preires," and as it regards ordination, it is expressly provided by their Discipline (Article 93) that "the body of the pastors of the church shall give the imposition of hands."

This point is important to our argument, for it can be shown that the whole institution of the office of ruling elders in the reformed churches, may be traced to the Waldenses. The Bohemian brethren, it is well known, were a branch of the Waldenses, having removed from Picardy about two hundred years before the time of Huss. Now in their form of government we have the following direction: "Tell it to the Church," that is, to the "Guides, whereby the Church is ruled;" and that we may be at no loss who these "Rulers" were, we are told, in a preceding chapter, that they were seniors chosen from among the people for the purpose of governing; and informed that they were distinct from the pastors.§ And in a Confession drawn up by them in the year 1535, they say,** “Elders (Presbyteri, seu Censores morum) are honest, grave, pious men, chosen out of the whole congregation, that they may act as guardians of all the rest. To them authority is given, (either alone, or in connexion with the pastor,) to admonish and rebuke those who transgress the prescribed rules, also to reconcile those who are at variance, and to restore to order whatever irregularity they may have noticed. Likewise in secular matters, relating to domestic concerns, the younger men and youths are in the habit of asking their counsel, and being faithfully advised by them. From the example and practice of the ancient church, we believe that this ought always to be done. See Ex. 18: 21, Deut. 1: 18. 1 Cor. 6: 2-4, 5. 1 Tim. 5: 17.”

Comenius, the Bohemian historian, and last bishop or superintendent, calls these the assistants of the pastor, and says: "Such are our seniors; they are styled judges of the congregation or censors of the people, and also ruling elders."*

Now mark the bearing of this on our present inquiry. Luther, in some of his early writings, had expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Bohemian brethren; but, upon being more fully informed of their doctrine and order, and more especially of their provision for maintaining sound discipline, by means of their Eldership in each congregation, he changed his opinion, and became willing both to speak and to write strongly in their favor. Hence his highly commendatory Preface to their "Confession of Faith," of which mention has been already made. And hence, at a still later period, the following strong expressions in favor of the same people: "There hath not arisen any people, since the times of the apostles, whose church hath #Discipline of the Vaudois.

See Dr. Miller on the Eldership, p. 108, 2d ed.

**Do. do. p. 110.

*See Dr. Miller on the Eldership, p. 114.

come nearer to the apostolical doctrine and order, than the brethren of Bohemia.'

"Bucer, the Swiss reformer, having largely conversed with two of the Waldensian pastors, declared, that they have preserved among them the discipline of Christ, which constrains us to give them this praise." In 1533, Melancthon wrote them as follows: "In reality I do not at all disapprove of that very severe manner of exercising the discipline, which is practiced in your churches. Would to God it were enforced with a little more rigor in ours."

We have also evidence that to them Calvin was indebted for his idea of this office.* "We know that this venerable man before he was expelled from Geneva 1538, and while he was struggling and suffering so much for want of an efficient discipline, made no attempt to introduce the institution in question.” When Calvin first settled in Geneva in 1536, he found the reformed religion already introduced and to a considerable extent supported, under the ministry of Farel and Viret, two bold and faithful advocates of evangelical truth. Such, however, was the opposition made to the doctrines which they preached, and especially to the purity of discipline which they struggled hard to establish, by the licentious part of the inhabitants, among whom were some of the leading magistrates, that in 1538, Calvin and his colleagues were expelled from their places in the Genevan church, because they refused to administer the Lord's Supper to the vilest of the population who chose to demand the privilege. In a paroxysm of popular fury, those faithful ministers of Christ were commanded to leave the city within two days. During this temporary triumph of error and profligacy, Calvin retired to Strasburg, where he was appointed Professor of Divinity and pastor of a church, and where he remained nearly four years.

In 1540, the year before he was recalled to Geneva, he corresponded with the Bohemian brethren, and made himself particularly acquainted with their plan of church government, which he regarded with deep interest; an interest no doubt greatly augmented by the sufferings which he had recently undergone in fruitless efforts to maintain the purity of ecclesiastical discipline; in which efforts he had been baffled chiefly by the want of such an efficient system as the Bohemian churches possessed. "It was when in Strasburg," says Mr. Lorimer in his work on the Eldership, p. 162, "that he was led more fully to study the office of the Ruling Elder, especially in connection with the history of the Bohemian and Waldensian churches, which could trace their origin to a very remote an

*See Dr. Miller on the Eldership, p. 118, and 116 and 117. Also, Dr. Laing's Religion and Education in America, p. 315.

tiquity, and which had always enjoyed the advantage of a numerous and powerful body of such officers. Calvin clearly saw that it was only an ecclesiastical staff of this kind which could remedy such disorders as those which had prevailed at Geneva; that, in short, had the ministers been supported by a suitable body of representatives from the congregation, the tumult would in all probability never have occurred." In the course of his correspondence, while yet in exile for his fidelity, Calvin addressed the Bohemian pastors in the following pointed terms: "I heartily congratulate your churches, upon which, besides sound doctrine, God hath bestowed so many excellent gifts. Of these gifts, it is none of the least to have such pastors to govern and order them;-to have a people themselves so affected and disposed;-to be constituted under so noble a form of government;-to be adorned with the most excellent discipline, which we justly call most excellent, and indeed the only bond by which obedience can be preserved. I am sure we find with us, by woful experience, what the worth of it is, by the want of it; nor yet can we by any means attain to it. On this account it is, that I am often faint in my mind and feeble in the discharge of my duties. Indeed I should quite despair did not this comfort me, that the edification of the church is always the work of the Lord, which he himself will carry on by his own power though all help besides should fail. Yet still it is a great and rare blessing to be aided by so necessary a help. Therefore I shall not consider our church as properly strengthened, until they can be bound together by that bond." And the pious historian after giving this extract from the venerable Reformer adds: "It so happened, in the course of divine Providence, that, not long afterwards, this eminent man was recalled to minister in the church of Geneva, where he established the very same kind of discipline which is now famed throughout the world.”

In the year 1541 Calvin says: "I detailed to the senate my labor; I showed them that the church could not stand, unless a certain form of government were appointed, such as is prescribed to us in the word of God, and was observed in the ancient church. I then touched certain heads, whence they might understand what I wished. But because the whole matter could not be explained, I begged that there should be given us those who might confer with us. Six were appointed to us. Articles will be written concerning the whole government of a church, which we shall afterwards lay before the senate."*

The committee at Geneva reported, laws were prescribed, and a constitution instituted by the General Council, on the 20th of Nov., 1541. The consistory was to contain a double number of laymen, chosen annually; that is, at first it consisted of *Epist. 50.

the six ministers, two laymen from the lesser senate, a council of twenty-five; and ten from the greater, or council of two hundred; one of the syndics presiding. That Calvin did afterwards, says Dr. Wilson, attempt to justify the reception of lay presbyters, from the authority of the Scriptures, his writings evince. It is perfectly clear, nevertheless, that it was adopted at first by him as an expedient for reducing the church at Geneva to a state of discipline, which should secure the reformation at that place. He probably preferred the name consistory, because the judicatory was composed of laymen and elders, for since ordination is by laying on of the hands of the presbytery, if those laymen were members of a presbytery, then they must impose hands, and give an authority which they possessed not. As if apprehensive, also, of the impropriety of denominating men presbyters who had received no ordination, he called them inspectors."+

Such then was the orginal of Calvin's lay representatives of the people. And that he did not regard them as properly entitled to the name of presbyters appears, not only from the different name he gave to the court of which they formed a part, and the name he gave to them, but from his positive instructions. In his Institutions, Book 4, chap. 3, he has the following passage, which is explicit. "In calling those who preside over churches by the appellations of "Bishops," "Elders" and "Pastors," without any distinction, I have followed the usage of the Scriptures, which apply all these terms to express the same. meaning. For to all who discharge the ministry of the word, they give the title of "Bishops." So when Paul enjoins Titus to "ordain elders in every city," he immediately adds, "for a bishop must be blameless." So in another place, he salutes more bishops than one in one church. And in the Acts of the Apostles he is declared to have sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus, whom in his address to them he calls "Bishops." Here it must be observed that we have enumerated only those offices which consist in the ministry of the word; nor does Paul mention any other in the 4th chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians which we have quoted. But in the Epistle to the Romans and the first Epistle to the Corinthians, he enumerates others, as "powers," "gifts of healing," "interpretation of tongues,' "governments," "care of the poor. Those functions which are merely temporary, I omit, as foreign to our present subject. But there are two which

"Non solos verbi ministros sedere judices in consistorio; sed numerum duplo majorem partim ex minori senatu ex delectis senioribus esse, ut vocant, partim ex majore deligi, ad haec unum fere ex syndicis praesidere." Epist. 167. "Deliguntur quotannis duodecim seniores; nempe ex minori senatu duo, reliqui ex ducentis, sive sint indigenae siv ascriptitii cives. Qui probe et fideliter munere suo perfuncti sunt, loco non moventur; nisi," &c. See Dr. Wilson on the Gov't of the Ch. p. 237.

perpetually remain, "governments," and "the care of the poor." "Governors," I apprehend to have beeen persons of advanced years, selected from the people to unite with the bishops in giving admonition and exercising discipline. For no other interpretation can be given of that injunction, "He that ruleth let him do it with diligence." For from the beginning, every church has had its senate, or council, composed of pious, grave and holy men, who were invested with that jurisdiction, for the correction of vices, of which we shall soon treat. Now, that this was not the regulation of a single age, experience itself demonstrates. This office of government is necessary therefore in every age."§

*

Dr. Miller has undoubtedly shown that both Zuingle and Ecolompadius before the time of Calvin had openly taught the scriptural claims of the office of ruling elders, whom they denominated elders of another kind, that is, senators, leaders or counsellors, or as the latter calls them, in accordance with ancient usage, "seniors." A consistory was established at Zuric, A. D. 1525, for the decision of matrimonial and other causes which had hitherto been carried before the bishop of Constance," and another at St. Gallen, A. D. 1526, for the same object. But the constitution of these courts shows plainly that whatever may have been the subsequent views of these reformers, they did not regard the office of ruler in the light in which we now consider the ruling elder. For in both cases the members of these courts were chosen either by the state, as at Zuric, or by popular vote. Zuingle thus delineates his views.† "I will briefly explain the use made of the council in these affairs, since we are calumniated by some for leaving to the decision of two hundred persons, that which ought to be referred to the whole church, consisting of seven thousand. Thus then the case stands. We the ministers of Zuric have some time back freely admonished the council that we consent to refer to them what properly belongs to the judgment of the whole church, on no other condition than this, that in their deliberations and decrees they shall take the word of God for their guide. We have reminded them also, that they on no other terms stand in the place of the church, than as the church has voluntarily (benigne) consented to receive their decrees. We proclaimed the same sentiments to the church at large; observing to them, that in times like these, when numbers are swayed by perverse affections, which they would vainly have to be taken for the suggestions of the Spirit, many things can

Scott's Continuation of Milnor, vol. 2, p. 521.

On the Eldership, ch. vi. p. 121, 122.

*Scott's Continuation of Milnor, p. 578.

†Scott's Continuation of Milnor, vol. iii. p. 32, and p. 91, and T. Op. ii. 248.