THE CHURCH.–ITS ORGANIZATION.

(Continued from page 130.)

From what we have already seen, in considering the unity of the Church, it will be clear that what we have to say now regarding the organization of the local assembly, applies to the whole Body. There can be no such thing as different organizations for different localities. We are still dealing with the Church as a whole, though with local features.

We might say at the outset that Scripture gives no hint of looseness in the matter of church organization. It is becoming the habit of the times to speak with indifference of these things, and under the guise of broad-minded liberality to allow room for the greatest divergence of views on these questions. Nay, the effort is made to show that Scripture itself is, in the main, silent as to the matter, and has only given us the outline to be filled out in detail pretty much as men please, or as exigencies may arise in various places; that certain problems of organization were left to be solved by the sanctified reason of the church, which would gradually find out what plan was best suited to meet the varied and growing needs of a body, ever increasing in size and importance and whose interests would become with each year more complex. And so in this very premise men open the way for all manner of variety and of contradiction. What wonder then is it that we find sects without number, all contending for their own forms of existence and as a result dividing the one Church of Christ until it is almost beyond recognition? And then instead of being abashed by the havoc thus made, men tell us that these very divisions are a part of the beauty of church organization, intended by Providence to foster a spirit of generous rivalry and to increase by emulation the zeal of all! So far will even Christian men be led as apologists for their own. disobedience and neglect of Scripture.

The reason, perhaps, why scripture is thought to be silent as to the details of church organization, is that it is taken for granted that a varied and complicated mass of machinery is necessary. As in the gospel sinners stumble at the way of salvation, not because of any obscurity or complication in it but from its very simplicity, so saints fail to see the beauty and order of the Church as found in Scripture because of the absence of what is not only unnecessary to its well being but absolutely cumbersome. And yet does not nature itself teach us that simplicity as well as order is "nature's first law;" order, because of simplicity. All the great forces of nature-gravitation, the action of light, heat and electricity-are simple. It is man who makes machinery, but he is wise enough not to attempt to intrude it upon the domain of the great forces of nature. He does not attempt to assist them. If the Christian likewise would look for the Church and its organization apart from the machinery which he attempts to add to it, he would find it too in all its beauty and simplicity in the word of God.

It may naturally be asked what are the special hindrances to seeing the simplicity of church organization, and to this we may answer, Several principal ones.

I. The almost universal habit of giving a name to, some portion of the professing Church is one great barrier to a clear understanding of what church organization is. Of course the division lies deeper than the name, but that diverts the mind from the Scriptures and gives authority to the denomination and its rules. If we expect to find Scripture for the various forms of government prescribed by the different denominations we will be disappointed. Scripture knows neither the one nor the other, save to condemn both, (i Cor. 1:10-13; 7. 17; 2:19.)

2. Growing out of denominationalism, the next hindrance to a clear understanding of scripture teaching that we will mention is the use of creeds or confessions of faith. We need only point to the slight put upon the word of God by these human systems of doctrine, and ask can we expect them to aid in the understanding of that which they virtually displace? Take as an illustration the following definition of the Church, from the thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England:" A congregation of faithful men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the sacraments be duly administered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same." Here we are held to a human priesthood and all else taught by that denomination as essential to a true church. Little wonder that an important requisite for church unity in their eyes is the maintenance of "the historic episcopate."

3. But this brings us to consider a third great obstacle to receiving the simple teaching of Scripture as to the organization of the Church;-the place occupied by the clergy both in the minds of the people and in economy of the various denominations. By clergy we mean that class of men who are supposed, by reason of their office, to have a special nearness to God and special rights in the way of ministry of the Word and administration of the "sacraments." Let us say at the outset that we have the highest regard for every devoted servant of Christ, wherever found or called by whatever name. That there are multitudes of such among the clergy we would not for a moment deny. What we have to say is not against men, but against a system which we are sure is not only a hindrance to blessing for the Church of God at large, but a great burden to many conscientious men who arc galled by its yoke.

The word clergy is derived from the Greek kleros, the primary meaning of which is "lot," and it is so used in describing the division of our Lord's clothing among the soldiers who crucified Him. (Matt, 27:35. etc.) We find it used in the same way in describing the appointment of Matthias (Acts 1:26.); but in that same connection we have that use of it, which has probably been the origin of the word as we know it. "For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part (Gk. lot) of this ministry." (Acts 1:17); also, 5:25.) This use of the word approaches the derived meaning, which is inheritance or portion, and which we find applied to the portion of all the people of God. (Acts 26:18. Col. 1:12.) In i Pet. 5:3. "Neither as being lords over God's heritage," the word "God's" is not in the original. The Revised Version renders it " Neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you." But a more evident, because more accurate, rendering would be, '' Not as lording it over your possessions"* ; the thought evidently being that they were not to rule God's people as if they were their own possessions. *J. N. D.'s version of the N. T., with note.* But the translation of the Revisers is significant as indicating the bias of a clerical position. They look upon a company of God's people as their " charge," their "flock" and in a sense their personal property, that which has been allotted to them, and so translate a passage which is meant to guard against this very thing. And this is the error that underlies all thoughts of a clergy whether it be of the priests of the church of Rome and England, or the more modified forms as found in the various Protestant denominations. They form a special class with distinct privileges and special duties, who thus assume a position, gradually and unintentionally no doubt at the first, utterly inconsistent with the rights of the Church as a whole. So true is this, that it may be almost said, as the French despot declared, "The state is myself," the clergy is the Church. The clergy must preach the Word, the clergy must administer the sacraments, the clergy must make the laws. A church without a clergyman is like a body without a head. Now with such thoughts of a special class in the Church of God, it is impossible to come to a right understanding of what that Church is. In a succeeding paper on the ministry of the Church we will have occasion to take up this subject of the clergy, in connection with ordination; what has been said is sufficient to show why the very idea of a clergyman which is nowhere mentioned in Scripture, is a veil over the truth as to church organization.

4. Similarly the sacraments, so-called, have become in the hands of those who misuse them a means of darkening truth. Baptism instead of a simple initiatory act, administered by any Christian man, becomes the door into the Church, is administered by the clergyman, and too often is regarded as an essential to salvation; or on the other side is pushed into undue prominence and made the sign of a party and the test of fellowship. The Lord's Supper, from a sweet and happy memorial feast, where all the Lord's people, gathered about Himself, recall His love stronger than death, becomes a formal, too often a superstitious act, presided over necessarily by a clergyman who is compelled to usurp all the functions of the whole people.

5. This brings us lastly to note the prevailing misconceptions about worship which also prove a barrier in the way of the simple seeker after God's order. Worship is a priestly act, and all God's people are priests. To confine it to one person, would tend to put him alone in the place of priest, and this Rome does and is followed at greater or less distance by all other denominations. To confound preaching of the Word with worship is another common mistake which tends in the same direction, as well as degrading worship to a subordinate position.

To recapitulate:a true knowledge of the scripture teaching as to church organization is hindered by general misconceptions as to the necessity of denominational names and creeds; as to the clergy, sacraments, and worship. One with such misconceptions would probably define a proper church organization to be one "formed by a company of Christians gathered under some denominational name, held together by the adoption of a doctrinal creed, presided over by a regularly ordained minister who administers the sacraments and presides over the worship." Does this sound like a libel? Our sad answer must be, Look around and you will find expression of scarcely anything else. But we are bold to say that, to get a scriptural idea of church organization, we must eliminate, or change almost beyond recognition, every feature given in the above definition.

Let us then come to the Word of God and seek from Him, His thoughts as to this most important subject.

(To be continued.)