And Jerome, on the other hand, observes that there never yet was any schism that did not invent some false doctrine in order to justify its separation from the Church. It were easy to bring so large a body of quotations from the early Christians upon this subject as must doubtless surprise those who have been kept in ignorance of the great cloud of witnesses against them. Enough, however, is before us to shew that the first and most eminent disciples of Christ and His Apostles steadily maintained the discipline as well as the faith once delivered to them. Heresies and schisms were permitted for the probation of their faith, but they uniformly repelled them with learning, vigour, and zeal, in no case keeping back the truth upon any pretence whatever. To believe in the Holy Catholic Church is the ninth article of what is called the Apostolic Creed.
That this Church is Apostolic is professed in the Nicene Creed. Our Lord’s charge to the Apostles was this:—“Go ye, and make disciples in all nations. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” That it is necessary to believe in the doctrine of a Church is therefore hardly disputable; but it is further necessary that we believe this article, not in some loose and general acceptation, but in that alone which was intended by the founder. The Catholic Church is defined by our Articles to be a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly administered according to Christ’s ordinance. By Canon 55 it is considered as the whole congregation of Christian people, consisting of apostolical governors and such as hold communion with them in the Word and Sacraments according to Christ’s institution.
The Church can be built upon only one foundation, namely, that of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building is fitly framed together. It has only one faith, viz. the faith once delivered to the saints. But those who will not endure sound doctrine will heap to themselves teachers. And then what can be expected but that which the Apostle declares will follow: first, “that such men shall turn away their ears from the truth;” and then, that “they shall be turned unto fables;” that is, they shall fall into false doctrines and the most absurd opinions.
Printed by Messrs. Parker, Cornmarket, Oxford.
FOOTNOTES.
[11a] 1 Cor. xi. 19.
[11b] 1 Cor. iii. 3; Gal. v. 20.