church invisible

noun

Theology.

1. the entire body of Christian believers on earth and in heaven.

Word History and Origins

Origin of church invisible¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Nor could we imagine any source other than the Church invisible for an interpretation so noble of the Scriptures of the Church visible.

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Thus it is that in the later ages fountains of new power have been opened, and pure, genial home principles and affections have done more than Luther’s theses or John Knox’s sermons to drive monkery and all its brood of spectral charms and horrors from the church visible, and the prospect of the church invisible, and thoroughly to reform the creeds of men touching earth and heaven and hell.

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There is no doubt that we need a Church visible as well as a Church invisible; need a body as well as a soul; and it is a very important question what sort of a body we shall have.

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The Church Visible is the Church of the Mustard-seed; the Church Invisible is the Church of the Leaven.

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In fact, he had not thought of it as being any church in particular, but as being a part of the great church invisible to which all God’s children belonged.

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