Publication date
9/1/04
Volume
25
Number
17
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1904/17/1904-17-1.html
 
 
(255-259) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLIlGHIlNY. 
PA. 
those 
grand 
ancient 
worthies 
were 
not 
called 
to 
be 
members 
of 
the 
Bride 
class. 
".Justification 
by 
faith"* 
throughout 
this 
Gospel 
age 
is 
merely 
the 
first 
step 
in 
the 
ways 
of 
the 
Lord, 
now 
opened 
to 
whosoever 
hath 
an 
ear 
to 
hear. 
The 
second 
step 
is 
consecra­ 
tton, 
a 
full 
surrender 
of 
our 
all 
to 
the 
Lord. 
We 
may 
safely 
conclude 
that 
all 
who 
took 
the 
first 
step 
were 
welcome 
to 
take 
the 
second 
one, 
and 
that 
it 
would 
appear 
the 
"reasonable 
ser­ 
vIce" 
to 
all 
sincere 
ones 
who 
properly 
appreciated 
God's 
mercy 
:n 
forgiving 
their 
sins. 
Those 
not 
thus 
influenced 
usually 
found 
their 
faith 
grow 
as 
cold 
and 
lifeless 
a" 
their 
love, 
and 
thus 
losing 
their 
faith 
were 
without 
justification 
again-part 
of 
the 
unjustified 
world. 
Whoever 
of 
the 
justified 
were 
of 
the 
right 
spirit 
and 
made 
consecration 
of 
their 
all 
during 
the 
pcriod 
of 
the 
call, 
were 
of 
the 
"called 
ones" 
mentIOned 
by 
the 
Apostle 
and 
urged 
to 
make 
their 
calling 
anll 
election 
sure 
by 
obedience 
to 
their 
covenant. 
This 
same 
class 
now, 
since 
the 
enll 
of 
the 
"call," 
are 
not 
thus 
called, 
but 
are 
in 
a 
watttnl] 
attitude. 
Knowing 
from 
the 
Scrip­ 
tures 
that 
"many 
are 
called 
but 
few 
chosen," 
they 
are 
waitwg 
for 
an 
opportunity 
to 
take 
places 
amongst 
the 
"called" 
as 
sub­ 
stitutes 
for 
some 
not 
found 
worthy. 
It 
would 
not 
be 
unreasonable 
to 
suppose 
that 
there 
are 
hundreds 
in 
just 
such 
a 
waiting 
condition, 
although 
the 
pres­ 
. 
* 
See 
issue 
Oct. 
15. 
1911, 
p. 
394, 
"Justification 
by 
FaIth." 
ent-day 
preaching 
is 
not 
very 
favorable 
to 
either 
justification 
or 
consecration: 
justification 
through 
faith 
in 
the 
ransom-sac­ 
rifice 
of 
Jesus, 
the 
only 
kind, 
is 
little 
understood 
or 
taught. 
On 
the 
other 
hand 
there 
are 
doubtless 
thousand!! 
in 
all 
the 
denominations 
of 
Christendom 
who 
have 
taken 
both 
steps 
(justification 
and 
consecration) 
who 
are 
overcharged 
with 
cares 
of 
this 
life 
and 
whose 
periods 
of 
opportunity 
gradually 
expir­ 
ing 
leave 
places 
for 
those 
who 
seek 
and 
pray 
and 
hunger 
to 
enter 
into 
the 
favor 
of 
the 
"called" 
class. 
We 
have 
no 
positive 
means 
of 
knowing 
who 
are 
thus 
accepted 
as 
substitutes, 
but 
we 
think 
it 
reasonable 
to 
consider 
three 
conditions 
as 
indicative 
of 
such 
acceptance. 
(1) 
A 
growth 
in 
the 
fruits 
of 
the 
spirit. 
(2) 
Activity 
in 
serving 
the 
Truth 
to 
the 
extent 
of 
talents 
and 
opportunities. 
(3) 
An 
ability 
to 
grasp 
prominent 
features 
of 
the 
Truth 
with 
considerable 
clearness. 
The 
question 
then 
arises, 
What 
about 
justified 
believers 
who 
have 
consecrated 
and 
who 
may 
never 
find 
a 
chance 
as 
substitutes' 
We 
incline 
to 
consider 
these 
to 
be 
few,-that 
the 
Lord 
will 
give 
the 
hearing 
ear 
to 
comparatively 
few 
except 
as 
there 
may 
be 
an 
opening 
for 
them. 
However, 
if 
any 
of 
said 
class 
do 
fail 
of 
an 
opportunity 
to 
become 
substitutes 
we 
would 
be 
sure 
that 
divine 
love 
and 
care 
would 
be 
over 
them 
just 
as 
surely, 
and 
that 
failing 
a 
place 
in 
the 
elect 
church 
through 
no 
fault 
of 
theirs, 
these 
would 
be 
given 
some 
good 
portion 
which 
would 
much 
more 
than 
reward 
and 
satisfy 
them. 
VOL. 
XXV 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
SEPTEMBER 
1, 
1904 
No. 
17 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
criticism 
from 
many 
quarters: 
yet 
it 
will 
make 
him 
~opular 
with 
a 
certain 
very 
respectable 
class. 
The 
chief 
dIfficulty 
seems 
to 
lie 
in 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
true 
church 
is 
not 
under­ 
stood 
and 
its 
rules 
do 
not 
fit 
when 
applied 
to 
the 
world 
and 
its 
wisdom. 
Recognizing 
the 
church 
as 
the 
"little 
flock" 
of 
"saints" 
fully 
consecrated 
to 
the 
Lord, 
we 
do 
not 
suppose 
for 
one 
moment 
that 
Bishop 
Potter 
would 
claim 
to 
be 
a 
mem­ 
ber 
of 
it 
nor 
to 
be 
bound 
by 
its 
precepts 
and 
ideals. 
But 
many 
others, 
who 
take 
the 
same 
un 
sanctified 
stand, 
and 
who 
patronize 
saloons 
of 
the 
worst 
class, 
are 
chiding 
the 
Bishop, 
rebuking 
him, 
because 
they 
think 
of 
him 
as 
one 
of 
the 
"saints," 
and 
perceive 
that 
his 
course 
is 
not 
up 
to 
the 
Ideals 
of 
the 
New 
Testament 
for 
such. 
The 
sooner 
the 
world 
realizes 
the 
truth 
on 
this 
subject 
the 
better 
it 
will 
be 
for 
all 
concerned: 
that 
fully 
ninety­ 
nine 
per 
cent 
of 
the 
nominal 
church 
(preachers 
included) 
are 
merely 
well-intentioned 
worldlings, 
who 
have 
never 
conse· 
crated 
their 
wills, 
never 
been 
begotten 
of 
the 
Spirit 
and 
have 
not, 
therefore, 
"the 
mind 
[spirit] 
of 
Christ." 
DANGER 
FROM 
"HIGHER 
CRITICISM" 
Dr. 
David 
J. 
Burrell, 
pastor 
of 
the 
Marble 
Collegiate 
Church, 
Fifth 
avenue, 
New 
York, 
says:- 
"It 
is 
indeed 
true 
that 
there 
is 
sore 
danger 
from 
this 
critical 
movement, 
but 
it 
is 
not 
the 
Bible 
that 
stands 
so 
much 
in 
danger-it 
can 
take 
care 
of 
itself-as 
it 
is 
the 
dic­ 
tionary 
that 
is 
assailed 
. 
"\Vords 
that 
have 
a 
specific 
and 
clear 
meaning 
to 
us, 
used 
by 
the 
exponents 
of 
the 
critical 
propaganda, 
have 
a 
different 
meaning 
entirely. 
It 
is 
one 
of 
the 
calamitous 
con­ 
sequences 
of 
this 
criticism. 
It 
means 
a 
complete 
overturning 
of 
deflnitions 
as 
we 
understand 
them. 
And 
to 
coin 
a 
spurious 
word 
is 
worse 
than 
to 
issue 
a 
spurious 
coin. 
"Men 
preach 
from 
the 
pulpit 
and 
talk 
with 
you 
and 
me 
about 
the 
inspiration. 
Their 
terms 
to 
them 
have 
not 
the 
dictional'~' 
definition 
which 
they 
know 
you 
pnt 
on 
them. 
I 
won't 
mince 
words, 
for 
I 
know 
friends 
of 
mine 
who 
do 
this. 
It's 
not 
honest. 
We 
are 
fighting 
for 
Webster's 
and 
Worcester's 
dictionaries, 
just 
as 
we 
are 
fighting 
for 
God 
Almighty 
in 
this 
contest. 
"There 
are 
men 
preaching 
the 
gospel 
of 
Christ 
who 
do 
not 
know 
what 
the 
little 
word 
"is" 
means, 
using 
it 
instead 
in 
the 
most 
outre 
and 
outlandish 
way. 
I 
know 
a 
man 
who 
will 
say 
'The 
Bible 
is 
the 
Word 
of 
God,' 
yet 
he 
doesn't 
mean 
what 
people 
think 
him 
to 
mean. 
'Is' 
to 
him 
means 
'is 
not.' 
"In 
days 
of 
old, 
when 
the 
gods 
of 
the 
Pantheon 
had 
lost 
their 
powers, 
the 
priests 
laughed 
to 
themselves 
before 
the 
altar 
as 
they 
went 
through 
the 
ceremonies. 
That 
is 
an 
effect, 
too, 
on 
the 
Christian 
ministry 
of 
the 
higher 
criticism. 
"1 
make 
no 
charge 
against 
any 
man, 
and 
1 
say 
it 
with 
a. 
dE'al 
of 
charity 
and 
lamentation, 
but 
some 
men 
in 
some 
pul­ 
pits 
are 
smiling 
at 
the 
words 
they 
have 
to 
preach. 
"I 
walked 
with 
a 
man 
from 
a 
church 
one 
day-he 
being 
a 
friend 
of 
mine, 
though 
he 
is 
one 
of 
the 
critical 
ones-at 
the 
close 
of 
a 
sermon 
he 
had 
preached 
on 
the 
incarnation. 
He 
severe 
had 
hardly 
gone 
a. 
hundred 
steps 
from 
his 
pulpit 
when 
he 
[3418J 
BISHOP 
POTTER 
AND 
THE 
SALOON 
Bishop 
Potter, 
of 
the 
Episcopal 
Diocese 
of 
New 
York, 
has 
created 
quite 
a 
commotion 
in 
all 
circles 
by 
giving 
his 
sanction 
to 
a 
newly-opened 
"tavern" 
in 
New 
York 
City. 
The 
saloon 
and 
cafe 
are 
deflcribed 
as 
having 
fine 
appointments: 
in 
one 
end 
is 
a 
I:loda, 
fountain 
at 
which 
beer 
is 
sold 
for 
the 
accommodation 
<,specially 
of 
ladles, 
who 
are 
not 
admitted 
to 
the 
saloon 
proper, 
at 
the 
b~r 
of 
which 
liquors 
of 
all 
kinds 
are 
dibpensed 
WIth 
freE' 
lunch 
at 
noon. 
Of 
the 
enterprise, 
the 
New 
York 
Sun, 
after 
recounting 
Bishop 
Potter's 
address 
and 
his 
leading 
in 
the 
singing 
of 
the 
doxology 
to 
the 
tune 
of 
"Old 
Hundred," 
says: 
"The 
idea 
of 
the 
tavern 
originated 
in 
the 
mind 
of 
Joseph 
Johnson, 
Jr., 
the 
Greek 
Oak 
of 
the 
Ord<'r 
of 
Acorns. 
Mr 
.• 
Johnson 
has 
always 
believed 
that 
rum 
is 
a 
curse, 
hut 
he 
holds 
that 
the 
evils 
of 
intemperance 
must 
be 
<'ombatE'd 
by 
practical 
men 
and 
not 
theorists. 
If 
there 
must 
be 
saloous 
lIe 
wants 
tlH'm 
to 
be 
as 
ethical 
as 
possible. 
So 
he 
orf-r'lniz<,d 
the 
Subway 
Tavern 
Company 
with 
a 
capital 
of 
$lO,OOO-subflcrib!'d 
by 
prominent 
men 
whose 
names 
are 
givl'n. 
The 
managl'rs 
of 
the 
company 
have 
decided 
that 
not 
more 
than 
five 
p,'r 
('ent 
shall 
be 
paid 
as 
dividends 
on 
the 
I'tock, 
whntl'Yl'r 
thf' 
profits 
be: 
the 
surplus 
is 
to 
be 
used 
in 
atarting 
oth!'r 
similar 
tnverns." 
'Ve 
h,we 
no 
doubt 
that 
the 
gentlemen 
connected 
with 
this 
iunoY/\.tion 
have 
benevolent 
intentions: 
Their 
thought 
.. 
'vidently 
is 
to 
fight 
fire 
with 
fire; 
to 
fight 
the 
doggerel 
. 
'mloon 
with 
a 
IlPttf'r 
onl', 
to 
furnish 
purer 
liquors 
and 
better 
surroundin~fl. 
'Ve 
believe 
that 
they 
are 
making 
a 
great 
mis­ 
tak!'. 
Xe\'f'rtll('less, 
the 
affair 
shows 
the 
extremity 
to 
which 
well-int<'ntionerl 
pl'Ople 
are 
drivl'll 
by 
present 
conditions, 
that 
the 
Apostle 
('ails 
"tll<' 
prl'sent 
distress." 
How 
evident 
to 
the 
instruch'd 
Chrif,tian 
that 
the 
one 
thing 
needful 
is 
the 
estab­ 
lishm!'nt 
of 
the 
king-110m 
of 
God, 
for 
which 
we 
pray, 
"Thy 
kingdom 
('omf', 
thy 
will 
be 
done 
on 
earth 
as 
it 
is 
done 
in 
IH~aven." 
Kothing- 
short 
of 
thi'l 
heavenly 
power 
can 
cope 
with 
the 
prl'''f'ut 
downwarrl 
tenrlf'ncies 
that 
afflict 
the 
whole 
human 
family, 
the 
"f-rroaning 
creation." 
Th!'se 
gl'utlf'ml'n 
in 
New 
York 
City 
are 
<'opying 
a 
plan 
adoptE'<! 
a 
few 
years 
ago 
in 
Great 
Britain 
by 
some 
of 
the 
Epigcopal 
('1l'rl!Y 
there. 
Th!'se 
rstablished 
taVE'rns 
whE're 
liquors 
of 
all 
kinds 
were 
obtainable, 
as 
well 
as 
"soft 
drinks," 
thE' 
latter 
being 
given 
the 
preference 
in 
that 
the 
bartender 
is 
paid 
a 
commission 
on 
thp. 
soft 
drinks, 
making 
nothing 
on 
the 
intoxicating 
liquors. 
The 
effect 
has 
been 
good 
in 
Great 
"Britain, 
it 
is 
('laiml'rl. 
Neverthell'Bs 
we 
have 
no 
such 
expecta­ 
tions 
in 
respect 
to 
tIl(" 
introduction 
of 
this 
system 
into 
this 
country. 
Conditions 
here 
are 
totally 
different. 
Here 
the 
majority 
are 
opposed 
to 
liquor 
drinking, 
and 
the 
business 
and 
all 
thlllgs 
associated 
with 
it 
are 
more 
or 
less 
tabooed, 
and 
thus 
many 
are 
protl'CtE'd 
from 
the 
degrading 
influences. 
We 
fear 
that 
the 
tendency 
will 
be 
to 
break 
down 
this 
barrier 
and 
to 
make 
drinking 
more 
general 
and 
more 
fashionable, 
and 
thus 
to 
increase 
the 
evil 
effects 
of 
this 
most 
terribly 
degrad­ 
ing 
practice. 
Bishop 
Potter's 
course 
has 
brought 
upon 
him 
very 
(255-259) those grand ancient worthies were not called to be members of the Bride class. “Justification by faith’* throughout this Gospel age is merely the first step in the ways of the Lord, now opened to whosoever hath an ear to hear. The second step is consecration, a full surrender of our all to the Lord. We may safely conclude that all who took the first step were welcome to take the second one, and that it would appear the “reasonable service” to all sincere ones who properly appreciated God’s mercy an forgiving their sins. Those not thus influenced usually found their faith grow as cold and lifeless as their love, and thus losing their faith were without justification again—part of the unjustified world. Whoever of the justified were of the right spirit and made eonsecration of their all during the period of the call, were of the “called ones” mentioned by the Apostle and urged to make their calling and election sure by obedience to their covenant. This same class now, since the end of the “call,” are not thus called, but are in a watting attitude. Knowing from the Scriptures that “many are called but few chosen,” they are waiting for an opportunity to take places amongst the “called” as substitutes for some not found worthy. It would not be unreasonable to suppose that there are nundreds in just such a waiting condition, although the pres~"* See issue Oct. 15, 1911, p. 394, “Justification by Faith.” VoL. XXV ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, PA., SEPTEMBER 1, 1904 ALLEGHENY, Pa. ent-day preaching is not very favorable to either justification or consecration: justification through faith in the ransom-sacrifice of Jesus, the only kind, is little understood or taught. On the other hand there are doubtless thousands in all the denominations of Christendom who have taken both steps (justification and consecration) who are overcharged with cares of this life and whose periods of opportunity gradually expiring leave places for those who seek and pray and hunger to enter into the favor of the “called” class. Wo have no positive means of knowing who are thus aceepted as substitutes, but we think it reasonable to consider three conditions as indicative of such aeceptance. (1) A growth in the fruits of the spirit. (2) Activity in serving the Truth to the extent of talents and opportunities. (3) An ability to grasp prominent features of the Truth with considerable clearness. The question then arises, What about justified believers who have consecrated and who may never find a chance as substitutes? We incline to consider these to be few,—that the Lord will give the hearing ear to comparatively few except as there may be an opening for them. However, if any of said elass do fail of an opportunity to become substitutes we would be sure that divine love and care would be over them just as surely, and that failing a place in the elect church through no fault of theirs, these would be given some good portion which would much more than reward and satisfy them. No. 17 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER BISHOP POTTER AND THE SALOON Bishop Potter, of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, has created quite a commotion in all circles by giving his aanction to a newly-opened “tavern” in New York City. The saloon and cafe are described as having fine appointments: in one end is a soda fountain at which beer is sold for the accommodation especially of ladies, who are not admitted to the saloon proper, at the bar of which liquors of all kinds are dispensed with free lunch at noon. Of the enterprise, the New York Sun, after recounting Bishop Potter’s address and his leading in the singing of the doxology to the tune of “Old Hundred,” says: ‘The idea of the tavern originated in the mind of Joseph Johnson, Jr., the Greek Oak of the Order of Acorns. Mr. Johnson has always believed that rum is a curse, but he holds that the evils of intemperance must be combated by practical men and not theorists. If there must be saloons he wants them to be as ethical as possible. So he organized the Subway Tavern Company with a capital of $10,000—subscribed by prominent men whose names are given, The managers of the company have decided that not more than five per cent shall be paid as dividends on the stock, whatever the profits be: the surplus is to be used in starting other similar taverns.” We have no doubt that the gentlemen connected with this innovation have benevolent intentions: Their thought evidently is to fight fire with fire; to fight the doggerel saloon with a hetter one, to furnish purer liquors and better surroundings. We believe that they are making a great mistake. Nevertheless, the affair shows the extremity to which well-intentioned people are driven by present conditions, that the Apostle calls “the present distress.” How evident to the instructed Christian that the one thing needful is the establishment of the kingdom of God, for which we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” Nothing short of this heavenly power can cope with the present downward tendencies that afflict the whole human family, the “groaning creation.” These gentlemen in New York City are copying a plan adopted a few years ago in Great Britain by some of the Episcopal clergy there. These established taverns where liquors of all kinds were obtainable, as well as “soft drinks,” the latter being given the preference in that the bartender is paid a commission on the soft drinks, making nothing on the intoxicating liquors. The effect has been good in Great Britain, it is claimed. Nevertheless we have no such expectations in respect to the introduction of this system into this country. Conditions here are totally different. Here the majority are opposed to liquor drinking, and the business and all things associated with it are more or less tabooed, and thus many are protected from the degrading influences, We fear that the tendency will be to break down this barrier and to make drinking more general and more fashionable, and thus to increase the evil effects of this most terribly degrading practice. Bishop Potter’s course has brought upon him very severe criticism from many quarters: yet it will make him popular with a certain very respectable class. The chief difficulty seems to lie in the fact that the true church is not understood and its rules do not fit when applied to the world and its wisdom. Recognizing the church as the “little flock” of “saints” fully consecrated to the Lord, we do not suppose for one moment that Bishop Potter would claim to be a member of it nor to be bound by its precepts and ideals. But many others, who take the same unsanctified stand, and who patronize saloons of the worst class, are chiding the Bishop, rebuking him, because they think of him as one of the “saints,” and perceive that his course is not up to the ideals of the New Testament for such. The sooner the world realizes the truth on this subject the better it will be for all concerned: that fully ninetynine per cent of the nominal church (preachers included) are merely well-intentioned worldlings, who have never consecrated their wills, never been begotten of the Spirit and have not, therefore, “the mind [spirit] of Christ.” DANGER FROM ‘‘HIGHER CRITICISM’’ Dr. David J. Burrell, pastor of the Marble Church, Fifth avenue, New York, says:— ‘It is indeed true that there is sore danger from this critical movement, but it is not the Bible that stands so much in danger—it can take care of itseli—as it is the dictionary that is assailed. “Words that have a specific and clear meaning to us, used by the exponents of the critical propaganda, have a different meaning entirely. It is one of the calamitous consequences of this criticism. It means a complete overturning of definitions as we understand them. And to coin a spurious word is worse than to issue a spurious coin. “Men preach from the pulpit and talk with you and me about the inspiration. Their terms to them have not the dictionary definition which they know you put on them. I won’t mince words, for I know friends of mine who do this. It’s not honest. We are fighting for Webster’s and Worcester’s dictionaries, just as we are fighting for God Almighty in this contest. “There are men preaching the gospel of Christ who do not know what the little word “is” means, using it instead in the most outre and outlandish way. I know a man who will say ‘The Bible is the Word of God,’ yet he doesn’t mean what people think him to mean. ‘Is’ to him means ‘is not.’ “In days of old, when the gods of the Pantheon had lost their powers, the priests laughed to themselves before the altar as they went through the ceremonies. That is an effect, too, on the Christian ministry of the higher criticism. “I make no charge against any man, and I say it with a deal of charity and lamentation, but some men in some pulpits are smiling at the words they have to preach. “I walked with a man from a church one day—he being a friend of mine, though he is one of the critical ones—at the close of a sermon he had preached on the incarnation. He had hardly gone a hundred steps from his pulpit when he Collegiate [3418]

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 .