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Faith of the free

Representative Text

1 Faith of the larger liberty,
source of the light expanding,
law of the church that is to be,
old bondage notwithstanding:
faith of the free! By thee we live —
by all thou givest and shalt give
our loyalty commanding.

2 Heroes of faith in every age,
far-seeing, self-denying,
wrought an increasing heritage,
monarch and creed defying.
Faith of the free! In thy dear name
the costly heritage we claim:
their living and their dying.

3 Faith for the people everywhere,
whatever their oppression,
of all who make the world more fair,
living their faith’s confession:
faith of the free! Whate’er our plight,
thy law, thy liberty, thy light
shall be our blest possession.

Source: Singing the Living Tradition #287

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Author: Vincent B. Silliman

Silliman, Rev. Vincent Brown, D.D. (Hudson, Wisconsin, June 29, 1894-Feb. 1979, Yarmouth, Maine). He graduated from Meadville Theological School in 1920 and from the University of Minnesota in 1925. He served Unitarian churches in Buffalo, New York; Portland, Maine; Hollis, N.Y.; and Chicago, Illinois. He was a member of the committee which edited The Beacon Song and Service Book for Children and Young People (1935), and edited We Sing of Life (1955), an unusual collection of songs for children and young people, with a strong ethical emphasis, some set to familiar hymn tunes, others to interesting folk music. Mr. Silliman contributed to words of several songs. One of them, beginning "Morning, so fair to see" is also included in Hymns of the… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: Faith of the larger liberty
Title: Faith of the free
Author: Vincent B. Silliman
Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.8.7
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
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Tune

MIT FREUDEN ZART

MIT FREUDEN ZART has some similarities to the French chanson "Une pastourelle gentille" (published by Pierre Attaingnant in 1529) and to GENEVAN 138 (138). The tune was published in the Bohemian Brethren hymnal Kirchengesänge (1566) with Vetter's text "Mit Freuden zart su dieser Fahrt." Splendid mu…

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Timeline

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Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)
TextPage Scan

Singing the Living Tradition #287

Singing the Living Tradition #287
Include 2 pre-1979 instances
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