Like the Gnostics of Syria in the second century, so also the Arians of Constantinople in the fourth century sought to propagate their heretical doctrines through sacred song. Again great champions of orthodoxy arose, men like Ephrem Syrus, who produced fine hymns, mainly in defense of the doctrines of the Trinity and Christ’s divine nature. Among early well known Greek hymn writers we note the following: Gregory of Nazianzus (died 389), Anatolius (seventh or eighth century), St. Andrew of Jerusalem (660-732), St. Cosmas, the Melodist (died about 760), St. John of Damascus (died about 780), St. Stephen of St. Sabas (died 794), and St. Joseph the Hymnographer (died about 840). As examples of their hymns we have “O Thou the One supreme o’er all” by Gregory, “The day is past and over” by Anatolius, “The day of resurrection” by St. John of Damascus, and “Art thou weary, art thou languid” by St. Stephen. Rev. Dr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866) of East Grimstead, England, has produced many excellent translations of the old Greek hymns, which are found in nearly all modern hymnals.

In the Eastern Church, as early as the third century, the custom of singing had become so general as to be recognized as one of the Church’s predominating features. In the Eastern Church, at Antioch, antiphonal congregational hymn singing had its origin, and from thence spread in all directions in the fourth century. An interesting fact comes to light in connection with the use the Eastern Church made of its hymns. Theodoret, in his historical writings, tells us that “while Chrysostom (347-407) was bishop of Constantinople, at the opening of the fifth century, the orthodox Christians were in the habit of assembling themselves in the public squares, then marching in midnight processions, through the city, singing sacred songs, in order to combat those who were enemies of Christ’s divinity.” This is a testimony concerning the anti-Arian hymnody.

The early hymnody of the Eastern Church possesses a great deal of poetic beauty and fine rhetorical style. But many of these old Greek hymns indulge in a certain amount of tedious broadness and dogmatic prosiness. They are often vague and fantastic. Fine language seems often to be of greater importance than spiritual content. In the Eastern Church sacred song never received the development and the place in the life and the cultus of the congregation as in the Western Church. During the last half of the third century the Eastern Church advocated the use of the Psalms of David only in divine service. It must also be borne in mind that attempts were made in the Eastern Church about the middle of the fourth century to suppress congregational singing. The character of the hymns that were produced in the Eastern Church, their bombastic and often turgid style, their complicated rhythmical structure, and their unpractical Christianity, prevented them from becoming a property of the common people.

EARLY LATIN HYMNS

Early sacred song in the Western Church is characterized by noble simplicity and clearness in form, as well as by a more practical Christianity; fine qualities which go to make the old Latin hymns more accessible and serviceable to us than the old Greek hymns.

The fourth century witnessed a remarkable activity in Latin hymnody. The Western Church was far more active in the hymnological field than the Eastern Church. One of the founders of Latin hymnody was St. Hilary, the good bishop of Poitiers, great scholar, and great defender of the Christian faith. During his exile (356-360) in Phrygia, St. Hilary came in touch with Arian hymn singing. When he was permitted to return to Gaul, he brought with him a great enthusiasm for hymn singing. He edited the first hymn book of the Western Church, and introduced singing of orthodox hymns among his people. He died in 368 A. D.

But the great author and leader of Latin hymnody is, undoubtedly, St. Ambrose, the admirable and amiable bishop of Milan. He was born in 340 and died on Good Friday, 397. St. Ambrose has been called the father of Latin church song, because of his great work in hymnody and church music. The first stanza of one of his beautiful hymns is here quoted.

Prudentius (Aurelius Prudentius Clemens) is a prominent Latin hymn writer of this period. He was born in Spain, 348 A. D. Prudentius has been called “the first great Christian poet.” With him the Latin, the language of a stern and hard people, is, as it were, tempered by faith. He, like most of the early Latin hymnists, sings the praises of the faith, hope and love of the Christian Church. The subjective, with its “I,” “me” and “mine,” so characteristic of modern hymnody, had no place in the hymns of Prudentius. He received high honors from the Roman emperor, but in old age he preferred to devote himself quietly to religious literary work. He died about 410 A. D. We quote the first stanza of a beautiful Christmas hymn, Corde natus ex Parentis, from Prudentius, the translation by Neale.

St. Patrick (fifth century), called the Apostle of Ireland, wrote several hymns for his people. Coelius Sedulius, of the fifth century, wrote several great Latin hymns, among which we refer to one that has been sung quite extensively, namely, A solis ortus cardine—From lands that see the sun arise.

Gregory the Great (545-604) and Venantius Fortunatus (530-609) mark a period of transition in the hymn singing of the Western Church. It was at this time, about 600 A. D., that the Ambrosian church song was superseded by the Gregorian. Here it was that congregational song in the Western Church was abandoned and that part of public worship given over to the priests and the monks. The only part the congregation took was in a few responses. Gregory the Great was a man of unusual ability. He was pope from 590 until his death in 604. He was a zealous missionary to Britain, great as a champion against the heretics, and great as a preacher, but his best service to the Church is undoubtedly his liturgical and musical contribution. He strove to make public worship worthy of Him to whom it was rendered. It must be borne in mind that good congregational singing was something which presented great and perplexing problems in those days. The Gregorian chants, still in use, after a lapse of more than a dozen centuries, show the Gregorian style and indicate how Gregory changed the melodious and flowing hymns of St. Ambrose into the more severe and solemn style of the new period. But we have several hymns from Gregory’s pen which indicate that he was not without the Ambrosian spirit. Take, for example, his beautiful hymn,

Venantius Fortunatus, the troubadour, holds a very important place in early Latin hymnody. He wrote one of the greatest hymns of the Western Church, namely, Vexilla Regis—The royal banners forward go, the Cross shines forth in mystic glow. We quote the first stanza of another great hymn by Fortunatus, a grand Easter hymn.

Simplicity, depth, fervor, divine sentiment, full-hearted confession, are some of the outstanding characteristics of the early Latin hymns. They are, on the whole, Scriptural, pure, and devotional. The key-note in these venerable old hymns consists of the main points of Christianity, the protection and care of the Father, the redemption of Christ, the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, strains of thanksgiving and praise, invocation of God’s support against the devil, the flesh and the world.