The Church by C. S. Longacre

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 14, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 27.

The Church

By C. S. Longacre

II. How the True Church is Guided

By C. S. Longacre

Two Extremes

The greatest controversies, the greatest errors, the greatest evils, and the greatest divisions in the church have arisen over the question of how the church is to be guided. Still the question is unsettled and greatly agitated. It has been Satan’s studied policy to overthrow the church, since he did not succeed in overthrowing Christ. If he can not set a good principle aside, then he will pervert it, if possible, by swinging it out of its proper sphere, like a pendulum from one extreme to another.

Thus, from time to time, Satan has succeeded in deceiving the church by driving her, on the one hand, into the extreme of organized church force, centralized in a visible head, and then to the other extreme of disorganized, unsanctified, and independent individualism amenable to no earthly rule or authority outside of personal opinions. Such an individual will brook no disagreement, nor submit to any authority outside of the absolute authority of his independent individualism. The adherents of these two extremes both claim divine sanction for their unalterable positions. They will quote texts galore to sustain what seems so apparent to them. Both claim primitive church conduct as examples to justify their opposite extremes. One thing is apparent — both can not be right and both may be wrong. While one extreme has developed tyranny, the other has produced confusion. Satan’s purpose is met in both.

The Golden Mean

But the grand purpose and accomplishment of the Gospel through the mission of the church lies between the two extremes of organized church despotism and disorganized individual absolutism. The happy medium is a church organization that recognizes Christ as the only and all-sufficient Head, the Bible as the expression of His will, the Holy Spirit as its guide in its varied gifts of administration, and all its constituent officers and members as brethren of equal rank and privileges, none independent of the other, but all members of one body, all subject to one another by a common authority which itself is subject to the common whole.

The Papacy organized itself from and by the visible head down through its ramifications to its members, and made its visible head an absolute, infallible guide for the church by the law of heredity, in the days of Constantine. The primitive church organized itself into its various ramifications from and by its members upward, and made all of its visible officers subject to the whole body instead of absolutely independent by the law of heredity or position, and recognized Christ still as the head, with the Holy Ghost as His only and all-sufficient Vicegerent to guide through the truth the church in all its affairs for all time to come. The Holy Ghost was to come unto all, and upon all who believed, “to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” He, when truly received, will guide all into all truth; He will lead all into the unity of the faith; He will make all co-laborers and fellow citizens of the commonwealth of Israel, instead of independent workers, who by the force of their independent personality override their brethren and sacrifice the welfare and interest of the masses and of God’s chosen instruments to their own selfish schemes and interests.

Example of the Primitive Church

Let us take a look at the primitive church. Her methods of organization and administration are an answer to our important question, how the church is to be guided and governed.

After Christ left the church as its visible head, did they choose one to take His place? — No, but He, its visible Head, left His church even without choosing an apostle to fill the place of Judas. He left this for the church as an organized body to settle. It was not settled by a single individual, but the eleven apostles called together the believing disciples who resided at Jerusalem to join them in the first step needed in the administration of the church — the choice of an apostle to succeed the apostate Judas.

Christ did not appoint deacons as such when He first reorganized the church, but as the disciples multiplied, this additional office became necessary in the proper administration of the business of the church in Jerusalem. “Then the twelve called the multitude of disciples unto them,” and set before them the reasons for the necessity of reorganization in the addition of this office in the church to help bear some of the minor responsibilities, and then counseled them thus — “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out from among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we

may appoint over this business.” “The saying pleased the whole multitude and they chose” seven, “whom they set before the apostles.” The apostles then prayed and “laid their hands on them.” This incident teaches two important lessons; first, that of diversity of offices, differences of administration, yet mutual and harmonious cooperation of church government; and, secondly, in this division of work it shows the elasticity with which the administration of the church was adapted to circumstances. Thus the church is guided not by the policy of monarchy nor by independent individualism.

The Example of Paul

As another evidence that the primitive church did not believe in the guidance of independent individuals, even when direct revelations were given by the Holy Spirit, is clearly set forth in the case of Paul. He had received a direct revelation from heaven that he was appointed to do a special work, but the same Spirit by whom “the whole body is fitly joined together” also edified the church by a direct revelation, and commanded the church to set apart “Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Paul might have said, “I hold my credentials from Heaven, the Lord Himself is my head and gave me my work to do. What do I care whether the presbytery lays hands on me or not! Their action counts but little with me, and is all superfluous.” But no, he submits to the laying on of hands, and writes to Timothy, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery.”

Other Examples

The Lord Himself does not work independently of His authorized instruments in the church. The “Angel of God” could easily have told Cornelius what he ought to do, but instead he told him to “call for one Simon,” “he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” Acts 10:6. The churches were all bound together under one general government and met in conference from time to time. This central government was vested in the delegates of the churches. Such a conference was held in Jerusalem, and they tried some of the “false brethren” and disciplined them. They also passed some decrees for the churches, and delegated certain ones to deliver them, and as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem, and so were the churches “established in the faith.” Besides the authority of the apostles and elders, it was also the sanction of the Holy Ghost. “It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us.” Thus Christ, the true head of the church, still guides the church in its councils, in its decisions for the particular churches scattered abroad, through the cooperative agencies of the Holy Ghost and the delegated brethren chosen by the churches.