handed down from the very beginning in the writings of the holy Fathers, in every age, in the strongest terms. Thus, St. Jerom, writing to the bishop of Rome, says, "I am joined in communion with your Holiness, that is, with the chair of Peter: upon that rock I know the Church is built whoever eats the lamb out of this house is prophane; whoever is not in his ark shall perish in the deluge....whosoever gathers not with thee scatters; that is, he who is not of Christ belongs to Antichrist," Epist. 56. ad Damas. And St. Augustine, in his psalm against the Donatist schismatics, says to them, "Come, brethren, if you have a mind to be ingrafted in the vine. It is a pity to see you lie in this manner lopped off from the stock. Reckon up the prelates in the very See of Peter; and in that order of Fathers, see which has succeeded which. This is the rock' over which the proud gates of hell prevail not." (6.) The same celebrated Tournely acknowledges, that, if a division among the bishops should happen about any point of faith, "Without doubt," says he, "we must adhere to that part which is united with the head, which is always to be esteemed the better and the sounder part." From all which, the infallibility of the head of the Church naturally flows; for, if Christ obliges all to be united with him in faith and doctrine, he surely is obliged to preserve him from teaching false doctrine. From the command of Christ to hear his Church under pain of being considered as heathens and publicans, it is justly inferred that the Church. can never go astray. This argument has an equal weight, when applied to the obligation of being united with the Church's head in faith and doctrine.

Q. 31. These are very strong arguments indeed: but what proofs do the others bring for their opinion, that the head of the Church is not infallible?

A. They bring not one text of Scripture to prove it; but only shew some objections against the above texts, by which they think that the infallibility of the head of the Church is not proved by them; and all their other arguments from tradition are much of the same nature, and tend rather to invalidate the proofs taken from tradition, of his infallibility, than directly to prove the contrary. However, as this is a question in which faith is not concerned, because the Church has never given any decision about it, one may believe it or not in his private opinion, according as he thinks the reasons on each side preponderate.

Q. 32. What consequences flow from these Scripture truths concerning the Church of Christ?

A. The consequences that necessarily flow from all that has been said in this and the preceding chapter, are chiefly these three: (1.) That the Church of Christ is the sacred rule of faith, and the supreme judge of controversy, instituted and ordained by him to preserve inviolated, to the end of time, all those divine truths which he revealed to man, and on the knowledge and belief of which the salvation of our souls depends; and that she is fully qualified by her divine Spouse to discharge this office, so as to pronounce sentence upon every point of revelation, clearly and distinctly, and with infallible certainty. (3.) That this Church of Christ is one body, having all one and the same faith, and governed by one and the same supreme Church authority, so that whatever sect is divided from this body, by professing a different faith from her, is no part of the Church of Christ, but, at best, a human invention; and the faith they profess, as differing from hers, is all falsehood and error, arising from the father of falsehood and lies. (3.) That the Church of Christ is the only road to salvation; both because it is only in her communion

that the true faith of Christ can be found, “without which it is impossible to please God," Heb. ix. 6.; and because Christ has declared, that all who refuse to hear her are condemned by him as heathens and publicans, and that those who despise her pastors, despise Christ himself, and his Father, who sent him.

Q. 33. Are there any other direct proofs from Scripture to shew that out of the Church of Christ there is no salvation?

A. Yes, there are several of which we shall only mention these two here: (1.) Christ, speaking of those who were not yet joined in the communion of his Church, but whom he foreknew would make a good use of the graces he would give them for that purpose, says, Other sheep I have who are not of this fold, 'them also I MUST BRING, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd," John x. 16.; where he plainly declares, "that all those of his sheep who are not yet of his fold, must be brought to it, as a necessary condition of their salvation. (2.) In consequence of this settled disposition of the divine providence, so sooner did the Apostles begin to preach the gospel, than immediately "the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved," Acts ii. 47.; which evidently shews that all who are not added to the Church, are out of the way of salvation.

Q. 34. Is it lawful to have any communication in things of religion with those who are separated from the Church of Christ ?

A. By no means; all communication or fellowship in religious duties with those who are out of the Church of Christ, is repeatedly and strictly forbidden in the word of God, both by Christ himself and by his holy Apostles.

Q. 35. Among the many different sects of Christians who pretend to be the Church of Christ, how can one distinguish which is really the true Church?

A. By the marks laid down in the holy Scriptures, by which the true Church of Christ can easily be distinguished from all separate congrega

tions.

CHAPTER XIII.

OF THE MARKS OF THE CHURCH.

Q. 1. WHAT are the marks of the Church of Christ laid down in the Scriptures?

A. They are chiefly these four, as declared in the Nicene creed, that she is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Q. 2. How does it appear that the Church of Christ is one?

A. This we have seen in the preceding chapter, where the Church is shewn to be one body, of which Christ is the head, and that all her members are united to him in his body, by having all one and the same faith, being all in one communion, and subject to one supreme Church authority. It also appears manifest, from the manner in which the Church is constantly represented to us in Scripture, for there she is called the kingdom of God "that shall never be destroyed, that shall not be delivered up to another people....but shall stand for ever, Dan. ii. 44. It is also called, "the city of the living God......the Church of the Firstborn," Heb. xii. 22.; of which God says, by his prophet David, "The Lord hath chosen Sion, he

This is my rest

hath chosen it for his dwelling. for ever and ever; here will I dwell, for I have chosen it," Ps. cxxxi. 13. St. Paul also calls it the house of God, the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth, 1 Tim. iii. 15. Seeing, therefore, that this kingdom, this city, this house of God, shall never be destroyed, but shall stand for ever, it necessarily follows that it can never be divided against itself, cannot possibly consist of jarring sects, or separate communions, contradicting and condemning one another, but must always be one body, and all its members must be perfectly united in onc faith, and in one communion; for Christ himself expressly declares, "That every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand," Matth. xii. 28. St. Paul also shews this unity of the Church, when he affirms, that "We being many, are ONE body in Christ," Rom. xii. 5.; and that there is but "one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism," Eph. iv.; and Christ himself, in plain terms, says, that there shall be one fold and one Shepherd," John x. 16.; which clearly shews that all the members of the Church of Christ make up but one body, having all one faith, and are governed by one Shepherd.

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Q. 3. How is it proved that the Church of Christ is holy?

A. By holiness is understood that the Church of Christ teaches nothing but what is holy and tends to holiness; that she proposes and enforces to her children the most powerful motives to induce them to become holy; that she affords them the most efficacious means to enable them to be holy, and that great numbers of her children, by following her instructions and using these means, do actually become holy. Now, that all this is essential to the