e that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me."(14)

And lest we should be mistaken in distinguishing between the true Church
and false sects, which our Lord predicted would arise, He was pleased to
stamp upon His Church certain shining marks, by which every sincere
inquirer could easily recognize her as His only Spouse. The principal
marks or characteristics of the true Church are, her Unity, Sanctity,
Catholicity, and Apostolicity,(15) to which may be added the Infallibility
of her teaching and the Perpetuity of her existence.

I shall treat successively of these marks.

Chapter II.

THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH.

By unity is meant that the members of the true Church must be united in
the belief of the same doctrines of revelation, and in the acknowledgment
of the authority of the same pastors. Heresy and schism are opposed to
Christian unity. By heresy, a man rejects one or more articles of the
Christian faith. By schism, he spurns the authority of his spiritual
superiors. That our Savior requires this unity of faith and government in
His members is evident from various passages of Holy Writ. In His
admirable prayer immediately before His passion He says: "I pray for them
also who through their word shall believe in Me; that they all may be one,
as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us;
that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me,"(16) because the unity
of the Church is the most luminous evidence of the Divine mission of
Christ. Jesus prayed that His followers may be united in the bond of a
common faith, as He and His Father are united in essence, and certainly
the prayer of Jesus is always heard.

St. Paul ranks schism and heresy with the crimes of murder and idolatry,
and he declares that the authors of sects shall not possess the Kingdom of
God.(17) He also addresses a letter to the Ephesians from his prison in
Rome, and if the words of the Apostle should always command our homage,
with how much reverence are they to be received when he writes in chains
from the Imperial City! In this Epistle he insists upon unity of faith in
the following emphatic language: "Be careful to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace; one body and one Spirit, as you are called in
one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all."(18) As
you all, he says, worship