The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1894-01-11

the government by elders as the repre-
sentatives of the people. Each one of
their churches was furnished with a pas
tor and a bench of elders and this form
had. the Culdees said, been brought by
their ancestors from the East from
churches established by the Apostle
John. And these are net empty claims,
but the facts speak for themselves, as
we can see the similarity in form to that
OF the New Testament church and that
they can make good the claims, which
Calvin and Knox made for them at the
Reformation.
These Reformers claim for them that
| their form of government was not only
different from that of any other church,
but older than any other; that it was
exactly similar in form to the New Tes-
lament models, and by an unbroken his
| tOric line they could trace its origin to
1 the days of the Apostles themselves by
! these lines.
Therefore it was not first established
by the Reformers and reformed churches
but rather from those churches which in
turn had received it from the Apostles
themselves.
Time would fail the speaker to 60 more
into details, but any one can investigate
it for themselves if they will look into
the history of the church i'll the early
ages.
And with resume of the points, these
remarks are concluded.
The Presbyterian form of government
was established by God in the days of
Moses 1t was perpetuated in the Syna-
gogue. From the Synagogue it was
transferred to the New Testament
church. This was the form of govern
ment in the early ages and before the
corruptions of the later ages. 1t was
maintained pure however by the Culdees
aud Waldenses, and at the Reformation
after ages of obscarity was brought forth
by the reformers and reestablished as
the government of the Reformed
churches throughout the world, the New
Testament form in all its details.
1t is a representative form of govern
ment, and is today the republican form
which is being adopted by the States
throughout the world, as that which
at the same time preserves the liber-
ties and guarantees the rights of the
people. And the mass of the churches are
adopting it as against the congregational
and prelatical forms, and for the same
reason the great denominations of the
world even those like the great Meth
odist church, which has the Episcopal
form are really controlled by the represen
tatives of the people, the Stewards and >.
Presiding Elders And so with the great
family of Baptist churches; And do we
not see in the adoption of tie represent
tative form living testimony to the
fact of the divine origin of this form and
at the same time tendency to return to
the scriptural model as best, and God
hasten the day when the people through
their representatives shall order the at
fairs which are committed to their
hands by the Great Head of the church
wisely and WELL
The elder belongs to every age of the
church. We behold the elders sitting
with Moses in the Presbytery of Egypt.
They are seen sitting at the gate of every
city in the days of Joshua and the judges.
After the exile a bench of elders is found
in every synagogue They gathered with
the Apostles at the Synod of Jerusalem
They composed the Session or Presby-
terry of every New Testament church.
All ordinations were by the laying on of
hands of elders constituting the Presby
terry. They were preserved from the
corruption and fiery prosecutions of the
dark ages by the hands OF the WaldenseS
ard Culdees.
Re established at the Reformation
they have come down to the church of
our day in their scriptural simplicity,
and they are beheld for the last time in
the General Assembly and church of the
First Born whose uames are written in
Heaven.
In Rev. 4th chap. the four and twenty
elders are seated about the throne Of
God. This is the final endorsement OF
that principle of divine government by
elders in that Holy City, New Jerusalem,
which at last shall descend from God
out OF heaven, when the tabernacle OF
God shall be with men.