The Church’s One Foundation Is Jesus Christ
Verse 1
THE 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 2
Elect 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 3
Though 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 4
Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore, Till, with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.
Verse 5
Yet 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.
Background: The Church’s One Foundation Is Jesus Christ
**The Church's One Foundation: A History** **1. The Author: Samuel John Stone (1839-1900)** * The hymn was written by the **Reverend Samuel John Stone**, an Anglican priest. * He served as Curate of Windsor and later as Vicar of St. Paul's, Haggerston, London. **2. The Year & Inspiration: 1866** * Stone wrote the hymn in **1866**. * It was part of a larger collection of hymns he authored called **"Lyra Fidelium: Seventeen Hymns with Allusions to the Apostles' Creed."** * Each hymn in the collection was based on one article of the Apostles' Creed. "The Church's One Foundation" was inspired by the phrase: **"the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints."** **3. The Context: Theological Controversy & Church Unity** * A significant motivation for Stone was the **Colenso Controversy** of the 1860s. * Bishop John William Colenso of Natal, South Africa, published works that challenged the historical accuracy and authorship of parts of the Old Testament. * This caused a major theological storm and threatened to create a schism within the Anglican Communion. * Stone's hymn was a powerful response, asserting the **unity and divine foundation of the Church** in Christ, even amidst theological disputes and potential divisions. It was a call for steadfast faith against doubt and schism. **4. The Hymn's Message** * The hymn strongly affirms: * **Jesus Christ as the sole head and foundation of the Church.** * **The Church's divine origin and mission.** * **Its unity, despite earthly divisions and struggles.** * **Its ultimate triumph over persecution and error.** **5. Original Form & Modern Usage** * Stone originally wrote **ten stanzas** for the hymn. * In most hymnals today, it is typically shortened to **four or five stanzas**, focusing on the core message. **6. The Tune: AURELIA** * The hymn is almost universally sung to the majestic tune **AURELIA**. * **Composer:** Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876), the grandson of the famous hymn writer Charles Wesley. * **Year Composed:** Wesley actually wrote AURELIA in **1864**, two years *before* Stone wrote the lyrics. It was originally intended for the hymn "Jerusalem, the Golden." * The pairing of Stone's powerful lyrics with Wesley's strong, processional tune was a perfect match, contributing greatly to its enduring popularity. The name "Aurelia" means "golden." **7. Legacy & Impact** * "The Church's One Foundation" quickly became a cornerstone hymn for Anglicans and soon spread to almost every Protestant denomination worldwide. * It is sung at countless church services, ordinations, conferences, and ecumenical gatherings. * It stands as a timeless anthem affirming the central truths of Christian faith and the unity of the Church under Christ. ---
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