The Adair County news., 1912-11-27

/ tHASISkk0oollLJ editor Of The Con
tiHept, and alias
the Religious Rambler" Ellis claims
that Pastor RusselTs 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
showed up the Rambler editor il
the unenviable light of either being
ignorant of the subjects discussed, o.
attempting to deceive the public. His
text was. Not of men, neither by man
but by Jesus Christ, and God the Ia
ther. who raised Him from the dead
/ (Gal. |, u. 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 aud laity. Jesus declared. "An
ye are brethren; One is your Master
Christ" st. Paul shows that in the
early Church the ministers were the
I servants OF the flock. They were oi
the people, chosen by them by the
stretching forth Of the hand.
Many Of the TefOrmers coveted the
titles accorded the Catholic clergy
They did not care to tell the congre-
F CATION that its word was supreme. and
that its ministers were merely its serv-
ants. Others realizing that these H.
+ ties We're unscriptural declined 10 use
( them, preferring to be called pastor.
! My Bible Student associates, knowing
my objection to the title Reverend"
A address me as Pastor. I am the elected
/ Pastor Of the Brooklyn Tabernacle
! congregation. and also Of the London
! Tabernacle congregation. and l fail to
. see ground for criticism in this respect.
nor DO I attack Christian brethren who
. accept other and unscriptural titles.
Must Pastors Be Ordained?
Ordination is necessary to the office
Of pastor The question is, What consti-
tutes an ordination to preach among t
the people Of God:
This question has received various
answers. The Roman. Anglican and
I Greek Churches. claiming Apostolic
. Succession. declare that authoritarian
20 preach must come through their
f apost,e-bishops. and have not allowed
Protestant ministers TO enter their pm
f pits-untii the Episcopalians, about
/ year ago granted this concession O:
! course, if their proposition were cor
rect, I am just as much unordained -
/ all other Protestant ministers-ard n1
more SO
Each denomination at it's beginning
! was opposed by all others; yet each
taught that the clergy were separate
from the laity. Only since the organ
ization of the Evangelical Alliance
. QSIG have the different sects Of
/ Christendom acknowledged each 9th.
! er's ordinations. Each denomination
/ makes use Of such ceremonies rs il
/ deems proper. If, therefore, the con
! gregation of Christian believers in
Brooklyn and London ordain or ap-
point me as their pastor, il is their
OWL choice what ceremonies. if any.
shah accompany that ordination. Who
can dispute this? No Protestant de
nomination, surely; for their own or
1inations are on this very basis
The subject Of ordination seems TO
I have fallen into confusion during the
Dark~Ages. st Paul particularly EN-
phasiZes the fact that he did not re-
ceive bis 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
dination 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, it has injured the clergy by
making many of them domineering
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 the Scriptures, and
enabling them to be Gods mouth
pieces, ministers of His TRUTH