Where God hath His church the devil will have his chapel.

The proverb imagines good and evil establishing places of worship near one another. It suggests that a community devoted to worthy aims may also face temptation or opposition.

It cautions against assuming that a virtuous purpose protects an institution from hypocrisy or corruption. Such dangers may arise close to the very work they threaten.

Use the saying to caution someone who assumes a religious or otherwise well-intentioned group is free from wrongdoing simply because its stated purpose is good.