The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-03-31

unless specially and lawfully excluded,
and these rights are to deliberate, vote,
serve on committees, and hold such Of
1ces as the body may elect them to oc-
cupy. This amendment assumes this in
the case before US, and proposes to ex-
plain how any Incidental embarrassments
may be avoided. If all the ministers of
the word who are members of court
have the rights named, and the ruling
elders possess the same authority which
they do, the inference is irresistible that
ruling elder may be Moderator of such
court. True, not all the ministers may
have the proper qualifications for such
an Office or for clerkship. But while
this personal lncapacity may prevent such
from beng placed In any particular Of
tlce, 1t Is not because they are teaching
elders; and by parity of reasoning, no
more may ruling elder be prevented, if
personally competent, because he is an
elder. Eligibility is practicable of all,
but the court can discriminate as to per-
sonal fitness
2. The amendment provides for cases
where Moderator is officially incompe-
tent. But in doing this no principle of
our government is contrav ened. Moth
ing is more usual than for Moderate to
vacate the seat temporarily and call some
one to take the chair.
1t is alleged, however, that the mode
ator cannot preach the opening sermon"
But this service is no part of the work of
constituting the court. Scarcely ever is
called or an adjourned meeting of Pres
bytery opened with sermon. In olden
periods, for brevity of time and scarcity
OF ministers, Presbyteries were often
opened with sermon by candidate for
llcensure or ordination and even Synods
in few cases. And each of these courts
has been opened by a sermon by a minis
ter not a member of the court. 1t is con-
coded that the underlying principle in
the Interpretation CT the clause in ques-
tion as to authority, the parity OF the
teaching and ruling elder in order, is not
exactly in the line of the scope of our
Book and the customs of the Church. But
similar objection might lie to much in
our present Book, as compared with that
of 1920, and of the Church existing some
years before the organization of our
Southern Church. Formerly the ruling
elder was not allowed to participate in
the ordination of ministers. Formerly a
quorum consisted CT "three ministers and
as many elders as might be present" an
indefinite mode of saying they were not
essential. But now elders participate in
ordainiDg ministers, and at least one ell
der is essentially necessary, with three
ministers to form a quorum. In ordina-
ton OF elders and of deacons, the pro-
pounding of some questions to the candi-
dates, and on receiving affirmative an.
swers, the offering of prayer, completed
the service. Now the members Of the
session are required to lay their hands on
the heads of the candidates, and prayer
Is offered by the minister who presides.
The presence of elders was recognized
formerly, but no excuses were required
from absentees. Seldom were clerks Sc
lected, in former times, from the elder
ship. But it is rather now the rule than
exception to make selection of one or both
from among elders. All these changes of
law and custom show that approach to
more thorough Presbyterianism and the
present overture adopted will still add
to the dignity and enhance the impor-
tance Of ruling elders. We cannot expect
to get rid fully and at once of the inhu-
ence OF the permeation of congregational
ideas in a church, so much affected as
ours was, till about forty years since.
One Of our leading ministers says this
present movement is ten years ahead of
the current opinions Of the day, and an
other expresses the conviction that even
if failing now, the measure is destined to
success in the near future.
3. The rise OF this order of rulers de-
serves notice. The primitive form of
government was the patriarchal. The
father or head of the family was teacher
priest, and ruler. AS population in
creased the pstriarchal was merged in
the tribal and then the tribal in the ma
tional form of government. But the
heads of families" the older mem
still held the place of an order of dignity
and were the rulers of the Jewish state
and nation, both comprising the same
elements Elders or presbyters were
thus introduced into the primitive Church.
The elder is the only title of rank or
order Bishop or overseer, minister,
apostle, deacon, pastor, evangelist are all
titles of Offices, and the Office or work
gave the name. And elder was the only
order in the theocratic republic of the
Jews, and is the only order of our Pres
byterisn Church, which takes it's name
from PTesbuteros, the Greek word for
elder or elders. Titus Il 81 was direct