9

1

9

download/literature/watchtower/1907-23.pdf

../literature/watchtower/1907/23/1907-23-1.html

(351-355) in this instance (Nehemiah’s commission) he made a considerable alteration, substituting another date of his own, so as to adapt the reign of Artaxcrxes to his own theory. ‘*The date which stands in our Bibles for the 20th year of Artaxerxes is B. C, 446. This makes the commencement of his reign B. C. 465; but the date fixed by the best and most nearly contemporary historian will put the matter in a different light. Thucydides mentions that the accession of Artaxerxes had taken place before the flight of Themistocles. This authorizes us to adopt Ussher’s date and to place the com mencement of the reign 473 or 474 B. C. This would give the date of 454 or 455 B. C. as his twentieth year and the date of the commission.’’ It appears that Archbishop Ussher was the first to establish the date of Nehemiah’s commission as 454 B. C, as a result of lecturing on the 70 weeks of Daniel in Trinity College, Dublin, in 1613. Other critics who support the date given in DAWN U. are Vitringer, Kruger and Hengstenberg, as well as Tregelles, above quoted. With much love, I remain, Yours in the Lord, J. P. Burns,—England, ‘“‘SCRIPTURE STUDIES’’ AS CHRISTMAS GIFTS DEAR FRIENDS :— It might interest you to know that we are already offering the books for ‘‘Christmas gifts.’’ We find that many secure their Christmas presents several months ahead, and that this month is the one in which many are very pleased to secure ‘“such a beautiful, appropriate, and above all such a reasonable {in price] gift!’’ Often we can get orders for several] sets in one home, in view of the fact that the books make such splendid gifts. Today we got more than one order on this account. We mention this because we think it might help wonderfully during the next six weeks in securing orders from people who would perhaps not buy for their own use. We say, ‘‘Many are taking them for gifts, and it is of course a compliment to a friend’s intelligence to give him a hook, and especially this kind, and you get the three for only 98c!’’ With much Christian love and appreciating more and more the great privilege of laboring in the harvest field, we are, Yours in Him, J. AND L. Hutciinson,—Colporteurs. ————. Vout. XXVIII ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, PA., DECEMBER 1, 1907 ALLEGHENY, Pa, CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME Dear Brother Russell :— Being my Pastor in a very special sense to me, and knowing of your deep interest in all who understand, even to a limited degree, the Harvest Message, I am taking the liberty to write you on a subject that has been on my mind for a long time. I am sorry, very sorry to say it, but many times I have found, on close acquaintance with the brethren in the truth, men who professed full consecration, that they neglected their families so very badly relative to the truth. Seemingly anxious to spread the truth amongst their friends and neighbors, yet they made no provision for their wives, so that they could attend the meetings, and would even talk before the r families in such a way as to leave the impression that maybe the truth was not for their wives and children. I confess this is beyond my comprehension—how a man with brains enough to comprehend the truth, and after reading the six volumes of MILLENNIAL Dawn and the Tower, could or would do or say such! A man ean leave all the cares of the home and the care of the children to a perhaps not too strong wife, and spend all of his spare time while at home reading; and Sunday morning, instead of helping his wife and encouraging her, just get up and eat, dress and leave, and Iet her know he expects a hot dinner when he returns from the class, and it is no wonder she cannot go. It certainly doesn’t look fair to me. Just nominal church people do better than that. From the depths of my heart I pity the man who has the truth and objects to his children attending the nominal church Sunday school and makes no effort to teach his children and never has family prayer unless some of the colportcurs or elders call on him. These things are so. I wish I could believe otherwise. Several cases have come to my personal knowledge where the wife was really hungering for fellowship with the class and heleved all the truth she could understand, and whose husband, while himself attending the class every Sunday, was the real cause that hindered her. I feel confident a special, pointed article from your jen would do good to many. Yours in the service of the King, ——, —Tenn. No. 23 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER GETTING READY FOR FEDERATION Unquestionably the splitting of Christendom into numerous denominations since the Reformation has heen productive of a spirit of moderation in sharp contrast with the period in which many were racked, maimed, burned at the stake, etc., as ‘‘hercties.’’ When we have pointed out that the proposed Fedcration of Religions would again put great power into the hands of a united majority and possibly revive the persecutions of the past, we have been laughed at. We are told that the world has so changed that persecution for religious belief would be unthinkable. Within a month we have heard of two professed ‘‘ ministers of the Gospel’’ whose remarks imply that nothing is lacking but the favorable opportunity for them to light the fires of persecution. Besides the most refined modes of persecution, by slander and ostracism, there may yet he opportunities for as barbaric martyrdoms for the truth’s sake as were practised in our Lord’s day. REV. DR. PATTERSON’S CHRISTIAN LOVE ‘‘There was an exciting episode at the Monday meeting of the Philadelphia ministers, and the Rev. Dr. R. M. Patterson, pastor emeritus, was the centre of it. His assignment was a discourse on John Calvin. He gave the ministers a surprise by advocating capital punishment for other felonies than murder—and for flagrant heresy. According to one reporter, he said: ‘Those who spread blasphemous and immoral] doctrines should also be put to death.’ According to another reporter, he added that burning at the stake was too good for them.’’ The editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, in answer to a query as to the very words of the reverend gentleman, replied (Oct. 18) :— ‘*We are sorry that you should ask us to print the very words used by Rev. Dr. R. M. Patterson in his recent outburst. They were reported as follows: ‘‘If I had my way about it I would have an executioner called in to deal with all heretics and blasphemers. Burning at the stake would be too good for those who revile religion and take the Lord’s name in vain. The growth of heresy is such today that nothing but measures such as this ean stop it.’ ’’ Not all Presbyterians, however, feel so bitterly toward the non-elect heretics; for we read further:— ‘<The Rev. Dr. Henry C. McCook replied to the Rev. Dr. Patterson. ‘My blood boils,’ he said, ‘at what I have just heard, and it astonishes me to think that a Presbyterian minister should utter such sentiments,’ ’’ THE SPIRIT IS WILLING Evidently, some of the ‘‘doctors of the law’’ in our day are as willing to do violence as were those who stoned Stephen. Their spirit is willing but their fiesh is weak—because public sentiment would not stand for it. But we expect to see public sentiment grow in the sume direction under the stimulus of the Federation of the Churches, Recently the Editor preached at Morgantown, W. Va., to a large audience, which gave close attention for more than two hours. Shortly after a man who was present met one of the ministers of that city who asked him if he had heard the discourse. He replied, ‘‘ Yes! and I enjoyed it very much. Did you attendf’’ ‘‘No,’’ replied the minister, ‘‘I would sooner have joined in stoning him out of town!’’ It is presumable that only lack of courage held back this Reverend Doctor of the Law of Love from enjoying himself at our expense. Poor blind leaders of the blind! We are so glad for them that God has a glorious plan in which they may yet share—when ‘‘all the blind eyes shall be opened and all the deaf cars shall be unstopped.’’ Verily it is written, ‘*They that hated you, that cast you out [rejected you] said, Let the Lord be glorified! [We do it for the good of churechianity!] But he [Christ] shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed.’’—TIsaiah 66:5. METHODIST RE-UNION IN ENGLAND By means of re-union a new church was created in Great Britain on September 17. This event, says Dr. Robertson Nicoll in The British Weekly (London), ‘‘was a historie day of the twentieth century and marked an epoch in the Christian church.’’ Three Methodist denominations, known as the Meth [4094]