Kiadás dátuma
1917. 05. 01.
Kötet
38
Szám
9
Az Őrtorony
Pastor Russell
Az eredeti angol nyelvű Őrtorony folyóiratok
../literature/watchtower/1917/9/1917-9-2.html
MAY 
1. 
15117 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(132-133) 
Sixty-five 
years 
ago, 
in 
the 
city 
of 
Pittsburgh, 
Charles 
Tue 
Russell 
was 
born. 
His 
parents 
were 
of 
the 
Calvinistic 
faith, 
and 
he 
was 
reared 
in 
that 
endronment 
and 
influence. 
Natura 
11y 
of 
a 
reverential 
mind. 
he 
enrly 
entered 
relig'ious 
work. 
His 
young 
mind 
was 
so 
impressed 
by 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
clergy 
that 
he 
felt 
in 
dutv 
bound 
to 
do 
what 
he 
could 
to 
save 
man­ 
kind 
from 
what 
he 
'had 
been 
taught 
waS 
a 
burning 
hell 
of 
tor­ 
ment. 
As 
a 
youth, 
he 
was 
engagE'd 
throug-hout 
the 
day 
in 
busi· 
ness 
in 
his 
father's 
store, 
ancl 
after 
a 
hard 
day's 
work 
was 
often 
found 
g'oing- 
about 
the 
city 
with 
colored 
ehalk, 
marking 
lIpon 
the· 
walls 
of 
buildings 
wh('re 
men 
congregated, 
worus 
of 
wa.rning 
R,\\'ainst 
the 
hell 
of 
eternal 
torture. 
Relying 
upon 
the 
high 
standard 
of 
the 
elerg-y 
in 
the 
community, 
he 
had 
been 
in­ 
dUCE'd 
to 
believe 
these 
doctrines 
which 
they 
taught, 
and 
this 
led. 
him 
to 
take 
this 
strenuous 
course. 
l'RABISAICAL 
CLERGY 
DOOMED 
TO 
DlSAl'l'ODi'lJltENT 
But 
these 
religious 
rulers 
were 
doomed 
to 
disappointment. 
Instead 
of 
coming 
with 
great 
pomp 
and 
ostentation. 
Messiah 
came 
meek 
and 
lowly 
of 
heart, 
giving 
his 
Father 
all 
the 
glory 
for 
what 
he 
said 
and 
did. 
He 
taught 
the 
people 
how 
theY 
might 
attain 
life 
everlasting 
in 
a 
state 
of 
happiness. 
"l(e 
spake 
as 
never 
man 
spake" 
before, 
in 
fulfilment 
of 
the 
prophetic 
statement, 
"Grace 
was 
upon 
his 
lips"; 
and 
his 
message 
brou<7ht 
gladness 
to 
the 
hearts 
of 
the 
sincere. 
"The 
common 
people 
heard 
him 
gladly." 
They 
followed 
him 
from 
place 
to 
place; 
they 
t~ronged 
about 
him; 
they 
rejoice~ 
to 
be 
III 
his 
presence. 
Seemg 
that 
the 
people 
were 
forsaking 
them 
and 
following 
the 
1011'11 
Nazarene, 
these 
various 
oects, 
composed 
largely 
of 
the 
JeWIsh 
hierarchy, 
or 
clergy, 
were 
incensed 
against 
our 
Lord 
and 
began 
a 
systematic 
and 
wicked 
persecution 
of 
him. 
They 
were 
blind 
instruments 
of 
Satan. 
They 
first 
sought 
to 
destroy 
him 
by 
vile 
epithets 
and 
slander. 
They 
publicly 
called 
THE 
TEACHINGS 
OF 
THE 
CLERGY 
in 
question 
the 
legitimacy 
of 
his 
birth 
and 
the 
chastity 
of 
his 
What 
have 
been 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
clergy! 
They 
have 
mother; 
they 
denounced 
ltim 
as 
a 
liar, 
as 
a 
sinner, 
as 
the 
taught, 
and 
generally 
still 
teach, 
that 
ewry 
man 
has 
an 
im­ 
{'hief 
of 
devils 
and 
as 
a 
blasphemer 
of 
God. 
Finally 
they 
paid 
mortal 
soul; 
that 
when 
a 
man 
dies 
he 
is 
not 
in 
reality 
dead; 
their 
ill-gotten 
money 
to 
have 
him 
cruelly 
murdered. 
ThIrty- 
but 
more 
alive 
than 
ever; 
thft! 
the 
very 
g-ood, 
at 
death, 
go 
im· 
seven 
years 
later 
the 
.Tewish 
nation 
fell. 
to 
rise 
no 
more 
until 
mediately 
to 
heaven-a 
state 
of 
everlasting 
bliss; 
and 
that 
all 
their 
"double" 
of 
disfavor 
shoulrl 
be 
fulfilled. 
others 
go 
immediately 
at 
death 
either 
to 
purgatory, 
a 
place 
of 
CLASS 
WHICH 
CAUSED 
JESUS' 
DEATH 
POWERFUL 
NOW 
torment, 
limited 
in 
duration, 
or 
to 
hell, 
a 
place 
of 
endless 
St. 
Paul 
produced 
the 
evidence 
that 
the 
.Jewish 
age 
finds 
torture 
in 
fire 
and 
brimstone. 
its 
parallel 
in 
this 
Gospel 
age. 
The 
Biblical 
testimony 
further 
The 
Calvinistic 
branrh 
of 
Protestantism 
has 
taught, 
and 
shQWS 
that 
in 
the 
Gospel 
age 
we 
would 
find 
a 
parallel 
not 
only 
still 
teaches, 
that 
God 
foreordainE'd 
a 
few 
to 
be 
saved 
and 
all 
in 
time, 
but 
in 
the 
events 
that 
would 
transpire, 
and 
that 
the 
others 
to 
be 
forever 
damned; 
that 
every 
child, 
even 
before 
its 
same 
class 
of 
men 
who 
were 
prominent 
and 
powerful 
then-birth, 
has 
its 
destiny 
eternally 
sealed; 
that 
nothing 
that 
any 
the 
clergy 
clasB-would 
be 
prominent 
and 
powerful 
now. 
one 
could 
do 
would 
alter 
its 
foreordained 
destiny, 
and 
that 
Today 
we 
are 
in 
the 
closing 
hours 
of 
the 
Gospel 
Age. 
At 
Jehovah 
had 
made 
this 
arrangement. 
the 
elose 
of 
the 
Jewish 
.ge 
we 
saw 
a 
class 
of 
men 
who 
sepa- 
Another 
system 
of 
theology 
has 
taught, 
and 
yet 
teaches, 
rated 
themselves 
from 
the 
common 
people, 
fittingly 
spoken 
of 
that 
man's 
sins 
may 
be 
forgiven 
by 
pope 
or 
priest 
upon 
a 
as 
"the 
clergy." 
These 
had 
forsaken 
their 
God-given 
duty 
of 
money 
consideration. 
At 
least, 
this 
is 
the 
way 
the 
teaehing 
teaching 
the 
Truth 
to 
the 
people, 
and 
the 
Lord 
Jesus 
denounced 
works. 
them 
as 
frauds 
and 
hypocrites. 
(Mark 
7:6-8) 
At 
the 
close 
Practi(,lllly 
all 
the 
church 
systems, 
Catholic 
and 
Protestant, 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age, 
we 
like-wise 
find 
a 
distinct 
class, 
apart 
from 
have 
taught, 
and 
still 
teach, 
that 
all 
who 
are 
saved 
go 
to 
the 
common 
people, 
designating 
themselves 
"the 
Clergy," 
the 
heaven, 
that 
there 
is 
no 
other 
place 
of 
salvation; 
that 
at 
majority 
of 
whom 
have 
departed 
from 
the 
teachings 
of 
.Tesus 
Christ's 
second 
eoming 
the 
earth 
wiII 
be 
utterly 
destroyed. 
to­ 
and 
the 
Apostles, 
teaching 
instead 
either 
doctrines 
borrowed 
gether 
with 
every 
one 
upon 
the 
earth 
who 
is 
unsaved. 
They 
from 
the 
heathen 
philosophers, 
or 
else 
doctrines 
of 
Higher 
claim 
to 
be 
followers 
of 
the 
Prince 
of 
Peace, 
yet 
urge 
rulers 
Criticism 
and 
Evolution, 
thereby 
destroying 
the 
faith 
of 
the 
and 
people 
to 
engage 
in 
war. 
people 
in 
the 
Bible 
and 
blinding 
them 
to 
God's 
plan 
of 
salva- 
These 
have 
further 
taug-ht, 
and 
still 
teach, 
the 
unauthorized 
tion. 
Mark, 
then, 
the 
parallel 
of 
events 
of 
the 
two 
ages, 
ob, 
and 
whollv 
untenable 
doctrine 
that 
no 
one 
is 
authorized 
to 
serving 
always 
the 
virulent 
and 
persistent 
opposition 
of 
the 
preach 
except 
he 
be 
first 
ordained 
by 
a 
body 
of 
rlergymen, 
evil 
to 
the 
good. 
designated 
by 
them 
for 
that 
purpose_ 
When 
plied 
with 
ques­ 
NEITHER 
JESUS 
NOB 
'l'BE 
APOSTLES 
EVER 
CLAIMED 
TO 
BE 
tions, 
the 
clergy 
have, 
as 
a 
rule, 
waved 
them 
aside, 
intimating, 
CLERGYJIJDfr 
"These 
questiQns 
are 
too 
deep 
for 
you; 
just 
have 
faith 
in 
what 
The 
Gospel 
age 
opened 
with 
the 
introduetion 
of 
the 
great 
we 
tell 
you." 
~laster, 
Christ 
Jesus, 
who 
declared 
that 
every 
man 
who 
would 
DRIVEN 
'fO 
UNBELIE!' 
become 
his 
true 
follower, 
and 
would 
continue 
as 
such, 
would 
receive 
persecution 
similar 
to 
that 
which 
he 
received. 
He 
said, 
Youn~ 
Russell 
believed 
that 
the 
Bible 
taught 
these 
theories, 
"If 
they 
have 
called 
the 
Master 
of 
the 
house 
the 
prince 
of 
because 
the 
clergy 
taught 
them. 
Up 
to 
that 
time 
he 
ha.d 
not 
devils, 
how 
much 
more 
will 
they 
call 
them 
of 
his 
household 
1" 
given 
the 
Bible 
a 
careful 
study. 
As 
he 
brooded 
over 
the 
con­ 
(Matthew 
10:25) 
Again 
he 
said, 
"Ye 
are 
not 
of 
the 
world; 
if 
dition 
of 
the 
unfortunate 
race, 
he 
reached 
the 
conclusion 
that 
ye 
were 
of 
the 
world, 
the 
world 
would 
love 
its 
own; 
but 
be- 
a 
just, 
wise 
and 
10Ying 
('.ad 
could 
not 
be 
the 
author 
of 
such 
cause 
ye 
are 
not 
of 
the 
world, 
but 
I 
have 
chosen 
you 
out 
of 
an 
arrangement; 
and 
while 
still 
believing 
in 
GOO, 
he 
discarded 
the 
world, 
therefore 
the 
world 
hateth 
you."-John 
15: 
10. 
the 
Bible 
on 
the 
supposition 
that 
it 
taught 
these 
awful 
doc· 
Jesus 
pointed 
out 
that 
the 
great 
objective 
of 
the 
Christian 
trines. 
was 
to 
be 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God, 
and 
to 
this 
end 
he 
taught 
his 
Charles 
Russell 
tb('n 
turned 
his 
mind 
to 
the 
examination 
of 
followers 
to 
pray, 
"Thy 
kingdom 
come." 
He 
emphasizl'd 
the 
heath('n 
religions. 
only 
to 
find 
them 
wholly 
unsatisfactory. 
fact 
that 
his 
second 
coming 
would 
mark 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
While 
wanderin~ 
from 
one 
re1i~ious 
teaching' 
to 
another 
search­ 
blessings 
to 
mankind 
which 
God 
had 
promised 
through 
the 
iog 
for 
truth, 
until 
he 
was 
thoroughly 
dissati~fied 
witll 
all, 
mouth 
of 
all 
his 
holy 
prophets, 
and 
that 
these 
blessings 
could 
lIe 
yet 
retained 
R 
belief 
in 
God. 
He 
said. 
"Surely 
a 
good 
and 
come 
in 
no 
other 
way 
or 
time. 
Neither 
JI'SUS 
nor 
the 
ap08tles 
wise 
God, 
who 
has 
made 
man, 
must 
have 
provideil 
some 
way 
ever 
laid 
claim 
to 
being 
clergymen. 
Such 
a 
thing 
does 
not 
ap- 
for 
man 
to 
gain 
a 
knowledge 
concerning 
himself. 
Probably 
the 
pear 
in 
church 
history 
until 
the 
a.postles 
had 
all 
disappea.red 
Bible 
does 
not 
teach 
what 
I 
have 
understood 
it 
teaches; 
I 
will 
from 
the 
stage 
of 
earthly 
activity. 
searrh 
the 
Scriptures 
carefully 
myself 
and 
ascertain." 
When 
the 
great 
apostate 
system 
was 
organized, 
the 
pope 
As 
a 
young 
man 
still 
in 
his 
teens, 
young 
Russell 
then 
be- 
became 
its 
head, 
and 
around 
him 
he 
gathered 
cardinals, 
arCll' 
gan 
a 
careful 
and 
prayerful 
study 
of 
the 
sacred 
pages 
of 
bishops, 
bishops 
and 
priests, 
thus 
forming 
"the 
clergy" 
class; 
God's 
Word, 
and 
when 
he 
found 
that 
the 
Bible 
docs 
not 
teach 
and 
these 
alone 
claim 
to 
be 
members 
of 
the 
church. 
All 
others 
that 
God 
is 
a 
fiend 
who 
will 
torture 
his 
creatures 
eternally, 
who 
follow 
are 
called 
"children 
of 
the 
church." 
The 
Protestant 
but 
that 
its 
teachings 
are 
entirely 
consistent 
with 
the 
char­ 
Refonners 
were 
themselves 
persecuted; 
but 
now, 
in 
their 
names, 
aeter 
of 
a 
just 
and 
loving 
Creator, 
he 
then 
resolvl'd 
to 
devote 
their 
followers 
in 
turn 
become 
persecutors. 
all 
of 
his 
time, 
strength, 
energy 
and 
means 
to 
telling' 
the 
pea- 
When 
Luther 
protested 
against 
the 
false 
doctrines 
taught 
pIe 
the 
true 
tE'aehings 
of 
the 
Scriptures 
and 
to 
putting 
these 
by 
the 
Papacy, 
he 
was 
excommunicated, 
denounced 
and 
bit- 
teachings 
forth 
by 
every 
means 
in 
his 
poWl'r, 
that 
others 
might 
terly 
persecuted-likewi8t' 
every 
reformer, 
both 
those 
who 
pre. 
know; 
and 
this 
he 
did 
up 
to 
his 
last 
hour 
'on 
earth. 
ceeded 
and 
those 
who 
followed 
him. 
Call 
to 
mind 
the 
ex- 
WHY 
ERROR 
01'l'OSES 
TRUTH 
"DARKNESS 
BA'l'ETB 
'fBE 
periences 
of 
Huss, 
Wycliffe, 
Knox, 
Wesley, 
Campbell, 
and 
LIGHT" 
others. 
The 
spirit 
of 
intolerance 
has 
been 
manifested 
in 
all 
Darkness 
always 
opposes 
the 
light. 
As 
the 
Jig'ht 
progresses 
ages. 
a.Dd 
while 
more 
refined 
methods 
of 
persecution 
are 
em- 
it 
exposes 
the 
darkness. 
and 
causes 
the 
disriples 
of 
errol' 
to 
played 
at 
present 
than 
in 
the 
past, 
this 
spirit 
is 
still 
as 
wicked 
fight 
the 
instruments 
holding 
forth 
the 
lig'h£. 
This 
is 
illustrated 
as 
ever. 
l'ASTOR 
JMJSSELL'S 
BOYHOOD 
DAYS 
in 
every 
braneh 
of 
science, 
as 
well 
as 
in 
religftm. 
To 
illustrate: 
Let 
us 
now 
return 
to 
the 
man 
whose 
career 
we 
are 
here 
A 
doctor 
has 
been 
practising 
according 
to 
the 
methods 
adopted 
to 
examine. 
It 
is 
due 
that 
we 
tell 
something 
of 
his 
boyhood. 
a 
century 
ago; 
he 
knows 
no 
other 
methods 
Rnd 
makes 
his 
liv- 
[6079] 
May 1, 1917 PHARISAICAL CLEEGY DOOMED T0 DISAPPOINTMENT But these religious rulers were doomed to disappointment. Instead of coming with great pomp and ostentation. Messiah came meek and lowly of heart, giving his Father all the glory for what he said and did. He taught the people how they might attain life everlasting in a state of happiness. “He spake as never man spake” before, in fulfilment of the prophetic statement, “Grace was upon his lips”; and his message brought gladness to the hearts of the sincere. “The common people heard him gladly.” They followed him from place to place; they thronged about him; they rejoiced to be in his presence. Seeing that the people were forsaking them and following the lowly Nazarene, these various gects, composed largely of the Jewish hierarchy, or clergy, were incensed against our Lord and began a systematic and wicked persecution of him. They were blind instruments of Satan. They first sought to destroy him by vile epithets and slander. They publicly called in question the legitimacy of his birth and the chastity of his mother; they denounced him as a liar, as a sinner, as the chief of devila and as a blasphemer of God. Finally they paid their ill-gotten money to have him cruelly murdered. Thirtyseven years later the Jewish nation fell. to rise no more until their “double” of disfavor should be fulfilled. CLASS WHICH CAUSED JESUS’ DEATH POWERFUL NOW St. Paul produced the evidence that the Jewish age finds its parallel in this Gospel age. The Biblical testimony further shows that in the Gospel age we would find a parallel not only in time, but in the events that would transpire, and that the same class of men who were prominent and powerful then— the clergy class—would be prominent and powerful now. Today we are in the closing hours of the Gospel Age. At the close of the Jewish age we saw a class of men who separated themselves from the common people, fittingly spoken of as “the clergy.” These had forsaken their God-given duty of teaching the Truth to the people, and the Lord Jesus denounced them as frauds and hypocrites, (Mark 7:6-8) At the close of the Gospel age, we like-wise find a distinct class, apart from the common people, designating themselves “the clergy,” the majority of whom have departed from the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, teaching instead either doctrines borrowed from the heathen philosophers, or else doctrines of Higher Criticism and Evolution, thereby destroying the faith of the people in the Bible and blinding them to God’s plan of salvation. Mark, then, the parallel of events of the two ages, observing always the virulent and persistent opposition of the evil to the good. NEITHER JESUS NOR THE APOSTLES EVER CLAIMED TO BE CLERGYMEN The Gospel age opened with the introduction of the great Master, Christ Jesus, who declared that every man who would become his true follower, and would continue aa such, would receive persecution similar to that which he received. He said, “If they have called the Master of the house the prince of devils, how much more will they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:25) Again he said, “Ye are not of the world; if ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”—John 15:19. Jesus pointed out that the great objective of the Christian was to be the kingdom of God, and to this end he taught his followers to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” He emphasized the fact that his second coming would mark the beginning of the blessings to mankind which God had promised through the mouth of all his holy prophets, and that these blessings could come in no other way or time. Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever laid claim to being clergymen. Such a thing does not appear in church history until the apostles had all disappeared from the stage of earthly activity. When the great spostate system was organized, the pope became its head, and around him he gathered cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests, thus forming “the clergy” class; and these alone claim to be members of the church. All others who follow are calied “children of the church.” The Protestant Reformers were themselves persecuted ; but now, in their names, their followers in turn become persecutors. When Luther protested against the false doctrines taught by the Papacy, he was excommunicated, denounced and bitterly y persecuted likewiee every reformer, both those who preceeded and those who followed him. Call to mind the experiences of Huss, Wycliffe, Knox, Wesley, Campbell, and othera. The spirit of intolerance has been manifested in all es, and while more refined methods of persecution are employed at present than in the past, this spirit is atill as wicked as ever. PASTOR BUSSELL'’S BOYHOOD DAYS Let us now return to the man whose career we are here to examine. It is due that we tell something of his boyhood. THE WATCH TOWER (132-133) Sixty-five years ago, in the city of Pittsburgh, Charles Taze Russell was born. His parents were of the Calvinistie faith, and he was reared in that environment and influence. Naturally of a reverential mind, he early entered religious work. His young mind was so impressed by the teachings of the clergy that he felt in duty bound to do what he could to save mankind from what he had been taught was a burning hell of torment. Asa youth, he was engaged throughout the day in business in his father’s store, and after a hard day’s work was often found going about the city with colored chalk, marking upon the- walls of buildings where men congregated, words of warning against the hell of eternal torture. Relying upon the high standard of the clergy in the community, he had been induced to believe these doctrines which they taught, and this led him to take this strenuoug course. THE TEACHINGS OF THE CLERGY What have been the teachings of the clergy? They have taught, and generally still teach, that every man has an immortal soul; that when a man dies he is not in reality dead; but more alive than ever; that the very good, at death, go immediately to heaven—a state of everlasting bliss; and that all others go immediately at death either to purgatory, a place of torment, limited in duration, or to hell, a place of endless torture in fire and brimstone, The Calvinistic branch of Protestantism has taught, and still teaches, that God foreordained a few to be saved and all others to be forever damned; that every child, even before its birth, has its destiny eternally sealed; that nothing that any one could do would alter its foreordained destiny, and that Jehovah had made this arrangement. Another system of theology has taught, and yet teaches, that man's sins may be forgiven by pope or priest upon a money consideration. At least, this is the way the teaching works. Practically all the church systems, Catholic and Protestant, have taught, and still teach, that all who are saved go to heaven, that there is no other place of salvation; that at Christ’s second coming the earth will be utterly destroyed, together with every one upon the earth who is unsaved. They claim to be followers of the Prince of Peace, yet urge rulers and people to engage in war. These have further taught, and still teach, the unauthorized and wholly untenable doctrine that no one is authorized to preach except he be first ordained by a body of clergymen, designated by them for that purpose. When plied with questions, the clergy have, as a rule, waved them aside, intimating, “These questions are too deep for you; just have faith in what we tell you.” DBIVEN TO UNBELIEF Young Russell believed that the Bible taught these theories, because the clergy taught them. Up to that time he had not given the Bible a careful study, As he brooded over the condition of the unfortunate race, he reached the conclusion that a just, wise and loving God could not be the author of such an arrangement; and while still believing in God, he discarded the Bible on the supposition that it taught these awful doctrines. Charles Russell then turned his mind to the examination of heathen religions, only to find them wholly unsatisfactory. While wandering from one religious teaching to another searching for truth, until he was thoroughly dissatisfied with all, he yet retained a belief in God. He said, “Surely a good and wise God, who has made man, must have provided some way for man to gain a knowledge concerning himself. Probably the Bible does not teach what I have understood it teaches; I will search the Scriptures carefully myself and ascertain.” As a young man still in his teens, young Russell then began a careful and prayerful study of the sacred pages of God’s Word, and when he found that the Bible does not teach that God is a fiend who will torture his creatures eternally, but that its teachings are entirely consistent with the character of a just and loving Creator, he then resolved to devote all of his time, strength, energy and means to telling the people the true teachings of the Scriptures and to putting these teachings forth by every means in his power, that others might know; and this he did up to his Jast hourfon earth. WHY ERROR OPPOSES TRUTH DABENESS HATETH THE Darkness always opposes the light. As the light progresses it exposes the darkness, and causes the disciples of error to fight the instruments holding forth the light. This is illustrated in every branch of science, as well asin religfon. To illustrate: A doctor has been practising according to the methods adopted a century ago; he knows no other methods and makes his liv [6079}

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