Excerpt from A Collection of Hymns: For the Use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America IN presenting this collection of hymns to the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, and the public, the Publisher deems it proper to advert to the pro cess by which it has been brought into existence. At the organization of the Connection, which was by a Convention held at Utica, New York, May, 1843, there was an understanding that a Hymn Book would soon be issued suited to the wants of the Connection; and the expectation thus created led to such pressing calls for the book from different sections of the country, that the Publisher was led to put it to press without bestowing upon it that amount of labor necessary to make the work What it was desired it should be. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Hymnody is widely recognised as a central tenet of Methodism’s theological, doctrinal, spiritual, and liturgical identity. Theologically and doctrinally, the content of the hymns has traditionally been a primary vehicle for expressing Methodism’s emphasis on salvation for all, social holiness, and personal commitment, while particular hymns and the communal act of participating in hymn singing have been key elements in the spiritual lives of Methodists. An important contribution to the history of Methodism, British Methodist Hymnody argues that the significance of hymnody in British Methodism is best understood as a combination of its official status, spiritual expression, popular appeal, and practical application. Seeking to consider what, when, how, and why Methodists sing, British Methodist Hymnody examines the history, perception, and practice of hymnody from Methodism’s small-scale eighteenth-century origins to its place as a worldwide denomination today.