The ordinances of the Gospel referred to in previous tracts of this
series, cannot be effectually administered without divine authority.
That authority does not and cannot originate in man. It may be assumed,
it is true, and presumptuous men may claim to be called of God without
communication from Him. But their performances will be without avail
and will not be recognized in heaven, either in time or in eternity.
When there is no revelation from God there can be no divine authority
on earth. Baptism, even if solemnized according to the form and
pattern followed by the Savior and his appointed servants, will be of
no avail and will not bring remission of sins, unless the officiating
minister has received authority from Deity to act in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Men may lay their hands
on the baptized believer in the form of confirmation, but if they
have not been divinely appointed to do so, the Holy Ghost will not
flow to the convert, and the performance will be void in the sight
of heaven. Those who have the temerity to act in that manner will be
counted guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain. No council,
convocation, conference, synod, or presbytery, composed of any number
of learned, devout, and venerable persons, without divine communication
can confer the smallest amount of divine authority. Their power is only
human, their decisions, their commissions and their creeds are equally
valueless in the plan of salvation.
Whenever the Almighty desired to communicate with man on earth, he
selected His own representatives and endowed them with authority
to speak and act in His name. What they uttered by the power of
the Holy Ghost, and what they administered as He directed, was
recognized by Him as if performed and spoken by Deity in person.
When He gave them authority to call and ordain others to the same
duties, their administrations were also accepted by the Lord, and were
fully efficacious. This divine authority was called the Holy {223}
Priesthood. It was bestowed in the earliest ages. It existed among the
Patriarchs, was exercised in the Mosaic dispensation, was held by many
of the Prophets, and was established in the Christian Church by the
Savior himself. There were two orders or branches, of that Priesthood.
The higher, which includes the lower, came to be known as the
Melchisedek Priesthood. This was because Melchisedek, the King of
Salem, who lived in the time of Abraham and from whom, "the father
of the faithful" received his blessing, obtained a great power in
that Priesthood. It is referred to in the Epistle to the Hebrews, 7th
chapter. Much controversy has arisen over the meaning of the third
verse, which says: "Without father, without mother, without descent,
having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto
the Son of God; abideth a Priest continually." The difficulty has
arisen through the application of these remarks to the individual
instead of to the Priesthood which he held. The higher, or Melchisedek
Priesthood was not limited, as the Levitical Order subsequently was, to
a special lineage. It did not depend upon parentage or descent, and it
was an eternal Priesthood, those who possessed it worthily retaining it
through life, and being Kings and priests unto God forever.
The Lesser Priesthood was held notably by Aaron and his sons, in the
line of the first born, and has therefore been called by his name. It
had authority to administer in the lesser ordinances and in temporal
affairs, but not in the higher and more spiritual concerns of the
Kingdom of God. But no man could take this honor unto himself. He must
be called of God as Aaron was, or he could not hold that Priesthood.
(Heb. V; 4.) Aaron was called by revelation through Moses the Prophet,
and ordained under his hands.
This being so, as a matter of course, no man can take unto himself the
higher, or Melchisedek Priesthood. Unless called of God by revelation
and properly ordained, he could not obtain that authority. Even
Jesus of Nazareth, though he was the Son of God, did not assume that
Priesthood. He was "called of God, a High Priest after the order of
Melchisedek." It is written further: "So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made a High Priest but He that said unto him thou art my
Son, this day have I begotten thee." (Heb. V; 3, 10.)
It has been erroneously taught among the Christian sects of the present
age that this Priesthood, in both of its branches or orders, was done
away in Christ. That it has not been on earth for several centuries may
be true, and therefore the {224} authority to administer in the name
of the Lord has not been enjoyed among men. But the authority held by
Jesus Christ as "a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedek" was
conferred by him upon his Apostles, to whom he gave the keys of that
power and authority, so that what they sealed on earth should be sealed
in heaven, and what they loosed on earth should be loosed in heaven.
(Matt. XVIII; 18.) He said to them: "As my Father hath sent me, even so
send I you." (John XX; 21.) Again he said: "Ye have not chosen me, but
I have chosen you, and ordained you; that ye should go and bring forth
fruit and that your fruit should remain." (John XV; 16.) The Apostles
thus authorized had power to call others to this Priesthood and
ministry, when directed by the Holy Ghost, as Moses called and ordained
his brother Aaron.
The law of carnal commandments in which the lesser or Levitical
Priesthood administered was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but the
Priesthood or authority to administer in the name of the Lord was not
then abolished, the higher, or Melchisedek Priesthood was restored.
That was the change in the Priesthood referred to in Heb. VII; 12:
"For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change
also of the law." From this it is evident that the Priesthood was not
abolished, but the law of the Gospel being introduced by Christ in
place of the Mosaic Code, the higher Priesthood was also introduced,
for the Gospel is a higher law than that of Moses. The sacrifice of
animals in which the lesser Priesthood administered was no longer
required, after the great sacrifice of the Son of God of which they
were typical, so that function of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood was
discontinued. But the administration of the ordinances of the Gospel
was necessary, and could not be rightfully performed without divine
authority. Therefore, the Priesthood of God held by Jesus Christ, and
by his Apostles and by others called of God through them, was a part of
and essential to the Christian dispensation.
The term "called of God" appears to be as much misunderstood as is the
subject of the Priesthood of God. Men assume to act in the name of
Jesus Christ, either because they feel or imagine they have a call in
their hearts to this ministry, or because they have been called by some
person or conclave having no more divine communication and authority
than they had themselves. In contrast to their assumption let us view
the case of Saul of Tarsus, afterwards called Paul the Apostle. In the
narration of his case as given in Acts XXII {225} he says that on his
way to Damascus the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him in glory, and he
was stricken blind thereby. He received his sight by miracle and was
informed: "The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst
know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of
His mouth. For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast
seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Paul subsequently
received another divine communication, informing him that the Lord
would send him unto the Gentiles. (Verses 12-21.) After all this he was
not authorized to act as a minister of the Gospel, because he had not
yet been properly called and ordained.
It was ten years after this, according to the chronology of the New
Testament, that Paul was ordained to the Priesthood or authority to
act in the name of the Lord. It is stated that certain Prophets and
Teachers were in the Church at Antioch, and "As they ministered to the
Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul
for the work whereunto I have called them.' And when they had fasted
and prayed and laid their hands upon them they sent them away." (Acts
XIII; 2, 3; see also Acts IX; 15-18.) Paul in his epistles invariably
declared that he was not called by the will of man; and he taught that
no man of himself could rightfully assume the authority to administer
in the name of the Lord. To the Galatians he wrote: "Paul an Apostle
(not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who
raised him from the dead)." (Gal. I; 1.) Writing to Titus, Paul said:
"For this cause left I thee in Crete. That thou shouldst set in order
the things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every city as I had
appointed thee." (Titus I; 5.) Writing to Timothy, Paul says: "Neglect
not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with
the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." (I Tim. IV; 14.) It was
thus that the seven Deacons were ordained, as recorded in Acts VI; 6.
That there was a divinely appointed ministry in the Church established
by our Savior, must be evident to every mind open to the truth, on
reading the New Testament; also that these were essential to the
Church, and that without them there can be no true Church of Christ on
earth. Explaining this subject and stating the order of the Christian
ministry given by Christ, Paul says: "And he gave some Apostles, and
some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers."
(Eph. IV; 11.) These inspired men were, {226} as we have seen, called
of God, not of men, and were appointed and ordained to their respective
callings by divine authority. It is claimed that these were necessary
only in the first days of the Church of Christ on earth, and that
they are no longer needed. But the succeeding verses of the scripture
we have quoted show most positively to the contrary. They were given
Paul says, "For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in
the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Verses 12-14.)
Without these divinely ordained and inspired men, holding this Holy
Priesthood, the work of the ministry cannot be performed acceptable to
God, neither can the Church be perfected. They are absolutely necessary
until all shall come to the unity of the faith and a knowledge of the
Son of God. The absence of that divine authority, and of the gift
of the Holy Ghost, has caused the division and dissension that now
exist among professing Christians, who are, "tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine," led hither and thither
by unauthorized and uninspired men, and by the "cunning craftiness"
whereby hirelings who preach for money, "lie in wait to deceive" and
"make merchandise of the souls of men."
All the ministrations, ordinances, baptisms, confirmations,
performances and ceremonies that have been instituted by men and
conducted under merely human authority, whether devoutly, sincerely,
and piously, or with wilful intent to impose upon the ignorance
and credulity of mankind, are void in the sight of heaven, are not
recognized of God, and have no virtue or effect as aids to salvation.
God's house is a house of order, and He will accept only that which
He has authorized and ordained. However startling this may appear, it
is the eternal truth, which will stand the test of both reason and
revelation. Truth is mighty and will prevail. The remedy for these
tremendous evils will be pointed out in succeeding pamphlets.
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