believed, but this embryonic organization could not be completely
established as a church before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore provision was made for its progressive development under the
tutelage of specially inspired apostles. Doctrine was given gradually,
yet invariably through the oral and written teaching of these inspired
apostles. Therefore we can not but believe that the same invariable
guidance of the Holy Spirit also perfected through them God's own plan
of church organization and work. The gradual development of church
organization under the labors of the apostles, therefore, no more
proves the theory of a constant historic development than does the
fact of a gradual unfolding of the Christian faith and doctrine by
the apostles prove a constant and unending revelation of the gospel
through all succeeding ages. One writer has well said, "The same
promise of the Spirit which renders the New Testament an unerring and
sufficient rule of faith renders it also an unerring and sufficient
_rule of practise_ for the church in all places and times." We
must therefore regard the organization of the church, as we do the
unfolding of the gospel message, as complete in all its fundamental
and essential aspects before the close of the sacred canon.

[Sidenote: Apostolic agency]

There is no doubt that the apostles occupied a special place in the
divine establishment of the church and its message. Regarded as a
temple, the church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone" (Eph. 2:
20). The Old Testament Scripture "came not in old time by the will of
man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost"
(2 Pet. 1: 21). But now we read, "God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,