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Rh devices into the service of God.' St. Basil was able to refute his adversaries, and to heal the breach in the congregation, by referring to the example of older churches in which Iiis ' innovations ' had long- been established. Unhappily, the two parties are not so easily reconciled to-day. Perhaps a consideration of the controversy in its past and present aspects may not be out of place liere. Before entering on the discussion, however, it will be advisable to define what is meant by ' -Esthetics.' There is no question of an 'absolute pitch ' in ritual, or in the proportion of the various parts of a service. ' Esthetics,'' rightly understood, refers to what li fitthis,' in any given circumstances. It will not be denied that the most a-sthetic and artistic arrangement, for instance in dress, when placed among surroundings utterly out of sympathy with it, becomes inartistic and in bad taste, and indeed its inherent a?stheticism is the measure of its violation of the canons of art when taken as part of an inharmonious whole. In the earlier developments of musical science, all nuisic was written for the Churcli, and was founded on the old ecclesiastical chants. In the search for new subjects, musicians, without intentional irrever- ence, were driven to select well-known secular, and even irreligious, songs, the ords of which were in all probability occasionally supplied by some cliorister during service (inodo siio) for the anuise- nient of his colleagues.^ In their efforts to excel in variety of musical invention, composers mixed up parts of the liturgy and passages from the Gospels without reference to their coherence, and so, while doing great work for the development of the science of music, they were yet transgressing most flagrantly all the canons of aesthetics in worship. Practices of this nature increased to such an extent, and were frauolit with such grave dangers to the Church services, that in 1564 it was a question under the serious consideration of the Council of Trent whether all development of musical science should not be forbidden in the Church, and only plain unisonal singing of the Gregorian tones permitted. Fortunately for art, more moderate counsels pre- vailed. A committee was appointed to consider and report on the whole subject. This committee invited the famous chapel master of St. Maria Maggiore to compose representative masses, and Palestrina nobly responded to the invitation. In the following year (1565), three masses (one^ ' Thus we have the mass ' L'Homme Arme ' founded on a popular French song, which was used as a ' Cantus Firmus ' by almost eveiy composer of any note : also the mass ' Red Noses,' and 'Adieu, my loves'; all receiving their titles from the song which served as their foundation or ' Cantus.' - The famous Missa Papa; Marcelli. dedicated to Palestrina's old patron — Pope Mar- cellus), were performed before the Council and the Pope. Their nobility of purpose and beauty of form, their fine expression of strong religious feel- ing, delighted the judges. They were adopted by the authorities, and recommended to all future Cimrch composers as worthy models ; and Pales- trina's name is honoiu-ed to this day as the saiour of music at a most critical period in its history. In this controversy, brought on by thoughtless licence on the part of musicians, intensified by the uncompromising attitude of the authorities, and settled by an honest and successful attempt to arrange a common platform, there is a valuable lesson for us of to-day. From it our conservative cliurch members ought to learn that it is not by blind opposition to general tendencies that they will best further their own cause ; while those whose sym- pathies run in an opposite direction ought to be warned not to forget the danger they may jirepare for their party if they ignore the arguments of their opponents, and allow their love of art to dominate their sense of proportion and fitness ; botli may learn that a common platform may be reached by a com- promise in which each side acknowledges the force of some of the arguments submitted, and agrees to surrender some of its theories.

At the Reformation, Luther, appreciating the effect on the people of congregational singing, introduced 'chorale' siiig-ing into the Reformed Church. These 'chorale' were in many cases popular songs, with the secular words scarcely veiled, and the music identical. A good example is afforded by a well-known Journeyman's song, which, transformed into a hymn, has been a favourite in Germany for generations.

I 'Spruck ich muss dich lassen (Innspruck I must forsake thee, Ich far dahin mein Strassen And on my way betake me

In fremde Land dahin. In - to a distant land.) became : —

O welt ich muss dich lassen Ich fahr dahin mein Strassen In s (O world I must forsake thee, And on my way be - lake me, To

e - wis' Vater - land. mine e - ter- nal home.)