Data publicării
01.11.1904
Volumul
25
Numărul
21
Turnul de veghe
Views from the Watch Tower
Revistele originale Turnul de veghe în limba engleză
../literature/watchtower/1904/21/1904-21-1.html
 
 
OCTOBER 
15, 
1904 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(319-323) 
DEAR 
SIR:- 
Some 
time 
since 
I 
mailed 
to 
your 
address 
a 
copy 
of 
the 
Pittsburg 
Gazette, 
special 
edition, 
containing 
reports 
of 
the 
Eaton-Russell 
debates. 
I 
have 
also 
come 
into 
possession 
of 
some 
pamphlets 
bearing 
on 
these 
subjects, 
printed 
at 
Alle­ 
gheny, 
Pa., 
one 
of 
which 
I 
am 
mailing 
to 
you. 
I 
am 
an 
ardent 
student 
of 
the 
Scriptures, 
and 
am 
associ­ 
ated 
with 
a 
small 
number 
of 
others 
who, 
like 
myself, 
love 
the 
Lord 
and 
s.eek 
always 
to 
increase 
our 
knowledge 
of 
his 
Word 
and 
revealed 
wisdom, 
to 
the 
end 
that 
we 
may 
become 
more 
able 
to 
do 
that 
which 
IS 
pleasmg 
to 
him. 
We 
are 
not 
con­ 
nected 
with 
any 
particular 
denomination, 
but 
we 
realize 
that 
many 
earnest 
and 
well-informed 
disciples 
of 
Jesus 
are 
mem­ 
bers 
of 
each, 
whose 
intellectual 
capacity 
is 
far 
greater 
than 
our 
own, 
hence 
this 
request, 
which 
I 
fell 
you 
will 
not 
consider 
presumptuous,-that, 
if 
agreeable 
and 
convenient 
to 
you, 
I 
may 
be 
privileged 
to 
have 
an 
expression 
of 
your 
views 
on 
the 
questIOns 
involved 
in 
these 
debates 
eIther 
briefly 
or 
at 
length. 
as 
pleltSml 
you, 
and 
your 
opinion 
as 
to 
what 
methods 
would 
be 
best 
to 
pursue 
in 
order 
that 
a 
truth-hungry 
child 
of 
God 
may 
reach 
a 
proper 
conclusion 
on 
these 
and 
other 
doc­ 
trines 
which 
seem 
to 
clash, 
and, 
while 
each 
claims 
a 
Biblical 
basis 
of 
proof, 
run 
counter 
to 
each 
other. 
I 
can 
assure 
you 
that, 
knowing 
you 
to 
be 
a 
leader 
of 
thought 
among 
professing 
Christians, 
any 
assistance 
to 
further 
light 
on 
God's 
revealed 
word 
will 
be 
greatly 
appreciated 
and 
your 
words 
will 
receive 
respectful 
consideratIOn, 
should 
you 
deign 
to 
reply. 
Sincerely 
yours, 
J. 
LocKwooD,-Mo. 
DEAR 
BRETHREN:-- 
Enclosed 
please 
find 
report. 
I 
must 
tell 
you 
that 
we 
have 
encouraging 
experiences 
by 
the 
way, 
with 
an 
occasional 
reb~ff. 
In 
an 
out-of-the-way 
place 
I 
saw 
two 
men 
by 
the 
road~Ide. 
As 
I 
introduced 
the 
work, 
one 
man 
broke 
in 
with 
the 
remark, 
"Did 
you 
ever 
read 
that 
great 
debate 
by 
that 
man 
Russell 
and 
Dr. 
Eaton? 
He 
is 
a 
smart 
llllLn, 
but 
he 
could 
not 
stand 
before 
Mr. 
Russell." 
He 
spoke 
in 
a 
very 
enthusiastic 
way. 
When 
informed 
that 
the 
book 
I 
sold 
was 
by 
Bro. 
Russell, 
he 
took 
it, 
and 
I 
trust 
it 
will 
become 
a 
great 
blessing 
to 
him. 
In 
showing 
the 
Plan 
of 
the 
Ages 
to 
the 
M. 
E. 
minister 
at 
G 
- 
he 
remarked, 
"I 
have 
that 
book. 
I 
did 
not 
read 
it 
much, 
as 
I 
did 
not 
find 
it 
as 
definite 
as 
I 
expected." 
I 
began 
to 
read 
page 
224 
in 
explanation 
of 
the 
Chart, 
"The 
Path 
of 
Glory." 
I 
had 
not 
read 
far 
when 
he 
said, 
"We 
have 
found 
out 
that 
is 
not 
so; 
Adam 
was 
never 
perfect." 
We 
then 
brought 
the 
ransom 
to 
his 
attentIOn, 
and 
having 
ackllowled!!e<l 
that 
Jesus 
was 
perfect 
as 
a 
man. 
he 
could 
not 
well 
reSIst 
the 
force 
of 
this 
grand 
Bible 
truth. 
He 
said 
he 
was 
glad 
to 
have 
met 
me, 
would 
read 
the 
book, 
and 
asked 
could 
I 
speak 
for 
him 
some 
time 
I 
was 
that 
way. 
He 
seemed 
very 
sincere 
and 
desir­ 
ous 
of 
the 
truth, 
and 
now 
that 
he 
has 
it 
I 
trust 
it 
will 
be 
received 
into 
a 
good 
and 
honest 
heart. 
We 
hope 
to 
add 
to 
the 
great 
blessing 
received 
at 
the 
con­ 
vention 
at 
Boston 
and 
be 
more 
successful 
in 
the 
harvest 
work. 
In 
the 
Lord's 
name 
and 
with 
Christian 
love, 
A. 
N. 
MARCHANT,-Colp. 
VOL. 
XXV 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
NOVEMBER 
1, 
1904 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
21 
SIGNS 
OF 
DEGENERATION 
• 
'Lovers 
of 
Pleasure 
More 
than 
Lovers 
of 
God"--2 
Tim. 
3:4 
Dr. 
Hall, 
President 
of 
Union 
Theological 
Seminary, 
New 
York, 
declared 
recently:-- 
"We 
all 
rejoice 
in 
the 
remarkable 
growth 
and 
the 
excellent 
features 
of 
American 
civilization, 
and 
we 
are 
pleased 
at 
the 
relatively 
good 
state 
of 
the 
commonalty 
of 
the 
people, 
but 
& 
deeper 
examination 
of 
the 
social 
side 
of 
our 
American 
life 
re­ 
veals 
a 
situation 
that 
causes 
anything 
but 
satisfaction. 
"It 
is 
a 
matter 
of 
consternation 
and 
deep 
concern 
to 
us 
that 
the 
moral 
standard 
of 
American 
life 
is 
deteriorating. 
In 
the 
hustle 
and 
bustle 
of 
every·day 
activity 
we 
have 
astonished 
the 
world, 
but 
morally 
we 
are 
rapidly 
going 
astern--so 
rapidly 
that 
one 
is 
dumfounded 
at 
the 
contrast 
of 
a 
visit 
to 
some 
of 
the 
countries 
of 
the 
Old 
World. 
"I 
am 
an 
optimist 
through 
and 
through, 
but 
I 
am 
not 
a 
stone-blind 
optimist. 
I 
feel, 
and 
I 
know 
from 
observation 
that 
religion 
has 
little, 
if 
any, 
part 
in 
our 
American 
civilization 
today. 
This 
is 
a 
lamentable 
state 
of 
affairs, 
and 
it 
behoovea 
each 
and 
all 
of 
us 
to 
do 
all 
we 
can 
to 
help 
stem 
the 
tide 
of 
in­ 
difference. 
Our 
home 
life 
is 
not 
what 
it 
should 
be., 
and 
it 
is 
not 
to 
be 
wondered 
at 
when 
we 
realize 
the 
general 
apathy 
of 
the 
people 
as 
regards 
their 
spiritual 
welfare." 
• 
• 
• 
Doctor 
Hall 
should 
have 
expected 
just 
such 
results 
from 
the 
teaching 
of 
evolution 
and 
higher 
criticism 
in 
"Union" 
and 
other 
Theological 
Seminaries. 
And 
it 
is 
only 
beginning, 
too. 
For 
twenty 
years 
the 
Doctor 
and 
his 
coadjutors 
have 
been 
sowing 
the 
seed 
of 
unbelief: 
now 
they 
are 
surprised 
at 
the 
first 
sam­ 
ples 
of 
the 
crop. 
They 
ha.ve 
failed 
to 
gauge 
up 
the 
ordinary 
layman 
as 
more 
honest 
than 
their 
clerical 
brethren: 
when 
they 
lase 
faith 
in 
the 
Bible 
and 
supernatural 
religion 
they 
will 
soon 
drop 
,the 
forms 
and 
ceremonies 
associated 
therewith. 
Some 
clerical 
higher 
critics 
and 
agnostics 
would 
do 
the 
same 
were 
they 
not 
looking 
for 
honor 
and 
"~ain 
everyone 
from 
his 
own 
quarter," 
or 
denomination.--Isa. 
515:11. 
THE 
PBAYBB·MEETIKG 
TEST 
"It 
is 
a 
common 
thing 
in 
village 
and 
rural 
districts 
to 
find 
churches 
where 
the 
prayer 
meeting 
has 
not 
even 
a 
name 
to 
live. 
It 
is 
just 
as 
common 
to 
find 
in 
towns 
and 
cities 
among 
the 
larger 
churches 
where 
the 
membership 
goes 
up 
into 
the 
hun­ 
dreds 
to 
find, 
comparatively 
speaking, 
a 
handful 
of 
people, 
mostly 
women, 
gathered 
in 
the 
weekly 
prayer-meeting, 
when 
scores 
if 
not 
hundreds 
might 
reasonably 
be 
expected 
to 
be 
present. 
The 
situation 
is 
one 
of 
concern, 
if 
not 
of 
alarm, 
and 
unless 
a 
remedy 
is 
soon 
found, 
that 
meeting 
of 
the 
church 
which 
above 
all 
others 
is 
vital 
to 
its 
life 
and 
work 
will 
have 
gone 
out 
of 
existence. 
We 
do 
not 
believe 
that 
either 
the 
neces­ 
sity 
for 
the 
prayer 
meeting 
or 
its 
genuine 
usefulness 
has 
~one, 
but 
we 
are 
persuaded 
that 
many 
of 
our 
people 
need 
to 
be 
reo 
converted 
regarding 
its 
responsibility 
and 
value 
to 
themselves 
and 
the 
community 
in 
which 
they 
live."--Canadi<ln 
Baptist. 
* 
* 
* 
Yes, 
the 
prayer·meeting 
test 
is 
a 
good 
one. 
Wherever 
true 
Christians 
find 
it 
possible 
to 
meet 
for 
mid-week 
communion 
with 
the 
Lord 
and 
with 
each 
other, 
they 
will 
surely 
have 
pleas­ 
ure 
in 
so 
doing. 
The 
Spirit 
of 
the 
Lord 
will 
constrain 
them 
and 
his 
Word 
will 
encourage 
them,--"Where 
two 
or 
three 
of 
you 
are 
met 
in 
my 
name, 
there 
am 
I 
in 
the 
midst." 
We 
are 
glad 
to 
say 
that 
the 
Allegheny 
congregation 
has 
this 
evidence 
of 
spiritual 
life. 
Six 
meetings 
of 
this 
nature 
are 
held 
every 
Wednesday 
evening 
in 
the 
various 
districts 
con­ 
tiguous 
to 
Allegheny. 
The 
attendance 
ranges 
from 
seven 
to 
thirty, 
and 
those 
most 
regular 
in 
attendance 
are 
usually 
the 
most 
earnest 
and 
most 
spiritually 
alive. 
Our 
hope 
is 
that 
this 
love 
of 
prayer 
and 
praise 
and 
communion 
with 
each 
other 
on 
spiritual 
themes 
and 
experiences 
of 
the 
week 
may 
be 
more 
and 
more 
a 
characteristic 
of 
all 
of 
"this 
way"--of 
all 
WATCH 
TOWEB 
readers. 
eOlfGBEGATIONALISTS 
ALABMED 
"Congregational 
leaders, 
especially 
those 
in 
the 
West, 
are 
alarmed 
over 
the 
showing 
just 
reported 
made 
by 
their 
body 
in 
the 
states 
of 
Illinois, 
Iowa 
and 
Michigan. 
In 
all 
three 
states 
Congregationalism 
lost 
in 
membership 
last 
year, 
and 
in 
two 
of 
them 
in 
Sunday-school 
a.ttendance. 
The 
leaders 
referred 
to 
are 
pointing 
out 
to 
their 
brethren 
that 
in 
these 
states 
conditione 
are 
best 
fitted 
of 
all 
states, 
New 
England 
not 
excepted, 
for 
Puritan 
growth. 
Yet 
there 
has 
been 
less. 
The 
membership 
in 
all 
states 
is 
120,000 
in 
round 
figures, 
or 
a 
little 
more 
than 
one-sixth 
of 
the 
entire 
Congregational 
membership, 
and 
almost 
exactly 
the 
membership 
of 
the 
same 
body 
in 
Massachusetts. 
These 
leaders 
are 
asking 
the 
Muse 
and 
the 
remedy. 
The 
former 
they 
give 
as 
too 
much 
higher 
criticism 
and 
too 
little 
real 
re­ 
ligion. 
They 
I,loint 
out 
that 
these 
lltates 
are 
filled 
with 
educa.· 
tional 
institubons."--8ecular 
Pre 
••. 
• 
• 
• 
The 
thing 
which 
seems 
to 
strike 
the 
alarm 
bell 
in 
religious 
clerical 
circles 
is 
any 
sign 
of 
falling 
off 
in 
numbers. 
That 
is 
a 
sore 
spot. 
It 
means 
fewer 
preachers 
or 
less 
salaries, 
and 
nat­ 
urally 
awakens 
alarm. 
The 
numbers 
and 
wealth 
are 
too 
great 
now. 
If 
the 
"wheat" 
could 
only 
get 
together 
and 
study 
God's 
Word 
and 
learn 
something 
of 
the 
lengths 
and 
breadths 
and 
heights 
and 
depths 
of 
the 
great 
divine 
plan 
of 
the 
ages 
and 
the 
love 
which 
it 
exemplifies, 
they 
would 
be 
blest 
richly, 
and 
the 
great 
bulk 
of 
well-meaning 
but 
unconsecrated 
and 
unbelieving 
tares 
could 
better 
be 
dispensed 
with. 
"Fear 
not, 
little 
flock." 
"Not 
many 
great 
or 
wise 
or 
noble 
hath 
God 
chosen"-to 
be 
heirs 
of 
the 
kingdom, 
which 
shortll 
now 
will 
be 
set 
up 
in 
power 
and 
great 
glory 
to 
bless 
the 
'tares" 
and 
"all 
the 
familIes 
of 
the 
earth." 
THE 
PAIne 
OF 
1913 
"There 
is 
something 
almost 
uncanny 
in 
the 
thought 
that 
panics 
in 
the 
financial 
and 
commercial 
world 
have 
a 
habit 
of 
recurrin~ 
at 
such 
regular 
intervals 
that, 
if 
not 
prevented, 
we, 
here 
in 
the 
United 
States, 
are 
doomed 
to 
suffer 
another 
ca'~a­ 
(')"slh 
in 
the 
business 
world 
in 
l!Jl:J. 
It 
would 
seem 
that, 
given 
[3449] 
Ocroser 15, 1904 Dear SiIr:— Some time since I mailed to your address a copy of the Pittsburg Gazette, special edition, containing reports of the Eaton-Russell debates. I have also come into possession of some pamphlets bearing on these subjects, printed at Allegheny, Pa., one of which I am mailing to you. I am an ardent student of the Scriptures, and am associated with a small number of others who, like myself, love the Lord and seek always to increase our knowledge of his Word and revealed wisdom, to the end that we may become more able to do that which 1s pleasing to him. We are not connected with any particular denomination, but we realize that many earnest and well-informed disciples of Jesus are members of each, whose intellectual capacity is far greater than our own, hence this request, which I fell you will not consider presumptuous,—that, if agreeable and convenient to you, I may be privileged to have an expression of your views on the questions involved in these debates either briefly or at length, as pledS3@8 you, and your opinion as to what methods would be best to pursue in order that a truth-hungry child of God may reach a proper conclusion on these and other doctrines which seem to clash, and, while each claims a Biblica] basis of proof, run counter to each other. I can assure you that, knowing you to be a leader of thought among professing Christians, any assistance to further light on God’s revealed word will be greatly appreciated and your words will receive respectful consideration, should you deign to reply. Sincerely yours, J. Lockwoop,——Mo. ZION’S WATCH TOWER (319-323) DEAR BRETHREN :— Enclosed please find report. I must tell you that we have encouraging experiences by the way, with an occasional rebuff, In an out-of-the-way place I saw two men by the roadside. As I introduced the work, one man broke in with the remark, “Did you ever read that great debate by that man Russell and Dr. Eaton? He is a smart man, but he could not stand before Mr. Russell.” He spoke in a very enthusiastic way. When informed that the book I sold was by Bro. Russell, he took it, and I trust it will become a great blessing to him. In showing the Plan of the Ages to the M. E. minister at G—— he remarked, “I have that book. I did not read it much, as I did not find it as definite as I expected.” I began to read page 224 in explanation of the Chart, “The Path of Glory.” I had not read far when he said, “We have tound out that is not so; Adam was never perfect.” We then brought the ransom to his attention, and having acknowledged that Jesus was perfect as a man, he could not well resist the force of this grand Bible truth. He said he was glad to have met me, would read the book, and asked could I speak for him some time I was that way. He seemed very sincere and desirous of the truth, and now that he has it I trust it will be received into a good and honest heart. We hope to add to the great blessing received at the convention at Boston and be more successful in the harvest work. In the Lord’s name and with Christian love, A. N. Magcuant,—Colp. Vou. XXV ALLEGHENY, PA., NOVEMBER 1, 1904 No. 21 ——— VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER SIGNS OF DEGENERATION ‘*Lovers of Pleasure More than Lovers of God’’—2 Tim. 3:4 Dr. Hall, President of Union Theological Seminary, New York, declared recently :-— “We all rejoice in the remarkable growth and the excellent features of American civilization, and we are pleased at the relatively good state of the commonalty of the people, but a deeper examination of the social side of our American life reveals a situation that causes anything but satisfaction. “It is a matter of consternation and deep concern to us that the moral standard of American life is deteriorating. In the hustle and bustle of every-day activity we have astonished the world, but morally we are rapidly going astern—so rapidly that one is dumfounded at the contrast of a visit to some of the countries of the Old World. “I am an optimist through and through, but I am not a stone-blind optimist. I feel, and I know from observation that religion has little, if any, part in our American civilization today. This is a lamentable state of affairs, and it behooves each and all of us to do all we can to help stem the tide of indifference. Our home life is not what it should be, and it is not to be wondered at when we realize the general apathy of the people as regards their spiritual welfare.” Doctor Hall should have expected just such results from the teaching of evolution and higher criticism in “Union” and other Theological Seminaries. And it is only beginning, too. For twenty years the Doctor and his coadjutors have been sowing the seed of unbelief: now they are surprised at the first sam les of the crop. They have failed to gauge up the ordinary ayman as more honest than their clerical brethren: when they lose faith in the Bible and supernatural religion they will soon drop the forms and ceremonies associated therewith. Some clerical higher critics and agnostics would do the same were they not looking for honor and “gain every one from his own quarter,” or denomination.—Isa. 56:11. THE PRAYER-MEETING TEST “It is a common thing in village and rural districts to find churches where the prayer meeting has not even a name to live. It is just as common to find in towns and cities among the larger churches where the membership goes up into the hundreds to find, comparatively speaking, a handful of people, mostly women, gathered in the weekly prayer-meeting, when scores if not hundreds might reasonably be expected to be present. The situation is one of concern, if not of alarm, and unless a remedy is soon found, that meeting of the church which above all others is vital to its life and work will have gone out of existence. We do not believe that either the necessity for the prayer meeting or its genuine usefulness has gone, but we are persuaded that many of our people need to be reconverted regarding its responsibility and value to themselves and the community in which they live.’—Canadian Baptist. * * * Yes, the prayer-meeting test is a good one. Wherever true Christians find it possible to meet for mid-week communion with the Lord and with each other, they will surely have pleasure in so doing. The Spirit of the Lord will constrain them and his Word will encourage them,—‘‘Where two or three of you are met in my name, there am I in the midst.” We are glad to say that the Allegheny congregation has this evidence of spiritual life. Six meetings of this nature are held every Wednesday evening in the various districts contiguous to Allegheny. The attendance ranges from seven to thirty, and those most regular in attendance are usually the most earnest and most spiritually alive. Our hope is that this love of prayer and praise and communion with each other on spiritual themes and experiences of the week may be more and more a characteristic of all of “this way”’—of all WatTcn TOWER readers. CONGREGATIONALISTS ALARMED “Congregational leaders, especially those in the West, are alarmed over the showing just reported made by their body in the states of Illinois, Iowa and Michigan. In all three states Congregationalism lost in membership last year, and in two of them in Sunday-school attendance. The leaders referred to are pointing out to their brethren that in these states conditions are best fitted of all states, New England not excepted, for Puritan growth. Yet there has been less. The membership in all states is 120,000 in round figures, or a little more than one-sixth of the entire Congregational membership, and almost exactly the membership of the same body in Massachusetts. These leaders are asking the cause and the remedy. The former they give as too much higher criticism and too little real religion. They point out that these states are filled with educational institutions.”—Secular Press, . The thing which seems to strike the alarm bell in religious clerical circles is any sign of falling off in numbers. That is a sore spot. It means fewer preachers or less salaries, and naturally awakens alarm. e numbers and wealth are too great now. If the “wheat” could only get together and study God’s Word and learn something of the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of the great divine plan of the ages and the love which it exemplifies, they would be blest richly, and the great bulk of well-meaning but unconsecrated and unbelieving tares could better be dispensed with. “Fear not, little flock.” “Not many great or wise or noble hath God chosen”—-to be heirs of the kingdom, which shortly now will be set up in power and great glory to bless the “tares” and “all the families of the earth.” THE PANIC OF 1913 “There is something almost uncanny in the thought that panics in the financial and commercial world have a habit of recurring at such regular intervals that, if not prevented, we, here in the United States, are doomed to suffer another cataelvsth in the business world in 1913. It would seem that, given [3449]

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