The visible Church is composed, to a considerable extent, of very different materials.  It embraces the whole mixed multitude of nominal Christians, including not a few who exhibit no evidence whatever of vital godliness.  Our Lord describes it in one of His parables when He says—­“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net which was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.  So shall it be at the end of the world:  the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire:  there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” [637:5]

In the first century the profession of Christianity was perilous as well as unpopular, so that the number of spurious disciples was comparatively small; and so long as the brethren enjoyed the ministrations of inspired teachers, all attempts to alienate them from each other, or to create schisms, had little success.  But still, even whilst the apostles were on earth, some of the Churches planted and watered by themselves were involved in error and agitated by the spirit of division.  “It hath been declared unto me of you,” says Paul to the Corinthians, “that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.” [638:1] The same writer had occasion to mourn over the apostasy of the Churches of Galatia.  “I marvel,” said he, “that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel....  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?” [638:2] The Church of Sardis in the lifetime of the Apostle John had sunk into an equally deplorable condition, and hence he was commissioned to declare to it—­“I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” [638:3]

The circumstances which led to the organization of the Catholic system have already been detailed, and it has been shewn that the great design of the arrangement was to secure the visible unity of the ecclesiastical commonwealth.  The Catholic confederation was supposed to comprehend all the faithful; and it was, no doubt, expected that, not long after its establishment, it would have rung the death knell of schism and sectarianism.  According to its fundamental principle, whoever was not in communion with the bishop was out of the Church.  To be out of the Church was soon considered as tantamount to be without God and without hope, so that this test condemned all who in any way dissented from the dominant creed as beyond the pale of salvation.  Its assumptions, involving a decision of such grave importance and of such dubious authority, were acknowledged with some difficulty; and the question as to the extent and character of the Church seems to have led to considerable discussion; [639:1] but the horror of heresy which so generally prevailed strengthened the pretensions of the hierarchy, and at length every candidate for baptism was required to declare, as one of the articles of his faith—­“I believe in the holy Catholic Church.” [639:2]