Publication date
5/1/05
Volume
26
Number
9
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1905/9/1905-9-1.html
 
 
THE 
MEMORIAL 
CELEBRATION 
The 
annual 
celebration 
of 
our 
Lord's 
death, 
rather 
than 
a 
more 
frequent 
one, 
commends 
itself 
to 
the 
Lord's 
people 
more 
generally 
every 
year. 
At 
Allegheny 
the 
number 
participating 
this 
year 
was 
much 
larger 
than 
ever 
before. 
Anticipating 
thIS, 
Carnegie 
Hall 
was 
secured 
for 
the 
afternoon 
discourse 
on 
Bap­ 
tism, 
as 
well 
as 
for 
the 
Memorial 
Service 
of 
the 
evening 
of 
April 
16th. 
The 
death-baptIsm 
was 
symbolized 
in 
water 
at 
Bible 
House 
baptistry 
by 
10 
brethren 
and 
31 
sisters, 
after 
their 
public 
confession 
of 
faith 
in 
the 
redemption 
accomplished 
by 
the 
precious 
sacrifice 
of 
Christ, 
of 
their 
renunciation 
of 
sin, 
and 
of 
their 
full 
consecration 
to 
walk 
in 
Jesus' 
footsteps 
in 
'3elf 
sacrifice, 
even 
unto 
death. 
THE 
EVENT 
AND 
THE 
DAY 
At 
the 
Memorial 
service, 
explanation 
was 
made 
of 
why 
we 
celebrate 
the 
g-rcate,.,t 
event 
of 
history 
annually-not 
weekly, 
monthly, 
quarterly, 
etc. 
Not 
that 
the 
very 
day 
or 
hour 
or 
moment 
IS 
of 
bpedal 
conscquence, 
but 
that 
it 
was 
meant 
to 
be 
a 
yearly 
celebratIOn, 
and 
that 
so 
observed 
it 
is 
more 
than 
proportionately 
impressive. 
In 
facil, 
as 
all 
are 
aware 
it 
could 
not 
be 
celebrated 
throughout 
thc 
world 
at 
the 
same 
moment 
or 
hour 
or 
eVl'n 
on 
the 
same 
day, 
so 
great 
is 
the 
difference 
of 
time. 
.For 
in"tanee, 
the 
brethren 
in 
London 
had 
celebrated, 
and 
it 
was 
past 
midnight 
and 
they 
were 
asleep 
while 
we 
at 
Allegheny 
were 
celebrating. 
And 
for 
us 
to 
have 
partaken 
at 
the 
same 
hour 
With 
them 
would 
have 
been 
a 
day 
too 
early. 
A 
similar 
difliculty 
is 
mrt 
with 
by 
the 
Jews 
in 
their 
celebra­ 
tion 
of 
the 
Passover. 
History 
tells 
us 
that 
the 
early 
church 
met 
with 
the 
same 
difficulty 
and 
that 
it 
was 
partly 
to 
correct 
this 
that 
it 
was 
decided 
to 
always 
commemorate 
our 
Lord's 
death 
on 
the 
day 
of 
the 
week 
nearest 
to 
the 
Passover 
date­ 
"Good 
Friday." 
This 
arrangement 
has 
three 
advantages:- 
(1) 
It 
g-roups 
the 
events 
of 
that 
momentous 
week 
more 
aceurately 
before 
the 
mind's 
eye: 
Palm 
Sunday, 
when 
our 
Lord 
rode 
on 
the 
ass 
as 
King 
of 
the 
Jews; 
Monday, 
Tuesday 
and 
\Y{'(lnesday 
at 
thc 
Temple 
teaching; 
Thursday 
preparing 
for 
the 
Passover 
Supppr 
eaten 
that 
night 
and 
tollowed 
by 
the 
institution 
of 
our 
Memorial 
Supper, 
the 
lessons 
and 
prayer 
of 
John 
14-17, 
the 
experiences 
of 
Gethsemane, 
of 
Caiaphas' 
court, 
and 
on 
Friday 
morning 
before 
the 
Sanhedrin, 
and 
at 
Pilate's 
and 
Herod's 
palaces. 
Then 
the 
scenes 
of 
Calvary 
and 
Jospeh's 
new 
tomb. 
Saturday 
our 
Lord 
lay 
dead, 
hope 
being 
buried 
with 
him. 
Sunday, 
the 
resurrection 
day, 
with 
its 
new 
hopes, 
then 
comes 
in 
most 
appropriately-an 
Easter 
day 
of 
new 
hopes 
and 
impulses. 
(2) 
It 
would 
bring 
m 
into 
closer 
fellowship 
and 
sympathy 
with 
those 
who 
celebratc 
Good 
Friday 
and 
Easter 
Sunday, 
and 
our 
celebration 
of 
the 
Memorial 
on 
Thursday 
night 
would 
suggest 
thc 
appropriatcnes8 
of 
that 
date 
and 
cause 
them 
the 
more 
to 
qnestion 
the 
a 
uthority 
for 
and 
the 
wisdom 
of 
more 
frequrnt 
(·('\ehrations. 
(:3) 
In 
civilizell 
land~ 
Good 
Friday 
is 
quite 
generally 
a 
l{'gal 
holiday. 
and 
all 
th!' 
assoeiations 
and 
precious 
memories 
of 
om 
Lon!',; 
death-day 
would 
find 
the 
better 
opportunity 
for 
exercising 
ollr 
minds. 
Since 
it 
is 
impossible 
for 
all 
to 
celebrate 
on 
the 
same 
night 
and 
hour 
anyway, 
the 
congregation 
was 
asked 
to 
consider 
these 
arguments 
for 
hereafter 
having 
the 
celebration 
on 
the 
Thursday 
night 
before 
Easter 
Sunday. 
And 
now 
the 
same 
thought 
is 
offered 
to 
all 
the 
dear 
friends 
scattered 
abroad. 
THIS 
DO, 
REMEMBERING 
ME 
The 
occasion 
was, 
as 
usual, 
a 
very 
solemn 
one 
as 
we 
com­ 
muned 
respecting 
our 
Lord, 
the 
"Bread 
from 
heaven" 
broken 
for 
us. 
Nevertheless 
we 
rejoiced 
as 
we 
recognized 
in 
it 
a 
token 
of 
the 
"Love 
divine 
all 
love 
excellmg." 
We 
rejoiced 
afresh 
as 
we 
assured 
our 
hearts 
that 
if 
God 
so 
loved 
us 
while 
we 
were 
yet 
sinners, 
much 
more 
does 
he 
love 
us 
now 
as 
he 
sees 
us 
daily 
striving 
to 
walk 
in 
the 
footsteps 
of 
J 
esus-"not 
after 
the 
flesh 
but 
after 
the 
spirit." 
The 
bread 
spoke 
to 
us 
of 
the 
human 
rights 
of 
Jesus 
sacri­ 
ficed 
for 
us 
and 
of 
which 
we 
who 
believe 
may 
eat-appropri­ 
ate 
by 
faith 
to 
ourselves, 
reckoning 
ourselves 
justified 
to 
all 
the 
rights 
originally 
possessed 
by 
Adam. 
Then 
we 
took 
the 
further 
lesson 
suggested 
by 
the 
Apostle's 
words,-"The 
loaf 
which 
we 
break, 
does 
it 
not 
signify 
the 
communion 
[fellow­ 
ship] 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ? 
For 
we 
being 
many 
are 
one 
body: 
for 
we 
are 
all 
partakers 
of 
that 
one 
loaf." 
-1 
Cor. 
10: 
17. 
The 
"cup" 
we 
recognized 
as 
symbolic 
of 
our 
Lord's 
blood­ 
his 
life 
poured 
out 
during 
the 
three 
and 
a 
half 
years 
of 
his 
ministry 
and 
the 
dregs 
at 
Calvary. 
It 
was 
shed 
for 
us 
yes, 
"shed 
for 
many 
for 
the 
remission 
of 
sins." 
Not 
the 
blood 
which 
flowed 
from 
our 
Redeemer's 
side 
when 
pierced 
by 
the 
soldier's 
spear. 
No, 
he 
was 
already 
dead 
then. 
Blood 
is 
used 
symbolically 
to 
represent 
life, 
and 
our 
Lord's 
life 
or 
being 
or 
soul 
was 
poured 
out 
into 
death 
before 
the 
spear 
was 
thrust. 
We 
sa 
w 
the 
necessity 
for 
this 
under 
God's 
law, 
that 
"without 
the 
shedding 
of 
blood 
there 
is 
no 
remission 
of 
sins." 
While 
we 
sorrowed 
we 
again 
rejoiced, 
singing 
in 
our 
hearts 
unto 
the 
Lord- 
"His 
blood 
can 
make 
the 
foulest 
clean, 
His 
blood 
availed 
for 
me." 
Then 
we 
got 
the 
still 
deeper 
meaning 
of 
the 
"cup" 
from 
the 
spirit's 
teaching 
through 
the 
Apostle's 
words,-"The 
cup 
of 
blessing 
for 
which 
we 
bless 
God, 
is 
it 
not 
a 
participating 
[sharing] 
of 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
Anointed 
One?" 
(1 
Cor. 
10:16) 
Viewing 
it 
thus 
our 
Lord's 
words 
would 
have 
a 
deep 
meaning 
to 
our 
hearts, 
"Drink 
ye 
all 
of 
it;"-partake 
of 
my 
shame 
and 
death, 
walk 
in 
my 
steps; 
so 
shall 
ye 
be 
my 
disciples 
indeed 
and 
where 
I 
am 
there 
shall 
my 
disciples 
be. 
We 
thanked 
God 
then 
for 
the 
privilege 
of 
being 
broken 
with 
him 
as 
part 
of 
the 
great 
loaf; 
and 
for 
the 
privilege 
of 
drinking 
of 
his 
cup 
and 
so 
filling 
up 
that 
which 
is 
behind 
of 
the 
afflictions 
of 
Christ; 
assured 
that 
"if 
we 
suffer 
with 
him 
we 
shall 
reign 
with 
him." 
About 
550 
were 
present 
and 
probably 
525 
partook 
of 
the 
emblems 
of 
the 
broken 
body 
and 
shed 
blood. 
Then 
we 
sang 
a 
hymn 
and 
went 
out 
to 
remember 
the 
scenes 
of 
the 
night 
of 
the 
betrayal, 
and 
of 
the 
day 
of 
suffering 
which 
followed 
it. 
YOLo 
XXV1 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
MAY 
1, 
1905 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.9 
SOCIALISM 
SPREADING 
IN 
THE 
WEST 
Rev. 
Charles 
Stl'lzel 
recently 
appointed 
by 
the 
Home 
Mis­ 
"ionary 
SO!'iety 
of 
the 
Presbyterian 
church, 
was 
a 
machinist 
until 
recently, 
and 
is 
now 
appointed 
to 
look 
out 
for 
the 
welfare 
of 
wage 
('anwrs 
and 
devise 
lIIeans 
for 
interesting 
them 
in 
Presbyterian 
Christianity 
on 
the 
basis 
of 
its 
new 
Statement 
of 
Faith, 
which 
quite 
cov('rs 
and 
hides 
the 
doctrine 
of 
fore­ 
ordained 
damnation 
of 
all 
except 
the 
"very 
elect," 
stated 
in 
the 
\Ye"tmll1st('r 
COlltp~sioll 
~till 
retained-SlITI 
1 
().~a. 
Rev. 
Stelzel 
visit!'<l 
the 
region 
of 
the 
Colorado 
miners' 
strike 
recently. 
and 
his 
report 
of 
what 
he 
found 
is 
set 
forth 
in 
the 
Boston 
Trallscript 
a~ 
follows: 
"In 
an 
interview 
l\Ir. 
Stelzel, 
after 
his 
return 
from 
Colo­ 
rado, 
where 
he 
had 
been 
studying 
the 
labor 
situation, 
said 
that 
Socialism 
is 
increasin~ 
alllong 
the 
workingmen 
of 
the 
West 
faster 
tllan 
Easterners 
r{'alize. 
In 
Colorado, 
for 
instance, 
the 
issue, 
as 
he 
discovers 
it, 
is 
not 
unionism 
but 
Socialism; 
and 
the 
strike 
has 
entered 
many 
churches, 
officials 
differing 
funda­ 
mentally 
on 
the 
issues 
involved. 
For 
thousands 
of 
working­ 
men 
Socialism 
has 
become 
a 
substitute 
for 
the 
church, 
the 
idealism 
of 
tIle 
earthly 
propaganda 
taking 
the 
place 
of 
the 
visions 
and 
ideals 
of 
the 
religious 
faith. 
This 
Mr. 
Stelzel 
has 
tested 
not 
only 
by 
word-of-mouth 
conversations 
and 
by 
hearing 
the 
speeches 
of 
orators, 
but 
by 
It 
careful 
poll-through 
corre­ 
spondence 
of 
the 
leaders 
among 
the 
\Vestern 
labor 
leaders. 
He 
finds 
that 
they 
are 
sending 
ahout 
the 
country 
as 
organizers 
and 
'tgitators, 
men 
who 
were 
formerly 
ministers 
in 
Protestant 
churches 
or 
who 
were 
Roman 
Catholic 
priests, 
who 
will 
use 
the 
religious 
terminology 
and 
appeal 
to 
the 
religious 
motives, 
but 
to 
the 
end 
that 
an 
earthly 
Utopia 
may 
be 
set 
up, 
and 
without 
any 
reference 
to 
the 
life 
beyond 
the 
grave. 
He 
believes 
that 
the 
church 
must 
begin 
a 
propaganda 
which 
must 
be 
carried 
on 
out 
of 
doors 
wherever 
wage-earners 
congregate; 
that 
literature, 
inexpensive 
and 
attractive, 
written 
in 
the 
language 
of 
the 
peo­ 
ple 
among 
whom 
it 
must 
circulate 
and 
written 
to 
their 
level, 
must 
be 
printed 
and 
circulated 
lavishly." 
This 
is 
significant, 
and 
points 
exactly 
in 
the 
direction 
and 
to 
the 
events 
portrayed 
in 
God's 
Word,-in 
its 
pictures 
of 
the 
"day 
of 
wrath" 
coming 
on 
Christendom. 
THE 
GERMAN 
"DOME," 
OR 
CATHEDRAL 
The 
completion 
and 
dedication 
of 
a 
great 
Cathedral 
at 
Berlin, 
Germany, 
is 
an 
event 
of 
world·wide 
note. 
It 
is 
to 
be 
to 
Central 
Europe 
what 
St. 
Paul's 
Cathedral, 
London, 
is 
to 
Great 
Britain 
and 
what 
St. 
Peter's 
is 
to 
Rome. 
Newspaperdom 
concludes 
that 
it 
marks 
the 
closest 
possible 
approach 
of 
the 
German 
Emperor 
to 
the 
position 
of 
Pontifex 
Maximus 
to 
Ger· 
mans. 
The 
N. 
Y. 
Times 
considers 
that 
"under 
the 
direct 
and 
personal 
care 
of 
the 
Emperor" 
it 
as 
closely 
marks 
"the 
estab­ 
lishment 
of 
a 
state 
church 
as 
the 
exertions 
of 
the 
monarch 
could 
bring 
it." 
It 
adds:- 
"That 
would 
be 
the 
conclusion 
to 
be 
drawn 
from 
the 
estab. 
lishment 
of 
the 
cathedral, 
even 
without 
more 
explicit 
explana- 
(127-131) 
[3548] 
THE MEMORIAL CELEBRATION The annual celebration of our Lord’s death, rather than a more frequent one, commends itself to the Lord’s people more generally every year. At Allegheny the number participating this year was much larger than ever before. Anticipating this, Carnegie Hall was secured for the afternoon discourse on Baptism, as well as for the Memorial Service of the evening of April 16th. The death-baptism was symbolized in water at Bible House baptistry by 10 brethren and 31 sisters, after their public confession of faith in the redemption accomplished by the precious sacrifice of Christ, of their renunciation of sin, and of their full consecration to walk in Jesus’ footsteps in self sacrifice, even unto death. THE EVENT AND THE DAY At the Memorial service, explanation was made of why we celebrate the greatest event of history annually—not weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. Not that the very day or hour or moment is of special consequence, but that it was meant to be a yearly celebration, and that so observed it is more than proportionately impressive. In fact, as all are aware it could not be celebrated throughout the world at the same moment or hour or even on the same day, so great is the difference of time. For instance, the brethren in London had celebrated, and it was past midnight and they were asleep while we at Allegheny were eelebrating. And for us to have partaken at the same hour with them would have been a day too early. A similar difficulty is met with by the Jews in their celebration of the Passover. History tells us that the early church met with the same difficulty and that it was partly to correct this that it was decided to always commemorate our Lord’s death on the day of the week nearest to the Passover date— “Good Friday.” This arrangement has three advantages:— (1) It groups the events of that momentous week more accurately before the mind’s eye: Palm Sunday, when our Lord rode on the ass as King of the Jews; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Temple teaching; Thursday preparing for the Passover Supper eaten that night and tollowed by the institution of our Memorial Supper, the lessons and prayer of John 14-17, the experiences of Gethsemane, of Caiaphas’ court, and on Friday morning before the Sanhedrin, and at Pilate’s and Herod’s palaces. Then the scenes of Calvary and Jospeh’s new tomb, Saturday our Lord lay dead, hope being buried with him. Sunday, the resurrection day, with its new hopes, then comes in most appropriately—an Easter day of new hopes and impulses. (2) It would bring us into closer fellowship and sympathy with those who celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and our celebration of the Memorial on Thursday night would suggest the appropriateness of that date and cause them the more to question the authority for and the wisdom of more frequent cclebrations. (3) In civilized lands Good Friday is quite generally a tegal holiday, and all the associations and precious memories of our Lord’s death-day would find the better opportunity for exercising our minds. Vou. XXVI Since it is impossible for all to celebrate on the same night and hour anyway, the congregation was asked to consider these arguments for hereafter having the celebration on the Thursday night before Easter Sunday. And now the same thought is offered to all the dear friends scattered abroad. THIS DO, REMEMBERING ME The occasion was, as usual, a very solemn one as we communed respecting our Lord, the “Bread from heaven” broken for us. Nevertheless we rejoiced as we recognized in it a token of the “Love divine all love excelling.” We rejoiced afresh as we assured our hearts that if God so loved us while we were yet sinners, much more does he love us now as he sees us daily striving to walk in the footsteps of Jesus—“not after the flesh but after the spirit.” The bread spoke to us of the human rights of Jesus sacrificed for us and of which we who believe may eat—-appropriate by faith to ourselves, reckoning ourselves justified to all the rights originally possessed by Adam. Then we took the further lesson suggested by the Apostle’s words,—‘The loaf which we break, does it not signify the communion [fellowship] of the body of Christ? For we being many are one body: for we are all partakers of that one loaf.”—1 Cor. 10:17. The “cup” we recognized as symbolic of our Lord’s blood— his life poured out during the three and a half years of his ministry and the dregs at Calvary. It was shed for us yes, “shed for many for the remission of sins.” Not the blood which flowed from our Redeemer’s side when pierced by the soldier’s spear. No, he was already dead then. Blood is used symbolically to represent life, and our Lord’s life or being or soul was poured out into death before the spear was thrust. We saw the necessity for this under God’s law, that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.” While we sorrowed we again rejoiced, singing in our hearts unto the Lord— “His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.” Then we got the still deeper meaning of the “cup” from the spirit’s teaching through the Apostle’s words,—‘The cup of blessing for which we bless God, is it not a participating [sharing] of the blood of the Anointed One?” (1 Cor. 10:16) Viewing it thus our Lord’s words would have a deep meaning to our hearts, “Drink ye all of it;”—-partake of my shame and death, walk in my steps; so shall ye be my disciples indeed and where I am there shall my disciples be. We thanked God then for the privilege of being broken with him as part of the great loaf; and for the privilege of drinking of his cup and so filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ; assured that “if we suffer with him we shall reign with him.” About 550 were present and probably 525 partook of the emblems of the broken body and shed blood. Then we sang a hymn and went out to remember the scenes of the night of the betrayal, and of the day of suffering which followed it. ALLEGHENY, PA., MAY 1, 1905 No. 9 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER SOCIALISM SPREADING IN THE WEST Rev. Charles Stelzel recently appointed by the Home Missionary Society of the Presbyterian church, was a machinist until recently, and is now appointed to look out for the welfare of wage earners and devise means for interesting them in Presbyterian Christianity on the basis of its new Statement of Faith, which quite covers and hides the doctrine of foreordained damnation of all except the “very elect,” stated in the Westminster Confession still retained—suh 708a,. Rev. Stelzel visited the region of the Colorado miners’ strike recently, and his report of what he found is set forth in the Boston Transcript as follows: “In an interview Mr. Stelzel, after his return from Colorado, where he had been studying the labor situation, said that Socialism is increasing among the workingmen of the West faster than Easterners realize. In Colorado, for instance, the issue, as he discovers it, is not unionism but Socialism; and the strike has entered many churches, officials differing fundamentally on the issues involved. For thousands of workingmen Socialism has become a substitute for the church, the idealism of the earthly propoganda taking the place of the visions and ideals of the religious faith. This Mr. Stelzel has tested not only by word-of-mouth conversations and by hearing the speeches of orators, but by a careful poll—through correspondence of the leaders among the Western labor leaders. He finds that they are sending about the country as organizers and agitators, men who were formerly ministers in Protestant (127-131) churches or who were Roman Catholic priests, who will use the religious terminology and appeal to the religious motives, but to the end that an earthly Utopia may be set up, and without any reference to the life beyond the grave. He believes that the church must begin a propaganda which must be carried on out of doors wherever wage-earners congregate; that literature, inexpensive and attractive, written in the language of the people among whom it must circulate and written to their level, must be printed and circulated lavishly.” This is significant, and points exactly in the direction and to the events portrayed in God’s Word,—in its pictures of the “day of wrath” coming on Christendom. THE GERMAN ‘‘DOME,’’ OR CATHEDRAL The completion and dedication of a great Cathedral at Berlin, Germany, is an event of world-wide note. It is to be to Central Europe what St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, is to Great Britain and what St. Peter’s is to Rome. Newspaperdom concludes that it marks the closest possible approach of the German Emperor to the position of Pontifex Maximus to Germans. The N. Y. Times considers that “under the direct and personal care of the Emperor’ it as closely marks “the establishment of a state church as the exertions of the monarch could bring it.” It adds:— “That would be the conclusion to be drawn from the establishment of the cathedral, even without more explicit explana [3548]

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