The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-02-20


occasioned by Rev. DR.. Witherspoon's
address delivered at the Centen-
NAL commemoration in Kentucky, has
awakened quite breeze of discussion
on this subject. 1t is to be kept in
view that the Central Presbyterian has
expressed no opinion as to whether the
Thornwell and Breckenridge theory of
the eldership is, or is not, in accordance
with the true doctrine as indicated in
the New Testament books We have
not deemed it desirable to 90 into this
inquiry. All that we undertook to do
was to point out what was the teaching
on the subject Of our Book Of Church
order. We merely purposed in the re-
marks we made on the subject to cor
rect what we conceived an error in Dr.
Witherspoon's statement of the " fun
damental' principles Of Presbyterian-
ism, one Of which he affirmed to be
that the whole government of the Pres
byterian Church has been committed
to a single order of officers of
coordinate and equal authority" We
only attempted to show that "what-
ever may be the truth on this mooted
question, or whatever may be the opin-
ion Of certain eminent men, the stan
dards Of the Presbyterian Churches do
not take the position that ministers and
elders are of one order, and that there
tore no one is warranted in declaring
this TO be a fundamental Presbyterian
doctrine" Our Book, so far from teach
ing this, makes, on the contrary, a
wide distinction between the teaching
elder and the ruling elder, and express
ly provides for t,Co ordinations, the min
lister of the word being specially set
apart and orClained to the preaching of
the word and administering the sacra-
ments. Two ordinations clearly looks
to tlCo separate orders. Chapter VI.
o. the Book of Church Order is entitled
"Of Church Orders" and the subject
matter Of the chapterssi is the vocation.
election, and ordination of Pastors. Rul-
ing Elders and Deacons Each is treat
ed as an 0rder.and the Book:explains
how each is to be ordained and -induct-
ed into office. Strange, therefore, with
such an explicit declaration before us
that anyone (who accepts our Book
should speak of the pastor and ruling
elder as belonging to one and the same
order, and make this identity one of the
distinctive features of Presbyterianism
As a fact also, it is true that even in
the matter of ruItng, the elder has not
equal power with the minister Every
minister is eX-officio a member of Synod
or Of the General Assembly; but il
takes q whole bench of elders to have
equal representation with the minister
in these courts. An elder may spend
his whole official term without evel
casting a vote in these ecclesiastical
bodies he has to ne elected out of the
bench OF elders to sit there; and il
there are five elders in a church, il
takes the whole five to neutralise the
representation of the minister in these
church courts. If the law-makina
power Of the minister is represented
by one, the legislative power Of an ell
der is represented in such case by
Oneffth. If there are two hundred
ministers in the Presbyterian Church
Of the Synod of Virginia and one thou
sand elders, the two hundred ministers
cast as many votes in meeting Of Syn
cd as the nethousande elders. Itcannot
then, be said with truth that man who
attains the office Of elder has an equal
voice in the government Of the Church
with man who attains the Office Of q
minister An obscure elder who doe.
not command the confidence of the
congregation may never cast vote il
the Synod during his lifetime; but
every minister casts vote in every
meeting of Synod cx-oficio and as ,
matter Of right.
Let it be remembered, we say again
that we are not saying whether thi
ought to be so or not we are merely
stating facts.
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