16. Church Unity in the Hymnbook.
The unity of the Christian Church is expressed nowhere more eloquently than in the hymns we sing. Every modern hymnal, regardless of the denominational interest it represents, reaches across the ages to gather its treasures from sources new and old; it knows nothing of the external barriers which divide Christians into denominations, but makes use of the hymns of widely divergent Christian groups. The Mennonite Hymnary is no exception. Here are found hymns from the early church, East and West, translated from the Greek and Latin fathers. Others, like Savonarola’s hymn, come from the Middle Ages. Many are chorales from the land of Luther, or metrical psalms from the Calvinistic reformers. A substantial body of our hymnody stems from the Anglican Church, while some of our best hymns are from sturdy independents like Watts and Doddridge, and still others breathe the evangelistic fervor of Wesley, Cowper, and Newton. The Quakers too have made their contribution as well as certain Roman Catholics and Unitarians. In no aspect of our church life do we attain so nearly to ecumenicity as in our worship in song. Christians may differ widely in their religious views but they are able to unite as one body in singing their songs of praise.
The following classification of hymns by denominations is far from exhaustive. It is intended merely to suggest the wealth of material drawn from many denominations, listing only representative writers together with a representative hymn. The [index of authors] may be consulted for a complete list of hymns written by each author.
a. Anglican (Church of England) Addison, Joseph, “The spacious firmament on high” ([50]) Alexander, Mrs. Cecil (Irish), “Jesus calls us, o’er the tumult” ([140]) Baring-Gould, Sabine, “Onward, Christian soldiers” ([225]) Bode, John E., “O Jesus, I have promised” ([212]) Croly, George (Irish), “Spirit of God, descend” ([133]) Dix, William C., “As with gladness men of old” ([530]) Ellerton, John, “Savior, again to Thy dear name we raise” ([43]) Elliott, Charlotte, “Just as I am, without one plea” ([458]) Grant, Robert (Scotch), “O worship the King” ([7]) Hankey, Katherine, “I love to tell the story” ([493]) Havergal, Frances, “Take my life, and let it be” ([215]) Heber, Reginald, “Holy, holy, holy” ([1]) How, W. W., “O Jesus, Thou art standing” ([144]) Lyte, Henry F., “Abide with me” ([40]) Newton, John, “Glorious things of thee are spoken” ([274]) Pierpoint, Folliott S., “For the beauty of the earth” ([51]) Stone, Samuel, “The Church’s one foundation” ([273]) Toplady, Augustus, “Rock of ages” ([148]) Wordsworth, Christopher, “O day of rest and gladness” ([285]) b. Baptist Fawcett, John (Eng.), “Blest be the tie that binds” ([41]) Gilmore, Henry, “He leadeth me” ([478]) Hearn, Marianne (Eng.), “Just as I am, thine own to be” ([393]) Hawks, Annie S., “I need Thee every hour” ([187]) Lowry, Robert, “Low in the grave He lay” ([452]) Phelps, Sylvanus, “Savior, Thy dying love” ([220]) Rankin, Jeremiah, “God be with you till we meet again” ([365]) Smith, Samuel F., “The morning light is breaking” ([324]) Stennett, Samuel, “Majestic sweetness sits enthroned” ([120]) c. Bohemian Brethren (Moravians) Hayn, Luise von, “I am Jesus’ little lamb” ([430]) Montgomery, James, “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire” ([184]) Rights, Douglas LeTell, “Veiled in darkness Judah lay” ([68]) Weisse, Michael, “Christ, the Lord, is ris’n again” ([544]) Zinzendorf, Nikolaus Ludwig, Graf von, “Jesu! geh’ voran” ([574]) Zinzendorf, Christian Renatus, Graf von, “Man of sorrows” ([537]) d. Catholic (Roman) St. Bernard of Clairvaux, “O sacred Head, now wounded” ([539]) Bridges, Matthew, “Crown Him with many crowns” ([118]) Faber, Frederick, “Faith of our fathers” ([154]) Franz, Ignaz, “Grosser Gott, wir loben dich” ([519]) Mohr, Joseph, “Silent night” ([83]) Newman, John Henry, “Lead, kindly Light” ([162]-3) Scheffler, Johann, “Mir nach, spricht Christus” ([565]) e. Congregational Bliss, Philip P., “Brightly beams our Father’s mercy” ([448]) Dwight, Timothy, “I love Thy Kingdom, Lord” ([275]) Gladden, Washington, “O Master, let me walk with Thee” ([223]) Luke, Jemima (Eng.), “I think when I read that sweet story” ([427]) Palmer, Horatio, “Yield not to temptation” ([477]) Palmer, Ray, “My faith looks up to Thee” ([150]) Shurtleff, Ernest W., “Lead on, O King Eternal” ([399]) Sleeper, W. T., “Ye must be born again” ([461]) Stocking, Jay T., “O Master Workman of the race” ([93]) Stowe, Harriet Beecher, “Still, still with Thee” ([23]) Walter, Howard A., “I would be true” ([207]) Wolcott, Samuel, “Christ for the world we sing” ([327]) f. English Independent Doddridge, Philip, “How gentle God’s commands” ([56]) Watts, Isaac, “When I survey the wondrous cross” ([105]-6) g. Episcopal (American) Brooks, Phillips, “O little town of Bethlehem” ([84]) Bowie, W. Russel, “Lord, through changing days” ([402]) Coxe, Arthur C., “O where are kings and empires now” ([276]) Doane, George W., “Fling out the banner” ([331]) Hopkins, John, Jr., “We three kings of Orient are” ([90]) Key, Francis Scott, “Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise” ([511]) Roberts, Daniel C., “God of our fathers, whose almighty” ([347]) h. Lutheran (German) Clausnitzer, Tobias, “Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier” ([553a]) Gerhardt, Paul, “Commit thou all thy griefs” ([558]) Luther, Martin, “A mighty fortress is our God” ([549]) Nicolai, Philipp, “Wake, awake for night is flying” ([522]) Rinkart, M. Martin, “Now thank we all our God” ([514]) Schmolck, Benjamin, “My Jesus, as Thou wilt” ([250]) Spitta, Karl Johann Philipp, “O happy home, where Thou” ([358]) i. Methodist Crosby, Fanny, “Jesus, keep me near the cross” ([490]) Farrington, Harry Webb, “I know not how that Bethlehem’s” ([99]) Gebhardt, Ernst (German), “Ich weiss einen Strom” ([232]) Lathbury, Mary, “Break Thou the bread of life” ([288]) Marlatt, Earl, “Are ye able, said the Master” ([392]) Nicholson, James, “Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole” ([469]) North, Frank Mason, “Where cross the crowded ways of life” ([222]) Owens, Priscilla, “We have heard the joyful sound” ([334]) Wesley, Charles, “Jesus, lover of my soul” ([158]-9) Williams, William (Welsh), “Guide me, O Thou great” ([160]) j. Presbyterian Babcock, Maltbie, “This is my Father’s world” ([48]) Benson, Louis, “O sing a song of Bethlehem” ([92]) Clephane, Elizabeth (Scotch), “Beneath the cross of Jesus” ([112]) Duffield, George, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” ([193]) Hastings, Thomas, “Hail to the brightness” ([332]) Hopper, Edward, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me” ([161]) Mackay, Wm. P., “We praise Thee, O God” ([437]) Matheson, George (Scotch), “O Love that wilt not let me go” ([175]) Merrill, Wm. P., “Rise up, O men of God” ([230]) Prentiss, Elizabeth, “More love to Thee, O Christ” ([472]) Small, James G. (Scotch), “I’ve found a Friend” ([445]) Van Dyke, Henry, “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee” ([10]) k. Quaker Adams, Jessie, “I feel the winds of God today” ([391]) Barton, Bernard, “Walk in the light” ([209]) Whittier, John G., “Dear Lord and Father of mankind” ([181]) l. Unitarian Adams, Sarah F., “Nearer, my God, to Thee” ([202]) Bennett, S. F., “In the sweet bye and bye” ([504]) Bowring, John, “In the cross of Christ I glory” ([110]) Holmes, Oliver W., “Lord of all being, throned afar” ([53]) Hosmer, Frederick L., “Father, to Thee we look in all our” ([249]) Johnson, Samuel, “Father, in Thy mysterious presence” ([188]) Longfellow, Samuel, “I look to Thee in every need” ([244]) Martineau, James, “Thy way is in the deep, O Lord” ([242]) Parker, Theodore, “O Thou great Friend to all the sons” ([224]) Sears, Edmund, “It came upon a midnight clear” ([75]) Ware, Henry, Jr., “Great God, the followers of Thy Son” ([13]) m. No Church Affiliation Bates, Katherine Lee, “O beautiful, for spacious skies” ([343]) Vories, Wm. M., “Let there be light, Lord God of hosts” ([353])