sures. But by this one trouble, anxiety, and sorrow, he complains that he is grieved, tormented, and almost consumed; because nothing is more valued by the faithful than this assistance, by which God gradually raises his people from one degree of elevation to another. For it is also to be remarked, that God always manifested himself to the holy fathers, in the mirror of his doctrine, in such a manner that their knowledge of him might be spiritual. Hence the temple was not only called his face, but in order to guard against all superstition, was also designated as his footstool. (y) And this is that happy conjunction in the unity of the faith spoken of by Paul, when all, from the highest to the lowest, are aspiring towards the head. All the temples which the gentiles erected to God with any other design, were nothing but a profation of his worship; a crime which, though not to an equal extent, was also fre'quently committed by the Jews. Stephen reproaches them pr it in the language of Isaiah; "the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool," (z) because God alone sanctifies temples by his word, that they may be legitimately used for his worship. And if we presumptuously attempt any thing without his command, the evil beginning is immediately succeeded by farther inventions, which multiply the mischief without end.Xerxes, however, acted with great indiscretion, when, at the advice of the magi, he burned or demolished all the temples of Greece, from an opinion of the absurdity that gods, to whom all space ought to be left perfectly free, should be enclosed within walls and roofs. As if it were not in the power of God, to descend in any way to us, and yet at the same time not to make any change of place or to confine us to earthly means, but rather to use them as vehicles to elevate us towards his celestial glory, which fills all things with its immensity, as well as transcends the heavens in its sublimity.

VI. Now as the present age has witnessed a violent dis

(y) Psalm cxxxii. 7. xcix. 5.

(2) Acts vii. 48, 49.

pute respecting the efficacy of the ministry; some exaggerating its dignity beyond measure, and others contending that it is a criminal transfer to mortal man of what properly belongs to the Holy Spirit, to suppose that ministers and teachers penetrate the mind and heart, so as to correct the blindness of the one, and the hardness of the other; we must proceed to a decision of this controversy. The arguments advanced on both sides may be easily reconciled by a careful observation of the passages, in which God, the Author of preaching, connecting his Spirit with it, promises that it shall be followed with success; or those in which separating himself from all external aids, he attributes the commencement of faith, as well as its subsequent progress, entirely and exclusively to himself. The office of the second Elias, according to Luke, was, to illuminate the minds and to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” (a) Christ declares that he sent his disciples, that they "should bring forth fruit," (b)-from their labours. What that fruit was, is briefly defined by Peter, when he says that we are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible." (c) Therefore Paul glories that he had "begotten" the Corinthians "through the gospel," and that they were "the seal of his apostleship;" (d) and even that he was "not a minister of the letter," merely striking the ear with a vocal sound, but that the energy of the Spirit had been given to him to render his doctrine efficacious. (e) In the same sense, he affirms, in another epistle, that his "gospel came not in word only, but also in power.”(ƒ) He declares also to the Galatians, that they "received the Spirit by the hearing of faith." (g) In short, there are several places, in which he not only represents himself as a "labourer together with God," (h) but even attributes to himself the office of communicating salvation. He certainly

never advanced all these things, in order to arrogate to himself the least praise independent of God, as he briefly states in other passages: "Our entrance in unto you was not in vain." (i) "I labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." (k) "He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles." (1) Besides, it is evident, from other places, that he leaves ministers possessed of nothing, considered in themselves: "Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (m) Again: "I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (n) And it is certainly necessary to bear in memory those passages, in which God ascribes to himself the illumination of the mind and renovation of the heart, and thereby declares it to be sacrilege for man to arrogate to himself any share in either. Yet every one who attends with docility of mind to the ministers whom God hath appointed, will learn from the beneficial effect, that this mode of teaching has not in vain being pleasing to God, and that this yoke of modesty has not without reason been imposed upon the faithful.

VII. From what has been said, I conceive it must now be evident what judgment we ought to form respecting the Church, which is visible to our eyes, and falls under our knowledge. For we have remarked that the word Church is used in the sacred scriptures in two senses. Sometimes when they mention the Church, they intend that which is really such in the sight of God, into which none are received but those who by adoption and grace are the children of God, and by the sanctification of the Spirit are the true members of Christ. And then it comprehends not only the saints at any one time resident on earth, but all the elect who have lived from the beginning of the world. But the word Church is frequently used in the scriptures to designate the whole multitude dispersed all over the

(i) 1 Thess. ii. 1.
(m) 1 Cor. iii. 7.

(*) Col. i. 29.
(n) 1 Cor. xv. 10.

(1) Gal. ii. 8.

world, who profess to worship one God and Jesus Christ, who are initiated into his faith by baptism, who testify their unity in true doctrine and charity by a participation of the sacred supper, who consent to the word of the Lord, and preserve the ministry which Christ has instituted for the purpose of preaching it. In this Church are included many hypocrites, who have nothing of Christ but the name and appearance; many persons ambitious, avaricious, envious, slanderous, and dissolute in their lives, who are tolerated for a time, either because they cannot be convicted by a legitimate process, or because discipline is not always maintained with sufficient vigour. As it is necessary therefore to believe that Church which is invisible to us, and known to God alone; so this Church which is visible to men, we are commanded to honour, and to maintain communion with it.

VIII. As far therefore as was important for us to know it, the Lord has described it by certain marks and characters. It is the peculiar prerogative of God himself to "know them that are his," (o) as we have already stated from Paul. And to guard against human presumption ever going to such an extreme, the experience of every day teaches us how very far his secret judgments transcend all our apprehensions. For those who seemed the most abandoned, and were generally considered past all hope, are recalled by his goodness into the right way; while some who seemed to stand better than others, fall into perdition. "According to the secret predestination of God," therefore, as Augustine observes, "there are many sheep without the pale of the Church, and many wolves within." For he knows and seals those who know not either him or themselves. Of those who externally bear his seal, his eyes alone can discern who are unfeignedly holy, and will persevere to the end; which is the completion of salvation. On the other hand, as he saw it to be in some measure requisite that we should know who ought to be considered as his children, he has in this respect accommodated him(0) 2 Tim. ii. 19.

self to our capacity. And as it was not necessary that on this point we should have an assurance of faith, he has substituted in its place a judgment of charity, according to which we ought to acknowledge as members of the Church all those who by a confession of faith, an exemplary life, and a participation of the sacraments, profess the same God and Christ with ourselves. But the knowledge of the body itself being more necessary to our salvation, he has distinguished it by more clear and certain characters.

IX. Hence the visible Church rises conspicuous to our view. For wherever we find the word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to the institution of Christ; there, it is not to be doubted, is a Church of God: for his promise can never deceive; "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (p) But that we may have a clear understanding of the whole of this subject, let us proceed by the following steps: That the universal Church is the whole multitude, collected from all nations, who though dispersed in countries widely distant from each other, nevertheless consent to the same truth of Divine doctrine, and are united by the bond of the same religion. That in this universal Church are comprehended particular churches, distributed according to human necessity in various towns and villages; and that each of these respectively is justly distinguished by the name and authority of a church: and that individuals, who on a profession of piety are enrolled among churches of the same description, though they are really strangers to any particular church, do nevertheless in some respect belong to it, till they are expelled from it by a public decision. There is some difference however in the mode of judging respecting private persons and churches. For it may happen, in the case of persons whom we think altogether unworthy of the society of the pious, that on account of the common consent of the Church, by which they are tolerated in the body of Christ, we may be obliged to treat them as brethren,

(p) Matt. xviii. 20.