The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-02-07
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
COMPARISON OF PRESENT AND
REVISED FORM.
No. 2.

in vain for any bat the most Incidental re-
ferences TO the members Of The Church.
The Revision properly regards this as one OF
the five heads which present o US the whole
subject extensively. Aoca DINGHY, brief
chapter Chapter Tair1) is devoted to this
head. Church members are properly divided
into Two classes; one class are members by
baptism, tue other by bap ism and personal
profession of their faith. The rights and
privileges of shese Two classes are different,
aud both are here britfy set forth.
CHAPTER FOURTH of the Revision treats
of Church Officers. 1t consists of four sec
tons; Tne first gives general classification;
the other three present, respectively, the
minister of the word, the elder, and the dea-
con. The superiority claimed for the Re-
vision over the present Form, in its treat
ment of the minister of the word, is threefold:
FIRST, there is no implied denial that the min
lister ia as truly as the elder representa-.
tive of the people (see present Form, Chap.
III, Section p secondly, the scriptural list
Of his various titles of Office is made more full
and complete; and, thirdly, the true idea is
set forth that the ministry cOmprehends diff
ferent gifts and various works, and that the
Church 10 authorized TO appoint them to la
Dor as pastors, teachers, and evaugelists, and
in such other works as may be suitable and
needfal to the Church. Especially is the
evangelist or missionary (who is mentioned
in the present Form only incidentally, but
whose unspeakable value to the Church this
age has begun to comprchend) made to stand
forth prominently.
The superiority claimed for the Revieion
in its treatment of the ruling elder, is two
fold first, that while the representative char
acter of ministers ia no where implicitly de-
MED, it ia more distinctly brought out, that
the ruling elder is the more immediate rep
resentative of the people. This is what the
present Book teaches, when it says, ruling
elders are properly the representatives of
the peOple'-that is to say they are simply
representatives and nothing more their Pc
culiar and characteristic business is to rule
conformity with ministers. l maintain that
the doctrine of the Revision and of the pre-
sent Form is precisely the same, but that the
former makes its meaning clearer; then,
secondly, the Revision is not 80 timid as the
present Form which over efficiently tells US
what " a great part of Reformed Churches
understand" about the ruling elder. The
Revision passes BY the Reformed Churches,
and goes up to the Word for its authority to
ordain elders in every church.
Superiority is also claimed for che Re-
vision, because it is fuller and more definite
in its account Of the deacon, and because il
also gives expression 20 the aOriptural idea
that We should have deacOnesse8 to take care
of the sick, of prisoners, and of poor widows
and orphans.
CHAPTER FIFTH of the Revision takes up
the Courts of the Church, 1t consists Of
seven sections: the first one, of the Courts
IN general; the second, of the Jurisdiction
of Church Courts; the third, of tie Church
Session the fourth, of the Presbyteyy; the
fifth, of the Synod the sixth, of the Gener
al Assembly; the seventh, of Ecclesiastical
Commissions.
In the first section and FIRST paragraph
the simple, sufficient, and suitable statement
is, that our Presbyterian doctrine of the
Courts is agreeable to Scripture; whereas the
present Form says, We hold it to be expe
dent and agreeable to Scripture and the
practice of the primitive Christians" etc. Il
Presbyterian church government is in the
Scriptures, what need of pleading the prac-
tico of the primitive Christians, or what pro-
priety in talking about what is expedient?
1t is claimed that sections first and second
and third, contain fuller, clearer, more log
ical, and more satisfactory statement Of the
matters they concern than Chapters VIII.
and TX of the present Form. Let the read
er compare and judge for himself.
Coming to section fourth (Which answers
to Chapter Tenth of the present Form) Of
the Pres6ytsry, we find the present Form
putting Presbyterial and SynOdical assem-
blies on the ground of their ~setulness. They
are useful, of course but this ie low ground
for our Form to take; the basis on which
they stand is the Scriptures, and if We can.
not find them there, we must give them up.
In this section fourth we meet with provis-
ion to exclude from voting in Presbytery all
ministers whose calling ia not under the d.
rection of the body ard = definition of the
quorum, which makes at least ore ruling ell
der's presence necessary; and the privilege
accorded to every church to be represented
by an elder at every meeting of the body;
and some good and wholesome rules and reg
ulations respecting ministers coming into
Presbytery; and fuller and more complete
statement Of tbe powers and duties Of the
Presbytery.
Section fifth answering to the present
Form, Chapter Eleven of the Synod, gives
each church belonging to it the right of rep
resentaton at every meeting 1t also makes
the presence of at least three elders necea-
sary to the quorum. 1t also presents full
Ter view of the powers and duties of the Synod
than is found in the present Form.
Thn nnma nav be said nf sanfinn eivth