1874] NEWMAN S THEORY OF PROPHECY 275 



by the prophets ; so that even now the Church as a 

 theocracy exercises legitimate sway over the kingdoms of 

 the earth. 



We know, too, how this theory was carried out in the 

 mediaeval Church. If the Church is now a visible imperial 

 power among the nations, she must not only have a visible 

 hierarchy of rulers, but some palpable sign to distinguish 

 her subjects. This sign was sought in the Sacraments. 

 The use of the Sacraments constituted a man a member 

 of the Theocracy ; just as birth in a certain land or some 

 other outward sign made him member of a world-kingdom. 

 True Church membership implied possession of an inward 

 grace, but this grace was conveyed by the Sacrament 

 ex opere operate. The Reformers rose against this view. 

 They denied the power of the mere external sacrament to 

 convey grace ex opere operate. To be a member of the 

 Church implies, they said, direct personal union to the 

 Head of the Church. Hence the sign of membership in 

 Christ s body is not an outward visible mark like the sign 

 of union to an earthly kingdom. It is an invisible bond 

 that binds together the mystic body of Christ ; and the 

 Church so constituted the Church invisible is an object 

 of faith, not of sight. Yet the Church is not wholly 

 invisible. What is not an object of sight is only the one 

 point the bond uniting each of those who are true 

 Church members to Christ. But there are certain functions 

 that pertain to the Church, and by the existence of which 

 we have to recognise the real presence of the Church. 

 Wherever the word of God is truly preached and the 

 sacraments purely administered, there we must recognise 

 a sign of the presence of the Church only we cannot judge 

 what individuals among the hearers of the word and 

 partakers of the sacrament are true members of Christ. 

 And again, the open visible functions of worship which the 

 Church is called to perform the administration of word 

 and sacrament can only be carried out by a visible 

 organisation. And hence arises the right and the necessity 



