Theory of the Eldership [pp. 702-759]

Our Historical Name.
here a chief bishop, or prelate ruling over his two inferior
orders of clergy, so that while these were pastores gregis (pastors of the flock) he was pastor pastorum et gregis, (pastor
of both pastors and flock,) as Charles I. was fond of saying.
In every way, therefore, this passage is limited to ministers,
who are, as all writers admit, (rpowz-wrec) presiding rulers,
and hence this passage strengthens the similarly striking
general concurrence in the interpretation of 1 Tim. v. 17.
Our Historical Name.
There is one other assumption in this theory, of which we
desired to present a full historical refutation. It is, as stated
by Dr. Adger, that "the distinction between bishops or elders
who teach and rule, and bishops or elders who rule only....
gives us our name of the Presbyterian church-the church that
holds to government by elders, the essence of whose office is
ruling and not teaching." (See South. Presbyterian Review,
p. 167, 1859.)
Now this is contrary to fact, since elders are found in the
Methodist, Lutheran, and-historically and constitutionally-in
Congregational, Baptist, Independent, and, as Owen declares,
in some form and name in every church in the world.
This is also contrary to history. The name of Presbytery
was given to our system by Beza, perhaps a century before the
name of "ruling elders" was commonly given to these representatives of the people; before the distinction referred to was
definitively made; while as yet the church had not either the
wish nor the power to make the office a purely spiritual or permanent one; while the office was denominated by various names
in different churches and countries; before the office was uniformly or universally adopted, or made obligatory; and, finally,
before even the courts of the churches were generally called
presbyteries. These positions might all be fully sustained.
Presbytery, in its generic and historical meaning, is that
system of polity of which the highest, the fundamental, and the
absolutely essential officer is the presbyter, as opposed to prelate on the one hand, and to the people on the other. It is the
presbyter who gives coherence, resistance, and attraction to
VOL. XXXII.-NO. IV. 94
1860.]
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