RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Church, The Christian Cliurch Biet
Bibliography: On the early church and its constitution the best bools; is E. Hatch, The Growth of Church Inslitutions, London, 1887. Consult further: W Sclater, Original'Draught of tJie Primitioe Church, Oxford, 1840; S. Davidson, Ecclesiastical Polity of the N. T., London, 1850; L. Coleman, Ancient Christianity Ejemplified, Philadelphia, 1852; T. Witherow, The Form of the Christian Church . . . the Constitution of the N. T. Church, Edinburgh, 1888; C. J. Vaughan, The Church of the First Days, London, 1890; J. Hammond, What does the Bible say about the Church, ib. 1894; O. Pfleiderer, Christian Origins, New York, 1906; J. C. V. Durell, The Historic Church. An Essay on the Conception of the Christian Church . in the sub-Apostolic Age, Camhridge, 190();K. Adam, Der Kirchenbegriff Tertullians, Paderborn, 1907; DCG, 'i. 324-330.
On the idea of the church: K. Hackenschmidt, Anfdnge des katholischen Kirchenbegriffs, Strasburg, 1874; R. Seeberg, Studien zur Geschichte des Begriffs der Kirche, Erlangen, 1885; W. Palmer, Treatise on the Church of Christ, 2 vols., London, 1842; W. G. Ward, Ideal of a Christian Church, ib. 1844; E. Sch^rer, Esquisse d'une theorie de I'eglise chretienne, Paris, 1845; J. J. White, Exposition of the Church and its Doctrine, Philadelphia, 1855; R. Whately, Kingdom of Christ Delineated, London, 1860; J. Bannermann, The Church of Christ, . . Nature, Powers, Discipline, and Government, 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1868; idem. Scripture Doctrine of the Church, ib. 1868; Ecce Ecclesia, . the Essential Unity of the Church in all Ages, New York, 1868; H. R. Reynolds, Ecclesia, Church Problems, London, 1870; S. S. Schmucker, Unity of Christ's Church, New York, 1870; J. J. McElhinney, Doctrine of the Church, Philadelphia, 1871 (with bibliography); J. Kostlin, Das Wesen der Kirche nach Lehre und Geschichte des N. T.'s, Gotha, 1872; E. M. Goulburn, The J . Church; its divine Ideals, Ministry and Institutions, London, 1875; A. de Gasparin, L'Eglise selon I'evangile, 2 vols., Paris, 1878-79; H. Schmidt, Die Kirche, Leipsic, 1884; E. D. Morris, Ecclesiology, New York, 1885; W. Bornemann, Kirchenideale und Kirchenreformen, Leipsic, 1887; H. J. Van Dyke, The Church, her Ministry and Sacraments, New York, 1890; F. A. Milne, Ecclesiology, Boston, 1894; A. Westphal, Qu'est-ce gu'une eglise, Paris, 1896; J. B. Johnson, The Church and the Sacraments, London, 1898; E. A. Litton, Church of Christ in its Idea, Attributes and Ministry, ib. 1898; P. F. Jalaguier, De I'eglise, Paris, 1899; C. Gove, The Church and the Ministry, London, 1900; G. D. Boardman, The Church (ecclesia). New York, 1901; J. Ireland, Church and Modern Society, 2 vols., ib. 1903-04; H. Gallwitz, Die Grundlagen der Kirche, Leipsic, 1904; G. Vos, Teaching of Jesus concerning the . . Church, New York, 1904; A. H. Charteris, Church of Christ, its Life and Work, London, 1905; E. C. Dargan, Ecclesiology, Louisville, 1905; J. w' Legge, Ecclesiological Essays, London, 1906; J. A. Kern, The Idea of the Church, Nashville, 1907.
On the constitution of the church: R. Parkinson, The Constitution of the Visible Church, London, 1839; F. D. Maurice, The Kingdom of Christ: . Principles, Constitution and Ordinances of the Catholic Church, 2 vols., ib. 1842; F. Brandes, Die Verfassung der Kirche nach evangelischen Grundsatzen, 2 vols., Elberfeld, 1867; G. A. Jacob, Ecclesiastical Polity in the New Testament, New York, 1874; J. Cunningham, The Growth of the Church in its Organizations and Institutions, L;ndon, 1886; J. H. Rigg, Comparative View of Church Organizations, Primitive and Protestant, ib. 1887; W. D. Killen, Framework of the Church, Edinburgh, 1890; J. Jebb, Divine Economy of the Church, Philadelphia, n.d.
On the aim and mission of the church: J. Harris, The Great Commission, London, 1852; J. Sanford, Mission Vf „ "f ^he Church, ib. 1862; W. H. Fremantle, Ihe World as the Subject of Redemption, . . the Functions of the Church, ib. 1885; J. M. Lang, The Church and Its Social Mission, New York, 1902.
CHURCH COUNCIL (concilium ecclesia, Kirchenrat): A meeting of the authorities of the vjhurch to take counsel and make decisions in regard to church affairs. Councils may be ecumenical, of the whole Church, or of the Church of a single country, or of a province, or even of a single church.
in which case it is a committee chosen from a congregation to represent it (see Councils and Synods). In the Roman Cathohc Church originally the laity had no share in the councils, but in the course of time assistants had to be found among them for the clergy, especially in financial matters. These assistants were at first chosen by the church authorities; only in the nineteenth century have the laity had a right to take part in the selection. In regard to councils in the Evangelical churches, see CoNGREGATiONALisTS, IV.; and Polity.
(F. H. jACOBSONf.)