| Show iotch lotch MORE THAN A CUSTOM IN a recent lecture the pastor of t plymouth church referred to the cu custom stomP in the early Christ christian fann lann t church of ordaining ministers or bishops pastors putois or shepherds he said it all meant the same bame by the laying on of hands but said dald he t i it was only a custom and nothing else nothing went out of the hands of the episcopacy there was nothing in it and if they had touched the ministers on the head with a fl hat it would have amounted to ta the same thing the custom may be ba continued b ant ut it hab has no moral force tho the opinions of mr baecher beechey on thesa thega points are themselves of little moment but bat ho he expresses the views of a great many ministers min on this subject they know that they obtained nothing by their ordination but a mere name and lecog authority in their respective beates and imagine therefore that thi thim was rii all TI there thern was of in the church that christ established but the scriptures do not bear them 0 out oui ut and they profess to base all their authority for what they bay say and do upon the scriptures when jesus called his apostles apost ies iea he not only chobe choso them but ordained them that they might have the same authority as ho be held from the father being called a priest after the tho order of Melchi meichi 11 T they h ea in turn ordained others othera A and 1 there was something more than a mere form in their ordinations paul thus exhorted timothy neglect not the gift that is in thee by prophecy and the laying on of hands ot of the presbytery also stir up the gift of god which is in thoe thee by the putting on of my hands paul was himself ordained by the laying 9 on of hands and without that ordination din di he be would have havo had no right to administer as a servant of god in the ordinances of the church no man an tabeth this honor unto himself but he that Js ia called of god as was aaron joshua thebon thereon of nau nuu we read road reads was fuli full of the spirit of wisdom for moses mosea had laid his hands upon him 21 ot of course there is a vast difference between the ordination of a man called of god by revelation or inspiration spIr atlen under the hands of one having divine aut sut authority holty and tho the form of an ordination upon one called of man or his own imagination by smother having no more authority I 1 than hi himself elf elt this is one of the a customs of modem churches but bordinat ordination ion fon in any age authority ivna was on the earth imparted that could crould come through no other channel it wag way power it was the gift of god it was divine authority and the lord confirmed it upon all who received and exercised it aright because there is no power virt vint virtue ue gift or grace attending modern ordinances and ordinations it is getting to be the fashion to pronounce them all mere custom customs and thus to account for or their utter lack iseke of influence and authority but those who so ao pervert the truth as to teach that they thay were no more than customs in the church of christ contradict the scriptures from which alone they obtain their religious informs tio tiona tlona nand nd are leading mankind astray the blind are being led by the blind and both falling in the ditch together but the ancient divine ordinations have been revived apos apostles ties aho vho held the priesthood in the primitive church have appeared and restored the true authority and now men are ordained as in days of old to the holy priesthood which is the power of god in earthen vessels and what they do on earth in the appointed way is ratified fie and acknowledged in tho the heavens that is much more than a custom 11 |
