IMAGE EVALUATSON TEST TARGET (MT-3) 10 I.I IIM 12.5 ill r i': __ 1 2.2 2.0 1.8 V 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► ^ %. % ^w 0%. m ¥y w Photographic Sciences Corpomtion 23 WEST MAIN S'^lEET WEBSUR.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 f CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadia/i Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques ^ O' 1981 Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes tech.iiquos et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. L'Institut a microfilmd le meiileur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. 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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film^ d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. rrata :o pelure. U 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 II K Zbc Office Wiovk of \\\ % SECOND EDITION. Jl THK ■r % OFFICE AI^D WORK OF ELDEES BY PRINCIPAL D. H. MacVICAR, D.D, LL.D. Presbyterian College, Montreal. PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. ^ontrcjtl : W. Drysdale & Co., 232 St. James Street. 1895 t ■ i The following discourse was delivered in Crescent Street Presbyterian Church. Montreal, Sabbath morning, December 2nd, 1894, on the occasion of the Ordination of Elders. It is now published by unanimous request of the Kirk Session of said Church. D. H. M. Presbyterian College, Montreal, Dec. 15th, 1894. Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand Te Mini;; "',r';"r'"-'"^' '^ ^""^"^ ^^•^«'^'^^« & Co in'he offle""' the Minister of Agriculture at Ottawa. Zbc Office anb Mork ot lElber^. ii 1 Peter v. 1. — The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder {Greek— sumpreshtdeivs), and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall he revealed. In defining his own status in the Church of God Peter says, I am an elder, I am a witness of the sufferings of Christ, I am a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed ; but he does not say I am the Supreme Pontiff set over all the rest of the apostles — the infallible head of the church universal No. I'hat was a distinction which he never claimed and never enjoyed, but which was ascribed to him by the superstition of a later age. He was content to take rank as an elder and a witness of the sufferings which he saw the Son of God pass through in his earthly career, in Gethsemane and on Calvary, when he put away sin by offering himself a sacrifice once for all, "and made reconciliation for the sins of the people." Peter was content to testify to these redemptive suffer- ings, and to be a partaker, along with the humblest of God's people, of the glory that shall be revealed when Christ shall appear to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. Is not this enough, and infinitely better than all the pomp and honours falsely claimed by his pretended successors ? But my wish is to turn your attention specially to the first title claimed by Peter, that of an elder. We are met this morning to ordain additional elders in this church, and it is fitting that we should think about their office and work. 't < ' HI p. i In the New Testament Church, as organized by Christ and His apostles, there were two permanent orders of office- bearers, Deacons and Elders.* I do not forget that in subsequent days sundry other ordera were added, an imposing hierarchy was set up by mere human authority, with Cardinals, Arch-bishops, and so forth. These were all post-apostolic, and are now acknowledged by candid and scholarly men to be destitute of Scriptural warrant. They no more belong to the simplicity of the apostolic church than the adoration of saints and angels. With respect to Deacons, we read of the institution of the office in the sixth chapter of the Acts, when " seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom," were elected and ordained to serve in this capacity. They are not called Deacons in the record, but their character, qualifications and work correspond with what was after- wards set forth as belonging to Deacons. And that the office became universal in the apostolic church, and was designed to be permanent, seems clear from Paul's directions to Timothy touching the sort of persons to be chosen as Deacons. They " must be grave, not double- tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre ; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." We are concerned, however, just now with Elders, and regarding them we may note the following points : — I. — lltey are called of God's Spirit to this office. No man should take this honour to himself unless so called. Hence elders are persons separated and distinctly consecrated to the Lord by their high and sacred vocation. Good men, of course, but more than this as we shall presently see — men of superior intelligence, possessed in some measure of the qualifications which Christ requires of those whom He Vide Note A, Appendix, p. 17. counts Elders. Every good man who leads a quiet inoffensive life, doing nothing very distinctively christian or unchristian, is not on thi^ account necessarily (pialitied for the proper discharge of the duties of the eldership. The fact that a man is singularly good-natured and tolerant, and prone to reconcile contradictories in theology and practical conduct, does not point him out as fit for the office. Mere negative attributes are not enough. Positive qualities and the vigor of charactei- which they impart are demanded. The elder, above all things, must be a man of God — the significant designation by which Old Testament prophets were known. He should be fully persuaded in his own mind and able, by consistent godly living, to convince those who have spiritual discernment that he is a temple of the Holy Ghost ; for " if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," and therefore not fit to be an elder. More than this, he should feel himself moved by an inward divine impulse constraining him to undertake this work. This divine call is in reality his primary and highest title to office. He receives and holds his patent direct from the Court of Heaven. God the Holy Spirit first makes elders and ministers, and the Church merely selects, trains, and installs in office those who are thus divinely fitted for it. When she does otherwise she does wrong, and brings upon herself weakness and deadness. But can the Church, and can a man himself discern that he is fitted for a certain office ? Why not ? Has not Christ given her the promise of the presence of his Spirit and the providential guidance of his own hand in such matters ? And are not good men consciously moved by the truth and the Spirit of God to consecrate themselves to the special service of the Redeemer !* There is no need of ^j^S j! 3 Ki 6 wrapping this matter in impenetrable mystery. When God calls a man to office he reveals it to him in his own consciousness, and after intelligent and calm consideration, and by listening to the counsel of those competent to give him wise advice, he is finally persuaded that he possesses in some degree — I do not say in full measure — the (juali- tications of head and heart necessary for the discharge of the duties he is constrained to undertake. II. — Elders are called to office by the voice of the people. There is first the call of God's Spirit addressed to the heart, and then the outward call of the Saints. How do we know that this is the order ? By the v/ord of truth which is the only rule we can accept in settling all things pertaining to the house of God. They are not to be determined by custom, however venerable, by the decrees of the Church, or the enactments of the State, but only by the word of the Lord and the practice of his inspired apostles. You recollect how the first deacons were chosen. Even the apostles, although inspired and invested with special authority, did not claim the right to select deacons. On the contrary they said to the people, " Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." The brethren did so, and it is added, " Whom they set before the apostles ; and wher< they had prayed they laid their hands on them." That h to say, the people selected the deacons and the apostles ordained them. The same order was uniformly fo? lowed with elders. There was first election by the act of the members of th'' Church, and then ordination to office. Indeed the Greek word used in the New Testament to describe the transaction conveys the idea that the election was by an open unbiased vote, protably by the uplifting of the hand, or by casting the sephos or pebble, the method followed in the Jewish Sanhedrim. And it is not difficult to perceive the propriety, safety, and wisdom of this divine order in the choice of the office-bearers of the Church. There is manifest j)ropriety in it, for surely it is seemly and right that every member of the Church should prayerfully and wisely judge who are to be rulers and teachers therein. There is also safety in this course ; for suppose that weak and conceited enthusiasts should appear in a congregation claiming to be called of God and pre-eminently qualified to teach and to rule, this election by the people is an effectual check upon their folly. The whole Church cannot be supposed to be beside her.self, ami although these pragmatical \^isionaries may be in this state, the Lord will restrain them by the hand of his flock in declining to elect them to office. And the divine wisdom of this order is conspicuously obviou.s.. The Lord knows that it is most useful for a congregation to make the effort to find among themselves suitable persons to become elders. It will compel them to know one another better than is usual, and this is good. It will reveal to the people how poor or how rich they are in spiritual gifts, and this too is most desirable. If they can hardly find any one to serve the Lord in this capacity, then they are poor indeed, and need to seek earnestly more spiritual life and power from on high. If on the other hand they can readily find a dozen men, as is the case in this Church, eminently fitted for the office and willing to undertake its duties, then they are rich, and should give God thanks and take courage. 8 ' Si i 1 r i But this is not all. Seo Goa's wisdom in asking you to make choice of elders in the fact that you thereby become responsible to them and responsible for them. You place thein over yourselves voluntarily, and hence should find it natural and easy to obey them that have tiie rule over you in the Lord. You have deliberately given them this place, and you must not contradict your own action by disregarding them. Nay, more. You are responsible for them. They are your elders, and if without due thought aad prayer you have appointed them, and if they are not 3uch as they should be you are to blame in calling them to office. And therefore instead of finding fault, and bewailing the short- comings of pur fellow-Christians and counting this a pious exercise, let us confess our faults one to anoHier, and pray one fqr another, and be incessant and wise in our efforts to second the christian endeavours of those charcred with special service, that their labours may be crowned with abundant success. IIT, — Elders thus called of God and elected by his fioch a^e ordained to office. What is ordination, and by whom is it performed ? Many ^^ague and superstitious notices are entertained about this matter. We may say in a v/ord that ordination is an act of the Church thrcuffh her proper officers, presbyters, by which, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, she invests a man with ^ icred office and sets him apart for the discharge of its duties. This act is in no sense sacramental. There are only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper ; and these are signs and seals of the provisions of the eternal covenant of redemption — that covenant between God the Father and God the Son by which we arc delivered from sin in its penalty, pollution and power. The Sacraments are seals of this covenant and means of grace to believers, but in no way connected with ordination. Still more. Ordination is not a charm or talisman by which grace is conferred, and supernatural gifts are imparted to men ; and yet it is more than a mere form which may or may not be observed, which may with impunity be treated with neglect or contempt. It is a solemn appointment of the Saviour. " He ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach" (Mark iii. 14). His apostJes also committed the things they had received to faithful men who should be able to teach others ; and He gave certain promises to the elders who rule well and labour in word and doctrine, which promises if pleaded in faith at the time of ordination, and are afterwards trusted in, are sure to be fulfilled. As to the mode of ordination it embraces two acts — prayer, sometimes accompanied by fasting, and the imposition of the hands of presbyters. This was the order followed in the case of the first deacons. The seven men " were set before the Apostles ; and when they had pr-^yed, the>- laid their hands on them." (Acts vi. 6.) Timothy's authority to " give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine" was given him " by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." (1 Tim. iv. 13^ 14) And so at the ordination of Barnabas and Saul to a special mission among the Gentiles, by the Presbytery of Antioch, " when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent theih away." (Acts xiii. 3). It is proper to add that tne Presbyterian Church has never regarded the form of ordination as a matter of grave 10 importance. Hence the laying on of hands in ordaining ministers and ruling elders was dispensed with in the First Book of Discipline adopted by the Church of Scotland in 1560, and the ceremony was again enjoinod in the case of ministers in the Second Book of Discipline adopted in 1578. The present practice is to ordain ministers in this manner but to omit the imposition of hands in the case of ruling elders. The essantial thing is that the Church should care- fully guard the right of the people to elect, and .:ihould solemnly recognize in an orderly way and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ the call by +he HoJy Spirit of such persons to their sacred office. And now comes the practicj,! question, what are the functions of persons thus called, elected and ordained ? I answer : — IV'. — That they are chiefly to rult, to teach, and to administer the Sacraments. — Their power in these respects is derived from Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, who is the sole fountain of all ecclesiastical authority. The Church in electing and ordaining elders can clothe them only with such power as she receives from her Head. They are thus constituted bishops or elders, overseers of the flock of God ; for elders and bishops in the New Testament are the same, as is now admitted by competent and unbiased interpreters.* That this was the opinion of the revisers of the English translation of the Bible m 1881-84 seems evident from a much needed correction which they made in the twentieth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, substitut- ing the word bishops for overseers. At the seventeenth verse it is stated that Paul "' sent from Miletus to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church." I ask you to notice ^ particularly that in delivering his charge to those elders * Vide Note B, Appendix, pp. 18 and 19. C .11 the apostle said, " Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood." (Acts xx. 28). The Ephesian elders are thus pronounced bishops by apostolic authority, showing that the two names are used interchangeably, and showing,, too, that a plurality of bishops, several bishops existed in one church, instead of what grew up in post-apostolic days when one bishop was set over a number of churches in a whole diocese. The primitive practi ^ was to ordain elders or bishops, as many as might be thought desirable, in every church (Acts xiv. 23) ; and any attentive reader of the New Testament can see plainly that the same qualifications, privileges, responsibilities, and duties belonged to elders and bishops. According to Paul they were " to feed the flock of God." The Greek word is poimainein, literally to tend as shepherds do their flocks. And Peter says, " Tend" — using the same Greek word as Paul — " ihe flock of God which is among you exercising the oversight" — the bishopric — " not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God ; nor yet for filthy lucre but of a ready mind ; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but makinof yourselves ensamples to the flock" (1 Pet. v. 2, 3). In defining the qualifications of elders or bishops we might content ourselves with the analysis of a single passage — that in which Paul directs Titus when left in Crete " to ordain elders in every city." He is told what sort of men to set apart for the office. The negative and positive attributes^ of their character as well as their official funr>tions are enumerated in detail. " The bishop must be blameless, t.^ the steward of God." " Not self-willed." He must sink his own will in that of Christ, feeling that He is 12 his Master. " Not soon angry" — capable of governing his temper even under sharp provocation. " No brawler," literally not quarrelsome over wine — one whose moral and spiritual nature is not impai)ed by baing given to much wine. " No striker" — free from violence whether of temper or outward conduct. " Not greedy of filthy lucre" — above being biased and controlled by desires of sordid gam. These five negations expeess a great deal, and make the elder a very remarkable man even if nothing more could be said of him. But here are positive qualities by which he is characterized. He must be " given to hos- pitality," prone to entertain strangers without reward, or with generous liberality. '' A lover of good" — wherever he finds it in any section of the Church of God — having his delights not with the ungodly and riotous, but with the saints, the excellent of the earth. " Sober," in feeling, in thought, in action. " Just," in his business, in his opinions, and judgments of all things, and therefore both fit to rule and to teach — a man " whose eye though turned on empty space beams keen with honour." " Holy" — God-like and Christ-like, for the divine nature revealed in Christ is the standard and pattern of human holiness. " Temperate" — free from mental and physical extravagances, well balanced in mind, and therefore showing a calm even and consistent career in life. " Holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching" — having a firm and strong grasp of God's truth as a whole — not weak and uncertain in his convictions as to the gospel, but clear and decided as the result of diligent personal study of the word, as well as by showing due deference to the prelections of others. An elder is not simply a person who can pass I'tt'','* 13 a creditable examination in some easy theological primer, but rather one who has a goodly mastery of the contents of the whole bible. Hence he is to " be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers." His strength as a teacher is to be laid out not upon theory or speculation or brilliant oratory or skilful adaptation of his lessons to the opinions of others, but upon exhortation in the sound doctrine that he may tl: us convict the gain- sayers. These, brethren, are the qualifications and functions of the. bishop or elder. But who is sufficient for these thinsrs ? Is it not too much to expect all these qualities in full measure in any man ? I answer, the standard must be correct and perfect, and we must do our best to come as near to it as we can, and seek help from God that we may daily rise to a higher plane of spiritual life and service. It may be too much to lay upon the rank and file of the elders all the duties just described, and as matter of fact our church discriminates in this respect, and divides elders into two classes, those called to rule and those called to teach.* Of the ruling elder such teaching power as implied in the passages cited has not been demanded. The divine gift of public teaching in a pre-eminent degree is not very widely distributed. It is certain that many elders justly shrink from delivering public discourses. They arc not required to do so, and have not been trained and may not be naturally fitted to render such service. For the sake of doing