He whose confession God of old accepted

He whose confession God of old accepted. Laurence Housman* (1865-1959). This is a translation of ‘Iste confessor domini sacratus’*, a Latin hymn of unknown origin but probably written in the 8th century. The original was widely used: it was written for the feast of a confessor, that is, one who avowed the Christian faith in the face of danger, but did not suffer martyrdom. The translation appeared in EH, to be sung to plainsong or to the tune ISTE CONFESSOR. The third stanza in the Latin text refers to the sick coming to the confessor’s tomb for healing. For doctrinal reasons Housman’s translation makes an adjustment to this passage, implying that the sick gained healing from the humanity...