BEING THE PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON THE HYMNAL, APPOINTED
BY THE GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1886

NEW YORK
JAMES POTT & CO., PUBLISHERS
1889

THE Committee on the Hymnal has been occupied for nearly two years and a half in the discharge of the duty intrusted to it by the General Convention. It is not prepared, nor is it yet required by the resolution under which it was appointed, to publish its full report, with the final shape in which the Hymnal may be recommended to the Convention. But the work has so far progressed that it has been decided to print the results at present reached, in order that the Church may have abundant time for a careful examination of them. In its task of selection and arrangement, the Committee had it in view:

To make a distinction between hymns for common and hymns for special use, placing the latter in an Appendix, yet with continuous numbering, so that they may be available at any and all times;

To make larger provision than heretofore for Holy Days and for special events;

To secure a number of hymns appropriate to the later portions of the longer festival seasons;

To place as many as possible of the hymns for the various seasons under the heading of "General," where they can be readily found by means of the first-line references, and yet where they will more naturally come into use throughout the year;

To group together, as far as possible, the hymns placed under that heading, according to their thought, and to arrange them generally after the plan of the book itself;

To use plural pronouns wherever it was possible;

To separate slightly between the fourth and fifth lines of eight-line hymns so as to facilitate the use of single tunes; also, to secure an even number of verses in four-line hymns, so that double tunes might be available when preferred;

To print Amens only when following a petition or an ascription of praise.

An Index of Subjects has been provided as well as references by first lines.

Thanks are due and rendered for permission to use Hymns from other selections.

Committee.

W. C. DOANE, D.D., Bp. of Albany, Chairman,

B. H. PADDOCK, D.D., Bp. of Massachusetts,

F. COURTNEY, D.D.,

SAMUEL BENEDICT, D.D.,

A. Z. GRAY, D.D.,

H. W. NELSON, JR., Secretary,

HENRY COPPÉE,

JAMES S. BIDDLE,

W. K. ACKERMAN.