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Faith

Church Sparks Controversy After Deciding to Sell 372-Year Old Christian Hymn Book — One of the 1st Books Ever Printed in America

Dec. 3, 2012 12:37pm Billy Hallowell

BOSTON (TheBlaze/AP) — Congregants of one of the nation’s oldest churches have voted to auction off a 372-year-old hymn book that’s expect to fetch $10 million to $20 million at auction.

Members of the Old South Church in Boston authorized the sale of one of its two copies of the “Bay Psalm Book,” which was published in 1640. It is among the first books ever published in North America, and only 11 copies remain. Not everyone at the church is contended with the decision.

“The vote itself is painful. It’s bringing out passions and divisions in the church that have never been seen before,” church historian Jeff Makholm told The Boston Herald, going on to call the book “a priceless piece of Puritan history.” “For us to sell it, it’s bordering on preposterous and irresponsible. It would be like the state of Israel selling the Dead Sea Scrolls to build highways.”

Old South Church Agrees to Sell Bay Psalm Book | First Book Printed in America

The inside of one of the remaining copies of the “Bay Psalm Book” (Photo Credit: Library of Congress)

The book is so historically-important, in fact, that the Library of Congress has documented its existence in detail. The government provides more background about the fascinating work:

This humble and well-worn hymnal was printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Stephen Daye, first printer of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is the very first book printed in what is now the United States.

Known as The Bay Psalm Book, but really titled The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre, it represents what was most sacred to the Puritans–a faithful translation of God’s Word, to be sung in worship by the entire congregation. Other Protestant denominations relied on selected paraphrases of the Scripture, but the Puritans believed this could compromise their salvation. The same faith that compelled them to leave England and strike out for the New World prompted them to commit this text to print before all others.

Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Stern says the church wants to continue growing its endowment and take care of some “critical capital needs.”

The front cover of one of the remaining copies of the “Bay Psalm Book” (Photo Credit: Library of Congress)

He says although there was loud opposition to the sale, the vote wasn’t close, with 271 votes cast in favor and 34 against.

Members also authorized the sale of 19 pieces of Colonial-era silver.

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Comments (29)

dontbotherme
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:27pm
Glenn BECK: BUY THIS BOOK!

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stumpy68
Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:22pm
Im happy to hear that this church has this option to raise funds i live
in a small 500 +/- person town he church i go has had to shut down
and hold services in the felowship hall because we can only afford to heat one
building ans the hall is less expensive to heat.

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DZ-015
Posted on December 4, 2012 at 10:14am
Doesn’t the church have two copies of the book? What’s so bad about selling one now to raise needed funds to maintain the historic building the congregation occupies? Any repairs will probably cost way more than normal due to the landmark status bestowed upon the building by the government.

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Dean1964
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:58pm
As a Catholic this article is amusing for I am constantly told by Protestants that the Catholic Church should sell off all its belongings. But here is a Protestant Church with a valuable piece of history and they are divided, one group wants to preserve history while another wants to increase their endowment fund as well as their capital building funds.

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- TheSurrealTruth
  Posted on December 4, 2012 at 1:04am
  You’re told by Protestants? As in. . .all protestants? We all collectively tell your church to sell off all their relics? If that isn’t the case, you shouldn’t find amusement in the division of people you have never met. Fortunately, I won’t judge ALL Catholics by the low standard you’ve set.
  
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- BlessedONE333
  Posted on December 4, 2012 at 4:35am
  the catholic church is pagan – get out now while you can
  
  Jesus died for your sins – not the pope
  
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whatdoibelieve
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:48pm
Why is this controversial? It is a Hymnal, not the Bible. Even if it was a copy of a 300 y.o. Bible, I still wouldn’t understand the controversy. Why does it matter if it is 300 years old or 3 hours old? The book itself is only worth what people will pay for it. The words in the book are what is important! And those have got to be public domain by now.

If it has significant value, just think of the good that money could be used for instead of just sitting (most likely) in a safe of some sort. I really don’t understand the concept of keeping something just because it is old when it could be sold and the proceeds used to (oh, I don’t know) bring people to know God!

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- RobbieTLHughie
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 2:14pm
  Just as long as they don’t do it on eBay, because eBay is evil.
  
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- cosmic dogma
  Posted on December 4, 2012 at 1:10am
  Agree. They may need the money to pay the heat bills. Better to keep the roof over their heads than a rare book, which will be cherished and well preserved by anyone purchasing it for that price. There is nothing immoral with being logical.
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on December 4, 2012 at 7:06am
  Times are hard and gonna get harder. Sell now while there are people willing to pay that much for it. Trust me, people don’t spend that kind of money on a book to destroy it. Maybe more people will get to see it and appreciate it. Holding on to worldly possessions isn’t very Biblical to begin with.
  
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- JQCitizen
  Posted on December 4, 2012 at 7:30am
  Hear, Hear! If this nation worried more about the WORDS in the Book, we would not be in the state we are!
  
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Libertyguard
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:40pm
Did you ever remember Jesus talking about about thieves breaking in and moths and mildew thing? Why would that be different?

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:07pm
As a chaplain here is my view of the matter – the church voted to permit the selling of the book to take place. They probably intend the funds for a good cause, and for their own churches survival as well given the hostility of Obama towards all non-conforming (to his ideology) churches.

When it comes up to auction, let the library of Congress or another historian purchase it.

Again, it is their property, the church members voted overwhelmingly to place it up for auction. Enough is enough and end the matter.

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- EndOfCommonSense
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:19pm
  Im sure the paid clergy at this church are thinking along the same lines you are. All they can see are the dollar signs, and what this will mean to them. They dont even consider those who came before them. Im sure all the custodians of this book over the last few hundred hears have been thinking, “we have to keep this book safe so in 2012 it can be sold for an obscene amount of money.” Something tells me they are going to burn through that money so fast, they wont even realize they had it. Then they will be wishing they had kept their irreplacable book.
  
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- Jenny Lind
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 3:40pm
  We do not know what is in every heart involved in this. Honestly, just the responsibility for keeping this safe and off the black market would be expensive and a “yoke” around their necks. It belongs in a museum, where it can be kept for many generations. Here is another thought-will there come a time when churches are taxed or charged and the government will take these things?When my folks were both gone and we had to sell their home and find new homes for their “stuff” we couldn’t keep, we made an albam of pictures-and we smile each time we look, but know it ok that we gave them up.
  
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- 4theThinMan
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 6:14pm
  “I” totally agree with you. If it were a different sect of Christianity that believes in relics and the efficacy in producing miracles – and this one did – it might be a different story. IF “I” had the money – even I might bid on it – I love OLD books, well crafted. Mostly – though – it is that churches property – what they do with it – even burn it if they desired – is only that churches decision – and for others to weigh in – go join that church and then you can vote on it.
  
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jackact
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:05pm
Is it possible that the 45 year onslaught of federal government sponsored secularism has forced this church to sell an antiquity just to stay solvent?
That is a rhetorical question.
The answer is, of course, is YES.
Comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls to a Christian Hymn Book is so…………..public school.
Duh.

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- Tirabi
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:28pm
  Is it possible the cost involved in properly preserving such an item is more than the 300 member church can support? Of course. Plus the church building itself is old, and in need of repairs as the article says. Not everything is a plot by the US government.
  
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- Guitarcarl
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 10:25pm
  Tirabi, you said,
  “Is it possible the cost involved in properly preserving such an item is more than the 300 member church can support? Of course. Plus the church building itself is old, and in need of repairs as the article says. Not everything is a plot by the US government.”
  
  I don’t think Jackact said it was a government “plot” It is true however, that charitable organizations like churches suffer tremendously under tyrannical governments like the one we have. Once financially strong churches are now failing all over the country. When a government and it’s bureaucracy gets out of control like ours is there are all kinds of unintended consequences that destroy the lives of people.
  
  I own several books that are over 150 years old and they are very simple to preserve. I doubt that was a major consideration in the decision to sell.
  
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Tirabi
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:02pm
Why is this even a story? A church can’t sell a book it owns? It wasn’t even a close vote, let alone a controversial one. What exactly is the controversy you are suggesting in the title? That there are whiners in a church who didn’t get their way? That is every church across the globe.

Yes, let’s let the building crumble where we come to worship, but preserve a book no one can every touch or see.

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Truthbeliever2
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 12:52pm
Our new government would pay 10 million just so they could burn it.

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Fitzzz
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 12:45pm
Hs anyone figured out how much $$$$ the government will be getting from the sale ?

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- KyleD
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 3:12pm
  It’s a church so I think it can’t be taxed.
  
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- Guitarcarl
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 10:29pm
  The government will get their share. The church may be a non profit but this transaction will definitely be taxed.
  
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dmforman
Posted on December 3, 2012 at 12:44pm
Hopefully someone who will preserve this history will buy these items, so that our future generations can see this history.

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- Tirabi
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:02pm
  Of course someone will preserve it. Why would you think someone would pay $10-20 million to destroy it?
  
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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 1:08pm
  I hope they do, I would not put it past Obama to order the book seized and then destroyed at any time.
  
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- gyro
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 3:00pm
  Snowleopard be nice obama only reads the coran why would he bother with this ?
  
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- Kupo
  Posted on December 3, 2012 at 5:04pm
  That’s a pretty sweet tin foil hat you’ve got there, Snowleopard.
  
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