The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-01-16

mighty in the Scriptures and rich in
grace, he planted the banner of Christ
upon the very ramparts of sin, and found
ed Church which, with its graded min
istry, is to-day, in every good word and
work, the foremost denomination in this
country. And here we may refer to the
statement, "That without any exception
known to us, other Christian denomina-
tons are elevating their standard of edu-
cation" This is misleading. The Meth
odist Church, while it is offering to its
ministry the means for attaining the
highest scholarship, requires for ordina-
ton, as may be seen in its Book of Dis
cipline, only good English education,
and an approved knowledge of Church
history, theology, and r,ost and best Of
all, the Bible. All, says some one, you
wish to force upon us an illiterate min
istry. We will have no one to preach to
us but thoroughly educated and schol-
arly man. Have it so. We are not &C.
clesiastical communists and Jewellers.
We plead for graded ministry because
all tastes, conditions, and ranks can then
be suited. We by no means aOould abol-
iSh scholarship, but when taste, talents,
and time conspire, as we have written,
we would encourage by providing the
means for the most extensive and pro-
found scholarship. But there is no dan
ger of our theory, In its practical opera
ton, ever colliding with the rights of
any in respect to learned ministry.
Our ministerial ranks will always afford
ample material for selection, and the right
Of election resident in the people, will
ever guarantee to each congregation the
man they prefer. We pass now to con-
slider
The Scriptural Standard.
Here we must be brief, but not, we
trust, at the sacrifice of perspicuity.
Church government, as we find it in the
New Testament, is not delineated with
as much detail and defnitness as we
would expect. There is certain amount
of obscurity resting upon the internal
order of the apostolic Church, and yet
the essential principles of Presbyterian
ism are so apparent that we justly claim
our Form of Government to be 1aCre dSUino
From our reading of the Acts and Epis-
ties, the following appear to be the es-
sential facts in respect to ministers of the
Word
l. There were class of officers in the
Church entitled indifferently, Elders
from their age-or Bishops or Overseers,
from their office or duties The best &C.
count of the existence of this Office in the
Christian Church seems to us to be this ::
There were Elders in the Jewish Church
each synagogue had its bench. Upon
the introduction of Christianity some of
these were converted to the faith of
Christ, and when they came into the
Church their ordination was acknowl-
edged and their office continued. There
was simply transplanting or adoption
of an existing Office. Afterwards, as &C.
casion required, others were ordained by
the apostles or apostolic authority. Save
the apostles, there were apparently no
other officers at first in the Church
2. Among these Elders there were
some who possessed the gift of public
speaking, and exercised this gift as they
had opportunity, by "laboring in word
and doctrine" still discharging the pri-
mary duty of the eldership-that Of
ruler Elders taught, but preaching was
not function of their office-the latter
was special gift. The first preachers
so far as we can see, were taken from
the eldership, and were not specially or
dained as ministers of the Word, as every
Elder who possessed the gift of preaching
had the right to exercise it. This ex-
plains the fact that we have no account
of the institution of either eldership or
ministry. The Office of Elder, with the
incumbent, was transplanted to the
Church, and the first preachers were
Elders; and while preaching was not a
function of their Office, it seemed to be
confined to the eldership.
8. In time, preaching became so i'm
portant and exigent in the aggressive
work Of the Church, that those who pos
sessed this gift and were otherwise quail
fed, were specially set apart to the elder
ship chiefly a0itb VieaO to the exercise of
this gift, and as preaching was more i'm
portant, influential, and conspicuous than
the function of ruling, they gradually
obtained titles derived from their work
as preachers, and were distinguished from
and above those Elders who ruled only.
Thus q ne1O class of officers-minister of
the Word-emerged and obtained fixed
and distinct position in the Church In
respect to government they we're co-ordi-
nate with ruling Elders, but in respect
to dignity and usefulness, by virtue of
the superadded function of preaching,
they were superior to the ruling Elders
and hence, as such, " labored in word and
doctrine" as well as ruled, they were es-
I I L. l. L