Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/47

Rh and well-deserved popularity. St. Bernard seems as if he had scattered abroad the sacred fire and raised up a whole choir of singers who shared his own devotion. Around Luther’s most famous hymn—’Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’ the battle-song of the Reformation, a history of its own has gathered. ’Jesu, Lover of my soul,’ is one of Charles Wesley’s lyrics, the popularity of which increases with its age. Few hymns have been so extensively used. The transformations of its first four lines make them unique as an editorial curiosity. Dr. Julian knows no portion of a stanza which has undergone so many alterations. He awards the palm for popularity among Charles Wesley’s hymns to ’Hark! how all the welkin rings.’ Amongst English hymns, it is equalled in popularity only by Toplady’s &quot;Rock of Ages,&quot; and Bishop Ken s Morning and Evening hymns, and is excelled by none. In literary merit it falls little, if anything, short of this honour.

Roman Catholicism during the second half of this century has given us a group of hymn-writers whose names have been household words among all the churches. It is a significant fact that John Henry Newman, Frederick W. Faber, Edward Caswall, and Frederick Oakeley, the chief hymn-writers of that communion, were all clergymen of the Church of England, and went over to Rome. Before Newman’s accession Roman Catholics were scarcely aware of the ’treasures of hymnody in their own office-books,’ or awake to the vast possibilities of congregational singing. ’Considering how many are the hymns of singular power and beauty, venerable also, through their long use, which are contained in the Roman Missal, Offices, and Breviary, it is surprising that Roman Catholic poets did not long before the present century render them more frequently into English verse.’ There were some attempts in this direction. The Jesuit Southwell, who suffered for treason in Queen Elizabeth’s reign, wrote a few good hymns and carols. The English Roman Catholics who settled on the Continent during days of persecution issued some translations from the Latin with versions of the Old Church hymns. Dryden’s translation of 'Veni, Creator Spiritus', and Pope’s 'Vital Spark', were notable Romanist contributions to the general service of praise. But it is Cardinal Newman who ranks as ’one of the great restorers of Roman Catholic hymnody.’ His most popular hymn, 'Lead, kindly light', was indeed written before he renounced Anglicanism, and his Tract 'On the Roman Breviary,'