The Formation of Christendom, Volume IIAllies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
The Formation of Christendom, Volume II
Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Christianity; Christianity -- Miscellanea
“He who holds not this unity of the Church, does he think that he holds
the faith? He who strives against and resists the Church, is he assured
that he is in the Church? For the blessed Apostle Paul teaches this same
thing, and manifests the sacrament of unity thus speaking: There is one
Body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one Hope of your calling;
one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God. This unity firmly should we
hold and maintain, especially we bishops, presiding in the Church, in
order that we may approve the Episcopate itself to be one and undivided.
Let no one deceive the brotherhood by falsehood; no one corrupt the truth
of our faith by a faithless treachery. The Episcopate is one, of which a
part is held by each without division of the whole. The Church is likewise
one, though she be spread abroad, and multiplies with the increase of her
progeny: even as the sun has rays many, yet one light, and the tree boughs
many, yet its strength is one, seated in the deep-lodged root; and as,
when many streams flow down from one source, though a multiplicity of
waters seems to be diffused from the bountifulness of the overflowing
abundance, unity is preserved in the source itself. Part a ray of the sun
from its orb, and its unity forbids this division of light; break a branch
from the tree, once broken it can bud no more; cut the stream from its
fountain, the remnant will be dried up. Thus the Church, flooded with the
light of the Lord, puts forth her rays through the whole world, with yet
one light, which is spread upon all places, while its unity of body is not
infringed. She stretches forth her branches over the universal earth, in
the riches of plenty, and pours abroad her bountiful and onward streams;
yet is there one head, one source, one mother, abundant in the results of
her fruitfulness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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