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NOVIlKBIlR
I,
1904
ZION'S
WATCH
TOWER
(335-339)
SITTING
WITH
ABRAHAllII,
ISAAO
AND
JACOB
IN
THE
KINGDOM
Q1Ustion.-Who
are
meant
when
it
is
said,
"Many
shall
come
from
the
east
and
from
the
west
and
shall
sit
down
with
Abraham,
Isaac
and
Jacob
in
the
Kingdom
of
heaven"
1
Matt.
8:11.
A.nswer.-As
already
poiTJted
out
in
the
DAWN
seri('s.
the
Gospel
church
only
will
constitute
the
kingdom
in
its
highest
and
strIctest
sense;
but
Abraham,
Isaac
and
Jacob
and
all
the
ancient
worthies
will
be
the
chief
ministers
of
that
king
dom
ill
the
world
of
mankind,
and
all
mankind
will
be
invited
to
come
into
harmony
with
the
spiritual
kingdom,
that
God's
will
may
be
done
in
this,
as
an
earthly
class,
as
it
is
done
in
the
heavenly
class.
In
this
sense
of
the
word,
all
who
shall
accept
of
the
terms
and
conditions
of
the
kingdom
will
sit
down,
or
be
at
rest
and
at
peace
with
God,
with
Abraham,
Isaac
and
Jacob
and
all
the
faithful
of
the
earthly
class.
Thus
it
will
be
seen
that
the
Lord
is
pointin~
to
a
large
class
of
the
world
of
mankind
who
will
ultimately
become
citizens
of
the
earthly
phase
of
the
kingdom.
This
same
thought
is
represented
in
Revelation,
where
it
is
intimated
that
all
the
worthy
will
enter
into
the
city-the
kingdom-while
without
will
be
all
the
unworthy,
who
love
and
serve
sin,
subjects
of
the
second
death.
"CHILDREN
OF
DISOBEDIENCE"
Question.-Who
are
the
"children
of
disobedience"
of
Eph.
2:21
Answer.-Since
Father
Adam
was
created
in
God's
like
ness,
and
is
designated
a
son
of
God,
it
follows
that
all
of
his
children,
had
they
remained
in
harmony
with
God,
would
have
been
sons
of
God,-earthly
sons.
But
since
Adam
became
disobedient,
and
all
of
his
children
shared
in
his
fall,
all
of
the
race
of
Adam
a.re
children
of
disobedience,
children
under
punishment,
under
wrath,
except
those
who
have
"escaped
the
condemnation
that
is
upon
the
world,"
by
acceptance
of
the
di
vine
provision
of
favor
and
return
to
harmony
with
their
Creator.
Those
who
return
to
harmony
with
God
through
the
appointed
way
become
children
of
obedience;
thOse
who
do
not,
even
though
they
have
not
yet
had
the
full
opportunity
which
God
designs
they
ultimately
shall
have
to
discern
good
from
evil,
and
though
they
may
choose
the
good,
are,
never
theless,
even
now
denominated
"children
of
disobedience"
and
"children
of
wrath."
DEAD
TO
THE
LAW
BY
THE
BODY
OF
CHRIST
Question.-In
Romans
7:
4
we
read:
"Ye
also
are
be
come
dead
to
the
Law
by
the
body
of
Ohriet
that
ye
should
be
married
to
another,
ever,
to
him
who
is
raised
from
the
dead."
What
body
is
meant-the
body
of
Jesus'
flesh
or
"the
church
his
body"
1
Ansu:er.-It
refers
to
the
flesh
of
Jesus,
whose
death
can
celled
all
claims
of
the
Law
against
a
believing
Jew-made
free
to
become
united
to
the
risen
Christ
(the
Lord
of
Glory)
as
new
creatures,
as
his
bride.
VOL.
XXV
ALLEGHENY,
PA.,
NOVEMBER
15,
1904
"BAPTIST"
VIEWS
CHANGING
TESTIMO"N"Y
OF
AUGUSTUS
H.
STRONG,
D.D.,
LL.D.
No.
22
Doctor
Strong
is
an
authority
among
Baptists,
the
Presi
dent
of
their
prineipal
theological
seminary,
located
at
Roche;;
ter,
N.
Y.
His
public
discourse,
delivered
at
the
"General
De
nominational
Meeting"
held
in
Cleveland,
Ohio,
last
May,
had
the
approval
of
that
assembly
as
indicated
by
its
"request"
that
the
sermon
be
printed
for
general
use.
The
changes
of
doctrinal
views
to
which
he
calls
attention
may
therefore
be
regarded
by
the
public
as
endorsed
by
Baptists
in
general.
We
are
by
no
means
opposed
to
changes
of
views,
believing
heartily
in
the
old
worlnly
adage,
"A
wise
man
changes
some
times,
but
a
fool
never."
We
were
glad
when
our
Presbyterian
brethren
displaced
their
old
creed
with
a
new
one,
but
sorry
they
prevaricated
on
the
subject
by
telling
the
world
that
they
still
retain
the
old
creed-merely
made
a
new
statement
of
it.
Of
<,ourse
we
agree
with
much
that
Dr.
Strong
has
to
say.
Like
other
men
of
talent,
he
is
able
to
state
some
matters
in
such
terms
that
even
his
enemies
and
doctrinal
opponents
could
not
wholly
dissent,
and
to
so
gloss
other
matters
with
sophistry
as
to
mislead
the
uncritical
and
confiding
of
his
hearers-whether
educated
or
illiterate.
We
regret
to
note
that
such
tendencies-called
"diplomacy"
in
politics,
"shrewd
ness"
in
business
circles,
and
"falsehood"
in
common
parlance
-are
more
and
more
creeping
over
all
prominent
theologians.
Their
excuse,
we
presume,
would
be
"necessity."
Christendom
is
admittedly
in
a
time
of
creedal
upheaval
and
transformation,
and
quiet
deception
of
the
"old
fogies"
is
considered
a
virtue,
preventing
a
serious
commotion.
The
hope
is
that
the
rising
generation
will
by
these
deceptive
phrases
be
kept
in
line
until
the
"old
fogies"
are
all
dead,
and
then
it
can
be
pointed
out
that
"our
denomination
changed
its
views
slightly
in
your
fathers'
days
and
without
their
protest,
and
hence
with
their
indorsement,"
and
thus
the
most
radiool
changes
would
pass
unchallenged
by
the
masses.
All
this
is
a
great
mistake---a
seriously
wrong
course,
even
though
pursued
with
good
intentions.
It
amounts
to-"Let
us
do
evil
that
good
may
follow:
let
us
continue
to
dishonor
God
and
practice
double-dealing
on
our
too-confiding
flocks,
that
our
denominations
may
maintain
their
standing,
numbers
and
influence,
and
that
we
may
preserve
our
dignity,
honor
of
men
and
light
and
remunerative
employment."
But
let
us
examine
these
Baptist
changes
and
note
whether
or
not
they
mark
advances
or
retrogressions,
as
viewed
from
the
Biblical
standpoint.
We
begin
with
their-
"OLD
AND
NEW
VIEWS
OF
SIN"
"But
our
fathers
did
not
see,
as
we
do,
that
man's
relation
to
Christ
antedated
the
Fall
and
constituted
an
underlying
and
modifying
condition
of
man's
life.
Humanity
was
naturally
in
Christ,
in
whom
all
things
were
created
and
in
whom
they
all
consist.
Even
man's
sin
did
not
prevent
Christ
from
still
working
in
him
to
counteract
the
evil
and
to
suggest
the
good.
There
was
an
internal,
as
well
as
an
external,
preparation
for
man's
redemption.
In
this
sense,
of
a
divine
principle
in
man
striving
against
the
selfish
and
gouless
will,
there
was
a
total
redemption,
over
against
man's
total
depravity;
and
an
orig
inal
grace,
that
was
even
more
powerful
than
original
sin.
"The
great
Baptist
body
has
become
conscious
that
total
depravity
alone
is
not
a
sufficient
or
proper
expression
of
the
truth;
and
the
phrase
has
been
outgrown.
J
t
has
been
felt
that
the
old
view
of
sin
did
not
take
account
of
the
generous
and
noble
aspirations,
the
unselfish
efforts,
the
strivings
after
God,
of
even
unregenerate
men.
For
this
reason
there
has
been
less
preaching
about
sin,
and
less
conviction
as
to
its
guilt
and
condemnation.
The
good
impulses
of
men
outside
the
Christian
pale
have
been
often
credited
to
human
nature,
when
they
should
have
been
credited
to
the
indwelling
spirit
of
Christ.
I
make
no
doubt
that
one
of
the
radical
weaknesses
of
our
denomination
at
this
present
time
is
its
more
superficial
view
of
sin."
Here
we
find
a
new
error
introduced
as
an
antidote
for
an
old
one.
There
is
not
one
word
in
the
Bible
about
"total
de
pravity."
Baptists,
Congregationalists
and
Presbyterians
got
this
phrase
and
conception
from
Calvin.
It
is
an
absurdity
on
its
face.
The
proper,
Scriptural
thought
is
this,
Man
t8
80
depraved
as
to
be
totally
unable
to
recover
htmself,
so
as
to
regain
perfection
and
divine
fellowship.
This
is
the
Scrip
tural
proposition-substantiated
by
all
the
New
Testament
writings.
Why
are
all
the
creeds
which
contain
this
"total
d('pravity"
feature
gaining
in
disrepute'
Because
it
fixes
mattrrs
for
the
heathen
and
infants-negativing
the
idea
that
these
could
pass
into
heaven
acceptable
to
God
without
faith
and
regeneration.
All
along,
these
qualities
of
faith
and
regeneration
in
the
par
ent
have
been
counted
as
sufficing
for
his
children
dying
in
in
fancy;
but,
with
the
eternal
torment
idea
still
latent,
modern
thinkers
with
any
heart
repudiate
the
thought
that
all
but
re
generated
believers
and
their
children,
the
great
mass
of
hu
manity,
are
rushing
into
such
an
awful
eternity
at
the
rate
of
over
80,000
every
twenty-four
holUs.
But
note
the
new
error,
that
it
is
worse
than
the
former
in
that
it
is
more
subtle,-sophistry
less
likely
to
be
d('tected
by
the
average
mind.
Think
of
It!
"UnmaI1lty
wa~
naturally
tit
Christ!"
Either
the
learned
gentleman
is
sadly
confused
on
the
subject
or
else
he
is
trying
his
best
to
confuse
others.
If
the
gentleman
meant
to
say
that
divine
grace
planned
a
universal
redemption
before
the
fall
occurred
and
that
in
.due
time
and
in
some
manner
all
the
race
will
get
a
share
of
that
blessed
provision,
he
would
be
in
full
accord
with
us
respecting
the
Scripture
teaching.
If
he
meant
this
we
assume
that
he
would
have
said
it.
We
deny
that
"humanity
was
naturally
in
Christ."
When
Adam
was
perfect
he
needed
not
to
be
in
Christ,
for
being
Sll1
less
and
in
the
divine
image
he
had
relationship
with
his
Cre
ator
without
a
mediator.
It
was
sin
and
its
sentence
that
made
necessary
a
Mediator
and
his
work
of
(1)
atonement
for
ou
r
[3457]
NovemsBer 1, 1904 SITTING WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB IN THE KINGDOM Question.—Who are meant when it is said, “Many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven” ?— Matt. 8:11. . Answer.—As already pointed out in the Dawn series. the Gospel church only will constitute the kingdom in its highest and strictest sense; but Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and ail the ancient worthies will be the chief ministers of that kingdom in the world of mankind, and all mankind will be invited to come into harmony with the spiritual kingdom, that God’s will may be done in this, as an earthly class, as it is done in the heavenly class. In this sense of the word, all who shall accept of the terms and conditions of the kingdom will sit down, or be at rest and at peace with God, with Abraham, Tsaae and Jacob and all the faithful of the earthly class. Thus it will be seen that the Lord is pointing to a large class of the world of mankind who will ultimately become citizens of the earthly phase of the kingdom. This same thought is represented in Revelation, where it is intimated that all the worthy will enter into the city—the kingdom—while without will be all the unworthy, who love and serve sin, subjects of the second death. “CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE’’ Question—Who are the “children of disobedience” of Eph, 2:2? ZION’S WATCH TOWER (335-339) Answer.—Since Father Adam was created in God’s likeness, and is designated a son of God, it follows that all of his children, had they remained in harmony with God, would have been sons of God,—earthly sons. But since Adam became disobedient, and all of his children shared in his fall, all of the race of Adam are children of disobedience, children under punishment, under wrath, except those who have “escaped the condemnation that is upon the world,” by acceptance of the divine provision of favor and return to harmony with their Creator. Those who return to harmony with God through the appointed way become children of obedience; those who do not, even though they have not yet had the full opportunity which God designs they ultimately shall have to discern good from evil, and though they may choose the good, are, nevertheless, even now denominated “children of disobedience” and “children of wrath.” DEAD TO THE LAW BY THE BODY OF CHRIST Question—In Romans 7:4 we read: “Ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another, ever, to him who is raised from the dead.” What body is meant—the body of Jesus’ flesh or “the church his body”? Answer.—It refers to the flesh of Jesus, whose death cancelled all claims of the Law against a believing Jew—made free to become united to the risen Christ (the Lord of Glory) as new creatures, as his bride. ALLEGHENY, PA., NOVEMBER 15, 1904 Vou. XXV No. 22 “BAPTIST” VIEWS CHANGING TESTIMONY OF AUGUSTUS H. STRONG, D.D., LL.D. Doctor Strong is an authority among Baptists, the President of their principa] theological seminary, located at Rochester, N. Y. His public discourse, delivered at the “General Denominational Meeting” held in Cleveland, Ohio, last May, had the approval of that assembly as indicated by its “request” that the sermon be printed for general use. The changes of doctrinal views to which he calls attention may therefore be regarded by the public as endorsed by Baptists in general. We are by no means opposed to changes of views, believing heartily in the old worldly adage, “A wise man changes Sometimes, but a fool never.” We were glad when our Presbyterian brethren displaced their old creed with a new one, but sorry they prevaricated on the subject by telling the world that they still retain the old creed—merely made a new statement of it. Of course we agree with much that Dr. Strong has to say. Like other men of talent, he is able to state some matters in such terms that even his enemies and doctrinal opponents could not wholly dissent, and to so gloss other matters with sophistry as to mislead the uncritical and confiding of his hearers—whether edueated or illiterate. We regret to note that such tendencies—called “diplomacy” in politics, “shrewdness” in business circles, and “falsehood” in common parlance —are more and more ereeping over all prominent theologians. Their excuse, we presume, would be “necessity.” Christendom is admittedly in a time of creedal upheaval and transformation, and quiet deception of the “old fogies” is considered a virtue, preventing a serious commotion. The hope is that the rising generation will by these deceptive phrases be kept in line until the “old fogies” are all dead, and then it can be pointed out that “our denomination changed its views slightly in your fathers’ days and without their protest, and hence with their indorsement,” and thus the most radical changes would pass unchallenged by the masses. All this is a great mistake—a seriously wrong course, even though pursued with good intentions. It amounts to—“Let us do evil that good may follow: let us continue to dishonor God and practice double-dealing on our too-confiding flocks, that our denominations may maintain their standing, numbers and influence, and that we may preserve our dignity, honor of men and light and remunerative employment.” But let us examine these Baptist changes and note whether or not they mark advances or retrogressions, as viewed from the Biblical standpoint. We begin with their— “OLD AND NEW VIEWS OF SIN’’ “But our fathers did not see, as we do, that man’s relation to Christ antedated the Fall and constituted an underlying and modifying condition of man’s life. Humanity was naturally in Christ, in whom all things were created and in whom they all consist. Even man’s sin did not prevent Christ from still working in him to counteract the evil and to suggest the good. There was an internal, as well as an external, preparation for man’s redemption. In this sense, of a divine principle in man striving against the selfish and godless will, there was a total redemption, over against man’s total depravity; and an original grace, that was even more powerful than original sin. “The great Baptist body has become conscious that total depravity alone is not a sufficient or proper expression of the truth; and the phrase has been outgrown. It has been felt that the old view of sin did not take account of the generous and noble aspirations, the unselfish efforts, the strivings after God, of even unregenerate men. For this reason there has been Jess preaching about sin, and less conviction as to its guilt and condemnation. The good impulses of men outside the Christian pale have been often credited to human nature, when they should have been credited to the indwelling spirit of Christ. I make no dovbt that one of the radical weaknesses of our denomination at this present time is its more superficial view of sin.” Here we find a new error introduced as an antidote for an old one. There is not one word in the Bible about “total depravity.” Baptists, Congregationalists and Presbyterians got this phrase and conception from Calvin. It is an absurdity on its face. The proper, Scriptural thought is this, Man 1s so depraved as to be totally unable to recover humself, so as to regain perfection and divine fellowship. This is the Scriptural proposition—substantiated by all the New Testament writings. Why are all the creeds which contain this “total depravity” feature gaining in disrepute? Because it fixes matters for the heathen and infants—negativing the idea that these could pass into heaven acceptable to God without faith and regeneration. All along, these qualities of faith and regeneration in the parent have been counted as sufficing for his children dying in infaney; but, with the eternal torment idea still latent, modern thinkers with any heart repudiate the thought that all but regenerated believers and their children, the great mass of humanity, are rushing into such an awful eternity at the rate of over 80,000 every twenty-four hours, But note the new error, that it is worse than the former in that it is more subtle,—sophistry less likely to be detected by the average mind. Think of it! ‘TIumanity was naturally om Christ!” Either the learned gentleman is sadly confused on the subject or else he is trying his best to confuse others. If the gentleman meant to say that divine grace planned a universal redemption before the fall occurred and that in due time and in some manner all the race will get a share of that blessed provision, he would be in full accord with us respecting the Scripture teaching. If he meant this we assume that he would have said it. We deny that “humanity was naturally in Christ.” When Adam was perfect he needed not to be in Christ, for being sinless and in the divine image he had relationship with his Creator without a mediator. It was sin and its sentence that made necessary a Mediator and his work of (1) atonement for our [3457]
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