14.Older Testament Presbyterianism continues
Older Testament Presbyterianism continues as Christian Presbyterianism However, the corrupt Judaistic Sanhedrins as perversions of the pure Presbyterianism of the Older Testament were soon to be replaced by correct Christian Courts. Even as Jesus Himself had predicted, the Kingdom of God was removed from the apostate priests "and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Mat 21:23-43. This re-form-ed nation is the Christian Church of the Newer Testament, with its Presbyterian system of graded Courts grounded in the Older Testament. The Christian Church’s system of graded Courts themselves continued and expanded those of Ancient Israel. Bypassing the corrupted Courts of apostate Judaism, they consist of: the Christian Kirk Session of Elders, which rules each local Congregation (Php 1:1 & 1Ti 3:1 f & Tit 1:5f); the Christian Classis or Presbuterion of regional Elders, which supervises the Kirk Sessions (Acts 13:1-5; Acts 14:23 & 1Ti 4:14): and further the Christian General Assembly as a Synod or "Meeting of the Highest Board of Elders" to which all Presbyteries may appeal. Exo 18:12-26; Deu 1:13-17; Deu 16:18; Deu 17:6-9; Deu 19:12-15; Mat 16:18; Mat 18:15-20; Acts 14:26 f; Acts 15:1-41; 16:1-5: Heb 12:22f.
Very remarkably, even when still a Congregationalist the already represbyterianizing Owen (XV:252) quite clearly writes: "Some there are who plead for a national Church-state arising from an association of the Officers of particular churches in several degrees, which they call classical and provincial, until it extend itself unto the limits of a whole nation.... I shall neither examine nor oppose this opinion; there hath been enough, if not too much, already disputed about it."
Owen then also writes (XV:325f): "Such a Church-state was constituted and appointed under the Old Testament, founded in and on an especial covenant between God and the people, Exod. xxiv [cf. especially the graded "Elders" alias the "Nobles" in Exo 24:1-11]. Unto this Church [cf.Acts 7:38], everyone that would please God and walk before Him was bound to join himself....
"As the Apostle demonstrates at large in his Epistle to the Hebrews [see Heb 12:22; Heb 13:7-17 etc.] all the commands [and] promises and threatenings given or annexed unto that [viz. the Older Testament] Church-state concerning the conjunction of men unto it and walking in it, are transferred unto this of the new erection of Christ.
"Wherefore, although the state of the Church itself be reduced from that which was nationally congregational unto that which is simply and absolutely so" the decongregationalizing Owen cautiously goes on "yet the commands, promises and threatenings made and given unto it as a Church are all in full force with respect unto this new [viz.Newer Testament] Church-state."