Publication date
8/15/00
Volume
21
Number
16
The WatchTower
Views From the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1900/16/1900-16-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
AUGUST 
15, 
1900 
No. 
16 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
* 
* 
* 
no 
martyrdom. 
The 
claim 
of 
the 
innocence 
of 
Dreyfus 
was 
simply 
a 
specimen 
of 
Protestant 
treachery 
in 
order 
to 
make 
it 
possible 
for 
England 
to 
occupy 
Fashoda, 
and 
William 
II. 
to 
make 
his 
journey 
to 
Jerusalem. 
All 
the 
defenders 
of 
Dreyfus 
are 
open 
or 
secret 
Protestants." 
"The 
Protestant 
Conquest" 
is 
the 
title 
of 
another 
of 
these 
blasts 
of 
ignorance 
and 
falsity, 
designed 
to 
prejudice 
the 
populace 
so 
that 
they 
will 
give 
Protestants 
and 
the 
Bible 
no 
hearing. 
It 
suggests 
the 
wisdom 
and 
propriety 
of 
murdering 
leading 
opponents. 
both 
political 
and 
religious, 
as 
follows:- 
"The 
Catholics 
are 
too 
scrupulous. 
Nobody 
can 
bake 
an 
omelet 
without 
breaking 
some 
eggs. 
No 
revolution 
can 
be 
achieved 
without 
advancing 
over 
dead 
bodies. 
Do 
vou 
think 
it 
would 
be 
a 
crime 
to 
condemn 
and 
put 
to 
death 
'such 
men 
as 
Zadok 
Kahn, 
Reinach, 
Scheurer-Kestner 
Picquart 
Zola 
Brisson, 
Yves 
Guyot. 
Jaures, 
Clemenceau, 
Monod, 
and' 
Ranc: 
because 
they 
have 
organized 
the 
Dreyfus 
conspiracy? 
I 
con­ 
fess 
openly 
that 
I 
would 
have 
no 
hesitancy 
to 
vote 
for 
the 
death 
of 
this 
Reinach, 
etc., 
and 
such 
pastors 
as 
Monod, 
etc." 
French 
Protestants 
are 
justly 
indignant 
at 
such 
unscru­ 
puloufl 
methods 
of 
opposition. 
and 
are 
crvinCl' 
out 
for 
freedom 
and 
fair 
and 
h,onest 
,~reatment; 
and 
to 
offset 
it 
are 
publishing 
pamphlets 
entItled, 
Away 
from 
Rome," 
and 
scattering 
them 
widely. 
But 
now 
note 
the 
difference 
between 
the 
sentiments 
of 
Protestants 
in 
France, 
and 
Protestants 
here. 
\Vhere 
they 
are 
in. 
the 
minority 
they 
want 
liberty 
and 
God's 
Word 
to 
pre­ 
vaIl. 
and 
appea~ 
~o 
reason 
~nd 
the 
Bible 
as 
in 
offflet 
to 
ig­ 
norance, 
superstItIOn 
and 
pne~tcraft. 
But 
how 
is 
it 
here 
in 
"the 
land 
of 
the 
free" 
where 
Protestantism 
controls 
the 
great 
rna 
]ority? 
Ah! 
here 
we 
see 
thE' 
weakness 
of 
fallen 
human 
na­ 
ture 
displayed; 
for 
here 
Protestants, 
like 
the 
Catholics 
of 
Frapce. 
are 
most 
bitt~rly 
opposed 
to 
any 
advanced 
light-es­ 
peclal1y 
any 
further 
lIght 
from 
the 
Bihle 
;-not 
onlv 
denying 
what 
they 
c~nnot 
gain~ay 
Scripturally, 
but 
bf'co'ming 
the 
more 
angry 
m 
proportIOn 
U'l 
they 
find 
present 
truth 
un- 
answerablE'. 
. 
True, 
they 
have 
not 
published 
volumes 
in 
opposition 
to 
our 
presentations, 
but 
this 
is 
no 
doubt 
due 
to 
two 
facts: 
(1) 
There 
is 
no 
opportunity 
to 
confound 
the 
gospel 
we 
preach 
with 
any 
class 
of 
P?liticians 
or 
political 
aspirations; 
and 
(2) 
they 
know 
.nothll1g 
to 
say 
against 
our 
position 
and 
fear 
to 
call 
attentIOn 
to 
it 
lest 
their 
closely 
guarded 
and 
tightly 
penned 
"sheep" 
should 
get 
a 
taste 
of 
"the 
good 
word 
of 
God," 
and 
break 
away 
from 
sectarianism 
to 
the 
"green 
pastures 
and 
still 
waters" 
of 
divine 
truth. 
But 
most 
of 
their 
fears 
are 
ground­ 
le~s, 
for 
the 
majority 
of 
their 
flocks 
are 
not 
"sheep" 
anyway' 
a.nd 
the 
"goats," 
true 
to 
a 
perver~e 
nature, 
would 
prefe; 
till 
cans, 
paper, 
filthy 
rag~. 
or 
anything 
of 
a 
scnsational 
character-Evolution, 
Higher 
Criticism. 
human 
philosophy 
and 
"science 
falsely 
so 
called"-rather 
than 
the 
truth. 
' 
United 
States 
Protcstant 
methods 
differ 
from 
Frencb 
Roman 
Cathol!c 
;nethods, 
but 
both 
have 
the 
same 
object; 
namely, 
to 
preJudIce 
the 
minds 
of 
the 
people 
under 
their 
con­ 
trol. 
who 
are 
trusti.ng 
to 
them 
as 
then 
guides 
and 
spiritual 
advIsers; 
thus 
to 
hmder 
them 
from 
investigating 
truth 
on 
its 
merits 
and 
in 
the 
light 
of 
the 
dIvine 
'" 
on 
I. 
Havmg 
mentioned 
the 
Roman 
CatholIc 
method. 
it 
i" 
but 
J\I~t 
that 
we 
cite 
instances 
illu~trating 
the 
Protestant 
method. 
For 
in'ltance. 
some 
years 
ago 
the 
pa-,tor 
of 
the 
North 
Ave. 
M. 
R 
chureh 
of 
thh 
city 
made 
a 
mo~t 
furious 
attack 
upon 
tbe 
Erlitor 
of 
this 
journal. 
whom 
he 
ha<l 
never 
met, 
and 
whose 
writings 
he 
probably 
hac! 
Il{'wr 
rl'ad-as 
would 
spem 
to 
be 
implied 
by 
the 
false 
statements 
of 
our 
position 
made 
by 
him 
in 
a 
c!iseour'le 
over 
an 
hour 
long. 
'Vhat 
was 
the 
ground 
for 
the 
attack 
~ 
Simply 
that 
fh-e 
members 
of 
his 
congregation 
had 
been 
baptized 
by 
m 
the 
week 
previous, 
and 
that 
he 
knew. 
in 
some 
way 
or 
otllPr, 
that 
we 
believed 
in 
the 
im­ 
minence 
of 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God. 
He 
railed 
at 
the 
fact 
that 
this 
teacher 
did 
not 
belong 
to 
any 
of 
the 
sects, 
and 
was 
not 
reeognized 
by 
any 
of 
them, 
informcd 
hts 
people 
that 
hc 
had 
been 
specially 
educated 
so 
as 
to 
be 
able 
to 
guide 
them 
in 
all 
spiritual 
matters: 
and 
that 
they 
should 
seek 
no 
other 
counsel 
respecting 
God's 
Word. 
He 
then 
demonstrated 
hi'! 
wi~dom 
an<l 
ability 
a" 
"a 
scribe 
instructed 
respecting 
the 
kingdom" 
by 
declaring 
that 
the 
second 
coming 
of 
Christ 
must 
be 
many 
thousands 
of 
years 
fu­ 
ture. 
because 
in 
his 
judgment, 
this 
was 
clearly 
taught, 
not 
by 
the 
Bible 
writers, 
but 
by 
the 
coal 
fie1cls 
and 
ore 
deposits 
of 
earth, 
which 
he 
thought 
would 
last 
that 
long. 
A 
Catholic 
will 
die 
for 
If 
the 
learned 
gentleman 
had 
only 
thought 
of 
it 
he 
migbt 
but 
a 
Protestant 
know" 
have 
prophecied 
a 
still 
longer 
interim-millions 
on 
millions 
of 
[2679] 
(243-244) 
P.EV. 
R. 
HEBER 
NEWTON'S 
OPINION 
Doctor 
Newton 
writes 
to 
the 
Christian 
Citizenship 
League 
as 
follows: 
"The 
teachings 
of 
the 
church, 
for 
the 
most 
part, 
are 
far 
from 
following 
the 
teachings 
of 
Jesus. 
Nay, 
they 
are 
far 
from 
recognizing 
what 
those 
teachings 
are. 
The 
organization 
of 
the 
church 
is 
planned 
and 
patterned 
upon 
a 
policy 
which 
is 
the 
very 
antithesis 
of 
ll. 
true 
society 
of 
Jesus. 
"Commercialism 
dominates 
the 
organization, 
and 
conven­ 
tionality 
tyrflnnizes 
the 
pulpit. 
The 
law 
of 
the 
market, 
rather 
than 
the 
law 
of 
the 
mount, 
is 
accepted 
by 
the 
church 
at 
large. 
"Our 
Prote"tant 
churches 
are 
composed, 
for 
the 
most 
part, 
of 
a 
con~tituency 
drawn 
from 
the 
well-to-do 
classes, 
and 
they 
see 
nothmg 
essentially 
unsound 
or 
unethical 
in 
the 
economic 
system 
of 
the 
day. 
The 
pulpit, 
therefore, 
is 
rarely 
free 
to 
delIwr 
its 
~oul, 
if 
it 
has 
one, 
upon 
the 
burning 
questions 
of 
our 
generatIon. 
"Blind 
leaders 
of 
the 
blind, 
both 
seem 
hastening 
to 
fall 
in.to 
. 
the 
ditch. 
w~ich 
lies 
be.fore 
our 
civilization. 
And 
yet 
wltIlln 
the 
ChrIstIan 
church 
IS 
the 
very 
ideal 
that 
the 
world 
hungers 
for 
the 
very 
power 
to 
solve 
these 
problems. 
Infin· 
itel~' 
pathetic 
is 
the 
situation." 
This 
is 
a 
very 
severe 
arraignment 
of 
orthodoxy 
in 
any 
case; 
but 
coming 
from 
one 
of 
its 
leading 
lights 
it 
is 
terrible! 
PROTESTANTISM 
IN 
FRANCE 
AND 
IN 
AMERICA 
Withm 
the 
past 
few 
year~ 
Protestantism 
has 
been 
making 
con~l(lprable 
progress 
in 
Catholic 
France; 
but 
it 
is 
to 
he 
re­ 
memlwrl'<l 
that 
then' 
the 
term 
Protestant 
includes 
all 
systems 
of 
rt·liglOn 
anrl 
irrl'ligion 
opposed 
to 
Roman 
Catholicism. 
A~ 
mi;rht 
hp 
cxpeded, 
this 
in 
turn 
arouses 
the 
ire 
of 
Romani~t~, 
e~pccially 
the 
clergy, 
who, 
long 
accustomed 
to 
full 
control 
of 
the 
ma~~es. 
and 
to 
having 
their 
mandates 
pass 
without 
di~pute 
or 
criticism, 
are 
now 
furious 
in 
their 
at­ 
tempts 
to 
hinder 
their 
people 
from 
slipping 
the 
bonds 
of 
gross 
relig-ious 
ignorance 
and 
superstition, 
and 
escaping 
from 
their 
control. 
Deprived 
of 
the 
civil 
power 
of 
the 
past--Iost 
a 
cen­ 
tur~' 
ago-and 
unahle 
to 
torture 
or 
destroy 
those 
who 
protest 
against 
their 
system, 
they 
nevertheless 
clearly 
show 
that 
the 
spil 
it 
of 
the 
pa~t 
still 
dominates 
them, 
and 
that 
onlv 
oppor­ 
tunity 
is 
lacking, 
and 
thi" 
by 
reason 
of 
a 
higher 
civilization 
and 
a 
more 
generally 
enlightened 
public 
conscience-not 
be­ 
cau~e 
of 
a 
highl'r 
and 
holier 
religious 
standing. 
\Yords 
are 
the 
cruele~t 
weapons 
now 
permitted. 
and 
these 
are 
used 
"ith 
energy 
and 
venom 
and 
regardless 
of 
the 
truth. 
For 
instance, 
the 
Bonne 
Presse, 
the 
organ 
of 
the 
Assump­ 
tionists 
(a 
Roman 
Catholic 
order), 
and 
many 
Croix, 
or 
Cath­ 
oliC' 
church 
papers, 
are 
seeking 
to 
arouse 
prejudice 
and 
public 
sentiment 
agamst 
everything 
not 
Catholic. 
by 
confounding 
Jew~, 
Freethinkers 
and 
Free 
Masons 
with 
Protestant 
Chris­ 
tians-charging 
all 
with 
treachery 
to 
France, 
etc.,-and 
the 
general 
name 
of 
"Huguenots" 
has 
been 
revived 
as 
applicable 
to 
all 
tho~e 
to 
whom 
Romani~m 
is 
opposed. 
The 
inference 
is 
deducible 
from 
some 
of 
the 
writings. 
that 
their 
authors 
woulrl 
like 
to 
see 
these 
modern 
"Huguenots" 
massacred 
as 
were 
the 
others~for 
the 
glory 
of 
God 
and 
the 
peace 
of 
the 
Roman 
CatholIc 
church.-See 
MILLENNIAL 
DAWN, 
Vol. 
II., 
pages 
332-353. 
The 
names 
of 
some 
of 
the 
tracts 
and 
books 
published 
in 
the 
interest 
of 
thi~ 
cru~ade 
against 
Protestantiflm 
would. 
alone, 
give 
a 
clew 
to 
the 
character 
of 
the 
attack; 
but 
we 
will 
give 
a 
few 
extracts;- 
"The 
Protestant 
Peril," 
of 
569 
pages. 
declares:- 
"The 
Huguenots 
go 
hand-in-hand 
with 
the 
traitors 
of 
the 
fatherland 
and 
with 
the 
foreign 
foes 
of 
France, 
just 
a'l 
their 
religious 
fellows 
did 
in 
the 
year 
1870 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
The 
Protestants 
force 
their 
way 
into 
the 
houses 
of 
the 
French 
people. 
ostensibly 
to 
sell 
Bihles. 
but 
in 
truth 
to 
spy 
out 
where 
the 
honest 
peasant 
has 
hidden 
his 
savings. 
They 
are 
picking 
out 
quarters 
for 
the 
armv 
of 
the 
invasion. 
Therefore. 
we 
must 
keep 
a 
watch 
over 
these 
imbeciles 
and 
force 
them 
to 
leave 
our 
towns. 
. 
. 
. 
Thpse 
pioufl 
go~pf'l 
messE'ngers 
do 
not 
propo~c 
~o 
much 
tn 
make 
converts 
to 
Protestantism, 
as 
to 
demoralize 
our 
good 
people 
and 
to 
lay 
plans 
for 
facilitating 
the 
proposed 
invasion 
of 
our 
country. 
We 
appeal 
to 
the 
peasants 
to 
become 
neW 
crusaders 
in 
the 
interests 
of 
the 
good 
cause." 
"The 
Protestant 
Conspiracy" 
charges 
that 
the 
queen 
of 
England 
annually 
contributes 
five 
million 
doll 
an 
to 
propagate 
Protestantism 
in 
France, 
and 
thus 
to 
make 
the 
latter 
a 
va"sal 
state 
to 
Great 
Britain. 
AnothE'r 
work 
i'l 
entitled, 
"The 
Treachery 
of 
Protestantism." 
"Treason's 
FormCttlOn" 
i'l 
an­ 
other 
of 
these. 
It 
sa 
vs 
:- 
"The 
Huguenot 
i~ 
a 
born 
traitor. 
his 
faith)' 
a 
Jew 
to 
save 
his 
money)' 
Vou. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., AUGUST 15, 1900 No. 16 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER REV. R. HEBER NEWTON’S OPINION Doctor Newton writes to the Christian Citizenship League as follows: “The teachings of the church, for the most part, are far from following the teachings of Jesus. Nay, they are far from recognizing what those teachings are. The organization of the church is planned and patterned upon a policy which is the very antithesis of a true society of Jesus. “Commercialism dominates the organization, and conventionality tyrannizes the pulpit. The law of the market, rather than the law of the mount, is accepted by the church at large. “Our Protestant churches are composed, for the most part, of a constituency drawn from the well-to-do classes, and they see nothing essentially unsound or unethical in the economic system of the day. The pulpit, therefore, is rarely free to deliver its soul, if it has one, upon the burning questions of our generation. “Blind leaders of the blind, both seem hastening to fall into the ditch which lies before our civilization. And yet within the Christian church is the very ideal that the world hungers for the very power to solve these problems. Infinitely pathetic is the situation.” This is a very severe arraignment of orthodoxy in any case; but coming from one of its leading lights it is terrible! PROTESTANTISM IN FRANCE AND IN AMERICA Within the past few vears Protestantism has been making considerable progress in Catholic France; but it is to he remembered that there the term Protestant includes all systems of religion and irreligion opposed to Roman Catholicism. As might he expected, this in turn arouses the ire of Romanists, especially the clergy, who, long accustomed to full control of the masses, and to having their mandates pass without dispute or criticism, are now furious in their attempts to hinder their people from slipping the bonds of gross religious ignorance and superstition, and escaping from their control. Deprived of the civil power of the past—lost a century ago—and unable to torture or destroy those who protest against their system, they nevertheless clearly show that the spirit of the past still dominates them, and that only opportunity is lacking, and this by reason of a higher civilization and a more generally enlightened public conscience—not because of a higher and holier religious standing. Words are the cruelest weapons now permitted, and these are used with energy and venom and regardless of the truth. For instance, the Bonne Presse, the organ of the Assumptionists (a Roman Catholie order), and many Croix, or Catholie church papers, are seeking to arouse prejudice and public sentiment against everything not Catholic, by confounding Jews, Freethinkers and Free Masons with Protestant Christians—charging all with treachery to France, ete.,—and the general name of “Huguenots” has been revived as applicable to all those to whom Romanism is opposed. The inference is deducible from some of the writings, that their authors would like to see these modern “Huguenots” massacred as were the others—for the glory of God and the peace of the Roman Catholic church.—See Muirvennrat Dawn, Vol. II., pages 332-353, The names of some of the tracts and books published in the interest of this crusade against Protestantism would. alone, give a clew to the character of the attack; but we will give a few extracts:— “The Protestant Peril,” of 569 pages, declares:— “The Huguenots go hand-in-hand with the traitors of the fatherland and with the foreign foes of France, just as their religious fellows did in the year 1870. .... The Protestants force their way into the houses of the French people. ostensibly to sell Bibles, but in truth to spy out where the honest peasant has hidden his savings. They are picking out quarters for the army of the invasion. Therefore, we must keep 4 watch over these imbeciles and force them to leave our towns. . These pious gospel messengers do not propose so much to make converts to Protestantism, as to demoralize our good people and to lay plans for facilitating the proposed invasion of our country. We appeal to the peasants to become new crusaders in the interests of the good cause.” “The Protestant Conspiracy” charges that the queen of England annually contributes five million dollars to propagate Protestantism in France, and thus to make the latter a vassal] state to Great Britain. Another work is entitled, “The Treachery of Protestantism.” “Treason’s Formation” i3 another of these. It says:— oo “The Huguenot is a born traitor. A Catholic will die for his faith; a Jew to save his money; but a Protestant knows [2679] no martyrdom. . The claim of the innocence of Dreyfus was simply a specimen of Protestant treachery in order to make it possible for England to occupy Fashoda, and William II. to make his journey to Jerusalem. All the defenders of Dreyfus are open or secret Protestants.” “The Protestant Conquest” is the title of another of these blasts of ignorance and falsity, designed to prejudice the populace so that they will give Protestants and the Bible no hearing. It suggests the wisdom and propriety of murdering leading opponents, both political and religious, as follows:— “The Catholics are too scrupulous. Nobody can bake an omelet without breaking some eggs. No revolution can be achieved without advancing over dead bodies. Do you think it would be a crime to condemn and put to death such men as Zadok Kahn, Reinach, Scheurer-Kestner, Picquart, Zola, Brisson, Yves Guyot, Jaures, Clemenceau, Monod, and Rane, because they have organized the Dreyfus conspiracy? JI confess openly that I would have no hesitancy to vote for the death of this Reinach, etc., and such pastors as Monod, ete.” French Protestants are justly indignant at such unscrupulous methods of opposition. and are crying out for freedom and fair and honest treatment; and to offsct it are publishing pamphlets entitled, “Away from Rome,” and scattering them widely. * * * But now note the difference between the sentiments of Protestants in France, and Protestants here. Where they are in the minority they want liberty and God’s Word to prevail, and appeal to reuson and the Bible as in offset to ignorance, superstition and priestcraft. But how is it here in “the land of the free” where Protestantism controls the great majority? Ah! here we see the weakness of fallen human nature displayed; for here Protestants, like the Catholics of France, are most bitterly opposed to any advanced light—especially any further light from the Bible;—not only denying what they cannot gainsay Scripturally, but becoming the more angry in proportion as they find present truth unanswerable. True, they have not published volumes in opposition to our presentations, but this is no doubt due to two facts: (1) There is no opportunity to confound the gospel we preach with any class of politicians or political aspirations; and (2) they know nothing to say against our position and fear to call attention to it lest their closely guarded and tightly penned “sheep” should get a taste of “the good word of God,” and break away from sectarianism to the “green pastures and still waters” of divine truth. But most of their fears are groundless, for the majority of their flocks are not “sheep” anyway; and the “goats,” true to a perverse nature, would prefer tin cans, paper, filthy rags, or anything of a sensational character—Evolution, Higher Criticism, human philosophy, and “science falsely so called”—rather than the truth. United States Protestant methods differ from French Roman Catholic methods, but both have the same object; namely, to prejudice the minds of the people under their control who are trusting to them as their guides and spiritual advisers; thus to hinder them from investigating truth on its merits and in the hght of the divine Word. Having mentioned the Roman Catholic method, it is but just that we cite instances illustrating the Protestant method. For instance, some years ago the pastor of the North Ave. M. E church of this city made a most furious attack upon the Editor of this journal, whom he had never met, and whose writings he probably had never read—as would seem to be implied by the false statements of our position made by him in a discourse over an hour long. What was the ground for the attack? Simply that five members of his congregation had been baptized by us the week previous, and that he knew, in some way or other. that we believed in the imminence of the kingdom of God. He railed at the fact that this teacher did not belong to any of the sects, and was not recognized by any of them, informed fas people that he had been specially educated so as to be able to guide them in all spiritual matters: and that they should seek no other counsel respecting God’s Word. He then demonstrated his wisdom and ability as “a scribe instructed respecting the kingdom” by declaring that the second coming of Christ must be many thousands of years future. because in his judgment, this was clearly taught, not by the Bible writers, but by the coal fields and ore deposits of earth, which he thought would last that long. . If the learned gentleman had only thought of it he might have prophecied a still longer interim—millions on millions of (243-244)

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Global Policy on Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies .