pastors came by way of
Holland, and were aided by the church of that country, so that we may
expect to find a close similarity between the Reformed organizations in
this country, both German and Dutch, and we will not be disappointed in
this. In his "Historic Manual of the Reformed Church," Rev. Dr. J. H.
Dubbs shows such familiarity with the condition and history of the
Reformed congregations from the beginning, that it was natural that we
should turn to him, as a personal friend through many years, for
reliable information as to the form of organization in the older
congregation. In answer he says: "There can, I think, be no doubt that
the offices of elder and deacon were brought over from the Fatherland,
precisely as we have them at present. Max Goebel informs us (_Geschichte
des Chr. Lebens,_ vol. ii., p. 76) that in the Reformed Churches of the
Rhine country, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, elders were
always elected with prayer in the presence of the most prominent members
of the congregation. Ordinarily the election was conducted by the
Consistory: sometimes by the congregation itself, a double number of
candidates being proposed by the retiring members of the Consistory.
Every year one-half of the elders retired from office. The deacons were
elected in the same manner as the elders. Their office had special
reference to the wants of the poor. The election of elders for life was
entirely unknown in the Dutch and German churches. Such is Goebel's
account. I have few documents of an earlier date than 1740; but between
that date and 1760 there are many in which both offices are mentioned. I
have a document of 1730 signed by the '_AEltesten_' of the Reformed
Church at Philadelphia. A petition in English, addressed in 1732 to
Governor Gordon, is signed by seven 'Ancients' of the same congregation.
Here four of the names are new, showing an intervening election. The
deacons are not mentioned, but would naturally not appear in a document
of that kind. Most of the early letters are addressed to the '_AElteste
und Diaconen_' of the several churches. The rules for the Government of
the Reformed Church at Amwell, N. J., 1749, are signed by the '_AElteste
und Diaconen oder Vorsteher._' It seems, therefore, that the two terms
were used interchangeably. With regard to the points of doubt you
suggest, I can only say:

"1. The two distinct orders, elders and deacons, have certainly existed
from the beginning in the