The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-02-13
For the Central Presbyterian.
Progress.

Progress.
MeSSrS. EditorS,-Anent the discus
sion of ministerial preparation and kim
dred subjects and questions bearing upon
the progress and efficiency of our Church,
will you permit the writer to say that it
has occurred to him that we employ too
little effort to prepare our elders for their
work. [ mean as Church, by rule, and
requirement, and oversight. We have
multiplied agencies and concerted efforts
to prepare one set of elders; the other
set of elders is left very much to chance
Reasoning from our actions would not
one infer that we expect the elder to do
Just about what he is doing2 In fact
does not an elder who advances some
what beyond the average efficiency suffer
Just little in the eyes of the people from
the judgment that he is assuming slightly
extra-oficial powers and place. There is
a secret here l should like to see venti-
lated. A command laid on, a duty
urgently required becomes a ground OF
confidence before the world, and helps to
an efficiency and general advance which
a mere sense of liberty in the elder will
never reach.
Should there not be larger work de-
fined and insisted upon, and steady,
systematic, effort gradually inaugurated
and maintained to secure the end expect
ed? 1 ask the question. Why not Pres
bytery take order that all elders here
after ordained be systematically trained,
and this training continued, under the
oversight, inquiry, and earnest entreaty
of Presbytery until they do the spiritual
work required of them.
An eldership so trained would every
where be nucleus around which would
gather school of young men uncon
sciously heading for the ministry. More
than this it would open field of labor to
many earnest young spiritual minds who
would be content to stop here where they
are fitted to be useful, but who now feel
ing impelled to do something, see no
better way than to enter the fuller work
OF the ministry, in the stern agony of
preparation for which they sometimes sac
rifce health, shorten life, and fail of USE
fulness in the end. Some undertakings
are too great.
But what do we expect of the elder E?
OF course this is the cardinal question
after all. I do not discuss it. I have
my idea like others. The distinction be-
tween the elders is not very wide in the
New Testament account of religious work.
believe there has grown up too much
difference, for the good of the Church,
between the teaching elder and the rul-
ing elder, as we term them. have heard
Of elders who struck me as coming very
closely up to the original standard. You
have heard of such and known them.
And we should have more of them, I sus-
pect, if only we had long ago, genera
tions ago, clearly defined their work and
held them to it in their ordination and in
their training. In the face of the aver
age custom and of the let-alone policy
only a few men will step forward through
mere individual encouragement. In
fact the clergy have pretty much assumed
the powers and work of the entire bench
So that it has often been gravely dis.
cussed by them where the warrant for
the ruling elder is No wonder our elder
is disconnected. The great heart of the
Church at large, the command and en-.
treaty of Christ's body must be brought
to bear upon him as his warrant and au-
thority.
have often wondered as l read the
18th chapter of Acts whether the rulers
Of the synagogue supposed Paul or some
one Of his company might be an elder
from some distant synagogue when they
asked them, after the reading of the
Scriptures, saying, ye have any word
of exhortations for the people, say on d"
They seem not to have been known and
accredited. What is more, they were all
addressed thus, Ye men and brethren. &"
1t could scarcely be taken that they were
all supposed to be elder and yet, as Law
men and strangers, they are all invited
to make some remarks, to speak word
Of exhortation. The incident affords a
glimpse into the naturalness and sim.
plicity Of the synagogue and its service
by elders, from which our Church sprang
by natural transition. Both the Jewish
and the Christian Church we're intended
simply to advance the salvation of poor,
dying men, and keep a pure, simple,
month to month spiritual religion going
along down the ages. B.
Tort Lynne, Va., Feb, 9th, "a.
Cancellation "a tba drov,y,;ro, e . .a.. II =.