The Church's One Foundation
Samuel J. Stone; music Samuel S. Wesley · 1866 · tune AURELIA
Key of D · public domain
Words
Verse 1The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord
She is His new creation by water and the Word
From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride
With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died
Verse 2Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth
Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth
One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food
And to one hope she presses, with every grace endued
Verse 3Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed
By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed
Yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, How long?
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song
Verse 4Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One
And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee
The story
Samuel John Stone was a curate in Windsor when he wrote this in 1866. It came out of a bitter controversy in the Anglican church over Bishop John Colenso of Natal, who had publicly questioned the historical reliability of parts of the Old Testament. Stone wrote a set of twelve hymns on the Apostles' Creed, and this one belongs to the line about the holy catholic church. Rather than argue the case, he simply states what the church rests on and who gathers it. The third verse is unusually honest for a hymn of its era: by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed. He does not pretend the church is at peace. He says it is one anyway.
Chords in D
Verse 1
D G D
The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord
D A D
She is His new creation by water and the Word
D G D
From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride
D A D
With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died
Verse 2
D G D
Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth
D A D
Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth
D G D
One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food
D A D
And to one hope she presses, with every grace endued
Verse 3
D G D
Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed
D A D
By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed
D G D
Yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, How long?
D A D
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song
Verse 4
D G D
Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One
D A D
And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won
D G D
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
D A D
Like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee
In the app you can move this to any key and it works out the capo for you.
Common questions
Who wrote The Church's One Foundation? Samuel J. Stone; music Samuel S. Wesley wrote the words in 1866.
What tune is it sung to? AURELIA, set here in the key of D.
What scripture is it built on? 1 Corinthians 3:11.
Is The Church's One Foundation free to use in church? Yes. The words are public domain, which means any church may sing them, print them in a bulletin, put them on a screen or record them, without asking permission and without paying anyone.
Themes
The Church · Unity · Faithfulness
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