NATURE AND FUNCTIONS

OF

Ruling Elders

WHEREIN IT IS SHOWN

FROM THE TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURE, THE

FATHERS AND THE REFORMERS

THAT

RULING ELDERS ARE NOT PRESBYTERS OR BISHOPS

AND THAT

AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE, THEIR OFFICE OUGHT

TO BE TEMPORARY.

WITH

AN APPENDIX

ON THE USE OF THE TITLE BISHOP.

BY

THOMAS SMYTH, D. D.,
AUTHOR OF "LECTURES ON THE APOSTOLICAr su CSSSion," "PRESBYTERY AND

NOT PRELACY THE SCRIPTURAL AND PKI V TIVE POLITY,'' ETC.

PUBLISHED:
NEW-YORK, MARK H. NEWMAN, ROBERT CARTER, LEAVITT, TROW AND CO., AND
WILEY AND PUTNAM ; PHILADELPHIA, PERKINS AND PURVES, AND WILLIAM
S. MARTIEN; CINCINNATI, WEED AND WILSON ; PITTSBURG, THOMAS
BOSTON, CROCKER

BREWSTER; LONDON,
WILEY AND PUTNAM ; EDINBURGH, W. P.

NEDY ; BELFAST, WILLIAM M'COMB.

CARTER;

AND

KEN-

ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1845,

By Leavitt, Trow & COMPANY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of

New-York.

J. F. TROW & CO., PRINTERS,

33 Ann-Street, N. Y.

WILLIAM DEARING, HUGH WILSON, WILLIAM YEADON, WILLIAM C. DUKES, JAMES M. CALDWELL, D. W. HARRISON, WILLIAM

ADGER, AND WILLIAM HARRAL,

THE

Ruling Elders,

WHOSE RECENT ELECTION TO OFFICE
GAVE OCCASION то ITS PREPARATION,

TAB HOPE AND BXPECTATION

OF

THE CHURCH OVER WHICH THEY PRESIDE

MAY THEIR NAMES, THROUGHOUT ETERNITY,
BE ASSOCIATED WITH ITS SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT;

AND BEING NOW

FOUND WISE TO WIN SOULS TO CHRIST,

MAY THEY THEN
SHINE AS STARS IN THE FIRMAMENT

OF

HEAVEN.