harmless thing. 
 
 * " All censure of man's self is oVjlique praise. It is''in order to 
 show how much he can spare. It has all the invidiousncss of self 
 prais-^, and all the reproach of falsehood." Believing this opinion 
 of a distins^uished man to be correct, I am induced to notice I^V. 
 B/s foolish complaint to tlic public on his infirmity of temper. 
 
452 Xutlcc of BalnT s 'Liquiry and ExaminaKoit . 
 
 The existence, nevertheless, of this subject of 
 controversy, in the church, is to be lamented. Had 
 the modern pursued the course of the ancient 
 church, in continuing to tlie Book of Psalms its 
 prominent place, as the stated liturgy of her psal- 
 mody, some of her children employing an occa- 
 sional hymn if they pleased, of modern make on a 
 ]>articular occasion, controversy on the subject 
 would never have been known. And when those 
 who have deviated from the ancient path, shall 
 have retraced their steps, the matter of dispute 
 will be reduced to narrow bounds. We hope the 
 day when it shall be so is rapidly approaching. 
 Distinguished men in the churches, do not believe 
 the assertions of those rash men who affirm, that 
 all who employ in their psalmody the Book of 
 Psahns, dishonour the Gospel, do not honour the- 
 Son as they honour the Father, and address not 
 God through the name of Christ. They would 
 not thus put under ban the Presbyterian Churches 
 of the Pteformation : the Church of Holland, the 
 Church of France, the Church of Scotland down^ 
 till this day, the whole Presbyterian interest of 
 Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in tlie United 
 States till a very late day, and even till this day, 
 not to mention the Secession Church, the Associate 
 Reformed, and Reformed Presbyterian Churches. 
 Such may be the views of Mr. Baird and a few 
 like him ; but such cannot be the views of the 
 sound and reflecting men, particularly of the Pres- 
 byterian Church. Such cannot be the views of 
 our Greers, our Alexanders, our Millers, our Blatch- 
 Ibrds, &c. These gentlemen well know that a 
 literal version of the Book of Psalms is authorized 
 by their supreme ecclesiastical judicatory, as a fit 
 liturgy of evangelical Psalmody, both by their an- 
 eient practice and by their act of 1787 ; and by 
 
On the Siihjcct of Psalmodij. 453 
 
 the same authority is prohibited the censuring of 
 that version. Now, sir, can you bcheve that such 
 men as those adverted to above, who sway the 
 pohcy of the General Assembly, did they view the 
 Book of Psalms as a part of the yoke, of bondage, 
 as a beggarly clement as not honouring Christ ; as 
 leading, in the use of it, to God in any other way 
 than in the name of Christ; you would not only 
 suffer it, but by authority put it into the hands of 
 their people as their liturgy of sacred song ? No, 
 no : such opinions are the ' effusions' of ignorance 
 or the ebullitions of a suppressed mfidelity. That 
 they are not noticed and silenced by the authority 
 of the church may perhaps be accounted for, by 
 the insignificance of their authors. My dear sir, 
 you see my sheet is full, and I doubt not you are 
 glad to see the conclusion in a cordial farewell. 
 
 Rev. J. R. Willson. 
 
 Jioie ^nd, 182C. 
 
 J\^ote. — Since writing the above, I have read a 
 lengihened account of some public debates be- 
 tween several Protestant Clergymen and a num- 
 ber of Roman Catholic Priests, upon the propriety 
 of Bible Societies circulating, and putting into the 
 tiands of the people, indiscriminately, the Bible 
 without note or comment. I was struck very for- 
 cibly with the similarity of the topics of argument 
 employed by the Catholics, against the circulating 
 of the scriptures, and those of Mr. B. against the 
 use of the Book of Psalms in the Church's psalmo- 
 dy. The i^hscurity of the matter, the imperfection 
 of the written word, the necessity of something else, 
 the defects of the English version, and the conse- 
 quent danger to the people, were the prominent 
 topics cf argument used by the Catholics ; and 
 these are the chief topics selected by Mr. B. Like 
 him, too, thev were offended, when their conduct 
 
454 Dialogue on Experimental Religion. 
 
 was represented as inimical to the Bible. He and 
 they, hovyever, have their dissinmilarities ; the lan» 
 guagc of the Catholics is less oftensive, and they 
 sufficiently indicate that it was men of sense mr'- 
 naging a bad cause. 
 
 dialogi;k O-V experimental religion". 
 
 Paul. The sermon, William, which we heard 
 yesterday, was calculated to make a deep impres- 
 sion on a reflecting audience. IIow important is 
 ihe question asked in the text, 'Who shall ascend 
 into the hill of God?" 
 
 William. It was, indeed, and on me it did make 
 a deep impression. 1 am glad that you have in- 
 troduced this topic. This morning I feel its powder 
 with nearly the same force as when the preacher 
 ^vas giving utterance to its solemn truths. 
 
 P. That is w^hat I fear few hearers of the gos- 
 pel can say on Monday morning. Most of them 
 are ''like a man beholding his natural face in a 
 glass, who straightw^ay departeth and forgetteth 
 what manner of man he was." How few are there 
 who " lay up the word in their hearts and practice 
 iti:i their lives !" 
 
 W. This is a neglect of which I have often been 
 guilty. Though it is some year.^ now since I made 
 a profession of religion, and though I was much 
 moved on the occasion of my first appearance at 
 the communion table, yet 1 have heard many ex- 
 cellent sermons with great coldness, and have soon 
 forofotten, w^hat I heard. 
 
 P Few, there is reason to fear, can entirely ac- 
 quit themsefves of blame on this quarter. A de- 
 fect on this point is commonly imputed to a natu- 
 ral lack of memory, while the fault lies in inatten- 
 tion and want of love to the truth, 
 
 /F. So great has been my languor and coldness 
 
THE 
 
 EVANGEKXCAI. 
 
 UBLISHED UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE AMERICAN 
 
 EVANGELICAL TRACT SOCIETY. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 JAMES H. W£Z.I.SON, A.M. 
 
 T laving, therefore, obtained help of God, I continue until tliis day 
 rt'itncssing both to small and g;reat, ?ayin^ none other things thai- 
 hose whicli the Prophets and Moses did say. ^^cts xxvi. 22 
 
 PUBLISHED MONTHLY 
 
 NEWBURGH, N. Y. 
 
 >RINTBD AT THE OFFICE OF THE N. B. GAZETTE, DV 
 PARMENTER & SPALDING. 
 
 1826.