THE CHICAGO-LAMBETH ARTICLES 177 



exigencies of events, — the astonishing in- 

 crease in number, the adaptation of the 

 Church's mechanism to its rapidly multi- 

 plying requirements, the settlements of 

 differences that arose, and the decreeing of 

 fresh ordinances from time to time for the 

 further preservation of order, the unity of 

 the body, and the purity of the faith," — 

 the significant fact is that those in such 

 authority, as Kettlewell has pointed out, 

 "scrupulously kept to the same lines as 

 had originally been laid down and received 

 by them ; the essential and fundamental 

 principles and character of the Constitution 

 were strictly observed ; and no departure 

 from them was permitted. If any attempt 

 were made to infringe upon them or to dis- 

 regard the ordinances upon which the 

 foundations of their government had been 

 established it was the duty and charge of 

 one and all to stand up for them and to 

 resist any encroachment or violation." 



No less clear has it been to the candid 

 student of ecclesiastical history that this 

 primitive unity in the maintenance of the 

 rule and government of the primitive 

 Church had pre-eminent reference to three 

 things, — the due appointment of rulers, 

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