The Church's one foundation
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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. 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. Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore opprest, By schisms torn 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. 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. Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won: O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, Like them the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with thee. |
Ecclesiae fundamen es, Christe, singulum, quae novum est creamen cum Verbo laticum. Eam tu devenisti nuptam facturus, et tu sanguinem fudisti ut ea viveret. E gentibus collata fit una natio; est uno confirmata natu, fide, Deo; uno cibo repletam uni se dedicat, et unam versus metam beata properat. Stupentibus contempta spectatur populis, haeresibus dirempta, distracta iurgiis; sed sancti vigilantes resolvi rem volunt, et nocte lacrimantes canturi mane sunt. Manet, quae nunc turbatur premente proelio, dum pax conficiatur privata termino; dum visio donetur aventi splendida et requie juvetur victrix Ecclesia. Sed est et hic ligata cum Triplici Deo eisque sociata qui gaudent otio. O humiles! O sancti! Favore Numinis vobiscum loca nancti iungamur angelis. |