1. O’er the realms of pagan darkness,
Let the eye of pity gaze;
See the kindreds of the people
Lost in sin’s bewildering maze;
Darkness brooding
On the face of all the earth.
2. Thou to whom all power is given,
Speak the word; at Thy command
Let the company of preachers
Spread Thy name from land to land!
Lord, be with them
Alway to the end of time.
Thomas Cotterill (b. Cannock, Staffordshire, England, 1779; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1823) studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, England, and became an Anglican clergyman. A central figure in the dispute about the propriety of singing hymns, Cotterill published a popular collection of hymns (including many of his own as well as alterations of other hymns), Selection of Psalms and Hymns in 1810. But when he tried to introduce a later edition of this book in Sheffield in 1819, his congregation protested. Many believed strongly that the Church of England should maintain its tradition of exclusive psalm singing. In a church court the Archbishop of York and Cotterill reached a compromise: the later edition of Selection was withdrawn… Go to person page >
Display Title: O'er the Realms of Pagan DarknessFirst Line: O'er the realms of pagan darknessTune Title: PUTNEYAuthor: Thomas CotterillMeter: 87.87.47Source: Selection of Psalms and Hymns, 8th edition, 1819
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