COMPRISING,

I.

PRESBYTERIANISM THE TRULY PRIMITIVE AND
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION OF THE

CHURCH OF CHRIST;

OR, A VIEW OF THE HISTORY, DOCTRINE, GOVERNMENT, AND
WORSHIP OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

BY SAMUEL MILLER, D.D.,

PROFESSOR OF BCCLESIASTICAL HISTORY AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT IN THE PRESBYTERIAN
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY.

II.

THE CHARACTER AND ADVANTAGES OF PRESBYTE-

RIANISM ASCERTAINED BY FACTS.

WITH AN APPENDIX

ON THE PRETENSIONS OF THE NEW ANGLICAN SCHOOL, COMMONLY CALLED PUSEYITES
-THE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS AND REFORMERS TO PRESBYTERY-

THE MORAL TENDENCY OF CALVINISM, ETC.

BY THE REV. JOHN G. LORIMER,

MINISTER OF ST DAVID'S PARISH, GLASGOW.

EDINBURGH:

JOHN JOHNSTONE, HUNTER SQUARE;

LONDON R. GROOMBRIDGE.

MDCCCXLII.

676.

ENTERED IN STATIONERS' HALL.

Printed by JOHN JOHNSTONE, High Street, Edinburgh.

On the Name Catholic or Universal Church-Is the Church of Rome a Church

of Christ? Note-Of whom the True Catholic Church consists-Its Unity

-Obligation of Christians to ascertain which Christian Denomination

comes nearest to the Scriptural Model-Four distinct forms of Church

Order-The precise and general meaning of Presbyterianism, Page 17-24.

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF PRESBYTERIANISM.

The Government of the Church conducted by Representatives in Old Tes-

tament Times-The Synagogue ruled by Elders-Appeal from the In-

ferior to the Great Synagogue-The same System adopted by the First

Converts to Christianity-No countenance in the New Testament to

any Government except the Presbyterian-True meaning of the word

"Bishop." Note-The Earliest Fathers testify in behalf of Presbytery

-Prelacy and Independency unknown in the Christian Church for the

first 200 years-Prelacy began to rise in the Third Century amid great

Corruptions-Taylor's" Ancient Christianity" recommended. Note-

Christian Writers of the highest character bear witness to the unhappy

Change-Ambrose-Augustine-Chrysostom-Summary of the Argu-

ment from Early Times-There were always Witnesses against Prelacy

in the Christian Church-Paulicians in the Seventh Century-The Wal-

denses were Presbyterians-Presbyterianism kept alive in the only Pure

Churches known to exist at the time-The Reformers almost unanimously

adopted Presbytery-The Church of England alone, in Protestant Chris-

tendom, clung to Prelacy-Political considerations the cause-The igno-

rant charge that Presbyterianism originated with Calvin-The History of

Presbyterianism shows that it is favourable to freedom-The Presbyterian

Church often Persecuted, never a Persecuting Church-Case of Calvin

and Servetus,

Page 25-47.