Chapter 5: The Church

Article XIX

OF THE CHURCH^[1]

The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.

As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.

IN the New Testament, the Church is conceived of as a building in course of erection^[2] or, more frequently, as a body, a living growing organic unity of members, a Body of which Christ is the Head.^[3] Theologians differ as to the precise relationship between the Christian Church and Israel. Some consider it is essential ‘to emphasize the freshness of the new start through the new covenant, without denying the continuity of the Christian Church with Israel; to others it has seemed more important to emphasize the continuity with Israel without denying the freshness of the start. The truth appears to be that both are of vital importance, and there should be no question of sacrificing the one to the other: the need is to relate them rightly.’^[4] On the one hand, our Lord regarded Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as members of the Kingdom,^[5] and many of the terms used to describe the old Israel are in the New Testament applied to the Church.^[6] On the other hand, it is argued that ‘the moment we allow the doctrine, mystical though it may be, that “the Church is His Body,” we are committed to the truth that the Church in both its metaphysical sense and its historical sense came into being with the Resurrection.’^[7]

^[1]Another of the Articles of 1553. It closely resembles the definition of the Church given in the Seventh Article of the Augsburg Confession, viz.: ‘The Church is a congregation of the saints, in which the Gospel is rightly (recte) taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.’

^[2]Ephes. 2:19-22.

^[3]Ephes. 4:15 f.; Col. 2:19; 1 Cor. 12:27.

^[4]Archbishops’ Commission on Doctrine in the Church of England (1938) p. 100.

^[5]Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:29.

^[6]E.g., The church is called ‘the Israel of God’ (Gal. 6:16); an ‘elect race’ (1 Pet. 2:9 f; Deut. 10:15; Isa. 43:20); a ‘royal priesthood’ (1 Pet. 2:9; Exod. 19:6); ‘an holy nation’ (1 Pet. 2:9; Deut. 7:6); a ‘people for God’s own possession’ (1 Pet. 2:9 R. V.) Exod. 19:5; Isa. 43:21; Mal. 3:17). It will be observed, however, that the identity is not complete – the Church, like Israel, is ‘an holy nation’ not ‘the holy nation,’ etc. The absence of the definite article may be significant.

^[7]The Ministry and the Sacraments, Faith and Order Theological Commission Report, (1937), p. 478 f.


	The Church
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Title Contents Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Site Search: powered by FreeFind Copyright & Credit	Article XIX OF THE CHURCH^[1] The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith. IN the New Testament, the Church is conceived of as a building in course of erection^[2] or, more frequently, as a body, a living growing organic unity of members, a Body of which Christ is the Head.^[3] Theologians differ as to the precise relationship between the Christian Church and Israel. Some consider it is essential ‘to emphasize the freshness of the new start through the new covenant, without denying the continuity of the Christian Church with Israel; to others it has seemed more important to emphasize the continuity with Israel without denying the freshness of the start. The truth appears to be that both are of vital importance, and there should be no question of sacrificing the one to the other: the need is to relate them rightly.’^[4] On the one hand, our Lord regarded Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as members of the Kingdom,^[5] and many of the terms used to describe the old Israel are in the New Testament applied to the Church.^[6] On the other hand, it is argued that ‘the moment we allow the doctrine, mystical though it may be, that “the Church is His Body,” we are committed to the truth that the Church in both its metaphysical sense and its historical sense came into being with the Resurrection.’^[7] ^[1]Another of the Articles of 1553. It closely resembles the definition of the Church given in the Seventh Article of the Augsburg Confession, viz.: ‘The Church is a congregation of the saints, in which the Gospel is rightly (recte) taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.’ ^[2]Ephes. 2:19-22. ^[3]Ephes. 4:15 f.; Col. 2:19; 1 Cor. 12:27. ^[4]Archbishops’ Commission on Doctrine in the Church of England (1938) p. 100. ^[5]Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:29. ^[6]E.g., The church is called ‘the Israel of God’ (Gal. 6:16); an ‘elect race’ (1 Pet. 2:9 f; Deut. 10:15; Isa. 43:20); a ‘royal priesthood’ (1 Pet. 2:9; Exod. 19:6); ‘an holy nation’ (1 Pet. 2:9; Deut. 7:6); a ‘people for God’s own possession’ (1 Pet. 2:9 R. V.) Exod. 19:5; Isa. 43:21; Mal. 3:17). It will be observed, however, that the identity is not complete – the Church, like Israel, is ‘an holy nation’ not ‘the holy nation,’ etc. The absence of the definite article may be significant. ^[7]The Ministry and the Sacraments, Faith and Order Theological Commission Report, (1937), p. 478 f.
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