The Pleasantville press., 1912-11-27

representatives OF God, il they speak in
His name, they must have some ordi-
nation from Him. Whoever has not Di-
vine authority, is usurping holy Office
and placing himself in antagonism to
God. AS st. Paul suggests, mo man
taketh this honor unto himself, but he
that is called of God, as was Aaron"
Hebrews v, A. The Apostles argu-
ment is that the Aaronic priesthood
was typical of the higher Priesthood of
Jesus-the Melchisedec' Priesthood
Aaron and his SONS belonged to the
tribe specially called to the Divine
service: and they were specially called
out of that tribe to be the priests. The
antitype is Jesus. the High Priest or
Head Priest. over the under Priesthood
-all the true members of the Church
of Christ. This st. Peter shows saying,
not to the clerics, but to all the Church,
"Ye are Royal Priesthood. holy ma
ton, peculiar people, that ye should
show forth the praises of Him who
hath called you out Of darkness into
His marvellous light Peter ii, 9.
As Aaron received an amounting, quail
flying him for the typical priesthood, SO
Jesus received an amounting of the
Holy Spirit. qualifying Him to be the
Head or Chief Priest over all the
Church, the priesthood. The be-
getting of the Holy Spirit came upon
Jesus at His baptism. That amounting
gave Him authority to preach and
teach in the Fathers name. There His
ministry began, as He tells us Himself
in His sermon in the Nazareth syna-
gogue, where He read the opening
verses of Isaiah Xxi. and declared that
their fulfilment had been reached in
His own person: ''The Spirit Of the
Lord God is upon Me: because the Lord
hath anointed Me to preach good It'd
ings unto the meek. Luke iv, 1921.
The Church Anointed to Preach.
While Jesus was with His disciples,
He sent them forth to preach in His
name, not in the Fathers name; for
the Father had not yet acknowledged
them by giving them the amounting Of
the Holy Spirit, as we read:-"The
Holy Spirit was not yet given; because
Jesus was not yet glorified." John vii,
39) But when Jesus, having finished
His ministry and sacrifice, was leaving
His disciples He directed them not to
preach, but to tarry at Jerusalem ''un-
til ye be endued with power from on
High."-Luke xiv, 40.
The promised power from on High
came at Pentecost. Immediately they
began to preach and to teach; for they
had received the Divine amounting, as
Jesus had received it at the time Of
His baptism. This Divine amounting
constituted their ordination, their au-
thority from the Father as members
of the Body of Christ, the Royal Priest
hood, to be His mouthpieces. This Di-
vine amounting came not merely upon
the twelve Apostles; but it has all
through this Gospel Age constituted
the blessed recognition of the Father
and of the Son to all who receive it.
In the typical picture, Aaron had the
holy amounting oil poured upon his
his garment. All the members of His
Body thus came under the amounting.
So Jesus, the Head of the Church, re-
ceived the amounting at the beginning
of His ministry; and from Him at
Pentecost by the Divine appointment
it has flowed down over all the mem
bers Of His Church. Every one re-
ceiving the amounting Of the Holy Spir-
it is qualified ambassador of God to
speak in Ills name. AS st. Peter says,
every such one is a Royal Priest st.
John refers TO this same amounting,
saying, ''Ye have an JUNCTION [anoint-
ing1 from the Holy One, and ye all
know it."
Who Lack Divine ordination7
From what we have said it must be
clear that no one is entitled to speak
for the Almighty unless he have this
Divine Ordination Of the Holy Spirit.
Human titles and human ordinations
are wholly inadequate to make real
preacher and teacher in the Church Of
Christ But the Spirit -begotten are
fully authorized to use their every OPP
portunity under all circumstances and
conditions There Is no division Of
these Spirit-begotten ones along the
lines of clergy and laity. God never
recognized such distinctions and divi-
sions. His ambassadors bear the
marks Of Identification that none 9th
ers have. They have knowledge of
the real Gospel, and Of the real charac-
ter Of God. They are guided by the
Holy Spirit, step by step into the deep
things Of God.
We submit that if knowledge of the
Truth be an indication of an enlight-
ening influence of the Holy Spirit, then
not every preacher in the world gives
evidence Of a Divine Ordination to
teach and to speak as Divine Am
bassador. We must put away the fool
ishness Of the Dark Ages. and the mis-
conception that few mumbled
phrases were ever the Divine method
Of inducing the Royal Priesthood into
their service as ministers Of the