II. How manifold is the church?

The church is either true, or false. When we speak of the church however, as false, we do not use the term in a proper, but in an improper sense and mean by it every assembly which arrogates unto itself the name of the Christian Church but which, instead of following it, rather persecutes it. The true church is either triumphant, which even now triumphs with the blessed angels in heaven, and which will at length obtain a complete triumph after the resurrection; or militant, which in this world fights under the banner of Christ against the devil, the flesh and the world. The church militant is either visible or invisible. When spoken of as visible, it means an assembly of persons, who embrace and profess the entire and uncorrupted doctrine of the law and gospel, and who use the sacraments according to the appointment of Christ, and profess obedience to the teachings of God’s word. The visible church consists of many who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit through the word unto eternal life, and many also who are hypocrites and unregenerated, but who nevertheless consent to the doctrine, and conform to the external rites of the church. Or, the visible church may be defined to be the assembly of those who assent to the doctrine of God’s word, among whom there are, however, many dead members, or such as have not been regenerated. “Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”(Matt. 7: 21.) We may here also appropriately cite the parable of the wheat and tares, and that of the net, which gathered of every kind, the good and the bad. The invisible church consists of those who are chosen unto eternal life, who are also regenerated, and belong to the visible church. It lies concealed in the visible church, during the whole of the struggle, and conflict which is continually going on in this world between the kingdom of light and darkness. It is likewise called the church of the saints. Those who belong to this church never perish; neither are there any hypocrites in it; for it consists only of such as are chosen unto eternal life, of whom it is said: “No man shall pluck my sheep out of my hands.” “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.” (John 10:28. 2 Tim. 2:19.) It is called invisible, not that the men who are in it are invisible, but because the faith and piety of those who belong to it can neither be seen, nor known, except by those who possess it; and also because we can not with certainty distinguish the godly from those who are hypocrites in the visible church.

Furthermore, the church, both visible and invisible, is either universal or particular. The universal visible Church consists of all those who profess the doctrine of God’s word, in whatever part of the world they may be. The particular visible Church comprehends those who, in any particular place, profess this doctrine. The visible church is universal in as far as it has respect to the profession of one faith in Christ, one doctrine and worship; and it is particular in as far as it has respect to place and diversity of rites and ceremonies. So also the invisible church is universal, inasmuch as all the elect of whatever place they may be, and in whatever time they may have lived, have one faith; and it is particular as in this, or that place, they have the same faith. All the particular churches are parts of the universal church; and the different parts of the visible, belong to the universal visible church; as also the invisible, are parts of the universal invisible church. And it is of this universal invisible church of which this article of the Creed properly speaks, saying, I believe in the Holy Catholic Church. These properties are also attributed with great propriety to the church, because it is holy, and because it is here that we find the true communion of the saints with Christ, and all his members. The difference which exists between the visible and invisible church is very nearly the same as that which exists between the whole and a part; for the invisible church is concealed in the visible, as a part in the whole, which is also corroborated by the declaration of the Apostle, where he says, “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called.” (Rom. 8: 30.) This calling, however, which God addresses to men is two-fold, inward and outward. Paul declares that the inward call is made according to the purpose of salvation. The elect are called in both respects, whilst hypocrites have nothing more than the mere external call. It is in respect to this outward call that the visible church is termed the church of the called, in which hypocrites are also found; whilst the invisible is called the church of the elect.

Obj. 1. If the whole is visible, that which is a part thereof is also visible.
Ans. That part is visible, which has respect to the persons who are called, in as far as they are men, and profess the doctrine of the visible church; but that which pertains to their piety, or their faith and repentance, is invisible.

Obj. 2. According to the foregoing definition those who are members of the church do not perish. But there are many hypocrites belonging to the church. Therefore either hypocrites will not perish, or that which is affirmed of those who belong to the church, is false.
Ans. Those who belong to the invisible church will not perish, and it is of this that the foregoing definition speaks. The minor proposition has reference to the visible church, in which it is admitted that there are many hypocrites.

Obj. 3. The visible church cannot be where the invisible is not. But the invisible church was not during the reign of the Papal system. There fore, neither did the visible church then exist.
Ans. We deny the minor proposition: because there have always been some, even in the most corrupt period of the church, who held fast to the fundamental principles of the gospel. The church was oppressed, but not destroyed. There is also another division of the church, into the church of the Old and New Testaments. The church of the Old Testament included those who received the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets, and professed that they would conform to, and preserve in the Jewish nation the ceremonies of Moses, and that they would, both among themselves, and among other nations, believe those things which were signified by these institutions having reference to the Messiah which was to come. The church of the New Testament is not thus distinguished, because all believe in the Messiah already come. It may be defined as the congregation of those who receive the doctrine of the gospel, observe the sacraments instituted by Christ, and believe in him as the true Messiah.