such other persons as are known to be in good Church
standing elsewhere. During the field-preaching of the Scottish Reformation period and subsequently, several neighboring congregations often joined together to ob- serve tbe communion. On such occasions there were several successive cclebral ions of the Supper, called the first, second, or third •• table.'' and so on. A small pew- ter token bearing a certain number was given to each worshipper, and Bpecified tbe table or service at which n - b< arer was expected t mmunicate. Settled con- gregations thus came to employ the token in their ow n services. Latterly the token has been replace. I by a card on which the communicant writes bis name and a Idrcss, keeping in this manner the pastor aware of his
residence. This using ofa card at tic same time ex- hibits the Presbyterian opposition to open or indiscrim- inate Communion, while the welcome given to members of oilier evangelical churches shows equally opposition
hi i n in i ion. so that the i loci ri i I the Church
is thai of restricted communion, restricting or confining brethren of known < Christian character. III. Government.— Presbyterianism is the government oi iidiis, being derived from the Greek irp&xfivnpoc, presbyter, or elder. [| is conceived to be analogous to the eldership of tbe Hebrews, tbe Snpoyepovree of the Greeks, the senates ol the Romans, and the aldermen or
eldermen of the Anglo-Saxons, and, so, to be founded in the necessities, instincts, and common-sense of human nature as well as in Scripture itself. Presbyterians ac- knowledge no other head of the Church than Christ. Instead of recognising, like episcopacy, a bishop as dif- ferent from and superior to presbyter, and maintaining a distinction of ranks amen- the ministers of religion, it holds, on the contrary, that both in Scripture and the constitution ol the Primitive Church bishop sad pres- byter are convertible terms, ami that there is complete equality in point of office and authority among those who preach and administer the sacraments, however they may differ in age, abilities, or acquirements. The argument as between the Presbyterians and Episcopali- ans is treated in the articles BlSHOF and Pkksbi hi:. and as between the Presbyterians and Congregationalists, or Imli pi mli ni,<. in tin- articles Eldi b and Ordik v i icon. According to the views of Presbj terians, there ought to be three classes of officers in every completely or- ganized Church v \a. at least one teaching elder, the
bishop or pastor, a body of ruling elders, and deacons. The lirst is designed to minister in word and doctrine and to dispense the sacraments, the second to assist it; tie inspection and government of the congregation, and the third to manage its financial affairs. They disallow all jurisdiction or interference on the part of the civil magistrate, except for protection. They are no less jealous of ccclcsiast ical encroachments, and bold- ly assert that synods and councils may < it. and have erred: that all Church power is only ministerial and declarative: that no Church judicatory has the right to make laws to bind the conscience by virtue ol' its own authority : t hat Cod alone is lord of the conscience; and that the right of private judgment is universal and inalienable. They maintain the parity of the clergy, and protest against prelacy or episcopacy, or the one- man power, as a usurpation finding no warrant in the writings of the apostles or of those of tbe early fathers nearest to their time. They no less disapprove of the opposite extreme of Independency, or the complete au- tonomy of each separate congregation. They view the whole collection of believers as one body, constituting the universal or catholic Church (meaning by "catho- lic" not confined to one nation, as before under the law), though distributed into particular congregations for the purpose of meeting together more conveniently.
Though Presbyterian churches bold the doctrine ofa parity of ministers, they have, when fully organized, a gradation of church courts for the exercise of govern- ment and discipline, and the Presbyterian system is
thus further distinguished from others by this ascend- ing series of appellate courts. The lirst or lowest court is the Church Session, consisting of the pastor and ruling
elders chosen by a particular congregation. The elders ate chosen and ordained for life, although, either of their own motion or that of the people, they may resign and
cease to be acting elders. Tbe next court above is the
Presbytery, which is the only ordaining body, meeting twice or oftener in the year, and consisting of all the ministers and one elder from each Church sessj,,,, with- in a given district. The Synod, which meets but once a
year, comprises a number of adjacent pre-bv tearii within a stale, for instance i. and is composed of all the ministers, and one elder from each ( 'hureh S( ssion, with- in those bounds, i For the peculiar authority and char- acter of tbe synods iii the state establishment B of the Continent, see the article sN sod. | The Gem ral Assem- bly, which meets annually, is the fourth and highest
court i -der. and embraces all the presbyterieB in the
connection. It is entirely a delegated body, composed of an equal proportion of ministers and ruling elders
elected by the presbyteries to represent them, the ratio