To the editor of help of food

Dear Brother:

In "Correspondence"of last month's help and food (page 276) Mr. Ironside has strongly and justly commented upon a paper by A. C. F. Allow me space to add a few words concerning a statement in the said paper which, I believe, should also be exposed.

In the 3rd paragraph of the quotation from A. C. F. it says:" Of these defective human laws it is written in Rom. 13:1-5, ' They are ordained of God.'" I would call the attention of your readers that in neither this, nor any other portion of Scripture, is such a doctrine ever found. How is it that a Christian can make such an untrue statement and dare refer to Scripture to support it ? Scripture indeed says, " There is no power but of God:the powers that be are ordained of God." Governments have thus their origin and authority from God. They have been appointed of God for the maintenance of order in a sinful world, for the protection of them that do well, and the punishment of them that do evil. We learn this in the 4th verse, and in Gen. 9:5, 6, where government with discipline extending even unto death is first committed to man.

But where has God given man authority to frame " defective laws" and invest them with His authority ? " The powers that be are ordained of God," truly; and we joyfully submit to, and thank God for, them as God's appointed ministers, paying tribute for their support. If God's minister, or servant, turns against God-what then ? A. C. F. falsely answers, " Of these defective human laws it is written, ' They are ordained of God.' " Scripture not only says not this, but flatly contradicts it. As Mr. Ironside has pointed out, Peter and John are not deterred from obedience to God by the religious rulers' command in Acts 4; and in chap. 5:29 they answer again, "We ought to obey God rather than men," and in Dan. 3, we hear the three faithful young Hebrews give the same answer to the highest potentate of earth. Only let it ever be in the spirit of obedience to God-not of independence or rebellion against "powers" miscarrying their authority. The endeavor to fasten upon God's people an admittedly wrong church-judgment betrays A. C. F. into allying himself in doctrine with "that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants " (Rev. 2 :20). T.