In An Ecclesiastical Matter |
Defining or describing what "in an ecclesiastical manner" means may be even more difficult than to make clear what an "ecclesiastical matter" is. The first thing a consistory has to remember is that they are the office-bearers of the church of Christ. This means that all worldly practices and means should be wholly absent. In olden days it sometimes happened that an office-bearer had to pay a fine if he was absent from a consistory meeting without valid reason or without notification. This was an un-ecclesiastical way of punishing someone.
The well-known saying used in previous centuries that "the church does not thirst for blood" was conveniently bypassed by asking the civil authorities to imprison those considered heretics and even to put them to death. This was a totally un-ecclesiastical way of dealing with errors and with people who in the eyes of the powers that be deviated from the path of the truth.
The only weapon the church has is the Word of God. Thus the church can only speak, declare, pronounce. Fines, incarceration, imposing a sentence of death, banishment, etc. are completely contrary to the character of the church. Because the only weapon the church has is the Word of God, it is clear that a first requirement is that all things are done in submission to and in accordance with that Word. Deviation from the divine revelation renders any action sterile, however much temporary effect it may seem to have. In the second place — and this applies then more to the major assemblies — it is a requirement that all things be done in loyal observance of the rules which have been adopted. And further: all politicking in the bad sense of the word is taboo in the church of Christ.
|
Home
