Lyrics
1. The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ our Lord:
She is his new creation
By water and the word;
From Heaven He came
and sought her
To be His Holy Bride;
With His own blood he bought her,
and for her life He died.
2. Elect from every nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth,
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one Holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.
3. The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord, to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end.
Though there be those that hate her,
False sons within her pale,
Against both foe and traitor
She ever shall prevail.
4. Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed;
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up: How long?
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
5. Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore,
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.
6. Yet she on earth hath union
With God the three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is one.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.
7. O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!
8. **alt verses
9. The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord:
She is his new creation
By water and the word;
From Heaven He came
and sought her
To be His Holy Bride;
With His own blood he bought her,
and for her life He died.
10. She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.