Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-11-21

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tinoHf. and alias.
! the Religious Rambler" Ellis claims
that Pastor RusSell's ordination as Pas
tor is fraudulent. The address shows
that Pastor Russell fully understands
the situation He fully justified his Pc
! sition before his vast audience and
I showed up the Rambler editor in
! the unenviable light of either being
ignorant of the subjects discussed, or
attempting to deceive the public. His
text was. Not Of men. neither by man.
but by Jesus Christ. and God the Fa-
Their, who raised Him from the dead"
! (Gal. |, II. He said
The time has come for telling the
people what the Bible teaches respect
ing ordination to teach and preach.
The doctrine OF Apostolic Succession
started in the second century A. ID.
The bishops claimed that they had the
same authority that Jesus gave to the
twelve Apostles. Upon this claim they
ordained the inferior clergy
This principle is wholly unscriptural.
According to the Bible. the Church of
Christ is not composed of two parts.
clergy and laity. Jesus declared, "An
We are brethren; One is your Master,
Christ" St Paul shows that in the
early Church the ministers were the
servants of the flock. They were of
the people, chosen by them by the
stretching forth of the hand.
Many of the reformers coveted the
titles accorded the Catholic clergy.
| They did not care to tell the congre-
CATION that its word was supreme. and
that its ministers were merely its serv-
ants. Others. realizing that these ID
ties were unscriptural. declined to use
them; preferring to be called pastor
My Bible Student associates, knowing
| my objection to the tide Reverend"
address me as Pastor. 1 am the elected
Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle
congregation. and also OF the London
Tabernacle congregation, and / fail to
see ground for criticism in this respect.
nor do attack Christian brethren who
accept other and unscriptrlral titles.
Must Pastors BE Ordained?
| Ordination is necessary to the Office
OF pastor. The question is. What consti-
tutes an ordination to preach amongst
the people of Gody
This question has received various
I
answers. The Roman, Anglican and
Greek Churches. claiming Apostolic
Succession, declare that authorization
TO preach must come through their
| apostle-bishops, and have not allowed
Protestant ministers to enter their pull
pits-until the EpiscopalLans. about
year ago granted this concession. OF
course. If their proposition were cor
rect, am just as much unordained as
all other Protestant miniSters-and no
more so.
Each denomination at its beginning
was opposed by ali Others; yet each
taught that the CLERGY We're separate
from the laiU. Only since the organ
lZaton OF the Evangelical Alliance
| uS46l have the different sects of
| Christendom Acknowledged each 9th
er's ordinations. Each denomination
makes use OF such ceremonies as il
deems proper If. therefore. the con
gresation of Christian believers in
Brooklyn and London ordain or APP
point me as their pastor. it is their
own choice what ceremonies, If any
shall accompany that ordination Who
! can dispute this? No Protestant de
nomination. surely; for their own or
| dinations are on this very basis.
! The subject Of ordination seems to
| have fallen into confusion during the
| Dark Ages. st Paul particularly EN-
| phaSlZeS the fact that he did not re-
ceive his commission as preacher and
| Apostle of Christ from his brother
| Apostles. but by Divine authorization.
This is the Scripturaa principle undtrly-
| ing Divine Ordination to the ministry
of Christ.
No denomination claims that the or
dination of its ministers either made or
Kept them perfect All admit that
| there nave been sad failures amongst
their ordained ministers. Neither
would they claim that ordination has
| given their ministers superior disc ern-
ment of Divine Truths. On the c,pn-
frary. it has injured the clergy Ivy
making many of them domineerin e
| and lordly, contrary to the spirit ana
teachings of Christ and the Apostles:
and the laity by leading them to con-
clude that merely secular matters
| should engage their attention.
The True Ordination.
Finally the Pastor showed the true
| ordination to be the importation of the
Holy Spirit Whoever receives this
has Gods authority to be His am
bassador and mouthpiece Such show
the work of the Holy Spirit regenerat-
ing their minds and hearts. giving
them insight into the Scriptures. and
enabling them to be Gods mouth
pieces. ministers of His Truth.