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cording to the circumstances in which we are placed. In the pretent inftance, we have texts which indubitably prove that there were prefiding, fuperintending, or ruling elders (the words bear the fame meaning) in the church in the apoftolic age, and that this office is fully warranted by the Word of God. Thus we read in Acts xx. 17-28. " From Miletus he [Paul] fent to Ephefus, and called the elders of the church. And, when they were come to him, he faid unto them,-- -Take heed-unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghoft hath made you OVERSEERS," &c. The word overfeers in this place fignifies, as it does every where, perfons who had a confiderable degree of fuperintendency over the work in which they were employed. Again, in 1 Tim. v. 17, we read, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour," &c. Every person who understands the original or even our own language, well knows that there is no difference at all in the fenfe between the words prefiding and ruling, and that one might be fubftituted for the other. Once more, St. Peter, in his ift Epiftle, v. 1-3, obferves "The elders which are among you, I exhort,Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the overfight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being enfamples to the flock." Here we also fee, that there were elders, who had the oversight or fuperintendence (for fo the word fignifies) of the flock of God: nor could St. Peter have cautioned thefe against lording it over God's heritage, if they had not had fome authority in the church, which they might abuse. And we must defire our readers to remember, that we are not speaking here or in our obfervations concerning the epifcopacy, of the powers which the apostles themselves exercifed, but of those with which they invested others, or which the churches conferred upon their ministers refpectively.

On the principles or data above-mentioned, all the epifcopal churches in the world have, in fome meafure, formed their church-government. And we believe we can venture to affert, that there never has been an epifcopal church of any great extent, which has not had ruling or prefiding elders, either exprefsly by name as in the apoftolic churches, or otherwise in effect. On this account it is, that all the modern epifcopal churches have had their prefiding or ruling elders under the names of grand vicars, archdeacons, rural deans, &c. The Moravians have prefiding elders, who are invefted with very confiderable authority, though we believe they are fimply termed elders. And we beg leave to repeat, that we are confident, we could, if need were, fhew that all the epifcopal churches ancient and modern, of any great extent, have had an order or set of ministers correfponding,

more or lefs, to our prefiding or ruling elders, all of whom were, more or less, invested with the fuperintendence of other minifters.

Mr. Wesley informs us in his works, that the whole plan of Methodism was introduced, step by step, by the interference and openings of divine Providence. This was the case in the present inftance. When Mr. Welley drew up a plan of government for our church in America, he defired that no more elders fhould be ordained in the first instance than were abfolutely neceffary, and that the work on the continent should be divided between them, in respect to the duties of their office. The general conference accordingly elected twelve elders for the above purposes. Bishop Afbury and the diftrict conferences afterwards found that this order of men was fo neceffary, that they agreed to enlarge the number, and give them the name by which they are at prefent called, and which is perfectly fcriptural, though not the word ufed in our tranflation: and this proceeding afterwards received the approbation of Mr. Wefley.

In 1792 the general conference, equally conscious of the neceffity of having fuch an office among us, not only confirmed every thing that bishop Afbury and the diftrict conferences had done, but also drew up or agreed to the present fection for the explanation of the nature and duties of the office. The conference clearly faw that the bishops wanted affiftants; that it was impoffible for one or two bifhops fo to fuperintend the vast work on this continent as to keep every thing in order in the intervals of the conference, without other official men to act under them and affift them: and as thefe would be only the agents of the bishops in every respect, the authority of appointing them, and of changing them, ought, from the nature of things, to be in the epifcopacy. If the prefiding or ruling elders were not men in whom the bishops could fully confide, or on the lofs of confidence, could exchange for others, the utmoft confufion would enfue. This alfo renders the authority invested in the bishops of fixing the extent of each district, highly expedient. They must be fuppofed to be the best judges of the abilities of the prefiding elders whom they themselves choofe: and it is a grand part of their duty, to make the districts and the talents of the prefiding elders who act for them, fuit and agree with each other, as far as poffible for it cannot be expected, that a fufficient number of them can at any time be found, of equal talents, and, therefore, the extent of their field of action must be proportioned to their gifts.

From all that has been advanced, and from those other ideas which will prefent themselves to the reader's mind on this fub

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ject, it will appear that the prefiding elders muft, of course, be appointed, directed, and changed by the epifcopacy. And yet their power is fo confiderable, that it would by no means be fufficient for them to be responsible to the bishops only for their conduct in their office. They are as refponfible in this respect, and in every other, to the yearly conference to which they belong, as any other preacher; and may be cenfured, fufpended, or expel led from the connection, if the conference fee it proper: nor have the bishops any authority to over-rule, fufpend, or meliorate in any degree, the cenfures, fufpenfions, or expulfions of the conference.

Many and great are the advantages arifing from this inftitution. 1. It is a great help and blefiing to the quarterly meetings refpectively, through the connection, to have a man at their head, who is experienced not only in the ways of God, but in men and manners, and in all things appertaining to the order of our church. Appeals may be brought before the quarterly meeting from the judgment of the preacher who has the overfight of the circuit, who certainly would not be, in fuch cafes, fo proper to prefide as the ruling elder. Nor would any local preacher, leader, or fteward be a fuitable prefident of the meeting, as his parent, his child, his brother, fifter, or friend, might be more or lefs interested in the appeals which came before him: befides, his local fituation would lead him almost unavoidably to prejudge the cafe, and, perhaps, to enter warmly into the interefts of one or other of the parties, previously to the appeal. It is, therefore, indifputably evident, that the ruling elder is most likely to be impartial, and, confequently, the most proper perfon to prefide.

2. Another advantage of this office arifes from the neceffity of changing preachers from circuit to circuit in the intervals of the yearly conferences. Many of the preachers are young in years and gifts; and this must always be the cafe, more or lefs, or a fresh fupply of travelling preachers in proportion to the neceffities of the work could not be procured. These young men, in general, are exceedingly zealous. Their grand forte is to awaken fouls; and in this view they are high y neceffary for the Spreading of the gospel. But for fome time their gifts cannot be expected to be various; and, therefore, half a year at a time, or fometimes even a quarter, may be fufficient for them to labour in one circuit: to change them, therefore, from circuit to circuit, in the intervals of the yearly conferences, is highly neceffary in many inftances. Again, the preachers themfelves, for family-reafons or on other accounts, may defire, and have reafon to expect, a change. But who can make it in the abfence of the bishops, unless there be a prefiding elder appointed for the district? A recent inftance proves the juftice of this remark. A large diftrict was lately without a prefiding elder for a year.

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Many of the preachers, fenfible of the neceffity of a change iu, the courfe of the year, met together, and fettled every prelimi nary for the purpose. Accordingly, when the time fixed upon for the change arrived, feveral of them came to their new appointments according to agreement, but, behold, the others had changed their minds, and the former were obliged to return to their old circuits, feeling not a little difgrace on account of their treatment. And this would be continually the cafe, and all would be confufion, if there were no perfons invested with the pow ers of ruling elders, by whatever name they might be called; as it would be impoffible for the bishops to be prefent every where, and enter into the details of all the circuits.

3. Who is able properly to fupply the vacancies in circuits on the deaths of preachers, or on their withdrawing from the travelling connection? Who can have a thorough knowledge of the ftate of the district, and of its refources for the filling up fuch vacancies, except the prefiding elder who travels through the whole district? And fhall circuits be often neglected for months together, and the flocks, during thofe times, be, more or less, without thepherds, and many of them, perhaps, perish for want of food, merely that one of the moft fcriptural and useful offices among us may be abolished? Shall we not rather fupport it, notwithstanding every thing which may be fubtilly urged by our enemies under the cry of tyranny, which is the common cry of restless spirits even against the best governments, in order that they may throw every thing into confufion, and then ride in the whirlwind and direct the ftorm.

4. When a bishop vifits a diftrict, he ought to have one to accompany him, in whom he can fully confide; one, who can inform him of the whole work in a complete and comprehenfive view; and, therefore, one who has travelled through the whole,. and, by being present at all the quarterly meetings, can give all the information, concerning every circuit in particular, and the district in general, which the bishop can defire. Nor is the advantage small that the bifhops, when at the greatest distance, may receive from the prefiding elders a full account of their refpective districts, and may thereby be continually in poffeffion of a more comprehensive knowledge of the whole work, than they could poffibly procure by any other means.

5. The only branch of the prefiding elder's office, the importance and usefulness of which is not fo obvious to fome perfons, but which is, at the fame time, perhaps the most expedient of all, is the fufpending power, for the prefervation of the purity of our ministry, and that our people may never be burdened with preachers of infufficient gifts. Here we must not forget, that the prefiding elder acts as agent to the bishops; and that the bishops are, the greatest part of their time, at a vast distance from him..

he muft, therefore, exercife epifcopal authority (ordination excepted) or he cannot act as their agent. All power may be abufed. The only way which can be devised to prevent the abuse of it, if we will have a good and effective government, is to make the executive governors completely refponfible, and their refponfibility within the reach of the aggrieved. And, in the prefent inftance, not only the general conference may expel the prefiding elder-not only the epifcopacy may fufpend him from the exercise of his office-but the yearly conference may also impeach him, try him, and expel him: and fuch a threefold guard inuft be allowed, by every candid mind, to be as full a check to the abuse of his power, as, perhaps, human wifdom can devife.

But is it not strange, that any of the people fhould complain either of this or of the epifcopal office? Theft offices in the church are peculiarly defigned to meliorate the feverity of chriftian difcipline, as far as they refpect the people. In them the people have a refuge, an asylum to which they may fly upon all occafions. To them they may appeal, and before them they may lay all their complaints and grievances. The perfons who bear these offices are their fathers in the gofpel, ever open of accefs, ever ready to relieve them under every oppreffion. And we believe we can venture to affert, that the people have never had even a plaufible pretence to complain of the authority either of the bishops or the prefiding elders.

6. We may add, as was juft hinted above, that the bishops ought not to enter into fmall details. It is not their calling. To felect the proper men who are to act as their agents-to preferve in order and in motion the wheels of the vast machine-to keep a conflant and watchful eye upon the whole--and to think deeply for the general good-form their peculiar and important avocation. All of which fhews the neceffity of the office now under confideration.

The objection brought by fome, that many of the most useful preachers are taken out of the circuits for this purpose, whose preaching-talents are thereby loft to the connection, will by no means bear examination. Even if this was the cafe, the vast aðvantage arifing from a complete and effective fuperintendence of the work would, we believe, far over-balance this confideration. But the objection is deftitute of weight. Their preaching abilities are, we believe, abundantly more ufeful. Though all the preachers of matured talents and experience cannot be employed as prefiding elders, yet those who are employed as fuch, generally aufwer this character. They are qualified to build up believers on their most holy faith, and to remove fcruples and answer cases of confcience, more than the younger preachers in general. In many circuits, fome parts of the fociety might fuffer much in refpect to the divine life, for want of those gifts peculiarly necef

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