The New York herald., 1877-07-05


such minister take himself away in spirit OF iude-
pcndence and bravado, or even Of Innocent neglect
unless regularly dismissed by his presbytery without
bringing upon himself the censure OF Lls brethren
which may result IN suspension IN deposition from
the ministry according to tho gravity OF the oGence
and the incorrigibiity OF the offender.
ORDINATION ELDERS
The Presbyterian Church believes iu the ordination
Of one class OF elders well as another Hence
ruling elders in the Church are ordained by the i'm
position OF hands aud prayer as are minister's But
such ordination Is never performed BY one ordained
person alone, there being no warrant Scripture tor
this. They find their warrant Tor this in the New
Testament Church, tho apostles ordaned elders
In every city," Their duties the Church TO
administer discipline, that tho doctrines are
faithfully preached. assist IN the dmnstraiion OF
the sacraments and to VISIT the SICK and perform
such other and kindred may from time TO time
be required In some Presbyterian churches the
monts are admlpstercd every three months, D others
every TWO months but believe in none ottener than
this. Formerly elders, ike ministers, we're elected
and ordained for e But be consistent some modi-
hcation oi this system was called Tor. II was found
that teaching elder could remit the ministry II he
pleased ana when he pleased, or his presbytery could
dispense with him for cause, but the different
with ruling elder He could retain his office and
granted both. Evil, or at least inharrnonious re-
suits sometimes followed this lie tenure Of Office
Tho French Reformed churches adopted the .',erm
eidership and IL worked wol that other braucnes
OF the Presbyterian Church adopted this modification
also, ana couple oil years ago the General Assembly
the Pres3yteria Church (Nortn adopted resolution
remittng Tho whole matter 10 the individual churches
and leaving IT optional with tnem very large num-
Dor Of Churches throughout the iand therefore have
adopted this system and elect their elders for terms
OF three or live years Tho pastor and Tho ruling
Of na
The pastor the moderator OF tho sessions their
business Is 10 look alter the spiritual welfare OF tho
borshp and TO grant letters OF dsmssion to invest-
gate charges against or controversies among members
aud the like. The session is tho lowest judcatory
known 20 the Presbyterian Church.
HIGHER CHURCH CoURTa-
Presbyterians beeve III representative church gov
ernment Hence each church sends its pastor and
elder toN Npresbytery. And these delegates coming
from thdrches within certain geographical
stitute the "presbyery," whcn Is the court next in
authority above the sessions IL supcrvses the records
aud acts OF sessions listens 10 appeals decides
controversies between pastors or between
Individual church members and sessions as well as
exercises authority over the ministers as already
stated. The court above the presbytery Is the
"synod which Is composed of delegates, clerical and
lay, elected on the ratio of members in any given
presbytery, twenty.four being the unit The General
Assembly Is The highest court These two judi
cdtorles have no Legislative powers Whatever. They
are merely supervisory. They may originate legis-
atve measures howevcr but 10 give force th the
assent oil the prcsDyteries majority OF them must
be gwen to such The presbvteres send dele
gates to the General Assembly as well the synod
30 That the democratic principle OF representation By
he people, US near the OF power possible is
tenaciousy adhered to- In tho Established Church OF
scotland, however, the commission executive
ana Judicial functions PresbytcriaLg find tner war
Yant lor this system OF representative church govern
Ment IN the New Testament where in a disputed case
the apostles and elders came together q synod Ia
Jerusalem and decided a controversy that arose be-
tween jewish proselYtes and Gentile converts to
christianity. This Is The system OF government which
lucy claim prevailed IN the Christian Church during
Inc rs Two centuries oi its existence bnG after
entertainments began TO be made ny the prcsbytars
or bishops in the principal claimed To be the
succ ssors vi the apostles superior TO their
brethren who mnistered IN less conspicuous ocaliies
By httc ana little those pretensions were magnIned
and the CIVIL power enforced the claims and made all
provincial pastors and bishops subordinate those IN
tEo metropolitan cities Wars aud lamines aud dsvas.
tatioI and death compelled uniformity but unity
And tor centuries the Presbyterian system OF govern
nient was not known except among the WadeDscs and
Albigenses, who silli maintained in their mountain
hstnesses what they considered TO be the form OF
church government and doctrines delivered to them
by Christ ana hs apostles
THE REVIVAL OF fREsBYTERIAXisN.
The Reformation oil the sixteenth century revived
reformed Churches at first very largely PresOy.
terian But England adopted episcopaoy aud tried 10
enforce II upon all It's people. The SCOTCH would
ha.er. Thcy could not ind its counterpart any
authority joi u tho New Testament; hence they
adopted Presbyteranism and organized II u church
In 1907. Many OF the lords and mobiles ol the land
sgncd ''covenan' plcdging themselves to Its sup
lor. The English sovereign and Parliament opposed
ls establishment and frequent collisions place.
fbe signers OF the covenant called John Knox from
Geneva, aud he answered the summons and landed at
eth IN May 1859. cou neil was III session az The limo
trying certain of The lords and mobiles had signed
the covenant, bn, Knox's fame was such that Mcy
adjourned hastily without completing their work.
One month later second covenant similar the first
but more stringent wase signed and the progress OF
frcsbyterlansm III Scotland thereafter so rapid
That IN May, 1850, General Assembly OF the Church
mel IN Edinburgh rLe career OF Jonn Knox during
these troublous times is more or less familiar every
Presbyterian and 10 every other student of Church
history. The Iirst Book Of Discipline drawn up
by this Assembly, but the periccLing OF the church
orsanlzaiion devclved upon the Rev Andrew Melville,
who also arrived from Geneva In 1874 In 1873, there.
lore second Book oil Discipline adopted and
4 little later this was confirmed by act Of Parliament
though II was srenuousl, opposed by James l., VINO,
Ia 1921 succceded IN Introducing modified form OF
Episcopacy INTO Scotland Again In the reigu oil
Charles |. many and repeated efforts were made TO
failed And the latter entered into solemn Tongue
and covenant" not 10 countenance Eplscopacy any
form nor 10 recognize the States right 10 Interfere
with the Church. This document was signed by the
representatives oi tho Presbyterian Church 1643,
and about the samo limo convocation oil
divlncs met in the historic 'Jerusalem Cham
ber' OF the Deanery of Westminster. and thero
framed the doc,rina and disciplinary standards
Of tho Ircsby terian Churches, wnicn standards
bear the name Of that place ever since. II wus the
most important Synod ever. held in the history OF
Professionalism The Synod of bort, which gave birth
aud standing TO the Reformed Churcn OF Holland (lhe
Reformed Dutch Churcn of AmcricaL alone
pare with the Westminster Assembly. Tho Dutch
ninIan controversy, vulgarly called the "fve Points
OF Caivanism;" bu; the Westminster Synod coy
ereu the WnOle ueu OF Christian doctrine
ana discipline. Fifteen OF tho clerical Leaders
in this Synod were Enashmen, FIVE were
Scochmen and one Irish. They all were eminent
scholars and preachers and most OF them gradu
aies OF the leading universities and colleges OF their
respective lands ald authors of some repute. rho
Westminster Catcchism and Confession OF Faith are
models Of their KIND, and having been born IN such
troublous times and under such peculiar circumstances
Presbyerans are naturally very jealous Of them, aud
careful that no ruthless hand shall interfere With them
The only ession OF faith legally established before
the Scotch Reformation Of 1858 IS attributed TO John
Knox. 1t consisted of twenty-five articles, and
the confession alike OF Episcopal and Presbyterian
churches
FAILURE TO ESTABLISH ErIscorAcy.
Alter Intellectual efforts made by Charles III. and
William i'll. TO establish Epscopacy IN Scotland IN
1890 PrcsDyteriansm became tue State religion OF
that country, aud when l107 tho treaty oil union
between England and scotland made IL agreed
That Presbytcrianism should find It's congenlal homo
III the n9.th ana Episcopacy reside in the south OF
Great Britain. During the Commonwealth the ''Cov-
enanlcrs $50 named because they signed the COW
enanis) adopted the Westminster Confession Of Faith,
and IL was aterward adopted by tho National Church
.II