Publication date
10/15/10
Volume
31
Number
20
The WatchTower
Views From The Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1910/20/1910-20-1.html
 
 
OCTOBER 
1, 
1910 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(317-323) 
In 
what 
sense 
could 
this 
be 
of 
God? 
We 
answer 
that 
it 
is 
of 
God 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
every 
good 
and 
every 
perfect 
gift 
comes 
down 
from 
the 
Father. 
Our 
faith 
must 
have 
a 
founda­ 
tion, 
must 
have 
a 
basis. 
'Ve 
must 
have 
knowledge 
of 
a 
mat­ 
ter 
in 
order 
to 
have 
faith 
in 
it. 
'Ve 
have 
knowledge 
of 
God, 
and 
this 
knowledge 
which 
is 
granted 
us 
as 
a 
grace 
or 
favor 
brings 
us 
to 
the 
place 
where 
we 
are 
enabled 
to 
exercise 
the 
faith. 
The 
faith 
in 
a 
great 
measure 
rests 
upon 
the 
knowledge. 
The 
knowledge 
shows 
us 
God's 
character; 
the 
divine 
Revela­ 
tion 
makes 
known 
to 
us 
certain 
facts 
respecting 
God's 
pur­ 
poses, 
and 
we 
see 
the 
purposes 
thus 
outlined 
to 
be 
in 
harmony 
with 
the 
character 
of 
God, 
and 
this 
enables 
one 
to 
believe 
the 
promises; 
and 
believing 
them, 
we 
are 
enabled 
to 
act 
upon 
them; 
and 
this 
is 
faith. 
So, 
then, 
our 
faith, 
while 
it 
is 
of 
ourselves 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
we 
must 
exercise 
it, 
is 
of 
God 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
he 
supplies 
the 
necessary 
elements 
from 
which 
that 
faith 
is 
to 
be 
compounded. 
IS 
THE 
CHURCH 
A 
ROYAL 
PRIESTHOOD 
NOW? 
Question.-Is 
the 
church 
in 
the 
flesh 
a 
royal 
priesthood? 
L11Wlcer.-\Ye 
recognize 
that 
we 
are 
not 
a 
royal 
priesthood, 
in 
the 
full 
sense 
of 
the 
word, 
yet, 
because 
we 
are 
not 
yet 
cer­ 
tain 
that 
we 
shall 
be 
in 
the 
priesthood 
finally. 
We 
must 
first 
make 
our 
calling 
and 
election 
sure. 
It 
will 
have 
to 
be 
determined 
whether 
we 
shall 
be 
in 
the 
"little 
flock" 
or 
"great 
company"-whether 
priests 
or 
Levites 
-or 
whether 
we 
shall 
be 
worthy 
of 
life 
at 
all. 
Since 
this 
matter, 
then, 
is 
in 
process 
of 
determination 
and 
will 
not 
be 
fully 
settled 
until 
our 
death, 
it 
follows 
that 
we 
are 
not 
in 
the 
fullest 
sense 
of 
the 
word 
officiating 
priests, 
but 
candidates 
for 
this 
priesthood, 
and 
temporarily 
acknowledged 
as 
priests 
and 
counted 
as 
priests-just 
as 
some 
time 
you 
might 
meet 
a 
gen­ 
tleman 
who 
had 
been 
nominated 
for 
Governor. 
By 
way 
of 
compliment 
you 
might 
say, 
"Good 
morning, 
Governor." 
He 
is 
not 
really 
a 
Governor 
yet. 
That 
will 
be 
determined 
by 
the 
election, 
but 
before 
he 
is 
elected 
it 
might 
be 
proper 
or 
cour­ 
teous 
to 
call 
him 
Governor. 
And 
so 
with 
us. 
'Ve 
hope 
we 
shall 
make 
our 
calling 
and 
election 
sure; 
that 
we 
shall 
be 
of 
that 
royal 
priesthood 
in 
the 
fullest 
sense, 
and 
in 
one 
sense 
we 
are 
now 
members 
in 
the 
body, 
in 
that 
we 
have 
already 
received 
a 
begetting 
of 
the 
Spirit, 
acknowledgment 
of 
the 
Lord 
as 
am­ 
bassadors 
of 
God. 
This 
is 
an 
acknowledgment 
in 
one 
sense 
of 
the 
word 
of 
our 
priestly 
office, 
for 
these 
priests 
are 
"ambassa­ 
dors," 
and 
to 
whatever 
extent 
we 
are 
conducting 
ourselves 
as 
ambassadors 
of 
God, 
to 
that 
exent 
we 
are 
priests 
of 
God-of 
the 
probationary 
kind, 
and 
not 
fully 
of 
the 
Melchisedec 
kind, 
which 
we 
shall 
be 
when 
our 
change 
shall 
come 
and 
we 
shall 
be 
like 
our 
Lord. 
\T 
OL 
. 
XXXI 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
OCTOBER 
15, 
1fJ10 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
20 
"PREPARE 
WARI 
WAKE 
UP 
THE 
MIGHTY 
MEN" 
While 
peace 
conferences 
are 
being 
held 
and 
while 
disarma­ 
ments 
are 
being 
consillere,l, 
preparation 
for 
war 
goes 
steadily 
on. 
Germany 
is 
fortifying 
her 
islands 
nearest 
to 
Great 
Britain, 
an<l 
is 
now 
<lemam1ing 
that 
Holland 
shall 
likewise 
fortify 
her 
seacoast. 
'fhe 
apparent 
motive 
behind 
this 
interest 
in 
Holland's 
fortification 
is 
that 
Germany 
proposes 
at 
no 
distant 
day 
to 
make 
Holland 
a 
part 
of 
the 
German 
Empire, 
and 
would 
like 
to 
have 
it 
fortifie<l 
in 
advance. 
This 
woul<l 
bring 
Germany 
within 
a 
few 
hours' 
sail 
of 
British 
ports. 
The 
British 
believe 
that 
it 
is 
the 
intention 
that 
they 
shall 
be 
invaded 
and 
conquered 
and 
made 
a 
German 
Province. 
Undoubtedly 
both 
Holland 
and 
Belgium 
would 
be 
part 
of 
Germany 
today 
were 
it 
not 
for 
Great 
Britain, 
which 
protects 
these 
nations 
as 
a 
barrier 
between 
her 
and 
Ger­ 
many's 
army. 
A 
panicky 
feeling 
prevails 
in 
Great 
Britain. 
We 
make 
an 
extract 
from 
the 
Naval 
and 
Military 
Record, 
the 
writer 
being 
a 
secretary 
of 
the 
National 
Service 
League. 
We 
quote 
as 
follows: 
"We 
want 
a 
million 
men 
with 
six 
months' 
training 
now, 
and 
after 
that 
another 
million 
in 
reserve, 
and 
these 
must 
be 
intact 
when 
all 
our 
regulars 
have 
left 
our 
shores. 
Without 
them 
we 
can 
neither 
figlit 
by 
land 
nor 
sea. 
It 
is 
evident 
to 
all 
but 
to 
our 
ill-informed 
and 
apathetic 
people, 
that 
our 
supremacy 
at 
sea 
is 
slipping 
from 
our 
grasp, 
and 
our 
rivals 
feverishly 
prepare 
to 
dictate 
terms 
when 
we 
are 
least 
expecting 
war. 
"We 
must 
be 
prepared 
to 
send 
500.000 
of 
our 
finest 
man­ 
hood 
and 
maintain 
that 
force 
ahroa<1 
if 
we 
would 
save 
our 
in­ 
terests 
and 
keep 
our 
friends 
in 
Europe. 
By 
191.'5 
Germany 
will 
have 
her 
ports 
and 
naval 
arsenals, 
her 
wharves 
and 
jetties 
and 
her 
fleet 
and 
transports 
really, 
and 
when 
ready 
she 
may 
strike 
like 
lightning. 
Then, 
not 
far 
from 
Waterloo, 
must 
come 
the 
clash 
of 
nations 
fighting 
for 
their 
very 
life. 
"Round 
Holland 
and 
Belgium 
the 
nets 
are 
drawing 
closer 
every 
<lay. 
'Ve 
already 
harbor 
a 
million 
of 
the 
enemy 
within 
the 
gate. 
Our 
politicians 
mostly 
lie, 
or 
dare 
not 
speak 
the 
truth. 
Disaster 
stares 
us 
in 
the 
face. 
At 
the 
outbreak 
of 
war 
our 
food 
supplies 
will 
fail, 
and 
prices 
will 
be 
far 
beyond 
the 
pockets 
of 
the 
poor. 
Employment, 
then, 
will 
cease, 
and 
starving 
millions 
will 
demand 
surrender." 
THE 
METHODISM 
OF 
WESLEY 
VANISHING 
"For 
the 
fourth 
year 
in 
succession 
the 
Wesleyan 
Methodist 
church 
reports 
a 
decrease 
in 
membership, 
running 
into 
thou­ 
san<1s 
each 
year. 
Thousan<ls 
of 
'pious 
persons' 
are 
on 
the 
books, 
some 
paying 
to 
the 
support 
of 
the 
church, 
and 
some 
not. 
In 
the 
course 
of 
time 
many 
of 
these 
paper 
members, 
having 
no 
living 
interest 
in 
the 
church, 
drift 
away, 
an<1 
are 
then 
classed 
amongst 
those 
who 
have 
'ceased 
to 
meet,' 
though 
they 
never 
have 
met 
in 
their 
lives. 
"Many 
others 
are 
still 
retained 
on 
the 
books 
long 
after 
the 
'cease(l-to-meet' 
perio<1, 
the 
pxplanation 
often 
being 
given 
that 
the 
ministpr 
will 
not 
takp 
the 
responsibility 
of 
'unl'1lUrching' 
them. 
A 
time 
at 
length 
comes 
when 
the 
thing 
has 
grown 
to 
be 
such 
a 
palpallie 
farce 
that 
something 
must 
be 
done. 
Besilles, 
chapels 
and 
churches 
are 
assesse<l 
in 
their 
payments 
on 
the 
numbers 
on 
the 
class 
books, 
allli 
grumblings 
begin 
to 
be 
heard 
from 
those 
who 
have 
to 
find 
the 
wherewithal. 
A 
drastic 
prun- 
ing 
then 
takes 
place, 
allll 
decreases 
are 
rpported. 
Those 
who 
maintain 
that 
numbers 
mean 
nothing 
pooh-pooh 
the 
returns. 
'Things 
are 
just 
as 
they 
were,' 
they 
say; 
'but 
honesty 
for 
the 
moment 
has 
prevaile<l.' 
Numbers 
Unreliable 
"There 
is 
truth 
in 
this 
view 
of 
things, 
hut 
not 
the 
whole 
truth. 
The 
plain 
fact 
is 
that 
the 
numbers 
reported 
are 
never 
wholly 
reliable. 
There 
are 
thousan<1s 
of 
others 
on 
the 
class 
books 
whom 
the 
ministers 
know 
right 
well 
are 
not 
genuine 
members, 
but 
whom 
they 
are 
afraid 
to 
strike 
off 
because 
of 
the 
trouble 
their 
action 
might 
bring 
on 
them 
at 
the 
conferences. 
No 
church 
likes 
to 
see 
its 
membership 
declining, 
and 
any 
ten<l­ 
ency 
that 
way 
is 
keenly 
questioned. 
Only 
recently 
the 
writer 
sat 
at 
a 
meeting 
called 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
'pruning' 
where 
many 
worthless 
names 
were 
allowed 
to 
pass 
muster 
through 
that 
un­ 
wholesome 
fear. 
Some 
little 
time 
ago 
the 
writer 
was 
shown 
two 
membership 
tickets 
written 
by 
the 
minister 
for 
two 
people 
who 
had 
been 
dea<l 
a 
considerable 
time, 
an<l 
another 
for 
a 
per­ 
son 
who 
had 
removed 
from 
the 
neighborhood. 
"It 
is 
maintained 
by 
many 
loyal 
Methodists 
that 
a 
true 
and 
faithful 
record 
of 
membership 
would 
prove 
that 
the 
Wesleyan 
Methodist 
church 
is 
far 
more 
seriously 
declining 
than 
the 
re­ 
turns 
to 
be 
discussed 
in 
the 
conferences 
show. 
"The 
causes 
of 
the 
decline 
are 
not 
far 
to 
seek. 
The 
01<1 
Methodism 
of 
.John 
Wesley 
is 
rapi<lly 
vanishing, 
or, 
where 
it 
still 
lingers, 
is 
tabooed 
by 
the 
upper 
circles 
of 
the 
church. 
Not 
only 
that, 
but 
scores 
of 
the 
very 
men 
who 
are 
paid 
to 
main­ 
tain 
it 
are 
constantly 
declaring 
that 
the 
Methollism 
of 
.John 
Wesley 
has 
had 
its 
day, 
and 
that 
it 
is 
not 
respectable 
enough 
for 
the 
age 
in 
which 
we 
live. 
Decline 
in 
Preaching 
"The 
preaching 
in 
the 
Methodist 
pulpits 
is 
another 
cause 
of 
the 
decline. 
There 
may 
be 
more 
scholarly 
men 
in 
thp 
pulpits 
than 
formerly, 
but 
the 
impassioned 
note 
in 
the 
preaching 
com­ 
mon 
amongst 
the 
early 
Methodists, 
has 
almost 
clean 
gone 
out 
of 
the 
sermon. 
And 
this 
is 
acknowledged 
by 
many 
mini~ters 
themselves, 
but, 
in 
explanation, 
they 
will 
tell 
you 
that 
we 
are 
living 
today 
in 
a 
time 
of 
changing 
creeds, 
an<1 
that 
the 
most 
careful 
language 
has 
to 
be 
employed 
in 
dealing 
with 
certain 
great 
themes. 
The 
truth, 
however, 
is 
that 
scores 
of 
ministers 
hardly 
know 
what 
they 
believe, 
and, 
therefore, 
it 
is 
not 
likely 
that 
they 
can 
grow 
impassioned 
over 
something 
of 
which 
they 
have 
only 
a 
very 
hazy 
idea. 
"I 
do 
not 
know 
whether 
they 
are 
right 
or 
not. 
I 
am 
a 
lay­ 
man, 
and 
not 
an 
expert 
in 
theology, 
but 
the 
men 
in 
the 
pulpit 
who 
have 
thrown 
over 
the 
old 
views 
of 
the 
atonement, 
the 
res­ 
urrection 
and 
other 
great 
tenets 
.vhich 
Methodists 
used 
to 
be­ 
lieve 
with 
all 
their 
strength 
C,lIlllot 
exped 
to 
till 
clmrches 
with 
the 
dry 
husks 
which 
they 
offer 
thpir 
('ongrpgations 
instead."­ 
London 
Dispatch. 
DECLINE 
OF 
NON-CONFORMISTS 
IN 
GREAT 
BRITAIN 
Reports 
in 
Great 
Britain 
show 
that 
Baptists, 
Congregation­ 
ists 
and 
the 
various 
Methodist 
denominations 
there 
are 
declin­ 
ing 
in 
numbers 
and 
prestige. 
The 
cause 
of 
this 
is 
not 
far 
to 
see. 
Gradually 
the 
common 
people 
are 
losing 
their 
sectarian 
spirit. 
Those 
once 
told 
directly 
or 
by 
implication 
that 
the 
[4697] 
Ocroser 1, 1910 In what sense could this be of God? We answer that it is of God in the sense that every good and every perfect gift comes down from the Father. Our faith must have a foundation, must have a basis. We must have knowledge of a matter in order to have faith in it. We have knowledge of God, and this knowledge which is granted us as a grace or favor brings us to the place where we are enabled to exercise the faith. The faith in a great measure rests upon the knowledge. The knowledge shows us God’s character; the divine Revelation makes known to us certain facts respecting God’s purposes, and we see the purposes thus outlined to be in harmony with the character of God, and this enables one to believe the promises; and believing them, we are enabled to act upon them, and this is faith. So, then, our faith, while it is of ourselves in the sense that we must exercise it, is of God in the sense that he supplies the necessary elements from which that faith is to be compounded, Is THE CHURCH A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD NOW? Question.—Is the church in the flesh a royal priesthood? Answer,—We recognize that we are not a royal priesthood, in the full sense of the word, yet, because we are not yet certain that we shall be in the priesthood finally. We must first make our calling and election sure. THE WATCH TOWER (317-323) It will have to be determined whether we shall be in the “little flock” or “great company”—whether priests or Levites —or whether we shall be worthy of life at all. Since this matter, then, is in process of determination and will not be fully settled until our death, it follows that we are not in the fullest sense of the word officiating priests, but candidates for this priesthood, and temporarily acknowledged ag priests and counted as priests—just as some time you might meet a gentleman who had been nominated for Governor. By way of compliment you might say, “Good morning, Governor.” He is not really a Governor yet. That will be determined by the election, but before he is elected it might be proper or courteous to call him Governor. And so with us. We hope we shall make our calling and election sure; that we shall be of that royal priesthood in the fullest sense, and in one sense we are now members in the body, in that we have already received a begetting of the Spirit, acknowledgment of the Lord as ambassadors of God. This is an acknowledgment in one sense of the word of our priestly office, for these priests are “ambassadors,” and to whatever extent we are conducting ourselves as ambassadors of God, to that exent we are priests of God—oif the probationary kind, and not fully of the Melchisedec kind, which we shall be when our change shall come and we shall be like our Lord. Vou. XXAT BROOKLYN, N. Y., OCTOBER 15, 1910 No. 20 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER ‘‘PREPARE WAR! WAKE UP THE MIGHTY MEN"’ ing then takes place, and decreases are reported. Those who While peace conferences are being held and while disarmaments are being considered, preparation for war goes steadily on. Germany is fortifying her islands nearest to Great Britain, and is now demanding that Holland shall likewise fortify her seacoast. The apparent motive behind this interest in Holland’s fortification is that Germany proposes at no distant day to make Holland a part of the German Empire, and would like to have it fortified in advance. This would bring Germany within a few hours’ sail of British ports. The British believe that it is the intention that they shall be invaded and conquered and made a German Province. Undoubtedly both Holland and Belgium would be part of Germany today were it not for Great Britain, which protects these nations as a barrier between her and Germany’s army. A panicky feeling prevails in Great Britain. We make an extract from the Naval and Military Record, the writer being a secretary of the National Service League. We quote as follows: “We want a million men with six months’ training now, and after that another million in reserve, and these must be intact when all our regulars have left our shores. Without them we can neither fight by land nor sea. It is evident to all but to our ill-informed and apathetie people, that our supremacy at sea is slipping from our grasp, and our rivals feverishly prepare to dictate terms when we are least expecting war. “We must be prepared to send 500.000 of our finest manhood and maintain that force abroad if we would save our interests and keep our friends in Europe. By 1915 Germany will have her ports and naval arsenals, her wharves and jetties and her fleet and transports ready, and when ready she may strike like lightning. Then, not far from Waterloo, must come the clash of nations fighting for their very life. “Round Holland and Belgium the nets are drawing closer every day. We already harbor a million of the enemy within the gate. Our politicians mostly lie, or dare not speak the truth. Disaster stares us in the face. At the outbreak of war our food supplies will fail, and prices will be far beyond the pockets of the poor. Employment, then, will cease, and starving millions will demand surrender.” THE METHODISM OF WESLEY VANISHING “For the fourth year in succession the Wesleyan Methodist church reports a decrease in membership, running into thousands each year. Thousands of ‘pious persons’ are on the books, some paying to the support of the church, and some not. In the course of time many of these paper members, having no living interest in the church, drift away, and are then classed amongst those who have ‘ceased to mect,’ though they never have met in their lives. “Many others are still retained on the books long after the ‘ceased-to-meet’ period, the explanation often being given that the minister will not take the responsibility of ‘unchurching’ them. A time at length comes when the thing has grown to be such a palpable farce that something must be done. Besides, chapels and churches are assessed in their payments on the numbers on the class books, and grumblings begin to be heard from those who have to find the wherewithal. A drastic prun maintain that numbers mean nothing pooh-pooh the returns. ‘Things are just as they were,’ they say; ‘but honesty for the moment has prevailed.’ Numbers Unreliable “There is truth in this view of things, but not the whole truth. The plain fact is that the numbers reported are never wholly reliable. There are thousands of others on the class books whom the ministers know right well are not genuine members, but whom they are afraid to strike off because of the trouble their action might bring on them at the conferences. No church likes to see its membership declining, and any tendency that way is keenly questioned. Only recently the writer sat at a meeting called for the purpose of ‘pruning’ where many worthless names were allowed to pass muster through that unwholesome fear. Some little time ago the writer was shown two membership tickets written by the minister for two people who had been dead a considerable time, and another for a pergon who had removed from the neighborhood. “It is maintained by many loyal Methodists that a true and faithful record of membership would prove that the Wesleyan Methodist church is far more scriously declining than the returns to be discussed in the conferences show. “The causes of the decline are not far to scek. The old Methodism of John Wesley is rapidly vanishing, or, where it still lingers, is tabooed by the upper circles of the church. Not only that, but scores of the very men who are paid to maintain it are constantly declaring that the Methodism of John Wesley has had its day, and that it is not respectable enough for the age in which we live. Decline in Preaching “The preaching in the Methodist pulpits is another cause of the decline. There may be more scholarly men in the pulpits than formerly, but the impassioned note in the preaching common amongst the early Methodists, has almost clean gone out of the sermon. And this is acknowledged by many ministers themselves, but, in explanation, they will tell you that we are living today in a time of changing ereeds, and that the most careful languaye has to be employed in dealing with certain great themes. The truth, however, is that scores of ministers hardly know what they believe, and, therefore, it is not likely that they can grow impassioned over something of which they have only a very hazy idea. “I do not know whether they are right or not. I am a layman, and not an expert in theology, but the men in the pulpit who have thrown over the old views of the atonement, the resurrection and other great tenets which Methodists used to believe with all their strength cannot expect to fill churches with the dry husks which they offer their congregations instead.”— London Dispatch. DECLINE OF NON-CONFORMISTS IN GREAT BRITAIN Reports in Great Britain show that Baptists, Congregationists and the various Methodist denominations there are declining in numbers and prestige. The cause of this is not far to see. Gradually the common people are losing their sectarian spirit. Those once told directly or by implication that the [4697]

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