PRESBYTERIANISM, a term derived from the Greek word meaning can elder," defines, primarily, a system of church government. As such, it stands midway between Episcopacy or Prelacy and Independency or Congregationalism. It affirms that the Church, as to its government, is a theocracy under law to Christ, its supreme and only Head and Law giver ; but the powers of government are vested in the body of believers, and are to be exercised through their chosen representatives called °elders." It denies the claim of one man, or of a special class of men, to rule the Church by virtue of a divine right. In opposition to papacy and prelacy, it asserts the right of the Church to govern itself through its chosen rep resentatives, administering rule and discipline according to the word of God. °The radical principles of Presbyterian Church government and discipline are: that the several different congregations of believers, taken collectively, constitute one church of Christ, called em phatically, The Church ;— that a larger part of the church or a representation of it, should gov ern a smaller, or determine matters of contro versy which arise therein; that in like manner a representation of the whole should govern and determine in regard to every part, and to all the parts united; that is, that a majority shall govern ; and, consequently, that appeals may be carried from lower to higher judiciaries, till they be finally decided by the collected wisdom and united voice of the whole church. For these principles and this procedure, the example of the Apostles and the practice of the primi tive Church are considered as The Presbyterian form of government is es sentially republican. It differs from Congre gationalism in that it asserts the visible organic unity of the Church in the sense that all local or individual churches are included under one government, in which the majority governs. In accordance with its representative form of government, it has a succession of church courts or judicatories. First in order is the
session, or consistory, of the local church, chosen by its members. Next is the presbytery, having jurisdiction over the ministers and churches within a certain limited district. It is composed of the ministers, and one elder from each church in the district. The synod, likewise a representative body, has jurisdiction over the presbyteries; and there must be at least three presbyteries to compose a synod. The boundaries of synods in America are usually, and for the sake of convenience, co terminous with the boundaries of the States in which they are located, The highest court is called the General As sembly, or General Synod. It is a representa tive body, composed of an equal number of ministers and elders elected by the presbyteries. The number of representatives from each pres bytery varies according to the membership of the presbytery; but each presbytery is entitled to be represented by one minister and one rul ing elder. The General Assembly represents all the churches under its care. It exercises ad ministrative, legislative and judicial powers, and its decisions are final and binding upon all the lower courts, when made in accordance with the constitution of the Church. Another char acteristic of Presbyterianism is the parity or equality of the ministry. According to its teachings, there are but two permanent official orders in the Church, bishops or elders and deacons. The first includes both teaching and ruling elders. The term deacon includes the two-fold distinction of male and female. The deacons are those to whom is especially com mitted the administration of the charities of the Church (Acts vi, 3).
Presbyterians claim for their order and form of government apostolic and scriptural sanc tion. Some among them have gone so far as to assert that the Presbyterian form of govern ment is jus divinum, and that none other can be allowed in the Church. This extreme posi tion, however, has had but very few advocates.