First Line: The church's one foundation,

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.

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.

3Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore opprest,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distrest :
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, How long ?
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.


4 'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumults 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.

5 Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
Oh, happy ones and holy !
Lord, give us grace, that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee !