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 BV 680 .M15 1846 c.l 
 McKerrow, John, 1789-1867. 
 The office of ruling elder 
 in the Christian church 
 
THE 
 
 OFFICE OF RULING ELDER 
 
 CHRISTIAN CHURCH: 
 
 ITS DIVINE AUTHORITY, DUTIES, AND 
 RESPONSIBILITIES. 
 
 REV. JOHN M'KERROW, D.I) 
 
 1 lyt '"1 
 BRIDGE OF TEITH. 
 
 EDINBURGH: WILLIAM OLIPHANT AND SONS. 
 
 LONDON : HAMILTON, ADAMS AND CO. 
 
 GLASGOW : DAVID ROBERTSON. 
 
 MDCCCXLVI. 
 
" These things write I unto thee, .... that thou mayest 
 know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, 
 which is the church of the U^lng God." — 1 Tim. iu. 14, 15. 
 
 MURRAY AND GIBB, PRINTKRS, KDINBURGH. 
 
PREFATORY NOTICE. 
 
 About the beginning of the year 1844, a friend, 
 — whose mind had been strongly turned to the 
 subject of the office of the Ruling Elder, as one of 
 the most characteristic and important features of 
 our Presbyterian polity, and deeply impressed 
 with the conviction that were the duties of that 
 office better understood and more systematically, 
 conscientiously, and affectionately performed, 
 the spiritual prosperity of our churches would 
 be greatly increased, and more done to recom- 
 mend our model of church order to brethren 
 who have adopted what we deem a less scriptural 
 ecclesiastical platform, than is likely to be effected 
 by any controversial discussion, — requested me 
 to take measures to obtain a succinct, clear, 
 practical Treatise on this topic, by offering a 
 Prize of Fifty Pounds to the Author of the 
 Essay which, among such as might be presented 
 
PREFATOEY NOTICE. 
 
 for competition, should appear, to a committee 
 of qualified adjudicators, best fitted to gain his 
 object. 
 
 My first work, on receiving this welcome 
 commission, was to attempt to secure competent 
 judges — and I will be universally admitted to 
 have been very successful here : The Rev. 
 Robert Balmer, D.D., Berwick ; Robert 
 Gordon, D.D., Edinburgh ; and Gavin Stru- 
 THERS, D.D., Glasgow, kindly undertook this 
 task. 
 
 The following advertisement was then pub- 
 lished in the religious Magazines, and in the 
 most extensively-circulated newspapers of this 
 country : — 
 
 Prize Essay, — The sum of Fifty Pounds Sterling is 
 offered for the best Essay on the following subject : — The 
 Scriptural Authority, Duties, and Responsibilities of 
 the Office of "Ruling Elder" in the Christian Church. 
 
 The Duties of the "Elder" and those of the "Deacon" to 
 be clearly distinguished from each other. 
 
 A deep conviction has been produced on the minds of 
 many who wish well to Zion, that the Presbyterian Churches 
 have been much less efficient than might reasonably have 
 been expected from their principles and constitution; and 
 that this inefficiency may be traced, in no small degree, to 
 
PREFATORY NOTICE. V 
 
 the imperfect manner in which, in very many cases, the duties 
 of the Kuling Elder have been discharged. 
 
 It is believed that, with the Divine blessing, a Faithl'iil, 
 Active, Judicious, Prayerful, Persevering, discharge of these 
 Duties, in connexion with a clear and full proclamation of 
 the Gospel by the Ministers of the "Word, would promote in 
 these Churches, Order, Purity, Activity, Charity, Spirituality, 
 and Fruitfulness, in a much higher degree than has yet been 
 attained, and lead to results at once honourable to Christianittj 
 and its Author, beneficial to themselves in the advancement of a 
 higher standard of Christian character, and advantageous to 
 the World that lieth under the power of the Wicked One. 
 
 It is for the purpose of turning the attention of the Churches 
 to this important subject, that the proposed Essay is called 
 for. To diffuse information on the subject, it is desired that, 
 when prepared, it be extensively circulated ; and in order 
 that it may be published at a Small Price, the Contri])utor 
 reserves the right to print and publish any number of copies, 
 without restriction or further charge for copyright. It is 
 wished that the work be compendious, extending to about 
 200 duodecimo pages, on a medium type. 
 
 The Essays to be forwarded to the Kev. Dr Broavn, 10, 
 Gaj^eld Square, Edinburgh, with the names of the Authors 
 enclosed in Sealed Packets, by the First of August 1 844. 
 Wlien the Decision has been given, the Manuscripts (with 
 the exception of the one preferred) will be returned to the 
 owners on application. 
 
 The Rev. Dr Gordon, Edinburgh, the Rev. Dr Balmer. 
 Berwick, and the Rev. Dr Struthers, Glasgow, have kindly 
 agreed to act as Adjudicators. 
 
\n PREFATORY NOTICE. 
 
 Previously to the expiry of the time for receiv- 
 ing Essays, which, at the request of intending 
 competitors, was somew^hat extended, one of the 
 adjudicators, the Kev. Dr Balmer, was removed 
 by death, and the Eev. Hugh Heugh, D.D., 
 Glasgow, obligingly consented to fill the vacancy. 
 
 Nine Essays were sent in, and submitted to 
 the judgment of the adjudicators. Various 
 circumstances prevented their united judgment 
 from being given so soon as anticipated. When 
 given it was unanimous, and is as follows : — 
 
 We, the appointed adjudicators of a Prize of Fifty Pounds 
 for the best Essay on the Office of the Euling Elder, after 
 examination of the Nine Essays presented in competition, 
 have adjudged the prize to the Author of the Essay having 
 the motto, Tim. iii. 14, 15, "These things write I unto thee, 
 &c.," which, on opening the sealed note accompanying it, was 
 foimd to be the work of the Eev. John M'Kereow^, D.D., 
 Minister of the United Secession Church, Bridge of Teith. 
 
 Robert Gordon, Minister, Edinburgh. 
 H. Heugh, Minister, Glasgow. 
 Gavin Struthers, Minister, Glasgow. 
 
 November, 1845. 
 
 When the Prize was offered, neither my friend 
 nor myself was aware of the intention of the 
 
PREFATORY NOTICE. Vll 
 
 Rev. David King, LL.D., Glasgow, to publish 
 on the subject of the office of the Ruling Elder. 
 It ffives us both his^h satisfaction to observe the 
 general interest which Dr King's valuable trea- 
 tise has excited, and the high approbation which 
 it has obtained. The field is, however, so ex- 
 tensive, and the plans of the two Essays so 
 different, that the one is in no degree fitted to 
 supersede the other. Dr King, instead of re- 
 garding Dr M'Kerrow as an intruder, will, we 
 are persuaded, most gladly welcome such an 
 efficient co-operator in the good work of attempt- 
 ing so to influence the minds of our Elders, as 
 that very many of them shall attain that " double 
 honour" which belongs to those who ^' rule well." 
 
 JOHN BROWN. 
 Edinburgh, April 12, 1846. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the following treatise the Author has entered 
 fully into the scriptural argument in support of 
 the divine authority of the office of ruling elder. 
 He has established on grounds, which he trusts 
 will appear satisfactory to the mass of his readers, 
 that the government of the church by a class 
 of persons bearing the title of Elder, or Overseer, 
 is that particular form of administration which 
 Christ, in his infinite wisdom, has thought pro- 
 per to institute. He has pointed out the duties 
 which those, who are invested with the office of 
 the eldership, are required by their divine Master 
 to perform ; and he has shown that the respon- 
 sibilities connected with this office are peculiarly 
 solemn. He has given to the varied contents 
 of the Essay as popular and practical a shape 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 as the subjects discussed will admit of. While 
 he has made it his study, on the one hand, to 
 avoid offendino^ the ffood taste of those who 
 may be addicted to literary pursuits, — he has 
 endeavoured, on the other, to recommend him- 
 self, by the plainness and simplicity of his 
 language, to persons of uneducated habits ; and 
 it will afford him much gratification to learn, 
 that his work has obtained favour in the eyes 
 of that large and influential class, for whose 
 benefit it is chiefly intended — the Scottish 
 eldership. 
 
 In the advertisement, proposing a prize for 
 the best Essay on the oflfice of ruling elder, 
 there was a limitation mentioned as to the num- 
 ber of pages of which the work should consist. 
 The Author, in preparing his Essay with a view 
 to the competition, felt himself fettered by this 
 restrictive clause ; and was obliged to compress 
 his observations, in certain departments of the 
 subject, within narrower limits than he might 
 otherwise have done — as he did not consider 
 himself at liberty to transgress (at least to any 
 great extent) the bounds prescribed. But since 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 the competition was decided in his favour, he 
 has, with the concurrence of the gentleman who 
 gave the prize, inserted an additional chapter 
 (the eighth) containing a variety of practical 
 suggestions concerning the working of the elder- 
 ship ; and he flatters himself that the addition 
 thus made will render his work more useful to 
 that class of office-bearers, for whose benefit it 
 has been penned, and give it a better claim to 
 the approbation of the public. 
 
 A chapter of considerable length has been de- 
 voted to the consideration of the office of deacon. 
 The Author has endeavoured to show that this 
 office is of divine institution, that it was designed 
 to be of permanent continuance in the church, 
 and that those congregations, who have per- 
 mitted it to pass into dissuetude, are chargeable 
 with criminal neglect. A variety of considera- 
 tions have been adduced in the course of the 
 work, to show that the office of deacon ought to 
 be revived in all our churches. 
 
 It augurs well for the advancement of religion 
 in our country, that the great body of the elder- 
 ship are becoming more devoted in their Master's 
 
Xll PREFACE. 
 
 service, and are taking a more prominent part 
 in the management of ecclesiastical affairs than 
 they have hitherto done. Meetings have been 
 held by them in various quarters, the avowed 
 object of which has been to stir up one another 
 to the more vigorous discharge of the duties 
 connected with their office, and to devise me- 
 thods of more extended usefulness in the church 
 of Christ. A laudable anxiety has been mani- 
 fested to elevate the tone of piety and intelligence 
 throughout the whole circle of office-bearers, 
 and to deepen upon their minds a sense of the 
 responsibility connected with the honourable 
 situation which they hold. Such, I believe, 
 was the praiseworthy object which the public- 
 spirited gentleman had in view, who proposed 
 the prize that has been awarded to the writer 
 of these pages. How far this object may be 
 accomplished by the Essay, to which his libe- 
 rality has given birth, remains yet to be deter- 
 mined. 
 
 The Author ushers his little volume into the 
 world, conscious of its many imperfections — and 
 with a trembling anxiety lest it may come far 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 short of the object, for which the prize has been 
 given, and disappoint the expectations which it 
 is reasonable to entertain of the production of 
 an individual, who has been successful in a lite- 
 rary competition. He has only further to add, 
 that whatever may be the estimate, formed by 
 others, of the result of his labours, he has been 
 truly desirous to contribute his mite of usefiil- 
 ness to the christian church, by endeavouring 
 to establish on solid grounds the divine authority 
 of the eldership, and by exerting himself to 
 elevate the character and promote the efficiency 
 of those who have been called, by the suffrages 
 of their fellow-christians, to occupy this highly 
 responsible situation. 
 
 He consecrates his Essay to the service of 
 him whose cause it professes to support — with 
 a fervent prayer, that he who sits as King upon 
 the holy hill of Zion would render it instru- 
 mental in promoting a spirit of fidelity and 
 devotedness in those who have been appointed 
 to administer the affairs of his kingdom upon 
 earth. 
 
 Bridge of Teith, April 13, 1846. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 Introductory remarks, showing that some kind of govern- 
 ment is necessary for the church — The question stated, 
 Has Christ appointed in the New Testament any par- 
 ticular form of government to be observed in lus church ? 
 — Preliminary statements, showing what consequences 
 would follow from maintaining the negative view of this 
 question — Question answered in the afl&rmative — Argu- 
 ments adduced in support of it — Argument first, It is 
 affirmed that God hath set governments in the church — 
 Argument second. The practice of the apostles corres- 
 ponded with what they declared to be the appointment of 
 God on this subject — Argument third, A platform of 
 ecclesiastical discipline laid down in the apostolical writ- 
 ings — Testimony of Lightfoot and Milton on the subject, 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The nature of church power stated — Its source — Its limits— 
 The end for which it is conferred — The power of go- 
 vernment not lodged in the community of the faithful — 
 
XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 Arguments advanced in support of this statement — 
 Argument first, No mention made in Scripture of any 
 such power being given by Cliiist to the body of the people 
 — Argument second, It is obvious from mention being 
 made of diversified gifts that Christ never intended that 
 all should rule — Argument tliird, The directions given by 
 the apostles to the members of the primitive churches 
 show that the great majority of them were in subjection 
 — Argument fourth, If in each congregation all the mem- 
 bers have the power of ruling, the question presents 
 itself. Whom are they to obey? — Argument fifth, No 
 power delegated by the people, recognised by Christ in 
 his church — Argument sixth. No instance mentioned in 
 the New Testament of the people acting as rulers in the 
 church — 1 Cor. v. 1-5, examined — Remarks on Matt, xviii. 
 15-17 — Testimony of Dr Owen, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Ofiice-bearers appointed by God — Extraordinary ofiice- 
 bearers — Ordinary office-bearers — Jewish eldership — 
 Christian eldership — Persons appointed to rule in the 
 church — Scriptural arguments in support of this position 
 — Argument first. The fact is plainly and unequivocally 
 stated, that elders were ordained by the apostles in every 
 church — Argument second. It appears evident from the 
 New Testament that every church had a plurality of elders 
 ^Argument third. The elders mentioned in the New- 
 Testament were appointed for the purpose of overseeing 
 the church — Argument fourth. We find a variety of titles 
 given to elders expressive of their being possessed of 
 
CONTENTS. S 
 
 authority— Argument fifth, The eldership is mentioned in 
 the New Testament as a distinct office, and the qualifica- 
 tions for this office are minutely pointed out — Argument 
 sixth. Special directions are given as to the manner in 
 which the duties of the eldership are to be performed — 
 Argument seventh. Members of the church are instructed 
 in the duty which they owe to their spiritual rulers, 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Ruling elders— A distinct class from the teaching elders 
 — Presumptive proof of this — Direct evidence — Rom. 
 xii. 8—1 Cor. xii. 28, 29—1 Tim. v. 17— These passages 
 examined — Objections answered — Reflections suggested 
 by the evidence— Opinion of Dr Owen concerning the 
 eldership, 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Christian Fathers — What degi-ee of credit to be attached to 
 their writings — Their testimony in favour of the eldership 
 —Clemens Romanus- -Ignatius— Polycarp— Justin Martyr 
 — Irenseus — Tertullian — Origen — Ambrose — Jerome — 
 The eldership retained among the Waldenses — Adopted 
 by the Bohemian Brethren — Introduced by Calvin into 
 the church of Geneva — Received generally by the re- 
 formed churches — The English Puritans in favour of it — 
 The Independent party in the Westminster Assembly 
 
 of Divines express their willingness to receive it 
 
 Testimonies from congregational writers in favour of 
 ruling elders — Testimonies from episcopalian writers — 
 Summary of evidence, 103 
 
 n 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Qualifications necessary in ruling elders — Piety — Knowledge 
 — Practical wisdom — Experience in the christian life— A 
 blameless conduct — Duties of the eldership — RuUng — 
 Overseeing — Watching for souls — Visitation of the sick — 
 Family visitation — Instructing the young — Setting an 
 example to the flock — The manner in which the duties 
 of the eldership are to be performed — Faithfully — 
 Diligently — Impartially — Affectionately — In humble 
 dependence upon divine grace — Encouragements to 
 ruling elders — Christ's promise to be with them in their 
 meetings — His promise to ratify their decisions, . . 147 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Office of the deacon — Opinions concerning the office — 
 First deacons of the christian church— The office of divine 
 appointment — Proofs in support of this — The office of 
 the deacon distinct from that of the teaching or ruling 
 elder — Deacons in all the primitive churches — The office 
 designed to be permanent — Duties of the office — Preach- 
 ing and ruling no pai't of these duties — Deacons appointed 
 to take charge of the poor — Scriptural injunctions on 
 this subject — Extract from the writings of Dr Dick—^ 
 Testhnony of Dr D wight — Evils arising from uniting 
 the office of the deacon and the office of the elder in the 
 same person — Opinion of Dr Chalmers — Deacons may be 
 usefully employed in managing the pecuniary jiffairs of 
 congi'egations, i; 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Inadequate views entertained of the office of the ehlership 
 — Inefficient manner in which the duties of it are per- 
 formed by many — Honourable exceptions to this state- 
 ment — Promising symptom of the present times connected 
 with the eldership — Practical suggestions for the con- 
 sideration of elders —Their conduct viewed in relation to 
 the presbytery — Their conduct as members of session — 
 The duty that they owe to the young — Their conduct 
 viewed in relation to missionary exertion — The part 
 that they ought to take in the general management of 
 the affairs of the congregation — A plea for the revival of 
 the office of deacon — The duties of the ruling elder and 
 of the deacon viewed in relation to each other — The 
 office of the latter subordinate and auxiliary to the office 
 of the former, : 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Responsibility of elders — Responsil)ility connected with 
 decUning to accept of the office of elder — Excuses of 
 those who decUne accepting of the office considered- 
 Address to elders — The nature of the charge connnitted 
 to them — The person from whom they receive their 
 cliarge — The object for which it is committed to them 
 — The prosperity of rehgion much dependent 'on the 
 manner in which they discharge the duties of their office 
 — Address to members of presbyteriaii churches — The 
 
XX CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 duty of maintaining the presbyterian form of government 
 — The advantages of it — A union among the various 
 sections of evangelical presbyterians desirable — Prac- 
 ticable — The aspect of the present times calls loudly for 
 such a union —The duty of cultivating a feeling of bro- 
 therly affection toward Christians of aU religious deno- 
 minations — Concluding statements, 2o4 
 
THE 
 
 OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introductory remarks, showing that some kind of government 
 is necessary for the church — The question stated, Has Chiist 
 appointed in the New Testament any particular form of 
 government to be observed in his cliurch? — PreUminary 
 statements, showing what consequences would follow from 
 maintaining the negative view of this question — Question 
 answered in the affirmative — Arguments adduced in support 
 of it — Argument first, It is affirmed that God hath set govern- 
 ments in the church — Argument second. The practice of the 
 apostles corresponded with what they declared to be the 
 appointment of God on this subject — Argument third, A 
 platform of ecclesiastical discipline laid down in the aposto- 
 lical writings — Testimony of Lightfoot and INIilton on the 
 subject. 
 
 That government of some kind or another is neces- 
 sary for the church of Christ, is a proposition the 
 truth of which few, if any, will be inclined to ques- 
 tion. Without laws no society can exist. These 
 are necessary for the maintenance of order ; and 
 
2 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 where there are laws, persons must be appointed to 
 administer them. Without the appointment of such 
 individuals — laws, however good in themselves, will 
 be ineffectual ; seeing it is only by the firm and im- 
 partial administration of them that the ends of good 
 government can be obtained. The statements now 
 made, hold true of civil society ; and they are no less 
 applicable to that spiritual community designated the 
 church. The existence of such a community without 
 laws, without office-bearers, or any kind of govern- 
 ment, would be a complete anomaly. Such a sup- 
 position (were I to make it) would be alike opposed 
 to the dictates of reason and of Scripture. 
 
 Regarding it, then, as a point which is incontro- 
 vertible, that some kind of government is necessary 
 for the church — the question which I propose con- 
 sidering in this chapter, preparatory to the discussion 
 of the main subject of this treatise, is. Whether Christ 
 has appointed any particular form of government for 
 the church in its New Testament state, or. Whether 
 he has left it discretionary to the civil rulers of a 
 country, or to the church itself, to institute such a 
 form as they, in their wisdom, may think best adapted 
 to the prevailing genius of a nation, or to the par- 
 ticular exigencies of the times ? In taking a survey 
 of the arguments, which have been advanced in sup- 
 
THE OFFICE OF KULENG ELDER. 3 
 
 port of the conflicting views contained in the question 
 now stated, I have been led decidedly to adopt the 
 opinion of those who maintain the proposition con- 
 tained in the first part of the question, namely, that 
 Christ has appointed a particular form of government 
 for the New Testament churcli. If this proposition 
 can be established by arguments deduced from Scrip- 
 ture, it follows as a necessary consequence, that to 
 this form of government all are bound, from a regard 
 to the authority of Christ, to adhere. Before pre- 
 senting my readers with the arguments, which 
 Scripture furnishes in support of the proposition 
 now mentioned, I shall make a few preliminary 
 statements. 
 
 First, None Avill question that the church existing 
 under the Old Testament dispensation had a divinely- 
 appointed form of government : The persons wdio 
 were to act as office-bearers — the nature of the 
 authority with which they were invested — the kind 
 of discipline they were required to exercise — and 
 the work they were expected to perform — were all 
 pointed out with a precision and minuteness, which 
 left no room for uncertainty on any of these points. 
 If the gospel church have no particular form of 
 government laid down by its great Head, according 
 to which its discipline is to be administered — if men 
 
4 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 have been left to regulate its affairs according to their 
 own pleasure — then must it be regarded as occupying 
 an inferior position to that which was occupied by the 
 Jewish church, and as labouring under disadvantages 
 which did not attach to its predecessor. But how 
 will this agi'ee with those parts of Scripture which, 
 in describing the state of things existing under the 
 New Testament economy, represent it as in every 
 respect superior to that which existed under the Old. 
 So great is this superiority, that the one is said to 
 have the substance — while the other had only the 
 shadow. 
 
 Secondly^ The gospel church is Christ's spiritual 
 kingdom — that kingdom concerning which such 
 glorious things w^ere predicted by the prophets — and 
 which is destined to acquire a universal and uncon- 
 trollable ascendancy in our world. The boundaries 
 of it shall extend from sea to sea. The number of 
 its subjects shall be countless as the dew drops of 
 the morning : and the influence exercised by it over 
 the affairs of men shall be such as to change the very 
 aspect of society, and to produce on our earth a long 
 period of millennial glory. How strange would it 
 appear, if the glorious person who presides over this 
 kingdom had given no directions with regard to the 
 manner in which its affairs are to be administered 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 5 
 
 upon earth — if he had prescribed no laws for its 
 government, and had appointed no office-bearers to 
 see that every thing connected with this spiritual 
 community be done " decently and in order." A 
 kingdom, comprising in it such a vast number of 
 subjects, yet without laws, and without subordinate 
 rulers, clothed with authority from Christ, to ad- 
 minister its affairs, w^ould be a complete solecism. 
 If such a supposition as this were admitted to be 
 correct, then we would be obliged to acknowledge 
 that Christ's kingdom laboured under defects greater 
 than are found to exist in any of the kingdoms of 
 this world. 
 
 Thirdly, If Christ has appointed no particular form 
 of government for his church, the question may fairly 
 be asked. Who shall take upon them to determine 
 what kind of government is best adapted to this 
 spiritual society ? Must it not be presumption in any 
 man, or in any class of men, to determine what 
 (according to this supposition) Christ, in his infinite 
 wisdom, has left undetermined ? The natural infe- 
 rence to be deduced from this theory is, that if the 
 King of Zion has not thought proper to make known 
 to us any particular plan, according to which he 
 wishes the affairs of his kingdom upon earth to be 
 administered, men ought to leave this matter as 
 
O THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Christ himself has left it. They should not have 
 the appearance — by sketching out schemes of govern- 
 ment which he has not sanctioned — of aspiring to 
 the honour of legislating for the church. In what 
 other light can such conduct be regarded than an 
 impious usurpation of the prerogative of the Prince 
 of Peace — by presuming to appoint a form of govern- 
 ment for his kingdom, when he himself has not 
 thought proper to do so. 
 
 Fourthly^ If there be no scheme of ecclesiastical 
 government sketched out in Scripture — which we 
 are to regard as of divine authority — then one of 
 two things must follow. Either the church must 
 be without any government at all, or it must be 
 governed according to such schemes as human wis- 
 dom may suggest. The first part of this alternative 
 none will admit. Without some kind of govern- 
 ment, the church would soon become completely 
 disorganised. If we admit the second part of the 
 alternative, who does not see that this is throwing 
 open the door to every species of abuse. "We could 
 have no security whatever that the forms of govern- 
 ment, which men thought proper to institute, would 
 be in accordance with the spirit of Christianity. 
 Nay, knowing as we do how much the bulk of man- 
 kind are influenced by the workings of ambition, or 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 7 
 
 self-interest, or caprice — we might rather anticipate 
 that the schemes, which they devised for the govern- 
 ment of the house of God, would be at variance with 
 the purity and simplicity of the gospel. Should any 
 find fault with schemes of this description, and say 
 that they ought not to exist, those who originated 
 them, and who were interested in their support, 
 might plead in their own vindication, — that tliis was 
 a matter concerning which no definite rule had been 
 laid do"\vn by the great Head of the church — and 
 that none could warrantably interfere with them for 
 acting according to their own particular views of 
 what was right. 
 
 Having premised these things, for the purpose of 
 showing what serious difficulties are connected with 
 the opinion of those who maintain that there is no 
 particular plan of government laid down for the 
 New Testament church, which we are warranted in 
 regarding as of divine institution, I now proceed to 
 adduce the scripture authority which we have for 
 maintaining the opposite opinion. 
 
 First, Wq find it expressly affirmed that God 
 hath set governments in the church. In the first 
 epistle to the Coiinthians (xii. 28) the writer says — 
 " God hath set some in the church, first, apostles ; 
 secondarily, prophets ; thirdly, teachers ; after that 
 
8 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 miracles ; then gifts of healing, helps, governments, 
 &c." The apostle is here speaking of the visible 
 church. He compares it, in the preceding context, 
 to the human body which consists of many members. 
 He represents it as having had conferred upon it a 
 variety of gifts — and as comprehending in it all 
 officers, both extraordinary and ordinary. That it 
 is to the church, not as existing under the Old Testa- 
 ment, but as existing under the 'New, that he here 
 refers, is evident from his mentioning only the New 
 Testament officers. In this church, he declares, there 
 is a government settled : — " God hath set govern- 
 ments in it." The abstract here is put for the 
 concrete; governments for governors. The term in 
 the original (Kv^epvrjo-eis) describes the conduct of the 
 pilot, or shipmaster, when by means of the rudder 
 and compass he guides the vessel in its voyage across 
 the deep. So those, who in this passage ai'e styled 
 governments, are persons to whom has been intrusted, 
 under its divine Head, the government of the church. 
 They could not with any propriety have such a 
 designation, as this applied to them, if they had not 
 a power of government conferred upon them. 
 
 Should any affirm, that the term governments in 
 this passage is applicable to the civil magistrate, it 
 is a sufficient answer to those who make such an 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 9 
 
 affirmation to say, that these " governments " were 
 set in the church for a period of at least 300 years 
 before any civil magistrate was connected with her ; 
 and we have not the slightest hint given of this 
 power of government being taken from the church 
 and conferred, at any future period, upon the civil 
 magistrate. Besides, all the other officers mentioned 
 in this passage are purely ecclesiastical ; and it 
 would be incongruous to suppose the apostle insert- 
 ing in such an enumeration a class of officers merely 
 political, without giving any notice of his doing so. 
 This verse, then, teaches us, that governments in the 
 church are of divine institution : for " God hath 
 set" (edero) — hath constituted or ordained them in 
 it. In accordance with this doctrine, Paul, ^Titing 
 to the same church and speaking of the authority, 
 {e^ova-ia) which he and his fellow-labourers exercised, 
 says that it was divinely conferred : — " our authority 
 which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not 
 for destruction ;" 2 Cor. x. 8. 
 
 Secondly, We find that the practice of the apostles 
 completely coincided ^\\\\\ what they declared to be 
 the appointment of God on this subject : — That is, 
 we find them ordaining office-bearers in all the 
 churches, and intimating that, while they did so, 
 they acted by a divine authority. What the apostles 
 
10 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 did in the planting and organising of churches, we 
 are to consider them as having done according to 
 the express letter of commandments given them by 
 Christ. It is on this ground that Christians have 
 always regarded the practice of the apostles as indi- 
 cating the mind of Christ with no less clearness than 
 their injunctions ; and they have considered them- 
 selves bound to adhere to the precedents furnished 
 by the former, as well as to follow the directions 
 given in the latter. Dr Owen has justly remarked 
 — " The example and practice of the apostles in the 
 erection of churches, in the appointment of officers 
 and rulers in them, in directions given for their 
 walking, order, administration of censures and all 
 other holy things, are a sufficient indication of the 
 mind and will of Christ about them. We do not 
 say, that in themselves they are institutions and 
 appointments, but they infallibly declare what is so, 
 or the mind of Christ concerning those things. Nor 
 can this be questioned without a denial of their in- 
 fallibihty, faithfulness and divine authority." ^ 
 
 From the account, which the TVTiter of the Acts 
 of the Apostles gives in the beginning of that book 
 (chap. i. 2, 3), we learn, that Christ spent forty days 
 
 ^ Enquiry into the Origin, Nature, Institution, &c. of Evange- 
 lical Churches. P. 36. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 1 1 
 
 with his apostles, after he rose from the dead and 
 before he ascended to heaven — and that during that 
 period he conversed with them " of the things per- 
 taining to the kingdom of God" — that is, of the 
 things pertaining to the gospel dispensation, which 
 was now commenced. We are told also, that during 
 that period, he gave "commandments to the apostles." 
 The history that follows is to be regarded as con- 
 taining a faithful record of the manner in which the 
 apostles carried into effect the commandments that 
 were given them by their divine Master, when he 
 spake to them " of the things pertaining to the 
 kingdom of God." In this history it is mentioned, 
 that, after the descent of the Holy Ghost on the Day 
 of Pentecost, the apostles preached the gospel first 
 in Jerusalem — then in the other towns of Judea — 
 and afterward in the more distant provinces of the 
 Roman empire. Those whom they converted to the 
 christian faith, they formed into churches ; and in 
 every one of the churches thus formed, " they 
 ordained them elders." No reasonable doubt can 
 be entertained, that it was one of the command- 
 ments, which they had received from Christ, to 
 do this. The simple fact recorded, that they 
 " ordained them elders in every church" (Acts xiv. 
 23), shows, that they were acting according to a 
 
12 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 system which had previously been laid down for 
 their guidance. 
 
 In making such statements as these, we are not 
 left to mere conjecture. We are furnished, by the 
 testimony of one of the most distinguished of the 
 apostles, with a complete corroboration of the view 
 now given. Paul, addressing the elders of the church 
 of Ephesus, in the very affecting interview which he 
 had with them at Miletus, said unto them, " Take 
 heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the 
 which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers ;" Acts 
 XX. 28. These elders were amongst the number of 
 those whom the apostles had ordained : yet it is 
 said, that the Holy Ghost had made them overseers. 
 Does not this language clearly indicate, that when 
 the apostles ordained these elders, they were acting 
 agreeably to the mind of the Holy Ghost? They 
 were doing his work — acting under a divine autho- 
 rity. But the language now quoted (" the Holy 
 Ghost hath made you overseers") was not applicable 
 solely to the elders of the church of Ephesus ; it was 
 applicable, on the very same principle, to the elders 
 whom the apostles ordained in all the churches. If so, 
 is there not here indisputable evidence furnished, 
 that the ordaining of persons to the office of the 
 eldership is of divine institution ? When we connect 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 13 
 
 the historical fact, on which I have now been com- 
 menting, with the statement made by an apostle, 
 which has previously been noticed — that " God 
 hath set governments in the church" — we are fairly 
 warranted in drawing the conclusion, that there is a 
 divinely-instituted form of church government laid 
 down, to which Christians are bound to adhere in 
 all ages. 
 
 Thirdly^ Another argument, which I adduce in 
 support of this statement, is, that we find marked 
 out, in the writings of the apostles, a platform of 
 discipline, with an intimation given, that it was 
 designed to be of permanent continuance in the 
 church. That portion of the apostolical writings, 
 to which I here chiefly refer, is the first epistle to 
 Timothy, which contains in it a delineation of a plan 
 of government for the church. The following things 
 in reference to this subject, are distinctly pointed out 
 by the wi-iter of that epistle. 
 
 1. He mentions tAvo classes of office-bearers — 
 and only two : these are overseers (or elders) and 
 deacons. Chap. iii. 1-12. 
 
 2. He states particularly the qualifications which 
 the persons, who are elected to these offices, ought to 
 
 3. He points out the manner in which they are 
 
14 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 to be set apart to their respective offices. It is by 
 the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, or 
 eldership. In this way Timothy himself had been 
 set apart to the work of the ministry; and in this way 
 he was to set apart others. Chap. iv. 14, and v. 22. 
 
 4. A distinction is made between two classes of 
 elders. One class only rule : another class, besides 
 ruling, labour in word and doctrine. Chap. v. 17. 
 
 5. The work of an elder is distinctly pointed out. 
 He is to rule, and to " take care of the church of 
 God;" Chap. iii. 5. 
 
 6. He gives directions also with regard to the 
 work of a deacon, pointing out the class of widows 
 that are to be considered as deserving of receiving 
 support from the charitable fund of the church. 
 Chap. V. 3-16. 
 
 7. He mentions the kind of treatment, which elders 
 are to receive : — " Rebuke not an elder, but entreat 
 him as a father" — " Let the elders that rule well be 
 counted worthy of double honour, especially they 
 who labour in word and doctrine" — "Against an 
 elder receive not an accusation, but before two or 
 three witnesses;" Chap. v. 1, 17, 19. 
 
 8. Directions are given concerning the administer- 
 ing of rebuke to offenders. " Them that sin rebuke 
 before all, that others also may fear ;" Chap. v. 20. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 15 
 
 The particulars, now enumerated, are stated with 
 sufficient plainness in the first epistle to Timothy. 
 The statement of them by the apostle was designed, 
 in the fii'st place, to guide Timothy in his work as 
 an evangelist, that he might set in order the things 
 that were necessary vnth. regard to the churches. 
 But sufficient evidence is to be found in the epistle 
 itself — and also in certain passages that occur in the 
 second epistle — to convince us, that these things were 
 penned by Paul, under the guidance of the Spirit of 
 God, not merely for the direction of Timothy, but 
 to serve as a pattern of church-government^— to be 
 followed by the christian church in all succeeding 
 ages. I shall briefly glance at the evidence, which 
 these epistles furnish in support of the proposition 
 now stated. 
 
 First, Paul in the first chapter of the first epistle 
 — after an introduction which terminates at the 1 7th 
 verse — states that he is about to commit to Timothy 
 a charge concerning the work in which, as a mini- 
 ster of the gospel, he was engaged. 
 
 Secondly, After stating a variety of particulars — 
 among which he expatiates largely on the offices of 
 the elder and the deacon — he adds these words, 
 " These things write I unto thee, hoping to come 
 unto thee shortly : But if I tarry long, that thou 
 
16 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself 
 in the house of God, which is the church of the 
 living God;" Chap. iii. 14, 15. Here the apostle 
 expressly declares, that these things were wi'itten by 
 him that Timothy might know how to administer 
 the affairs of the house of God — what office-bearers 
 he was to appoint, and what discipline he was to 
 exercise. If Timothy might know, fi'om what Paul 
 thus wrote, what office-bearers were to be appointed, 
 and what kind of government was to be observed, 
 in the church, ive certainly may know, from the 
 same writings, what these office-bearers are, and 
 what that discipline is which ecclesiastical rulers 
 are required to observe. What Paul wrote on this 
 subject was designed for our instruction, as well as 
 for that of Timothy : for, after a few additional 
 statements in the beginning of the fourth chapter, 
 he says (verse 6th), " If thou put the brethren in 
 remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good 
 minister of Jesus Christ" — and then a little farther 
 on he adds (verse 11th), "These things command 
 and teach'"' 
 
 Thirdly, Paul reverts to the subject of the elder- 
 ship in the fifth chapter — where he also dwells on 
 the duties connected with the office of the deacon — 
 and to show the importance of a faithful adherence 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 17 
 
 to the rules which he lays down, for the guidance of 
 office-bearers in the government of the church, he 
 addi-esses Timothy in the following solemn terms 
 (verse 21), " I charge thee before God, and the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe 
 these things, without preferring one before another, 
 doing nothing by partiality." And when about to 
 conclude his address, he renews his charge in lan- 
 guage equally solemn (chap. vi. 13, 14), "I give 
 thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all 
 things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius 
 Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep 
 this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until 
 the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." The 
 " commandment" which Timothy is here charged to 
 keep " without spot" comprehends the whole of what 
 has been enjoined concerning discipline in the pre- 
 ceding chapters, and must not be limited (as some 
 have supposed) to the particular precept that goes 
 immediately before. Should any object to this in- 
 terpretation, that the term commandment is in the 
 singular number, and cannot with propriety be 
 interpreted as having a plural meaning, I would 
 remind those who make this objection, that the 
 apostle employs the same term, in a plural sense, in 
 the fifth verse of the first chapter of the same epistle ; 
 
 B 
 
18 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 and this may be regarded as good authority for 
 understanding it, in a similar sense, in the fourteenth 
 verse of the last chapter. 
 
 Fourthly, As another argument, to show that the 
 directions given to Timothy, in the first epistle, were 
 not intended solely for his personal guidance, but 
 were designed to furnish a platform of ecclesiastical 
 discipline, to be maintained in the church in all 
 succeeding ages, I refer my readers to a statement 
 contained in the second epistle, addi'essed to the same 
 individual, — where Paul says, "The things that thou 
 hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same 
 commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to 
 teach others also ;" chap. ii. 2. No one will question, 
 that among the things which Timothy had heard of 
 Paul, were the injunctions concerning office-bearers 
 and discipline, contained in the first epistle. These 
 things Timothy was not to keep to himself. He was 
 to commit them "to faithful men ;" and these faithful 
 men were "to teach others also" — so that generation 
 after generation might know and observe the ordi- 
 nances delivered by the apostle, in the name of Christ, 
 concerning the government of the house of God — 
 " which is the church of the living God." As we 
 then have been taught by the servant of Christ, 
 speaking to us in the name of his Master, on this 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 19 
 
 important subject, so we are waiTanted — by the 
 command addressed to Timothy — " to teach others 
 also." 
 
 From the premises that have been stated in the 
 preceding pages, the following conclusion is fairly 
 deducible — that a scheme of government for the 
 christian church has been laid down in Scripture, 
 and that this scheme is of permanent and universal 
 obligation. We are not at liberty to reject or alter 
 it — but are bound to adhere to it, as it has been 
 authoritatively delivered to us by the Spirit of God. 
 
 Li support of the views, which have been advanced 
 in this chapter, I shall quote the language of two 
 distinguished writers : — " Timothy (says Lightfoot), 
 had two works to perform in Ephesus ; first, to pre- 
 vent the rise of errors and heterodoxies; and, secondly, 
 to direct and order the orthodox aright in worship 
 and discipline (not as a diocesan bishop, for he staid 
 but a while there, and what he did, he did but at the 
 apostle's direction), but as one whom Paul had found 
 to be bold, emulous, painful, and faithful." — And 
 again, " Paul lays down a divine directory before 
 him, concerning their manner of praying — choosing 
 and ordaining ministers — approving deacons — ad- 
 mitting widows — and regulating the people, that 
 nothing could be wanting to the healthful temper of 
 
20 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 the church, if they receive and embrace his applica- 
 tion." ^ 
 
 Milton, referring to the directions given by Paul 
 to Timothy, says — " Thus we find here, that the rules 
 of church discipline are not only commanded, but 
 hedged about with such a terrible impalement of 
 commands, that he that will break through wilfully 
 to violate the least of them must hazard the wounding 
 of his conscience even unto death." ^ 
 
 ^ Lightfoot's Works, vol. i., pp. 307, 308. 
 - The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelacy. 
 B. I. Ch. 2. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 21 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 The nature of church power stated — Its source — Its limits — The 
 end for which it is conferred — The power of government not 
 lodged in the community of the faithful — Arguments advanced 
 in support of this statement — Argument first, No mention 
 made in Scripture of any such power being given by Christ to 
 the body of the people — Argument second, It is obvious from 
 mention being made of diversified gifts that Christ never in- 
 tended that all should rule — Argument third, The directions 
 given by the apostles to the members of the primitive churches 
 show that the great majority of them were in subjection — 
 Argument fourth, If in each congregation all the members 
 have the power of ruling, the question presents itself, Whom 
 are they to obey ? — Argument fifth. No power delegated by 
 the people, recognised by Christ in his church — Argument 
 sixth. No instance mentioned in the New Testament of the 
 people acting as rulers in the church — 1 Cor, v. 1-5, examined 
 —Remarks on Matt, xviii. 15-17— Testimony of Dr Owen. 
 
 Having shown, in tlie preceding chapter, that we 
 have scriptural grounds for affirming that Christ has 
 prescribed a form of government, to be observed in 
 his church, — and that the outlines of this form are 
 marked out with considerable distinctness in tlie 
 writings of the apostles — I now proceed to inquire, 
 in whom the power of administration has been lodged ; 
 
22 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 — whether in the community of the faithful, or in 
 office-bearers appointed for the purpose of bearing 
 rule in the house of Gocl. But before entering upon 
 this inquiry, I shall make some remarks with the 
 view of pointing out the nature and defining the limits 
 of that power which those, who are invested with 
 authority in the church, are permitted to exercise. 
 
 I remark first, concerning this power, that it is 
 wholly spiritual. It is spiritual as to the source from 
 which it proceeds — ^being derived not from any earthly 
 sovereign, nor from any body of men, but from Christ 
 the exalted mediator. It is spiritual as to the rule, 
 according to which it is exercised. This rule is not the 
 maxims of state policy, nor any human enactments, 
 but the word of God. It is spiritual as to the objects 
 about which it is exercised. It interferes not with 
 the lives and property of men ; nor does it take 
 cognisance of trespasses committed against the poli- 
 tical institutions of a country : But it deals with men 
 as subjects of Christ's spiritual kingdom — and it 
 deals with them for the purpose of preventing and 
 correcting offences committed against the laws of 
 Christ. It is spiritual as to the means by which it 
 proposes accomplishing its ends. It does not attempt 
 to keep men in the way of duty, by proffering to 
 them worldly honours and emoluments ; nor does it 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 23 
 
 punish men for offences committed against the laws 
 of Christ, by depriving them of their property, their 
 liberty or life. The means which it employs, for 
 accomplishing the ends of discipline, are admonition, 
 censure, and casting out from the communion of the 
 church those who show themselves unworthy of its 
 privileges. 
 
 I remark secondly, concerning this power, that 
 Christ is the fountain-head of it. Those who are 
 called upon to exercise it in the church, derive it 
 from him. The government is upon his shoulder. 
 He it is, " that hath the key of David, that openeth 
 and no man shutteth ; and shutteth and no man 
 openeth."^ " All power (said Christ) is given unto 
 me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and 
 teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the 
 Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost ; teach- 
 ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
 commanded you.^ Pawl, referring to the authority 
 which he and his fellow-labourers exercised in the 
 church, uniformly speaks of it as an authority derived 
 from Christ. (2 Cor. x. 8 ; and xiii. 10). 
 
 I remark thirdly, concerning this power, that it is 
 wholly administrative. It is in no respect legisla- 
 tive. Christ has not conferred on any individual, 
 1 Rev. iii. 7. ^ Matt, xxviii. 18-20. 
 
24 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 nor on any set of men, the power of making laws 
 for his church. He is the sole lawgiver. Those 
 who attempt to legislate for the church of Christ 
 usurp a prerogative, which belongs only to the King 
 of Zion. This attempt at legislating for the house 
 of God has proved a fertile source of corruption, and 
 has introduced sad disorders into the church. The 
 only power which Christ confers on those who bear 
 rule in his house, is the power of administering the 
 laws which he has laid down. Beyond this point 
 their authority does not extend. Both those who 
 rule and those who are ruled have the same law- 
 giver to whose enactments they are bound to con- 
 form. These enactments (which are contained in 
 the sacred volume) point out definitely the line of 
 duty which the two classes now mentioned are 
 bound to pursue. 
 
 I remark fourthly, concerning this power, that it 
 is conferred by Christ solely with a view to the 
 edification of the church. Paul, writing concerning 
 the various classes of office-bearers that Christ has 
 given to the church, says that they have been given 
 " for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of 
 the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ ;" 
 Eph. iv. 12. The same apostle, speaking of the 
 authority which he exercised, in common with the 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 25 
 
 other apostles, says that it was given them by Christ 
 " for edification and not for destruction." And 
 when giving directions to the office-bearers of the 
 primitive churches, with regard to the manner in 
 which they were to exercise the gifts which had 
 been conferred upon them, he lays down this ge- 
 neral rule for their guidance — " Seek that ye may 
 excel to the edifying of the church" — and "Let all 
 things be done to edifying;" 1 Cor. xiv. 12, 26. 
 With a view, then, to this great end, namely, the 
 edifying of the body of Christ, ought all ecclesiastical 
 power to be exercised. Those who avail themselves 
 of the possession of it, to oppress others, — or who 
 exercise it with a view to the aggrandisement of 
 their order, — or who seek, by means of it, to pro- 
 mote any selfish end — act a dishonourable part. 
 They are unfaithful to the trust reposed in them. 
 
 Having thus pointed out the nature and defined 
 the limits of the power, which church-government 
 implies, the question now comes to be considered, — 
 Wlio are the persons in whom the power of govern- 
 ment has been lodged ? Is it in the community of 
 the faithful — the body of the people ? or. Is it in a 
 class of office-bearers appointed by Christ, for the 
 purpose of bearing rule in his church ? That this 
 power of ecclesiastical government is not lodged in 
 
26 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 the community of the faithful, the following consi- 
 derations will show. 
 
 First, We find no mention made in Scripture of 
 any such power being given by Christ to the body 
 of the people. I have already shown that Christ is 
 the fountain from which this power is derived. All 
 power is in him — and it can be exercised only by 
 those to whom he is pleased to grant it. We find 
 him giving a special grant of this power to his 
 apostles, when he said, " Verily I say unto you, 
 whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound 
 in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth 
 shall be loosed in heaven ;" Matt, xviii. 18. We 
 find him afterward renewing the grant to the 
 apostles, with an implied promise that it would be 
 continued to those who should succeed them in the 
 work of the ministry : — " All power is given me in 
 heaven and in earth — go ye therefore, and teach all 
 nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, 
 and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching 
 them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
 manded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even 
 unto the end of the world;" Matt, xxviii. 18-20. 
 Here Christ institutes a christian ministry, which 
 was to continue till the end of the world ; and he 
 promises them his gi'acious presence to assist and 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 27 
 
 direct them in their work. But we find not a single 
 passage in which mention is made of any power 
 being confeiTed upon the bulk of the people, either 
 to preach or to rule. To them Christ has not given 
 the keys, either of doctrine or of government. 
 
 Secondly, It is obvious, from mention being made 
 of diversified gifts in the church, that Christ never 
 intended that all should rule. It is expressly de- 
 clared, that all have not the gifts necessary to fit 
 them for ruling : — " To one is given by the Spirit 
 the word of wisdom ; to another the word of know- 
 ledge by the same Spirit ; to another faith by the 
 same Spirit ; to another the gifts of healing by the 
 same Spirit ; to another the working of miracles ; to 
 another prophecy," &c. ; 1 Cor. xii. 8-10. We are 
 told in the same chapter (verse 28), that, according 
 to this diversity of gifts, " God hath set some in the 
 church, first, apostles; secondarily, prophets ; thirdly, 
 teachers ; after that mii'acles ; then gifts of healings, 
 helps, governments, diversities of tongues." Then 
 it is asked (verse 29), " Are aU apostles ? are all 
 prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of 
 miracles ? " — clearly intimating that all are not 
 apostles — all are not prophets — all are not teachers 
 — all are not workers of miracles. lYliy ? Because 
 we have already been told, that all have not the 
 
28 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 gifts necessary to qualify them for occupying these 
 offices. Upon the very same principle, and with 
 the same force of reasoning, it may be affirmed, that 
 all are not " governments," or rulers : because all 
 have not the qualifications necessary to fit them for 
 this work. " If a man know not how to rule his 
 own house," he cannot (says Paul) be a ruler in the 
 house of God. Like^vise he says, if a person be a 
 " novice," he ought not to be a ruler in the church, 
 "lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the 
 condemnation of the devil." ^ These passages plainly 
 intimate, that the gifts, necessary to fit all the mem- 
 bers of a congregation for being rulers, have not 
 been conferred by the head of the church. It is, 
 therefore, a legitimate inference, that he did not 
 design that all should rule. 
 
 Thirdly, The directions given by the apostles to 
 the members of the primitive churches clearly show, 
 that, so far from all being invested with the power 
 of government, the great majority of them were in 
 subjection. I am not aware of a single direction 
 being given to the members of these churches, gene- 
 rally, as to the manner in which they were to rule. 
 On the supposition of all being invested with the 
 • 
 
 » 1 Tim. iii. 5, 6. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 29 
 
 power of government, this must appear to be a 
 singular omission. On the other hand, we find a 
 distinction made between the rulers and the other 
 members of the churches ; and we find frequent 
 injunctions given to the latter, as to the manner in 
 which they were to conduct themselves toward the 
 former. They were commanded to remember them 
 and to follow their faith — to obey them and to sub- 
 mit themselves — to know them and to esteem them 
 highly in love for their work's sake.^ They were 
 further commanded to honour them, — and to some 
 (namely, those that ruled well) they were to give 
 double honour.^ Such directions as these given to 
 the primitive churches, are totally at variance with 
 the supposition, that all the members were equally 
 invested with the power of government. 
 
 In the fourth place, K in each congregation, all 
 the members have the power of ruling, then the 
 question presents itself, ^Vhom are they to obey? 
 According to the doctrine which I am combating, 
 all rule, and yet they are commanded to obey. 
 Obey whom ? The only answer that can be given 
 to this question, on the supposition that all rule, is 
 that they are to obey themselves. If this be not a 
 
 » Heb. xui. 7, 17 ; 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. ^ i Tim. v. 17. 
 
30 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 contradiction in terms, it sounds very like one : To 
 speak of all ruling and all obeying — ^ruling them- 
 selves and obeying themselves. I do not see, how- 
 such a conclusion, as this (absurd though it be) can 
 be avoided, if we are to receive the doctrine, that all 
 the members of the churches are invested equally 
 with the power of government. They would, accord- 
 ing to this supposition, have the double character of 
 rulers and subjects. 
 
 In the fifth place. To avoid this incongruity, it 
 may be affirmed, that though the power of govern- 
 ment is lodged in the body of the people, yet this 
 power may be delegated by them to office-bearers, 
 whom they appoint to rule over them ; and that, on 
 the ground of this delegated authority, they may 
 yield them subjection — or they may rule in conjunc- 
 tion with them. If the members rule in conjunction 
 with the office-bearers, this supposition does not 
 remove the incongruity now stated. For it supposes 
 them still to be rulers, possessing a joint authority 
 with their office-bearers — and the question still 
 reverts. Whom are they to obey? Again, if they 
 consider their office-bearers as receiving a delegated 
 authority fi*om them, and as entitled to subjection 
 fi'om them on this ground, — I answer, that the New 
 Testament recognises no such authority as this, 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 31 
 
 namely, an authority exercised by the office-bearers, 
 which has been delegated to them by their fellow- 
 men. The apostle Paul, as we have already seen, 
 expressly mentions that the authority, which he and 
 his fellow-labourers exercised in the government of 
 the church, was given them hy Christ. He reminds 
 the churches, that their rulers were over them " in 
 the Lord." He styles them Chiisfs ministers — GocTs 
 stewards — and he speaks of them as watching for 
 souls, " as they that must give an account." This 
 account they must render not to men, but to Christ, 
 who has counted them to be faithful, putting them 
 into the ministry. Members of the church have the 
 privilege (and a very valuable one it is) of choosing 
 those who are to take the oversight of them. But 
 the call, given by the people to their office-bearers, 
 does not confer any authority either to preach or to 
 rule. This authority is conferred by their being 
 ordained, in the name of Christ, by those whom 
 Christ has appointed to perform this solemn act, 
 namely, the presbytery or eldership. 
 
 In the sixth place. We find no instance, mentioned 
 in the New Testament^ of the people acting as rulers 
 in the church. As there is no precept authorising 
 them to perform any act of ecclesiastical govern- 
 ment, so neither is there any instance recorded of 
 
32 THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 
 
 their having done so. The doctrine, which ascribes 
 the power of government to the members of the 
 church generally, is as destitute of support fi'om 
 scripture example, as it is from scripture precept. 
 The case of the incestuous person, mentioned in the 
 fifth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, 
 has been quoted by writers on this subject as con- 
 firmatory of the opinion of those who maintain, that 
 in the primitive church all the members were in- 
 vested with equal power, in the administering of 
 discipline, as well as in performing other acts of 
 government. An attentive consideration of this case 
 will show that it does not countenance any such 
 doctrine. 
 
 As it is stated, in the Acts of the Apostles, that 
 the apostles " ordained them elders in every church," 
 it can scarcely be questioned that there were elders 
 in the church of Corinth. In the epistles, which 
 Paul wrote to this church, the elders must be con- 
 sidered as addressed, as well as the other members of 
 the church. In that part of the first epistle, to which 
 a reference has been made (the 5th chapter), he calls 
 the attention of the office-bearers and of the mem- 
 bers generally to a case of grievous delinquency, 
 which had been tolerated amongst them, namely, 
 that of a person who had been guilty of incest. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 33 
 
 Those persons, to whom the matter belonged, had 
 not taken any steps for maintaining the discipline of 
 the church, by having this person cut off from their 
 communion : " Ye are puffed (said the apostle) and 
 have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this 
 deed might be taken away fi'om among you." IVliat 
 is the direction, which Paul gives, in reference to 
 this distressing case? Does he call upon them to 
 hold a church meeting, for the purpose of inves- 
 tigating the scandal ? No : There was no necessity 
 for this. The scandal was flagrant. They were 
 sufficiently acquainted both with the nature and 
 with the truth of it. Does he require the members 
 of the church to sit in judgment upon the offending 
 individual, and to determine whether any — or what 
 censure should be inflicted on him ? No. He tells 
 them that this was a matter concerning which he, as 
 an apostle, had already determined. " I, verily, as 
 absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged 
 already, as though I were present, concerning him 
 that hath so done this deed." Why, then, does he 
 write to them at all about it ? He writes to them 
 simply for the purpose of informing them what his 
 decision was — and in what way he wished it to be 
 carried into effect. His decision was, that the person, 
 who had been guilty of such a heinous sin, should be 
 
34 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 cut off from the communion of the church ; and he 
 commands that this decision should be solemnly and 
 publicly carried into effect, as a sentence ratified by 
 Christ himself, the great Head of the church. " In 
 the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are 
 gathered together, and my Spirit, with the power of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto 
 Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit 
 may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." By 
 whom are we to suppose this sentence to be carried 
 into effect, in the presence of the congregation ? By 
 none other than the office-bearers of the church. Some 
 one or other of those, who were over them in the Lord, 
 would publicly intimate the sentence in the midst of 
 the assembled people — and would declare the offending 
 individual cut off from the communion of the church, 
 agreeably to the command given by the apostle. 
 
 There is certainly nothing in this case that can 
 be regarded as furnishing a precedent for acts of 
 government being performed by the people. For the 
 members of the church of Corinth bore no farther 
 part in the administration of the discipline, that is 
 here described, than is borne by the members of any 
 presbyterian congregation, when they are assembled 
 to witness the administration of a public rebuke to an 
 offending individual, who has been previously dealt 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 35 
 
 with, by the session, and who has been suspended by 
 them from the enjoyment of his privileges, as a mem- 
 ber of the church. In the one case, as well as in the 
 other, the sentence has been pronounced independent 
 of the people : and in the one case, as well as in the 
 other, the people are assembled to witness the sentence 
 being carried into effect, agreeably to the apostolic 
 injunction — " Them that sin rebuke before all, that 
 others may fear." The people further are to be con- 
 sidered as acquiescing in the sentence pronounced 
 upon their offending brother, and as giving him their 
 sympathy and their prayers — thereby exemplifying 
 the beautiful comparison, which the apostle of the 
 Gentiles employs, when he says — " Whether one 
 member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or 
 one member be honoured, all the members rejoice 
 with it." ' 
 
 Should it be objected to the view, which I have 
 given of this case, that the apostle addresses the 
 members of the church of Corinth, as persons who 
 did judge in the church, when he says (ver. 12.) " Do 
 ye not judge tliem that are within?" — I answer, 
 that he shows us, in the beginning of the following 
 chapter, in what sense he affirms, that they judged 
 
 » 1 Cor. xii. 2G. 
 
36 THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 
 
 those that are within. He there gives us to understand, 
 that it is in the same sense, as it is affirmed of the 
 saints that they shall judge the world — and even 
 judge angels. — " Do ye not know that the saints 
 shall judge the world ? and if the world shall be 
 judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest 
 matters ? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? 
 how much more things that pertain to this life?" 
 (chap. vi. 2, 3.) Surely, no one will affirm that the 
 saints shall judge the world, or judge angels, in 
 person. They shall judge them in the sense of being 
 assessors along with Christ, acquiescing in the sen- 
 tences which he shall pronounce upon men and devils. 
 In the same sense are we to understand the apostle's 
 language, when he speaks of the members of the 
 church of Corinth judging " them that are within." 
 Their judging was nothing else than their acting as 
 assessors, along with the office-bearers of the church, 
 by acquiescing in the sentences which they pro- 
 nounced. This is obviously the meaning, which 
 he affixes to his own language, when he speaks of 
 the saints judging the world : and the rules of just 
 criticism demand, that when he speaks of the saints 
 judging in the church, the same interpretation be 
 put upon his words in the one case, as in the other. 
 What I have already stated will suffice to explain 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 37 
 
 the meaning of the apostle's language, when referring 
 to this case in his second epistle to the same church, 
 he says (chap. ii. 6), " Sufficient to such a man is 
 this punishment ^ which was inflicted of many." ^ 
 The act of cutting off the incestuous person from the 
 communion of the church had been done publicly, 
 agi'eeably to the sentence of the apostle ; and if all 
 did not approve of it (as was likely to be the case, in 
 a church so much divided as that of Corinth) it had 
 been acquiesced in, at least by the majority. 
 
 There is another passage that will require to be 
 noticed in connexion with this branch of the subject, 
 as it has been frequently appealed to by those who 
 contend that the power of government is lodged, not 
 in any class of office-bearers, but in the body of the 
 people. The passage referred to is Matt, xviii. 1 5-17, 
 " Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass agamst thee, 
 go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : 
 if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 
 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one 
 or two more, that in the mouth of two or three 
 witnesses every word may be established. And if 
 he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : 
 but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto 
 
 ' iTiTtfAix Censure. - -Jcto tuv ■ri'.uovm By the majority. 
 
38 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 thee as an heathen man and a publican." The 
 Saviour is here giving directions to his disciples, as 
 to the manner in which they were to act toward 
 persons who were guilty of sins, which at first were 
 not publicly known. The person, offended by the 
 conduct of the erring brother, was to go and tell him 
 his fault in private, without divulging it to others. 
 He was to endeavour to convince him of his sin, and 
 to bring him to repentance on account of it. If he 
 succeeded — his brother was gained; and nothing more 
 was to be done concerning him. If he did not suc- 
 ceed in the private interview — if the offending brother 
 remained obstinate and impenitent, notwithstanding 
 all the arguments and entreaties addressed to him, 
 the person offended was to take one or two more 
 along with him, and in their presence to state what 
 had given him offence — also to renew the attempt to 
 bring to a sense of guilt, and to a penitent state of 
 mind, the brother who had gone astray. If the 
 offender listened to the remonstrances addressed to 
 him in this conference, and if he expressed contrition, 
 the case was settled : no farther publicity was to be 
 given to it. But if the offender remained obstinate, 
 if he would not acknowledge his fault nor express 
 penitence, when dealt with in private by the 
 brethren, then, says the Saviour — "Tell it to the 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 39 
 
 church."^ Now the question here naturally occurs — 
 What meaning would our Lord's disciples attach to the 
 word €KK\r)aia — rendered by our translators church ? 
 Suppose that one of them — soon after listening to the 
 statement recorded in these verses — had given offence 
 to another, and after being dealt with, in the manner 
 pointed out, had refused to make any acknowledg- 
 ment of his sin — where would the person offended go 
 to " tell" the offence ? To what assembly (eKKkfja-ia) 
 would he apply ? It is to be borne in mind that, at 
 this period, the christian church was not organised — 
 and that the only religious assemblies, with which 
 the disciples were acquainted, were those of the 
 temple and the synagogue. It is probable that they 
 understood their Master as referring to the latter of 
 these, namely, the meeting of the synagogue, when 
 he said, " Tell it to the Assembly." For though they 
 were Christ's disciples, they were as yet members of 
 the Jewish church ; and, as such, they were con- 
 nected with the synagogue. It was not till some 
 time after this, that they were brought to entertain 
 the belief, that the Jewish ritual was to be abolished 
 — and a simpler form of religion instituted in its 
 place. The synagogue was the religious assembly. 
 
40 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 with which they were most familiar. It was the one 
 which they were accustomed statedly to attend upon 
 the Sabbath. Christ himself taught regularly in the 
 synagogue. " I ever taught in the synagogue" — 
 was his language in the presence of Annas the high 
 priest.^ That the disciples were members of the 
 Jewish synagogue and were enjoying the privileges 
 connected with its fellowship, at the time Christ 
 addressed to them the words on which I am now 
 commenting, is evident from a statement contained 
 in the address, which he delivered to them on the 
 night before he suffered — when preparing them to 
 encounter persecution for the sake of the gospel, he 
 said, " They shall put you out of the synagogues"^ 
 — which declaration plainly implies, that they were 
 not yet cast out. They were still permitted to enjoy 
 their privileges, as members of the Jewish church. 
 
 Seeing, then, this was the only church with which 
 they were acquainted — and the only one which had 
 as yet been formed — what more natural for them, 
 when they heard their Master giving them directions 
 about the manner of treating an offending brother, 
 and bidding them tell his conduct to the assembly, 
 than to understand him as referring to the meeting 
 
 ' John xviii. 20. - John xvi. 2. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 41 
 
 of the synagogue. That Christ did refer to the 
 congregation of the Jewish synagogue, is the opinion 
 of Lightfoot and other learned men. On the sup- 
 position that this opinion is correct, the Saviour's 
 language cannot be considered as giving any coun- 
 tenance to the doctrine of those who maintain, that 
 the administering of discipline belongs to the body of 
 the congregation. For in every Jewish synagogue 
 there were rulers, by whom all the affairs connected 
 with the synagogue were administered. Frequent 
 mention is made in the New Testament, of these 
 rulers.' There was one who presided over the rest, 
 and who, in Scripture, is called " the chief ruler of 
 the synagogue."^ These rulers were called " elders;" 
 and they were set apart to their office by the imposi- 
 tion of hands. The number of them varied in each 
 synagogue : there were never fewer than three — and 
 sometimes they amounted to a considerable number, 
 according to the size of the congregation. The whole 
 administration of discipline was in their hands. The 
 people were present, to hear the law read and to join 
 in the worship of God ; but they had no share in the 
 government. To the elders it belonged to receive 
 persons into fellowship — to judge of offences — to 
 
 • Mark v. 22 ; Acts xiii. 15. - aj;^"^'""''-'/'*''/"''- 
 
42 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 censure, and to excommunicate. ^ On the supposi- 
 tion that Christ referred to the Jewish synagogue, 
 when he said to his disciples, " Tell it to the church," 
 the investigation of the scandal would be made, and 
 judgment would be pronounced — not by the people 
 — but by the rulers ; though the people might be pre- 
 sent to witness the proceedings, and might, by their 
 acquiescence, homologate the decision pronounced. 
 
 But whatever opinion may be formed with regard 
 to the primary application of Christ's words — or 
 with regard to the meaning which the disciples at 
 first attached to them — there can be little doubt that 
 they were cliiefly designed by the Saviour to fiirnish 
 to his followers a rule of discipline to be observed in 
 the christian church, so soon as it should be fully 
 organised — and to be adhered to in all future ages. 
 On this point, commentators seem to be generally 
 agreed. Fully coinciding in this opinion, I consider 
 it a fair interpretation of the word " eKKXrjo-ia' in 
 this passage, to view it as descriptive of a christian 
 assembly — an assembly of professing Christians. In 
 this sense, the term is generally, though not always, 
 
 ^ Those who wish to be more particularly acquainted with the 
 various arrangements and forms of the Jewish synagogue, can 
 consult Lightfoot, Vitringa, Seldon, Thorndyke, and other 
 Avriters on the subject. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 43 
 
 to be understood in the New Testament. I am aware, 
 that some limit the term in this place to an assembly 
 of office-bearers, and consider it as equivalent to 
 the word Session, or Preshytery. Others extend the 
 meaning of it to all the members of a worshipping 
 society, and consider it as equivalent to the word 
 Congregation. This latter meaning is the one which, 
 after a careful examination of the authorities on both 
 sides, I am inclined to adopt. But the question 
 occm's, — what kind of congregation does it denote ? 
 — not certainly a congregation without rulers ; but 
 a congregation consisting of two classes of persons, 
 namely, the private members and the elders. The 
 scriptural proof, in support of this statement, I shall 
 afterwards more fully adduce. At present, I would 
 merely mention the fact recorded in the Acts (chap, 
 xiv. 23), that the apostles " ordained them elders in 
 every church.''^ And I would also refer to the exhor- 
 tation which the apostle James gives in his epistle to 
 the twelve tribes, when he says (chap. v. 14), "Is any 
 sick among you : let him call for the elders of the 
 church," — thereby plainly intimating, that there were 
 elders in every church, whom the sick might call for. 
 When the Saviour, then, directs bis disciples to 
 
44 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 tell the case of an offending brother to the church, 
 or assembly, it does not necessarily follow from this 
 direction, that the members of the church, as a body, 
 were to sit in judgment upon the case, and administer 
 censure. If the assembly were one, in which no 
 persons were appointed to bear rule, it might be a 
 legitimate enough conclusion, that the members 
 generally were to j udge. But seeing express mention 
 is made, in the New Testament, of a class of persons 
 being ordained in every church, for the purpose of 
 administering discipline, and superintending the 
 affairs of the congregation, the fair inference to be 
 deduced from the Saviour's language is, that the case 
 is to be made publicly known to the church, with the 
 view of its being brought under the consideration of 
 those whose official duty it is to judge in these matters. 
 They are to hear the parties — to examine witnesses 
 — and to give judgment: and seeing they are the 
 authorised organs, by whom the church acts in cases 
 of discipline, so, whatever is done by them in refer- 
 ence to such cases, may with sufficient propriety be 
 said to be done by the church : exactly on the same 
 principle as a nation is said to do what is done 
 by its parliament, or a town is said to do what is 
 done by its corporation. Nothing is more common 
 than to speak of " the proceedings of the church," 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 45 
 
 or " the decisions of the church" — when, by such 
 phraseology, we understand the proceedings and deci- 
 sions of the ecclesiastical rulers. 
 
 This is the phraseology employed in the passage, 
 which has given occasion to these remarks ; and the 
 Saviour, in employing it, knew that he would not be 
 misunderstood — as the Jews were not unaccustomed 
 to such a mode of speech. In the writings of the 
 Old Testament, a variety of instances occur of a 
 similar kind. Compare Exodus xii. 3 with what 
 is stated in the 21st verse of the same chapter. In 
 the former of these verses, the congregation or church 
 is said to do what, is affirmed in the latter, to be 
 done by the elders. What is stated of the congre- 
 gation in Numbers xxxv. 24, and Joshua xx. 6, is 
 aflfirmed of the elders in Deut. xix. 12, and Joshua 
 XX. 4. Other instances of a similar kind, might be 
 adduced from the Old Testament. These, now 
 quoted, bear directly upon the subject of the present 
 discussion, as they tend to illustrate the phraseology 
 employed by the Saviour under consideration. 
 
 As a farther confirmation of the view which I 
 have given of this passage, I would notice the 
 promise which the Saviour gives to his apostles in 
 the 18th verse of the same chapter (Matt, xviii.), 
 *' Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind 
 
46 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever 
 ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 
 Here Christ gives to all the apostles the same promise, 
 which he had previously given to Peter (Matt. xvi. 
 19). It is a promise of ratifying in heaven what- 
 ever sentence they might pronounce upon earth. 
 This promise the Saviour renewed to them after he 
 rose from the dead : — " He breathed on them, and 
 •saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost : Whose 
 soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; 
 and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." 
 John XX. 22, 23. Such declarations as these, which 
 Christ addressed to his apostles, have usually been re- 
 garded by expositors, as furnishing a divine warrant 
 for the administration of discipline by ecclesiastical 
 office-bearers. They contain in them authority, 
 given by Christ to those who bear rule in his church, 
 both to inflict censure and to remove it : and the 
 ground on which he promises to ratify their sentences, 
 is, that they are his ministers ; they act in his name, 
 and by virtue of his commission. " God (says Paul) 
 hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation : 
 Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ ;" 2 Cor. 
 V. 19, 20. " I know (says Gillespie) a private Chris- 
 tian, may, and ought to convince an impenitent 
 brother, and to comfort a repenting brother, ex 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 47 
 
 charitate Christiana : But the Scripture doth not say, 
 that God hath committed to every private Christian 
 the word of reconciliation, and that all Christians are 
 ambassadors for Christ, nor is there a promise to 
 ratify in heaven the convictions or comforts given 
 by a private Christian : No more than a king doth 
 engage himself in verho principis to pardon such as 
 any of his good subjects shall pardon, or to condemn 
 such as any of his good subjects shall condemn : But 
 a king engageth himself to ratify what his ambas- 
 sadors, commissioners or ministers shall do in his 
 name, and according to the commission which he 
 hath given them, to pardon or condemn."^ 
 
 Now, that it is the office-bearers who are to judge 
 in the matter that is brought before the church, — 
 that it is their sentence that is despised by the person 
 who neglects to hear the church, — and that it is on 
 the ground of despising their sentence, he is to be 
 cut off from the communion of the church (to be "as 
 an heathen man and a publican") — derives a strong 
 confirmation from the promise contained in the 18th 
 verse, to which a reference has been made, and also 
 from the form of address which the Saviour employs 
 in giving the promise. If it had been the members 
 
 ' Aaron's Rod Blossoming, p. 412. 
 
48 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 of the chiu'ch generally, who were to judge in the 
 case which Christ supposes ; if the matter were to 
 be finally determined by their sentence, we would 
 naturally have expected that, in assigning the reason 
 why their sentence was to be binding, he would have 
 used such language as the following : " Verily I say 
 unto you. Whatsoever they shall bind on earth shall 
 be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever they shall loose 
 on earth shall be loosed in heaven." But this is 
 not the form of his address. He addresses himself 
 directly to those whom he had appointed to be office- 
 bearers in his church, and he says, " Whatsoever ye 
 shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and 
 whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in 
 heaven," — thereby intimating that the office-bearers 
 alone were invested with authority to judge and 
 determine m matters brought before the church. 
 He had given them a commission to do so ; and so 
 long as they acted in accordance with the commission 
 which they had received, the sentences which they 
 should pronounce — both in binding and loosing — 
 would be ratified by him in heaven. 
 
 The object of the remarks, which I have made on 
 Matt, xviii. 15-17, is to show that this passage does 
 not afford a sufficient foundation for the structure, 
 which Independents have attempted to rear upon it, 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 49 
 
 namely, tliat church power is lodged — not in any- 
 class of office-bearers appointed to rule — ^but in the 
 body of the people. I trust that I have succeeded 
 in showing, that it admits of an interpretation 
 which, while it is fully warranted by the phraseology 
 employed, is also in strict accordance with the 
 principles of presbyterianism. It may give additional 
 weight to the remarks, which I have made on this 
 part of the subject, to adduce, in confirmation of 
 them, the authority of an eminently learned and 
 pious congregationalist, Dr John Owen. While 
 this divine pleads hard for congi-egational churches, 
 and rejects the notion of a church being either 
 diocesan, provincial, or national, yet he sturdily 
 maintains, that the authoritative rule or government 
 of the church, is in the elders of it. According to 
 him, " a church in its complete state consists of 
 pastors, or a pastor and elders, who are its guides 
 and rulers, and the community of the faithful under 
 their rule."^ "No society, (he says,) that doth not 
 congregate ; the whole body whereof doth not meet 
 together, to act its powers and duties, is a church, 
 or may be so called, whatever other sort of body or 
 corporation it may be. In this sense is the word 
 
 * Enquiry into the Original, &c. of Evangelical Churches, p. 61. 
 
 D 
 
50 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 used, when the first intimation is given of an evan- 
 gelical church state, with order and discipline : 
 Matt, xviii. 17, If he shall neglect to hear thee, tell 
 the church, &c."^ So that, according to Dr Owen, 
 the €KKXr](xia or church, mentioned in Matt, xviii. 17, 
 is a " society consisting of pastors, or a pastor and 
 elders, who are its guides and rulers, and the com- 
 munity of the faithful under their rule." As the 
 " authoritative rule" is in these " guides and rulers," 
 so it is a fair inference from his language, that by 
 these "guides and rulers" the case of discipline, 
 referred to by the Saviour, is to be judged of and 
 determined. The language which he employs on 
 this subject, in another part of the same work, is 
 very decided. Refemng to a charge brought against 
 him by Dr Stillingfleet, in a controversial treatise, 
 he says, " He (Dr S.) intimates both here and after- 
 wards, that my judgment is that the government of 
 the church was democratical, and the power of it in 
 the people in distinction from its officers ; which is 
 a great mistake ; I never thought, I never wrote any 
 such thing. I do believe that the authoritative rule 
 or government of the church, was, is, and ought to 
 be in the elders and rulers of it, being an act of the 
 
 ^ Enquh'y into the Original, &c. of Evangelical Churches, p. 71. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 51 
 
 office power committed unto them by Christ him- 
 self."^ This language is sufficiently explicit ; and 
 shows what were the views entertained on the 
 point, which I have been discussing, by a congrega- 
 tionalist who was no less distinguished for his 
 learning than for his piety. 
 
 ^ Preface to the Enquiry, &;c. p. 5. 
 
52 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Office-bearers appointed by God — Extraordinary office-bearers 
 — Ordinary office-bearers — Jewish eldership — Christian elder- 
 ship—Persons appointed to rule in the church — Scriptural 
 arguments in support of this position — Argument first, The 
 fact is plainly and unequivocally stated, that elders were 
 ordained by the apostles in every church — Argument second, 
 It appears evident from the New Testament that every church 
 had a plurality of elders — Argument third. The elders men- 
 tioned in the New Testament were appointed for the purpose 
 of overseeing the church — Argument fourth. We find a variety 
 of titles given to elders expressive of their being possessed of 
 authority — Argument fifth, The eldership is mentioned in the 
 New Testament as a distinct office, and the qualifications for 
 this office are minutely pointed out — Argument sixth, Special 
 directions are given as to the manner in which the duties of 
 the eldership are to be performed — Argument seventh, Mem- 
 bers of the church are instructed in the duty which they owe 
 to their spiritual rulers. 
 
 I HAVE in the preceding chapter adduced a variety 
 of considerations from Scripture to show, that the 
 power of government in the church is not lodged in 
 the community of the faithful. So far as scripture 
 precept or scripture example goes, there is no 
 authority given to the body of the people to admi- 
 nister discipline, or to perform any act of ecclesiastical 
 rule. The object of the statements, which I shall 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 53 
 
 make in this chapter, shall be to show that there are 
 office-bearers, appointed by Christ, to bear rule in 
 his church ; and that to them it belongs to administer 
 those laws which he has laid down for the govern- 
 ment of that spiritual community of which he is the 
 Head. 
 
 In the New Testament we find mention made of 
 various classes of office-bearers, such as — "apostles" — 
 '^ prophets" — " evangelists" — " pastors and teachers" 
 — " helps" — " governments." With regard to the 
 first three mentioned in this enumeration, all are 
 agreed that they were extraordinary — designed to be 
 only of temporary continuance in the church. The 
 special work assigned them was that of organising 
 the christian church — giving it body and shape, 
 according to the directions which they themselves 
 received from Christ. It is in reference to this work 
 in which they were employed, that the apostle Paul 
 makes use of such language as the following, when, 
 speaking of those who had been called to the fellow- 
 ship of the church, he says — "And are built upon the 
 foundation of the apostles and proj^hets, Jesus Christ 
 himself being the chief corner-stone." ^ After having 
 executed the commission given them by their divine 
 
 ' Eph. ii. 20> 
 
54 THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 
 
 Master, it was no longer necessary that such extra- 
 ordinary office-bearers should be continued in the 
 church. The work, for the performance of which 
 extraordinary powers had been conferred upon them, 
 was done. They retired from the scene — and left 
 the work of evangelising the world to be carried on 
 by the ordinary office-bearers of the church. 
 
 The other office-bearers mentioned in the above 
 enumeration (" pastors" and " teachers" — " helps" — 
 " governments)," are those which Christ has designed 
 to be of permanent continuance. Though there are 
 some who make a distinction between the pastors and 
 teachers, and consider them as descriptive of two dif- 
 ferent offices, yet I coincide in the opinion of those 
 who regard them as descriptive of the same class 
 of office-bearers — and this class is the elders who 
 labour in word and doctrine. The " governments" 
 are the elders that merely rule : and expositors are 
 generally agreed in regarding " helps" as descriptive 
 of the deacons, who are so designated on account of 
 their being assistants to the eldership, by relieving 
 them of the burden connected with the administration 
 of the funds of the church. According to the view 
 thus given, the pastors, teachers, and goveimments, are 
 all included under the general desimation of elders : 
 and this accords with the historical statements con- 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 55 
 
 tained in the New Testament, where we find mention 
 made of only two classes of persons who were ordained 
 by the apostles to offices in the christian church ; 
 those who were ordained to the office of the eldership 
 — and those who were ordained to the office of the 
 deacon. With regard to those who were ordained to 
 the latter of these offices, they were not invested with 
 any spiritual authority. They were not appointed to 
 rule — but simply to attend to the distribution of the 
 church's bounty — and were themselves subject to the 
 government of the elders. I shall make their office 
 the subject of consideration in a subsequent portion 
 of this work. In the meantime I shall confine the 
 attention of my readers to the office of the eldership, 
 as constituting the main subject of this treatise. 
 
 The office of the elder was one with which the 
 Jews were familiar from the earliest period of their 
 history. Even before the departui'e of the Hebrews 
 out of Egypt, mention is made of '' the elders of 
 Israel;" Exod. iv. 29, and xii. 21. During the 
 course of the Old Testament history, they are 
 frequently introduced to our notice ; and to show 
 that they were a distinct class from the civil rulers, 
 they are generally mentioned in connexion Avith the 
 rulers and judges and officers. Josh, xxiii. 2 ; 
 2 Kings x. 1 ; Ezra x. 14. From the last of these 
 
56 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 passages we learn that there were elders and judges 
 in every city ; and they are mentioned, the one 
 class as distinct from the other. These elders were 
 the ecclesiastical rulers of the people. After the 
 retm'n of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon, 
 there were synagogues erected in the various towns 
 and villages, throughout the land ; and connected 
 with each of these synagogues there was a certain 
 number of elders, who conducted the worship of 
 God and exercised ecclesiastical authority over the 
 members of the congregation. In addition to these 
 subordinate elderships, that were in every city, — 
 there was a supreme ecclesiastical council that 
 exercised a general superintendence over the affairs 
 of the Jewish church. This council held its sittings 
 in Jerusalem — the metropolis — and was composed 
 of priests and elders and scribes. Frequent mention 
 is made of it, in the gospel narrative, as being 
 violently opposed to Christ — and as being mainly 
 instrumental in procuring his condemnation.^ In 
 the 22d chapter of Luke, 6th verse, and also in the 
 22d chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, 5th verse, 
 this council is called Trpeo-BvTepiov, the presbytery^ or 
 eldership, which is the very name given by Paul 
 
 ^ Matt. xvi. 21, and xxi. 23, and xxvi. 57-59, and xxvii. 1-12; 
 Lev. xxii. CG. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 57 
 
 to the assembly of cluircli officers that ordained 
 Timothy. 1 Tim. iv. 14. 
 
 It is the opinion of many learned men, that the 
 apostles, in modelling the christian church, adopted 
 as their pattern the forms and institutions that 
 obtained in the Jewish synagogue.^ Other writers, 
 of equal learning, have keenly opposed this opinion. 
 " The assertion of some (says Dr Owen) that the 
 apostles took their pattern for the state and rule of 
 the churches, and as unto divers rites of worship, 
 from the synagogues of the Jews, their institutions, 
 orders, and rules, not those appointed by Moses, but 
 such as themselves had found out and ordained, is 
 both temerarious and untrue." — " Wherein there is 
 a real coincidence between what was ordained by 
 the apostles, and what was practised by the Jews, 
 it is in things w^hich the light of nature and the 
 general rules of Scripture do direct unto : And it is 
 dishonourable unto the apostles, and the Spirit of 
 Christ in them, to think, or say, that in such things 
 they took their pattern from the Jews, or made them 
 their example." ^ Without presuming to decide in a 
 
 * See a list of authors quoted on this subject, by Dr Samuel 
 Millar, of Princeton, in his work on the Eldership, pp. 25-33. 
 
 ■^ Enquiry into the Original, &c. of Evangelical Churches, 
 pp. 36, 37. 
 
58 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 matter where men of such eminence have differed, I 
 am at least warranted by the evidence of Scripture 
 history in affii'ming, that the apostles, acting under 
 the authority of Christ, did institute in the christian 
 church an eldership corresponding, in many particu- 
 lars, to that which had existed for a long period in 
 the Jewish Church : The following particulars 
 concerning this institution, — gleaned from the pages 
 of the New Testament — I shall lay before my 
 readers, that they may see what evidence there is, 
 of its having existed in the primitive church — what 
 is the authority under which those, who are invested 
 with the office of the eldership, act — what are the 
 powers which they are permitted to exercise — and 
 what is the subjection which the members of the 
 church owe to them. 
 
 First, The fact is plainly and unequivocally stated, 
 that elders were ordained by the apostles in every 
 church : Acts xiv. 23, " And when they had 
 ordained them elders in every church, and had 
 prayed with fasting, they commended them to the 
 Lord, on whom they believed." I do not mean to 
 enter into the controversy which has been carried 
 on concerning the meaning of the term in the origi- 
 nal (x^ipoTovridauTes) here rendered " when they had 
 ordained'^ This is not necessary : For it matters 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 59 
 
 not, as to the object I have in view, in quoting this 
 verse, whether we understand the Greek word to 
 express the election of the elders by the holding up 
 of the hands of the people, or their ordination, by 
 the laying on of the hands of the apostles, or whether 
 — when taken in connexion with the rest of the 
 verse — it may be considered as intended to express 
 (according to the interpretation of some) both the 
 election and the ordination. I quote this verse 
 simply for the purpose of showing, that under the 
 superintendence, and by the appointment of the 
 apostles, there were persons set apart to the office of 
 the eldership in every church. 
 
 Further, it appears, from the directions given by 
 Paul to Titus, that the organisation of a church was 
 incomplete without the appointment of elders ; for, 
 in his epistle to that evangelist he says, " For this 
 cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in 
 order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders 
 in every city as I had appointed thee ;" Tit. i. 5. 
 Here it is declared by the apostle, that there were 
 some things " wanting" in the churches of Crete ; 
 and among the number of these things that were 
 wanting, he specially mentions the ordination of 
 elders. Before he had left the island, he had given 
 injunctions to Titus, to have them ordained in every 
 
60 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 city. He reminds him of this, by adding these words 
 at the close of the verse — " as I had appointed iheer 
 According to the authority of Paul, a church is in- 
 complete, which has no elders ordained in it. This 
 is one of the things which he describes as " wanting," 
 and which he enjoins Titus to " set in order." 
 
 Secondly, It appears evident from the New Testa- 
 ment, that every church had a plurality of elders. I 
 am not aware of any church being mentioned, as 
 having only a single elder. We read of the elders 
 connected with the church at Jerusalem — of the 
 elders of the church of Ephesus — of the elders of 
 those churches that were in Pontus, Galatia, Cap- 
 padocia, Asia, and Bythinia. We read of the over- 
 seers {elders) of the church at Philippi — and of them 
 that bore rule in the church of Thessalonica. The 
 reason of this was, that as by virtue of their office 
 they were invested with authority, so they were to 
 rule conjointly. We do not read of any one elder 
 exercising authority over the rest. They were 
 united, as a body, in the government of that portion 
 of the church of Christ committed to their charge. 
 From the fact, now mentioned, of there being a 
 plurality of elders ordained in every church, two 
 things are evident. First, that no church ought 
 to be without office-bearers appointed to bear rule 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. Gl 
 
 in it; and, secondly, that there ought to be no single 
 ruler in any one church, managing its affairs accord- 
 ing to his own dictation. 
 
 Thirdly^ The elders, mentioned in the New Testa- 
 ment, were appointed for the purpose of overseeing 
 the church. This was the work to which, as elders, 
 they were solemnly set apart, namely, superintending 
 the affairs of the churches with which they were 
 severally connected. Hence the title overseers, or 
 bishops, by which they are so frequently designated 
 in the New Testament. For the sake of those who 
 may not be acquainted with the original language, in 
 which the New Testament was ^vritten, it may be 
 proper to state that the word bishop is a Greek term in 
 an English dress, and that when translated into the 
 English language, the literal meaning of it is overseer. 
 It may be proper further to state, that the elders are 
 the persons to whom the sacred penmen refer, when 
 they speak of bishops or overseers as an office in the 
 church. In proof of this statement I adduce the 
 following instances : The writer of the Acts of the 
 Apostles informs us, that when Paul was on his way 
 to Jerusalem, he sent from Miletus to Ephesus and 
 called the elders of the church ; and these elders he 
 addressed in the following language — " Take heed 
 to yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the 
 
62 THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 
 
 Holy Ghost hath made you overseers ;" Acts xx. 28. 
 The word in the original (^eTna-Konovs) here rendered 
 " overseers," is the same as that which is ordinarily 
 translated " bishops ;" and this term Paul applies to 
 the elders of the church of Ephesus. The same 
 apostle, writing to Titus, says — in a passage to which 
 I have already referred — " For this cause left I 
 thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the 
 things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every 
 city, as I had appointed thee. If any be blame- 
 less, the husband of one wife, having faithfid 
 children, not accused of riot, or unruly. For a 
 bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;" 
 Chap. i. 5-7. Here the word " bishop" (or overseer) 
 refers to those whom the apostle has previously 
 designated by the title " elders." Peter, addressing 
 himself to " the strangers scattered throughout Pon- 
 tus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bythinia," says 
 -^" The elders which are among you I exhort, who 
 am also an elder" — " Feed the flock which is among 
 you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, 
 but willingly." ^ The term in the original, rendered 
 " taking the oversight thereof," is €7riarK07rovvT€s — 
 literally overseeing or episcopising. This is what these 
 
 ' 1 Peter v. 1, 2. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 63 
 
 elders were to do ; tliey were to act tlie part of over- 
 seers of the flock — and tiiis tliey were to do " not by 
 constraint, but willingly." Paul, in his epistle to the 
 Philippians, addresses himself to all the saints which 
 are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons"^ — 
 meaning, by the " bishops," the elders or overseers 
 of the church. These instances, now quoted, clearly 
 show us that the term elder is to be regarded as 
 synonymous with that of hislioio or overseer, and we 
 hence see what is the special purpose for which this 
 class of office-bearers has been appointed ; it is that 
 they may superintend the affiiirs of the house of 
 God — that they may watch over the people — and, 
 by the faithful administration of discipline, maintain 
 order and purity in the church. 
 
 It were unsuitable here to enter on any formal 
 discussion, of the subject of diocesan episcopacy, for 
 the pui-pose of showing that it has no foundation in 
 the word of God. I may, however, be permitted to 
 remark, that comparatively few of those who plead 
 for that form of ecclesiastical government, do so 
 on the ground of any authority which they have 
 for it from the New Testament. They rest their 
 support of it chiefly on arguments drawn from the 
 
 1 Phil. i. 1. 
 
64 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 writings of the fathers. Such of them as do refer to 
 the writings of the New Testament — as furnishing 
 authority for this form of episcopacy — tell us that 
 they have, if not apostolical precept, at least aposto- 
 lical example, for it ; and they point to the cases of 
 Timothy and Titus — the former of whom (they say) 
 was appointed by Paul to act as bishop in the church 
 of Ephesus — and the latter was commissioned to act 
 as bishop in the island of Crete — with full powers 
 to ordain elders and to superintend the affairs of their 
 respective dioceses. These are mere gratuitous as- 
 sertions. There is no proof that Timothy ever was 
 a bishop at Ephesus ; and if he were a bishop, he 
 was not a diocesan one : for mention is made of other 
 persons who acted as overseers (or bishops) in that 
 church.^ The direction given by Paul to Timothy, 
 while he abode at Ephesus, was to do the work, not 
 of a bishop, but of an " evangelist ;"^ and it appears, 
 that his stay in that city was only to be temporary ; 
 for Paul directs him to come shortly to him at Rome.^ 
 The same remarks are applicable to Titus. There 
 is no proof of his being stationed, as a bishop, in the 
 island of Crete. On the contrary, any information 
 given concerning him leads us to the conclusion, that 
 
 1 Acts xxu. 28. 2 2 Tim, iv. 5. ^ 2 Tim. iv. 9. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULDsG ELDER, 65 
 
 he was left by Paul in tliat island only for a short 
 period, to do a particular work ; namely, to set in order 
 the things that were wanting, and to ordain elders in 
 every city : And after having accomplished this work, 
 he was to leave Crete, and join Paul at Nicopolis, 
 where the apostle says he had "determined to winter."^ 
 I would further remark, that ecclesiastical histo- 
 rians — even those that are favourable to episcopacy 
 — and many distinguished divines of the Church of 
 England, admit the truth of what I have been 
 endeavouring to establish, namely, the identity of 
 elders with those who are called overseers or bishops 
 in the New Testament. Mosheim, in his account of 
 the first century, says — " The rulers of the church 
 were called either presbyters (elders) or bishops, 
 which two titles are, in the New Testament, midoiilt- 
 edlij aijplied to the same order ofmen.'''^ INIilner, in his 
 account of the same century, says — " At first indeed, 
 or for some time, church governors were only of two 
 ranks, presbj'ters (elders) and deacons : At least, 
 this appears to have been the case in particular 
 instances, as at Philippi and at Ephesus; and the 
 term bishop was confounded with that of presbyter 
 (elder)." ^ " Li a celebrated work," says Dr D^^^ght 
 
 » Titus iii. 12. - Vol. i. p. 29. Glasg. ed. ^ yoj, ^ p^ ly^^ 
 
 £ 
 
66 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 in his System of Tlieology (vol. ii. p. 478), " called 
 ' The Institution of a Christian Man,' approved ex- 
 pressly by Archbishop Cranmer, Bishops Jewell, 
 Willet, and Stillingfleet, and the main body of the 
 English clergy, together with the king and parlia- 
 ment, is this declaration : ' In the New Testament 
 there is no mention made of any other degrees, but 
 of deacons or ministers, and of presbyters or bishops.'" 
 In a quotation, made by the same writer, fi*om a 
 production of Dr Holland, King's Professor of Divinity 
 at Oxford, it is stated, that " to affirm the office of 
 bishop to be different from that of presbyter, and 
 superior to it, is most false ; contrary to Scripture, to 
 the Fathers, to the doctrines of the Church of England, 
 yea, to the very schoolmen themselves." In a letter 
 written to Sir Francis Knollys, by Dr Reynolds, 
 Professor of Divinity at Oxford, we have the follow- 
 ing decided expression of opinion, — " All that have 
 laboured in reforming the church for 500 years have 
 taught that all pastors, be they entitled bishops or 
 priests, have equal authority and power by God's 
 word ; as first the Waldenses, next Marsilius Pata- 
 vinus, then Wickliffe and his scholars, afterwards 
 Husse and the Hussites ; and last of all, Luther, 
 Calvin, Brentius, Bullinger, and Musculus. Among 
 ourselves we have bishops, the Queen's Professors of 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 67 
 
 Divinity in our universities, and otlier learned men 
 consenting herein, as Bradford, Lambert, Jewel, 
 Pilkington, Humplu'eys, Fulke, &c. But what do I 
 speak of particular persons ? It is the common 
 judgment of the reformed churches of Helvetia, 
 Savoy, France, Scotland, Germany, Hungary, Po- 
 land, the Low Countries, and our own."^ Many 
 other authorities, of a similar kind, might be quoted 
 in confirmation of the same point. But sufficient 
 evidence has been adduced to show that the only 
 episcopacy, which is recognised in the New Testa- 
 ment, is that of the eldership. 
 
 Fourthly, We find a variety of titles given to elders 
 in the New Testament, expressive of their being 
 possessed of authority ; and the source, whence this 
 authority is derived, is also pointed out. I have 
 already shown, that it is to them the title, oversee?^ 
 (eTTio-KOTros) is applied. Another of the titles given to 
 them is that of governor {rjyovfievos). ^ To show tliat 
 this is a title descriptive of authority, I refer my 
 readers to Matt. ii. 6, where the title is applied to 
 Christ, as a governor. " And thou Bethlehem in the 
 land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of 
 Juda : for out of thee shall come a governor (rjyov- 
 
 ^ Neale's History of the Puritans. Vol. i. p. iSJ?. 
 - Ileb. xiii. 7, 17, 24. 
 
68 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 fxevos) that sliall rule my people Israel." The word 
 Tjyefxoiv, which is of similar import, is repeatedly applied 
 by writers of the New Testament to civil rulers. ^ 
 
 Another title, by which elders are designated, is 
 that of shepherd or imstor. The apostle Peter, ad- 
 dressing elders in the 5th chapter of his 1st Epistle, 
 says to them, — " Feed (noiixavare) the flock of God :" 
 or, as the Greek word properly signifies, " act the 
 part of shepherds" toward them. Paul addresses a 
 similar exhortation to the elders of the church of 
 Ephesus : " Take heed (he says) unto yourselves, 
 and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost 
 hath made you overseers, to feed (Troi/zaij/eti/) the church 
 of God ;" Acts XX. 28. Feeding the flock is only one 
 part of the shepherd's duty : Ruling them is another, 
 and an equally important part of it. Accordingly, we 
 find this term employed to describe the rule, which 
 Christ as a governor exercises over the church. It 
 is so employed in the text, quoted above. Matt. ii. : 
 " For out of thee shall come a governor, that shall rule 
 (noinavei) my people Israel." 
 
 Another of the titles applied to elders is that of 
 Trpoea-rms or Trpo'lcrTafJievos, which signifies a president 
 or ruler. This title is applied to them, Rom. xii. 8 ; 
 
 1 Acts xxiii. 24. 2G, 33 ; 1 Pet. ii. 14 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. G9 
 
 1 Tliess. V. 12; 1 Tim. v. 17. The same term is 
 employed by Paul, to denote the rule which a person 
 bears over his own family : 1 Tim. iii. 5. And by 
 classical authors, it is applied to the rulers of cities 
 and of kingdoms. 
 
 Another title given to elders is that of steward : 
 •'Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of 
 Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God ;" 1 Cor, 
 iv. 1. "A bishop (or overseer) must be blameless, 
 as the steward of God ;" Tit. i. 7. A steward (olko- 
 voyLos) is a person invested with authority to rule 
 either in a family, or a city. We find instances of 
 the application of the term in both of these senses. 
 Paul, in his Epistle to the Galatians, says (ch. iv. 
 1, 2), "Now, I say, that the heir, as long as he is a 
 child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be 
 lord of all ; but is under tutors and governors {oiico- 
 i/o/iouff) until the time appointed of the father." Erastus 
 is mentioned (Rom. xvi. 23) as being steward (olko- 
 vofxos) or chamberlain of the city of Corinth. When 
 elders, then, are described as steicards of God, this 
 certainly implies that they are invested with authority 
 to rule in the house of God. 
 
 All those titles, Avhich I have now mentioned, are 
 applied by the sacred writers to persons who were 
 invested with the office of the eldership. If language 
 
70 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 have any meaning at all, such titles indicate, that 
 those to whom they were applied were invested with 
 authority to act as rulers. The hind of authority 
 which they exercised — and the source whence they 
 derived it — are pointed out, with sufficient clearness, 
 by such expressions as the following — " Stewards 
 of God" — "Them that have the rule over you in 
 the Lord" — " The flock over which the Holy Ghost 
 hath made you overseers" I know not what plainer 
 language could be employed to describe the spiritual 
 nature and the divine source of that authority, with 
 which these office-bearers in the christian church 
 are mvested. 
 
 Fifthly, The eldership is mentioned, in the New 
 Testament, as a distinct office ; and the qualifications 
 which those, who are invested with this office, ought 
 to possess, are minutely pointed out. In the beginning 
 of the 3d chapter of the 1st Epistle to Timothy, it is 
 stated to be a true saying, that " if a man desire the 
 office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." Having 
 already established, on good grounds, the identity of 
 the title of elder with that of hisho^) or overseer, I 
 consider the verse now quoted as furnishing direct 
 proof, that there has been instituted in the christian 
 church such an office as that of the eldership. Then, 
 in the same chapter — as well as in the 1st chapter of 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 71 
 
 the Epistle to Titus — the qualifications, which those 
 who are invested with this office ought to possess, are 
 minutely pointed out. AVhat need would there be 
 for pointing out so minutely these qualifications — 
 and for commanding them to be made known to 
 Christians every where — if there be no office in the 
 christian church to which they are applicable ? 
 
 Sixthly^ Special directions are given by the Spirit 
 of God, as to the manner in which the duties con- 
 nected with the office of the eldership are to be 
 performed — and encouragements are given to those, 
 who are invested with this office, to be faithful and 
 diligent in the performance of these duties. Elders 
 are exhorted to rule with diligence : Rom. xii. 8. 
 They are not to prefer one before another, nor to do 
 any thing by partiality; 1 Tim. v. 21. A heretic, 
 after the first and second admonition, they are to 
 reject : Titus iii. 10. They arc not to be lords over 
 God's heritage, but ensamples to the flock : 1 Peter 
 v. 3. Such directions as i\iQ^Q presKppose the existence 
 of a class of office-bearers appointed to bear rule m 
 the house of God. Those persons, to whom these 
 du-ections are applicable, are mentioned as a class 
 distinct from the flock — and as exercising authority 
 over it. On any other supposition, than this, they 
 are utterly unintelligible. To encourage those who 
 
72 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 are invested with this office, to be faithful in dis- 
 charging the duties connected with it, Christ pro- 
 mises that he will be with them, till the end of the 
 world, to direct and assist them : And to those of 
 them who are faithful, there is an assurance given, 
 that " AVhen the chief Shepherd shall appear, they 
 shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away ;" 
 1 Peter v. 4. Such encouragements as these are 
 specially addressed to those who are entrusted with 
 the oversight of the flock. If God had not instituted 
 any such office as that of an overseer in his church 
 — and if he had not given authority to those, who 
 are invested with this office, to rule — would such 
 encouragements have been addressed to persons 
 presuming to exercise an authority, which he had 
 not sanctioned ? We have no reason to think that 
 they would. 
 
 Finally, The scriptural authority of the office of 
 the eldership may be further argued from those 
 passages, that occur in tlie writings of the apostles, 
 where members of the church are instructed in the 
 duty which they owe to their spiritual rulers. When 
 we read in Scripture the injunctions, that are given 
 to children to obey their parents, — or those that are 
 given to servants to be obedient to their masters — 
 we justly infer from these injunctions, that the 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 73 
 
 authority which a parent exercises over his children, 
 and that whicli a master exercises over his servants, 
 is an authority which God has sanctioned : and to 
 refuse obedience either in tlie one case, or the other, 
 is to resist the ordinance of God. This argument 
 applies with equal force to the divine authority of 
 the eldership. The injunctions, which we find the 
 apostles giving to the members of the primitive 
 churches, to love, honour, and obey those that exer- 
 cised a spiritual superintendence over them, are as 
 plain and pointed as any that were addressed by 
 them either to children, or to servants. 
 
 The following are some of the injunctions, given 
 by the apostles to the primitive churches, concerning 
 the duty that they owed to their office-bearers : — 
 "We beseech you, brethren, to know them which 
 labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, 
 and admonish you ; and to esteem them very highly 
 in love for their works' sake;" 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. 
 The word know, in this passage, does not mean 
 simple knowledge ; but knowledge with ajopi'obation. 
 In this sense the term is used in the 6th verse of the 
 1st Psalm, where it is said, "The Lord knoweth 
 (that is, approves of) the way of the righteous." Tlie 
 Thessalonians, then, were to regard Avith a feeling of 
 approbation those that laboured among them and 
 
74 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 were over them in the Lord. The phrase iii the 
 original, which is translated " over you in the Lord," 
 is a very energetic one — vpoin-Tafxevovs vficov ev Kvpiw, 
 " your rulers in the Lord." These spiritual rulers 
 they were to esteem highly — rery highly. Nay, they 
 were to esteem them very highly in love: and this 
 they were to do /or their ivories' sake. 
 
 Paul, writing to Timothy, says — " Let the elders 
 that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, 
 especially they who labour in word and doctrine ;" 
 1 Tim. V. 17. Concerning this passage it may be 
 remarked, that it is ob\4ously implied in it, that 
 i^uli/ig is the work of all the elders — and that in their 
 capacity, as 7nilers, they are to be honoured by the 
 people. It is further implied, that some are more 
 active and diligent in ruling than others : these (says 
 the apostle) are to receive double honour ; especially, 
 if in addition, to ruling, they also labour in word 
 and doctrine. The writer of the Epistle to the 
 Hebrews gives the following exhortation, to the 
 members of the church (chap. xiii. 17), " Obey them 
 that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves ; 
 for they watch for your souls, as they that must give 
 account." In this passage, also, ruling is mentioned 
 as the work of elders ; and the spiritual nature of 
 their work, as rulers, is pointed out — it is watching 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 75 
 
 for souls — watching to promote their spiritual benefit. 
 The apostle assigns this as the reason, why those 
 who reap the benefit of their labours ought to obey 
 them, and to submit themselves. It may be remarked, 
 that the term in the original, which is employed in 
 this verse to express submission (vTreiKere) is one of 
 peculiar force. It is derived fi'om a word, which 
 signifies " to yield ;" but the addition of the preposi- 
 tion vTTo gives intensity to the original meaning ; so 
 that it implies yielding without repugnance. It is a 
 term which is employed to express that unresisting 
 obedience which soldiers yield to their commanders. 
 Stronger language than that, which the Spirit of God 
 employs on this subject, it is scarcely possible to find. 
 The reason of such forcible language being employed 
 might be, — that the Spirit foresaw the resistance 
 which men, under the influence of those proud feel- 
 ings that naturally exist in the human heart, would 
 be inclined to make to the exercise of that spiritual 
 authority, which God has committed to the office- 
 bearers of his church. 
 
 The propositions, which I have endeavoured to 
 establish in this chapter, by arguments from Scrip- 
 ture, are — that at the commencement of Christianity, 
 elders were appointed, under the inspection of the 
 apostles, in every church — that in no one church do 
 
76 
 
 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 we read of there being only a single elder ; but in all 
 of them a plurality of elders were ordained— that 
 they were appointed for the purpose of overseehig the 
 churches — that the titles given them are such as 
 indicate then- being possessed of authority— that the 
 qualifications, which those who are appointed to this 
 office ought to possess, are distinctly pointed out— 
 that directions are given them by the Spirit of God, 
 as to the manner in which they are to discharge the 
 duties of their office— that strong encouragements 
 are held out to them, to be faithful and diligent in 
 the performance of these duties— and, finally, that 
 the members of the church are enjoined by God, in 
 forcible language, to love, to honour and obey their 
 spu-itual rulers. The conclusion, which I deduce 
 from these propositions, is, that the institution of the 
 eldership in the christian church is a divine ordinance, 
 and that to uphold it in a state of purity and efficiency 
 is a duty incumbent on all the professed followers of 
 Christ. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 77 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Ruling elders — A distinct class fi^om the teaching elders — 
 Presumptive proof of this— Direct evidence— Rom. xii. 8— 
 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29—1 Tim. v. 17— These passages examined— 
 Objections ans\yered— Reflections suggested by the evidence 
 — Opinion of Dr Owen concerning the eldership. 
 
 Some, after perusing what has been written in the 
 preceding pages, may possibly be ready to say — 
 " You have not established your point. "WTiat you 
 are requu-ed to prove is, not that there were office- 
 bearers in the primitive church, who were called 
 elders — and who exercised spiritual authority in the 
 churches ; for we admit that there were elders 
 ordained in all the churches — but these elders were 
 persons who both taught and ruled. We do not find 
 any distinction made between the teaching and tlic 
 ruling elder. What we desiderate, is proof that 
 there were persons ordained to the office of thc^ 
 eldership who merely ruled, while they did not 
 teach ; and until you establish this point by satis- 
 factory evidence, we must reject the office of the 
 ruling elder as unscriptural." 
 
78 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Such sentiments as these some of my readers may- 
 be ready to express — and the demand which they 
 make is not unreasonable. It is but fair that proof 
 be given, that we are warranted by Scripture in 
 having in our churches not only elders who both 
 teach and rule — but elders who merely rule, while 
 they do not teach. It is to the establishing of this 
 point that I shall devote this chapter. 
 
 Before adducing those passages of Scripture in 
 which the office of the ruling elder — as distinct from 
 that of the teaching elder — is expressly mentioned, 
 I would recall the attention of the reader to a fact, 
 which has been akeady stated, that m every church 
 there was a plurality of elders ordained. We have 
 no reason to think, that all the churches were so 
 numerous as to require a j)lurality of teachers. This 
 might be the case T\dth those which had been formed 
 in the large towns : but with regard to such as had 
 been formed in the \illages and rural districts, we 
 may reasonably conclude, that they would in general 
 be so small, as not to require the labours of more 
 than one teacher. Yet the smallest of them had 
 a plurality of elders. The supposition is at least 
 probable, that some of these elders were appointed 
 merely to rule. In the fact of there being a plurality 
 of elders in every church, we are furnished with a 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 79 
 
 presumptive proof of there being in each a class of 
 office-bearers corresponding with that of the ruling 
 elders, which obtains among the presbyterian churches 
 of the present day. We must either admit this sup- 
 position to be correct, or admit that none of the 
 churches amongst us are adhering to the apostolical 
 order — as they do not act upon the principle of 
 having a plurality of teaching elders. Even the very 
 largest of them — whether they be presbyterian, in- 
 dependent, or episcopalian — deem it sufficient to have 
 only one. In very rare cases, have they two or more. 
 If we admit that all the elders, ordained in the 
 primitive churches, were such as laboured in word 
 and doctrine — and if we further admit that there 
 was a plurality of such elders ordained in every 
 church, I cannot see how the conclusion can be 
 avoided, that we are bound to follow the example set 
 us in this respect by the apostles, and to have in every 
 separate congregation — ^whether it be great or small 
 — a plurality of teaching elders. It could scarcely 
 be expected that these teachers, in very many 
 cases, could be supported by their congregations; 
 for there is a considerable difficulty experienced by 
 many of the congregations, as at present constituted, 
 in supporting one teaching elder : and as for support- 
 ing two or three of them, this would be, in not a 
 
80 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 few cases, impracticable. The consequence would be- 
 that they would be under the necessity of labouring 
 with their hands, in order to support themselves. 
 In this case, how could they comply with the 
 apostolic injunction, " Give thyself wholly to these 
 things." Compliance with this injunction would be 
 not only morally, but physically impossible. They 
 must neglect their ministry, as they could not rea- 
 sonably be expected to devote their whole time and 
 attention to it — and at the same time prosecute some 
 manual employment, mth a view to obtain for them- 
 selves and families the necessaries of life. ^^Hio does 
 not see that such a mode of procedure would at least 
 greatly impair — if it did not totally destroy — the 
 efficiency of the christian ministry? Yet all this 
 follows, as a necessary consequence, from supposing 
 that all the elders in the primitive churches were 
 such as laboured in word and doctrine. I argue, 
 therefore, from the fact of there being a plurality of 
 elders in every church, the strong probability that at 
 least a certain portion belonged to that class deno- 
 minated ruling elders. 
 
 We are not, however, left to inferential evidence 
 on this subject. There are several passages of Scrip- 
 ture in which the office of the ruling elder is men- 
 tioned as distinct from that of the teaching elder : 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 81 
 
 SO that we have direct scriptural authority for the 
 maintenance of this office in the christian church. 
 Tlie first passage, which I adduce in confirmation of 
 this point, is Rom. xii. 4-8. " For as we have 
 many members in one body, and all members have 
 not the same office ; so we, being many, are one 
 body in Christ, and every one members one of 
 another. Having then gifts differing according to 
 the grace that is given to us, Avhether prophecy, let 
 us prophesy according to the proportion of faith ; or 
 ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that 
 teacheth, on teaching ; or he that exhorteth, on 
 exhortation : he that giveth, let him do it with 
 simplicity ; he that ruleth, with diligence ; he that 
 showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." In this pas- 
 sage, the church is compared to the human body. 
 As the members of the human body have different 
 functions to perform, so the members of the church 
 have different gifts conferred — and each is to exercise, 
 for the good of the whole, the particular gift which 
 God has given. He that has the gift of prophecy, is 
 to exercise it (says the apostle) according to the 
 analogy {Kara ttjv avoKoycav) of faith. He that has 
 the office of a deacon {diuKoviav) is to do the work of 
 a deacon. He that is appointed to teach, is to 
 attend to his teaching. He that has the gift of ex- 
 
82 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 hortation, is to exercise his gift. He that is 
 appointed to distribute, (o /xeraStoovs,) is to do it in 
 simplicity, or singleness {ev anXoTrjTi), that is, without 
 respect of persons. He whose office it is to rule, 
 (o npoia-Tanevos,) is diligently to discharge the duties 
 of it. He whose work is that of showing mercy — 
 by attending upon the sick, (o eXecov,) is to do it 
 Avith cheerfulness. 
 
 In this enumeration of gifts and offices, the reader 
 will observe, that "he that teacheth," and "he that 
 ruleth," are mentioned as distinct. Both of these 
 were office-bearers in the church — and both of them 
 ruled. But the difference between them was this : The 
 first, " he that teacheth," (o bidaaKcou,) not only ruled, 
 but also laboured in word and doctrine ; whereas 
 the second, "he that ruleth," had no other work 
 assigned him but that of ruling — and he is distin- 
 guished by a title which marks the peculiar nature 
 of his work. The expression o irpoia-TafMevos^ in its 
 literal acceptation, denotes a person who stands 
 before another ; and metaphorically it is employed 
 to denote a ruler or commander — one who is invested 
 with authority over others. Sometimes it denotes the 
 ruler of a family : 1 Tim. iii. 4, tov idiov olkov koXoh 
 Ttpdiarafxevov, " One that ruleth well his own house." 
 Sometimes it denotes the ruler of a city : neyaXrjs 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 83 
 
 TTpofaTas TToXecos, " He that nileth over a great city."^ 
 Sometimes it denotes the ruler of a nation : Avnyovoj 
 npoea-raTi MaKedovcov, " To Antigonus the ruler of the 
 Macedonians." 2 It is, therefore, quite in accordance 
 with the classical application of this word, to find it 
 employed in the New Testament to denote those 
 who bear rule in the church : such as in 1 Thess. v. 
 12, npoia-Tafievovs vficov ev Kvpico, " Your rulers in the 
 Lord;" and in 1 Tim. v. 17, oi Ka\<os irpoearS^T^s 
 npealSvTepoi, "The elders that rule well." I am, 
 therefore, fully justified in regarding it, in the passage 
 on which I am commenting (Rom. xii. 8), as de- 
 scriptive of an office-bearer in the church that rules 
 — and of one that only rules. 
 
 Both Doddridge and Macknight translate it, in this 
 passage, " one who presides" or " president." But 
 this does not convey the full amount of its meaning 
 here. A president may preside among equals. But 
 this term is descriptive of one that bears rule over 
 others ; and it has been justly remarked, that if 
 nothing more than a president had been meant by 
 the apostle — the word employed would have been, 
 not 7rpoL(TTap.evos, but TrpcoToa-TaTrjs. The former of 
 
 ' Plato, Epistle 7th, quoted by Gillespie in his Aaron-s Kod 
 Blossoming-, p. 271. 
 2 Polyb. Hist. II. C. 45, quoted by Sehleusncr. 
 
84 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 these implies " a power of jurisdiction and govern- 
 ment " — the latter, " a precedence or placing of one 
 before another," though it is admitted that the two 
 terms are sometimes used indiscriminately.^ It is 
 evident from this passage, that teaching and ruling 
 are recognised as distinct gifts — and also that they 
 are represented as exercised by different individuals ; 
 and there is here a direction given by the Spirit of 
 God, as to the manner in which they were to exer- 
 cise their gifts : " He that teacheth, let him wait on 
 his teaching " — and " He that ruleth, let him do it 
 with diligence." 
 
 Let us suppose (what some affirm) that none are 
 appointed to rule in the church, distinct from those 
 who teach, — I ask, if, on this supposition, the 
 language which the apostle employs be not fitted to 
 mislead : first to say, " Let him that teacheth, wait 
 on his teaching ;" and then, as if addressing another 
 class of persons, to say, " Let him that ruleth, do it 
 with diligence" — when he did not mean to affirm, 
 that there were persons who ruled, distinct from 
 those that taught. Who would understand him as 
 referring, in these phrases, to exactly the same class 
 of individuals ? I admit that teaching and ruling 
 
 ^ Aaron's Rod Blossoming-, p. 271. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 85 
 
 are united in the same person, in the case of the 
 elder who labours in word and doctrine. But it is 
 of the apostle's phraseology I am at present speaking.. 
 According to this phraseology, the apostle fixes our 
 attention not only on teaching and ruling as distinct 
 gifts, but on different individuals as exercising these 
 gifts — " he that teacheth" — and " he that ruleth." 
 I appeal to the common sense of my readers, if this 
 phraseology does not naturally lead us to the con- 
 clusion, that there were persons appointed to rule, 
 distinct from those who were appointed to teach. 
 A sufficient reason may be assigned for the distinction, 
 made in this passage, between the teaching and the 
 ruling elder. It is, that the work of teaching is of 
 such importance, that it requires the teaching elder 
 to give his attention, if not exclusively, at least 
 chiefly to it : He is to " wait'' upon it. This being 
 the case, he cannot be supposed to give to the work 
 of ruling such a portion of his time and attention as 
 its importance may demand ; and the ruling elder, 
 therefore, has been appointed to co-operate with him 
 in this work, so that the government of the house of 
 God may not be neglected — but every thing be "done 
 decently and in order." 
 
 A second passage that may be adduced, to prove the 
 distinction between the teaching and the ruling elder, 
 
86 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 is 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29. " And God hath set some in 
 the church, first, apostles ; secondarily, prophets ; 
 thirdly, teachers ; after that miracles ; then gifts of 
 heahngs, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 
 Ai-e all apostles ? are all prophets ? are all teachers ? 
 are all workers of miracles?" There is a great 
 similarity in the circumstances in which the apostle 
 introduces this passage, to those in which the passage, 
 above quoted from the epistle to the Romans, is intro- 
 duced. The introduction of both is prefaced by a 
 comparison of the church of Christ to the human 
 body. As there are different members in the body, 
 which have different functions to perform, and as 
 the due performance of each function is necessary to 
 the good of the whole, — so in the church there are 
 different office-bearers appointed, each endowed "with 
 gifts necessary to fit him for the right performance of 
 the duties of his office ; and these gifts each is to 
 exercise in such a manner as to promote the benefit 
 of that spiritual community with which he is con- 
 nected. It is for this purpose that God has appointed 
 the various classes of office-bearers, enumerated in 
 the passage now quoted. They have all been de- 
 signed by God to promote one object (in subordina- 
 tion to his own glory), and that object is the edification 
 of the church. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 87 
 
 This passage contains the most complete enume- 
 ration of office-bearers that is to be found in the 
 New Testament. They are all here mentioned 
 (both extraordinary and ordinary) with the excep- 
 tion of the evangelist. Some have supposed that 
 the pastor also is omitted. But this is not the case : 
 as the office of the pastor is here vu-tually repre- 
 sented by that of the teacher ; seeing that these two 
 terms (pastor and teacher) do not represent different 
 offices — but rather different acts of the same office. 
 Some of the office-bearers, mentioned in this enume- 
 ration, were extraordinary. They were designed 
 for the more speedy and effectual propagation of the 
 gospel at the commencement of Christianity ; and 
 they were to be only of temporary continuance in 
 the church. Of the eight mentioned in this passage, 
 five were extraordinary ; and they are here pointed 
 out by the following designations — apostles — pro- 
 phets — miracles — gifts of healing — diversities of 
 tongues : meaning by " miracles," persons who 
 wrought miracles ; by " gifts of healing," persons 
 who possessed these gifts ; and by " diversities of 
 tongues," persons who " spake with other tongues, 
 as the Spirit gave them utterance." It may be 
 remarked, in passing, that the higher of these 
 included all the lower. The other three mentioned 
 
88 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 were ordinary — and designed to be permanent in 
 the church. These are designated by the following 
 titles — teachers — governments — helps : meaning by 
 " governments," persons who ruled (the abstract 
 being put for the concrete) ; and by " helps," those 
 who held the office of the deacon, who were so 
 denominated on account of their giving assistance to 
 the eldership) in taking charge of the poor. 
 
 The meaning of the term in the original, here 
 rendered governments, I formerly noticed. It describes 
 the management of a ship by the pilot, when, by 
 means of the rudder and the compass, he directs its 
 course through the deep. The term, as here applied 
 to the government of the church, is a very expres- 
 sive one ; inasmuch as it forcibly suggests to the 
 mind, the idea of prudence and skill being neces- 
 sary on the part of those who are entrusted with 
 the management of her affairs. That by these 
 " governments" we are to understand rulers of some 
 kind or another, there can be little doubt. But the 
 question presents itself — What kind of rulers were 
 they ? Some have affirmed, that they were christian 
 magistrates appointed to rule in the church. Those 
 who make this affirmation forget, that the apostle is 
 here speaking of office-bearers that were then in the 
 church : for he says, " God hath set in the church 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 89 
 
 governments." But there were no magistrates bear- 
 ing rule in the church — or rather, I should say, 
 bearing rule over it — for some hundreds of years 
 after this. Others have maintained, that they were 
 prelatical bishops whose business it was to rule, not 
 only over the flock, but over the pastors of the 
 flock. I have already shown, that Scripture recog- 
 nises no such rulers in the christian church — that 
 tliere is no distinction made between the presbyter 
 and the bishop, or, — to use still more famihar terms 
 — between the elder and the overseer — that these 
 terms are used indiscriminately in the apostolical 
 writings, and are employed to describe the same 
 class of office-bearers. These " governments" were 
 none other than the ruling elders of the church. 
 That they were rulers^ the term itself implies. They 
 were rulers in the church — of course office-bearers in 
 it. They were rulers whom God had set or appointed 
 (eSeTo). Further, they were rulers whom God had 
 set in the church, distinct from the teachers : Their 
 business was merely to rule. All these particulars 
 are clearly deducible from the passage under con- 
 sideration ; and they indicate, with sufficient plain- 
 ness, the office of the ruling elder, as it exists in the 
 presbyterian churches. This then is an office which 
 exists by a divine warrant. 
 
90 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 When I speak of the " governments" — or rulers 
 — as being distinct from the " teachers," I do not 
 mean to affirm, that the teachers did not rule. Their 
 office included in it the key of government, as well 
 as the key of doctrine ; that is, they not only 
 laboured in word and doctrine, but they also ruled. 
 But what I affirm is, that there was a class of office- 
 bearers whose sole work was that of ruling, and that 
 this is the class which is specially described in this 
 passage by the term " governments." Now, to show 
 that this class of rulers was distinct from that of the 
 teachers, I submit the foUoAving remarks. The 
 apostle says, " God hath set some in the church, 
 first, apostles ; secondarily, prophets ; thirdly, 
 teachers," &c. According to the structure of this 
 sentence, the word some is applicable to every clause 
 in the verse ; and the meaning of the apostle is the 
 same as if he had said, " God hath set some in the 
 church, first, who are apostles ; some in the church, 
 secondarily, who are prophets ; some in the church, 
 thirdly, who are teachers ; after that, some in the 
 church who have the power of working miracles ;" 
 and so on ^vith the remaining clauses of the verse. 
 That this is his meaning, is obvious from the ques- 
 tions which he asks in the following verses (29th 
 and 30th), where he says — " Are all apostles ? are 
 
 [ 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 91 
 
 all prophets ? are all teachers ? are all workers of 
 miracles ? " &c. — thereby plainly intimating, that all 
 were not apostles — all were not prophets — all were not 
 teachers — all were not workers of miracles, &c. Here 
 is a proof, then, that the teachers were a distinct 
 class ; for if they had not been so, then all had been 
 teachers — which the apostle affirms they were not. 
 But if they were distinct, then they were a different 
 class from the " governments." For if they had not 
 been different — but one and the same — can we sup- 
 pose that the apostle would have said — " God hath 
 set in the church, thirdly, teachers ; and after that 
 governments." Who does not see that this language 
 would be unmeaning — or, at least, a useless repetition, 
 if the "teachers" and " governments" were identically 
 the same? It would be equivalent to saying, — " God 
 hath set in the church, thirdly, teachers ;" and after that, 
 " God hath set governments ;" — meaning exactly the 
 same class of persons. On this supposition, what 
 possible meaning could we attach to the phrase 
 " after ihat^'' if he were merely going to repeat what 
 he had previously affirmed ? The argument from 
 these verses, in favour of a distinction between the 
 teaching and ruling elder, appears to be conclusive. 
 Another passage, in which the distinction between 
 the teaching and the ruling elder is plainly taught. 
 
92 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 is 1 Tim. V. 17. " Let the elders that rule well be 
 counted worthy of double honour, especially they 
 who labour in word and doctrine." There can be no 
 doubt with regard to the class of office-bearers re- 
 ferred to in this passage. They are expressly called 
 elders (Trpea^vTepoi) ; and to show us that this term 
 is not applied to them in respect of their age, but in 
 respect of their office, they are described as elders 
 that rule, Trpoea-rcoTes Trpea^vrepoi, literally, " ruling 
 elders." The meaning of the word Trpoeo-Tcores will 
 be found in the remarks which I have already made 
 on Rom. xii. 8. I have there shown that the verb, 
 to which it belongs, is ordinarily employed to denote 
 the exercise of rule or authority over others. It is 
 clear from the verse under consideration, that God 
 stamps with his approbation, the office of the elder- 
 ship in the christian church. For it is here implied, 
 that all the elders are to receive honour, but they 
 that rule well are to receive double honour. It is 
 worthy of notice, that this passage fixes our attention 
 upon rulijig as the peculiar employment of the elder- 
 ship ; for all the elders rule. There is no comparison 
 made in this verse between elders that rule, and 
 elders that do not rule. The language employed, 
 implies that all rule. But there is a comparison 
 drawn between the ruling of some, and the ruling of 
 
THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 93 
 
 others. As 'i^lers^ tliey are distinguished by different 
 degrees of excellence. Some rule well. Others are 
 defective in their ruling : they are neither so faithful 
 nor so diligent as they ought to be ; and the object 
 of the Spirit of God, in the injunction here given, is 
 to recommend to the special notice of the church 
 those elders, that perform the duties of their office 
 in an efficient manner, as persons that are entitled 
 to receive double honour. 
 
 Suppose that this verse had contained nothing 
 more than the injunction, expressed in the first 
 clause of it, " Let the elders that rule well be counted 
 worthy of double honour" — and that the latter part 
 of it had been wanting altogether — the remarks that 
 I have made would have sufficed for the interpretation 
 of it. It could not have been ascertained, from the 
 first part of the verse, that there was any distinction 
 between elders that merely rule, and elders who, 
 besides ruling, also teach. We might have inferred 
 that there was such a distinction ; but we could not 
 have affirmed that it was plainly taught. The state- 
 ment, however, contained in the second part of the 
 verse, places the matter beyond all reasonable doubt 
 — "especially they who labour in word and doctrine." 
 This addition to the verse would be altogether un- 
 meaning, if there had been no ruling elders, distinct 
 
94 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 from those that laboured in word and doctrine. If 
 all had laboured in word and doctrine, there would 
 have been no necessity for the apostle adding these 
 words. It would have been sufficient for him to 
 have said, " Let the elders that rule well be counted 
 worthy of double honour." On the supposition that 
 they were all teaching elders, this statement would 
 have been sufficiently explicit : there could have 
 been no mistake as to his meaning. Wliy then 
 should he add these words — " especially they that 
 labour in word and doctrine" — ^if there was no dis- 
 tinction among them ? Was not such an addition 
 as this calculated to mislead ? Would not any person, 
 reading these words, naturally conclude that there 
 was a class of elders who, while they ruled, did not 
 labour in word and doctrine, — seeing that they who 
 laboured in word and doctrine were especially to 
 receive double honour? According to the view I 
 am combating, there was no speciality in the case. 
 There were none especially entitled to receive double 
 honour, on the ground of labouring in word and 
 doctrine, seeing this was applicable to them all. Can 
 we really attribute to the apostle such unmeaning 
 language ? Wliat would we have said, if the verse 
 had run in the following terms — " All the elders 
 labour in word and doctrine. Let them that rule 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 95 
 
 well be counted worthy of double honour ; especially 
 they who labour in word and doctrine." Yet this is 
 vii-tually the language, which the apostle is regarded 
 as employing, by those who maintain that there are 
 no ruling elders distinct from those that teach. 
 
 The word especially (jiaKtaTa), according to the 
 common use of it, implies a distinction between one 
 class and another. Should any one, for instance, in 
 ghdng an account of a battle, say, " All the soldiers 
 fought well ; especially the infantry" — would we not 
 understand him as intimating, that there were soldiers 
 engaged in the battle, who were not infantry ? Or 
 should any one tell us, that " All the students in the 
 university distmguished themselves ; especially the 
 students of theology" — would we not understand by 
 this declaration, that there were students in the 
 university, besides those who were studying theology? 
 In like manner, when the apostle says, " Let the 
 elders that rule well be counted worthy of double 
 honour ; especially they who labour in word and 
 doctrine" — are we not equally warranted in inter- 
 preting this language to mean, that there were elders 
 who ruled well, besides those who laboured in word 
 and doctrine ? 
 
 This text has been found very difficult of interpre- 
 tation by those who reject the office of the rulmg 
 
96 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER, 
 
 elder. It has been twisted into every possible shape. 
 There is not a single term in it, that has not been 
 subjected to a species of torture, with the view of 
 making it speak a language different from its ordin- 
 ary acceptation ; and all for the purpose of getting 
 rid of the obnoxious doctrine of a ruling eldership. 
 " It would touch any man of bowels with commise- 
 ration (says Anderson in his Defence of Presbyteri- 
 anism) to see into what various forms the episcopal 
 writers twist themselves to avoid the force of the text 
 last cited (1 Tim. v. 17). It has but fourteen words 
 in the original, even particles included ; and they 
 have put at least fourteen senses upon it. Dioclavius 
 discussed ten of them in his days, and they have 
 been ever since inventing new ones." ^ I shall here 
 notice some of the glosses that have been put upon 
 this much controverted text. 
 
 First, It has been affirmed, that by the ruHng 
 elders referred to, in the first part of the verse, and 
 who are distinguished from them that laboured in 
 word and doctrine, the apostle meant the deacons. 
 It is a suffcient reply to this view of the text to state, 
 that the deacons are never styled elders in the New 
 Testament — that the work of ruling is no where 
 
 * Anderson in Reply to Rhind, p. 177. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 97 
 
 ascribed to them — and that they are mentioned in 
 Rom. xii. 8, and in 1 Cor. xii. 28, as distinct both *^ 
 from the teaching and the ruling elders. They were *% 
 designed to be helps to the eldership; and their 
 proper work was to attend to the wants of the poor. 
 Secondly, It has been affirmed, that by the ruling 
 elders, mentioned in the first part of the verse, ai'e 
 to be understood aged and infii-m bishops, who can- 
 not labour in word and doctrine. In reference to 
 this interpretation, it may justly be asked — how can 
 superannuated bishops, who are incapacitated by in- 
 firmity from labouring in word and doctrine, be 
 supposed capable of ruling well ?— which is the 
 supposition made by the apostle. Further, according 
 to this interpretation, it would follow, that preaching 
 presbyters are entitled to receive greater honour, 
 than bishops who do not preach ; a doctrine which 
 few prelates will be inclmed to admit. A serious 
 objection to this view of the verse is, that it supposes 
 that aged and infirm ministers, who have been worn 
 out in their Master's service, and who are no longer 
 capable of preaching, are not entitled to receive the 
 same honour as those who are young and vigorous, 
 and fit for the active discharge of the duties of their 
 ofiice : — a supposition, which reason and religion 
 alike condemn. 
 
98 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Thirdly^ By the elders that rule well, some would 
 have us to understand magistrates ; such as kings, 
 members of parliament, and all civil governors. It 
 is fatal to this interpretation, that at the time Paul 
 wi'ote these words — and for a considerable period 
 afterward — there were no magistrates connected 
 with the christian church, to whom the language 
 could apply. Further, it is the duties, not of civil, 
 but of ecclesiastical rulers, that the apostle is describ- 
 ing in the epistle of which the verse forms a part. 
 Besides, if this interpretation were admitted to be 
 correct, it would follow from it, that ministers of the 
 gospel would not only have an equal share in the 
 government of the church with kings and parHament- 
 men, but would be entitled to double honour on the 
 gi'ound of their labouring in word and doctrine. 
 Such a conclusion as this Erastians would not be 
 inclined to admit ; and yet it follows necessarily from 
 their own interpretation of the verse. The interpre- 
 tation, on the grounds now stated, must be regarded 
 as untenable. 
 
 Fourthly, Some aflfii'm, that the latter part of the 
 verse is to be viewed as exegetical of the former. 
 In order to support this view they tell us, that the 
 Greek particle fiakia-Ta, instead of " especially" should 
 be translated much ; and the latter part of the verse 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 99 
 
 they read thus, " they who labour much in word and 
 doctrine." This statement they consider as designed 
 by the apostle to show who the elders are that rule 
 well : They are those who labour much in word 
 and doctrine : " Let the elders that rule well be 
 counted worthy of double honour ; they who labour 
 much in word and doctrine." It is unfortunate for 
 those who take this view of the verse, that a single 
 instance cannot be adduced from the New Testament, 
 where the word /zaXto-ra has the meaning which they 
 attach to it. In so far as the use of it in the aposto- 
 lical writings is concerned, it is never employed in 
 an explanatory, but a disjunctive sense. Tlie follow- 
 ing instances may be quoted as a specimen. Titus, 
 i. 10 : " For there are many unruly and vain talkers 
 and deceivers, specially (/xaXto-ra) they of the circum- 
 cision." The word ixaXiara here distinguishes vain 
 talkers and deceivers of the circumcision from those 
 that were not of the circumcision. Gal. vi. 10 : 
 " Let us do good unto all men, especially (/xaXto-ra) 
 unto them who are of the household of faith." Here 
 the word fxaKia-Ta distinguishes those who believe 
 from those who do not believe. Phil. iv. 22 : " All 
 the saints salute you, chiefly {fxaXiara) they that are 
 of Cesar's household." Here the word fiakiara makes 
 a distinction between the saints that belonged to 
 
100 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Cesar's household and those that did not. But even 
 admitting that the word iiakia-ra has an exegetical 
 rather than a distinctive meaning, yet, according to 
 the Greek idiom, the interpretation which I am 
 opposing would require a different construction of 
 the words in the original from that which is actually 
 employed. If the apostle had intended the latter 
 part of the verse to be exegetical of the former, 
 instead of saying fiaKtara oi KOTTLcovres, he would have 
 said 01 fiakiara Komcovres. This is on the supposition, 
 that fxaKia-Ta is to be understood in an exegetical, 
 rather than a distinctive sense. 
 
 Fifthly/, Some find a key to the meaning of this 
 verse in the word kottkovtcs, which (they tell us) 
 signifies lahouring to weariness or icith great earnestness. 
 According to them, the apostle, in this verse, makes 
 a distinction — not between teaching and ruling elders 
 — but between those who labour abmidantly in word 
 and doctrine, and those whose labours are not so 
 abundant ; and tliey say that the former are especially 
 to receive double honour. This is a begging of the 
 question. It is taking for granted, that teaching is 
 common to both classes of elders — and that the only 
 question is ^\\i\\ regard to the abundance of their 
 labours ; whereas it is ruling, and not teaching, that 
 is mentioned as the common work of them both. It 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 101 
 
 would require a different construction of tlie verse, 
 to render such an interpretation at all probable. The 
 words — " they that labour in word and doctrine " 
 — would require to be inserted before the word 
 " especially ;" and the verse would require to be 
 read thus — " Let the elders who rule well, and who 
 labour in word and doctrine well, be counted worthy 
 of double honour ; especially they who are exceed- 
 ingly laborious in their ruling and preaching." Again, 
 with regard to the meaning of the word Komcovres^ it 
 denotes nothing more than ordinary labour. When 
 extraordinary labour is^^ifitended to be expressed, 
 either a different term is employed, or some epithet 
 is added to Komaco, to give it intensity. The following 
 instances will shoAv this : " We beseech you brethren 
 to know them which labour (KOTrtavras) among you, 
 and are over you in the Lord ;" 1 Thess. v. 12. — 
 " Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour 
 (KOTTKova-as) in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis 
 who laboured much (TroXka eKoniaa-ev) in the Lord ;" 
 Rom. xvi. 12. — " But I laboured more abundantly 
 {■TrepKra-OTepov eKomao-a) than they all ;" 1 Cor. XV. 10. 
 — If the apostle had intended in the verse under 
 consideration to describe extraordinary labour, on 
 the part of some ministers more than others, he 
 would have employed a more expressive term than 
 
102 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 KomoiVTes. He would in all probability have substi- 
 tuted in its room the word iiox^ovvres, which denotes 
 labour of such a severe kind as to produce exhaustion 
 of strength. The following instances, used by the 
 apostle himself, vrill show that the latter of these 
 terms is much more expressive than the former : 
 €v Koira Kai [j-oxOcp in labour and fatigue ; 2 Cor. xi. 
 27. — "For ye remember, brethren, rov kottov rj^cov 
 Kai Tov fxoxOov, our labour and fatigue ;" 1 Thess. ii. 9. 
 — It appears, therefore, to be untenable ground, 
 which those persons occupy, who consider the apostle 
 as pointing out the superior claims which those 
 ministers have, who labour much in the gospel, over 
 those who labour less. 
 
 Sixthly, I shall notice only another interpretation 
 of this verse, given by those who are opposed to the 
 office of the ruling elder, which is, that the apostle 
 by " double honour" here means douhle maintenance; 
 and, if so, it follows that all the elders are to receive 
 maintenance — and that they who rule well are to 
 have a double allowance given them. Those who 
 give this interpretation infer from it, that none but 
 teaching elders are referred to, in the verse, as it is 
 supposed that none will plead for a maintenance 
 being given to elders that merely rule. In reply to 
 those who urge this interpretation against the office 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 103 
 
 of the ruling elder, I would state, that though the 
 word TifjLr) frequently denotes a reward or remuneration 
 for labour, yet it is also employed to denote honour 
 and respect ; and though the apostle, from the quota- 
 tion which he makes in the 18th verse, may be 
 considered as using the term in the sense of remune- 
 ration, as he there says — " The Scripture saith, 
 * Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the 
 com,' and ' the labourer is worthy of his reward' " — 
 , yet it does not necessarily follow that such is his 
 meaning ; because the quotation is introduced pro- 
 verbially, for the purpose of showing, that every 
 one is to receive what is his due, according to the 
 situation which he occupies : honour to whom honour 
 — maintenance to whom maintenance. This view of 
 the quotation is as applicable to the giving of honour 
 to the elders, as it is to the giving of maintenance. 
 
 But even admitting that it is of maintenance the 
 apostle is speaking, when he says, " Let the elders 
 that rule well be counted worthy of double honour," 
 this does not at all affect the distinction made in the 
 verse, between elders that merely rule, and those 
 who, besides ruling, also labour in word and doctrine. 
 That elders, whose time is occupied in superintending 
 the affairs of the church, should be entitled to main- 
 tenance from the church, is not in itself unreasonable ; 
 
104 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 and there is nothing in it unscriptural. Upon the 
 principle already stated, that " The labourer is 
 worthy of his reward," the elders that rule well are 
 entitled to double maintenance ; especially they who 
 labour in word and doctrine. It is true, that the 
 church may not be able to give to all the elders a 
 maintenance, even though they be entitled to it. It 
 may be unable, sometimes, to give a suitable main- 
 tenance even to teaching elders : but stiU the obliga- 
 tion to do so, is not on that account removed. It 
 matters little, therefore, what sense we attach to the 
 word TifiT}, in this verse ; whether we understand it 
 as implying personal respect or maintenance; it does 
 not affect the argument, which the verse furnishes, 
 in support of the office of the ruling elder. The 
 distinction, so clearly drawn in this verse, between 
 elders that merely rule, and elders who, besides 
 ruling, labour in word and doctrine, remains un- 
 touched : for whether it be honour in the ordinary 
 sense of the term, or maintenance, that is meant — 
 the apostle says, that they who rule well are to be 
 counted worthy of a double portion of it ; and this 
 is to be especially the case with those who labour in 
 word and doctrine. 
 
 I have extended my remarks on this important 
 verse, probably more than was necessary. But as it 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 105 
 
 furnishes a very clear and decisive proof in favour of 
 the office of the ruling elder — as distinct from that 
 of the teaching elder — and as much learning and 
 ingenuity have been brought to bear upon it, for the 
 purpose of destroying the proof which it furnishes — 
 I thought it due to my subject, to enter somewhat 
 minutely into the various objections, that have been 
 urged against the commonly received mterpretation 
 of the verse. 
 
 Any one of the passages, which I have adduced 
 in the course of this chapter, to show that there are 
 elders appointed to rule in the christian church, 
 distinct from those that are appointed to teach, is 
 sufficient to establish the point. All of them taken 
 together furnish a mass of evidence that is irresistibly 
 strong. The office of the ruling elder possesses all 
 the sacredness of a divine institution. It is not left 
 to our option, whether we shall have it or not. To 
 refuse to have it, is to reject an institution of Christ. 
 A church is not properly organised without it. The 
 example which the apostles set — the directions w^hich 
 they gave — the fact of there being elders ordained in 
 all the primitive churches — the statement made, that 
 these elders were appointed by the Holy Ghost — 
 and the distinction, so frequently refeiTed to, in the 
 apostolical wi'itings, between those that ruled and 
 
lOG THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 those that taught — all of these particulars, to which 
 the attention of the reader has been directed in the 
 preceding pages, furnish an amount of proof, in 
 favour of this office, which even a prejudiced mind 
 must find it difficult to resist. The proof is as full 
 as any reasonable person can demand. It is much 
 fuller than that on which we rest our belief of the 
 change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first 
 day of the week : And mth regard to those, who 
 reject it as unsatisfactory, I know not what other 
 evidence would be sufficient to reach conviction to 
 their mind. The following remarks of Dr Owen — 
 coming, as they do, from a staunch congregationalist 
 and a person of great learning — are well fitted to 
 impress the minds of those who may be sceptical 
 on this subject. Referring to 1 Tim. v. 17, he says 
 — " This is a text of uncontrollable evidence, if it 
 had anything to conflict withal but prejudice and 
 interest. A rational man who is unprejudiced, who 
 never heard of the controversy about ruling elders, 
 can hardly avoid an apprehension that there are two 
 sorts of elders, some who labour in the word and 
 doctrine, and some who do not do so. The truth is, 
 it was interest and prejudice which first caused some 
 learned men to strain their wits to find out evasions 
 from the evidence of this testimony. Being found 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 107 
 
 out, some others of meaner abilities have been 
 entangled by them. There are elders then in the 
 church. There are, or ought to be so, in every 
 church. With these elders the whole rule of the 
 church is entrusted. All these, and only they, do 
 rule in it."^ 
 
 » True Nature of a Gospel Church, chap. vii. p. 141, &c. 
 
108 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Christian Fathers— What degree of credit to be attached to their 
 writings — Their testimony in favour of the eldership — Clemens 
 Romanus — Ignatius — Poly carp— Justin Martyr — Irenseus — 
 Tertullian — Origen — Ambrose — Jerome — The eldership re- 
 tained among the Waldenses — Adopted by the Bohemian 
 Brethren — Introduced by Calvin into the church of Geneva — 
 Received generally by the reformed churches — The English 
 Puritans in favour of it — The Independent party in the West- 
 minster Assembly of Divines express their willingness to 
 receive it — Testimonies fi'om congregational writers in favour 
 of ruUng elders — Testimonies from episcopahan writers — 
 Summary of evidence. 
 
 It is of importance to inquire whether the view, 
 which I have given of the divine institution of the 
 cludstian eldership, derives any confirmation from the 
 state of things which existed in the church, during 
 the early period of the christian era. Do we find 
 any evidence, in the records of that period, confir- 
 matory of the evidence which has been adduced on 
 this subject from the writings of the New Testament ? 
 To this question an affirmative answer must be given. 
 The testimony of the Christian Fathers, and especially 
 of those that lived nearest to the time of the apostles, 
 is strongly corroborative of the views which have been 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 109 
 
 advanced in the preceding pages. There is scarcely 
 one of these Fathers that does not make repeated 
 mention of the ofRce of the eldership. They refer to it 
 not merely as an office that existed among them, but 
 as one that was sanctioned by the authority of Christ. 
 They represent the elders as bearing rule in the 
 church : and when speaking of the elderships of 
 particular churches, they apply to them such designa- 
 tions as the following — " presbytery" — " sanhedrim" 
 " council of God." 
 
 In making an appeal to the Christian Fathers on 
 such a subject as this, I do not do so for the purpose of 
 supplying any defect in the evidence of Scripture ; 
 for though not a single portion of the writings of the 
 Fathers had come down to us, the evidence which 
 scripture furnishes would not have been weakened 
 in the slightest degi-ee. I do not consider, that the 
 circumstance of any doctrine being taught in the 
 writings of the Fathers, entitles it to be received by 
 us, unless it can be shown to be in accordance with 
 what is taught in the word of God. The conduct of 
 those persons, who exalt the writmgs of uninspired 
 men to a level vnth the inspired volume, and who 
 make the former the rule of their faith as well as the 
 latter, cannot be condemned in language sufficiently 
 strong. It is an insult offered to the eternal Spirit. 
 
110 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 It opens a wide door to the introduction of every 
 species of error and abuse into tlie church. We have 
 a melancholy instance of the mischievous effects that 
 result from such conduct, in the attempt that is 
 making by men of learning, in the present day, to sap 
 the very foundations of Christianity through an undue 
 importance attached to the writings of the Fathers. 
 I do not wish either to detract from the merit of 
 these writings, or to give them an undue importance. 
 Though a suspicion has been cast upon the whole, in 
 consequence of its having been ascertained that some 
 of them are spurious, and that others of them are sadly 
 corrupted by means of interpolations, introduced to 
 serve the purposes of a party, yet they are not to be 
 discarded as altogether worthless ; neither are we to 
 set them down as productions to which no degree of 
 credit is to be attached. There are to be found 
 among them some valuable remains of antiquity ; 
 and much light is thrown, by means of them, on 
 the state of the christian church, as it existed at 
 the close of the apostolic era. By means of these 
 writings also, we are enabled to trace the successive 
 changes that took place in the forms of worship, in 
 the discipline, and doctrines of the church, in propor- 
 tion as we recede fl-om the time of the apostles, 
 until the light of true Christianity became ahnost 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 11] 
 
 totally extinguished. Those portions of them, which 
 I shall quote at present, have generally been admitted 
 to be genuine ; and the use which I intend making 
 of them, is simply to ascertain the fact, whether the 
 office of the eldership was received as an institution 
 of Christ in the churches that existed in the early 
 ages of the christian era — and whether the exercise 
 of spiiitual authority was connected with the office 
 during these ages, as it was during the time of the 
 apostles. If it shall be found that this was the case, 
 then certainly it gives additional weight to the argu- 
 ments already employed, to find that those who lived 
 nearest to the time of the apostles — and who therefore 
 may be supposed to be best acquainted with the form 
 of government which these good men (acting in the 
 name and by the authority of Christ) instituted in 
 the church — conducted the administration of eccle- 
 siastical affairs by means of elders. Concerning a 
 matter of fact of this kind, those, who lived at that 
 early period, must be allowed to be competent judges. 
 Like any other fact recorded in ecclesiastical history, 
 there is no other way by which the certainty of it 
 can be ascertained, but by examining the evidence 
 of those who Hved and wrote during the ages that 
 are more immediately referred to. 
 
 I remark, then, that the testimony of the early 
 
112 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Fathers is almost unanimous (if not wholly so) on 
 this point. So far as I have had an opportunity of 
 examining their writings — or been furnished with 
 the means of judging of them, by extracts found in 
 the productions of the learned — there is scarcely one 
 of them that does not make mention of the eldership, 
 as the form of government which existed in the 
 churches at that period ; and the language which 
 they employ, when referring to the eldership, is such 
 as clearly expresses their belief in it as a divine 
 institution. I shall make a selection of testimonies 
 on this subject, from the writings of those whose 
 names rank high in the early annals of the christian 
 church — some of whom are said to have received 
 instructions fi'om the apostles, and at last sealed their 
 testimony with their blood. 
 
 The first extract, which I make, is from the 
 writings of Clemens Romanus. He was co-temporary 
 with the apostles. Paul mentions him (Phil. iv. 3.) 
 as one of his " fellow labourers whose names are in 
 the book of life." His Epistle to the Corinthians 
 was written before the close of the first century. 
 Some date it as early as between the years 64 and 
 70.-^ Milner says of this epistle, that " it was read 
 
 ^ Dr "Wake as quoted by Anderson in his reply to Rhind. 
 
 I 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 113 
 
 in many primitive cliurclies, and was admired exceed- 
 ingly by the ancients. It has a simplicity and a 
 plainness, not easily relished by a systematic modern ; 
 but there belongs to it, also, a wonderful depth of 
 holiness and wisdom." ^ Dr Owen remarks concern- 
 ing it — " For the substance of it, it is such as every 
 way becomes a person of an apostolical spirit, con- 
 sonant unto the style and writings of the apostles 
 themselves ; a precious jewel, and just representation 
 of the state and order of the church in those days."^ 
 In this epistle, Clemens says — " The apostles 
 preaching through countries and cities, appointed 
 their first-fruits bishops (overseers) and deacons of 
 those who should believe, proving them by the 
 spirit." He here employs the same phraseology, as 
 Paul does in the beginning of the epistle to the 
 Philippians, calling the elders by their well-known 
 designation of " overseers." In another place he 
 says, — " The apostles knew by our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, that there should be a strife concerning the 
 name of the episcopacy. For which cause having 
 received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those 
 that have been before mentioned, and afterwards 
 gave the name, that, should they sleep, other 
 
 ^ Milner's Church History, vol. i. p. 122. 
 2 Inquiry into the Original, &c., of EvangeUcal Churches, p. 89. 
 
 H 
 
114 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 approved men might receive the ministry." He 
 then mentions that "it is no small sin to reject 
 those who have discharged the duties of the episco- 
 pacy holily and wnthout blame :" And to show who 
 these persons are, he afterwards adds — " Happy are 
 those elders (7rpeo-/3urepoi) who having completed 
 their mortal course, have obtained a fruitful and 
 perfect dissolution ; for they do not fear lest any one 
 should remove them from the place appointed to 
 them." In concluding the epistle, he says — "Ye, 
 then, who laid the first foundation of the sedition, be 
 subject to the elders, and be instructed to repent- 
 ance ; and bending the knees of your heart, learn to 
 be in subjection."^ From this epistle of Clemens 
 the following things are deducible. 1. That there 
 were only two classes of office-bearers in the christian 
 church — "overseers and deacons" — the same as men- 
 tioned by the apostles. 2. That the people had no right 
 to depose their elders ; for the members of the church 
 of Corinth are charged with ecclesiastical sedition in 
 having deposed theirs. 3. That they who had done 
 this were exhorted to return to their duty — and to sub- 
 mit to their elders. 4. If the people had no right to 
 depose the elders, there must have been a tribunal 
 
 ' Epistle of Clemens Romanus to the church of Corintli, 
 pp. 54, 57, 58, 73. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 115 
 
 that had the power of doing so : otherwise there 
 would have been no remedy for mal-administration 
 on the part of the rulers. We are led, therefore, to 
 infer the existence of a presbytery in which such 
 power was lodged. 
 
 Next in order to Clemens is Ignatius. Ecclesias- 
 tical historians mention Ignatius as having been 
 ordained at Antioch in the year 70. ^ The early 
 part of his history, therefore, must have been coeval 
 with that of some of the apostles. He suffered 
 martyrdom, according to Milner, in the year 107. 
 Seven epistles, written by him on his joui'ney to 
 Rome (where he suffered), are admitted to be 
 genuine. Six of these letters were addressed by 
 him to the churches of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, 
 Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna — and one to Poly- 
 carp. In these epistles we find such expressions as 
 the foUov^dng — " Reverence the elders as the council 
 (or sanedrim) of God." — " Being subject to the 
 bishop as the command of God, and in like manner 
 to the eldership (r© Trpeor/Svrepio))." Trail. § 3 and 13. 
 Speaking of one Sotion, who was a deacon, he says, 
 — " Whom I enjoy, because he is subject to the 
 bishop as to the grace of God, and to the eldership 
 
 ' Milner's Hist., vol. i. p. 152. 
 
116 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 as to the law of Christ." In the same epistle he 
 says, " I beseech you, study to do all things in the 
 harmony of God, with the bishop presiding in the 
 place of God, and the elders in the place of the 
 council (or sanedrim) of the apostles." — " Let no- 
 thing be in you that may divide you, but be one 
 with the bishop and those that preside over you. 
 As therefore our Lord Jesus Christ did nothing 
 without his Father, neither by himself nor by the 
 apostles, so do ye nothing without the bishop and 
 elders. Magnes. § 2, 6, 7, 8. "That ye may be 
 obedient to the bishop and to the eldership with an 
 undivided mind." Ephes. § 20. 
 
 Toward the close of the first century, the person 
 who presided in the meetings of the elders, was 
 termed " the angel ;" — a title borrowed from the 
 Jewish synagogue. At the period when Ignatius 
 wrote his epistles (which, Milner says, was the year 
 107), the same person was designated " the over- 
 seer" or " bishop." Ignatius is the first writer, who 
 makes a distinction, between the bishop and the 
 elders. But the bishop, of whom he writes, was 
 nothing more than the presiding minister. He 
 preached and administered the ordinances in a par- 
 ticular church. He also exercised a spii'itual juris- 
 diction over the members of that church, along with 
 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 117 
 
 the elders, whom Ignatius calls awebpiov 6eov, " the 
 council of God." This awebpiov corresponded with 
 what is now termed the " Session" or " Consistory ;" 
 and the person, who was designated " the bishop," 
 possessed no other powers and performed no other 
 duties, than those which are now possessed and per- 
 formed by the officiating minister of a presbyterian 
 congregation. The epistles of Ignatius clearly show 
 that this was the case in his time. But after that 
 period, the bishop began to usurp powers which 
 he did not originally possess. He claimed a rank 
 superior to that of the elders ; and lie came, step by 
 step, to exercise jurisdiction over them as well as 
 over the people. 
 
 Polycarp may be regarded as nearly cotemporary 
 with Ignatius. The early part of his history runs 
 also coeval with that of some of the apostles. He 
 was for a long period overseer of the church at 
 Smyrna ; and is supposed to have been the " angel" 
 of that church, addressed in the book of Revelation. ^ 
 An epistle, written by him to the church at Philippi, 
 has been preserved. In the title of this epistle, he 
 speaks of the elders that were in the church at 
 Smyi-na ; for he couples them along with himself in 
 
 ^ Milner, vol. i. p. 210. 
 
118 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 the following manner — " Polycarp and the elders 
 who are with him, to the church that sojourns at 
 Philippi." In the epistle, he exhorts the Philippians 
 to be subject to their elders and deacons. He men- 
 tions only two classes of office-bearers, the same as 
 Paul mentions in his epistle to the same church : 
 only, those whom Paul caUs bishops or overseers, 
 Polycarp calls elders — thereby pointing out these 
 titles to be appKcable to the same class of persons. 
 Then to show us that the elders ruled in the church 
 at Philippi, he gives the following directions as to 
 the manner in which they were to act — " Let the 
 elders be tender and merciful, compassionate toward 
 all, reducing those that are in error, visiting all those 
 that are weak, not negligent of the widow and the 
 orphan, and him that is poor ; but ever providing 
 what is honest in the sight of God and men ; 
 abstaining from all wrath, respect of persons, and 
 unrighteous judgment ; being far from covetousness, 
 not hastily believing a report against any man, not 
 rigid in judgment, knowing that we are aU faulty, 
 and obnoxious to judgment." ^ 
 
 The same state of things, which I have described 
 as prevailing in the time of Ignatius, prevailed also 
 
 * Epistle to the Philippians by Polycarp, § 5, as quoted by 
 Khig in his Constitution of the Primitive Church. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 119 
 
 in the time of Justin Martyr. This eminent indi- 
 vidual published, about the year 140, his celebrated 
 Apology for the Christians — addressed to Anto- 
 ninus Pius. In this document, he gives an account 
 of the christian assemblies, and of the order that 
 obtained in them ; and he mentions only two classes 
 of office-bearers that belonged to the congregations. 
 The first class he designates TrpoeaTcnTes, " rulers," 
 which is the same title that is applied to the elders 
 in 1 Tim. v. 17 : the second class he calls diaKopoi, 
 '' deacons." In each assembly, there was one who 
 presided over the brethren, whom he styles npoecTTas 
 Tdv adeXfjicov, " president of the brethren." This 
 person prayed and preached, and consecrated the 
 sacramental elements — which the deacons distributed 
 among those who were present, and carried to those 
 who were absent. ^ 
 
 Irenseus, who presided over the church at Lyons, 
 was a disciple of Polycarp. He wrote his book 
 against heresies about the year 180. This work is 
 characterised by Mosheim, " as one of the most 
 precious monuments of ancient erudition."^ The 
 following extract from it will show, that in the time 
 
 * Owen's Inquiry, &c., p. 109; Andersons Defence, &c., 
 p. 161. 
 
 * Mosheim's Eecles. Hist. Cent. ii. chap. 2d. § 5. 
 
120 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDEK. 
 
 of Iren^eus there were elders connected with the 
 church. Speaking of wicked elders, he says — 
 " Who indeed are believed to be elders by many. 
 But they serve their own lusts, and do not keep the 
 fear of God in their hearts, but treat others with 
 reproaches, and are elated with the dignity of the 
 prmcipal session, and do mcked deeds in secret and 
 say, ' No one seeth us.' They are condemned by 
 the word. * * * From all such we ought to stand 
 aloof, but to adhere to those who (as we before 
 mentioned) keep the doctrine of the apostles, and 
 who exhibit sound speech and inoffensive conduct, 
 with presbyterial order for the information and 
 correction of others. * * * Such elders the church 
 nourishes, of whom the prophet says, ' I will give 
 thy princes in peace and thy bishops in righteous- 
 ness.' " ^ From this passage, it appears that elders 
 and bishops were regarded by Irenseus as identically 
 the same : — " Such elders,"'' he says, " the church 
 nourishes of icliom the prophet saith, I will give 
 thy hishops in righteousness." Between the elders, 
 however, in his day, there was a distinction similar 
 to what existed in the time of the apostles, and 
 similar to what exists still. Some were teaching 
 
 ^ Irenseus Advers. Hser., lib. iv. cap. 44. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 121 
 
 elders — and others merely ruled. This distinction is 
 referred to, in the passage now quoted, by what is 
 there stated as to " the dignity of the principal 
 session ;" — by which expression we are to under- 
 stand the dignity connected with those who both 
 taught and ruled. There were some who were 
 unduly elated with this dignity, and who, in con- 
 sequence of it, aspired to superiority over the 
 elders that merely ruled. These latter were not 
 in possession of " the dignity of the principal 
 session." 
 
 Tertullian, who flourished toward the close of the 
 second, and at the beginning of the third, century, 
 mentions in his Apology, that when assemblies of 
 tlie Christians were held for administering dis- 
 cipline, "approved elders" presided. He says — 
 " Judgment is given with great weight, as among 
 those who are sure of God's eye upon them ; and it 
 is a high foretoken of the future judgment, if any one 
 has so offended as to be banished from the commu- 
 nion of the prayer and of the assembly, and of all 
 holy commerce. Ai^proved elders (probati seniores) 
 also preside, who have obtained this honour not by 
 price, but by testimony," &c. ^ 
 
 * Opera TertuUiani, p. 709. 
 
1 22 THE OFFICE OF RULmG ELDER. 
 
 Origen wrote his work against Celsus in the earljr 
 part of the third century. Speaking, in this work, 
 of the manner in which Christians admitted persons 
 into their communion, he states that there were 
 some appointed to examine the lives and morals of 
 applicants for admission, that they might exclude 
 from their society such as were guilty of forbiddeii 
 actions.^ 
 
 Ambrose flourished in the fourth century. The 
 following passage from his writings bears decided 
 testimony to the existence of the office of the ruling 
 elder in the early period of the christian church. 
 " By reason of the honourableness of age, the elder 
 is to be provoked to a good work with meekness, 
 that he may more easily receive the admonition. 
 For he that is admonished may be afraid lest after- 
 ward he should be corrected, which is disgraceful to 
 the elder : For even among all nations old age is 
 honourable. Whence both the synagogue, and 
 afterwards the church, had elders, without whose 
 counsel nothing was done in the church. Which 
 thing by what negligence it grew out of use, I know 
 not, unless perhaps through the teachers' slothful- 
 ness, or rather haughtiness, while they alone would 
 
 ^ Contra Celsum, lib. iii. p. 142. 
 
 I 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 123 
 
 be thought somewhat." ^ At the time that Ambrose 
 wrote these words, the practice of having elders in 
 the church was growing into disuse ; and to show 
 that they were ruling elders to whom he refers, he 
 distinguishes them from the teachers by stating, that 
 it was owing to the sloth or the pride of the latter, 
 that the former were discontinued ; for the teachers 
 wished to have the whole government to them- 
 selves. 
 
 The only other christian father, from whose writ- 
 ings I shall quote, is Jerome, who lived in the fourth 
 century. In the passage which I am about to quote, 
 he states the scriptural arguments in favour of the 
 office of the elder, and refers to the authority which 
 the bishops had begun to usurp over the elders. 
 The passage is extracted from his commentary on 
 the epistle to Titus : — " Let us (says he) carefully 
 heed the words of the apostle, saying, * That thou 
 mayest ordain elders in every city as I have ap- 
 pointed thee.' Who, discoursing in what follows 
 what sort of presbyter ought to be ordained, says 
 this, ' If any one be blameless, the husband of one 
 wife,' &c., afterwards adds, ' For a bishop must be 
 blameless as the steward of God.' A presbyter is 
 
 * Commentary on 1 Tim. v. 17, as quoted by the authors of 
 Jus Diyinum Reg. EccL, p. 172. 
 
124 THE OFFICE OF RULmG ELDER. 
 
 therefore the same mth a bishop. And before that, 
 by the devil's instinct, there were parties in religion : 
 and it was said among the people, ' I am of Paul, 
 I of Apollos, and I of Cephas,' the churches were 
 governed by the common council of presbyters. 
 But after that every one began to think that those 
 whom he had baptized were his own, not Christ's ; 
 it was decreed in the whole world that one chosen 
 from among the presbyters should be set above the 
 rest, to whom all care of the church should belong, 
 and that the seeds of schisms might be taken away. 
 If any one think that this is our judgment, and not 
 the judgment of the Scriptures, that a bishop and 
 presbyter are one ; and that the one is a name of 
 age, the other of office ; — let him read again the 
 words of the apostle to the Philippians, saying, 
 ' Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, 
 to all the saints in Christ Jesus, that are at Philippi, 
 with the bishops and deacons, grace to you and 
 peace,' and so on. Philippi is one city of Macedonia, 
 and surely in one city there could not be a plurality 
 of such as are called bishops. But because at that 
 time they called the same persons bishops and pres- 
 byters, therefore he spake indifferently of bishops as 
 of presbyters. This may yet seem doubtful to some, 
 unless it be proven by another testimony. In the 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 125 
 
 Acts of the Apostles it is written, that when the 
 apostle had come to INIiletus, he sent to Ephesus and 
 called the presbyters of that same church, to whom 
 afterward, among other things, he said : ' Take heed 
 to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which 
 the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed the 
 church of the Lord, which he hath purchased with 
 his own blood.' And here observe carefully, how 
 calling the presbyters of the one city of Ephesus, he 
 afterwards calls the same persons bishops. If any 
 will receive that epistle, which is written to the 
 Hebrews under the name of Paul ; there also the 
 care of the church is divided among many : for he 
 writes to the people, ' Obey them that have the rule 
 over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for 
 your souls, as those that must give an account, that 
 they may not do it with grief, for this is unprofitable 
 for you.' And Peter, who received his name from 
 the strength of his faith, speaketh in his epistle, 
 saying, ' The presbyters who are among you I 
 exhort, who am also a presbyter, and a witness of 
 the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of the glory 
 that shall be revealed, feed the flock of the Lord which 
 is among you, not as of necessity, but willingly.' 
 We have alleged these things, that we might show 
 that among the ancients the presbyters were the 
 
126 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 same with the bishops : But that by little and little 
 the roots of dissension might be plucked up, the 
 whole care was devolved upon one. As therefore 
 the presbyters know that by the custom of the 
 church they are subject to him who is set over them ; 
 so let the bishops know that they are greater than 
 the presbyters rather by custom, than the truth of 
 the Lord's disposition or ordering, and that they 
 ought to govern the church in common, imitating 
 Moses, who, when he had it in his power alone to 
 govern the people of Israel, chose seventy with 
 whom he might judge the people." ^ 
 
 This testimony of Jerome is very explicit, both as 
 to what was the practice of the primitive church, and 
 also as to the change that had begun to take place 
 in his time. Though at first there was a complete 
 equality between the teaching and the ruling elders, 
 yet this equality gradually disappeared ; and the 
 way in which it did so, was by the teaching elder 
 habitually presiding in the meetings of the elders. 
 The consequence of this was, that instead of being 
 designated by the common title of a bishop or over- 
 seer, he came to be called the bishop or overseer : 
 and in process of time, he claimed and exercised a 
 
 ^ Commentary on Titus, as quoted by Anderson in his reply 
 to Rhind, pp. 170, 171. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 127 
 
 power over the rest of the elders which, as Jerome 
 states, was sanctioned by custom — and not by vScrip- 
 ture. 
 
 The following passage, from King's Inquiry into 
 the Constitution of the Primitive Church, throws 
 considerable light on the process, by which the 
 change now referred to, was gi'adually accomplished. 
 After making a variety of quotations from the writ- 
 ings of the fathers, to prove that bishops and elders 
 were originally the same, he says, — " So that there 
 were only the two orders of the deacons and pres- 
 byters, the former whereof being the inferior order, 
 never sat at their ecclesiastical conventions, but like 
 servants stood and waited on the latter, who sat 
 down on Opovoi, or seats in the form of a semicircle, 
 whence they are frequently called Comessus Preshyterii, 
 or the Session of the Presbytery, in which session he 
 that was more peculiarly the bishop or minister of 
 the parish sat at the head of the semicircle, on a seat 
 somewhat elevated above those of his colleagues, as 
 Cyprian calls them, and so was distinguished from 
 them by his priority in the same order, but not by 
 his being of another order. Thus the foresaid 
 Clemens Alexandrinus distinguishes the bishop from 
 the presbyters, by his being advanced to the irpoTo- 
 Kadebpttty or the first seat in the presbytery (eldership) 
 
128 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 not by liis sitting in a different seat from them : For 
 thus he writes, ' He is in truth a presbyter of the 
 church, and a minister of the will of God, who does 
 and teaches the things of the Lord, not ordained 
 by men, or esteemed just, because a presbyter, but 
 because just, therefore received into the presbytery 
 (eldership) ; who although he be not honoured with 
 the first seat on earth, yet shall hereafter sit down 
 on the twenty and four thrones, mentioned in the 
 Eevelations, judging the people.' So that both bishops 
 and presbyters were members of the same presbytery, 
 only the bishop was advanced to the first and chiefest 
 seat therein, which is the very same with what I 
 come now from proving, namely, that bishops and 
 presbyters were equal in order, but different in 
 degree."— Pp. 74, 75. 
 
 Mosheim mentions that the form of government in 
 the church underwent a gradual change to the worse, 
 during the third century ; and he attributes this 
 change to the pride and ambition of those ministers 
 who, in consequence of presiding in the meetings of 
 the eldership, were now exclusively honoured with 
 the title bishop, — "The face of things" he says, "began 
 now to change in the christian church. The ancient 
 method of ecclesiastical government seemed, in general, 
 still to subsist, while, at the same time, by imper- 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 129 
 
 ceptible steps, it varied from the primitive rule, and 
 degenerated towards the form of a religious monarchy. 
 For the bishops aspired to higher degrees of power 
 and authority than they had formerly possessed ; and 
 not only violated the rights of the people, but also 
 made gi-adual encroachments upon the privileges of 
 the presbyters. And that they might cover their 
 usurpations with an air of justice, and an appearance 
 of. reason, they published new doctrines concerning 
 the nature of the church, and of the episcopal dignity, 
 which, however, were in general so obscure that 
 they themselves seem to have understood them as 
 little as those to whom they were delivered. One 
 of the principal authors of this change, in the govern- 
 ment of the church, was Cyprian, who pleaded for 
 the i^ower of the bishops with more zeal and vehe- 
 mence than had ever been hitherto employed in their 
 cause, though not with an unshaken constancy and 
 perseverance ; for, in difficult and perilous times, 
 necessity sometimes obliged him to yield, and submit 
 several things to the judgment and authority of the 
 church."! 
 
 The extracts which I have given from the writings 
 of the Fathers, will show that in the period which 
 
 » Eccles. Hist. Cent. 3. Chap. ii. § 3. 
 
 I 
 
130 THE OFFICE OF EULING ELDER. 
 
 immediately succeeded that of the apostles, the 
 government of the church was administered by- 
 elders — including those that taught and those that 
 merely ruled. In the meetings of these elders one 
 was accustomed to preside, who afterwards had the 
 title of hisliop applied to him by way of distinction. 
 During the long and dark night of popery, the primi- 
 tive and scriptural form of government, which has 
 been delineated in the preceding pages, was entirely 
 subverted ; and there was erected in the bosom of 
 the christian church, a lordly and tyrannical system 
 of priestly dominion, beneath which freedom — both 
 civil and religious — was for a course of ages trampled 
 in the dust. 
 
 It will add to the mass of evidence, that has already 
 been adduced in favour of the office of the ruling 
 elder, if I shall show that this scriptural mode of 
 government obtained among the Waldenses and other 
 churches, that maintained a sound creed and a com- 
 paratively pure discipline, during the darkest period 
 of the reign of antichrist — and if I shall fm'ther 
 show that, no sooner did the light of the reformation, 
 dawn upon the world, than this form of government 
 was adopted in almost aU the reformed churches, as 
 being the one which, in the opinion of those eminent 
 men, the reformers, was sanctioned both by aposto- 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 131 
 
 lical precept and apostolical example. Blair, in 
 his history of the AValdenses, says, " They did not 
 distinguish the teaching presbyter from the bishop. 
 They had indeed three orders of men above their 
 ordinary members — the bishop or teaching elder — 
 the lay elder, and the deacon. The existence of the 
 second class is clearly expressed in Article IV. of the 
 foregoing discipline, for they are called ' rulers and 
 elders chosen out of the people.' The deacons are 
 always mentioned as taking charge of the funds of 
 the churches, but never as preaching. Though the 
 public money is mentioned in the above article, yet 
 the existence of deacons is not stated. Probably at 
 that time the ministers and lay elders were to take 
 charge of the contributions. After all, these three 
 orders are probably just Avhat Dr Allix means by 
 bishops, priests, and deacons." ^ The article referred 
 to by Blair, in the extract now given, is the 4th article 
 of "The ancient discipline of the evangelical churches 
 of the Valleys of Piedmont," which is expressed in 
 the following terms — " Rulers and elders are chosen 
 out of the people, according to the diversity of the 
 work, in the unity of Christ. And the apostle 
 proveth it to Titus, chap. i. ' For this cause left I 
 
 1 History of the Waldenses. Appendix to vol. i. p. 540. 
 
132 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 thee in Crete, tliat thou shouldst set in order the 
 things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every 
 city, as I had appointed thee.' The money which 
 is given us by the people is by us carried to the 
 foresaid general council, and there delivered publicly 
 in the presence of all; and afterwards the same 
 is taken and distributed by our stewards, part of 
 the money being given to such as are sent upon 
 journeys for occasion, and part of it given to the 
 poor."^ 
 
 The brethren in Bohemia, whose views of divine 
 truth were similar to those held by the Waldenses, 
 withdrew from the Greek church, and formed them- 
 selves into a separate communion, in the year 1467. 
 Blair, giving an account of their government and 
 discipline, says — " Each congregation consisted of 
 beginners, who were cliildren, or ignorant persons 
 requiring to be catechised ; of those growing in 
 grace ; and of the perfect, who had made consider- 
 able progress, though not completely perfect. In 
 each congregation, from two to eight elders chosen 
 from among the perfect, had, in concert with the 
 minister, the oversight of the morals of the people. 
 This court was called the Presbytery^ and its duties 
 
 1 History of the Waldenses. Appendix to vol. i. p. 535. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 133 
 
 seem to have been similar to those of a kirk-session 
 in Scotland. The members exhorting such brothers 
 or sisters as were turning to the broad way ; if the 
 persons persevered they were rebuked ; and if obsti- 
 nate, the matter was referred to the minister. Eacli 
 family was visited once a quarter and inquiry made 
 regarding family devotion, morning and evening, 
 respecting the reading of the Scriptures, and the 
 conduct of every individual. They tried to procure 
 work for their artizans, urged them to avoid extor- 
 tion, and cautioned them against contracting debts. 
 Widows, orphans, and all their poor were supported 
 by collections made on purpose, and the almoners 
 from time to time laid. the state of accounts before 
 the elders. Four times a year voluntary donations 
 were collected to defray expenses at the Lord's 
 Supper, to purchase candles, to repair the minister's 
 house, to support poor ministers, and to aid weak 
 congregations. The congregations audited their 
 accounts once a year. The elders visited the sick, 
 and urged them to settle their worldly alFairs for the 
 benefit of widow and children. The elders also tried 
 to reconcile discordant brethren, and in law-processes 
 directed them how to act before the magistrates. 
 The congregation, by a majority of votes, chose the 
 elders, whose duties being explained, they, in presence 
 
134 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 of the bishop, minister, and congregation, promised 
 solemnly to fulfill them."^ 
 
 In the year 1540, Calvin entered into a corres- 
 pondence with the Bohemian brethren, to obtain 
 correct information concerning their church polity, 
 with which he was highly delighted. " I heartily 
 congratulate (he writes) your churches upon which, 
 besides sound doctrine, God hath bestowed so many 
 excellent gifts. Of these gifts, it is none of the least 
 to have such pastors to govern and to order them ; 
 to have a people themselves so well affected and 
 disposed ; to be constituted under so noble a form of 
 government ; to be adorned with the most excellent 
 discipline — which we justly call most excellent ; — 
 and indeed the only bond by which obedience can 
 be preserved. I am sure, I find with us by woeful 
 experience, what the worth of it is, by the want of it ; 
 nor yet can we by any means attain to it." On his 
 return, in 1541, from Strasburg — where he was for 
 a few years in a state of exile — he introduced into 
 Geneva the form of ecclesiastical government, which 
 he had so much admired in the churches of Bohemia. 
 
 A similar form of ecclesiastical polity was intro- 
 duced into almost all the reformed churches, on the 
 
 ' History ofWaldenses, vol. ii. pp. 97, 98. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 135 
 
 continent of Europe ; also into the church of Scotland. 
 Similar views were held, and acted upon, by the 
 English puritans. Neale, in his History, ^ informs 
 us that in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there was a 
 book entitled, The Holy Discipline of the Church de- 
 scribed in the ivord of God, which was held in high 
 esteem among them. It was drawn up in Latin, by 
 ]Mr Travers, and printed at Geneva about the year 
 1574 ; and was afterwards " diHgently reviewed, 
 corrected, and perfected by Mr Cartwright, and other 
 learned ministers at their Synods." " It contains," 
 says Neale, " the substance of those alterations in 
 discipline, that the puritans of these times contended 
 for, and was subscribed by the brethren hereafter 
 named, as agreeable to the word of God, and to be 
 promoted by all lawful means, that it may be esta- 
 bhshed by the authority of the magistrate and of the 
 church ; and in the meantime to be observed, as far 
 as they lawfully may, consistently with the laws of 
 the land, and peace of the church." The brethren 
 to whom he refers as having subscribed this book, 
 were between five and six hundred beneficed ministers 
 of the Church of England : " All of them," says the 
 historian, " useful preachers ; of unspotted lives and 
 
 * History of Puritans. Appendix to vol. i. p. 449. 
 
136 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 characters ; and many of them of the University of 
 Cambridge, where they had a strong and powerful 
 interest."^ In this directory of church government, 
 which was subscribed by so many of the puritans, 
 and also acted upon, in many parts of the country, 
 so far as the state of the times would permit, the 
 following passages occur : — " The ministers of the 
 church are, first, they that are ministers of the word. 
 In their examinations, it is specially to be taken 
 heed unto, that they be apt to teach, and tried men, 
 not utterly milearned, nor newly planted and con- 
 verted to the faith. 
 
 " Now these ministers of the word are, first, 
 pastors which do administer the word and sacra- 
 ments, then teachers which are occupied in whole- 
 some doctrine. Besides, there are also elders, which 
 watch over the life and behaviour of every man, and 
 deacons which have care over the poor. 
 
 " Further, in every particular church there ought 
 to be a presbytery, which is a consistory, and, as it 
 were, a senate of elders. Under the name of elders 
 here, are contained they who in the church minister 
 doctrine, and they who are properly called elders. 
 " By the common counsel of the eldership, all 
 
 1 Vol. i. p. 484. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 137 
 
 things are directed that belong to the common state 
 of their church. First, such as belong to the guid- 
 ance of the whole body of it in the holy and common 
 assembly, gathered together in the name of the 
 Lord, that all things may be done in them duly, 
 orderly, and to edification. 2. Then also such as 
 pertain to particular persons. First, to all the 
 members of that church, that the good may enjoy 
 all the privileges that belong unto them, that the 
 mcked may be corrected with ecclesiastical censures, 
 according to the quality of the fault, private and pubhc, 
 by admonishing and by removing either from the 
 Lord's Supper by suspension (as is commonly called), 
 or out of the church by excommunication." ^ 
 
 In another document, entitled English Puritanism, 
 which contains a summary of the faith and order of 
 the puritan congi-egationalists of England, and which 
 was drawn up by ]Mi' Bradshaw about the year 
 1G05, we find the following distinct recognition of 
 the divine authority of the ofl&ce of the ruling elder : — 
 
 " Since even in the best constituted churches, they 
 know that not a fcAv enormous offences will arise, 
 which, if not timely met, \n\\ do injury both to those 
 who believe, and those who are inquiring : while, 
 
 * Xeale's Hist, of the Puritans. Appendix to vol. i. p. Gu8. 
 
138 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 at the same time, they see that the authority of a 
 single person in a parish, resembling the papal, is 
 contrary to the will of Christ: they think, as the 
 case itself requires, and as appointed of God, that 
 others also should be selected from the church, as 
 officers, who may be associated with the ministers in 
 the spiritual government. 
 
 " These are inspectors, emTiixrjTaL, a kind of censors, 
 whose duty it is, together with the ministers of the 
 word, as well to watch over the conduct of all the 
 brethren, as to judge between them. And they 
 think that this office is instituted that each may take 
 the more heed to himself and his ways, while the 
 ministers enjoy more leisure for study and devotion, 
 and obtain, through the assistance of their coad- 
 jutors, a more accurate view of the state of the 
 flock ; since it is the peculiar duty of the inspectors 
 to be always watchful over the manners and conduct 
 of all the members of the church. To this office 
 they think that none should be preferred but men 
 very eminent for gravity and prudence ; established 
 in the faith ; of tried integrity ; whose sanction of 
 life and upright example are well known to the 
 whole society." ^ 
 
 ^ Neale's History as quoted by Miller, p. 120. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 139 
 
 In the year 1645, the English parliament appointed 
 a committee to take into consideration the differences 
 of opinion among the members of the Westminster 
 Assembly respecting church government, and to 
 endeavour, if possible, to unite them. In a paper 
 which the independent brethren gave in to this com- 
 mittee, stating how far their views on this subject 
 coincided with those of the presbyterians, the follow- 
 ing proposition found a place : — " That our congre- 
 gations may have liberty to constitute their own 
 elderships, having a competent number of persons 
 fitly qualified for elders ; and that all who commu- 
 nicate in the Lord's Supper may have liberty to 
 choose their ovm officers." ^ From this proposition, 
 it appears that the independent party did not object 
 to having ruling elders in their congregations. The 
 main point of difference between them and the pres- 
 byterians (in so for as church government was 
 concerned) was the subordination of one ecclesias- 
 tical judicatory to another — such as of sessions to 
 presbyteries, and of presbyteries to synods. 
 
 The testimony of the learned Dr Owen, on tlie 
 subject of the ruling elder, has akeady been quoted.^ 
 
 * Papers and Answers of the Dissenting Brethren, and the 
 Committee of Assembly of Divines, p. 16. 
 - See page 106. 
 
]40 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Dr Timothy Dwiglit, late President of Yale College 
 in America — though a decided congregationalist — 
 admits, in the following terms, the divine authority 
 of this office : — " Ruling elders are, in my appre- 
 hension, scriptural officers of the christian church ; 
 and I cannot but think our defection, with respect 
 to these officers, from the practice of the first settlers 
 of New England, an error in ecclesiastical govern- 
 ment." 1 
 
 The Rev. Thomas Hooker, who was settled at 
 Hartford in New England, and who wrote, during 
 the seventeenth century, in favour of the congre- 
 gational mode of church government, makes the 
 following remarks in a treatise, entitled A Survey of 
 Church Discipline : — " We begin with the ruling 
 elder's place, for that carries a kind of simplicity 
 with it. There be more ingredients required to make 
 up the office of pastor and doctor ; and therefore we 
 shall take leave to trade in the first, quo simplicim ac 
 prius. That there is such an office and officer 
 appointed by Christ, as the Scriptures are plain to 
 him whose spirit and apprehension is not possessed 
 and forestalled with prejudice, the first argument 
 we have from Romans xii. 7, which gives in witness 
 
 * System of Theology, vol. ii. p, 575. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 141 
 
 to this truth, where all these officers are numbered 
 and named expressly. The second argument is 
 taken from 1 Cor. xii. 28. The scope of the place, 
 and the apostle's intendment is, to lay open the 
 several offices and officers that the Lord hath set in 
 his church, and so many chief members out of which 
 the church is constituted as an entire body." ^ 
 
 The Rev. Cotton Mather, another American con- 
 gregationalist, in a work entitled Magnalia Christi 
 Americana, states his views in the following terms : 
 — " There are some who cannot see any such officer 
 as what we call a ruling elder, directed and appointed 
 in the word of God ; and partly through a prejudice 
 against the office ; and partly, indeed chiefly, through 
 a penury of men well qualified for the discharge of 
 it ; as it has been heretofore understood and applied, 
 our churches are now generally destitute of such 
 helps in government. But unless a church have 
 divers elders, the church government must needs 
 become either prelatic or popular. And that a 
 church's needing but one elder, is an opinion, con- 
 trary not only to the sense of the faithful in all ages, 
 but also to the law of the Scriptures, where there 
 can be nothing plainer than elders who rule well, 
 
 * As quoted by Miller in his Essay on the Eldership, p. 123. 
 
142 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 and are worthy of double honour, though they do 
 not labour in the word and doctrine : whereas, if 
 there were any teaching elders, who do not labour 
 in the word and doctrine, they would be so far from 
 worthy of double honour, that they would not be 
 worthy of any honour at all. Towards the adjusting 
 of the difference which has thus been in the judg- 
 ments of judicious men, some essays have been 
 made, and one particularly in such terms as these. 
 Let it be first recognised, that all the other church 
 officers are the assistants of the pastor, who was 
 himself entrusted with the whole care of all, until 
 the further pity and kindness of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ joined other officers unto him for his assistance 
 in it. I suppose none will be so absurd as to deny 
 this at least ; that all the church officers are to take 
 the advice of the pastor with them. Upon which 
 I subjoin, that a man may be a distinct officer from 
 his pastor, and yet not have a distinct office from 
 him. The pastor may be the ruling elder, and yet 
 he may have elders to assist him in ruling, and in 
 the actual discharge of some things which they ai'e 
 able and proper to be serviceable to him in. This 
 consideration being laid, I will persuade myself every 
 pastor among u& will allow me, that there is much 
 work to be done for God in preparing of what 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDEFt. 143 
 
 belongs to the admission and exclusion of church 
 members ; in carefully inspecting the way and walk 
 of them all, and the first appearance of evil with 
 them ; in preventing the very beginnings of ill blood 
 among them, and instructing of all from house to 
 house, more privately, and warning of all persons 
 unto the things more peculiarly incumbent on them ; 
 in visiting all the afflicted, and informing of, and 
 consulting with the ministers, for the welfare of the 
 whole flock. And they must allow me, that this 
 work is too heavy for any one man ; and that more 
 than one man, yea, all our churches, do suffer beyond 
 measure, because no more of this work is thoroughly 
 performed."^ 
 
 Learned authors, connected with the Church of 
 England, have borne testimony to the fact of there 
 being ruling elders in the primitive church. Arch- 
 bishop Whitgift, the learned opponent of Cartwright 
 and of the puritans during the reign of Queen 
 Elizabeth, says, in one of his controversial publi- 
 cations — " I know that, in the primitive church, 
 they had in every church certain seniors, to whom 
 the government of the congregation was committed ; 
 but that was before there was any christian prince 
 
 ' As quoted by Miller in his Essay on the Eldership, p. 129. 
 
1 44 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 or magistrate that openly professed the gospel ; and 
 before there was any church by public authority 
 established." ^ 
 
 Dr Whitby, in his commentary on 1 Tim. v. 17, 
 has the following remarks : — '* The elders among 
 the Jews were of two sorts ; Ist, such as governed 
 in the synagogue ; and, 2dly, such as ministered in 
 reading and expounding their scriptures and tradi- 
 tions, and from them pronouncing what did bind 
 or loose, or what was forbidden, and what was law- 
 ful to be done. For when, partly by their captivity, 
 and partly through increase of traffic, they were 
 dispersed in considerable bodies through divers 
 regions of the world, it was necessary that they 
 should have governors or magistrates to keep them 
 in their duty, and judge of criminal causes ; and 
 also rabbins to teach them the law, and the tradition 
 of their fathers. The first were ordained ad judi- 
 candum, sed non ad docendum de Ileitis et vetitis, i. e. 
 to judge and govern, but not to teach. The second, 
 ad docendum^ sed non ad judicandum, i. e. to teach, 
 but not to judge or govern." — " And these the 
 apostle here declares to be the most honourable, and 
 worthy of the chiefest reward. Accordingly, the 
 
 * As quoted by Miller in his Essay on the Eldership, p. 105. 
 
 I 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 145 
 
 apostle, reckoning up the officers God had appointed 
 in the church, places teachers before governments ; 
 1 Cor. xii. 28." 
 
 Dr Whitaker, who was Professor of Divinity in 
 the University of Cambridge during the reign of 
 Queen Elizabeth, writing against Dury, a Scotch 
 Jesuit, says, " Ai't thou so ignorant, that thou 
 knowest not that there are elders in the church of 
 Clirist whose work it is to govern only, not to preach 
 the word or dispense the sacraments." ' 
 
 The evidence in behalf of the office of the ruling 
 elder, I consider as in every respect complete. I 
 have adduced a variety of passages from the New 
 Testament, in which the office is distinctly recognised 
 as one that is of divine appointment. I have shown, 
 from the writings of the Fathers, that during the 
 early ages of the christian era, there was a council 
 of elders that bore rule in every church. I have 
 further shown, that after the practice of having ruling 
 elders in the churches had grown into dissuetude, 
 through the corruptions of the church of Rome — 
 the Waldenses and other reUgious bodies, among 
 whom the light of gospel truth was to a considerable 
 extent preserved even during the darkest ages, had 
 
 * Anderson in Reply to Rhind, p. 178. 
 
 K 
 
146 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 ruling elders ordained amongst them — as being the 
 form of church government which they considered 
 to be sanctioned by Christ and his apostles. This 
 form, I have also shown, was generally adopted by 
 the churches of the Reformation ; and, in adopting 
 it, those distinguished men, who led the way in the 
 work of reformation, maintained that it was clearly 
 sanctioned by the word of God. In fine, I have 
 adduced the testimony of learned men connected 
 vsdth congregational churches, and also of some con- 
 nected with the Church of England, declaring, in 
 decided terms, their conviction that the office of the 
 ruling elder is in accordance with Scripture. The 
 evidence, which I have brought forward from these 
 various sources, will, I trust, be sufficient to con- 
 vince every unprejudiced person, that there ought 
 to be ruling elders associated with the teaching elder 
 in all the churches ; and that those churches, where 
 such office-bearers find no place, are so far defective 
 in their organisation. Their situation bears a resem- 
 blance to that of the churches in Crete, where Titus 
 was left to ordain elders — and " to set in order the 
 things that were wanting." 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 147 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Qualifications necessary in ruling- elders— Piety— Knowledge- 
 Practical msdom— Experience in the christian life— A blame- 
 less conduct— Duties of the eldership— Ruling— Overseeing— 
 Watching for souls— Visitation of the sick— Family visitation- 
 Instructing the young— Setting an example to the flock— The 
 manner in which the duties of the eldership are to be per- 
 formed—Faithfully— Diligently— Impartially— Affectionately 
 — In humble dependance upon divine gi-ace- Encourage- 
 ments to ruling elders— Christ's promise to be with them in 
 their meetings— His promise to ratify their decisions. 
 
 There is no class of men on whom, under God, the 
 prosperity of religion in our churches is more 
 dependent, than those who are invested with the 
 office of the eldership. Viewed as a divinely insti- 
 tuted mean of accomplishing good, it is scarcely 
 possible to overrate the importance of this office. 
 Paul shows us in what light he regarded it when he 
 declared it to be " a true saying," that " If a man 
 desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good 
 work." The person who is called to labour as an 
 overseer, in the house of God, is placed in a situation 
 where he has it in his power to be extensively use- 
 ful. It is with the view of promoting the efficiency, 
 
148 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 and extending the usefulness of this class of office- 
 bearers that I shaU now state the qualifications 
 which they ought to possess — describe the nature of 
 the duties which they are required to perform — point 
 out the manner in which these duties ought to be 
 discharged — and show what encouragements they 
 have to be faithful and conscientious in the honour- 
 able work in which they are engaged. 
 
 1. Of the qualifications necessary in a ruling elder. 
 The highest and most essential of these qualifications 
 is piety. He who is appointed to bear rule in the 
 church ought certainly to be a person who is imbued 
 with the fear of God. He who is destitute of this 
 principle cannot be supposed to take a very deep 
 interest in the advancement of reHgion. If he labour 
 at all in the service of God, his labours wiU neither 
 be very cordial nor very abundant. AYhere the 
 only motives that mfluence the conduct of an office- 
 bearer in the church are of a worldly kind, he \^aQ 
 rest satisfied with as scanty an amount of labour as 
 will barely suffice for the ordinary routine duties of 
 his office ; and even this amount wiU be given more 
 in the way of constrained effiDrt than of cheerful 
 co-operation. There is no efficient working principle 
 in matters of religion, except love to God, which is 
 the basis (or rather, I should say, the essence) of all 
 
THE OFFICE OP RULING ELDER. 149 
 
 true piety. This qualification, then, ought to be 
 regarded as essential. If it be wanting, no other 
 qualification will make up for the deficiency. He 
 who is called upon to rule in the house of God, 
 while he is without piety, is destitute of the main 
 spring of christian activity. 
 
 Another necessary qualification in a ruling elder 
 is knowledge. Along with piety there ought to be 
 combined inteUigence. I here chiefly refer to a 
 knowledge of the Scriptures. It is only by having 
 his mind weU stored \\ath those diversified topics, 
 which the sacred volume furnishes, that the ruling 
 elder can become an efiicient labourer in his Master's 
 work. As it comes within the sphere of his calling 
 to " reprove, rebuke, and exhort," how can he be 
 furnished with suitable materials for such exercises, 
 unless by a familiar acquaintance with Scripture. 
 Paul, writing to Titus, says, that an elder ought to 
 " be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and con- 
 vince the gainsayers;"! and that he may be properly 
 qualified for the successful discharge of this important 
 duty, the apostle represents it as necessary that he 
 hold fast " the faithful word as he hath been taught." 
 
 Another qualification, necessary to be possessed 
 
 Titus i. 
 
150 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 by a ruling elder, is practical wisdom. This consists 
 in a person's being able to conduct himself with 
 prudence in any particular situation in which he is 
 placed. It implies the possession of a certain degree 
 of shrewdness or sagacity, which enables its pos- 
 sessor to discern the ground that he ought to occupy, 
 in any transaction in which he may be engaged ; 
 and it implies also the possession of a certain amount 
 of firmness, which enables the individual to act with 
 promptitude and decision when any particular emer- 
 gency arises. To this quality the Saviour pointedly 
 refers, in the first commission which he gave to his 
 apostles, when he said to them, "Be ye wise as 
 serpents." There are many persons, possessed of 
 genuine piety and of a considerable amount of scrip- 
 tural knowledge, who, on account of a natural 
 softness or simplicity, are totally unfit for exercising 
 rule over others. So far from being able to act as 
 guides to their fellow Christians — or to undertake 
 the management of the affairs of the house of God 
 — they are scarcely competent for the management 
 of their own concerns. There are others, who, 
 though they may be both well-intentioned and well- 
 informed, yet have a certain recklessness of dispo- 
 sition and an impetuosity of temper which render 
 them totally unfit either for calm deliberation or 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 151 
 
 prudent acting. They can scarcely intermeddle in 
 any transaction without embroiling themselves with 
 one party or another. Those who are called upon 
 to officiate as elders in the church, and who, in the 
 discharge of the duties of their office, have so many 
 different characters to deal with, and so many 
 important measures passing under their review, 
 ought to be possessed of that practical wisdom which 
 discerns what is right and fitting to be done — which 
 points out the most prudent measures to be adopted, 
 with a view to the attainment of any particular 
 object — and which enables the individual patiently 
 and steadily to pursue his course in the midst of 
 difficulties, until the end in view be successfully 
 accomplished. 
 
 Further, it is desirable that those who are required 
 to officiate, as ruling elders, should be persons who 
 possess experience in the christian life. To this quali- 
 fication the apostle Paul refers, when writing to 
 Timothy, and describing what kind of person an 
 overseer in the church ought to be, he says — " Not 
 a novice ;" as if he should say, " he ought not to be 
 one who is inexperienced." That individual, who 
 has no experimental acquaintance with the trials and 
 difficulties and temptations that beset the path of the 
 Christian, must be but ill fitted for i^iving counsel to 
 
152 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDEE. 
 
 the perplexed, consolation to tlie afflicted, and warn- 
 ing to the thoughtless. The title elder sufficiently 
 shows us, that those who were originally elected to 
 fill this office were persons who, in addition to their 
 other qualifications, possessed that experience which 
 age is supposed to impart. It is not, indeed, neces- 
 sary that those who are chosen to be elders should 
 be persons of advanced life. Such persons are often 
 disqualified by bodily infirmity, and by a decay of 
 their mental powers, for efficiently discharging the 
 duties of such an office. Gravity and experience 
 are not necessarily associated with age. Many are 
 the instances of persons, who are comparatively 
 young, giving proof, by their conduct, of decided 
 piety, and of a maturity in the christian life far 
 beyond what their years would indicate. Though 
 they may not have proceeded so far, as others, in the 
 christian journey — yet, by prayer and meditation 
 and habitual fellowship with God, they may have 
 attained to a high degree of experience in the divine 
 life. Such persons are a valuable acquisition to any 
 eldership. Those who are elected to this office ought 
 certainly to be in the full vigour of their bodily and 
 mental powers ; but they ought also to have reached 
 that period when, as Christians, they have acquired 
 experience of the workings of religion in the soul. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 153 
 
 When the dignity of office is combined with the 
 inexperience of youth — when persons are appointed 
 to rule in the house of God, to whom religion is 
 either altogether new, or known (it may be) but as a 
 matter of speculation — there is danger of their being 
 lifted up with pride, and falling " into the condem- 
 nation of the devil." At all events, there is little 
 probability of their proving efficient labourers in the 
 work to which they have been set apart. 
 
 The only other qualification, which I shall mention 
 as necessary to the individual who is appointed to 
 the office of ruling elder, is having a walk and a con- 
 versation that are blameless. Paul mentions this as an 
 mdispensable requisite in an overseer : " He must 
 (he says) have a good report of them which are 
 without."^ A person whose character is bad, or 
 even doubtful, wants one of the scriptural qualifica- 
 tions for this office. He must have a good report, 
 not only of the brethren with whom he is associated, 
 but " of them that are without" — that is, of those 
 who are not connected with the church. For as 
 these persons naturally judge of religion by looking 
 at the effijcts which it produces on the conduct of 
 those who profess it — so it must tend much to pre- 
 
 1 1 Tim. iii. 7. 
 
154 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 judice their minds against it, should they j&nd office- 
 bearers in the church pursuing a course of conduct 
 at variance with the religion which they profess. 
 Even though there may be nothing that is grossly 
 immoral or profane in their conduct, yet, should 
 there be frequent acts of indiscretion, an unfavourable 
 impression will be produced upon the minds of those 
 who observe these instances of unguarded behaviour. 
 The usefuhiess of an office-bearer depends as much 
 — nay probably it depends more — upon the character 
 which he maintains, than it does upon his natural 
 talents or his acquired attainments. He may have 
 excellent natural endowments, and may possess 
 extensive information ; yet, if he be not " of good 
 report," this circumstance will materially abridge, if 
 it do not altogether destroy his usefulness. On the 
 other hand, if his character be without reproach — ^if 
 he be known as a person whose conduct is uniformly 
 consistent with the profession which he makes — he 
 will not merely secure the approbation of those who 
 belong to the same religious community with himself 
 — ^but he will command the respect even of those 
 " that are without." The influence that arises from 
 excellence of character operates most beneficially. 
 There are few who are capable of resisting it. Even 
 worldly men, in spite of the prejudices which they 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 155 
 
 entertain against religion, are obliged to do homage 
 to its power. AYliere this influence is wanting, one 
 beneficial effect, intended to be accomplished by the 
 christian eldership, will be defeated. They will fail 
 in proving ensamples to the flock. For it is impos- 
 sible, that those persons can prove ensamples to 
 others, whose characters are such as either to excite 
 secret contempt, or call forth open reproach. It 
 ought, then, to be regarded as an indispensable 
 qualification in an elder, that his walk and conversa- 
 tion be blameless, so that he may have a good report 
 of them that are without. 
 
 2. Of the duties of the ruling elder. The primary 
 and most essential duty connected with his office is 
 that of ruling. To him it belongs to administer those 
 laws, which Christ has laid down for the government 
 of his church. As a ruler, he acts not by himself, 
 but in conjunction with others, who have been set 
 apart to the same office, and invested with the same 
 authority as himself. When associated together, for 
 the purpose of administering the laws of Christ's 
 house, they constitute a judicatory assembled in the 
 name of Christ — who promises that he will be 
 graciously present with them, and that he will ratify 
 the sentences which they may pronounce, in so far 
 as these are in accordance with his word. In the 
 
156 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 exercise of that authority, with which they have 
 been entrusted by the King of Zion, they are to judge 
 of the claims of those, who make application to be 
 received into the communion of the church. They 
 are to suspend from church fellowship those who, by 
 their conduct, prove themselves unworthy of the 
 privileges which they enjoy ; and they are to re- 
 admit to communion those who may have been 
 suspended for a season — after they have given satis- 
 factory evidence of their penitence. There is no 
 part of the duty of an elder which requires the 
 exercise of greater caution and firmness and fideHty 
 than that to which I am now adverting. He is, by 
 the faithful administration of the laws of discipline, 
 to maintain purity and order in the house of God. 
 He is to take care, on the one hand, lest, by opening 
 too wide a door of admission, he may break down 
 the distinction that ought to exist between the church 
 and the world ; and he is to guard, on the other, 
 against acting under the influence of a spu'it of 
 jealousy, — viewing every character with a jealous eye 
 — and thereby rendering the door of admission so 
 strait, that persons whom Christ has received may 
 be excluded. As none ought to be rashly received 
 into the communion of the church, so none ought to be 
 inconsiderately cast out. In suspending any member 
 
THE OFFICE OP RULING ELDER. 157 
 
 from the enjoyment of his privileges, or in cutting 
 off from the communion of the church altogether, 
 such a sentence ought not to proceed on mere sur- 
 mise, or suspicion, or vague report. But there ought 
 to be at least probable evidence of the guilt of the 
 person against whom such a measure is adopted. 
 
 In connexion with ruling, elders are to exercise a 
 general superintendence over the affairs of the con- 
 gregation in which they are office-bearers. " Feed 
 the flock of God that is among you (says Peter, 
 addressing himself to elders), overseeing them, not by 
 constraint, but willingly." ^ The word in the original, 
 which is rendered " feed," is Trot/zamre, which denotes 
 the care that a shepherd exercises over his flock, and 
 implies in it governing as well as feeding. I have 
 quoted, in a preceding part of this work, an instance 
 in which the same term is employed to denote the 
 rule which Christ exercises over his church. ^ The 
 passage which I have quoted from the first epistle of 
 Peter, shows that, in connexion with ruling, there is 
 to be a willing superintendence exercised by the 
 elders. This superintendence is to be of the same 
 kind with that which a watchful shepherd exercises 
 over his flock. The Spirit of God shows the import- 
 
 » 1 Pet. T. 2. 2 See page 68. 
 
158 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 ance which he attaches to this part of an elder's 
 duty, by so fi-equently employing in Scripture the 
 term overseer, to describe the nature of his office. 
 Whatever relates either to the temporal or the spirit- 
 ual prosperity of the congregation ought to be an 
 object of his care ; and all scriptural means ought to 
 be employed by him with a view to its advancement. 
 It is a sacred charge which is committed to him ; 
 when he is entrusted ^\^th the oversight of that church, 
 " which God hath purchased with his own blood." 
 He is to consider in what way its spiritual interests 
 may be best promoted. He is to look around him 
 with a watchful eye ; and to guard against the intro- 
 duction of every thing that may have a tendency to 
 mar its harmony, or injure its spirituality ; and he 
 is to let slip no opportunity that may present itself, 
 of promoting its increase, its purity, and its general 
 respectability. This oversight, which he is required 
 to exercise, is to extend not only to the general in- 
 terests of the society, but to the welfare of all the fa- 
 mihes and individuals connected with the community 
 of which he is an overseer. In a word, a portion of 
 the flock of Christ has been committed to his charge 
 — and he is so to superintend its concerns, that the 
 cause of religion may be effectually promoted among 
 all the members. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULDsG ELDER. 159 
 
 This leads me to notice further, that Scripture 
 speaks in very solemn terms of the great end, which 
 elders ought to keep in view, in their superintendence 
 of the flock ; and that is the salvation of the souls of 
 their fellow-men. They are described, in emphatic 
 language, as watching for souls. This is stated, by 
 an apostle, as a reason why the members of the 
 church ought to obey their spiritual rulers. It is 
 because the object, for which they have been ap- 
 pouited to bear rule in the church, is the everlasting 
 well-being of the souls of those who are under their 
 charge : " Obey them that have the rule over you, 
 and submit yourselves ; for they watch for your souls, 
 a^ they that must give account." ^ The benevolent 
 design of Christ, in instituting an eldership in the 
 christian church, is indicated in these words — they 
 watch for your souls. The design of this institution 
 (in subordination to the glory of God) is the spiritual 
 benefit of the souls of men. Elders have further 
 pointed out to them, in these words, what the gi-eat 
 Head of the church requires of them, with a view to 
 the accomplishing of this benevolent design. They 
 ai-e not to consider it a matter of indifference, 
 whether the persons who ai-e placed under their 
 
 ' Heb. xiii. 17. 
 
160 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 superintendence be saved or not. But they are to 
 watch for their souls. They are to watch with a view 
 to win them to Christ. In ruling and superintending 
 the flock, this is the object they are to aim at 
 accomplishing : the salvation of the souls of their 
 fellow-men. They are to keep this object constantly 
 and steadily in view. This watching implies, that 
 they are to be always at their post — always on the 
 alert — eagerly looking out for opportunities of pro- 
 moting the spiritual benefit of those who are entrusted 
 to their charge ; and when these opportunities are 
 presented, they are to improve them to the best 
 advantage. They are to regard themselves as humble 
 instruments appointed for the purpose of winning 
 souls to Christ. Whatever talents and influence 
 they possess are to be devoted by them to this sacred 
 object ; and to be successful in accomplishing it, they 
 are to esteem their highest reward. Those persons 
 overlook the main design of the office of the elder- 
 ship, who think that they do all that is incumbent 
 on them, as elders, when they attend to mere external 
 arrangements, and when they do little or nothing 
 to promote the spiritual interests of the people. 
 While they do what is jiecessary for the maintenance 
 of external order — they are to be chiefly concerned 
 about the salvation of the souls of their fellow-men. 
 
 I 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. IGl 
 
 They are to be instant in season and out of season 
 in promoting this object : they are to watch for souls. 
 The visitation of the sick is mentioned in Scripture, 
 as another duty to which elders are specially called 
 upon to attend, " Is any sick among you ? let him 
 call for the elders of the church ; and let them pray 
 over him."^ There is no way by which a pious, 
 prudent, and faithful elder may be more useful, than 
 by being regular in his visits at the bed-sides of the 
 afflicted and the dying. Affliction has, for the most 
 part, a softening influence upon the hearts of those 
 who are visited with it. The mind is then peculiarly 
 apt to receive the lessons of religion. If there be 
 any period when the thoughtless are more apt to 
 be impressed with divine things than another, it is 
 when the rod of God is laid upon them, and when 
 they have — it may be — the near prospect of entering 
 the eternal world. On such occasions, the language 
 of aifectionate remonstrance, of faithful warning, or 
 of mild reproof, will be listened to with attention, 
 when in other circumstances it would be despised. 
 Such language, addressed to a careless individual, 
 who has been brought low by the afflicting hand 
 of God, is calculated to produce the happiest results. 
 
 ^ James v. 14. 
 
162 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Or, if the person wlio is afflicted be a child of God, 
 how soothing and consolatory to him will be the pious 
 conversation and the prayers of an elder whom he has 
 been accustomed to revere. Whether those who are 
 stretched on the bed of affliction be converted or un- 
 converted, there is, amid such scenes, a wide field of 
 usefulness which it becomes conscientious elders 
 carefully to cultivate. Wlio can tell what an amount 
 of spiritual benefit they may be instrumental in pro- 
 ducing, by their oft repeated visits to the sick- 
 chamber and to the house of mourning. Such visits 
 of mercy the Redeemer himself, while upon earth, 
 delighted to pay ; and it becomes elders to imitate 
 the divine example, which has thus been set them, 
 by giving to the afflicted and the dying the benefit 
 of their exhortations and their prayers. Should 
 they be conscientious in attending to this part of their 
 duty, they will prove themselves to be indeed blessings 
 to the church. It is in connexion with elders visiting 
 the sick, that we find the encouraging declaration 
 made in Scripture, that " the effectual fervent prayer 
 of a righteous man availeth much." 
 
 I may here be permitted to observe, that ministers 
 and elders are sometimes unjustly blamed, by mem- 
 bers of the church, for not having visited them in 
 their affliction, — when they have not sent any notice, 
 
THE OFFICE OP RULING ELDER. 163 
 
 to minister or elder, of their being in distress. The 
 scripture injunction to those who are in affliction, is 
 express. It is, that they are to call for the elders of 
 the church ; and though I do not saj, that elders, if 
 they know of distress in a family, ought to wait till 
 they are called for — yet it is decidedly wrong in any 
 to blame them, for not having visited them, when 
 they did not think it worth while to comply with, the 
 scripture injunction, by sending notice of their being 
 in distress. Those who impute blame in these cir- 
 cumstances, act a part that is unreasonable and un- 
 just. They ought rather to take blame to themselves, 
 for neglecting a duty which Scripture enjoins. They 
 ought not to take it for granted, that elders must 
 necessarily be acquainted with their situation. "VYhen 
 sickness has entered their dwellings— and when they 
 desire a visit— they ought to let the elders know : 
 and not, until they have done so, are they waiTanted 
 in complaining of neglect on the part of their over- 
 seers. 
 
 Another point, in connexion with this subject, 
 which I deem it of importance to notice, is, that the 
 visitation of the sick is specially the work of elders ; 
 and that though ministers are not to overlook this 
 work, yet there are other duties connected with their 
 office, to which they are particularly called upon to 
 
1 64 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 attend. According to the directions which Paul 
 gives to Timothy, ministers are " to give attendance 
 to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." — " Meditate 
 (he says) upon these things ; give thyself wholly to 
 them ; that thy profiting may appear to all." ^ The 
 teaching elder is to devote himself to the study of the 
 word of God, and to the preaching of the gospel. 
 Tliese are the objects that ought chiefly to occupy his 
 time and attention, and that he may have leisure to 
 attend to them, the visitation of the sick appears to be 
 chiefly devolved by the Spirit of God upon the elders : 
 " Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of 
 the church." Yet according to the notions, which 
 almost universally prevail, when any are sick, it is not 
 so much the elders as the minister that they call for ; 
 and even, in many instances, when the elders are 
 punctual in attending upon the sick, and faithful in 
 performing their duty to them, still these labours are 
 not deemed sufficient, unless the minister shall super- 
 add his visitations. Tlie necessary consequence of 
 this demand is, that where the flock is anyway nu- 
 merous, the teaching elder must either neglect that, 
 which is his special work, namely, his study and his 
 preaching ; or his bodily and mental powers will be 
 
 » 1 Tim. iv. 13, 15. 
 
 I 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULIXG ELDER. 165 
 
 tasked beyond their natural endurance. In order, 
 therefore, that the teaching elder may have it in 
 his power, efficiently to discharge the duties of the 
 christian ministry, by giving attendance " to reading, 
 to exhortation, to doctrine," while, at the same time, 
 a proper degree of attention is paid to the sick, this 
 latter work should be considered as devolving, if 
 not exclusively, at least chiefly, upon the ruling elders. 
 It is unreasonable in the people to complain of ne- 
 glect, when visited regularly in affliction by their 
 elders — ^merely because their minister may not be so 
 frequently in their dwellings as they could wish, on 
 account of important ministerial duties to which he 
 is required to attend, and which are amply sufficient 
 to occupy his time. 
 
 The family visitations of the elders ought not to 
 be confined to the dwellings of the sick and the be- 
 reaved. In order to render the eldership efficient, — 
 while all the elders ought to exercise a general super- 
 intendence over the whole congregation, each elder 
 ought to have a particular district of the congregation 
 assigned him, to which he is required to attend as 
 his particular charge. Between him and the families 
 in this district, there ought to be a frequent and 
 friendly official intercourse carried on. He sliould 
 visit them, from time to time, for the pui-pose of 
 
166 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 doing them all tlie good in his power. He should 
 inquire into their spiritual state ; and he should en- 
 deavour to suit his counsels and admonitions, as 
 much as possible, to the circumstances of each. Such 
 as he finds careless in attending to divine things, he 
 should stir up. Such as he finds well-doing, he 
 should animate to still higher exertion. Such as he 
 finds ignorant, he should instruct. Such as he finds 
 labouring under discouragements, he should cheer. 
 Such as he finds pursuing a course of blacksliding, 
 he should endeavour to reclaim ; and in all these 
 labours of love, let him bear constantly m mind the 
 motto inscribed upon his standard, as an office-bearer 
 in the church, ivatching for souls. 
 
 The young of the flock ought particularly to be an 
 object of solicitude on the part of elders. Though 
 it is chiefly to parental instruction and example that 
 we are to look for the right training of the young, 
 yet there is a duty which the church owes to those 
 who are its rising hopes ; and that duty is, to attend 
 to their religious instruction. It is well known, that 
 in every congregation, there are young persons to be 
 found, who have none to care for them. There are 
 others who, though they may be sufficiently provided 
 for, as to their temporal comfort, yet are completely 
 neglected as to their spiritual interests. If such are 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 167 
 
 permitted to grow up ignorant, careless and immoral, 
 it is obvious that the congi-egation or church, where 
 this state of things is permitted to exist, must pay 
 the penalty, by the sad declension of religion amongst 
 its families. To office-bearers — as invested with the 
 spiritual superintendence of the flock — it belongs to 
 prevent, as far as in them lies, such a deteriorating 
 process from being carried on. The institution of 
 Sabbath schools in congregations, I consider as use- 
 ful in promoting the religious improvement of the 
 young. Many thousands of young persons have 
 received at these schools sound religious instruction 
 — and have had proper principles instilled into their 
 mind — who would otherwise have grown up ignorant 
 and depraved : instead of which, they have, by the 
 blessing of God upon the training which they have 
 thus received, become ornaments in the church and 
 blessings to society. As a mean of promoting the 
 prosperity of religion, not only in the congregation 
 with which they are connected, but in the church at 
 large, elders ought to give their countenance and 
 support to such institutions. They ought not to 
 rest satisfied with paying them the tribute of an 
 empty wish for their success ; but they should, by 
 their presence and personal exertion, encourage 
 those who are engaged in carrying them on. This 
 
168 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 is one way by which they may be instrumental in 
 promoting, to a large extent, the benefit of the rising 
 race, and in adding to the number of those who shall 
 do homage to the Saviour upon earth. 
 
 Further, as elders are designated in Scripture 
 " leaders" and " guides ;" — and as they are enjoined 
 to be " ensamples to the flock" — so they ought to be 
 among the foremost in originating and carrying on 
 societies for prayer — for missions — and other reli- 
 gious objects. It is a reproach to office-bearers in 
 the house of God, if they be seen lagging behind in 
 any of these respects, while others are active in tak- 
 ing the lead. Instead of requiring to be stimulated 
 by the exertion and example of others, they ought 
 always to be seen acting a part consistent with the 
 honourable title which they wear, as "leaders" of 
 the flock. They occupy a prominent situation in 
 the church. Their example is fitted to operate 
 powerfully upon others. The eyes of the people are 
 naturally turned toward them, in all cases where 
 the interests of religion are concerned. It is 
 expected of them that they be forward in every good 
 work. In organising and conducting meetings for 
 prayer — ^in giving their support to bible and mis- 
 sionary associations — in devising schemes for the 
 relief of the wretched — and in all other works of 
 
 d 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 169 
 
 benevolence and piety — they are to be " ensamples 
 to the flock." Li a word, they are to tread closely 
 in the footsteps of Him, who, while upon earth, 
 went about constantly doing good — and who 
 esteemed it his meat and his drink to do the will of 
 his Father in heaven. 
 
 3. Of the manner in which the duties connected 
 with the eldership ought to be performed. On tliis 
 part of the subject I remark, that those who have 
 such a sacred trust committed to them, as the over- 
 sight of souls, ought to discharge the trust reposed in 
 them with fidelity. An apostle, speaking of office- 
 bearers in the church as stewards, says, — " Moreover 
 it is required in stewards that a man be found faith- 
 ful ;" 1 Cor. iv. 2. When a person occupies the 
 office of an elder, he ought faithfully to discharge 
 the duties of it ; and if he be placed in circumstances 
 that he cannot faithfully discharge the duties of his 
 office, he ought to resign it. An unfaithful steward, 
 even in matters pertaining to men, is highly criminal. 
 All unite in condemning such a steward. How 
 much more criminal must that character be who is 
 unfaithful in matters pertaining to God. He betrays 
 the cause of his Master. He tampers w^ith the souls 
 of men. He brings a reproach upon his sacred pro- 
 fession. That the duties connected with the elder- 
 
170 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDEK. 
 
 ship be faithfully discharged, is a matter of the highest 
 importance. Where this is not the case, an immense 
 injury is done to religion. Far better that the office 
 be abrogated altogether, or kept in abeyance, than 
 that it should be nominally occupied by men who are 
 unfaithful to their trust. 
 
 Further, the duties of this office ought to be 
 diligently performed. " He that ruleth," says Paul, 
 " let him do it with diligence ;" Rom. xii. 8. This 
 injunction is violated by those elders who are care- 
 less or slothful. Slothful office-bearers operate as a 
 dead weight upon any religious society with which 
 they are connected. The work, which they ought 
 to perform, is either totally neglected, or performed 
 by tliem in such a manner as scarcely to prove a 
 benefit. The duties connected with the eldership 
 are of such a kind, that in order to their being 
 efficiently performed, there ought to be regular, 
 steady working on the part of those who occupy the 
 office. Diligent, pains-taking elders prove a great 
 blessing to a congregation. Even though they may 
 not be distinguished for their ability or their gifts, 
 yet, if they are assiduous in doing their Master's 
 work, the probability is that it vdll be well done. 
 They will have the approving testimony of their own 
 consciences, that they have done what they could to 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 171 
 
 advance the cause of religion among those entrusted 
 to their charge. They will acquire the esteem and 
 respect of the good upon earth, on account of their 
 labours of love ; and they will receive at last the 
 approbation of their divine Master, who will welcome 
 them into his presence with the cheering sentence 
 — " Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou 
 into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
 It is further required of elders, that in discharging 
 the duties of their office, they act impartially. They 
 are to make no distinction between one class and 
 another. So far as their official duties are con- 
 cerned, they are to be equally attentive to the rich 
 and to the poor. In all matters that come before 
 them in their capacity as ecclesiastical rulers, and 
 concerning which they are required to give judg- 
 ment, they are to take care that they be not under 
 the influence of any undue bias in favour of any par- 
 ticular party. The strictest impartiality is required 
 of them. A solemn charge is addressed to them 
 on this point. Paul, in his first epistle to Timothy, 
 chap. V. 21, says — " I charge thee before God, and 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that 
 thou observe these things, without preferring one 
 before another, doing nothing by partiality." Human 
 nature is prone to err in this respect. It is difficult 
 
172 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 to avoid having our leanings and prepossessions — by 
 means of which our judgments are apt to be warped. 
 Office-bearers, therefore, have need to be upon their 
 guard. Let them not forget the apostolic caution — 
 " doing nothing by partiality." 
 
 Further, elders, in discharging the duties of their 
 office, are to do so affectionately. They are to mingle 
 kindness with fidelity. They are to show, both by 
 their words and their actions, that they have at heart 
 the best interests of those over whom the Holy Ghost 
 hath made them overseers. The following beautiful 
 language describes the spirit which all office-bearers 
 ought to cherish, and the course of conduct wliich 
 it becomes them to pursue, while engaged in admin- 
 istering the affiiirs of the house of God : — " We were 
 gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her 
 children: So being affectionately desii'ous of you, 
 we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the 
 gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because 
 ye were dear unto us." ^ Such was the spirit which 
 the first office-beai'ers of the christian church mani- 
 fested, while engaged in discharging the duties of 
 their office. In cherishing such a spirit, they imi- 
 tated the example which the divine Redeemer set 
 
 1 1 Thess. ii. 7, 8. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 173 
 
 them, while he dwelt upon earth. He was meek 
 and gentle. The bruised reed he did not break : the 
 smoking flax he did not quench. The possession of 
 authority is apt sometimes to excite a spirit of resist- 
 ance on the part of those who are required to obey ; 
 and there is no way by which this resistance may be 
 more effectually overcome, and the affections of the 
 heart won, than by exercising authority in the spirit 
 of kindness. In order, then, that the duties of their 
 office may be efficiently discharged, elders should 
 show themselves " affectionately desirous " of those 
 over w^hom they are invested with authority. They 
 should be gentle among them, " even as a nurse 
 nourisheth her children.'* While they manifest a 
 proper degree of firmness — they should avoid, as 
 much as possible, even the appearance of harshness. 
 Finally, I remark on this part of the subject, that 
 elders, in attending to the duties of their office, should 
 cultivate habitual dependence upon divine grace. If the 
 apostle of the Gentiles, distinguished as he was for 
 his attainments, exclaimed, " Who is sufficient for 
 these things," well may those, who have been called 
 upon to discharge the duties of the eldership, adopt 
 a similar exclamation. Encompassed as they are 
 with infirmities, and liable to be operated upon by a 
 variety of adverse influences, they should be dis- 
 
174 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 trustful of themselves ; and in every step that they 
 take, they should keep their eye l&xed upon Christ, 
 who has promised to make his grace sufficient for 
 them. They should earnestly implore the Father of 
 lights, that he w^ould be pleased to grant them the 
 wisdom " that is from above" — which is " first pure, 
 then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full 
 of mercy and of good fi-uits — without partiality and 
 without hypocrisy." 
 
 4. Of the encouragements, which elders have to 
 labour in their Master's service. Their great en- 
 couragement is derived from the promises which 
 Christ has given, and which he will assuredly fulfil. 
 These promises are applicable to them, as office-bearers, 
 and they have been given for the express purpose of 
 encouraging them in their work. There is a general 
 promise given, that he will be spiritually present 
 with them at all times. It is contained in these 
 words which he addressed to his apostles, when he 
 gave them their last commission — " Lo, I am with 
 you alway, even imto the end of the world." And 
 to show that he is able to give effectual assistance to 
 his servants, by being present with them, he prefaces 
 this declaration by stating that all power has been 
 given him in heaven and on earth. But to those who 
 act the part of office-bearers in his church, he gives 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 1 75 
 
 a special promise of being present with them in their 
 meetings, when they assemble to deliberate concern- 
 ing the affairs of his house. This promise is express- 
 ed in such terms, as to be applicable to the smallest 
 number of office-bearers, that may assemble together : 
 It runs in the following terms — " Where two or three 
 are gathered together in my name, there am I in the 
 midst of them ;" Matt, xviii. 20. That this promise 
 is designed specially to apply to office-bearers of the 
 church, assembled together for the purpose of discip- 
 line, is obvious from the connexion in which it 
 stands; for it forms part of a passage where the 
 Saviour is giving du'ections to his disciples, about 
 the manner in which they are to deal with an offend- 
 ing brother. When they are assembled in his name, 
 to deliberate concerning such a matter — even though 
 there should be no more than two or three of them 
 gathered together — " there" says he, " am I in the 
 midst of them." 
 
 But this is not the whole amount of the encourage- 
 ment which he gives them : for he further promises, 
 that the sentences which they may pronounce, shall 
 be ratijfied in heaven, in so far as they are agreeable 
 to his word. In giving this promise, he does it with 
 great solemnity : " Verily I say unto you, Whatso- 
 ever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; 
 
176 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed 
 in heaven;" Matt, xviii. 18. This declaration is 
 designed to give encouragement to office-bearers in 
 the administering of discipline : for it follows imme- 
 diately after a statement of the process, which it is 
 necessary to adopt in the case of an offending brother ; 
 and the object for which it is introduced, is to answer 
 an objection that may be made to the whole proce- 
 dure. Suppose that all the steps of the process have 
 been gone through — that the offending brother has 
 been dealt with in private — that he has been ad- 
 monished in the presence of two or three witnesses— 
 that he has been brought before the ecclesiastical 
 tribunal — and that, in consequence of his proving 
 obstinate, a solemn sentence has been pronounced by 
 the office-bearers, cutting him off fi'om the commu- 
 nion of the church. Should he be inclined to treat 
 all this with contempt — or should some scoffer say 
 — " What will your censure do ? What will follow 
 upon itf — the promise now quoted enables us to 
 say, that the sentence will not be in vain ; for Christ 
 declares — that it shall be ratified in heaven : And, 
 further, to show that the sentence will not be the less 
 valid, though the office-bearers who have pronounced 
 it may be few in number, he adds these words — 
 " Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 177 
 
 on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, 
 it shall be done for them of my Father which is 
 in heaven ;" Matt, xviii. 19. 
 
 The author of Aaron's Rod Blossoming says con- 
 cerning this declaration of the Saviour, that " It 
 agreeth well to the power of discipline, concerning 
 which it answereth these two objections. First, it 
 might be said, the apostles and other church gover- 
 nors may fall to be very few in this or that church 
 where the offence riseth ; shall we in that case exe- 
 cute any church discipline? Yes, saith Christ, if 
 there were but two church-officers in a church (where 
 no more can be had) they are to exercise discipline, 
 and it shall not be in vain. Again, it might be ob- 
 jected, be they two or three, or more, what if they 
 do not agree among themselves ? To that he answer- 
 eth, there must be an agreement of two church-officers 
 at least, otherwise the sentence shall be null; we 
 cannot say the like of the doctrinal power of bind- 
 ing or loosing, that it is of no force nor validity 
 unless two at least agree in the same doctrine, as 
 hath been said, two must agree in that sentence or 
 censure, which is desired to be ratified in heaven, 
 and then they binding on earth, and unanimously 
 calling upon God to ratify it in heaven, it shall be 
 done."— P. 416. 
 
 M 
 
178 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Seeing, then, that the great Head of the church has 
 promised to be present with the office-bearers of his 
 house, when they meet to deliberate concerning the 
 affairs of Zion — seeing that he has promised to hear 
 their united supplications, and to confirm the sen- 
 tences which they may pronounce, in so far as they 
 are agreeable to his word — let them not be discour- 
 aged by the difficulties they may have to contend 
 with, in the discharge of their duty. Let them not 
 be faint-hearted when they meet with opposition. 
 Let them move boldly forward in the path of duty. 
 Let them toil on, in their Master's service, encour- 
 aged by the promises which he has given them : for 
 they may rest assured that these promises he will 
 fulfil in their experience. Theii- labour shall not be 
 in vain in the Lord. In due time they shall reap if 
 they faint not. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 179 
 
 CHAPTER Vn. 
 
 Office of the deacon — Opinions concerning- the office — First 
 deacons of the christian church — The office of divine appoint- 
 ment — Proofs in support of this — The office of the deacon 
 distinct from that of the teaching- or ruling elder — Deacons 
 in all the primitive churches — The office desig-ned to be per- 
 manent — Duties of the office — Preaching and ruling no part 
 of these duties — Deacons appointed to take charge of the 
 poor — Scriptural injunctions on this subject — Extract from 
 the writings of Dr Dick — Testimony of Dr Dwight — Evils 
 arising from uniting the office of the' deacon and the office of 
 the elder in the same person — Opinion of Dr Chalmers — 
 Deacons may be usefully employed in managing the pecuniary 
 affairs of congregations. 
 
 The office of the deacon has been adverted to, in a 
 preceding part of this Essay. I now propose consider- 
 ing the scriptural authority which we have for this 
 office — the nature of the duties connected with it — 
 and also whether it was designed to be of per- 
 manent continuance in the church. Some have 
 affinned that the statements made in the New 
 Testament, concerning the deacon, do not warrant 
 us in drawing the conclusion, that there was any 
 distinct office instituted in the christian church under 
 this designation. According to them, the term 
 
180 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 ^LaKovos, instead of denoting a distinct order of men 
 whose business it was to take charge of the poor, is 
 applied indiscriminately by the sacred writers to the 
 Saviour, to the apostles, and to all who labour in the 
 gospel without any regard to their peculiar work. 
 They tell us, for instance, that Christ is styled BiaKovos 
 TrepiTOfxrjs, a deacon of the circumcision, Rom. xv. 8 ; 
 that Paul calls his apostleship " dtaKouiav" a deacon- 
 shijj, Rom. xi. 13 ; and that, speaking of himself and 
 his fellow labourers, he calls them " diaKovovs Kaitnjs 
 8ia6r}iir]s,'' deacons of the New Testament, 2 Cor. iii. 6 
 — " diaKovoL Geov," deacons of God, 2 Cor. vi. 4 — 
 " biaKovoL XpiGTov" deacons of Christ, 2 Cor. xi. 23. 
 They further state that the Greek term diuKovos, 
 which, with its cognates, occurs very frequently in 
 the New Testament, is, — with five exceptions — 
 always translated minister or servant. The exceptions 
 occur in Phil. i. 1, and in the third chapter of the 
 first epistle to Timothy. In these instances the word 
 diuKovos is not translated at all, but has merely an 
 English form (deacon) given to it. From such pre- 
 mises as these the conclusion has been di-awn, that 
 this word, as it occurs in the New Testament, does 
 not denote a distinct class of ofiice-bearers ; but is 
 applied indiscriminately to teaching and ruling elders, 
 and to all who serve in the gospel in any capacity. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 181 
 
 There are others who admit that there was such 
 an office as that of deacon in the primitive church ; 
 but that it was designed to be merely temporary, 
 like that of the evangelist — and that it has ceased 
 along with the peculiar circumstances that rendered 
 it necessary. Li opposition to the views maintained 
 by the two classes now referred to, I shall endeavour 
 to show, that this office is of divine institution, that 
 it is a distinct office from that of the elder, and that 
 it was designed to be of permanent continuance in 
 the church. 
 
 First, We have an account given, of the institution 
 of the office of the deacon, in the beginning of the 
 sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles : — " And 
 in those days, when the number of the disciples was 
 multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians 
 against the Hebrews, because their widows were 
 neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve 
 called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and 
 said, It is not reason that we should leave the word 
 of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, 
 look ye out among you seven men of honest report, 
 full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may 
 appoint over this business. But we will give our- 
 selves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of 
 the word. And the saying pleased the whole mul- 
 
182 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 titude ; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith 
 and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, 
 and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, 
 a proselyte of Antioch ; whom they set before the 
 apostles : and when they had prayed, they laid their 
 hands on them." — Some have supposed that there 
 were deacons before this in the church. But this 
 supposition rests on no solid grounds. The christian 
 church was not properly organised till after the 
 resurrection and ascension of Christ; and the cir- 
 cumstances in w^hich the church was placed, for a 
 short period after our Lord's ascension, were not 
 such as to render it necessary that there should be 
 deacons. It was not till " the number of the disciples 
 was multiplied," that the office of the deacon was 
 found to be necessary. The simple reading of the 
 passage, quoted above, will be sufficient to convince 
 any unprejudiced person, that a new office was now 
 instituted by the apostles — and that it was instituted 
 by them for a specific object. It would appear, that 
 until the disciples began to multiply, the apostles had 
 been able to attend to the " daily ministration "^ — so 
 that no complaint was made. But after the disciples 
 were multiplied, and when, of course, a much larger 
 portion of time was required daily for distributing 
 to the necessitous, out of the common stock, the 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 183 
 
 apostles found, that for them any longer to attend to 
 this business was incompatible with the due discharge 
 of other important duties. They said, "It is not 
 reason that we should leave the word of God, and 
 serve tables ;" and with the view of securing a 
 regular and equitable distribution, from the common 
 fund, and thereby preventing any farther complaint, 
 on the part of the Grecians against the Hebrews, 
 they thought proper that persons should be appointed, 
 who should have the special charge of this business. 
 The choosing of these persons was left to the multi- 
 tude of the disciples ; and the setting of them apart 
 to their office — after being chosen — was the work of 
 the apostles. 
 
 That previous to this, there were no deacons in 
 the church at Jerusalem, may fairly be inferred from 
 the circumstance, that there is not the slightest allu- 
 sion made to them, in the whole of this transaction ; 
 and it is natural to suppose, that if any such had 
 existed, some reference would have been made to 
 them. The same thing may be inferred from the 
 language of the apostles when they said, " It is not 
 reason that we should leave the word of God, and 
 serve tables." This obviously implies, that as yet 
 there were no other persons to take the charge of 
 serving these tables but themselves. Further, if 
 
184 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 there had been deacons existing at this time in the 
 church, what necessity would there have been for 
 the apostles appointing persons " over this business." 
 The mentioning of the apostles appointing persons 
 over this business shows that it was a new office they 
 were instituting. It was an office, the sole object of 
 which was the management of the funds collected for 
 relieving the wants of the necessitous, and for other 
 pious purposes ; and by the institution of it, the 
 apostles and other office-bearers were left at liberty 
 to devote their whole time to the preaching of the 
 word and to the government of the church. In this 
 passage, we have not only the institution of the office 
 mentioned, but we have also stated the qualifications 
 necessary in those who are required to occupy it — 
 the manner in which these persons are to be chosen 
 — and the formalities with which they are to be set 
 apart to their office : all of which things indicate, 
 that it was not a temporary expedient the apostles 
 were adopting — but the institution of an office that 
 was to be continued in the church. 
 
 Secondly, The office of the deacon finds a place in 
 the enumeration which the apostle Paul gives, of the 
 office-bearers whom God has appointed in the chris- 
 tian church. To this enumeration the attention of 
 my readers has already been directed in a preceding 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 185 
 
 part of this work. It is necessary, for the purpose 
 of establishing my present point, that I again advert 
 to it. In Rom. xii. 6-8, where the apostle states, 
 that different gifts had been conferred by the Head 
 of the church upon the members, to fit them for dis- 
 charging the duties of their respective offices — he 
 distinctly mentions the office of the deacon as one of 
 those for which special gifts had been conferred. 
 This he does in these words, " eire dioKoviav, (v rfj 
 dtaKovia" — " or he that hath received the office of a 
 deacon, let him wait upon his deaconship " — let him 
 be punctual in attending to the duties of it. In our 
 translation the words are, " Or ministry, let us wait 
 on our ministering." This rendering is too inde- 
 finite. I am aware that the term biaicovia is employed 
 in the New Testament to denote any kind of ministry 
 or service done in the church — whether it be that of 
 an apostle, or that of an evangelist, or that of a 
 teacher, or that of a ruler, or that of a server of 
 tables. But it is not of ministry in general, the 
 apostle is discoursing in the passage quoted. He is 
 speaking of particular gifts having been conferred 
 with a view to jjarticular offices ; and he is giving un 
 enumeration of what these offices are. AtaKopia is 
 one of them. This term, in the connexion in which 
 it occurs, instead of being rendered by such a 
 
186 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 general word as that of " ministry'^ — which applies 
 equally to every service performed for the edification 
 of the church — ought to be rendered by a term 
 descriptive of some particular office ; and I know of 
 no other meaning that it can admit of, consistently 
 with the apostle's object in introducing it, except 
 that of deaconship, or the office of deacon. 
 
 Macknight admits that the term here has not a 
 general, but a particular meaning ; and that as all 
 the other terms employed in the passage, such as 
 " prophesying" — " teaching" — " exliorting," &c., 
 describe stated offices in the church — so biaKovia, in 
 this passage, means a stated office also. But as he 
 considers the office of the deacon to be specially 
 mentioned under the designation of " o ^erabibovs" 
 He that giveth — so he is at a loss to know what 
 stated office the word 8iaKovia is intended to express. 
 He supposes that it may mean " perhaps the bishop's 
 ministry." — It is a sufficient answer to this suppo- 
 sition to state, that there was no person at that period 
 known by the title of " the bishop." I have already 
 shown, that the title bishop, or overseer, was applied 
 indiscriminately to all elders — both those that 
 taught, and those that merely ruled. According to 
 this view, " the bishop's ministry" was nothing more 
 than the ministry of the elders; and as both the 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 187 
 
 " teacher" and the " ruler" are separately mentioned 
 in the passage under review, so the word SiaKovta 
 here cannot be applicable to either of them ; other- 
 wise it would not express a distinct office, which is 
 what, Macknight himself affirms, it means. 
 
 Beza, in his note on this passage, supposes that the 
 apostle here comprehends all the ordinary ecclesiastical 
 functions under the two general heads of prophesying 
 and ministry ; and that in what follows he describes, 
 first, the kinds of prophesying — and, secondly, the 
 kinds of ministry. Under the first of these heads 
 (prophesying) he includes the teacher, 6' StSao-Ktoj/, 
 and the exhorter o napaKaXau. Under the second 
 head (ministry) he includes the distribution of the 
 church's bounty, 6' fxeradidovs ; the ruling elder, 6 
 Trpo'icTTa^evos ; and the attendant upon the afflicted, 
 o eXeo)!/. This is Beza's arrangement of the passage ; 
 and the same view is adopted by the learned authors 
 of the Divine right of church government. Though, 
 according to this arrangement, the office of the deacon 
 is distinctly recognised under the head of ministry, 
 in the person who distributes, yet the arrangement 
 itself may be considered as arbitrary and illogical. 
 It is arhitrary^ inasmuch as the grammatical structure 
 of the passage does not furnish the slightest founda- 
 tion for it ; for the structure of the passage is such, 
 
188 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 that each consecutive clause appears obviously de- 
 signed to express the exercise of a distinct office or a 
 separate gift : And it is also illogical, for propheysing 
 might with equal propriety be called a branch of 
 teaching, as teaching is said to be a branch of prophe- 
 sying ; and there is no good reason why teaching and 
 exhorting should be included under the head of 
 prophesying, rather than under the head of ministry. 
 The most natural method of interpreting the 
 passage is to view each clause as expressive of a 
 different office, for the right discharge of the duties 
 of which a particular gift was necessary. This view 
 accords best with the grammatical structure of the 
 passage, as well as with the introductory statement, 
 where the apostle says — " Having then gifts differing 
 according to the grace, X^P*-^ (some interpret this term 
 office) tliat is given to us." Then to show what the 
 offices are, for which these different gifts have been 
 conferred, he adds — " "Whether prophecy, let us 
 prophesy according to the proportion of faith ; or the 
 office of a deacon, let us attend to our deaconship," 
 
 &C. — etre haKoviav, €V Tq diaKovia. In confirmation of 
 
 this view, I would remark, that BiaKopLa is the term 
 which is employed, in Acts vi. 1, to describe the 
 " daily ministration," for the superintending of which 
 the deacons were appointed. It is therefore a term 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 189 
 
 descriptive of their office : And in the second verse 
 of the same chaj)ter, the work to which they were 
 required to attend, is said to be 8iaKoveiv rpaire^as " to 
 serve tables." Schleusner, after giving various 
 meanings of the word diaKovia, says that it signifies 
 " bi/ way of distinction the distribution and adminis- 
 tration of charitable funds for the use of the poor ; " 
 — and he quotes Acts vi. 1, in support of this use of the 
 term. Doddridge, in his exposition of Rom. xii. 7, 
 gives the following paraphrase of the clause on which 
 I have been commenting — " Or (having) the office 
 of ministry, as deacons, let a man employ himself 
 actively and faithfully in his ministration" He adds 
 in a note, " The word diaKoma properly signifies the 
 ministration of a deacon, and so interpreted gives the 
 distinctest sense." From the statements now made, 
 T feel myself warranted in drawing the conclusion, 
 that the office of deacon is distinctly mentioned in 
 Rom. xii. 7, as among the number of those offices, 
 which God has appointed in the church. 
 
 Another passage (to which I have previously re- 
 feri-ed) where the apostle gives an enumeration of 
 office-bearers, is 1 Cor. xii. 28. In this enumeration, 
 the office of deacon is also distinctly mentioned — 
 " God hath set some in the church, first, apostles ; 
 secondarily, prophets ; thirdly, teachers ; after that 
 
190 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 miracles ; then gifts of healing, helps, governments, 
 diversities of tongues." I formerly stated,^ that some 
 of these were extraordinary, and designed only to be 
 temporary — and that others were ordinary, and de- 
 signed to be of permanent continuance. The extraor- 
 dinary office-bearers were prophets — apostles — 
 workers of miracles — those who possessed the gift of 
 healing — and diversities of tongues. The ordinary 
 office-bearers were teachers — governments — helps. 
 The teachers and governments are the teaching and 
 ruling elders: And the " helps" avTikrjyj/eis are the 
 deacons, who are designated helps or assistants, because 
 they were appointed for the special purpose of reliev- 
 ing the elders from the onerous : duties connected 
 with the management of the funds, that were raised 
 for supplying the wants of the poor. I shall quote 
 some authorities to show, that by the term avTLXr)-^€Ls 
 deacons are to be understood. Schleusner gives the 
 meaning of the word in this place to be " munus 
 diaconorum primitivae ecclesiae, qui curam pauperum 
 et oegrotorum gorebant" — the office of the deacons 
 of the primitive church, who had the charge of the 
 poor and the sick. Beza, in a note on this verse, 
 calls avTiXrjyIrets " diaconorum functiones" — thefunc- 
 
 ' See p. 87. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 191 
 
 tions of the deacons. Doddridge paraphrases the 
 word by " helpers in the management of charities." 
 Calvin says that these " helps were either an ancient 
 gift and office unknown to us now, or it belongs to 
 the deaconship, that is, the care of the poor. And 
 this second (he adds) rather pleaseth me." Gillespie, 
 in the remarks which he makes upon this verse, con- 
 siders the apostle as distinctly referring by this term, 
 to the office of the deacon.^ That this office is one 
 which God has appointed, is what the apostle ex- 
 pressly affirms ; for he says — " God hath set (f^fro) 
 these helps in the church." 
 
 TJiirdly, Li the platform of ecclesiastical discipline, 
 laid down by Paul in his epistles to Timothy, the 
 directions, given with regard to the office of the 
 deacon, are no less explicit than those that are given 
 with regard to the office of the elder. In his direc- 
 tions, the apostle takes for granted that such an 
 office did exist in the church. He points out 
 minutely the qualifications, which deacons ought to 
 possess, and the manner in which they ought to dis- 
 charge the duties of their office. He speaks of them 
 as an order of men that already existed — and as one 
 with which the people were familiar : — " Likewise 
 
 ^ Aaron's Rod Blossoming, p. 222. 
 
192 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 (says he) must the deacons be gi*ave, not double- 
 tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of 
 lilthy lucre ; holding the mystery of the faith in a 
 pure conscience ;" 1 Tim. iii. 8, 9. He states, that 
 " they who have used the office of a deacon well 
 purchase to themselves a good degree, and great 
 boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus ;" ver. 
 13. Wliere we find the Holy Spirit g'iving directions 
 concerning the duties of any office, and bestowing 
 commendation on those who discharge the duties of 
 it well, we are warranted in regarding that office as 
 of divine appointment. The passages now quoted 
 show that this is the case with regard to the office 
 of the deacon. 
 
 Fourthly, There is good ground for concluding, 
 that in point of fact there were deacons, as well as 
 elders, in all the churches ; and that the former class 
 of office-bearers were considered no less necessary to 
 the complete organisation of a church than the latter. 
 In the church at Jerusalem, we know, there were both 
 deacons and elders. Acts vi. 5 and xv. 1. In the 
 church at Rome, there were deacons and elders. 
 Rom. xii. 7 8. These two classes of office-bearers 
 were also in the church at Corinth. 1 Cor. xii. 28. 
 They were also in the church at Ephesus, as we 
 learn from the directions given to Timothy — ^first 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 193 
 
 epistle and third chapter. At the time when 
 Timothy received these directions, he was labouring 
 in the church at Ephesus ; and he was to take care 
 that every thing was done according to apostolical 
 direction. Mention is also made of these two classes 
 being in the chui'ch at Philippi ; for Paul, in com- 
 mencing his epistle to that church, addresses it " to 
 all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, 
 with the overseers (or elders) and deacons." — That 
 there were deacons in the five churches now men- 
 tioned we have scriptural evidence for believing. 
 
 Fm.*ther, we have unexceptionable evidence, that 
 the appointment, by the apostles, of deacons in the 
 churches, was as general as the appointment of 
 elders. The evidence, which I am about to quote, 
 though not exactly scriptural, is the evidence of one 
 who was a companion of Paul and a fellow-labourer 
 with the apostles. It is that of Clemens Romanus. 
 In a passage from his epistle to the Corinthians — 
 which I have already quoted on the subject of the 
 eldership^ — he says — " The apostles, preaching 
 through countries and cities, appointed then- first- 
 fruits bishops (overseers) and deacons of those who 
 should believe, proving them by the Spirit."- Ac- 
 
 ' See page 113. ^ Ei-ist. ad Cor. p. 54. 
 
194 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 cording to tliis account, the deacons were as univer- 
 sally appointed as the overseers. 
 
 Fifthly, I may mention that abundant proof is to 
 be found, in the writings of the early Fathers, of 
 there being deacons appointed iij all the churches, 
 during the ages that immediately succeeded the 
 apostolical era. In addition to Clemens — we have 
 Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Mailyi', Cyprian, and 
 several others that might be mentioned, bearing 
 testimony on this point. It is altogether unnecessary 
 to make i[uotations. Indeed, the greater part of the 
 quotations, which I have made from the Fathers on 
 the subject of the eldership, are equally applicable 
 as proofs of the existence of the office of the deacon. 
 
 Having thus endeavoured to show that this office 
 is one which is sanctioned by divine authority, I 
 shall now advert to the duties which the deacon is 
 required to discharge. Preaching and ruling form 
 no part of these duties ; for it appears from the lan- 
 guage employed by the apostles, when they instituted 
 this office, that they considered preaching and the 
 duties of the deacon to be incompatible with each 
 other. They said, "It is not meet that we should 
 leave the word of God, and serve tables :" — thereby 
 intimating, that they could not give themselves to the 
 preaching of the word, and at the same time attend 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 195 
 
 to the " daily ministrations" in behalf of the poor. 
 What they proposed, by instituting the office of the 
 deacon, was to separate these two departments of 
 duty — devolving them on different classes of office- 
 bearers. They said to the multitude of disciples — 
 " Look ye out among you seven men of honest 
 report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom 
 we may appoint over this business : But we will 
 give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the mini- 
 stry of the word." It is indeed affirmed of Philip, 
 who was elected one of the deacons, that he preached. 
 But it is not affirmed of him that he preached, 
 while he was a deacon. After having been for some 
 time a deacon — he Avas set apart to the office of an 
 evangelist, in which work he appears to have been 
 eminently successful. He is called " Philip the 
 evangelist" (Acts xxi. 8); and a slight degree of 
 attention will suffice to show, that his labours in this 
 capacity were altogether incompatible with discharg- 
 ing the duties of a deacon. For, in the brief account 
 given of him, we find him first labouring in the city 
 of Samaria — then travelling " toward the south" by 
 divine command, to meet the Ethiopian eunuch on 
 his way home from Jerusalem — and lastly, we find 
 him residing with his family in Cesarea, and doing 
 the work of an evangelist in that city. How could 
 
196 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 he attend to the poor m Jerusalem, or any^vhere else, 
 when he was thus engaged in travelling about from 
 place to place ? Nor does the case of Stephen form 
 any exception to the statement, which I have been 
 making, concerning preaching not being any part of 
 the work of a deacon. It does not appear that 
 Stephen preached. He " did great wonders and 
 miracles among the people" — and he occasionally 
 entered the Hsts of disputation against the opponents 
 of the gospel. But this was very different from 
 public preaching : and it formed no part of his work 
 as a deacon. To reason or dispute with those who 
 are the enemies of the faith, is what any private 
 Christian may do. 
 
 As deacons were not ordained to the work of 
 preaching, so neither were they required to act as 
 rulers in the church. In those passages, where the 
 office of deacon is referred to, it is mentioned as dis- 
 tinct from that of the ruler. As instances of this, I 
 refer to the passages quoted above. Thus, in Kom. 
 xii. 7, 8, " He that hath the office of a deacon, let him 
 wait on his deaconship" — " He that ruleth, let him 
 do it with diligence." In 1 Cor. xii. 28, " God hath 
 set in the church helps — governments" In Phil. i. 1, 
 " Overseers and deacons.''^ In 1 Tim. iii. 2, 8, " An 
 overseer must be blameless" — " Likewise must the 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 197 
 
 deacons be grave." The circumstance now noticed 
 of these two offices being mentioned as distinct, even 
 when they are mentioned in connexion with each 
 other, shows us that the work of ruling was not con- 
 nected with the office of a deacon. For if the deacon 
 had been appointed to rule, then there would have 
 been no distinction between him and the overseer or 
 elder ; and there would have been no propriety in 
 the apostle so frequently introducing them to our 
 notice, as distinct offices, when they were in reality 
 the same. That the deacons were not included 
 among the number of those that ruled in the church, 
 is fairly deducible from the fact now stated. What- 
 ever innovations might afterwards be introduced, 
 when men began to deviate from the primitive order 
 which had been established by the apostles, there is 
 no countenance given in the New Testament either 
 to preaching deacons — or ruling deacons. Those 
 deacons who preach or rule, or who — it may be — 
 do both, step beyond the limits of their office. They 
 exercise functions which they have no warrant, by 
 virtue of their office, to exercise. They exalt them- 
 selves to the rank of teaching or of ruling elders : 
 And should they, while they thus exercise the func- 
 tion of overseers, assume the title of deacons, they are 
 not taking a scriptural designation. This latter title 
 
198 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 is never applied, in the New Testament, — so far as 
 I know — to an office-bearer who preaches or rules. 
 It is the term " overseer" or " elder" which is the 
 scriptural designation of such an individual. The 
 object, for which the office of the deacon was insti- 
 tuted, is distinctly mentioned ; and the duty of the 
 deacon is limited to this specific object. 
 
 The " serving of tables" is mentioned as the 
 " business" over which the first deacons were appoint- 
 ed. " It is not reason," said the apostles, addressing 
 the multitude of the disciples, " that we should leave 
 the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, 
 brethren, look ye out among you seven men of 
 honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, 
 whom we may appoint over this business" There is 
 no other business but this mentioned, or even refer- 
 red to. It is the simple and sole object of the 
 institution of the deacon's office. What, then, is the 
 business that is here expressed by " serving tables V* 
 The nature of it sufficiently appears from the com- 
 plaint that was made by the Grecians against the 
 Hebrews; namely, that " their widows were neglected 
 in the daily ministration." This phrase — the daily mi- 
 nistration — is explained by the statement contained in 
 Acts iv. 34, 35, where it is said, — " Neither was there 
 any among them that lacked : for as many as were 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 199 
 
 possessors of lands or houses sold tliem, and brought 
 the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them 
 down at the apostles' feet ; and distribution was 
 made unto every man according as he had need." 
 The " daily ministration" and the " distribution" 
 now mentioned were the same. The ministration^ 
 diuKovta, was nothing else than the " distribution 
 made unto every man according as he had need," 
 out of the money which the wealthier converts 
 brought, in the abundance of their liberality, and 
 laid down at the apostles' feet. To take charge of 
 this distribution is what we are to understand by 
 serving tables; and "over this business" were the 
 deacons appointed. The phrase, " to serve tables," 
 — as employed by the apostles in the passage under 
 consideration — has no reference whatever either to 
 providing or distributing the sacramental elements 
 at the table of the Lord ; nor does it apply to 
 intromitting generally with the pecuniary affairs 
 of the church. The connexion, in which it stands, 
 limits it to taking charge of the funds collected for 
 relief of the indigent, and to the distribution of these 
 funds. 
 
 The office of the deacon, then, has been instituted 
 for the special purpose of attending to the wants of 
 the poor. The proper business of those who are 
 
200 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 invested with this office, is to take charge of and 
 distribute the funds, which every christian society- 
 ought to have for relieving the wants of its poorer 
 members. But though attending to the wants of the 
 poor appears to have been the special purpose for 
 which the office of the deacon was instituted, yet it 
 is highly probable that other objects besides this 
 occupied the attention of the deacons — such as the 
 raising and distribution of the funds necessary for 
 the maintenance of a gospel ministry, and for other 
 pious purposes. In the church at Jerusalem there 
 was only one fund, as is evident from the passage 
 which has been quoted from the fourth chapter of 
 the Acts. This fund was available for all the pur- 
 poses of the association. Every man had his wants 
 supplied out of it " according as he had need." 
 Those who laboured in the gospel ministry would 
 receive their support from it ; and whatever ex- 
 penses, of an incidental kind, were incurred in 
 promoting the gi'eat objects for which the Christians 
 were associated in church fellowship — these also 
 would be defrayed out of the same source : — and to 
 the deacons it belonged, by virtue of their office, to 
 take charge of the distribution of this fund. In all 
 the other churches that were formed, provision was 
 made, by the liberality of the members, for supply- 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 201 
 
 ing the wants of the poor — for supporting a gospel 
 ministry — and for maintaining in a state of efficiency 
 the various institutions of the christian religion. 
 The funds necessary for the accomplishing of these 
 objects would be placed at the disposal of the 
 deacons ; and to them, acting (as we shall after- 
 wards see) under the superintendence of the elder- 
 ship, it belonged to see that the funds were applied 
 to their proper purposes. In the subsequent remarks 
 which I shall make in this chapter concerning the 
 office of the deacon, I shall confine myself to what I 
 conceive to have been the main design for which this 
 office was instituted in the christian church, namely, 
 attending to the wants of the poor. 
 
 It affords a great display of benevolence, on the 
 part of the Author of Christianity, that he should 
 have instituted in his church an office, for the 
 purpose of ministering to the wants of the indi- 
 gent. Very soon after the age of the apostles, the 
 deacons began to be employed in a variety of other 
 services, besides that of attending to the poor. They 
 assisted in administering the Lord's Supper — distri- 
 buting the sacramental elements to those who were 
 present — and sometimes carrying them to those who 
 were absent. They were permitted occasionally to 
 preach and to baptize. They acted as directors to 
 
202 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 the people when engaged in the public services of 
 the sanctuary — giving notice, by certain forms of 
 words, when each part of the service began. They 
 gave notice also to the penitents and catechumens 
 when to come up and make their prayers, and when 
 to depart. Besides these, there were services of a 
 still more menial kind which they performed ; — such 
 as acting the part of door-keepers — taking charge of 
 the communion table and the vessels belonging to it 
 — receiving the offerings of the people, and present- 
 ing them to the minister, to be by him laid upon the 
 altar. ^ Such things as these were innovations gra- 
 dually introduced, and for which Scripture furnishes 
 no warrant. The word of God points out no other 
 employment, as peculiar to the office of the deacon, 
 except that of ministering the church's bounty to the 
 poor. 
 
 That this office was designed to be permanent, 
 may be argued from the minute directions given 
 coucerning it, in the first epistle to Timothy. We 
 have there pointed out the qualifications which those 
 persons ought to possess who are called to occupy 
 this office — and there is great encouragement held 
 out to deacons to be faithful in discharging the duties 
 
 ^ Bingham's Origiues Ecclesiasticoc, b. ii. chap. xx. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 203 
 
 connected with their office. The same circumstance, 
 also, which rendered the appointment of this office 
 necessary at the first, renders its continuance neces- 
 sary ; and that is the obhgation which lies upon the 
 church to make provision for supplying the wants of 
 the indigent. It was not more necessary that there 
 should be a class of office-bearers appointed for the 
 special purpose of attending to the poor, at the com- 
 mencement of Christianity, than that there should be 
 a class of office-bearers appointed for attending to 
 the poor at the present day. If there were obliga- 
 tions lying upon the church to make provision for 
 the wants of the indigent then — there are obligations 
 lying upon the church to make provision for the 
 wants of the same class still. 
 
 The views given by the compilers of that excellent 
 production, the Westminster Confession of Faith, con- 
 cerning the nature and permanence of the office of 
 the deacon, coincide with those which I have advanced. 
 " The Scripture (they say) doth hold out deacons as 
 distinct officers in the church : whose office is per- 
 petual : To whose office it belongs not to preach the 
 word, or administer the sacraments, but to take special 
 care in distributing to the necessities of the poor." ^ 
 
 * Westminster Confession, p. 572. 
 
204 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 The United Associate Synod, in the Summary of 
 Principles adopted in September 1820, declare that 
 " The office-bearers in the church of Christ are 
 teaching and ruling elders, and deacons." Stewart 
 of Pardovan, in his Collection, says — " The word 
 (deacon) is sometimes largely taken for all that bear 
 ministry and spiritual function in the church ; but 
 commonly it is taken for that ordinary and perpetual 
 ecclesiastical office in the kirk of Christ, to whom 
 the collection and distribution of the alms of the 
 faithful and ecclesiastical goods do belong. Whence 
 it follows, that seeing this office is of divine insti- 
 tution, it is an unwaiTantable omission in some 
 congregations, that either they put no difference 
 betwixt the elders and deacons, or else they neglect 
 to appoint any to the office of a deacon." ^ 
 
 Though the Westminster Confession of Faith, to 
 which all the presbyterian churches in this country 
 subscribe their adherence, declares the deaconship 
 to be a distinct office from that of the elder — to be 
 of divine institution — and to be perpetual — yet a 
 large proportion of these churches subject them- 
 selves to the censure pronounced by Stewart of 
 Pardovan, in the extract now made, when he says 
 
 1 Chap. Of the Pohcy of the Kirk. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 205 
 
 that " it is an unwarrantable omission in some con- 
 gregations, that either they put no difference betwixt 
 the elders and deacons, or else they neglect to 
 appoint any to the office of a deacon." So far as 
 the wi'iter of these pages is aware of — the office of 
 deacon has become nearly extinct in the various 
 sections of the presbyterian church.^ In compa- 
 ratively few of the presbyterian congregations is 
 such an office-bearer to be found. A late eminent 
 wi'iter, in noticing this omission, and in endeavour- 
 ing to account for it, makes the following apology 
 for those congregations where the omission exists : — 
 " In some parts of the church the office of deacon is 
 retained, but in others it is not ; and the want of it 
 has been represented as a criminal omission. But 
 the institution arose out of particular circumstances, 
 and may therefore be dispensed with where these do 
 not exist. In some congregations there are no poor ; 
 in others, they are very few in number ; and where 
 they most abound, they can be attended to by the 
 elders, whom we acknowledge as office-bearers in 
 the church, as we shall afterwards see ; and who, 
 
 ' The writer excepts fx'om this statement the congregations 
 that have recently seceded from the Scottisli EstabHshment, 
 under the designation oftlieFree Protesting- Church. In these 
 congregations he understands that the office ol" the deacon has 
 been universally revived. 
 
206 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 on the principle that an inferior office is compre- 
 hended in a superior, possess the powers of deacons, 
 as ministers possess the powers of elders. This is 
 our apology for not having deacons in all our con- 
 gregations, and it seems to be satisfactory. They 
 are not appointed, because all that they could do 
 can be done by the elders, without encroaching upon 
 their other duties." ^ 
 
 This statement, no doubt, accounts for the want of 
 deacons in many of the congregations ; but it can 
 scarcely be regarded as a satisfactory apology for 
 the omission. For, in the first place, though the 
 institution of the office of deacon " arose out of par- 
 ticular circumstances," yet the continuance of it in 
 the church was not made to depend on these circum- 
 stances. Sufficient evidence has been adduced to 
 show that the office was universally adopted in the 
 primitive church, and that it was designed by God 
 to be permanent. And, secondly, if this apology be 
 satisfactory, when urged by congregations as a reason 
 for dispensing with the office of deacon — it will be 
 equally satisfactory when urged by them as a reason 
 for dispensing, in certain circumstances, with the 
 office of the ruling elder. For many cases are to be 
 
 ' Lectures on Theology ; by the Rev. Dr Dick, vol. iv. p. 378. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 207 
 
 found of the members of a congregation being so 
 few, that the minister can have little difficulty in 
 doing the whole work of ruling as well as of teach- 
 ing ; and, " on the principle that an inferior office 
 is comprehended in a superior," he may dispense 
 T\dth the services of the elders, as well as of the 
 deacons. No good presbyterian would regard it as 
 a sufficient reason for not having ruling elders in a 
 congregation, because the membership was small : 
 and why should it be regarded as a sufficient reason, 
 for not having deacons in a congregation, that the 
 poor are few in number — and that the elders are 
 able not only to attend to their own duties, but also 
 to do the work of the deacons. If the one office be 
 of divine institution as well as the other — and if it 
 be designed also to be permanent — I do not see on 
 what grounds presbyterian congi-egations are war- 
 ranted, in any circumstances, in dispensing with the 
 one more than the other. 
 
 The New Testament furnishes sufficient evidence 
 that the primitive Christians were enjoined by the 
 highest authority to make provision — by pecuniary 
 contribution — for the relief of their indigent brethren. 
 Among the little band of disciples that followed 
 Christ during his personal ministry upon earth, there 
 was a fund established and contributions made for 
 
208 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 the poor ; John xiii. 29. And Jesus reminded them 
 that this duty was one to Avhich they would always 
 be required to attend, by saying to them, " The poor 
 always ye have with you ;" John xii. 8. After the 
 christian church was organised, the apostles did not 
 forget the instructions which had been given, and 
 the example which had been set by their divine 
 Master on this point. They required all who joined 
 their society to act in a similar spirit : and they gave 
 very definite instructions on the subject, which were 
 applicable to all the members of the church, in every 
 part of the world. " As we have therefore oppor- 
 tunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto 
 them who are of the household of faith ;" Gal. vi. 10. 
 " Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I 
 have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so 
 do ye : Upon the first day of the week, let every one 
 of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered 
 him, that there be no gatherings when I come ;" 
 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. This was a general direction given 
 to all the churches, in so far as the contribution for 
 the poor saints at Jerusalem was concerned: for 
 we find that the collection referred to was made by 
 the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, as well as 
 by those of Galatia and Corinth; Rom. xv. 26. 
 That this collecting for the poor was reduced to a 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 209 
 
 system by the apostles — and that all the churches 
 were required to act in accordance with it — appears 
 from a statement made by Paul, in Gal. ii. 10, 
 where, after giving an account of an interview which 
 he had with Peter, James, and John, and of a 
 friendly agreement made with these persons, that 
 Barnabas and Paul should go and preach to the 
 heathen, while these three apostles laboured among 
 the Jews, he adds — " Only they would that we 
 should remember the poor ; the same which I also 
 was forward to do." Paul, wi'iting to the churches, 
 reminded the converts of the necessity of being 
 industrious in their laAvful callings, that they might 
 have it in their power to give a part of their earn- 
 ings for the support of the poor : — " Let him that 
 stole, steal no more ; but ratlier let him labour, work- 
 ing '^\ath his hands the thing which is good, that he 
 may have to give to him that needeth ;" Eph. iv. 28. 
 
 Such were the principles on which the primitive 
 Christians were enjoined to act ; and the office of the 
 deacon was instituted, that there might be in every 
 congregation persons whose special business it was 
 to superintend the distribution of the money that 
 was thus raised by the voluntary liberality of the 
 people. Dr Dwight, in his System of Theology, 
 makes the following excellent remarks on this subject: 
 
 o 
 
210 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 — " If we had no other directions concerning this 
 subject in the sacred volume, the history, contained 
 in the text (Acts vi. 1-6), would be amply sufficient. 
 The very 'purpose for which the office (of deacon) ivas 
 instituted in the christian church, was the distribution 
 of its alms : an employment highly honourable and 
 evangelical. That this employment was to be uni- 
 versal in the church, and that its poor members were 
 always to receive the benefit of it, is clearly taught 
 in the 5th chapter of the first epistle to Timothy, by 
 the directions given concerning the reception of 
 widows into the number of the poor, supported by 
 the church." — " Private bounty was to be given to 
 the necessitous by the authors of it, at their own 
 pleasure : but the bounty of the church was to flow 
 through its deacons, as its own proper almoners. 
 The primitive Christians obeyed the injunctions, 
 requiring this duty, in a manner becoming their 
 profession. They received their fellow-Christians, 
 when travelling, into their houses ; and made them 
 welcome to such accommodations as their circum- 
 stances permitted. They continually made feasts of 
 charity, to which every Christian present was of 
 course invited ; raised weekly contributions and con- 
 veyed them to their necessitous brethren by officers, 
 whose especial business it was to see that all were 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 211 
 
 impartially and effectually relieved. With a similar 
 care and benevolence, tliey administered relief to 
 sufferers in every other situation. 
 
 " This conduct, being a novelty in the world, and 
 no less honourable than beneficial, strongly attracted 
 the attention of the heathen ; and extorted from them 
 this high proverbial commendation : ' See, how these 
 Christians love one another.' The emperor Julian, 
 an apostate from Christianity, and therefore a bitter 
 enemy to it, acknowledges the fact, in terms extremely 
 honourable to the cause, which he so earnestly 
 laboured to destroy. ' If (said he) Hellenism,' that 
 is, the religion of the heathen, ' does not prosper 
 according to our wish, it is the fault of those who 
 profess it. Why do we not look to that, which has 
 been the principal cause of the augmentation of 
 impiety ; ' that is, the christian religion ; ' humanity 
 to strangers, care in burying the dead, and that 
 sanctity of life, of which they make such a show ? 
 It is a shame, that, when the impious Galileans,' 
 that is, Christians, 'relieve not only their own people, 
 but ours also, our poor should be neglected by us.' 
 Again he says, ' it having so happened, as I suppose, 
 that the poor were neglected by our priests, the 
 impious Galileans, observing this, have addicted 
 themselves to this kind of humanity; and by the 
 
212 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 show of such good offices, have recommended the 
 worst of things ; ' that is, the christian religion. 
 ' For beginning with their love feasts, and the minis- 
 try of tables, as they call it (for not only the name, 
 but the thing is common among them), they have 
 drawn away the faithful to impiety ; ' that is, heathens 
 to Christianity. We have here the strongest evidence 
 that the ancient Christians, down to the time of Julian, 
 Saaintained the charity of the gospel to their poor 
 and suffering brethren, and to strangers, also ; and 
 that this charity was distributed in conformity to 
 the account in the text ; the ministry of tables being 
 mentioned by him as one of the principal channels 
 through which it flowed." ^ 
 
 Christians are as much bound by the law of Christ, 
 in the present day, to make provision for supplying 
 the wants of their indigent brethren, as they were in 
 the days of the apostles ; and the christian society, 
 which makes no exertion to afford relief to those 
 who are justly objects of its sympathy, is not fulfilling 
 the duty imposed upon it by its Lord. Every con- 
 gregation ought to have a fund for affording relief 
 to its indigent members ; and regular stated contri- 
 butions ought to be made for the maintenance of this 
 
 ^ Dwight's System of Theolog-y, vol. ii. pp. 511, 512. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 213 
 
 fund. " The poor always ye have with you" — said 
 the Saviour. This is indeed true. The poor will 
 always be found in the land. A certain portion of 
 them will be found in every congregation, and the 
 duty which Christianity enjoins on each congregation, 
 concerning the poor connected with it, is to give 
 them support. The provision made for them should 
 be such as not merely to keep them from a state of 
 starvation — but to enable them to experience a 
 certain measure of comfort. This is a duty which 
 the church, as a body, owes to its individual members. 
 " Whether one member suffer, all the members 
 suffer with it ; or one member be honoured, all the 
 members rejoice with it ;" 1 Cor. xii. 2Q. " If a 
 brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily 
 food, and one of you say unto them. Depart in peace, 
 be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give 
 them not those things which are needful to the bddy ; 
 what doth it profit?" James ii. 15, 16. 
 
 To the scriptural scheme, of every church making 
 provision for its own poor, by the voluntary contri- 
 bution of its members, some object that this is 
 unnecessary, on account of a legal provision being 
 made by the state for the maintenance of the poor. 
 This objection is more specious than valid. I 
 apprehend that no civil enactment, which the state 
 
214 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 may make on this subject, can exempt Christians 
 from what is enjoined on them as a religious duty — 
 namely, the duty of giving a portion of their earnings 
 to assist in supporting their poorer brethren. If 
 what they ought to give freely, for this purpose, be 
 extorted from them, by a civil enactment, it becomes 
 compulsory ; and in this case it ceases to be the 
 exercise of christian charity. But it is as an ex- 
 pression of christian love, that they are required to 
 give ; and if it be not given in this way, the duty is 
 not fulfilled. 
 
 Another objection to the scriptural scheme is, that 
 there are many persons sunk in the deepest poverty 
 and wretchedness, whom no religious society acknow- 
 ledges. On account of their vices and profligacy, 
 they have become outcasts from all christian com- 
 munion. Are such j^ersons to be left to perish? 
 Certainly not. How, then, are they to be provided 
 for ? Christian benevolence should extend to them : 
 and while each church charges itself with the 
 maintenance of its o^vn poor, there ought to be — 
 in reference to those who are connected with no 
 particular church — a scheme of co-operation among 
 the various christian societies, in every locality, with 
 a view to give relief to such. Christian principle 
 should do the work of mercy here, as well as in the 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 215 
 
 case of those who are members of the church ; — 
 though reason would say, that those who have been 
 pursuing a vicious course, and have brought poverty 
 upon themselves by a life of profligacy, ought not 
 to share so liberally in the fruits of christian bene- 
 ficence, as those who have led quiet and peaceable 
 lives in all godliness and honesty. Such ought to 
 be made to feel — at least to a certain extent — the 
 retributive effects of their own ciminality. 
 
 As there ought, then, to be a fund in every congre- 
 gation, for the support of the poor, so the fund should 
 be placed under the management of the proper 
 scriptural office-bearers, namely, deacons. The 
 office of the deacon has been instituted by Christ for 
 this purpose : and why should Christians profess to 
 be wiser than the Saviour, by refusing to adopt an 
 organization which he has appointed. It is indeed 
 true, that in every presbyterian congregation there 
 are elders — and why may not they be entrusted 
 with the distribution of the funds collected for the 
 benefit of the poor ? The answer to this question is 
 two-fold : First, that Christ has appointed a class of 
 office-bearers for the special purpose of attending to 
 this work ; and, secondly, the elders have a work of 
 their own to perform, which is of such importance, 
 that it requires them to devote to it all the energies 
 
216 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 both of their mind and body. This work is attending 
 to the spiritual interests of the flock. " He that 
 ruleth, let him do it with diligence." — " Give thyself 
 wholly to these things" — is an injunction no less 
 applicable to ruling, than to teaching elders. Besides, 
 the union of the offices of the elder and of the deacon, 
 in the same person, is calculated to operate injuri- 
 ously, by preventing his spiritual ministrations from 
 producing any good effect — inasmuch as a spirit of 
 hostility is apt to be excited against him, on the part 
 of those whose clamorous demands for relief he may 
 sometimes be obliged, when acting in his capacity 
 as a deacon, to refuse. 
 
 Dr Chalmers has shown this, in his Christian and 
 Civic Economy of large towns, with a force of reasoning 
 and a power of eloquence which must bring convic- 
 tion to every mind. Speaking of the union of the 
 offices of the elder and of the deacon in the same 
 person, he says : — "Like a substance, where neither 
 of the ingredients taken singly is poisonous, and 
 which assumes aU its virulence fi*om the composition 
 of them, what a power of insidious but most fatal 
 corruption lies in the mere junction of these two 
 offices ! There is many a pluralist of this sort, who 
 never can and never will verify this remark, by any 
 experience of his own ; because he has virtually 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 217 
 
 resigned the better and the higher of his functions, 
 or rather has not once from the beginning exercised 
 them. But let him go forth upon his territory, in 
 the discharge of both, and what a sickening duplicity 
 of reception he is exposed to ! What a mortifying 
 indifference to the topic he has most at heart, under 
 all the constrained appearance of attention which is 
 rendered to it ! With what dexterity can the language 
 of sanctity be pressed into the service, when their 
 purpose requires it ; and yet how evident, how mor- 
 tifyingly evident, often, is the total absence of all 
 feeling and desire upon the subject, from the hearts 
 of those wily politicians ! How often, under such 
 an unfortunate arrangement as this, is Christianity 
 prostituted into a vehicle for the most sordid and 
 unworthy applications — all its lessons no further 
 valued than for the mean and beggarly elements 
 with which they are conjoined — and all its ordinances 
 no further valued than as stepping-stones, perhaps, 
 to a pair of shoes. It is this mingling together of 
 incompatible desires — it is this bringing of a pure 
 moral element into contiguity with other elements 
 which vitiate and extinguish it — it is this compound- 
 ing of what is fitted in itself to raise the character, 
 with what is fitted, in itself, and still more by its 
 hypocritical association with better things, to adul- 
 
218 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 terate and debase it — it is tliis which sheds a kind 
 of withering blight over all the ministrations of 
 the pluralist, and must convince every enlightened 
 observer, that, till he gets rid of the many elements 
 of temptation which are in his hands, he will never 
 expatiate, either with christian comfort, or with 
 christian effect, among the population." 
 
 Such, he says, will be the effect produced, where 
 the funds for the poor are raised by voluntary con- 
 tribution, and distributed by the elders. He then 
 goes on to show that matters will be still worse, 
 " when the fund is raised in a legal and compulsory 
 way by assessment, and when that which went to be 
 petitioned for, in the shape of charity, is demanded 
 in the shape of justice." — " A kirk-session may do 
 for an organ of distribution, while the expression of 
 good- will may be held forth, on the one side, and 
 the feeling of gratitude may be called back, on the 
 other. But when, from an administration of charity, 
 it is transformed into a warfare of rights, it becomes 
 altogether an unseemly contest for such parties as 
 these — and a contest, in which the cupidity, and the 
 love of pleasure, or of indolence, that characterise 
 om' nature, will mightily prevail over that unprac- 
 tised simplicity, which we should ever like to cha- 
 racterise our eldership ; whose proper business it is 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 219 
 
 to officiate among sacraments, and to exert a chris- 
 tian superintendence over the families that are 
 assigned to them." He then adds — " Let us now 
 conceive a pluralist to be aware of this mischief, and, 
 by way of guarding against it, to put himself forth 
 in an attitude more characteristic of deaconship — 
 firm in resistance to every claim that is capable of 
 being reduced, and most strict and resolute in all his 
 investigations. In this case, the only fit and effectual 
 attitude of eldership must be given up. He may as 
 well tiy to look two opposite ways, at the same 
 moment, as think of combining the one with the 
 other, and of keeping the people at bay by his resist- 
 ance to them, on the ground of his lower, and, at the 
 same time, drawing their regard, on the ground of 
 his higher and better ministrations. He wiU find it 
 utterly impossible to find access for the lessons of 
 Christianity, into hearts soured against himself, and, 
 perhaps, thwarted m their feelings of justice, by the 
 disappointments they have gotten at his hand. It is 
 thus that, by a strange fatality, the man who has 
 been vested with a religious superintendence over 
 the people, has become the most unlikely for gaining 
 a religious influence over them — and all his wonted 
 powers of usefulness, now worse than neutralised, 
 have, by the positive dislike that has been turned 
 
220 THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 
 
 against him, been sunk far beneath the level of any 
 private or ordinary individual. There cannot, sure- 
 ly, be a more complete travesty on all that is wise 
 and desu'able in human institutions, than to saddle 
 that man, whose primitive office it is to woo the 
 people to that which is spiritually good, with another 
 office where he has to war against the people, on 
 the subject of their temporalities."^ 
 
 Such remarks as these tend to illustrate the evils 
 that arise from the same individual sustaining the 
 two-fold character of an elder and a deacon, and 
 show the wisdom of the Saviour in appointing two 
 classes of office-bearers — one class, to discharge the 
 duties of the elder, — and another, to discharge the 
 duties of the deacon. 
 
 As the deacons are not appointed to rule, so they 
 ai'e not to be considered as members of the session, 
 or, as having a right to sit in any of the higher 
 ecclesiastical courts. They are themselves subject, 
 as members of the church, to the session. It is, 
 however, not only proper, but necessary, that they 
 meet from time to time with the elders, to deliberate, 
 along with them, concerning those matters — ^the 
 management of which has been entrusted to their 
 
 ^ Christian and Civic Economy of Large Towns, vol. i. pp. 
 257-262. 
 
THE OFFICE OF DEACON. 221 
 
 charge. Though attending to the poor ought to be 
 the chief object of their concern — as this is the 
 specific work for which they have been appointed 
 by the great Head of the church — yet it will not 
 be altogether foreign to the duties of their office, 
 should they have entrusted to their management 
 those funds, that may be raised for the maintenance 
 of gospel ordinances — and should they exert them- 
 selves in devising ways and means for calling forth 
 the pecuniary resources of the church, with a view 
 to the vigorous and successful prosecution of those 
 religious and philanthropic schemes which constitute 
 the glory of the times in which we live. 
 
222 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDEE. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Inadequate views entertained of the office of the eldership — 
 Inefficient manner in which the duties of it are performed by 
 many — Honourable exceptions to this statement — Promising 
 symptom of the present times connected with the eldership — 
 Practical suggestions for the considei'ation of elders — Their 
 conduct viewed in relation to the presbytei'y— Their conduct 
 as members of session — The duty that they owe to the young 
 — Their conduct viewed in relation to missionary exertion — 
 The part that they ought to take in the general management 
 of the affairs of the congregation — A plea for the revival of the 
 office of deacon— The duties of the ruling elder and of the 
 deacon viewed in relation to each other — The office of the 
 latter subordinate and auxiliary to the office of the former. 
 
 In this chapter I propose stating some suggestions of 
 a practical kind, for the consideration of the brethren 
 in the eldership, which, hj the blessing of God, may 
 be the means of increasing their usefulness as office- 
 bearers in the house of God. I am convinced that 
 the full amount of benefit, which such an institution 
 as that of the eldership is capable of conferring on 
 the christian church, has not yet been realised. 
 The apostle of the Gentiles said, " I magnify mine 
 othce." This cannot be affirmed of the mass of 
 those who have been invested with the office of 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 223 
 
 ruling elder. Comparatively few of tbem magnify 
 their office. They rather under-rate its importance ; 
 and by the manner in which they act, they lead 
 others to under-rate it also. The Head of the 
 church has invested them with high authority as 
 overseers in his house, and he has promised to sustain 
 them in the scriptural exercise of this authority. 
 
 "When I look at the actual working of the elder- 
 ship in the various presbyterian churches, I see, on 
 the pai't of a considerable proportion of those who 
 occupy this responsible situation, a sad deficiency of 
 energy and activity in their work. Instead of taking 
 an enlarged view of the duties of their office, and 
 instead of devoting themselves to the vigorous dis- 
 charge of these duties, with the view of bringing 
 their influence to bear upon the various departments 
 of christian beneficence, they confine themselves for 
 the most part within a very limited sphere of opera- 
 tion. They thereby greatly abridge the range of 
 their usefulness, and come far short of what the 
 exigencies of the church demand. I do not under- 
 rate the amount of official duty performed by the 
 generality of elders, when I say, that it consists in 
 collecting the voluntary offerings of the people at 
 the church doors upon Sabbath, in discussing cases 
 of discipline in the session, in taking charge of tlie 
 
224 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 communion elements at sacramental occasions, and 
 in occasional visitation of the sick. However neces- 
 sary it may be to attend to these things, yet it must 
 be obvious to any one who peruses attentively the 
 statements contained in the apostolical writings con- 
 cerning the duties of the eldership, that they fall far 
 short of what this class of office-bearers is required 
 to perform. Acting tlie imrt of shepherds to the jiock — 
 Watching for souls — and Talcing care of the church of 
 God — ^are some of the expressions employed to 
 describe the nature of the work connected with the 
 offi.ce of the ruling elder ; and these expressions cer- 
 tainly imply a great deal more than the meagre 
 outline of routine duty that has now been mentioned. 
 They imply a vigilant and unremitting attention to 
 every thing that has a tendency to promote either 
 the temporal or the spiritual well-being of the flock. 
 While I make these statements, I am aware that 
 there are many elders connected with the churches 
 in this country who are animated by a high degree 
 of zeal for the promoting of the divine glory, and 
 who are active and faithful in discharging the duties 
 of their office. These men are the salt of the con- 
 gregations to which they belong ; and it is difficult 
 to over-estimate the amount of good which — ^humble 
 though their station in life may be — they are instru- 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 225 
 
 mental in accomplishing. To them belongs the 
 " double honour," of which Paul speaks, — because they 
 rule weU. It is desirable that the whole body of the 
 eldership be brought up to a higher pitch of efficiency 
 than even the best of them have yet attained' — and 
 that a greater amount of energy and zeal be dis- 
 played by them in discharging the varied and 
 important duties connected with their honourable 
 calling. The church has a right to expect from 
 them the full amount of benefit which such an excel- 
 lent institution is fitted to yield. 
 
 It is a favourable symptom, connected with the 
 present times, that in many quarters the elders 
 themselves are making a movement in advance. 
 They are manifesting a greater anxiety, both to be 
 instructed in the duties of their office, and also to 
 carry out the great designs for which such an office 
 has been instituted in the christian church. They 
 are stirring up each other to increased activity in 
 their Master's service ; and not a few of them are to 
 be seen stepping forward and occupying a place in 
 the foremost rank of those philanthropic men, who, 
 by the zeal and liberality which they display in 
 every good work, are earning to themselves a title to 
 be regarded as the benefactors of their species. The 
 impulse having thus been given in the right direc- 
 
 p 
 
2^6 THE OFFICE OF RULrNG ELDER. 
 
 tion, it is to be hoped that it will continue to increase 
 until its salutary influence shall have extended to 
 the elders in all the churches — when, in consequence 
 of their sustained and persevering efforts, combined 
 with the labours of a faithful ministry, all our con- 
 gregations may be expected to present to the eye the 
 appearance of well-watered gardens, and of fields 
 which the Lord hath blessed. 
 
 I shall now state some practical suggestions, 
 designed to bear upon the working of the eldership ; 
 and these suggestions I shall arrange, for the sake of 
 perspicuity, under the following particulars : — The 
 conduct of the ruling elder viewed in relation to the 
 presb}i;ery — in relation to the session — in relation to 
 the superintendence of the young — in relation to 
 missionary exertion — and in relation to the general 
 management of the affairs of the congregation. 
 
 1. The conduct of the ruling elder viewed in 
 relation to the presbytery. The presbytery is an 
 association of ministers and elders residing in a par- 
 ticular locality — the meetmgs of which are held with' 
 a view to the transacting of business connected with 
 their respective congregations, and also with the 
 general interests of the church. Much important 
 business is transacted in these meetings. The orga- 
 nisation of congregations — the superintendence of 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 227 
 
 the Studies of candidates for the office of the ministry 
 — the licensing of preachers — the settlement of mini- 
 sters — the oversight of the conduct of the brethren 
 — the gi^Tiig of advice to sessions in cases of difficulty 
 — the review of differences that may arise between 
 the session and members of particular congregations 
 — the devising and executing of schemes designed to 
 promote the interests of education, and to advance 
 the cause of religion — constitute the important 
 objects to which the elders assembled in presbytery 
 are required to devote their time and attention. 
 With regard to the constitution of the presbytery, 
 the ordinary practice of the presbyterian churches in 
 this country has been, that one ruling elder is 
 appointed by each session to act as representative of 
 the session, in the meetings of presbytery, along with 
 the minister. Between the status of the minister 
 and the status of the elder in the presbytery, there is 
 this difference : the minister is regarded as a perma- 
 nent member — whereas the appointment of the elder 
 is only for a limited period. After he has given 
 attendance, during the period for which he was 
 appointed, he retires, and is succeeded by another 
 elder belonging to the same session ; — and he, in his 
 turn, retires and is succeeded by another — and so 
 on, till all the elders in the session have been 
 
228 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 appointed to act as members of presbytery. The 
 usual mode in wliicli the appointment is made is to 
 appoint the elders to succeed one another in rotation^ 
 without any regard to their peculiar fitness for such 
 an appointment. 
 
 Tlie principle of elders meeting in presbytery, by 
 representation, must be defended more on the ground 
 of convenience or of expediency, than because it is 
 in accordance with scripture precedent. There *re 
 two instances mentioned in the sacred record of the 
 elders of Jerusalem assembling for judicial acts ; and 
 on both occasions they were all present. (Acts xv. 6, 
 and xxi. 18.) That the elders' who assembled on 
 these occasions, though constituting only one body, 
 were numerous — and that they had the charge of 
 several congregations connected with the church at 
 Jerusalem, may fairly be inferred from the circum- 
 vStance stated by them, in their interview with Paul 
 (Acts xxi. 20), that there were in Jerusalem " many 
 thousands of Jews" who believed. In the original 
 it is many tens of thousands (jrocrai fivpia8es). If there 
 were many tens of thousands who had embraced 
 Christianity in Jerusalem, it is beyond the bounds of 
 all reasonable probability that such a multitude 
 could constitute only one congregation. They must 
 necessarily have assembled for the observance of 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 229 
 
 religious ordinances as separate congregations — and 
 they must have required an extensive eldership to 
 superintend them. The principle of representation, 
 however, though it may not altogether accord with 
 the letter, does not violate the spirit of presbytery. 
 Where the congregations are removed at consider- 
 able distances from each other, and where all the 
 elders, if assembled together, would prove incon- 
 veniently numerous for the purposes of deliberation, 
 there is no violation done to the spirit of presbyterian 
 government when sessions appoint representatives to 
 meet and deliberate concerning the interests of their 
 respective congi-egations and of the church at large. 
 
 In connexion with this subject, I would ventui'e to 
 suggest, whether it might not have a beneficial effect 
 upon the elders themselves, and whether it might 
 not be conducive to the advancement of religion in 
 the various congregations, to throw the meetings of 
 presbytery more open to the eldership than it has 
 hitherto been. It might involve too gi'eat a change 
 in our present system, and might give occasion to 
 considerable disorder, to permit all the elders of the 
 various sessions to sit and vote, as a matter of course, 
 in the presbytery. But might not meetings of pres- 
 bytery be held from time to time, which all the 
 elders of the district were not merely permitted, but 
 
230 THE OFFICE OF RULIXG ELDER. 
 
 invited, to attend, for the purpose of prayer and deli- 
 beration concerning the state of religion within the 
 bounds of the presbytery — and also with the view of 
 stirring up each other to the more diligent and 
 faithful performance of the duties connected with 
 their office ? This practice has, to a certain extent, 
 been adopted in some presbyteries with the happiest 
 results. Were it to become universal — and to be 
 steadily persevered in — the views of the eldership 
 would become more enlarged — ministers and elders 
 would become more united to each other, in conse- 
 quence of their fi'equently assembling together for 
 such important deliberations — and a powerfiol sti- 
 mulus would be given to religion in the various 
 congregations. 
 
 I would further suggest that the present mode, 
 ordinarily followed in sessions, of appointing the 
 elders, by rotation^ to attend the meetings of presby- 
 tery, though it has its advantages, has also its 
 disadvantages ; and it may fairly be questioned 
 whether the former are not more than counter- 
 balanced by the latter. Its advantages are, that it 
 gives all the members of session an opportunity of 
 becoming acquainted with the forms of ecclesiastical 
 procedure, and with the management of business — 
 and it brings them, from time to time, into friendly 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 231 
 
 intercourse with the ministers and elders of other 
 congregations. Its disadvantages are, that the most 
 incompetent members are sometimes appointed to 
 represent the session in the presbytery — persons 
 whose habits and attainments totally unfit them for 
 the transacting of j)ublic business : And at other 
 times members are appointed, who, though they are 
 in every respect competent for the management of 
 business, yet their employments are such as to pre- 
 vent them from giving attendance upon the meetings 
 of presbytery — and thus the very object, for which 
 their appointment has taken place, is frustrated. In 
 so far as the management of business and the general 
 interests of the church are concerned, it would be a 
 decided improvement if sessions would send up, as 
 representatives to the presbyteries, their most active 
 and intelligent members ; and in no case ought any 
 one to be appointed Avho will not undertake to fulfil 
 his appointment, by giving regular attendance upon 
 the meetings of presbytery. If their worldly circum- 
 stances be such as to render it inconvenient for them 
 to bear the expenses which such attendance may 
 involve, it is proper that the session adopt means for 
 defraying their charges. 
 
 The elders who, in ordinary circumstances, attend 
 the meetings of presbytery are few when compared 
 
232 THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 
 
 with the number of ministers who give attendance. 
 In many instances the number of elders present is so 
 small, as to render the representation of the sessions 
 little else than a name. This is not as it ought to 
 be. A healthful state of the church requires that 
 elders take an active part in the management of 
 those affairs that are connected with the advance- 
 ment of reUgion and with the prosperity of the 
 church. It is a mistake to suppose that such 
 management ought to be left in the hands of mini- 
 sters. Ministers are no doubt required, by virtue of 
 their office, to bear rule in the house of God. But 
 they have other important duties, connected with 
 their office (besides that of ruHngJ that demand their 
 attention : whereas ruling is the peculiar duty of the 
 eldership ; and there are many in all our churches, 
 invested with this office, whose business habits and 
 general intelligence eminently fit them for being 
 successful labourers in that sphere of usefulness 
 which they have been called upon, by the suffi'ages 
 of their brethren, to occupy. Those gifts and talents 
 which the great Head of the church has conferred 
 upon them, cannot be better employed than in bene- 
 fiting the souls of their fellow men, and promoting 
 the honour of their divine Master. 
 
 2. The conduct of the rulmoj elder viewed in 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 233 
 
 relation to the session. The session consists of the 
 minister and elders belonging to a particular con- 
 gregation. The superintendence of every thing 
 connected with the spiritual state of the congre- 
 gation is its proper business. The minister is to 
 preach and to administer the sacraments ; and the 
 elders are to take part with him in bearing rule. 
 They are to co-operate in every scheme that may be 
 .fitted to promote the spiritual well-being of those 
 entrusted to their charge. The number of elders in 
 a session must be determined by the particular cir- 
 cumstances of the congregation. If the congregation 
 be numerous, the eldership ought to be proportion- 
 ably so: If the congregation be small, a smaller 
 number of elders will suffice. Li every case it is 
 desirable that the numerical strength of the session 
 be such, when compared with the size of the congre- 
 gation, as will give weight to its deliberations, and 
 cause its decisions to be respected. A session, consist- 
 ing of two or three members (besides the minister), 
 cannot be supposed to exert the same moral influ- 
 ence as one consisting of three or four times that 
 number. The proverb, that " in the multitude of 
 counsellors there is safety," is one that accords with 
 the natural feelings of mankind. If, however, there 
 be a difficulty in finding suitable persons to accept of 
 
234. THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 the office of the eldership, it is much better that the 
 number of eklers in a session be small, than that 
 persons should be appointed to this office who are 
 destitute of the scriptural quahfications. A worldly, 
 careless, and ill-conditioned eldership must have a 
 blasting influence upon the spiritual prosperity of 
 any congregation. 
 
 The meetings of session ought to be held at stated, 
 and not very distant, intervals. In towns, where 
 elders can more conveniently assemble than in the 
 country, monthly meetings ought to be held. In 
 the rural districts, where the elders have frequently 
 a considerable distance to travel, and where the 
 congregations are generally smaller than in the 
 towns, a meeting held once in the six weeks, or every 
 two months, will be sufficient. Should there be no 
 regular sessional business to occupy the attention of 
 members at these stated meetings, the time devoted 
 to them will be profitably spent in devotional exer- 
 cises, and in conversing about the state of religion in 
 the congregation and in the church. 
 
 All the elders should make it a matter of con- 
 science to attend every meeting of session, except in 
 cases when they may be prevented from being pre- 
 sent by circumstances over which they have no 
 control. There is sometimes a criminal remissness 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 235 
 
 on the part of elders in this respect. They absent them- 
 selves from meetings of session more frequently than 
 they attend ; and this, too, without any valid reason. 
 They leave the business to be done by others — for- 
 getting that what is the duty of one is the duty of all 
 the members. I am aware that there are persons so 
 situated, in the providence of God, as to their worldly 
 employments, that they are not masters of their own 
 time ; and yet, in other respects, they may be well 
 qualified for sustaining the office of ruling elder. 
 It would certainly be a matter of regret that the 
 church should be deprived of the valuable services 
 of such individuals, because they may not have it 
 in their power to attend every meeting of session. 
 The reflection I have made is not designed to apply 
 to such. Their absence from meetings of session is 
 matter of necessity, and not of choice. I have in 
 view those whose time is, in a great measure, at 
 their own disposal, — and who, by making proper 
 arrangements as to the conducting of their worldly 
 business, would not have much difficulty in finding 
 ample leisure to devote both to the public and the 
 private duties of the eldership ; and yet their place 
 is found frequently empty in meetings of their 
 brethren. Every individual member of session 
 should give as regular attendance upon such meet- 
 
236 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 ings, as if the whole charge of the business devolved 
 upon himself. 
 
 While all the members of session exercise a general 
 superintendence over the congregation, each elder 
 ought to have a particular district of the congregation 
 placed under his special charge ; and to the families 
 contained in this district he ought to give j)articular 
 attention ; he ought also to keep a correct list of the 
 names of those who are in full communion, residing 
 within the district. It would have a happy effect in 
 promoting the interests of religion in the congregation, 
 if, besides the visitation of the sick, he visited, at least 
 once every half-year, all the families placed under 
 his charge — giving due notice beforehand to those 
 whom he intended visiting, that they might be pre- 
 pared for receiving him. This visitation would 
 furnish him with a suitable opportunity for becoming 
 acquainted with the religious state of each family — 
 for admonishing those who might be guilty of impro- 
 prieties of conduct — for stirring up to the performance 
 of religious duty those who might be living in the 
 neglect of it — and for giving timely warning to those 
 who might be in danger of falling into the commission 
 of some particular sin. At every such visitation, 
 the elder ought to engage in prayer with the family ; 
 and in every instance where he found it necessaiy to 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 237 
 
 admonish or reprove any member for unchristian 
 conduct, such admonition and reproof ought to be 
 administered in private. It were further desirable 
 that every elder should have a meeting for prayer 
 in his district — ^held, if possible, once a week ; or, 
 should circumstances render it inconvenient to hold 
 it so frequently, it might be held at least once a 
 fortnight, or every month. Even supposing that only 
 two or three individuals in the district should be found 
 ■\villing to attend such meetings, yet they are of such 
 importance, in a christian point of view, that per- 
 severing efforts ought to be made with the view of 
 organising and maintaining them. 
 
 Reports ought to be given in to the session, by 
 the elders, of the state of religion m their respective 
 quarters — at least once every half-year : and at those 
 meetings of session, where such reports are received, 
 some time ought to be spent in deliberating on the 
 state of the congregation — with the view of rectifying 
 what may be amiss — or of giving encouragement to 
 what may be promising in its condition. There ought 
 also on such occasions to be special prayer for the 
 do^vn-pouring of the Spirit, in reference both to the 
 congregation and to the church at large. 
 
 3. The conduct of the ruling elder viewed in rela- 
 tion to the superintendence of the young. That 
 
238 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 office-bearers ought to attend to tlie spiritual interests 
 of the young, may be inferred from the charge which 
 our Lord gave to Peter, when he said to him, " Feed 
 my lambs." These constitute a very important 
 portion of the flock ; and much of the prosperity of 
 religion in any church must depend upon the kind of 
 training which they receive : for it is to the rising 
 race that the church looks for those who are to fill 
 up the blank which death is constantly occasioning 
 in the circle of its membership; and if, through 
 neglect on the part of those who ought to attend to 
 the instruction of the young, they be permitted to 
 grow up without any proper religious training, 
 one of two consequences will follow — either they 
 will not think it worth their while to join in the 
 communion of the church — or should they enter 
 her communion, they will carry along with them a 
 thoroughly secularised spirit — and vital godliness will 
 expire. 
 
 There is a solemn injunction addressed to parents, 
 in reference to this matter, which is, that they are to 
 bring up their children in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord ; and it is the duty of elders, as overseers 
 in the house of God, to see that parents yield 
 obedience to this command. They who notoriously 
 neglect it ought to be dealt with, as violators of the 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 239 
 
 law of Christ. In the visitation of their districts, 
 by the elders, they should make it their endeavour 
 to ascertain how far this duty is attended to by 
 parents. Those who are exemplary in the perform- 
 ance of it, they should encourage ; — and those who 
 are careless they should stimulate by admonition and 
 reproof. Sessions ought to charge themselves with 
 the formation and superintendence of Sabbath schools 
 and classes for the young. They should consider 
 these as a part of the moral machinery necessary for 
 the spiritual improvement of the rising race. Such 
 institutions have now stood the test of experience. 
 They have been found to aid parental instruction at 
 home : they have also proved serviceable in com- 
 municating religious knowledge to many young per- 
 sons, who, at home, have none to care for them. 
 
 In many congregations, the minister has one or 
 more classes of young people under his immediate 
 charge, to the instruction of whom he devotes a 
 portion of his time. In addition to these classes, 
 there are, in many of the congregations, Sabbath 
 schools designed for the instruction of those who are 
 of a more tender age. I believe that in most cases, 
 if not in all, the elders (or at least a portion of them) 
 do take an interest in these institutions. They act 
 the part of instructors in them — and otherwise labour 
 
240 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 to promote their success. But it appears to me, that 
 it would have a very beneficial efiect if, instead of 
 leaving the organisation and conducting of Sabbath 
 schools to the efforts of pious individuals in a con- 
 gregation — who may be more zealous than the rest — 
 sessions would devote more of their time and attention 
 to this subject than they have hitherto done. They 
 should make the organisation of them, and the various 
 details connected with their efficient management, 
 a regular part of their sessional business — considering 
 that, while they are doing so, they are carrying into 
 effect the injunction which the Saviour has given, 
 when he said, " Feed my lambs." Sessions might 
 for instance, with propriety, take into consideration 
 such matters as the following connected with this 
 subject : — The particular localities where it may be 
 necessary to institute Sabbath schools — the persons 
 who ought to take the charge of them — the mode in 
 which they ought to be conducted — the exercises that 
 ought to be prescribed to the scholars — and the 
 seasons at which they ought to meet. In whatever 
 locality any of these schools may be instituted, one 
 or more elders should be appointed either to have the 
 superintendence of them, or at least to visit them 
 frequently. These elders ought to see that the 
 children in their respective districts avail themselves 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 241 
 
 of the opportunity of receiving religious instruction, 
 which is thus brought within their reach. They 
 should stir up the parents to send their childi'en to 
 the schools — and they should give aU manner of 
 encouragement to those young persons, who may be 
 exemplary for their attendance and for their diligence. 
 A correct list of the scholars attending the various 
 classes ought to be kept. This list should be read in 
 . the session, at least once every year — when the state 
 of the schools should at the same time come under 
 review. At these meetings, reports should be received 
 from the elders, who have been appointed to attend 
 to the schools, as to the number of scholars who are 
 in the habit of attending, and as to the progress which 
 they are making ; and some time ought to be spent 
 in considering what farther means may be adopted, 
 with the view of rendering these schools more efficient 
 for promoting the religious improvement of the young. 
 This is indeed a subject of vital importance. It is 
 closely connected with the advancement or with the 
 decay of religion. It demands, on the part of office- 
 bearers, the exercise of their highest energies. It is 
 criminal in any to regard it with indifference. If 
 there be any one cause, to which the decay of \atal 
 godliness in a country is more attributable than 
 another, this cause is neglect in giving to the young 
 
 Q 
 
242 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER, 
 
 that religious training which, by the blessing of God, 
 is fitted to make them ornaments in the church of 
 Christ and useful members of society. Should there 
 be ministers or elders who consider attention to this 
 subject as beneath their notice, or who, while they 
 admit the importance of the duty involved in it, 
 refuse to put themselves to any trouble in order to 
 discharge the obligation under which they lie to the 
 young, — assuredly such persons are animated by a 
 spirit diiFerent from that which animated the divine 
 Redeemer who, while upon earth, said, "Suffer little 
 children to come unto me, and forbid them not ;" — 
 and who regarded the religious instruction of the 
 young to be a matter of such importance, that he 
 gave a special instruction to one of the most dis- 
 tinguished of his apostles to feed his lambs. 
 
 4. The conduct of the ruling elder viewed in rela- 
 tion to missionary exertion. The cause of missions 
 is rapidly rising in importance, in all the churches 
 throughout our land. There is scarcely a religious 
 denomination that has not now its own peculiar field 
 of missionary labour occupied by its own band of 
 missionaries. This is as it ought to be. A church 
 that is not in heart and soul a missionary church is 
 not entitled to the name. The signs of the times seem 
 to indicate that this spirit of missionary enterprise 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 243 
 
 will more and more increase — and that the resources of 
 the church will yet be called forth in this great and 
 glorious work, to an extent beyond what even the 
 most sanguine can at present form any conception of. 
 This is a work to which it becomes those, who bear 
 rule in the house of God, to put forth their hand. 
 To the honour of the eldership be it affirmed, that 
 amongst them are to be found some of the staunchest 
 friends and most liberal supporters of missions of 
 which the present age can boast. But it is not 
 enough that they give of their substance for this 
 benevolent purpose. The influence, which they 
 possess as office-bearers, they are to exert with the 
 view of stirring up others to take a part in this 
 labour of love. Wliile they set the example of zeal 
 and liberality in extending the kingdom of Christ, 
 they are to employ means for the purpose of inducing' 
 those, who are under their charge, to follow the 
 example that is thus set. 
 
 I would suggest the following practical measures, 
 in reference to this matter — which might with pro- 
 priety be adopted by the elders — and which if steadily 
 persevered in, might be productive of good results. 
 Let each elder inquire among those in his district, 
 who, and who are not, members of a missionary 
 association. Let him, in his visits to the families — 
 
244 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 and on otlier occasions — converse familiarly with the 
 people on tlie subject of missions. Let him bring 
 before their mind, in a prudent way, the claims of 
 the missionary cause, and urge upon them the autho- 
 rity of Christ in reference to these claims. Let him 
 exert himself to diffuse among the people intelligence 
 concerning the progress of the gospel in our own and 
 other countries. "With a view to this, he might use 
 his endeavour to put into circulation, among the 
 households of his district, religious magazines and 
 other sources of missionary information. Further, 
 occasional district meetings might be held, expressly 
 for missionary purposes. In these meetings let the 
 elder of the district preside — let him read a portion 
 of missionary intelligence — let him offer up special 
 prayer for the success of missions — and let him call 
 upon others, who may be qualified, to take part with 
 him in conducting these exercises. Li a word, let 
 the elders, in their daily intercourse with the people, 
 hold up to their view the missionary cause as one of 
 inconceivable grandeur — as one which is closely 
 identified with the glory of God, and with the best 
 interests of the human race — and which every pro- 
 fessed follower of Christ is bound to support. By 
 steadily pursuing such a course as this, they will 
 become the honoured instruments of widely diffusing 
 
THE OFFICE OF KULIXG ELDER. 245 
 
 a missionary spirit among the people — and of thereby 
 hastening onward the millenial glories of that de- 
 lightful period, so frequently celebrated in the songs 
 of the prophets, when the knowledge of the Lord 
 shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. 
 
 5. The conduct of the ruling elder viewed in rela- 
 tion to the general management of the affaii's of the 
 congregation. A distinction has been made between 
 the temporal and the spii'itual affairs of a congrega- 
 tion ; and it has been affirmed, that elders have to do 
 only with the latter — but have no right to interfere 
 with the former. Such a doctrine as this is not 
 tenable on scriptural grounds. Scripture recognises 
 only one class of rulers in the house of God, namely, 
 elders; and to them — as rulers — it belongs to exercise 
 a general superintendence over the affairs of that 
 portion of the church entrusted to their charge. The 
 principle, now stated, is one that is implied in the 
 very terms employed to describe their office — " Over- 
 seers" — " Stewards" — " Governors." Such designa- 
 tions, as these, imply that the authority, with which 
 they are invested, extends to all the affairs of that 
 spiritual society, over which they have been called 
 upon to bear rule ; for it would certainly be strange 
 if any person should be appointed to act as an over- 
 seer, steward, or governor of a house or community, 
 
246 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDEK. 
 
 and yet should not be considered as having a right to 
 interfere in matters of vital importance to its well- 
 being. Elders are " to take care of the church of 
 God ;" 1 Tim. iii. 5. But how shall they take care 
 of it, but by exercising a careful superintendence over 
 every department of its affairs, and seeing that nothing, 
 connected with the management of these affairs, is 
 done in a manner that shall be injurious to the 
 interests of the society. These statements appear to 
 be no less agreeable to the dictates of common sense, 
 than to the injunctions of Scripture. 
 
 But it is alleged, that the pecuniary affairs of a 
 congregation form an exception to such statements ; 
 — and it has hitherto been taken almost as a matter 
 for granted, that with affairs of this description elders, 
 acting in their official capacity, have nothing to do. 
 On what principle this department of affairs should 
 be excluded from the superintendence of the eldership, 
 I am at a loss to conceive. I have never heard any 
 satisfactory reason assigned for it. The common 
 reason assigned is, that these are temporal affairs, and 
 that such matters do not come within the province 
 of that authority, with which elders are invested. 
 But this is taking the point for granted. It matters 
 not whether the term temporal or spiritual be applied 
 to the pecuniary affairs of a congregation. One thing 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 247 
 
 is certain that these affairs involve in tliem the 
 performance of spiritual duties. The making of 
 provision, for instance, for the maintenance of the 
 poor — and the raising of funds, by the exercise of 
 voluntary liberality, for the payment of ministers' 
 stipends and for defraying other expenses connected 
 with the maintenance of gospel ordinances — are things 
 as plainly inculcated upon Christians, as any other 
 duties enjoined in the word of God. To whom does 
 it belong to see that the necessary funds are raised 
 and applied to their proper purposes, but to those 
 who have been made overseers of the flock ? Wliere 
 is the part of Scripture which says, that they are at 
 liberty to neglect these important matters ? 
 
 The usual practice in dissenting presbyterian con- 
 gregations has been, to appoint a class of persons 
 called managers to take the charge of what it has 
 been customary to call the temporalities of the con- 
 gregation. I believe that in general these managers 
 have proved themselves faithful to the trust reposed 
 in them — and that they have in many instances put 
 themselves to much trouble and inconvenience for 
 the sake of promoting the prosperity of the congi'ega- 
 tions, by whom they have been appointed. But the 
 office of manager is not a scriptural one. There is 
 no allusion made in the New Testament, so far as I 
 
248 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 know, to any such class of office-bearers. They 
 appear to have been introduced into our congregations 
 as a kind of substitute for the office of the deacon, 
 and yet they neglect one important duty connected 
 with this office, namely, ministering to the wants of 
 the poor. Nay, it has sometimes happened in con- 
 gregations, that there has been a struggle between 
 the managers and the elders, on this very point, — the 
 former striving to get possession of funds which the 
 latter were deskous to appropriate to the necessities 
 of the indigent. The practice of electing managers 
 ought to be abolished — and there should be a return, 
 in all our congregations, to the scriptural office of 
 the deacon. I have adduced satisfactory evidence, 
 in the preceding pages, to show that this office was 
 designed to be not of temporary but of permanent 
 continuance in the church. 
 
 As there may be a difficulty in the minds of some 
 to determine how far the elders and deacons ought to 
 co-operate together, and how far they ought 4o act 
 independently of each other, in discharging the duties 
 of their respective offices, I shall here make some 
 remarks for the purpose of showing what those views 
 are which Scripture sanctions upon this subject. 
 
 The deacons mentioned in the New Testament 
 had entrusted to their charge the " daily ministra- 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 249 
 
 tion" and the " serving of tables" — not the serving 
 of the sacramental tables, but the giving out fi'om 
 the common fund to every man according as he had 
 need. From this fund, those who preached the 
 gospel would have their wants supplied as well as 
 others — and, as no mention is made of any other 
 fund being possessed by the primitive Christians, it 
 is reasonable to presume, that from the same source 
 the expenses necessarily incurred by the maintenance 
 of gospel ordinances would be defrayed. Acting, 
 therefore, agreeably to scripture precedent, the 
 deacons ought to have committed to their charge 
 those funds which are raised by the voluntary libe- 
 rality of the people for the relief of the poor, for the 
 support of ministers of the gospel, and for defraying 
 other expenses necessarily incurred by the main- 
 tenance of religious ordinances. 
 
 In the management of those funds, the deacons 
 ought not to act independently of the authority of 
 the elders. For them to do so, would be setting up a 
 rival authority in the congregation — which would be 
 productive of mischievous effects — and would be 
 subversive of that order which Christ has instituted 
 in his church. It is to be borne in mind, that the 
 deacons are never once mentioned as rulers. Their 
 title imports that they are servants. In the twelfth 
 
250 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, twenty- 
 eighth verse, they are called helps. They are helps 
 or assistants to the eldership in administering the 
 affairs of the congi*egation, in that particular depart- 
 ment that has now been mentioned. They are 
 subject to the authority of the session no less than 
 the other members of the church are. In their ofiicial 
 actings there ought to be a co-operation between 
 them and the elders. Both in the raising of funds, 
 and in the disbursement of them, they ought to have 
 the concurrence of the eldership — whose commission 
 authorises them to oversee all the affairs of the house 
 of God. We find that after the office of the deacon 
 was instituted in the christian church, when the 
 churches of Macedonia and of tlie other provinces 
 made pecuniary contributions for the relief of the 
 brethren that dwelt in Judea, during a time of great 
 distress, they sent their collections by the hands of 
 Barnabas and Paul, not to the deacons, but to tlue, 
 elders. Acts xi. 30. I consider this as a proof that 
 the elders, so far from being excluded from any share 
 in the management of funds collected for pious pur- 
 poses, were regarded by the churches as exercising a 
 superintendence over the distribution of these funds. 
 It follows as a necessary deduction from the state- 
 ments now made, that the deacons ought not to have 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 251 
 
 separate coui'ts for the transacting of business : they 
 ought to meet in company with the elders. It is not 
 by this meant to affirm that the deacons are to meet 
 along with the elders for the conducting of sessional 
 business ; but when it is necessary that they assemble 
 for deliberation concerning the affairs connected with 
 their office, the meeting ought not to consist of the 
 deacons only — but of the elders and deacons con- 
 jointly. Though the deaconship is undoubtedly a 
 distinct office, and of divine appointment, yet those 
 who are invested with this office are merely " helps" 
 — not rulers ; and while it is their duty to take the 
 charge of the funds, raised by the liberality of the 
 members of the church for pious purposes, and to see 
 that they be applied to their proper objects, they 
 ought always to act in concert with and under the 
 superintendence of the elders. 
 
 The existence of two separate courts in the same 
 congregation (one for the elders and another for 
 the deacons), besides being at variance with what 
 appears to have been the practice of the early 
 Christians, is almost certain to give rise to a collision 
 of authority — and thereby to produce jarrings among 
 those who ought to be united in the same good 
 work. The distinction between the office of the 
 elder and the office of the deacon, as to their nature, 
 
252 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 is — that the one is authoritative — the other is merely 
 administrative ; and the latter, therefore, is to be 
 regarded as subordinate to the former. To the 
 eldership is entrusted by Christ the oversight of 
 every thing connected with the government of his 
 church upon earth ; and to the deacons is entrusted 
 the administration of affairs in a particular de- 
 partment of the service of God's house — and in 
 administering the affairs of this department, they 
 act, not as rulers, but as assistants to those who are 
 over them in the Lord. 
 
 Such are the views, which Scripture authorises us 
 to take, of the distinctive duties of the elder and of 
 the deacon. I have shown, that while the duties of 
 the latter are limited to a particular department, the 
 duties of the former are most extensive and varied. 
 The situation which the ruling elder occupies — 
 viewed in relation to God, to the church, and to the 
 world — is one of the most important in which a 
 human being can be placed ; and if those who 
 occupy this honourable and responsible situation, 
 would only devote the full energies both of mind and 
 body to discharge the onerous duties connected mth 
 their office, it is impossible to tell what an amount 
 of benefit would result to the church from their 
 united and persevering exertions. By the blessing 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 253 
 
 of God upon their labours, " the wilderness would 
 become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be 
 counted for a forest : Then judgment would dwell in 
 the wilderness, and righteousness in the fruitful 
 field ; and the work of righteousness would be peace, 
 and the effect of righteousness quietness and assur- 
 ance for ever." 
 
254 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 Responsibility of elders — Responsibility connected with declin- 
 ing to accept of the ofl&ce of elder — Excuses of those who 
 decline accepting of the office considered — Address to elders 
 — The nature of the charge committed to them — The person 
 from whom they receive the charge — The object for which it 
 is committed to them — The prosperity of rehgion much de- 
 pendent on the manner in which they discharge the duties of 
 their office — Address to members of presbyteriau churches — 
 The duty of maintaining the presbyteriau form of govern- 
 ment — The advantages of it — A union among the various 
 sections of evangelical presbyterians desirable — Practicable 
 — The aspect of the present times calls loudly for such a 
 union — The duty of cultivating a feeling of brotherly affec- 
 tion toward Christians of all religious denominations — Con- 
 cluding statements. 
 
 Before bringing this treatise to a close, I shall 
 address myself to the elders of the church, for the 
 purpose of pressing home upon them the high re- 
 sponsibility, under which they lie to be faithful in 
 discharging the duties of theii' office : I shall also, 
 in the conclusion, addi-ess a few parting words to the 
 members of the presbyteriau churches. When about 
 to consider the responsibility of elders, it may not 
 be improper here to notice the aversion, which many 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 255 
 
 persons manifest, to accept of the office of tlie elder- 
 ship, when the will of God has been clearly manifested 
 to them through the call of the people. On account of 
 this aversion, there is frequently a considerable diffi- 
 culty felt in congregations, to obtain suitable persons 
 to act as office-bearers in the house of God. I ask — 
 Is there no responsibility lying upon those, who 
 decline accepting of the eldership, as well as on those 
 who do accept ? — There is — and that, too, of a very 
 serious kind. Some plead, as an excuse for refusing 
 to occupy such an honourable situation in the church, 
 their unfitness for the office. Some plead the nature 
 of their worldly pursuits. Some plead the hurry of 
 business, by which their time and attention are 
 completely occupied. Some plead the labour and 
 trouble, to which they will be subjected, by under- 
 taking such an office : While some doggedly refuse 
 to accept, without assigning any particular reason 
 for the refusal. 
 
 I do not mean to say that there may not be very 
 good reasons why persons, who are called, by the 
 voice of the people, to the office of the eldership, may 
 see it to be their duty to decline complying with the 
 call that is given. But what I affii-m is, that in a 
 large proportion of the cases of refusal, the reasons 
 that are urged are not such as appear to be satisfac- 
 
256 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 toiy, either to the session or the people. I would 
 remind those who may at any time be placed in 
 these circumstances, that if there be a responsibility 
 connected with the accepting of the office of an 
 elder, there is also a responsibility lying on those 
 who decline to accept. If they admit that this 
 office is of divine institution — and if they believe 
 that this is the instrumentality which God has 
 appointed for conducting the government of his 
 house — then the question naturally presents itself — 
 How is the government of the church to be admini- 
 stered, agreeably to the laws of Christ, if those who 
 are called upon to bear a part in it shall refuse to do 
 so ? In so far as they are concerned, this particular 
 form of government (which they admit to be scrip- 
 tural) must cease. By refusing to lend a helping 
 hand in carrying it on, they are virtually doing what 
 they can to abolish it. They are chargeable with 
 disobedience to the King of Zion, by refusing to 
 assist in administering his laws. It -wdll not do for 
 them to shift the responsibility from themselves by 
 saying, that others will undertake to do what they 
 decline — and that the work will be better done by 
 others than it could be done by them. Wbat reason 
 have they to expect that this will be the case? Why 
 may not others decline as weU as they ? If they are 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 257 
 
 at liberty to decline, without any good reasons — or 
 at least -wdthout any reasons that are satisfactory to 
 those who are called upon to judge of them — ^why 
 may not others enjoy the same liberty? If there be 
 responsibility and trouble connected with the office, 
 it is selfi.sh and unchristian to shift them from our- 
 selves, in the expectation that others will be found 
 willing to undertake them : and even though others 
 should undertake to do what we decline, this will not 
 excuse us in shrinking from the post of duty, when 
 called upon in providence to occupy it. When any 
 individual is called, by the suffi'ages of his fellow 
 Christians, to the office of the eldership, he should 
 consider this a call given him in providence to occupy 
 a sphere of public usefulness in the church ; and 
 instead of disdainfully rejecting the call — or seeking 
 for excuses that may serve as an apology for non- 
 compliance — he should, unless there be some for- 
 midable obstacles lying in the way, enter with 
 cheerfulness on the work assigned him, in humble 
 dependence upon divine grace — esteeming it a pri- 
 vilege, as well as a duty, to labour as an office-bearer 
 in the service of Christ. 
 
 In addressing myself to the brethren in the elder- 
 ship, I would present to them the following con- 
 siderations, for the purpose of showing them the 
 
 R 
 
258 THE OFFICE OF RULD^G ELDER. 
 
 nature and amount of that responsibility under which 
 they lie, in consequence of the office which they 
 hold. 
 
 First, Consider the nature of the charge that has 
 been committed to you. You have had committed 
 to your care the flock of God — that flock which he 
 purchased with his own blood. Every member of 
 it is precious in his sight ; and every member of it 
 ought to be dear to you. Yours is by far the most 
 important trust that can be committed to the charge 
 either of men or of angels. You have been solemnly 
 set apart to the oversight of the church of the living 
 God ; that church which the Saviour died to redeem. 
 The value of it may be estimated from the greatness 
 of the price that was paid for its redemption. Con- 
 nected with such a charge, there must, indeed, be a 
 weighty responsibility. If you had a certain amount 
 of gold and silver committed to your care by any of 
 your fellow-men, you would consider it your duty 
 carefully to guard the precious deposit. Your re- 
 sponsibility would be increased in proportion to the 
 value of the treasure placed under your charge ; and 
 were you to betray the trust reposed in you, the 
 stamp of infamy would be upon your character. 
 But though all the treasure in the world were to be 
 placed in your keeping, it would fall far short in 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 259 
 
 value when compared with that charge which has 
 been committed to you. Immortal souls have been 
 placed under your care ; and to show you the value 
 of such a trust, you are reminded that these souls 
 have been redeemed, not with corruptible things, 
 such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood 
 of Christ, as of a lamb without spot. Human lan- 
 guage does not furnish words better fitted for 
 impressing upon your minds a high idea of the 
 value which the persons of the Godhead attach to 
 the souls of men, than when you are told that, in 
 order to save these souls from perishing, the Son of 
 God suffered and died. Seeing that the church of 
 Christ consists of persons who have been redeemed 
 by his blood, what an aggregate of value must be 
 connected with it. The amount of it no arithmetic 
 can calculate. The great Head of the church has 
 committed to your charge this sacred treasure ; and 
 he requires you to watch over it, that no spoiler 
 may invade it. When you submitted to be ordained 
 to the office of the eldership, you accepted of the 
 cliarge ; and you promised, in the presence of your 
 fellow-men, and in the sight of God, that you 
 would be faithful to your trust. Will you not then 
 redeem the pledge which you have thus given ? Or, 
 will you, by the criminal neglect of the duties of 
 
2 GO THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 your office, violate the obligations under which you 
 have solemnly come ? Will you trifle with the 
 spiritual interests of those immortal beings over 
 whom you have been appointed to watch ? Will you 
 attend to your merchandise, your farms, your amuse- 
 ments, and your schemes of wordly aggrandisement, 
 while the affairs of the house of G-od — which have 
 been solemnly entrusted to your charge — are over- 
 looked by you. You will not surely so far forget 
 the engagements into which you have entered, by 
 acting such an inconsistent part. Remember the 
 responsibility under which you lie, in consequence 
 of the importance of the charge that has been com- 
 mitted to you. 
 
 Secondly^ Consider from whom it is that you have 
 received your charge. I am warranted in addressing 
 you in language similar to that in which Paul 
 addressed the elders of the church of Ephesus, when 
 he said to them, " Take heed, therefore, to your- 
 selves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy 
 Ghost hath made you overseers^ The charge which 
 you hold has been committed to you by God him- 
 self. You hold it by vu'tue of a divine commission. 
 On the supposition that you have been called and 
 set apart to the office of the eldership, agTeeably to 
 those rules which the Head of the church has laid 
 
THE OFFICE OF KULING ELDER. 2G1 
 
 down, you are " tlie ministers of Christ" — you are 
 *' the stewards of God ;" and this consideration is 
 mentioned by an apostle as a reason why you should 
 be faithful in discharging the duties of your office : 
 " Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of 
 Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. More- 
 over, it is required in stewards that a man be found 
 faithful ;" 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2. He mentions it also as a 
 •reason why you should be blameless in your con- 
 duct : " An overseer (or an elder) must be blame- 
 less, as the steward of God ;" Tit. i. 7. You are to 
 remember that you are not acting for yourselves. 
 You are not acting as the representatives of your 
 fellow-men. You are acting for God» You are his 
 stewards. He hath made you overseers in his 
 church. It is in his name, and by virtue of his 
 authority that you act. He has addressed to you 
 the injunctions — " Feed my flock" — " Occupy till I 
 come" — " Go ye also into the vineyard, and that 
 which is right I will give you." This consideration 
 confers dignity upon your office, namely, that you 
 are the servants not of men, but of God. You are 
 fulfilling a trust which he has committed to you. 
 He has counted you faithful, putting you into the 
 eldership. But the same consideration adds to the 
 responsibility connected with your office ; for as you 
 
262 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 have received your charge from God, so it is to him 
 that your account must be rendered. If you were 
 amenable only to the judgment of your fellow-men, 
 in discharging the duties of your office, this would 
 be a matter of comparatively little consequence : for 
 you are told that it is a small thing to be judged of 
 man's judgment. But it is vnth God you have to do 
 — and not with man. The office which you hold is 
 his stewardship. He has honoured you by investing 
 you with it. He requires and expects of you that 
 you be faithful ; and you ought to act under a deep 
 sense of the responsibility under which you lie, in 
 consequence of his having reposed in you such a 
 trust. If there be a strong obligation to fidelity lying 
 upon those whom an earthly potentate has appointed 
 to some high office in his realm — how much stronger 
 the obligation lying upon those whom the King of 
 Zion has appointed to occupy the responsible situa- 
 tion of rulers in his church. Let this consideration 
 be ever present to your mind, that Christ is your 
 master. You are labourers in his service ; and let 
 the prospect of the account which you must one day 
 render unto him, stimulate you to unceasing diligence 
 and to unwavering fidelity. 
 
 Thirdly^ Consider the object with a view to which the 
 charge has been committed to you. What is this object ? 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 2G3 
 
 It is, in subordination to the glory of God, the pro- 
 moting of the spiritual and eternal well-being of 
 your fellow-men. Paul, when vindicating in his 
 own behalf, and in behalf of his fellow-labourers, 
 the exercise of authority in the church, mentions 
 that this authority had been conferred upon them, 
 with a view to the edification of those persons who 
 are the subjects of it : "Which authority (he says) 
 the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for 
 your destruction ; " 2 Cor. x. 8. In being appomted, 
 then, to bear rule in the church, you have an im- 
 portant object set before you, which you are required 
 steadily to promote ; and that object is the spiritual 
 improvement of your fellow men. The authority, 
 with which as office-bearers you are invested, has 
 been given you for their edification. Your office is 
 designed to have an influence upon the spiritual 
 interests of mankind. It has been instituted for the 
 special purpose of promoting the present and eternal 
 well-being of immortal souls. If the duties of it be 
 not discharged in such a manner as that this object 
 shall be gained, then the main design of its institution 
 is frustrated. To reclaim men from the love and 
 practice of sin — to win them to Christ — to lead them 
 onward in the path of holiness — and thereby train 
 them up for heaven, — these are all included in that 
 
264 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 object, for the furtherance of which, your authority 
 is to be exercised ; namely, the edification of those 
 over whom you have the oversight. There is there- 
 fore a weighty charge resting upon you — a charge 
 which involves in it a high responsibility. The 
 welfare of immortal souls is entrusted to your care. 
 This is the object, which by virtue of your office, you 
 are solemnly bound to promote. Will you — can you 
 trifle with it ? If the life of any of your fellow- 
 mortals were at stake — if it were entrusted to your 
 charge — and if in consequence of your trifling, it 
 were to be lost — would there be no guilt lying at 
 your door? Assuredly there would. What then 
 shall be said, if you trifle not with the lives, but with 
 the souls of those who have been entrusted to your 
 care ? If, while you are appointed to watch over 
 these souls, you will not labour to promote their 
 spiritual welfare, according to the extent of your 
 ability, Avill you be accounted faithful ? And if any 
 of them perish through your neglect, will you be 
 guiltless ? Ah, no : At your hand will these souls 
 be required. It is both accordant with scripture and 
 reason, that the greater the value attached to any 
 object, that may be committed to our care, the greater 
 is the responsibility lying on us, to be faithful to the 
 trust reposed in us ; and seeing that there is no object 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 265 
 
 that can rank higher in importance, than that for the 
 accomplishing of which, the christian eldership has 
 been appointed, — it follows that the responsibility- 
 lying upon those, Avho have been invested with this 
 office, is indeed great. 
 
 Fourthly, Consider how much the xtrosperity of religion 
 depends on the manner in ichich you discharge the duties 
 of your office. The hands of ministers of the gospel 
 are strengthened or weakened, according as the 
 elders, who are associated with them in the work of 
 ruling, are faithful and laborious, or the opposite. 
 If you are diligent, this will greatly encourage your 
 ministers in their Master's work, and will tend much 
 to promote religion among the flock. If, on the other 
 hand, you are careless — and neglect the duties, which 
 as elders you ought to perform — you will thereby 
 counteract the good effects, that might otherwise 
 result fi'om the faithful preaching of the gospel. 
 Religion will languish among the people of your 
 charge. Cold formality will succeed to vital godli- 
 ness. The community, over which you preside, 
 instead of resembling the garden of the Lord, planted 
 with the trees of righteousness, will resemble a 
 waste, covered with thorns and briers. Your 
 influence, as elders, is not limited to your own con- 
 gregations. It extends to the church at large ; for 
 
266 THE OFFICE OF EULING ELDER. 
 
 you are called upon to deliberate and determine 
 concerning matters in which the whole church is 
 concerned. What a powerful influence are you 
 fitted to exercise upon the community of which you 
 are members. What an amount of good may you 
 be instrumental in accomplishing, in the church, by 
 your united exertions. In what a variety of ways 
 may you prove yourselves blessings to your fellow- 
 men, by being conscientious in discharging the duties 
 of your office. On the other hand, should you be 
 slothful and careless, you will not only fail in accom- 
 plishing the good, which you have it in your power 
 to perform, but you will positively retard the progress 
 of religion. You will be the means of occasioning 
 incalculable mischief to the church. Discipline will 
 be neglected — purity of communion will be under- 
 valued — family religion will languish — the distinction 
 between the church and the world will be obliterated 
 — and the cause of Christ, which you have solemnly 
 engaged to promote, will be sadly dishonoured 
 through your criminal neglect. 
 
 I am not over-rating the influence which, as a 
 body of men, you possess in the presbyterian 
 churches; and this influence will be exercised by 
 you, either for good or evil, according to the manner 
 in which you discharge the trust reposed in you. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 2C7 
 
 If you are faithful, your influence will be for good ; 
 if you are unfaithful, it will be for evil. This con- 
 sideration — no less than those to which I have 
 previously adverted — shows the greatness of the 
 responsibility under which you lie. In consequence 
 of the station which you occupy, and the influence 
 which you possess, you have the means of doing 
 good to a great extent ; and you are certainly 
 responsible to your Master for the use that you make 
 of these means, which he has confeiTed upon you. 
 If you employ them aright, you will be the honoured 
 instruments of advancing the cause of righteousness 
 in the world. K you neglect to make a proper use 
 of them, instead of conferring benefits upon your 
 fellow-men, you wiU inflict upon them positive evil. 
 To you who occupy the ofiice of the eldership, the 
 following language of the Saviour is peculiarly appli- 
 cable — " Ye are the light of the world. A city that 
 is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men 
 light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a 
 candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in 
 the house. Let your light so shine before men, that 
 they may see your good works, and glorify your 
 Father which is in heaven ;" Matt. v. 14-1 G. 
 
 Finally, Brethren, — " The elders which are among 
 you I exhort, who am also an elder. Feed the flock 
 
268 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 of God wliicli is among you, taking the oversight 
 thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for 
 filthy lucre, but of a ready mind : Neither as being 
 lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the 
 flock : And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, 
 ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not 
 away."^ 
 
 I shall now addi'ess myself, in conclusion, to the 
 members of the presbyterian churches. That Christ 
 has appointed a particular form of government in his 
 church — and that this form is the presbyterian — 
 has, I trust, been satisfactorily established in the 
 preceding pages. That there were elders in all the 
 primitive churches — that these elders ruled — and 
 that the people were required to obey them, and to 
 esteem them highly in love for their work's sake — ^is 
 abundantly evident from the statements contained 
 in the apostolical writings. For that form of eccle- 
 siastical government termed episcojjaci/, I can find no 
 warrant in the word of God. It is true that the 
 word bishoj) repeatedly occurs in the New Testament. 
 But this word, I have shown, means simply an over- 
 seer — and is convertible with the term elder. Among 
 the teaching elders, there was no superiority of the 
 
 ^ 1 Peter v. 1-4. 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 269 
 
 one over the other. They were all on a footing of 
 equality ; and between the teaching and the ruling 
 elders there was no difference, as to the authority 
 which they possessed; they were on an equal footing, 
 in so far as the government of the church was con- 
 cerned. Neither do I find in Scripture, a sufficient 
 warrant for that form of government which is termed 
 independency. Those who adopt this form, reject the 
 office of the ruling elder. By doing so, they reject a 
 divine institution. They give to the private members 
 of the church the power of ruling — a power which 
 Scripture denies them. They find a kind of sub- 
 stitute for the ruling elder, in the person who is 
 invested with the office of the deacon — and who, 
 though he may not formally rule, yet, along with the 
 pastor, takes the oversight of the flock ; and by doing 
 so, he exercises a power which does not belong to 
 his office. Presbyterianism is opposed, on the one 
 hand, to that lordly rule, which diocesan bishops 
 exercise, not only over the people, but over their 
 bretlu-en in the ministry ; and, on the other hand, 
 to that disorder which must almost necessarily ensue, 
 where all aspire to be rulers. It draws a line of 
 demarcation between those who rule and those who 
 are ruled. It points out the scriptural duties that 
 belono; to each of these classes. To the former it 
 
270 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 gives no power of making laws for the church ; but 
 it recognises them as persons appointed to administer 
 the laws which Christ has laid down for the govern- 
 ment of his house. The latter it requires to be in 
 subjection to those who rule over them — as to an 
 ordinance of Christ. 
 
 K infinite wisdom has appointed the presbyterian 
 form of government as the one which is best adapted 
 for administering the affairs of the kingdom of Christ 
 — this, certainly, ought to be regarded by you, who 
 are members of the presbyterian churches, as a 
 good reason why you should uphold this particular 
 form of government, in preference to every other. 
 Regarding it as an institution of Christ, you are 
 bound to maintain it. You are not at liberty to 
 substitute, in its place, any institution of human 
 device. Under this form of ecclesiastical govern- 
 ment, you enjoy advantages which are not enjoyed 
 under any other. You have, in your ruling elders, 
 a class of men, who — generally speaking — are pious 
 and prudent, and exemplary. They are persons, 
 whom you yourselves have called to occupy the 
 office of the eldership, on account of their peculiar 
 fitness for it. The spiritual authority, which they 
 have received from the Head of the church, is 
 exercised by them " for your edification, and not 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 271 
 
 for your destruction." This authority is not that of 
 a despotic ruler — who admits of no comj^eers to 
 deliberate along with him — ^who sits alone upon the 
 seat of judgment, refusing to receive counsel from 
 any — and from whose decision there lies no appeal. 
 Neither is it the authority of a promiscuous multitude, 
 who are assembled to act the part of judges, without 
 any regard to their peculiar qualifications for the office 
 — and who sit in judgment on each other under the 
 exciting and dangerous influence of personal par- 
 tialities, on the one hand, and of personal antipathies 
 on the other. But it is the authority of persons, 
 who are specially aj^pointed to exercise it — and who, 
 in exercising it, act as a judicatory constituted in 
 the name of Christ, who has given it to them in 
 charge to rule his flock, and who has graciously 
 promised to be with them when thus engaged. 
 
 In this system of government, excellent provision 
 is made for the faithful and impartial administration 
 of discipline, by the appointment, in each congregation, 
 of a class of office-bearers whose special work it is to 
 superintend the flock. These persons are elected, 
 by their feUow-Christians, on account of their possess- 
 ing the qualifications which fit them, in the estimation 
 of their brethren, for the right discharge of the duties 
 of their office. They act by virtue of an authority 
 
272 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 received, not from men, but from Christ : and when 
 they administer discipline to any individual member, 
 they do it after frdl investigation made by them, as a 
 session — and as the result of prayerftil and solemn 
 deliberation. There is also provision made, in this 
 system, for preventing the abuse of power on the part 
 of the elders of a congregation. Should any member 
 think that the session have acted toward him un- 
 justly, or harshly, and should he feel aggrieved by 
 what they have done, he can bring the matter under 
 the review of a higher judicatory — one that is removed 
 from all local influence — namely, the presbytery ; 
 and should he be dissatisfied with the judgment that 
 is here pronounced, he can bring his cause before a 
 still higher tribunal, namely, the Synod or general 
 assembly of the church with which he is connected. 
 As all power is liable to be abused, so it is right 
 that there should be some way of checking such 
 abuse, and of remedying the evil effects that flow 
 from power which has been abused. The presby- 
 terian foi'm of government, in the subordination of 
 one ecclesiastical judicatory to another, furnishes a 
 more efficient method both for preventing abuse, and 
 also for remedying the evil effects that flow from it, 
 than any other form of government that has been 
 proposed. According to this form, all tlie office- 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 273 
 
 bearers are subject to tlie courts, with wbicli they 
 are severally connected. Elders are subject to their 
 session — and ministers are subject to their presbytery. 
 There is, therefore, a check exercised over each, by 
 means of the judicatories to v^hich they are thus 
 subject : so that, should any office-bearer be remiss 
 in the discharge of his duty, or be guilty of any 
 scandalous offence, he is amenable to the authority 
 of his brethren. To them it belongs to admonish him 
 of his duty, to censure him on account of his sin, or 
 to remove him from his office altogether, should his 
 conduct be such as to render this procedure neces- 
 sary. In the right, which he possesses, of removing 
 his cause from a local tribunal, and bringing it under 
 the consideration of the assembled elders and ministers 
 of the chm'ch, he has a guarantee that substantial 
 justice shall be done to him. I am not aware that 
 episcopacy, or independency furnishes such advan- 
 tages, on the one hand, for the faithful administration 
 of discipline toward office-bearers who are chargeable 
 either with error or immoraUty — or, on the other, for 
 protecting the rights of office-bearers, should they 
 be unjustly accused, or harshly dealt with, by their 
 brethren in the particular locality where they reside. 
 Another advantage, which presbyterianism pos- 
 sesses, is unity of operation among those who 
 
 s 
 
274 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 are members of the same claureli. As opposed to 
 episcopacy, it recognises a complete equality among 
 the brethren — while, as opposed to independency, it 
 unites them all in a strong bond of brotherhood. The 
 principle of presbyterianism is not simply equality — 
 nor simply union : but equality along with union ; — 
 equality of privilege and union of operation on the 
 part of all the congregations and office-bearers. 
 Presbytery admits of no supremacy, on the part of 
 any teaching or ruling elder over his brethren ; and 
 it admits of no superiority of privilege on the part 
 of particular congregations. When ministers and 
 elders associate together in presbyteries and synods, 
 to deliberate concerning matters of general interest 
 to the church, there is no suiTender made by the 
 congregations, of any of their privileges. They are 
 virtually present, on such occasions, by means of 
 their office-bearers ; and when they yield obedience 
 to the decisions that are there pronounced, they are 
 complying with the scriptural injunction, which 
 requires them to submit themselves, and to obey them 
 that are over them in the Lord. 
 
 The presbyterian organisation is admirably fitted 
 for securing unity of operation in the church, by 
 means of its judicatories, which, like so many links, 
 connect all the various parts together — and unite 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 275 
 
 each individual member with the whole. Congrega- 
 tions, that act upon the independent plan, are insu- 
 lated from each other. There is no particular bond 
 of connexion between them. Each professes to be a 
 church complete in itself. It pursues its own course, 
 irrespective of the rest. Independents, indeed, have 
 of late years begun to appreciate the advantages of 
 union ; and in order to secure these advantages, they 
 have adopted one of the leading features of presby- 
 terianism, by forming associations, in Avhich matters 
 of general concern to the body are transacted : and 
 though those, who assemble in these associations, do 
 not profess to pronounce authoritative decisions con- 
 cerning indi\T.dual ministers, or particular congrega- 
 tions, yet they have it in their power to show their 
 disapprobation of sentiments and conduct that are 
 offensive to them, by excluding from their association 
 ministers holding such sentiments, or guilty of such 
 conduct ; and, of course, the congregations adhering 
 to ministers that are excluded, share in the condem- 
 nation which is thus virtually pronounced. Such a 
 procedure has all the effect of a judicial sentence, 
 without the formalities of a regular trial. 
 
 There is no form of ecclesiastical government, that 
 affords such facilities for the conducting of missions, 
 as the presbyterian. The machinery, which presby- 
 
276 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 terianism furnishes, for raising funds, for training up 
 young men to be employed as missionaries, for sending 
 tliem out to tlieir respective spheres of labour, and 
 for superintending them, after they are sent out, is 
 complete. In every congregation there are office- 
 bearers, whose business it is to superintend the 
 spiritual afiairs of the people, and to stir them up to 
 every good work. If these office-bearers be, what 
 they ought to be, they will stir up the people to 
 missionary effi9rt, and will set them the example of 
 activity and liberality in such a glorious cause. 
 Again, the presbytery — being an association of the 
 ministers and elders belonging to a particular locality 
 — constitute an excellent board for superintending 
 the collecting of funds in the various congregations 
 under their charge, and for exciting a missionary 
 spirit both among ministers and people : while the 
 Synod, or general assembly, of the church mark out 
 the fields of missionary labour that are to be occupied 
 — appoint the missionaries who are to occupy these 
 fields — and make such arrangements as, in their 
 wisdom, may seem best fitted for carrying on the 
 missions with vigour and success. Among the 
 preachers, that belong to the association, a certain 
 number will be found, who, while they possess the 
 necessary qualifications for missionary work, will be 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 277 
 
 ready to go and preach the gospel to their perishing 
 fellow-men in any part of the world. 
 
 Such an agency, as that which presbyterianism 
 furnishes, for the training of missionaries — for send- 
 ing them out to then' respective fields of labour — and 
 for superintending their operations — is characterised 
 by its being scriptural, efficient, and economical. In 
 ordinary missionary societies there is much expense 
 incurred by the training of young men, with a view 
 to their being missionaries, by the payment of secre- 
 taries, clerks, superintendents, and other officials, 
 connected with the boards of management. If not 
 the whole, at least a considerable part of this expense 
 is saved by the presbyterian organisation; while 
 there is at least equal, if not greater, security given, 
 that in the various departments of labour every 
 thing will be conducted with energy and regularity. 
 Such missions are recognised as the missions of a 
 church (which all missions ought to be), and not 
 those of a promiscuous society, the members of which 
 have no common link binding them together, except 
 it be that of giving an annual subscription for the 
 diffusion of the gospel. On the grounds now stated, 
 I consider the presbyterian churches as placed in 
 peculiarly favourable circumstances for carrying on 
 missionary operations either at home or abroad. 
 
278 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 Some of them have long been distinguished for their 
 missionary spirit — and for the generous and disin- 
 terested exertions which they have made in sending 
 the gospel to distant lands ; and I rejoice to see that 
 all of them are now entering on the same glorious 
 career. They are labouring, as churches, in diffusing 
 the knowledge of the gospel, not only among the 
 ignorant at home, but among their perishing fellow- 
 men abroad. Let them go on and prosper. In such 
 a wide field as the world, there is ample room for all 
 to exert themselves in such a sacred cause. 
 
 The writer of these pages desiderates much a union 
 among those sections of the presbyterian church, in 
 this country, who, while they hold the doctrines 
 taught in the Westminster Confession of Faith, are 
 at the same time independent of state control. 
 Though there may be among these sections differ- 
 ences of sentiment, on certain points, — these surely 
 are not of such importance as to keep them in a state 
 of separation from one another, while they are com- 
 pletely agreed as to the main articles of the christian 
 faith, and are united in their views of ecclesiastical 
 government. Why, in these circumstances, should 
 Ephraim continue any longer to envy Judah, and 
 Judah to vex Ephraim ? Are not the times in which 
 we live most eventful ? Are not momentous changes 
 
THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 279 
 
 in progress ? Is not some great crisis apparently at 
 hand ? Are not long-established institutions crumb- 
 ling to the dust ? And are not new ones rising on 
 the ruins of the old ? Do not the events, which are 
 daily occurring, both in church and state, indicate 
 that there is an under-current of opinion at work 
 which is gi'adually acqumng strength, and which 
 will, at no distant period, remodel the very frame- 
 work of society? In all these mighty movements 
 which are taking place — and which alternately 
 excite our hopes and our fears — ^Providence is loudly 
 calling upon the churches to unite. There may be 
 obstacles difficult to surmount, which prevent a 
 union from taking place among all evangelical 
 churches ; but I can see no unsurmountable difficul- 
 ties, lying in the way, to prevent all iwesbyterian 
 churches, holding evangelical sentiments, from being 
 united into one compact body. The only excep- 
 tion to this statement is the Established Church of 
 Scotland, between which and the unendowed pres- 
 byterian churches in this country, there is no hope 
 of a union being accomplished in the present state of 
 parties. But were all the latter to unite, an object 
 of immense importance would be gained. A power- 
 ful impulse would be given by such a union to the 
 cause both of reli^rion and of education. A formi- 
 
280 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 dable and united phalanx would thereby be arrayed 
 on the side of the truth ; and as it moved onward in 
 its progress, it would scatter on every side of its path 
 the blessings of scriptural knowledge and of religious 
 freedom. 
 
 As such a union as this is not impracticable, 
 neither is it to be regarded as hopeless. There are 
 decided indications of a closer approximation to each 
 other of the various sections of the presbyterian 
 church. Let each do what he can to foster in the 
 section, to which he belongs, a spirit of brotherly 
 kindness toward those who belong to the other 
 sections. Let the only strife be, who shall out-run 
 the others in the race of christian benevolence, and 
 who shall be most forward in repairing the breaches 
 which party contention has made in the walls of the 
 city of God. Let persevering efforts be made to 
 remove, one by one, those shibboleths which have 
 not merely kept the friends of Christ in a state of 
 separation, but have placed them in an attitude of 
 hostility to each other. The standard of defiance 
 has long enough been planted on the ground of 
 unholy warfare occupied by religious parties. Let 
 now the flag of peace be unfurled, and let it be seen 
 waving on all the towers of Zion. 
 
 To the members of the presbyterian churches, I 
 
THE OFFICE OF PwULING ELDER. 281 
 
 would say — while you hold fast your principles, as 
 evangelical presbyterians, on account of their being 
 clearly laid down in the word of God — and while 
 you labour (as in duty bound) to propagate the 
 knowledge of these principles among your fellow- 
 men — let candour and meekness and kindness cha- 
 racterise your contendings for the truth. Show by 
 the holiness of your lives, that the principles which 
 you profess have a purifying influence. Walk in 
 love. Endeavour to mn others to the views which 
 you hold by the gentleness of your dispositions, and 
 by the purity of your lives. Should you fail to con- 
 vince, by your arguments, do not regard as enemies 
 those who may differ from you in opinion. " Let 
 nothing be done through strife or vain glory ; but in 
 lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than 
 themselves." — " Let us therefore, as many as be 
 perfect, be thus minded ; and if in any thing ye be 
 otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto 
 you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already at- 
 tained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the 
 same thing." ^ 
 
 While you labour to promote the cause of truth, 
 in connexion with the presbyterian church, give a 
 
 iPhU. ii. 3; and iii. 15,16. 
 
282 THE OFFICE OF RULING ELDER. 
 
 place in your heart to the members of other 
 evangelical churches — though their platform of eccle- 
 siastical government may be different from yours. 
 In so far as they hold the Head, you are to regard 
 them as fellow-labourers with you in the gi'eat work 
 of evangelizing the world. Should the wall of par- 
 tition which separates you from them be so high that 
 you cannot stretch the right hand of fellowship 
 across it, you can cherish towards them feelings of 
 good will: and as you cast an occasional glance 
 across the party-boundary, and behold them busy at 
 work in their Master's service — diffusing the light 
 of divine truth, and winning souls to Christ — you 
 can let your voice be heard in accents of kindness, 
 bidding them God-speed in their labours of love. 
 " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet 
 of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth 
 peace ; that bringeth good tidings of good, that 
 publisheth salvation ; that saith unto Zion, Thy God 
 reigneth ! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice ; 
 with the voice together shall they sing: for they 
 shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again 
 Zion."i 
 
 ' Isaiah lii. 7, 8. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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