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 APOSTOLICAT, SUCCESSION," "PRESBYTERY AND
NOT PRELACY THE SCRIPTURAL AND PRIMITIVE 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
CARTER ; BOSTON, CROCKER AND BREWSTER; LONDON,

WILEY AND PUTNAM; EDINBURGH, W. P. KEN-

NEDY; BELFAST, WILLIAM M'COMB.

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.

WITH PECUliar emotiONS OF HOPE AND JOY

THE AUTHOR

ASSOCIATES WITH THIS VOLUME THE NAMES

ог

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

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.