Excerpt from The Church of God as an Essential Element of the Gospel, and the Idea, Structure, and Functions Thereof And this indication is the more significant when considered not in itself singly, but in connection with all the tendencies of the Church for twenty years past. Thus Considered, it cannot but be regarded as an evidence Of the progressive ad vance in the Church toward a clearer apprehen sion Of the importance of the truth concerning the Church as Christ's own appointed instrumen tality, of which even the indistinct and partial apprehensmn were sufficient to efibct her wonder ful deliverance twenty years Since.