- LINK MENU
- Anglican resources
- Anglo-Catholic parishes
- Architecture
- Biblical texts & study resources
- Documents of the Church Encyclopedias & glossaries
- Literary resources
- Monasteries & convents
- Music
- Other communions
- Sacred texts of other religions
- Visual arts
THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH follows of necessity from the unity of God; for the Church is not a multitude of persons in their separate individuality, but a unity of the grace of God, living in a multitude of rational creatures, submitting themselves willingly to grace. Grace, indeed, is also given to those who resist it, and to those who do not make use of it (who hide their talent in the earth), but these are not in the Church. In fact, the unity of the Church is not imaginary or allegorical, but a true and substantial unity, such as is the unity of many members in a living body.
The Church is one, notwithstand- ing her division as it appears to a man who is still alive on earth. It is only in relation to man that it is possible to recognize a division of the Church into visible and invisible; her unity is, in reality, true and absolute. Those who are alive on earth, those who have finished their earthly course, those who, like the angels, were not created for a life on earth, those in future generations who have not yet begun their earthly course, are all united together in one Church, in one and the same grace of God; for the creation of God which has not yet been manifested is manifest to Him; and God hears the prayers and knows the faith of those whom He has not yet called out of non-existence into existence. Indeed the Church, the Body of Christ, is manifesting forth and fulfilling herself in time, without changing her essential unity or inward life of grace. And therefore, when we speak of "the Church visible and invisible," we so speak only in relation to man.
THE CHURCH VISIBLE, or upon earth, lives in complete communion and unity with the whole body of the Church, of which Christ is the Head. She has abiding within her Christ and the grace of the Holy Spirit in all their living fullness, but not in the fullness of their manifestation, for she acts and knows not fully, but only so far as it pleases God. Inasmuch as the earthly and visible Church is not the fullness and completeness of the whole Church which the Lord has appointed to appear at the final judgment of all creation, she acts and knows only within her own limits; and (according to the words of Paul the Apostle, to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 5. 12) does not judge the rest of mankind, and only looks upon those as excluded, that is to say, not belonging to her, who exclude themselves. The rest of mankind, whether alien from the Church, or united to her by ties which God has not willed to reveal to her, she leaves to the judgment of the great day. The Church on earth judges for herself only, according to the grace of the Spirit, and the freedom granted her through Christ, inviting also the rest of mankind to the unity and adoption of God in Christ; but upon those who do not hear her appeal she pronounces no sentence, knowing the command of her Saviour and Head, "not to judge another man's servant" (Rom. 14. 4).
Literary Resources
Selected Authors and Anthologies
American Chesterton Society
"At the American Chesterton Society, we are doing everything we can to revive an interest in the most unjustly neglected writer of the 20th century, a writer who seems more timely than ever here in the 21st century. Common sense for the world's uncommon nonsense. Our goal is to get Chesterton's words not merely back into print, but back into the classroom and back into the public arena."G. K. Chesterton
The aim of this site is to provide information and resources about Gilbert Keith Chesterton. The site's owner aims to provide a single source for all of Chesterton's works which are currently available as e-texts.Erasmus Text Project
The purpose of this web site, available via the University of the South, is to make available over the web various texts of Desiderius Erasmus. Presently the site owner is putting on line all of the public-domain texts and translations that are available, with priority given to works less available in print.Richard Hooker
Works by and about Richard Hooker (1554-1600), who became a clergyman in the Church of England in 1581 and Master of the Temple (i.e. Dean of the Law School) in 1585-1591. Hooker's masterpiece, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, is arguably one of the most distinguished examples of Elizabethan literature. King James I is believed to have said about Hooker, "I observe there is in Mr. Hooker no affected language; but a grave, comprehensive, clear manifestation of reason, and that backed with the authority of the Scriptures, the fathers and schoolmen, and with all law both sacred and civil."Luminarium Anthology
"This site combines three sites first created in 1996 to provide a starting point for students and enthusiasts of English Literature. Nothing replaces a quality library, but hopefully this site will help fill the needs of those who have not access to one."The Metaphysical Poets, 17th Century
Although the metaphysical poets of the 17th Century should not be considered a school or movement, they shared a frame of mind. They gave great attention to wit, inventiveness, elaborate stylistic maneuvers, and rational discussion of the world's phenomena. They were wary of intuition and mysticism.Milton: Paradise Lost
This site features the full text of both editions of Paradise Lost that Milton published, as well as Paradise Regained, his afterthought on the subject.Christopher Marlowe
An electronic index of the complete works of Christopher Marlowe, with links to full text.Newman Reader
The purpose of the Newman Reader is to make the written works of John Henry Cardinal Newman available in as complete and accessible a manner as resources allow. To this end, the site provides four types of content: written works themselves; guides to the works such as indexes, lists and reading suggestions; biographical information to supplement and provide perspective for the works; and statements from Popes and others that place Newman's life in perspective.John Henry Newman: Letters and Dairies
A collection in pdf format, made available on the web site of the Oxford University Press.Oxford Book of English Verse
This electronic version of the Oxford Book of English Verse is made available th the Digital Poets Society.Saint John of the Cross
Works by and about St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), mystical doctor and founder of the Discalced Carmelites.William Shakespeare
The poetical works of William ShakespeareChristopher Smart
Jubilate Agno | Text set by Benjamin Britten in Rejoice in the Lamb
For I will consider my cat Jeoffry | see also Fragment B4
Song to DavidSor Juana Ines de la Cruz
The Sor Juana Project is sponsored by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.Charles Williams Society
"The Society exists to promote the study and appreciation of the life and writings of Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886-1945). Charles Williams is probably best known, to those who have heard of him, as a leading member (albeit for a short time) of the Oxford literary group, the "Inklings", whose chief figures were C. S. Lewis and J. R. R Tolkien. He was, however, a figure of enormous interest in his own right: a prolific author of plays, fantasy novels (strikingly different in kind from those of his friends), poetry, theology, biography and criticism.".
