i8 7 7] THEOLOGY AND THE CHURCH 331 



that on this external unity cannot fail to follow. Thus 

 the unity of the Church is not impracticable as the 

 sectarians suppose nor is it to be attained by com 

 promise and mutual toleration on the principles of the 

 Broad Church. Catholicity must be produced by the 

 internal growth of the individual communions which 

 actually exist, before it can be manifested in the dis 

 appearance of Church parties in an outward unity. The 

 catholicity of an ecclesiastical communion means nothing 

 else than that all its functions are so adjusted that in 

 them every truly Christian impulse of the believing heart 

 towards God finds utterance, and that every side of the 

 gospel message is fully set forth to faith. And failures 

 in catholicity are of two kinds : (i) failures lying in the 

 direction of sectarianism the admission into the con 

 stitution and worship of the Church of elements of local 

 and temporary value, distinctive principles political, 

 national, or personal which go beyond normal Chris 

 tianity ; and (2) failures lying in the direction of the 

 Broad Church, that is, the omission to make prominent 

 genuine Christian motives which are capable of social 

 expression. The Church is now imperfect and divided, 

 because there is no communion which is free from defects 

 in both these directions ; but every communion deserves 

 the name of catholic only in proportion as it sets before 

 it as the ideal aim of all Church administration to 

 attain more and more fully to the expression in every 

 social function of a full-grown, all-sided, and normal 

 faith. 



Thus the progress of the Church depends on the 

 presence of two things first, a vigorous theology, 

 diligently engaged in bringing into clearer light all sides 

 of Christian truth, giving to each Christian motive and 

 belief its due prominence and right place in a compre 

 hensive system, and placing in the light of this knowledge 

 the present attainments of the Church. And with this 

 must be conjoined in the second place a wise administra- 



