this, he promises to send them the Holy Ghost, and shews what his office should be, in these words: "But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you," John xiv. 26. And again, "I have yet many things to say to you,.but you cannot hear them now; but when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will teach you all truth," John xvi. 12. This then is the office of the Holy Ghost; and, as Christ declared that he "would abide with his Church for ever," this office he continually performs, teaching the pastors of the Church all truth, and bringing to their mind, as occasion may require, all those things which are contained in the revelation Christ made at the beginning to his apostles.

Q. 26. What conclusion follows from all this? A. From this we still more fully see the perfect security we have in relying upon the authority of the Church as the guide and rule which Jesus Christ has ordained to conduct us in the way of salvation, and by which alone we can come to the certain knowledge of all those divine truths which he has revealed, whether with regard to faith or

manners.

Q. 27. Is it, therefore, necessary for the Christian people to be well instructed in what our holy faith teaches concerning the Church?

A. The knowledge of the Church is certainly one of the most necessary points of the Christian religion, because the Church is the very foundation of all the rest, being the sacred rule appointed by Jesus Christ, by which we come to the knowledge of all the truths of revelation, even of the Scriptures themselves, and of the true sense and interpretation of them; the Church is the organ of God, by which he speaks to his people, and dis

covers to them the great truths of eternity; and the true doctrine concerning the Church being once properly established, an end is immediately put to all uncertainties, doubts, and controversies about religion. Hence we find, that, in the Apostles' Creed, after professing our belief in the ever blessed Trinity, and the incarnation, and other mysteries of our Redeemer, the very next article is that of the Holy Catholic Church; it is immediately subjoined to them, and next in importance to those sacred truths; and, therefore, to be firmly believed as a truth revealed by God, as firmly as those other sacred truths of the Trinity and Incarnation; it stands upon the same ground with them, the divine revelation; and is the sacred canal by which the revelation of these divine truths is conveyed to us.

Q. 28. Is this article of the creed, the Holy Catholic Church, a proof of the continual existence of the Church upon earth?

A. It is certainly a most convincing proof both of the continuance of the Church of Christ, and of all those sacred prerogatives with which her Divine Spouse has adorned her. For the Apostles' Creed is universally admitted by Christians of all denominations to contain the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, as revealed by Jesus Christ to his apostles, consequently all the articles of the creed are divine truths; and, as the Church of England teaches in her Thirty-nine Articles,ought thoroughly to be received and believed, for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture, Art. viii.; therefore they must be true at all times and in all places. Consequently, as it was a divine revealed truth, when the creed was made by the apostles, that Christ had then a Holy Catholic Church upon earth; so it is no less a divine truth, that he has a Holy Catholic Church upon earth at

present, that he had such a Church ever since the creed was made, and will have to the end of the world. And as this Church never could cease to be the true Church of Christ, so never could she cease to be what Christ at first made her, nor fail in any of those sacred prerogatives with which Christ at first adorned her: consequently, she is always holy, always catholic, always a visible body, consisting of pastors teaching, and people taught by them; always one, always apostolical, always infallible in what she teaches; for these, as we have seen in part, and shall see more by and by, are the sacred prerogatives which he bestowed upon her. For, if ever she lost any of these, she could no longer be the Church of Christ, and then that article of the creed would be false, which it is blasphemy to suppose.

CHAPTER XII.

OF THE CHURCH.

Q. 1. WHAT is the Church of Christ? A. It is the congregation or society of all the true followers of Jesus Christ throughout the whole world united together in one body, under one head; for "we being many," says St. Paul, "are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another," Rom. xii. 5. "And there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd,” John x. 16.

Q. 2. In what are all the members of the Church united together, so as to compose one body in Christ?

A. Chiefly in these three things: (1.) In one and the same faith, believing and teaching all those divine truths which Jesus Christ revealed, and

his apostles taught, and no other; for there is but one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism," Eph. iv. 5. and of the Church, in the time of the apostles it is said, that "they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles," Acts ii. 42. (2.) In the participation of those sacraments which Jesus Christ ordained for the sanctification of our souls; thus, St. Paul, speaking of the sacrament of baptism, says, "In one spirit were we all baptized into one body," 1 Cor. xii. 13.; and of the holy Eucharist, he says, "Because the bread is one, all we, being many, are one body, who partake of that one bread," 1 Cor. x. 17. (3.) In being all governed by one head, and by pastors under him, ordained and authorized by Jesus Christ; for he himself declares, that all who belong to him "shall be one fold, and one shepherd," John x. 16.And St. Paul assures us, that all the different orders of pastors, apostles, evangelists, and teachers, were ordained by Jesus Christ himself "for edifying the body of Christ," Eph. iv.; that is, for building up and preserving the Church in one body,

Q. 3. Of whom is the Church composed? A. Of pastors teaching, and of the people who are taught.

Q. 4. Who are the pastors of the Church?

A. The successors of the apostles, ordained and authorized by Jesus Christ to teach the people the truths of salvation, and to rule the Church.

Q. 5. How do you prove that Jesus Christ authorized the pastors to teach the people?

A. From his own commission to them, laid down in several places of the holy Scripture, as follows: (1.) He declares, that he himself was sent by God his Father, to preach the gospel, Luke iv. 18.; and he says to his apostles, "As my Father hath sent me, I also send you," John xx. 21. (2.) He revealed to his apostles all divine truths: Q

VOL. I.

All

things," says he to them, "whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you," John xv. 15. And before he left the world, he gave them commission to teach the same to all nations; "Go ye," says he, "unto the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15; and again, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations....teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," Matth. xxviii. 19.

Q. 6. Was this commission of teaching to continue with the successors of the apostles?

A. Most certainly it was; for, (1.) When Christ gave the apostles this commission "to teach all nations," he immediately added, "and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world," Matth. xxviii. 20. Now, as the apostles neither did, nor could teach all nations in their own persons, nor were to continue upon earth till the end of the world, it is manifest that this commission was not confined to their persons, but given to their office, that is, to them and their successors in office, who shall continue to the end of the world, and complete the work of teaching all nations, which the apostles began. (2.) St. Paul was not one of those to whom the above commission was given personally, and yet he declares of himself, "I am appointed a preacher and an apostle, (I say the truth, I lie not,) a doctor of the Gentiles, in faith and truth," Tim. ii. 7. and "that Christ sent him to preach the gospel,' 1 Cor. i. 17. (3.) St. Timothy was ordained by St. Paul to be a pastor of the Church, and a successor of the apostles, and St. Paul conjures him faithfully to discharge this duty of teaching: "I charge thee before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming and his kingdom, preach the word, be instant in