The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-11-20

that Pastor Russell's ordination as Pas
tor is fraudulent The address show.
that Pastor Russell fully understand.
the situation He fully justified his pc
sition before his vast audience anC
showed up the Rambler editor ii
the unenviable light of either being
ignorant of the subjects discussed, OIL
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. d.
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 lalty. Jesus declared. "All
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 th'
stretching forth Of the hand
Many of the reformers coveted th,
titles accorded the Catholic clergJ
They did not care TO tell the congre
cation that its word was supreme. and
that its ministers were merely its sery
ants. Others, realizing that these q
ties were unscriptural, declined to us
them; preferrlng to be called pastor
My Bible Student associates. KNOWN
my objection TO the title Reverend
address me as Pastor. ! am the el"clc
Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernu
congregation. and also of the l.oud"
Tabernacle congrega ton, and fan
see ground for criticism in this resp'c'
nor do attack Christian brethren VII
accept other and unscriptural titles
Must Pastors Be ordained2
Ordination is necessary 10 the OH
OF pastor The question is. What rou~i
tutes an ordination TO preach nmougs
the people of God:
This question has received ,ariot
answers. The Roman. Anglican SO.
Greek Churches. claiming Apu>tu
Succession, declare that authorHuiio+
TO preach must come through tnri
apostle bishops, and have not allowT
Protestant ministers to enter their pm
pits--until the Eplscopalians. ahQut %
year ago granted this concession o.
course. II their proposition were r1i
rect. am just as much unordained a,
all other Protestant ministers aud u.
more so
Each denomination at It's brgiunu
was opposed 10y all others: vet eacl
taught that the clergy wore separnl'
from the laity Only since the orea'
ization of the Evangelical Alliance
QS46l have the different sects o.
Christendom acknowledged each 9th
er's ordinations Each denomination
makes use OF such ceremonies ms h
deems proper II. therefore the con
gregation OF Christian believers m
Brooklyn and London ordain or up
point me rs their pastor ii is THEN
own choice what ceremonies. II amy
shall accompany that ordination Win
can dispute thiSi No Protestant DC
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 Panl particularly EN-
phasizes 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 Scriptural principle underly
ing Divine Ordination to the ministry
Of Christ.
No denomination claims that the or
dlnatlon of its ministers either made or
kept them perfect All admit that
there have been sad failures amongst
their ordained ministers. Neither
would they claim that ordination has
given their ministers superior discern
ment Of Divine Truths On the con
trary. II has injured the clergy by
making many Of them domlneerlng
and lordly. contrary to the spirit and
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 tho Scriptures. and
enabling them 10 he Gods mouth
niacps ministers ~ TIfe Trnfh