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.

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.

The nearer the church, the further from God.

The nearer the church, the further from God.

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.

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.

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.

I never weary of great churches. It is my favourite kind of
mountain scenery. Mankind was never so happily read more

I never weary of great churches. It is my favourite kind of
mountain scenery. Mankind was never so happily inspired as when
it made a cathedral.

A beggarly people,
A church and no steeple.

A beggarly people,
A church and no steeple.

No silver saints, by dying misers giv'n,
Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heav'n;
But such plain read more

No silver saints, by dying misers giv'n,
Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heav'n;
But such plain roofs as Piety could raise,
And only vocal with the Maker's praise.