The History of Buddhist Thought c31.253

c31.253

The Church, therefore, was a society, a community of faith, and a new way of life. It was these three things which made it the most important institution in the history of the West. It was the Church which preserved the heritage of the past, and which laid the foundations for the future. It was the Church which was the guardian of the truth, and which was the source of the moral and spiritual life of the people. It was the Church which was the hope of the world, and which was the promise of a new age.