Publication date
8/1/02
Volume
23
Number
15
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1902/15/1902-15-1.html
 
 
(223-227) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA. 
God 
and 
the 
worship 
of 
Mammon? 
Is 
it, 
or 
is 
it 
not, 
true 
that 
while 
nommally 
worslupIng 
Jehovah 
the 
vast 
majority 
are 
bowing 
down 
to 
the 
golden 
calf 
of 
wealth, 
honor 
of 
men, 
dlgmty, 
tItles, 
etc., 
etp. 
\\e 
fear 
that 
it 
is 
only 
too 
true 
that 
there 
never 
was 
a 
time 
when 
money, 
mfluence, 
power 
and 
honors 
of 
mpn 
were 
more 
exalted 
or 
worshiped 
or 
more 
striven 
for 
than 
at 
prc~ent. 
We 
are 
not 
making 
wholesale 
condem­ 
natIOns, 
nor 
suggesting 
that 
no 
excuse 
or 
allowance 
should 
be 
made 
in 
this 
matter. 
On 
the 
contrary, 
we 
would 
claim 
that 
it 
is 
true 
of 
many 
today, 
as 
it 
was 
true 
of 
Aaron, 
that 
they 
are 
led, 
yea, 
almost 
forcNl, 
into 
the 
positions 
which 
they 
oc­ 
cupy 
in 
re8peet 
to 
the 
worship 
of 
Mammon, 
in 
respect 
to 
their 
ouellienpe 
and 
servilIty 
to 
the 
popular 
sentiment-to 
the 
gen­ 
eral 
craze 
for 
the 
worship 
of 
the 
golden 
calf; 
the 
worship 
of 
great 
human 
instItutions; 
the 
worship 
of 
wealth; 
the 
worship 
of 
tItles 
and 
influence, 
and 
the 
tendency 
to 
be 
identified 
WIth 
these 
and 
in 
some 
measure 
to 
share 
in 
the 
glory, 
both 
by 
con­ 
tnuuting 
to 
and 
by 
participation 
in 
their 
revels. 
It 
IS 
nearly 
nIneteen 
centuries 
~ince 
the 
New 
Covenant* 
was 
seal('(l 
with 
the 
precious 
blood 
of 
our 
Mediator, 
and 
he 
left 
his 
people 
and 
ascended 
up 
on 
high,~oing 
up 
into 
the 
moun­ 
tain, 
into 
the 
pn-sence 
of 
God. 
His 
absence 
was 
longer 
pro­ 
tracted 
than 
had 
been 
expected, 
and 
meantime 
many 
of 
those 
who 
had 
tru~ted 
in 
him 
and 
waited 
for 
him 
and 
expected 
his 
comIng 
agam 
to 
lead 
hIS 
people 
into 
the 
land 
of 
promise, 
have 
ceased 
to 
expect 
him, 
and 
are 
elaiming 
that 
he 
will 
not 
come 
agaIn 
to 
lead 
and 
deliver 
them-are 
claiming 
that 
it 
is 
neces­ 
sary 
that 
other 
leaders 
should 
take 
charge 
and 
deliver 
the 
people. 
Thp 
heads 
of 
the 
various 
parties 
in 
conference 
have 
decld('d, 
not 
that 
Mammon 
shall 
be 
to 
them 
instead 
of 
God, 
but 
that 
Mammon 
shall 
be 
the 
representative 
of 
God, 
to 
lead 
the 
peoplp 
to 
success; 
tha.t 
Mammon 
shall 
convert 
and 
civilize 
the 
world; 
that 
Mammon 
shall 
bring 
in 
for 
the 
groaning 
crea­ 
tion, 
in 
a 
natural 
way, 
the 
various 
blessings 
craved, 
and 
causp 
the 
('arth 
to 
blossom 
as 
the 
rose. 
Meantime 
the 
leader 
whom 
GOll 
hall 
appointed 
to 
bring 
the 
deliverance 
returns, 
is 
present. 
He 
is 
justly 
wroth 
and 
indignant 
at 
present 
conditions. 
He 
has 
set 
up 
his 
~tandard 
of 
truth 
and 
righteousness, 
and 
is 
even 
now 
standing 
at 
the 
gate 
of 
the 
camp, 
and 
is 
calling, 
as 
did 
Moses 
in 
the 
type, 
"Who 
is 
on 
the 
Lord's 
side? 
Let 
him 
com(' 
unto 
m(' 
I 
And 
all 
the 
sons 
of 
Levi 
gathered 
them~elves 
unto 
him." 
(Exod. 
~2:2(j) 
Let 
all 
who 
are 
truly 
the 
Lord's, 
howpvpr 
much 
thcy 
may 
have 
been 
entangled 
with 
the 
popular 
fallacies 
of 
our 
day, 
WIth 
its 
love 
of 
money 
and 
titles, 
its 
sel­ 
fishnpss, 
lov(' 
of 
honor 
of 
men, 
etc.,-let 
all 
of 
the 
true-hearted 
be 
prompt 
to 
take 
thcir 
placl's 
on 
the 
Lord's 
side. 
Shortly 
the 
great 
timp 
of 
trouble 
is 
to 
begin, 
which 
will 
mean 
the 
com· 
plete 
overthrow 
of 
all 
who 
uphold 
the 
worship 
of 
Mammon, 
how('Vl'r 
mm'h 
they 
claim 
that 
it 
is 
really 
the 
worship 
and 
sprvicl' 
of 
.Tl'hovah. 
-~. 
See-February 
15. 
1909. 
and 
June 
15. 
1919, 
issues 
in 
re 
Covenant~. 
Moses 
as 
a 
Mediator 
showed 
himself 
grandly 
as 
a 
man, 
and 
beautifully 
typified 
the 
faithfulness 
of 
our 
Lord 
and 
Redeemer. 
How 
pathetic 
is 
Moses' 
plea-"lf 
thou 
wilt 
forgive 
theIr 
sins-." 
He 
left 
the 
sentence 
incomplete, 
as 
tho 
it 
were 
beyonc 
thinking 
that 
God 
could 
permit 
such 
an 
mfraction 
of 
the 
Covenant 
he 
had 
just 
made. 
But 
Moses 
proceeds 
and 
expresses 
to 
the 
Lord 
his 
willingness, 
his 
preference, 
but 
if 
Israel's 
sin 
cannot 
be 
forgiven 
he 
also 
may 
be 
blotted 
out 
of 
the 
book 
of 
life. 
We 
exclaim, 
Noble 
mall! 
Pure 
patriot! 
And 
we 
take 
to 
ourselvps 
a 
lesson 
of 
unselfish 
devotion 
to 
others. 
But 
when 
we 
look 
from 
Mosei! 
the 
type, 
to 
.Jesus 
the 
antitype 
we 
see 
the 
same 
lesson 
brought 
out 
in 
a 
still 
more 
pronounced 
form. 
The 
Mediator 
of 
the 
New 
Cove­ 
nant, 
realIzing 
that 
it 
is 
impossible 
for 
God 
to 
forgive 
sin, 
to 
blot 
out 
sin, 
gave 
his 
own 
life 
as 
the 
redemption 
price 
for 
sinners. 
He 
actually 
did 
what 
Moses 
proffered 
to 
do 
and 
meant, 
for 
he 
gave 
not 
mprely 
a 
prospect 
of 
life 
and 
a 
tem­ 
porary 
existence 
such 
as 
Moses 
possessed, 
but 
he 
gave 
his 
all, 
with 
his 
rights 
to 
eternal 
life 
as 
a 
man, 
on 
our 
behalf. 
But 
tho 
the 
Father 
was 
pleased 
with 
his 
devotion-indped 
had 
fore­ 
seen 
it, 
and 
had 
made 
this 
arrangement 
for 
the 
cancelation 
of 
man's 
guilt 
and 
sentence 
of 
death, 
yet 
he 
purposed 
that 
the 
great 
Mediator 
of 
the 
Covenant, 
through 
whose 
blood-death 
-it 
was 
sealed, 
should 
not 
suffer 
everlastIng 
extinction, 
but 
that 
on 
the 
contrary 
he 
would 
reward 
him 
for 
his 
nobility 
and 
devotion, 
both 
to 
men 
and 
to 
God's 
law, 
by 
raising 
him 
from 
the 
dead 
to 
a 
still 
higher 
plane 
of 
life-to 
glory, 
honor 
and 
immortalIty.-Phil. 
2:5-11. 
And 
as 
the 
Lord 
said 
to 
Moses, 
"Go 
now; 
and 
lead 
the 
people 
unto 
the 
place" 
designated, 
so 
he 
has 
appointed 
that 
our 
Mediator 
who 
has 
actually 
given 
his 
life 
for 
us 
and 
has 
rpceh'ed 
the 
new 
life 
with 
superior 
power 
and 
glory, 
should 
be 
the 
leadpr 
and 
thp 
commander 
of 
the 
people, 
and 
bring 
whosoever 
of 
them 
wills 
back 
into 
full 
accord 
with 
God, 
back 
to 
the 
Edenic 
conditions, 
the 
land 
of 
promise. 
But 
as 
the 
Lord 
said 
to 
Moses 
in 
rpspect 
to 
the 
people 
and 
their 
sin, 
so 
it 
will 
be 
with 
mankind; 
viz., 
"Their 
sins 
shall 
be 
visited 
upon 
them." 
They 
will 
receive 
stripes 
or 
chastisempnts 
in 
proportion 
as 
thpy 
participated 
willingly 
or 
knowingly 
in 
a 
course 
of 
sin. 
Ro 
it 
will 
be 
during 
the 
Millpnnial 
age; 
altho 
the 
Lord 
will 
forgive 
the 
original 
sin, 
and 
remit 
its 
ppnalty 
of 
dpath, 
neverthPless, 
to 
whatever 
extpnt 
men 
have 
sinned 
wilfully, 
on 
their 
own 
account, 
against 
light 
and 
knowlerlge 
and 
opportunity, 
in 
that 
same 
proportion 
they 
are 
personally 
re'lponsihlp, 
and 
will 
be 
obligpd 
to 
suffer 
stripes 
of 
chastise­ 
ments 
even 
while 
being 
brought 
by 
the 
Redeemer 
back 
from 
the 
plane 
of 
death 
to 
the 
plane 
of 
perfection, 
harmony 
with 
God 
and 
everlasting 
life. 
And 
those 
who 
will 
not 
profit 
by 
the 
lessons, 
who 
will 
not 
obey 
the 
great 
Teacher 
and 
Leader, 
the 
antitype 
of 
Moses, 
shall 
be 
"cut 
off 
from 
amongst 
the 
people," 
as 
the 
Lord 
has 
declared.-Acts 
3 
:23. 
Yor,. 
XXIII 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
AUGUST 
1, 
1902 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
Ii) 
TROUBLE 
AMONGST 
METHODISTS 
For 
many 
years 
Rev. 
Agar 
Beet, 
D. 
D., 
has 
been 
theological 
tutor 
of 
Richmond 
Collegp, 
England. 
Of 
him 
a 
prominent 
Eng­ 
Ii'lh 
journal 
says: 
"Dr. 
Beet 
occupies 
a 
unique 
position 
in 
J\Tethorlism. 
He 
is 
the 
only 
Methodist 
theologian 
today 
who 
has 
won 
a 
very 
great 
r('putatlOn 
outside 
his 
own 
denomination. 
His 
writings, 
partIcularly 
on 
the 
question 
of 
eschatology, 
have 
won 
a 
very 
wille 
circulation, 
and 
have 
prol1uccd 
a 
profound 
ef­ 
fprt 
in 
many 
lluarters." 
Dr 
Bpet, 
it 
sel'm'l, 
got 
to 
stIlllymg 
the 
Bihle 
anrl 
found 
in 
it 
nothing 
to 
support 
thc 
common 
supposi­ 
tion 
that 
<iod 
has 
so 
ronstituterl 
man 
that 
he 
can 
never 
cease 
to 
he. 
He 
has 
found 
it 
to 
teach, 
on 
thp 
contrary, 
that 
pver­ 
lasting 
life 
is 
Gorl's 
gift 
through 
Christ 
to 
our 
rlying 
rare, 
and 
that 
a 
refusal 
of 
that 
gift 
would 
signify 
neath-not 
life, 
in 
torment 
or 
otherwise: 
that 
"the 
wages 
of 
sin 
is 
neath;" 
that 
"thp 
'IOU 
1 
that 
sinnrth 
it 
shall 
rliC' 
:" 
that 
"hp 
that 
hath 
the 
Ron 
hath 
life, 
and 
he 
that 
hath 
not 
the 
Son 
hath 
not 
life, 
but 
the 
wrath 
of 
Gorl 
rthe 
curse-the 
sentence 
of 
neath] 
ahideth 
on 
hIm." 
Dr 
Beet's 
rriml' 
consisterl 
in 
teaching 
these 
Bible 
truths 
with 
which 
Methorlist 
rloctrines, 
like 
those 
of 
so 
many 
other 
"tranitions 
of 
the 
ancil'nts," 
conflict. 
To 
tpach 
along 
these 
Bihliral 
lines 
woulO 
lluickly 
extinguish 
all 
the 
"fires 
of 
hpll" 
whirh 
Methollists 
have 
pokPd 
so 
industriously 
for 
a 
century; 
it 
would 
rdi('ve 
<ioll 
of 
thl' 
chargps 
of 
injustice 
anrl 
lovplessness 
aTIlI 
lll'vilishness 
hurIen 
against 
him 
by 
some 
of 
his 
falll'n 
crea­ 
tures 
who, 
npVPrtheless, 
know 
well 
that 
they 
are 
not 
so 
deprav('d 
as 
either 
to 
plan 
or 
work 
out 
such 
rliabohcal 
tortures; 
it 
would 
show 
up 
Mpthollism 
as 
well 
as 
other 
"isms" 
as 
slanrlerers 
of 
God 
III 
thesp 
rl'sppcts, 
anrl 
woulll 
undermine 
confidence 
in 
the 
infallibil- 
ity 
of 
their 
teachings, 
and 
send 
the 
people 
for 
instruction 
to 
the 
Bible 
instead 
of 
to 
creeds 
and 
catechisms 
of 
the 
dark 
ages 
and 
to 
other 
blind 
guides. 
The 
"\\'pslevan 
In"titutlOn 
Committep" 
('onl'ludpll 
that 
till' 
foregoing 
grouiIds 
were 
quite 
sufficient 
for 
dropping 
Dr. 
Beet 
from 
the 
college 
faculty. 
There 
is 
plenty 
of 
room 
for 
Higher 
Criticism 
Infinelity 
and 
for 
anti-Scriptural 
evolution 
theories 
in 
all 
such 
institutions, 
hut 
no 
room 
for 
the 
truth-the 
Bible 
must 
not 
he 
heard, 
for 
it, 
being 
the 
great 
antagonist 
of 
error, 
would 
speprlily 
make 
havoc 
of 
the 
multitudinous 
errors 
developl'd 
in 
medieval 
times 
and 
duly 
labeled 
"Orthodoxy." 
In 
a 
defense 
of 
his 
position, 
published 
in 
The 
Methodist 
Times 
(London), 
Dr. 
Beet 
says: 
"During 
the 
last 
('pntury 
Methodist 
opinion 
ahout 
thl' 
doom 
of 
the 
lost 
has 
completely 
changed. 
Very 
few 
Wesleyan 
mlll­ 
isters 
can 
now 
rean 
Wesley's 
sermons 
on 
'Hell' 
and 
on 
'Etl'rnity,' 
Nos. 
73 
and 
54, 
without 
repudiating 
much 
of 
their 
tC'aC'hmg 
,dth 
indignation. 
Evidentlv 
thl' 
wntpr 
HI'('Ppt('(l 
on 
these 
topirs 
current 
phraseology 
without 
nuly 
weighing 
itR 
meaning. 
But 
I 
notice 
that, 
when 
selecting 
fifty-three 
sermons 
as 
an 
emhodiment 
of 
his 
distinctive 
teaching 
Wesley 
din 
not 
in­ 
cluile 
these 
sermons; 
and 
that, 
in 
the 
sermon 
on 
'The 
Great 
AS'lize,' 
whiph 
hI' 
did 
indudp, 
there 
i", 
vpry 
little 
whieh 
con- 
trailicts 
the 
tpaching 
of 
my 
book. 
• 
"This 
change 
of 
opinion 
has 
bepn 
carefully 
ignored. 
Many 
scholarly 
and 
godly 
ministers 
have 
nursed 
their 
doubts 
in 
silence, 
some 
under 
a 
sense 
of 
guilt 
for 
concealing 
their 
opinions, 
until 
the 
need. 
for 
concealment 
has 
become 
to 
them 
a 
humiliating 
and 
intolerable 
bondage. 
In 
some 
cases, 
men 
have 
not 
dared 
even 
to 
think, 
lest 
the 
thoughts 
they 
daren 
not 
utter 
[3048] 
(223-227) God and the worship of Mammon? Is it, or is it not, true that while nominally worshiping Jehovah the vast majority are bowing down to the golden calf of wealth, honor of men, dignity, titles, ete., ete. We fear that it is only too true that there never was a time when money, influence, power and honors of men were more exalted or worshiped or more striven for than at present. We are not making wholesale condemnations, nor suggesting that no excuse or allowance should be made in this matter. On the contrary, we would claim that it is true of many today, as it was true of Aaron, that they are led, yea, almost forced, into the positions which they occupy in respect to the worship of Mammon, in respect to their obedience and servility to the popular sentiment—to the general craze for the worship of the golden calf; the worship of great human institutions; the worship of wealth; the worship of titles and influence, and the tendency to be identified with these and in some measure to share in the glory, both by contributing to and by participation in their revels. It 1s nearly nineteen centuries since the New Covenant* was sealed with the precious blood of our Mediator, and he left his people and ascended up on high,—going up into the mountain, into the presence of God. His absence was longer protracted than had been expected, and meantime many of those who had trusted in him and waited for him and expected his coming again to lead his people into the land of promise, have ceased to expect him, and are claiming that he will not come again to lead and deliver them—are claiming that it is necessary that other leaders should take charge and deliver the people. The heads of the various parties in conference have decided, not that Mammon shall be to them instead of God, but that Mammon shall be the representative of God, to lead the people to success; that Mammon shall convert and civilize the world; that Mammon shall bring in for the groaning creation, in a natural way, the various blessings craved, and cause the earth to blossom as the rose. Meantime the leader whom God had appointed to bring the deliverance returns, is present. He is justly wroth and indignant at present conditions. He has set up his standard of truth and righteousness, and is even now standing at the gate of the camp, and is calling, as did Moses in the type, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me! And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves unto him.” (Exod, 32:26) Let all who are truly the Lord’s, however much they may have been entangled with the popular fallacies of our day, with its love of money and titles, its selfishness, love of honor of men, etc.,—let all of the true-hearted be prompt to take their places on the Lord’s side. Shortly the great time of trouble is to begin, which will mean the complete overthrow of all who uphold the worship of Mammon, however much they claim that it is really the worship and service of Jehovah. * See February 15, 1909, and June 15, 1919, issues in re Covenants. ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, Moses as a Mediator showed himself grandly as a man, and beautifully typified the faithfulness of our Lord and Redeemer. How pathetic is Moses’ plea—If thou wilt forgive their sins—.” He left the sentence incomplete, as tho it were beyonce thinking that God could permit such an infraction of the Covenant he had just made. But Moses proceeds and expresses to the Lord his willingness, his preference, but if Israel’s sin cannot be forgiven he also may be blotted out of the book of life. We exclaim, Noble man! Pure patriot! And we take to ourselves a lesson of unselfish devotion to others. But when we look from Moses the type, to Jesus the antitype we see the same lesson brought out in a still more pronounced form. The Mediator of the New Covenant, realizing that it is impossible for God to forgive sin, to blot out sin, gave his own life as the redemption price for sinners. He actually did what Moses proffered to do and meant, for he gave not merely a prospect of life and a temporary existence such as Moses possessed, but he gave his all, with his rights to eternal life as a man, on our behalf. But tho the Father was pleased with his devotion—indeed had foreseen it, and had made this arrangement for the cancelation of man’s guilt and sentence of death, yet he purposed that the great Mediator of the Covenant, through whose blood—death —it was sealed, should not suffer everlasting extinction, but that on the contrary he would reward him for his nobility and devotion, both to men and to God’s law, by raising him from the dead to a still higher plane of life—to glory, honor and immortality.—Phil, 2:5-11. And as the Lord said to Moses, “Go now; and lead the people unto the place” designated, so he has appointed that our Mediator who has actually given his life for us and has received the new life with superior power and glory, should be the leader and the commander of the people, and bring whosoever of them wills back into full accord with God, back to the Edenie conditions, the land of promise. But as the Lord said to Moses in respect to the people and their sin, so it will be with mankind; viz., “Their sins shall be visited upon them.” They will receive stripes or chastisements in proportion as they participated willingly or knowingly in a course of sin. So it will be during the Millennial age; altho the Lord will forgive the original sin, and remit its penalty of death, nevertheless, to whatever extent men have sinned wilfully, on their own account, against light and knowledge and opportunity, in that same proportion they are personally responsible, and will be obliged to suffer stripes of chastisements even while being brought by the Redeemer back from the plane of death to the plane of perfection, harmony with God and everlasting life. And those who will not profit by the lessons, who will not obey the great Teacher and Leader, the antitype of Moses, shall be “cut off from amongst the people,” as the Lord has declared.—Acts 3:23. Vou. XXITI ALLEGHENY, PA., AUGUST 1, 1902 No. 15 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER TROUBLE AMONGST METHODISTS For many years Rev. Agar Beet, D. D., has been theological tutor of Richmond College, England. Of him a prominent English journal says: ‘‘Dr. Beet occupies a unique position in Methodism. He is the only Methodist theologian today who has won a very great reputation outside his own denomination. His writings, particularly on the question of eschatology, have won a very wide circulation, and have produced a profound effect in many quarters.” Dr Beet, it scems, got to studying the Bible and found in it nothing to support the common supposition that God has so constituted man that he can never eease to be. He has found it to teach, on the contrary, that everlasting life is God’s gift through Christ to our dying race, and that a refusal of that gift would signify death—not life, in torment or otherwise: that “the wages of sin is death;” that “the soul that sinneth it shall die:” that “he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life, but the wrath of God [the curse—the sentence of death] abideth on him.” Dr Beet’s crime consisted in teaching these Bible truths with which Methodist doctrines, like those of so many other “traditions of the ancients,” conflict. To teach along these Biblieal lines would quickly extinguish all the “fires of hell” which Methodists have pokcd so industriously for a century; it would relieve God of the charges of injustice and lovelessness and devilishness hurled against him by some of his fallen creatures who, nevertheless, know well that they are not so depraved as either to plan or work out such diabolical tortures; it would show up Methodism as well as other “isms” as slanderers of God in these respects, and would undermine confidence in the infallibil ity of their teachings, and send the people for instruction to the Bible instead of to creeds and eatechisms of the dark ages and to other blind guides, The “Wesleyan Institution Committee” concluded that the foregoing grounds were quite sufficient for dropping Dr. Beet from the eollege faculty. There is plenty of room for Higher Criticism Infidelity and for anti-Scriptural evolution theories in all such institutions, but no room for the truth—the Bible must not be heard, for it, being the great antagonist of error, would speedily make havoc of the multitudinous errors developed in medieval times and duly labeled “Orthodoxy.” In a defense of his position, published in The Methodist Times (London), Dr. Bect says: “During the last century Methodist opinion ahout the doom of the lost has completely changed. Very few Wesleyan ministers can now read Wesley’s sermons on ‘Hell’ and on ‘Eternity,’ Nos. 73 and 54, without repudiating much of their teaching with indignation. Evidently the writer aceepted on these topies current phraseology without duly weighing its meaning. But I notice that, when selecting fifty-three sermons as an embodiment of his distinctive teaching Wesley did not include these sermons; and that, in the sermon on ‘The Great Assize,” which he did include, there is very little which contradicts the teaching of my book. “This change of opinion has been carefully ignored. Many scholarly and godly ministers have nursed their doubts in silence, some under a sense of guilt for concealing their opinions, until the need for concealment has become to them a humiliating and intolerable bondage. In some eases, men have not dared even to think, lest the thoughts they dared not utter [3048]

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