CHAPTER XXIV. GOVERNMENT HARMONIZED. "True freedom is where no restraint is known, And all from shore to shore is free beside." -COWPER. PRESBYTERIAL EPISCOPACY. In order to good government, experience teaches that certain conditions must meet and harmonize. Of these the liberty of the people, the authority of the rulers, and the unity of the kingdom, are of great importance. Without freedom, order, and justice, good government is an impossibility. Let there be an equipoise of freedom and order throughout all its provinces, and not only justice, but the stability and unity of the kingdom, are mightily promoted. These features are conspicuously and harmoniously combined in this government which the King hath provided for His holy hill of Zion. I. LIBERTY is secured to every member of the Church, while that freedom is carefully restricted. This liberty is not lawless. All the power which Christ has bestowed upon His Church inheres in the entire membership, which includes private and official persons. It resides not in the clergy' or ministers alone. That idea has developed into prelatic and Popish tyranny. To all in whom the Holy Spirit dwells-all to whom Christ has given His commission for the evangelization of the world and the organization of His disciples-power is communicated. The entire membership are commanded to declare what truths they acknowledge to be the truths of God. They are to confess Christ's name, to testify and act for Him. Power, in regard to doctrine, discipline, worship, and government, is committed to U the whole Church-ministers and people together. But this inherent power is not to be exercised indiscriminately. It is not to run riot licentiously. In orderly and well-appointed channels it is to flow, to the end that the body may be nourished and her living Head glorified. 1. Election Let is a principal channel in which this freedom flows. All the members of the Church have an equal voice in the selection of their officers. The poorest and weakest member of the flock has the right, as much as the wisest and most honoured presbyter, to act according to his judgment and conscience, in subordination to the directions of the Bible. This right is so fully declared in Scripture that it cannot be denied. This principle of the Church's constitution lies at the root of the tree of liberty. it in any way be removed or weakened, in that proportion is the entire freedom of the Church endangered or destroyed. In every case of election, whether by the congregation of suitable and necessary officers, or by the assembled eldership of other representatives, this law of the King demands the utmost freedom of selection. Dictation, control by party-spirit, disallowance of this privilege, are alike opposed to that liberty which Christ has conferred. 2. Representation is the special organ by which that inherent power is applied. Apostolic commands are addressed to entire Churches. Such commands, however, do not decide how each member is to exercise his share in the government. These same epistles to New Testament Churches show how these powers were applied. In each case, that was by representative associated presbyters. This is the guarantee for liberty. This orderly exercise is quite consistent with the inherent possession of the power. The Church is neither a democratic mob, nor a despotic autocracy. Even in republican governments the inherent power of the people, although most fully recognized, is not applied by mass meetings and votes on all and every point, but by orderly and free election of representatives. If the election be but free and faithful, the principle of liberty is fully conserved. So in the Church. Not only the pastors; elders who are to rule well are selected by the free election of the members. These representatives are the special organs by whom the people act. By them the mind of the Church is carried into practice. If the laws of the kingdom are contravened, provision exists to call these representatives to account. If respected, obedience is rendered to those who have the rule as unto Christ. The members of the Church are never in Scripture regarded as a mob, to whom, in every case, appeal must be made. The power received from Christ is exercised by properly constituted officers. These being, on the one hand, freely elected by the people to act for them, and, on the other, restricted to act according to the revealed laws of Christ, the principles of liberty and order are harmonized. 3. Assent or Consent is another important channel. Representatives being elected to rule in ordinary administration, must, in extraordinary cases, obtain the assent or consent of those for whom they act. The apostles and elders at Jerusalem discussed and came to a finding on one of the greatest questions that could intimately concern all the membership. Before sending forth that authoritative decision, the assent, if not the consent, of the brethren assembled was obtained. Then the decree went forth in the name, not only of the apostles and elders, but of the whole Church. That assent or consent must be equally important at all times in the settlement of great questions. An attempt was made to alter the constitution of the Church in one essential particular. The apostles alone or together might have decided the matter infallibly by inspiration. They did not without a deliberative assembly, associating themselves with the eldership. And even then the decree was not enacted until the matter had been put before the assembled brethren, and their assent obtained. The whole Church was consulted first through the administrative representative officers, second by placing the decision, with the grounds of it, before all the people that could be conveniently reached. The attempt was thus resisted. In several particulars, steps were taken for the preservation of the essential principles of the Church. It has been well said-'The way in which they (the members) are here introduced, plainly implies that they did not stand upon the same platform in the matter with the apostles and elders. It does imply, however, that after the apostles and elders had made up their minds as to what was the mind and will of God in this matter, and what decision should be pronounced, the subject was brought before the people that they were called upon to attend to it, to exercise their judgment upon it, and to make up their mind regarding it. It implies that all this was done, and that, as the result of it, the brethren were convinced of the justice and soundness of the decision, and expressed their concurrence in it, as well as in the practical step by which it was followed up, of sending chosen men of their company to Antioch' ('Hist. Theol.' vol. i. p. 55). That example is for all time. As the liberty of the membership depends upon the stability of the constitution, no radical change thereof can be effected without their assent or consent. Where no constitution or written charter exists, declaring the limitations and rights of rulers and ruled, liberty is ready to be sacrificed. This has been experienced by many groaning nations. It is not less the experience of the Church. There must be a known ground upon which men are united in Church fellowship. That ground, expressed or understood, is the charter or constitution. Representative officers are elected by the membership to administer that constitution. They have no authority to change it. If that be attempted, not only are their powers exceeded, the attempt is that of revolution. The revolution may be necessary, but the constituency must in that case be appealed to. Unless in that particular the membership assent or consent, the revolution is arbitrary and unrighteous. 4. Appeal and Protest are additional guarantees. Advice may be sought or tendered, so authoritative decision may be pronounced by the associated presbyters. Appeal may be also employed. Let any member think that the principles of election, of representation, or of other essential positions have been infringed, freedom is conserved by the right of appeal. Consciences that feel aggrieved or dissatisfied may not only refer the matter from the local to the more extended eldership; a decision supposed to be wrong may be appealed against. Thus injuries may be exposed to searching investigation, and redress provided by other and more impartial judges. Protest is the final provision for the liberty of the members of the Church. This must ever be the last resort. When neither Scripture, reason, constitution, nor brotherly appeals are heeded -when, as has often happened, for instance, in the extrusion of the Erskines and Gillespie from the Church of Scotland-when men professedly Christian seem deaf to every consideration, and, having obtained power, abuse it, and when redress is thus impossible, the injured can still protest and appeal at once to a future Free, Faithful, and Reformed Assembly, and to the judgment of the great King. Free action is thus fully secured for the entire membership. By election, representation, assent and consent, appeal and protest-under the limitation and guidance of the Scripturesliberty and liberal action are possessed. To preserve this precious boon, centralization of Church authority must be jealously guarded against. This free and orderly action of the entire membership ought to find full expression in the ruling elder. II. AUTHORITY is secured, anarchy and domination alike prevented, when the principles of scriptural government are carried out. The Church being a theocracy, of which Christ is the Head, all power is derived immediately from Him. The authority which presbyters have has been received, not from the people, but from Christ. The call of the people is but the outer expression of the inner call by the Lord Himself. Each presbyter is the servant of, and responsible to Christ, through the Church that has recognized and given effect to His commission. All Church power, in actu primo, or fundamentally, is in the |