Manual of Presbytery Author:Samuel Miller Subtitle: Comprising, I. Presbyterianism the Truly Primitive and Apostolic Constitution of the Church of Christ, by S. Miller. Ii. the Character and Advantages of Presbyterianism Ascertained by Facts, by J.g. Lorimer General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1842 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the origin... more »al. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The Church, being a social body, called out of the world, and constituted by the authority of Jesus Christ, indispensably needs a form of government. No society can exist in purity and peace without order. And no order can be maintained without authority, laws, and a set of officers to apply the laws, and administer the form of order which may have been adopted. Our Master in heaven has commanded " his body, the Church," to preserve within her borders purity of doctrine, and holiness of conversation; and for this purpose to " warn the unruly," to admonish the careless, reclaim the wandering, and to cut off those who are obstinately corrupt, either in faith or practice. All this she was commanded to do, and actually did perform, while all the civil governments of the world were leagued against her, and the fires of martyrdom were kindled on every side. Now, it is obviously impossible for the Church to fulfil these obligations, without such an ecclesiastical constitution, such a system of laws, and such a body of officers, as will enable her to apply to her members that authority which her Master has vested in her, " for edification, and not for destruction." Hence the necessity of organizing the Church under some distinct and definite form. It is not asserted, or believed by us, that any one form of government is essential to the exi...« less