Publication date
2/15/17
Volume
38
Number
4
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1917/4/1917-4-1.html
 
 
 
FICBaUIoAY 
1, 
1917 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(34-52) 
PBAYDfG 
WISDOM 
I'OB 
PB081W't71'DJ6 
i'JtB 
WOU 
DEAR 
BRETHREN:- 
We 
wish 
to 
Msure 
you 
of 
our 
continued 
love 
and 
loyalty 
in 
the 
Lord; 
and 
that 
you 
will 
have 
our 
support, 
our 
prayers 
and 
matuia! 
things 
as 
we 
have 
ability 
to 
give 
them. 
We 
pray 
that 
the 
wisdom 
from 
above 
may 
be 
yours 
to 
prosecute 
the 
work 
of 
the 
Lord 
tnat 
remains 
to 
be 
done. 
AzTEC 
ECCLEBIA..-New 
Mex. 
LOYAL 
AS 
D 
'l'lDI 
PAS%' 
BELOVED 
IN 
THE 
ANOINTED:- 
We 
wish 
to 
convey 
to 
you 
our 
deep 
Christian 
love, 
with 
mingled 
sorrow. 
We 
rejoice 
to 
know 
that 
the 
loss 
of 
our 
beloved 
Pastor 
is 
his 
gam; 
and 
with 
renewed 
determination 
we 
wish 
to 
assure 
you 
that 
we 
shall 
be 
loyal 
to 
the 
SOCIETY 
as 
in 
the 
past. 
THE 
DENI!!ION 
CLAs8.-Texas. 
DEAR 
BRETHREN:- 
Kindly 
send 
me 
10 
copies 
of 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
Memor- 
ial 
Number. 
II. 
E. 
SPEAR.-Mass. 
ONE 
MILLION 
ALREADY 
ORDERED 
During 
the 
past 
month 
we 
have 
received 
orders 
from 
Ec­ 
clesias 
for 
the 
1917 
Volunteer 
Literature-"The 
World 
on 
Fire"-a.mounting 
to 
over 
one 
million 
copies. 
This 
number 
is 
very 
large; 
but 
many 
classes 
have 
not 
yet 
been 
heard 
from. 
This 
is 
the 
second 
mention 
we 
have 
made 
that 
the 
cluses 
should 
take 
prompt 
action 
in 
advising 
us 
of 
the 
number 
they 
can 
use 
jUdiciously 
for 
Volunteer 
purposes. 
When 
ordering 
please 
mention 
B. 
S. 
M., 
Vol. 
9, 
No. 
1. 
Volunteer 
numbers 
of 
B. 
S. 
M. 
are 
supplied 
free, 
transportation 
charges 
collect. 
While 
the 
presses 
are 
running 
we 
need 
to 
know 
how 
many 
to 
print. 
Orders 
from 
individuals 
will 
be 
received 
where 
there 
are 
no 
classes. 
In 
estimating 
do 
not 
figure 
on 
more 
than 
one 
copy 
to 
each 
English-speaking 
home. 
The 
friends 
will 
better 
realize 
the 
importance 
of 
care 
in 
the 
distribution 
of 
the 
Literature 
this 
year 
when 
we 
inform 
them 
that 
at 
tbe 
present 
cost 
of 
paper 
each 
million 
of 
the 
B. 
S. 
M. 
amounts 
to 
about 
$3,000. 
VOL. 
XXXVIII 
BROOKLY~, 
N. 
Y., 
FEBRUARY 
15,1917 
No.4 
llut 
WATCH 
TOWER 
readers 
are 
not 
ignorant 
of 
what 
will 
fol­ 
low 
the 
realization 
of 
"Church 
Unity," 
which 
would 
not 
be 
genuine 
church 
unity, 
but 
a. 
Federa.tion 
influenced, 
no 
doubt, 
by 
conditions 
of 
a 
threatening 
character 
growing 
out 
of 
the 
European 
War, 
and 
formed 
for 
self-protection 
and 
advance­ 
ment 
at 
almost 
any 
cost.-Revelation 
13:15-17. 
The 
desirability 
of 
oneness 
in 
the 
church 
of 
Christ 
is 
beyond 
dispute. 
The 
impropriety 
of 
sectarianism, 
or 
division, 
is 
after 
centuries 
of 
separation 
generall:r. 
conceded. 
But 
so 
recently 
as 
twenty-five 
years 
ago 
many 
stIll 
defended 
the 
divided 
condi­ 
tion 
as 
being 
helpful. 
Invariably 
they 
pointed 
to 
our 
Lord's 
words, 
"I 
am 
the 
Vine; 
ye 
are 
tbe 
branches. 
Every 
branch 
in 
me 
tbat 
beareth 
fruit, 
he 
purgeth 
it, 
that 
it 
may 
bring 
forth 
more 
fruit." 
(Jobn 
15:1-5) 
It 
was 
claimed 
that 
the 
denomin­ 
ations 
are 
the 
branches. 
But 
the 
teaching 
of 
the 
Master 
here 
in 
that 
bis 
people 
are 
related 
to 
him 
in 
an 
individual 
sense, 
and 
not 
as 
parties, 
secta.. 
or 
denominations. 
St. 
Paul 
sets 
forth 
the 
same 
great 
truth, 
declaring 
that 
Christ 
Jesus 
is 
the 
Head 
of 
the 
church 
which 
is 
his 
body; 
and 
that 
as 
the 
human 
body 
bas 
many 
members 
under 
the 
full 
control 
of 
the 
head, 
except 
when 
diseased, 
so 
tbe 
church, 
as 
members 
in 
particular 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ, 
are 
all 
to 
be 
subject 
to 
tbe 
Lord 
as 
their 
Head. 
They 
are 
to 
be 
so 
con­ 
nected 
to 
their 
Head, 
and 
thus 
with 
each 
other, 
that 
when 
one 
suffers, 
all 
suffer 
with 
him, 
and 
when 
one 
rejoices, 
all 
rejoice 
with 
him, 
because 
they 
have 
fellowship 
'in 
the 
one 
Spirit 
of 
the 
Head. 
This 
true 
church 
has 
never 
been 
divided. 
Each 
member 
is 
united 
with 
the 
Lord, 
the 
Head, 
and 
through 
him 
to 
every 
other 
member 
of 
his 
body, 
wbich 
is 
the 
church. 
In 
this 
church 
thh 
e 
has 
alway8 
been 
mainta.ined 
one 
Lord 
Jesus­ 
one 
faith, 
his 
word 
of 
promise-and 
one 
baptism, 
consecration 
into 
his 
death.-2 
Timothy 
2: 
11, 
12; 
Ephesians 
4: 
4-6. 
"IMAGE 
OF 
THE 
BEAS'1'''-GlVING 
1'1' 
LIFE 
Recently 
there 
was 
published 
in 
the 
leading 
newspapers 
of 
the 
country 
a 
dispatch 
from 
Washington, 
D. 
C., 
which 
bears 
the 
appearance 
of 
great 
signiflcanee 
to 
many 
of 
our 
readers. 
Several 
copies 
of 
this 
dispatch 
have 
been 
forwarded 
to 
us 
by 
persons 
deeply 
interested 
in 
the 
fulfilment 
of 
prophecies 
re­ 
specting 
Church 
Federation 
and 
in 
the 
manner 
in 
wbich 
the 
impartation 
of 
"life 
unto 
the 
Image 
of 
the 
Beast" 
will 
be 
brought 
about.-Rev. 
13: 
15. 
While 
later 
developments 
will 
doubtless 
hurry 
along 
the 
fulfilment 
of 
Seripture 
relating 
to 
Babylon's 
downfall-"in 
one 
hour"--GOO's 
faithful 
people, 
"the 
wise," 
will 
continue 
to 
walk 
in 
the 
light 
of 
his 
Word 
and 
rejoice 
in 
every 
evidence 
of 
its 
fulfillment, 
remembering 
that 
before 
Zion 
travails, 
she 
shall 
bring 
forth; 
before 
her 
pain 
comes, 
sbe 
shall 
be 
delivered 
of 
a 
man 
child. 
(Isaiah 
66: 
7 
-9) 
The 
Head 
of 
this 
xnan 
child-Cbrist 
Jesus, 
glorified-was 
delivered 
before 
nominal 
fleshly 
Zion's 
travail 
eighteen 
bundred 
years 
ago. 
The 
body­ 
"the 
church 
which 
is. 
his 
body"-shall 
be 
delivered 
prior 
to 
the 
collapse 
of 
nominal 
spiritual 
Zion, 
toward 
which 
we 
be, 
lieve 
Babrlon 
is 
now 
fast 
progressing. 
We 
give 
following 
a 
portion 
0 
the 
article 
referred 
to: 
"Private 
letters 
from 
the 
Vatican, 
received 
by 
Dr. 
A. 
Palmieri 
of 
the 
Library 
of 
Congress; 
a 
recognized 
writer 
on 
ecclesiastical 
subjects, 
announee 
that 
Pope 
Benedict 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
GUAT 
ST:BIDES 
IN 
TEMl'EBANClll 
MOVEmN'.l' 
While 
the 
church 
nominal 
makes 
little 
or 
no 
effort 
to 
cor­ 
reet 
the 
errors 
in 
her 
creeds, 
han~d 
down 
from 
a 
dark 
and 
re­ 
mote 
past, 
but 
exbibits 
a 
declining 
interest 
in 
real 
Bible 
study 
and 
rather 
encourages 
every 
effort 
to 
fasten 
still 
more 
firmly 
upon 
the 
minds 
of 
her 
supporters 
the 
doctrines 
of 
Higher 
Criticism 
and 
Evolution, 
nevertheless 
we 
cannot 
observe 
with 
indifference 
her 
interest 
in 
the 
direction 
of 
placing 
still 
fur· 
ther 
restrictions 
upon 
the 
liquor 
traffic 
in 
the 
various 
States 
and 
territories 
of 
the 
country. 
We 
quote 
from 
the 
Literary 
Digest: 
"The 
past 
twelve 
months 
in 
the 
religiOUS 
world, 
com­ 
ments 
a 
writer 
in 
the 
New 
York 
Herald, 
witnessed 
a 
great 
stride 
forward 
in 
the 
temperance 
movement, 
when 
four 
more 
States 
went 
dry 
at 
tbe 
elections 
in 
November, 
so 
that 
now 
there 
are 
twenty-three 
States 
in 
the 
'dry' 
column. 
In 
this 
connection 
we 
learn 
from 
the 
report 
of 
the 
Board 
of 
Temperance 
of 
the 
Metbodist 
Episcopal 
Church, 
that 
.. 
'The 
Territory 
of 
Alaska, 
by 
a 
5 
to 
3 
vote, 
expressed 
itself 
in 
faTor 
of 
prohibition 
on 
Nbvember 
7, 
Ifl16; 
but 
it 
is 
necessary 
that 
Congress 
put 
the 
policy 
into 
effect, 
as 
that 
body 
reserves 
the 
right 
to 
legislate 
on 
the 
liquor 
question 
for 
Alaska. 
Utah, 
by 
action 
of 
a 
pledged 
Legis­ 
lature, 
will 
pass 
a 
prohibition 
law, 
to 
become 
effective 
August 
1, 
1917. 
Florida, 
also 
by 
pledged 
legislative 
ac­ 
tion, 
will 
submit 
a 
prohibition 
amenament 
to 
the 
Constitu­ 
tion 
to 
be 
voted 
upon 
in 
the 
general 
elections 
of 
1918. 
"'Wyoming 
has 
a 
legislature 
pledged 
to 
prohibition 
submission, 
hut 
the 
details 
of 
its 
aetion 
are 
not 
deter­ 
mined. 
New 
Mexico 
is 
expected 
to 
vote 
upon 
the 
ques­ 
tion 
in 
1918. 
The 
Democratic 
primary 
of 
Texas 
has 
in­ 
structed 
the 
Legislature 
to 
submit 
the 
question 
to 
be 
voted 
upon 
July 
28, 
1917. 
Minnesota 
has 
a 
substantial 
dry 
majority 
in 
its 
Legislature, 
and 
will 
proba.bly 
go 
dry 
in 
1918. 
"'It 
is 
practically 
assured 
that 
Kentucky 
and 
Nevada 
will 
vote 
upon 
probibition, 
but, 
the 
time 
is 
not 
certain. 
Nevada 
will 
almost 
certainly 
go 
dry, 
and 
the 
result 
in 
Kentucky 
cannot 
be 
predicted. 
In 
Missouri 
and 
Indiana 
strong 
effort 
to 
induce 
the 
forthcoming 
sessions 
of 
the 
Legislature 
to 
enact 
statutory 
prohibition 
will 
be 
made. 
Iowa, 
with 
statutory 
prohihition, 
will, 
by 
its 
Legislature, 
submit 
prohibition 
for 
the 
Constitution 
for 
the 
second 
time, 
as 
is 
required 
by 
law 
before 
it 
may 
be 
voted 
upon! 
"In 
evidence 
of 
the 
growtb 
of 
church 
unity, 
our 
Herald. 
informant 
points 
toward 
thc 
merging 
of 
the 
two 
great 
branches 
of 
the 
Metbodist 
church, 
North 
and 
South, 
and 
he 
recalls 
that 
last 
winter 
commissions 
of 
all 
American 
P,-otestant 
churcbes 
met 
at 
Garden 
City, 
L. 
1., 
for 
the 
first 
time, 
and 
adopted 
a 
general 
platform 
on 
which 
it 
recom­ 
mended 
that 
the 
World 
Conference 
on 
Faith 
and 
Order 
proce(!d. 
We 
arc 
reminded 
also 
that 
Pope 
Benedict 
XV. 
sent 
a 
letter 
to 
the 
commissions, 
assuring 
them 
of 
his 
'deep 
interest 
and 
prayers.''' 
TBlI 
ONE 
TRUE 
CHt7BOH 
'Ve 
view 
with 
increasing 
interest 
also 
the 
various 
moves 
made 
during 
the 
past 
year 
in 
the 
direction 
of 
"Church 
Unity." 
[6043] 
TOWER 
Frsrvuary 1, 1917 PEAYING WISDOM FOR PROSECUTING THE WORK DesR BRETHREN :— We wish to assure you of our continued love and loyalty in the Lord; and that you will have our support, our prayers and material things as we have ability to give them. We pray that the wisdom from above may be yours to prosecute the work of the Lord that remains to be done. Aztec Ecctrsta.—New Mex. THE WATCH TOWER (34-52) LOYAL AS IN THE PAST BELOVED IN THE ANOINTED :— We wish to convey to you our deep Christian love, with mingled sorrow. We rejoice to know that the loss of our beloved Pastor is his gain; and with renewed determination we wish to assure you that we shall be loyal to the Socrery as in the past. Tue DEeNIson CLass.—Texas. Dear BRETHREN :— Kindly send me 10 copies of THB WatcH TowER Memoria] Number. H. E. Spean.—Mass. ONE MILLION ALREADY ORDERED During the past month we have received orders from Eeclesias for the 1917 Volunteer Literature—“The World on Fire”—amounting to over one million copies. This number is very large; but many classes have not yet been heard from. This is the second mention we have made that the classes should take prompt action in advising us of the number they can use judiciously for Volunteer purposes. When ordering please mention B. S. M., Vol. 9, No. 1. Volunteer numbers of B. 8. M. are supplied free, transportation charges collect. While the presses are running we need to know how many to print. Orders from individuals will be received where there are no classes. In estimating do not figure on more than one copy to each English-speaking home. The friends will better realize the importance of care in the distribution of the Literature this year when we inform them that at the present cost of paper each million of the B. 8. M. amounts to about $3,000. Vou. XX XVIII BROOKLYN, N. Y., FEBRUARY 15, 1917 No. 4 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER GREAT STRIDES IN TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT While the church nominal makes little or no effort to correct the errors in her ereeds, handed down from a dark and remote past, but exhibits a declining interest in real Bible study and rather encourages every effort to fasten still more firmly upon the minds of her supporters the doctrines of Higher Criticism and Evolution, nevertheless we cannot observe with indifference her interest in the direction of placing still further restrictions upon the liquor traffic in the varioug States and territories of the country. We quote from the Literary igest: “The past twelve months in the religious world, comments a writer in the New York Heraid, witnessed a great stride forward in the temperance movement, when four more States went dry at the elections in November, so that now there are twenty-three States in the ‘dry’ column. In this connection we learn from the report of the Board of Temperance of the Methodist Episcopal Church, that “The Territory of Alaska, by a 5 to 3 vote, expressed itself in favor of prohibition on November 7, 1916; but it ia necessary that Congress put the policy into effect, aa that body reserves the right to legislate on the liquor question for Alaska. Utah, by action of a pledged Legislature, will pass a prohibition law, to become effective August 1, 1917. Florida, also by pledged legislative action, will submit a prohibition amendment to the Constitution to be voted upon in the general elections of 1918. “Wyoming has a legislature pledged to prohibition submission, but the details of its action are not determined. New Mexico is expected to vote upon the question in 1918, The Democratic primary of Texas has instructed the Legislature to submit the question to be voted upon July 28, 1917. Minnesota has a substantial dry majority in its Legislature, and will probably go dry in 1918. “Tt is practically assured that Kentucky and Nevada will vote upon prohibition, but.the time is not certain. Nevada will almost certainly go dry, and the result in Kentucky cannot be predicted. In Missouri and Indiana strong effort to induce the forthcoming sessions of the Legislature to enact statutory prohibition will be made. Iowa, with statutory prohibition, will, by its Legislature, submit prohibition for the Constitution for the second time, as is required by law before it may be voted upon.’ “In evidence of the growth of church unity, our Herald informant points toward the merging of the two great branches of the Methodist church, North and South, and he recalls that last winter commissions of all American Protestant churches met at Garden City, L. I., for the first time, and adopted a general platform on which it recommended that the World Conference on Faith and Order proceed. We are reminded also that Pope Benedict XV. sent a letter to the commissions, assuring them of his ‘deep interest and prayers.’ ” THE ONE TRUE CHURCH We view with increasing interest aleo the various moves made during the past year in the direction of “Church Unity.” But Warcu Tower readers are not ignorant of what will follow the realization of “Church Unity,” which would not be genuine church unity, but a Federation influenced, no doubt, by conditions of a threatening character growing out of the European War, and formed for self-protection and advancement at almost any cost.—Revelation 13:15-17. The desirability of oneness in the church of Christ ig beyond dispute. The impropriety of sectarianism, or division, is after centuries of separation generally conceded. But so recently as twenty-five years ago many stil] defended the divided condition as being helpful. Invariably they pointed to our Lord’s words, “I am the Vine; ye are the branches, Every branch in me that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:1-5) It was claimed that the denominations are the branches. But the teaching of the Master here in that his people are related to him in an individual sense, and not as parties, sects or denominations. St. Paul sets forth the same great truth, declaring that Christ Jesus is the Head of the church which is his body; and that as the human body has many members under the full control of the head, except when diseased, so the church, as members in particular of the body of Christ, are all to be subject to the Lord as their Head. They are to be so connected to their Head, and thus with each other, that when one suffers, all suffer with him, and when one rejoices, all rejoice with him, because they have fellowship in the one Spirit of the Head. This true church has never been divided. Each member is united with the Lord, the Head, and through him to every other member of his body, which is the church. In this church there has always been maintained one Lord Jesus— one faith, his word of promise—and one baptism, consecration into his death.—2 Timothy 2:11, 12; Ephesians 4:4-6. “IMAGE OF THE BEAST’’—GIVING IT LIFE Recently there was published in the leading newspapers of the country a dispatch from Washington, D. C., which bears the appearance of great significance to many of our readers. Several copies of this dispatch have been forwarded to us by persons deeply interested in the fulfilment of prophecies respecting Church Federation and in the manner in which the impartation of “life unto the Image of the Beast” will be brought about.—Rev, 13:15. While later developments will doubtless hurry along the fulfilment of Scripture relating to Babylon’s downfall—“in one hour”-—God’s faithful people, “the wise,” will continue to walk in the light of his Word and rejoice in every evidence of its fulfillment, remembering that before Zion travails, she shall bring forth; before her pain comes, she shall be delivered of a man child. (Isaiah 66:7-9) The Head of this man child—Christ Jesus, glorified—was delivered before nominal fleshly Zion’s trayail eighteen hundred years ago. The body— “the church which is. his body”—shall be delivered prior to the collapse of nominal spiritual Zion, toward which we believe Babylon is now fast progressing. We give following a portion of the article referred to: “Private letters from the Vatican, received by Dr. A. Palmieri of the Library of Congress, a recognized writer on ecclesiastical subjects, announce that Pope Benedict [6043]

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