The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-19

church Is Stlu unprePat Z" !, :, =
the candidate, that he has been called OF
God to the ministry; the church only
throws open to him her doors ana asks
him to make proof OF his ministry and
nnon that proof rests ordination to the
sacred office-rests the establishment OF
a divine call to the ministry, and, often
times. a year or two Is passed away In
this trial stage before the candidate Is
ordained to the full work of the ministry.
II is right thus to seek to know Gods
will in this matter. The Church is thus
faithful to her trust. But how does the
case stand when we come to the Ruling
F. dership? No Presbyterian can deny
but that call to the Ruling Eldership
should be as surely divine as call to
the Teaching Eldership. Does the church
carefully and reverentially enough seek
to learn the Lord s will as to the divine
character of call to the Ruling Elder
ship2 Does not the church in this mat
ter act inconsistency with the claims
which she puts forth in behalf of the
spirituality and sanctity of the Office OF
Ruling Elder? Mark the provisions of
our Book of Church Order. A church
desires one or more Ruling Elders. Ses-
sion orders the membership to meet for
an election. The vote is taken and some
member receives a majority of the votes
and is declared elected to the office.
Where now is the evidence that this
candidate has been called of God to take
upon himself the vows of office? What
evidence of this has the church? The
membership, you say, have known the
candidate for a number of years, as OF
their membership, and he has given evil
dence of being a consistent and earnest
Christian (this evidence does not always
exist on behalf of the candidate elect),
but surely this of itself is not satisfying
evidence that the candidate has been
called of God to ordination. 1t may be
evidence satisfactory on which to base
vote to elect him as probationer for the
Office of Ruling Elder, but not, certainly,
to ordination. The church has no salts
flying evidence that God has called this
candidate to the Eldership because he
has not been tried and no opportunity is
made for his probation. The candidate,
who is conscientious, may say to the
church, when he is told Of his election,
II am unprepared to perform the re-
quirements of our Book of Church Order
upon the Ruling Elders" Let us pause
here to say, that the feet of the candi-
dates being unprepared to perform the
duties of the office is no argument against
his divine call any more than the unpre-
pared condition of the candidate for the
ministry, when he FIRST appears before
Presbytery, argues against the divine
character of his call; but manifestly this
state of unpreparedness for the office as
suredly calls for preparation before daring
TO enter upon that office. Presbytery-
the church calls upon the candidate for
the Teaching Eldership to spend years in
such preparation. But what says the
church to the candidate for the Ruling
Eldership? "Let us first ordain you
and then prepare. First ordination and
then preparation. What, it may well be
asked, what would have become of our
Teaching Eldership if this same rule had
obtained in their ordination to the minis
try--frSt ordination and then prepara-
ton. Our ministry would have, per-
haps, sunk lower spiritually than our
Ruling Eldership has. 1t may, think,
be said truly, that the vast majority of
our Ruling Elders do not hesitate to ig-
more many, if not most, of the demands
o. our Book of Church Order upon them
as spiritual rulers and overseers to the
flock of God
Again, what evidence has the candi-
date elect that he has been called of God
to the Eldership? Possibly, he may never
before haYe thought of the office in con
nection with himself, and he faces the
question for the first time when his cleo
ton is announced to him. What evidence
has the candidate that God has called
him to the Eldership? Oftentimes, only
the fact of the vote--the church thus SAYS
to him-you are called of God to this
Office. Without trial of his qualifications
without any adequate idea of the de-
mands of the Office upon him, and some
times with recognition of the fact that
he is not qualified for the office, he is or
dained and takes the vows of God upon
him. Under our present system of ordi-
nation to the Ruling Eldership there is
no proper provision made for obtaining
satisfactory evidence either for the church
or for the candidate, that God has called
the Elder elect to ordination. Can we
wonder then that oftentimes, what should
be our strength as a church (the Ruling
Eldership) becomes our weakness? Can
we wonder that when no preparation is
asked or required for ordination to an
office, even from those confessedly un-
Yorarorod 10 ,,orfOrrn roc,pirad dr,tioa 4boro