Part 1

Produced by Stephen Hutcheson

THE PAPERS OF THE HYMN SOCIETY

Carl F. Price _Editor_

IX _Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries_

_by_ Ruth Ellis Messenger, Ph.D.

THE HYMN SOCIETY OF AMERICA New York City 1942

PAPERS OF THE HYMN SOCIETY

Carl F. Price, _Editor_

I. "The Hymns of John Bunyan." By Louis F. Benson, D.D. II. "The Religious Value of Hymns." By William P. Merrill, D.D. III. "The Praise of the Virgin in Early Latin Hymns." By Ruth Ellis Messenger, Ph.D. IV. "The Significance of the Old French Psalter." By Professor Waldo Selden Pratt, L.H.D., Mus.D. V. Hymn Festival Programs. VI. "What Is a Hymn?" By Carl F. Price, M.A. VII. "An Account of the Bay Psalm Book." By Henry Wilder Foote, D.D. VIII. "Lowell Mason: an Appreciation of His Life and Work." By Henry Lowell Mason. IX. "Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries." By Ruth Ellis Messenger, Ph.D. X. Addresses at the Twentieth Anniversary of the Hymn Society of America. XI. Hymns of Christian Patriotism. XII. "Luther and Congregational Song." By Luther D. Reed, D.D., A.E.D. XIII. "Isaac Watts and his Contribution to English Hymnody." By Norman Victor Hope, M.A., Ph.D. XIV. "Latin Hymns of the Middle Ages." By Ruth Ellis Messenger, Ph.D. XV. "Revival of Gregorian Chant, Its Influence on English Hymnody." By J. Vincent Higginson, Mus.B., M.A.

Copies of these papers at _25 cents each_ may be obtained from the Executive Secretary of the Hymn Society.

Note: Inquire before ordering as some numbers are temporarily out of print.

Dr. Reginald L. McAll, 2268 Sedgwick Avenue New York 53, N. Y.

Copyright, 1942, by Hymn Society of America Reprinted 1949

_Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries_

I. Introduction

There is no part of the general field of Christian hymnology so baffling to the student or so full of difficulties as the one under consideration in this paper. Many accounts of the subject are in existence but are far from conclusive. This is due, first of all, to the unexpected scarcity of original sources. When one views the rise of Christianity from its inception to the period of the Council of Nicaea, 325, its numerical growth from a handful of original adherents to millions of followers at the time of the Edict of Milan, 313, its literary development from early scattered records to the works of the great Greek and Latin fathers, one cannot help inquiring, "What has become of their hymns?"

Another puzzling aspect of the study is the complex historical background against which the progress of Christianity appears. The peace and constructive progress of the Augustan era, in which Christianity was founded, have often been cited as factors contributing to its evolution and spread. But this is not the whole story. The civilization of that day, especially in the eastern Mediterranean lands most concerned, was largely Hellenistic, of mingled Greek and oriental features which were necessarily wrought into the fabric of the new religion. An understanding of pre-Augustan conditions, in which these diverse historical and literary trends were merged, is essential, for without it the subject is unintelligible.

A further problem which confronts the student is that of interpretation. It is well known that any general treatment of early Christianity is apt to conform to the point of view of the author. The study of hymnology, like that of other features of the early Church, is apt to be affected by the opinion of the commentator.

It is no wonder that the field has been neglected and that the accounts of it are vague, incomplete and unsatisfactory. In fact, the task of re-examining the mass of extant records of early Christianity and other relevant material, which might illuminate the subject of hymnology, seems never to have been undertaken with this purpose in view. It is, actually, too vast a project for the casual student and certainly has not been attempted here. Our best accounts of early Christian hymnody are often subordinated to a general history of Christian hymns. This is the case with the article, entitled, Hymnes, by H. Leclercq, in the _Dictionnaire D' Archeologie Chretienne et de Liturgie_, probably the best short account in any language, containing a section on the hymnology of the first three centuries.[1] Charles Stanley Phillips drew generously from this source for the first chapter of _Hymnody, Past and Present_, which is written from the liturgical standpoint.[2] Independent studies are rare. Among them, _Die Hymnendichtung des fruehen Christentums_ by Josef Kroll, a distinguished classical philologist, deserves a much wider circulation and should be translated for the benefit of English readers.[3]

In view of the dearth of available material in English, it has seemed timely to approach the whole subject from a new standpoint. In this study, the extant hymnic sources will be presented objectively. Groups of hymns will be used to illustrate the types current in the period. In connection with them, the related historical and literary influences will be noted.

Let us abandon at once our contemporary connotation of the word _hymn_ which is derived ultimately from the hymns of Ambrose, 340-397, that is, a metrical lyric constructed in stanzas. In the pre-Ambrosian period Christian hymns were largely of the psalm type, to be chanted in rhythmic periods without rhyme. Not only should the word _hymn_ be conceived in terms of ancient thought, but also the futile attempt to differentiate among psalms, hymns and canticles should be avoided. Specialists in liturgical matters testify to the confusion existing among ancient writers in the use of these words and to the uncertainty of definition which results.[4] It is better not to multiply difficulties but to hold fast to the actual texts which we know were used in Christian worship.

II. Old Testament Hymns

At the threshold of Christianity the student crosses from the literary environment of the Old Testament into that of the New. But in actual practice the Hebrew psalms were never given up, and to this day are treasured in every branch of the faith. In the early centuries they formed the bulk of Christian hymnody. References to their use appear throughout the New Testament and are familiar to all. And, moreover, the influence of the Hebrew psalms upon the composition of new hymns is apparent even in the Gospels.

Keeping these important facts in mind regarding the psalms, the student may pass on to other hymnic sources in the Old Testament. Many striking lyrical passages in the Hebrew scriptures, uttered or perhaps repeated in moments of emotional fervor, were used by later worshippers to express a similar attitude toward the Divine.[5] Among these may be cited the Songs of Moses,

I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously (_Ex. 15:1-19_),

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth (_Deut. 32:1-43_);

Hannah's Song of Thanksgiving,

My heart rejoiceth in the Lord (_I Sam. 2:1-10_);

the great hymns in the Book of Isaiah,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (_Isa. 6:3_),

We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks (_Isa. 26:1-21_),

the second part of which begins,

With my soul have I desired thee in the night (_Isa. 26:9-21_);

Jonah's Song,

I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord (_Jonah 2:2-9_);

the Song of Habbakuk,

O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid (_Hab. 3:2-19_)

The apocryphal addition to the Book of Daniel, known as the Song of the Three Holy Children, may be considered with Old Testament lyrics. Comprising sixty-seven verses, it was added to _Daniel 3:23_, but, strictly speaking, its date, author and original language are unknown. It is probable that it is of Hebrew authorship and belongs to the first century, B. C. Its use, however, is unquestioned.[6] The first part,

Blessed art Thou, O Lord of our fathers,

is the familiar _Benedictus es, Domine_; and the second part,

O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord,

is the _Benedicite, omnia opera_.

The term _canticle_, mentioned above, has been applied in a general sense to such lyrics from the Old Testament and also from the New. "In practice," says James Mearns, "it means those Songs of Holy Scripture which have been selected for ecclesiastical use and are appended to, or incorporated with, the Psalter or other parts of the Divine Office."[7] Both Eastern and Western Churches early made official use of the Old Testament canticles,[8] while the Greek Church elaborated upon them in formal metrical compositions, called _canons_, or groups of _odes_ based upon an acrostic structure, a distinctive feature of Greek hymnody from the seventh century.[9]

It was only natural that the hymnody of the Old Testament should have exerted a marked influence upon Christian practice. The Old Testament tradition was very strong. Familiar phraseology was ready at hand for the composition of new canticles which were often mere centos from the Psalms or other portions of the Hebrew scriptures. It should be recalled that Christianity not only arose in the Semitic environment but also was for some years localized chiefly in the oriental sections of the Roman Empire, and that it was affected by oriental ideas and modes of expression. Even after Greek and Roman influences were strongly felt, hymnology retained this traditional Semitic character and pagan lyrics were held in suspicion.

III. New Testament Hymns

The transition, therefore, to the canticles of the New Testament was easy and perhaps inevitable. The _Benedictus_,

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel (_Luke 1:68-79_),

spoken by Zacharias, the _Nunc dimittis_,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace (_Luke 2:29-32_),

by Simeon, and above all the _Magnificat_,

My soul doth magnify the Lord (_Luke 1:46-55_),

from the lips of the Virgin Mother, are among the most famous of early Christian hymns, which, together with the song of the angelic host at the birth of Jesus, the _Gloria in excelsis_,

Glory to God in the highest (_Luke 2:14_),

appear within the Gospel narratives.

In the remaining portions of the New Testament other hymn fragments are found. Some of these are direct quotations from known sources.[10] In the _Book of Revelation (4:8)_, reference is made to the words of _Isaiah (6:3)_,

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

a passage which has survived in the Western Church in the expanded form of the _Tersanctus_, and in the Eastern Church as the _Hymnus Angelicus_. In the same Book (_Rev. 15:3_), the Song of Moses (_Ex. 15:1-10_) is recalled. Some passages are considered parts of familiar pieces otherwise unknown. The quotation in the _Epistle to the Ephesians_,

Awake thou that sleepest (_Eph. 5:14_),

may fall into this group or be considered a free rendering of certain passages in Isaiah.[11] The "faithful sayings" from the Epistles to Timothy and to Titus have also been viewed in this light.[12] The passage opening

For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him (_II Tim. 2:11-13_),

possesses a marked lyrical character. The lines beginning

Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords (_I Tim. 6:15-16_),

reveal poetic features of a generally oriental style, framing the Old Testament content. Certain digressions in the Epistles, in which formulas of belief or of praise rise to a sure and effective climax, have the qualities of sustained hymns:

God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (_I Tim. 3:16_),

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;-- -- -- --(_I Peter 2:22-25_),

above all,

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant-- -- -- -- That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (_Philippians 2: 6-11_).

Poetic refrains are obvious in the following:

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever (_Rom. 11:36_),

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end (_Eph. 3:21_),

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever (_1 Tim. 1:17_).

The Apostle Paul and other writers of the New Testament, who quote freely from a variety of sources, have used fragments of hymns to reinforce their teachings or with a devotional purpose. One gains from such citations a text only, or a fragment of text. Singing is not implied. The apocalyptic vision of the _Book of Revelation_, however, contains several magnificent hymns of praise which testify not alone to the form and content of the early hymn but also to the practice of worship in song. The praises of the heavenly host are mirrored in the praises of the congregation upon earth.[13] "And they sung a new song, saying,"

Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof (_Rev. 5:9-10_),

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (_Rev. 5:12-14_),

Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever (_Rev. 7:12_),

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints (_Rev. 15:3-4_),

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth (_Rev. 19:6_).

From the point of view of the evolution of Christian hymns, the hymns in the _Book of Revelation_ are perhaps the most significant in the New Testament because they exhibit varied elements, from Judaism, from Christianity and from the mingling of the two.[14]

It is interesting to re-read the New Testament in the search for hymns, but one should remember that the field is controversial. Some commentators would suggest that the entire 13th chapter of _I Corinthians_ is a hymn, beginning,

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels.[15]

A moderate rather than an extreme position, however, upon the identity of hymn sources in the New Testament seems more likely to be productive of a genuine appreciation of the style, subject matter and number of primitive Christian hymns.

Traces of poetic improvisation, which is so closely allied to hymnody, must be seriously considered at this point. The art of improvisation belongs to no one age or country. It happens that the Greeks had practiced it for centuries and that illustrations exist from the time of Homer. To the Hellenized orient it was familiar. "The Greeks of Cilicia and of the region about Antioch and Tarsus," as Dr. George Dwight Kellogg reminds us, "seem to have cultivated the art and become famous." He also suggests that the "gift of tongues" refers to this art and that Paul himself possessed the poetic talent in no small degree.[16] It is only natural to assume that, among the early Christians, certain individuals would react to the influence of heightened emotion in outbursts of poetic expression. Passages in the _Book of Acts_ may refer to the use of such hymns, for example, in the case of the Gentiles at Caesarea, who "speak with tongues and magnify God" (_Acts 10:45-46_), or the Ephesians who "spake with tongues, and prophesied" (_Acts 19:6_), or perhaps the disciples on the Day of Pentecost (_Acts 2:4_). Irenaeus, a second century father of the Church and bishop of Lyons, referring to the scene at Pentecost, mentions the singing of a hymn on that occasion.[17] The nature of improvisations is fugitive. They arise from individual inspiration and, even if expressed in familiar phrases, are not remembered or recorded by the singer or hearer. To whatever degree improvisation played a part in early Christian hymnody, to that same degree we lack corresponding literary survivals. Possibly this is one explanation of the dearth of sources which we now deplore.

On the whole, the hymnic evidence found in the New Testament points to a predominant Hebrew influence. Both in the use of psalms and other Old Testament hymns and in the phraseology of new hymns, the Christians found themselves more at home in the traditional forms of expression. Features of style, such as parallelism, uniformity and the repetition of words or word order, were not necessarily restricted to Hebrew poetry but might be found in other oriental sources--a consideration to which further attention will be given later.[18] Still we may assume that the influence of Judaism in form as well as subject matter was supreme.

IV. Liturgical Hymns

Christian practice reveals a third type of Hebrew influence, the liturgical, which brought about the use of the psalms in public worship, together with other elements familiar in the synagogue. At the close of a service of this kind, made up of prayers, readings, psalms and preaching, the eucharist was celebrated. Early writings, for example, the _Apologia_ of Justin Martyr, 100?-165,[19] the _Didache_[20] and the _Apostolic Constitutions_,[21] testify to a somewhat fixed type of worship, which, varying in details, seems to foreshadow the liturgical models of the fourth century.

Briefly stated, the _Didache_, or _Teaching of the Twelve Apostles_, is a second century treatise, the second part of which includes a ritual of baptism, fasting and the eucharist.[22] A series of eucharistic prayers is here recorded, beginning, {Eucharistoumen soi, pater hemon},

We thank Thee, our Father,

offered at stages of the communion ritual where we approach the heart of Christian worship.[23] At this point, hymn and prayer origins merge. Many Christians of our own day, perhaps the majority, regard the true hymn as a prayer offered in direct address to God. Throughout the history of Christian hymns the two forms of worship have overlapped or been identical. Hymn and prayer were also associated in ancient cults, and the chorus of a Greek drama offers an illustration of the superb proportions which this act of worship may assume. Charles Stanley Phillips, who has recently translated anew the eucharistic prayer of the _Didache_, thinks of it as not a true hymn, but a source and model of hymnody.[24] Improvised eucharistic prayer was interrupted by congregational refrains which provided another opportunity for the evolution of hymns. As a matter of fact, in all ages, expressions of thanksgiving, attending the celebration of the eucharist, have inspired many of the finest hymns of the faith.

The _Apostolic Constitutions_ is a manual in eight books, of ecclesiastical discipline, doctrine and worship, including the _Didache_.[25] Dating from the fourth or fifth century, more probably the fourth, it represents the practice of an earlier period well within the scope of this study and, in the opinion of Brightman, was compiled in Antioch or its neighborhood.[26] Since Greek was the prevailing language in the Christian world of that day, it became the liturgical language of early Christianity for the first three centuries. Even in Rome and other large cities of Italy, Greek was used. In Italy, with these exceptions and in the western provinces, Latin was employed, finally superseding Greek as the official language of the Western Church.[27]

The following hymns appear in the seventh book of the Apostolic Constitutions:

A morning hymn, {Doxa en hypsistois theo}, _Gloria in excelsis_,

Glory to God in the highest;[28]

an evening hymn, {Aineite paides},

Ye children praise the Lord,[29]

which includes {Soi prepei ainos}, _Te decet laus_,

Praise becomes Thee,

and {Nyn apolyeis ton doulon sou}, _Nunc dimittis_,

Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace;

and a prayer at dinner, {Eulogetos ei},

Thou art blessed, O Lord, who nourishest me from my youth.[30]

In the eighth book of the _Apostolic Constitutions_ and also in the _Liturgy of St. James_ we have the _Tersanctus_, {Hagios, hagios, hagios},

Holy, holy, holy.

In another part of the same _Liturgy_ the _Trisagion_ appears, {Ho trisagios hymnos,},

Holy God, holy mighty, holy immortal, Have mercy upon us.[31]

An evening hymn, {Phos hilaron}, Joyful light, is mentioned by Basil in the fourth century as very old. It was sung at vespers in the Eastern Church:[32]

O gladsome light, O grace Of God the Father's face.[33]

Among ancient liturgical hymns the _Te deum_ should be mentioned. It is attributed to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana in Dacia, and dated from the end of the fourth century. It appears to be a combination of three distinct parts. The first thirteen verses, or parts one and two, probably originated earlier than the fourth century and may have been inspired by Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, 200-258, who wrote in terms almost identical with the phrases of this early section, used of prophets, apostles and martyrs.[34]

Biblical sources, especially the canticles, now appear as liturgical hymns, either in their original form or in an enlarged version.[35] The use of canticles, more particularly in their variations, is of supreme interest to the hymnologist, because it offers a theory of the origin of Christian hymnody apart from liturgical interpolations or from the psalms. Clement of Rome urged the Corinthians to unite in the spirit of praise as expressed in the seraphic chorus of Isaiah's vision,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,

associating it with the praise of the angelic ministrants, "ten thousand times ten thousand," beheld by Daniel (_Dan. 7:10_). The same hymn had been heard in the apocalyptic mysteries of the _Book of Revelation_. Very early it was incorporated in the liturgy of the eucharist, continuing an ageless form of the praise of God from the old dispensation into the new.

The evolution of the Great Doxology from the words of the angelic song,

Glory to God in the highest,

to the _Gloria in excelsis_ illustrates the expanding thought of the Church, corresponding to the growth of the Christian body within the culture of the Roman Empire. Again, the _Gloria_ illustrates Hellenistic features of poetic style, bespeaking the oriental influences which had entered into Greek literature.[36] Note the repetition of the clauses,

We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,

of the invocation,

O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty, O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

of the relative clause,

That takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us,

of the pronoun,

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father.

It is quite superfluous to analyze further the values of a poetic form which has helped to make the _Gloria_ one of the truly magnificent Christian hymns of all ages.[37]