Lyra Eucharistica: Hymns and Verses on the Holy Communion; ed. Orby Shipley, 1863/1864; transcript of the Title Page and the Preface from a copy of the 2nd edition 1864 in Dr Williams's Library, London (also incorporating the Preface to the 1st edition)
(Title-page)
THE HOLY COMMUNION,
ANCIENT AND MODERN;
WITH OTHER POEMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDITED BY
THE REV. ORBY SHIPLEY, M.A.
Second Edition
London:
LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, ROBERTS,
AND GREEN.
1864
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THE Second Edition of Lyra Eucharistica has been considerably enlarged. One entirely new Part, the Sixth, has been added, which contains Miscellaneous Hymns; and each of the five original Parts has been increased. In all, about one hundred and thirty Hymns have been added, twenty-three in Part I, fifteen in Part II, sixteen in Part III, nineteen in Part IV, ten in Part V, and the remainder in the last Part. Of these about ninety, or three-fourths of the whole, are either original or new translations, or reprints of privately printed or unpublished Hymns. Sixteen are translations from ancient Latin Sources which, with two exceptions, have neither been previously published nor translated; three Hymns are respectively of Spanish and Italian origin; and six are Versions from the German.
This Edition has also been carefully revised, and that in several ways. Many of the Hymns have been critically revised, either by their Authors or with their consent, by which means more polish and a greater finish have been attained. In order to save all available space for the introduction of fresh Hymns, several typographical and other changes and improvements have been made. The references in the Index of Sources have been classified and re-arranged, without impairing its completeness. Secondary titles of texts for the several Hymns have been omitted, and the Sources of the Hymns, with the Authors' names, have been removed from the Text to the Table of Contents and the Index. Many of the Hymns have been shortened, either by the entire omssion of the Gloria, by which an element of inevitable sameness in treatment has been avoided, or by the suppression of the Refrain, with the exception in some cases of the first and last verses; or again by the removal of some stanzas and by the union of others. Several Hymns also have been withdrawn, either because their devotional value did not appear, on re-consideration, to be combined with corresponding poetic worth, or because they were duplicated translations, or adaptation of English Hymns of the last Century, or beyond the limits proposed from whence to seek for contributions. And lastly, a few Hymns have been revised, shortened, or withdrawn on controversial grounds.
On the latter alteration I wish to say a few words; and I have used the word controversial intentionally. Some Hymns have been altered on controversial, none on doctrinal grounds. The main object in the publication of Lyra Eucharistica was a devotional one: it was not poetical, nor critical, nor dogmatic, nor, least of all, controversial. Doubtless some of these objects, if not all of them, were incidentally included: and it is not too much to say that some poetic beauties found their way into the Collection, nor that some critically valuable translations of ancient and mediaeval Hymns were published. Moreover the devotional object certainly included clear and precise statements in doctrine, and indeed was based upon such statements. But the purpose of the work was not to teach the Doctrine of the Real Presence in the Holy Communion. That Doctrine was assumed throughout, and, in many places, albeit in poetry and verse, it was stated definitively and with exactitude. And it is hardly needful to add that all such statements remain unaltered and unchanged.
But in the first Edition of Lyra Eucharistica there were statements upon and allusions to matters suggestive of controversy, which could not, nevertheless, be for a moment assumed to rank in dignity or importance with that Doctrine. Five Hymns, or six at the most, contained passages thus suggestive; and with one exception (in which the words, though difficult to understand, were capable of bearing a meaning to which we could not assent) the expressions referred either to ceremonies or to customs which, as a matter of fact, we neither hold nor use, or language was employed with which we are unfamiliar. The omission of a single stanza in two instances, slight verbal alterations in two others, and the withdrawal of the remaining two Hymns, the unity of which would have been marred by contraction, and in which alteration was impracticable, represent the full extent to which revision in this edition has been carried. I wish to be explicit on this point, in order that there may be no opportunity for mistake as to the amount of revision carried out, either in kind or degree. And I may add, on the other hand, that both in the reprint of Lyra Eucharistica, as well as in the first Edition, not only have stanzas from printed Hymns been omitted, but also many Hymns themselves have been neglected, which did not appear to enunciate the Doctrine of the Real Objective Presence with sufficient clearness. The changes and omissions, however, on either side are insignificant. They have been made simply with a view to avoid the suggestions of controversy, at all times painful, but singularly out of place in a work the aim of which is devotional.
To one other point I wish to draw attention. It has been made a charge of inconsistency against the first Edition, that whilst it contained translations of modern German Hymns, those from English sources, by Authors not in Communion with the Church, have been deliberately omitted. The inconsistency I now percieve, and have, in principle, removed. As a matter of fact, in the former Edition two or three Hymns owed their origin to Nonconformists; but, their Authors were at the time unknown to me. Since then, by the obliging help of Friends and by my own researches, I have consulted many of the works of the chief Hymn-writers among the Dissenters. But on the subject of Collection, and with the exception of a single Author, my former inconsistency did not deprive Lyra Eucharistica, so far as I have been able to judge, of many contributions of value. For after considerable search, I have found, with but few exceptions, no printed Hymns from this source which satisfied at once critical taste and doctrinal requirements, and which possessed sufficient poetic merit to make me desirous to add them to the Collection. From the published works, however, of one Author, whose hymns have been kindly placed at my disposal, and from the unprinted verses of a Friend, the second Edition has been enriched by several valuable contributions.
The Second Edition of Lyra Eucharistica is also under great obligation to many kind Friends, either for additional or for fresh assistance. All the Contributors to the first Edition are Contributors to the second: and the majority of those who helped me in the compilation of Lyra Messianica have helped me to enlarge the Lyra Eucharistica, which is also indebted to the aid of several new Contributors.
[ ?? 1st edn Preface 1863 ?? ]
The following Collection of Hymns and Verses on the Holy Communion has been made with a two-fold object.
It is well known, even to those who are but little acquainted with the subject of Hymnology, that there exists a large number of Hymns, ancient and mediaeval, on the Holy Eucharist. A considerable number of these Hymns have, of late years, been made accessible to ordinary students in the collections of Daniel, Mone, and others abroad, and by Dr Neale, Dr Littledale, and other Liturgical scholars amongst ourselves. But, in the revival and increasing appreciation of ancient Hymns, those which relate to or bear upon the Holy Communion have, for the most part, been overlooked, or at least unheeded. For this disregard of old Eucharistic Hymns several reasons may be given. That it is not caused by any lack of devotional sentiment, nor by any absence of poetic beauty in the Hymns themselved, will be readily admitted. Perhaps an adequate reason may be found in the opinion entertained by many, that the English Office for Holy Communion is not sufficiently elastic in character to allow of the introduction of Sacramental Hymns. It is true indeed that at a time at which, speaking ritually, they are sung without authority, before the Sermon, such Hymns are occasionally employed; but as a rule, the custom has not yet obtained of making use of Eucharistic Hymns (other than those which the Divine Office itself already contains) in the place in which they were formerly sung, namely between the Epistle and the Holy Gospel for the Day. On this question, however, which is not an unimportant one, I shall venture to offer a few suggestions at the close of the Preface.
Hence, although we are indebted, at the present day, to ancient Sources for many of the more beautiful of our Hymns, which are also the most popular, yet these Hymns were chiefly composed either for the greater Festivals of the Church, or for the Commemoration of some Holy Day or Season: they were not intended for use at Holy Communion. And since Hymns specially adapted for the Altar Office are seldom required, and still less often employed, it is only natural that such Hymns from Latin and Greek Sources, as well as those of German or other origin, have been but rarely translated into English verse.
To how small an extent ancient Sacramental Hymns have been translated for public use in Church, may be perceived by an examination of some of the Hymnals most generally employed, and some of the more popular Collections of Hymns which have of late been published. And this examination will incidentally shew us the poverty of our possessions in English Eucharistic Hymns from any source whatever. Thus, it will be found that in the Collection which has deservedly secured by far the widest circulation of any Hymnal of the present day, under the title of Hymns Ancient and Modern, out of 273 Hymns from all sources, there are only five Hymns printed in the body of the work on the subject of the Blessed Sacrament, of which two only are translated from ancient Sources; although there are two more, and part of a third, amongst the Introits, all of which are ancient. In the still more recently published Volume of Hymns, edited by Dr KENNEDY, with the title of Hymnologia Christiana, which contains the largest number of Hymns, for the use of the Church, hitherto collected into a single Volume, namely 1500 Psalms and Hymns, only one Psalm and twenty-three Hymns are devoted to the Holy Communion. Several of these are only by an accommodation Eucharistic Hymns, and hardly more than a tithe of them may be referred to ancient Sources for their origin.
If we turn to other Collections of Hymns and Hymnals between the extremes suggested by these two books, we shall find the same law, as regards Eucharistic Hymns, to prevail in all of them. Of course it is possible to enlarge the number which I purpose to mention by including those amongst the general Hymns, which may accidentally refer to the Holy Communion, or which may be made to bear an Eucharistic meaning. But in the Sacramental portions of the volumes which I have consulted we shall find the following results; and I only refer to a few instances where many might be quoted. The Salisbury Hymn Book, edited by Lord NELSON, contains 204 Hymns, of which only ten are printed under the heading `Holy Communion', and of these, two are certainly Hymns on the Passion, and a third can only in a secondary sense be made to apply to the Blessed Sacrament. Of the remaining seven, one only is a translation from the Latin.
The Hymnal, edited by the Rev.R.R.CHOPE, is another widely used Hymn Book. The new edition contains 300 Hymns, and only seven Hymns are printed in the part appropriated to the Altar Office, whilst but two of these can claim an ancient source, one complete Hymn and one Cento. The Collection, edited by the Rev.W.J.HALL, and known by the name of the Mitre Hymn Book, contains four modern Hymns on the Holy Communion out of 303, and no ancient ones. The precursor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, entitled Hymns and Introits, in its fourth Edition contains a single Hymn on the Holy Eucharist, and that an ancient one. The Hymn Book published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in its enlarged edition of 300 Hymns contains only seven Hymns on the Holy Communion, none of which are of ancient origin. And not to further multiply cases, The Church Psalter and Hymn Book out of 510 Hymns devoted ten to the subject of the Blessed Sacrament, in none of which can any ancient features be traced.
If we pass from Hymn Books for use in Divine Service to Collections of Hymns for private reading at home, in the most recent compilation, The Book of Praise, selected and arranged by Sir ROUNDELL PALMER, out of an aggregate of 412 Hymns, in the first edition, from the whole range of English Hymnology, we find only seven Hymns or Poems on the Blessed Sacrament which are deemed to be of sufficient merit to deserve a place in its pages. One of these is a translation from a Latin Hymn; and two are not the production of the present century.
The numerical paucity of Eucharistic Hymns in the Hymn Books of the day is only equalled, as a rule, by their poverty in value, and by their lack of variety. Of course some of the finest of the ancient and mediaeval Hymns have been translated for, and some of the best modern English Hymns are printed in, certain Hymnals. But, of either class of Hymns, none of the Collections contain all, many but a few. Indeed, it forces itself on the attention of anyone who will examine most of the recently published Hymn Books, that so little care has been paid to the Collection of Eucharistic Hymns, that the best and most devotional of their class appear almost systematically to be omitted. In no one Hymnal with which I am acquainted are those five or six hymns from ancient sources, which are allowed to be the first of their kind, to be found translated. Neither are the best specimens of English verse invariably, or generally met with. And in their place second-rate Hymns appear and reappear over and over again in well nigh every suceeding Collection. In truth there appear to be certain stock Hymns on the Holy Communion with which, being free to every person, every person makes free; and these with more or less variety of reading, according to each succeeding Editor's poetic judgment, in a different order, and mingled with others of similar type and character, are generally to be found in popular Hymn Books. In such Books HEBER's hymns are not always reprinted; KEBLE is not frequently seen; even OSLER is not invariably used; CASWALL and FABER but seldom; ISAAC WILLIAMS and ARCHER GURNEY hardly more often. But Sacramental Hymns of exceedingly little value critically, whilst devotionally they are altogether unequal to the position in which they are placed, and the part they are forced to play in Divine Service, help to fill the pages of many Hymn Books; and with or without the addition of one or more of WESLEY's, of a WATTS, and ELLIOTT, or a BATTY we usually find in each selection the Hymns of DODDRIDGE, of CONDER, and of J.MONTGOMERY.
As my studies have been directed to the English Office for Holy Communion, its history, ritual and devotions, the question of Eucharistic Hymns naturally forced itself on my attention; and I soon found how little we had yet gathered, in an English form, from that particular portion of the wide field of ancient Hymnology. It is true that several Hymns on the Blessed Sacrament have been translated into English verse, and some of them very frequently. [*Note1 ] But they are chiefly versions, with more or less fidelity and force, by different persons, of the same majestic Hymns which, in their original Latin, have attained world-wide renown. The grandest and most beautiful of these Hymns are, in one form or another, familiar to English readers, but they are few; whilst many other Hymns and Sequences, which competent judges declare to be only second, and sometimes not at all inferior to the inspirations of S.THOMAS AQUINAS, have been allowed to remain in the language in which, and for the most part, in the position for which they were originally composed.
Until lately, the great body of these Sacramental Hymns, even in their original form, has been unknown to all but Liturgical students. Of late years, however, a large number have been discovered and collected, and have been rendered accessible in the Collections mentioned above. But there is good reason to believe that we are still unacquainted with the extent of the Church's heritage in Hymnological wealth, as further research is continually bringing to light Hymns previously unknown, or long ago forgotten. Many of these treasures which have been obtained from many parts of Christendom, have appeared from time to time, and it is hoped will continue to appear, under the common title of Sequentiae Ineditae in the pages of the contemporary Periodical, the The Ecclesiologist. But in these Collections, the Eucharistic Hymns remained in the language in which they were written; and only the favoured few, chiefly those of S.THOMAS AQUINAS, have found their way into Hymn Books or Books of Poetry.
Perhaps one of the earliest attempts during the present revival of the taste for ancient Hymns, (although there have been several incidental efforts in previous centuries,) to popularise Hymns on the Holy Eucharist were made about the year 1839, by the Rev. ISAAC WILLIAMS, who, in the Volume of Hymns translated from the Parisian Breviary, reprinted in a collected form, amongst others, four out of the five well-known Hymns composed by S.THOMAS AQUINAS. The same four Hymns, together with the Lauda Sion, were translated afresh, ten years later, by the Rev.E.CASWALL: and in 1858, several other English renderings of Sacramental Hymns were added to these, which, with his wonted kindness, Mr CASWALL has allowed to be reprinted, together with several other of his Hymns, in Lyra Eucharistica. Between these two dates several other versions and imitations of one or more of these Hymns were issued. In 1852, Dr NEALE, in Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences, published two fresh translations of the Adoro Te devote and the Pange Lingua; and to these he added a Sacramental Hymn of the vij. Century. In a later volume, Hymns from the Eastern Church, Dr Neale has translated two more Poems of the vij. and viij. Centuries respectively; and the three latter of these Hymns, by the kindness of the Translator, appear in the present Collection.
In 1857 Lauda Syon was published; and this, with another publication by the same Author, was the first effort to escape from the accustomed groove in which translators of Hymns on the Holy Communion had hitherto chiefly moved. And in addition to the five usual Sacramental Hymns, seven other Hymns, some of considerable length, have been translated by J.D.CHAMBERS, Esq., only one of which, it is believed, had previously appeared in English. At the time of its publication, Lauda Sion contained the largest number of Eucharistic Hymns that had been collected in one Volume. And it was only by the kindness of the Translator, who was so good as to allow his Hymns to be reprinted, that a Manual of Devotions for the Altar Office, the Divine Liturgy, published at the close of 1862, contained a still larger collection of this class of Hymns. But the latest effort to popularise Hymns on the Holy Communion has been made by a `Committee of Clergy,' which has lately issued some valuable Tracts and Books of Devotion. Eucharistic Hymns is the title of a little book of sixteen pages, which contains valuable translations of seven Hymns, the greater number of which appeared for the first time in an English version. All these Hymns have been generously placed at my disposal, by the learned Translator, for incorporation into Lyra Eucharistica; and those of which I have not elsewhere obtained translations, have been thankfully reprinted.
The first main object, then, in the publication of Lyra Eucharistica, was the collection into one Book of many of the more beautiful of the ancient and mediaeval Hymns on the Blessed Sacrament, not only reprints from Works already published, but also and chiefly new translations. And this object has been accomplished entirely through the kindness and instrumentality of Friends.
The result has been this - that out of the large number of Hymns from ancient or mediaeval Sources which this book contains, either directly on the subject of the Holy Communion, or indirectly bearing upon it, upwards of forty are new translations. [*Note2 ] Some few, indeed were printed in The Divine Liturgy; but these were kindly undertaken at my suggestion, and have been rendered into English in order to form a part of the present Collection; so that, substantially, they now appear for the first time as translations. And although this, in comparison with previous efforts to introduce ancient Sacramental Hymns into our language, is a large advance on the past, yet it is believed that the store, whence these Hymns are drawn, has not nearly been exhausted, and will amply repay further examination.
The dates of the newly translated or recently published Hymns, from ancient and mediaeval Sources, contained in this Book extend from the vij. to the xvij. Century; the Hymn written at the latest date being composed by SANTOLIUS of S.VICTOR, and the two which bear the earlier date being respectively of Latin origin, from the Antiphonary of Bangor, and from a Greek source, by S.Andrew, Archbishop of Crete. The period, however, which appears to be the richest in Eucharistic Hymns is that which began in and succeeded the age of S.THOMAS AQUINAS, from the xiij. to the xvj. Centuries; and for the causes of this increase in the number of Hymns on the Holy Communion at this particular time, there is obvious evidence in the History of the Church. The institution of the Feast of CORPUS CHRISTI, with its Octave of Commemorative Services, of itself was sufficient to create a demand for additional Sacramental Hymns; and many were those who must have been inspired by, even if they did not actually imitate, the compositions of the Poet and Doctor of the Church, who supplied the authorised Hymns and Sequences for that and other Festivals of Western Christendom.
The dates of all these Hymns cannot be ascertained. In most cases, however, it is believed that the date assigned represents the latest Century to which the Hymn can probably be attributed. But if there is uncertainty with reference to the dates, there exists absolute ignorance about the Authors of many of the Hymns from ancient Sources in the following Collection; so that the Hymns, for the most part, have to be distinguished by the locality in which they were discovered, the Office Book in which they are enshrined, or even the Collection in which they may now be found. For although the names of S.ANDREW of Crete, of S.JOHN DAMASCENE, of S.ANSELM, S.BERNARD, S.THOMAS and S.ALPHONSO, of GUYETUS, of HUSS, of ANGELUS and SANTOLIUS, and of S.TERESA, are attached to some of the Hymns, yet many more are lacking in any clue for the discovery of their authorship. Most of them may be claimed by some Continental Church or Conventual Establishment. Canterbury, York, Salisbury, and Bangor, however, have contributed their quota to the Collection. But the Office Books of the Gallican and Spanish Churches, of Strasburg, Carlsruhe, Munich, and Mayence, of Liege, and Augsburg, of Freising in Bavaria, Drontheim in Norway, Prague, and the famous Benedictine Abbey of Reichenau, an Island in the Lake of Constance, have supplied the chief materials for that older portion of Lyra Eucharistica which is now first published.
The second main object in the publication of Lyra Eucharistica was this - the collection into a single Volume of many scattered Hymns and Verses, either already published, or not yet in print on the subject of the Holy Communion. Those who will give the matter consideration may remember, that in many recently published Books of Poetry, amongst the miscellaneous Poems, may be found a single one or more on the Blessed Sacrament. Also in those Magazines of the day, which have more or less of a religious aim, such short pieces of Verse may often be found. It is true, that neither of these two Sources of Eucharistic Hymns have been drawn from to the extent to which they might, possibly, have been made to contribute. Still, there are many Poems thus collected which have either attained temporary notice and have then been forgotten, or have been printed in Volumes, the scarceness of which at the present day proves that they are but little known. And these it is believed many persons will be glad to possess in a more accessible, as well as more permanent form.
In addition to these reprints, there are many Hymns in the following pages which are neither forgotten nor scarce. And Lyra Eucharistica is indebted to several Collections of the present day for some of the most beautiful of its Poems. The only difficulty in the selection was to know where to stop, or what to abstain from taking, where permission was kindly given to choose. But in a Collection which aimed to a certain extent at completeness, it was thought wise to admit many Hymns well known and deservedly appreciated, which otherwise it would have been needless to reprint.
To these two classes of modern Hymns and Verses has been added another, that of original and unpublished Poems. And this is a distinction where a distinction is not needless. For whilst Lyra Eucharistica contains many Original Hymns, written for this Work, it also contains many which, although hitherto unpublished, were not written expressly for it. It is perhaps not strange, that in the present wide-spread teaching of the true Doctrine of the Holy Communion, and in the consequent revived dignity and honour in which It is esteemed, and the care and frequency with which It is celebrated, the minds of many persons should find relief from devotion and meditation on the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist, in poetic composition. Such, however, is the fact: and it needed only the knowledge that such a Collection of Poems as Lyra Eucharistica was contemplated, to produce from many quarters Hymns, written some of them long ago, which have been with much courtesy placed at my disposal.
This is the second object with which Lyra Eucharistica was printed; and, as far as regards unprinted Verses, the result has been this, that between eighty and ninety original or unpublished Hymns have been added to our formerly but scanty stock of Poems on the Blessed Sacrament. And all of these, I have to acknowledge with gratitude, are due to the kindness and courtesy of known or unknown Friends.
In addition to Hymns from the Sources indicated above, there have been added several Hymns of much beauty from the Italian, the Spanish, and the German, both new translations and reprints of former translations. Hymns of German origin are generally full of devotional beauty; and I only regret that Lyra Eucharistica possesses so few specimens of Communion Hymns, either of Catholic or Protestant origin, from that Source. The paucity of translations, however, of Hymns on the Holy Communion, which has been observed in the case of ancient and mediaeval Hymns, is equally apparent in that of Hymns from the German. For whilst Sacred Hymns from the German, by Miss Cox, contains but a single Eucharistic Hymn, Miss Winckworth's Lyra Germanica possesses only seven Hymns out of about 225 (in both series), and the volume published under the title of Hymns from the Land of Luther has only one Poem specially on the subject of Holy Communion: all of which translations have been kindly placed at my disposal, and most of which will be found below. There will also be found sixteen or seventeen new translations by Friends, from the German, which have not previously been published.
Lastly, scattered through the Collection, there are Hymns and Verses, original, newly translated, and reprinted, which, although they are not directly Eucharistic in character, are indirectly connected with the Doctrine of Sacrifice which is involved in the Holy Communion, or may be made to bear an Eucharistic signification. For these too, I owe many thanks to several Contributors; and it is hoped that these miscellaneous Hymns, whilst not out of harmony with the subject-matter of the volume, will tend to prevent too much sameness in its treatment.
Thus I have endeavoured to combine Hymns ancient and modern, and by the mutual contrast to enhance the relative value of both. The subjective devotion and tenderness of modern Hymns, will be strengthened by the definite Theological statements of those of ancient and mediaeval origin; and the systematic Theology and the enunciation of the highest objective Truths in the old Hymns, will be softened and brought home to the inner consciousness by the contemplative elements in the new. In addition to this double benefit, monotony and sameness will be avoided, which could hardly fail to result from a Collection of Hymns on the Holy Communion from any one single source; whilst, in the case of Lyra Eucharistica, additional variety is ensured by the introduction of miscellaneous Hymns, not out of harmony with those with which they come in contact.
I have now to express my sincere gratitude to all the many Friends - as Contributors, as Authors, or as Publishers - who have assisted me in the compilation of Lyra Eucharistica. Where all have been kind, it would be invidious to refer to any unless reference were made to all. The names or initials or signatures of all those to whom this Collection is indebted, together with whatever information as to the origin of the various Hymns I am enabled to give, will be found in the Table of Contents, and the Index of Sources. All the Hymns which have been reprinted in the following pages have been reprinted verbatim, except in a few instances of adaptation, which have been duly acknowledged. In all cases, where it was either practical or needful, and in many in which it was not necessary, I have obtained permission from those concerned to reprint the Hymns which are now republished. On this subject, I have only to add, first, that as a rule, the Hymns in this Volume are not meant for public worship, nor for singing. Some of the verses, it is true, are intended for both purposes; and some have either had music set to them, or have themselves been written for music. Secondly, that the Collection contains specimens of many kinds of rendering. Literal versions have been placed side by side with those that are freer in translation and that seek to convey the sense of the original, rather in corresponding than in absolutely equivalent terms. And thirdly, that no Contributor is responsible for the statements or sentiments contained in the contributions of other persons.
The Hymns in Lyra Eucharistica have been arranged according to the fivefold Division into which the English Office for the Holy Communion is separable; whilst the concluding Part contains miscellaneous and unarranged Poems, both ancient and modern. In many cases this division of the Verses is arbitrary. But it was thought better to attempt some arrangement, even an imperfect one, than to print the Hymns under no system: and to arrange them according to their subject-matter, as far as possible, rather than in their chronological order, or under the headings of their Authors' or Translators' names. The Altar Office has ever been divisible into five Ritualistic portions; and although the Office in the Book of Common Prayer has received several additions to, and has suffered from many transpositions in its component parts, from its earlier and purer form, yet these five divisions can still be distinctly traced. The Introduction reaches from the beginning of the Office to the Creed. Then follows the Oblation, which includes the Offering of the Elements, and the collection of Alms, and extends to the Prayer of Humble Access. Thirdly, comes the sacred Act of Consecration, or as it was anciently termed, the Canon. After that, the Communion of the People follows: and the Office is concluded with the Thanksgiving. Now the first and last Divisions of the Office are easily supplied with Hymns; for many of the Eucharistic Hymns were composed for use either in Preparation for, or in Thanksgiving after the Blessed Sacrament. In the Part entitled the Consecration, it was thought well that the majority of the Hymns should be from ancient or mediaeval Sources. The difficulty of arrangement is therefore chiefly confined to the second and fourth Parts; and in these two Divisions, German Hymns and reprinted English Hymns have been combined with original Verses and translations from the Latin or Greek, in such a measure as to produce the least amount of sameness in the combination.
In conclusion may I venture to ask why we do not more extensively make use of Eucharistic Hymns in the Celebration of the Holy Communion? The principle of singing even the Hymn of DODDRIDGE, the Communion Hymn on Sacrament Sundays, as they were wont to be called, whatever may be thought of the practice, I apprehend to be sound - the principle, that is to say, of singing a special Hymn on the subject of the Blessed Sacrament in the Office for Holy Communion. And this is only an extension of the same principle by which we sing Hymns suitable for Holy Days, Sundays, and Saints Days in Divine Service, morning and evening, after the third Collect. The use of the Introit, at the beginning of the Altar Service, of course has authority and custom for its support and sanction. And where it is possible to sing Eucharistic Hymns at a later stage of the Office, one would not willingly see this use lightly set aside. Yet, even in this case, when Introits are constantly repeated, the same words to the same music, Sunday after Sunday, it would seem to be well, occasionally, to forego the customary portion of the Psalms on behalf of some Eucharistic Hymn. But in cases wherein the usual Introit is not employed, it is difficult to discover why Hymns specially adapted for Communion are not more frequently sung. The time before the commencement of the Celebration would seem to be very suitable either for teaching persons, or for reminding them of the Truths of the Holy Sacrament through the medium of Hymns.
But this is not the only position in the Liturgy in which Hymns may be used, or in which they are employed. A very wise discretionary power appears, on all hands, to be left with the Parish Priest as to the introduction of Hymns in Divine Service, not only with respect to the compositions themselves, but also to the time at which they may be sung. it is true that this licence is carried to an extent which ignores the ritual time for singing Hymns in favour of times for which there is no authority. But the latitude very fairly allows of additional opportunities for singing, when the ordinary and regular demands of the Office have been complied with. And in our search for precedent in this matter, we find that Hymns were formerly sung before the Holy Gospel for the Day. Of course there could be no valid objection to a return to such a use; but the general consent of Churchmen, it is feared, would hardly be obtained in favour of singing `Sequences' at this point. The widely spread custom of singing the Nicene Creed, which thus becomes devotionally a Hymn of Praise, as well as doctrinally a Confession of Faith, would appear to many a sufficient reason for not adding to the length of the Service by the introduction of a Eucharistic Hymn in this place. And in this practical objection there is much weight. So that we are obliged to consider some position in the Office, other than immediately after the Creed (which adds to the practical objection a grave ritual one) for the introduction of a Hymn. Such a position may be found at the Offertory; and in this place Eucharistic Hymns, after the saying of the Antiphon or Sentence, are now wont to be sung. And not only may no practical reason be urged against congregational singing in this portion of the Office, but devotionally it would appear to be helpful. To some minds there seems to be needed a sort of connecting link between the Sermon and the remainder of the Service; and the interval between instruction, specially in the case of powerful or able Sermons, and worship, in a return to the Office, is fitly occupied with Acts of Praise by singing. Whilst the Collection of Alms during the singing would obviate any practical difficulty arising from an increase in the length of Divine Service.
The question, however, is a wide one, and is not suited for discussion here. But a suggestion for the more extended use of Eucharistic Hymns is not wholly out of place in the Preface of a Book which is enabled to give publicity to several new Hymns on the Blessed Sacrament, which are not intended for, although they may be used in, Public Worship. I therefore venture to suggest that the custom of those Churches, not only where a hymn is sung kneeling after the Consecration (which is the more common practice), but also (which is the less usual) where Eucharistic Hymns are sung during the Collection of the Offertory, may be followed with benefit and edification.
ORBY SHIPLEY.
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(The Rejoice & Sing Enchiridion:edited by David Goodall; last amended 19/5/03)