its Sanctity: by its title of Catholick: by the Apostolical succession of its pastors: the true Church is One, Holy, Catholick, and Apostolical. Q. Is the Church infallible? A. Yes, the Church is infallible, by virtue of the promises of Christ, as to all articles of faith, which she holds, or has determined against heretics, who have opposed her in all ages.

INSTRUC. These are the true marks of God's Church, by which it is distinguished from all heretical and schismatical congregations. Christ our Lord esta

blished but one people, and taught but one doctrine on ly: his Apostles taught no other; his Church professes but one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Now, those who are divided from her, and even among themselves in faith and communion, cannot be said to have unity in faith, and to be one people, one fold: and by consequence cannot be members of the Church of God: but as to those who belong to this Church, it may easily be observed, that although they are of different tempers and genius, though of different nations and widely distant from one another, and very often disagreeing about their temporal interests; yet if they are questioned about their faith, they will all to a man profess one and the same, the same sacraments and sacrifice, the same prinples of religion; all own the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, to be the supreme Head of the Church in spirituals, all profess obedience to him.

2. The Church of God is holy; sanctity is her distinguishing character; holy in her first founder and head Christ Jesus: holy in her faith, morals, and discipline: holy in her faith, which keeps us in true humility and submission to God: holy in her moral doctrine, which teaches us to be holy in our lives and manners: holy in her discipline, which restrains vice, and promotes regularity both in the clergy and laity: holy in her sacraments, which are the means of sanctifying grace. O how many millions of saints, martyrs, confessors, holy virgins, has she produced, who have in all ages been eminent for sanctity? What are all her fasts, canonical hours of prayer, penance, and mortifications, but the means to subdue corrupt nature, to

attain sanctity, and promote virtue? And where are these things put in practice, but by those who belong to the Holy Catholick Church? And though there are bad in the Church as well as good, the bad do not abate or take off from the sanctity she teaches: for these are only permitted to grow, as cockle among the good wheat, till death, in hopes of their conversion. Now, it is very necessary that we should believe the Church to be ever holy, and that we may never imagine any reason for deserting its communion.

3. The Church of Christ is catholick or universal, and this both as to time and place. 1. As to time, it began with Christ, and will last to the end of the world; there is no other church to come after it, no other religion, no other gospel, no other reformation but what is to be effected by this Church: then as to place, her faith has, and will be dispersed into all parts of the earth, according to that, Go teach all nations, preach the gospel to every creature: whereas all those sects which went out from her, have in time almost dwindled to nothing; and are ever confined to some one corner of the earth. Her very enemies acknowledge her to be of greater extent by far than any sect in the whole world is: and as to the title of Catholick, this so clearly belongs to her, that no other dares lay claim to it.

4. The Church of Christ is apostolical. The true Church must needs be very ancient, even as ancient as the days of Christ and his Apostles, because it was founded by Christ, and planted by the Apostles, and received his doctrine from them. The doctrine of the Catholick Church is not new, nor sprung up since the time of the Apostles, because she believes nothing as matter of faith, but what was clearly the belief and tradition of all ages before, up to the Apostles; and has condemned all innovations brought in by heretics. If she has deserted the ancient doctrine of the Apostles, and has fallen into errors, I desire to know when, where, and by whom, those errors were broached? by what Council was she condemned? what Fathers wrote against her doctrine? from what Church more ancient

than herself did she depart? Again, that must needs be the Apostolical Church, whose pastors have, in all ages, since the Apostles, been lawfully ordained by those, who, in like manner, were lawfully ordained before them, for such only succeed the Apostles, and have the spiritual power, which can be conveyed down to us by no other hands. And who can shew a succession of pastors up to the apostles, but the holy Catholick Church? As to other sects, they own that for many ages there were neither pastors nor people of their communion and belief to be found over the whole earth.

Lastly the Church that was founded by Christ must certainly be infallible in all her decisions of faith and doctrine for though this Church is composed of men who are by nature fallible, yet because Christ promised that he will be with her at all times to the end of the world, Matt. xxviii. That the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, shall teach her all truth, and abide with her forever, John xiv. and xvi. That the gates of hell shall not prevail against her, Matt. xvi. we may rest secure upon these infallible promises of Christ, without enquiring where, or in what particular men the infallibility is lodged, that God will never permit his Church to err, to the end of the world; and she may securely say in all her decisions of faith, with the first council held at Jerusalem, It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, Acts xv. 28. But if the Church by our Saviour established, has never erred, and it is a fact undoubted, that Catholicks in no time past, did ever leave the communion of that Church which was by him founded, and that all other sects left them, hence it is easy to see which is the right way.

SECT. III.

The communion of saints.

4. W faithful on earth, do all communicate or par

'HAT is meant by this article? A. That the

take of another's prayers and good works. Q. What else? A. The faithful on earth communicate with the

saints and angels in heaven. Q. Do the bad who are in the communion of the Church reap any benefit from the prayers of the faithful? A. They do very often by this means obtain the grace of a conversion. Q. Have the souls in purgatory any benefit by the suffrages of the Church? A. They have because they are still members with us of the same mystical body, under the same head Christ Jesus. Q. Who are they who partake not of her communion. A. Excommunicated persons; as also Pagans, Jews, Heretics, and Schis

matics.

INSTRUC. This part of the ninth article expresses that strict 'union and communication between all the parts of the Church, who are all united in one faith, and in one hope; all receive the same sacraments, and worship God with one mouth and one heart. There is as strict a union as there is between the members of a human body: as these have different uses, as the eye to see, the ear to hear, &c. so there are different offices in the Church. Some to instruct; others to govern; others to serve; others to administer sacraments; others to do the works of mercy: yet all are done with the same view, which is to arrive at eternal life, and to help others thereto. By this means all who are in the Church, receive benefit by all the prayers and good works done therein. They who are in the state of grace, partake fully of them: and they who are in sin, receive, notwithstanding, some assistance from them, in order to get out of that bad state. Hence appears the great misfortune of those who lay under excommunication, by which they are cut off as dead members from the Church, and lose all the benefit of the communion of saints. The same misfortune attends those who have not the faith of the Church, and are out of the fold of Christ, as Infidels, Heretics, &c.

This union and communion between the members of the Church, as it proceeds from charity, which never faileth, is not confined to the Church Militant on earth, but extends even to the Church-Triumphant in heaven; it being the same Church, though in different states. Thus there is a communication between us and them: we rejoice at their glory, and they pray for the grace we

want. We give thanks for their happiness, and they rejoice at our conversion.

This communion extends even to those souls of the faithful departed, who are in a suffering state, commonly called Purgatory, under the just hand of God, to be purified from their sins, before they can enter heaven: death, which is only a separation of body and soul, cannot dissolve that mystical union between the members of the Church and Christ their Head; so that being still members of the same Church with us, they may be assisted by the suffrages, alms-deeds, and good works of the faithful on earth; and this charity, to souls departed, was very much practised in the primitive Church, and commended by the Fathers, particularly by St. Augustin, l. De cura pro Mort.

EXHOR-Give to God daily thanks for having made you a member of the holy Catholick Church: no one comes to that Church but through a call from him. O how grateful would you be, were you sensible of the blessing! and this you may behold in the misfortune of so many perishing without, as all unbelievers. O how great throughout the world is this number! Happy Noah and his family, who alone were preserved from the deluge! More happy you, who out of millions are preserved in the ark of God's Church, and saved from perdition!

Live in such a manner as becomes a member of the Church of God: in the first place, believe with an entire submission, all decisions and articles of faith; renounce and abhor all those errors and heresies that oppose the belief of this Church; be true to all her precepts and commands, taking them as from God, as if you heard him say, He that heareth you, heareth me: live in perfect unity and concord with all your fellow members, as your primitive ancestors were all of one mind, and one heart. Be you holy, as God is holy; holiness becomes the house of God, and all that dwell in it: let the Head, Christ Jesus, the holy Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins, who have been so eminent for sanctity, animate you to every virtue. O bring not upon yourself that terrible sentence, He that pol