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ZION'S
WATCH
TOWER
ALLEGHENY,
PA.
in
this
instance
(Nehemiah's
commission)
he
made
a
consider·
able
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
yeal'
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
differ
ent
lIght.
Thucydides
mentions
that
the
accession
of
Artax
erxes
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
estab
lish
the
date
of
Nehemiah's
commission
as
434
B.
C.
as
a
result
of
lecturing
on
the
70
weeks
of
Daniel
in
Trinity
Col
lege,
Dublin,
in
161:3.
Oth('r
critics
who
support
the
date
given
in
DAWN
II.
are
Vitring('r,
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
ar('
already
offering
the
books
for"
Christmas
gifts."
We
find
that
many
secme
their
Chri<;tmas
presents
several
month'!
ah('a,l,
amI
that
this
month
is
the
one
in
whlch
many
are
v('ry
I,l('aseu
to
se('me
"such
it
beautiful,
appropriate,
and
above
all
SUl'h
a
reasonable
[in
price
1
gift!"
Often
we
can
get
orrlers
for
several
sets
in
one
home,
in
view
of
the
fact
that
the
hooks
make
smh
splendid
gifts.
Today
we
got
more
than
one
orrler
on
this
a('count.
We
mention
this
b('cause
we
think
it
might
h('lp
"onderfully
during
the
next
six
weeks
in
secming
ord('rs
from
people
who
would
perhaps
not
huy
for
their
own
lFe.
We
say,
"Many
are
taking
them
for
gifts,
and
it
is
of
('ours('
n
complim('nt
to
a
friend's
int('lIigence
to
give
him
a
hook.
and
especially
this
kind,
and
you
get
the
three
for
only
98c!"
With
much
Christian
lov'1
and
appre('iating
more
and
more
the
great
privilege
of
laboring
in
the
harycst
field,
we
are,
Yours
in
Him,
J.
AND
L.
IIUTCIIINSON,-ColporfC'/lrs.
CHARITY
BEGINS
AT
HOME
Dear
Brother
Russell:-
Being
my
Pastor
in
a
very
special
sense
to
me,
and
know
ing
of
your
de('p
interest
in
all
who
understand,
even
to
a
limited
degree,
the
Harvest
Message,
I
am
taking
the
liberty
to
write
you
on
a
~ubject
that
has
been
on
my
mind
for
a
long
time.
r
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
neifSh
bors,
yet
they
made
110
provision
for
their
wives,
so
that
they
could
attend
the
meetings,
and
would
even
talk
before
the
r
famili('s
in
such
a
"ay
as
to
leave
the
impression
that
maybe
the
truth
was
not
for
their
wives
and
children.
I
confess
this
is
beyond
my
comprehcnsion-how
a
man
with
brains
enough
to
l'Omprehend
the
truth,
and
aft('r
read
ll1g
the
six
volumes
of
MILLENNIAL
D.\WN
and
the
TOWER,
could
or
would
do
or
say
such!
A
man
can
leaye
all
the
carps
of
the
home
:mil
the
('are
of
the
('hiMren
to
a
pprhaps
not
too
strong
wife,
and
spend
all
of
hiR
spare
time
while
at
home
reading;
and
Sunday
morn·
ing,
instead
of
hplping
his
wifc
and
encouraging
her,
just
gl't
up
and
eat,
dress
and
leave,
and
Ipt
her
know
he
expects
a
hot
dinn('r
when
he
r('turns
from
the
class,
and
it
is
no
won
drr
shp
cannot
go.
It
cprtainly
doesn't
look
fair
to
me.
Jnst
nominal
rhurch
people
do
hetter
than
that.
From
the
depths
of
my
heart
I
pity
the
man
who
has
the
truth
and
ohjects
to
his
children
attending
the
nominal
church
Sunday
school
and
makes
no
effort
to
teach
his
children
and
nPH'r
'has
family
rrayer
unless
some
of
the
rolport('UI's
or
('I,ler.;;
('all
on
him.
Th('se
things
arc
so.
I
wish
I
could
be
li
('v('
otherwise.
Rt'H>rnl
('as('s
hav('
comc
to
my
personal
knowledge
where
thr
wifr
was
rp:tlly
hungering
for
fellowship
with
the
cla"s
pll,1
hpl'e\"£',l
all
th('
truth
she
could
understand,
and
whose
l1l1<;],anii,
wh:I('
hims('lf
atteniling
the
plass
('\'ery
Sunday,
was
thl'
rpal
raus('
that
hindered
her.
I
feel
confident
a
special,
pnint(',l
artirle
from
your
I
en
would
do
good
to
many.
Yours
in
the
sel'\-ice
of
the
King,
-
-
,
-Tenn.
VOL.
XXVIII
ALLEGHE~Y,
P
A.,
DECEMBER
1,
1907
VIEWS
FROM
THE
WATCH
TOWER
No.
23
GETTING
BEADY
FOB
FEDERATION
Unquestionably
the
splitting
of
Christendom
into
numer
ous
denominations
sinre
the
Reformation
hns
he('n
pro<lucti\'e
of
a
spirit
of
moileration
in
sharp
contrast
with
the
period
in
Vlhich
many
were
rllck('d,
maimed,
hurned
nt
the
stake,
etc.,
as
"heretics."
When
we
have
pointed
out
that
the
proposed
Federation
Of
Religions
would
a~ain
put
great
power
into
the
hands
of
a
united
majority
au(l
posqihly
revive
the
persecu
tions
of
the
past,
we
have
been
laughed
at.
We
are
told
that
the
world
has
so
changed
that
perscc-utwn
for
religious
belief
would
be
unthinkahle.
Within
a
month
we
have
h('ard
of
two
prof('ssed
"ministers
of
the
Gospel"
whose
remarks
imply
that
nothing
is
lacking
but
the
favorable
opportunity
for
them
to
light
the
fires
of
perserution.
Besides
the
most
refined
modes
of
persecution,
by
slanr1er
and
ostracism,
th('re
may
y('t
he
opportunities
for
as
barbaric
mllTtyrdoms
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
(liseourse
on
John
Calvin.
He
gave
the
ministers
a
surprise
by
ad,ocating
capital
punishment
for
other
felonies
than
murder-and
for
flagrant
her!'sy.
Ar('ording
to
one
reporter,
hI'
said:
'Tho<;e
who
spread
hlasphemouR
and
immoral
doc·
trines
should
also
be
put
to
death.'
A('('ording
to
another
reporter,
h!'
added
that
burning
at
the
stake
was
too
good
for
them.
"
The
eilitor
of
the
PlIiladrlpllin
Inq1tirer,
in
answ('r
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
tlle
very
words
used
by
Rev.
Dr.
R.
M.
Patterson
in
his
re('ent
outburst.
They
were
reported
as
follows:
"If
I
}llld
my
way
ahout
it
I
would
have
an
!'xe('utioner
called
in
to
dpal
with
all
hprptirs
and
blasphemers.
Burning
at
the
stake
would
he
too
good
for
those
who
revile
religion
and
take
the
Lord's
name
in
vain.
The
growth
of
heresy
i<;
SUf'h
today
that
nothing
but
measureq
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
min
ister
should
utter
such
sentiments.'
"
THE
SPIRIT
IS
wn.LING
Evidently,
some
of
the
"doctors
of
the
law"
in
our
day
are
as
willing
to
do
violence
as
were
those
who
stoned
Stephell.
Their
spirit
is
willing
but
their
fiesh
is
weak-because
public
sentiment
would
not
stand
for
it.
But
we
expect
to
see
puhlic
sentiment
grow
in
the
same
direction
under
the
stimulus
of
the
Federation
of
the
Churches.
Recently
the
Editor
preached
at
Morgantown,
W.
Va.,
to
a
large
audience,
whirh
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
I
and
I
enjoyed
it
very
much.
Did
you
attend'"
"No,"
replied
the
minister,
"I
would
sooner
have
joined
in
stoning
him
out
of
town
I
"
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
I
We
are
so
glad
for
them
that
God
has
a
glorious
plan
in
which
they
may
yet
share-when
"all
the
hlind
eyes
shall
be
opened
and
all
the
ileaf
('aI's
shall
he
unstopped."
Verily
it
is
written,
,.
They
that
hated
you,
that
cast
you
out
[rejected
youl
said,
Let
the
Lord
be
glorified!
fWe
do
it
for
the
good
of
church
ianity!
1
But
he
rChristl
shall
appear
to
your
joy
and
they
sball
be
ashamed.
"-Isaiah
66:
5.
METHODIST
BE-UNION
IN
ENGLAND
By
menns
of
re-union
a
new
church
was
created
in
Great
Brita'in
on
Septemher
17.
This
event,
says
Dr.
Robertson
Nirol1
in
The
Britl,~h
WePkly
(London),
"was
a
historic
day
of
the
twentieth
rentury
and
marked
an
epoch
in
the
Ohristian
church.
"
Three
Methodist
denominations,
known
as
the
Meth·
[4094]
(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]
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