Notes on the Protestant publication history of the seven Psalms of Confession in the 16th and 17th centuries

Abstract

The seven Psalms of Confession (Psalms 6., 31., 37., 50., 101., 129., and 142 in the Catholic tradition; Psalms 6., 32., 38., 51., 102., 130., and 143 according to the Reformed numbering) have played an important role in the process of confession and penance, as one of the sacraments. From the beginning of the 17th century, major Catholic writers in Hungary adapted them in the form of poetic and literary prayers: Péter Pázmány, Lőrinc Ferencffy, Márton Kopcsányi, János Draskovich. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Protestants prepared and published several versions of Psalm 51 (Rimay János). Protestantism rejected confession, and thus denied the role and liturgical significance of the seven Psalms of Confession. In the first third of the 17th century, however, pietism intensifies the importance of confessional spirituality and several national adaptations of the Psalms of Confession emerge (Philipp Kegel, Jiřik Tranovsky, [Georgius Tarnoscius], Jiřik Joannides, Péter Debreceni). The book Keskeny út (The Narrow Road) written by Imre Pápai Páriz emphasizes the importance of the confession of sins, following the piety of Puritanism. For this reason, the seven Psalms of Confession are often published as an appendix to the work of Pápai Páriz from 1662, with many subsequent editions produced in the 18th century.