# Who changed Toplady's words in Rock of Ages?



## CalvinisticCumberland (Mar 13, 2008)

I realize that this may not be the most applicable forum for this question, but thought I might get a better chance of response here. 

My modern hymnal closes verse 1 of Rock of Ages "cleanse me from it's guilt and power." 

I always thought it to be metrically inferior, especially so when I discovered what I presume to be the original lyric "save from wrath and make me pure."

This is metrically AND theologically more congruent. In the latter form here we have both justification and sanctification represented. The former seems watered down to me, as if someone thought people would be offended at the idea of a wrathful God. 

The "double cure" is a beautiful word picture of propitiation. The hymn to me is greatly lessened by the change.


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## Semper Fidelis (Mar 13, 2008)

Probably somebody that didn't like the idea of God's wrath. Human guilt is OK as long as it's merely psychological and not a result of condemnation for sin.

One thing I point out to my congregation is how Churches today tend to skip the verses that have the word "Curse" in them.

"We'll be singing verses 1, 2, and 4..." and "Voila!" it's the verse about sin and curse whereas the other verses are about how much we love and want to praise God.


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## CalvinisticCumberland (Mar 13, 2008)

The altered verse also just makes less sense....

Preceding the phrase in question is "be of sin the double cure". 

"Cleanse me from it's guilt and power" makes sin it's object. 

"Save from wrath and make me pure" makes the double cure it's object, and likewise each cure is stated.


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## JBaldwin (Mar 13, 2008)

I just went searching in my vast collection of hymnals (I have a lot of them), and it seems that the change was made sometime in the early 1970s. Though I could not put my finger on who was responsible, the first hymnal I have that shows this change was put out by Heritage Press, Victorious Life Hymns. They are also responsible for printing changes to hymns like "At the Cross" One of these changes is from the words "would He devote that Sacred Head for such a worm as I" to "would He devote that sacred head to a sinner such as I". Often it is a team of editors who makes the changes to hymns in one hymnal, and it catches on in others. I was quite surprised to see the change you mentioned in the Trinity Hymnal. They were usually more careful about things like that I thought. 

In my experience working with hymns and groups that publish them (I edited a little known hymnal called "Hymns for Worship and Praise" in 1981 Faith Publishing), words are changed to fit the doctrines of the groups who are publishing them. The group that published the one I worked on had Keswick and deeper life teaching theology, and we often changed a word or two of a hymn to fit our theology. (Praise God I'm on to better things now)

In the 1990s, the PCUSA put out a denominational hymnal. Melva Costa, the chief editor, told me how she and her committee of 50 or so men and women worked to make the hymnal "inclusive" and to fit with current PCUSA theology. That is about the most watered down hymnal I've seen.


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## Dr Mike Kear (Mar 13, 2008)

You got me curious and I had to go look this hymn up in several of my hymnals. Only my Baptist hymnal from 1883 (American Baptist Publication Society) has the line as "Save from wrath and make me pure." Very interesting!


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## JBaldwin (Mar 13, 2008)

Mike, 

I am curious as to the date of the hymnals you have. I am interested in pinpointing who and when the changes happened. I have some hymnals as recent as the 1980s that still use Toplady's original words, so some stuck with the orignal words for awhile. 

Another thing we did when working our hymnal was go back and find as many old deleted verses and reprint them, so the later ones I have could be recovery of old words.


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## CalvinisticCumberland (Mar 13, 2008)

it is interesting that my copy of the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal has the original lyrics, as Toplady and Wesley were oft at odds, and many say that Rock of Ages was a Calvinistic answer to many of Wesley's poems.

Also, my Hope Publishing Worship and Service hymnal dated 1957 has the altered text.


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## No Longer A Libertine (Mar 13, 2008)

Who changed the words? I believe it was Def Leppard:
[video=youtube;DvNOZegkVXo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvNOZegkVXo[/video]


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## JBaldwin (Mar 13, 2008)

CalvinisticCumberland said:


> it is interesting that my copy of the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal has the original lyrics, as Toplady and Wesley were oft at odds, and many say that Rock of Ages was a Calvinistic answer to many of Wesley's poems.



The Methodist hymnals I have all use the original words as well, though I don't have recent Methodist Hymnal to check what they've done in the last few years. The PCUSA hymnal doesn't even have Rock of Ages. I guess it was too Biblical for them.


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## Dr Mike Kear (Mar 13, 2008)

JBaldwin said:


> Mike,
> 
> I am curious as to the date of the hymnals you have. I am interested in pinpointing who and when the changes happened. I have some hymnals as recent as the 1980s that still use Toplady's original words, so some stuck with the orignal words for awhile.



I have a Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal from 1941 which has the altered verse in it. 

Interestingly, as CalvinisticCumberland already alluded to, I have a Methodist song book (not the official hymnal, but a song book called Upper Room Hymns published by Abingdon Press) from 1942 which retains the original verse.

A Pentecostal hymnal I have from 1966 has the altered verse as well. So with all my newer hymnals.


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## Dr Mike Kear (Mar 13, 2008)

No Longer A Libertine said:


> Who changed the words? I believe it was Def Leppard



 Man, they really did change the lyrics! (And the melody, too!)


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Mar 13, 2008)

No Longer A Libertine said:


> Who changed the words? I believe it was Def Leppard:




Now there's a change that won't make it into the Trinity Hymnal!! (I hope!)


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## Dr Mike Kear (Mar 13, 2008)

Wait! I found the original line in one of my modern hymnals! In _The worshipping Church_, published by Hope Publishing Company in 1990, the original "save from wrath and make me pure" is retained!


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## JBaldwin (Mar 14, 2008)

Dr Mike Kear said:


> JBaldwin said:
> 
> 
> > Mike,
> ...



Wow, so this change was quite old. I'm really not surprised considering there was a "liberal" movement in the early 1900s.

This is a bit  but this type of discussion always makes me frustrated with those who say it doesn't matter so much what we listen to and sing. For these publishers and hymnwriters, it was very important to get their point across.


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## CalvinisticCumberland (Mar 14, 2008)

I agree it is a bit off topic for this forum, but the only forum I found to be on-topic had not been posted in for several weeks. I am thankful for the lively responses found here.








JBaldwin said:


> Dr Mike Kear said:
> 
> 
> > JBaldwin said:
> ...


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## Ivan (Mar 14, 2008)

The Baptist Hymnal (SBC) that was published in the early 1990's still has the old words. We have a new hymnal coming out later this year or early next year and I highly doubt that the words would change.

BTW, "Rock of Ages" is one of my favorites hymns.


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## danmpem (Mar 14, 2008)

CalvinisticCumberland said:


> I realize that this may not be the most applicable forum for this question, but thought I might get a better chance of response here.
> 
> My modern hymnal closes verse 1 of Rock of Ages "cleanse me from it's guilt and power."
> 
> ...




My pastor wanted the worship band to play Casting Crowns' "Your Love is Extravagent", but he didn't like the lyrics "your fragrence is intoxicating", so he rewrote it to "your mercy is the rock I cling to". I figured that it happened quite frequently. I mean, there are plenty of worship songs I hear that I like...except for that one part. In those cases I just sing something different.


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## JBaldwin (Mar 14, 2008)

danmpem said:


> CalvinisticCumberland said:
> 
> 
> > I realize that this may not be the most applicable forum for this question, but thought I might get a better chance of response here.
> ...



Changing words happens quite often, but the copyright laws put a limit on how much you can change for use in the a church. I find if a song has only one small thing, we change it and go on, but it if there is too much, we just find something else.


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## CalvinisticCumberland (Mar 14, 2008)

Oh yes, as a music leader I am all too aware of the manifold changes made to hymns of yesteryear. I just find this one to be very disturbing, as it drastically changes the theology of the hymn in the name of "political correctness", in my opinion. 

I know that the folks in my affluent community probably don't like to be called a "worm", ala "At the Cross", but the truth condemns, and sometimes I think we need a little more awareness, even in our singing, of the glory, wrath, and judgment of God. Then we can marvel all the more at His Love and Grace when we understand how truly evil we are. 







JBaldwin said:


> danmpem said:
> 
> 
> > CalvinisticCumberland said:
> ...


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## JBaldwin (Mar 14, 2008)

> Oh yes, as a music leader I am all too aware of the manifold changes made to hymns of yesteryear. I just find this one to be very disturbing, as it drastically changes the theology of the hymn in the name of "political correctness", in my opinion.
> 
> I know that the folks in my affluent community probably don't like to be called a "worm", ala "At the Cross", but the truth condemns, and sometimes I think we need a little more awareness, even in our singing, of the glory, wrath, and judgment of God. Then we can marvel all the more at His Love and Grace when we understand how truly evil we are.



One of the things I love about many of the older hymns is that they DO have sound theology. I have searched old hymnals many times looking for original verses and am shocked at what has been cut. When I was looking through my hymnals last evening trying to see when "Rock of Ages" was changed, I noticed that many of them had changed the words and omitted a verse. 

One thing that is good, we have more reformed hymnwriters coming out of the woodwork(Stuart Townend and Keith Getty come to mind) who know theology and are not afraid to write it into their music.


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## danmpem (Mar 14, 2008)

Hmm, I'll need to look up Keith Getty.


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## timmopussycat (Mar 14, 2008)

danmpem said:


> Hmm, I'll need to look up Keith Getty.



Find Keith Getty's hymns here. 
Getty Music - Hymns
I commend to all two in particular. "In Christ Alone" and "See, what a morning"
both written with Stuart Townend.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Mar 14, 2008)

JBaldwin said:


> In the 1990s, the PCUSA put out a denominational hymnal. Melva Costa, the chief editor, told me how she and her committee of 50 or so men and women worked to make the hymnal "inclusive" and to fit with current PCUSA theology. That is about the most watered down hymnal I've seen.




The Blue Terror was so bad most churches refused to buy it. A lot still use the 1950's Red hymnal. I know of some that actually use the Trinity Hymnal put out by the OPC/PCA.


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## Hippo (Mar 14, 2008)

The original lyric was actually "Cleanse me from its guilt and power", "save from wrath and make me pure." was a later alteration. Your modern hymnal is therefore actually "original".


The original words to "Rock of Ages" were as follows:

Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flow'd
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and pow'r.


Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and Thou alone!

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!

Whilst I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyestrings break in death;
When I soar through tracts unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!


I believe that it was Thomas Cotterill who in his 1815 "Selection of Psalms and Hymns" that repaced the original final line of the first verse with "Save from wrath, and make me pure"

Samuel Rogal in his 2003 work "An analysis of various versions of A.M. Toplady's Rock of Ages, cleft for me (1774-2001) (which I am sad enough to own) suggests two reasons at page 12, namely:

a) The pronounciation of practice changed so that "-ure" ceased to rhyme with "-our".

b) Cotterill found Toplady's calvinistic imagery unpalatable, being more interested with the end result of salvation rather than the process leading to it.

Interestingly the song was first published in the March 1776 edition of the Gospel Magazine in an article that read: 

A remarkable Calculation: Introduced here, for the sake of the spiritual Improvement subjoined. Questions and Answers, relative to the National Debt. The object and end of this " Calculation " will be gathered from the closing questions and answers:—
Q. 8. How doth the government raise this interest yearly ?
A. By taxing those who lent the principal, and others.
Q. 9. When will the government be able to pay the principal ?
A. When there is more money in England's treasury alone, than there is at present in all Europe.
Q. 10. And when will that be ?
A. Never.

This article is signed " J. F." Immediately underneath, the subject is continued as a Spiritual Improvement of the foregoing: By another Hand. 

The aim of this " Improvement " is to ascertain how many sins " each of the human race" is guilty of "supposing a person was to break the law (1) but once in 24 hours "; (2) twice in the same time; (3) once in every hour; (4) once in every minute; (5) once in every second. As this last is the climax, we will give the question and the answer.
Q. May we not proceed abundantly further yet? Sixty seconds go to a minute. Now, as we never, in the present life, rise to the mark of legal sanctity, is it not fairly inferrible, that our Sins multiply with every second of our sublunary durations ?
A. Tis too true. And in this view of the matter, our dreadfull account stands as follows.—At ten years old, each of us is chargable with 315 millions, and 36 thousand sins.—At twenty, with 630 millions, and 720 thousand.—At thirty, with 946 millions, and 80 thou¬sand.— At forty, with 1261 millions, 440 thousand.—At fifty, with 1576 millions, and 800 thousand.—At sixty, with 1892 millions, and 160 thousand.—At seventy, with 2207 millions, and 520 thousand.—At eighty with 2522 millions, 880 thousand.
Q. When shall we be able to pay off this immense debt?
A. Never.....
Q. Will not divine goodness compound for the debt, by accepting less than we owe ?
A. Impossible.....
Notwithstanding this frightful helplessness, there is hope, as the answer, a little further on, makes clear :—
A. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law; being made a curse for us." Gal. iii. 13.—This, This, will not only cownter-balance, but infinitely overbalance, all the sins of the whole believing world.

Questions and Answers follow, The last answer is :—

ROOK OF AGES
A. " We can only admire and bless the Father, for electing us in Christ, and for laying on Him the iniqui¬ties of us all:—the Son, for taking our nature and our debts upon Himself, and for that complete righteousness and sacrifice, whereby he redeemed his mystical Israel from all their sins:—and the co-sequal Spirit, for causing us (in conversion) to feel our need of Christ, for in¬spiring us with faith to embrace him, for visiting us with his sweet consolations by shedding abroad his love in our hearts, for sealing us to the day of Christ, and for making us to walk in the path of his commandments.
" A living and dying Prayer for the Holiest Believer in the World."

The text for "Rock of Ages" then followed.

I would love to sing the original "When my eyestrings break in death" lyric, this mirrored the belief at the time that in death the optic nerves snapped. It is a shame that it was changed to "when my eyelids close in death" just to keep medical students happy.


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