dom of Heaven does not perhaps, ta prove that He was the Founder of t. but if this is established by other eviden.. at least be said that His Kingdom is visibly sented in His Church, and that ' the Church i& Kingdom of Heaven in so far as it has alrea come, and it prepares for the Kingdom as it is U. come in glory.'
(h) H 010 far the line of action adopted hy Christ during His ministry tended to the formation of n society. — Christ began from the first to attach to Himself a number of disciples. Their numbers varied, and they did not all stand in equally close relations to Him ; they were indeed still a vague and indeterminate body at the time of His death, but they tended to define themselves more and more. There was a process of sifting ( Jn 6*'), and immediately after the Ascension an expression is used which suggests some sort of list (Ac 1'*). As much as this, indeed, mif'ht be said of most re- ligious and philosophical leaders, but Christ did more than create an unorganized mass of disciples. From an early period He formed an inner circle ' that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth ' (Mk 3'''). The name ' Apostles ' may have been given to the Twelve in the first instance with reference to a temporary mission, but subsequent events showed that this temporary mission was itself only part of a system of training to which Christ devoted more and more of His time. The Twelve became in a special sense ' the disciples,' and this is what they are usually called in the Fourth Gospel. The larger body are also disciples, but the Twelve are their leaders and representatives. Their representative character culminates at the Last Supper, where the Eucharist is given to them alone, but, as the event showed, in trust for the whole body.
Certain sayings recorded of Christ in connexion with the Apostles and their functions will be noticed later. For the present it is enough to call attention to the fact that, apart from any s|iecial saying or commission, the general course of Christ's actions not only tended to produce a society, but provided what is a necessary condition of the eti'ectiveness and permanence of a society — the nucleus of an organization ; and that the gieater part of His labours was directed towards the training of this inner circle for carrying on a work which He would not complete Himself.
(r) The signifirritirc of the institution of the S((i-ri(iiinit\.—\ s(](iety, to be plainly visible and niiniistuk.il.le, veiiuires some outward act or si™ of <lisiiiietioM liy \vhi<'h all its members can be recognized. Circumcision had been such to the Jews. And in order to be both eftective and per- manent, a society further requires some definite corporate action, binding upon all its members, and relating to the object for which the society exists. The observance of the Law has been the corporate action of the Jews. No society has, as a matter of fact, succeeded in maintaining itself in existence for an indefinite period without such signs of distinction and corporate actions. Both requirements were supplied by Christ, if the Gospel narrative may be trusted, in "the sacraments which He instituted. In Baptism He provided a definite means of incorporation, and in the Eucharist a corporate act and a visible bond of union. This is indeed only jiart of the significance of the sacra- iiieiifs, hill' wlieii they are regarded from another lioinl olMew il lieeomes all the more striking that the iiie;in> .ij.ii.iiiited to convey the grace of God to the iiidividuiil should be necessarily social in their character. The general tendency of the teaching of Christ, in tlie Sermon on the Mount and else- where, with regard to the JeAvish Law and to the relation of the inward and outward, gives great
CHURCH
CHURCH
uo the fact that He shouM have ordered
jal acts of the nature ui sac^raments, and
.0 still more renuirl.able tli.it He ^should
•aid emphasis on theii lecessity as a condition
-ntrance into the Kinj/iiom and iiito the posses-
an of life (Jn 3' 6"). And the fact that these are necessarily social oidinances is of pri mary import- ance in considerins; the relation of the Church to Christ.
It tlius appears from a general view of Christ's ministry aS' recoiled in the Gospels, without taking into consideratioh particular sayings ascribed to Him, that before the Ascension He had provided everything that was necessary for the existence of a society, for the development of an organization, and for its permanence and corporate action. The only thing wantin" to the complete constitution of the Church was tlie fullj'ment of the promise of the gift of the indwelling .'pirit, for which the dis- ciples were bi.ldea to wait (Lk 24«, Ac 1^).
2. In the earliest period at Church history.— The conclusions to which the Gospels appear to lX)int will be corroborated if there is evidence that a society actually did exist immediately after the events recorded in the Gospels. Of this early period the only existing record is that which is contained in the Acts. There is al^ - iiteiiiporary evidence of the ideas of a sonie« ' ' n- ju-riod in St. Paul's Epistles. If the ( ■^ i i ' t h." Acts is