Publication date
4/1/19
Volume
40
Number
7
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1919/7/1919-7-1.html
 
 
 
 
(99-100) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
PaTSBeRGH. 
PA. 
out 
submitting 
same 
to 
the 
Board 
of 
Elders 
for 
their 
sanction. 
Yours 
in 
the 
Master's 
service. 
E. 
A. 
McCoSH, 
Seey. 
PB!:SEBVDrG 
THE 
UNITY 
OF 
THE 
S:PIBI'l' 
lJEAB 
BBETIIBEN:- 
It 
is 
with 
plea&ure 
that 
we 
write 
to 
inform 
you 
that 
we 
here 
a.re 
of 
one 
mind 
and 
still 
believe 
that 
the 
Lord 
is 
using 
the 
Society, 
guiding 
its 
affairs. 
The 
last 
Pilgrim's 
visit 
was 
much 
enj~yed, 
and 
bis 
talk 
on 
Faith 
was 
strengthening 
in­ 
del'..d. 
We 
all 
wish 
to 
continue 
faithful, 
ready 
to 
do 
whatever 
the 
Lord 
privileges 
us 
to 
have 
part 
in. 
May 
God 
keep 
and 
comfort 
those 
who 
have 
charge 
of 
the 
Society's 
affairs 
now, 
and 
bless 
all 
his 
little 
ones 
everywhere! 
Yours 
in 
the 
Master's 
service, 
LI:'i'TO~ 
ECCLESu..-Ind. 
VOL. 
XL 
PITTSBUHGH, 
P 
A., 
APRIL 
1, 
1919 
~o. 
'( 
"The 
leadership 
in 
the 
movement 
towards 
organic 
unity 
has 
long 
been 
in 
thc 
hands 
of 
the 
Protestant 
Episcopal 
church. 
Those 
of 
other 
communions 
who 
have 
becn 
interested 
in 
that 
movement 
have 
long 
been 
sitting 
with 
amazing 
humility 
on 
the 
~teps 
of 
the 
Episcopal 
House 
of 
Bishops, 
awaiting 
such 
crumbs 
of 
comfort 
and 
hope 
as 
might 
fall 
from 
the 
:Masters' 
table. 
"The 
Presbyterian 
General 
Assembly 
pick<,d 
up 
the 
aban­ 
doned 
leadership. 
On 
their 
initiative 
the 
reprcsentatives 
of 
thirty-five 
million 
American 
Christians 
met 
reccntly 
at 
Phila­ 
delphia, 
appointed 
committees 
of 
preparation 
and 
summonpr! 
a 
grcat 
meeting 
in 
thc 
n~ar 
future, 
not 
later 
than 
1920, 
to 
take 
action 
for 
such 
a 
praetiea 
1 
organic 
unity 
of 
Ameri('on 
Protestantism 
as 
sha 
11 
be 
eon~istent 
with 
individual 
liberty." 
WILLING 
TO 
SAOBIFICE 
NAME 
AND 
CBEED 
That 
the 
Presbyterian 
Church 
in 
America. 
is 
especially 
in­ 
terested 
in 
the 
church 
unity 
project 
is 
corroborated 
by 
the 
following 
dispatch 
from 
the 
Pittsburgh 
Post 
of 
March 
12th: 
"The 
merger 
of 
the 
Presbyterian 
aud 
United 
Presbyterian 
rllUrcheil 
was 
put 
forwa.rd 
as 
tbe 
logical 
forerunner 
of 
a 
great 
rcligious 
unifying 
movement 
which 
should 
bring 
in 
all 
of 
the 
ten 
or 
twelve 
Pl'e8byteriah 
denolDinations 
and 
possibly 
some 
of 
those 
not 
Presbyterians, 
at 
lalt 
night's 
sesllion 
of 
thc 
pra.yer 
conference 
on 
union. 
Dr. 
Robert 
E. 
Speer 
of 
New 
York, 
member 
of 
the 
board 
of 
foreign 
missions 
of 
the 
Presby­ 
terian 
Church, 
and 
spokesman 
for 
his 
church 
at 
the 
gather­ 
ing, 
ventured 
the 
prediction 
that 
in 
any 
union 
with 
the 
United 
Presbyterian 
his 
chureh 
woidd 
bc 
willing 
to 
sacrifice 
name, 
forms 
and 
prer~ativcs 
which 
need 
be 
sacrificed 
to 
further 
the 
union. 
A 
grea.t 
gathering 
of 
Christian 
bodies 
under 
one 
head 
was 
the" 
idE'al 
that 
Dr. 
Speer 
set 
forth." 
The 
foregoing 
is 
clearly 
in 
fulfillment 
of 
Dible 
prophecy 
as 
interpreted 
by 
Pastor 
Russell 
more 
than 
thirty 
years 
ago. 
Through 
TUE 
WATCH 
ToWER. 
and 
particularly 
in 
STUDIES 
IN 
TIm 
SCRIPTURE!;, 
Volume 
IV, 
page 
258, 
written 
23 
years 
ago, 
be 
said: 
"The 
'sure 
Word 
of 
prophecy' 
indicates 
very 
cl~arly 
that 
the 
various 
Protestant 
scets 
will 
form 
a 
cooperative 
union 
or 
federaer. 
and 
that 
Catholicism 
and 
Protestantism 
will 
affili­ 
ate, 
neIther 
losing 
its 
identity. 
These 
are 
the 
two 
ends 
of 
the 
ecclesiastical 
beavens 
which, 
as 
their 
confusion 
increases, 
shall 
roll 
together 
as 
a 
seroll 
for 
self 
protection-as 
distinct 
and 
separate 
rolls, 
yet 
in 
close 
proximltv 
to 
eaeh 
othpT. 
(Isaiah 
34:4; 
Revelation 
G: 
14) 
For 
this' 
desired 
end 
Protestants 
show 
themselves 
ready 
to 
make 
almost 
any 
compromise, 
while 
Papacy 
has 
assumed 
It 
most 
conciliatory 
attitude. 
Every 
in­ 
teIli!!,ent 
observer 
is 
aware 
of 
these 
farts; 
and 
every 
reader 
of 
history 
knows 
the 
baneful 
character 
of 
that 
great 
a.nti­ 
christian 
system 
that 
now 
sees, 
in 
the 
~eat 
confusion 
of 
Protestantism. 
its 
opportunity 
for 
readvancmg 
to 
power. 
And 
though 
realizin~ 
in 
itself 
a 
strength 
superior 
to 
that 
of 
divided 
Protestantism, 
the 
great 
Papal 
system 
also 
f<,ars 
the 
approaeh­ 
ing 
crisis, 
and 
hence 
desires 
most 
anxiously 
the 
union 
of 
Christendom, 
'papal 
and 
Protestant, 
civil 
and 
re1igioll~." 
"IN 
THE 
DAYS 
OF 
THESE 
xntGS" 
Bible 
Students 
are 
fa-miliar 
with 
thp 
aecount 
of 
King 
Nebu­ 
ehadnczzar's 
vision 
of 
the 
great 
image 
whose 
head 
was 
of 
gold. 
'lJ'm~ 
and 
breast 
of 
si1vpr, 
belly 
of 
brass 
anll 
legs 
of 
iron, 
and 
the 
feet 
of 
which 
were 
iron 
smeared 
with 
clay. 
The 
Prophet 
Daniel 
gave 
an 
inspired 
interpretation 
thereof. 
indicating 
that 
the 
four 
metals 
composing 
the 
great 
giant 
typify 
four 
great 
world-empires, 
beginning 
with 
Babylonia, 
whieh 
was 
represented 
in 
the 
head 
of 
gold. 
(Daniel 
2) 
History 
shows 
thE' 
fulfillmcnt 
of 
the 
vision. 
Tbere 
have 
~n 
just 
four 
univer­ 
sal 
pmpires 
of 
earth, 
nalDely, 
Babylonia, 
Medo-Persia, 
Greel'c 
and 
Rome. 
The 
feet 
smeared 
with 
('lay 
(ecclesiasticism) 
resem­ 
bled 
stone 
rather 
than 
iron. 
Thus 
the 
"Holy 
Roman 
Empire" 
was 
a 
eonnt<'J'frit 
of 
"the 
stonc 
('ut 
out 
of 
the 
mountain 
witbout 
hands"-the 
true 
church.-Daniel 
2::14. 
4;'. 
The 
ten 
toes 
of 
the 
image 
typified 
tl'n 
divisions 
of 
aneient 
Rome, 
which 
would 
be 
in 
existenee 
in 
Europe 
when 
the 
Fifth 
Universal 
Empire 
would 
be 
e8tab)j~hcd-the 
Messianic 
King- 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
BOLLING 
TOGE'l'BEB 
AS 
A 
SCROLL 
The 
subject 
of 
church 
unity 
now 
takes 
a 
most 
prominent 
position 
in 
the 
pages 
of 
the 
public 
press. 
All 
eyes 
are 
turned 
toward 
the 
visit 
of 
the 
committee 
of 
Episcopal 
bishops 
to 
the 
pope 
of 
Rome 
in 
behalf 
of 
the 
proposed 
"League 
of 
Churches." 
Bishop 
Weller 
of 
Fond 
du 
Lac, 
Wisconsin, 
Bishop 
Anderson 
of 
ChICago 
and 
Bishop 
Boyd 
Vincent 
of 
the 
diocese 
of 
Southern 
Ohio, 
sailed 
on 
the 
steamship 
Aquitania 
on 
March 
Gth 
for 
Rome, 
where 
they 
will 
intervicw 
the 
pope 
in 
an 
efIort 
to 
gain 
his 
eoijperation 
in 
the 
union 
of 
all 
Christian 
ehurches. 
T1H' 
('(,mmission 
i. 
an 
official 
body 
of 
the 
Protestant 
Episcopal 
Church, 
authorized 
by 
the 
~eneral 
eonvention 
held 
in 
Cincin­ 
nati 
in 
1l110. 
A~ 
a 
result 
of 
that 
convention 
a 
committee 
was 
appointed 
and 
was 
preparing 
to 
sail 
for 
Rome 
in 
the 
autumn 
of 
1914. 
The 
great 
war 
which 
broke 
out 
at 
that 
time. 
how­ 
(,Vl'f. 
delayed 
the 
movenJent, 
which 
has 
now 
sprung 
up 
with 
increased 
vigor 
with 
the 
coming 
of 
peace. 
That 
the 
pope 
is 
not 
averse 
to 
the 
idea 
is 
indicated 
by 
It 
dispatch 
from 
Rome 
under 
the 
date 
of 
:March 
6th 
and 
pub­ 
lished 
in 
the 
New 
York 
World 
as 
follows,- 
"It 
is 
learned 
from 
the 
Vatican 
that 
the 
Holy 
See 
is 
pre­ 
paring 
an 
exhaustive 
memorandum. 
in 
which 
it 
explains 
its 
attitude 
toward 
the 
American 
projects 
for 
a. 
pan-Christian 
conference 
and 
for 
a 
union 
of 
all 
Christian 
churches. 
The 
memorandum 
will 
fix 
those 
points 
upon 
which 
the 
Pontiff 
is 
prepared 
to 
~upport 
the 
American 
scheme." 
Bishop 
Murray, 
of 
the 
diocese 
of 
Maryland 
(Episcopal) 
comments 
upon 
the 
projeet 
in 
The 
Baltimore 
Sun 
of 
March 
5th 
as 
follows: 
"\Ve 
are 
trying 
to 
get 
a. 
working 
agreement 
among 
the 
various 
churches 
to 
find 
a 
common 
ground 
of 
operation. 
"Ve 
are 
not 
trying 
to 
emphasize 
the 
points 
in 
whieh 
the 
various 
Christian 
bodies 
differ, 
but 
to 
develop 
and 
make 
prominent 
thohe 
things 
on 
which 
we 
ean 
all 
ag-ree. 
All 
of 
the 
ehurches 
are 
parties 
to 
the 
negotiations 
and 
I 
feel 
that 
we 
have 
a 
right 
now 
to 
expect 
suecess." 
The 
Most 
Reverend 
Patriek 
Josl'ph 
Ha)'es, 
Arehbishop 
of 
Xew 
York, 
is 
reported 
as 
saying 
that 
the 
proposed 
league 
of 
churches 
is 
"a 
very 
encouraging 
thing, 
as 
It 
sign 
of 
the 
times 
at 
the 
close 
of 
the 
war, 
to 
have 
sueh 
a 
movement 
to­ 
ward 
effecting 
unit,. 
of 
faith 
in 
one 
fold 
with 
one 
~hepherd." 
He 
is 
quoted 
as 
saYIn.!;' 
further: 
"It 
is 
especially 
gratifying 
that 
this 
commission 
of 
the 
Protcstant 
Episeopal 
Chureh 
is 
going 
to 
the 
Catholic 
Center 
of 
Christendom, 
where 
I 
am 
sure 
it 
win 
receive 
a 
welcome." 
Bishop 
Wener, 
It 
member 
of 
the 
commission 
to 
the 
pope, 
in 
an 
interview 
with 
the 
newspapers 
in 
New 
York 
before 
he 
sailed, 
said: 
"Our 
duty 
is 
simply 
to 
see 
that 
the 
general 
conference 
eomes 
together 
and 
that 
the 
basis 
for 
aetion 
is 
established. 
Aheady 
in 
this 
country 
the 
Baptists, 
the 
Congregationalists. 
the 
Meth­ 
odi~t.s. 
the 
Presbyterians. 
the 
Moravian 
Brethren, 
the 
Discipl~~ 
of 
Christ, 
Methodist 
Episcopalian. 
and 
other 
Protestant 
sects. 
the 
Old 
Catholics 
of 
Europc 
and 
the 
Non-eonformists 
through· 
out 
Great 
Britain 
are 
definitely 
committed 
to 
the 
world 
con­ 
ference 
plan. 
The 
sects 
have 
a'lready 
appointed 
their 
commis­ 
s~ons. 
These 
commissions 
are 
ready 
to 
attend 
a 
eonference. 
Once 
we 
have 
securcd 
the 
adhesion 
of 
the 
Catholic 
Church, 
there 
remains 
only 
the 
task 
of 
appointing 
a 
time 
and 
a 
place 
for 
thp 
gathering." 
Bishop 
Weller 
explained 
that 
the 
Roman 
Catholic 
Church 
and 
the 
Holy 
Eastern 
Church, 
alone 
among 
the 
Christian 
aects, 
had 
thus 
far 
failed 
to 
accept 
the 
invitation 
to 
a 
world 
conference, 
and 
that 
if 
the 
present 
mission 
could 
secure 
their 
coc;peration 
then 
the 
last 
obstacle 
to 
a 
world 
ronference 
would 
be 
removed. 
He 
said 
the 
cO'mmission 
intend~d 
to 
visit 
the 
patriarch 
of 
the 
Grel'k 
Chureh 
and 
also 
the 
head 
of 
the 
Russian 
Church 
in 
addition 
to 
thl'ir 
visit 
to 
the 
pope. 
According 
to 
Dr. 
Charlcs 
D. 
Williams. 
Bisbop 
of 
Michh~!lJ1 
(Epi~eopal), 
the 
Presbyterian 
('hur('h-the 
denomination 
to 
which 
President 
Wilson 
belongs-i. 
now 
rpally 
at 
the 
head 
of 
the 
pres('nt 
American 
plan 
for 
a 
league 
of 
Chur('he~. 
In 
an 
artj('le 
in 
the 
March 
issue 
of 
Rec01lstnu:ti01t 
he 
said: 
TOWER 
[6410) 
(99- 100} THE out submitting same to the Board of Elders for their sanction. Yours in the Master’s service, E, A. McCosm, Secy. PRESERVING THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT Deas BRETHREN :— It is with pleasure that we write to inform you that we here are of one mind and still believe that the Lord is using WATCH TOWER Prirrssurcy, Pa. the Society, guiding its affairs. The last Pilgrim’s visit was much enjeyed, and his talk on Faith was strengthening indeed. We alt wish to continue faithful, ready to do whatever the Lord privileges us to have part in. May God keep and comfort those who have charge of the Society’s affairs now, and bless all his little ones everywhere! Yours in the Master’s service, Linton EccLests.—ind, Vou. XL waren PITTSBURGH, PA., APRIL 1, 1919 No. 7 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER BOLLING TOGETHER AS A SCROLL The subject of church unity now takes a most prominent position in the pages of the public press, All eyes are turned toward the visit of thé committee of Episcopal bishops to the pope of Rome in behalf of the proposed “League of Churches.” ishop Weller of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Bishop Anderson of Chicago and Bishop Boyd Vincent of the diocese of Southern Ohio, sailed on the steamship Aquitania on March Gth for Rome, where they will interview the pope in an effort to gain hig codperation in the union of all Christian churches. The commission is an official body of the Protestant Episcopal Church, authorized by the general convention held in Cincinnati in 1910. As a result of that convention a committee was appointed and was preparing to sail for Rome in the autumn of 1914, The great war which broke out at that time, however, delayed the movement, which has now sprung up with increased vigor with the coming of peace. That the pope is not averse to the idea is indicated by a dispatch from Rome under the date of March 6th and published in the New York World as follows:— “It is learned from the Vatican that the Holy See is preparing an exhaustive memorandum. in which it explains its attitude toward the American projects for a pan-Christian conference and for a union of all Christian churches. The memorandum will fix those points upon which the Pontiff is prepared to support the American scheme.” Bishop Murray, of the diocese of Maryland (Episcopal) comments upon the project in The Baltimore Sun of March 5th as follows: “We are trying to get a working agreement among the various churches to find a common ground of operation. We are not trying to emphasize the points in which the various Christian bodies differ, but to develop and make prominent thore things on which we can all agree. All of the churches are parties to the negotiations and I feel that we have a right now to expect success.” The Most Reverend Patrick Joseph Hayes, Archbishop of New York, is reported as saying that the proposed league of churches is “a very encouraging thing, as a sign of the times at the close of the war, to have such a movement toward effecting unity of faith in one fold with one shepherd.” He is quoted as saying further: “It is especially gratifying that this commission of the Protestant Episcopal Church is going to the Catholic Center of Christendom, where I am sure it will receive a welcome.” Bishop Weller, a member of the commission to the pope, in an interview with the newspapers in New York before he sailed, said: “Our duty is simply to see that the general conference comes together and that the basis for action is established. Already in this country the Baptists, the Congregationalists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Moravian Brethren, the Disciples of Christ, Methodist Episcopalians and other Protestant sects, the Old Catholics of Europe and the Non-conformists throughout Great Britain are definitely committed to the world conference plan. The sects have already appointed their commissions. These commissions are ready to attend a conference. Once we have secured the adhesion of the Catholic Church, there remains only the task of appointing a time and a place for the gathering.” Bishop Weller explained that the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Eastern Church, alone among the Christian sects. had thus far failed to accept the invitation to a world conference, and that if the present mission could secure their codperation then the last obstacle to a world conference would be removed. He said the commission intended to visit the patriarch of the Greek Church and also the head of the Russian Church in addition to their visit to the pope. According to Dr. Charles D. Williams, Bishop of Michigan (Episcopal), the Presbyterian church—the denomination to which President Wilson belongs-—is now really at the head of the present American plan for a league of Churches. In an article in the March issue of Reconstruction he said: “The leadership in the movement towards organic unity has long been in the hands of the Protestant Episcopal church. Those of other communions who have heen interested in that movement have long been sitting with amazing humility on the steps of the Episcopal House of Bishops, awaiting such grumibs of comfort and hope as might fal) from the Masters’ ‘able, “The Presbyterian General Assembly picked up the abandoned leadership. On their initiative the representatives of thirty-five million American Christians met recently at Philadelphia, appointed committees of preparation and summoned a great meeting in the near future, not later than 1920, to take action for such a practical organic unity of American Protestantism as shall be consistent with individual liberty.” WIKLING TO SACRIFICE NAME AND CREED That the Presbyterian Church in America is especially interested in the church unity project is corroborated by the following dispatch from the Pittsburgh Post of March 12th: “The merger of the Presbyterian and United Presbyterian churches was put forward as the logical forerunner of a great religious unifying movement which should bring in all of the ten or twelve Presbyterian denominations and possibly some of those not Presbyterians, at last night’s session of the prayer conference on union. Dr, Robert E. Speer of New York, member of the board of foreign missions of the Presbyterian Church, and spokesman for his church at the gathering, ventured the prediction that in any union with the United Presbyterian his church would be willing to sacrifice name, forms and prerogatives which need be sacrificed to further the union. A great gathering of Christian bodies under one head was the ideal that Dr. Speer set forth.” The foregoing is clearly in fulfillment of Bible prophecy as interpreted by Pastor Russell more than thirty years ago. Through THe Warca Towers, and particularly in Srupies IN THE SCRIPTURES, Volume IV, page 258, written 23 years ago, he said: “The ‘sure Word of prophecy indicates very clearly that the various Protestant sects will form a codperative union or federacy and that Catholicism and Protestantism will affiliate, neither losing its identity. These are the two ends of the ecclesiastical heavens which, as their confusion increases, shall roll together as a scroll for self protection—as distinct and separate rolls, yet in close proximity to each other. (Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 6:14) For this desired end Protestants show themselves ready to make almost any compromise, while Papacy has assumed a most conciliatory attitude. Every intelligent observer is aware of these facts; and every reader of history knows the baneful character of that great antichristian system that now sees, in the great confusion of Protestantism. its opportunity for readvancing to power. And though realizing in itself a strength superior to that of divided Protestantism, the great Papal system also fears the approaching crisis, and hence desires most anxiously the union of Christendom, Papal and Protestant, civil and religious.” “IN THE DAYS OF THESE EINGS’’ Bible Students are familiar with the account of King Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the great image whose head was of gold, arms and breast of silver, belly of brass and legs of iron, and the feet of which were iron smeared with clay. The Prophet Daniel gave an inspired interpretation thereof, indicating that the four metala composing the great giant typify four great world-empires, beginning with Babylonia, which was represented in the head of gold. (Daniel 2) History shows the fulfillment of the vision. There have been just four universal empires of earth, namely, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The feet smeared with clay (ecclesiasticism) resembled stone rather than iron. Thus the “Holy Roman Empire” was a counterfeit of “the stone eut out of the mountain without hands”—the true church.—Daniel 2:34, 45. The ten toes of the image typified ten divisions of ancient Rome, which would be in existence in Europe when the Fifth Universal Empire would be established—the Messianic King [6410]

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Global Policy on Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies .