Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-03-23
MINISTERIAL QUALIFICATIONS.


The Presbyterian ministerial union
has been discusslng the qualifications
OF good minister Among others
which II was agreed that he should
possess were good heallh,a good educa'
ton, a genial disposition, and good
common sense. Il was also decided
that the must be- a Christian" This
declaration might soom to be wholly
superfiuous were II not for the fact
that SOME ministers aud denominations
who are commonly olassod AZ Chfif-
ilaua arc decidedly Anll-ChTistlan In
that they deny the divinity Of Christ
and the fact Of His Infinite atoncmout.
Hence the necessary qualification Of a
Christian minister himself being n
Christian by accepting the divine
character Of Jesus ~ the Son Of God;
lot ministers, Whatever the profession
they make, II they deny thls, settling
up Christ merely as prominent re-
former among men, are a. thoroughly
anti. Christian ~ IL the pagan or the
atheist.
"a Christian" however, does more
than 10 merely express with his lips n
belief Ia the divine character Of the
Redeemer ana His work. He h a
follower In that work. lie receives the
ordinances Of the Gospel " Christ
suited TO his age ana condition. Fail.
ing In this, he fails 10 DO Christian
In the strict religious sense OF that
term. 1.-The EXPRESSES belief In Christ;
II he seeks repentance by deorying
evil and striving to live better lliei
yet rejects tho counsel Of Gol-tho
baptism for the remission OF sins at the
hands Of ono having divine authority
10 administer that ordinanoe-And
thus bars tho way 10 receiving divine
forgiveness Of sin by the means which
the Lord pointed out, then he still Ia q
mont Christian. lie has refused Ia
comply with u requirement made Of
those who become the people Of God.
Gle that belioveth on me, the work,
that do shall he do Alao,n said che
Divine Master, He requires His
people TO receive the principles
Of faith, of repentance, Of baptism
for the remission OF slus. and Of the
reception Of tue Holy Ghost by the
laying on Of the hands OF those having
.uHhnrlg.F TTuHlI tI.n.. g.sI,a h.g4.. q.
tained the years Of accountability du
this they are not His people; they
are not members Of Ills Church; they
are nou-ChrsIian, though not necss
sarlly Rnti-Christian. Hence to b,
actually Christian It IL essential Tor d
man To receive those principles anu
ordinances which make him mombel
Of the Church OF Jesus Christ; nothing
less will sutilCe.
SIN another qualification was inblst
cd upon at the union meeting referred
TO. IL wat;
minister should bo called of God
They are not called now as thoy wero DO
tho old days.
with the fret part OF this propo-i
ton there will be no dispule; 1t Is D
self-eyldeut fact that ropreseulativ,
should be- authorized or called by tue
power no Il to Represent Taxing III,
other par: Of the statement: men wCrD
called by the Almighty In anclen
times; aud logical deduction b
that u "they he minister are no
csllei now ~ they were In IN,
old days," then they arc no
called OF God, and consequently ~,
not His ministers. OF course, thu
ministerial union did not intend suol
view As that; Tor It was stated thai
when man felt "suJe that he haa beel
AnoiLled by tho Holy Spirip h
should respond with "Lord, here IA
l." But II tho Apoltlo Paul 10 to b.
believed, and surely no must be in {
case like this, that is not a call TO TIN
mlnistry at all; Tor no says that gu
man taketh this honor 10 himself bu
no that ia called Of God as was Aaron
Aaron having been called by Teyelg