Latta's defiant conclusion: 'branded as Arians' for promoting gospel hymns

Context

Latta concludes his treatise with a call to perseverance despite opposition from exclusive psalmody advocates. The passage reveals the rhetorical heat of the controversy - hymn advocates were being “branded” with accusations of heresy.

Extract

In a word, my dear brethren, Before the coming of our Lord, Mofes and the prophets wrote of him; the types and fhadows of the law forefignified him… And is this perfon, all-glorious and divine, never to be mentioned in our Hymns and Songs of Praife?-Are his incarnation, his miracles, his actions, his difcourfes, his virtues, his example to be paffed over, as unworthy to be taught or celebrated?…

No.–Let us go forth to Jefus without the camp, bearing his reproach. Let our upright and honeft intentions be mifreprefented.-Let us, for our zeal, for the honor of Chrift, and for promoting the knowledge and interefts of his Gofpel, be ftrangely branded with the reproachful names of Arians, Socinians, blafphemers, and Deifts. Let us perfevere with a prudent and refolute zeal to approve ourſelves to our Divine Mafter, and to labor for the furtherance of his Gofpel. If we fuffer, we shall alfo reign with him.-If we deny him, he will alfo deny us.-(a) And let us remember, we have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat who ferve the tabernacle.

Significance

This passionate conclusion reveals the intensity of the psalmody controversy. Latta reports that hymn advocates were being “branded” as:

• Arians (deniers of Christ’s divinity)
• Socinians (anti-Trinitarians)
• Blasphemers
• Deists

The irony is deliberate: Latta has argued throughout that exclusive psalmody actually serves Arian ends by excluding gospel content celebrating Christ’s divinity. Yet his opponents accused hymn advocates of the very heresy Latta attributed to them.

The allusion to Hebrews 13:10-13 (“we have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle”) positions exclusive psalmody as clinging to the Old Testament “tabernacle” worship that Christ has superseded. Those who “go forth to Jesus without the camp” are the hymn advocates, bearing reproach for confessing Christ.

This language of suffering and persecution for faithfulness to Christ shows how deeply both sides felt the theological stakes of the controversy.