The Washington herald., 1917-12-23

WE BELIEVE THAT A MAN
MUST BE CALLED OF GOD. BY
PROPHECY, AND BY THE LAY.
ING ON OF HANDS. BY THOSE
. WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY, TO
PREACH THE GOSPEL AND AID
MINISTER IN THE ORDINANCES
THEREOF GArticles of Faith No. 81.
Organization is essential to human
advancement. The Divine afirma-
ton that it is not good for man
to be alone may be applied not only
to the union of the sexes in honora-
hle marriage. upon which the per-
petuity of the race depends, but
also to the association of humankind
In community life. without which CO.
operation is impossible and the
achievements Of united purpose would
be unknown.
1t is therefore natural and neces-
sary that men shall establish and
maintain institutions for community
bettcrment. The constitution of every
liberal government recognizes the
right of individuals to associate them
selves in any organization having
worthy purpose. in harmony with the
spirit of law and order. and not in
leges Of non-members.
Thus, men may institute societies.,
associations, and clubs, guilds, fra
ternities. and orders. They may des-
ignate their organization as a church
IL they choose, and may enact rules
prescribing conditions of admission,
and providing for the administration
Of the institutions affairs They may
to haf
shall be admitted to the church thus
created except he be baptized by i'm
mersion in water by one of the off,
cials. and that the seal of member
ship shall be the pronouncing of a
formula accompanied by the laying
On Of hands.
But who Of US would hazard his
reputation Of a rational being by as
sorting or even believing that such
baptism. administered by an author
ity created by man, can be of effect
In assuring remission of sins, Or that
1t shall be recognized % efficacious by
the powers Of Heaven?
Churches, societies, or other asso-
Citations, established on purely human
Initiative are institutions of men; they
can never be aught else. It Is in line
with consistency that such organiza-
tons bear the names Of men, or that
they be known by some appeIlation
expressive of their origin, their con-
stituion, their peculiarities of gov
eminent, their location, or some other
distinguishing feature. Could it be
counted less than sacrilege to attach
the name Of Deity to a church called
into being in the manner we have
assumed?
The Church Of the apostolic epoch
was the organization that Christ had
established He very expressiveIy
called 1t MY CHURCH CMatt. 1919
and after His departure, every ordi-
nance therein was administered in the
name Of Jesus Christ. BY Divine as
surance those ordinances were of ef-
rect, not only on earth but in Heaven,
not alone for time, but for eternity.
OF man-made institutions, of artificial
growths though bearing the titles of
churchly cults, the Lord emphatically
declared: EVERY PLANT, WHICH
MY HEAVENLY FATHER HATH
NOT PLANTED, SHALL BE ROOT
ED UP" CMatt. 15:13.
In the course Of His ministrations
on the Western Continent, Jesus
Christ established His Church. and
thus answered certain inquiries as to
the name by which that Church
should be called:
WHATSOEVER YE SHALL DO,
re SHALL DO IT IN MY NAME;
THEREFORE, YE SHALL CALL
THE CHURCH IN MY NAME; AND
re SHALL CALL UPON THE
FATHER IN MY NAME. THAT HE
WILL BLESS THE CHURCH FOR
MY SAKE AND HOW BE IT MY
CHURCH, SAVE TT BE CALLED IN
Ny NAME? FOR IF A CHURCH BE
CALLED IN MOSES NAME, THEN
IT BE MOSES CHURCH; OR IF 1T
BE CALLED IN THE NAME OF A
NAN. THEN IT BE THE CHURCH
OF A MAN; BUT IF 1T BE CALLED
IN NY NAME. THEN 1T Is MY
CHURCH. HkET so BE THAT