Summa de Ecclesia

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That the truth of what has already been said concerning the unity of the Church may be made more illustrious, some objections will be moved against it. Against what has already been said it is therefore argued in many ways. And first from that of Ps. 65, In the churches bless the Lord. Likewise from that of Apoc. 1, where John is said to write to seven churches — in which places not one but several churches are designated.

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Second, thus: the present Church is commonly distinguished from the primitive Church. For the Church taken from the circumcision and from the foreskin — those who are of the Jews and of the Gentiles — are distinct peoples. Hence the Gloss on Cant. 4, on that passage, It is a fountain of gardens, says thus: a fountain of gardens, because from the primitive Church there proceeded into the world the heavenly doctrine which brought forth many churches, that is, gardens.

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Third, the Church is one constituted of angels and men. Hence Aug. on Ps. 36: With all the faithful numbered from the beginning to the end, with the legions and hosts of angels also joined, so that there comes to be one city under one king, one province under one commander — but men and angels do not have faith and hope in common; therefore unity of faith or hope does not pertain to the unity of the Church.

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Fourth, thus: faith, hope, and charity, since they are accidents diverse in number, are in diverse subjects; therefore all faithful men cannot pertain to one Church, since they do not seem to have the same faith, hope, and charity. But if it be said that faith on the part of the subject is not one, because it is diversified according as it is in diverse subjects, but on the part of what is believed it is one — on the contrary, because there are many things proposed to us to be believed, since there are twelve articles of faith among which there is great difference, as is manifestly clear.

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Fifth, thus: the Church is the same from the first just man Abel to the last to be born; but the faith of the ancient fathers and of the moderns does not seem to be the same, since the confession, which is the act of faith, is not one and the same among all. For they believed things future, such as the incarnation of the Son of God, the passion, the resurrection, the ascension, and the like, which we believe as past; therefore it seems that the truth of faith is not included in the unity of the Church.

⁶ Sixth, every excommunicated person is outside the unity of the Church, since he is evidently separated from the Church and the company of the faithful, 11, q. 3, ch. Canonica. And Matt. 18: If he will not hear the Church, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican — but it stands that an excommunicated person may have faith, hope, and charity, and the indwelling Holy Spirit; therefore these do not seem to make for the unity of the Church. The consequence is clear; the minor is also known concerning one who is unjustly excommunicated.

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Seventh, many pertain to the unity of the Church in whom there is neither charity nor the indwelling Holy Spirit; of this kind are faithful sinners. Hence it was shown above at length that the universal Church comprehends all the faithful in general. Hence in Matt. 13 it is found that tares are joined to the wheat, and as Aug. says, The Church is a field in which wheat, that is, the good, and tares, that is, the evil, are rooted together — yet at the end of the world they shall be separated; therefore it follows that the aforesaid things are not required for the unity of the Church.

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Eighth, it is argued thus: It stands that someone may have all these things — namely faith, hope, charity, and the indwelling Holy Spirit — and yet not pertain to the unity of the Church; therefore the aforesaid things do not stand in truth. The antecedent is clear concerning many catechumens who have formed faith, and yet do not seem to be members of the Church, since Aug. says on the baptism of infants, and it is found in the chapter To this end, On consecration, dist. 4: Baptism avails to this end, that the baptized may be incorporated into Christ. And the same Aug. writes to Boniface and says that in baptism one is made a member of Christ.

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Ninth, it is argued thus: As has been said, from the first just man Abel to the last to be born there is one and the same Church; but before the advent of Christ baptism, since it did not exist, could not be said to pertain to the unity of the Church; therefore neither now is the unity of the Church to be argued from the unity of baptism.

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Tenth, there is not one baptism but three: namely the baptism of water, of penance, and the baptism of blood, as is found in the Gloss on Heb. 6, and the Master of the Sentences sets down in book 4, dist. 4; therefore the unity of the Church is not well taken from the unity of baptism.

¹¹

Eleventh, Aug. in his book on baptism touches on another unity of the Church, in the chapter There is a unity, On consecration, dist. 4, where he says thus: There is a unity of the Church which extends widely, namely in the society and communion of the sacraments, which embraces the chaff with the grain; therefore it seems that what was said concerning the unity of the Church was not sufficient.

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Twelfth, the Church is the gathering of the faithful, as was held above in the chapter The Church, On consecration, dist. 1. But the faithful are not always the same; therefore the Church is not always the same.

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Thirteenth, thus: if unity of faith makes the Church one, therefore whoever have the same faith seem to us to pertain to one and the same Church; but demons and the damned have one and the same faith with us; therefore it seems that they pertain with us to the same Church — which nevertheless is false. The consequence seems manifest; the minor is proved by that of James 2, The demons believe and tremble. And the Gloss on that of Rom. 1, From faith to faith, says: the unformed faith of demons.

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Fourteenth, the Church was always one, and yet in it there was not always one pastor or ruler visibly conversing with it; therefore the unity of the Church is not to be taken from the side of one supreme president and ruler.

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Fifteenth, with the Pope dead the Church is not less one than with him living; therefore the unity of such a supreme president or supreme pontiff does not argue the unity of the Church — the consequence seems clear.