Publication date
6/15/06
Volume
27
Number
12
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1906/12/1906-12-1.html
 
 
 
JUNE 
I, 
1906 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(176-180) 
What 
manner 
of 
persons 
ought 
we 
to 
be 
in 
all 
holy 
conversa­ 
tion, 
living 
and 
godliness!-2 
Pet. 
3 
:11. 
18 
19,20 
22,2a 
24 
25,26 
PILGRIM 
VISITS 
OF 
BRO. 
B. 
H. 
BARTON 
Eng. 
July 
9,10 
Belfast, 
Ire. 
July 
" 
" 
11 
Dublin, 
, 
, 
" 
" 
" 
12 
Liverpool, 
Eng." 
" 
" 
13 
Warrington, 
" 
" 
" 
"14,15 
East 
Kirkby," 
" 
Bradford, 
Ossett, 
::>ldham, 
Macclesfield, 
Manchester, 
Israel, 
wonderful 
love 
and 
a 
New 
Covenant 
for 
all 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth. 
Those 
who 
see 
this 
vision 
of 
the 
kingdom, 
and 
who 
discern 
its 
rapid 
arrangement 
and 
the 
preparation 
for 
its 
glorious 
revelation 
to 
the 
whole 
world, 
have 
the 
assurance 
that 
they 
are 
not 
following 
cunningly 
devised 
fables; 
that 
the 
Higher 
Critics 
are 
greatly 
mistaken 
in 
their 
judging 
of 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
along 
the 
lines 
of 
external 
testimonies 
and 
evolution 
theories. 
We 
have 
much 
advantage 
everyway 
over 
the 
remainder 
of 
mankind, 
and 
we 
may 
well 
say 
to 
ourselves, 
VOL. 
XXVII 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
JUNE 
15, 
1906 
No. 
12 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
CHURCH 
UNION-NEXT, 
FEDERATION 
The 
PresbyterIan 
and 
Cumberland 
Presbyterian 
bodies 
have 
reunited, 
as 
per 
the 
following 
telegram 
in 
the 
public 
press 
columns: 
Des 
:Moines, 
la., 
lIfay 
24.-Dr. 
Hunter 
Corbett, 
the 
Mod­ 
erator 
of 
the 
Presbyterian 
General 
Assembly, 
declared 
the 
union 
of 
the 
Presbyterian 
church 
of 
the 
United 
States 
and 
the 
Cumberland 
and 
Presbyterian 
church 
completed 
at 
10.21 
a 
'clock 
this 
morning 
as 
follows: 
"I 
do 
solemnly 
declare 
and 
hereby 
publicly 
announce 
that 
the 
basis 
of 
union 
and 
reunion 
is 
now 
in 
full 
force 
and 
effect, 
and 
that 
the 
Cumberland 
Presbyterian 
church 
is 
now 
reunited 
with 
the 
Presbyterian 
church 
in 
the 
United 
States 
of 
America 
a.s 
one 
church." 
The 
big 
ecclesiastical 
assemblage 
burst 
into 
a 
storm 
of 
rejoicing. 
Handclapping, 
cheering 
and 
waving 
of 
handker­ 
chiefs 
gave 
expression 
of 
unalloyed 
pleasure. 
* 
* 
* 
The 
spirit 
of 
union 
and 
federation 
prevails 
everywhere. 
Our 
rea.ders 
well 
know 
that 
from 
prophecy 
we 
have 
for 
twenty-five 
years 
been 
expecting 
not 
only 
that 
the 
Fed­ 
eration 
would 
come 
soon, 
but 
that 
the 
vitality 
of 
it 
would 
come 
from 
the 
Episcopal 
church. 
The 
insurmountable 
bar­ 
rier 
thus 
far 
seems 
to 
be 
in 
the 
claim 
of 
this 
denomination 
to 
"Apostolic 
Succession," 
which 
asserts 
that 
none 
are 
qual­ 
ilied 
ministers 
except 
as 
"ordained" 
in 
the 
line 
of 
such 
succession. 
Now 
we 
find 
a 
movement 
amongst 
Episcopalians 
to 
con­ 
cede 
something: 
to 
c'aim 
merely 
the 
Historic 
Episcopate 
and 
to 
drop 
the 
claim 
of 
Apostolic 
Succession, 
so 
as 
to 
pro­ 
mote 
the 
union 
of 
all 
Protestants. 
This 
view 
is 
set 
forth 
in 
a 
recently 
published 
boak 
by 
Rev. 
E. 
McCrady 
(Epis­ 
copalian), 
entitled, 
"APOSTOLIC 
SUCCESSION 
AND 
THE 
PROBLEM 
OF 
UNITT" 
We 
quote 
one 
paragraph:- 
"When 
we 
ourselves 
are 
broad 
enough, 
catholic 
enough, 
to 
admit 
that 
the 
theory 
of 
the 
divine 
right 
of 
Episcopacy 
is 
a 
theory 
only-when 
we 
are 
willing 
to 
own, 
as 
we 
mu.st, 
that 
while 
fitting 
in 
very 
well 
with 
historical 
facts, 
it 
can 
never 
be 
absolutely 
demonstrated-when 
we 
further 
are 
will­ 
ing 
to 
recognize 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
Reformers 
did 
not 
believe 
in 
such 
a 
theory 
themselves, 
and 
that 
the 
church, 
in 
spite 
of 
all 
tho 
influences 
brought 
to 
bear 
upon 
her, 
has 
care­ 
fully 
refrained 
from 
officially 
promulgating 
such 
a 
doctrine 
-when, 
in 
other 
words, 
we 
cease 
to 
un 
church 
our 
Protestant 
brethren 
by 
insisting 
upon 
a 
principle 
logically 
indefensible 
and 
never 
officially 
set 
forth-we 
will 
then 
be 
in 
a 
position 
to 
expect 
some 
concessions 
on 
their 
part, 
and-we 
venture 
the 
further 
prediction-we 
shall 
then 
begin 
to 
hear 
some 
solid 
discus.sion, 
and 
see 
some 
valid 
signs 
of 
the 
approach­ 
ing 
union 
of 
Christendom." 
* 
* 
* 
The 
Bible 
clearly 
sets 
forth 
that 
such 
a 
federation 
of 
Protesta.nts 
will 
be 
effected 
before 
the 
great 
final 
catastrophe 
which 
will 
usher 
in 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God's 
dear 
Son 
and 
the 
glorification 
of 
the 
church 
of 
the 
firstborn; 
hence 
our 
in­ 
terE'st 
in 
every 
item 
pointing 
to 
its 
realization. 
"THE 
UNITED 
CHURCH 
OF 
CANADA" 
/I 
The 
negotiations 
for 
the 
union 
of 
three 
churches 
in 
Canada 
have 
attracted 
world-wide 
attention. 
N 
early 
all 
of 
the 
religious 
journals 
and 
many 
of 
the 
secular 
ones 
de­ 
vote 
much 
space 
to 
special 
comment 
upon 
this 
theme. 
These 
comments 
are 
almost 
entirely 
congratulatory. 
The 
Toronto 
Globe 
has 
rendered 
important 
service 
by 
printing 
the 
ex­ 
pressions 
of 
opinion 
by 
men 
of 
light 
and 
leading 
in 
the 
three 
churches 
in 
various 
parts 
of 
the 
country. 
It 
is 
a 
surprise 
to 
find 
how 
generally 
these 
are 
favorable 
expressions. 
Of 
course 
there 
are 
a 
few 
doubting 
Thomases, 
a 
few 
who 
mag­ 
nify 
differences 
and 
overlook 
the 
great 
harmonies, 
who 
ad­ 
vise 
us 
to 
be 
careful 
and 
go 
slow; 
but 
the 
overwhelming 
consensus 
is 
in 
favor, 
not 
of 
federation, 
but 
of 
organic 
WATCH 
TOWER 
union. 
We 
have 
received 
correspondence 
from 
various 
parts 
of 
the 
United 
States, 
from 
the 
Atlantic 
to 
the 
Pacific, 
with 
reference 
to 
an 
account 
we 
wrote 
in 
The 
Christian 
Herald 
of 
this 
great 
movement, 
and 
all 
of 
these 
are 
of 
devout 
thanksgiving 
for 
the 
leading 
of 
divine 
providence. 
We 
quote 
from 
the 
Literary 
Digest 
some 
of 
the 
press 
comments 
on 
this 
subject: 
/I 
'An 
extraordinary 
movement, 
in 
some 
respects, 
not 
paralleled 
in 
several 
centuries,' 
is 
the 
phrase 
by 
which 
the 
New 
York 
Christian 
Advocate 
(Methodi~t) 
characterizes 
the 
movement 
toward 
union 
between 
the 
Presbyterian, 
Methodist 
and 
Congregationalist 
churches 
in 
Canada. 
The 
report 
of 
the 
joint 
committee 
of 
these 
three 
denominations, 
just 
published. 
is 
described 
by 
the 
Toronto 
Globe 
as 
'the 
most 
remarkable 
ecclesiastical 
document 
issued 
in 
Protes­ 
tant 
Christendom 
since 
the 
Reformation.' 
All 
the 
indica­ 
tions 
seem 
to 
point 
to 
the 
ultimate 
consummation 
of 
this 
union, 
and 
the 
name 
tentatively 
chosen 
for 
the 
new 
church 
is, 
'The 
United 
Church 
of 
Canada.' 
The 
Interior 
(Presby­ 
terian, 
Chieago) 
writes 
of 
the 
union 
planned 
as 
'the 
most 
radical 
and 
remarkahle 
coalition 
of 
chnrches 
that 
has 
been 
proposed 
since 
the 
Reformation 
brought 
in 
the 
era 
of 
de· 
nominational 
divis!ons. 
' 
Zion's 
Herald 
(Methodist, 
Bos­ 
ton), 
reminds 
us 
that 
Canada 
in 
the 
past 
has 
led 
the 
way 
in 
effecting 
denominational 
unions. 
1/ 
The 
Christian 
Advocate 
remarks 
E'ditorially: 
t 
This 
ex· 
periment 
in 
each 
of 
its 
stages 
should 
receive 
the 
concen· 
trated 
attention 
of 
the 
Protestantism 
of 
the 
world. 
If 
it 
succeeds 
it 
will 
make 
feasible 
the 
only 
reasonable 
plan 
for 
the 
diminution 
of 
the 
number 
of 
distinct 
communions.' 
1/ 
The 
Presbyterian 
(Toronto, 
Canada) 
thinks 
that 
the 
prospects 
are 
bright 
for 
a 
consummation 
of 
the 
proposed 
union. 
It 
says: 
'There 
will 
be 
no 
unseemly 
haste; 
in 
the 
nature 
of 
things 
there 
cannot 
be. 
It 
will 
take 
some 
little 
time 
to 
prepare 
the 
basis 
and 
have 
it 
pronounced 
upon 
ulti· 
mately 
by 
the 
body 
of 
the 
people. 
Agreement 
as 
to 
the 
things 
that 
may 
be 
given 
up 
and 
the 
things 
that 
shall 
re­ 
main, 
will 
not 
come 
in 
a 
moment, 
but 
it 
will 
come. 
There 
is 
an 
organizing 
power 
of 
its 
own 
in 
a 
great, 
structural, 
co­ 
ordinating 
movement 
like 
this.' 
"The 
Presbyterian 
Banner 
(Pittsbur~h, 
Pa.) 
comments 
as 
follows: 
'We 
wou'd 
hardly 
think 
a 
union 
of 
these 
three 
churches 
possible 
in 
this 
country, 
but 
it 
appea.rs 
to 
be 
pos­ 
sible 
only 
a 
few 
milE'S 
north 
of 
UR. 
ani! 
it 
is 
the 
Lord's 
doing 
and 
marvelous 
in 
our 
eyes. 
The 
Spirit 
of 
the 
Lord, 
however, 
is 
not 
restricted 
by 
geographieal 
bouni!aries 
anfl 
red 
and 
blue 
lines 
on 
the 
map, 
and 
what 
tlle 
Spirit 
can 
do 
there 
he 
may 
do 
here.' 
1/ 
The 
Methodists 
in 
Canada 
number 
916,659, 
the 
Presby­ 
terians 
842,016, 
and 
the 
Congregationalists 
28.000. 
Thus, 
as 
the 
Church 
Standard 
(Protestant 
Episcopal, 
Philadelphia) 
points 
out, 
the 
new 
church 
will 
enter 
upon 
its 
work 
with 
a 
membership 
of 
1,786,676, 
'nearly 
one-third 
of 
the 
popula­ 
tion 
of 
the 
whole 
of 
Canada." 
'-Onward 
(Methodist, 
To· 
ronto). 
FEDERATION 
IN 
GREAT 
BRITAIN 
The 
London 
Daily 
Chronicle 
reeently 
publishe<1 
a 
lengthy 
appeal 
for 
special 
prayers 
for 
the 
reunion 
of 
Christendom. 
It 
was 
signed 
by 
the 
President 
of 
the 
United 
Methodist 
Free 
churches; 
the 
President 
of 
the 
Methodist 
New 
Con­ 
nection 
church; 
the 
President 
of 
the 
Wesleyan 
Methodist 
Conference; 
the 
Moderator-eled 
of 
the 
English 
Presbyterian 
church; 
the 
President 
of 
the 
Baptist 
Union; 
the 
Moderator 
of 
the 
General 
Assembly 
of 
the 
church 
of 
Scotland; 
the 
Moderator 
of 
the 
General 
Assembly 
of 
the 
United 
Free 
church 
of 
Scotland; 
the 
Primus 
of 
the 
Scottish 
Church, 
and 
the 
Chairman 
of 
the 
Congregational 
Union 
of 
En~land 
and 
Wales. 
Evidently 
a 
few 
more 
years 
of 
stress 
will 
accom­ 
plish 
what 
they 
pray 
fo1',-a 
union 
of 
sects, 
a 
federat:on 
on 
the 
basis 
of 
ignoring 
one 
another's 
errors. 
But 
this 
will 
not 
be 
the 
heart 
union 
for 
which 
our 
Lord 
prayed-one 
in 
[3791] 
ZION’S JUNE 1, 1906 Israel, wonderful love and a New Covenant for all the families of the earth. Those who see this vision of the kingdom, and who discern its rapid arrangement and the preparation for its glorious revelation to the whole world, have the assurance that they are not following cunningly devised fables; that the Higher Critics are greatly mistaken in their judging of the Word of God along the lines of external testimonies and evolution theories. We have much advantage everyway over the remainder of mankind, and we may well say to ourselves, WATCH TOWER (176-180) What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation, living and godliness!—2 Pet. 3:11. PILGRIM VISITS OF BRO. B. H. BARTON Vou. XXVII Bradford, Eng. July 9,10 Belfast, Ire. July 18 Ossett, 9") Dublin, 179" 19,90 Jldham, ” ” 12 Liverpool, Eng. 7? 22,23 Macclesfield, ’’ ”? 13 Warrington, ’’ ”? 24 Manchester, ’’ 7? 14,15 East Kirkby, ’’ 7? 25,26 ALLEGHENY, PA., JUNE 15, 1906 No. 12 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CHURCH UNION—NEXT, FEDERATION The Presbyterian and Cumberland Presbyterian bodies have reunited, as per the following telegram in the public press columns: Des Moines, Ia., May 24.—Dr. Hunter Corbett, the Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, declared the union of the Presbyterian church of the United States and the Cumberland and Presbyterian church completed at 10.21 o’clock this morning as follows: ‘‘T do solemnly declare and hereby publicly announce that the basis of union and reunion is now in full force and effect, and that the Cumberland Presbyterian church is now reunited with the Presbyterian church in the United States of America as one church.’’ The big ecclesiastical assemblage burst into a storm of rejoicing. Handclapping, cheering and waving of handkerchiefs gave expression of unalloyed pleasure. * * * The spirit of union and federation prevails everywhere. Our readers well know that from prophecy we have for twenty-five years been expecting not only that the Federation would come soon, but that the vitality of it would come from the Episcopal church. The insurmountable barrier thus far seems to be in the claim of this denomination to ‘‘ Apostolic Succession,’’ which asserts that none are qualified ministers except as ‘‘ordained’’ in the line of such succession. Now we find a movement amongst Episcopalians to concede something: to c’'aim merely the Historic Episcopate and to drop the elaim of Apostolic Succession, so as to promote the union of all Protestants. This view is set forth in a recently published book by Rev. E. McCrady (Episcopalian), entitled, “APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION AND THE PROBLEM OF UNITY’’ We quote one paragraph:— ‘‘When we ourselves are broad enough, catholic enough, to admit that the theory of the divine right of Episcopacy is a theory only—when we are willing to own, as we must, that while fitting in very well with historical facts, it can never be absolutely demonstrated—when we further are willing to recognize the fact that the Reformers did not believe in such a theory themselves, and that the church, in spite of ali the influences brought to bear upon her, has carefully refrained from officially promulgating such a doctrine —when, in other words, we cease to unchurch our Protestant brethren by insisting upon a principle logically indefensible and never officially set forth—we will then be in a position to expect some concessions on their part, and—we venture the further prediction—we shall then begin to hear some solid discussion, and see some valid signs of the approaching union of Christendom.’’ * * * The Bible clearly sets forth that such a federation of Protestants will be effected before the great final catastrophe which will usher in the kingdom of God’s dear Son and the glorification of the church of the firstborn; hence our interest in every item pointing to its realization. ‘THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA”’ ‘‘The negotiations for the union of three churches in Canada have attracted world-wide attention. Nearly all of the religious journals and many of the secular ones devote much space to special comment upon this theme. These comments are almost entirely congratulatory. The Toronto Globe has rendered important service by printing the expressions of opinion by men of light and leading in the three churches in various parts of the country. It is a surprise to find how generally these are favorable expressions. Of course there are a few doubting Thomases, a few who magnify differences and overlook the great harmonies, who advise us to be careful and go slow; but the overwhelming consensus ig in favor, not of federation, but of organic union. We have received correspondence from various parts of the United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with reference to an account we wrote in The Christian Herald of this great movement, and all of these are of devout thanksgiving for the leading of divine providence. We quote from the Literary Digest some of the press comments on this subject: ‘¢¢An extraordinary movement, in some respects, not paralleled in several centuries,’ is the phrase by which the New York Christian Advocate (Methodist) characterizes the movement toward union between the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregationalist churches in Canada. The report of the joint committee of these three denominations, just published, is described by the Toronto Globe as ‘the most remarkable ecclesiastical document issued in Protestant Christendom since the Reformation.’ All the indications seem to point to the ultimate consummation of this union, and the name tentatively chosen for the new church is, ‘The United Church of Canada.’ The Interior (Presbyterian, Chicago) writes of the union planned as ‘the most radical and remarkable coalition of churches that has been proposed since the Reformation brought in the era of denominational divisions.’ Zion’s Herald (Methodist, Boston), reminds us that Canada in the past has led the way in effecting denominational unions. ‘*The Christian Advocate remarks editorially: ‘This experiment in each of its stages should receive the concentrated attention of the Protestantism of the world. If it succeeds it will make feasible the only reasonable plan for the diminution of the number of distinct communions.’ ‘‘The Presbyterian (Toronto, Canada) thinks that the prospects are bright for a consummation of the proposed union. It says: ‘There will be no unseemly haste; in the nature of things there cannot be. It will take some little time to prepare the basis and have it pronounced upon ulti. mately by the body of the people. Agreement as to the things that may be given up and the things that shall remain, will not come in a moment, but it will come. There is an organizing power of its own in a great, structural, coordinating movement like this.’ ‘‘The Presbyterian Banner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) comments as follows: ‘We wou'd hardly think a union of these three churches possible in this country, but it appears to be possible only a few miles north of us, and it is the Lord’s doing and marvelous in our eyes. The Spirit of the Lord, however, is not restricted by geographical boundaries and red and blue lines on the map, and what the Spirit can do there he may do here.’ ‘‘The Methodists in Canada number 916,659, the Presbyterians 842,016, and the Congregationalists 28,000. Thus, as the Church Standard (Protestant Episcopal, Philadelphia) points out, the new church will enter upon its work with a membership of 1,786,676, ‘nearly one-third of the population of the whole of Canada.’ ’’—Onward (Methodist, Toronto). FEDERATION IN GREAT BRITAIN The London Daily Chronicle recently published a lengthy appeal for special prayers for the reunion of Christendom. It was signed by the President of the United Methodist Free churches; the President of the Methodist New Connection church; the President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference; the Moderator-elect of the English Presbyterian church; the President of the Baptist Union; the Moderator of the General Assembly of the church of Scotland; the Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Free church of Scotland; the Primus of the Scottish Church, and the Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. Evidently a few more years of stress will accomplish what they pray for,—a union of sects, a federation on the basis of ignoring one another’s errors. But this will not be the heart union for which our Lord prayed—one in [3791]

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