1. The church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation, By Spirit 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. 2. Elect from ev'ry 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 ev'ry grace endued. 3. '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.
Lyrics: Samuel John Stone
Music:
Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Tune: AURELIA
Meter: 7.6.7.6.D.
Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900
During an especially heated period of theological controversy in England in 1866, when liberalism threatened to destroy the great cardinal doctrines of the Anglican church, this hymn was written by Pastor Samuel Stone. He was a strong supporter of the conservative faith and refused to compromise in any way the critical attacks on doctrinal orthodoxy.
It was Stone’s desire to write a hymn that would reaffirm the Lordship of Christ as the foundation of the church. To combat the skeptical liberal scholarship, Samuel Stone wrote twelve hymn texts based on the Apostles’ Creed. This particular text refers to the ninth article: “The Holy Catholic (Universal) Church, the communion of saints: He is the Head of this body.”
Described as the poor man’s pastor, Samuel Stone demonstrated his firm belief in the church as the instrument of Christ for meeting the needs of people. He spent much time ministering to the poor and underprivileged people in London’s East End. It was said that “he created a beautiful place of worship for the humble folk and made it a center of light in dark places.”