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recognizes only the praedicatio verbi and the administratio sacramenti as real marks of the
Church, since they only: (1) are specific, that is, are characteristics of the Church and of no
other body; (2) are instruments through which Christ works with His grace and Spirit in the
Church; and (3) are formative elements that go into the constitution of the Church. Discipline is
also found elsewhere and cannot be co-ordinated with these two. Bearing this in mind, he has
no objection, however, to regard the faithful exercise of discipline as one of the marks of the
Church. Now it is undoubtedly true that the three marks usually named are not really co-
ordinate. Strictly speaking, it may be said that the true preaching of the Word and its
recognition as the standard of doctrine and life, is the one mark of the Church. Without it there
is no Church, and it determines the right administration of the sacraments and the faithful
exercise of Church discipline. Nevertheless, the right administration of the sacraments is also a
real mark of the Church. And though the exercise of discipline may not be peculiar to the
Church, that is, is not found in it exclusively, yet it is absolutely essential to the purity of the
Church.
2. THE MARKS OF THE CHURCH IN PARTICULAR.
a. The true preaching of the Word.
This is the most important mark of the Church. While it is
independent of the sacraments, these are not independent of it. The true preaching of the
Word is the great means for maintaining the Church and for enabling her to be the mother of
the faithful. That this is one of the characteristics of the true Church, is evident from such
passages as John 8:31,32,47; 14:23; I John 4:1-3; II John 9. Ascribing this mark to the Church
does not mean that the preaching of the Word in a Church must be perfect before it can be
regarded as a true Church. Such an ideal is unattainable on earth; only relative purity of
doctrine can be ascribed to any Church. A church may be comparatively impure in its
presentation of the truth without ceasing to be a true church. But there is a limit beyond which
a Church cannot go in the misrepresentation or denial of the truth, without losing her true
character and becoming a false Church. This is what happens when fundamental articles of faith
are publicly denied, and doctrine and life are no more under the control of the Word of God.
b. The right administration of the sacraments.
The sacraments should never be divorced from
the Word, for they have no content of their own, but derive their content from the Word of
God; they are in fact a visible preaching of the Word. As such they must also be administered by
lawful ministers of the Word, in accordance with the divine institution, and only to properly
qualified subjects, the believers and their seed. A denial of the central truths of the gospel will
naturally affect the proper administration of the sacraments; and the Church of Rome certainly
departs from the right mode, when it divorces the sacraments from the Word, ascribing to
them a sort of magical efficacy; and when it allows midwives to administer baptism in time of