Isn’t there an irony in singing the Church’s One Foundation? As I recall it was written in response to the Bishop Colenso scandal in South Africa. Even so he was legally unable to remove Colenso from office and instead consecrated a parallel bishop with jurisdiction over the same geographical territory. Colenso’s heretical views so scandalized some North American bishops that they demanded a gathering of world wide Anglican bishops in order that they might respond together to Colenso’s heresy. Out of this demand came the first Lambeth Conference.
Bishop Colenso’s heretical views led the Archbishop of Capetown to attempt to depose him but he was prevented by the British state who said he had no jurisdiction to do so. Colenso was however excommuicated, though he remained in office, and the Archbishop consecrated another bishop claiming jurisdiction over the same territory (Thus there were in Natal two Anglican bishops claiming jurisdiction over the same territory for several decades in the nineteenth century). The inability to take any action against Colenso led to the demand from some North American bishops for a gathering of Anglican bishops around the world. Out of this came the first Lambeth Conference.
Thank you driver8 for that little history lesson on this hymn. Irony, indeed. I also found it interesting that the video did not include any portion of the verse which reads: “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.” I am sure the delegates sang it, and I certainly do not assign any deliberate malice in its omission in this clip; it may not have omitted intentionally at all. I simply note its omission as interesting.
Isn’t there an irony in singing the Church’s One Foundation? As I recall it was written in response to the Bishop Colenso scandal in South Africa. Even so he was legally unable to remove Colenso from office and instead consecrated a parallel bishop with jurisdiction over the same geographical territory. Colenso’s heretical views so scandalized some North American bishops that they demanded a gathering of world wide Anglican bishops in order that they might respond together to Colenso’s heresy. Out of this demand came the first Lambeth Conference.
I somehow mangled part of my comment:
Bishop Colenso’s heretical views led the Archbishop of Capetown to attempt to depose him but he was prevented by the British state who said he had no jurisdiction to do so. Colenso was however excommuicated, though he remained in office, and the Archbishop consecrated another bishop claiming jurisdiction over the same territory (Thus there were in Natal two Anglican bishops claiming jurisdiction over the same territory for several decades in the nineteenth century). The inability to take any action against Colenso led to the demand from some North American bishops for a gathering of Anglican bishops around the world. Out of this came the first Lambeth Conference.
Thank you driver8 for that little history lesson on this hymn. Irony, indeed. I also found it interesting that the video did not include any portion of the verse which reads: “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.” I am sure the delegates sang it, and I certainly do not assign any deliberate malice in its omission in this clip; it may not have omitted intentionally at all. I simply note its omission as interesting.