Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-26
what Constitutes n Church?
LEWISTON. n. c., July Il. 1901.
II ne EDITOR of DE Dispatch:

To 1e Editor of g,e Dispatch:
VIII Won kindly state in your next issue
of the DISPATCH what constitutes Church
What is meant by the words. 1 he Shurch
whether it means the people, or tue mouse
of worship. By answering this, ana giylng
q plain explanation OF 1t, you VIII hlnuy
oblige oohS0
The word church may be properly used
according to the Century Dictionary: to III
dcate:
An edifice or place of assemblage spe-
officially set apart for Christian worsnip'
D The visible and organic Dody Vi
Christian believers, especialflCS ", as I'm
inc tbe ecumenical cieeds OF Christenuolfi
and "a exbibiting historic continuity Oh
" The invisible and inorganic com
munity OF all those who achhVW,eu.o q
sunrerna allegiance TO Jesus OniiSs a.
A narticular division OF the wnoie
bodv of Christians possessing tne sallo ~
e;rnirar symbols of doctrine anu ioinls Va
worship. and united by co,,,I,i "a
ond history: Christian denomination as
,ha Presbyterlan Church; the Chuc1 Oh
England: the Church OF Rome,
TIC orcanized BODY of Christians De-
ioncirr IN the same city, diocese. province,
nonntrc or nation; as, the Church at
Cor,nth. the Syrian Church; IN Wllcl
sense. n body of Christians bearing uoI
sienation derived from their eeo.rallicesi
situntion. obedience 20 local zee, vi AZ
citation with a national eccleslastcai OF
aani1otion. as. the Eastern ChWch; the
tSastnrn Church . the Roman Church; the
Anglican Church. a,,;,;,a
particular church edince OF coHS'''u'H-
one congregation.
z The clerical profession.
"A fellow of very kind feeling who has
zone into the Church since. "-IhacAe-
ray; Ne'rcones; l. o, In
contradlstinction to the civil power VI 'ne
mower of the state.
Q Nv extension. some religious body not
Christian. especially the Jewish: as, the
jewish ChWch. -
fWhat constitutes n Christian church &c
cnrdinp TO the Scriptures Is question on
which Christian denominations widely
differ The three principal views may De
distinguished NJ the Roman Catholic, the
Protestant ecclesiastical. and the Volun-
tary. According to Roman Catholic the
oIopians. the Church is a visible and
organic body, divinely constituted: possess
ing Unity, Visibility, Indefectibility, Sue
cession from the Apostles. Universally, and
Sanctity" (fdM Of CdhOicS, |. ~, and
united t. its visible head on earth. the
Bishop of Rome. According to the, Aneii-
can and Protestant ecclesiastical view,
the church of Christ is "a perms-
nent visible society" (IVordsrorih on
MatQ.e,c xvi, 1s). divinely compacted,
governed, and equipped, and having
definite ends, a definite policy, and
historic continuity. (The Church
Cyc'opGdid) According to the voluntary
conception. church is a society OF per-
sons protesting faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour
of men, and organized in allegiance 70 Him
for Christian work and worship, including
the administration ofthe sacraments which
He has appointed. Or. ". Dde. Manna. ot
COngr. Principles, Comp. Uest Conf: AA '. ;
ThD'ty-nine Art, XIX.) The second view IS
held by many, perhaps q majority, i'll the
Episcopal. Lutheran, and other hiererchl-
cal demon. nations; the last by ma orlty
of those IN the non-hierarchical denoml-
nations, including the Methodist, Baptist.
Presby terian. and Congregatlonal.l