Publication date
6/1/02
Volume
23
Number
11
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1902/11/1902-11-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXIII 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
JUNE 
1, 
1902 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
11 
"MAKING 
VOID 
THE 
WORD 
OF 
GOD 
BY 
YOUR 
TRADITIONS" 
-MARK 
7:13 
Comparatively 
few 
of 
the 
"common 
people" 
of 
Christendom 
realize 
how 
thoroughly 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
has 
a7ready 
been 
rej~cted 
by 
the 
leading 
Doctors 
of 
theology. 
When, 
over 
twenty 
years 
ago, 
we 
pointed 
out 
from 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
that 
all 
classes 
- 
of 
Christendom 
were 
about 
to 
be 
tested 
on 
the 
fundamentals 
of 
Christian 
faith, 
and 
that 
according 
to 
Psalm 
91, 
a 
thousand 
would 
fall 
into 
unbelief 
to 
one 
who 
would 
stand 
faithful, 
some 
mocked-considering 
that 
no 
more 
absurd 
proposition 
could 
possibly 
be 
made. 
Apply 
this 
rule 
now 
to 
the 
300,000,000 
of 
Christendom 
and 
the 
number 
to 
stand 
would 
be 
30,000. 
In 
our 
last 
issue 
we 
noted 
that 
some 
candidates 
for 
minis­ 
terial 
office 
in 
the 
Presbyterian 
church 
had 
publicly 
disowned 
belief 
in 
Adam 
and 
Eve 
as 
the 
first 
parents 
of 
our 
race­ 
considering 
that 
portion 
of 
the 
Scripture 
mythical, 
unreal, 
untrue; 
and 
how 
the 
Elizabeth 
(N. 
J.), 
Presbytery 
finally 
passed 
such 
an 
one,-who 
purposes 
to 
become 
a 
missionary. 
Since 
then 
the 
subject 
has 
been 
considerably 
discussed 
in 
the 
secular 
and 
religious 
press, 
and 
so 
far 
as 
we 
have 
noted, 
generally 
in 
sympathy 
with 
the 
unbelieL"er 
;-generally 
in 
con­ 
demnation 
of 
those 
who 
called 
in 
question 
the 
unbeliever's 
right 
to 
acceptance 
as 
"orthodox." 
This 
is 
truly 
a 
peculiar 
world: 
anyone 
who 
believes 
in 
the 
second 
coming 
of 
our 
Lord 
to 
be 
the 
King 
of 
earth, 
as 
foretold 
in 
the 
8eriptures 
SCOl 
es 
of 
times, 
is 
"off-color," 
"tainted" 
or 
"non·orthodox," 
according 
to 
the 
bias 
of 
his 
critics. 
The 
man 
who 
denie'l 
eternal 
torment 
as 
both 
unreasonable 
and 
un 
scriptural, 
and 
who 
calls 
for 
proof 
texts 
from 
the 
Bible 
(not 
parable 
and 
symbolic 
statements, 
but 
literal), 
or 
who 
denies 
that 
the 
BIble 
otTers 
immortality 
in 
any 
sense 
or 
condition 
to 
the 
wicked, 
amI 
asks 
for 
proof 
texts,-is 
denounced 
as 
a 
"heretic," 
as 
is 
al~o 
the 
man 
who 
declares 
that 
he 
believes 
in 
the 
Father 
and 
in 
the 
Son 
and 
in 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
and 
that 
these 
are 
at 
one, 
or 
in 
full 
harmony, 
but 
who 
denies 
that 
it 
can 
be 
true 
that 
they 
are 
one 
tn 
person, 
or 
that 
the 
Scriptures 
so 
state, 
and 
invites 
proof 
texts. 
On 
the 
other 
hand, 
whoever 
professes 
to 
believe 
these 
things 
which 
the 
Bible 
does 
not 
teach, 
and 
which 
reason 
repudiates, 
and 
who 
denies 
the 
Bible 
record 
of 
crea­ 
tion. 
accepting 
instead 
the 
un 
scriptural 
theory 
of 
evolution,­ 
tha 
t 
man 
is 
promptly 
labeled 
orthodox, 
and 
any 
unWIlling 
to 
so 
eon 
cede 
are 
promptly 
denounced 
as 
unenlightened 
fossils. 
Rurely 
this 
is 
what 
the 
Lord 
referred 
to 
as 
putting 
light 
for 
darkness 
and 
darkness 
for 
light-calling 
evil 
good, 
and 
good 
eviL-Isa. 
5:20. 
The 
following 
is 
from 
the 
comment 
of 
the 
New 
York 
Independent, 
one 
of 
the 
leading 
"orthodox" 
religious 
journals 
of 
the 
world:- 
"We 
venture 
to 
say 
that 
there 
is 
not 
a 
competent 
educated 
professor 
of 
biology 
or 
geology 
in 
the 
obscurest 
Presbyterilln 
college 
in 
the 
United 
States 
who 
believes 
that 
the 
Adam 
and 
Eve 
of 
Genesis 
were 
historical 
characters. 
One 
would 
have 
to 
rake 
all 
our 
colleges 
and 
universities 
with 
a 
fine-toothed 
eomb 
to 
find 
such 
a 
teacher, 
and 
very 
few 
they 
would 
he. 
The 
belief, 
in 
scientific 
circles, 
of 
such 
an 
Adam 
and 
Eve 
is 
dead, 
and 
is 
no 
longer 
considered 
or 
discussed. 
Of 
course, 
the 
doctrine 
of 
a 
literal 
Adam 
lingers 
in 
popular 
belief, 
just 
as 
once 
did 
the 
belief 
in 
the 
world 
made 
in 
six 
literal 
days; 
but 
it 
is 
held 
by 
those 
who 
got 
their 
education 
a 
generation 
or 
two 
ago. 
or 
who. 
never 
got 
any 
education 
at 
all. 
'l'he 
older 
men 
m 
the 
presbyteries, 
especiaUy 
those 
who 
have, 
for 
ont' 
reason 
or 
another, 
dropped 
out 
of 
the 
educative 
stress 
of 
pastoral 
life, 
have 
not 
learne~ 
what 
the 
colleges 
now 
teach; 
and 
1t 
is 
they 
that 
oppose 
their 
large 
ignorance 
to 
modern 
know7edge." 
What 
plainer 
statement 
of 
present 
conditions 
could 
we 
ask 
and 
from 
what 
higher 
authority 
could 
it 
come? 
Notice 
again 
the 
last 
sentence, 
which 
we 
have 
italicized: 
only 
old 
fogies-country 
preachers 
and 
the 
unlearned-any 
longer 
be­ 
lieve 
the 
Bible 
to 
be 
God's 
revelation. 
To 
the 
"cultured" 
it 
is 
a 
book 
of 
fairy 
tales 
mixed 
with 
pessimistic 
nonsense 
of 
weep­ 
ing 
prophets 
who 
nl:'ver 
dreamed 
of 
the 
grand 
time 
coming 
when 
the 
trust-giants 
shall 
hold 
full 
sway 
and 
bring 
in 
the 
Millennium 
of 
wealth 
and 
aristocracy. 
Not 
knowing 
so 
much 
as 
these 
modern 
teachers, 
"higher 
critics," 
the 
prophets 
dreamed 
and 
wrote 
of 
a 
second 
coming 
of 
Christ, 
and 
of 
the 
establishment 
of 
a 
kingdom 
of 
God 
under 
the 
whole 
heavens; 
-of 
a 
lifting 
up 
of 
the 
poor 
and 
the 
needy 
and 
a 
humbling 
of 
the 
great;- 
of 
a 
laying 
of 
righteousness 
to 
the 
line 
and 
justice 
to 
the 
plummet. 
Well, 
we 
prefer 
to 
be 
with 
the 
Lord 
and 
the 
Apostles: 
we 
prefer 
to 
believe 
"all 
things 
spoken 
by 
the 
mouth 
of 
all 
the 
holy 
prophets 
since 
the 
world 
began."­ 
Acts 
3:19-21. 
The 
editor 
of 
the 
(New 
York) 
Mail 
and 
Express, 
not 
being 
a 
trained 
theologian 
and 
Doctor 
of 
Divinity, 
shows 
his 
"backwoods" 
ideas 
on 
the 
subject 
as 
follows:- 
"It 
is 
one 
thing 
to 
say 
that 
the 
story 
of 
Adam 
and 
Eve 
is 
a 
myth, 
and 
quite 
another 
to 
say 
that 
it 
is 
false. 
Embodied 
in 
the 
Scriptural 
account 
in 
the 
first 
chapter 
of 
Genesis 
is 
the 
most 
profound 
bit 
of 
wisdom. 
the 
most 
searching 
dip 
into 
the 
springs 
of 
human 
acbon 
in 
the 
face 
of 
the 
great 
mystery 
of 
life 
and 
divinity 
that 
surrounds 
us, 
the 
most 
vivid 
revela­ 
tion 
of 
the 
power 
of 
God 
and 
the 
helplessness, 
yet 
hopeful­ 
ness 
of 
life, 
that 
alI 
the 
world's 
literature 
has 
brought 
down 
to 
us. 
It 
is 
fundamental 
in 
many 
ways. 
That 
the 
guanlianR 
of 
religious 
doctrine 
should 
seek 
to 
hold 
neophytes 
to 
a 
belief 
in 
it 
is 
not 
to 
be 
wondered 
at. 
"A 
myth 
is 
but 
old, 
old 
speech. 
All 
things 
are 
"'pokl'n 
in 
some 
shape 
before 
they 
are 
written. 
The 
myth 
is 
the 
spoken, 
elder 
Scripture. 
Not 
all 
myths 
are 
entitled 
to 
become 
Scrip­ 
ture; 
but 
this 
one 
was 
so 
entitled-and 
it 
is 
truP. 
If 
any­ 
thing 
possesses 
authority 
in 
this 
doubting 
age, 
tIllS 
recont 
does. 
There 
may 
be 
more 
wisdom 
in 
the 
act 
of 
simple 
domi­ 
nies 
who 
require 
rigid 
adherence 
to 
its 
letter 
than 
in 
the 
proceedings 
of 
those 
who 
treat 
it 
with 
flippant 
doubt." 
This 
learned 
editor, 
in 
his 
anxiety 
to 
"straddle" 
the 
sub­ 
ject 
and 
to 
please 
both 
parties, 
has 
used 
the 
word 
myth 
III 
an 
unusual 
and 
unauthorized 
manner, 
whIch 
merely 
show,", 
that 
he 
and 
others 
are 
well 
shaken 
in 
their 
credence' 
of 
the 
llible, 
though 
not 
yet 
ready 
to 
abandon 
it 
completely. 
We 
quote 
the 
Standard 
Dictionary's 
definition 
of 
this 
use 
of 
the 
word 
myth, 
as 
follows:- 
"A 
fictitious 
or 
conjectural 
narrative 
presented 
as 
his­ 
torical, 
but 
without 
any 
basis 
of 
fact; 
hence, 
an 
imaginary 
or 
fictitious 
person, 
object, 
or 
eVl:'nt; 
as 
Santa 
Claus 
is 
a 
myth. 
"The 
difference 
between 
legend 
and 
myth 
is 
now 
well 
known. 
. 
.. 
The 
myth 
is 
purely 
the 
work 
of 
imagination, 
the 
legend 
has 
a 
nucleus 
of 
fact." 
"Synonyms, 
.1ntonyms 
and 
PrepositIons," 
says:- 
"A 
legend 
may 
be 
true, 
but 
can 
not 
be 
historically 
verified; 
a 
myth 
has 
been 
received 
as 
true 
at 
some 
time, 
but 
is 
now 
known 
to 
be 
false." 
How 
long 
will 
it 
require 
for 
people 
to 
learn 
that 
the 
Bible 
is 
so 
thoroughly 
one, 
and 
its 
story 
one, 
that 
a 
repudiation 
of 
one 
part 
means 
the 
repudiation 
of 
the 
whole? 
For 
instance, 
some 
may 
reason 
that 
the 
truth 
or 
falsity 
of 
the 
story 
of 
Adam 
and 
Eve 
and 
their 
original 
perfection 
in 
their 
Eden 
home, 
has 
no 
bearing 
upon 
the 
general 
plan 
of 
salvation 
pre­ 
sented 
in 
the 
Scriptures; 
but 
in 
this 
they 
greatly 
err. 
If 
there 
was 
no 
fall 
from 
holiness 
and 
perfection, 
there 
could 
be 
no 
need 
of 
a 
Redeemer 
to 
ransom 
him 
and 
his 
posterity 
from 
such 
a 
condemnation; 
and 
the 
promised 
blessing 
of 
a 
restitution 
of 
man 
to 
Adam's 
primeval 
estate 
would 
be 
an 
absurdity. 
But 
let 
the 
good 
work 
go 
on. 
For, 
as 
the 
Apostle 
said 
in 
his 
day,-"There 
must 
be 
heresies 
also 
among 
you, 
that 
they 
which 
are 
approved 
may 
be 
made 
manifest." 
(1 
Cor. 
11: 
In) 
Much 
more 
is 
this 
the 
case 
now: 
the 
"harvest" 
time 
of 
separating 
wheat 
from 
tares 
having 
come 
this 
seems 
to 
be 
the 
Lord's 
method 
of 
hastening 
it 
in 
its 
due 
Reason. 
"None 
of 
the 
wicked 
will 
understand, 
but 
the 
wise 
shall 
understand." 
(Dan. 
12:10) 
The 
wise 
toward 
God, 
counted 
fools 
by 
the 
WIsdom 
of 
this 
world, 
will 
begin 
to 
open 
their 
eye., 
to 
the 
true 
situation 
as 
this 
breach 
grows 
wider. 
They 
will 
begin 
to 
"inquire 
for 
the 
old 
paths," 
and 
then 
will 
be 
in 
the 
right 
condition 
to 
hear 
and 
heed 
the 
true 
Shepherd's 
voice 
and 
to 
comprehend 
with 
all 
saints 
the 
divine 
plan 
of 
the 
ages. 
These 
("not 
many") 
are 
hungry 
for 
it 
now, 
but 
are 
deterred 
by 
the 
misrepresentations 
of 
the 
shepherds 
of 
Babylon 
whom 
they 
trust 
too 
implicitly,-taking 
their 
word 
without 
proving 
it 
by 
the 
Word 
of 
the 
Lord. 
RUSSIAN 
SOLDIERS 
REFUSE 
TO 
SHOOT 
AT 
MOB 
The 
following 
quotation 
from 
the 
London 
Pall 
MalT 
Ga­ 
zette, 
indicates 
that 
already 
the 
great 
"European 
public 
school" 
(the 
standing 
army), 
is 
learning 
its 
lesson 
and 
gl:'tting 
ready 
for 
the 
coming 
conflict:- 
"During 
the 
demonstration 
in 
the 
Hazan 
Square, 
in 
St. 
Petersburg, 
a 
detachment 
of 
infantry 
was 
called 
upon 
to 
fire 
upon 
the 
crowd. 
The 
men 
thrice 
refused 
to 
obey, 
and 
were 
marched 
back 
to 
barracks, 
no 
inquiry 
being 
subsequently 
held. 
Similar 
incidents 
havl:' 
occurred 
elsewhere. 
With 
uni­ 
versal 
service, 
the 
army 
is 
only 
the 
people 
in 
uniform. 
Any 
popular 
feeling 
must, 
sooner 
or 
later, 
touch 
the 
army, 
and 
if 
the 
soldiers 
cannot 
be 
depended 
upon 
to 
shoot, 
the 
game 
of 
absolutism 
is 
up." 
[3015] 
(163-164) 
Vou. XXIII ALLEGHENY, PA., JUNE 1, 1902 No. 11 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER ‘MAKING VOID THE WORD OF GOD EY YOUB TRADITIONS’’ —MARKE 7:13 Comparatively few of the “common people” of Christendom realize how thoroughly the Word of God has already heen rejected by the leading Doctors of theology. When, over twenty years ago, we pointed out from the Word of God that all classes “of Christendom were about to be tested on the fundamentals of Christian faith, and that according to Psalm 91, a thousand would fall into unbelief to one who would stand faithful, some mocked—considering that no more absurd proposition could possibly be made. Apply this rule now to the 300,000,000 of Christendom and the number to stand would be 30,000. In our last issue we noted that some candidates for ministerial office in the Presbyterian church had publicly disowned belief in Adam and Eve as the first parents of our race-— considering that portion of the Scripture mythical, unreal, untrue; and how the Elizabeth (N. J.), Presbytery finally passed such an one,—who purposes to become a missionary. Since then the subject has been considerably discussed in the secular and religious press, and so far as we have noted, generally in sympathy with the unbeliever ;—generally in condemnation of those who called in question the unbeliever’s right to acceptance as “orthodox.” ‘This is truly a peculiar world: any one who believes in the second coming of our Lord to be the King of earth, as foretold in the Scriptures scores of times, is “off-color,” “tainted” or ‘“non-orthodox,” according to the bias of his critics. The man who denies eternal torment as both unreasonable and unscriptural, and who calls for proof texts from the Bible (not parable and symbolic statements, but literal), or who denies that the Bible offers immortality in any sense or condition to the wicked, and asks for proof texts,—is denounced as a “heretic,” as is also the man who declares that he believes in the Father and in the Son and in the holy Spirit, and that these are at one, or in full harmony, but who denies that it can be true that they are one wm person, or that the Scriptures so state, and invites proof texts. On the other hand, whoever professes to believe these things which the Bible does not teach, and which reason repudiates, and who denies the Bible record of creation, accepting instead the unscriptura] theory of evolution,— that man is promptly labeled orthodox, and any unwilling to so concede are promptly denounced as unenlightened fossils. Surely this is what the Lord referred to as putting light for darkness and darkness for light—calling evil good, and good evil.—Isa. 5:20. The following is from the comment of the New York Independent, one of the leading “orthodox” religious journals of the world:— “We venture to say that there is not a competent educated professor of biclogy or geology in the obscurest Presbyterian college in the United States who believes that the Adam and Eve of Genesis were historical characters. One would have to rake all our colleges and universities with a fine-toothed comb to find such a teacher, and very few they would he. The belief, in scientific circles, of such an Adam and Eve is dead, and is no longer considered or discussed. Of course, the doctrine of a literal Adam lingers in popular belief, just as once did the belief in the world made in six literal days; but it is held by those who got their education a generation or two ago, or who never got any education at all. The older men in the presbyteries, especially those who have, for one reason or another, dropped out of the educative stress of pastoral life, have not learned what the colleges now teach ; and 1t is they that oppose their large ignorance to modern knowledge.” What plainer statement of present conditions could we ask and from what higher authority could it comre? Notice again the last sentence, which we have italicized: only old fogies—country preachers and the unlearned—any longer believe the Bible to be God’s revelation. To the “cultured” it is a book of fairy tales mixed with pessimistic nonsense of weeping prophets who never dreamed of the grand time coming when the trust-giants shall hold full sway and bring in the Millennium of wealth and aristocracy. Not knowing so much as these modern teachers, “higher critics,’ the prophets dreamed and wrote of a second coming of Christ, and of the establishment of a kingdom of God under the whole heavens; —of a lifting up of the poor and the needy and a humbling of the great;—of a laying of righteousness to the line and justice to the plummet. Well, we prefer to be with the Lord and the Apostles: we prefer to believe “all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.”— Acts 3:19-21, [3015] The editor of the (New York) Mail and Express, not being a trained theologian and Doctor of Divinity, shows his “backwoods” ideas on the subject as follows:— “It is one thing to say that the story of Adam and Eve is a myth, and quite another to say that it is false. Embodied in the Scriptural account in the first chapter of Genesis is the most profound bit of wisdom, the most searching dip into the springs of human action in the face of the great mystery of life and divinity that surrounds us, the most vivid revelation of the power of God and the helplessness, yet hopefulness of life, that all the world’s literature has brought down to us. It is fundamental in many ways. That the guardians of religious doctrine should seek to hold neophytes to a belief in it is not to be wondered at. “A myth is but old, old speech. some shape before they are written. The myth is the spoken, elder Scripture. Not all myths are entitled to become Scripture; but this one was so entitled—and it is true. If anything possesses authority in this doubting age, this record does. There may be more wisdom in the act of simple dominies who require rigid adherence to its letter than in the proceedings of those who treat it with flippant doubt.” This learned editor, in his anxiety to “straddle” the subject and to please both parties, has used the word myth in an unusual and unauthorized manner, which merely shows that he and others are well shaken in their credence of the Bible, though not yet ready to abandon it completely. We quote the Standard Dictionary’s definition of this use of the word myth, as follows:— “A fictitious or conjectural narrative presented as_historical, but without any basis of fact; hence, an imaginary or fictitious person, object, or event; as Santa Claus is a myth. “The difference between legend and myth is now well known. ... The myth is purely the work of imagination, the legend has a nucleus of fact.” “Synonyms, Antonyms and Prepositions,” says:— “A legend may be true, but can not be historically verified; a myth has been received as true at some time, but is now known to be false.” How long will it require for people to learn that the Bible is so thoroughly one, and its story one, that a repudiation of one part means the repudiation of the whole? For instance, some may reason that the truth or falsity of the story of Adam and Eve and their original perfection in their Eden home, has no bearing upon the general plan of salvation presented in the Scriptures; but in this they greatly err. If there was no fall from holiness and perfection, there could be no need of a Redeemer to ransom him and his posterity from such a condemnation; and the promised blessing of a restitution of man to Adam’s primeval estate would be an absurdity. But let the good work go on. For, as the Apostle said in his day,—“There must be heresies also among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest.” (1 Cor. 11:19) Much more is this the case now: the “harvest” time of separating wheat from tares having come thisseems to be the Lord’s method of hastening it in its due season. ‘‘None of the wicked will understand, but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10) The wise toward God, counted fools by the wisdom of this world, will begin to open their eyes to the true situation as this breach grows wider. They will begin to “inquire for the old paths,” and then will be in the right condition to hear and heed the true Shepherd’s voice and to comprehend with all saints the divine plan of the ages. These (“not many”) are hungry for it now, but are deterred by the misrepresentations of the shepherds of Babylon whom they trust too implicitly —taking their word without proving it by the Word of the Lord. RUSSIAN SOLDIERS REFUSE TO SHOOT AT MOB All things are spoken in The following quotation from the London Pall Mall Gagette, indicates that already the great “European public school” (the standing army), is learning its lesson and getting ready for the coming conflict: — “During the demonstration in the Hazan Square, in St. Petersburg, a detachment of infantry was called upon to fire upon the crowd. The men thrice refused to obey, and were marched back to barracks, no inquiry being subsequently held. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere. With universal service, the army is only the people in uniform. Any popular feeling must, sooner or later, touch the army, and if the soldiers cannot be depended upon to shoot, the game of absolutism is up.” (163-164)

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