New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-29
ELDERS as REPRESENTATIVES,
PROPOSED CHANGES IN PRESBYTERIAN
GOVERNMENT

SIR: The hands me policy Of your paper by
which leading interests. even though they may not
specially belong to tue majority OF your readers yet
take their turn being represented In your columns.
has lad me under very marked personal obligations
Ny simplest plan Will be to show frs what j,Te disino
Presbyteranisn +; secondly, how the American form
has imp aired It; and thirdly, how the Amendment. II
carried will impair 1t further.
IA Jarc driuo Presby terianism Is what Christ saw
when he went lad into the synagogue OF Nazareth
His mothers church the only trne one us main
cult was at Jerusalem. That cult was inspired on SINAI.
and though grand and general was temporary, and
through Christ, TO be done away. But like maus
tooth growing up under chis tooth. AMI slowly pre-
pairing the time when the childs tooth Is obliged 10
disappear, so, with seeds beginning among the pa
trarcLs gogue system had been developed seat
ing itself. in Israel. and, under the Roman power
spreading all over the world. IL bred Paul and Cephas
Its tongue was the Greek. It's Bible was the septua
gint it, own hand wrote the Septuagint translation
For though PtOemy hired 1t to be done, and wahtedN
for his pet library Egypt yet 1t WAS the Alexandiiah
Jews that introduced HIN the Book and the Alexan
dran synagogue help him TO collect the seventy
Now IN bis boyhOod. Christ went with his father toa
synagogue in Nazareth II was not temple. There
were no sacrifices offered. There was no stationed
priest or vO,ve eypiation. But it was canrch Tor
Saturday teaching. Tdorndike and Lighttoot ana
Burnet aud Godwin, all Episcopal authorities have
collected the facts about the synagogue I'LL we arc
almost as certain what seen there as what Is seen
in Trinity each morning OF the year. When Christ
entered the door he was faced BY bench oil elders
who had their backs to the UecaI, or holy receptaDe Oh
the law. These elders church court ana cafned
authority to the greatest length In those herarchic
times There emerges among them teacher or angel
Of tho Church. or this Burnet shows unDistakaOie
proof from authorities among the Jews. Now, JTe
dicino Presbytcranm simply perpetuates TINS system
Our Lord cave fast TO the synagogue. When apostles
went 10 Ephesus they went at once to the sJna-
gogue. when the synagogue declared against
them, they obliged to disown IT, aud they framed
another What could be proof Of this other than their
using the same terms and framing the same offices
They used tho term elder. They appointed him rs
though it matter Of course and named nun ior
the same duties 1t Is a takingforGanted way thas
may seem the very best historic evidence. But lest IL
should left entirely to this, Paul has some most ex
plct sentences: "Obey them that have the rule over
YOU and submit yourselves, for they watch for your
souls they that must give account and that we may
know who these authoritative rulers were we have tha
history "TheY ordained them elders In every church,
and We have the direction that this was to BE- UNIFORM
That thou shOud's set in order the things that arc
| wanting and ordain (procure, not the usual word
Ordau) elders in every city,
Now not to take too much space, what Is the point oil
all this abduction OF history Not to assume that tho
whole must necessarily DO just but 10 show the
| theory Of those that think
1t Is not supposed that Jesus Christ ordained every
thing by wOrshping Nazareth. that He made any
thing na by falling into 1t for the time but that when
lie inspired certain specially called such,
viz, apostles specially equipped with miracle specially
limited to twelve specially gifted by intaliblity 10
frame a special canon and to found special church.
that founding does become juTe dirihO. and when "
starts the old Jewish and 10 mark the
imperative us. and that that is cherries venture
| that frames the Church In any way besides.
"a We see then, how our American fathers departed
| FROM the model All elders are undoubtedly repre-
Z "a Ia IL
bre lkfIs and to define the President OF the United
Christ IS the representative of His people. Paul and
John were TndouoSi @ on ts P s
l8ry--iOr ample In leXlcon-what sorry tLlng 10
write; Jesus CHRIST, The leprestn'a'so ot tno fp
Christ the representative OF God Paul and Jonr
mere g Of OF nf Ma
here: ing representative OF Christ includes the fact ol
johns being representa- i've OF men, bat we cannot re
the proposition. Being representative Of CnTisi
involves tue necessity OF call. Election by the people
Is part of that call. But appointment by the people
does not suppose the call OF C1r,t. while tue call OF
Cnrlst does suppose the call or Gle people.
We see then now forOru tile work or 1881 II reads
thus: Ruling elders properly the representatives,
OF the people chosen By them for the purpose OF excr
cising government aud discipline IN COZ Junction With
pastors or minister's" The Westminster form is this
As there the Jesish Church. elders Of pco
pie joined with the priests and vtes IN The govern
ment OF the church, Christ, who ham instituted
sovernmen ana governors ecclesiastical N tn" Church
hath furnished some in his Church. beside tue ministers
OF tue Word with gfts for government, ami with com.
mission 10 execute the same when called tncreunO,
are TO jim with the munster III the government OF tle
Churches
can elders Inc Church or scotland copies ihls YER
baim. the Church Of Ireland makes 1t even stronger
rue ruling elder, who l. also an apostolic bishop aud
holds his commission from C1rst, is app nted To excr.
else government aud discipline IN CONJUNCTION with tAa
teaching eutr according % Scripture"
49, Hence tue misery Of the new change is hagrant
Beng "represrn'atlyes OF the people Dr. Mussraye
people aud that tue man mat hesates is not tit 10 be
elder. IDu Is To say, Mr. Waite as representative
OF The people, should revert each three years cuOe
by the people, and is not tic TO he rate II ne
hesltaes jOt suppose jersey should argue Tins way.
| yOg
New-IOrk men so timid on tue Jersey shore.
Now, OBJECT IN three particulars Fr't II appeals to
eXpedency JESUS Christ ana not leave MS Church To %
| ests That Ee settled " lie gave apostles and
Church could sIt like cluD II 1t could shift its
form OF government oy new gnt elsewhere than from
scripture It Is b no means superstition " accept
| jus diriiHR In matters VI the sanctuary.
SECONDLY, advocate has quoted word from revea.
ton We have heard from the Dutch ANA tue tradition
arr @vlIences IRON churches last coming h@o POE
Jonah from the whale ont OF the belly OF corrupt Pap
but what Knox dd Is, after all. not Presbyterian
ISM Moreover me scotch anu III "a's exceedingly la'
terestng 10 look at, the French, have been uHIcte
gently quoted. We are TO come 10 that Bat d.. Mus
grave has never once opened his BOe Tue elder 10
Vre dco Presbyterian looks FOR his prototype TO The
words Ot tue Apostles And We never near OF Dem.s
gong out ana Gdus eomhG IN, or OF Phe Eon stIhs on
the retired bench and Epaphroditus taking his pace
among the saints, We deny all other modes OF arriTsa7
| our system.
And thirdly we make 1t our last plea that rotating
the elders sinks an important similarity between th,m
aud the miusters the Word. Aud now we do
away with tins conception ~ wolf l. not dog Ii any
man say wolf Is dog say yes bat II must Do in"eer
connections. Wny cannot sucn questions be treated
like the questions OF sclencei Here Offices:
| Preachers, Rulers, and Deacous. They entirely
different. The preacher preacher the WOTd; the
almoner OF tho people LghtOot tells they were all
in che synagogue. Now preacher Is a la her officer
THAI the ruler, aad Is not for 40
founded with him. But is Ike him. Both rule.
Both form tue Session Both called OF Christ Treit
sanenesses are thorough Their differences perhaps
equally great Hence, as m thousand other thiuss.
hcy go partnership III names. lhey are called elders,