hearing to the ears, and to the other senses, the power of dis charging their respective functions; so, the mystical body of Christ, which is the Church, is composed of many faithful. The hope, to which we are called, is, also, one, as the Apostle tells us in the same place:[1] we all hope for the same consummation, eternal life. Finally, the faith, which all are bound to believe and to profess, is one: " Let there be no schisms amongst you;" [2] and baptism, which is the seal of our solemn initiation into the Christian faith, is, also, one. [3]
Another distinctive mark of the Church is holiness, as we learn from these words of the prince of the apostles: " You are a chosen generation, a holy nation." [4] The Church is called holy, because she is consecrated and dedicated to God; [5] as other things, such as vessels, vestments, altars, when appropriated and dedicated to the worship of God, although material, are called holy; and, in the same sense, the first-born, who were dedicated to the Most High God, were, also, called holy. [6]
It should not be deemed matter of surprise, that the Church, although numbering amongst her children many sinners, is called holy; for as those who profess any art, although they should depart from its rules, are called artists; so the faithful, although offending in many things, and violating the engagements, to the observance of which they had solemnly pledged themselves, are called holy, because they are made the people of God, and are consecrated to Christ, by baptism and faith. Hence, S. Paul calls the Corinthians sanctified and holy, although it is certain that amongst them there were some, whom he severely rebuked as carnal, and, also, charged with grosser crimes. [7] She is, also, to be called holy, because, as the body, she is united to her head, Christ Jesus, [8] the fountain of all holiness, from whom flow the graces of the Holy Spirit, and the riches of the divine bounty S. Augustine interpreting these words of the prophet: " Preserve my soul because I am holy," [9] thus admirably expresses himself: " Let the body of Christ boldly say, let also, that one man, exclaiming from the ends of the earth, boldly say, with Christ his head, and under Christ his head; I am holy: for he received the grace of holiness, the grace of baptism and of re mission of sins:" and a little after: "If all Christians and all the faithful, having been baptized in Christ, have put him on, according to these words of the Apostle: as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ: [10] if they are made members of his body, and yet say they are not holy, they do an injury to their head, whose members are holy." [11] [12] Moreover, the Church alone has the legitimate worship of sacrifice, and the salutary use of the sacraments, by which, as the efficacious instruments of divine grace, God establishes us in true holiness; so that to possess true holiness we must belong
