Chapter I. Of the Church

What is your profession as to the article of the Church?

' It is contained in those words of the Nicene Creed: “ I believe one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”

What do you gather from these words?

1. That Jesus Christ has always a true church upon earth. 2. That this church is always one by the union of all her members in one faith and communion.. 3. That she is always pure and holy in her doctrine and terms of communion, and consequently free from pernicious errors. 4. That she is Catholic, that is, universal, by being the church of all ages, and more or less o all nations. 5. That this church must have in her a succession from the apostles, and a lawfu. mission derived from them. 6. (Which follows from all the rest.) That this true church of Chris* cannot be any of the Protestant sects, but must be the ancient church communicating with the Pope or Bishop of Rome.

Sect. I. — That Christ has always a true Churck upon earth.

How do you prove that Christ has always a true Church upon earth?

From many plain texts of Scripture, in which it is promised and foretold that the church or kingdom established by Christ should stand till the end of the world. Matt. xvi. 18, “Thou art Peter ** (i. e. a rock), “and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it/* Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, “ Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing, &c., teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the world/’ Ps. lxxii. 5, 7, “ They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure throughout all generations — in his days that is, after the coming of Christ, “ shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth/* Dan. ii. 44, “ In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,” the church or kingdom of Christ, “ which shall never be destroyed — and it shall stand for ever.”

What other proof have you of the perpetual continuance of the Church of Christ?

The Creed, in which we profess to believe the holy Catholic Church. For the Creeds and every article thereof, must be always true: and therefore there must always be a holy Catholic Church.

Can you prove that Christs Church upon earth is always visible?

The Unity of the

Yes, from many texts of Scripture, as Isa. ii. 1, 2, 3, &c. and Micah iv. 1, 2, where the Church of Christ is described, “ as a mountain upon the top of mountains exposed to the view of all nations flowing unto it.” And Dan. ii. 35, “as a great mountain filling the whole earth.” Matt. v. 14, “as a city set on a hill which cannot be bid.” Isa. lx. 11, 12, as a city whose “gates shall be open continually; and shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring thither the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” Upon the walls of which God has “ set watchmen,” Isa. lxii. 6, “ which shall never hold their peace day nor night.”

Sect. II. — That Christ* s Church upon earth is always One.

How do you prove that Christ* s Church upon earth can he hut one?

From many texts of Scripture, Sony of Solomon vi. 9, 10, “ My dove, my undefiled, is but one — fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners.” John x. 16, “ Other * sheep I have which are not of this fold ” (viz. the Gentiles, who were then divided from the Jews); “ them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Eph. iv. 4, 5, “ there is one body and one spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” In fine, as we have seen already, the Church of Christ is a kingdom which shall stand for ever; and therefore must be always one. “ For ©very kingdom divided against itself, is brought 6 de-

• Church of Christ. 9 eolation; and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand.” Matt. xii. 25.

May not persons be saved in any religion £

No, certainly. St. Paul tells us, Heb. xi. 6, “That without faith it is impossible to please God;*' and St. Peter assures us, Acts iv. 12, “ That there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we may be saved, but the name of Jesus.” And Christ himself tells us, Mark xv i. 16, “He that believeth not shall be damned.” So that it is manifest from the holy scripture, that true faith is necessary to salvation. Now true faith, in order to please God, and save our souls, must be entire; that is to say, we must believe without exception all such articles as by God and his Church are proposed to be believed; and he that voluntarily and obstinately disbelieveth any one of these articles, is no less void of true saving faith, than he that disbelieves them all; as St. James tells us, with regard to practical duties, chap. ii. 10, “ Who-soever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, is guilty of all.” Hence St. Paul, Gal. v. 20, reckons heresies, that is, false religions, among those works of the flesh, of which he pronounces, “ that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God and God himself, Isa. lx. 12, tells his Church, “the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish.”

Can any one be out of the way of salvation without the guilt of mortal sin £

No; but all such as, through obstinacy, negligence, or indifference in matters of religion, will not hear the true church and her pastors, are

10 The Unity of the Church, tyc.

guilty of mortal sin. Matt, xviii. 17, “If lie neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen man and a publican/* Luke x. 16, “ He that heareth you ** (the pastors of the church), “ heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me/*

But what do you think of those whose conscience persuades them that they are in the true Church?

If this error of theirs proceed from invincible ignorance, they may be excused from the sin of heresy; provided that in the sincere disposition of their hearts, they would gladly embrace the truth, if they could find it out, in spite of all opposition of interest, passion, &c. But if this error of their conscience, be not invincible, but such as they might discover if they were in earnest, in a matter of so great consequence; their conscience will not excuse them, no more than St. Paul's, whilst out of blind zeal he persecuted the church; or the mistaken conscience of the Jews, when putting the disciples of Christ to 'death, they thought they did a service to God, John xvi. 2. u For there is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the ends thereof are the ways of death/* Prov. xvi. 25.

But does not the scripture somewhere say, “ that a remnant of all religions shall be saved?”

No; though I have often heard such words alleged by Protestants, they are not anywhere to be found in scripture, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelations. I suppose

The Holiness of the Church of Christ. 1 1 what has given occasion to their mistake, must have been the words of St. Paul, Bom. ix. 27, where, quoting Isaiah x. 22, he tells us, “ Tho’ the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant ” (that is, a small part of them only) u shall be saved which remnant the apostle himself explains, Rom. xi. 5, of such of the Jewish nation as at that time by entering into the church were saved by God's grace. But what is this relation to a salvation of a remnant of all religions? A doctrine so visibly contradicting the scripture, that even the English Protestant Church herself, in the 18th of her 39 articles, has declared them to be accursed, who presume to maintain it.

Sect. III. — That the Church of Christ is always holy in her doctrine and terms of communion, and always free from pernicious errors.

How do you prove this?

1st. Because, as we have seen above from Matt. xvi. 18, our Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot te:) ns a lie, has promised, that his church should be built upon a rock, proof against all floods and storms, like the house of the wise builder, of whom he speaks, Matt. vii. 25; and that the gates of hell, that is the powers of darkness, shall never prevail against it. Therefore the Church of Christ could never cease to be holy in her doctrine; could never fall into idolatry, superstition, or any heretical errors whatsoever.

2ndly, Because Christ, who is “ the way, the

12 The Holiness of the truth, and the life," John xiv. 6, has promised, Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, to the pastors and teachers of the church, to “be with them always, even to the end of the world.” Therefore they could never go astray by pernicious errors; for how could they go out of the right way of truth and life, who are assured to have always in their company, for their guide, him who is the way, the truth, and the life?

3rdly. Because our Lord has promised to the same teachers, John xiv. 16, IT, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth f and, ver. 16, he assures them, that this Spirit of Truth “ shall teach them all things and, chap. xvi. 13, “ that he shall guide them into all truth.” How then could it be possible that the whole body of these pastors and teachers of the church, who, by virtue of these promises, were to be for ever guided into all truth by the Spirit of Truth, should at any time fall from the truth by errors in faith? *

4thly. Because, Isaiah lix. 20, 21, God has made a solemn covenant, that after the coming of our Redeemer, his spirit and his words, that is, the whole doctrine which this Redeemer was to teach, should be for ever maintained by his church through all generations. “ The Redeemer shall come to Zion, &c. This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; my spirit which is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the

Church of Christ. 1 3 mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.”

5thly. Because the Church of Christ is represented, Isaiah xxv. 8, as “ a highway, a way of holiness,” a way so plain and so secure that even “ fools should not err therein.” How then could it ever be possible that the church herself should err?

6thly. Because pernicious errors in faith and morals must needs be such as to provoke God’s indignation: now God Almighty has promised to his church, Isaiah liv. 9, 10, “As I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn, that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee: for the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee.” So that, as we are assured that there shall not be a second flood; so we are that the Church of Christ shall never draw upon herself the wrath of God, by teaching errors contrary to faith.

In fine, the church is called by St. Paul, 1 Tim, iii. 15, “ The pillar and ground of truth therefore she cannot uphold pernicious errors. From all which it is manifest, that the Church of Christ is infallible in all matters relating to faith; so that she can neither add to nor retrench from what Christ taught.

Sect. I V.- — That the Church of Christ is Catholic, or Universal.

What do you understand by this?

Not only that the Church of Christ shall always he known by the name of Catholic, by which she is called in the Creed; but that she shall also be called Catholic or Universal, by being the Church of all ages, and of all nations.

How do you prove that the true Church of Christ must be the Church of all ages?

Because the true Church of Christ must be that which had its beginning from Christ; and, as he promised, was to continue to the end of the world. See Sect. I. and III.

How do you prove that the true Church of Christ must be the Church of all nations?

.From many texts of scripture in which the true Church of Christ is always represented as a numerous congregation spread through the world. Gen. xxii. 18, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Ps. ii. 8, “ Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathens fot thine inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Ps. xxii. 27, “ All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.” Isa. xlix. 6, “ It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob — I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayes,t be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” Isa» liv. 1, 2, 3, “ Sing, O barren, that thou didst not

The Church of Christ, fyc. 15 oear, break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation: spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes: for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left: and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, &c.” Malachi i. 11, “From the rising of the sun, even to the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles.” See Isa. ii. 2, 3; Micah iv. 1, 2; Daniel ii. 31, &c.

Sect. V. — That the Church of Christ must he apostolical, by a succession of her pastors and a lawful mission derived from the apostles.

How do you prove this?

1st. Because only those who can derive their lineage from the apostles are the heirs of the apostles! and consequently, they alone can claim a right to the scriptures, to the administration of the sacraments, or any share in the pastoral ministry: it is their proper inheritance, which they have received from the apostles, and the apostles from Christ. “ As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you.” John xx. 21.

2ndly. Because Christ promised to the apostles and their successors, “ that he would be with them always even to the end ' of the world,” Matt. xxviii. 20, and that the Holy Ghost, M the spirit of truth, should abide with them for ever.” John xiv. 16, 17.

Sect. VI. — That Catholics, and not Protestants, are the true Church of Christ.

How do you prove that the Catholic Church in communion with Rome is the true Church of Christ, rather than Protestants, or other sectaries?

From what has been already said in the foregoing sections: for 1st. The true Church of Christ can be* no other than that which has always had a visible being in the world ever since Christ’s time; as we have seen, Sect. I. She was founded by Christ himself, with the express promise, “ that the gates of hell should not prevail against her,” Matt. xvi. 18. “She is the kingdom of Christ, which shall never be destroyed,” Dan. ii. 44. Therefore the true Church of Christ can bb no other than the catholic, which alone has had a visible being in the world ever since Christ’s time. Not the protestant, nor any other modern sect, which only came into the world since the year 1500: for those who came into the world 1500 years after Christ, came into the world 1500 years too late to be the Religion or Church of Christ.

2ndly. The true Church of Christ, in virtue of the promises both of the Old and New Testament, was to continue pure and holy in her doctrine and terms of communion in all ages, even to the end of the world, as we have seen. Sect. III., and consequently could never stand in need of a protestant reformation: therefore that which was of old the true Church of Christ must still be so; and it is in vain to seek for the true, church

Of Scripture and Tradition. 1 7 among any of the sects of pretenders to reformation; because they all build upon a wrong foundation, that is, upon the supposition that the Church of Christ was for many ages gone astray.

3rdly. The true Church of Christ must be Catholic, or Universal; she must not only be the church of all ages, but also more or less the church of all nations, as we have seen, Sect. IV. She must be Apostolical, by a succession and mission derived from the apostles, as we have also seen, Sect. V. Now these characters cannot agree to any of our modern sects, but only to the old religion, which alone is the church of all ages, and more or less of all nations; and which descends in an uninterrupted succession continued in the same communion from the apostles down to these our days. Therefore the old religion alone is the true Church of Christ, which can be but one, and in one communion, as we have seen, Sect. II.