process of development and of growth, in numbers and purity and knowledge, till at length she be presented complete before God at the consummation of all things. 'Organic progress,' it is called, because it does not depend upon the outward mechanical aggregation of parts. It is not the gluing on of dead limbs to a living body, but an expansion of the inner life, which, in truth, is Christ himself. As man, through all the stages of his life, continues man, so the one church of the redeemed is one body—a connected whole yet growing, and destined to grow, till it reach the fulness Christ designs for it. Our faith in churches does not weaken our hold on Christian unity, or lessen our joy in it. We also believe in the holy catholic church—the communion of saints.'* church 8. The word in its second sense is used for any A particular part of this whole-i.e., for any society of Christians, united in faith, and gathered what? in one place for the worship of God, and the observance of religious ordinances-for the exercise and increase of the faculties and emo tions of the religious life. It stands for any 'congregation of faithful, i.e., of believing men,'t *These terms-" the catholic church," and "the communion of saints," -are in this Creed interchangeable. The " one church" in which we believe is "the fellow ship of all the redeemed." See "History of the Apostles' Creed," (by Sir P. King), ch. vi. † Articles of English Church. Art. xix. An Association of Equals. 7 As the first is THE banded together for these purposes. In this sense we read of the churches (not of the church) in Achaia, of the church at Corinth, at Rome, of all the churches of the saints, and even of the church meeting in a particular house.* church, the entire body of the believers, of all ages and places, so the last is a church, a particular body of believers in one place. The first includes all the saints of all dispensations, and embraces the whole sacramental host' of God's elect, whether dead or living; the second is part of the visible church, and is a collection of professed disciples. These two are the only senses of the word in the inspired writings. *"Then had the churches rest through all Judea." (Acts ix. 31.) "Paul went through Syria, confirming the churches." (Acts xv. 41.) "The churches of Christ" (those, viz., round Corinth, whence Paul was writing,) "salute you." (Rom. xvi. 16.) "The churches of Asia" (those, viz., round Ephesus) "salute you." (1 Cor. xvi. 19.) "As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, so do ye." (1 Cor.xvi. 1.) "The grace bestowed came followers of the churches of An associa 9. Examining the New Testament more closely to ascertain the nature of these societies tion of equals. called churches,' we find that these churches were always independent associations of men as equals. Proved. 10. When our Lord first formed the church, he took twelve men, of even rank, and perhaps not greatly dissimilar in age and in ability, and constituted them a family of brethren. There was to be no master, no servant; no priest, no people; no clergy, no laity; no rabbi, or father; no scholar, or son. The whole arrangement presupposed equality, the bond of union being their common love to their common Lord. As the community increased, it retained its original character. All the members stood in the same relation to the common head; they were sanctified by the same Spirit, and had an equal share in all the blessings and privileges of salvation. Hence all believers are, without exception, brethren and Saints ;* all have immediate access to Christ by faith, and all, therefore, form part of a holy priesthood. The term clergy,' which in ecclesiastical phraseology is applied to the ministerial order in distinction from the laity, is applied by the Apostle * Everywhere this term is applied not to one believer, but to all. ተ "Ye.. are.. a boly priestbood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." made us An Association of Equals. 9 Peter to the Christian community at large,* who are, therefore, God's heritage (as the word 'clergy' means); and Paul calls upon his readers, by virtue of their priestly character, to make intercession for himself and for all men,† after the pattern of Christ, the eternal High Priest. remarkable. 11. This perfect equality was the more remarkable as it contradicted the notions prevalent among both Jews and Gentiles. Under the This equality law, there were priests, sacrifices, altars, and temples. Under the Gospel, all Christians are priests in the sense of being consecrated to God, and none are priests in the sense of being exclusive mediators with Him. Christ is the only mediator between God and man; our only sacrifice is the one He offered, and our only temple is the con || "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. ii. 5.) "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John ii. 1.) "Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity." (Tit. ii. 14.) "So Christ was once offered" (rather 'once for all,') "to bear the sins of many." (Heb. ix. 28.) ་ secrated body of believers themselves. Among the Gentiles their princes exercised dominion over them; but, said Christ, it shall not be so among you.' Men may love to be called Rabbi, but Rabbi ‘ye must not be called, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.' And if at times the early Christians displayed another spirit in saying, after the fashion of the Grecian sects, I am of Paul,' and 'I of Apollos,' the Apostle rebuked them, not by denying the right of believers to pass judgment on their superiors, but by denying all such superiority, For who is Paul and who is Apollos, but ministers' (or, as the word means, servants' -nothing more) by whom ye believed, even as God gave to every man?' 'So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.' nation 12. Nor let it be said that this equality must end in insubordination, or in confusion. Its equality not conducive It is, on the contrary, essential to true to insubordi- submissiveness, and to the highest order. No man can serve two masters; and if, in the church, one man must obey another, in faith or in practice, he ceases in that particular to obey Christ. Christianity makes men free, as the first step towards making them willing servants of their Lord. It emancipates them in spiritual things from the authority of Cæsar, that they may reverence the authority of God. |