This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ...to the more modern literary requirements and views of the French Reformed church; but the tunes have mostly remained. Nearly all the divers translations in other tongues have been made in order to enable them to be sung with those French tunes. At present, however, even these noble melodies have mostly been ...
Read More
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ...to the more modern literary requirements and views of the French Reformed church; but the tunes have mostly remained. Nearly all the divers translations in other tongues have been made in order to enable them to be sung with those French tunes. At present, however, even these noble melodies have mostly been discarded, and replaced by the weak, sentimental fabrications of half-educated music-teachers and organists. Conservatism in this case would have been far preferable to a change which destroyed something that was noble and appropriate. Marot's versified translation of the psalms, which had become so popular in France, as soon as Calvin had adopted them for a part of his church-service were strictly prohibited by the French Catholic clergy; and the singing of these psalms exposed those who indulged in it to the suspicion of leaning towards the heretical teachings of the Genevan Reformers, and afterwards to relentless persecution. But the prohibition on the part of the Catholic Church was the means of making the singing of Marot's psalms still more popular with the Reformists, and to attract to their church a great many proselytes. Calvin's views regarding church-music, as expressed in the above-mentioned preface to an edition of Marot's versification of some of the psalms, are the following: --"Prayer has a double meaning, --petition in a narrow sense, and song. St. Paul, moved by the Holy Spirit, recommends both; and both were at all times practised in the Church. The power of music to awaken spiritual joys is well known. Of all gifts with which the Creator has blessed man, to serve him as a recreation and comfort, music may be regarded as the first, or at least one of the most elevated. It possesses a mysterious power of moving the heart;...
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good+ Gilt stamped green cloth boards, octavo, 231pp., not illustrated. Book VG+ with mild rubbing and hint of corner wear to boards and spine, binding tight, previous owner's sticker and signature to front endpapers, otherwise text clean and unmarked but gently toned throughout, handsome gilt to top edge of text block. No DJ.
