A Priest for Our Times.

In good King Charles's golden time

When loyalty no harm meant

A zealous high churchman was I

And so I gained preferment

To teach my flock I never missed

Kings are by God appointed

And damned are those who dare resist

Or touch the Lord's annointed.

And this is law that I'll maintain

Until my dying day, Sir.

That whatsoever king may reign

Still I'll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!

When Royal James possessed the crown

And popery came in fashion

The Penal Laws I hooted down

And read the Declaration

The Church of Rome I found did fit

Full well my constitution

And I had been a Jesuit

But for the Revolution.

And this is law that I'll maintain

Until my dying day, Sir.

That whatsoever king may reign

Still I'll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!

When William was our King declared

To ease the nation's grievance

With this new wind about I steered

And swore to him allegiance

Old principles I did revoke

Set conscience at a distance

Passive obedience was a joke

A jest was non-resistance.

And this is law that I'll maintain

Until my dying day, Sir.

That whatsoever king may reign

Still I'll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!

When Royal Anne became our Queen

Then Church of England's Glory

Another face of things was seen

And I became a Tory

Occasional conformists base

I blamed their moderation

And thought the Church in danger was

By such prevarication.

And this is law that I'll maintain

Until my dying day, Sir.

That whatsoever king may reign

Still I'll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!

When George in pudding time came o'er

And moderate men looked big, Sir.

My principles I changed once more

And so became a Whig, Sir.

And thus preferment I procured

From our new faith's defender.

And almost every day abjured

The Pope and the Pretender.

And this is law that I'll maintain

Until my dying day, Sir.

That whatsoever king may reign

Still I'll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!

The illustrious house of Hanover

And Protestant succession

To these I do allegiance swear

While they can keep possession

For in my faith and loyalty

I never more will falter

And George my lawful king shall be

Until the times do alter.

As I always say, before modernism and liberalism and all the other corrupting isms of this wicked present age clergymen weren't ashamed to show what ministry is really all about. To learn more about the marvelous 18^th century Vicar of Bray click here.