Hymn #537: Christian, Rise and Act Your Creed

Francis Albert Rollo Russell (1849-1914) included this hymn in Break of Day, a hymnal he published in London in 1893. After appearing in the Pilgrim Hymnal (1904), the hymn became popular in Congregational churches but never gained wide acceptance in other denominations.

Francis A. R. Russell was an English Unitarian who received his education at Christ Church, Oxford. A fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, Russell’s hymns are a reminder that the Christian faith and the pursuit of scientific truth can be compatible.

INNOCENTS is the name of this anonymous tune, so named because it was used originally with a hymn for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, traditionally observed on December 28. This day recalls the killing of all baby boys by the order of King Herod, as told in Matthew 2:16.

The Parish Choir was a monthly music journal published in England from 1846 to 1851 for an organization of Anglican musicians affiliated with the Oxford movement. The journal sought to improve the level of music in the liturgy, especially those portions sung by the choir.