The Church's One Foundation

"The Church's One Foundation" is a Christian hymn written in the 1860s by Samuel John Stone.

The Church's One Foundation
GenreHymn
Written1866
TextSamuel John Stone
Based on1 Corinthians 3:11
Meter7.6.7.6 D
Melody"Aurelia" by Samuel Sebastian Wesley

The song was written as a direct response to the schism within the Church of South Africa caused by John William Colenso, first Bishop of Natal, who denounced much of the Bible as fictitious.[1] This topic is alluded to within the fourth verse of the text "Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed." When Bishop Colenso was deposed for his teachings, he appealed to the higher ecclesiastical authorities in England.

It was then that Samuel Stone became involved in the debate. It inspired him to write a set of hymns based on the Apostles' Creed in 1866. He titled it, Lyra Fidelium; Twelve Hymns on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles' Creed. "The Church's One Foundation" is based on the ninth article, The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints.

The song also served as inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's 1896 poem, Hymn Before Action.

It is typically set to the tune "Aurelia" by Samuel Sebastian Wesley.[2]

Tune

Original lyrics

The hymn has 7 stanzas, of which the first goes as follows:

The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word:
from heav'n he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.[3]

In the 1941 film One Foot in Heaven, the song is featured in the final emotional scene.

Science Fiction author David Weber has used portions of The Church's One Foundation as book titles for his Safehold series.

As part of a move to exclude a range of tradition hymns, The Church's One Foundation was due to be excluded from the 4th edition of the Church of Scotland's Church Hymnary. It was, however, retained after many objections were submitted to the relevant church committee.[4]

References
  1. "The Church's One Foundation". Retrieved 2008-07-03.
  2. Osbeck, Kenneth W. (1982-01-01). 101 Hymn Stories. Kregel Publications. ISBN 9780825493270. 101%20Hymn%20Stories%20by%20Kenneth%20W.%20Osbeck.
  3. "The Church's one foundation". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  4. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/church-casts-out-golden-oldie-hymns-278937.html
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