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.

 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.

 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 who hate her,
 And false sons in her pale,
 Against both foe or traitor
 She ever shall prevail.

 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!
 
 ’Mid toil and tribulation,
 And tumult of her war,
 She waits the consummation
 Of peace forevermore;
 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,
 With all her sons and daughters
 Who, by the Master’s hand
 Led through the deathly waters,
 Repose in Eden land.

 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!

Mel : Samuel Sebastian Wesley 1874 [AURELIA]
Text: Samuel John Stone 1866 "The Church's One Foundation"
Web : http://www.liederschatz.net