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May 1s, 1914 restrains, so that the worst things cannot come to pass until his due time, and he overrules to bring those into power who will have the disposition to do what he purposes to permit THE WATCH TOWER (159-163) when his due time has arrived. However, since the Lord does not explain to us just how he does this, it would be wise for us not to be too emphatic in our statements. SOME, INTERESTING LETTERS SOUNDS A NOTE OF WARNING Dear Brother Russell: — A peculiar cireumstanee occurred here in the Ecclesia on Sunday, March 15th, which I think should be brought to your attention. Just what it portends or just how far the several versions are to be relied upon, I cannot say; but as it appears to be in line with numerous warnings issued through THE Warton Towrr for years past, I will state the facts upon which there appears to be unanimity. It is the custom of the parents in this Ecclesia to allow the children to play during meeting hours in the ante-rooms adjoining our main hall. On this particular afternoon after the Berean Lesson had been in progress for some little time a commotion was heard in the children’s room, mingled with screams of fright. One of the sisters was just entering the building when the matter started, and rushing into the room found several of the children hysterical, others cowering in abject. fear with heads covered, and all greatly alarmed. When pressed for an explanation they stated that they had seen ‘fa ghost.’’? The older ones, better informed, declared they had seen a demon materialized, and that several arms had appeared protruding from the bare walls of the room. They deelared that when they began to ery and shout, the apparition disappeared in the air. It required some little persuasion to quict them and to furnish solace in the suggestion that the Lord would not permit harm to come to the children of consecrated parents. Besides this cireumstanee, two of the brothers in the class have had particularly heavy trials through semi-materializations of the demons within the last few weeks. Another brother who, I understand, has been clandestinely attending ‘“Pongues of Fire’’ meetings on different occasions, suddenly became insane a few weeks ago and was sent to the asylum. His sad case gives many evidences of obsession. Too many of the dear friends only half-heartedly accept the plain Seriptural teachings respecting the actual existence of thése evil personalities and their pernicious activities. Some of these are in danger of severe testings from this source. Would it not be well to sound a warning? Can this sudden inerease of aetivity on the part of these evil spirits, reports of which are coming from many sources, be premonitory of the ‘‘loosing of the winds’’ in the very near future? God help us all to have on the ‘‘whole armor and to stand in the evil day.’?’ The Vow is still as valuable a factor in this ‘‘ wrestling Vou. XXXV DR. ABBOTT’S OUTLOOK ‘CA minister asks a question which I may summarize thus: How ean one who has aecepted the newer thinking in theology so present it as to satisfy the desires of those who are longing for the old religion? It is a question which a great many ministers and some laymen are asking. The answer involves a consideration of the use and value of sermons and chureh services. * * * “One reason why many naturally devout persons have discontinued church attendance is because the church service for them no longer promotes the religious life. It seems to them unreal. They still wish to do justly, to love merey, and to walk reverently, but the church service does not help them to do so. They have abandoned the church, but they have not abandoned religion. To bring them back to the ehurch the church must somehow put new life into its services. It must make its expression of the religious feeling more effective in promoting the religious life. * * * ‘“When astronomy compelled a new theory of the universe, and modern biology and anthropology a new theory of the origin of man and of sin, and modern criticism a new theory of the Bible, and modern sociology a new theory of redemption, the Puritan churehes began of necessity to construct a new theology. The ministers who were familiar with modern discovery and the modern mind began to teach a new philosophy of religion, * + * ““We no longer express penitence, thanksgiving, and con / BROOKLYN, N. Y., JUNE 1, 1914 ; VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER against principalities,’’ ete., in exalted positions, as it was the day I made it my own. With Christian love, your servant, A SOFT ANSWER Below is a copy of a letter sent by one brother to another in the endeavor to effect a reconciliation. We commend it: Dear Brother:— Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord be unto you! What is it, dear Brother, that has caused this difference between us? As brethren of the Lord we should not devour one another; for that is the spirit of the world, and as the Apostle says in Galatians 5:15, there is a likelihood of our being consumed one of another: ‘‘Take heed that ye be not consumed one of another,’’ urges the Apostle. What if, in our appreciation of the liberty that is ours, and of which we know through the Gospel, we should reach the point where we would be so contentions for our libertics, great and small, that we would consume some brethren for whom Christ died! What if in injuring another, the spirit of strife should so react upon us as to poison our own spiritual lives, and we also should be consumed, lost, as respects the gracious things to which the Lord has invited us and for which we have been running in the race! Now, dear Brother, let the Apostle’s words ring in our hearts, ‘‘Lest ye be consumed one of another.’’ With this thought before our minds, let us more and more put on the armor of God to fight against our own fleshly weaknesses and to fight for our dear brethren, assisting them by example and by precept to war a good warfare also against the world, the ficsh and the adversary. Nearly all these contentions come through some misunderstanding. Neither you nor I have a desire to injure each other, but we earnestly desire each other’s good. For what I have done in any way to hurt your feelings in the past, I heartily ask your forgiveness; aud believe me, I do the same with you, remembering Matthew 7:1, 2 and 6:14-16. If our views are correct, dear Brother (I really believe they are), with regard to 1914, we have no time to lose; and as the Apostle says, ‘‘There should be no schism in the body; but the members should have the same care one for another.’’ Now let me conclude with love, and Jude 24, 25. Yours by His grace, J. Hopson. Wa. A. BAKER. secration by offering sacrifices. But penitence and thanksgiving and consecration are essentially the same experiences that they were in the days of Ezra. Theology has changed. We no longer believe that man was created perfect six thousand years ago, and that sin came into the world as the result of the fact that a woman was persuaded by a serpent to cat a forbidden fruit. But doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are essentially what they were in the days of Abraham. ‘‘TIn our time there are a number of self-saertficing and devoted philanthropists and teachers who have discarded both worship and theology and are endeavoring to promote the higher life by ethical instruction, illustrated and enforeed by moral example. But while they endeavor to promote doing justly and loving mercy, they make no effort to promote reverent comradeship with God. They substitute the religion cf humanity for the humanity of religion. Some of them are preaching ethical sermons in Christian pulpits. Some of them have come out from the church altogether and are devoting themselves to various forms of social service. They are doing unselfish work for their fellow-men, and in the lives of many of them Christian ministers might well find both example and inspiration, * * * “But I do not believe that ethical culture can take the place of spiritual life. If all that humanity wants is wellregulated conduct, ethical culture might possibly furnish it— though that is doubtful. But that is not all that humanity wans. It wants character. What men think is important; what they feel is more important; but what they are is most [5467]