Page:The Church, by John Huss.pdf/61

Rh de Pæn., Dist. 1: C. Eccl. [Friedberg 1: 1179]: "The church of Christ has no spot or wrinkle or anything of that sort, but he who is a sinner or is soiled with any filth cannot be said to be of Christ's church." This holy universal church is Christ's mystical body, as the apostle says, Eph. 1:22: "He gave himself to be the head over all the church, which is his body." Again he said, Col. 1:18, "He is the head of the body, which is the church," and again, Col. 1:24, "For his body's sake, which is the church," and Eph. 5:23, "Christ is the head of the church and himself is the Saviour of his body," and further on: "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify it, washing it with the washing of water in the word of life that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or anything of that kind, but that it should be holy and without spot."

Upon this text the holy doctors lean, as when Augustine says, de doctrina Christi [3: 37, Nic. Fathers, 2: 573]: "Christ is the head of the church, which is his body destined in the future to be with him in his kingdom and unending glory." Gregory, Moralia, 35: 9 [Migne, 76: 762] says: "Because Christ and the church are one, the head and the body are one person." And on Ezekiel, homily 15, he says: "The church is one substance with Christ, its head." And Bernard on the Canticles, homily 12 [Migne, 183: 831]: "The church is Christ's body, more dear than the body he gave over to death." And Paschasius, ''de sacra. corporis Christi'' [Migne, 120: 1284] says: "Even as it is found in