Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-14
DEACON RECEIVED
INTO PRIESTHOOD
Rev. John Forbes Mitchell of
Warsaw Ordained at Trim
ity Episcopal Church.
CEREMONY IS IMPRESSIVE
Bishop Faweett Officiates and Sermon
Is Preached by Rev. J. M.
D. Davidson.

Right Rev. Edward NJ. Fawcett,
bishop of the Quincy diocese of the
Episcopal church, yesterday morning
at 10:45 at Trinity Episcopal church
officiated at the ordination and conse-
Grafton TO the priesthood of Rev. John
Forbes Mitchell, rector of st. Paul's
church at Warsaw, Ill. Assisting the
bishop in the absence Of the rector,
Rev. Granville H. Sherwood, was Rev.
George Long. rector of st. Stephens
church a. Peoria, who acted as master
OF ceremonies. A large congregation
attended the impressive services.
THE SERMON.
The sermon was preached by Rev
J. NJ. d. Davidson, D. D., of Mocomb,
general missionary of the Diocese of
Quincy, whose topic was Ministers
AID Stewards" and whose discourse
waA based on the text:
First Cor Al. Let a man so &C
count of us, as of the ministers of
Christ and stewards of the mysteries
of God" DR.. Davidson said:
Can God have a representative in
the world? Does the history of man.
kind show that il is safe to admit the
claim of any man TO possess a meas
ure of divine power and authority?
Human freedom seems TO have been
evolved through a series of rebellions
against fraudulently asserted or op-
pressively exercised claims TO divine
authority. The history of the doc.
trine of the divine right Of kings is
typical illustration. What has been
the outcome Of these movements? The
overthrowing of the principle of divine
~ representative government and
authority in the world? Not at all
Never was this principle more firmly
established or acknowledged among
men than now The history of Nor
monism. Dowieism, and the apparently
undiminished vogue of Eddyism, are
evidence of this fact Mems ideas
too. of what constitutes divine truth
have been enlarged in these later days
TO include the message of the poet
the artist. the architect, the journal
list. the statesman, the great master:
OF music. May We question the author
fly of Mozart, of Beethoven, of Gou
nod or of John Sebastian Dykes tC
speak to us of divine and eterna
things, when we recall the words o
Faber:
Thou, Lord. art the Father of music
Sweet sounds are a whisper from
Thee;
Thou hast made Thy creation all an
thems,
Though It singeth them silently"
The work, too. of the inventor. tn
promoter, the mechanic and the build
er have for the thoughtful the appea
of divine power and authority. william
Hervey Woods, in his poem, "Th
Road Builder" makes the enginee
who planned the road where "ringin
ribbands wind and mile-long cargoe
ride speak Of his work as if it indee
were Gods:
John was a voice" he laughed one,
81, a hand.
Cast up the kings highway across tn
land"
While the poet himself, at the clos,
Is bold to say:
And when our road-builder cease
from men,
That night, that way, propht
went to God"
In this broadened and deepene
conception among men of the realit
Of Gods representation in the worl
OF earnest thought and work toda,
what has become of the claims
Gods ministry TO a unique position {
representative power and authority
Has it been lessened? Nay. strength
ened rather. Men have always bee
willing to welcome and TO recogniz
in the world a duly accredited minis
try in divine things. The rightfulnes
and the needfulness of the priestly o
fee, temporarily obscured and di
credited by medieval abuses and th
later travesties of Erastianism, ha