have to go. But Professor Hitchcock says: "A better support is sought for it in the New Testament recognition throughout of the right and propriety of lay participation in church government; in the general right of the church, as set forth by Hooker in his Ecclesiastical Polity, to govern itself by whatsoever form it pleases." 44 This is a sad descent from a jure divino claim, a "Thus saith the Lord," to expediency or ecclesiastical rationalism. With the fall of lay ruling eldership falls the claim of a Scriptural warrant for the higher judicatories, and Presbyterian government becomes clerical rule.

§ 135. The need of a governing board within the church may be Scripturally met in this way: There was at first a presbytery of presbyters, or bishops, in every church (§ 131: 2), and there may be again, as occasion demands; there are deacons in each church (§ 132); each church has the right to delegate its powers and functions, in certain particulars, to committees or commissioners (§ 100: 3); let now the pastor or presbytery, the deacons, and a committee chosen by the church for the purpose, constitute a church board, whose action must in matters of general concern be endorsed by vote of the church to become effective, and we have an authorized board within the church. Nearly all our churches have such a church board, named by different names, but composed as above described. The church board is, perhaps, the best name for it. All the elements composing it are authorized in the Word of God, as also the limitation of its powers (§§ 98, 99: 2, 3). Such a board of rule does not discredit the diaconate, as the lay ruling eldership has done, until in some instances it ceases to be filled at all. Hence the appointment of deacons in Presbyterian churches has to be urged and enjoined; for "the disuse of this Scriptural and important office, it can not be doubted, has done great injury to the churches, as well as induced vague and erroneous views in regard to the nature and importance of the office." 45

44 Presb. Theol. Rev. 1868.

45 Bird's Presby. Digest, 64, note.

§ 136. The duties of such a church board may be defined as the examination of candidates for admission to church privileges; the general oversight and control of the spiritual interests of the church; all preliminary inquiries into complaints against church members; the presentation of cases of discipline to the church; the trial of all difficult cases, if so ordered by the church, with recommendations for action thereon; and the devising of ways and means for the purity, peace, and prosperity of the church; but in all these cases. the board must report to the church for final action its doings and recommendations.

The function of such a board is most important for the welfare of any church. Its scope may well be enlarged, and that too without danger. Such a church board is not the plural eldership of the primitive churches, nor the ruling eldership of the Reformed Churches, nor a wholly unwarranted body. It does not make a church Presbyterian. It does give a local church rulers such as the Scriptures and the apostolic fathers warrant, who are not over and above the church, but in it, responsible to it, doing its work, reporting to it. So far as the ministry of the Word is concerned, such church board does not equal in efficiency the primitive plurality of elders in every church; but it does put into every church a board of administration and stability which is greatly needed, and will be of untold value when fully and rightly worked.

§ 137. In every well-organized society there must needs be a clerk or record keeper. The fact that there is no mention of such an officer in the primitive churches is no proof that they had none, or that churches should not have a record keeper in after times. It is of the utmost importance, though not essential to the being of a church, that the proceedings of a church be properly entered on some record, and so preserved. It tends to order, regularity, peace, prosperity, legal security, to keep a journal. Each church should elect a clerk.

(1) The qualifications for the office of clerk are of nature and of grace. Not every good man is capable of being a good scribe or clerk. He must have natural gifts and acquired habits. He must see to it that all things in church meetings are done legally, decently, and in order, and that a true record be made of the proceedings. He needs to be versed in Congregational usages and parliamentary rules. He needs to know what business should come before the church meeting, and how it should be introduced, that he may aid the moderator in the public business. He should be the fittest person in the church, except the pastor. The pastor is moderator, and should in no case be also clerk.

(2) The duties of a church clerk are similar to those of the secretary or scribe of any permanent body. He is to take minutes of all proceedings, which, however, are private memoranda, though recorded in the church book, until adopted by the church; he must see to it, therefore, that the minutes. are properly adopted. He conducts correspondence for the church; gives notices of all business meetings, unless otherwise provided for; keeps a roll of church members, with additions, dismissions, excommunications, deaths, baptism of infants and adults; preserves on file, or otherwise, all letters, reports, communications, notices, papers, books, journals, etc.,. and transmits them to his successor. He is not their owner, but their custodian. He has no right to withhold them from the church, or committee of the church, or any legal representative of the church, or to destroy them. He must not allow any alterations of the minutes after they have been approved by the church. He should prepare the reports for state minutes. He should prepare for each business meeting an order of business for the use of the moderator.

As he is the proper channel of communication between the church and other bodies or persons, it is important that his name be published in the minutes of state associations.

§ 138. A very important office is that of treasurer. Judas the traitor, who had "the bag," who was "a thief,"

and who "took away what was put therein" (John 12: 6), was not a church treasurer; for the apostles were not a church, and besides, he lived and died under the Mosaic dispensation. The apostles were, after the day of Pentecost, the first church treasurers. Their duties became in time so burdensome that seven almoners were chosen for "this business (Acts 6: 1-6). Their services included the support of the ministry of the Word as well as assistance for the widows and the poor and sick.

(1) This pecuniary function of the church is perpetual, and needs therefore recognition in an appropriate office. Paul, though declaring that his hands had ministered unto his necessities (Acts 20: 34), claimed the right of support at the hands of the churches (2 Thess. 3: 9; 1 Cor. 9: 4-14), and claimed support for the ministry, saying, "Even so did the Lord ordain that they which proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel" (1 Cor. 9: 14). Such being the permanent law of the Christian dispensation, it follows that some one or more in every church should be assigned to this special duty of receiving and disbursing funds for that and other purposes. They who are called to this duty are called treasurers. As in all fiduciary trusts, they must keep an accurate account of all moneys received and disbursed, obey the vote of the church, be prompt in all payments, and make an itemized report of the treasury statedly to the church.

(2) The church should choose the man best fitted for the position as treasurer. He needs to be honest, capable, exact, prompt, affable, one who can dun without offence, and who feels the wants of the pastor as his own. Men will not freely contribute through a treasurer whose honesty or even accuracy they question. The treasurer must be above suspicion.

(3) Many Congregational churches are fettered by parish societies (§§ 229–231), making an unscriptural division between the spiritual and the secular affairs of a church, compelling two organizations, with separate functions, records,

treasurers. We must therefore distinguish, when such is the case, between the church treasurer and the parish treasurer.

(a) The church treasurer, in this case, confines his official duties to the missionary, benevolent, and charitable funds of the church, leaving all the other financial concerns to the parish treasurer.

(b) The parish treasurer, on the other hand, confines his official oversight to the funds given or bequeathed for church or parsonage building, repairs, pastor's salary, salary or pay of others, and whatever expenses are incurred by the legal corporation, leaving missionary and benevolent and charitable funds to the church treasurer.

(c) Hence one man ought not generally to be treasurer of both organizations. The two bodies, with their funds and objects, are so separate and yet so interwoven that to avoid confusion, or the subordination of one of them to the other, the treasurers should be different men with different books and reports. It is to be hoped that the parish, born of the union of State and Church, will soon give way, and leave the churches in the normal simplicity of the New Testament.

§ 139. A church, like any other independent society, can appoint special committees at any time for any legitimate purpose. Such committees are needed. A committee may be empowered by vote of a church to conduct as a jury a trial of a member in case of great length or delicacy (§ 174). There may be committees on supply of the pulpit, on music, on any matter of interest. The church acts through these committees, and more efficiently than it could as a body. These committees, after they have finished their work, report to the church; and thereupon, unless they are standing committees, cease to exist. "A committee ceases to exist as soon as the assembly receives the report," "and can not act further unless revived by a vote to re-commit" 46 or to continue the committee.

We have now considered all actual and possible church

46 Robert's Rules of Order, §§ 28, 30.