{"pages":{"398":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00422-1867eef1481fa4cb1f7b.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"398","box":{"x":80,"y":154,"width":53,"height":21}},{"text":"HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA","box":{"x":306,"y":158,"width":479,"height":20}},{"text":"applying for such admission. In issuing certificates of admission","box":{"x":74,"y":206,"width":931,"height":34}},{"text":"the Bishop will require information on this his point.","box":{"x":76,"y":232,"width":683,"height":32}},{"text":"(f) Persons belonging to either of the Churches residing in an","box":{"x":125,"y":282,"width":879,"height":35}},{"text":"area where they have no access to the ministrations of their own","box":{"x":80,"y":312,"width":921,"height":29}},{"text":"Church may be admitted as members of the other Church without","box":{"x":76,"y":340,"width":926,"height":31}},{"text":"prejudice to their membership in their own Church on recommenda-","box":{"x":74,"y":367,"width":926,"height":31}},{"text":"tion from the minister of their own congregation and the head of","box":{"x":74,"y":396,"width":929,"height":31}},{"text":"their Church.","box":{"x":78,"y":426,"width":189,"height":22}},{"text":"190. C.S.I./LUTHERAN CONSULTATION: AGREED","box":{"x":130,"y":514,"width":817,"height":29}},{"text":"STATEMENTS (1959 A.D.)","box":{"x":350,"y":548,"width":386,"height":29}},{"text":"Following the formation of the Church of South India in 1947,","box":{"x":167,"y":604,"width":785,"height":27}},{"text":"representatives of that Church entered into conversations with other","box":{"x":130,"y":632,"width":823,"height":22}},{"text":"Churches in South India with the purpose of exploring means of enlar-","box":{"x":125,"y":656,"width":827,"height":27}},{"text":"ging the unity of the Churches. Among the more significant and","box":{"x":127,"y":681,"width":824,"height":32}},{"text":"fruitful of these conversations were those with the Lutheran Churches.","box":{"x":127,"y":706,"width":824,"height":24}},{"text":"They led ultimately to the proposal to unite the C.S.I. and the Luthe-","box":{"x":129,"y":731,"width":822,"height":25}},{"text":"ran Churches in South India in the proposed Church of Christ in","box":{"x":130,"y":755,"width":822,"height":27}},{"text":"South India. The agreed statements reached in 1959 were an impor-","box":{"x":126,"y":781,"width":826,"height":25}},{"text":"tant landmark in this movement. The CSI-Lutheran Theological","box":{"x":127,"y":805,"width":827,"height":25}},{"text":"Conversations 1948-1959, selections from pp. 165-180.","box":{"x":125,"y":829,"width":669,"height":27}},{"text":"1. The Relation of Doctrinal and Confessional Statements to the","box":{"x":76,"y":888,"width":924,"height":31}},{"text":"Being of the Church.","box":{"x":160,"y":917,"width":283,"height":25}},{"text":"This statement was prepared at a conference of representatives","box":{"x":120,"y":961,"width":876,"height":31}},{"text":"of the C.S.I., Lutheran and Baptist Churches in South India. It","box":{"x":74,"y":989,"width":925,"height":29}},{"text":"has since been officially accepted by the Synod of the Church of","box":{"x":70,"y":1017,"width":931,"height":31}},{"text":"South India, and by the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran","box":{"x":71,"y":1043,"width":926,"height":32}},{"text":"Churches in India.","box":{"x":71,"y":1071,"width":260,"height":25}},{"text":"(1) God has revealed Himself to us, and the centre of that","box":{"x":146,"y":1116,"width":851,"height":31}},{"text":"revelation is His saving act in Jesus Christ. This revelation of","box":{"x":74,"y":1143,"width":924,"height":29}},{"text":"Himself is the reality which the Church seeks to express in words","box":{"x":67,"y":1172,"width":928,"height":31}},{"text":"in its creeds and confessions of faith.","box":{"x":74,"y":1201,"width":508,"height":22}},{"text":"(2) The faith by which this revelation is apprehended is a far","box":{"x":150,"y":1246,"width":845,"height":34}},{"text":"deeper thing than intellectual assent to propositions. It is the","box":{"x":66,"y":1273,"width":931,"height":32}},{"text":"self-surrender in love and trust of the whole personality to the","box":{"x":69,"y":1301,"width":926,"height":35}},{"text":"loving God, who offers forgiveness, the status of sons, to men who","box":{"x":73,"y":1330,"width":921,"height":31}},{"text":"do not deserve and can never deserve such mercy and such love.","box":{"x":69,"y":1358,"width":925,"height":32}},{"text":"It is man's answer to the God who quickeneth the dead and","box":{"x":70,"y":1386,"width":924,"height":29}},{"text":"calleth those things that be not as though they were' (Rom. 4:17).","box":{"x":71,"y":1414,"width":919,"height":31}},{"text":"(3) Yet faith necessarily involves an intellectual element. It","box":{"x":150,"y":1459,"width":845,"height":31}},{"text":"must include belief in certain truths about God and the belief that","box":{"x":70,"y":1485,"width":922,"height":28}},{"text":"certain events happened and that they have a certain meaning.","box":{"x":73,"y":1516,"width":857,"height":32}}]},"399":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00423-1aa84b9c41a45e8e63ea.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"SOURCE MATERIALS","box":{"x":505,"y":154,"width":253,"height":18}},{"text":"399","box":{"x":1036,"y":151,"width":62,"height":20}},{"text":"(4) As the Church seeks to confess what it believes and to","box":{"x":246,"y":203,"width":845,"height":29}},{"text":"safeguard it from misunderstanding or distortion, it must use","box":{"x":171,"y":230,"width":925,"height":34}},{"text":"human language, but must always remember that human language","box":{"x":168,"y":257,"width":922,"height":34}},{"text":"is necessarily inadequate to express the fullness of God's revelation.","box":{"x":174,"y":287,"width":915,"height":31}},{"text":"(5) The use of creeds and confessions to guide Christians into","box":{"x":246,"y":342,"width":847,"height":32}},{"text":"deeper experience and to preserve the essentials of the Christian","box":{"x":171,"y":368,"width":921,"height":32}},{"text":"message, is, in principle, sound and scriptural.","box":{"x":171,"y":395,"width":645,"height":34}},{"text":"(6) All creeds and confessions are subordinate standards","box":{"x":246,"y":452,"width":844,"height":31}},{"text":"subject to the authority of the word of God.","box":{"x":176,"y":479,"width":610,"height":31}},{"text":"(7) The Word of God is primarily and essentially the Incarnate","box":{"x":248,"y":534,"width":847,"height":32}},{"text":"Word, Jesus Christ. It is in the Holy Scriptures that God speaks","box":{"x":171,"y":562,"width":922,"height":34}},{"text":"this Word to us, for they are the inspired record of and testimony","box":{"x":176,"y":590,"width":919,"height":34}},{"text":"to His revelation of Himself. They are therefore the supreme and","box":{"x":176,"y":616,"width":918,"height":36}},{"text":"decisive standard of faith. But, in seeking to understand them we","box":{"x":175,"y":645,"width":919,"height":31}},{"text":"must remember that Christ, the central subject and at the same","box":{"x":176,"y":672,"width":919,"height":31}},{"text":"time the Lord and the Master of the Holy Scripture, is the ultimate","box":{"x":176,"y":703,"width":918,"height":31}},{"text":"touchstone of every biblical book and word. We must also","box":{"x":176,"y":730,"width":917,"height":29}},{"text":"remember that there is no authority either of Scripture or of creed","box":{"x":179,"y":758,"width":917,"height":31}},{"text":"which can convince the natural man of Christian truth apart from","box":{"x":172,"y":782,"width":921,"height":34}},{"text":"his spiritual conversion, or which can preserve the Christian man","box":{"x":174,"y":812,"width":924,"height":35}},{"text":"or church infallibly from error. It is the work of the Holy Spirit","box":{"x":176,"y":840,"width":919,"height":34}},{"text":"to enable us to hear and believe the Word of God in the Scriptures.","box":{"x":176,"y":868,"width":921,"height":32}},{"text":"brings ho","box":{"x":169,"y":945,"width":136,"height":38}},{"text":"(8) The Holy Spirit, who speaks in the Scriptures, and who","box":{"x":251,"y":923,"width":845,"height":34}},{"text":"home God's Word to our hearts, unites us thereby in one","box":{"x":274,"y":949,"width":822,"height":32}},{"text":"fellowship of the faithful which is the Church. It is in that fellow-","box":{"x":179,"y":979,"width":917,"height":31}},{"text":"ship that the Scriptures are to be read and understood. While","box":{"x":181,"y":1007,"width":917,"height":32}},{"text":"every man is finally responsible for his own discerning of and","box":{"x":178,"y":1033,"width":919,"height":34}},{"text":"obedience to the truth, no Christian can disown his fellowship with","box":{"x":179,"y":1063,"width":918,"height":31}},{"text":"other Christians or ignore the testimony of the Church as to what","box":{"x":181,"y":1091,"width":915,"height":29}},{"text":"the Holy Spirit says in the Scriptures. In particular the ancient","box":{"x":179,"y":1117,"width":918,"height":31}},{"text":"creeds of the Church, setting forth the Christian mesasage as believed","box":{"x":175,"y":1145,"width":921,"height":31}},{"text":"and confessed by the Church in many lands and in many centuries,","box":{"x":181,"y":1172,"width":917,"height":35}},{"text":"and as we believe and confess it, must carry immense weight, not","box":{"x":181,"y":1201,"width":917,"height":34}},{"text":"as being themselves the revelation which is the object of faith, but","box":{"x":181,"y":1229,"width":918,"height":29}},{"text":"as witnessing to it and as guarding against misunderstanding of it.","box":{"x":182,"y":1256,"width":891,"height":31}},{"text":"(9) The Church is bound to require belief in certain Christian","box":{"x":253,"y":1311,"width":844,"height":32}},{"text":"essentials from its members and-in more detail from its ministers","box":{"x":179,"y":1338,"width":917,"height":28}},{"text":"and authorised teachers. But in fulfilling this duty in each indi-","box":{"x":182,"y":1365,"width":915,"height":32}},{"text":"vidual case it must never allow its practice to obscure the truth that","box":{"x":178,"y":1394,"width":921,"height":36}},{"text":"intellectual belief is only one element, and that at not the most","box":{"x":185,"y":1423,"width":914,"height":29}},{"text":"important, in what is needed. It must always seek to be sure that","box":{"x":185,"y":1450,"width":914,"height":31}},{"text":"the person in question has faith in Christ. The capacity of the","box":{"x":182,"y":1475,"width":918,"height":35}},{"text":"Church to make right decisions, and to apply its standards wisely","box":{"x":178,"y":1505,"width":924,"height":35}}]},"400":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00424-6a0ac67dc787fec1a455.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"400","box":{"x":109,"y":143,"width":55,"height":18}},{"text":"HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA","box":{"x":333,"y":148,"width":480,"height":20}},{"text":"in each case, will depend upon the measure of its faithfulness to its","box":{"x":112,"y":196,"width":915,"height":32}},{"text":"Lord and of its responsiveness to the Holy Spirit in its daily life.","box":{"x":106,"y":224,"width":869,"height":32}},{"text":"(10) Agreement regarding the basic doctrines which are of the","box":{"x":167,"y":280,"width":862,"height":31}},{"text":"essence of the Gospel is the pre-requisite of union between Churches.","box":{"x":108,"y":310,"width":922,"height":29}},{"text":"Nevertheless the basis for the unity of the Church is oneness in","box":{"x":108,"y":336,"width":922,"height":32}},{"text":"the Lord Himself.","box":{"x":111,"y":364,"width":253,"height":25}},{"text":"5. The Church and the Ministry.","box":{"x":106,"y":433,"width":455,"height":31}},{"text":"(1) The nature of the Church and of the Ministry within the","box":{"x":150,"y":476,"width":880,"height":34}},{"text":"Church can only be understood rightly within the context of God's","box":{"x":102,"y":504,"width":926,"height":32}},{"text":"revelation of Himself, His eternal saving purpose, His saving act in","box":{"x":109,"y":531,"width":921,"height":35}},{"text":"Jesus Christ His Son, and the continuing saving work of the Risen","box":{"x":104,"y":558,"width":925,"height":34}},{"text":"and Ascended Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Church exists","box":{"x":105,"y":588,"width":922,"height":32}},{"text":"by the grace of God and those who belong to it are members of the","box":{"x":102,"y":615,"width":925,"height":32}},{"text":"Church by the grace of God.","box":{"x":104,"y":644,"width":400,"height":28}},{"text":"(2) The Church exists and men are called into the fellowship","box":{"x":151,"y":688,"width":876,"height":32}},{"text":"of the Church in order that through it God may carry out His","box":{"x":104,"y":714,"width":924,"height":32}},{"text":"eternal purpose in Christ (Eph. 3:9-11). It is a fellowship of","box":{"x":101,"y":742,"width":928,"height":32}},{"text":"men with God and with one another, in Christ. It is the fellowship","box":{"x":101,"y":772,"width":925,"height":32}},{"text":"of the Holy Spirit. As its heart is this fellowship with God, it is at","box":{"x":102,"y":798,"width":925,"height":32}},{"text":"its deepest a reality in the Spirit. We believe that it is God's will","box":{"x":106,"y":826,"width":919,"height":31}},{"text":"that men became members of the Church through faith in the Gospel","box":{"x":102,"y":854,"width":925,"height":34}},{"text":"and baptism into Christ (Eph. 2:8-10; John 3:5; Matt. 28:19-","box":{"x":104,"y":879,"width":922,"height":34}},{"text":"20). To be outside the Church by unbelief or to be cut off from the","box":{"x":101,"y":909,"width":925,"height":31}},{"text":"Church's fellowship because of unrepented sin is a serious matter.","box":{"x":99,"y":937,"width":925,"height":31}},{"text":"Yet, in the present state of disunity no body of Christians can","box":{"x":97,"y":965,"width":928,"height":32}},{"text":"rightly claim to be in an exclusive sense the Church or look upon","box":{"x":98,"y":993,"width":926,"height":34}},{"text":"its judgements as necessarily inspired by the Spirit.","box":{"x":99,"y":1021,"width":707,"height":32}},{"text":"(3) It is God's purpose that the Church should be the place","box":{"x":147,"y":1065,"width":878,"height":35}},{"text":"where He and His saving work in Christ are manifest. It is His","box":{"x":95,"y":1093,"width":928,"height":31}},{"text":"will that the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church be seen in","box":{"x":95,"y":1122,"width":928,"height":32}},{"text":"actual communities of human beings baptised into Christ, to which","box":{"x":98,"y":1149,"width":926,"height":32}},{"text":"He can make known His will and through which He can fulfil it","box":{"x":97,"y":1177,"width":926,"height":31}},{"text":"(John 17:21). Because of the continuing fact of human sin, even","box":{"x":97,"y":1206,"width":928,"height":32}},{"text":"in the redeemed, the Church is not in any of its manifestations","box":{"x":102,"y":1234,"width":921,"height":29}},{"text":"wholly obedient to the will of God. But the Church of God in","box":{"x":95,"y":1261,"width":931,"height":28}},{"text":"every place is called continually to turn to God, so that through","box":{"x":95,"y":1289,"width":929,"height":32}},{"text":"its life Christ may be set forth.","box":{"x":101,"y":1319,"width":427,"height":29}},{"text":"(4) We not only speak of the Church in the sense of the totality","box":{"x":144,"y":1364,"width":882,"height":32}},{"text":"of all Christ's people, throughout all ages and all lands, who are","box":{"x":97,"y":1393,"width":926,"height":31}},{"text":"one in Him; and of the Church as the local fellowship of believers","box":{"x":97,"y":1423,"width":926,"height":31}},{"text":"who gather in one place. We use the word 'Church' of the","box":{"x":91,"y":1449,"width":933,"height":32}},{"text":"Christians in a region and of those Christians who belong to a","box":{"x":92,"y":1475,"width":933,"height":34}},{"text":"particular denomination. Where such usage carries with it the","box":{"x":95,"y":1504,"width":929,"height":32}}]},"401":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00425-af2125e7b611019d97d6.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"SOURCE MATERIALS","box":{"x":453,"y":154,"width":251,"height":20}},{"text":"401","box":{"x":988,"y":150,"width":56,"height":20}},{"text":"implication that other Christians are not members of the Church","box":{"x":122,"y":201,"width":921,"height":34}},{"text":"Universal, it is not in accordance with the New Testament. We do","box":{"x":119,"y":229,"width":922,"height":34}},{"text":"well to recognise that the fundamental unity is God's gift in Christ","box":{"x":119,"y":257,"width":924,"height":35}},{"text":"and does in a real sense appear even where, owing to history, race","box":{"x":118,"y":287,"width":924,"height":32}},{"text":"or tradition, there are such wide divergencies in belief and practice","box":{"x":123,"y":312,"width":918,"height":35}},{"text":"among those calling themselves Christians that we cannot yet see","box":{"x":120,"y":342,"width":919,"height":32}},{"text":"any way towards visible unity consistent with loyalty to Christ","box":{"x":122,"y":369,"width":918,"height":35}},{"text":"and His truth...","box":{"x":120,"y":400,"width":220,"height":25}},{"text":"(5) The Church is Apostolic in its essential nature, in the sense","box":{"x":168,"y":442,"width":873,"height":36}},{"text":"that it shares in the Mission of the Son by the Father and is em-","box":{"x":122,"y":472,"width":918,"height":28}},{"text":"powered by the Holy Spirit (John 20: 21-23). For the accomplish-","box":{"x":119,"y":499,"width":921,"height":34}},{"text":"ment of this total ministry to the world there is given by the Holy","box":{"x":118,"y":527,"width":924,"height":32}},{"text":"Spirit to every member of the Church some form of ministering","box":{"x":118,"y":555,"width":925,"height":32}},{"text":"(I Cor. 12). Every Christian man and women, has a charisma, a","box":{"x":120,"y":583,"width":922,"height":32}},{"text":"spiritual gift. It is an error to think that some members of the","box":{"x":120,"y":609,"width":922,"height":35}},{"text":"Church are called to be active and the others to be passive. Every","box":{"x":125,"y":639,"width":921,"height":31}},{"text":"member is meant both to give and to receive...","box":{"x":122,"y":668,"width":637,"height":29}},{"text":"(6) In order that through His Church Christ may be made","box":{"x":168,"y":712,"width":878,"height":32}},{"text":"manifest to the world which He died to save, the quality of the","box":{"x":123,"y":740,"width":922,"height":29}},{"text":"relationship between every member of the Church and God through","box":{"x":127,"y":768,"width":919,"height":34}},{"text":"Christ and of every member of the Church one with another in","box":{"x":125,"y":797,"width":922,"height":31}},{"text":"Christ, is vital. Therefore Christ has given to His Church a ministry,","box":{"x":126,"y":823,"width":919,"height":34}},{"text":"in the special sense of persons set apart to perform certain functions","box":{"x":129,"y":852,"width":918,"height":34}},{"text":"within the the fellowship, w which are needed so that the Church may","box":{"x":120,"y":880,"width":926,"height":34}},{"text":"worship God in thankful remembrance of His saving act in Christ","box":{"x":119,"y":907,"width":928,"height":34}},{"text":"and may witness for Him to the world (Eph. 4:11-12). This","box":{"x":127,"y":936,"width":919,"height":32}},{"text":"pastoral office was given to the Apostles at the first. There is a","box":{"x":122,"y":962,"width":935,"height":48}},{"text":"watching over' the sheep and a 'serving' of the sheep, Episcope'","box":{"x":144,"y":990,"width":901,"height":39}},{"text":"and Diakonia'. Both are found in Christ and both He entrusts","box":{"x":127,"y":1018,"width":921,"height":29}},{"text":"to men (I Peter 5: 1-4). We believe that the continuance of such a","box":{"x":125,"y":1048,"width":925,"height":34}},{"text":"ministry is necessary to the full well-being and activity of the Church","box":{"x":125,"y":1075,"width":924,"height":34}},{"text":"everywhere and in all ages. We believe that by Christ's will it","box":{"x":127,"y":1103,"width":924,"height":34}},{"text":"rests upon the Church to determine, in dependence upon the Holy","box":{"x":127,"y":1130,"width":924,"height":34}},{"text":"Spirit, how from time to time these functions of watching and","box":{"x":125,"y":1160,"width":925,"height":31}},{"text":"serving shall be carried out. We see no reason to believe that any","box":{"x":127,"y":1186,"width":922,"height":32}},{"text":"one pattern of the Christian ministry has an exclusive claim to","box":{"x":126,"y":1215,"width":924,"height":32}},{"text":"divine ordering and approval at all times and under all conditions.","box":{"x":123,"y":1244,"width":928,"height":31}},{"text":"If we discern God at work within any body of Christians through","box":{"x":127,"y":1270,"width":921,"height":32}},{"text":"a ministry of the Word and Sacraments, we are bound to take this","box":{"x":127,"y":1299,"width":921,"height":32}},{"text":"fact into account in any discussion about Christian unity.","box":{"x":126,"y":1328,"width":796,"height":32}},{"text":"(7) This ministry is within the Church and is not to be thought","box":{"x":172,"y":1372,"width":880,"height":36}},{"text":"of as possessing any independent relation to Christ or any authority","box":{"x":123,"y":1402,"width":928,"height":35}},{"text":"which is not given by Christ in the Church and for the life and work","box":{"x":120,"y":1430,"width":929,"height":32}},{"text":"of the Church. It is not the creation of the Church and it is given","box":{"x":126,"y":1458,"width":925,"height":31}},{"text":"to the Church not to please the Church but to do the will of Christ","box":{"x":126,"y":1488,"width":925,"height":31}},{"text":"its Lord. It is the duty of the Church to be alert to recognize that","box":{"x":127,"y":1512,"width":926,"height":36}},{"text":"H.C.I. -26","box":{"x":220,"y":1559,"width":125,"height":24}}]},"402":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00426-beb6ea91d67ef8e3afb4.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"402","box":{"x":175,"y":147,"width":62,"height":20}},{"text":"HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA","box":{"x":400,"y":154,"width":476,"height":22}},{"text":"God has called this or that man to this special ministry, in whatever","box":{"x":168,"y":201,"width":925,"height":38}},{"text":"form, and to set him apart by prayer and, according to ancient.","box":{"x":176,"y":228,"width":915,"height":36}},{"text":"custom, laying on of hands to the office. At the heart of the work","box":{"x":173,"y":256,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"of the ministry must always be the preaching of the Gospel and the","box":{"x":176,"y":285,"width":912,"height":38}},{"text":"administration of the Sacraments, for it is in and through them that","box":{"x":176,"y":313,"width":911,"height":36}},{"text":"Christ constitutes and keeps alive His Church.","box":{"x":171,"y":339,"width":641,"height":34}},{"text":"(8) The essential continuity of the Church is in the continued","box":{"x":220,"y":387,"width":865,"height":36}},{"text":"presence and activity of the Lord with the faithful. But, because","box":{"x":168,"y":415,"width":915,"height":38}},{"text":"the Church's obedience is imperfect the Church has not continued","box":{"x":171,"y":442,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"perfectly in love'. The fellowship has been broken. Because of","box":{"x":171,"y":469,"width":918,"height":32}},{"text":"disunity among Christians, changes in the form, manner of ordi-","box":{"x":165,"y":496,"width":917,"height":35}},{"text":"nation and functions of the ministry have been made without the","box":{"x":171,"y":527,"width":912,"height":32}},{"text":"approval of the whole Church on earth at the time. It appeared","box":{"x":169,"y":555,"width":912,"height":34}},{"text":"to those responsible then and appears to many today, that such","box":{"x":171,"y":580,"width":911,"height":41}},{"text":"action was inevitable unless they were to be false to the Gospel..","box":{"x":171,"y":607,"width":917,"height":36}},{"text":"Yet, although we may agree that such changes may at times rightly","box":{"x":165,"y":637,"width":918,"height":38}},{"text":"be made, we must insist that they can only be justified if done","box":{"x":166,"y":664,"width":914,"height":35}},{"text":"prayerfully and with the widest possible approval of Christians,","box":{"x":164,"y":693,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"subject always to the absolute duty of loyalty to Christ and the","box":{"x":169,"y":719,"width":910,"height":36}},{"text":"Gospel. God is a God of order and we may not lightly change","box":{"x":162,"y":747,"width":915,"height":38}},{"text":"what we have inherited. Yet order itself may be made into an","box":{"x":164,"y":776,"width":915,"height":32}},{"text":"idolatry that turns men away from the living God. All remain","box":{"x":168,"y":803,"width":911,"height":35}},{"text":"under the obligation to seek God's way for the restoration of unity","box":{"x":162,"y":830,"width":918,"height":35}},{"text":"in the Spirit.","box":{"x":168,"y":856,"width":172,"height":29}},{"text":"(9) Every Church makes rules for the election and setting apart","box":{"x":210,"y":906,"width":868,"height":32}},{"text":"of men for the ministry and keeps a list of those whom it accepts as","box":{"x":162,"y":933,"width":912,"height":32}},{"text":"ministers within its fellowship. In the sense of obedience to its","box":{"x":162,"y":959,"width":912,"height":31}},{"text":"rules, validity is an essential concept of any society. The error","box":{"x":165,"y":988,"width":910,"height":35}},{"text":"comes when we identify the rules of our Church with the absolute","box":{"x":164,"y":1015,"width":910,"height":31}},{"text":"will of God, and deny, implicitly or explicitly, that God accepts","box":{"x":159,"y":1044,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"and uses some other form of the ministry equally with the form to","box":{"x":161,"y":1071,"width":912,"height":34}},{"text":"which we are accustomed. It is not for us to determine how and","box":{"x":158,"y":1097,"width":914,"height":32}},{"text":"where God can work.","box":{"x":161,"y":1125,"width":298,"height":27}},{"text":"(10) It is true that the exercise of oversight (Episcope) was","box":{"x":201,"y":1172,"width":869,"height":35}},{"text":"early entrusted by the Church to one bishop in each area. This","box":{"x":161,"y":1201,"width":910,"height":34}},{"text":"ordering was for many centuries universal and is still the accepted","box":{"x":159,"y":1227,"width":912,"height":35}},{"text":"form among the majority of Christians. We do not hold that it is","box":{"x":161,"y":1255,"width":911,"height":32}},{"text":"essential for the existence of the Church, or for the ministry and","box":{"x":161,"y":1285,"width":911,"height":32}},{"text":"the Sacraments; or that God has bound Himself to grant through","box":{"x":159,"y":1312,"width":912,"height":35}},{"text":"it greater blessing, authority or grace than through other forms of","box":{"x":162,"y":1338,"width":911,"height":35}},{"text":"the Church's ministry. It has been and can be grievously misused,","box":{"x":161,"y":1368,"width":908,"height":38}},{"text":"as can every gift of God. But we see value in it as expressing","box":{"x":161,"y":1395,"width":910,"height":35}},{"text":"through a person the oversight which is a vital part of the pastoral","box":{"x":158,"y":1422,"width":912,"height":36}},{"text":"ministry within the Church. However, the presence or absence of","box":{"x":155,"y":1451,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"episcopacy, ought not by itself to determine the relationship of one","box":{"x":157,"y":1478,"width":911,"height":36}},{"text":"Church with another.","box":{"x":155,"y":1506,"width":291,"height":25}}]}}}