526 THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEPFOLDS

which, if the word had alone occurred, its meaning might have been doubtful. These are Matt. xvi. 18, and xviii. 17.¹

The absurdity of founding any doctrine upon the inexpressibly minute possibility that, in these two texts, the word might have been used with a different meaning from that which it bore in all the others, coupled with the assumption that the meaning was this or that, is self-evident: it is not so much a religious error as a philological solecism; unparalleled, so far as I know, in any other science but that of divinity.

Nor is it ever, I think, committed with open front by Protestants. No English divine, asked in a straightforward manner for a Scriptural definition of “the Church,” would, I suppose, be bold enough to answer “the Clergy.” Nor is there any harm in the common use of the word, so only that it be distinctly understood to be not the Scriptural one; and therefore to be unfit for substitution in a Scriptural text. There is no harm in a man’s talking of his son’s “going into the Church;” meaning that he is going to take orders: but there is much harm in his supposing this a Scriptural use of the word, and therefore, that when Christ said, “Tell it to the Church,” He might possibly have meant, “Tell it to the Clergy.”

5. It is time to put an end to the chance of such misunderstanding. Let it but be declared plainly by all men, when they begin to state their opinions on matters ecclesiastical, that they will use the word “Church” in one sense or the other;-that they will accept the sense in which it is used by the Apostles, or that they deny this sense, and propose a new definition of their own. We shall then know what we are about with them-we may perhaps grant them their new use of the term, and argue with them on that understanding; so only that they will not pretend to make

¹[“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church.” For a short commentary on the latter text, see Stones of Venice, vol. i. (Vol. IX. p. 437 n.), and compare below, § 24.]

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