''A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship'' is a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

book compiled by

William Gadsby William Gadsby (1773–1844) was an English Baptist pastor. In addition to pastoring, Gadsby planted churches, and was an early leader of the Strict and Particular Baptist movement in England. Although he was not formally educated, Gadsby was r ...

, a minister of the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists in England. First published in the 19th century, it is still in current use.

History

William Gadsby, a Strict and Particular Baptist minister, first published his selection of hymns in 1814 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, printed at the printing works owned by his son John Gadsby. William Gadsby published a later edition in 1838. After his death a further enlarged edition was published including a second supplement selected by J C Philpot, another Strict Baptist Minister. It was written to counteract what Gadsby believed to be

Arminian Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

and legalistic tendencies in some of

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include "When I Survey the ...

' ''Psalms and Hymns''. Nevertheless Gadsby's Selection of Hymns does include many hymns by Isaac Watts.

This hymnal contains 1156 hymns (words only) by various authors. These are primarily, but not exclusively, from the

Calvinistic Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...

stream of

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

thought.

Authors

The edition currently available includes the following authors, here listed by number of hymns used.

Joseph Hart Joseph Hart (1711/12 – 24 May 1768) was a Calvinist minister in London. His works include ''Hart's Hymns'', a much-loved hymn book amongst evangelical Christians throughout its lifetime of over 200 years, which includes the well-known hy ...

(219); William Gadsby (173);

(145) John Berridge (72);

John Newton John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...

(63) John Kent (51);

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include " And Can It Be", " Christ the Lord Is Risen ...

(41); Thomas Kelly (34); Samuel Medley (31);

Anne Steele Anne Steele (pen name, Theodosia; 171711 November 1778) was an English Baptist hymn writer and essayist. For a full century after her death, she filled a larger place in United States and British hymnals than any other woman. At an early age, Ste ...

(27); Augustus M. Toplady (24); Richard Burnham (22); Henry Fowler (20);

William Cowper William Cowper ( ; 26 November 1731 – 25 April 1800) was an English poet and Anglican hymnwriter. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th-century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scen ...

(18); Joseph Swain (18); Daniel Herbert (12); Benjamin Beddome (10); John Fawcett (10); William Hammond (10); John Stevens (9); John Adams (9); Phillip Doddridge (8);

John Cennick John Cennick (12 December 1718 – 4 July 1755) was an English Methodist and Moravian evangelist and hymnwriter. He was born in Reading, Berkshire, England to an Anglican family and raised in the Church of England. According to Moravian Bisho ...

(6). There are other authors with fewer hymns in this book, as well as eight anonymous contributions.

Examples of Gadsby's own writing

Gadsby's own hymns are of a high standard. For example, number 667 is worthy of Watts and Charles Wesley, both highly regarded for their hymn writing abilities. ''1 IMMORTAL honours rest on Jesus' head;''
''My God, my Portion, and my Living Bread;''
''In him I live, upon him cast my care;''
''He saves from death, destruction, and despair.'' ''2 He is my Refuge in each deep distress;''
''The Lord my strength & glorious righteousness;''
''Through floods and flames he leads me safely on,''
''And daily makes his sovereign goodness known.'' ''3 My every need he richly will supply;''
''Nor will his mercy ever let me die;''
''In him there dwells a treasure all divine,''
''And matchless grace has made that treasure mine.'' ''4 O that my soul could love and praise him more,''
''His beauties trace, his majesty adore;''
''Live near his heart, upon his bosom lean;''
''Obey his voice, and all his will esteem.'' The third line of the last verse certainly echoes the thought of Charles Wesley's hymn ''Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine'', with the line "Eternally held in Thy heart". Another example from William Gadsby illustrates the Calvinistic flavour of this book. Hymn number 530 describes

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

in Calvinistic language. ''1 ELECTION is a truth divine,''
''As absolute as free;''
''Works ne'er can make the blessing mine;''
'' 'Tis God's own wise decree.'' ''5 Nor law, nor death, nor hell, nor sin,''
''Can alter his decree;''
''The elect eternal life shall win,''
''And all God's glory see.''

Availability

The hymnal is currently available in these editions : "Buckram" (standard pew edition), 936p., ; Large print version, 636p., ; Large print (leather), 936p., ,;Gospel Standard Trust Publications
(web site accessed 7 December 2008) leather binding and

India paper India paper is a type of paper which from 1875 has been based on bleached hemp and rag fibres, that produced a very thin, tough opaque white paper. It has a basis weight of 20 pounds (30 g/m2), yet bulks 1,000 pages to the inch. It became popular ...

, 895 pp.; hardback, 895 pp.; and a Kivar edition, 473 pp. The hymn book is used by the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists in England and the United States and a few Old School or

Primitive Baptist Primitive Baptists – also known as Hard Shell Baptists, Foot Washing Baptists or Old School Baptists – are conservative Baptists adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th c ...

churches in the United States. Many of the Strict Baptists use the Companion Tune Book, a musical score of 1011

hymn tune A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part (or more) harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm (chords change frequently), with or without refrain ...

s designed as a companion to Gadsby's hymn book. The hymn book was never widely used in churches outside the United Kingdom, but there is some renewed interest in it among

Reformed Baptist Reformed Baptists (sometimes known as Particular Baptists or Calvinistic Baptists) are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology (salvation). The first Calvinist Baptist church was formed in the 1630s. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith ...

s as devotional poetry. Gadsby also published ''Nazarene's Songs'', containing about 250 of his own hymns.

References

External links

Gospel Standard Trust PublicationsGadsby's Hymns With Indexes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Selection of Hymns For Public Worship Selection of Hymns for Public Worship 1814 non-fiction books 1814 in Christianity 1814 in music Baptist Christianity in England