Whenever God erects a house of prayer
The devil always builds a chapel there;
And 'twill be read more

Whenever God erects a house of prayer
The devil always builds a chapel there;
And 'twill be found, upon examination,
The latter has the largest congregation.

To Kerke the narre, from God more farre.

To Kerke the narre, from God more farre.

To support those of your rights authorized by Heaven, destroy
everything rather than yield; that is the spirit of read more

To support those of your rights authorized by Heaven, destroy
everything rather than yield; that is the spirit of the Church.
[Fr., Pour soutenir tes droits, que le ciel autorise,
Abime tout plutot; c'est l'esprit de l'Eglise.]

Oh! St. Patrick was a gentleman,
Who came of decent people;
He built a church in Dublin read more

Oh! St. Patrick was a gentleman,
Who came of decent people;
He built a church in Dublin town,
And on it put a steeple.

A beggarly people,
A church and no steeple.

A beggarly people,
A church and no steeple.

It is common for those that are farthest from God, to boast
themselves most of their being near to read more

It is common for those that are farthest from God, to boast
themselves most of their being near to the Church.

"What is a church?"--Our honest sexton tells,
'Tis a tall building, with a tower and bells.

"What is a church?"--Our honest sexton tells,
'Tis a tall building, with a tower and bells.

The nearer the church, the further from God.

The nearer the church, the further from God.

God never had a church but there, men say,
The devil a chapel hath raised by some wiles,
read more

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.