In einem uneigentlichen Sinne wird nach der hl. Schrift auch die sichtbare Resammtheit aller Benufenen, d.h. aller, die sich zu dem gepredigten Worte Gottes bekennen und halten und die heiligen Sacramente gebrauchen, welche aus Guten and Bosen besteht, Kirche (die aligemeine katholische, Kirche), und die einzelnen Abtheilungen derselben, d.h. die hin und wieder sich findenden Gemeinden, in denen Gottes Wort grpedigt und die heiligen Sacramente verwaltet werden, Kirchen (Particularkirchen) genannt; darum nehmlich, weil in diesen sichtbaren Hausen die unsichtbare, wahre, eigentlich sogenannt Kirche der Glaubigen, Heiligen und Kinder Gottes verborgen liegt und ausser dem Hausen der Benufenen seine Auserwahiten zu suchen sind.

In an improper sense, the visible community of all that have been called, i.e., of all who attend the preaching of the word, professing adherence thereto, and partake of the sacraments, a community consisting of good and evil men, is also, in accordance with holy Scripture, called the (universal catholic) church and the several divisions thereof, i.e., the congregation here and there existing, in which the word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered, are called [particular] churches, and that, because in these visible gatherings the invisible, true, properly so called, church of believers, saints, and children of God is concealed, and since without the aggregate of the called no elect must be sought.

In an improper sense the term "Church," according to Holy Scripture, is applied also to the visible sum total of all who have been called, that is, to all who profess allegiance to the Word of God that is preached and make use of the holy Sacraments. This Church (the universal [catholic] Church) is made up of good and evil persons. Particular divisions of it, namely, the congregations found here and there, in which the Word of God is preached and the holy Sacraments are administered, are called churches [particular churches], for the reason, namely, that in these visible groups the invisible, true Church of the believers, saints, and children of God is concealed, and because no elect persons are to be look for outside of the group of those who have been called

In an improper sense Scripture also calls the visible aggregate of all the called, that is, of all who confess and adhere to the proclaimed Word and use the holy sacraments, which consists of good and evil [persons], "church" (the universal [catholic] church); so also it calls its several divisions, that is, the congregations that are found here and there, in which the Word of God is preached and the holy sacraments are administered, "churches"' (Partikularkirchen [particular or individual churches]). This it does especially because in this visible assembly the invisible, true, and properly so-called church of believers, saints, and children of God is hidden; outside this assembly of the called no elect are to be looked for [anywhere].

In an improper sense, the word "church" is also applied by the Holy Scriptures to the visible sum total of all who have been called, that is, all who profess and adhere to the word of God as it is preached and who make use of the holy sacraments. This church (the universal, Catholic church) consists of both good and evil persons. The several divisions of it--that is, the communities scattered here and there in which the Word of God is preached and the holy sacraments are administered, are called churches [particular churches] because in these visible groups the invisible, true, properly so-called church of believers, saints, and children of God is hidden and because no elect persons are to be looked for outside the number of those who have been called.

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