Religious Reality: A Book for MenRawlinson, A. E. J. (Alfred Edward John)
Religion
Religious Reality: A Book for Men
Rawlinson, A. E. J. (Alfred Edward John)
Theology, Doctrinal -- Popular works
The body is the embodiment or vehicle of the spirit; the spirit
disembodied would be a mere wraith, a phantasm of the living man. The
life of the world to come is not unreal or shadowy as compared with
the concrete reality of the life of earth: it is a life richer and
fuller, more concrete and more glorious than the life of earth. The
Church by her doctrine of the Resurrection means to affirm that the
full reality of that which made the living man what he was is carried
over into the life beyond. The buried corpse is not "the body that
shall be." "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
As to the nature of the future embodiment of the spirit in the life
beyond the grave we are ignorant. "GOD giveth it a body as it hath
pleased Him, and to each seed a body of its own." But we believe that
"the deeds done in the body" here upon earth while we are yet
tabernacling in the flesh necessarily affect and determine the
character of the spiritual embodiment which shall be ours hereafter.
For this reason we hold our bodies sacred, as being temples of the
Holy Ghost. "The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and
the Lord for the body." Christianity can have nothing to do with the
notion that the defilement of the body is without effect in the
pollution of the soul.
[NOTE.-For a fuller treatment of the subjects of the Second Advent and
the Resurrection of the Body the writer may be allowed to refer to
Chapters III. and IV. in his book, _Dogma, fact and Experience_
(Macmillan & Co., 1915).]
CHAPTER XI
CLERGY AND LAITY
The clergy are not the Church. They are a specialized class within it.
They are men who believe themselves to be called by GOD to give
themselves for life to the particular work of caring directly for the
spiritual interests of their fellows. To this end they are set apart
by ordination. They hold the commission and authorization of the
Church to minister the Word and Sacraments of the Gospel in the name
of Christ and of the Brotherhood. Their task is high and difficult. It
is not wonderful if they fail. But solemn prayer is offered for them
at their ordination: and the answer to the Church's prayers is
according to the measure of the Church's faith.
The historical or Catholic system of ministry in the Church consists
of a hierarchy in three orders or gradations. To the order of Bishops
belongs oversight or pastorate-in-chief. It is not the business of a
Bishop to be prelatical, or to lord it over GOD'S heritage, but to be
the servant of the servants of GOD. A Bishop is consecrated to his
office by not less than three of those who are already Bishops. He
exercises all the functions of the Christian ministry, including those
of confirmation and ordination and the right to take part in episcopal
consecrations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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