*21.* _Doctrine, Constitution._—A church in law is a mere fraternal organization. It may or may not have a written constitution, but it must have some central doctrine as its foundation or constitution.(25) Many of the Protestant denominations claim that the entire Bible is their constitution. The Jews may be said to consider the Old Testament as their constitution. All revealed truths may be said to be the constitution of the Catholic Church,(26) and when a doctrine concerning faith or morals is authoritatively declared by the Church to be a truth, it becomes a dogma.(27) The Apostles’ Creed is an example of several dogmatic truths. The code of the Church is the Ten Commandments. A few sects, by a majority vote, make and change their constitutions at will. *22.* _By-Laws._—By-laws of the different religious organizations differ widely, from the decrees of the great councils of the Catholic Church down to the vote of the congregation of an independent denomination. *23.* _Church, Religious Society._—A church in one sense is more limited than a religious society; the latter comprehending all the members of the same faith. Even in the Catholic Church we hear of the Church of France, the Coptic Church, etc., spoken of in this sense. And in a still more limited sense we use the word as a synonym for parish. However, when the word “the” is used before church written with a capital letter, Catholics understand it to apply to the Roman Catholic Church in its entirety, while some non-Catholics apply it to Christendom. *24.* _Church, Christians, Religion._—The missions established in California prior to its admission into the Union were, in law, practically independent organizations and had no legal connection with the Church. Every society organized for the purpose of propagating the practice of religion may be a church in law.(28) The courts have made a distinction between Unitarians, who are considered Christians, and Deists, Theists, Free Religionists, and other infidels.(29) A sect or denomination without a given system of faith is not recognized as a religion in law.(30) *25.* _Doctrine, Standard._—To ascertain the tenets and doctrines of a church, resort must be had to history and to prior and contemporary standard writings of its members on theology.(31) *26.* _Ecclesiastical Corporations, Religious, Quasi-public Corporations._—Ecclesiastical corporations, in the sense in which the word is used in England, Germany, and France, are unknown to the United States, their places being supplied by religious societies or corporations considered as private bodies, in contradistinction to public or quasi-public corporations, such as towns, villages, cities, counties, and state. Therefore, the law of private corporations applies to religious societies and churches.