Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/358



352 THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH.

attain to holiness on earth and never-ending happiness in heaven. In this wise, and on this principle, the Church was begotten. If we consider the 'chief end of this Church^ and the proximate efficient causes" of salvation, it is un- doubtedly sjfyjri hml; but in regard to those who constitute it, and to the things which lead to these spiritual gifts, it is external and necessarily visible. The apostles re- ceived a mission to teach by visible and audible signs, and they discharged their mission only by words and acts which certainly appealed to the senses. So that their voices falling upon the ears of those who heard them begot faith in souls â€” Faith cometh by hearing, ami hearing by the word of Christ} And faith_itse].fâ€” that is assent given to the first and supreme truth â€” though residing essentially in the intellect, must^ be manifested by outward prpfessloii â€” For, with the heart, we believe unto justice; but with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation? In the same way, in man, nothing is more internal than heavenly grace which begets sanctity, but the ordinary and chief means of obtaining grace are ex- ternal: that is to say, the sacraments which are adminis- tered by men specially chosen for that purpose, by means of certain ordinances.

Jesus Christ commanded His apostles and their suc- cessors to the end of time to teach and rule the nations. He ordered the nations to accept their teaching and obey their authority. Bvit this correlation of rights and duties in the Christian commonwealth not only could not have been made permanent, but could not even have been initiated except throvigh the senses, which are of all things the messengers and interpreters.

For this reason the Church is so often called in holy writ a body, and even the^ body of Christ â€” Now you are the body of Christ ^â€” and precisely because it is a body is the Church visible :^ and because it is the body of Christ

Â» Rom. X. 17. ^ Rom. x. 10. ' 1 Cor. xii. 27.