The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-02-06
PRESBYTERIANISM.
ITS BLUE BANNEE UNFURIHD'
An Interesting and Instructive Review of a
Hundred Years of PrssbS bStsriAnism in the
nitsdstates-Itu Republican FomOf
Governmsntand Ancient Lineage.

| 00Tofum 0ut ana AhGftht AAtAutlHSa r
At the First Presbyterian church, yes
tsrday morning, Rev. DR.. D. D. Canning
ham preached a sermon on A Hundred
Years OF PreSbyterianiRm in the United
States. The discourse was listened tc
with great interest and satisfaction by q
large congregation, many Of whom took
occasion to thank their pastor for the
pleasure and instruction he had given
them. The Gsrmon iollows infull:
PsLLM 1853 "The Lord hath done great thingl
for Us; whereof We arc glad" .-. D..
All along the ages, Gods people have
been led TO rejoice in His mercy and
faithiulneas. They expressed their Joy and
the reason OF 1t. Jehovah has indeed done
marvellous things for His church, and
these "graat thingo" shall be themes for
eternal praise among all intelligent creA-
lures.
The General Assembly Of the Presby-
teriRn Ohurcn in the United StRtea Of
America, in consideration Of the fact that
the present year COMMUNICATES the cen.
tennial OF its organization, has requested
the pastors to call the attention Of the
churches to the history oi the century now
closing, as far as 1t relates to our particular
branch OF the church. The inspired direc-
tion iB, "WRlk Abont Zion, and go round
about her; tell the towers thereof Mark
ye well her bulwarks. consider her
palaces; that ye may tell it to the genera
ton following. For this God is our God
for ever and ever; He will be our guide
oven unto DEATH" (Ps. 4s:l214)
PREsBYTRRIANlsM.
desire to say, that whilst speaking In
behalf OF the Presbyterian church, it Is
not to be supposed thGt other sections Of
tho church are not engaged In the same
great and blessed work. All branches OF
the Presbyterian family-the Southern,
the United, the Cumberland, and all other
evangelical churches are engaged, more
or less extensively and earnestly, in the
great work OF the Master, and we heartily
bid them Godspeed.
But on the present occasion, need not
apologize for unfurling the blue banner OF
PresbyterlRniam, and speaking Of some OF
its characteristics, and Of the place 1t has
held in history, especially in the history
Of this country during the past one hum
dred years.
l. We hold as PreHbyterians. that there
Ia q church, and that there he's been
church from the beginning Of human his.
tory; that the plan of the church was In
the mind OF Jehovah before He laid the
foundations OF this world. We hold the
supreme hesdship OF Christ. Ho ia the
Founder, LawRlver and Governor Of the
church. To Him alone Ia Rhe Responsible.
The laws given BY Christ to His church
are contained in the Scriptures OF the Old
and New Testaments, which Scriptures
we hold to be the only and sufficient rule
OF faith and practice; the Bible, tho Bible
alone, and the whole Bible. To this prin-
ciple Presbyterianism has always been
true.
AN OLD CHURCH.
As PresbyteriRns We claim pstrisrchal
succession. Presbyterlanisn Is older by
Thousands OF years than the apostles. AT
Horeb, in the light Of the burning bush,
Moses received his great commission,
which ran thus: "Go gather the elders OF
Israel together" Throughout the Bible
from end to end the Church Ia Presby-
terian, from the times of Moses, TO-, and.
through the timea OF the apostles; from
the Shechinah OF the burning buah to the
Apocalypse Of John. Jehovah sent Moses
TO the elders OF Israel, and in the ApoCa.
lypse the elders, together with angels and
cherubim, worship and preach and sing
the new song in company with the count
lees multitude before the throne. In the
visions Of John, the elders are there rep
reaentatiyely. From the household OF the
antediluvisn patriarch to the worship Of
the Apocalyptic Church in Heaven, the
thought, and scheme and spirit OF the
Bible 10 Presbyterian.
But excellent ss our form OF government
ig, It Is only the casket which holds the
precious treasure Of sound doctrine,-the
clear teachings OF the Word OF God.
PresbyteriAnism, then, Is not a mere
form, but system Of vital doctrines and
principles, the form being appropriate to
the doctrines, the history Of which can
be traced back along line Of fire
to the Apostle Paul, and thence to the
burning bush at HoEeb. "AloRg the
whole line stakes and iagots have blazsd,
and along the whole line Presbyterian
blood has been sprinkled, and ashes ol
mRrtyred Presbytorians have been scat
tered"
Kings, prophets, patrlRrchS, all have part
Along the sacred line.
Surely, we need not be ashamed OF our
polity and form Of government. We need
not be ashamed Of its origin, Of It's histo.
ry, Of its past, Of its present, Of its hopes
for the future.
THE PRRsBYTRRY IN THE BIBLE.
In all the scripture there is no instance
recorded Of an exercise oil governmental
authority in the church by individuals,
saving and excepting the inspired proph-
cts and apostles. 1t is ever by tribunals.
Nor Is there named any other order OF
governmental officers composing these tri-
bunals than the "presbuteroi" (eldsrs).
However largely the term "eplskopoi"
may have figured in church history since
the apostolic age, 1t is used but four times
In the New Testament IS descriptive OF .
church officer Gas against the use Of "pres.
buteroi" Aome seventy timea), and then
"episkapos" is used only in speaking Of or
to Greek churches, as defining to them
the meaning OF the common ecclesiastical
term "presbuteroi," with which Gentiles
could not be familiar. So that from frat
70 last tue tetn LuAt pieClsely represents
the scriptural form Of church government
in every age is the Bible term "Presby-
terian."
The track of Presbytsrianism. through
successive ages, Ia marked by whatever Is
bsns6cient and glorious in the progress Of
the gospel. Religion, learning, art, science,
civilization and humanity have made Its
path illustrious, and no nation has felt its
power but in the good Of its people.
2. Presbyterianism is q form Of Chris.
tiSnity, distinguished by the special EN-.
phAsis Of certain great theological princl.