The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 180

;

THE APOSTOLATE

140

were holy. That part of creation which became unholy stands in opposition to that which remained holy. The latter is called Heaven that which was made holy is called Church. And all that belongs to the Church, to its being and or-

into the world all things

;

ganism,

is called holy.

who were about to deny word which I have spoken unto you." In like manner the members of the Church and their children are called " sanctified"; and in his epistles St. Paul addresses them as holy and beloved : not because they were sinless, but because God had set them as called saints in the realm of His holiness, which by His grace He had separated from the realm of sin. In like manner Hence Jesus could say

Him

:

"

Ye

to the disciples

are clean through the

the Scripture

called holy

is

holy things only, but that in the holy

realm of the

We confess,

not to indicate that

:

its origin is

it is

the record of

not in man's sinful

life, btxt

of God.

life

therefore, that the apostles of Jesus were set apart

Kingdom, and that they were qualified by the power of the Holy Spirit. By omitting the word " holy," as many do, we make the apostles common we consider them as ordinary preachers in degree above us undoubtedly, being more richly developed, especially by their

for the service of God's holy for their calling

;

;

intercourse with Christ, and as His witnesses very dear to us, but

occupying the same level with other teachers and ministers of Church of all ages. the And so the conviction will be lost that the apostles are men different in kind from all other men; lost the realization that in them appeared a peculiar and unique ministry lost also the grateful confession that the Lord our God gave us in still

men extraordinary grace. And this explains why some

these

ministers, at the special occasion

of installation, departure, or jubilee, apply to themselves apostolic

utterances that are not applicable to their persons, but exclusively to the

men who occupy a peculiar and unique position in the Church and all lands. For this reason we repeat purposely the

of all ages title

of honor,

"

holy apostles," in order that the peculiar significance

of the apostolate

may

again receive honorable recognition in our

churches.

This peculiar significance of the apostolate appears in the Holy Scripture in various ways.

We begin with referring

to the

prologue of the First Epistle of

St.

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