Publication date
9/1/06
Volume
27
Number
17
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1906/17/1906-17-1.html
 
 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLltGHEl<Y, 
PA. 
is 
open 
only 
during 
this 
Gospel 
age, 
and 
that 
the 
highway 
of 
holiness 
belongs 
to 
the 
next 
age. 
While 
rejoicing 
that 
the 
world, 
now 
ul\willing 
to 
travel 
the 
narrow 
way, 
will 
have 
the 
glorious 
opportunities 
of 
the 
hIghway 
by 
and 
by, 
let 
us 
rejoice 
that 
the 
great 
favor 
of 
God 
respecting 
this 
narrow 
way 
has 
been 
brought 
to 
our 
attention, 
and 
that 
it 
is 
our 
privilege 
to 
walk 
in 
the 
footsteps 
of 
Jesus, 
with 
the 
assurance 
of 
his, 
assist­ 
ance 
all 
the 
journey 
~hrough 
to 
the 
fart~e~ 
en~, 
a~d 
wIth, 
the 
gracious 
promise 
of 
hfe 
eternal 
and 
partlclpa~lOn 
III 
the. 
kmg­ 
dom. 
' 
I 
If 
any 
man 
will 
come 
after 
me, 
let 
hIm 
deny 
h~II!-self 
[let 
him 
sacrifice 
himself, 
his 
personal 
interests, 
ambltlons,' 
etc.], 
and 
take 
up 
his 
cross 
and 
follow 
me." 
VOl,. 
XXVII 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
SEPTEMBER 
1, 
1906 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
17 
The 
real 
trouble 
is 
re('ognized 
by 
but 
few: 
it 
is 
the 
loss 
of 
the' 
I 
faIth 
once 
delivered 
to 
the 
saints." 
Twenty-eight 
years 
ago 
faith 
in 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
Bible 
began 
to 
suffer 
from 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
Evolutionists 
and 
the 
Higher 
Cntics. 
As 
a 
result 
faith 
in 
the 
divine 
revelation 
has 
waned, 
and 
Chris­ 
tian 
zeal 
and 
godly 
living 
in 
proportion. 
The 
Bible 
discredited, 
faith 
has 
no 
proper 
anchorage, 
and 
as 
our 
Lord 
said 
of 
the 
Samaritans, 
"Ye 
believe 
ye 
know 
not 
what 
I 
" 
Thus, 
many 
well-intentioned 
people 
are 
in 
a 
pitiable 
condition 
so 
far 
as 
religious 
conviction 
is 
concerned. 
The 
pity 
is 
that 
so 
many 
Christians 
are 
not 
so 
conscientious, 
hut 
willing 
to 
stultify 
themselves 
for 
the 
sake 
of 
unity. 
The 
B 
ble 
rule 
is, 
" 
First 
pure, 
then 
peaceable"; 
and 
if 
it 
were 
strictly 
followed 
there 
would 
be 
a 
religious 
earthquake 
which 
wou],] 
lead 
to 
true 
po 
ace 
and 
unity. 
THE 
LACK 
FELT--CRYING 
ALOUD 
While 
some 
Christian 
people 
are 
so 
busied 
with 
forwarding 
Federative 
Christian 
Union 
and 
in 
performing 
"many 
wonder­ 
ful 
works" 
(Matt. 
7: 
22) 
that 
they 
do 
not 
feel 
the 
loss 
of 
spiritual 
power 
in 
Churchianity, 
others 
more 
alert 
to 
the 
true 
situation 
are 
crying 
aloud 
of 
their 
distress. 
Thus, 
for 
in'stance, 
l'he 
Chnsttan 
W 
O1'k 
and 
Evangehst 
(New 
York) 
says: 
"The 
great 
1/ced 
tS 
to 
make 
the 
church 
mean 
in 
present 
conditions 
what 
Christiantty 
meant 
to 
the 
world 
ages 
ago. 
This 
is 
the 
r/'al 
reform 
needed. 
But, 
strange 
to 
say, 
there 
is 
no 
effort 
made 
in 
this 
dire~tion. 
Instead, 
schemes 
of 
expe­ 
diency 
are 
resorted 
to. 
In 
their 
last 
analysis 
institutional 
church 
efforts, 
young 
people's 
movement, 
church 
federation 
and 
the 
endowment 
of 
churches 
are 
such 
schemes 
primarily 
designed 
to 
gloss 
over 
glaring 
weaknesses, 
and 
to 
stimulate 
flagging 
interests. 
ThesE' 
efforts 
offer 
nothing 
for 
improving 
the 
ethical 
status 
of 
orgalllzed 
religion 
or 
for 
restoring 
the 
spirit 
of 
prim­ 
itive 
Christianity. 
These 
efforts 
do 
not 
make 
the 
church 
mean 
in 
the 
new 
condition 
what 
the 
early 
Christian 
church 
meant 
ages 
ago." 
CONSCIENCE 
A 
BARRIER 
TO 
PEACE 
Although 
the 
Presbyterians 
and 
the 
Cumberland 
Presby­ 
terians 
have 
officially 
united, 
there 
is 
some 
dissension. 
At 
War­ 
rensburg, 
Mo., 
each 
denomination 
had 
a 
church 
edifice, 
and 
both 
had 
influential 
members. 
The 
union 
program 
was 
that 
the 
Cumberland 
meeting 
house 
should 
be 
used, 
but 
a 
majority 
of 
the 
Cumberland 
congregatIOn 
(128 
out 
of 
230) 
objected 
to 
the 
union 
and 
locked 
the 
building 
against 
the 
Unionists 
and 
notified 
them 
that 
it 
could 
not 
be 
so 
used. 
The 
ground 
of 
objection 
is 
that 
although 
the 
Presbyterians 
have 
adopted 
a 
new 
statement 
of 
their 
faith, 
which 
is 
unob­ 
jectionable, 
they 
still 
hold 
on 
to 
the 
old 
"Westminster 
Con­ 
fession 
of 
Faith," 
which 
these 
Cumberland 
Presbyterians 
can­ 
not 
conscientiously 
endorse. 
Asked 
what 
particnlar 
portion 
of 
the 
Confession 
stung 
their 
consciences 
into 
disunion, 
one 
of 
their 
leaders, 
W. 
K. 
Morrow, 
produced 
the 
Presbyterian 
Higher 
Ca 
tech 
ism 
and 
read 
the 
following: 
I 
I 
God's 
decrees 
are 
the 
wise, 
free 
and 
holy 
acts 
of 
the 
counsel 
of 
his 
will, 
whereby, 
from 
all 
eternity, 
he 
hath, 
for 
his 
own 
glory, 
unchangeably 
foreordained 
whatsoever 
comes 
to 
pass 
in 
time, 
especially 
concerning 
angels 
and 
men. 
I 
I 
God 
by 
an 
eternal 
and 
immutable 
decree 
out 
of 
his 
mere 
love 
for 
the 
praise 
of 
his 
glorious 
grace, 
to 
be 
manifested 
in 
due 
time, 
hath 
elected 
some 
angels 
to 
glory, 
and 
in 
Christ 
hath 
chosen 
some 
men 
to 
eternal 
life 
and 
the 
means 
thereof; 
and 
also, 
according 
to 
his 
sovereign 
power 
and 
the 
unsearchable 
counsel 
of 
his 
own 
will 
(whereby 
he 
extendeth 
or 
withholdeth 
favor 
as 
he 
pleaseth) 
hath 
passed 
by 
and 
foreordained 
the 
rest 
to 
dishonor 
and 
wrath, 
to 
be 
for 
their 
sin 
inflicted, 
to 
the 
praise 
of 
the 
glory 
of 
his 
justice." 
Mr. 
Morrow 
closed 
the 
book 
with 
a 
slam, 
held 
it 
up 
and 
said: 
I 
I 
I, 
for 
one, 
can't 
swallow 
that 
doctrine, 
and 
I 
won't 
have 
it 
forced 
down 
my 
throat. 
God 
never 
gave 
such 
a 
doctrine. 
It 
is 
of 
the 
devil. 
It 
would 
drive 
mon 
to 
the 
devil 
instead 
of 
bringing 
them 
to 
God." 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
CONGREGATIONALISTS 
CONFESS 
THE 
CHANGE 
The 
following 
extract 
from 
The 
Congregationalist, 
put 
in 
the 
mildest 
possible 
form, 
shows 
how 
important 
teachings 
have 
been 
abandoned. 
Some 
of 
these 
are 
improvements 
in 
that 
some 
errors 
are 
less 
tenaciously 
held; 
but 
with 
the 
rejected 
and 
incongruous 
errOrs 
went 
truths 
most 
vital-most 
essential 
ttl 
true 
Christian 
faith 
and 
necessary 
as 
a 
basis 
for 
Christian 
con­ 
duct 
and 
zeal 
for 
divine 
service. 
N 
ate 
the 
difference 
between 
what 
"our 
fathers 
believed" 
and 
what 
"we 
believe." 
We 
quote:- 
I 
l 
As 
to 
our 
belief 
in 
Christ-our 
fathers 
looked 
up 
to 
him 
as 
the 
second 
person 
in 
the 
trinity, 
seated 
at 
the 
right 
hand 
of 
the 
throne 
of 
God 
the 
Father, 
after 
having 
purchased 
the 
forgiYeness 
of 
our 
sins 
and 
the 
remission 
of 
sentence 
of 
eternal 
death 
by 
his 
death 
on 
the 
cross 
and 
his 
resurrection 
from 
th.e 
tomb. 
We 
see 
in 
h:m 
who 
is 
the 
ideal 
man, 
the 
Father 
mam­ 
fested 
to 
human 
apprehension, 
the 
unique 
revelation 
of 
God 
to 
men. 
Through 
him 
we 
know 
God 
and 
we 
worship 
the 
Father 
in 
him. 
We 
do 
not 
attempt 
to 
put 
into 
exact 
forms 
of 
state­ 
ment 
the 
relations 
between 
the 
Father, 
Son 
and 
holy 
Spirit, 
whose 
manifestation 
as 
God 
we 
see 
in 
Jesus 
Christ. 
To 
quote 
Professor 
Walker 
here: 
I 
Whether 
by 
virgin 
birth, 
by 
pre­ 
existence 
as 
the 
eternal 
Logos, 
by 
enduement 
at 
baptism, 
by 
Davidic 
descent, 
by 
all 
these 
lines 
of 
argument 
combined, 
or 
by 
others 
like 
his 
sinlessness 
and 
moral 
oneness 
with 
the 
Fath.er, 
that 
unity 
is 
to 
be 
explained 
or 
no, 
the 
great 
truth 
to 
whICh 
these 
interpretations 
bear 
witness 
is 
the 
fundamental 
fnet 
of 
Uhristianity--that 
of 
the 
incarnation. 
Its 
explication 
is 
rela­ 
tively 
a 
matter 
of 
speculation; 
its 
reality 
is 
of 
prime 
impor­ 
tance. 
' 
, 
'Our 
fathers 
regarded 
man 
as 
created 
perfect 
in 
one 
human 
pair, 
who 
by 
wilful 
disobedience 
to 
a 
divine 
command 
corrupted 
and 
brought 
sentence 
of 
eternal 
death 
on 
the 
whole 
human 
race 
descended 
from 
them. 
Our 
fathers 
believed 
that 
Jesus 
Christ 
coming 
as 
God 
in 
a 
human 
form 
begotten 
through 
the 
power 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
and 
born 
of 
the 
Virgin 
Mary, 
by 
his 
sufferings 
and 
physical 
death 
inflicted 
on 
him 
by 
men, 
endured 
the 
equivalent 
of 
the 
punishment 
of 
sinners 
senten('ed 
to 
eternal 
death, 
and 
delivered 
from 
it 
certain 
members 
of 
the 
race 
foreordained 
to 
be 
saved. 
We 
believe 
that 
Jesus 
Christ 
the 
son 
of 
God 
living, 
suffering, 
and 
dying 
as 
a 
man 
among 
men 
revealed 
the 
self-sacrificing 
love 
of 
God 
for 
his 
children, 
who 
include 
all 
mankind, 
and 
that 
this 
manifestation 
continued 
through 
the 
Spirit 
of 
God 
in 
and 
among 
men, 
is 
teaching 
sin­ 
ners 
the 
nature 
of 
sin 
and 
the 
character 
of 
God, 
and 
is 
draw­ 
ing 
all 
men 
unto 
him. 
"Our 
fathers 
believed 
that 
the 
New 
Testament 
revealed 
the 
divine 
plan 
and 
pattern 
of 
Christ's 
churcb 
on 
earth, 
and 
that 
it 
was 
Congregational 
in 
its 
organization. 
We 
believe 
that 
the 
Congregational 
order 
is 
best 
suited 
to 
the 
Christian 
development 
of 
the 
individual, 
to 
I 
intelligent 
discipleship, 
mutual 
responsibility, 
direct 
loyalty 
to 
Christ 
alone, 
full 
rounded 
Christian 
manhood.' 
We 
hold, 
however, 
that 
whenever 
and 
wherever 
modifications 
of 
this 
order 
are 
found 
to 
be 
best 
suited 
to 
advance 
the 
kingdom 
of 
Christ 
they 
should 
be 
adopted, 
and 
that 
the 
disciples 
of 
Christ 
of 
all 
denominations 
should 
work 
together 
as 
far 
as 
is 
practicable 
to 
show 
their 
unity 
in 
spirit 
and 
to 
bring 
his 
kingdom 
to 
perfection. 
. 
. 
. 
l 
'Our 
fathers 
believed 
that 
men 
could 
be 
saved 
only 
by 
believing 
on 
Jesus 
before 
they 
died. 
The 
theological 
contro­ 
versies 
of 
the 
last 
twenty-five 
years 
have 
resulted 
at 
least 
in 
toleration 
for 
Christians 
who 
express 
a 
reasonable 
hop'e 
that 
those 
who 
die 
without 
knowledge 
of 
Christ 
may 
not 
have 
closed 
their 
probation 
in 
this 
life. 
The 
tendency 
thus 
indicated 
has 
gone 
so 
far 
that 
some 
Congregationalists, 
who 
believe, 
as 
all 
Christians 
do, 
in 
the 
final 
triumph 
of 
righteousness 
over 
sin, 
nold 
also 
that 
it 
is 
not 
an 
unwarranted 
hope 
that 
this 
triumph 
may 
include 
the 
final 
redemption 
from 
sin 
of 
all 
the 
children 
of 
God." 
~STERIAL 
DISHONESTY 
RESPONSIBLE 
We 
charge 
that 
this 
spiritual 
decline 
and 
loss 
of 
faith 
in 
the 
Bible 
is 
the 
resnlt 
of 
dishonesty 
amongst 
the 
professed 
[3846] 
(271-275) is open only during this Gospel age, and that the highway of holiness belongs to the next age. While rejoicing that the world, now unwilling to travel the narrow way, will have the glorious opportunities of the highway by and by, let us rejoice that the great favor of God respecting this narrow way has been brought to our attention, and that it is our privilege to ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLecHENY, Pa, walk in the footsteps of Jesus, with the assurance of his assistance all the journey through to the farther end, and with the gracious promise of life eternal and participation in the kingdom, ‘‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself [let him sacrifice himself, his personal interests, ambitions, ete.], and take up his cross and follow me.’’ Vou, XXVII ALLEGHENY, PA., SEPTEMBER 1, 1906 No. 17 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CONSCIENCE A BARRIER TO PEACE Although the Presbyterians and the Cumberland Presbyterians have officially united, there is some dissension. At Warrensburg, Mo., each denomination had a church edifice, and both had influential members. The union program was that the Cumberland meeting house should be used, but a majority of the Cumberland congregation (128 out of 230) objected to the union and locked the building against the Unionists and notified them that it could not be so used. The ground of objection is that although the Presbyterians have adopted a new statement of their faith, which is unobjectionable, they still hold on to the old ‘‘ Westminster Confession of Faith,’’ which these Cumberland Presbyterians cannot conscientiously endorse. Asked what particular portion of the Confession stung their consciences into disunion, one of their leaders, W. K. Morrow, produced the Presbyterian Higher Catechism and read the following: ‘*God’s decrees are the wise, free and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning angels and men. “God by an eternal and immutable decree out of his mere love for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory, and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life and the means thereof; and also, according to his sovereign powcr and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth) hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.’’ an Morrow closed the book with a slam, held it up and said: “‘T, for one, can’t swallow that doctrine, and I won’t have it forced down my throat. God never gave such a doctrine. It is of the devil. It would drive men to the devil instead of bringing them to God.’’ * * * The pity is that so many Christians are not so conscientious, but willing to stultify themselves for the sake of unity. The B ble rule is, ‘‘First pure, then peaceable’’; and if it were strictly followed there would be a religious earthquake which would lead to true peace and unity. THE LACK FELT—CRYING ALOUD While some Christian people are so busied with forwarding Federative Christian Union and in performing ‘‘many wonderful works’’ (Matt. 7:22) that they do not feel the loss of spiritual power in Churchianity, others more alert to the true situation are erying aloud of their distress, Thus, for instance, The Chrisitan Work and Evangelist (New York) says: “*The great need ws to make the church mean in present conditions what Christianity meant to the world ages ago. This is the real reform needed. But, strange to say, there is no effort made in this direction. Instead, schemes of expedieney are resorted to. In their last analysis institutional church efforts, young people’s movement, church federation and the endowment of churches are such schemes primarily designed to gloss over glaring weaknesses, and to stimulate flagging interests. These efforts offer nothing for improving the ethical status of organized religion or for restoring the spirit of primitive Christianity. These efforts do not make the church mean in the new condition what the early Christian church meant ages ago.’’ * * * The real trouble is recognized by but few: it is the loss of the ‘‘faith once delivered to the saints.’’ Twenty-eight years ago faith in the teachings of the Bible began to suffer from the teachings of the Evolutionists and the Higher Critics. As a result faith in the divine revelation has waned, and Christian zeal and godly living in proportion, The Bible discredited, faith has no proper anchorage, and as our Lord said of the Samaritans, ‘‘Ye believe ye know not what!’’ Thus, many well-intentioned people are in a pitiable condition so far as religious conviction is concerned. CONGREGATIONALISTS CONFESS THE CHANGE The following extract from The Congregationalist, put in the mildest possible form, shows how important teachings have been abandoned. Some of these are improvements in that some errors are less tenaciously held; but with the rejected and incongruous errors went truths most vital—most essential tu true Christian faith and necessary as a basis for Christian conduet and zeal for divine service. Note the difference between what ‘‘our fathers believed’’ and what ‘‘we believe.’’ We quote :—~ ‘*As to our belief in Christ—our fathers looked up to him as the second person in the trinity, seated at the right hand of the throne of God the Father, after having purchased the forgiveness of our sins and the remission of sentence of eternal death by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the tomb. We see in h:m who is the ideal man, the Father manifested to human apprehension, the unique revelation of God to men. Through him we know God and we worship the Father in him. We do not attempt to put into exact forms of statement the relations between the Father, Son and holy Spirit, whose manifestation as God we see in Jesus Christ. To quote Professor Walker here: ‘Whether by virgin birth, by preexistence as the eternal Logos, by enduement at baptism, by Davidie descent, by all these lines of argument combined, or by others like his sinlessness and moral oneness with the Father, that unity is to be explained or no, the great truth to which these interpretations bear witness is the fundamental fact of Christianity—that of the incarnation. Its explication is relatively a matter of speculation; its reality is of prime importance.’ ‘‘Our fathers regarded man as created perfect in one human pair, who by wilful disobedience to a divine command corrupted and brought sentence of eternal death on the whole human race descended from them. Our fathers believed that Jesus Christ coming as God in a human form begotten through the power of the holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, by his sufferings and physical death inflicted on him by men, endured the equivalent of the punishment of sinners sentenced to eternal death, and delivered from it certain members of the race foreordained to be saved. We believe that Jesus Christ the son of God living, suffering, and dying as a man among men revealed the self-sacrificing love of God for his children, who include all mankind, and that this manifestation continued through the Spirit of God in and among men, is teaching sinners the nature of sin and the character of God, and is drawing all men unto him. . . . ‘‘Our fathers believed that the New Testament revealed the divine plan and pattern of Christ’s church on earth, and that it was Congregational in its organization. We believe that the Congregational order is best suited to the Christian development of the individual, to ‘intelligent discipleship, mutual responsibility, direct loyalty to Christ alone, full rounded Christian manhood.’ We hold, however, that whenever and wherever modifications of this order are found to be best suited to advance the kingdom of Christ they should be adopted, and that the disciples of Christ of all denominations should work together as far as is practicable to show their unity in spirit and to bring his kingdom to perfection. . . . ‘*Our fathers believed that men could be saved only by believing on Jesus before they died. The theological controversies of the last twenty-five years have resulted at least in toleration for Christians who express a reasonable hope that those who die without knowledge of Christ may not have closed their probation in this life. The tendency thus indicated has gone so far that some Congregationalists, who believe, as all Christians do, in the final triumph of righteousness over sin, nold also that it is not an unwarranted hope that this triumph may inelude the final redemption from sin of all the children of God.’’ MINISTERIAL DISHONESTY RESPONSIBLE We charge that this spiritual decline and loss of faith in the Bible is the result of dishonesty amongst the professed [3846]

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