I am the major master of the modern church historical
Which I now summarize for you in order categorical
It all began with Jesus in a manger that was sent along
By Peter, Paul, and Mary and some others as they went along

While Rome was burning Nero played his fiddle as he sat at home
So persecuted Christians ran and hid among the catacombs
They soon began to argue over what beliefs were orthodox
The Bible came together as they argued back and forth-odox

Then Constatine converted and made everyone a Christ-i-an
Then came St. Augustine and Monks and missions to Barbarians
In short here is my summary in order categorical
I am the major master of the modern church historical

The Middle Ages, Charlemagne the Church and State in unity
Crusaders and Inquisitors took every opportunity
Popes not so Innocent and then a schism in the Papacy
And St. Thomas Aquinas tried but couldn't make them hap-pacy

Then came the Reformation and soon Martin was a Lutheran
By faith justification searching Scriptures for the truth there in
John Calvin was predestined and in ways so were the Puritans
Just read the King James Version if you really must be sure-itan

Then Denomenations Baptist, Presbyterian and Bretheran
The Amish, Quaker, Mennonite, Reformed, Episcopalian
And Anglican and Catholic in order categorical
I am the major master of the modern church historical

The Renaissance of reason, science, Wesley was a Methodist
Voltaire, Pascal, an Army of Salvation fighting prejudice
The Social Gospel, Isaac Newton, then the Great Awakening
No slavery, religious freedom there for the partakening

Capitalism, Nazism, Communism, Billy Graham
Clarence Darrow versus William Jennings Bryan, Second Vatican
I have a dream of churches forming Councils Ecumenical
And all men hope the sword is not so mighty as the pen-ical

The Jesus Movement, Jim