y power of man, and
not belonging to this world; and yet a Kingdom of which men and women
and little children were the subjects; "The Kingdom of Heaven" as
described by our Lord in His parables and discourses.

And the Kingdom having been thus established amongst men, from this
time we find a special name was given to it. Henceforth "The Kingdom
of Heaven" becomes "the Church." It was a word which our Lord Himself
had occasionally used with reference to His Kingdom, as when He said,
"Upon this rock I will build my Church" (S. Matt. xvi. 18); but it now
became the common expression. Thus when a persecution broke out
against the Christians, it was thus described, "As for Saul, he made
havoc of the Church" (Acts viii. 3). So Herod "stretched forth his
hands to vex certain of the Church" (Acts xii. 1); and when S. Peter
was imprisoned, "prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto
God for him" (Acts xii. 5). And throughout the Book of the Acts of
the Apostles and the Epistles it is almost always used as the name of
the body of believers or subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven."

At the same time, in order that there might be no doubt that the
Apostles were simply carrying on their Lord's preaching of "the Gospel
of the Kingdom" (S. Matt. iv. 23), and that "The Church" which they
founded was in very deed "The Kingdom of Heaven," in certain passages
describing the character of their preaching we still find a reference
to the Kingdom. Thus, when Philip preached the Gospel to the
Samaritans, his work is described in these words, "When they believed
Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the
Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts
viii. 12). And a similar instance occurs respecting the preaching of
the great Apostle to the Gentiles, S. Paul. The whole of the latter
half of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles is filled with the record
of the extension of the Church by the labour of S. Paul in the various
lands he visited. And he himself continually uses the word "Church,"
both in his addresses recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and in his
Epistles to the Churches. Thus, for instance, to the Elders whom he
had ordained to take charge of the Church at Ephesus, he says, "Feed
the Church of God which He hath purchased with His own Blood" (Acts
xx. 28). And yet when the general character of his preaching is
described, it is still spoken of as the good news of the Kingdom. For