Publication date
9/15/11
Volume
32
Number
18
The WatchTower
Views From "The Watch Tower"
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1911/18/1911-18-2.html
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN. 
N. 
Y. 
have 
to 
abi,le 
bv 
the 
terms 
of 
the 
treatv 
an,l 
then 
the 
anll 
to 
accept 
anll 
believe 
thpse 
as 
divine 
revplation 
of 
opium 
traflic 
wili 
cease. 
The 
Chinese 
gov~rnment 
will 
ef- 
the 
divine 
will 
and 
purposes. 
80me 
may 
incline 
to 
say:- 
fpctivply 
slIp!,rpss 
the 
growing 
of 
poppy." 
YOU 
ARE 
A 
CATHOLICl 
In 
the 
sense 
that 
the 
word 
cathoJic 
signifies 
gencral 
THE 
MATTER 
WITH 
THE 
CHURCHES 
instead 
of 
sectarian, 
the 
charge 
would 
be 
correct; 
but 
we 
"'''hat's 
thl' 
mattpr 
with 
the 
chnrchps?" 
.says 
the 
are 
not 
Roman 
Catholic 
any 
more 
than 
Anglican 
Catholic. 
Toledo 
News-Bee: 
"It 
is 
only 
those 
who 
will 
not 
see 
who 
X 
or 
were 
Jesus 
allll 
the 
Apostles 
Roman, 
Greek 
or 
Anglican 
are 
sanguine 
pnou,~h 
to 
maintain 
that 
there 
is 
nothing 
the 
Catholics. 
They 
were 
catholics 
in 
a 
broader 
sense. 
And 
matter 
with 
them. 
For 
it 
is 
blazoned 
in 
actual 
fact, 
so 
we 
strive 
to 
take 
a 
similar 
position, 
ignoring 
national 
as 
that 
hp 
who 
runs 
may 
fl'ad, 
that 
the 
churches, 
judg,ed 
well 
a.s 
sectarian 
boundarips 
and 
lines 
and 
authority. 
The 
merely 
by 
wllat 
they 
havp 
,lone 
outside 
of 
the 
spiritual 
broad 
term 
Christian, 
without 
any 
limitations, 
includes 
the 
realm, 
in 
the 
way 
of 
civic 
and 
social 
betterment, 
have 
catholic 
or 
general 
thought 
and 
is 
quite 
suflicient 
for 
us 
faile,l 
thus 
far 
to 
show 
a,leqllate 
re,sults 
for 
the 
enormous 
:'lnd, 
we 
believe, 
should 
be 
sufficient 
for 
all 
of 
the 
followers 
sums 
they 
have 
invested 
in 
buil<lings, 
an,l 
for 
the 
preach- 
of 
Jesus. 
iug 
of 
the 
gospel 
at 
home 
an,! 
abroad. 
But 
someone 
will 
ask, 
'Vhen 
you 
speak 
of 
the 
one 
true 
"Dr. 
Thomas 
E. 
Green, 
writing 
in 
Hampton's 
on 
'What 
church, 
do 
you 
not 
necessarily 
mean 
the 
Roman 
Catholic 
r 
s 
to 
13!>(' 
0 
Ill.' 
of 
the 
l'rl'ar 
h"I"?' 
savs:- 
church? 
Oh, 
no, 
my 
frien,l; 
there 
were 
plain 
Chri.stians 
,. 
'That 
of 
the 
90,000,000 
pe01;1(' 
in 
this 
country, 
3:l,936,- 
bl'fore 
there 
were 
Roman 
Catholic 
Christians 
or 
Christians 
Hfj 
arp 
('hun'h 
mpmbers 
(census 
report 
of 
1906). 
of 
any 
of 
the 
other 
various 
branches. 
'Ve 
refer 
to 
the 
one 
" 
"l'h:lt 
of 
the 
1,440,000,000 
peopll' 
in 
the 
world, 
a 
bil- 
church 
which 
Jews 
and 
the 
apostles 
estahlishl',l 
on 
the 
l;ou, 
onp 
thousand 
million, 
are 
not 
Christians. 
foun,lation 
of 
their 
teachings 
as 
foun,l 
in 
thc 
Holy 
Scrip- 
" 
'Tlwt 
r.lJllrch 
atten<lan('p 
is 
fa.l1ing 
off. 
It 
nceds 
neither 
tures. 
It 
did 
not 
ignore 
doctrinps, 
but 
admoni,:;hell 
that 
figurps 
nor 
:lrglllllcnt 
to 
pst:lblish 
the 
f:let 
that 
church 
at- 
we 
shoul,l 
conten<l 
earnestly 
for 
the" 
faith 
once 
dl'livc-re,l 
tpn,lancl' 
an,l 
chllf(~h 
worship 
:lrc 
in 
a 
con,lition 
of 
decline. 
to 
the 
saints" 
(Jude 
3), 
V\:hich 
woulll 
be 
sufficient 
for 
the 
Tlw 
l'xpcril'nre 
of 
any 
(,oll1l1lunity 
is 
ample 
proof. 
man 
of 
GOil,-2 
Tim. 
3:17. 
" 
'That 
sinrr 
If/O.) 
the 
('oJ](,etions 
in 
Lon,!on 
churches 
The 
one 
church 
of 
Christ, 
inspired 
by 
the 
true 
f:lith, 
haY!' 
f:lllpn 
off 
:35 
per 
cpnt. 
the 
true 
doctrines 
of 
the 
Bible, 
will 
be 
hounll 
togpther 
" 
'That 
not 
five 
pl'r 
cpnt 
of 
the 
workingmen 
of 
England 
by 
the 
cords 
of 
love, 
fellowship, 
brotherhood, 
"that 
they 
an,l 
Amf'rira 
atten<l 
rhureh. 
all 
may 
be 
one 
as 
thou, 
Father, 
and 
I 
are 
one." 
(John 
" 
'That 
the 
supply 
of 
ministers 
i.s 
rapi,lly 
falling 
off.' 
17: 
11) 
As 
our 
heavenly 
Fathrr 
and 
our 
Lord 
.J 
csus 
110 
"f-io 
much 
for 
that 
part 
of 
it. 
Now 
for 
the 
other: 
The 
not 
nced 
to 
be 
boun.l 
together 
by 
fear 
or 
threat.s, 
so 
like- 
aver:lge 
American 
ministf'r 
l'arns 
less 
than 
half 
the 
wages 
wise 
the 
true 
members 
of 
the 
true 
church 
will 
need 
no 
of 
thf' 
avcrage 
Aml'rican 
hrirkl:lyer. 
such 
bondage 
to 
make 
them 
one 
in 
spirit 
or 
in 
Iloetrines, 
"Amf'ricans 
gi 
VI' 
morc 
libcra 
lly 
for 
missions 
than 
for 
for, 
as 
the 
Master 
saill, 
"Y 
I' 
shall 
know 
the 
truth 
an 
d 
home 
work, 
but 
for 
l'vpry 
'lol1:lr 
]Jut 
in 
the 
'forf'ign 
field' 
the 
truth 
shall 
make 
you 
free." 
The 
secret 
of 
this 
true 
for 
:letual 
mission 
work, 
morf' 
th:ln 
anothf'r 
dollar 
is 
spent 
union 
is 
that 
each 
member 
of 
the 
true 
ehurch 
is 
fully 
con- 
in 
:l,lministration. 
Of 
thf' 
tl'n 
million 
dollar.s 
contrihutei] 
serrated 
to 
God 
am] 
his 
sl'rvice 
anil 
is 
a 
saint 
striving 
for 
in 
this 
country 
for 
missions 
last 
year, 
less 
than 
five 
million 
perfect 
mastery 
over 
his 
flesh 
and 
i.s 
begotten 
of 
the 
holy 
,lollars 
got 
to 
the 
'heathen.' 
Spirit 
and 
its 
holy 
desircs 
for 
rightcousness 
and 
truth, 
"Taking 
a 
certain 
Wisi'onsin 
town 
of 
:l,700 
inhabitants 
taught 
and 
providl'ntially 
overrule,l 
anil 
gui<led 
to 
a 
knowl- 
as 
rl'presf'ntative, 
we 
are 
shown 
1 
~ 
church 
organizations, 
edge 
of 
his 
will 
and 
an 
unllprst:llllling 
of 
his 
'Vord. 
Thus 
the 
1:lrgest 
numhering 
22.) 
rommunicants, 
the 
smallest 
25, 
"they 
shall 
all 
be 
taught 
of 
God," 
This 
is 
the 
holy 
cath- 
kepping 
up 
1] 
church 
builllings 
at 
an 
:lggregate 
cost 
of 
olic 
church. 
All 
of 
its 
memher.s 
will 
he 
taught 
of 
God. 
$10,400 
pPf 
Yf'ar. 
'There 
are 
in 
the 
Unite,l 
States 
14 
kin<ls 
Ah, 
you 
say, 
such 
a 
church 
of 
saints 
would 
not 
number 
of 
Baptists, 
24 
kin'ls 
of 
Lutherans, 
1;") 
kinils 
of 
Methodists 
four 
hun<lrm. 
millions 
.:IS 
we 
now 
boast! 
anll 
12 
kinds 
of 
Presh:dcrians,' 
says 
Dr. 
Green. 
~ 
0, 
we 
reply; 
it 
would 
he 
as 
the 
Master 
declares, 
a 
"To 
rap 
the 
climax 
with 
a 
final 
ah.sunlity, 
he 
cites 
the 
"little 
flock" 
in 
comparison 
to 
thf' 
masses 
of 
humanity 
anll 
fact 
that 
thcrf' 
is 
a 
lone 
southern 
Ml'thodist 
church 
on 
the 
the 
masse.s 
of 
Christianity. 
But 
that 
"little 
flock" 
would 
Manitoha 
hor<lf'r 
an,l 
:In 
equally 
lonesome 
northern 
Pres- 
be 
burning 
and 
shining 
lights 
in 
the 
world, 
as 
the 
Master 
h~·tl'rian 
chur('h 
languishing 
in 
the 
beach 
of 
the 
gulf 
of 
<lerlarcs. 
The 
human 
org:lnizatiolls 
for 
henevoll'nt, 
edu- 
~Iexico." 
* 
rational, 
charitable 
and 
other 
good 
works 
there 
might 
still 
* 
* 
hl', 
but, 
disillusioned, 
they 
would 
no 
longl'r 
style 
themselves 
The 
Toledo 
NewB-Bce 
concludes 
its 
editorial 
above 
by 
churches, 
but 
would 
know 
that 
therl' 
i.s 
hut 
the 
one 
church. 
saying. 
,. 
It 
S,'I'IllS 
('lpar 
:lS 
da~'light 
that 
the 
salvation 
of 
When 
we 
learn 
to 
look 
from 
thl' 
Bihle 
stanllpoint 
we 
thl' 
spets 
lips 
in 
Chri,-ti:1I1 
,'o-opl'r:ltion." 
see 
that 
inside 
and 
outsi,le 
of 
all 
the 
difff'I'ent 
sects 
UlIII 
.Just 
so. 
Thp 
,lispa,p 
is 
:lpp:upnt, 
hut 
the 
rf'al 
cause 
partif'S 
and 
crceds 
of 
Christendom 
there 
is 
just 
surh 
a 
and 
the 
propp 
l' 
fl'Illf'II~' 
:In' 
not 
,liscernell. 
'Vhy 
should 
we 
"little 
flock" 
of 
saintly 
footstep 
followers 
of 
J 
e.'ms. 
These 
plan 
for 
tll(' 
s:llYation 
of 
thp 
sf'ets'l 
Shoul<l 
we 
not 
rather 
are 
the 
true 
church 
as 
Go<l 
sees 
it. 
The 
human 
institu- 
strive 
for 
the 
sa.l\·ation 
of 
tIll' 
peoplc 
who 
for 
so 
long 
tions 
called 
churches, 
while 
containing 
some 
of 
these 
mem- 
ha\'(' 
hpen 
ronfu,sl'<l 
an,] 
mislc,l 
in 
various 
<lirections 
by 
bel'S 
of 
the 
true 
church, 
are 
merely 
social 
clubs 
an,l 
not 
the 
Sl'ets 
:In,l 
the 
rrpe<ls 
of 
the 
"<lark 
ages"~ 
If 
every- 
churches. 
There 
is 
but 
one, 
an<l 
it 
is 
scattered 
everywhere, 
ho,l\' 
:lgrers 
th:lt 
our 
Lord 
and 
the 
Apostles 
recognize<l 
an<l 
yet, 
"The 
Lord 
knoweth 
them 
that 
are 
his.' 
'-2 
Tim. 
onl~' 
the 
true 
churrh, 
"the 
rhurch 
of 
the 
living 
God 
whose 
2:19. 
n:lnlPs 
are 
written 
in 
hf':nen," 
and 
if 
all 
the 
divi- 
THE 
CHURCH'S 
WORK 
FOR 
THE 
WORLD 
sion 
of 
God's 
people 
into 
srcts 
and 
parties 
with 
contradic- 
Ah! 
but, 
says 
one, 
where 
would 
come 
in 
the 
church's 
tory 
cref'lls 
has 
heen 
wrong, 
why 
should 
any 
of 
U.'l 
seek 
work 
for 
the 
world 
~ 
We 
reply: 
God's 
work 
for 
the 
world 
to 
uphold 
or 
to 
save 
the 
spcts 
from 
destruction 
~ 
Surely 
will 
be 
accomplished 
through 
the 
church 
after 
the 
church 
all 
true 
Christi:lns 
should 
nnite 
in 
abolishing 
sectarianism, 
shall 
have 
been 
completed, 
cha.nged, 
glorified, 
in 
the 
king- 
cach 
by 
destroying 
his 
own 
creed 
fences, 
which 
separate 
dam. 
God's 
work 
in 
the 
present 
time 
is 
not 
the 
salvation 
God 
'.s 
professcr] 
people 
into 
various 
more 
or 
less 
antagonistic 
of 
the 
world, 
but 
the 
salvation 
of 
the 
church; 
the 
world's 
little 
companies. 
salvation 
will 
follow 
by 
and 
by 
during 
the 
reign 
of 
Mes· 
The 
proposition 
of 
church 
fedcration 
is 
merely 
a 
method 
siah 
for 
a 
thousand 
years, 
when 
Satan 
shall 
be 
bound; 
then 
of 
sed 
salvation, 
prescrvation, 
the 
very 
thing 
which 
no 
every 
evil 
influence 
will 
be 
restrained 
and 
every 
good 
in- 
true 
Christians 
should 
desire. 
We 
are 
told 
that 
fedcration 
fluence 
let 
loose. 
would 
ignore 
doctrines 
altogether 
and 
merely 
make 
of 
the 
~ow 
the 
church 
is 
to 
make 
herself 
ready 
as 
the 
bride 
different 
sects 
a 
social 
and 
working 
combination 
along 
of 
Christ. 
(Rev. 
19:7) 
Now 
the 
individual 
Christians 
lines 
upon 
which 
all 
could 
agree. 
But 
is 
this 
the 
divine 
are 
called 
upon 
to 
make 
their 
calling 
and 
election 
sure. 
order? 
Would 
not 
this 
be 
substituting 
the 
commandments 
Only 
incidentally, 
and 
not 
as 
their 
chief 
work, 
are 
they 
of 
mrn, 
the 
ferleration, 
for 
the 
doctrines 
of 
Christ 
~ 
Should 
to 
let 
their 
light 
shine 
before 
men. 
Now 
the 
Lord 
'.s 
b1ess- 
we 
not, 
therefore, 
rather 
remember 
the 
Apostle's 
words 
ing 
through 
apostles, 
prophets, 
evangelists, 
teachers, 
is 
which 
assure 
us, 
not 
onl,\' 
that 
there 
is 
but 
one 
church 
of 
exclusively 
for 
the 
edifying 
of 
the 
saints 
for 
the 
work 
the 
living 
God, 
hut 
also 
th:lt 
thf'rc 
is 
hut 
one 
Lord, 
one 
of 
the 
ministry, 
until 
we 
all 
come 
to 
the 
full 
stature 
of 
faith 
and 
one 
baptism, 
onl' 
God 
and 
Father 
over 
all 
and 
the 
Man-the 
Christ 
the 
Anointl',l, 
of 
which 
Jesus 
will 
one 
Lonl 
and 
Savior 
Jesus 
('hristf-Eph. 
4:5, 
6. 
be 
the 
Head 
and 
the' 
church 
the 
memhers 
in 
glory. 
(Eph. 
Manifestly 
it 
is 
our 
dutv 
to 
abandon 
all 
of 
our 
varioU.'l 
4:1:l-14) 
God 
is 
not 
now 
dealing 
by 
force 
to 
compel 
every 
crecds 
formulated 
after 
the 
death 
of 
the 
apostles 
and 
to 
knee 
to 
bow 
and 
every 
tongue 
to 
confess. 
That 
will 
be 
go 
back 
to 
the 
words 
of 
Jesus, 
the 
apost1e-s 
and 
prophets 
by 
and 
by. 
Now 
the 
still, 
small 
voice 
is 
calling 
the 
saintly 
[48781 
THE (355-356) have to abide by the terms of the treaty and then the opium traflic will eease. The Chinese government will effeetively suppress the growing of poppy.’’ THE MATTER WITH THE CHURCHES “‘What’s the matter with the churches?’’ says the Toledo News-Bee: ‘‘It is only those who will not see who are sanguine cnough to maintain that there is nothing the matter with them. For it is blazoned in actual fact, so that he who runs may read, that the churches, judged merely by what they have done outside of the spiritual realm, in the way of civie and social betterment, have failed thus far to show adequate results for the enormous sums they have invested in buildings, and for the preaching of the gospel at home and abroad. ‘Dr, Thomas EK. Green, writing in Hampton’s on ‘What Is to Become of the Preacher?’ says:— ‘'*That of the 90,000,000 people in this country, 32,936,446 are church members (census report of 1906). “e«That of the 1,440,000,000 people in the world, a billion, one thousand million, are not Christians. “« «That church attendanee is falling off. It needs neither figures nor argument to establish the fact that church attendanee and church worship are in a condition of decline. The experience of any community is ample proof. «That since 1905 the collections in London churches have fallen off 35 per cent. “e «That not five per cent of the workingmen of England and America attend ehurch. “« «That the supply of ministers is rapidly falling off.’ “*So much for that part of it. Now for the other: The average American minister earns less than half the wages of the average American bricklayer. ‘Americans give more liberally for missions than for home work, but for every dollar put in the ‘foreign field’ for actual mission work, more than another dollar is spent in administration. Of the ten million dollars contributed in this country for missions last year, less than five million dollars got to the ‘heathen.’ ‘“‘Taking a certain Wisconsin town of 2,700 inhabitants as representative, we are shown 13 church organizations, the largest numbering 225 communicants, the smallest 25, keeping up 11 chureh buildings at an aggregate cost of $10,400 per year. ‘There are in the United States 14 kinds of Baptists, 24 kinds of Lutherans, 15 kinds of Methodists and 12 kinds of Preshvterians,’ says Dr. Green. “To eap the climax with a final absurdity, he cites the fact that there is a lone southern Methodist church on the Manitoba border and an equally lonesome northern Presbvterian church languishing in the beach of the gulf of Mexico.’? * * * The Toledo News-Bee concludes its editorial above by saying, ‘‘It seems clear as daylight that the salvation of the seets lies in Christian co-operation.’’ Just so. The discase is apparent, but the real cause and the proper remedy are not diseerned. Why should we plan for the salvation of the seets? Should we not rather strive for the salvation of the people who for so long have been confused and misled in various directions by the sects and the ereeds of the ‘‘dark ages’’? If everybody agrees that our Lord and the Apostles reeognized only the true church, ‘‘the chureh of the living God whose names are written in heaven,’’ and if all the division of God’s people into sects and parties with contradictory creeds has been wrong, why should any of us seek to uphold or to save the sects from destruction? Surely all true Christians should unite in abolishing sectarianism, cach by destroying his own creed fences, which separate God’s professed people into various more or less antagonistic little companies. The proposition of church federation is merely a method of sect salvation, preservation, the very thing which no true Christians should desire. We are told that federation would ignore doctrines altogether and merely make of the different sects a social and working combination along lines upon which all could agree. But is this the divine order? Would not this be substituting the commandments of men, the federation, for the doctrines of Christ? Should we not, therefore, rather remember the Apostle’s words which assure us, not only that there is but one church of the living God, but also that there is but one Lord, one faith and one baptism, one God and Father over all and one Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ?—Eph. 4:5, 6. Manifestly it is our duty to abandon all of our various ereeds formulated after the death of the apostles and to go back to the words of Jesus, the apostles and prophets WATCH TOWER Brooktyn, N. Y. and to accept and believe these as divine revelation of the divine will and purposes. Some may incline to say:— YOu ARE A CATHOLIC! In the sense that the word catholic signifies general instead of sectarian, the charge would be correct; but we are not Roman Catholic any more than Anglican Catholic. Nor were Jesus and the Apostles Roman, Greek or Anglican Catholics. They were catholics in a broader sense. And we strive to take a similar position, ignoring national as well as sectarian boundaries and lines and authority. The broad term Christian, without any limitations, includes the catholic or general thought and is quite sufficient for us and, we believe, should be sufficient for all of the followers of Jesus. But someone will ask, When you speak of the one true church, do you not necessarily mean the Roman Catholic church? Oh, no, my friend; there were plain Christians before there were Roman Catholic Christians or Christians of any of the other various branches. We refer to the one church which Jesus and the apostles established on the foundation of their teachings as found in the Holy Sceriptures. It did not ignore doctrines, but admonished that we should contend earnestly for the ‘‘faith once delivered to the saints’’ (Jude 3), which would be sufficient for the man of God.—-2 Tim. 3:17. The one church of Christ, inspired by the true faith, the true doctrines of the Bible, will be bound together by the cords of love, fellowship, brotherhood, ‘‘that they all may be one as thou, Father, and I are one.’’ (John 17:11) As our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus do not need to be bound together by fear or threats, so likewise the true members of the true chureh will need no such bondage to make them one in spirit or in doctrines, for, as the Master said, ‘‘Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.’’ The secret of this true union is that each member of the true church is fully consecrated to God and his service and is a saint striving for perfect mastery over his flesh and is begotten of the holy Spirit and its holy desires for righteousness and truth, taught and providentially overruled and guided to a knowledge of his will and an understanding of his Word. Thus ‘‘they shall all be taught of God.’’ This is the holy eatholic church, All of its members will be taught of God. Ah, you say, such a church of saints would not number four hundred millions as we now boast! No, we reply; it would he as the Master declares, a ‘little flock’’ in comparison to the masses of humanity and the masses of Christianity. But that ‘‘little flock’’ would be burning and shining lights in the world, as the Master declares. The human organizations for benevolent, educational, charitable and other good works there might still be, but, disillusioned, they would no longer style themselves churches, but would know that there is but the one church. When we learn to look from the Bible standpoint we see that inside and outside of all the different sects and parties and creeds of Christendom there is just such a ‘little flock’’ of saintly footstep followers of Jesus. These are the true church as God sees it. The human institutions called churches, while containing some of these members of the true church, are merely social clubs and not churches. There is but one, and it is scattered everywhere, and yet, ‘‘The Lord knoweth them that are his,’’—2 Tim. 2:19. THE CHURCH’S WORK FOR THE WORLD Ah! but, says one, where would come in the church’s work for the world? We reply: God’s work for the world will be accomplished through the church after the church shall have been completed, changed, glorified, in the kingdom. God’s work in the present time is not the salvation of the world, but the salvation of the church; the world’s salvation will follow by and by during the reign of Messiah for a thousand years, when Satan shall be bound; then every evil influence will be restrained and every good influence let loose. Now the church is to make herself ready as the bride of Christ. (Rev. 19:7) Now the individual Christians are called upon to make their calling and election sure. Only incidentally, and not as their chief work, are they to let their light shine before men. Now the Lord’s blessing through apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, is exclusively for the edifying of the saints for the work of the ministry, until we all come to the full stature of the Man—the Christ, the Anointed, of which Jesus will be the Head and the chureh the members in glory. (Eph. 4:12-14) God is not now dealing by force to compel every knee to bow and every tongue to confess. That will be by and by. Now the still, small voice is calling the saintly [4878]

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