Theory of the Eldership [pp. 702-759]

Theory of the Eldership.
who says there were anciently "presbyters in every church," and
"presbyters in every city;" "not meaning one in a place, but
presbyteries, that is, colleges, bodies, companies of presbyters,
with common advice to order the churches planted in those
cities." The character of these churches must, from the nature
of things, have been the same as every such church in heathen
lands now. In Shanghai, for instance, there are "six missionary churches, and many smaller preaching-places afford
facilities for inquirers. This is felt to be the case by the
younger missionaries, in such a degree that most of them are
anxious to go out into'the regions beyond;' leaving to those
who first broke ground here the task of training up, and building up in the faith, those who in the course of Providence are
attaching themselves to the army of the Lord, and are requiring
to be more perfectly instructed in the way of life."
In exact accordance with what is thus taking place in heathen
lands-and such as constituted the field of apostolic and primitive Christianity-we find everywhere the presbyters acting as
a combined, organized body; we find household churches (~xx/b2Ctae xal' oixo>) frequently mentioned and greeted;* and we
have found the apostolical epistles addressed, not to any one of
these, but to the whole body of Christians in and around Rome,
Corinth, Ephesus, &c., as all together forming one body or
church.t
The conclusion, that because there were generally a plurality of presbyters in every apostolical mission church, therefore the majority of them were not preachers, and must have
been ruling elders, is a triple non sequitur, 1. in assuming any
other meaning for presbyter than minister; 2. in confining all to
one congregation and locality; 3. in arguing from a forming
to a fixed condition of the church. No such officers as ruling
elders were then known.under the title of presbyters. Many
congregations were united under the care of one mission church,
and economy, comfort, and efficiency would not only justify but
require the association of several ministers together. A plu
* Rom. xvi. 4, 5, 14, 15; 1 Cor. xvi. 19; Col. iv. 15: Philem. 2.
t- 1 Thess. i. 1; 2 Thess. i. 1; 1 Cor. i. 2, v. I sq.; 2 Cor. i. 1, 23, ii. 1 sq.;
Col. iv. 16. This Neander, in both his works, recognizes, and Baur. See
Schaff, 526, 527.
722
[OCTOBER