This valuable resource on the role of the Presbyterian elder covers many basic topics. It examines the Presbyterian and Reformed understanding of the Christian faith as well as the qualifications for the office of elder, its importance for the church, and the functions of the office. It discusses the role of the elders in the session and in the presbytery and their relationships to pastors and to the whole church.

This present work is an epitome of the diary of Scottish Covenanter minister James Cuthbertson, which he compiled during his missionary travels throughout the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. The work contains a complete list of marriages, giving the names of the bride and groom and date of marriage; a complete list of baptisms, giving the name of the child, the name of the parent, and the date of baptism; and a selection of quotations pertaining to the weddings and baptisms he performed during his long ministry.