"It is a thoroughly anti-christian doctrine that the Spirit of God, and therefore the life and governing power of the Church, resides in the ministry, to the exclusion of the people"

This quote by Charles Hodge is describing the idea that the power and life of the Church must not be entirely in the hands of the ministry. Hodge is arguing that the Spirit of God ought to not be restricted to the ministry, but ought to be shared with the people of the Church. He thinks that the people ought to have a say in the governing of the Church, which the ministry ought to not be the only ones with power. Hodge is advocating for a more democratic method to the Church, where the people have a voice and are not left out from the decision-making process. He believes that the Spirit of God ought to be shared with the people, which the Church needs to be a place of collaboration and shared power.