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Faith of Our Fathers! Living Still
Author: Rev. Frederick W. Faber Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8 Appears in 832 hymnals Topics: Conscience; Faith; Faith of our Fathers; Gospel; Spiritual Liberty; Persecution Of Believers; Perseverance Of The Saints; Profession of Faith; Reformation Day; Witnessing; Zeal Lyrics: 1 Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious Word!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
2 Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
How sure will be their children's peace
If we, like them, should die for thee!
Faith of our martyrs, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
3 Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how,
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death. Used With Tune: ST. CATHERINE
Faith of Our Fathers! Living Still
The Church pleading with God under sore Persecution
Appears in 48 hymnals Topics: Persecuted Saints; Persecuted Saints First Line: Will God forever cast us off! Lyrics: 1 Will God for ever cast us off!
His wrath forever smoke
Against the people of his love,
His little chosen flock?
2 Think of the tribes so dearly bought
With their Redeemer’s blood;
Nor let thy Sion be forgot,
Where once thy glory stood.
3 Lift up thy feet, and march in haste,
Aloud our ruin calls;
See what a wide and fearful waste
Is made within thy walls.
4 Where once thy churches pray'd and sang
Thy foes profanely rage;
Amid thy gates their ensigns hang,
And there their hosts engage.
5 How are the seats of worship broke?
They tear the buildings down,
And he that deals the heaviest stroke,
Procures the chief renown.
6 With flames they threaten to destroy
Thy children in their rest;
Come let us burn at once, they cry,
The temple and the priest.
7 And still to heighten our distress,
Thy presence is withdrawn;
Thy wonted signs of power and grace,
Thy power and grace are gone.
8 No prophet speaks to calm our grief,
But all in silence mourn;
Nor know the times of our relief
The hour of thy return.
Pause.
9 How long, eternal God, how long,
Shall men of pride blaspheme;
Shall saints be made their endless song,
And bear immortal shame?
10 Canst thou forever sit and hear
Thine holy name profan'd?
And still thy jealousy forbear,
And still with-hold thine hand?
11 What strange deliverance hast thou shown
In ages long before!
And now no other God we own,
No other God adore.
12 Thou didst divide the raging sea
By thy resistless might,
To make thy tribes a wondrous way,
And then secure their flight.
13 Is not the world of nature thine,
The darkness and the day?
Didst thou not bid the morning shine,
And mark the sun his way?
14 Hath not thy power form'd every coast,
And set the earth its bounds,
With summer’s heat, and winter’s frost,
In their perpetual rounds?
15 And shall the sons of earth and dust
That sacred pow'r blaspheme?
Will not thy hand that form'd them first
Avenge thine injur'd name?
16 Think on the covenant thou hast made,
And all thy words of love;
Nor let the birds of prey invade
And vex thy trembling dove.
17 Our foes would triumph in our blood,
And make our hope their jest;
Plead thine own cause, almighty God,
And give thy children rest. Scripture: Psalm 74
The Church pleading with God under sore Persecution
The Church's Complaint in Persecution
Appears in 42 hymnals Topics: Persecuted Saints; Persecuted Saints First Line: Lord, we have heard thy works of old Lyrics: 1 Lord, we have heard thy works of old,
Thy works of power and grace,
When to our ears our fathers told,
The wonder of their days.
2 They saw the beauteous churches rise,
The spreading gospel run;
While light and glory from the skies
Through all their temples shone.
3 In God they boasted all the day,
And in a cheerful throng
Did thousands meet to praise and pray,
And grace was all their song.
4 But now our souls are seiz'd with shame,
Confusion fills our face,
To hear the enemy blaspheme,
And fools reproach thy grace.
5 Yet have we not forgot our God,
Nor falsely dealt with heaven,
Nor have our steps declin'd the road
Of duty thou hast given.
6 Though dragons all around us roar
With their destructive breath,
And thine own hand has bruis'd us sore,
Hard by the gates of death.
Pause.
7 We are expos'd all day to die,
As martyrs for thy name;
As sheep for slaughter bound we lie,
And wait the kindling flame.
8 Awake, arise, almighty Lord,
Why sleeps thy wonted grace?
Why should we look like men abhor'd,
Or banish'd from thy face?
9 Wilt thou forever cast us off,
And still neglect our cries?
Forever hide thine heavenly love
From our afflicted eyes?
10 Down to the dust our soul is bow'd,
And dies upon the ground;
Rise for our help, rebuke the proud,
And all their powers confound.
11 Redeem us from perpetual shame,
Our Saviour and our God;
We plead the honours of thy name,
The merits of thy blood. Scripture: Psalm 44:1-3
The Church's Complaint in Persecution
ST. CATHERINE
Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8 Appears in 703 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: Henri F. Hemy; James G. Walton Topics: Conscience; Faith; Faith of our Fathers; Gospel; Spiritual Liberty; Persecution Of Believers; Perseverance Of The Saints; Profession of Faith; Reformation Day; Witnessing; Zeal Tune Key: G Major or modal Incipit: 32117 12671 17651 Used With Text: Faith of Our Fathers! Living Still
ST. CATHERINE
DALEHURST
Meter: 8.6.8.6 Appears in 198 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: Arthur Cottman Topics: Afflictions Deliverance from; Aspirations For Peace and Rest; Blessedness Of Those Chosen of God; Blessedness Of Those Fearing God; Christ Providences of; Christians Conscious of Safety; Christians Persecuted and Sorrowing; Comfort in Trials; Divine Election; Enemies Destruction of; Enemies Many and Mighty; Faith Act of; Faith Confidence of; God Hearer of Prayer; Morning Psalms; Praise for temporal blessings; Praise For Work of Redemption; Prayer confidence in; Prayer For Grace and Salvation; Protection Only from God; Providence of God Over Saints; Retribution Inflicted; The Righteous Blessedness of; The Righteous Deliverances of; Safety Enjoyed; Salvation God's Gift; Salvation Prayers for; The Wicked Fate of; The Wicked Persecuting Spirit of Tune Key: F Major Incipit: 32143 32112 34442 Used With Text: God Our Guardian
DALEHURST
BELMONT
Meter: 8.6.8.6 Appears in 544 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: William Gardiner Topics: Comfort; Hope; Law of God; Longing for God or Christ; Persecution Of Believers; Perseverance Of The Saints; Righteous And Wicked Contrasted; Stedfastness; Word of God Tune Key: G Major or modal Incipit: 53217 76155 54332 Used With Text: My Soul for Thy Salvation Faints
BELMONT
Prayer and Faith of persecuted Saints; or, Imprecatins mixed with Charity
Hymnal: The Psalms of David #63 (1740) Topics: Persecuted Saints, their Prayer and Faith First Line: Now plead my Cause, Almighty God Lyrics: 1 Now plead my Cause, Almighty God,
With all the Sons of Strife;
And fight against the Men of Blood,
Who fight against my Life.
2 Draw out thy Spear and stop their Way,
Lift thine avenging Rod;
But to my Soul in Mercy say,
"I am thy Saviour God!"
3 They plant their Snares to catch my Feet,
And Nets of Mischief spread;
Plunge the Destroyers in the Pit
That their own Hands have made.
4 Let Fogs and Darkness hide their Way,
And slippery be their Ground;
Thy Wrath shall make their Lives a Prey,
And all their rage confound.
5 They fly like Chaff before the Wind,
Before thine angry Breath;
The Angel of the Lord behind
Pursues them down to death.
6 They love the Road that leads to Hell;
Then let the Rebels die,
Whose Malice is implacable
Against the Lord on high.
7 But if thou hast a chosen Few
Amongst that impious Race,
Divide them from the bloody Crew,
By thy surprizing Grace.
8 Then will I raise my tuneful Voice,
To make thy Wonders known;
In their Salvation I'll rejoice,
And bless thee for my own. Scripture: Psalm 35:1-9 Languages: English
Prayer and Faith of persecuted Saints; or, Imprecatins mixed with Charity
The Church's Complaint in Persecution
Hymnal: Doctor Watts's imitation of the Psalms of David, to which is added a collection of hymns; the whole applied to the state of the Christian Church in general (3rd ed.) #77 (1786) Topics: Persecuted Saints; Persecuted Saints First Line: Lord, we have heard thy works of old Lyrics: 1 Lord, we have heard thy works of old,
Thy works of power and grace,
When to our ears our fathers told,
The wonder of their days.
2 They saw the beauteous churches rise,
The spreading gospel run;
While light and glory from the skies
Through all their temples shone.
3 In God they boasted all the day,
And in a cheerful throng
Did thousands meet to praise and pray,
And grace was all their song.
4 But now our souls are seiz'd with shame,
Confusion fills our face,
To hear the enemy blaspheme,
And fools reproach thy grace.
5 Yet have we not forgot our God,
Nor falsely dealt with heaven,
Nor have our steps declin'd the road
Of duty thou hast given.
6 Though dragons all around us roar
With their destructive breath,
And thine own hand has bruis'd us sore,
Hard by the gates of death.
Pause.
7 We are expos'd all day to die,
As martyrs for thy name;
As sheep for slaughter bound we lie,
And wait the kindling flame.
8 Awake, arise, almighty Lord,
Why sleeps thy wonted grace?
Why should we look like men abhor'd,
Or banish'd from thy face?
9 Wilt thou forever cast us off,
And still neglect our cries?
Forever hide thine heavenly love
From our afflicted eyes?
10 Down to the dust our soul is bow'd,
And dies upon the ground;
Rise for our help, rebuke the proud,
And all their powers confound.
11 Redeem us from perpetual shame,
Our Saviour and our God;
We plead the honours of thy name,
The merits of thy blood. Scripture: Psalm 44:1-3 Languages: English
The Church's Complaint in Persecution
The Church's Complaint in Persecution
Hymnal: Doctor Watts's Imitation of the Psalms of David #77 (1790) Topics: Persecuted Saints; Persecuted Saints First Line: Lord, we have heard thy works of old Lyrics: 1 Lord, we have heard thy works of old,
Thy works of power and grace,
When to our ears our fathers told,
The wonder of their days.
2 They saw the beauteous churches rise,
The spreading gospel run;
While light and glory from the skies
Through all their temples shone.
3 In God they boasted all the day,
And in a cheerful throng
Did thousands meet to praise and pray,
And grace was all their song.
4 But now our souls are seiz'd with shame,
Confusion fills our face,
To hear the enemy blaspheme,
And fools reproach thy grace.
5 Yet have we not forgot our God,
Nor falsely dealt with heaven,
Nor have our steps declin'd the road
Of duty thou hast given.
6 Though dragons all around us roar
With their destructive breath,
And thine own hand has bruis'd us sore,
Hard by the gates of death.
Pause.
7 We are expos'd all day to die,
As martyrs for thy name;
As sheep for slaughter bound we lie,
And wait the kindling flame.
8 Awake, arise, almighty Lord,
Why sleeps thy wonted grace?
Why should we look like men abhor'd,
Or banish'd from thy face?
9 Wilt thou forever cast us off,
And still neglect our cries?
Forever hide thine heavenly love
From our afflicted eyes?
10 Down to the dust our soul is bow'd,
And dies upon the ground;
Rise for our help, rebuke the proud,
And all their powers confound.
11 Redeem us from perpetual shame,
Our Saviour and our God;
We plead the honours of thy name,
The merits of thy blood. Scripture: Psalm 44:1-3 Languages: English
The Church's Complaint in Persecution
Henri F. Hemy
1818 - 1888 Topics: Conscience; Peace and Rest; Persecution Of Believers; Perseverance Of The Saints; Profession of Faith; Reformation Day; The Gospel; Liberty, Spiritual Composer of "ST. CATHERINE" in Psalter Hymnal (Blue) Henri F. Hemy, born in the United Kingdom. Hemy spent time at sea as a young man, emigrating to Australia in 1850 with his family. Unable to make a decent living in Melbourne, he returned to Newcastle England. He was organist at St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church in Newcastle, later teaching professor of music at Tynemouth and at St. Cuthbert's College in Durham. He was pianist to Lord Ravensworth, Music Director of Ushaw College, and his orchestra played at fashionable venues in the region. He sang baritone as well. He composed waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and galops. 3 music works: Easy Hymn Tunes for Catholic Schools; Royal Modern Tutor for Pianoforte; Crown of Jesus. He was active in local politics and published a manifesto in the daily newspaper. He lost a ward election. He also painted artwork. He set most of Longfellow's works to music.
John Perry
Henri F. Hemy
Isaac Watts
1674 - 1748 Topics: Prayer and faith of persecuted saints Author of "Psalm 37 Part 1" in Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, The Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary labours. He did not retire from ministerial duties, but preached as often as his delicate health would permit.
The number of Watts' publications is very large. His collected works, first published in 1720, embrace sermons, treatises, poems and hymns. His "Horae Lyricae" was published in December, 1705. His "Hymns" appeared in July, 1707. The first hymn he is said to have composed for religious worship, is "Behold the glories of the Lamb," written at the age of twenty. It is as a writer of psalms and hymns that he is everywhere known. Some of his hymns were written to be sung after his sermons, giving expression to the meaning of the text upon which he had preached. Montgomery calls Watts "the greatest name among hymn-writers," and the honour can hardly be disputed. His published hymns number more than eight hundred.
Watts died November 25, 1748, and was buried at Bunhill Fields. A monumental statue was erected in Southampton, his native place, and there is also a monument to his memory in the South Choir of Westminster Abbey. "Happy," says the great contemporary champion of Anglican orthodoxy, "will be that reader whose mind is disposed, by his verses or his prose, to imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to men, and his reverence to God." ("Memorials of Westminster Abbey," p. 325.)
--Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.
=================================
Watts, Isaac, D.D. The father of Dr. Watts was a respected Nonconformist, and at the birth of the child, and during its infancy, twice suffered imprisonment for his religious convictions. In his later years he kept a flourishing boarding school at Southampton. Isaac, the eldest of his nine children, was born in that town July 17, 1674. His taste for verse showed itself in early childhood. He was taught Greek, Latin, and Hebrew by Mr. Pinhorn, rector of All Saints, and headmaster of the Grammar School, in Southampton. The splendid promise of the boy induced a physician of the town and other friends to offer him an education at one of the Universities for eventual ordination in the Church of England: but this he refused; and entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in 1690, under the care of Mr. Thomas Rowe, the pastor of the Independent congregation at Girdlers' Hall. Of this congregation he became a member in 1693.
Leaving the Academy at the age of twenty, he spent two years at home; and it was then that the bulk of the Hymns and Spiritual Songs (published 1707-9) were written, and sung from manuscripts in the Southampton Chapel. The hymn "Behold the glories of the Lamb" is said to have been the first he composed, and written as an attempt to raise the standard of praise. In answer to requests, others succeeded. The hymn "There is a land of pure delight" is said to have been suggested by the view across Southampton Water. The next six years of Watts's life were again spent at Stoke Newington, in the post of tutor to the son of an eminent Puritan, Sir John Hartopp; and to the intense study of these years must be traced the accumulation of the theological and philosophical materials which he published subsequently, and also the life-long enfeeblement of his constitution.
Watts preached his first sermon when he was twenty-four years old. In the next three years he preached frequently; and in 1702 was ordained pastor of the eminent Independent congregation in Mark Lane, over which Caryl and Dr. John Owen had presided, and which numbered Mrs. Bendish, Cromwell's granddaughter, Charles Fleetwood, Charles Desborough, Sir John Hartopp, Lady Haversham, and other distinguished Independents among its members. In this year he removed to the house of Mr. Hollis in the Minories. His health began to fail in the following year, and Mr. Samuel Price was appointed as his assistant in the ministry. In 1712 a fever shattered his constitution, and Mr. Price was then appointed co-pastor of the congregation which had in the meantime removed to a new chapel in Bury Street. It was at this period that he became the guest of Sir Thomas Abney, under whose roof, and after his death (1722) that of his widow, he remained for the rest of his suffering life; residing for the longer portion of these thirty-six years principally at the beautiful country seat of Theobalds in Herts, and for the last thirteen years at Stoke Newington. His degree of D.D. was bestowed on him in 1728, unsolicited, by the University of Edinburgh. His infirmities increased on him up to the peaceful close of his sufferings, Nov. 25, 1748. He was buried in the Puritan restingplace at Bunhill Fields, but a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey.
His learning and piety, gentleness and largeness of heart have earned him the title of the Melanchthon of his day. Among his friends, churchmen like Bishop Gibson are ranked with Nonconformists such as Doddridge. His theological as well as philosophical fame was considerable. His Speculations on the Human Nature of the Logos, as a contribution to the great controversy on the Holy Trinity, brought on him a charge of Arian opinions. His work on The Improvement of the Mind, published in 1741, is eulogised by Johnson. His Logic was still a valued textbook at Oxford within living memory. The World to Come, published in 1745, was once a favourite devotional work, parts of it being translated into several languages. His Catechisms, Scripture History (1732), as well as The Divine and Moral Songs (1715), were the most popular text-books for religious education fifty years ago. The Hymns and Spiritual Songs were published in 1707-9, though written earlier. The Horae Lyricae, which contains hymns interspersed among the poems, appeared in 1706-9. Some hymns were also appended at the close of the several Sermons preached in London, published in 1721-24. The Psalms were published in 1719. The earliest life of Watts is that by his friend Dr. Gibbons. Johnson has included him in his Lives of the Poets; and Southey has echoed Johnson's warm eulogy. The most interesting modern life is Isaac Watts: his Life and Writings, by E. Paxton Hood. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.]
A large mass of Dr. Watts's hymns and paraphrases of the Psalms have no personal history beyond the date of their publication. These we have grouped together here and shall preface the list with the books from which they are taken.
(l) Horae Lyricae. Poems chiefly of the Lyric kind. In Three Books Sacred: i.To Devotion and Piety; ii. To Virtue, Honour, and Friendship; iii. To the Memory of the Dead. By I. Watts, 1706. Second edition, 1709. (2) Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In Three Books: i. Collected from the Scriptures; ii. Composed on Divine Subjects; iii. Prepared for the Lord's Supper. By I. Watts, 1707. This contained in Bk i. 78 hymns; Bk. ii. 110; Bk. iii. 22, and 12 doxologies. In the 2nd edition published in 1709, Bk. i. was increased to 150; Bk. ii. to 170; Bk. iii. to 25 and 15 doxologies. (3) Divine and Moral Songs for the Use of Children. By I. Watts, London, 1715. (4) The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, And apply'd to the Christian State and Worship. By I. Watts. London: Printed by J. Clark, at the Bible and Crown in the Poultry, &c, 1719. (5) Sermons with hymns appended thereto, vol. i., 1721; ii., 1723; iii. 1727. In the 5th ed. of the Sermons the three volumes, in duodecimo, were reduced to two, in octavo. (6) Reliquiae Juveniles: Miscellaneous Thoughts in Prose and Verse, on Natural, Moral, and Divine Subjects; Written chiefly in Younger Years. By I. Watts, D.D., London, 1734. (7) Remnants of Time. London, 1736.
454 Hymns and Versions of the Psalms, in addition to the centos are all in common use at the present time.
--Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
==================================
Watts, I. , p. 1241, ii. Nearly 100 hymns, additional to those already annotated, are given in some minor hymn-books.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)
=================
Watts, I. , p. 1236, i. At the time of the publication of this Dictionary in 1892, every copy of the 1707 edition of Watts's Hymns and Spiritual Songs was supposed to have perished, and all notes thereon were based upon references which were found in magazines and old collections of hymns and versions of the Psalms. Recently three copies have been recovered, and by a careful examination of one of these we have been able to give some of the results in the revision of pp. 1-1597, and the rest we now subjoin.
i. Hymns in the 1709 ed. of Hymns and Spiritual Songs which previously appeared in the 1707 edition of the same book, but are not so noted in the 1st ed. of this Dictionary:—
On pp. 1237, L-1239, ii., Nos. 18, 33, 42, 43, 47, 48, 60, 56, 58, 59, 63, 75, 82, 83, 84, 85, 93, 96, 99, 102, 104, 105, 113, 115, 116, 123, 124, 134, 137, 139, 146, 147, 148, 149, 162, 166, 174, 180, 181, 182, 188, 190, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 200, 202.
ii. Versions of the Psalms in his Psalms of David, 1719, which previously appeared in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707:—
On pp. 1239, U.-1241, i., Nos. 241, 288, 304, 313, 314, 317, 410, 441.
iii. Additional not noted in the revision:—
1. My soul, how lovely is the place; p. 1240, ii. 332. This version of Ps. lxiv. first appeared in the 1707 edition of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, as "Ye saints, how lovely is the place."
2. Shine, mighty God, on Britain shine; p. 1055, ii. In the 1707 edition of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, Bk. i., No. 35, and again in his Psalms of David, 1719.
3. Sing to the Lord with [cheerful] joyful voice, p. 1059, ii. This version of Ps. c. is No. 43 in the Hymns & Spiritual Songs, 1707, Bk. i., from which it passed into the Ps. of David, 1719.
A careful collation of the earliest editions of Watts's Horae Lyricae shows that Nos. 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, p. 1237, i., are in the 1706 ed., and that the rest were added in 1709. Of the remaining hymns, Nos. 91 appeared in his Sermons, vol. ii., 1723, and No. 196 in Sermons, vol. i., 1721. No. 199 was added after Watts's death. It must be noted also that the original title of what is usually known as Divine and Moral Songs was Divine Songs only.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
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See also in:
Hymn Writers of the Church
Isaac Watts
Frederick William Faber
1814 - 1863 Person Name: Frederick W. Faber Topics: Conscience; Peace and Rest; Persecution Of Believers; Perseverance Of The Saints; Profession of Faith; Reformation Day; The Gospel; Liberty, Spiritual Author of "Faith of Our Fathers" in Psalter Hymnal (Blue) Raised in the Church of England, Frederick W. Faber (b. Calverly, Yorkshire, England, 1814; d. Kensington, London, England, 1863) came from a Huguenot and strict Calvinistic family background. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and ordained in the Church of England in 1839. Influenced by the teaching of John Henry Newman, Faber followed Newman into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845 and served under Newman's supervision in the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Because he believed that Roman Catholics should sing hymns like those written by John Newton, Charles Wesley, and William Cowpe, Faber wrote 150 hymns himself. One of his best known, "Faith of Our Fathers," originally had these words in its third stanza: "Faith of Our Fathers! Mary's prayers/Shall win our country back to thee." He published his hymns in various volumes and finally collected all of them in Hymns (1862).
Bert Polman
=================
Faber, Frederick William, D.D., son of Mr. T. H. Faber, was born at Calverley Vicarage, Yorkshire, June 28, 1814, and educated at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1836. He was for some time a Fellow of University College, in the same University. Taking Holy Orders in 1837, he became Rector of Elton, Huntingdonshire, in 1843, but in 1846 he seceded to the Church of Rome. After residing for some time at St. Wilfrid's, Staffordshire, he went to London in 1849, and established the London "Oratorians," or, "Priests of the Congregation of St. Philip Neri," in King William Street, Strand. In 1854 the Oratory was removed to Brompton. Dr. Faber died Sept. 26, 1863. Before his secession he published several prose works, some of which were in defence of the Church of England; and afterwards several followed as Spiritual Conferences, All for Jesus, &c. Although he published his Cherwell Waterlily and Other Poems, 1840; The Styrian Lake, and Other Poems, 1842; Sir Lancelot, 1844; and The Rosary and Other Poems, 1845; and his Lives of the Saints, in verse, before he joined the Church of Rome, all his hymns were published after he joined that communion. They were included in his:—
(1) A small book of eleven Hymns1849, for the School at St. Wilfrid's, Staffordshire. (2) Jesus and Mary: or, Catholic Hymns for Singing and Reading, London 1849. In 1852 the 2nd edition was published with an addition of 20 new hymns. (3) Oratory Hymns, 1854; and (4) Hymns, 1862, being a collected edition of what he had written and published from time to time.
Dr. Faber's account of the origin of his hymn-writing is given in his Preface to Jesus & Mary. After dwelling on the influence, respectively, of St. Theresa, of St. Ignatius, and of St. Philip Neri, on Catholicism; and of the last that "sanctity in the world, perfection at home, high attainments in common earthly callings…was the principal end of his apostolate," he says:—
“It was natural then that an English son of St. Philip should feel the want of a collection of English Catholic hymns fitted for singing. The few in the Garden of the Soul were all that were at hand, and of course they were not numerous enough to furnish the requisite variety. As to translations they do not express Saxon thought and feelings, and consequently the poor do not seem to take to them. The domestic wants of the Oratory, too, keep alive the feeling that something of the sort was needed: though at the same time the author's ignorance of music appeared in some measure to disqualify him for the work of supplying the defect. Eleven, however, of the hymns were written, most of them, for particular tunes and on particular occasions, and became very popular with a country congregation. They were afterwards printed for the Schools at St. Wilfrid's, and the very numerous applications to the printer for them seemed to show that, in spite of very glaring literary defects, such as careless grammar and slipshod metre, people were anxious to have Catholic hymns of any sort. The manuscript of the present volume was submitted to a musical friend, who replied that certain verses of all or nearly all of the hymns would do for singing; and this encouragement has led to the publication of the volume."
In the same Preface he clearly points to the Olney Hymns and those of the Wesleys as being the models which for simplicity and intense fervour he would endeavour to emulate. From the small book of eleven hymns printed for the schools at St. Wilfrid's, his hymn-writing resulted in a total of 150 pieces, all of which are in his Hymns, 1862, and many of them in various Roman Catholic collections for missions and schools. Few hymns are more popular than his "My God, how wonderful Thou art," "O come and mourn with me awhile," and "Sweet Saviour, bless us ere we go." They excel in directness, simplicity, and pathos. "Hark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling," and "O Paradise, O Paradise," are also widely known. These possess, however, an element of unreality which is against their permanent popularity. Many of Faber's hymns are annotated under their respective first lines; the rest in common use include:—
i. From his Jesus and Mary, 1849 and 1852.
1. Fountain of love, Thyself true God. The Holy Ghost.
2. How shalt thou bear the Cross, that now. The Eternal Years.
3. I come to Thee, once more, O God. Returning to God.
4. Joy, joy, the Mother comes. The Purification.
5. My soul, what hast thou done for God? Self-Examination
6. O how the thought of God attract. Holiness Desired.
7. O soul of Jesus, sick to death. Passiontide. Sometimes this is divided into two parts, Pt. ii. beginning, “My God, my God, and can it be."
ii. From his Oratory Hymns, 1854.
8. Christians, to the war! Gather from afar. The Christian Warfare.
9. O come to the merciful Saviour that calls you. Divine Invitation. In many collections.
10. O God, Thy power is wonderful. Power and Eternity of God.
11. O it is sweet to think, Of those that are departed. Memory of the Dead.
12. O what are the wages of sin? The Wages of Sin.
13. O what is this splendour that beams on me now? Heaven.
14. Saint of the Sacred Heart. St. John the Evangelist.
iii. From his Hymns, 1862.
15. Father, the sweetest, dearest Name. The Eternal Father.
16. Full of glory, full of wonders, Majesty Divine. Holy Trinity.
17. Hark ! the sound of the fight. Processions.
18. How pleasant are thy paths, 0 death. Death Contemplated.
19. O God, Whose thoughts are brightest light. Thinking no Evil.
20. O why art thou sorrowful, servant of God? Trust in God.
21. Souls of men, why will ye scatter? The Divine Call.
22. The land beyond the sea. Heaven Contemplated.
23. The thought of God, the thought of thee. Thoughts of God.
24. We come to Thee, sweet Saviour. Jesus, our Rest.
In addition to these there are also several hymns in common use in Roman Catholic hymn-books which are confined to those collections. In the Hymns for the Year, by Dr. Rawes, Nos. 77, 110, 112, 117, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 131, 140, 152, 154,169, 170, 174, 179, 180, 192, 222, 226, 230, 271, 272, are also by Faber, and relate principally to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Several of these are repeated in other Roman Catholic collections.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907
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Faber, Frederick William, p. 361, i. To this article the following additions have to be made:—
1. Blood is the price of heaven. Good Friday. (1862.)
2. Exceeding sorrowful to death. Gethsemane. This in the Scottish Ibrox Hymnal, 1871, is a cento from "O soul of Jesus, sick to death," p. 362, i., 7.
3. From pain to pain, from woe to woe. Good Friday. (1854.)
4. I wish to have no wishes left. Wishes about death. (1862.)
5. Why is thy face so lit with smiles? Ascension. (1849.)
The dates here given are those of Faber's works in which the hymns appeared. In addition to these hymns there are also the following in common use:—
6. Dear God of orphans, hear our prayer. On behalf of Orphans. This appeared in a miscellaneous collection entitled A May Garland, John Philip, n.d. [1863], No. 1, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Roman Catholic Parochial Hymn Book, 1880, it begins, "O God of orphans, hear our prayer."
7. Sleep, sleep my beautiful babe. Christmas Carol. This carol we have failed to trace.
8. By the Archangel's word of love. Pt. i. Life of our Lord. This, and Pt. ii., “By the blood that flowed from Thee"; Pt. iii., "By the first bright Easter day"; also, "By the word to Mary given"; "By the name which Thou didst take"; in The Crown Hymn Book and other Roman Catholic collections, we have seen ascribed to Dr. Faber, but in the Rev. H. Formby's Catholic Hymns, 1853, they are all signed "C. M. C," i.e. Cecilia M. Caddell (p. 200, i.).
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)
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Faber, F. W., pp. 361, i.; 1562, ii. We are informed by members of Dr. Faber's family that his father was Mr. Thomas Henry Faber, sometime Lay Secretary of the Bishop of Durham. In addition to his hymns already noted in this Dictionary, the following are found in various Roman Catholic collections, viz.:—
i. From St. Wilfrid's Hymns, 1849:—
1. Dear Father Philip, holy Sire. S. Philip Neri.
2. Hail, holy Joseph, hail. S. Joseph.
3. Mother of Mercy, day by day. Blessed Virgin Mary.
ii. Jesus and Mary, 1849:—
4. Ah ! dearest Lord! I cannot pray. Prayer.
5. Dear Husband of Mary. S. Joseph.
6. Dear Little One, how sweet Thou art. Christmas.
7. Father and God! my endless doom. Predestination.
8. Hail, holy Wilfrid, hail. S. Wilfrid.
9. O Jesus, if in days gone by. Love of the World.
10. O turn to Jesus, Mother, turn. B. V. M.
11. Sing, sing, ye angel bands. Assum. B. V. M.
iii. Jesus and Mary, 1852:—
12. All ye who love the ways of sin. S. Philip Neri.
13. Day set on Rome! its golden morn. S. Philip Neri.
14. Hail, bright Archangel! Prince of heaven. S. Michael.
15. Hail, Gabriel, hail. S. Gabriel.
16. O Flower of Grace, divinest Flower. B. V. M.
17. Saint Philip! 1 have never known. S. Philip Neri.
18. Sweet Saint Philip, thou hast won us. S. Philip Neri. Previously in the Rambler, May, 1850, p. 425.
iv. Oratory Hymns, 1854:—
19. Day breaks on temple roofs and towers. Expect. of B. V. M.
20. How gently flow the silent years. S. Martin and S. Philip.
21. How the light of Heaven is stealing. Grace.
22. Like the dawning of the morning. Expect. of B. V. M.
23. Mother Mary ! at thine altar. For Orphans.
24. My God! Who art nothing but mercy and kindness. Repentance.
25. O blessed Father! sent by God. S. Vincent of Paul.
26. O do you hear that voice from heaven? Forgiveness.
27. The chains that have bound me. Absolution.
28. The day, the happy day, is dawning. B. V. M.
29. The moon is in the heavens above. B. V. M.
30. Why art thou sorrowful, servant of God? Mercy.
v. Hymns, 1862:—
31. At last Thou art come, little Saviour. Christmas.
32. By the spring of God's compassions. S. Raphael.
33. Fair are the portals of the day. B. V. M.
34. Father of many children. S. Benedict.
35. From the highest heights of glory. S. Mary Magdalene.
36. Like the voiceless starlight falling. B. V. M.
37. Mary! dearest mother. B. V. M.
38. Mother of God, we hail thy heart. B. V. M.
39. O Anne! thou hadst lived through those long dreary years. S. Anne. Previously in Holy Family Hymns, 1860.
40. O balmy and bright as moonlit night. B. V. M.
41. O Blessed Trinity! Thy children. Holy Trinity.
42. O dear Saint Martha, busy saint. S. Martha
43. O Mother, will it always be. B. V. M.
44. O vision bright. B. V. M.
45. Summer suns for ever shining. B. V. M.
46. There are many saints above. S. Joseph. Previously in Holy Family Hymns, 1860.
vi. Centos and altered forms:—
47. Confraternity men to the fight. From "Hark the sound of the fight," p. 362, i.
48. Hail, sainted Mungo, hail. From No. 8.
49. I bow to Thee, sweet will of God. From "I worship Thee," p. 559, ii.
50. They whom we loved on earth. From "0 it is sweet to think," p. 362, i.
51. Vincent! like Mother Mary, thou. From No. 25.
When Dr. Faber's hymns which are in common use are enumerated, the total falls little short of one hundred. In this respect he outnumbers most of his contemporaries. [Rev. James Mearns]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
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See also in:
Hymn Writers of the Church
Frederick William Faber
