Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/378

 366 THE METHODIST HYMN-BOOK ILLUSTRATED

The first verse reads

The people out of Egypt brought,

Whose burdens He removed, Whom with a thousand pangs He bought,

More than His life He loved. Stronger than death His love was shown :

And still He doth defend, And having freely loved His own,

Will love them to the end.

Hymn 679. The Church s one foundation. SAMUEL JOHN STONE, M.A. (356).

Written in 1866, and published in Lyra Fidelium, headed The Holy Catholic Church ; The Communion of Saints.

Bishop Gray of Capetown s defence of the Catholic Faith against Bishop Colenso s teaching stirred Mr. Stone to write this hymn. Ver. 3, Though with a scornful wonder, is an expression of the writer s strong feeling as to this controversy.

The fact that the hymn was chosen as the Processional at the cathedral services at Canterbury, Westminster, and St. Paul s, when the bishops met for the Lambeth Conference of 1888, led Bishop Nelson, of New Zealand, to write

Bard of the Church, in these divided days

For words of harmony to thee be praise :

Of love and oneness thou dost strike the chords,

And set our thoughts and prayers to tuneful words.

The Church s one Foundation thou didst sing,

Beauty and Bands to her thy numbers bring.

Through church and chancel, aisle, and transept deep,

In fullest melody thy watch-notes sweep ;

Now in the desert, now upon the main,

In mine and forest, and on citied plain :

From Lambeth towers to far New Zealand s coast,

Bard of the Church, thy blast inspires the host.

One who was present says, The effect of the hymn at St. Paul s on this occasion (in 1888) was almost appalling. Sung by a large congregation, some people say this hymn was really more than they could bear. &quot; It made them feel weak at the knees, their legs trembled, and they felt as though they were going to collapse.&quot;

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