land, by its ecclesiastical polity. Gifted young men, required to abjure the world, and live solely for the interest of another, will not surrender all remaining to them of value to the caprice of indifference, prejudice and undefined usage. And men, longer in the ministry, who are willing, and more than willing, to bear opposition from the enemy, for Christ's sake, may not feel called on every day to exercise the sublimities of their holy religion, and in order to maintain their own integrity and selfrespect be crucified in the name and by the adherents of the Gospel. The avowal of the calm and heroic Edwards the elder -never more calm and heroic than in the Northampton troubles of 1750—has embodied the sentiment of many an observer of the administration of the Congregational polity since: "I have long been perfectly out of conceit of our unsettled, independent, confused way of church government in the land." If the difficulty now referred to were organic, it might find its appropriate remedy, where President Edwards was inclined to seek it, by the introduction of Presbyterian elements, or by importing an element of power from some other source; but as the eccentric or sluggish action is simply practical, the correction should be made in accordance with the genius and laws of the system.

In regard to the non-evangelized majority of the New England population, and the demoralized condition of the Congregational polity, the National Council is called to an important work. The latter topic we regard as vital. The successful power must, and will have the energy and enthusiasm of the aspiring young. It is suicide to drive them off to other arms in the grand service.

Having thus indicated the character, position and relations of the denomination, and the design of the National Council with reference to its revivification and increased efficiency, the question remains, What is it incumbent on that body to do? In what way will the Council best meet the demands of the world and of Christ's kingdom? A few words will suffice to outline

our answer:

In the first place, it behooves the National Council, when assembled, to define to itself, and clearly symbolize to others, what evangelical Congregationalism is, body and soul, organism and spirit, the earthly chalice and the heavenly wine con

tained in it; and thus show forth the divine strength and solace by which it has hitherto wrought, and still aims to accomplish results in the country and world. This includes a statement of doctrines and polity—the evangelic faith of the Fathers rendered with their full vigor, yet made clear to the modes of thought of the present time; and the principles of church government elaborated and settled during the two and a half centuries past. This will again lift the torch on high. It will display anew the central power of New England civilization, "which," in Tocqueville's language, "after it has diffused its warmth around, tinges the distant horizon with its glow."

But the most important work of the Council will be, to fling the power of the denomination, with greater directness and energy, on the field of action. There are here several particulars : The denomination must stand on its own principles, act in its own spirit and methods, and act wherever work for Christ is to be done. It must accord the same right of effort to all others. It must act with greatly increased vigor. For, let it be considered, it has a wider base of humanity and Christianity on which to stand than any other branch of the church, and it can therefore act more powerfully than any other. Besides, this is the only specific which Congregationalism needs to give life and indwelling power to its polity. It is the breeze necessary to fill its sails and speed it on its way. In the present relaxation of its powers, it is the gun-call of Sumter, necessary to rouse the hidden energies to meet dangers at home. To all democracies in church and state, action is necessary, incessant effort; or torpor ensues and death.

The preliminary Conference has recommended many lines of effort to the consideration of the body; others may occur. The opening home field is immense. The South will soon task all capacities of effort. The world belongs to Christ, and must be conquered for him. May the Spirit of the Lord Jesus rest on the great Council, and the wisdom of his servant Paul, that, with true and comprehensive Christian statesmanship, it may act aright for the present emergency and for the welfare of the grand future.

ARTICLE VI.

CHARLES WESLEY AND METHODIST HYMNS.

BY THE REV. JOHN G. HALE, EAST POULTNEY, VT.

IN the Bibliotheca Sacra for January and April, 1864, are two articles on Charles Wesley and Methodist Hymns, by the Rev. Frederic M. Bird, of Philadelphia. These articles exalt Mr. Wesley very highly as a writer of hymns. We can best give the animus of the articles by quoting the concluding paragraphs.

"It has been considered a difficult point to decide which is entitled to stand first among hymn-writers, Charles Wesley or Dr. Watts. The difficulty lies simply here, that Dr. Watts was merely a hymnwriter, and could and did, most naturally, put all his powers within the proper limits of a song suited to public worship. The only thing to ask relative to anything of his is, is it good enough? Whereas twenty reasons may unfit Wesley's poems for that use. If a piece of the Doctor's is unfit to sing, it is probably unfit to read: not so with the other; for Wesley was a poet in a larger sense. Their relative claims as poets will soon be settled by the good taste of competent judges, whenever Wesley's poetry becomes sufficiently known. Dr. Watts' confession that his rival's "Wrestling Jacob" was worth all his own effusions, proves nothing but the modesty and generosity of the speaker; but there are other grounds for believing that Wesley excelled him in originality, variety, intensity, and elevation. Dr. Watts has been appreciated within the church at large; Charles Wesley has not. Let him not be judged further

than as he is known.

"It is an easy task to compare our poet with the other more eminent hymnists. Doddridge and Steele are diluted reproductions of Dr. Watts. Montgomery, a professed and life-long poet, is inferior to Wesley in all the qualities mentioned above, and in no respect above him in propriety, harmony, and grace of style. Heber, the most elegant and mellifluous of sacred poets, is not more polished and fluent than his Methodist predecessor; nor has he anything of his solidity, strength and fire. Cowper is the greatest name in the hymn books; but Cowper's best poems, which are very few, are but equal, not superior, to Wesley's best, which are very many. Toplady approaches most nearly to the Methodist poet; but Toplady borrowed his inspiration from Wesley, and reproduced his style; and it is the Calvinist's highest praise that his finest pieces are undistinguishable from those of his Arminian neighbor. No other names

in British sacred lyric poetry can be mentioned with that of Charles Wesley and when it is remembered that all these counted their poems by dozens or hundreds, while he by thousands; and that his thousands were in power, in elegance, in devotional and literary value above their few, we call him yet more confidently, great among poets, and prince of English hymnists."

These are words of high praise. How does the reviewer verify them? It surely is not unreasonable to ask that in two articles, covering over seventy pages in the Bibliotheca, he should prove and exemplify the principal points he makes. He has indeed furnished illustrations of the last two of the four points in which he declares Wesley superior to Watts; viz., the "intensity" of his hatred to Calvinism, and his Icarean "elevation," after the example of that unfortunate youth who soared too near the sun. See page 142 of Bib. Suc., vol. 21.

"On the wings of his love I was carried above

All sin and temptation and pain;

I could not believe that I ever should grieve,
That I ever should suffer again.

"I rode on the sky (Freely justified I!)

Nor envied Elijah his seat;

My soul mounted higher, in a chariot of fire,

And the moon it was under my feet!"

Having attained that "elevation," let us glance at a single example of the "intensity" referred to. Page 291.

"My soul it harrows up, It freezes all my blood,

My tingling ears I fain would stop Against their hellish God,
Constrained, alas! to hear His reprobating roar,

And see him horribly appear All stained with human gore.”

The italics are not ours. We choose not to defile our pages with further extracts of this sort. Even his panegyrist is constrained to say; "If Toplady ever saw that verse, no wonder that he called the Wesleys blasphemers."

Mr. Thomas Jackson, who wrote the life of Charles Wesley, published in London, 1841, says of him: "It does not appear that any person, besides himself, in any section of the universal church, has either written so many hymns, or hymns of such surpassing excellence." The first part of this claim doubtless must be admitted. Mr. Bird gives a list of between four thou

sand and five thousand of Wesley's published hymns, and it is said there are nearly as many more which have never seen the light. According to the same authority," the published Wesleyan hymns are five times as numerous as Dr. Watts.' The other point, as to their surpassing excellence," our reviewer well remarks, "is not so easily settled, being a matter of taste and judgment." Refer again to our first quotation from Wesley above, "On the wings of his love," etc., and compare with it some of Watts' hymns founded on Canticles, after reading our reviewer's deliberately expressed judgment, page 143, "his wildest pieces have more sense and taste than Watts' hymns on the Song of Solomon." Take, for example, the following, Hymn 146, Book I:

"Go, worship at Immanuel's feet;
See, in his face what wonders meet;
Earth is too narrow to express
His worth, his glory, or his grace.

*

*

"Is He a Rose? Not Sharon yields

Such fragrancy in all her fields;
Or if the Lily he assume,

The valleys bless the rich perfume."

And so on through the hymn.

Is there no sense or taste in this? But it may be that the reviewer had reference to the collection of hymns expressly founded on "the Song of songs, which is Solomon's." Turn we then to those. Hymn 67, Book I:

Or Hymn 72:

"Thou whom my soul admires above

All earthly joy and earthly love-
Tell me, dear Shepherd, let me know
Where do thy sweetest pastures grow?"

"Jesus, thou everlasting King,

Accept the tribute which we bring;
Accept the well deserved renown,
And wear our praises as thy crown."

Or we would securely rest the decision on the judgment of any unprejudiced person of refined taste, taking any one of the series referred to, and comparing it with that quoted from Wesley.