Calvinism - pagina 81

CALVINISM AND RELIGION.

7/

This at the same time determines the form of go-

vernment of like the

church

He most

effectually

originates in Heaven, in Christ.

itself,

rules,

of

who

ministers,

in

His members.

being equal under Him, there can be no

all

distinctions

governs His church by means

whom He works

of the Holy Spirit, by Therefore,

This government,

church on earth.

this

serve, lead

form

Presbyterian

among

rank

there

believers;

are only

and regulate; a thoroughly the Church

of government;

power

descending directly from Christ Himself, into the con-

from the congregation

in the

gregation,

concentrated

ministers,

and by them being administered unto the

brethren.

So the sovereignty of Christ remains abso-

lutely

monarchical, but the government of the Church

on earth becomes democratic to

its

bones and marrow;

a system leading logically to this other sequence, that

and

believers

all

and

but that

all

manifestations

as

congregations

being of an equal

Church may exercise any dominion over

standing, no

another,

all

local churches are of equal rank,

of one and the same body, can

only be united synodically, i.Q.^hy wdiy o( confederation.

Now

let

me draw your

important consequence of

to another

attention this

same

most

principle, vis.y

to

the multiformity of denominations as the necessary result of the differentiation of the churches, according to the different

degrees

of their

purity.

considered to be an institute

the

believers,

the

If

church

is

of grace, independent of

or an institute in which

a hierarchical

priesthood distributes the treasury of grace entrusted to

it,

the

result

extends through

must be that

all

nations,

this

hierarchy

itself

and imparts the same stamp

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