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To Kerke the narre, from God more farre.
To Kerke the narre, from God more farre.
 When once thy foot enters the church, be bare.
 God is more there than thou: for thou art there
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 When once thy foot enters the church, be bare.
 God is more there than thou: for thou art there
  Only by his permission. Then beware,
   That leads from earth to heaven. 
 God never had a church but there, men say,
 The devil a chapel hath raised by some wiles,
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 God never had a church but there, men say,
 The devil a chapel hath raised by some wiles,
  I doubted of this saw, till on a day
   I westward spied great Edinburgh's Saint Giles. 
 The church alone beyond all question
 Has for ill-gotten goods the right digestion.
  [Ger., Die Kirch' allein, read more 
 The church alone beyond all question
 Has for ill-gotten goods the right digestion.
  [Ger., Die Kirch' allein, meine lieben Frauen,
   Kann ungerechtes Gut verdauen.] 
The nearer the church, the further from God.
The nearer the church, the further from God.
 As like a church and an ale-house, God and the devell, they manie 
times dwell neere to ether.  
 As like a church and an ale-house, God and the devell, they manie 
times dwell neere to ether. 
 Who builds a church to God, and not to Fame,
 Will never mark the marble with his Name.  
 Who builds a church to God, and not to Fame,
 Will never mark the marble with his Name. 
 Where Christ erecteth his church, the divell in the same 
church-yarde will have his chappell.  
 Where Christ erecteth his church, the divell in the same 
church-yarde will have his chappell. 
 "What is a church?" Let Truth and reason speak,
 They would reply, "The faithful, pure and meek,
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 "What is a church?" Let Truth and reason speak,
 They would reply, "The faithful, pure and meek,
  From Christian folds, the one selected race,
   Of all professions, and in every place."