Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes ‎#278

278. The Church's one foundation

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.

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.

3 Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her opprest,
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.

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.

Amen.

Text Information

• First Line: The Church's one foundation
• Author: Samuel J. Stone (1866)
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1899
• Topic: Christ: Foundation; Church: Beauty and Glory of; Church: Communion of Saints; Church: Foundation of; Church: nature of; Church: Unity of; Churches: Corner-Stone laying

Tune Information

• Name: AURELIA
• Composer: Samuel S. Wesley
• Meter: 7s, 6s D.