or more credible than the celebrated David Cald-
erwood, the venerable historian of the Church of
Scotland, whose piety, talents, learning and inde-
fatigable labours and sufferings in that Church
are universally known. The AUare Damasce^
num of that great man was published in 1623, of
26*
306 ORDINATION OP
course just twenty years before the Westminster
Assembly met, and while the writer was under a
sentence of banishment in Holland, for his fidelity
to the Presbyterian cause.
The Altare Damascenum is a controversial
work, directed to the refutation of many adversa-
ries. Among these, Tilenus, once a Presbyterian
and Calvinistic Professor in the Seminary at
Sedan^ but then an apostate from the truth, and
bitterly and blindly bigoted against all that he
had formerly espoused, was one of the most for-
ward and conspicuous. Tilenus objected to the
Presbyterian system, because Ruling Elders were
not considered as having a right to lay on hands
in the ordination of Pastors : — that they were
members of the Presbytery, and yet, in an ordi-
nation performed by the Presbytery, were not
allowed to take part in this significant and solemn
act. Calderwood explicitly admits the fact, that
they did not, in any case, partake in this act ;
but denies the consequence which Tilenus draws
from it. He contends that Elders might, if there
were any necessity for it, lay on hands, without
infringing any essential principle, as, in his
opinion, that act was not an essential part of or-
dination, and did not really convey, in itself,
either authority or grace. But he adds, " I con-
cede that that imposition of hands which is joined
with prayer and benediction, is confined to Pas-
tors or Teaching Elders only. Nevertheless, as
a sign of consent and assistance, the Ruling El-
ders 7uiglit lay on hands. They do not lay them
on because it is not necessary : nor, indeed, do
all the co-Presbyters of any one Classis (or Pres-
bytery) lay on hands, but only a part in the name
of the rest. Even one might act in the name of
RULING ELDERS. 307
all." "Finally, says Caldervvood, though we
should grant this act (the laying on of hands) to
be a sacrament, and that the administrators of
this sacrament are Pastor-Presbyters only — still
the others (the Ruling Elders) will not thereby be
excluded from the Presbytery, (1 Tim. iv. 14) be-
cause the laying on of hands does not belong to
t}i£rn^ for the imposition of hands may be called
the imposition of the hands of the Presbytery,
although each and every one of the Presbytery
have not the power of imposing hands. It is
enough that the leading part of the Presbytery
have that power ; just as the tribe of Levi is said
to offer incense, when it was the prerogative of
the Priests only."
(3.) The celebrated Alexander IIenderso7i^ one
of the most conspicuous and influential leaders of
the Church of Scotland, in his work entitled —
" The Government and order of the Church of
Scotland," published in 1641, in speaking of the
minute details observed in the ordination of Pas-
tors, says, Section II.: "The minister cometh
from the pulpit, and, with as many of the ?ni7n6-
ters present as may conveniently come near, lay
their hands upon his head, and, in the name of
Jesus, do appoint him to be the Pastor of that
Church."
(4.) In another treatise, by the well known
Samuel Rutherford, entitled, " A Peaceable Plea
for Paul's Presbytery in Scotland," published in
1642, the same fact is repeatedly brought out, and
the practice defended on scriptural grounds, as
well as the nature of the ministerial office. He
says, " Every where, in the word, where Pastors
and Elders are created, there they are ordained
by Pastors,'' p. 37. " Ordination of Pastors is
308 ORDINATION OP
never given to people, or believers, or to Riding
Julders^ as is clear from 1 Tim. v. 22 ; Titus i. v ;
Acts vi. 6; xiii. 3; 2 Tim. i. 6 ; 1 Tim. iv. 14,"
p. 190. In this Treatise, Rutherford argues on
the principle that if believers who are not Pastors,
may ordain Pastors, they may again depose and
excommunicate, " which, says he, are the highest
acts of jurisdiction ; and then may they preach
and baptize, not being called as Ministers^ then
may the Sacraments be administrate where there
are no Pastors, which is absurd even to the sepa-
ratists themselves," p. 57.
(5.) The excellent James Guthrie^ of Sterling,
in his Treatise " of Elders and Deacons," ob-
serves — " Howbeit the execution of some decrees
of the Church assemblies, — such as the imposition
of hands^ — the pronouncing the sentence of ex-
communication — the receiving penitents — the in-
timation of the deposition of ministers, and such
like, do belong to ministeis alone.''''
(6.) In the Westminster Assembly of Divines,
the testimony borne on this subject is perfectly
clear and explicit. Their language is — " Every
minister of the word is to be ordained by imposi-
tion of hands and prayer, and fasting, by those
preaching Presbyters to whom it doth belongf.
1 Tim. V. 22 ; Acts xiv. 23, and xiii. 3."
(7.) With the uniform language of the Church
of Scotland, and the decisive judgment of the West-
minster Assembly, the recorded opinion of the
venerable Calvin perfectly harmonized. Calvin's
language on this subject is too explicit and pointed
to admit of doubt or controversy. " The imposi-
tion of hands in the ordination of ministers is con-
fined to Pastors alone.'''' Instit. Lib. iv. Cap. iii.
Sect. 16. And this, by the way, may be considered
RULING ELDERS. 309
as a sufficient index of the practice of the Church
of Geneva, in which Calvin had a patriarchal
authority.
In accordance with all these, it is notorious
that our venerated Fathers, who framed the pre-
sent Formularies of the Presbyterian Church in
the United States, and who might be supposed
best to know the import of their own work, never
claimed or allowed for Ruling Elders the right in
question. In no branch of European or Ameri-
can Presbyterianism was such a claim ever heard
of, until very lately, in a small portion of our
Body.
In vain is it alleged, then, that the language
of our prescribed form of ordination seems to im-
ply that all the members of the Presbytery shall
lay hands on the head of the candidate, and take
him by the hand, with an official salutation on
rising from his knees. That none but the stated,
permanent ministerial members of the Presbytery
are. intended by these terms, is perfectly manifest,
from the common laws of language ; from all the
sources whence these formularies were derived ;
and, above all, from the uniform acknowledged
practice of their framers themselves for more than
fifty years : for it was more than half a century
from the time of the adoption of our present con-
stitution, before the new claim in question was
proposed or thought of.
(310)
CHAPTER XIY.
OF THE RESIGNATION OF RULING ELDERS ; THEIR
REMOVAL FROM ONE CHURCH TO ANOTHER ,*
AND THE METHOD OF CONDUCTING DISCIPLINE
AGAINST THEM.
As it is a fundamental principle of the Presbyte-
rian Church that the office of Ruling Elder is
permanent ; that when a man is once set apart to
it, he IS always an Elder, while he lives, unless
deposed by regular constitutional process ; a
variety of questions, naturally resulting from this
principle, claims our notice. Among these, some
of the more obvious and important will be briefly
considered in the present chapter.
A Ruling Elder, after being regularly and
solemnly set apart to his office, with, perhaps, as
full an intention of faithfully performing its duties
to his life's end, as ever man had, may lose his
health, and thus become physically and perma-
nently unable to perform those duties. Or he may
become, unavoidably, so situated, with regard to
his temporal business as to render the regular ful-
filment of his duties altogether impracticable. In
this case, the individual supposed, may resign his
place in the Session ; in other words, he may
cease to be an acting Overseer, or Inspector and
Ruler of that Church. He will, of course, still
retain his place and privileges as a regular member
of the Church ; but he will no lonfrer take any
part in its spiritual government. This is so rea-
sonable a provision, that it can scarcely be thought
RESIGNATION, ETC., OF RULING ELDERS. 311
to require either illustration or defence. We all
know that a Teaching Elder, or Minister of the
Word and Sacraments, after being for a time a
pastor, may, if the state of his health, or any other
circumstance should imperiously demand it, resign
his pastoral charge, and retire, as long as the cause
of his resignation continues to operate, to private
life. He who does this, it is well known, though
he ceases to be a pastor, still continues to be a
minister, fully invested with the powers of an
"Ambassador of Christ." He may still, if he
think proper, reside within the bounds of the con-
gregation which he formerly served ; and he may,
occasionally, if mutually convenient and agreeable,
minister to them in sacred things. But he is no
longer their minister; and he may never think
proper again to take a pastoral charge.
All these principles apply to the Ruling Elder.
If he verily think that he cannot any longer per-
form the duties of his ofRce in a manner acceptable
either to the Head of the Church, or to his people ;
he may withdraw from active service. When he
does this, however, he does not lay down his
office. He does not cease to be an Elder. He
only ceases to be an acting Elder. If his health
should ever be restored, or his temporal circum-
stances undergo a favourable alteration, he may
resume the duties of his ofFice, and again take his
place in the Session from which he withdrew, or
some other, without a new ordination. When an
Elder thus wishes to resign his station, he is to
give official notice of his desire to the Session ;
they are to declare if they think proper, their
acceptance of his resignation ; the whole transac-
tion is to be distinctly recorded in the Sessional
Book ; and report made to the Presbytery that iho
312 RESIGNATION, ETC., OP
indiv/dual in question has ceased to be an acting
member of that Session.
Again ; an Elder may become wholly incapable
of serving the Church with which he is connected,
by the entire loss of his popularity. He may not
have become either heterodox in his theological
opinions, or so irregular in any part of his prac-
tice, as to render himself liable to process or
deposition from office; and yet he may, by indis-.
cretions, or by undignified conduct, so lose the
respect and confidence of the people, or, in a
moment of prejudice or passion, the popular feel-
ing, without any just ground of blame on his part,
may be so strong against him, that he may be no
longer able to serve the Church either acceptably,
or to edification, as a spiritual Ruler. In either of
these cases, he ought voluntarily to resign his place
in the Session, as stated in the preceding para-
graph ; and the Session, after taking a vote of
acceptance on the resignation, ought distinctly to
record the same in the minutes of their proceedings,
and make regular report of it, for the information
of the Presbytery. In all this there will be recog-
nized an almost exact similarity to the usual course
of proceeding, when a pastor is sensible that he
has become unpopular, and wishes to resign his
charge.
It may be, however, that the Elder, whose popu-
larity is thus prostrated, may not be sensible of his
real situation ; may be unwilling to believe that he
is not popular, and may, therefore, refuse, even
when requested, to resign his station. In this
case, the course prescribed in our Form of Govern-
ment, is, that the Session make due report of the
â– whole matter to the Presbytery, giving due notice
to the Elder in question of the time and place at
RULING ELDERS, 313
which it is intended to make the report ; and that
the Presbytery decide, after due inquiry and deli-
beration, whether he ought to resign, or continue
his connexion with the Session. On the one hand,
no Church ought to be burdened by the incumbency
of an unpopular and obstinate Elder, who, instead
of edifying, is injuring it. And, on the other hand,
no innocent and really exemplary Elder ought to
be abandoned to the fury of popular prejudice, and
permitted to be trampled under feet, when, per-
haps, he ought to be sustained and honoured for
his fidelity.
Further; Ruling Elders, like other Church
members, may find it their duty to remove their
residence from the bounds of the Church which
called them to office, to another. Such cases not
unfrequently arise. The question is, when they
do occur, how is the official standing of such a
removing Elder to be disposed of? He, of course,
when he goes, ought to take with him a regular
certificate of good standing, as a private Christian,
and a dismission and recommendation to the
Church to which he removes. The certificate
ought also to bear an attestation of his regular
standing as an Elder, and of his official as well
as personal dismission from his former Church.
With this certificate he will repair to the Church
to which he is recommended, and will, of course,
be received as a private member in good standing.
If the existing Eldership and members of the
Church to which he removes, think it for their
edification that he be introduced into their Session,
he may be elected in the manner " most approved
and in use in that congregation;" that is, either
by a nomination by the Session, or by a popular
vote of the Church members; and if thus elected,
27
314 RESIGNATION, ETC., OF
introduced to an official relation to that people, not
by a new ordination, which ought never to be re-
peated ; but by being regularly installed as their
Elder. This is effected by the candidate appear-
ing in the face of the congregation, as one about
to be ordained ; answering in the affirmative the
fourth question directed to be put to candidates for
the Eldership at their ordination ; the members
of the congregation publicly professing to receive
him as their spiritual Ruler, agreeably to the last
question, in the same formula ; declaring him one
of the Ruling Elders of that Church; and closing
with prayer for the Divine blessing on the trans-
action.
It may be, however, that when an individual,
who has served one congregation as an Elder,
removes into the bounds of another, that other may
not, on the whole, think best to elect him as one
of their Elders. They may already have as many
as they think there ought to be in one Church.
Or his character, though unexceptionably good,
may not be such as to promise great benefit by
taking him into their parochial Presbytery. In this
case, they are under no obligation to elect him one
of their Elders. And if they do not think best to
employ him in this character, he may live among
them as a private member of the Church. At this
he ought to take no offence. It would be a hard
case, indeed, if Churches were not left at liberty
to act agreeably to their own views of propriety
and duty in such cases. If a preaching Elder, or
pastor, be liberated from his pastoral charge, and
remove his residence within the bounds of another
Church, however excellent his character, that
Church is not bound to employ him. To suppose
it bound, would indeed be ecclesiastical slavery.
RULING ELDERS. 315
A preacher inferior to him, in every respect, might
be preferred. Every Church must be left to its
own unbiassed choice. Siill the Elder, as well as
the minister, in the case supposed, thou
tirement, and without olficial employment, retains
his office, and is capable of being employed in that
office, whenever the judicatories of the Church
think proper to avail themselves of his ser-
vices.
When Ruling Elders become chargeable with
heresy or immorality, and, of course, liable to the
discipline of the Church, they are amenable to the
bar of the Church Session. By that body they
are to be arraigned and tried. Process against
them is to be conducted according to the same
general rules which regulate the trial of private
members of the Church, excepting that, as their
character is, in some respects, more important,
and their example more influential, than the cha-
racter and example of those who bear no office in
the Church ; so there ought to be peculiar caution,
tenderness, and care in receiving accusations, and
in commencing process against them. " Against
an Elder," says the inspired Paul, " receive not
an accusation, but before two or three witnesses."
If, therefore, any person observe or hear of any
thing in a Ruling Elder which he considers as
rendering him justly liable to censure, he ought
by no means immediately to spread it abroad ;
but to communicate what he has observed or heard
to the pastor of the Church, and take his advice
as to the proper course to be pursued ; and if the
pastor cannot be seen and consulted, then similar
consultation and advice should be had with one,
at least, of the brother Elders of the supposed de-
linquent : and all this, before any hint respecting
316 RESIGNATION, ETC., OP
the alleged delinquency is lisped to any other
human being.
As the Church Session is the tribunal to which
the Ruling Elder is, at least in the first instance,
always amenable ; so it is generally proper that he
should be tried by that judicatory. Yet where
there is any thing peculiar or delicate in the case
of process against an Elder, a Presbytery should
be consulted.
There are cases, however, so very peculiar as
to preclude the possibility of an impartial trial,
and sometimes, indeed, of any trial at all, before
the Session. A few such cases may be specified.
An instance occurred, a few year since, in
which there were only two Elders in a certain
Church Session, and the moral conduct of both
these Elders became impeached. It was, of course,
impossible to try them in the usual manner.
In another case, the Session was composed of
two Elders beside the pastor. These Elders were
own brothers. One of them was charged with
immoral conduct ; and it was judged altogether
improper that any attempt should be made to try
the delinquent in that Session.
In a third class of cases, when process against
membersof Church Sessions had been commenced,
it was found that so many of the brother Elders
of the delinquents were cited as witnesses, that
there was no prospect of a dispassionate and im-
partial trial by the remainder.
In all these cases, it was wisely judged proper
to apply immediately to the Presbytery, to take
the several causes in hand, and to commence and
issue process.
It has been sometimes proposed, in exigencies
similar to those which have been stated, without
RULING ELDEKS. 317
applying to the Presbytery, to call in the aid of
the Eldership of a neighbouring Church, and to
submit the case to their decision. To this course
their are two objections. First — the Constitution
of the Presbyterian Church knows of no such
body. It has no where provided for the forma-
tion of a parochial tribunal in such a manner.
And, secondly, the adoption of this plan would be
to set one Church as a judge over a neighbouring
sister Church.
To avoid this incongruity, it has been sometimes
proposed to form a tribunal for the trial of delin-
quent Elders, by selecting one or two of the same
class ofolficers, from each of several neiijhbourini'
Sessions. This was intended as an expedient to
avoid the impropriety of setting one Church in
judgment over another. But this expedient, be-
sides that it is unauthorized by any constitutional
provision, is liable to the charge of a selection of
judges which may not always be fair and impar-
tial. It is far better on every account, and espe-
cially more in harmony with the nature of the
case, and with the spirit of our general principles
to go immediately to the Presbytery. That
body is the natural resort in all cases in which
the Church Session is unable, in its ordinary struc-
ture and situation, to perform the contemplaced
work.
27
(318)
CHAPTER XV.
4.DVANTAGES OF CONDUCTING DISCIPLINE ON THE
PRESBYTERIAN PLAN.
It is not forgotten, in entering on this chapter, that
most denominations of Christians are so far pre-
judiced, and sometimes so blindly prejudiced, in
favour of their own particular government and for-
mularies, that their judgment in reference to this
matter, can seldom be regarded as impartial. The
writer of this Essay, though he does not allow
himself to indulge in such prejudices, yet does not
claim to be wholly free from them. Instead, there-
fore, of troubling the reader with his bare impres-
sions and preferences in regard to the Presbyterian
mode of conducting discipline, which would, of
course, go for nothing ; it is proposed to present
such a series of principles and reasonings as will
enable the intelligent inquirer to judge for himself,
how far the conclusions of the writer are sustained
by solid argument.
I. And, in the first place, the plan of discipline
for which we plead, is founded, essentially, on the
principle of representation, which, in a greater or
'ess decrree, pervades all human society. When a
community of any extent wishes to frame laws for
its own government, by whom is this service
usually performed 1 By the whole body of citi-
zens, wise and unwise, orderly and disorderly,
coming together, and debating on the propriety and
the form of every proposed enactment I No, never.
An attempt of this kind would soon show the plan
ADVANTAGES OF THIS PLAN. 319
to be equally foolish and impracticable. Again ;
when a Court is to be formed, for applying the
laws already in force, to human actions, of what
materials is this tribunal commonly composed ?
Does any one ever think of summoning the whole
mass of the male population, excepting the culprit,
or the complainant, whose cause is to be tried, to
come together, and decide on the case? Who
would ever expect either a tranquil or a wise de-
cision from such a judicial assembly ? In both
these cases, the good sense of men, in all civilized
society, dictates the choice of a select number of
individuals, representatives of the whole body, and
supposed to possess a competent share of know-
ledge, wisdom, and integrity, to form the laws of
the community ; and another body, smaller, in-
deed, but constituted upon similar principles, judi-
cially to apply them when enacted. And so in
every department of society. The representative
system was one of the earliest that appeared in
the progress of mankind. It is recommended by its
reasonableness, its convenience, its wisdom, and
its efficiency. In fact, the more deeply we look
into the history and state of the world, the more
clearly we shall see that large bodies of men can-
not take a step without it.
And, as this system pervades all civil society ;
so we may say, without fear of contradiction, that
it equally pervades the whole economy of re-
demption and grace. Is it not reasonable, then,
that we should find it in the visible Church? If
we did not, it would, indeed, be a strange depar-
ture from a general principle of Jehovah's king-
dom.
The Presbyterian plan, then, of conducting the
government of each congregation, is recommended
320 ADVANTAGES OF
by its conformity with this, ahiiost universal, prin-
ciple. It deposits the power of applying the laws
which Christ has enacted, and given to his people,
not with the whole professing population of the
Church ; but with a select body of the communi-
cants, most distinguished for their piety, know-
ledge, judgment, and experience. It does no
make judges indiscriminately of the young ana
old, the enlightened and the ignorant, the wise
and the unwise. It selects the exemplary, the
pious, the prudent, the grave, and the experienced,
for this important work. " It sets those to judge
who are most esteemed in the house of God."
This is the theory ; and, in most cases, we sup-
pose, the actual practice. And where it is really
so, who does not see that there is every security
which the nature of the case admits, that the
judgment will be the most calm, judicious, and
edifying, that the amount of wisdom and of piety
in that Church could pronounce?
The inconvenience, nay, the positive mischiefs,
of committing the judgment, in the most delicate
and difficult cases of implicated Christian cha-
racter, to the whole mass of Christian professors,
have been alluded to in a preceding chapter.
And the more closely they are examined, the