members of the Church of Carthage who joined Felicissimus acted upon principles which the predecessors even of Cyprian had sanctioned, and yet the African prelate denounced them as beyond the pale of divine mercy.  Novatian was not less orthodox than Cornelius; but because he contended for a system of discipline which, though not unprecedented, was deemed by his rival too austere, and because he organized a party to support him, he also was stigmatized with the designation of heretic.  The Quarto-decimans, as well as those who contended for Catholic rebaptism, would doubtless have been classed in the same list, had they not formed numerous and powerful confederations.  Thus it was that those called Catholics were taught to cherish a contracted spirit, and to look upon all, except their own party, as out of the reach of salvation.  Their false conceptions of what properly constituted the Church involved them in many errors and tended to vitiate their entire theology.  But this subject is too important to be discussed in a few cursory remarks, and must be reserved for consideration in a separate chapter.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE THEORY OF THE CHURCH, AND THE HISTORY OF ITS PERVERSION.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

“I am the good Shepherd,” said Jesus:  “the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep....  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” [636:1] The sheep here spoken of are the true children of God.  They constitute that blessed community of which it is written—­“Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” [636:2]

The society thus described is, in the highest sense, “the holy Catholic Church.”  Its members are to be found wherever genuine piety exists, and they are all united to Christ by the bond of the Holy Spirit.  Their Divine Overseer has promised to be with them “alway unto the end of the world,” [636:3] to keep them “through faith unto salvation,” [636:4] and to sustain them even against the violence of “the gates of hell.” [636:5] Though they are scattered throughout different countries, and separated by various barriers of ecclesiastical division, they have the elements of concord.  Could they be brought together, and divested of their prejudices, and made fully acquainted with each other’s sentiments, they would speedily incorporate; for they possess “the unity of the Spirit,” [637:1] “the unity of the faith,” [637:2] and “the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God.” [637:3] But these heirs of promise cannot be distinguished by the eye of sense; their true character can be known infallibly only to the Great Searcher of hearts; and for this, among other reasons, the spiritual commonwealth to which they belong is usually designated “the Church invisible.” [637:4]