Chapter V. Of the Sanctity of the Church: Second Mark

The Church of Our Lord is holy; this is an article of faith. Our Lord has given himself for it, that he may sanctify it. It is a holy nation, says St. Peter ( i. ii. 9). The bridegroom is holy, and the bride holy. She is holy as being dedicated to God, as the Elders under the ancient synagogue were called holy on this account alone; she is holy again because the Spirit who informs her is holy, and because she is the mystical body of a head who is called most holy; she is holy, moreover, because all her actions, interior and exterior, are holy; she neither believes nor hopes nor loves but holily; in her prayers, sermons, sacraments, sacrifices, she is holy. But this Church has her interior sanctity, according to the word of David (Ps. xliv. 14): All the glory of the King's daughter is within; she has also her exterior sanctity in golden borders clothed about

ABT. III. 0. VI.] The Rule of Faith, 177 with varieties (lb.) The interior sanctity cannot be seen; the exterior cannot serve as a mark, because all the sects vaunt it, and because it is hard to recognise the true prayer, preaching and administration of the Sacraments; but beyond this there are signs by which God makes his Church known, which are as it were perfumes and odours; as the Spouse says in the Canticles (iv. 11): The smell of thy garments as the smell of frankincense. Thus can we by the scent of these odours and perfumes run after and find the true Church and the trace of the son of the unicornf'^