The history of the extension of the Church of Christ from one land to another, and of the successive victories won by the Cross over heathen races from age to age, gives by itself a very imperfect idea of the meaning of the words “The Holy Catholic Church.” Because, with the outward extension of the Church, its influence upon the inner man needs always to be considered. For when our Lord described the extension of “The Kingdom of Heaven,” He not only likened it to the spread of a tree branching out on every side, but He also declared that it would work as leaven, secretly, by changing the hearts of men.
This truth may be said to be kept prominently before Christians by the term “Holy” being applied to the “Catholic Church.” The Church of Christ is of necessity and essentially “Holy.” We see that this must be so, when we understand what Holy Scripture says of it; that it is builded entirely by the Holy Ghost (Eph. ii. 20-22); that its members are “called with an holy calling” (2 Tim. i. 9), “called to be saints” (1 Cor. i. 2), that is, holy persons; and that a day will come when the Lord Jesus, who “loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” will “present it unto Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish” (Eph. v. 25-27).
But yet we know that at present the Church of Christ is very far from being perfect. And the mingling together of holy and unholy in the Church is exactly in accordance with the prediction of our Lord Himself. For whilst He spoke of the power of His grace to change and sanctify the hearts of the subjects of “The Kingdom of Heaven,” He also expressly foretold that there would be tares in His field amongst the wheat (S. Matt. xiii. 24-30), which would remain as long as the world lasts; and that the Gospel net would enclose bad fish as well as good, and both would be retained in it until the Angels make the separation at the end (S. Matt. xiii. 47-50). The truth of His teaching has been confirmed by the subsequent history of the Church in all ages. Holy and unholy are together; and though we are forbidden to attempt to separate them, we know that there is, as it were, a gulf between them, which though not impassable is very great. The words of S. Paul to the Jews, “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. ix. 6), apply to God’s people still. And as he went on to quote from the prophet Isaiah, “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” (Rom. ix. 27), so, we know by experience, that it is still the “remnant” only, which really live up to “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” and “press toward the mark for the prize” (Phil. iii. 14). “Many are called, but few chosen” (S. Matt. xxii. 14).
Consequently, since there are unholy as well as holy members of “The Holy Catholic Church,” the question arises, What is the portion of those who are, what they are called to be, “Saints”? And how shall we express it? Shall we accept the theory of some who say that there are two Churches; an outward and visible Church which is a mixed company of good and bad; and an inner and invisible Church which is known to God alone, and which consists of the good only? A moment’s consideration of what has been pointed out in previous chapters to be the teaching of Holy Scripture, about “The Kingdom of Heaven,” will show that the idea is untenable; because it is “The Kingdom of Heaven” which is distinctly described as imperfect in its present state here on earth; and we cannot conceive the idea of two universal Kingdoms of Messiah. What then is the teaching of Holy Scripture respecting the position of the “Saints,” who really are, what they are called to be, holy?
It is expressed in the words of the Creed, “I believe in the Communion of Saints.”
They who live as Christians, that is, as belonging to Christ, enjoy “The Communion of Saints.” All subjects of “The Kingdom of Heaven” may enjoy this position of the Saints, if they will. If they are unnatural children of their Heavenly Father, if they are disloyal subjects of their King, if they resist, instead of being led by, the Holy Spirit, they are hindering God’s good-will concerning them, and making of none effect the sufferings of their Saviour. But if they look up to and love their Father, if they set themselves to serve their King, if they strive to follow the guidance of the Spirit, they are in the way of salvation, and have “The Communion of Saints.”
But what is “The Communion of Saints”?
No little confusion has been brought into the consideration of these words by the very prevalent idea that the Saints are, necessarily, departed Saints who have finished their course in God’s faith and fear. But this is not the usual Bible sense of the word. For instance, in the Psalms it is commonly used for the name of those who believe in and worship God. “Sing to the Lord, O ye Saints” (Ps. xxx. 4). “O love the Lord, all ye His Saints” (Ps. xxxi. 23). “The Lord forsaketh not His Saints” (Ps. xxxvii. 28). And in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles it is continually used in the same sense, for the Lord’s people in general. “Peter came down to the Saints which dwelt at Lydda” (Acts ix. 32). And at Joppa, “He called the Saints and widows” to him (Acts ix. 41). And S. Paul speaks of his work as a persecutor in these words, “Many of the Saints did I shut up in prison” (Acts xxvi. 10). And in most of his Epistles he addresses those to whom he is writing as “called to be Saints” (Rom. i. 7; 1 Cor. i. 2).
Another frequent cause of misunderstanding is the idea that “the Saints” mean only a few very holy persons, who have attained by the grace of God such a degree of perfection, as is beyond the reach of those who live an active life in the world. But this idea also is found to be contrary to the ordinary Bible use of the word. Those whom S. Paul addresses in his Epistles as “Saints,” are rebuked for almost every kind of sin. The Corinthians, especially, are an instance of the imperfections which may yet be found in God’s Saints, and may teach us how tenderly we need to deal with the failings of those who are just emerging from heathenism in our own days. The First Epistle to the Corinthians administers rebukes for schism, fornication, idolatrous tendencies, misuse of spiritual gifts, profanation of the worship of God, and misbelief. And even the Saints at Ephesus, who are addressed as if they had made great advance in the understanding of the mysteries of the faith, are warned to abstain from lying, violent anger, stealing, foul speaking, and unkind behaviour (Eph. iv. 25-32). From which we learn to give a very wide meaning to the word “Saints;” and to understand by it, Christian people who, with many imperfections and frequent falls, are seeking to gain a better knowledge and deeper love of God; and are striving to be led by the Holy Spirit to resist sin and advance in holiness.
And what is “The Communion” which such persons enjoy?