Firmly I Believe and Truly

God is Three and God is One

Firmly I Believe and Truly is an adaption by Anthony Petti of a portion of the 1865 poem, The Dream of Gerontius by John Henry Newman (1801-1890). The narrative poem tells the story of a pius man's passing and his soul's subsequent journey through Purgatory and judgement before God. In 1900 the poem was turned into a major work for voices and orchestra by Edward Elgar. Firmly I Believe and Truly is set to the tune Halton Holgate by William Boyce (c.1710-1779). In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used during Ordinary Time for Daytime Midday Prayer.



FIRMLY I BELIEVE AND TRULY by John Henry Newman, 1865 (Public Domain)

1. Firmly I believe and truly
God is Three, and God is One;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.

2. And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.

3. Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong,
And I love supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

4. And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church as His creation,
And her teachings are His own.

5. And I take with joy whatever
Now besets me, pain or fear,
And with a strong will I sever
All the ties which bind me here.

6. Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and Heaven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.