Sanctity (Mark of the Church)

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The term "sanctity" is employed in somewhat different senses in relation toGod, to individual men, and to a corporate body. As applied toGod it denotes that absolutemoral perfection which is His by nature. In regard to men it signifies a close union withGod, together with themoral perfection resulting from this union. Henceholiness is said to belong toGod by essence, and to creatures only by participation. Whateversanctity they possess comes to them as a Divine gift. As used of asociety, the term means

TheChurch has ever claimed that she, as asociety, is holy in a transcendent degree. She teaches that this is one of the four "notes", viz., unity, catholicity,apostolicity, andsanctity, by which thesociety founded by Christ can be readily distinguished from all human institutions. It is in virtue of her relation to the Person and work of Christ that this attribute belongs to theChurch. She is (1) the fruit of the Passion — the kingdom of the redeemed. Those who remain outside her are the "world" which knows notGod (1 John 3:1). The object of the Passion was theredemption and sanctification of theChurch: "Christ alsoloved the church, and delivered Himself up for it: that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life" (Ephesians 5:25, 26). Again (2) theChurch is the body of Christ. He is the head of the mystical body: andsupernatural life — the life ofChrist Himself — is communicated through thesacraments to all His members. Just as the Holy Ghost dwelt in the human body ofChrist, so He now dwells in theChurch: and His presence is so intimate and so efficacious that the Apostle can even speak of Him as thesoul of the mystical body: "One body and one Spirit" (Ephesians 4:4). Thus it follows as anecessary consequence from the nature of theChurch and her relation to Christ, that as asociety she must possess means capable of producingholiness: that her members must be characterized byholiness: and that this endowment ofsanctity will afford a ready means of distinguishing her from the world.

It is further manifest that theChurch'sholiness must be of an entirelysupernatural character — something altogether beyond the power of unassistedhumannature. And such is in fact the type ofsanctity which Christ and HisApostles require on the part of members of theChurch. (1) The virtues which in theChristian ideal are the most fundamental of all, lie altogether outside the scope of the highestpagan ethics.Christian charity,humility, and chastity are instances in point. The charity which Christ sets forth in the Sermon on the Mount and in theparable of the GoodSamaritan — a charity which knows no limits and which embraces enemies as well as friends — exceeds all thatmoralists had deemed possible for men. And this charity Christ requires not of a chosen few, but of all His followers. Humility, which in theChristian scheme is thenecessary groundwork of allsanctity (Matthew 18:3), was previously to His teaching an unknownvirtue. The sense of personal unworthiness in which it consists, is repugnant to all the impulses of unregenerate nature. Moreover, thehumility which Christ demands, supposes as its foundation a clearknowledge of the guilt ofsin, and of the mercy ofGod. Without these it cannot exist. And these doctrines are sought in vain in otherreligions than theChristian. In regard to chastity Christ not merely warned His followers that to violate this virtue even by a thought, was a grievoussin. He went yet further. He exhorted those of His followers to whom the grace should be given, to live the life of virginity that thereby they might draw nearer toGod (Matthew 19:12).

(2) Another characteristic ofholiness according to theChristian ideal islove of suffering; not as though pleasure wereevil in itself, but because suffering is the great means by which ourlove ofGod is intensified and purified. All those who have attained a high degree ofholiness have learnt to rejoice in suffering, because by it theirlove toGod was freed from every element of self-seeking, and their lives conformed to that of their Master. Those who have not grasped this principle may call themselves by the name ofChristian, but they have not understood the meaning of the Cross.

(3) It has ever been held thatholiness when it reaches a sublime degree is accompanied bymiraculous powers. And Christ promised that this sign should not be lacking to HisChurch. Themiracles, which His followers should work, would, He declared, be no whit less stupendous than those wrought by Himself during His mortal life (Mark 16:17, 18;John 14:12).

Such in brief outline is thesanctity with which Christ endowed HisChurch, and which is to be the distinguishing mark of her children. It is, however, to be noted that He said nothing to suggest that all His followers would make use of the opportunities thus afforded them. On the contrary, He expressly taught that His flock would contain many unworthy members (Matthew 13:30, 48). And we may be sure that as within theChurch the lights are brightest, so there too the shadows will be darkest —corruptio optimi pessima. An unworthyCatholic will fall lower than an unworthypagan. To show that theChurch possesses the note ofholiness it suffices to establish that her teaching is holy: that she is endowed with the means of producingsupernaturalholiness in her children: that, notwithstanding the unfaithfulness of many members, a vast number do in fact cultivate asanctity beyond anything that can be found elsewhere: and that in certain cases thissanctity attains so high a degree thatGod honours it withmiraculous powers.

It is not difficult to show that theCatholic andRoman Church, and she alone, fulfils these conditions. In regard to her doctrines, it is manifest that the moral law which she proposes as of Divineobligation, is more lofty and more exacting than that which any of thesects has ventured to require. Her vindication of the indissolubility of marriage in the face of a licentious world affords the most conspicuous instance of this. She alone maintains in its integrity her Master's teaching on marriage. Every other religious body without exception has given place to the demands of human passion. In regard to the means ofholiness, she, through her sevensacraments, applies to her members the fruits of the Atonement. She pardons the guilt ofsin, and nourishes the faithful on the Body and Blood of Christ. Nor is thejustice of her claims less manifest when we consider the result of her work. In theCatholicChurch is found a marvellous succession ofsaints whose lives are as beacon-lights in the history ofmankind. Insanctity the supremacy of Bernard, ofDominic, of Francis, of Ignatius, of Theresa, is as unquestioned as is that of Alexander and of Cæsar in the art ofwar. Outside theCatholicChurch the world has nothing to show which can in any degree compare with them. Within theChurch the succession never fails.

Nor do thesaints stand alone. In proportion to the practical influence ofCatholic teaching, thesupernatural virtues of which we have spoken above, are found also among the rest of thefaithful. These virtues mark a special type of character which theChurch seeks to realize in her children, and which finds little favour among other claimants to theChristian name. Outside theCatholicChurch the life of virginity is contemned;love of suffering is viewed as amedievalsuperstition; andhumility is regarded as a passive virtue ill-suited to an active and pushing age. Of course it is not meant that we do not find many individual instances ofholiness outside theChurch.God's grace is universal in its range. But it seems beyond question that thesupernaturalsanctity whose main features we have indicated, is recognized by all as belonging specifically to theChurch, while in her alone does it reach that sublime degree which we see in thesaints. In theChurch too we see fulfilledChrist's promise that thegift of miracles shall not be wanting to His followers.Miracles, it istrue, are notsanctity. But they are the aura in which the highestsanctity moves. And from the time of the Apostles to the nineteenth century the lives of thesaints show us that thelaws of nature have been suspended at theirprayers. In numberless cases the evidence for these events is so ample that nothing but the exigencies of controversy can explain the refusal of anti-Catholic writers to admit their occurrence.

Theproof appears to be complete. There can be as littledoubt which Church displays the note ofsanctity, as there is in regard to the notes of unity, catholicity andapostolicity. TheChurch in communion with theSee of Rome and it alone possesses thatholiness which the words of Christ and HisApostles demand.

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