Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries Part 1

Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries.

by Ruth Ellis Messenger.

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 h.e.l.lenistic, 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 ma.s.s 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, ent.i.tled, 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 fruhen Christentums_ by Josef Kroll, a distinguished cla.s.sical 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 ill.u.s.trate 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 wors.h.i.+p.

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 pa.s.s on to other hymnic sources in the Old Testament. Many striking lyrical pa.s.sages in the Hebrew scriptures, uttered or perhaps repeated in moments of emotional fervor, were used by later wors.h.i.+ppers to express a similar att.i.tude 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 G.o.d 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 authors.h.i.+p 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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)_,