The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-02-23

This subject is now exciting grave eonsid-
GRAFTON in the Church The eminent appa-
rent success which has followed the preach
ing Of some laymsn distinguished for piety
and good sense, and tie evident favor with
which their ministratiOns in the Word have
been regarded by the regularly qualified and
ordained ministers of the Gospel, both in this
country and Great Britain, invest the ques-
tions suggested by the events connected with
the work with most solemn Importance. In
the outset, let it be clearly understood that
what follows is neither dictated by a captiOus
spirit, nor by any conscious magnifying of
professional office, as such. There Is COM
mon ground on which Christian men, wheth-
er ministers or laymen, may consider " the
things touching the King and His king
dom. It is the ground of Scripture and
common sense.
The question Ofthe lawfulness of assuming
the functions of the gospel ministry, without
any acknowledged responsibility to any &C.
clesisstical body, is not to be settled by any
apparently good fruits, arising from the ex-
ercise of such functions; for some questions
Of the permaneney of such fruits, as well as
their reality, and of the preponderance in
number, or quality, or both, of good or Of
bad results, must be considered as factors in
reaching our conclusions; and it is obvious
the settlement of such questions is matter
not of the present, but of future time.
Lay preaching may be regarded in two as
poets, the Divine and human that is, as
it appears in the teachings of Gods Word,
and as it appears in the light of human ex-
perience and observation, which form the
chief elements of common sense.
1. In the patrisrchal age the head of the
family was the Priest and Prophet, as well
as King, in his household. 1t is useless to
say that this, as a fact is accounted for as
the normal state of society under patriarchal
conditions, and therefore not to be accepted
as belonging to divine arrangement. There
is as much force in saying that these eOndi'
tions were of divine originatiOn or plan, and
hence, are adopted by man, are in saying they
were of human originatiOn and plan, and
then adopted by God; which is faVOrite
theory of Rationalism respecting many other
matters of revelation. The patriarchal in
stitutiOns may be said truly to distinguish
primitive states of society. But God has
"set men in families" God has consti-
tuted the family the unit, at once, of the
State and of the Church. 1t is then surely
no illogical or merely preaumptive inference
that He was pleased sat first TO confer on
the Head Of the family the important office
of teacher of his household And there is a
very striking confirmation of this view, that
in a subsequent development of the family
into tribal and then a national existence,
and in the yet more extended structure OF
the Church in the new dispensatiOD, while
special ordinances provided religious teach
ers for masses of men or combinations of
families, God continued, under both the old
and new dispensations, to confer on the head
of the house the Office of religious teacher.
But under both dispensatiOns superior
kind of religious teacher was de6nitively
provided. We need not enter into discus,
sion of reasons for such procedure. It is
enough to say that the different structure of
society obviously called for such provision.
Thus it seems that God has never left him
self without witness to His wise care for
mans spiritual welfare, to His fatherly con-
cern that men should be trained by some
competent agent, in the knowledge of what
they are "to believe concerning God and
what duty God requires of man.
Such then is the view of Scripture re-
spectiug religious teachers. They are sap
pointed of God" In the case of the Jewish
order we are authoritatiVely taught that " nc
man taketh this honor to himself, except ht
that is called of God, as was Aaron, anC
the inspired apostle applies the principle thus
stated in concrete form to the most eminen
case ever known. Oar blessed Lord, q" tht
Lord of Glory" was appointed as our Higl
Priest by the special call of God; and VI
we'll know He was annOinted by the HOl.
Spirit to preach the gospel, and also cOnsti
tuted by the same high and august authority
King in Zion. There is no argument legiti
mstely drawn from this that the ministry 0
the gospel is to be composed of men miracu
lously chosen and uiraculouSly accredited
as sent from God. The Scriptures of tn
New Testament clearly recognize the truth
that as our Lord committed to His apostle
the Treasure of the gospel so it wa
committed by them to others; and that these
not by apostolic authority, but minister's
prerOgatiVe, and this not several but cOlleC
tive, "the laying on of the hands of tn
presbytery," were directed to transmit th
office to others: the things which thou has
heard of me. . Commit them to faithtI