CENT. IV.
ST. ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA, G.C.-“We confess one, and only one Catholic and Apostolic Church, never to be overcome, though the whole world assail it. She surmounts all the attacks of heretics.—This we teach; this we publicly declare. These are the doctrines of the apostolic Church, in defence of which we willingly die.”—Ep. apud Theodoret. Hist. Eccl. L. 1. c. iv. p. 19.
EUSEBIUS, G. C. “The Lord foretold not only that his doctrine should be preached wherever man was, but that his Church should be overcome by no assaults. The event has proved the truth of this prediction, silencing the tongues of insolent scoffers. The fame of the gospel has reached to every country which the sun illumines; it is familiar with all people; while its preaching, by a method agreeing with its words, is daily more widely diffused.” Præp. Evang. L. 1. c. iii. p. 7. Edit. Paris, 1628.
ST. ATHANASIUS, G. C. “ The Church is invincible, though hell itself should be set in motion against it." Orat. quod unus sit Christus, T. i. p. 51.
St. HILARY, L. C. “This is the characteristic of the Church: then to conquer when she is injured; to be understood when she is accused; when she is deserted, then to prevail.” De Trin. L. vii. p. 917.
St. OPTATUS OF MILEVIS, L. C. This saint, whom I have quoted to prove the Unity of the Church, in his seven books against the Donatists, labours to shew that their schism was highly criminal, in having separated from the Catholic Church, to which the promises of Christ evidently applied,
