Theories of the Eldership [pp. 449-472]

Theories of the Eldership.
the earliest fathers distinguished ministers by the title of
clergy, and the people by that of laity. 2. That in the time of
Cyprian this use was general. 3. That the name of clergy was
given to presbyters and deacons, and to any others who in the
growing multiplication of orders were ordained by imposition
of hands. 4. That this distinction is found even in Scripture.
(Acts iv. 13.) 5. That in any invidious sense, ruling elders
are not laymen, nor ministers, prelates or popes. 6. But that
"so far as it is intended to designate those who are clothed
with office and authorized to discharge important spiritual functions which the body of church members are not authorized to
perform, and to mark the distinction between these two classes,
the language may be defended, and that either that (i. e. laity)
or some other of equivalent import, ought to be, and must be
used, if we would be faithful to the New Testament view of
ecclesiastical office as an ordinance of Christ." " Let all
necessary distinction be made by saying, ministers or pastors,
ruling elders, deacons, and the laity or body of the people."
(Ruling Elders, pp. 211, 212.) Amen. So let it be.*
We are not left to put any sense possible or plausible upon
our Book of Government. "Our whole arrangement of judicatories, and our whole ecclesiastical nomenclature, are, with
few exceptions, borrowed from Scotland," and although "Presbyterianism in Scotland, Holland, France, Geneva, and Germany, are in substance the same.... yet as those who commenced the Presbyterian church in America were chiefly emigrants from North Britain and Ireland, so the Church of Scotland was more than any other their model." Thus speaks Dr.
Miller, who must be considered as being himself one of the most
venerated fathers and upbuilders of our church.t
This constitutional interpretational authority of the Westminster standards is confirmed by the fact that, as Dr. Archibald
Alexander remarks, "the immediate mother of our American
* Several names are employed in Scripture to denote the body of the Chris.
tian people, such as brethren-one heritage-disciple, as opposed to Mastertaught, as opposed to teachers-soldiers and leaders- \Utoc, the people7ro,uvlov, the flock, the church-private persons, ij'&wro —and later,,erixc:, laymen, or men devoted to secular pursuits.
* See "Presbyterianism the truly Prim. and Apostolic Church," pp. 21, 22.
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