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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1912)
PASTOR RUSSELL IS CHALLENGED Complete Answer to tie Qasry, "Who Ordained dim?" WHOLE SUBJECT CLARIFIED. Clergy and Laity Unscriptural Terms Pastors, Reverend Fathers, Etc. Ordinations Various By Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, et al. The Divine Ordination the Only Genuine Article Without It No One Is Au thorized to Preach or to Teach the Holy Scriptures Many Ministers In All Denominations Lack This Real, Divine Authorization or Ordination. Albany, N. '., Nov. 17. As al ways, Pastor Rus sell got the crowds today. We report his discourse on ministerial ordlua tion and titles. Very evidently It was a reply to an attack recently made upon him by a Mr. W. T. Ellis, field editor of "The Continent," and alias the "Religious Rambler." Ellis charged Pastor Russell with be ing unordalned and claimed that his ordination as pastor Is fraudulent The address showed that Pastor Russell fully understands the situation. lie fully justified his position before bis vast audience and showed up the "rambler" editor In the unenviable light either of being Ignorant of the subjects dlocussed or of attempting to deceive the public. Ills text was, "Not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the father, who raised nim from the dead." (Galatlans i, 1). He said:- Evldcntly the time has come for tell ing the common people what the Bible teaches respecting clergy and laity, titles of ministers, and ordination to teach and preach. We have previously pointed out that the doctrine of Apostolic Succession started In the second century, A. D. The bishops claimed that they had the same au thority that Jesus had originally given exclusively to the Twelve Apostles. On the strength of this claim they appoint ed and ordained the inferior clergy. This custom still prevails in what are known as Catholic Churches Ro man. Anglican and Greek. The prin ciple Is wholly wrong, unscrlptural. According to the Bible, the Church of Christ is not composed of two parts, clergy and laity. Jesus declared, "One is your Master, Christ; and all ye are brethren." Therefore, "Call no man Master or Father." St. Paul's writ ings clearly show that In the early Church the ministers were the serv ants of the Flock, and not of a differ ent, lordly caste. They were of the people; and when choseu by the Eccle sia by the stretching forth of the hand (Greek, chcirotoneo), they were recog nized us of Divine appointment to the ministry through the Church. The customs of centuries were so dif ficult to throw off that many of the re formers coveted the titles accorded the Catholic clergy. Nor did they care to tell the congregation that Its word was supreme In the matter and that Its ministers were merely by the grace of God Its servants. Others of the reform ers, realizing that Jesus and His disci ples were not styled Reverend, Doctor, etc., declined to us these titles, prefer ring to be called pastors. This custom stlil prevails very generally in Protes tant Germany and Scandinavia. My Christian friends and Bible Student associates well know my objection to the title "Reverend," and hence ad dress me as "Pastor"-shepherd. Fur thermore, I am the elected pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle congregation, and also of the London Tabernacle congregation. I fall to see any ground for criticism of my course in this re spect; nor do I make any attack uKn Christian brethren who accept other mid unscrlptural titles. Must Pastors Be Ordained? There Is no question that ordination 1 necessary to the proper holding of the olilce of pastor. The whole ques tion Is: What constitutes nn ordination to preach, teach and be a pastor amongst tiic people of God? This question has received a wide va riety of answers. The Roman, Angli can and Greek Churches, claiming AjHvstolic Succession, declare that the authorization to preach must come through their apostle-bishops. For this reason Protestant ministers have not been albwed to enter the pulpits of these denominations until the Episco palians a year ago granted this cowes Men. Their .'Large has been that Prot estant ministers are unordalned. Of course, If their proposition be correct. I am just as much unordalned as all other Protestant ministers- and no more so. Only sine! the organization of the Evangelical Alliance (lSKi) have the different sects of Christendom ac knowledged each other and each oth er's ordinations. Some of them recog nize the word ordination In Its true liphr, as meaning simply authorization; and others of less spiritual discern nitMit see merely an outward ceremony. Each denomination dues its own or dnluiug, and makes such ceremonies a? it deems proper. If, therefore, the con Fi"gartnn of Christian believers In A- f '5 Mj (fTOfcgUSSELL) Biooklyu and the other congregation In London choose to ordain or appoint me their Pastor, it Is wholly a matter jf their own what ceremonies, if any, shall accompany that ordination or ap pointment. Who inn dispute this? No Protestant denomination, surely; for their owu 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 shuf flings 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 em phasizing the fact that he did not re ceive Ills commission as preacher and Apostle of Christ from his brother Apostles. lie distinctly declares him elf an Apostle by Divine authoriza tion. This is the general Scriptural principle underlying Divine Ordination to the ministry of Christ. Before we proceed with an cx;xsi lion 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 dock? Have all given evidence of Divine authorization to teach and to preach the True Gos pel? Their staunchest votaries must admit that many of them have been unworthy; and that from these very one$ have proceeded doctrines and practises contrary to the Word of God. Of what value, then, are their ordina tions 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 utterances 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 isters 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. It is answered also In the fact that today the great majority of ordained ministers in all denomina tions entirely repudiate' the Bible as a Divine Revelation. Their ordination did not protect them from our modern infidelity, called Higher Criticism. Un der Its 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." (.Tude 3.) It 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 illumination by which any of these humanly ordained ministers were qualified for preaching and teaching the Lord's people? The answer Is, No! As deep spirituality and as deep in sight into the teachings of the Scrip tures are to he found outside of the pulpit as inside. The ordination, evi dently, brought no enlightenment, no gift of the Holy Spirit-the thing above all needed by those who would teacli 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 a higher caste than their brethren. The unordalned have been Injured in that human ordi nation hos helped to befog their minds In respect to the real ordination. Thus the "laity" have been hindered from entering upon the very service which God Intended should be their chief aim and object. In the curly Church, the Elders were considered merely elder brothers of the Church uot elders in years necessarily, but advanced ones In spiritual things, able to help the brethren properly to understand the Word of God and to attend to all the duties and privileges Inculcated by the Gospel for their preparation for a share in Messiah's Kingdom. The ordination of reverend men to be rulers, and In some ernes dictators of a Church, has taken avray 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 service. St. Paul, In his address to the Elders of the congregation at Epliesus, said, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the Flock, over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers (Greek, episl-opox, liter ally, hlshopsl, to feed the Church of God." (Acts xx. All of those Elders were tmder-shepherds, pastors, bishops, overseers. All of them had the commission to feed the Flock. All of them had opportunity for teaching, Instructing the Church. Divine Ordination to Preach. All will admit that if preachws ore representatives of God. if they speak In His name, they niuM have Mime ordi nation from Him. Whoever has not Di vine authority is usurping a holy otlice and placing himself in antagonism to God. As St. Paul suggests. "No man takcth this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God. as vv Aarou." i Hebrews v. 4.) The A;hCVs argu ment Is that the Aurouic presthood was typical of the higher Priesthood of Jesus the Melchisedec Priesthood. Aarou and his sons belonged to the tribe specially called to the Divine service; and they were specially called out of that tribe to be the priests. The antitype is Jesus, the High Priest or Head Priest, over the under Priesthood all the true members of the Church of Christ. This St. Peter shows saying, pot to the clerics, but to all the Church, "Ye are a Royal Priesthood, a holy na tion, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth tlie praises of Him who hnth called you out of darkness Into His marvelous tight."-! Peter 11, 1). As Aaron received an anointing, qual ifying him for the typical priesthood, so Jesus received an auoluting of the Holy Spirit, qualifying Him to be the Head or Chief Priest over nil the Church, the uiuler-priesthood. The be getting of the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism. That anointing gave Him authority to preach and teach In the Father's name. There Ills ministry began, as He tells us Himself in Ills sermon in the Nazareth syna gogue, where He read the opening verses of Isaiah lxl, aud declared that their fulfilment had been reached in Ills own person: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Mo to preach good tid ings unto the meek." Luke Iv, 17-iIl. The Church Anointed to Preach. While Jesus was with Ilia disciples, ne sent them forth to preach in Nls name, not In the Father's name; for the Father had not yet acknowledged them by giving them the anointing of the Holy Spirit, as we read: "The Holy Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John vii, 39.) But when Jesus, having finished nis ministry and sacrifice, was leaving nis disciples He directed them not to preach, but to tarry at Jerusalem "un til ye be endued with power from on IIigh."-Luke xxiv. 49. The promised power from on High came at Pentecost. Immediately tbey began to preach and to teach; for they had received the Divine anointing, as Jesus had received it at the time of Ills baptism. This Divine anointing constituted their ordination, their au thority from the Father as members of the Body of Christ, the Royal Priest hood, to lie His mouthpieces. This Di vine anointing came not merely upon the twelve Apostles; but It has nil through this Gospel Age constituted the blessed recognition of the Father and of the Son to all who receive it. In I he typical picture. Aaron hud the holy anointing oil poured upon his head, aud it ran down to the skirts of his garment. All the members of His Body thus came under the anointing. So .Tcs'.:s, the Head of the Church, re ceived the anointing at the beginning of His ministry; and from IIIiu at Pentecost by the Divine appointment It has flowed down over all the mem bers Of Ills Church. Every one re ceivini' the anointing of the Holy Spir it is a qualified ambassador of God to speak in His name. As St. Peter says, every sin h one Is a Royal Priest. St. John refers to this same anointing, saying. "Ye have an unction anoint Ing from the Holy One. and ye all know It." Who Lack Divine Ordination? From what we have said It must be clear that no one Is entitled to speak for the Almighty unless he have this Divine Ordination of the Holy Spirit. Human titles and human ordinations nre wholly inadequate to make a real preacher and teacher In the Church of Christ. But the Spirit begotten are fully authorized to use their every op portunity under all circumstances and conditions. There is no division of these Spirit-begotten ones along the lines of clergy and laity. God never recognized Rtich distinctions and divi sions. Ills ambassadors bear the marks of identification that none oth ers have. They have a knowledge of the real Gospel, and of the real charac ter of God. They are guided by the Holy Spirit, step by step into the deep things of God. We submit that if a knowledge of the Truth be an indication of an enlight ening Influence of the Holy Spirit, then not every preacher In the world gives evidence of a Divine Ordination to teach and to speak as a Divine Am bassador. We must put away the fool ishness of the Dark Ages, and the mis conception that a few mumbled phrases were ever the Divine method of inducting the Royal Priesthood into their service as ministers of the Truth. The Gospel to Be Preached. Let us note the Gospel which Jesus was anointed to preach, and which we as His members are anointed to preach "Fear not! behold we bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people." "The Spirit of the Lord Is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach good tid ings to the meek." Poor humanity Is already under the Curse; and the Gospel Message is "good tidings," that God bus provided a way by whlf li we may as a race come out from under the Curse. The Curse Is death; and all of our aches and pains and sorrows and tears are directly or Indirectly associated with that Curse. The Message of Jesus Is good tidings, comfort to all broken-hearted ones, saying, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain" there Revelation xxl. 4. INDIANA WRECK. Scenes of Train Smash Near Indianapolis In Which 15 Were Killed. v; .. - w j k $t&k 3l- --Jessjsssls. . i : ' 1 v 1 .a... -1 . 4 ' s, Tlx v SW r 1 ' Photos by American PreM Association. Above, passenger and freight engine locked toKother In death clutch after head-on collision on Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton railroad at Irvlngton, a sub urb of Indianapolis; below, third coach of paRseiiRAr train telescoped with second car. This shows where mout were killed. HEAR AGAIN FROM CONFESSED MURDERER Lackawanna Police Get Another Letter from Slayer of Boy, Buffalo, Nov 18 The police of Iackawanna received another letter from the confessed murderer of little Joseph Josephs, whose decomposed liO'ly was taken from a cesspool buck of a saloon on the Ridge road. IJke some of the other letters and postcards received by the police and George Jo sephs, father of the murdered hoy, I his one asserts thai the writer In tends to surrender The letter is dated Nov. 15 and was mailed in Do: ton. It is unsigned and (l;c writer asserts his intention of giv ing himself up to the Uickawannn po lice Wednesday. The police place no credent o in the promise of the writer to appear voluntarily and every effort is being made to capture him. Mr. Josephs also received ten days ago -in unsigned postcard In the same handwriting, giving revolting details of the murder of his son. All letters In the hands of the police undoubtedly were written by the same man. Although some were neatly penned, others were scrawls, in dis jointed sentences. In the latter the writer invariably refers to being drunk. HILL ISSUES STATEMENT Effective Competition Said to Be Re stored in Tobacco Trade. New York, Nov. 18. In order not to rest under campaign misrepresenta tions, Perclval S Hill, president of :ne American Tobacco company, in a statement, details the process of disin tegration which the company has un dergone in compliance with the final decree of the United States supreme court, Issued Nov. 1G, 1911, and the competitive conditions resulting there from. To show the drastic nature of the dissolution of the so called tobacco trust, Mr. T 1 1 1 1 cites the distribution among the shareholders of securities valued at $100,(100,000, and earning $!). 000,000 a year. Since the disintegration of the to bacco trust was completed on Feb 20, Mr. Hill states that competition In the trade, both In buying and selling, has been , complete and effective, for evi dence cf which he points to higher prices for the tobacco crop and the In dependence of jobbers and retailers Negro Slayer Eludes Police. St. Iwis, Nov. 18 Although Riir rounded In a railroad yard by thirty policemen, Al Whitfield, the negro who after midnight killed Patrolman Arthur N. lluddleson and wounded three policemen, eluded his pursuers, dodging among empty boxcars, and when daylight arrived could not be found. C'hi"f of Police William Young has offered a reward of $100 for the capture, dead or alive, of Whit field, who Is said to bo an ex convlet Mrs. Lesh Sane Says Sheriff. Sedalla. Mo, Nov. 18. Mrs. Pansy Lesh. who confessed Nov. 2 ot Ios An geles to murdering two women in Missouri, arrived here In the custody of Sheriff M. T. Henderson. She Is he ing held at the county Jail, but Is not locked in a ell, the sheriff believing such precautions unnecessary. Sher iff Henderson scoffs at the Idea that the woman is Insane. "VETS" JOIN CHOLERA FIGHT State Society Pledges to Aid Farmers in Checking Plague. Ames, la., Nov. 18. The Iowa Veter inary afsociatlon has joined the farm ers of the state in their demand for a vigorous fight against hog cholera. In resolutions adopted at its annual meet ing at the Iowa state college the as sociation declared that the state must take up this work more thoroughly for the protection of both public health and live stock. It asked that not less than $."0,000 he appropriated to build ' an adequate state 3crum laboratory, and provide men to help the state vet erinarian stamp out the epidemic. "Hog cholera Is costing Iowa not less than $15,000,000 this year." de clared Dr. K. A Iluxton of Vinton, In an address on the situation. W. G. POLLOCK IS DEAD Diamond Salesman Was Held Up on Train by Shercliffe. Pes Moines, Nov. 18. W. G. Pol lock of New York, who attained world wide notice a decade ago, when he was the victim of the Pollock diamond rohherv on a train near Council IUuffs. died in a local hospital, his malady re sulting from the wounds he received In the holdup. In spite of his experience at the hands of Frank Shercliffo, Mr Pollock remained a diamond salesman to the day of his death and was called to the state where he was robbed to conduct some large sales to Dcs Moines Jew tiers. MONTEZUMA CITIZENS MUST STAND TRIAL Court Upholds Indictments on Gambling Charge. Des Moines, Nov. 18. George Cos bon, attorney general, received word from Montezuma that he had won out !n a caso In which fifty-seven citizens iudtctod on gambling charges had asked for a dismissal of the Indict ments. Tin court held that the in dictments were proper, and trat those Involved must stand trial. The Indictments resulted from the raffling of an nutomobil3. Those, who took part in the rallla contended that each man was a shareholder, and that it was not gnmhling to draw lots to see which of the shareholders got the motor car. Shares In the automobile were rb'alm?d by making purchases of goo'Is at the stom. The store keepers lolntlv purchased the nutomo Ville and offered It as a prize. Mr. Cof-son said that his victory racana that the practice of gombling In this way will be ended in the state. ENGINEER FATALLY HURT Train Posses Over William Yhurman at Perry. Perry, la., Nov. 18. William Thur man, an engineer employed by the lrlmer-Gallagher Construction com puny, fell from his engine cab and was run over by his train. Although toe attending physician pronounced his Injuries fatal, the Mil waukee sent Ulm on a special train to Mercy hospital in D'-s Moines. Thur man was leaning out of the cab win dow when a sudden lurch of the en glne, which was running over a tern Krary track, threw him out. The en glne a ml two of the dump cars passed over him. 0TTUMWA MAY TRY "PLAN" Petition for Special Election It Being Circulated. Ottumwa, la., Nov. 18. Petitions to the city council requesting the mayor t3 call a special election to vote on tno niat'er of changing to the commia felon form of government &re In clrcn lotion. A committee Is ongaged In se curing signatures and the campalgr. will continue until the names of 1.20C voters have been secured. A total ol 118 replies was received by Secretary Wiedonfeller. This number was dlvld cd as follows: Favorable, 101; unfa vorable, 9; noncommittal, 8 Sheriff Purchases Two Bloodhounds Waterloo, la.. Nov. 18 In order tc supply Iowa with highly trained and experienced bloodhoundB. Sheriff Shores has purchased a half interest In two of the best dogs In the H. G Strumpfer kennols of Springfield, 111 The animals nre both of the English type, and hive trailed numerous crlm Inals. They will be here Dec. 1, and a trained man will come with them and be fn the sheriff's employ. New York Horse Show Opens, New York, Nov. 18. The horse show !e open and the Boclal season Is on. As o horse show this year's ex hlblt premises to excel In Interest any previous exhibition hero. The entries exceed In number last yenr's record total, while the Increased competition In tli harness classes Is a feature. Three Killed, Three Hurt. Dwlght, III., Nov. 18. Three passen gers riding In u transfer omnibus were killed and three probnbly fatally In Jured when the vehicle was struck and demolished by a Chicago and Alton train. The dead are: James Gregory, John revere, Miss Nellie Strickland New Petition at Ottumwa. Ottumwo, la., Nov. IS. The saloon petition will bo placed In circulation this week by the Ottumwa Taxpayers' Protective association. VESSEL TO GROSS ISTIWIN1913 Formal Opening of Canal Will Not Occur Until 1914. SMALL GRAFT TO MAKE TRIP. Annual Report of Canal Commission Makes Intention of, Builders. More Definite Unusual Obstacles Sur. mounted by Engineers' Ingenuity. Washington, Nov. 18. Some time next summer or fall, no exact date be ing specified, a vessel will pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean across what is now the isthmus of Panama, which consequently must dis appear from tlio world's geography, and by the same human agency the western hemisphere will be divided In to two continents. The vessel will Hot be the Oregon nor any other fa mous ship, but will bo one of the many email water craft In dally use by the canal builders; and probably the only passengers vlll be Colonel George W. Goethals, and the staff of American en gineers, who for tho last eight years have been carrying on the greatest engineering work the world has ever seen. It will he later than that, any where from six months to a year, per haps, before the formal opening of the waterway will take place and a naval fleet, headed by the famous old Ore gon, will pans through into the western ocean, and the canal may be fairly nald to be open to trade. Will Finish -One Side First These fact" are not of official rec ord as yet; the date of Jan. 1, 1915, still stands for the opening predicted by Colonel Goethals. But that the opening will be anticipated to a great extent has been promised by the canal builders In unofficial statements, and now conies a clear Intimation of their purpose to advance the opening date, In the annual report of the canal com mission, Just published. It Is dis closed while the completion of the great locks by Jan. 1 next will not he possible, owing to contract delays, within six months thereafter the chan nel will be finished, while to Insure the safe passage of tho locks, the con tractor has been called upon to finish the gates in one flight first, so that If the rest of the work Is in condition passage of ships can be permitted without waiting for the completion of the other flights. This statement will bo understood when it Is known that the great locks are being built in du plicate, Rld by side, not only to add to the capacity of the canal, but to In sure Its continuance In operation In case of a serious accident to a ship In one of the locks. The report shows a moRt satisfac tory state of progress of the whole great work. Naturally the most Inter estlng feature of the report relates to the operations In the great Culebra cut. Here great landslides, many rank ing with an Alpine avalanche in mag nitude, have so Increased the amount of material to be excavated that were It not found possible steadily to re duce the cost per yard of dredging and Btenm shoveling through the growing expertness of the employees and Im proved engineering methods, the total cost of excavation would have been vastly greater than tho estimates. One Way to Deal With Slides. There Is only one way to deal with these slides, and that is to dig them out as they occur, though soma help Is gained by terraclngthe upper banks. That Is because tho geological forma tion changes so frequontly and sudden ly that no other effective treatment has been found. So unstable Is the earth that the material In one part of the. cut begins to move on on Inclina tion as low as one on seven, owing to the mass of stratified rock sliding over a layer of lignite. One slide now in motion, near the bridge of Culebra, covers nn area of sixty-three . acres, from which 2,710.000 yards have al reouy been removed, leaving 1,300,000 Rt ill to be hnndlcd. The fticouraging feature of tht heavy work at that point Is found In the statement In tho report "that none of the sllds, which occurred during the year would have Interfered with the rnssag. of ships hod the canal been In operation." Already the appropriations made by emigres" for the canal hove run Into big figures, the total up to June 30 lasf being $293,5111,408 and hlnce that date there have been additional approprla Hons, exclusive of those for fortlflca tions, oniountlng to $28,980,000, niak ing the grand total $322,541,468 On June 30, of nil the appropriations, the engineers had expended C0 per cent of the total estimated cost of the canal Jannus Reaches St. Louis. St Louis, Nov. 18. Tony Jannus in his hydroaeroplane, made the thirty six miles from St. Charles to St. Loula In two easy jumps. He now has cov ered 771 miles of the distance from Omaha to New Orleans and his actual flying time has been even fourteeir hours Jumps 150 Feet Into East River. New York, Nov. 18. Charlotte V Westland, n young widow, committed suicide by plunging 150 feet Into the East river from the Manhattan bridge Ex-Senator Terrell of Georgia Dead. Atlanta, Nov. 18 Former United States Senator Joseph M. Terrell, twice governor of Georgia, died at hL homo hwre.