one of another country might be called so also, or an African of that name might be a bishop elsewhere. Besides, supposing that this letter had, been really sent to Donatus the schismatical bishop in Africa, this would be no proof of the Catholic churches communion with, and acknowledgment of them, seeing the members of that council did visibly incline to the Arian faction, and as such were resisted and opposed both by Athanasius bishop of Alexandria, and Julius bishop of Rome. From all which, as also from other passages of the said father, which I might farther cite, it is most clear, that in contradiction to the Dona tists, who were rejected from the fellowship of other churches, the communion of saints, or the communicatory letters from other churches, and the rest of the methods and tokens of union then used, were esteemed as marks and signs of a particular church, that was regularly framed and constituted.

But secondly, I think, that in contradiction to the same heretics, this clause is rather to be understood, as expressing and declaring the quality, property, and practice of a particular church, regularly constituted and governed, The Donatists arrived to that height of pride, impudence, and uncharitableness, as to unchurch all other churches besides themselves, affirming, that those of their own party, who

were confined to a little part of Africa, were alone the one holy Catholic church; and that for all the other churches both of Europe and Asia, as well as of the other parts of Africa, they were not churches of Jesus Christ, but synagogues of Satan; for which reason, they asserted all their ordinances and administrations to be mere nulities, that their baptisms, ordinations, and every thing else, were all invalid and of no worth. In consequence whereof they performed every thing de novo on those who revolted to them from the Catholic church, avowedly renouncing all communion and fellowship with every church which was not of their party and faction. Wherefore in opposition to these proud opinions and schismatical practices, it is very probable that the communion of saints was added as an explanatory clause of the holy Cotholic church, to signify unto us thereby, that though there was but one universal church, yet the particular churches and members thereof, maintained a strict union and correspondence with each o ther; that whatsoever was regularly perfor med in one church, was esteemed valid and obligatory by all others; or, that though the universal church was necessarily divided into many particulars, yet the Christian unity was not thereby destroyed, but was still preserved by their reciprocal agreement and communi

on; consonant whereunto, St. Austin writes against these schismatics, that "the Christian unity, is not divided, because the world is divided into several kingdoms, seeing in every place where there are Christians, the Catholic church is found." And in another place, the said father seriously addresses himself to the Donatistical laity, beseeching them not to be held any longer in their factious and uncharitable practices by the slight and cunning of their teachers, but to return to the communion of the Catholic church, from whence they had schismatically separated themselves; the holy scriptures, saith he, mention the place where the church should begin, viz. at Jerusalem; from whence it should go out to the ends of the earth. Turn over the sacred writings, and you shall find, that from Jerusalem it spread itsself into places far and near. The names of the places and cities are expressed and known, wherein the church of Christ was founded by the labours of the apostles; from whom some of them received epistles; "which epistles, saith he, they themselves, that is the clergy of the Donatists, read in your congregations, and yet will not communicate with the churches of those places and cities who received those epistles." After which, the said father elegantly introduces the apostolical churches, expostulating with the Donatists for their un

charitable refusal to hold communion with them. "Let, saith he, the churches unto whom the blessed apostle Peter wrote, of A sia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and the other Eastern parts, speak, and they will say, O ye, party of Donatus, we know not what you say; why will ye not communicate with us? If Cecilian hath done any evil, why must it prejudice us? Let the seven oriental churches also speak, unto whom the apostle John wrote, of Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Pergamus, and they will say, what have we done unto you, brethren? Why will not you Christians have peace with Christians? Why will you annul in us the common sacraments? Let also the churches unto whom the apostle Paul writ, of Rome,, Corinth, Philippi, Colosse and Thessalonica, speak, and they will say, You, brethren of the party of Donatus daily read the epistles sent to us, in which the apostle saluted us by the name of peace, saying, Grace and peace be, unto you, from God the father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ; wherefore then have ye learned peace by reading it in our epistles, and yet will not maintain it with us?" And. after the same manner, the said father might, have represented all the other parts of the Catholic church, reasoning with the Do

natists for their pride and folly in refusing to hold communion with them; it being an horrid piece of arrogance to limit the church to their own party, and an intolerable act of schism, to require the reiteration of baptism and other administrations (which are to be received but once) on those who were to be admitted into their church, as if their former baptism, &c. had been vain, wholly insignifi cant, and nothing at all.

Wherefore that such schismatical notions and practices, so destructive of Christian charity, and subversive of the unity of the Catholic church, might be repressed and contradicted, it is most probable, that the communion of saints was added in the creed as an appendix to, or explanation of the holy Catholic church; by which it was intended to declare, That although there be several particular churches and congregations throughout the face of the earth, yet that there ought to be a communion & correspondence between them, as far as is necessary, possible and convenient; that whatoever is regularly performed and determined in one, either as to acts of worship or discipline, must be allowed by all others to be valid and good, seeing particular churches are no other than so many distinct limbs, members, or parts of the Catholic and universal one.