Part 18 (1/2)

[Footnote 98: This hymn is variously read. In the edition of Mr.

Husenbeth (H. 497.) it is: ”O Peter, blessed shepherd, of thy mercy receive the prayers of us who supplicate, and loose by thy word the bands of our sins, thou to whom is given the power of opening heaven to the earth, and of shutting it when open.”--”Beate pastor, Petre, clemens accipe voces precantum, criminumque vincula verbo resolve, cui potestas tradita aperire terris coelum, apertum claudere.” H. 497.]

Let it not be answered that many a Christian minister is now called a good shepherd. Let it not be said that the very words of our ordination imply the conveyance of the power of loosing and binding, of opening and shutting the gates of heaven. When prayer is contemplated, we can think only of One, HIM, who has appropriated the t.i.tle of Good Shepherd to {262} himself. And we must see that Peter cannot, by any lat.i.tude of interpretation, be reckoned now among those to whom the awful duty is a.s.signed of binding and loosing upon earth.

The same unsatisfactory a.s.sociations must be excited in the mind of every one who takes a similar view of Christian wors.h.i.+p with myself, by the following supplication to various saints on St. John's day:

”Let the heaven exult with praises[99], Let the earth resound with joy; {263} The sacred solemnities sing The glory of the Apostles.

O ye Just Judges of the age, And true lights of the world, We pray you with the vows of our hearts, Hear the prayers of your suppliants.

Ye who shut the heaven by a word, And loose its bars, Loose us by command, we beseech you, From all our sins.

Ye to whose word is subject The health and weakness of all, Cure us who are diseased in morals, Restore us to virtues.

So that when Christ shall come, The Judge at the end of the world, He may make us partakers Of eternal joy.

To G.o.d the Father be Glory, And to his only Son, With the Spirit the Comforter, Now and for ever. Amen[100].”

[Footnote 99: Having inserted in the text a translation of this hymn from a copy with which I had been long familiar, I think it right to insert here the two forms side by side. They supply an example of the changes to which we have already alluded.

_Lille_, 1823. _Norwich_, 1830.

OLD VERSION. POPE URBAN'S VERSION.

Exultet coelum laudibus, Exultet orbis gaudiis, Resultet terra gaudiis, Coelum resultet laudibus, Apostolorum gloriam Apostolorum gloriam Sacra canunt solemnia. Tellus et astra concinunt.

Vos saecli justi judices Vos saeculorum judices Et vera mundi lamina, Et vera mundi lumina, Votis precamur cordium Votis precamur cordium Audite preces supplic.u.m. Audite voces supplic.u.m.

Qui coelum verbo clauditis Qui templa coeli clauditis Serasque ejus solvitis, Serasque verbo solvitis, Nos a peccatis omnibus Nos a reatu noxios Solvite jussu, quaesumus. Solvi jubete quaesumus.

Quorum praecepto subditur Praecepta quorum protinus Salus et languor omnium, Languor salusque sentiunt, Sanate aegros moribus, Sanate mentes languidas, Nos reddentes virtutibus. Augete nos virtutibus.

Ut c.u.m judex advenerit Ut c.u.m redibit arbiter Christus in fine saeculi, In fine Christus saeculi, Nos sempiterni gaudii Nos sempiterni gaudii Faciat esse compotes. Concedat esse compotes.

Deo Patri sit gloria, Jesu, tibi sit gloria Ejusque soli Filio, Qui natus es de virgine, c.u.m Spiritu paracleto, c.u.m Patre et Almo Spiritu, Et nunc et in perpetuum. In sempiterna saecula.

Amen. Amen.

(H. 243.) ]

[Footnote 100: Or as in the present Roman Breviary:--

Let the world exult with joy, Let the heaven resound with praise; The earth and stars sing together The glory of the Apostles.

Ye judges of the ages And true lights of the world, With the prayers of our hearts we implore, Hear the voices of your suppliants.

Ye who shut the temples of heaven, And loose its bars by a word, Command ye us, who are guilty, To be released from our sins; we pray.

Ye whose commands forthwith Sickness and health feel, Heal our languid minds, Increase us in virtues, That when Christ, the Judge, shall return, In the end of the world, He may grant us to be partakers Of eternal joy.

Jesus, to thee be glory, Who wast born of a virgin, With the Father and the Benign Spirit, Through eternal ages. Amen. {264} ]

Many a pious and humble Catholic of the Roman Communion, I have no doubt, would regard these prayers as little more than an application to Peter and the rest of the Apostles for absolution, and would interpret its several clauses as an acknowledgment only of that power, which Christ himself delegated to them of binding and loosing sins on earth.

But the gulf fixed between these prayers, and the lawful use of the power given to Christ's ordained ministers on earth, is great indeed. To satisfy the mind of this, it is not necessary to enter upon even the confines of the wide field of controversy, as to what was really conveyed by Christ to his Apostles. I would ask only two questions.

Could any of us address these same words to one of Christ's ministers on earth? And could we address our blessed Saviour himself in stronger or more appropriate language, as the Lord of our destinies--the G.o.d who heareth prayer--the Physician of our souls?

Suppose for example we were celebrating the anniversary of Christ's Nativity, of his Resurrection, or his Ascension, what word in this hymn, expressive of {265} power, and honour, and justice, and mercy, would not be appropriate? What word would not apply to Him, in most perfect accordance with Scripture language? And can we without offence, without doing wrong to his great Name, address the same to our fellow-servants, even though we may believe them to be with Him in glory?

Let the heaven exult with praises-- Let the earth resound with joy; The sacred solemnities sing The glory of the Lord.