Publication date
11/15/15
Volume
36
Number
22
The WatchTower
The Editor's November Itinerary
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1915/22/1915-22-1.html
 
 
(334-339) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y. 
which 
well 
illustrates 
the 
confusion 
of 
those 
who 
follow 
the 
creeds 
of 
men 
instead 
of 
the 
Word 
of 
God. 
They 
were.. 
discussing 
the 
state 
of 
the 
dead, 
the 
denomi­ 
nationalist 
arguing 
that 
at 
the 
moment 
of 
death 
everyone 
went 
either 
to 
a 
heaven 
of 
bliss 
or 
to 
a 
hell 
or 
torment, 
while 
our 
Brother 
insisted 
that 
the 
Bible 
taught 
the 
dead 
were 
dead 
until 
time 
for 
the 
awakPning 
at 
the 
second 
coming 
of 
Christ. 
Brother 
W. 
said, 
"Now 
there 
was 
Adam, 
where 
do 
you 
suppose 
he 
went 
at 
the 
time 
of 
his 
death~" 
Mr. 
A. 
replied, 
"Adam 
did 
not 
do 
anything 
very 
heinous, 
and 
even 
after 
he 
was 
driven 
out 
of 
the 
Garden 
of 
Eden 
he 
seemed 
to 
long 
for 
fellowship 
with 
GOd; 
so 
I 
presume 
he 
went 
to 
heaven 
when 
he 
died." 
'fhe 
Brother 
said, 
"But 
look 
here, 
Adam 
was 
the 
one 
who 
got 
all 
the 
rest 
of 
us 
in 
trouble 
by 
his 
disobedience. 
As 
St. 
Paul 
says, 
'By 
the 
disobedience 
of 
one, 
judgment 
came 
upon 
all 
men 
unto 
condemnation,' 
and 
according 
to 
your 
view 
this 
means 
that 
Adam's 
sin 
was 
the 
thing 
which 
started 
millions 
of 
the 
race 
on 
the 
road 
which 
will 
terminate 
in 
an 
eternity 
of 
torture; 
and 
yet 
Adam, 
the 
one 
who 
helped 
to 
send 
them 
there, 
is 
to 
go 
to 
heaven." 
Mr. 
A 
said, 
"That 
is 
so, 
isn't 
itf 
I 
never 
thought 
of 
that 
before. 
Surely 
Adam 
could 
not 
go 
to 
heaven 
after 
that. 
My 
statement 
was 
incorrect; 
Adam 
must 
have 
gone 
to 
hell 
when 
he 
died." 
Brother 
W. 
said, 
"But 
see 
what 
that 
involves 
yon 
in. 
Adam 
merely 
ate 
some 
forbidden 
fruit, 
and 
all 
have 
done 
as 
bad 
things 
as 
that. 
So 
if 
God 
sentenced 
Adam 
to 
such 
an 
awful 
eternity 
for 
such 
a 
little 
thing, 
what 
hope 
can 
the 
rest 
of 
us 
have~" 
The 
gentleman 
answered 
this 
with, 
"That's 
so, 
that's 
so. 
My 
first 
answer 
was 
right, 
Adam 
surely 
went 
to 
heaven." 
Our 
Brother 
replied, 
"If 
that 
is 
true 
then 
it 
involves 
you 
in 
a 
greater 
absurdity 
than 
before. 
Had 
Adam 
been 
obedient 
he 
would 
have 
dwelt 
forever 
in 
that 
perfect 
Paradise, 
the 
Gar­ 
den 
of 
Eden, 
but 
now 
he 
had 
disobeyed 
and 
must 
die, 
and 
in 
consequence 
of 
his 
sin 
he 
was 
to 
get 
something 
far 
better 
than 
he 
ever 
would 
have 
had 
by 
obedience." 
Our 
friend 
in 
his 
confusion 
tried 
to 
correct 
himself 
again 
saying, 
"That 
couldn't 
be; 
that 
would 
be 
inconsistent; 
Adam 
must 
have 
gone 
to 
hell-that's 
the 
correct 
thought." 
Again 
our 
Brother 
hall 
his 
turn: 
"But 
see 
what 
this 
leads 
to. 
Thousands 
of 
years 
ago 
Adam 
sinned 
and 
died, 
while 
to­ 
day 
men 
are 
passing 
into 
death 
who 
have 
had 
far 
more 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
rebellion 
in 
their 
hearts 
than 
Adam 
ever 
had; 
and 
yet 
they 
will 
have 
thousands 
of 
years 
less 
of 
infernal 
agony 
than 
Adam, 
who 
committed 
such 
a 
little 
sin 
in 
comparison. 
Would 
that 
be 
justice~" 
Mr. 
A. 
said, 
"You've 
got 
me 
all 
confused. 
I 
do 
not 
know 
where 
I'm 
at, 
and 
I 
don't 
know 
where 
Adam's 
at 
either." 
How 
well 
this 
brings 
home 
to 
our 
hearts 
the 
fact 
that 
while 
the 
Truth 
is 
"clear 
as 
erysta 
I," 
til(' 
error 
is 
"dear 
as 
mud" 
! 
I 
do 
not 
like 
to 
use 
an 
undignified 
expression 
like 
the 
last, 
but 
it 
takes 
an 
undignified 
statement 
to 
describe 
an 
un­ 
dignified 
system 
of 
doctrine. 
Thanks 
be 
to 
the 
Lord 
who 
has 
lifted 
our 
feet 
out 
of 
the 
mud 
and 
placed 
them 
upon 
the 
Rock! 
With 
many 
prayers 
that 
the 
heavenly 
Father 
will 
continue 
to 
use 
you 
to 
His 
glory 
to 
the 
very 
end 
of 
your 
course, 
I 
remain, 
In 
much 
Christian 
love, 
B. 
H. 
BARTON. 
VOL. 
XXXVI 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
NOVEMBER 
15, 
1915 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
22 
THE 
SIN 
OF 
THE 
CHURCH 
DY 
RT. 
RIW. 
CHARLJ;;S 
D. 
WILI.IAMS 
(Protestant 
Episcopal 
Bishop 
of 
Michigan) 
It 
is 
an 
appalling 
thought 
that 
the 
church 
should 
have 
had 
a 
part 
in 
the 
crime 
of 
Calvary, 
and 
yet 
it 
did, 
and 
that 
the 
chief 
part. 
It 
is 
really 
the 
villain 
in 
the 
plot. 
\\'hat 
was 
the 
sin 
of 
the 
ChllH'h 
that 
crudfied 
Christ? 
Or, 
to 
put 
it 
another 
way, 
what 
are 
the 
characteristics 
of 
a 
per­ 
verted 
religion 
~ 
They 
are 
chiefly 
two: 
1. 
The 
ecclesiastical 
mind. 
2. 
The 
ecclesiastical 
conSCIence. 
The 
ecclesiastical 
mind 
is 
a 
closed 
mind-and 
there 
is 
nothing 
it 
resents 
so 
much 
as 
being 
pried 
open 
to 
receive 
a 
new 
idea. 
Its 
settlell 
rule 
of 
judgment, 
its 
accepted 
test 
of 
truth 
is 
"\\lhat 
is 
new 
is 
ncYer 
true 
and 
what 
is 
true 
is 
never 
new." 
Philip 
Gilbert 
Hamerton 
has 
aptly 
compared 
the 
eon\'entional 
process 
of 
religious 
instruction 
and 
training 
to 
the 
process 
of 
etching 
on 
glass. 
The 
mind 
of 
the 
pupil 
is 
first 
covered 
with 
an 
impervious 
coat 
of 
pious 
prejudice. 
The 
pattcrn 
of 
the 
de­ 
sired 
creed 
is 
then 
carefully 
traced 
with 
the 
stylUS 
of 
author­ 
ity; 
and 
then 
only 
is 
the 
mind 
exposed 
to 
the 
sand-blast 
of 
rpality 
and 
the 
acid 
test 
of 
experience, 
which 
cut 
along 
the 
ex­ 
posed 
lines 
only 
and 
the 
desired 
creed 
is 
indelibly 
engraved 
upon 
the 
mind. 
The 
other 
characteristic 
of 
a 
perverted 
religion 
is 
the 
eceles­ 
iastical 
conscipnce. 
It 
is 
strikingly 
illustrated 
by 
one 
Good 
Friday 
scene. 
A 
procession 
is 
swepping 
through 
the 
streets 
01 
,Jerusalem, 
bound 
for 
the 
Governor's 
Palace. 
\Vho 
compose 
this 
procession? 
Tlwy 
are 
the 
religious 
leaders 
of 
the 
people, 
the 
prominent 
divines, 
the 
chief 
ecclesiastics, 
the 
dignitaries 
and 
prelates 
of 
the 
Chure'h, 
and 
the 
Sanhedrin, 
the 
chief 
re­ 
ligious 
legislative 
body 
of 
the 
nation. 
It 
is 
as 
if 
you 
rolled 
into 
one 
the 
Presbyterian 
General 
Assembly, 
the 
Methodist 
General 
Gonferenc'e, 
the 
Episcopal 
General 
Convention, 
the 
Roman 
Catholic 
Hierarchy, 
and 
the 
House 
of 
Lords, 
with 
the 
whole 
Bench 
of 
Bishops. 
\Yhat 
is 
the 
business 
they 
have 
in 
mind? 
They 
are 
intent 
on 
committing 
the 
greatest 
crime 
in 
history-a 
crime 
at 
which 
the 
whole 
world 
has 
shuddered 
ever 
since. 
They 
would 
crucify 
the 
Son 
of 
God. 
But 
at 
Pilate's 
threshold 
they 
stop. 
Why? 
Ah, 
they 
have 
stumbled 
across 
a 
statute 
with 
a 
penalty, 
a 
canon 
of 
the 
church 
with 
a 
sanction. 
And 
thes<.' 
people 
have 
great 
re­ 
spect 
for 
penalties 
and 
sanctions, 
if 
they 
have 
little 
for 
trutn 
and 
righteousness. 
If 
they 
should 
enter 
a 
h<.'athen 
house 
that 
Passover 
morning. 
they' 
woule1 
become 
ceremoniallv 
defiled 
and 
lmfit 
to 
partake 
of 
the 
sacrament. 
They 
would 
lose 
their 
reputation 
for 
strict 
churchman 
ship. 
Th<.'y 
are 
indpfinitely 
scrupulous 
and 
Htterly 
unprincipled, 
entirely 
sincere 
and 
yet 
completely 
untruthful 
and 
unrighteous, 
pious 
and 
perverted. 
The 
"ecclesiastical 
conscience" 
holds 
the 
precept 
so 
near 
the 
eye 
that 
it 
hides 
the 
principle; 
it 
substitutes 
petty 
thumb­ 
nail 
rules 
for 
the 
funllamental 
law 
of 
righteousness. 
It 
makes 
religiousness 
a 
substitute 
for 
righteousness 
instead 
of 
a 
means 
thereto. 
It 
puts 
technical 
priests 
and 
properties 
in 
the 
place 
of 
character. 
It 
makes 
churchman 
ship 
do 
for 
religion 
and 
"ehurchianity" 
for 
"Christianity." 
And 
the 
ecclesiastical 
conscience 
is 
not 
confined 
to 
the 
church. 
The 
lawyer 
who 
makes 
a 
legality 
his 
test 
instead 
of 
justice; 
the 
merchant 
who 
is 
satisfied 
simply 
to 
eon 
form 
to 
the 
code 
of 
his 
trade, 
whose 
excuse 
for 
any 
dishonesty 
is, 
"Th<.'y 
all 
do 
it"; 
the 
"gentleman" 
or 
"lady" 
who 
puts 
good 
form 
and 
manners 
in 
the 
place 
of 
sincerity 
and 
kindliness 
of 
heart, 
and 
politeness 
in 
the 
place 
of 
courtesy-all 
are 
alike 
animated 
by 
the 
ecclesiastical 
conscience. 
It 
was 
this 
ecclesiastical 
mind 
and 
this 
ecelesiastieal 
con­ 
science 
which 
crucified 
Jesus 
Christ. 
MARCHING 
TO 
UNIVERSAL 
SLAUGHTER-HOUSE 
Again 
we 
quote 
for 
the 
benefit 
·of 
our 
readers, 
truthful 
words 
from 
an 
editorial 
of 
the 
New 
York' 
A 
merican 
as 
follows: 
"\Ve 
are 
living 
today 
in 
a 
time 
more 
trying 
to 
the 
souls 
of 
men 
than 
any 
period 
in 
the 
world's 
history. 
\'171' 
are 
witness­ 
ing, 
in 
the 
war 
which 
involves 
every 
continent 
of 
the 
earth 
in 
the 
direct 
conflict 
of 
arms, 
a 
visitation 
of 
horror 
and 
destruc­ 
tion 
greater 
than 
the 
human 
race 
has 
ever 
suffered 
before. 
From 
North 
America, 
South 
America, 
Europe, 
Asia, 
Africa, 
Austral­ 
asia, 
from 
every 
corner 
of 
the 
earth 
amI 
every 
clime, 
human 
beings 
are 
marching 
to 
the 
universal 
slaughtf'r-house. 
"In 
one 
year 
of 
this 
fearful 
struggle 
billions 
of 
property 
have 
been 
destroyed, 
and 
the 
bloody 
combatants 
already 
claim 
to 
have 
murdered 
or 
maimed 
more 
than 
four 
million 
human 
be­ 
ings. 
This 
is 
all 
in 
one 
year, 
and 
no 
decision 
is 
yet 
in 
sight. 
Neither 
side 
has 
yet 
won 
a 
decisive 
advantage. 
"The 
military 
experts 
believe 
that 
the 
war 
has 
only 
just 
begun. 
Lord 
Kitchener, 
head 
of 
the 
British 
forces, 
declared, 
even 
before 
the 
Russian 
defeats, 
that 
it 
would 
take 
three 
'years 
to 
reduce 
the 
Teutonic 
allies 
and 
the 
Turks. 
while 
the 
dislllter­ 
ested 
military 
experts 
are 
doubtful 
if 
the 
Central 
Empires 
can 
ever 
be 
conquered. 
"The 
French, 
the 
British, 
the 
Russians 
and 
the 
Italians 
are 
waiting 
until 
their 
factories, 
and 
our 
own 
American 
fac­ 
tories. 
can 
equip 
their 
armies 
with 
guns 
and 
ammunition 
which 
they 
need 
in 
order 
to 
bring 
to 
bear 
their 
greatest 
power 
for 
d<.'struc>tion. 
If 
four 
million 
men 
have 
gone 
in 
one 
year 
in 
whieh 
the 
side 
that 
it 
stronger 
in 
numbers 
has 
not 
y<.'t 
brought 
its 
full 
strength 
to 
bear. 
what 
will 
be 
the 
wastage 
in 
human 
life 
if 
they 
fight 
it 
out 
to 
a 
finish? 
"We 
Americans 
are 
neutral. 
But 
are 
we 
not 
interested? 
[5798] 
(334-339) which well illustrates the confusion of those who follow the ereeds of men instead of the Word of God. They were discussing the state of the dead, the denominationalist arguing that at the moment of death everyone went either to a heaven of bliss or to a hell or torment, while our Brother insisted that the Bible taught the dead were dead until time for the awakening at the second coming of Christ. Brother W. said, “Now there was Adam, where do you suppose he went at the time of his death?” Mr. A. replied, “Adam did not do anything very heinous, and even after he was driven out of the Garden of Eden he seemed to long for fellowship with God; so I presume he went to heaven when he died.” The Brother said, “But look here, Adam was the one who got all the rest of us in trouble by his disobedience. As St. Paul says, ‘By the disobedience of one, judgment came upon all men unto condemnation,’ and according to your view this means that Adam’s sin was the thing which started millions of the race on the road which will terminate in an eternity of torture; and yet Adam, the one who helped to send them there, is to go to heaven.” Mr. A said, “That is so, isn’t it? I never thought of that before. Surely Adam could not go to heaven after that. My statement was incorrect; Adam must have gone to hell when he died.” Brother W. said, “But see what that involves you in. Adam merely ate some forbidden fruit, and all have done as bad things as that. So if God sentenced Adam to such an awful eternity for such a little thing, what hope can the rest of us have?” The gentleman answered this with, “That’s so, that’s so. THE WATCH TOWER Brooxiyn, N. Y. My first answer was right, Adam surely went to heaven.” Our Brother replied, “If that is true then it involves you in a greater absurdity than before. Had Adam been obedient he would have dwelt forever in that perfect Paradise, the Garden of Eden, but now he had disobeyed and must die, and in consequence of his sin he was to get something far better than he ever would have had by obedience.” Our friend in his confusion tried to correct himself again saying, “That couldn’t be; that would be inconsistent; Adam must have gone to hell—that’s the correct thought.” Again our Brother had his turn: “But see what this leads to. Thousands of years ago Adam sinned and died, while today men are passing into death who have had far more of the spirit of rebellion in their hearts than Adam ever had; and yet they will have thousands of years less of infernal agony than Adam, who committed such a little sin in comparison. Would that be justice?” Mr. A. said, “You’ve got me all confused. JI do not know where I’m at, and I don’t know where Adam’s at either.” How well this brings home to our hearts the fact that while the Truth is “clear as crystal,” the error is “clear as mud”! I do not like to use an undignified expression like the last, but it takes an undignified statement to describe an undignified system of doctrine. Thanks be to the Lord who has lifted our feet out of the mud and placed them upon the Rock! With many prayers that the heavenly Father will continue to use you to His glory to the very end of your course, I remain, In much Christian love, B. H. Barron. Vou. XXXVI BROOKLYN, N. Y., NOVEMBER 15, 1915 No. 22 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER THE SIN OF THE CHURCH BY RT. REV, CHARLES D, WILLIAMS (Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Michigan) It is an appalling thought that the church should have had a part in the crime of Calvary, and yet it did, and that the chief part. It is really the villain in the plot. What was the sin of the church that crucified Christ? Or, to put it another way, what are the characteristics of a perverted religion: They are chiefly two: 1. The ecclesiastical mind. 2. The ecclesiastical conscience. The ecclesiastical mind is a closed mind—and there is nothing it resents so much as being pried open to receive a new idea, Its settled rule of judgment, its accepted test of truth is “What is new is never true and what is true is never new.” Philip Gilbert Hamerton has aptly compared the conventional process of religious instruction and training to the process of etching on glass. The mind of the pupil is first covered with an impervious coat of pious prejudice. The pattern of the desired ereed is then carefully traced with the stylus of authority; and then only is the mind exposed to the sand-blast of reality and the acid test of experience, which cut along the exposed lines only and the desired creed is indelibly engraved upon the mind. The other characteristic of a perverted religion is the ecclesiastical conscience. It is strikingly illustrated by one Good Friday scene. A procession is sweeping through the streets ot Jerusalem, bound for the Governor’s Palace. Who compose this procession? They are the religious leaders of the people, the prominent divines, the chief ecclesiastics, the dignitaries and prelates of the Church, and the Sanhedrin, the chief religious legislative body of the nation. It is as if you rolled into one the Presbyterian General Assembly, the Methodist General Conference, the Episcopal General Convention, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, and the House of Lords, with the whole Bench of Bishops. What is the business they have in mind? They are intent on committing the greatest crime in history—a crime at which the whole world has shuddered ever since. They would crucify the Son of God. But at Pilate’s threshold they stop. Why? Ah, they have stumbled across a statute with a penalty, a canon of the church with a sanction. And these people have great respect for penalties and sanctions, if they have little for trutn and righteousness. If they should enter a heathen house that Passover morning. they would become ceremonially defiled and unfit to partake of the sacrament, They would lose their reputation for strict churchmanship. They are indefinitely scrupulous and utterly unprincipled, entirely sincere and yet completely untruthful and unrighteous, pious and perverted. The “ecclesiastical conscience” holds the precept so near the eye that it hides the principle; it substitutes petty thumbnail rules for the fundamental law of rightcousness. It makes religiousness a substitute for righteousness instead of a means thereto. It puts technical priests and properties in the place of character. It makes churchmanship do for religion and “churchianity” for “Christianity.” And the ecclesiastical conscience is not confined to the church, The lawyer who makes a legality his test instead of justice; the merchant who is satisfied simply to conform to the code of his trade, whose excuse for any dishonesty is, “They all do it”; the “gentleman” or “lady” who puts good form and manners in the place of sincerity and kindliness of heart, and politeness in the place of courtesy—all are alike animated by the ecclesiastical conscience. Jt was this ecclesiastical mind and this ecclesiastical conscience which crucified Jesus Christ. MARCHING TO UNIVERSAL SLAUGHTER-HOUSE Again we quote for the benefit of our readers, truthful words from an editorial of the New York American as follows: “We are living today in a time more trying to the souls of men than any period in the world’s historv. We are witnessing, in the war which involves every continent of the earth in the direct conflict of arms, a visitation of horror and destruction greater than the human race has ever suffered before. From North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, from every corner of the earth and every clime, human beings are marching to the universal slaughter-house. “In one year of this fearful struggle billions of property have been destroyed, and the bloody combatants already claim to have murdered or maimed more than four million human beings. This is all in one year, and no decision is yet in sight. Neither side has yet won a decisive advantage. “The military experts believe that the war has only just begun. Lord Kitchener, head of the British forces, declared, even before the Russian defeats, that it would take three years to reduce the Teutonic allies and the Turks, while the disinterested military experts are doubtful if the Central Empires can ever be conquered. “The French, the British, the Russians and the Italians are waiting until their factories, and our own American factories, can equip their armies with guns and ammunition which they need in order to bring to bear their greatest power for destruction. If four million men have gone in one year in which the side that it stronger in numbers has not yet brought its full strength to bear, what will be the wastage in human life if they fight it out to a finish? “We Americans are neutral. But are we not interested? [5798]

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