| Citation |
EG.768.017
30 Aug-6 Sep 1768:41,42,43 (1/6)
[Long excerpt from a letter of Rev. George Whitefield to
Rev. Dr. Durell, in favour of six students expelled from
Oxford.]
"Singing, composing, or reading hymns composed by others,
and doing this in company, seems to be a little criminal as
praying extempore. When the last words of David are about
to be recorded, he is not only stiled, 'the son of Jesse,
the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God
of Jacob,' but the grand title of being 'the sweet psalmist
of Israel," brings up the rear. And 'to teach and admonish
one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs,' is
as truly a scriptural; command, as 'Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. and with
all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thyself.'
"When Elisha the Prophet was about to prophesy before two
Kings, he called for a minstrel, on which he played, to
sooth his ruffled passions, and prepare his heart toe better
for the reception of the Holy Spirit. And were the Sons of
the Prophets more frequently to entertain themselves thus, I
believe it would be as suitable to the ministerial
character, and recommend them as much, perhaps more, to all
serious Christians, than their tripping up their heels,
skipping and dancing at the music of a ball room, or playing
even a first fiddle at a concert. And was the voice of
Spiritual melody more frequently heard by those who come
occasionally to visit our college, it might be as much to
the honour of the University, as the more common and too,
too frequent noise of Box and Dice, at the unlawful games of
Hazard and Backgammon.
"What spirit must those be of, Reverend sir, who have
lately joined in pronouncing the sentence of expulsion
against six religious students, not only for having been of
trades, and praying extempore, but for reading and singing
Hymns also? His Royal Highness the late Duke of Cumberland
was of a very different disposition, for when abroad in
Germany, in one of our late wars, (as I have been informed
by a person then on guard) hearing one evening as he was
passing by, a company of soldiers singing at some little
distance in a cave, he asked the centinel what noise that
was? and being answered that some devout soldiers were
singing Hymns; instead of citing them to appear before their
officer, ordering them to the whipping-post, or commanding
them to be drummed out of the regiment; acting like himself,
he only pleasingly replied, "Are they so? Let them go on
then, and be as merry as they can." In this he acted
wisely; for he know, and found by repeated experience, as
did other commanding officers, that singing, nay, and
praying extempore too, in these private societies, did not
hinder, but rather fitted and animated these devout soldiers
to engage and to fight their country's battles in the field-
- And it may be presumed, that if these students had not be
expelled for singing hymns, and praying extempore, they
certainly would not have been less, but in all probability
much better prepared for handling the sword of the spirit,
the Word of God, and fighting therewith, from the Pro[ ]
or the Pulpit, the battles of the Lord of Hosts."
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