I Believe … in the Holy Catholic Church
In the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle deals primarily with the Church — not with churches, but with the Church; and under three comparisons.
It is a Temple. God’s first Dwelling Place was “the High and Holy Place” of the Tented Sky. Then, according to the thought of pious Jews, He dwelt in the temple built by Solomon. Next the Nature of Jesus provided Him a Home. But now another Temple has been prepared for Him. It is “built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom, each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the spirit.”
The word Temple means “to cut.” Before the Romans erected a temple to any of their gods, the services of the augur were called in to cut off
a piece of soil, by sacred rites, from the common 198 ground around; and is not this fencing off of the soil emblematic of the separation of saved spirits to be the special shrine for the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is this that invests the Church with its vitality. All other organisations rise, have their career of usefulness and glory, to wane ultimately as the moon does; but age after age the Church persists, because she is constantly being renewed from within. Though her outward body may be subjected to the fiercest processes of disintegration, yet her inward being is renewed day by day.
It is a body, of which Christ is Head
“There is one Body!” says the Apostle (Eph. - iii. 1, 18, 16). “And as the Body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
Each member of the Body has its own function; and it would be a pity, therefore, to obliterate denominational distinctions, because their differentiation probably leads to the presentation of the whole circle of truth in a more forcible manner, than if the whole were equally held by all. Just as each note in the chord must preserve its identity to secure a perfect harmony; and as each band of colour of the prism must be true to itself, if a perfect ray of pure light is to be produced, so each denomination probably realises a very distinct purpose in God’s plan. But each must hold the truth in love, none thinking that it has a monopoly of the truth; it is only “wath all saints”? that we can comprehend the length, and breadth, and depth, and height, of the Love of Christ.
Each member of the Body is necessary to the rest. If the eye stand for the High Anglican and the hand for the Free Churchman, “the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee:” or if the head stand for the highly-placed ecclesiastic and the feet for the illiterate and poor, ‘“‘ the head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of you.” “Nay,” says the Holy Spirit by the Apostle, “those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary.”
Schism is therefore only possible when members cease to have the same care one of another, when we despise each other, or cease to suffer or rejoice in the experiences which befall our fellow-members. Schism does not consist in a difference of view but in a difference of spirit, and in a lack of spiritual sympathy. It may, therefore, become the sin of the believer who most conservatively maintains his outward connection with the historic
Church, if he depreciates or denies his weaker and less regular brethren in Christ.
When any member of the Body is injured, how soon it affects the whole organism with pain and heaviness; and the man begins to nourish and cherish it to restore its perfect health. As soon as the efferent nerves flash to the Head tidings of the hurt, the efferent nerves bring back the impulses for care and comfort. Ah, how quick the sympathetic union between Christ and the least of His members! He nourisheth and cherisheth it... because we are members of His Body! (Eph. v. 30, 31.) Let us do likewise.
It is the Bride of the Lamb. (Eph. v. 25, etc.) Like another Ruth, through the love of One in whose eyes she has found favour, she reigns over the lands where once in rustic guise she wrought in humble toil. For some reason or other Christ wants our love, and therefore has paid our debts, redeemed us to Himself, changed our name, and given to us to sit with Him on His throne. “Come hither,” cried the Angel, “I will show thee the Bride of the Lamb.”
14 — (23 16)