XXIV. The catholicke church is partly visible, and partly inuisible.

To conclude, we beleeue this church, to be partly indeed visible, and partly inuisible, but these in diuerse respects. Visible, in that it con∣sisteth Page  204of men, visibly hādling and hearing the word of God, ministring and receiuing the sa∣craments, praying not onely priuately but al∣so publikely to God, exercising the workes of loue towards their neighbours, and glorify∣ing God by their whole life: which things can not indeede be performed; but they must sen∣siblie be perceiued. And if it should be meer∣ly inuisible: howe could it bee discerned from the Synagogues of the wicked? Againe, we call it also inuisible: first, because it hath in it many hypocrites mingled, which performe all these outward things, as the elect doe: and who are the elect, (for of them onely consisteth the church) surely it cannot be knowne of vs, but onely of God, according to that, The Lord (a∣lone) knoweth who are his. * Whereunto also ten∣deth that of the Apostle, He is not a Jewe which is one outward, but one within. Moreouer, because the church, in regard of the outward appea∣rance, being euermore pressed with manifold calamities in the worlde: the number of the professours of Christs faith is sometimes so di∣minished, & all christian congregations thrust vpp into such narrowe straightes, that it may seeme euen to be none at al remaining: name∣ly when there is no longer any publike assem∣blie, wherein Gods name is called vppon: as the histories both sacred and ecclesiasticall do most clearely and plentifully teach to haue often happened: whenas notwithstanding it is very certaine that God alwaies reserueth Page  205some church vnto himselfe vppon the earth: * the Lord himselfe saying: And the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it: and, behold J am vvith you euen to the ende of the world: and the same do we also with the whole church confesse in the creed, saying, I beleeue the holy catholick church, namely to haue euer bin from the beginning, to bee now, and shal bee vnto the ende of the world. euen vppon the earth. For properly we beleeue alwaies, those things which we do not alwaies see. * This is our confession, concerning the militant church: what it is: how it differeth from the triumphant: howe diuerse oft times in it selfe: howe of many particulars it is made one catholicke church: by what markes the true may bee discerned from the false: what manner of succession of byshops, & what mā∣ner of consent may proue a true church: howe not for euery difference in the verie doctrine, the vnitie of the church is to be broken: what is ment by the name of ecclesiasticall vnitie: and in what things it consisteth: of what esti∣mation it ought to bee: in what respect also it may erre, and in what, it cannot erre: and how without the church there is no saluation: and lastly howe it is visible, and howe inuisible. It remaineth that we speake of the gouernment thereof.