The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-11-22

in London choose to ordaip or appoint
me their Pastor, it is wholly matter
of their own what ceremonies, if any,
shall accompany that ordination or APP
/ pointment. Who can dispute this? No
( Protestant denomination, surely; for
/ their own ordinations are on this basis.
"Not of Men, Nor by Man."
/ The entire subject Of ordination of
ministers Of the Gospel seems to have
| fallen into confusion during the shut
! filings of the Dark Ages; and few seem
to have gotten fully back to the Bible
! teachings on this subject as on other
subjects. ST Paul is particular in en-
! phasizing the fact that he did not re-
ceive his commission as preacher and
Apostle of Christ from his brother
! Apostles He distinctly declares him
self an Apostle by Divine authorize
ton. This is the general Scriptural
principle underlying Divine Ordination
| to the ministry Of Christ.
Before we proceed with an exposi-
| ton of the Bible teaching on Divine
Ordination, it will not be improper for
US to note the practical operation of the
different human OrganiZations-of men
| and by men merely.
| Have all bishops of the Catholic
| Church, the Anglican Church, and the
| Greek Church been models of prOpri-
| ETY.. patterns to the flock? Have all
| given evidence Of Divine authorization
! to teach and to preach the True Cos
pei? Their stauncheSt votaries must
| admit that many of them have been
| unworthy; and that from these very
| ones have proceeded doctrines and
practises contrary to the Word of God.
| Of what value, then, are their Ordina-
| tons by men and Of man. None what
| ever! On the contrary. the claim that
| they were Divinely authorized, and
| guided and inspired to be teachers of
| the Church, helped forward the errors
which they promulgated. By reason
| of their claimed authority to teach,
| the people believed them too implicitly
| and did not sufficiently criticiSe their
rtterances and practises in the light of
the Holy Scriptures
How is it today in the various Prot
| estant denominations of ChriStendOm!
| Are all those who receive Sectarian or
| dination, of men and by man, benefited
| thereby? Has such ordination kept
| them free from weaknesses of the flesh
| to which others were exposed? Has it
| not. on the other hand, exposed them
| to greater temptations, because they
were pedestaled by the people and
! thereby injured with pride, haughti-
ness, etc? Has such ordination in
any denomination preserved its min
listers from doctrinal errors more than
| the people, who did not have a similar
ordination of men and by man?
The answer is found in the num-
| bers who have left various de-
nominations and ordinations to go
| into other denominations and Ordi-
nations. 1t is answered also in the
| fact that today the great majority of
ordained ministers in all denOmina-
tons entirely repudiate the Bible as
| Divine Revelation. Their ordination
did not protect them from our modern
| infidelity called Higher Criticism. I'm
der it's influence they have ceased to
| be teachers of Bible Christianity, and
| have become, merely eSSayiStS, leaders
in political and social reform and in
humanitarian work. Manifestly their
| ordination of men and by man did not
hold them to the faith once delivered
to the saints" dude 81 1t did not as
sist them to appreciate the Bible as
being sufficient that the man of God
might be thoroughly furnished unto
every good word and work.
| Let us consider the matter again,
| from another standpoint. Did any Of
these human ordinations of men and
by man impart the Holy Spirit or give
a mental illuminate n by which any of
| these humanity ordained ministers were
| qualified for preaching and teaching
the Lords people? The answer is, No!
AS deep spirituality and as deep in
sight into the teachings of the Scrip
| lures are to be found outside of the
pulpit as inside The ordination, evil
| IDENTIFY, brought no enlightenment, no
! gift of the Holy Spirit-the thing
above all needed by those who. would
teach others and expound the Gospel.
Has Served a Bad Purpose.
The ordination of ministers, of men
and by man. has been injurious in that
! it has perpetuated the misconception
| that the Church is divided into two
classes-clergy and laity. The ordained
have been injured by being puffed up to
suppose themselves of Il higher caste
! than their brethren. The unOrdained
have been injured in that human ordi-
nation has helped to befog their minds
/ In respect to tne real ordination Thus
| the "laity'' have been hindered from
entering upon the very service whith
| God intended should be their chief aim
| and object. In the early Church, the
| Elders were considered merely elder
| brothers of the Church--not elders in
| years necessarily, but advanced ones
in spiritual things, able to help the
brethren properly to understand the
| Word of Cod and to attend to all the
duties and privileges inculcated by the
! Gospel for their preparation for share
| in Messiahs Kingdom. The ordination
! of reverend men to be rulers, and in
| some cases dictatorS of Church, has
| taken away from the Elders the very
services that the Apostle tells them
were to be theirs. Instead, it appoints
them the empty honor of passing the
! collection plate and the communion