Short Notices [pp. 759-784]

Short Notices.
An Essay on the Pastoral Duties of Rulinq Elders. By E. T. Baird, D. D.
Read before the Presbytery of Tombeckbee, Mississippi, and ordered to
be published, April 7, 1860.
Our Southern brethren seem to be taking special interest in
the Elder question. Synodical sermons have been preached
and published; Presbyterial essays have been disseminated;
the Southern Presbyterian Review has had several important
articles on the subject; the papers of Virginia and North Carolina have taken more or less part in the discussion; almost
everything in our own pages on this subject is, as has been
extensively made known, from a Southern source, and was
designed to meet the counter views circulated in the Southern
churches. So far as we know, there has been no special attention awakened at the North to this question, and no diversity
of opinion avowed. What is the cause of the fact just mentioned, we do not know; the fact itself, however, is apparent.
The Central Presbyterian recently remarked, with great truth,
(speaking, we presume, with special reference to the South,)
that a decided change had taken place in the mind of the
church of late years, on matters of church government. Formerly very liberal views prevailed on that subject, it being
assumed that scarcely anything was prescribed authoritatively
as to church organization, in the Scriptures; whereas the tendency now is to assert a special divine warrant for everything.
The Hoges, Alexanders, Rices, Baxters, and Speeces of the
former generation, would certainly be astonished at the principles now avowed by those who claim to be the only true representatives of American Presbyterianism. This reaction is going,
as we think, to an unhealthy extreme. It is unreasonable,
unscriptural, and opposed to the historical character of our
church. American Presbyterians have ever been distinguished
by their zeal for doctrines, and their catholic liberality as to
questions of form. They have contented themselves with acting
on the defensive, as against Prelatists and Independents, and
with asserting the scriptural character of their distinctive principles. Since the organization of our church, there has scarcely
been a word of controversy among Presbyterians about the
principles of Presbyterianism. Our internal contests have been
about doctrine. Now, as we are all of one mind in doctrine,
we are trying to fall out about forms. Men are beginning to
denounce their brethren who agree with them in everything
pertaining to the authority, rights, and functions of ruling
elders, because they differ from them as to the method of proof.
Appeal is made to the headship of Christ; his authority is
invoked; his honour is said to be at stake, when the fact is,
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