But we have also to deal with the words “The Holy Catholic Church” as referring to a matter of fact. The existence of the Church is a historical fact, which may be traced down through the eighteen centuries from the times of the Apostles to our own. And we cannot realize in any practical manner what the Holy Catholic Church is, without some degree of knowledge of its history. Consequently, we must now proceed to consider what the Church is, by the help of the records which have come down to us.
The history of the Church of Christ during the greater part of the first century is within reach of all, because it is contained in Holy Scripture, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and in the Epistles. And this Bible history of the Holy Catholic Church may be divided into two periods; the first, whilst the Church was confined almost exclusively to converts from amongst the Jews, and had hardly extended beyond the limits of Palestine; and the second, when it began to spread amongst the Gentiles, in the heathen countries of Asia and Europe.
During the first period the interest is centred in Jerusalem. On the day of Pentecost the foundation of the Church was laid in Jerusalem, through the conversion of three thousand devout Jews to the faith of Christ. And as the Apostles went on preaching boldly to the Jewish people, that the Lord Jesus whom they had crucified was none other than Messiah, of whom their prophets had foretold all things exactly as they had happened, the rulers laid hold of them, thinking to terrify them into silence. But in vain; for “the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts vi. 7). Then the persecution arose about Stephen, one of the newly-ordained deacons; and the faithful “were scattered throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria,” and they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts viii. 1, 4). And so the Church began to spread under the Providence of God beyond the limits of Judæa.
Meanwhile we find that the Church was growing into a duly organised body. It was not a collection of Independent congregations, but a Kingdom, ruled by laws and ministers appointed either directly by the King Himself, or under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And its subjects are spoken of under four divisions; Apostles, Elders, Deacons, and Brethren. And a brief description of these three orders of Ministers and of the general body of brethren will best illustrate the account given in the Acts of the Apostles of what the Holy Catholic Church was like during that period.
To the first order of Ministers—the Apostles and their successors—our Blessed Lord had committed His authority to found and extend His Kingdom. For to “the eleven Disciples” the commission was given, “Go ye and make disciples[23] of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.” And then these words were added, showing that the commission was to be handed on by them to successive Apostles for ever: “And lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (S. Matt. xxviii. 16-20). And we find that, as years passed on, the Apostles ordained others to take their places; to assist them during their lifetime in the various countries and cities where converts had been made, and to succeed them when they were gone. The duties of these chief Ministers are clearly described in the Epistles, which we possess to two of them, viz. Timothy and Titus; being such as the Apostles themselves fulfilled, and including the general oversight of all teaching, and matters of order, and the ordaining of Elders and Deacons, as S. Paul sums them up to Titus: “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every city” (Titus i. 5). And in the first ages of the Church the number of such overseers or Bishops was very large; every chief city having one to rule over the Church in that place, and to keep up the unity with the whole body.
We come now to the second order of Ministers, the Elders. When the numbers of the faithful increased, it is clear that the Apostles by themselves would be unable to instruct them in the things commanded by the Lord (S. Matt. xxviii. 20); and we conclude that Elders were appointed at once to assist them—probably from amongst the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord (S. Luke x. 1)—because, when mention is made of them, S. Luke seems to take for granted that his readers will know who they are. The first mention of Elders in the Church at Jerusalem is in connection with the alms sent by the Christians at Antioch, to relieve their poor brethren in the capital: “They sent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul” (Acts xi. 30). Elders are mentioned again as taking part with the Apostles in the first Council at Jerusalem, when “The Apostles and Elders came together to consider of the matter” (Acts xv. 6). And it is made quite clear that Elders were regarded as a necessary order of Ministers in the Church of Christ, by the account given of the return of S. Paul and S. Barnabas from their first missionary journey: “They returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, and when they had ordained them Elders[24] in every Church, they commended them to the Lord” (Acts xiv. 21-23). Their office was to take charge of the different congregations or Churches in the various towns and villages, very much as is still the duty of the second order of Ministers in the Church. We may learn this from the words of S. Paul during his last journey to Jerusalem. Having landed at Miletus, “He sent to Ephesus, and called the Elders of the Church;” and when they were come he reminded them what his teaching had been, and then charged them thus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts xx. 17-28).
The appointment of the third order of Ministers—the Deacons—was at first for a special object; to take the management of the distribution of daily necessaries to the widows and needy (Acts vi. 1-6). But, from the first, the spiritual gifts bestowed upon them were exercised in the more distinctly spiritual work of preaching. Thus Stephen’s “faith and power” (Acts vi, vii) stirred up the first persecution; and Philip, another of the first Deacons, by his faithful preaching brought about the conversion of the Samaritans (Acts viii. 5-14), and then laid the first stone in the foundation of the Ethiopian Church (Acts viii. 26-38).
Thus from the first beginning of “The Kingdom of Heaven” we find the three orders or classes of Ministers, which have been ever since in the Holy Catholic Church. Apostles and Bishops bearing the Lord’s commission to which the promise of His presence was attached; Elders or Priests having charge of congregations, as Pastors, to feed, instruct, and lead; and Deacons having special oversight of the relief of the poor, but also using their talents to preach as God gave unto them.
The position and life of “The Brethren” are set forth with equal clearness. As soon as a man was induced, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, to profess his belief in Jesus the crucified—as being Messiah, the Son of God, our Saviour—he was baptized according to the Lord’s instructions to the Apostles (S. Matt. xxviii. 19). He was thus enrolled amongst the subjects of “The Kingdom of Heaven,” who were commonly spoken of as “Believers” or “The faithful,” as “The Brethren,” and as “Saints.” In this way multitudes were brought into the Church on the day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 41); thus Philip admitted the people of Samaria (Acts viii. 12), and the Ethiopian officer of Queen Candace (Acts viii. 36-38). Thus S. Peter admitted the Gentile Cornelius, his hesitation to do so having been first removed by the manifest descent upon him of the Holy Ghost (Acts x. 47, 48); and thus S. Paul and S. Barnabas continually admitted converts in their missionary journeys. It does not appear that the Apostles themselves baptized; but they directed the act to be administered by an attendant. Thus S. Paul took John Mark with him as his “minister” on his first journey (Acts xiii. 5), and on other journeys Silas and Timothy and others. When Cornelius and his friends were baptized, we do not read that S. Peter baptized them, but “he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts x. 48); and S. Paul expresses his thankfulness that only a few individuals could say that they had been baptized by him in person, “lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name” (1 Cor. i. 14-17).
The life of “The Brethren,” after baptism, is also described with much distinctness, in a few words which seem to have been recorded once for all of the first converts, in formal terms which should be applicable to all others: “They continued stedfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts ii. 42). And the four particulars thus stated seem to include all the duties of the Christian life. Their stedfast attention to “The Apostles’ doctrine” implies that they accepted their testimony as the truth necessary for salvation. Their holding to “the fellowship” or communion, implies their unity with the Apostles, and with one another. Their continual observance of “The breaking of bread” implies the high position at once given to the ordinance of the Holy Communion, instituted by the Lord Himself as the bond of the New Covenant, in place of the sacrifices of the blood of beasts under the Old Covenant. And their habitual joining in “The prayers,” implies that the assembling of Christians for common worship was practised from the first.