The Watchtower, September 15, 1919
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Upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity: the sea and the waves (the restless, discontented) roaring, men s hearts comew^S?
to the things coming upon the earth (society); for the powers of the heavens (ecclesiastlcism) shall be shaken . . . Vhenje see these wings twginome w^
then know that the Kingdom of God Is at band. Lookup, lift up your heads, rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh.—Matthew 24.33. Marx Line .
VOL. XL
SEPTEMBER IB SEMI-MONTHLY
No. 18
0.
Views from the T riumphantly
1919—AJH. »<M7
CONTENTS
Watch Tower Distressed ..
Other foundation can [ no man lay - -( A RANSOM FOR A LL'f
Pulpiteers' Great Responsibility Wisdom of Their Wise Men . . League of all Religions........
\nnouncing the Kingdom........
The Golden Age Nigh.........
Future Service................
How to Proceed ..............
Questions of Interest and Import Bethel to Be Restored...........
Jesus iu Peter's Home...........
The Devil a Church-goer......
A Lesson in Trust.............
Stormy Night on the Lake ... . Prom the Open Field............
"I will stand upon my watch, and will set mv foot upon the Tower, and will watch to see what He will sav unto me, and what answer I shall make to them that oppose me."—Hab. 2 J.
©WTBfT.S.
THIS JOURNAL AND ITS SACRED MISSION
THIS Journal is one of the prime factors or instruments in the system of Bible Instruction, or “Seminary Extension,** now being presented in all parts of the civilized world by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, chartered A. D. 1881, “For the Pro motion of Christian Knowledge.’’ It not only serves as a class room whore Bible Students may meet in the study of the Divine Word but also as a channel of communication through which they may be reached with announcements of the Society’s Conventions and o: the coming of its traveling representatives styled “Pilgrims,” and refreshed with reports of its Conventions.
Our -Berean Lessons” are topical rehearsals or reviews of our Society’s published Studies, most ‘•ntortainingly arranged, and very helpful to all who would merit the only honorary degree which the Society accords, viz., Verbi Dei Minister (V.D.M.), which translated into English, is Minister of the Divine Word. Our treatment of the International S. S. Lessons is specially for the older Bible Students and Teachers. By some this feature is considered indispensable.
This Journal stands firmly for the defense of the only true foundation of the Christian's hope now being so generally repudiated— Redemption through tlm precious blood of “the Man Christ Jesus. wb<> gave Himself a Jlutiwn [a corresponding price, a substitute] for ill.’’ (1 Pet. 1:19: 1 Tim. 2 :<>. i Building up on this sure foundation the gold, silver and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:11-13: 2 Pet 1:5-11) of the Word of (lod, its further mission is to—“Make all see what is the fellowship of the Mystery which . . . lias beer nid in God, ... to the intent that now might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God”—“which in other Aget was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed.”—Epb. 3 :5-9, 10.
It stands free from all parties, sects and creeds of men. while it seeks more and more to bring its every utterance into fullest subjection to the will of God in Christ, as expressed in the Holy Scriptures. It is thus free to declare? boldly whatsoever the Lore nath spoken—according to the Divine wisdom granted unto us, to understand. Its attitude is not dogmatical, but confident; for wc mow whereof we affirm, treading with implicit faith upon the sure promises of God. It is h< id as a trust, to bo used only in His service : hence our decisions relative to what may and w’hat may not appear in its columns must be according to our judgment or’ His good pleasure, the teaching of His Word, for the upbuilding of His people in grace and knowledge. And we not only invite bat urge our readers to prove all its utterances by the infallible Word to which reference is constantly made, to facilitate such testing
TO US THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY TEACH
That the Church is “the Temple of the Living God”—peculiarly “Dis workmanship that its construction has been in progress throughout the Gospel Age—ever since Christ became the world's Redeemer and the Chief Corner Stone of His Temple, through which, when finished. God’s blessing shall come “to all people,” and they find access to Him.—1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:20-22; Gen 28 :14 ; Gal. 3 :29.
That meantime the chiseling, shaping and polishing of consecrated believers in Christ's Atonement for sin, progresses: and when the last of these “living stones,” “Elect and precious,” shall have been made ready, the great Master Workman will bring all together in the First Resurrection ; and the Temple shall be filled with His glory, and be the meeting, place between God and men through out the Millennium.—Rev. 15 :5-8.
That the Basis of Hope, for the Church and the World, lies In the fact that “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man,” “a Ransom for all,” and will be “the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” “in due time.”— Heb. 2 :9 ; John 1 :9; 1 Tim. 2 6.
That the Dope of the Church is that she may be like her Lord, “see Him as He is,” be “partaker of the Divine nature,” and share Hifi glory as His joint-heir.—1 John 3:2; John 17:24; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tet. 1:4.
That the present mission of the Church is the perfecting of the saints for the future work of service; to develop In herself every grace, to be God’s witness to the world; and to prepare to be kings and priests in the next Age.—Eph. 4 :12: Matt. 24 :14 ; Rev. 1:6; 20 :ft
That the hope for the World lies in the blessings of knowledge and opportunity to be brought to all by Christ’s Millennial Kingdom— the Restitution of all that was lost in Adam, to all the willing and obedient, at the hands of their Redeemer and His glorified Church—when all the wilfully wicked will be destroyed.—Acts 3 .19-23; Isa. 35.
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PASTOR RUSSELL SOUVENIRS
In view of the approaching anniversary of Brother Russell’s death, we have prepared a souvenir folder which contains, besides seven portraits showing Brother Russell's likeness, three pages of information dealing with (l) Im, relationship to the seven stages of the church at large, (2) his h 'e and works, and (3) Ins teachings. The portraits picture Brother Russell at ages varying from 2' t ■ > 64 and are on fine, u..,'! finish, tinted stock each portrait b'h x <,->4 inches in size. The whole interior matter of the souvenir is well suited not only for a private memento of the Seventh Messenger to the church, but is also .appropriate tor giving or lending to neighbors and friends ".ho may have had erroneous conceptions of Brother Russell's b e and- works impressed upon them from unfriendly quarter’.
The cover is ot still greenish brown paper, very fine in quality and specially prepared for this edition. It is tastefully adorned with a border of conventionalized representations of the -even lampstands, with hand-lettered and embossed title (“The Messenger of Laodicea") and a small but strong profile drawing of Brother Russell at the time of his physical prime.
The cover colors are in green and Indian red and the whole, besides being securely stapled with wire, is also tied with a green gros grain and satin finish silk ribbon.
The inside pages are 8% x 12 inches, but the cover has % inch overhang all around. It is a very durably constructed and attractive souvenir and is procurable for 35c a single copy, $4 per dozen, or $16 for fifty. They are now in stock.
VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER
ONE of the Lord’s people can be even in distant touch with the situation in the world and not be forcibly reminded of the words of the Master: “Upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity: the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking to the things coming upon the earth”. It would be hard to find a responsible person perplexed, as it would be hard to find a is not distressed.
From Paris comes the word that the following trades are (or were at the time of the correspondence) on strike: Metal Workers, Tailors, Milliners, Bootmakers, Sugar Refiners, Luxury Trades Nickel Polishers, Painters, Mechanical Modellers, Saw-mul Workers, Printers, Plumbers, Butchers, Carpenters, Glove Makers, Builders, Newspaper Employees, Subway Men Transport Workers Bronze Workers, TaxiDrivers, Electrical Workers at Bourget Company, Employees of Maison Brassert, Maison Breguet, Maison Dufagel, and Aeroplane Workers at Courtevoie. In France outside of Paris Builders are on strike at Valenciennes, Timber Workers at Sainte-Tulle, Tramway Workers at Caen, Gas Workers at Nevers, Metal Workers at Grenoble, Electrical Workers in Lorraine, Miners in Pas-de-Calais.
TRIUMPHANTLY DISTRESSED
From the London Daily Herald we clip the following significant lines touching on the strike of underground railway men and allied businesses, in Paris:
“The reactionary papers like the Action Francaise and the Peniocratique .Xoiivelie, are. ot course, in a condition of hysteria, crying that it is all a Bolshevik plot, a German plot, a plot to ruin victorious France. Leon Daudet, in the Action Francaise. says he cannot express hts dtsgust and horror. In point ot lact, the movement is not organized at all. But this makes it perhaps only the more significant, for it is a spontaneous manifestation of the deep discontent among the whole mass of the workers.
“The main immediate cause is of course ‘la vie chere', the high cost of living, which people in England cannot possibly appreciate. But apart from that there is a general sense of disillusionment and disappointment. Victory has turned into dust and ashes, and the workers of France are realizing that tor them four years struggle have brought nothing.
To this the Philadelphia Public Ledger, of July 12th, adds some comments on the then conditions in Italy, and Europe generally:
‘‘What have the people of Italy been, rioting about ? High prices. To read the recent cablegrams trom that land ot long historv and magic beauty one would have expected the rioting to be over Fiume or the Adriatic islands or the exclusion of Italy from the French alliance. But the source of the trouble was more commonplace and unsentimental. It was simply that the grocer charged too much tor eats and the tailor for clothes. “ . . .
“Europe is thinking of its stomach and its back, not its political rights or its national boundaries.
“And Europe has no monoply on this line of thought. The plain people of America are more interested today in the steadily mounting prices of most of the necessities of life and the constant warnings that things will be worse before they are better than they are in ‘Article X’ or the true story of Shantung or the status of the Monroe Doctrine in relation to the league covenant. This is not selfishness or insularity, but the same mental process which causes a cinder in a man's eye to engross more of his attention than a new moon discovered in the neighborhood of Jupiter.”
Up to three or four months ago there were a few who still basked in fancied security on the slopes of the social Vesuvius; but if there are any such left, they do not seem to have much space in the newspapers. A few editorial paragraphs from the Portland Oregon Journal, of August 6th, sums up the question which ;s in the minds of many, many people:
“When has there been such tumult?
“A hundred thousand strikers in the building trades in Chicago!
“A hundred and fifty thousand railroad shopmen on strike in America 1
"A Los Angeles lawyer’s house dynamited and burned because he assisted in prosecuting radicals!
“Whites and colored in near civil war in Chicago!
“Strikes in full swing or incubating in many American cities; labor unrest all over the world!
“ A night of riot in Liverpool described by a newspaper 'as the most distressing night ever passed in a civilized city’.
“Strikes of policemen, street car workers, railway operatives and mine workers in various parts of England!
“Where are we headed for?”
CAPITALISTS READY FOP FIGHT
The financial column of the Chicago Herald-Examiner, under date of July 19th, believes itself to be correctly informed when it expresses the attitude of heads of big business:
“If, declare corporation heads and their bankers, walkouts in the Crane and in the Harvester works are rehearsed for more serious and extensive industrial interruptions; if the building workers prove to take their responsibility as lightly as their fellows in the Crane and Harvester shops: if street railways employes are uncompromisingly insistent upon a 77 per cent increase in the wage scale—then, say employers and their financial backers, let it come to an extreme issue.
“Financial men do not mince words: they state pointedly they will back employers to the limit; will permit every important industry in Chicago and in the Middle West territory to be strike-stricken rather than submit to an unreasonable wage or unjust conditions. If it must come to a drastic issue I-etween employer and employe, well and good; they, the representatives of capital declare, will not evade the contest; !<t the thing be settled now and definitely; they are ready to meet and combat it to a final conclusion, is the assertion”.
There is a familiar ring io these words. Let us see. Yes. Back in 1886 an obscure young man named Russell, Charles T. we believe, living in the city of Allegheny, Pa., wrote a book treating something on God’s plan of the ages. On page 332 we find these words:
“Capitalists will become convinced that the more they yield the more will be demanded, and will soon determine to resist all demands. Insurrection will result; and in the general alarm and distrust capital will be withdrawn from public and private enterprises, and business depression and financial panic will follow. Thousands of men thrown out of employment in this way will finally become desperate.”
Some publicists see farther than others into the causes of things. An editorial observer in the Los Angeles Times, of August 7th, is one in this group. A column of comment is headed: “Is the Human Race Going on the Rocks?” We quote a few paragraphs:
“One half of the world is ablaze, the other half smoldering. The half capable of saving the property already on fire is just now overoccupied checking the spread of the conflagration to its own home buildings. A sauve qui peut spirit is at present the dominant incentive to most human action.
“For humanity is only just emerging, somewhat fearfully, somewhat recklessly, from the shadow of a great crime. The dawn of peace is obscured in the cloud rack that follows the wake of the war tempest.
“For the time being the tendency of social forces is toward discord and disintegration. Almost every newspaper dispatch, foreign and domestic, affords evidence of this dangerous trend. England, France, Germany Redivivus, the three balance wheels of Europe, are running out of true.
"Our people at home are fretting under new laws and new obligations; restless and irritated, they are turning away from the wisdom of the ages. These psychological causes are manifested in violent disturbances. The whole world is mutinous.
“In such sporadic outbreaks as the Winnipeg revolt, the Chicago riots, the promiscuous bomb-throwing at leading citizens in the United States, the Saturnalia of the dregs of the human race in unpoliced Liverpool, the general strike situation that threatens to paralyze England we see the economic peril that springs from this general world spirit of unrest, dissatisfaction and dislike for all former restraints. As the cost of living goes up the price of human life goes down. The same spirit permeates not only popular tastes, but even popular decencies and morals.
“The horrors of the vilest war ever inflicted on suffering humanity have tried the world’s soul to the limit of endurance. The reaction has been violent. Human nature is passing through a spasm of protest. Hence riots and extravagance and immodesty and jazz music and shimmie dances are a seething wash of unrest.
“Is humanity going on the rocks ? It seems to be—the margin of safety at times appears to be cut down to a recklessly fine line. The ship is passing through stormy seas, steering closer than caution warrants to the reefs. And malcontents in the fo'c'sle are trying to unsteady the hand of the pilot”
superhuman qualifications needed
There is real comfort in the thought that all the trouble will but prepare the world to realize that though men may plan and arrange things ever so wisely and well, none of their plans can prove successfull as long as ignorance and selfishness hold sway in the hearts of men. All these experiences are part of the divine method of instructing mankind that the only feasible way of correcting the difficulty is by the setting up of a strong and righteous government, having superhuman wisdom and superhuman power, which will effect stupendous changes in human society, raising the submerged valley classes of earth to a fair and reasonable level of happiness and opportunity, subduing the disproportionately exalted classes and bringing them, not to their injury but to their blessing, down a reasonable and fair average opportunity for life, liberty and happiness.—Isaiah 40:4.
Here and there the voice of a clergyman is raised in warning. The Rev. Dr. W. R. Graham, Army Chaplain at Newport News, Virginia, speaking in the Presbyterian Evangelistic Conference at Philadelphia, is reported in the Evening Bulletin of that city, in its issue of July 22nd, as having said:
“World-rocking social upheavals, threatening to destroy all religion, are due to come in the next few years.
“America, in the meantime, is in peril of becoming drunk with a sense of its power and of being destroyed therefore, as have other nations in the past.’’
A little more explicit are the remarks of the Right Rev. F. F. Reese, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. The facts related remind one strongly of the words of the Lord’s apostle, written nearly 1900 years ago, telling us that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse” in the last days. We will listen to the Reverend Doctor as his words are published in the Nashville Banner of August 3rd. After having spoken of the capacity of human nature for sacrifice he says:
“But it is equally true that human nature is capable of great inconsistencies. And even among the soldiers and civilians who have manifested such splendid unselfishness there exist tragic evidences of moral evil. The prevalence of physical deterioration, of illiteracy, of sexual vice, of irreverence and profanity is appalling. From what I learn from the comments made by business men, there is prevalent, I fear, wide-spread lack of moral integrity. And it is lamentably true that shameful corruption in politics has not disappeared from our cities and other political units.”
The progress that humanity has made has been of the merry-go-round variety. It has progressed at a dizzy rate for six thousand years only to fetch up at the very place from which it started—self-will, discarding of restraints, and ingratitude for God’s provision for man. There is nothing original in these: they were all exhibited in Eden.
Bishop Tihen (Roman Catholic) thinks there are wrongs which need righting. The Denver Times, of August 4th, reports a part of his Sunday morning sermon in this strain:
“When angry waves begin to appear on the surface of the ocean we know that there has been an agitation and that a storm is impending. So on the sea of human destiny, when waves of Bolshevism and unrest begin to toss and spread, we know there is somewhere a great wrong that needs to be righted.”
PULPITEEB3’ GBEAT RESPONSIBILITY
Some writers are blessed with sufficient perspicuity to see that part of the wrong which needs righting is attributable to none other than the clergy class itself. The Detroit Free Press, of August 6th, has some pungent remarks by one such personage. He is speaking of the responsibility of the clerical gentry, the pulpiteers of the country, for getting us into the war:
“They joined the most rampageous of our jingoist and war-at-any-price patriots in arousing the belligerent passions of the people. Almost from the very moment the hellish melee broke loose in Europe they seemed to dwell in an atmosphere of chronic mental inflammation, and they easily became our foremost prophets and trumpeters of a frenzied and unlimited militarism. Nearly all of them could be brevetted for distinguished service in boosting the human slaughtering game.
“Over one hundred and seventy years ago Voltaire declared that the leading prelates and ministers of his time were as much responsible as the autocratic rulers for the elevation of war from the lowest to the highest place in men’s regard. In our own day we have seen the love of God and the love of humanity invoked by them in order to make men hate and slay their comrades of another nation who also had been taught by their own spiritual and militarist guides that it was their duty to hate and slay in a similar fashion.
“Indeed the ministers in all the belligerent countries engendered so much passion and violence that it might be called their war. It may well be deplored that their conduct did not take the fair shape prescribed by the apostle to the servant of the Lord, of gentleness, patience, and the instruction of a sweet and firm example; for in that event we might have been spared some of the war’s most revolting features. It was the emotional ferocity that was aroused at home that excused, if it did not actually incite, some of the worst practices at the front.”
Again we quote from Studies in the Scriptures, Volume I, page 333, which words seem to be remarkably accurate, especially when it is remembered that they were written thirty-three years ago:
"The Scriptures show us that in this general rupture the nominal church (including all denominations) will be gradually drawn more and more to the side of the governments and the wealthy, and will lose much of its influence over the people.”
That the church nominal is leaning more and more to bureaucracy seems evident from some of the following quotations. Some of her bureaucratic efforts are extended in the direction of the humanitarian relief of the food and labor situation; some of them in directions not so commendable. First there is the declaration of the Canadian Methodist Conference, which expresses itself through its highest ruling body as being “in favor of the nationalization of our natural resources, such as mines, water-power, fisheries, forests, the means of communication and transportation and public utilities”. Then there are four authorized bishops of the Catholic church who have come out with smashing pronouncements in favor of co-operative production and distribution, state competition with private industry, and the proposition that the workers must become owners of the machinery of production and distribution.
Then there is a similar pronunciamento by the Board of Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America, made public May 22nd. Among other things they say:
"We favor an equitable wage for laborers, which shall have the right-of-way over rent, interest and profits.
"We favor collective bargaining, as an instrument for the attainment of industrial justice and for training in democratic procedure.”
EPISCOPAL DECLARATION
Not to be outdone by their more volatile Wesleyan offspring, the staid, ultrarespectable, and usually reactionary Episcopal Church has formed a new league (of which there are legion these days) called the Church League for Social and Industrial Democracy. This league has formulated a very readable statement of principles, parts of which follow:
"We believe that for us as Christians the proper procedure is not to formulate a social policy and then seek to justify it from our religion, but rather to start with our Lord’s revealed will and to deduce from it our social programme; with no equivocation or evasion.
“We recognize that the mere transfer of social control from a self-seeking few to a self-seeking many would in itself be of no benefit to the world and of no honor to God, and we therefore are convinced that in terms of the new day of industrial democracy the Gospel of Salvation by sacrifice, service, and fraternity must be preached with no uncertain voice.
“We deplore the contemporary suppression of freedom in America and shall work for the immediate restoration of those bulwarks of democracy, the rights of free assembly, free discussion, a free press and a free pulpit. Without these any minority seeking to express itself is encouraged to the use of force.
“In making this statement we are convinced that we endorse no things irrelevant to the Church's abiding mission, but that we reaffirm the convictions of the great company of the prophets, saints and martyrs of days past, and of the Lord of the Kingdom, Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, to the fulfillment of whose Holy Will we hereby dedicate ourselves anew.”
Our own position is an ungracious one at best, and we can never appear to good advantage in the eyes of the world, because we seem to them to have the spirit of cant and faultfinding. Surely it is much better for the Episcopal Church of America to be interested ;n the walfare of the people than it is for them to be indifferent ; but they are appearing on the scene with a program which is about four centuries too late. Had this powerful organization been awake to her privileges during the last forty years of espousing the message of Christs parousia, of his epiphany, and of his apocalypse, it would have been a different world. But God’s purposes will be fulfilled, only through different channels.
Next comes the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America with a long list of findings, partly political, partly ethical, considerably economic, and very slightly religious. An extensive statement on the subject in the Erie Daily Times gives a resume of ecclesiastical statistics in the United States which is nothing if not sanguine. It says:
“There are in the United States 135,000 ministers, priests and rabbis in charge of congregations who minister to 42,000,000 actual communicants. In the Protestant churches there are 115,000 ministers in charge of congregations, 28,000,000 comunicants, an influential religious press, a great system of educational institutions, and large numbers of social agencies such as hospitals and child-caring foundations.”
Just what they mean by communicants is not made plain, and perhaps this is the loophole. The statement approaches perilously near to the precipice of inexactitude, if, indeed, it does not tumble over. Certainly no one thinks that there are 42,000,000 regular church attendants, or even anywhere near that many names of living members on the church books in this country. Part of the conclusion of the statement follows:
“It must not be forgotten that in social reconstruction we are dealing with matters that vitally affect the welfare and happiness of millions of human beings, and that we have come upon times when people are not submissive to injustice or to unnecessary privation and suffering. They are deeply and justly in earnest. As has been said, we are laying the foundation of a new world. If those who are the actual industrial, political and social leaders of the nation will not act upon the principle that the greatest shall be the servant of all, then the people therhselves, with indignation and bitterness, are sure to take their destiny and that of the world into their own hands. The social question cannot be dealt with casually.”
WISDOM OF THEIB WISE MEN
This whole statement displays considerable astuteness in the wisdom of the world, but reveals very little understanding of the church’s work in the Gospel age. So far from pushing himself forward in an effort to adjust the delicate political questions between Jerusalem and Rome, so far from attempting to right all the moral wrongs with which Israel and all the surrounding nations were doubtless infested, our Lord would not even respond when "they would come and take him by force, to make him a king”. (John 6 :i5) How disgusting and tame his course must have seemed to the "wise” ones of that day when the stage was all set for action and he failed to perform. How seemingly ungrateful he was for the “honor” which they wished to thrust upon him. But he had a mission: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work”. (John 4:36) Instead of satisfying the popular demand, "he departed into a mountain to pray”. (Mark 6:46) There, sad and alone with the Father, beneath the cold and compassionless light of the stars, we can imagine him sinking upon the ground in the anguish of unutterable sorrow. Such unspeakable lack of understanding on the part of the people, who, instead of trying to find out Jehovah’s purposes for them, were feverishly seeking to forward their own schemes for national glory. If their course was right, our Lord’s course was wrong. If our Lord’s course was right, the people were wrong, for the courses are certainly not alike.
But let us read on. From the New York Tribune, of June 14th, we quote the following:
“Officials of the Church Peace Union gave out yesterday the text of a resolution signed by Cardinal Gibbons, former President Taft, Dr. John R. Mott, of the Y. M. C. A., Bishop Luther B. Wilson and others, urging the United States Senate to ratify the league of nations covenant. The resolution, which also asks all clergymen and religious bodies in the United States to exert influence upon Senators, recites that the league covenant embodies the first earnest effort to establish the Kingdom of Christ on earth and constitutes the only means of conserving the fruits of victory and preventing another world war.”
The proposed League of Nations has been called “the league with God left out”. It is said the name of God does not appear in this lengthy, complex, carefully thought-out document. Such extracts as have appeared in the press give evidence of its being the work of the best minds of the world. But there is no earnest seeking after God’s will; no devout and reverent reliance on God’s help; no simple and sincere faith in God’s blessing on the endeavor. These are conspicuous by their absence.
LEAGUE OF ALL RELIGIONS
Spurred on by the hoped-for success of the League of Nations, it appears that we are now to have a league of all religions. The Detroit News, of August 2nd, has an article which contains the plan in detail, taken largely from The London Chronicle:
“Dr. John Clifford, of London, Eng., the veteran pioneer of many forward religious movements, comes forward with a still more ambitious and comprehensive world religious project, no less than the uniting of the religious sense of the world, whether it be Christian, Mohammedan, or Jewish, in a World League of Religions which shall be a spiritual counterpart of the League of Nations: not to establish uniformity of creed or ritual but to encourage unity of spirit and brotherliness of action—to be in fact, the soul and conscience of the League of Nations. Its definite aim would be the peace of the world.”
We append a part of Dr. Clifford’s statement of the aims of the movement:
“It is the aim of this new League that through it religion shall breathe a soul into the political machine, to give it driving power, to grant spiritual sanction for executive righteousness and peace. As the League of Nations intends to include all nations, so the League is designated to embrace all religions. A soul is to be breathed into the political machine. The League of Religions stands in relation to the League of Nations as its conscience; it must keep the compass steadiy pointing towards the pole-star of international justice, breathing throughout all the peoples a new spirit of international good will and creating a new heart of international amity, expressing the peace of God in political relationships and parliaments and treaties, instead of merely getting it preached in ecclesiastical assemblages.
“Notice, that the first and always the principal object of the League would be the keeping of international peace by in-sistance on international brotherhood. No doubt it would extend its influence to other matters of prime importance. But its first and supreme duty would be to act as peacekeeper to the world.
“To act as peacemaker would be only its second duty, if it had failed in the first. It would foster the growing protest of the human conscience against war, and concentrate all its learning and piety on the exploitation and laudation of the peace ideal.
“As the League of Nations proposed to substitute cooperation for competition, so would the League of Religions substitute spiritual association for decisive sectarianism. The League of Nations proposes cooperation on a vast world-wide scale, so the second League hopes to diffuse enlightenment on a world-wide scale, and organize the moral sense of man to the highest limits of human existence.”
If Dr. Clifford fancies that he has had an original idea he is sadly mistaken and several centuries behind the times. For about the year 175 A. D. one learned gentleman by the name of Ammonius Saccus foisted upon mankind the same kind of a scheme.
Ammonius Saccus, says Maclaine, was a Christian who adopted with such dexterity the doctrines of the pagan philosophers as to appear a Christian to the Christians and a Pagan to the Pagans, and, says Mosheim, “as his genius was vast and comprehensive, so were his projects bold and singular, for he attempted a reconciliation or coalition of sects, whether philosophical or religious, and taught a doctrine which he looked upon as proper to unite them all, the Christian not excepted, in the most perfect harmony.
“How this project was affected by Ammonius the writings of his disciples and followers that yet remain abundantly testify. All the Gentile religions, and even the Christian, were to be explained by the principles of this universal philosophy. But that in order to this the fables of the priests were to be removed from Paganism and the comments and interpretations of the disciples of Jesus from Christianity.”—Ec. Hist. I, 163.
Evidently that deep laid scheme of Antichrist struck at the very foundation of the Gospel in excluding most of the New Testament from Christian doctrines. There was left only a formalistic, humanitarian, sermon-on-the-mount religion of which our modern rationalistic clergy are so fond.
Does not this present-day coalition movement call clearly to mind the words of the Lord through the Prophet Isaiah? (Ch. 30:1)
“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin: that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt.”
SOME DISSENTING VOICES
But in fairness it must be said that all individuals allied with ecclesiasticism do not look with equal approval upon the present day trend in church affairs. Dr. J. M. Gray, Dean of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, thinks that the church is getting out of her proper sphere when she gets into politics or even into industrial and civic reform. The August number of The Evangelical Christian, of Toronto, is responsible for the following excerpts of Dr. Gray’s address to his graduating class:
“The reported object of the World Church union was to give expression on questions of Civic reform, law enforcement, international morality, and world peace.”
“‘No sane man', he said, ‘will question the desirability or necessity of these objects, and no well-balanced Christian will think it well-pleasing to God to neglect to promote them as an individual; but they are not the calling of the church considered either as an organization or an organism, and for the church throughout the world to become absorbed in them to the extent named is for the Bride of Christ to become a harlot. These things are bj--products of Christianity, and when Christianity itself is promoted by the evangelization of the masses, these by-products are as certain to follow as the grass is certain to spring up after rain.' ”
“‘As men and neighbors, as those of one blood and of one kin,’ said Dr. Gray, ‘Let us do all that we can legitimately do to reform the city and the state and to promote international morality and world peace, but when it comes to the formation of a World Church union to promote such things, important as they are, let us beware that we are not found fighting against God, betraying the Lord for thirty pieces of silver and selling our birthright for a mess of pottage.’ ”
The Detroit ATre.r, of August 2nd, devotes considerable space to a sermon delivered in that city by a Rev. Hertwig which, commenting upon our Lord’s separateness from the world, says:
“He was not an enemy of civil law and order, but its greatest friend. He preached obedience to the civil laws, but he did not want his church to use force in enforcing its tenets. Jesus knew that when the pulpit goes into lawmaking, instead of leaving this matter to the citizens of the state, then the pulpit can possibly make some very good and possibly very bad laws, but it will inevitably make hypocrites out of a great number of people who otherwise might have become good Christians, heart-Christians. The Pharisees and scribes longed for the time when they could be the lawmakers of the country.
“They were the enemies of Jesus, because he would not join them in their propagandas. Jesus was loyal to the Roman government. They were disloyal, and accused Jesus of disloyalty before Pilate. Hypocrites!
“We have lately heard exponents of ‘righteousness' eulogize love of country and in the same breath preach hatred, suspicion—and curse their enemies into hell. In some instances ministers of ‘righteousness’ have lent their pulpits to inciting mob-rule under guise of patriotism. The Pharisees and scribes of old did the same thing and mob-lawed Jesus of Nazareth to death.”
FOB RANSOM AND LORD'S RETURN
The World Conference on Fundamentals, held in Philadelphia during the latter part of May and mentioned in our issue of July 15th, formulated a doctrinal statement of nine articles which, aside from containing most of the hoary errors of the dark ages, embraces two very interesting items in the fifth and seventh articles. The middle article is evidently so placed by design. It reads:
"We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in him are justified on the ground of his shed blood”.
Any adherence to the ransom sacrifice is gratifying in the face of such statements as one finds in “A Guide to the Study of the Christian Religion”, a recent book by Professor Gerald Birney Smith, Professor of Christian Theology in the University of Chicago. Professor Smith comments on the Apostle’s argument: "The statement in the Scriptures that ‘without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins’, is both foolish and futile”.
The seventh article of the doctrinal statement of the World Conference avers:
“We believe in ‘that blessed hope’, the personal, premillenial and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Considering the fact that the distinction between our Lord’s parousia, his epiphania and his apokalupsis is very seldom recognized, that article is particularly encouraging.
ANNOUNCING THE KINGDOM
“And I saw as it were a sea of glass, mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and his image, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of the Lord God." "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God
reigneth!"—Revelation 15:2; Isaiah 52:7.
HEN the children of Israel were delivered from the Egyptian hordes, Moses, their leader, composed a song of praise, and standing upon the shores of the Red Sea all the people of Israel joined together in singing praises to Jehovah, their great Deliverer. In symbolic phrase the Scriptures refer to this song, showing that it represented the followers of the Lord who, at the end of the Gospel age, would sing the song of Moses and the Lamb—the song of deliverance.
St. John, the faithful servant of the Lord, because of his unswerving devotion to his Master was convicted for the alleged crime of sedition and was sentenced to exile on the Isle of Patmos. He was put to work in a rock quarry, and while there the Lord visited him and comforted his heart and gave to him a marvelous message. Before his mental vision was caused to pass a wonderful panorama of the coming experiences of the church, whom he represented. Describing this vision he says: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire,” meaning that the followers of Christ Jesus at the end of the Gospel age would have a clear vision of the great time of trouble and its right meaning, that they could see the distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring, on every side men’s hearts being troubled; they would see and understand the meaning of wars, strikes, revolutions, and anarchy; and have an appreciation of such meaning.
The sunlight striking the waves of the Red Sea made it appear as fire; and so now, when the Sun of Righteousness is rising with healing in his beams, the rays of light proceeding therefrom, falling upon the restless elements of humanity, cause the waves thereof to reflect a true interpretation of coming events. Not every one can see and understand these. Only those who have been delivered from the bondage of sin and death by a full and unreserved consecration to do the Father’s will; those who have proven their love and devotion to the Lord and have fully and completely divorced themselves from the beast and his image;— only such are permitted to see and understand. These faithful followers of the Master are not participating in the disturbances of earth; they are not engaging in wars; they are not advocating strikes nor participating in them; they are not fomenting revolutions, nor are they advising them; they are not taking part in the activities of either the radical or the conservative elements ; but they stand aloof, stand as it were, on the sea of glass. They have but one purpose and take but one course.
The great Master, in this same vision to St. John, furthermore said, referring to the elements composing the beast: ‘‘These shall make war with the Lamb [and with the followers of the Lord Jesus on earth], and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [faithfully follow and stand with him to the end] are the called, and the chosen, and faithful”.—Revelation 17 :i4-
THE GOLDEN AGE NIGH
These faithful followers of the Master standing on the sea of glass mingled with fire and beholding the enemy upon every side know that the conflict will soon end in what to worldly minds will seem the triumph of the evil one; they know that soon they must finish their course and pass off the earthly stage of action; and yet they know there is something, by God’s grace, that they will be privileged to do, and, if faithful to him, will do, before they pass over.
Beyond the time of trouble by the eye of faith they see the Golden Age of the glorious reign of the Messiah, which will bring peace and the blessings of life, liberty and happiness to the groaning creation of earth. They count it as their chief duty and privilege to announce to the world the coming of the Golden Age. It is part of their God-given commission.
From time to time the gre?.t God of the universe has brought forth upon the stage of action his representative players to play their respective parts. How marvelously harmonious are their parts! Long before the days of St. John Jehovah gave to his faithful Prophet, Isaiah, a mental vision of the same time referred to by the Revelator, and this Prophet, beholding the faithful followers of the Lamb of God announcing the incoming of the Golden Age, with ecstasy and joy exclaimed: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that pub-lisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!’’
Truly the world is in distress and needs a message that will still the troubled waters and comfort the sad hearts. The whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain, waiting for the coming in of the Golden Age. Who has the privilege, then, of bearing to them this message of glad tidings? The answer is, The class whom St. John represented—the feet members of Christ—the last saints upon the earth. To the world of mankind these loyal followers of the Master look like other human beings, and hence their course is wholly misunderstood by the world. Truly the world of mankind is blind, the god of this world having blinded their minds, lest the glorious gospel of Messiah should shine into their hearts and they should see and be converted. While standing on this sea of glass, let us now view ourselves, as well as the vision before us, and ascertain from the Lord’s Word and his dealings with us what is his will concerning us.
The year 1918 was fraught with many fiery experiences. A veritable whirlwind of war was raging, and the public mind in a high state of excitement, and everyone not openly advocating or participating in the war was looked upon with suspicion. Such a condition is to be expected in time of war. Having consecrated our all to the Lord to do his will, we could not participate in the human warfare to the extent of taking human life; hence we were wholly misunderstood and were privileged to suffer persecution as a result thereof.
IN DERISION DAILY
Obedient to the command of our Master, and recognizing our privilege and duty to make war against the strongholds of error which have so long held the people in bondage, our vocation was and is to announce the incoming glorious kingdom of Messiah. While striving faithfully to perform our covenant thus, there suddenly broke over our heads a terrific storm, and like sheep the Lord’s people were either scattered or driven to cover. So pitiless was the onslaught of the enemy that many of the Lord’s dear flock were stunned and stood still in amazement, praying and waiting for the Lord to indicate his will. On every hand Bible students, because of their faithfulness to their Lord, were reproached, and these reproaches became so severe that their heart sentiments found expression for a time in the words of the Prophet Jeremiah: “I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. * * * For since I spake, I cried out, 1 cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.’’ But notwithstanding the momentary discouragement, there was a burning desire to proclaim the message of the kingdom, and like Jeremiah the faithful followers of the Master said: “But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay; for I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side”.
In sober moments a Christian naturally asks himself, Why am I on the earth? And the answer of necessity must be, The Lord has graciously made me his ambassador to bear the divine message of reconciliation to the world, and my privilege and duty is to announce that message.
Since the Revelator announces war between the beast and the Lamb, we may be sure that the beast will put forth every possible effort to hinder and destroy the promulgation of the message of truth. Such has been the case up till this time. When the storm somewhat abated we began to look about to see what could be done for further volunteer service, and to our amazement we found that all the original plates from which had heretofore been printed the Peoples Pulpit and Bible Students Monthly, together with the official files, had been destroyed. We wondered why the Lord permitted this, but concluded that it must have been for some good purpose; else he would not have permitted it.
FUTVBE SEHVICE
From every part of the field has come the cry from those who have the harps of God and who stand upon the sea of glass, saying: “What more is there that we can do?” We have observed throughout the country many towns and cities are passing ordinances which forbid the distribution of any papers except to subscribers and those who have them sent through the mails. Seeking diligently and prayerfully to know the Lord’s will, the thought came to us that we should arrange for some publication to carry the message now due, and to put it in such form that it will be sought after and read by the people. We were reminded that Brother Russell once contemplated a publication of this kind, and we reasoned that probably the time was due for such a publication. The result is that under the Lord’s providence we have arranged for the publication of a new magazine under the name and title The Golden Age.
Three brethren, strong, young, and vigorous and wholly devoted to the Lord and his cause, will have the active charge of the publication of this magazine and conduct the mechanical part thereof, but it will be published by the advice, aid and consent of the Society and will especially feature the message of truth now due to be announced.
Many wonderful events are transpiring today, all of which have a Scriptural meaning. The magazine will carry these current events, together with the Scriptural explanation of the same. In addition thereto, there will be a regular religious department; also departments relating to agriculture, labor, science in the light of the Scriptures, and the relation of these things to the Lord’s kingdom. The purpose of the magazine is to make announcement to the world that the Golden Age is at hand and the hope is by this means to bind up the broken hearted and to comfort those that mourn and turn the minds of the people to the Lord. Never before in the world’s history has there been such a propitious time and opportunity for doing good to the people. All mankind is in distress; all are in perplexity. The panacea for these human ills can be found only in the message of the kingdom, and the Lord’s ambassadors are granted the privilege and opportunity of delivering this message of consolation. The Lord’s representatives, therefore, will have the opportunity of carrying this message of glad tidings into the homes of the land, and that in such a form that the people will read and appreciate it.
Looking back again to the picture made by Moses leading the children of Israel out from Egypt, we note that Israel was commanded to borrow of the Egyptians: “And they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment. And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required.”—Exodus 12 135, 36.
Each part of the work seems to fill a certain requirement. The Old Theology tracts were used for a time and to a good purpose, and then the wise and faithful servant of the Lord chose another way; and we know that it was his purpose, shortly before his death, to inaugurate another method of carrying the message to the people. Past experience has demonstrated that one who buys a book, paper, or magazine, is more likely to read it than if he receives it freely, as a gift. It seems worse than useless to distribute something unless it be read. The time seems opportune to pass on to the people such food as they will consider of value, and which is of great value, and which they will appreciate. For this opportunity the Lord’s consecrated saints throughout the land have been waiting now for some time. We believe the new magazine, The Golden Age, is the very thing that the people will desire, and let us pray that if it be the Lord’s will he will favor it with his great blessing. Every reader of The Watch Tower has wanted to pass on the message of glad tidings. Now will you avail yourself of this opportunity?
HOW TO PROCEED
The organization that handled the Seventh Volume work proved a wonderful success. Seven thousand of the friends were engaged in that special work. We are asking the classes everywhere to revive that organization and put it in proper form. Let us remember that in unity, in the spirit of Christ, is there strength; that if we have our hearts in a right condition, closely united together in love, God will manifest his strength in our behalf. In the present work we desire that every one of the consecrated who has a great love and burning zeal for the Lord and his cause shall participate.
The first issue of The Golden Age we hope to have in your hands on or before the first of October next. We hope that every reader of The Watch Tower will subscribe for it, and that you will immediately send in your subscription that we may have a proper list with which to begin work. The subscription price for The Golden Age is $1.50 a year, or 75 cents for six months. We then advise that as soon as you receive a sample copy, together with subscription blanks, you begin canvassing for the magazine. That this may be done systematically the class organizers should properly district the territory and assign to each one so much to do, and each one that is willing should be given a part in the work. Ones more particularly adapted for certain districts should be selected to work those districts. Every home should be canvassed and subscriptions solicited for The Golden Age. Detailed instructions are sent to the class organizers as to the manner of doing this work.
The possibilities in connection with this branch of the work seem more stupendous than any one thing we have yet engaged in. With thousands of solicitors in the field soliciting the people for a magazine which they really want and which will bring to them a great comfort, it necessarily will result in a wide spread of the message of truth. The magazine will be issued twice each month; possibly, later, once each week.
PRESENT PRIVILEGES
St. Paul said: “Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel”. We are sure that he here expressed the heart sentiment of every child of God who has the opportunity of proclaiming the message. The door of opportunity is opening before you. Enter it quickly. Remember as you go forth in this work you are not soliciting merely as the agent of a magazine, but you are an ambassador of the King of kings and Lord of lords, announcing to the people in this dignified manner the incoming of the Golden Age, the glorious kingdom of our Lord and Master, for which true Christians have hoped and prayed for many centuries. You are an angel of peace, bearing to a war-tom, sin sick, sorrowing and broken-hearted world the glad message of salvation. How wonderful is our privilege!
To do good unto others is Christlike. To bear them a message of peace and comfort is to do them great good. The angels of heaven have not enjoyed the sweet privilege that is now the portion of the saints of the living God this side the vail. As these messengers go forth telling of the Golden Age and its blessings coming they may be tired and worn and weary, and feel their own weaknesses, but to the Lord they are beautiful in proportion to their zeal and loy-ing devotion to him in making announcement of his kingdom. For their encouragement he says to them: “How beautiful upon the mountains [the kingdoms] are the feet of him [the last members on earth] that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation”.
Those who are wholly devoted to the Lord; those who are fearless, whose hearts are pure, who love God and the Lord Jesus with all their mind, strength, soul and being, will, as opportunity is afforded, rejoice to participate in this work. Ask the Lord for his guidance and direction that he may make you a true, faithful, and an efficient ambassador. Then, with a song of joy in your heart, go forth to serve him. As you sing the song of Moses and the Lamb in your heart, may the blessing you receive expand and overflow unto others, that they too may rejoice that the Golden Age is at hand.
QUESTIONS OF INTEREST AND IMPORT
IN CORRECTION
Question.—Does not the statement on page 248 of the August 15, 1918, Watch Tower in effect deny the ransom when it says concerning John 2:19, 21: “The temple which Christ spoke of, ‘Destroy this temple [the body of Christ] and in three [one thousand year] days I will raise it up [resurrect it to the divine plane],’ was first his literal, perfect body of flesh and also his mystical body, the church”?
Answer.—The statement is evidently in error. This is the first time that it has been called to our attention. Either it has gone unnoticed by the most of our readers, or else our readers have been heeding the Apostle’s injunction to ‘prove all things and to hold fast that which is good’—discarding that which is erroneous. It would, academically speaking, constitute a denial of the ransom, in that it implies a taking back of the ransom price after three thousand years. But it is certain that no such thought was intended by the writer.
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