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September 17, 2005

Ch. XXIV. Q. 132. What are the Offices of the Church?

THE OFFICES of the Church are the Prophetic, Priestly and Kingly.1

2. The Offices of the Church are the earthly counterparts of the Offices of Christ in heaven, because the Church's Ministry has been ordained to represent Christ on earth until the end of the world.2 What He is doing above under heavenly conditions the Church is participating in below, under earthly conditions ordained by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Ghost.3

3. The Church's Offices are executed by her three-fold Ministry, and to this Ministry Christ's mission on earth has been delegated (Q. 131). But this ministry represents the whole Church, in et pro ecclesia, and the laity have a real part in what the Ministry performs.4


1 Moberly's Bamp. Lec., pp. 45 et seq: Churton's Foundation of Doc., 95-99: Liddon's Clerical Life and Work, XI: Schouppe, III. 119-122: Mason's Faith of the Gosp. VIII. 9.

2 S. Matt. XXVIII. 18-20: S. John XX. 21-23

3 Schouppe, III. 123-128.

4 I. Pet. II. 9. Schouppe, III. 129-159: Moberly: Forbes' 39 Arts., XXIII.

Posted by Trevor at September 17, 2005 12:57 PM

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