8
1
8
download/literature/watchtower/1905-4.pdf
../literature/watchtower/1905/4/1905-4-1.html
YOLo
XXVI
ALLEGHENY,
P
A.,
FEBRUARY
15,
1905
No.4
VIEWS
FROM
THE
WATCH
TOWER
*
about
what
we
are
expecting
inferentially
from
the
prophetic
testImony,
viz.,
that
October,
1914,
will
date
the
cataclysm
of
anarchy
in
a
world-wide
sweep,
which
implies
that
a
panic,
the
greatest
ever
known,
would
occur
somewhere
about
1911
,md
Il'ad
up
to
th('
"time
of
trouble.
~11<'h
l\,.,
\\',l~
uot
SlIH'e
there
was
a
nation."
ALL
GO
TO
PURGATORY
Pl\I'Q'atorv
is
a
middle
state
behvl'E'n
he:n'l'JI
and
hl'll.
Few
if
any,'
are
so
perfect
at
death
as
to
deserve
immediate
admis·
sion
to
a
state
of
bliss
in
heaven,
and
the
church
has
taught
from
the
beginning
that
souls
which
are
not
pure
enough
for
heaven
nor
evil
enough
for
hell
are
made
to
suffer
for
a
time
in
purgatory.
"The
pains
of
pur~atorial
punishment
may
hI'
as
awful
as
those
of
hell,
but
with
this
difference,
that
the
torments
of
the
one
are
everlasting
while
the
purgatorial
sufferin~
endure
only
for
a
limited
time.
"Now,
as
Christ
in
making
St.
Peter
the
head
of
his
church
gave
him
the
keys
of
heaven
and
of
hell,
the
Popes.
Peter's
successors,
have
the
power
to
absolve
from
sin,
and
conse
quently
from
much
of
the
purgatorial
puniShment.
And
it
is
this
that
is
meant
by
indulgences.
But
it
does
not
by
any
means,
imply
that
the
Pope
has
the
power
or
authority
to
remit
the
puniShments
of
hell."
*
*
A
BRIEF
STATEMENT
OF
ROME'S
TEACHINGS
The
latest
statement
we
have
seen
of
the
teachings
of
Roman
Catholicism
respecting
Purgatory,
Indulgences,
etc.,
is
the
fol
lowing:-
"A
plenary
indulgence
is
granted
to
the
penitent
sinner
upon
confession
and
going
to
holy
communion.
It
is
granted
to
lay
Catholics
who
take
part
in
the
Congress,
go
to
confession,
I
(','('I\-e
('011111111
II
IOn
,
alld
011
all,\'
day
dllllllg
the
Congl'e"",
\,\l;lt
a
1'l1llJ'('h.
pra,dng
l)('torp
the
hleMwd
sal'rament
for
the
intpntions
of
the
Pope.
"A
pa1·tial
indulgence
of
seven
years
and
seven
quarantines
-that
is,
the
reduction
of
seven
years
and
seven
times
for
sIn
committed
here--is
granted
to
those
of
the
church
in
the
city
and
ecclesiastical
pro\'lIIce
of
New
York
who
will
unite
them
selves
with
the
Congress
in
spirit
and
be
interested
in
its
pro·
('e('ding';;.
and
visit
a
church
on
any
day
during
the
Congress,
pI
aying
before
the
blessed
sacraml'llt
according
to
the
intentions
mentioned
above.
"A
pU1·ti.al
indulgence
of
300
days'
remission
from
punish
ment
for
sins
in
eternity
is
granted
to
those
who
assist
at
the
Congr('ss.
as
well
as
to
all
the
faithful
in
the
province
who
at
least
are
C'ontrite
of
heart
and
visit
a
church
on
any
day
of
the
Congress
and
pray.
All
these
remissions
of
punishment
for
sin
may
be
gained
for
the
benefit
of
any
friend
or
relative
suf·
fl'rlllg
plllJ\~ilml'nt
in
purgatory.
The
dllnltloll
ot
the'
~Illlprillg
of
the
latter
is
thereby
lessened
and
their
advent
into
heaven
expedited.
"None
of
these
remissions
from
punishment
in
eternity
can
be
obtained
for
unconfessed
sin.
"The
church
makes
a
distinction
between
the
forgiveness
of
~in
and
its
punishment.
"Confession
and
communion
bring
forgiveness,
but
sins
must
sometimes
be
atoned
for
in
eternity,
even
after
sacramental
ah"ollltl'>I1.
thl'
remh,.,;on
of
j
hi~
}Il11lishment
1)p1lI).!
vallll
1JI
thr.
court
of
conscience
and
before
God,
and
being
made
by
an
application
of
the
treasure
of
the
Church
on
the
part
of
a
law
ful
superior."
THE
STORY
OF
ADAM
AND
EVE
Prof.
L.
T.
Townsend
of
Boston
University.
discussing
the
credibility
of
the
account
of
man's
creation
given
in
Genesis,
EaT8:-
.
"It
is
possible
and
perhaps
probable
that
the
world
is
to
witne!>s
shortly
among
nomlJlall~'
Christian
people
one
of
the
m(,,,t
1'C'~ollltclv
CO~ltp~tl'd
intellectual
confliets
between
belief
and
unbelief
tliat
ha~
)Jl'cn
known
since
the
dawn
of
the
ChrIS'
tlan
era."
He
expres~ps
tlw
1'011\
il,tion
that
a
return
to
faith
in
the
BIble',..
n'C'onls
wJlI
hI'
ad\'antagpolI'l
to
the
world
at
large
as
w!'l1
ns
to
Christianity,
lind
declarl's
that
sCIentists
have
been
"IJlI)!pd
to
mdke
<;0
mauy
chdllge~
of
late
that
it
should
make
thl'm
more
modest.
Hi,.,
words
are:-
"TIll'
readjustmpnt<;
ot
astronomiC'al
and
geological
theories
during
tIle
la"t
quart!'r
of
:t
C'pntury,
whiC'h
in
every
instance
haYe
brcn
making
for,
\'lither
than
a~flil1~t,
the
belirfs
of
the
primitive
Christilln
Chun'h.
alH]
the
rpmarka!Jle
dlscoyeries
in
an'h:l'ology
Willdl
an'
alror<!I11~
the
,..tronge"t
pos<;ible
detense
for
till'
C'rl'dihility
of
the
Blldl',
together
with
the
fact
that
many
of
thl'
ahlcbt
fo,1
holnrs
are
tnking
iS3ue
with
much
that
is
pa
lIl'd
Illgll('r
(;ritJ(,l~m,
ought
to
suggest
that
modesty
rather
than
l'~otl~m
lind
dogmati~m
is
peculiarly
becoming
in
tho"e
who
:He
pO"ing
a<;
leadl'r;;
of
modern
thought
and
reformers
in
th,'
th('ologH'al
worll1.
"It
can
no
long(;r
hC'
rationally
queRtioned
that
the
sciences
,,j
,11I,ltom,\'.
of
geology.
ol
a]'l'h,l'olo~.\·.
of
plllJnlogy.
of
dh\('~
and
of
tlleology
unitl'
in
demolishing
all
theories
of
naturalism
no
to
the
C'hautctcr
awl
('ondition
of
the
earliest
inhabitant
of
the
earth
of
whom
tllere
is
any
record.
"And
the
evolutionary
h~'pothesi8
that
the
human
race
he~an
in
a,
savage
fltate
aJl(I
~Iowly
worked
up
to
its
present
C'oudition,
eonsuming"
in
this
development
a
hundred
thousand
years,
morp
or
fl'wel"
is,
in
the
presence
of
established
facts,
an
assumption
as
grouncllefo,s
as
anything
one
can
imagine.
On
the
other
hand,
a.
~uclden
emergence
from
the
savage
state
to
one
repre,>enterl
hy
the
ancipnt
civilizations
of
Assyria,
Baby
lon,
Egypt.
IIllIl
tllat
"I
111<\11\'
"tlll'l'
l'Olll1tl'lP..;
I"
not
all
PilleI"
gence
of
which
Iti<;tory
slJOws
any
e\·idenec.
Hence
the
theory
that
the
IlllmHll
lalllll,'
llt,~<tll
11Ig]1
11]'
11\
(';\
Ilnwd
alld
~o('I~d
lift'.
lJllt
aftl'l'ward
~1It]"I'I'<I
H
<11'1'<111"11<'1'.
lIa'"
pl'(l!lall1lJtIP'
1Il
Ih
fayor
that
amount
well·nigh
to
an
absolute
certainty.
"What
may
he
insiro;tNI
upon,
therefore,
is
this:
There
is
no
evideuC'e
of
any
kind
that
Adam,
who
throughout
the
Bible
is
spokl'n
of
as
an
authentic
person,
was
not
the
first
man.
There
is
no
l'viclelwe
tllat
Ill'
did
not
have
a
perfect
body
and
fully
endowed
intellN,t;
then'
is
no
evidence
that
he
could
not
give
approprilltl'
IHlIllP"
to
tlH'
anima.ls
brought
before
him;
therE'
is
no
!'Vidence
that
llis
son
Cain
did
not
build
a
city;
there
is
no
evidl'ncp
tllat
hi'!
grandson
Jubal
did
not
handle
the
harp
and
organ,
aUI}
therp
is'
no
evidence
that
Jubal's
brother,
Tuh,tl·('aIJI
,111(1
gl
Hlltl~(J1l
"I
1\,1.1111.
WH~
1I0t
H
W(ll'kl'1'
111
hIH~~
Aud
iron.
"But
thl'rp
i"
no
ncpd
of
stating
these
matters
in
negative
terms,
for
all
diseo\'('rips
in
the
last
twenty·five
years
or
more
are
in
harmony
with
tlte
Bible
record
that
the
first
beings
on
earth
that
wore
tltl'
hUlllan
form
had
a
body
just
as
perfect,
and
a
brain
or
an
intellpC't
iust
as
capable
of
working,
and
a
lan
guage
just
as
eOll1p)(,t(,
in
expressing
thought,
as
those
of
any
man
now
living.
The"e
nre
not
philosophical
nor
theological
!'Ipeculations,
hut
C'onelul'ions
based
upon
established
facts
and
reaC'hed
by
approved
seielltific
methods."
FORECASTING
THE
FINANCIAL
FUTURE
At
thp
last
flel'sion
of
the
Pennsylvania
Bankers'
Association,
one
of
tltE'ir
numhl'r
ndlh'cl''''ing
the
body
expressed
himself
as
Poor
creatures
What
a
miserable
prospect
they
look
for-
l'onvJnC'l'd
thnt
prosperity
Illay
Ill'
e..:peded.
and
said
in
con-
ward
to
when
they
think
of
death
coming
upon
their
friends
or
C'lllsion:-
themselves.
No
wonder
the
majority
of
the
laity
have
such
"A
frl('!lIl
01
IIIIIIP
h:18
it
r
the
lilw
Ill'ia
I
thJeTl1atiollS
I
:J
1\
ligurl'<f
unhappy
faces.
How
relieved
they
will
be
when,
in
the
resur·
out
on
the
cyell'
plan-hc
starts
with
the
panic
of
l819.
I
will
rection
morning,
they
awake
and
find
that
their
fears
were
a
not
burden
you
with
it
all.
but
merely
state
that.
according
nightmare
of
Satan's
origination
to
keep
them
from
knowing
to
his
figuring.
we
will
hnve
good
times
from
now
until
1908,
and
loving
the
true
God,
whose
name
is
Love,
and
whose
merci-
when
prJC'es
will
haY('
reaC'hed
their
lleight
and
start
downward
ful
provision
is
that
all
redeemed
by
the
precious
blood
of
until
11)11,
when
we
will
hn\-e
the
greatest
panic
in
our
his-
Christ
shall
yet
come
to
a
clear
knowledge
of
his
grace
and
to
tory.
I
quote
him
a"
follow,;:
an
opportunity
for
restitution
to
all
that
was
lost-including
·"In
the
pnst,
stockB
ha\'e
gone
up
and
down
with
the
regu-
lasting-
life
in
divine
favor.
larity
of
the
ebb
flow
of
the
tide.
Some
stocks,
even
with
the
It
mnv
sound
strAn<rp
at
fir"t,
lmt
it
if!
tnH'.
that
1'rote"t·
tide
going"
out.
dart
higher
than
others,
and
tend
to
confuse
the
ants
have
been
blessed
hI
some
re,>pects
by
adding
to
this
error
would·be
buyer
as
to
the
general
tendency.
So
with
the
incom·
-bv
ml1kinO'
thC'
futurl'
vet
more
awful-hy
determming-
and
in~
tiell',
some
stocks
tend
to
keep
back,
though
the
general
ten-
tpa;'hing
th;1.
thE're
i"
Ill)
purg:1tory.
no
pro"pl'('t
of
pE'a('e
or
dency
is
higher,
always
higher."
.loy.
but
ouly
ag"ony
for
all
etprnity.
fM
all
'riot
ftt
for
Ilea/en
.
*
*
*
1rllen
tllp.'!
die.
\Ve
have
seen
the
financial
cycles
outlined,
and
consider
it
How
is
thi<;
more
hOlTible
doC'trin('
l('s'l
injuriou3,
do
you
aE'k
1
remarkable.
We
mention
it
as
an
outside
corroboration
of
Because
it
is
so
unreasonable
that
few
bPlieve
it.
Protestants
(51-52)
[3506]
Vou. XXVI ALLEGHENY, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1905 No. 4 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER ; THE STORY OF ADAM AND EVE Prof. L. T. Townsend of Boston University, discussing the credibility of the account of man’s creation given in Genesis, saye:— “It is possible and perhaps probable that the world is to witness shortly among nominally Christian people one of the Most resolutely contested intellectual conflicts between belief and unbelief that has been known since the dawn of the Christhan era.” He expresses the conviction that a return to faith in the Bible’ records will be advantageous to the world at large as well as to Christianity, and declares that scientists have been obliged to make so many change~ of late that it should make them more modest. His words are:— “The readjustments ot astronomical and geological theories during the last quarter of a century, which in every instance have been making for, rather than against, the beliefs of the primitive Christian Church, and the remarkable discoveries in archeology which are affording the strongest possible detense for the credibility of the Bible, together with the fact that many of the ahblest scholars are taking issue with much that is called higher criticism, ought to suggest that modesty rather than egotism and dogmatism is peculiarly becoming in those who are posing as leaders of modern thought and reformers in the theological world. “It can no longer he rationally questioned that the sciences of anatomy, of geology. of archeology, of philology. of etines and of theology unite in demolishing all theories of naturalism as to the character and condition of the earliest inhabitant of the earth of whom there is any record. “And the evolutionary hypothesis that the human race hegan in a savage state and slowly worked up to its present condition, consuming in this development a hundred thousand years, more or fewer, is, in the presence of established facts, an assumption as groundless as anything one can imagine. On the other hand, a sudden emergence from the savage state to one represented hy the ancient civilizations of Assyria, Babylon, Egypt. and that ot many other countries 1s not an emergence of which history shows any evidence. Hence the theory that the human tamily began Ingh up im civilized and social life, but afterward sutlered a decadence, has probabilities im its favor that amount well-nigh to an absolute certainty. “What may he insisted upon, therefore, is this: There is no evidence of any kind that Adam, who throughout the Bible is spoken of as an authentic person, was not the first man. There is no evidence that he did not have a perfect body and fully endowed intellect; there is no evidence that he could not give appropriate names to the animals brought before him; there is no evidence that his son Cain did not build a city; there is no evidence that his grandson Jubal did not handle the harp and organ, and there is no evidence that Jubal’s brother, Tubal-Cam and grandson of Adam. was not a worker in bras> and iron. “But there is no need of stating these matters in negative terms, for all discoveries in the last twenty-five years or more are in harmony with the Bible record that the first beings on earth that wore the human form had a body just as perfect, and a brain or an intellect just as capable of working, and a language just as complete in expressing thought, as those of any man now living. These are not philosophical nor theological speculations, but conclusions based upon established facts and reached by approved scientific methods.” FORECASTING THE FINANCIAL FUTURE At the last session of the Pennsylvania Bankers’ Association, one of their number addressing the body expressed himself as convinced that prosperity may he expected, and said in conelusion :— “A friend of mine has it [the financial fluctuations | all tigured out on the cycle plan—he starts with the panic of 1819. I will not burden you with it all, but merely state that. according to his figuring, we will have good times from now until 1908, when prices will have reached their height and start downward until 1911, when we will have the greatest panic in our history. I quote him as follows: “Tn the past, stocks have gone up and down with the regularity of the ebb flow of the tide. Some stocks, even with the tide going out. dart higher than others, and tend to confuse the would-be buyer as to the general tendency. So with the incoming tide, some stocks tend to keep back, though the general tendency is higher, always higher.” . We have seen the financial cycles outlined, and consider it remarkable. We mention it as an outside corroboration of (51-52) about what we are expecting inferentially from the prophetic testimony, viz., that October, 1914, will date the cataclysm of anarchy in a world-wide sweep, which implies that a panic, the greatest ever known, would occur somewhere about 1911 and lead up to the “time of trouble. such as was not since there was a nation.” A BRIEF STATEMENT OF ROME’S TEACHINGS The latest statement we have seen of the teachings of Roman Catholicism respecting Purgatory, Indulgences, etc., is the following :— “A plenary indulgence is granted to the penitent sinner upon confession and going to holy communion. It is granted to lay Catholics who take part in the Congress, go to confession, receive communion, and on any day during the Congress visit a church. praying betore the blessed sacrament for the intentions of the Pope. “A partial indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines —that is, the reduction of seven years and seven times for sin committed here—is granted to those of the church in the city and ecclesiastical province of New York who will unite themselves with the Congress in spirit and be interested in its proceedings, and visit a church on any day during the Congress, piaying before the blessed sacrament according to the intentions mentioned above. “A partial indulgence of 300 days’ remission from punishment for sins in eternity is granted to those who assist at the Congress. as well as to all the faithful in the province who at least are contrite of heart and visit a church on any day of the Congress and pray. All these remissions of punishment for sin may be gained for the benefit of any friend or relative suffermg punishment in purgatory. The duration of the sullering of the latter is thereby lessened and their advent into heaven expedited. “None of these remissions from punishment in eternity can be obtained for unconfessed sin. “The church makes a distinction between the forgiveness of sin and its punishment. “Confession and communion bring forgiveness, but sins must sometimes be atoned for in eternity, even after sacramental absolution, the remission of this punishment heme valid in the court of conscience and before God, and being made by an application of the treasure of the Church on the part of a Jawful superior.” ALL GO TO PURGATORY Purgatory is a middle state between heaven and hell. Few if any, are So perfect at death as to deserve immediate admission to a state of bliss in heaven, and the church has taught from the beginning that souls which are not pure enough for heaven nor evil enough for hell are made to suffer for a time in purgatory. “The pains of purgatorial punishment may he asawful 43 those of hell, but with this difference, that the torments of the one are everlasting while the purgatorial sufferings endure only for a limited time. “Now, as Christ in making St. Peter the head of his church gave him the keys of heaven and of hell, the Popes. Peter’s successors, have the power to absolve from sin, and consequently from much of the purgatorial punishment. And it is this that is meant by indulgences. But it does not by any means, imply that the Pope has the power or authority to remit the punishments of hell.” * * * Poor creatures What a miserable prospect they look forward to when they think of death coming upon their friends or themselves. No wonder the majority of the laity have such unhappy faces. How relieved they will be when, in the resurrection morning, they awake and find that their fears were a nightmare of Satan’s origination to keep them from knowing and loving the true God, whose name is Love, and whose merciful provision is that al] redeemed by the precious blood of Christ shall yet come to a clear knowledge of his grace and to an opportunity for restitution to all that was lost—including lasting life in divine favor. Tt may sound strange at first. but it is true, that Protestants have been blessed in some respects by adding to this error —by making the future yet more awful—by determing and teaching that there is no purgatory, no prospect of peace or joy. but only agony for all eternity, for all not fit for hearen ahen they die. How is this more horrible doctrine less injurious, do you ask? Because it is so unreasonable that few believe it. Protestants £3506]
To enhance your experience on our website, we use cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are essential for the core functionality of our site and cannot be declined. You can choose to accept or decline additional cookies. We want to assure you that none of this data will be sold or used for marketing purposes. You can adjust your preferences at any time by accessing the Privacy Settings from the footer of the page. For more information, please refer to our
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
.
