Congregationalism and episcopal - Indian Laws - General

Meaning of word Congregationalism and episcopal Congregationalism is defined in New English Dictionary of Historical Principles (By Sir John Murray, Vol.III, Part I, page 245) as under: A system of ecclesiastical polity which regards all legislative disciplinary and judicial functions as vested in the individual church or local congregation of believers. Congregationalism is defined in Chambers Encyclopedia, Vol.IV, page 12 as under: Congregationalism is the doctrine held by churches which put emphasis on the autonomy of the individual congregations. Congregationalism has for its sign manual the words of Jesus: Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them . In Black s Law Dictionary Congregation is explained thus: An assembly or gathering; specifically, an assembly or society of persons who together constitute the principal supporters of a particular Parish, or habitually meet at the same church for religious exercises. The word is explained in the Faiths of the World Vol.1 at page 589 thus: This word, like the term Church (which see) is sometimes used in a more extended and at other times in a more restricted sense. In its widest acceptation, it includes the whole body of the Christian people. It is thus employed by the Psalmist when he says, Let the congregation of saints praise Him. But the word more frequently implies an association of professing Christians, who regularly assemble for divine worship in one place under a stated pastor. In order to constitute a congregation in this latter sense of the term, among the Jews at least ten men are required, who have passed the thirteenth year of their age. In every place in which this number of Jews can be statedly assembled, they procure a synagogue. Among Christians, on the other hand, no such precise regulation is found, our Lord himself having declared, Wherever two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Guided by such intimations of the will of Christ, Christian sects of all kinds are in the habit of organising congregations though the number composing them may be much smaller than that fixed by the Jewish Rabbies. Episcopal is defined in Webster Comprehensive Dictionary to mean, of or pertaining to bishops. Having a government vested in bishops; characterised by episcopacy , whereas Episcopacy is defined as under:- Government of a church by bishops . New English Dictionary of Historical Principles by Sir John Murray, Volume III, explains it to mean: Theory of Church Polity which places the supreme authority in the hands of episcopal or pasteral orders . Episcopacy is explained in the Faiths of the World by James Gardner, Volume I, at page 836 as under:- that form of church government which recognises a distinction of ranks among the ministers of religion, having as its fundamental article that a bishop is superior to a presbyter . Bishop in the same book is defined as under:- one who in Episcopalian churches has the oversight of the clergy of a diocese or district . These definitions of congregationalism and episcopal have been extracted to give an idea how the expressions are understood as the entire submission of autonomy of the Churches is based on whether the Parishes are congregational or episcopal. The basic or essential characteristic as appears from the above definitions and explanation of congregationalism and episcopal is that in the former the authority vests in the congregation whereas in the latter it is controlled by the bishop as he is deemed to be successor of the apostle................ The Division Bench also referred to the judgment of the Kerala High Court in John v. Rev. Thomas Williams (1953) K.L.T. 605 on the meaning and content of the expression Congregationalism- The judgment describes Congregationalism as one of the non-conformist Protestant denominations. Relying upon the Encyclopedia of Britanica, it says that the Congregationalism is the name given to that type of church organisation in which the autonomy of the local church or body of persons assembling in Christian fellowship is fundamental. It constitutes one of the three main types of ecclesiastical polity, the others being Episcopacy and Pres-byterianism. It regards church authority as inherent in each local body of believers, as a miniature realisation of the whole church which can itself have only an ideal corporate being on earth. While in practice it is religious democracy, in theory it claims to be a theocracy since it assumes that God himself rules directly through Christ. It springs from the religious principle that each body of believers in actual Church Fellowship must be free of all external human control, in order the more fully to obey the Will of God as conveyed to conscience by His Spirit. The essential features of Congregationalism are stated to be the autonomy or independence of the individual Churches or organisations, though in matters in which the individual charges are interested as a whole and in order to enable the churches to effectively fulfil their responsibilities, they may enter into unions. Congregationalims is stated to be the opposite of Episcopacy which means Government of the Church by the Bishops on the theory of apostolic succession. In other words, the Bishops are supposed to be the successors of the apostles of the Christ. The Congregationalism believe that every Christian has the right to perform all functions pertaining to the priestly office and permits the laymen to celebrate sacraments whereas in Episcopal Churches only the ordained priests can celebrate sacraments.... [MOST. REV. P.M.A. METROPOLITAN ORS. VERSUS MORAN MAR MARTHOMA ANR.- 1995 (6) TMI 200 - SUPREME COURT]