Lyrics: Samuel John Stone, 1866.

Music: AURELIA by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1844.

Theme: For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 3:11

Center for Church Music: “The Reverend Samuel John Stone . . . was concerned about people saying the Apostles Creed in a perfunctory manner, saying the words without a clear understanding of what they were saying. He wrote a series of twelve hymns, each explaining a section of the creed and defending the fact of the inspiration of Scripture. ‘The Church’s One Foundation’ explains the ninth article – ‘I believe in the Holy Catholic (Universal) church, the communion of the saints.’ This series of hymns was printed in Lyra Fidelium (Lyre of the Faithful) in 1866.”

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.

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.

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.

The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain and cherish
Is with her to the end;
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against or foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

‘Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With the 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.

Additional verses that were part of the original hymn text, but have been altered or omitted:

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
With all her sons and daughters
Who, by the Master’s hand
Led through the deathly waters,
Repose in Eden land.

O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!

Not a praise and worship hymn. Not a reworked psalm hymn. Not a gospel hymn. A teaching hymn. I like that. I may use this one as one of the hymns we learn in school this year.

The pictured book covers are some of my favorite books about The Church. However, as I chose books to be pictured, I realized that I haven’t read that many books that are specifically about the Church. Can you suggest any other must-read books about the Church (Baptist/evangelical/mere Christian perspective)?