and were saved, although they were aliens from God." 1

St. Irenæus, speaking of Abraham, teaches that he was a type of both testaments: "that he might become the father of all who follow the word of God and endure the pilgrimage of this world, that is, of all who are faithful both from the circumcision and uncircumcision; as Christ is the chief corner-stone which upholds all things, and gathers together into the one faith of Abraham those who in both Testaments are fit for the building of God." 2

The same we have already seen in Clement of Alexandria and Nicetas. *

3

But the most explicit declarations of this view are to be found in the works of St. Augustin. After speaking of the book of Job, he adds, "I do not doubt that this was divinely provided, that by this one proof we might know that there may be even among other nations those who walked with God, and pleased him, and belong to the spiritual Jerusalem, which we can believe was conceded to no one but to those to whom had been divinely revealed the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who to the saints of old was foretold as to come, even as he is declared to us as come already, that one and the same faith through

1

1 S. Clem. ad Cor., Ep. i. 7.

2 S. Irenæus, adv. Hær. lib. iv. xxv.

8 S. Clem. Alex. tom. ii. 899.

4

S. Niceta Opp. 43.

Him might lead all the predestinate into the city of God, the house of God, the temple of God."1

In another place, also, speaking of the saints before Christ's coming, he says, they "were citizens of that holy city," and "were members of Christ's Church although they lived before Christ our Lord was born in the flesh. For He the only begotten Son of God, the Word of His Father, equal and co-eternal with the Father, by whom all things were made, was made man for us, that He might be the head of the whole Church as of the whole body. So all the saints who were on earth before the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, although born beforehand, yet were united under their head to that universal body of which He is the head.”

"The body of this head is the Church, not that which is in this place, but both in this place and in all the world; not that which is at this time, but from Abel to those who shall be born even unto the end, and shall believe in Christ: the whole people of the saints belong to one city, which city is the body of Christ, of which Christ is head. Thus also the angels are our fellow-citizens: only, as strangers, far from home, we are toiling; while they in the city await our coming. And from that city, from which we are absent far off, letters have come to us, which are the Scriptures, &c." 3

And again, speaking of Canaan, he says,

'De Civ. Dei, lib. xviii. 47. tom. vi. ed. Ben.

2 De Catech. rud. 33. tom. vii.

3 Enarratio in Ps. xc. Sermo. 2.

"There

was built Jerusalem, the illustrious city of God, which served as a sign of the city which is free, which is called the Heavenly Jerusalem. Of which all sanctified men who ever were, who are, and who shall be, are citizens, and every holy spirit, even they that in the highest heavens obey God with pious devotion. Of this city the Lord Jesus Christ is king; the Word of God by whom the highest angels are ruled; the Word that took man's nature, that men also might be ruled by Him, who shall also reign with Him in everlasting peace." 1

And in another place, "The temple of God, that is of the whole highest Trinity, is the Holy Church, namely, the Universal Church in Heaven and earth.” 2

"This Church, therefore, which is made up of the holy angels and powers of God, will then become known to us as it really is, when we are finally joined to it to enjoy together with it everlasting bliss. But that Church which is afar off from it in its pilgrimage on earth, is by so much the more known to us, for that we are in it; and it is made up of men, which also we are. This Church is redeemed from all sin by the blood of the Mediator, who is without sin. Christ did not, indeed, die for the angels; and yet even the angels are partakers of this mystery, when any portion soever of mankind is redeemed and delivered from

1

'S. Aug. de Catech. rud. 36. Serm. 3.

Conf. Enarr. in Psalm xxxvi. v.

"Enchiridion de Fide Spe et Caritate, c. lvi. tom. vi. 218.

evil by His death. Since, in a certain sense, mankind returns to favour with them, after the enmity which sin wrought between men and the holy angels; and by the same redemption of man the fall of the angels is restored; and the holy angels being taught of God, by the eternal contemplation of whose truth they are blessed, know what number of the family of man the perfection of that city waits for to fulfil its complement. Wherefore the Apostle says, 'to restore all things in Christ, which are in Heaven and which are in earth, even in Him.' For the things in Heaven are restored when the fall of angels is restored from among mankind; and things in earth are restored when men who are predestinated to eternal life are renewed from the oldness of corruption. And thus by that one sacrifice in which the Mediator was slain, which one sacrifice the many victims in the law figured forth, heavenly things were reconciled with earthly, and earthly with heavenly. As also, the Apostle says, 'It pleased Him that in Him should all fullness dwell; and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace by the blood of His cross, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.'

"Let no man

I will add only one more passage: be deceived. Even the things in Heaven, and the glory of the angels, and the principalities visible and invisible, unless they believe in the blood of

Christ, shall be brought into judgment. He that can receive it let him receive it." 1

2

From these passages it is evident that they believed the saints of all ages to be members of the one Church, and that they who fell asleep before Christ's coming were engrafted into it by some mysterious action in the invisible world. All holy angels, and all spirits of just men made perfect, under Christ their Head, made up the unseen portion of the one Church. And of this we have very full and striking evidence in two primitive usages. The first being the commemoration and commendation of the departed faithful, which in all Liturgies, as in those ascribed to St. Chrysostom, St. Basil, St. Gregory, and to the Apostles, runs nearly in the same form. In the suffrages for the whole Catholic Church they were ever wont to testify the oneness of the visible and invisible parts, saying, "Further, O Lord, vouchsafe to remember them also who, from the beginning of the world, have pleased thee, the holy fathers, patriarchs, apostles, prophets, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, and every just spirit made perfect in the faith of Christ." 3

The other usage to which I refer shows that they believed the visible part to have not only union, but communion of energy and worship with the part in

'S. Ignat. ad Smyrnæos.

2 S. Cyril. Hier. Cat. xiii. 31, and S. Hermas, ut supra, p. 59.

3

Liturg. S. Basil. Opp. tom. ii. p. 680.

F