Publication date
2/1/05
Volume
26
Number
3
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1905/3/1905-3-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXVI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
FEBRUARY 
1, 
1905 
No.3 
Hear, 
O. 
"Christendom," 
the 
voice 
of 
another 
of 
thy 
famous 
prophets 
!-another 
of 
thy 
wise 
men! 
But 
know 
assuredly 
!he 
word 
of 
the 
Lord,. 
"The 
wisdom 
of 
thy 
wise 
men 
has 
per­ 
~~~eti. 
the 
understandIng 
of 
thy 
prudent 
men 
vanished."-Isa. 
The 
gentleman 
has 
dreamed 
of 
a 
"world 
peace" 
without 
the 
second 
coming 
of 
our 
Lord 
and 
the 
realization 
of 
his 
prarer;-"Thy 
kingdom 
come, 
thy 
will 
be 
done 
on 
earth 
even 
as 
It 
IS 
done 
in 
heaven." 
His 
dream 
will 
never 
be 
realized 
but 
the 
Lord's 
promise 
will 
be 
fulfilled. 
' 
He 
dreams 
of 
industrial 
education: 
that 
we 
are 
having 
and 
'Yill 
ha,:e 
with 
very 
different 
results 
from 
what 
he 
dreams. 
The 
IndustrIal 
classes 
are 
indeed 
being 
educated 
but 
not 
in 
t~e 
school 
of 
Christ; 
and 
the 
Bible 
clearly 
sho~s 
that 
they 
WIll 
soon 
be 
learned 
in 
all 
the 
branches 
of 
self-defence 
and 
aggression 
which 
ere 
lon~ 
will 
sweep 
peace 
from 
the 
earth 
and 
involve 
the 
world 
in 
socIal 
chaos. 
He 
d~eam~ 
of 
a 
unific~tion 
of 
religion 
and 
may 
live 
to 
see 
a 
umftcatIOn 
of 
sects 
'bound 
in 
bundles 
for 
the 
great 
day 
of 
trouble."-Matt. 
13: 
30. 
He 
dreams. 
of 
the 
atheistic 
or 
pantheistic 
views 
of 
Dr. 
~bbott 
attractmg 
the 
masses, 
and 
will 
find 
that 
such 
a 
rejec­ 
tIOn 
of 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
has 
more 
attraction 
for 
the 
clergy 
than 
for 
the 
masses, 
who 
more 
generally 
will 
be 
repelled 
by 
such 
a 
cutting 
of 
all 
anchorage 
of 
faith 
within 
the 
vail. 
WHAT 
REV. 
CARTER, 
D. 
D., 
THINKS 
Rev. 
Carter, 
not 
holding 
fast 
the 
Scriptures 
has 
made 
shipwreck 
of 
his 
faith; 
but 
we 
are 
glad 
to 
see 
that 
his 
eyes 
are 
open 
to 
at 
least 
some 
of 
the 
inconsistencies 
of 
the 
creed 
he 
is 
still 
attached 
.to. 
Indeed 
it 
evidentlr. 
was 
these 
very 
e~rors 
that 
drove 
hIm 
to 
his 
present 
pOSItion. 
His 
wrong 
VIew 
of 
the 
,Bible 
was 
induced 
by 
his 
faith 
that 
the 
Westmin­ 
ste~ 
<:onfessIOn 
was 
a. 
truthful 
representation 
of 
its 
teachings. 
ThIs 
IS 
the 
tendency 
of 
errors, 
and 
now 
God's 
people 
must 
be 
helped 
out 
of 
them-to 
see 
the 
true 
teachings 
of 
God's 
Word. 
A 
few 
of 
Dr. 
Carter's 
presentations 
we 
quote 
below 
with 
the 
comment 
that 
the 
Bible 
is 
in 
harmony 
WIth 
common' 
sense 
and 
that 
it 
is 
the 
creeds 
that 
are 
absurd: 
. 
"I 
was 
brought 
up 
to 
believe 
that 
all 
the 
heathen 
and, 
m 
fact, 
by. 
far 
the 
grea~er 
portion 
of 
all 
the 
dead 
generations, 
were 
consIgned 
to 
a 
lIttle 
hell 
of 
fire 
and 
brimstone 
and 
for~ver 
and 
ever. 
How 
any 
kindly 
disposed 
man 
could 
~eally 
beheve 
that. 
and 
have 
another 
happy 
moment 
1 
fail 
to 
see. 
If 
the 
c~nscIOusness 
that 
he 
had 
escaped 
himself 
would 
be 
any 
consolatIOn, 
then 
1 
am 
sorry 
for 
him. 
"The 
Westminster 
Confession 
still 
remains 
the 
creed 
of 
~he 
Pres~yterian 
church. 
If 
an 
eff?rt 
were 
made 
to 
depose 
It 
from 
ItS 
place 
there 
would 
be 
VIgorous 
opposition. 
The 
men 
who 
oppose 
the 
revision 
would 
oppose 
the 
retiring 
of 
the. 
creel. 
~e 
confession 
remaining, 
with 
it 
remains 
this 
terrIble 
teachmg: 
That 
for 
the 
single 
sin 
of 
Adam 
the 
whole 
ra.ce. 
of 
man-remember, 
millions 
upon 
millions, 
countless 
mIllIons-were 
condemned 
by 
God 
to 
eternal 
torment 
and 
t~t 
he 
intervened 
by 
His 
election 
to 
save 
certain 
ones' 
from 
thIS 
awful 
fate. 
I 
do 
not 
believe 
that 
this 
is 
a 
true 
statement 
of 
. 
th~ 
facts. 
1 
think 
that 
men 
in 
general 
do 
not 
believe 
that 
thIS 
IS 
a 
true 
statement 
of 
the 
facts. 
I 
think 
that 
nobody 
does~ 
unless 
h~ 
has 
be.e~ 
screwed 
up 
to 
it, 
or 
down 
to 
it, 
by 
a. 
stiff 
theologIcal 
tram 
mg. 
I 
have 
unbounded 
confidence 
in 
the 
greatness 
and 
goodness 
of 
God 
but 
if 
any 
man 
could 
per­ 
suade 
me 
that 
this 
is 
the 
true 
sta~ment 
of 
God's 
management 
of 
the 
human 
race 
I 
should 
lose 
my 
faith 
in 
God. 
1 
think 
such 
a 
statement 
makes 
atheists, 
and 
how 
delightful 
it 
is 
that 
no. 
word 
of. 
C~rist's 
ever 
hints 
at 
any 
such 
terrible 
fact. 
If 
thIS 
be 
so, 
It 
IS 
a 
monstrous 
blunder 
to 
put 
this 
as 
the 
very 
foundation 
teaching 
of 
Christianity. 
"I 
hear 
men 
say 
that 
t~ey 
arEJ 
glad 
to 
live 
today 
be­ 
cause 
of 
the 
great 
modern 
Improvements, 
schools, 
libraries. 
telegraphs 
and 
such 
like. 
1 
a;m 
glad 
to 
live 
today 
because 
our 
chIl~ren. 
ar~ 
not 
taught 
thI~ 
fire 
and 
brimstone 
teaching. 
Th~ 
rehef 
IS 
mcalculable. 
NeIther 
does 
any 
sensible 
man 
beheve 
that 
he 
can 
do 
wrong 
and 
escape 
the 
inevitable 
con­ 
~equence. 
'Whatsoever 
a 
man 
soweth, 
that 
shall 
he 
also 
reap.' 
IS 
true 
forever.. 
Such 
truths 
time 
has 
no 
effect 
upon. 
They 
belon,! 
to 
eternIty. 
But 
we 
are 
practically 
held, 
in 
the 
Pres­ 
bytE'rian 
church, 
to 
the 
endless 
torment 
theorv 
though 
the 
fire 
and 
brimstone 
part 
has 
been 
dropped 
out. 
it' 
we 
are 
allowed 
in 
the 
Presbyterian 
church, 
to 
hold 
conditional 
immortality 
or 
any 
other 
reasonable 
modification 
of 
the 
endless 
torment 
theory, 
then 
I 
wish 
some 
one 
would 
say 
so. 
No 
one 
has 
as 
yet. 
and 
I 
fear 
the 
man 
would 
find 
himself 
in 
trouble 
who 
would 
rise 
in 
presbytery 
and 
say 
so. 
"A 
Presbyterian 
minister 
told 
me 
that 
some 
one 
put 
into 
Other 
accounts 
which 
reach 
us 
seem 
to 
indicate 
a 
consid­ 
erable 
degree 
of 
fanaticism 
and 
hysterics 
associated 
with 
the 
movement, 
and 
the 
suggestion 
has 
even 
been 
offered 
that 
it 
is 
the 
work 
of 
the 
evil 
spirits 
operating 
as 
tlley 
have 
done 
in 
the 
"holy 
rollers" 
and 
others 
who 
in 
the 
name 
of 
religion 
and 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
have 
caricatured 
these. 
However, 
we 
have 
seen 
no 
accounts 
that 
would 
seem 
to 
justify 
the 
latter 
view. 
It 
will 
nevertheless 
be 
well 
for 
us 
to 
watch 
the 
movement 
and 
thus 
"try 
the 
spirits, 
whether 
they 
be 
of 
God." 
One 
of 
the 
favorable 
features 
is 
that 
it 
has 
but 
few 
marks 
of 
Babylon 
and 
is 
carried 
on 
by 
the 
laity, 
rather 
than 
by 
the 
clergy. 
WHAT 
A 
FAMOUS 
PREACHER 
SEES 
Rev. 
H. 
W. 
Thomas, 
D. 
D., 
formerly 
pastor 
of 
the 
People's 
church, 
now 
a 
resident 
of 
Florida, 
reached 
Chicago 
recently 
to 
conduct 
a 
funeral 
service. 
He 
remarked:- 
"My 
travels 
through 
the 
country, 
and 
my 
study 
of 
the 
trend 
of 
modern 
movements, 
show 
me 
that 
within 
the 
life­ 
time 
of 
the 
present 
younger 
g-eneration 
three 
former 
dreams 
of 
mine 
will 
work 
into 
eventualities. 
World 
peace 
will 
shortly 
be 
realized, 
industrial 
education 
will 
rapidly 
develop, 
and 
the 
unification 
of 
religion 
is 
but 
a 
matter 
of 
time. 
The 
religion 
of 
Lyman 
Abbott 
will 
soon 
be 
general 
and 
attract 
the 
masses 
to 
worship." 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
WILL 
THE 
WELSH 
REVIVAL 
EXTEND? 
Many 
earnest 
souls 
all 
over 
"Christendom" 
are 
asking 
this 
question 
and 
hoping 
that 
the 
answer 
in 
the 
affirmative 
may 
prove 
true. 
Conditions 
in 
Great 
Britain 
favor 
its 
spread. 
Experience 
shows 
that 
a 
time 
of 
adversity, 
when 
poverty 
hum­ 
bles 
the 
hearts 
of 
the 
masses 
is 
more 
favorable 
to 
religious 
revivals 
thaD 
are 
prosperous 
times. 
It 
~s 
stated 
on 
good 
authority 
that 
a 
million 
and 
a 
quarter 
(1,250,000) 
of 
the 
British 
people 
are 
out 
of 
work 
and 
on 
the 
verge 
of 
starvation: 
times 
are 
depressed 
and 
there 
is 
no 
work 
for 
them, 
we 
are 
told. 
Collections 
for 
their 
aid-to 
barely 
keep 
them 
alive-are 
being 
taken 
up 
in 
Great 
Britain 
and 
in 
Canada. 
People 
in 
that 
condition 
incline 
to 
look 
to 
the 
Cre­ 
ator. 
This, 
too, 
gives 
us 
the 
thought 
that 
the 
great 
"time 
of 
trouble 
such 
as 
was 
not 
since 
there 
was 
a 
nation" 
(in 
which 
this 
age 
will 
terminate 
and 
the 
Millennial 
age 
begin) 
will 
be 
the 
precursor 
of 
the 
mightiest 
and 
best 
revival 
that 
the 
world 
has 
ever 
known. 
As 
the 
Scriptures 
declare: 
"When 
the 
judgments 
of 
the 
Lord 
an' 
abroad 
in 
the 
earth 
the 
inhabitants 
of 
the 
world 
will 
learn 
righteousness." 
The 
Welsh 
revival 
commenced 
in 
a 
little 
country 
church 
in 
Cardiganshire, 
and 
at 
once 
spread 
through 
the 
Glamorgan­ 
shire 
coal 
fields-a 
region 
noted 
we 
are 
told 
for 
its 
irreligion. 
Editor 
Stead 
thus 
describes 
it:- 
"The 
most 
remarkable 
thing 
about 
the 
meetings 
which 
I 
attended 
was 
the 
extent 
to 
which 
they 
were 
absolutely 
with­ 
out 
any 
human 
direction 
or 
leadership. 
'We 
must 
obey 
the 
Spirit,' 
is 
the 
watchword 
of 
Evan 
Roberts 
and 
he 
is 
as 
obe­ 
dient 
as 
the 
humblest 
of 
his 
followers. 
The 
meetings 
open­ 
after 
any 
amount 
of 
preliminary 
singing, 
while 
the 
congre­ 
gation 
is 
assembling-by 
the 
reading 
of 
a 
chapter 
or 
a 
psalm. 
Then 
it 
is 
go 
as 
you 
please 
for 
two 
hours 
or 
more. 
"And 
the 
amazing 
thing 
is 
that 
it 
does 
go 
and 
does 
not 
get 
entangled 
in 
what 
might 
seem 
to 
be 
inevitable 
confusion. 
Three-fourths 
of 
the 
meeting 
consists 
of 
singing. 
No 
one 
uses 
a 
hymn 
book. 
No 
one 
gives 
out 
a 
hymn. 
The 
last 
per­ 
son 
to 
control 
the 
meeting 
in 
any 
way 
is 
Mr. 
Evan 
Roberts. 
People 
pray 
and 
sing 
and 
give 
testimony; 
exhort 
as 
the 
spirit 
moves 
them. 
As 
a 
study 
of 
the 
psychology 
of 
crowds 
I 
have 
seen 
nothing 
like 
it. 
You 
feel 
that 
the 
thousand 
or 
fifteen 
hundred 
persons 
before 
you 
have 
become 
merged 
into 
one 
myriad-headed, 
but 
single-souled 
personality. 
"Large 
numbers 
of 
'sudden 
conversions' 
are 
reported, 
and 
men 
of 
careless 
or 
evil 
lives 
stand 
up 
and 
'testify' 
to 
their 
faith 
in 
Christ. 
In 
some 
places 
the 
public 
houses 
are 
almost 
deserted, 
the 
police 
magistrates 
find 
their 
work 
materially 
reduced, 
and 
colliery 
managers 
are 
surprised 
at 
the 
steadier 
work 
and 
the 
absence 
of 
the 
accustomed 
blasphemies 
from 
the 
pit 
galleries. 
In 
not 
a 
few 
cases 
football 
matches, 
which 
in 
'Wales 
not 
less 
than 
in 
many 
regions 
of 
England 
have 
been 
tainted 
by 
gambling 
and 
brutality, 
have 
been 
abandoned 
be­ 
cause 
the 
members 
of 
the 
teams 
were 
ashamed 
of 
their 
'for­ 
mer 
con 
versa 
tion.' 
Even 
if 
we 
allowed 
for 
possible 
exaggeration 
by 
sensational 
journalists, 
and 
if 
we 
take 
into 
account 
the 
emotional 
nature 
which 
distinguishes 
the 
Welsh 
even 
more, 
perhaps, 
than 
the 
Celts 
of 
other 
lands, 
there 
can 
be 
no 
doubt 
that 
an 
extraordinary 
wave 
of 
religious 
enthusiasm 
is 
rush­ 
ing 
over 
the 
principality 
and 
for 
the 
time, 
at 
all 
events, 
is 
changing 
the 
lives 
of 
thousands 
of 
its 
inhabitants." 
* 
* 
* 
[3497] 
(35-36) 
Vou. XXVI ALLEGHENY, PA., FEBRUARY 1, 1905 No. 3 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER WILL THE WELSH REVIVAL EXTEND? Many earnest souls all over “Christendom” are asking this question and hoping that the answer in the affirmative may prove true. Conditions in Great Britain favor its spread. Experience shows that a time of adversity, when poverty humbles the hearts of the masses is more favorable to religious revivals than are prosperous times. It js stated on good authority that a million and a quarter (1,250,000) of the British people are out of work and on the verge of starvation: times are depressed and there is no work for them, we are told. Collections for their aid—to barely keep them alive—are being taken up in Great Britain and in Canada. People in that condition incline to look to the Creator. This, too, gives us the thought that the great “time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation” (in which this age will terminate and the Millennial age begin) will be the precursor of the mightiest and best revival that the world has ever known. As the Scriptures declare: “When the judgments of the Lord are abroad in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” The Welsh revival commenced in a little country church in Cardiganshire, and at once spread through the Glamorganshire coal fields—a region noted we are told for its irreligion. Editor Stead thus describes it:— . “The most remarkable thing about the meetings which I attended was the extent to which they were absolutely without any human direction or leadership. ‘We must obey the Spirit,” is the watchword of Evan Roberts and he is as obedient as the humblest of his followers. The meetings open— after any amount of preliminary singing, while the congregation is assembling—by the reading of a chapter or a psalm. Then it is go as you please for two hours or more. “And the amazing thing is that it does go and does not get entangled in what might seem to be inevitable confusion. Three-fourths of the meeting consists of singing. No one uses a hymn book. No one gives out a hymn. The last person to control the meeting in any way is Mr. Evan Roberts. People pray and sing and give testimony; exhort as the spirit moves them. As a study of the psychology of crowds I have seen nothing like it. You feel that the thousand or fifteen hundred persons before you have become merged into one myriad-headed, but single-souled personality. “Large numbers of ‘sudden conversions’ are reported, and men of careless or evil lives stand up and ‘testify’ to their faith in Christ. In some places the public houses are almost deserted, the police magistrates find their work materially reduced, and colliery managers are surprised at the steadier work and the absence of the accustomed blasphemies from the pit galleries. In not a few cases football matches, which in Wales not less than in many regions of England have been tainted by gambling and brutality, have been abandoned because the members of the teams were ashamed of their ‘former conversation.’ Even if we allowed for possible exaggeration by sensational journalists, and if we take into account the emotional nature which distinguishes the Welsh even more, perhaps, than the Celts of other lands, there can be no doubt that an extraordinary wave of religious enthusiasm is rushing over the principality and for the time, at all events, is changing the lives of thousands of its inhabitants.” * * Other accounts which reach us seem to indicate a considerable degree of fanaticism and hysterics associated with the movement, and the suggestion has even been offered that it is the work of the evil spirits operating as they have done in the “holy rollers’ and others who in the name of religion and the holy Spirit have caricatured these. However, we have seen no accounts that would seem to justify the latter view. It will nevertheless be well for us to watch the movement and thus “try the spirits, whether they be of God.” One of the favorable features is that it has but few marks of Babylon and is carried on by the laity, rather than by the clergy. WHAT A FAMOUS PREACHER SEES Rev. H. W. Thomas, D. D., formerly pastor of the People’s church, now a resident of Florida, reached Chicago recently to conduct a funeral service. He remarked :— ‘My travels through the country, and my study of the trend of modern movements, show me that within the lifetime of the present younger generation three former dreams of mine will work into eventualities. World peace will shortly be realized, industrial education will rapidly develop, and the unification of religion is but a matter of time. The religion of Lyman Abbott will soon be general and attract the masses to worship.” [3497] Hear, O. “Christendom,” the voice of another of thy famous prophets!—another of thy wise men! But know assuredly the word of the Lord, “The wisdom of thy wise men has perished, the understanding of thy prudent men vanished.”—Isa, The gentleman has dreamed of a “world peace” without the second coming of our Lord and the realization of his prayer—“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth even as it is done in heaven.” His dream will never be realized, but the Lord’s promise will be fulfilled. He dreams of industrial education: that we are having and will have with very different results from what he dreams. The industrial classes are indeed being educated, but not in the school of Christ; and the Bible clearly shows that they will soon be learned in all the branches of self-defence and aggression which ere long will sweep peace from the earth and involve the world in social chaos. He dreams of a unification of religion and may live to see a unification of sects “bound in bundles for the great day of trouble.”—Matt. 13:30. He dreams of the atheistic or pantheistic views of Dr. Abbott attracting the masses, and will find that such a rejection of the Word of God has more attraction for the clergy than for the masses, who more generally will be repelled by such a cutting of all anchorage of faith within the vail. WHAT REV, CARTER, D. D., THINKS Rev. Carter, not holding fast the Scriptures, has made shipwreck of his faith; but we are glad to see that his eyes are open to at least some of the inconsistencies of the creed he is still attached to. Indeed it evidently was these very errors that drove him to his present position. His wrong view of the Bible was induced by his faith that the Westminster Confession was a truthful representation of its teachings. This is the tendency of errors, and now God’s people must be helped out of them—to see the true teachings of God’s Word. A few of Dr. Carter’s presentations we quote below, with the comment that the Bible is in harmony with common sense and that it is the creeds that are absurd: “I was brought up to believe that all the heathen and, in fact, by far the greater portion of all the dead generations, were consigned to a little hell of fire and brimstone, and forever and ever. How any kindly disposed man could really believe that and have another happy moment I fail to see. If the consciousness that he had escaped himself would be any consolation, then I am sorry for him. “The Westminster Confession still remains the creed of the Presbyterian church. If an effort were made to depose it from its place there would be vigorous opposition. The men who oppose the revision would oppose the retiring of the creel. The confession remaining, with it remains this terrible teaching: That for the single sin of Adam the whole race of man—remember, millions upon millions, countless millions—were condemned by God to eternal torment, and that he intervened by His election to save certain ones from this awful fate. I do not believe that this is a true statement of the facts. I think that men in general do not believe that this is a true statement of the facts. I think that nobody does, unless he has been screwed up to it, or down to it, by a stiff theological training. I have unbounded confidence in the greatness and goodness of God, but if any man could persuade me that this is the true statement of God’s management of the human race I should lose my faith in God. I think such a statement makes atheists, and how delightful it is that no word of Christ’s ever hints at any such terrible fact. If this be so, it is a monstrous blunder to put this as the very foundation teaching of Christianity. “I hear men say that they are glad to live today because of the great modern improvements, schools, libraries, telegraphs and such like. I am glad to live today because our children are not taught this fire and brimstone teaching. The relief is incalculable. Neither does any sensible man believe that he can do wrong and escape the inevitable consequence. ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ is true forever. Such truths time has no effect upon. They belong to eternity. But we are practically held, in the Presbyterian church, to the endless torment theory, though the fire and brimstone part has been dropped out. If we are allowed in the Presbyterian church, to hold conditional immortality, or any other reasonable modification of the endless torment theory, then I wish some one would say so. No one has as yet, and I fear the man would find himself in trouble who would rise in presbytery and say so. “A Presbyterian minister told me that some one put into (35~36)

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