Old-Time Hymns With 'Cross' in the Title Quiz

Answer: Technically, all three are correct

It's a long story, but all three communities are technically correct when they claim to be the home of the ever popular hymn 'The Old Rugged Cross'.

George Bannard wrote the words and composed the music for the hymn in 1913 and the three communities figure in the hymn's birth.

Wikipedia offers this explanation: "Bennard wrote the first verse of 'The Old Rugged Cross' in Albion, Michigan, in the fall of 1912 as a response to ridicule that he had received at a revival meeting. Bennard traveled with Ed E. Mieras from Chicago to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin where they held evangelistic meetings at the Friends Church from December 29, 1912 to January 12, 1913. During the meetings Rev. George Bennard finished 'The Old Rugged Cross' and on the last night of the meeting Bennard and Mieras performed it as a duet before a full house with Pearl Torstensen Berg, organist for the meeting, as accompanist. Charles H. Gabriel, a well-known gospel-song composer helped Bennard with the harmonies. The completed version was then performed on June 7, 1913, by a choir of five, accompanied by a guitar in Pokagon, Michigan, at the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Pokagon."

Bennard was born February 4, 1873 in Youngstown, Ohio and died October 10, 1958, in Reed City, Michigan.

Here are the words to 'The Old Rugged Cross':

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

[Refrain]

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

[Refrain]

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I'll share.

[Refrain]"

Answer: Fanny Crosby

Fanny Crosby is the correct answer. Various Websites state Crosby's life was dramatically changed when she heard people sing 'At the Cross', also known as 'Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed' at a Christian revival meeting.

The Website Sharefaith.com explains things this way: "When Fanny was 31, she attended a Methodist revival meeting. It was there while the congregation sang the last line of Isaac Watt's song, 'Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed', that Fanny prayed the words of the hymn 'There Lord, I give myself away...' and found herself a changed woman."

Hymntime.org provides this account in Crosby's own words: "...Reviv­al meet­ings were be­ing held in the Thir­ti­eth Street Meth­od­ist Church, New York Ci­ty. Some of us went down ev­ery ev­en­ing; and, on two oc­ca­sions, I sought peace at the altar, but did not find the joy I craved, un­til one ev­en­ing, No­vem­ber 20, 1850, it seemed to me that the light must in­deed come then or ne­ver; and so I arose and went to the al­tar alone. A­fter a prayer was of­fered, they be­gan to sing the grand old con­se­cra­tion hymn, 'Alas! and did my Sav­ior bleed, and did my Sov­er­eign die?' And when they reached the third line of the fourth stan­za, 'Here Lord, I give my­self away,' my very soul was flood­ed with a ce­les­ti­al light. I sprang to my feet, shout­ing 'hal­le­lu­jah,' and then for the first time I real­ized that I had been try­ing to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other."

'At the Cross', also known as 'Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?' was written by Isaac Watts, recognized as the 'Father of English Hymnody' in 1707. Ralph E. Hud­son wrote the re­frain in 1885.

Here are the words to 'At the Cross', also known as 'Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?':

"Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
[originally, For such a worm as I?]

Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine --
And bathed in its own blood --
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
'Tis all that I can do."

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Disraeli

Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Disraeli is the correct answer. Hayes was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881 while Disraeli was prime minister of the United Kingdom for a few months in 1868 and from 1874 to 1880.

Fanny Crosby was born March 24, 1820, in Brewster, a small town in the southeastern part of New York. She was the queen of hymn writers and in the latter part of the 1800s and the early 1900s, she was a household name. Despite her immense fame, Crosby lived frugally, reportedly giving away large amounts of money to Christian causes. In fact, Wikipedia reports Crosby and her husband could have lived comfortably on their combined income, but she "had other priorities and gave away anything that was not necessary to their daily survival". In 1874, Crosby was reported to be "living in a destitute condition," according to Wikipedia.

Here are the words to 'Blessed Cross of Jesus':

"Wand'rer, come, there's room for thee,
At the cross of Jesus;
Come and taste salvation free
At the cross of Jesus.

Refrain:
Blessèd cross! precious cross!
There my hopes are twining;
There I see a Father's love
Through a Savior shining.

Come and bring thy burden now
To the cross of Jesus;
Lay thy burning, throbbing brow
At the cross of Jesus.

[Refrain]

O what comfort thou wilt find
At the cross of Jesus;
Love thy broken heart will bind
At the cross of Jesus.

[Refrain]

See the crimson waters flow
At the cross of Jesus;
Come and tell thy every woe
At the cross of Jesus.

[Refrain]"

Answer: Glory To His Name

'Down At the Cross' is also known as 'Glory to His Name'. Elisha Hoffman, writer of the old-time hymn, was born May 7, 1839, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania and died in Chicago, Illinois, in 1929, at age 90. The music for 'Down At the Cross', was composed by John Stockton, a musician and member of the church where Elisha Hoffman served as a pastor. However, little is known about Stockton.

Hoffman is credited with writing more than 2,000 hymns. In addition to 'Down At the Cross', four popular hymns of his are 'Leaning On the Everlasting Arms', 'What A Wonderful Savior', 'Are You Washed In the Blood?' and 'I Must Tell Jesus'.

Here are the words to 'Down At the Cross', also known as 'Glory To His Name':

"Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

Refrain:
Glory to His Name, glory to His Name:
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

I am so wondrously saved from sin,
Jesus so sweetly abides within;
There at the cross where He took me in;
Glory to His Name!

[Refrain]

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin,
I am so glad I have entered in;
There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;
Glory to His Name!

[Refrain]

Come to this fountain so rich and sweet,
Cast thy poor soul at the Savior's feet;
Plunge in today, and be made complete;
Glory to His Name!

[Refrain]"

Answer: True

True. Fanny Crosby reportedly went through life regarding her blindness as a blessing. . "...If at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind," Crosby is quoted as saying by the Website Christianhistory.net. "Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."

She is also quoted as stating she was grateful for her blindness because it kept her dependent on the Lord. Had she been born with sight, Crosby feared her Christian faith would not be as strong as it was.

The music for 'From the Cross to the Crown' was composed by John R. Swe­ney.

Here are the words to the old-time hymn 'From the Cross to the Crown':

"Be strong and courageous whate'er may befall,
We know our Redeemer will answer our call;
Tho' sorrow and trials are weighing us down,
Yet hope looks away from the cross to the crown.

Refrain:
From the cross to the crown let us follow our Lord,
From the cross to the crown let us cling to His Word;
Tho' sorrow and trials are weighing us down,
Yet faith leads us on from the cross to the crown!

His cup of affliction was filled to the brim,
And are we not willing to suffer for Him?
The robe of His glory for us He laid down,
To show us the path from the cross to the crown.

[Refrain]

This life is a conflict, a battle with sin,
Yet trusting in Jesus thro' grace we shall win;
The world may oppose us, the tempter may frown,
Yet faith leadeth on from the cross to the crown.

[Refrain]

Tho' friends that are dearest have gone from our sight,
'Tis only to enter the mansions of light;
Their warfare is over, their burdens laid down,
How short was their path from the cross to the crown!

[Refrain]"

Answer: St. Louis hosts the Summer Olympics

St. Louis hosted the Summer Olympics in 1904, not 1906. The three other events -- the formation of the British Labour Party, destruction of San Francisco by a massive earthquake and Canada's Tommy Burns becoming the world's heavyweight champion -- all happened in 1906.

Frederick A, Graves Born, writer of the hymn 'He Was Nailed to the Cross for Me' was born Ju­ly 23, 1856, in Will­iams­town, Mass­a­chu­setts, and died Jan­u­a­ry 2, 1927, in Zi­on Ci­ty, Il­li­nois.

According to the Website Hymntime.com, Graves was orphaned at age nine and di­a­gnosed with ep­i­lep­sy when he was fourteen. The Website goes on to state Graves experienced "permanent healing" for his epilepsy while hearing evangelist John Alexander Dowie speak in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hymntime states the healing Graves ex­per­i­enced "pro­vid­ed a back­drop for his Gos­pel songs."

Here are the words to the hymn 'He Was Nailed To the Cross For Me':

"What a wonderful, wonderful Savior,
Who would die on the cross for me!
Freely shedding His precious lifeblood,
That the sinner might be made free.

Refrain:
He was nailed to the cross for me,
He was nailed to the cross for me;
On the cross crucified for me He died;
He was nailed to the cross for me.

Thus He left His heavenly glory,
To accomplish His Father's plan;
He was born of the virgin Mary,
Took upon Him the form of man.

[Refrain]

He was wounded for our transgressions,
And He carried our sorrows, too;
He's the Healer of ev'ry sickness,
This He came to the world to do.

[Refrain]

So He gave His life for others
In Redeeming this world from sin,
And He's gone to prepare a mansion,
That at last we may enter in.

[Refrain]"

Answer: The Old Rugged Cross

'The Old Rugged Cross' also tells of exchanging the cross for a crown in its refrain. Here's how the chorus reads:
"So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown."

(For the complete words to 'The Old Rugged Cross', see the answer to Question No. 1.)

After Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote the words to 'I Will Trade the Old Cross for a Crown' in 1915 and John M. Hen­son composed the music. Oatman was born April 21, 1856, near Medford, New Jersey and died September 25, 1922, in Norman, Oklahoma. He is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery, Lumberton, New Jersey.

Here are the words to 'I Will Trade the Old Cross For a Crown':

"I shall not bear the cross thro' yon city
When the burdens of life are laid down.
When I knock on the portals of Heaven
I will trade the old cross for a crown.

Refrain:
Yes, I'll trade the old cross for a crown,
When the burdens of life are laid down.
When the pearl gates for me shall swing open,
I will trade the old cross for a crown.

Tho' the cross oftentimes has been heavy,
And oft fortune on me seems to frown,
But how happy I'll be over yonder
When I trade the old cross for a crown.

[Refrain]

Oft, my bark has been tossed on life's billows,
And each wave tries my vessel to drown.
But no storm cloud can harm me forever
When I trade the old cross for a crown.

[Refrain]

Ev'ry cross that I bear for my Savior
Will at last, when He calls, be laid down,
And my sorrows will all be forgotten
When I trade the old cross for a crown.

[Refrain]"

Answer: Edinburgh, Scotland

Elizabeth C. Clephane was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1780. In addition to writing 'Beneath the Cross of Jesus', Clephane also wrote 'The Ninety and Nine'.

According to Hymntime.com, the words to 'Beneath the Cross of Jesus' were pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in the "Fam­i­ly Trea­sury", a Scot­tish Pres­by­ter­i­an mag­a­zine, in 1872, ti­tled "Breath­ing on the Bor­der".

Hymntime.org quotes the mag­a­zine's ed­it­or W. Ar­not as saying this about 'Beneath the Cross of Jesus': "These lines ex­press the ex­per­i­enc­es, the hopes and the long­ings of a young Christ­ian late­ly re­leased. Writ­ten on the ve­ry edge of life, with the bet­ter land ful­ly in view of faith, they seem to us foot­steps print­ed on the sands of time, where these sands touch the ocean of Etern­i­ty. These foot­prints of one whom the Good Shep­herd led through the wild­er­ness in­to rest, may, with God's blessing, con­trib­ute to com­fort and di­rect suc­ceed­ing pilg­rims."

Here are the words to 'Beneath the Cross of Jesus':

"Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven's love and Heaven's justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior's cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross."

Answer: Alexander Van Alstyne

Fanny Crosby's husband was Alexander Van Alstyne. According to the Website Findagrave.com, Van Alstyne was a gifted composer and musician and was "one of the finest organists in the New York area." Similar to Crosby, Van Alstyne was blind.

After the couple married in 1858, Van Alstyne insisted Crosby continue to use her maiden name while writing hymns, although legally her name was Frances Jane Van Alstyne.

Here are the words to 'At the Cross, There's Room':

"Mourner, wheresoever thou art,
At the cross there's room!
Tell the burden of thy heart,
At the cross there's room!
Tell it in thy Savior's ear,
Cast away thine every fear,
Only speak, and He will hear;
At the cross there's room!

Haste thee, wand'rer, tarry not,
At the cross there's room!
Seek that consecrated spot;
At the cross there's room!
Heavy laden, sore oppressed,
Love can soothe thy troubled breast;
In the Savior find thy rest;
At the cross there's room!

Thoughtless sinner, come today;
At the cross there's room!
Hark! the Bride and Spirit say,
At the cross there's room!
Now a living fountain see,
Opened there for you and me,
Rich and poor, for bond and free,
At the cross there's room!

Blessèd thought! For every one
At the cross there's room!
Love's atoning work is done;
At the cross there's room!
Streams of boundless mercy flow,
Free to all who thither go;
Oh, that all the world might know
At the cross there's room!"

Answer: John A. Macdonald

John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, was the country's leader in 1869. He served as prime minister from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. Meanwhile, Wilfrid Laurier was prime minister from 1896 to 1911; John Diefenbaker from 1957 to 1963 and Pierre Trudeau from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.

Fanny Crosby was the undisputed queen of the hymn writers. Although she was blind, Crosby is credited with writing at least 8,000 hymns. However, various Websites suggest the total could be much higher as a number of her hymns were published under pseudonyms.

Here are the words to the old-time hymn 'Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross':

"Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

[Refrain]

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o'er me.

[Refrain]

Near the cross I'll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

[Refrain]"