The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-21
Bishop Wilson Peaches Scr
mon at First Church
CEREMONY IS IMPRESSIVE
Senior Bishops Text was: "For He
Must Reign till He Hath Put
All Enemies Under His
Feet"

The solemn Methodist ceremony of ordi-
nation of bishops was performed at the
First NJ. E. church yesterday afternoon,
the central figure in Its performance being
senior Bishop Alpheus w. Wilson.
The candidates were John ]. Tigert, Seth
Ward and James Atkins, who were elect
ed to the office of bishop by the general
conference of the NJ. E. church. south last
week. The ceremony included the presen-
tation of the Bibles laying on of hands
and the presentation of the official parch-
ment comforting upon the candidates their
new authority.
The ordination sermon was preached by
Bishop Wilson Immediately after the OPP
ening prayer and hymns before one of the
largest congregations ever gathered in the
First church. The formal programme for
the afternoons ceremony was as follows;
Programme of Ceremony.
Entrance of candidates and bishops of
the chureh-Dr. Tigert accompanied by
DE- Gross Alexander and DR.. w f. Tay-
Ter: DR.. Ward by DR.. w. R. Lambuth and
DR.. Sam r. Hay; DR.. Atkins by ]. II.
Weaver and DIR. e. B. Chappell
Prayer by Bishop ]. c. Granbery.
Hymn.
Prayer by DIR. r. f. Mahon.
Bible reading by Bishop Gambler (Acts
xx.-1O.
Bible reading by Bishop Duncan John
xxi Ibid.
Hymn los. Grown Him Lord of All.
Sermon by Bishop Wilson.
PRAYER reading by Bishop Hendrix.
Examination of candidates Bishop j..
S. Key.
prayer reading, Bishop C. B. Galloway.
Presentation of Bibles.
"Iaying on of hands," Zach bishop
places one hand on the head of the candi-
date while the senior bishop pronounces
the ordination).
Ordination by Bishop Wilson and presen-
tation of parchments by Bishop Gambler
PRAYER reading by Bishop E. e. Hoss
Benediction by Bishop o. p. Fitzgerald.
Takes Text from Corinthians.
Bishop Wilson took as his text for the
ordination sermon First Corinthians xv.-25:
.'For He must reign till He hath put all
enemies under His feet The bishop
preached an effective and forcible sermon
on the power and wisdom of Christ. THE
fact that Christianity is tolerated now,
he said, docs not indicate that the en-
nifty that existed when Christ left the
world is dead, but rather that the en-
mity has taken new FORM Christ is con-
stantly fighting the battle against His en-
emies. On the other hand we are some
times so fond of peace that we are wiling
To purchase 1t at the sacrifice of His SOW
ereignty
"The problems of this day are complex
and the growth and development OF the
great material enterprises of the indus
trial world are simply giving greater op-
portunity for evil to work in mems minds.
.I simply want to call your attention
to the fact that if Jesus ever comes to
His own. 1t will be by a struggle un-
ceasing. Is it possible for Him to ever
overcome L
He must do it. Doubt of the possibility
of His doing it is to dishonor Him. He
must reign until he hath put all enemies
under His feet"
The bishop elaborated at length on that
point and continued:
Sound Depths Of Human Heart.
.If you want man to rule over hearts
ub n1a
gamut of human sensibilities. He must
: know the anguish of death TO be a COM
forter to men. man to rule men must
have sounded all the depths of the hu-
man heart-not until then does he become
n leader of men. He must know these
things by experience.
"That Christ has reached the heights of
this position, the world must confess to-
day in spite of generations of sages who
have striven by intellectual means to
discredit Him He is today as He has
always been. the leader of thought and
philosophy He can laugh to scorn the
efforts of scientists to search out things
that are to Him commonplace. When
philosophy and science shall have at last
found the root of things they will find
1t in Him. for He is all and in all. The
time is surely coming when the world
will recognize a unity in all things, and
they will have to go back to Him, who
is the root of wisdom and of all things.
The bishop talked al length on this theme,
saying that every system of morals has
its source In Christ He spoke of the
greatness of Christ's act in coming to
the world and passing through all the
stages of human life from childhood,
suffering Ill the pains and anguish of
life. even until death. and he said that
By this Christ had brought Himself inn
measurably close to man.
Nothing Can Take His Place.
Nothing can take His place in the
hearts of men," he said. Not even the
great invisible God can do it. We want
the visible Christ. His might is the
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Continued on Second lns)