1822—May 9, 1911, Cambridge. He graduated from Harvard College in 1841
and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1847. Entering the Unitarian
ministry he served churches in Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1847-1850,
and in Worcester, Massachusetts, 1852-1858. He was an ardent
Abolitionist and when the Civil War came he entered the Union Army, in
which he rose to the command of a Negro regiment. After the war he
became a man of letters and published several books and numerous
essays. While still a student in the Divinity School he contributed to
the _Book of Hymns_, 1846, which his friends Longfellow and Johnson
were preparing, four hymns, which they marked with an asterisk, viz:
1. _No human eyes Thy face may see_ (God known through love)
2. _The land our fathers left to us_ (American Slavery)
3. _The past is dark with sin and shame_, (Hope)
4. _To thine eternal arms, O God_, (Lent)
The last two have had considerable use. Both express the pessimistic
mood with which the young man viewed the evils of the time.
One of his later poems of social justice has also had some use as a
hymn,
5. _From street and square, from hill and glen,_
_Of this vast world beyond my door._
His four hymns in the _Book of Hymns_, with other poems by him, are
included in Putnam’s _Singers and Songs, of the Liberal Faith_, 1875.
Of the above hymns those listed as 3 and 5 are included in _Hymns of
the Spirit_, 1937.
J. 521, 1711
H.W.F.
Hill, Rev. Thomas, D.D., L.L.D., New Brunswick, New Jersey, January 7,
1818—November 21, 1891, Portland, Maine.
He graduated from Harvard College in 1843 and from the Harvard
Divinity School in 1845. He served as minister of the First Parish
(Unitarian) in Waltham, Massachusetts from 1845 to 1859; was president
of Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1859-1862; president of
Harvard University, 1862-1868; and minister of the First Parish of
Portland, Maine, 1873 to 1891. He was distinguished as a
mathematician.
In the earlier part of his career he wrote or translated many hymns
which found publication in current periodicals, usually anonymously or
signed only with cryptic initials. One by him, beginning,
_All holy, ever living One,_
was included in a few hymn books of the 19^th century, but has dropped
out of use. A few others, mostly written for special occasions, are in
Putnam’s _Singers and Songs of the Liberal Faith_, but none have found
other use.
J. 524
H.W.F.
Holland, Joseph Gilbert, Belchertown, Massachusetts, July 24,
1819—October 12, 1881. A newspaper man on the staff of the
_Springfield Republican_ who became editor of _Scribner’s Magazine_ in
1870. Author of several books and some poetical pieces. One of the
latter, beginning
_For summer’s bloom, and autumn’s blight_, (Praise in and
through all things)
from his _Bitter Sweet_, 1858, was included in the Unitarian _Hymn and
Tune Book for Church and Home_, Boston, 1868.
J. 529
H.W.F.
Holmes, Rev. John Haynes, D.D.; Litt. D.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
November 29, 1879—still living. He graduated from Harvard, _summa cum
laude_ in 1902, and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1904. He
received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from the Jewish
Institute of Religion in 1930, from St. Lawrence University in 1931,
and from Meadville Theological School in 1945; Doctor of Letters from
Benares Hindu University, India, in 1947, and Doctor of Humanities
from Rollins College, Florida, in 1951. He was installed as minister
of the Third Religious Society (Unitarian), Dorchester, Massachusetts
in 1904, and went to New York in 1907 as associate and successor to
Rev. Robert Collyer, _q.v._, minister of the Second Congregational
Unitarian Society, (Church of the Messiah, now called the Community
Church of New York) of which he became pastor emeritus in 1949. He
withdrew from the Unitarian fellowship in 1919, not on theological
grounds but because he preferred a position independent of any
denominational label. Throughout his career in New York he has been an
outspoken leader in many causes for social betterment, and a prolific
author in prose and verse who has published a large number of books,
religious and biographical, and of printed sermons. No other American
author of his period has written so many fine hymns which have been
widely used in this country, in England, and in Japan.
1. _Accept, O Lord, this precious gift_
8.6.8.6. 3 stas.
Written for dedication on October 31, 1943, of Chapel in the
rebuilt Community Church.
2. _Accept, O Lord, this temple_,
7.6.7.6.7.6. 3 stas.
Written on the occasion of the rededication of the Community
Church, December 31, 1922.
3. _All hail the pageant of the years_,
8.6.8.6.8.8. 5 stas. Undated
Included in _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937.
4. _Almighty God, beneath whose eye_
C.M.D. 4 stas.
An early hymn written for Labor Day Sunday in 1910.
5. _Almighty God, to whom the dark_
C.M.D. 3 stas. 8 l.
A Vesper hymn written in 1906.
6. _America triumphant! Brave land of pioneers._
7.6.7.6.D. 5 stas.
Written during World War I, in _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937.
7. _Behold, O God! our holy house_,
C.M. 5 stas. September, 1919
Written on the occasion of the burning of the Community Church,
September 11, 1919.
8. _Be with us, Father, in this place._
Dated 1945.
9. _Bless, thou, O God, this fellowship_
8.6.8.6.D. 3 stas.
Written for the Installation of Rev. Dana McLean Greeley, B.D.,
D.D. as President of the American Unitarian Association on October
7, 1958.
10. _Bright visions glow across the sky_,
8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6. 3 stas.
Written by Mr. Holmes in 1947 on the occasion of his 40^th
anniversary as Minister of the Community Church.
11. _God of the nations, near and far._
C.M. 6 stas.
Written before this country entered World War I, for a hymn
contest sponsored by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in
America, for use on Peace Sunday. This hymn was widely sung in
churches of many denominations.
Included in _New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914, and in _Hymns of the
Spirit_, 1937, with alteration in 2^nd sta.
12. _God save the people’s cause._
6.6.4.6.6.6.4. 3 stas.
Written in 1939.
13. _Great Spirit of the speeding spheres_,
L.M. 6 stas.
Written in 1932 on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of Mr.
Holmes as minister of the Community Church.
14. _Joy to our hearts! Again we meet!_
8.6.8.8.6.6.6.4. 3 stas. 8 l.
A Hymn of reunion, 1920, set to the tune of Antioch.
15. _O blessed isle of quiet_,
7.6.8.6.D. 3 stas.
Written at the Isles of Shoals in the summer of 1930, and set to
an original tune by Robert B. Buxton.
16. _O Father, Thou who givest all_
L.M. 4 stas.
Written for _The Beacon Song and Service Book_, Beacon, 1908;
included in _New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914, and _Hymns of the
Spirit_, 1937.
17. _O God of field and city_,
7.6.7.6.7.6.7.6. 3 stas. Prompted, in 1917, by the darkly
unfolding experiences of World War I.
18. _O God of light and darkness_,
7.6.7.6.D. 3 stas. 8 l. Undated.
19. _O God, whose law from age to age_
8.6.8.6.D. 4 stas. 1910.
20. _O God, whose love is over all_,
8.6.8.6.D. 3 stas. 1909.
21. _O God, whose smile is in the sky_
8.6.8.6.D. 4 stas.
Written in 1907 for the _Isles of Shoals Hymn Book_, 1908, in 4
stas., C.M.D. Included in the _New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914, in 5
stas. of 4 l. with revisions approved by the author, and in _Hymns
of the Spirit_, 1937.
22. _Old Jubal twanged the bow-string_
7.6.7.6.D. 3 stas.
Written for the 25^th anniversary of Clifford Demarest as organist
of the Community Church, May 10, 1936, based on Genesis 4.21.
“Jubal,—father of all such as handle the harp and the pipe.” An
interesting _tour de force_ on the rise of music in praise of God.
23. _Onward still and upward_
6.5.6.5.D. 3 stas.
Written in 1950, and dedicated to the American Unitarian
Association in celebration of the 125^th anniversary (1825-1950)
of its founding.
24. _O Thou who in chaotic night_,
8.8.8.8.8.8. 4 stas.
Written in war time, 1918.
25. _O Thou, whose presence moved before_
C.M.D. 6 stas.
Written for use on the 10^th anniversary of his installation as
Minister of the Community Church, February 4, 1917.
26. _O’er continent and ocean_
7.6.8.6.D. 3 stas.
Written for a “Service of Commemoration of a Century of British
American Peace,” held in the Church of the Messiah, Montreal,
Canada, at a meeting of Unitarian General Conference on September
25, 1917. In _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937.
27. _Show us thy way, O God!_
6.6.8.6. 4 stas.
Printed in _The Christian Century_ in 1936, included in _Hymns of
the Spirit_, 1937, with a correction by the author.
28. _The Bethlehem stars are dim tonight_
8.6.8.6.D. 3 stas. Dated 1925
29. _The voice of God is calling_
7.6.7.6.D. 4 stas.
Written in September, 1913 for the Young People’s Religious Union
of Boston. In _New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914. In _Hymns of the
Spirit_, 1937; widely used in the United States, England,
translated into German, Japanese and Spanish.
30. _Thou God of all, whose presence dwells_
8.8.8.8. 4 stas.
Written some time after World War I. Intended as a protest against
nationalistic theism which induced both belligerent nations to
claim a monopoly of God.
31. _Thou God of all, whose Spirit moves_
8.6.8.6.D 3 stas.
Printed in _The Christian Century_, May 29, 1940 and in _The
Christian Register_, August, 1940.
32. _Thy voice, O God, in every age_
8.6.8.6.D. 3 stas.
Written for the Installation of Rev. Donald Harrington at the
Community Church of New York on November 19, 1944.
33. _To earth’s remote horizons_
7.6.7.6.D. 4 stas.
Written in 1949 and first sung on November 27th of that year at a
special service in commemoration of the retirement of Mr. Holmes
from the active ministry.
34. _To Thee, O God, be homage_
7.6.7.6.D. 3 stas. 1945.
35. _When darkness, brooding o’er the deep_
8.6.8.6.D. 4 stas.
Written in 1925 on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the
founding of the Community Church of New York.
36. _Why trust we not our God?_
6.6.8.6. 5 stas.
Of the hymns listed above, Nos. 3, 6, 11, 18, 20, 23 and 29 have had
the most widespread use.
H.W.F. in collaboration with J.H.H.
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, M.D., LL.D., Cambridge, Massachusetts, August
29, 1809—October 7, 1894, Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from
Harvard College in the famous Class of 1829, studied medicine and
became a practitioner in Boston, and was appointed Professor of
Anatomy in the Harvard Medical School in 1847. Although distinguished
as a physician his fame is that of a man of letters gifted with a
sense of humor which made him one of the wittiest men of his time.
Besides important medical treatises he wrote essays, novels,
biographical sketches, and poetry which brought him a great reputation
in this country and in Great Britain. Much of his poetry is occasional
verse, which he was often called upon to write, such as his
“International Ode” to be sung to the tune “America” (“God Save the
Queen”) on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1860.
Oxford University gave him the honorary degree of D.C.L. in 1886. He
was a member of Kings’ Chapel, (Unitarian) Boston, and two of his
poems are about that church. He contributed The _Autocrat at the
Breakfast Table_ to the opening issues of _The Atlantic Monthly_,
1857-58, published _The Professor at the Breakfast Table_ in 1859,
_The Poet at the Breakfast Table_ in 1872. He wrote _Elsie Venner_,
1861, and two other novels. His poetry was published in _Songs in Many
Keys_, 1861; _Humorous Poems_, 1865; _Before the Curfew_, 1888; and in
his _Complete Poetical Works_, in 1895.
Although he made a greater contribution to American hymnody than did
any other of the “New England poets” of his era, except Bryant and
Whittier, his hymns were incidental literary by-products, for he was
not primarily a hymn writer. They include:
1. _Angel of peace, thou hast tarried too long_
Written in 1869.
2. _Father of mercies, heavenly Friend_,
A prayer in time of war. Undated but between 1861 and 1865.
3. _Lead where the banners wave last to the sea_,
Written as an American national anthem. It appeared in his _Songs
in Many Keys_, 1861, entitled “Freedom, our Queen.”
4. _Lord of all being, throned afar_, (God’s Omnipotence)
Included in _The Autocrat at the Breakfast Table_, 1848, under the
title of “A Sun-day Hymn.” This is his finest hymn and has had
widespread use in many collections.
5. _O Lord of hosts, Almighty King_,
Entitled “Army Hymn,” and published in _The Soldier’s Companion_,
a hand-book of hymns and scripture readings issued in the fall of
1861, by the American Unitarian Association, for use by soldiers
in the Union Army. It is a fine hymn, but with several lines
directly referring to the immediate situation which make it
unsuitable for present use and which cannot be altered or dropped
without mutilating the hymn. In the same collection he wrote an
“Additional Verse” appended to “The Star-Spangled Banner,”
beginning
_When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile_,
6. _O Love Divine, that stooped to share_,
Written in 1859, a hymn of trust in time of doubt and sorrow.
7. _Our Father, while our hearts unlearn,_
_The creeds that wrong thy name,_
Written for the 25^th Anniversary of the Boston Young Men’s
Christian Union, May 31, 1893.
8. _Thou gracious Power whose mercy lends_,
Written in 1869 for the 40^th anniversary meeting of the Harvard
Class of 1829. In the Methodist Hymn Book, 1904, altered to read
_Thou gracious God_, etc.
Of these hymns nos. 4 and 6 have had the most widespread use. Those
two, and no. 1 are included in _The Pilgrim Hymnal_, 1935, and nos. 4,
6, 7 and 8 are in the Unitarian _New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914, and In
_Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937.
J. 530, 1649, 1713, rewritten by
H.W.F.
Horton, Rev. Edward Augustus, Springfield, Massachusetts, September
28, 1843—April 15, 1931, Toronto, Canada. He studied at the University
of Chicago and at Meadville Theological School, from which he
graduated in 1868. He served Unitarian churches in Leominster,
Massachusetts, 1868-1875; Hingham, Massachusetts, 1877-1880; and the
Second Church in Boston, 1880-1892. Thereafter he was active in the
work of the Unitarian Sunday School Society. In 1912 he wrote an
“Anniversary Hymn” beginning,
_We honor those whose work began_,
which was included in _The New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914.
H.W.F.
Hosmer, Rev. Frederick Lucian, D.D., Framingham, Massachusetts,
October 16, 1840—June 7, 1929, Berkeley, California. He graduated from
Harvard College in 1862, and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1869.
In October of that year he was ordained minister of the First
Congregational Church (Unitarian), Northborough, Massachusetts, where
he served for 3 years. He served the Unitarian Church in Quincy,
Illinois, 1872-1877; then spent sixteen months in Europe, returning
late in 1878 to serve the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, Ohio,
1878-1892; the Church of the Unity, St. Louis, Missouri, 1894-1899;
and the First Unitarian Church, Berkeley, California, 1900-1915, where
he remained as minister-emeritus until his death. In 1887 Buchtel
College gave him the degree of Doctor of Divinity.
While in the Divinity School he formed a close life-long friendship
with William C. Gannett, _q.v._ Neither wrote any hymns until early
middle life, Dr. Gannett’s earliest having been written in 1873, Dr.
Hosmer’s in 1875, but thereafter they worked together for nearly four
decades to make a contribution to American hymnody comparable to that
made by Samuel Longfellow, _q.v._, and Samuel Johnson, _q.v._, a
generation earlier. Of the two men it has been well said that “Gannett
was the better poet, Hosmer the better hymn writer,” and many more of
his hymns than of those by Gannett have come into widespread use.
Working together they edited _Unity Hymns and Chorals_, published in
1880, a revised edition of which appeared in 1911. (J. V. Blake,
_q.v._, was also an editor of the first, but not of the revised
edition). In 1885 they published a small collection of their poems
entitled _The Thought of God in Hymns and Poems_, followed by later
collections with the same title, 2^nd Series 1894, 3^rd Series 1918.
In 1908 Dr. Hosmer gave a series of lectures on hymnody at the Harvard
Divinity School, repeated at the Pacific Unitarian School for the
Ministry, in Berkeley, California, but these have not been published.
Julian’s _Dictionary_, pp. 1650-51, lists 27 hymns by Dr. Hosmer, with
“annotations—from ms. notes supplied—by the author,” as follows:—
1. _Father, to Thee we look in all our sorrow_ (Trust in God)
Written in 1881 upon the death of a member of the author’s
congregation, and published in _The Thought of God_, 1^st Series,
1885.
2. _From age to age how grandly rise_ (Unity)
Written for the annual festival of the Free Religious Association,
Boston, June 2, 1899, and first published in _Souvenir Festival
Hys._ 1899. Subsequently altered by the author to “From age to age
the prophet’s vision.”
3. _From age to age they gather, all the brave of heart and
strong_, (Victory of Truth)
Written in 1891 for the Dedication of Unity Church, Decorah, Iowa,
and published in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd Series, 1894.
4. _From many ways and wide apart_, (College or School Reunion)
Dated in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd Series, 1894, as having been
written in 1890.
5. _Go not, my soul, in search of Him_, (God within)
Written in 1879, printed in the Boston _Christian Register_, May
31, 1879, and included in _The Thought of God_, 1^st Series, 1885,
with the title “The Indwelling God.”
6. _I cannot think of them as dead_ (Eternal Life)
Written in 1882 and first published in _The Thought of God_, 1^st
Series, 1885, and entitled “My Dead.” In the English collections
it is usually given as “We cannot think of them as dead.”
7. _I little see, I little know_, (Trust)
“A Psalm of Trust” written in 1883, first appeared in the Boston
_Christian Register_, and again in _The Thought of God_, 1^st
Series, 1885.
8. _Immortal, by their deed and word_ (The Spirit of Jesus)
Written in 1880, and first published in _Unity Hys. and Carols_,
Chicago, Illinois, 1880, and then in _The Thought of God_, 1^st
Series, 1885.
9. _Many things in life, there are_ (Mystery in All Things)
Written in 1885 and first published in _The Thought of God_, 1^st
Series, 1885, with the title “Passing Understanding”, and the
quotation “the Peace of God which passeth all understanding.”
10. _Not always on the Mount may we_ (On the Mount)
This lesson from the _Transfiguration_ was written in 1882, and
published in the _Chicago Unity_, April 1, 1884. After revision by
the author, it was included in the 1^st Series of _The Thought of
God_, 1885.
11. _Not when, with self dissatisfied_, (Lent)
Written in 1891, and given in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd Series,
1894, p. 33. It is in _The Public School Hymn Book_, 1903, and
others.
12. _O beautiful, my country_, (National Hymn)
As “Our Country,” written in 1884, and published in the _Chicago
Unity Festivals_, 1884, and again in _The Thought of God_, 1885.
13. _O Light, from age to age the same_, (Dedication
Anniversary)
Written in 1890 for the fiftieth anniversary of the Second
Congregational Church (Unitarian), Quincy, Illinois. Included in
_The Thought of God_, 2^nd Series, 1894, and entitled “From
Generation to Generation.”
14. _O Lord of Life, where’er they be_, (Life in God)
“Written in 1888 for Easter service in Author’s own church,” and
first published in the _Chicago Unity_, and again in _The Thought
of God_, 2^nd Series, 1894. The “Alleluia” refrain, which is added
in some collections to each verse, is appended, in the original,
to the last verse only.
15. _O Name, all other names above_, (Trust in God)
Under the title “Found. ‘They that know Thy name will put their
trust in Thee’,” this hymn, written in 1878, was given in _The
Thought of God_, 1^st Series, 1885.
16. _O Prophet souls of all the years_ (Unity)
“Written in 1893 for, and sung at, the Unitarian gathering in
connection with The World’s Parliament of Religions (World’s Fair)
Chicago, Sep. 1893,” and included in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd
Series, 1894, and entitled “One Law, One Life, One Love.”
17. _O Thou, in all Thy might so far_, (God All in All)
This hymn, given in _The Thought of God_, 1^st Series, 1885, with
the title “The Mystery of God,” was written in 1876, and first
published in the _New York Inquirer_.
18. _O thou in lonely vigil led_,
This encouragement for lonely workers was written for the “Emerson
Commemoration, W.U.C. 1888,” and included in _The Thought of God_,
2^nd Series, 1894.
19. _O Thou, who art of all that is_, (Divine Guidance)
Under the title “Through unknown paths,” this hymn was included in
_The Thought of God_, 1^st Series, 1885; it was written in 1877.
20. _O Thou, whose Spirit witness bears_, (Dedication of a
Place of Worship)
Written for the Dedication of the First Unitarian Church, Omaha,
February 6, 1891, and published in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd
Series, 1894, with the title “The Inward Witness”, and the
subscription “For T.K. Omaha, 1891.”
21. _On eyes that watch through sorrow’s night_ (Easter)
A Carol for Easter Morn, written in 1890 for the author’s
congregation, and published in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd Series,
1894.
22. _One thought I have, my ample creed_, (The Thought of God)
This is the initial hymn to the collection _The Thought of God_,
1^st Series, 1885, and supplies the title to the work. It was
written in 1880, and first published in the _Chicago Unity Hymns
and Carols_, 1880, and then in _The Thought of God_, 1885.
23. _The rose is queen among the flowers_, (Flower services)
Written in 1875, first published in _The Sunnyside_, a songbook
for Sunday Schools, and again in _The Thought of God_, 1^st
Series, 1885, under the title “Flower Sunday.”
24. _Thy kingdom come—on bended knee_, (Missions)
“Written in 1891 for the Commencement of the Meadville Theological
School (Meadville, Pa.) June 12, 1891, and pub. in _The Thought of
God_, 2^nd Series, 1894.” under the title “The Day of God,” and
the subscription “M.T.S., June 12, 1891.”
25. _We pray no more, made lowly wise_
_For miracle and sign._ (Greater Faith Desired)
“Written in 1879, and first pub. in _The Christian Register_
(Boston) Mar. 22 of that year, under the title ‘The Larger
Faith.’” Included under the same title in _The Thought of God_,
1^st Series, 1885. Sometimes given as “Made lowly wise, we pray no
more.”
26. _When courage fails, and faith burns low_, (Victory of
Truth)
Under the title “Loyalty,” this hymn was given in _The Thought of
God_, 1^st Series, 1885. It was written in 1881.
27. _Where men on mounts of vision_,
_Have passed the veil within_. (Dedication of a Place of
Worship)
“Written in 1891 for the Dedication of First Unitarian Church,
Oakland, California.” Included in _The Thought of God_, 2^nd
Series, 1894, entitled “Holy Place”, and subscribed “For C.W.W.,
Oakland, Cal. 1891.”
This account of Hosmer’s hymns, copied verbatim from Julian’s
_Dictionary_, may be accepted as authoritative as to the date and
occasion for each hymn listed, but Canon Julian presumably added the
descriptive notations in brackets, and fell into minor inaccuracies,
as when he wrote _Unity Hymns and Carols_ for _Unity Hymns and
Chorals_ (cf. nos. 3 and 22), and cited the periodical _Unity_,
published in Chicago, as _Chicago Unity_. By way of further
clarification it should be noted that the opening line of no. 12, _O
beautiful my country_, was taken from J. R. Lowell’s great
Commemoration Ode, and that Hosmer always wanted it printed ‘_O
Beautiful my Country_’, in recognition of its source. No. 18 was
written for the observance by the Western Unitarian Conference of the
fiftieth anniversary of Emerson’s famous _Divinity School Address_.
The person initialed as “T.K.” for whom no. 20 was written on February
6, 1891, probably was Thomas Kilpatrick, a layman who did much to make
possible the erection of the church in Omaha, which was not dedicated
until December 15 of that year. The person initialled “C.W.W.”, for
whom no. 27 was written, was Rev. Charles W. Wendte, then minister of
the First Unitarian Church in Oakland, California.