The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-19
For the Central Presbyterian.
What is Presbyterianism ?
No. Is.
Government-lcontinuedN

\SOhI1huSd.J
PreSbyter or Elder is the name of an
order 1t is given, not as designation
derived from the duty performed, as min
lister, denoting one who serves; bishop,
Cor literally overSeer) one who superin-
tends; pastor one who feeds and governs,
as shepherd does his flock, (the two
words having this same signifcation) :;
apostle, one who is sent on a certain duty:
and teacher, one who instructs. On the
other hand the Presbyter or Elder de-
notes the rank of a ruler, who may hold
any one or even more Of the offices men
toned. Peter, though an apostle in view
OF his office, was Presbyter or Elder q
Peter V: l. in his rank; and Paul gives
in PIN. iii: 2-7, the qualifications of a
Bishop, and he directs Titus (chap. i: 81
to ordain Elders" or Presbyters, and
having stated similar qualifications (verse
g. as essential to such, in verse 7, adds !:
"for Bishop must be blameless, " &C.,
thus showing that the same person who
is called Elder or Presbyter. as to his or
der or rank, is called Bishop or overseer
as to his duty or Office
Now, as before intimated, the rulers of
VIC llolSOSuC MGIS GNluGnbly ELDERS,
since no other rank or order of rulers
was recognised in the Theocracy, the
office of King, kind of ruler, desired by
the Jews, whom God gave in Hisanger'
(Hosea xiii: l1) not belonging to the
original constitution of the nation and
Judges, being genuine title for officers,
who combined civil and military func-
tons. When, according to our Lord
commission, the apostle went first to offer
the gospel to Jews, the organization of
the synagogue furnished kind of model
for the organization of churches or Chris
tian assemblies: and Titus was according
ly directed to ordain Elders Cor Presby-
ters) in every city, as part of setting all
things in order. Also we read Acts Xxx:
II, that Paul sent from Miletus to the
" Elders of the church" of Ephesus, to
meet him, and these he addressed as oUey-
Seers Literally Bishops) of the flock, so
appointed by the Holy Ghost, (verse %
These examples explain how, in Acts XIV:
2, 4, 6, Elders are associated with apos-
ties in the Christian council, of which the
account is given in that chapter, the apos-
ties, so long as they lived, continuing as
Christ's inspired ministers, to direct in
ecclesiastical affairs sand also preach and
work miracles, and the Elders, raised up
In Gods providence of grace, but not ne
cessarily endued with extraordinary gifts
of the Spirit constituted one element of
the council representing the constitution
of the ecclesiastical government, which
was destined to be perpetual We see
then e. that the government of partic-
ular church was entrusted to rulers
called Elders, as that of the synagogue
had formerly been, and (2) that for the
government of the church at large, there
was a combination of men of the same or
der united with apostles, whose lives soon
expired and the Elders were left, as in
the Jewish national council, the rulers of
the church, under the new dispensation.
Farther, after Elders were. ordained
over the particular churches, there was a
discrimination made in apostolic days be-
tween those who ruled well and those
who also "labored in word and doctrine, "
q Tim. V: I'D. Tn rank or order as
rulers, they occupied the same position
But those laboring in word and doc
trine had an additional office, that of
teachers; and being both rulers and
teachers, their Office was that of pastor,
who fed and ruled the people in spiritual
matters. The similarity of structure of
the Jewish synagogue and the primitive
Christian church is strongly evinced by
the phrase, Tradition of the Elders, -
(Matt. XIV 2 Mark vii 81. It would
thus appear that some of the elders exer-
cised the functions of religious teachers,
just as took place in the Christian church
es as to those who labored in word and
doctrine" Thus arose the Presbyterian
government Of a particular church, and