History of Presbyterianzism

them a legitimate and necessary control as mani- festly becometh all those who profess to be the de- voted followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. But beyond this, they should regularly provide for their temporal support as the Scriptures themselves im- peratively enjoin. because “The laborer is worthy of his hire.”

When, therefore, any church or congregation is found thus duly organized according to divine ap- pointment, and when, in a spirit of true mutual love, forbearance and Christian activity, all these things are systematically attended to, then, indeed, with the apostle, we may well feel constrained to behold with unfeigned joy and abundant admiration the un— doubted order, correct government and pure Scrip- tural discipline of that particular church. Now, as professed Presbyterians, we, of course, entertain the belief that that special branch of the Christian Church to which we ourselves belong, in as far as we are able to judge, has probably, if not indeed more than probably, adhered to the strict require- ments of those plain Scriptural examples which we have just been considering, in a much closer degree than any other Christian society or church organiza- tion of whose existence, at least, we ourselves have any practical or personal knowledge. Its framers, in our conscientious opinion, have most certainly en— deavored to follow this precise Scriptural pattern, and have adhered to those same Scriptural stand— ards quite as closely perhaps as it is possible to esti- mate correctly what these standards rcally are.

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