Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/848

* ELDAD AND MEDAD. 736 ELDER. tchichtc dis JiiJisclien ^'olkcs (3d ed., Leipzig, ISiiS) : Funk. J'nires A/iostolici (Tubingen, 1901). ELDAD HA-DANI, hadii'iie (nintli cen- tun). A .Tewisli travoler. wlio undeiluok two voyage* lor the purpose of tracing the history of the various trihes of Isniel. He had many extraordinary adventures, wliieh are recounted in a narrative afterwards transhited into several languages, including English (1855). ELDEB ( A8. enldor, iildor, conip. of cald, aid, OUtj., tier, alt, old; connected with Goth, alan, Icel. aid, Lat. ulcre, to nourish, as an ecclesias- tical title an exact translation of the Greek irpeo-- fivT€pos, iinsbi/teros, comparative of -rptajiis, pres- hiis, ohl. which occurs frequently in the New Testament). The title of an oHicerbearer in certain churches. ( 1 ) In the Old Testament it is a title generally indicating in the earlier historj' the princes or heads of lril)es and afterwards men of special inlluence, dignity, and authority in their local community. In the Hel)rew polity, as ■shown in the New Testament, the elders are the lay element in the Sanhedrin. Originally in Jew- ish society, the head of the first hovise was also the head of the elan, that of the first clan also that of the tribe. AH these three grades of the heads of the (leople might be designated by one eonunon name, most frec|Uently that of elder. (2) In the New Testament elder is also the title of certain olficers in the newly organized society of Christians, whose functions are not clearly de- fined, but who apparently exercised a consider- able control in the conduct of the local churches. Scholars are not agreed as to the limits or nature of their authority. The office of elder developed very generally in the ehurehes of the Reforma- tion. In most of the ehurelies on the Continent of Europe which have any kind of connection with the State there is some regulation of the civil laAv with reference to the election and finictions of elders. In some churches elders are apjiointed for a certain term of ofliee: but more generally it is until death, resignation, removal from the bounds of the congregation, or deposition. The ordinaticm of elders takes place in the congre- gation, but usually without the imposition of hands. In the Baptist churches the pastors of churches are usually called elders, althouf;li the class es|)eeially so called are not settled jiastors, but rather evangelists and missionaries. In the churches of the Presbyterian order the pastor of a church is technically called the leachinij elder, as distinguisheil from the niliiig elders, common- ly called simply elders, who are a body of laymen varying in number, selected to assist the pastor in the oversight and government of the church. The board of ruling elders constitute with the pastor the session of the church, and are in- trusted with its government and discipline, sub- ject to the supervision of the presbytery. Such elders are required to acwpt the symbol or con- fession of faith of the Presbyterian Church ; they do not administer the Sacrament, but may aid in the Lord's Supper by distributing the ciemenls. They are sometimes elected for life, sometimes only for a term of years. In the Peformed churches (Dutch and German) the consistories include the ministers, elders, and deacons, and the latter two classes of officers are elix-ted only for a term, with permission of reelection. In the early days of American Congregationalism many churches had in addition to a pastor and teacher a ruling elder charged with matters of church government and disei|dine. In some of the -Vmer- ican -Methodist churches elder is the general term for any clergyman. In the Methodist Episcopal Church the presiding elder is an ordained clergy- man appointed by and serving under the bishop, with large supervisory powers within a specified district. He presides over the quarterly aiul dis- trict conferences and visits the churches. Travel- ing elders are itinerant preachers appointed by the amiual conference, in the .^b>rllHln Churdi tlie elder is an otliier whose duty it is "to |)reach and bajjlize; to ordain other elders, and also priests, teachers, and deacons, to lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, to bless children, and to take the lead at all meetings," These ciders constitute the Jlelchizedek priesthood, and include the apostles, the seventy, the patriarchs, and the high priest. Among the Shakers four elders, two males and two females, have charge of each of the aggregated families. ELDER (OE, elder, eller, AS, ellen. elder- tree). A tree or shrub of the genus Sambucus, which belongs to the order Caprifoliacea". There are about 20 widely distributed species. The common elder of Europe (Saiiilnirus itit/ra) is a large shrub or sometimes a small tree, with large compound leaves and dense cymes of cream-eol- orcd llowcrs. The berries are black, occasional sports bearing white berries, which have a sub- acid, sweetish, and, to many, an unpleasant taste. They are extensively made into wine and used to adulterate port wine. The wood is yellow: that of old trees is hard, tough, takes a fine pol- ish, and is used as a sul)stitute for boxwood. The young wood has a very large pith. The scarlet- dowered elder {Samburu.i rtifcnioxa) is a native of the colder portions of the Northern Hemi- sphere. It resembles the common species except in having greenish-white (lowers and scarlet ber- ries. This species is very ornamental and is fre- quently planted in shrubberies. The dwarf elder or danewort (f<aiiihucufi Khutux) is a ]«■- culiar species occasionally met with in Great Britain. In the I'nited States the common elder ifi am I) lie lift f'nnade»,siii) is a species gri'atly re- sembling the Stamhiicus nifjra of Euroi)e. The cymes of the flowers are flat-topped, and the lier- ries, which are purplish black, are used for making wine and occasionally other preparations. This species is a very eonunon shrub along roads and fences. The scarlet-fruited species occurs in rocky situations, and seems to fruit most abun- dantly at the north, or where the climate is cool. Nambiiciis Mej-icaiia, of the southwestern I'nited States and Mexico, is a tree attaining a height of 25 feet or more, with a trunk 12 to 1.") inches in diameter. It branches abundantly, and makes a dense .shade. Medicinal projierlies have been at- tributed to the bark and the leaves of the various species, though they do not seem to be recognized by the pharmacopn?ias. The dried flowers are used in medicine. They contain a volatile oil, resin, wax, tannin, pectin, etc.. and possess stim- ulant, carminative, and diaphoretic properties. The fresh flowers are used in the home manu- facture of a wine, and elder-flower water is a common preparation used in confectionery. A perfume is maile by distilling wati'r. elder- flowers, and rectified spirits. The proportions used are ten pounds of elder- flowers, two gallons