Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 48:190 (Apr 1891)
Article: A Presbyterian’s View Of Congregationalism
Author: A. Hastings Ross

BSac 48:190 (April 1891) p. 193

A Presbyterian’s View Of Congregationalism

A. Hastings Ross

The prayer of the poet—

“O wad some pow’r the giftie gie us.
To see oursels as others see us!”

is, providentially, not often answered. But when it is answered, those who make it ought not to forego the pleasure of a careful scrutiny. Congregationalists have now that privilege. A Presbyterian after a half-century of study has drawn their portrait.1 And let us look at it.

Rev. Dr. Killen, “after a brief but remarkably useful pastoral life, was called to the Professorship of Church History in the Presbyterian College, Belfast, and a large proportion of the clergy of the Irish Presbyterian Church have caught the spirit of his Lectures on ‘Church History’ and ‘Pastoral Theology.’…..Dr. Killen is a pronounced Presbyterian, but not from mere hereditary leaning; but, as the lawyers say, ‘for cause.’”2

BSac 48:190 (April 1891) p. 194

Our author divides his “Framework of the Church” into four parts: The Church and its Government (six chapters, pp. 1—51); Congregationalism (six chapters, pp. 53-110); Prelacy (thirteen chapters, pp. 3-235); Presbyterianism (eleven chapters, pp. 237-334); and an Appendix on The Ignatian Epistles (pp. 335-349), regarding them as entirely spurious. We pass by entirely his treatment of Prelacy and Presbyterianism, except as they may incidentally refer to Congregationalism, and confine our examination to his presentation of the latter. The author has given much of his attention for at least half a century to the scriptural constitution of the church,” and naturally desires “to communicate to others his matured convictions on the questions in dispute.”3 It is a great pity that he has not given us the sources of information on which his convictions rest. We are at a loss to know who sat for our portrait.

We will notice but a few minor points. He retains generally the Authorized Version, but in a few instances he calls in the Revision to support his positions. Repeatedly he quotes Acts 20:28, but without any intimation that the Revision and commentators and scholars alike agree in changing “over the which” into “in the which,” thus placing elders in the church, not over it. This fact excites the suspicion that the advocate sometimes leads him to suppress the exact truth. Pie does not seem to be aware that the words “the church,” in Acts 9:31, can be satisfactorily explained in har...