"world lieth in the wicked one," the moral condition of even the most enlightened Gentile nations at that period, justified this strength of expression in its most literal import. But unless it can be shewn, that the world, in its Scriptural acceptation, as comprising all that portion of mankind which are not included in the visible church, uniformly denotes the openly profane, or professed unbelievers in the truth of Christianity, and that the sense in which the term is used, is so restricted that the great bulk of mankind can no longer, with propriety, be designated as the world, we must consider the authority of Scripture as decisive for applying this term of classification to all who are distinguished by the characteristics of irreligion. With respect to those who are destitute of the principle of religious faith, whatsoever semblance of moral excellence may attach to their outward conduct, it must, upon Scriptural principles, be affirmed, that "they are of "the world." It is not indeed for us to pronounce upon the actual state of individuals, but their visible character must refer them to the one or the other grand moral division of mankind. The church has acquired a vast nominal extension of boundary, at the expense of her internal purity: beyond that boundary, at any rate, we cannot mistake in making this application of the term; and exactly in that sense,

and to that degree, in which the church of Christ is visible, the world, in its distinguishing character of irreligion, as opposed to the church, is visible also. Nor would the phrase be deemed objectionable, but that the idea of an essential separation between the two classes, is in itself offensive to men of secular principles, whose taste and habits are in alliance with the one, while their fears lead them to seek to be identified with the other. The opposition of such persons to any distinguishing profession of religion as included in the terms of Christian discipleship, forms a strong verification of the fact we are attempting to establish. That the professor, to whatsoever sect he may belong, who attempts to realize this moral separation from the world, should be assailed with unkind aspersion and injurious invective, is only a fulfilment of our Lord's declaration: "The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am "not of the world."

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Although the sacred writers uniformly employ the phrase in question, to convey a similar idea, yet it occurs in a rather different reference. When the Apostle Paul enjoins the Roman converts "not to be conformed to the "world," he must be understood as referring to the moral character of the society by which they were surrounded, and the word must be

taken in its concrete sense, as denoting a description of persons. In other places, it is used as an abstract term, in reference to the evil principles with which the Christian has to sustain perpetual conflict. "Who is he that over"cometh the world, but he that believeth that "Jesus is the Son of God?" In this remarkable passage, there is the most distinct exposition of the essential nature of the religious principle, accompanied with an express intimation, that this belief, so far from being restricted to a speculative assent to the truth of Christianity, operates as a motive of transcendant and visible efficacy, impelling the Christian to persevere in a course irreconcileably at variance with the habits and practices of a corrupt world. The sense, therefore, and the only sense, in which the Church of Christ is visible, we maintain to be that of a distinguishing profession of religion, resting upon the basis of that peculiarity of character which affords a rational criterion of the existence of the religious principle; the purposes of that profession being no other than "the communion of saints," and the vindica. tion of the genuine tendency of Christianity, in the sight of the world. "I believe in the holy

"Catholic Church."

§ 6. The Church of Christ is "one body," one by the necessity of its nature: "One Lord, "one faith, one baptism."-" There are differ

True nature

and unity of

the Catholic

Church.

Unity distinguished

mity.

"ences of administration, but the same Lord; "and there are diversities of operation, but it "is the same God who worketh all in all." This general truth, the Unity of the true Church, has been admitted on all sides; but the utmost perplexity has seemed to attend the question, What is the nature of this unity, or in what respect does it form a distinguishing characteristic of the true church?

To him who considers the religion of Jesus from unifor- Christ as a system of opinions, or a code of ritual observances, this unity must appear a monstrous chimera.* The aspect which the Christian world presents to him, is that of a vast empire partitioned out into so many petty independencies, nominally confederate, but actually hostile to one another, actuated by a spirit of rivalry, and incapable of unity. Should he be inclined to scepticism, he may imagine that in the supposed difficulty of determining which among so many discordant systems to embrace, he has a sufficient justification of his resting in the neutrality of disbelief; and his self-complacency may even induce him to regard this scepticism as the attribute of superior intelligence. Or should an educational bias, or natural temperament, have given a different

* "It is a great fault that men will call the several sects " of Christians by the names of several religions."--Jeremy Taylor, Liberty of Prophecying, § xvi.

determination to his intellectual character, and shaped his opinions into some definite mode of belief, he will easily persuade himself that this diversity of sect and of opinion in the Church, is a scandal upon Christianity, and that, as originating in mere perversity of will, it should be corrected by the restraint of power; that it would therefore be highly advantageous to fix on some definite standard of belief, and to impose peace upon the members of the Christian communion, by a law of uniformity.

It is remarkable, that a peculiar repugnance to the diversities of religious opinion, arising from the exercise of private judgement, should have displayed itself in individuals who have otherwise manifested a singular indifference to the claims and the honour of the Christian religion. There has in fact been found no difficulty in bringing the most irreligious and most imbecile men to discern the moral beauty and necessity of uniformity in the Church of Christ, and to take an active interest in the holy attempt to reconcile the lips, the knees, and, if possible, the consciences of the Christian brotherhood, by the mild suasion of ecclesiastical authority. In the darkest ages of Christianity, when all other indications of zeal and piety were extinguished, this peculiar kind of jealousy for the honour of our holy religion, manifested itself in the utmost vigour, in the joint

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