divine polity

English

Noun

divine polity (usually uncountable, plural divine polities)

1. (chiefly Christianity, theology) A government or system of governance (especially of a church) said to be instituted by God.
   • 1698, William Stephens, “A Letter to his most excellent Majesty King William III. […]”, in A Collection of State Tracts, Published During the Reign of King William III, volume 2, published 1706, page 634:

     But it cannot be expected that the Clergy […] should upon this Revolution by contented to cry peccavi [I have sinned], and openly recant all their former Doctrines of Divine Polity by a hearty active Conformity to your Majesty’s rightful Title and Government.

   • 1849, Alfred J. Carver, The Divine Attribute of Mercy as Deduced from the Old Testament, published 1851, page 49:

     The Divine polity, under which they had hitherto lived, was distasteful to the carnal affections of man: they reject the Lord God of Israel, and exclaim, “Nay, but set a king over us.”

   • 1936 March 11, Shoghi Effendi, “The Divine Polity”, in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: Selected Letters, published 1991, →ISBN, page 65:

     Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá’u’lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of the Divine Polity which incarnates God’s immutable Purpose for all men.

Derived terms

• divino-political

See also

• Ecclesiastical polity and episcopal polity on Wikipedia