8
1
8
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(112-116)
Z
ION'
S
11'.4
T
C
H
TOW
E
R
ALLEGHfNY,
FA.
bJ
the
very
ones
who,
if
not
deceived
regarding
its
teachings,
would
be
held
and
blessed
by
it.
The
general
effect.
not
far
distant.
will
be,
first
open
in
fidelIty,
then
anarchy.
For
much,
velY
much
of
this,
luke
warm
Christians,
both
in
pulpit
and
pews,
who
know
or
ought
to
know
better,
are
responsIble.
Many
such
are
will
ing
to
compromise
the
truth,
to
slander
God's
character,
and
to
stultify
and
deceive
them~elves,
for
the
sake
of
peace,
or
ea"e.
or
pre-ent
earthly
advantage.
And
any
minister,
who,
by
uttpring
a
word
for
an
unpopular
truth,
will
risk
the
loss
of
hIs
"tipend
and
his
reputation
for
being
"established"
in
the
bog
of
error,
is
considered
a
boll!
man,
even
though
he
igTIollliniou"ly
WIthhold
hIs
name
from
his
published
pro
tests.
If
profesElE'd
Christians
would
be
honest
with
themselveb
and
true
to
God,
they
would
soon
learn
that
"their
fear
toward
God
is
taught
by
the
precepts
of
men."
(Isa.
29:13)
If
all
would
deCIde
to
let
God
be
true.
though
it
should
prove
every
man
a
liar
(Rom.
3:
4),
and
show
all
human
creeds
to
be
imperfeet
and
misleading.
there
would
be
a
great
creed
smashing
work
done
very
shortly.
Then
the
Bible
would
be
studied
and
a
ppredated
as
never
before;
and
its
testimony
that
the
wages
of
sin
is
death
(extmction),
would
be
recog
nized
as
a
"just
recompense
of
reward."
\y
_
:,3\(-
~l\en
fore~01nR
hnt
a
meTe
"u~(Jse~hon
()f
the
11ght
no,,"
Shltllng-
111
"due
sea<;;,on"
for
the
"houlO:ehold
of
faIth
\\~t
]n\lte
c0rre5-\-,r,rJdtt1ce
from
all
v.ho
"hunger
a'1d
1111rst
after
light
n
\Ve
have
free
trnctc;;.
and
books
to
loan
to
the
pc.or
In
5-Pjrlt
who
are
poeT
al~o
1n
pUlse
See
\,a~e
2
YOLo
XXI
------
-
-
-
-
-
ALLEGHENY,
P
A.,
APRIL
15,
1900
No.8
VIEWS
FROM
THE
WATCH
TOWER
*
*
*
Rev.
Dr.
Donehoo,
of
Pitt"burgh,
the
very
next
Sunday
(April
ht)
took
a
snnilar
stand
against
the
'''estmin-ter
Cou
fes-ion
whIch
when
onlamed.
he
solemnly
YO
wed
that
he
bel;eYed
and
would
teaeh.
Yet,
while
stIlI
'posing
as
a
Prl's
hytenan
and
domg
violenee
to
hI"
oath
of
o
{fieI'.
he
coufe~sed
in
the
following
language.
quoted
in
tll('
daily
pre"".
that
h~
has
for
the
many
years
of
hi~
Pre"bytenan
membcrship
ana
ministrv
bcen
a!'tinrr
a
lie-he
confesses
he
"uerer
could
be
liel
c"
'~'hat
he
prof~sspd.
We
quote:-
"The
question
suggl'sted
to
me
by
th!'
text
is
the
following,
'Arc
mpn
foreordained
to
be
damned
','
It
is
ahout
the
hluntest.
harshe~t,
mo~t
unreasonable
one
that
an
unpre.1udice,1
I
!'ader
of
the
Bible
eould
have
presented
for
his
!'on~i,leratlOn.
1
am
sorrv
to
sav
that
it
is
one
that
has
been
pre"cnt
in
my
thotights
from
mv
earliest
recollection.
I
haye
heanl
it
dis
cussed
m
the
pulpit,
have
read
many
works
on
the
~uhleet.
and
have
often
gravely
considered
it
in
pnvate
conyersatJOn
with
hrethren,
tho
I
llave
neyer
for
one
instant
had
any
doubts
on
the
suhject
so
far
as
I
am
concerned.
\\'hatevt'r
the
\,"est
minster
divines
may
haw
believed
on
the
suhject.
their
language
a"
now
understood
expresses
in
unmlstakahle
phrase
Iha
t
"u('h
was
their
belief.
Thus
thpy
del'lare:
'By
the
de
cree
of
God,
for
the
manifestation
of
his
glory,
~ome
men
and
angels
are
predestinated
unto
evel
lasting
life,
and
others
are
foreordainl'd
to
everlasting
death,
and
their
number
Ifl
so
certain
ann
definite,
that
it
cannot
be
either
increa"cd
or
dimini"hed.'
"I
never
could
believe
such
a
thing,
and
I
pray
to
God
to
preserve
me
from
ever
either
unWIttingly
endorsml!
or
so
much
as
entertaining
such
an
insane
thought
in
my
heart.
Nor
would
I
refer
to
this
at
all
were
it
not
just
now
published
all
over
the
land
that
the
great
Preshyterian
church
was
about
to
drag
a
faithful
minister
of
the
gospel
to
trial
for
proteflting
against
the
idea
that
any
man
is
foreordained
of
God
to
be
damned
to
all
eternity.
If
such
a
sifting
procesE.
as
that
just
now
hinted
at
was
t.o
be
fearlessly
put
in
force
throughout
the
chureh.
and
every
man
who
preaches
and
prays
pwry
Sabbath
day
of
his
life
the
very
opposite
of
this
horrible
dogma,
whether
he
has
the
brains
or
the
courage
to
admit
it
or
not,
there
would
be
such
a
depletion
in
the
ranks
of
thE'
ehur!'h
as
would
throw
St.
Bartholomew
in
the
shade."
The
gentleman
frankly
avows
that
he
would
have
kept
quiet
still
longer.
and
have
continued
to
tacitly
endorse
the
slander
against
God
had
it
not
been
his
fear
that
a
hunt
for
"heretics"
might
he
started
in
Presbyterian
cire1es.
He
hopes
that
a
sufficient
number
of
Presbyterian
ministers
will
growl
to
deter
the
others
from
enforcing
the
laws
and
rules
of
the
denomina
tion.
Yet
strange
to
say,
the
men
who
stay
inside
thp
dpnomination
and
denounce
it,
and
declare
their
perfidy
in
respect
to
its
teaehings
and
their
unfaithfulness
to
God's
char
acter
and
Word,
are
honored;
while
honest
men
who
refuse
thus
to
stultify
themselves
and
to
blaspheme
God's
holy
name
for
hread
and
''honor
one
of
another"
are
disesteemed.
After
all
then
the
chief
fault
is
with
the
people;-the
preachers
merely
dehase
themselves
to
supply
the
popular
demand.
It
is
time
for
all
who
have
any
moral
honesty
to
show
it.
"Co!JlE'
out
of
her,
my
people.
that
ye
he
not
partakers
of
her
S1nS
and
tllat
ye
receive
not
of
her
plagues."-Rev.
18:4.
Sure!>-
it
\\ould
haye
been
mu"h
morc
to
Dr.
HiIIi';
credit
to
haye
first
r"blgned
all
relatJOnsl1Jp
to
Pre~byterialJJsm
and
then
in
a
H'I
\'
humhle
manner
to
ha
ye
"onfe"~ed
to
Plymouth
church
hi"
,h'Olt(Onllng~
of
the
pa"t
and
JJIS
rcsolubol;
lwnce
forth
to
pre,leh
the
truth,
or
at
lea"t
Ill"
connctions
re~pect
ing
It.
1
lIl'
""haking"
of
the
ccl'le"iastical
"heavens"
continues.
Dr.
HIlII-'
(lcnuneiatlOn
of
the
\Vestminster
Confession
of
Fa
I
tho
wll
i('h
as
a
Pre~bytcnan
he
has
supported
for
many
yenr-.
1-
about
a~
~trong
as
he
could
make
It.
He
is
eredited
with
the
followmg
language
in
hi"
di"course
to
the
Plymouth
('hm,
h
Brooklyn,
N.
Y.,
on
Sunday,
Mareh
25:-
,
Thc
Confe""ion
of
Faith
say"
that
pertain
m('n
and
angels
are
iOI
eOT(lamed
to
everlasting
death.
being
particularly
and
un(hallg"ably
de"lgne,l,
and
their
number
i"
so
c('rtain
and
d,·fillit"
that
it
"allllOt
be
eith!'r
inereasecI
or
dimini~hed,
and
pn>r~'
~'Ollllg
man
who
enters
the
Presbyterian
dmreh
has
to
"ole'mnlv
swear
to
believe
and
teaeh
this
frightful
vIew.
And
!'\'I-ry
.;tt"mpt
to
re;
I"P
and
exp(·1
that
bt.ltement
from
the
erecd
ha"
becn
succes"fully
earn
bated
by
a
majority
that
wishes
to
rdain
the
doctrine.
It
would
seem
as
if
a
man
would
prefer
to
IJl'
burned
at
the
stake
rather
than
hohl
or
a""ert
or
charge
SJl(·h
innllIte
erudty
upon
th!'
all-mrrclful
and
all-loving
God.
The
day
the
",'ho1:l"tips
wrote
that
(·hapter
in
the
Confession
of
Faith
thry
got
th"
(Ievil
eonfu"rd
with
God.
"I
would
ratll"r
shakr
my
fi-t
III
the
face
of
the
Eternal
anrl
lImp:
cypry
vile
ppith!'t
toward
his
stainles"
throne,
where
(·tenlal
mcrry
sits
with
tIle
world",
atoning
Sayior.
than
lift
my
hand
"ith
that
('rpe,1
hpfore
God's
throne
and
affirm
that
I
ta
u~ht
or
h!'l
ipy('(l
it."
1'11<'
matter
i"
hcfor!'
the
Chicago
Prp"bytery,
whieh
is
di
"I(]!',I
III
""utin1<'nt-many
of
its
mpmbers
ayerring
that
they
agTee
to
Dr.
I!JIII,,'
view"
of
the
suhjpct.
The
gentleman
pro
pm.ps
to
rp"ign
hi"
(·mlller·tion
with
Prpsbyterianism
if
the
latt"r
01'11'<'18
to
IllS
attaeks
upon
It
hom
the
in
"ide.
The
world
look"
on
approYingly,
an(1
"ays,
Bruyo,
Dr.
Hillis!
But
to
our
yipw
tllP
gcntlpman
has
little
to
he
proud
of;
for,
grant·
ing
t
ha
t,
as
he
says,
he
has
held
privately
for
years
the
views
he
now
p"pr!'s"cs
puh1iely,
it
follows
that
for
all
those
years
hc
In
pd
a
lie
bpfon'
thp
whole
world.
And
if
for
those
years
he
kppt
-Ilpne!'
h('('au"!'
he
was
making
a
personal
name
and
fame
an(1
following,
\\llldl
he
has
now
attained.
it
follows
that
for
a
II
those
y!'ars,
a,'('orrling
to
the
gentl!'man'"
own
words
(plOt",1
a
110\
e.
h!'
wa"
doing
wor"e
than
"shaking
his
fist
in
the
ftH'P
of
tIl('
Et!'rnal"-\\orsp
than
to
lmv!'
"flung-cvery
vile
"IlIthd
t(l\\anl
Corl'"
~tainle"s
throne
whpre
etcrnal
merey
sits
\I
dh
tl,('
\101
I,]'"
atoning
RavlOr"
'\'1lat
an
a"tounding
!'onfe"sion
this
is
to
hp
spnt
forth
to
th!'
\lurId!
"'1'
arp
I"mindcd
of
our
LOJd's
words.
"Out
of
thm!'
own
lIIout
h
1
wIll
jurlgp
th!'!'!"
AJ)(I
yet
this
side
of
the
('a
-e
stJ
Ik!'s
ycry
few.
\Vh
v
?
Recau_e
t
h!'v
are
in
a
"imilar
plIght
ha,
illg
I;een
for
yea~s
directly
or
ilidirpdly
upholding
tlJJs
sanH'
crl'!',l
anrl
thus
t.o
the
PAtent
of
tl!l'ir
influence
(either
a~
mim-t!'ls
au,l
officcrs
or
cl,,!'
as
pommon
membprs
of
!'hurehes
I1YO\\
ill!!
the"c
er!,p,I~)
the~',
too,
hav!'
hpen
tIm"
hla~phemillg
thl'
Etprnal
all(1
hi~
"tainlp~"
throne.
Oth!'r
ministers
in
Pres
In-tprIan
phuTl·h!'s
look
with
ellYv
at
Dr
Hillis'
fre<'dom
and
wi-h
that
thp
limp
might
soon'
come
that
theY
would
have
sllll,·ipllt
IlHln
ulua
1
Illflupup!'
and
pre~tige
to
"tand
alone,
that
thcy.
t.oo.
lIllg!lt
,I"e!arp
th!'ir
imleppnd!'nec
and
eease
their
bla"phl'J1l~
a!!ain-t
tll"
tin
lllC
dlaral'ter
which
!'auses
uneasi
n!'~~.
noh,
It
h-tallllillg
lOllg
USa!!l'
to
It
and
notwith"tanding
th~
fad
that
""tIIPr
s
,10
tlH'
same."
Ad,lp,1
to
thi~
i"
now
another
fear.
that
th"
tid"
of
public
s!'ntiment
i~
on
tIle
turn-that
the
pl'ws.
If
thpy
kill'"
as
IJJU('h
a"
the
pulpits
respecting
such
mat
ters.
would
bc
II111"h
more
honest
;-aIHI
that
the
risk
of
jump
ing
out
too
soon
a
~
"rpformcrs,"
IIn,1
tlJII~
losing
prestige
and
possihly
hrcad
aJ)(1
hutter.
ma:v
hp
offset
soon
by
the
reverse
ri~k
of
not
jumpmg
soon
enough
to
Iret
glorv
as
a
"reforml'r"
and
on
the
pOlltrar~'
h!'ing
eovpred
with
odium
as
tho"e
who
hay!'
del'ehed
the
prople
a~
long
a~
po-sible.
[2614]
(112-116) ZION’S by the very ones who, if not deceived regarding its teachings, would be held and blessed by it. The general effect, not far distant, will be, first open infidelity, then anarchy. For much, very much of this, lukewarm Christians, both in pulpit and pews, who know or ought to know better, are responsible. Many such are willing to compromise the truth, to slander God’s character, and to stultify and deceive themselves, for the sake of peace, or ease. or present earthly advantage. And any minister, who, by uttering a word for an unpopular truth, will risk the loss of his stipend and his reputation for being “established” in the bog of error, is considered a bold man, even though he Wo Lave given foregoing but a mere suggestion of the light now shining in “due season” from al] who “hunger and thirst after right’? We have free tracts, and books to loan to the peor in spirit who are pocr also in purse The “shaking” of the ecclesiastical “heavens” continues. Dr. Hills’ denunciation of the Westminster Confession of Faith. which as a Presbyterian he has supported for many years. 1~ about as strong as he could make it. He is credited with the followmg language in his discourse to the Plymouth Church Brooklyn, N. Y., on Sunday, March 25:— ‘The Confession of Faith says that certain men and angels are foreordained to everlasting death, being particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished, and every young man who enters the Presbyterian church has to solemnly swear to believe and teach this frightful view. And every attempt to revise and expel that statement from the creed has been successfully combated by a majority that wishes to retain the doctrine. It would seem as if a man would prefer to be burned at the stake rather than hold or assert or charge such infimite cruelty upon the all-merciful and all-loving God. The day the scholasties wrote that chapter in the Confession of Faith they got the devil confused with God. “JT would rather shake my fist in the face of the Eternal and flme every vile epithet toward his stainless throne. where eternal mercy sits with the world’s atoning Savior. than lift my hand with that creed before God's throne and affirm that TI taught or believed it.” The matter is before the Chicago Presbytery, which is divided in sentiment—many of its members averring that they agree to Dr. Hill’ views of the subject. The gentleman proposes to resign his connection with Presbyterianism if the latter objects to his attacks upon it from the inside. The worhl looks on approvingly, and says, Bravo, Dr. Hillis! But to our view the gentleman has little to be proud of; for, granting that, as he says, he has held privately for years the views he now expresses publicly, it follows that for all those years he lived a lie before the whole world. And if for those years he kept silence because he was making a personal name and fame and following, which he has now attained, it follows that for all those years, according to the gentleman’s own words quoted above, he was doing worse than “shaking his fist in the face of the Eternal’—worse than to have “flung—every vile epithet toward God's stainless throne where eternal mercy sits with the world's atoning Savior ” What an astounding confession this is to be sent forth to the world! We are reminded of our Lord's words. “Out of thine own mouth T will judge thee!” And yet this side of the ease strikes very few. Why? Because they are in a similar pheht having been for vears directly or indirectly upholding this same ereed and thus to the eatent of their influence (either as ministers and officers or else as common members of churches avowing these ereeds) they, too, have been thus blaspheming the Eternal and his stainless throne. Other ministers in Presbyterian churches Jook with envy at Dr Hillis’ freedom and wish that the time might scon come that they would have sufficient individual influence and prestige to stand alone, that they, too. might declare their independence and cease their blasphem\ against the divine character which causes uneasiness, notwithstanding long usage to it and notwithstanding the fact that “others do the same.” Added to this is now another fear, that the tide of public sentiment is on the turn—that the pews, 1f they knew as much as the pulpits respecting such matters, would be much more honest ;—and that the risk of jumping ont too soon as “reformers.” and thus losing prestige and possibly bread and butter. may he offset soon by the reverse risk of not jumping soon enough to get glory as a “reformer” and on the contrary being covered with odium as those who have deceived the people as long as possible, WATCH TOWER VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, ignomniniously withhold his name from his published protests. If professed Christians would be honest with themselves and true to God, they woula soon learn that “their fear toward God is taught by the precepts of men.” (Isa. 29:13) If all would decide to let God be true, though it should prove every man a liar (Rom. 3:4), and show all human creeds to be imperfect and misleading, there would be a great creed smashing work done very shortly. Then the Bible would be studied and appreciated as never before; and its testimony that the wages of sin is death (extinction), would be recognized as a “just recompense of reward.” for the “household of faith We smmvite correspondence See pare 2 ALLEGHENY, PA., APRIL 15, 1900 No. & Surely it would have been much more to Dr, Hillis’ credit to have first resigned all relationship to Presbyterianism and then in a very humble manner to have confessed to Plymouth church his shortcomings of the past and his resolution henceforth to preach the truth, or at least lis convictions respecting it. * * * Rey. Dr. Donehoo, of Pittsburgh, the very next Sunday (April lst) took a similar stand against the Westminster Confession, which when ordained. he solemnly vowed that he beheved and would teach. Yet, while still posing as a Presbyterian and doing violence to his oath of office, he confessed in the following language. quoted in the daily press, that he has for the many years of his Presbyterian membership and ministry been acting a lie—he confesses he “never could believe” what he professed. We quote:— “The question suggested to me by the text is the following, ‘Are men foreordained to be damned‘ It is about the bluntest, harshest, most unreasonable one that an unprejudiced reader of the Bible could have presented for his consideration. I am sorry to say that it is one that has been present in my thoughts from my earliest recollection. I have heard it discussed in the pulpit, have read many works on the subject, and have often gravely considered it in private conversation with brethren, tho I have never for one instant had any doubts on the subject so far as I am concerned. Whatever the Westminster divines may have believed on the subject, their language as now understood expresses in unmistakable phrase that such was their belief. Thus they declare: ‘By the de cree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others are foreordained to everlasting death, and their number 1s sc certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.’ “I never could believe such a thing, and I pray to God to preserve me from ever either unwittingly endorsing or so much as entertaining such an insane thought in my heart. Nor would I refer to this at all were it not just now published all over the land that the great Presbyterian church was about to drag a faithful minister of the gospel to trial for protesting against the idea that any man is foreordained of God to be damned to all eternity. If such a sifting process as that just now hinted at was to be fearlessly put in force throughout the church. and every man who preaches and prays every Sabbath day of his life the very opposite of this horrible dogma, whether he has the brains or the courage to admit it or not, there would be such a depletion in the ranks of the church as would throw St. Bartholomew in the shade.” The gentleman frankly avows that he would have kept quiet still longer. and have continued to tacitly endorse the slander against God had it not been his fear that a hunt for “heretics” might be started in Presbyterian circles. He hopes that a sufficient number of Presbyterian ministers will growl to deter the others from enforcing the laws and rules of the denomination. Yet strange to say, the men who stay inside the denomination and denounce it, and declare their perfidy in respect to its teachings and their unfaithfulness to God’s character and Word, are honored; while honest men who refuse thus to stultify themselves and to blaspheme God‘s holy name for bread and “honor one of another” are disesteemed. After all then the chief fault is with the people;—the preachers merely debase themselves to supply the popular demand. It is time for all who have any moral honesty to show it. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues.’—Rey. 18:4. [2614]
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