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Views From The Watch Tower
SOCIAL UNREST GROWS APACE
OUR READERS know better than do the majority of
people the meaning of the present social unrest. Many of them have been
studying this subject with us from the standpoint of the Divine Plan of the
Ages for more than thirty years. Steadily the unrest which the Bible predicted
for the present time--the Harvest of this Age-- is culminating. Many know our
expectations respecting October, 1914--that thereabouts the Time of Trouble
will gain full headway and sweep the social structure as a besom of
destruction.
While pointing out these things from the Word of
God our journal has done all in its power to counsel peace, contentment,
faithfulness of heart, appreciation of our multiplied mercies and blessings,
the like of which humanity never before enjoyed. More than this, THE WATCH
TOWER has striven faithfully in all these thirty-five years past to establish
the foundation for true peace amongst the Lord's people--an exact knowledge of
God, a correct understanding of the Divine Word and an appreciation of the
Divine attributes.
To some extent the Divine blessing has attended
our labors. Thousands of Christian people have been awakened, enlightened and
brought back to the firm foundation of faith in God and in the Bible. Tens of
thousands who have not come to a full consecration of their hearts to the Lord
have, nevertheless (according to their letters), taken their stand for
righteousness and truth, against sin and error. In these and through these to
their families, friends and neighbors a testimony has gone out respecting
"Love Divine, all love excelling," which has brought many into closer
relationship with God, to a greater reverence of His Word and to a considerable
faith in respect to the Divine Plan of the Ages. Hundreds of thousands no
longer believe that God used His wisdom and power in human creation to bring
into being thousands of millions doomed to eternal torture.
The glorious character of God is shining more
resplendently in the world than ever before. The light is going forth in about
twenty different languages and to practically every nation. We have not
succeeded in effecting great things for the world. We did not so convince the
nations that they turned from selfishness and sin to righteousness and love. We
have not gotten them to "beat their swords into plowshares, nor their
spears into pruning-hooks" (Isa. 2:4),
nor have we reason to expect that kind of success to follow our labors. From
the very beginning we announced the Scriptural Program to be that only the wise
should understand and that "none of the wicked should understand" (Dan. 12:10) and that during this Age only the
Elect class will be brought into full harmony with God.
We pointed out from the beginning that the
world, full of selfishness, would wreck the present civilization and that God,
according to the Bible, will use that great Time of Trouble--anarchy,
confusion--as a means to an end, and upon the ruins of the highest civilization
the world has yet known, wrecked by human selfishness, God will in His own due
time erect the Messianic Kingdom, which for centuries He has promised and which
eventually will bring the foretold blessing to Israel and to all the nations of
the earth. If we were obliged thus to prophesy evil things, we were glad that
we could also prophesy glorious things, everlasting blessing, the silver lining
to the cloud.
A little more than two years remain before the
climax of trouble we anticipate--if we are exactly right about the time. If we
are not exactly right, surely we are not far astray, our enemies themselves
being the witnesses.
Look at the state of the world. Europe is seething with a Socialism which indeed numbers
amongst its hosts many men of noble impulses who fancy that the course they are
taking is the only one to bring about a more equitable distribution of the
rapidly increasing wealth of the world. Other less noble men in the ranks of
the Socialists are thinking evidently less of justice, of a general betterment
of society and of a more equitable arrangement of the world's riches, than of
their own selfish interests. Others in this growing army of Socialism appear to
be wholly demagogic--ignorant prattlers upon subjects which they do not
comprehend.
The wage-workers of the world, under the names
of Syndicalism, Socialism, etc., have finally realized that the progress of the
world really depends upon the coal miners, engineers, machinists, etc. They do
not dispute, of course, that brain capacity is also necessary, but they are
inclined to say, and still more to think that brain power and Capital have
appropriated the lion's share of earth's bounties for a long time and that now
Labor must have the lion's share, even if force be required to obtain it.
The governments of Europe
are in perplexity. They wonder and fear what a day or a year may develop, but
hope for the best. Their chief consolation seems to be to claim that "all
things continue as they were from the foundation of the world" (2 Pet. 3:4), and that no radical [R5062 : page 224] change in the affairs of
humanity need be expected. Indeed, while Labor feels its power, Capital also
feels its strength. Capital says that if Labor should attempt to block the
wheels of industry and progress, Labor would be the first to feel the pangs of
hunger and would be glad to compromise the situation. It is this confidence on
both sides of the question that gives the situation the most serious aspect. When
the struggle comes, both parties will feel so confident that neither will be
ready to compromise and the results will be the more terrible.
INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE IS THE CAUSE
Strange as it may at first appear, it is
unquestionably true that the troubles upon us are the results of increased
knowledge amongst the masses. When people did not know their power, they were
content. The ascertainment of their power has brought them discontent and is
leading on to anarchy. Had the knowledge come a thousand years sooner, the
trouble would have come a thousand years earlier. Had the knowledge come two
thousand years sooner, so would have come the discontent, the trouble. It comes
now because Divine providence has been gradually lifting the veil of ignorance
as the morning of the New Dispensation is nearing. We have not yet experienced
the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, but we have with us the early gray
dawn.
The world is awakening before the Master-Hand of
the Messianic Kingdom, the Controller of earth's affairs. Civilization will
wreck itself in its ignorant use and selfish abuse of the wonderful riches
which Divine providence is showering upon mankind today through the increase of
knowledge. The lesson is evident--the recompense also. All the blessings which
we have would do good and not harm were it not for the selfishness and hardness
of heart which have come upon humanity. Strange to say, this selfishness and
hard-heartedness is more manifest amongst the civilized nations than amongst
the peoples of India, China and Japan, although all have it, and
although the more civilized of mankind cloak their selfishness in many ways.
Selfishness is never grateful. It never cries
Enough! Even its gifts and benefactions are likely to be selfishly bestowed. All
this is the result of original sin. Disobedience to the Divine Word has brought
gradual opposition to the Divine Spirit of love, kindness, mercy. Tender-heartedness
has given place to hard-heartedness. The strife that is coming will undoubtedly
be most severe amongst those possessed of large knowledge and great
blessings--and this means Europe and America, although the same
malignant influence will assuredly exert itself throughout the world.
Just at the appropriate time religion lost its
power. Churchianity came instead of Christianity, forms of godliness instead of
the Spirit of the Lord. What led up to this? The educators and preachers of the
world lost their faith in the Bible. Gradually the spirit of unbelief and the
theory of evolution (that man was evolved from lower forms of life and not
created) have spread through all the colleges, seminaries, schools and school-books.
Now the person who possesses faith in a personal, intelligent, just, wise,
powerful and loving God, is considered a simpleton.
Wealthy men have endowed colleges and schools to
teach unbelief and Evolution. And now these same men stand aghast with wonder
that the people whose faith has been destroyed by Higher Criticism and
evolutionary doctrines have no longer faith in God's Word nor in God's
providence and are determined to take matters into their own hands. Is it
strange? Is it not merely the logical outcome that should have been expected? Do
we not see here fulfilled the words of the Prophet Isaiah, "The wisdom of
their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall
not be manifest"? (Isa. 29:14.) The
prudent men are the wealthy, whose generosity has been showered upon these
colleges which are doing so destructive a work in the minds of men and
preparing them to destroy the very foundations of our present civilization.
POLITICIANS ARE SEEING THINGS
Two great political conventions have been held
which have had an awakening and enlightening influence on the minds of many. The
candidates have spoken out with considerable freedom. The charges generally
made and generally believed are that in each of the two principal parties there
is a warfare in progress between a "stand-pat" element (willing to
yield nothing) and a reform element. The former have apparently the more
particular backing of the financial world and the Church influence, Catholic
and Protestant. The other, or more progressive party, realizes in some measure
the real condition of things in the world today--realizes that Capital must
make concessions to Labor and must improve Labor conditions or else a social
revolution is inevitable. Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Bryan are the prominent
standard-bearers of the progressive thought in the two great parties. They
represent millions of the middle-class people and millions of sympathizers in
religious circles and in the world.
The Boston Globe quotes Mr. Roosevelt as
saying, "With unflinching heart and undimmed eye, we stand at Armageddon
and we battle for the Lord." Then the Globe quotes the Scripture to
which Mr. Roosevelt refers in Rev. 16:16-18:
"And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great
voice out of the Temple
of Heaven, from the
Throne, saying, 'It is done.' And there were voices and thunders and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were
upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great."
We cannot but wonder how much of what he said
Mr. Roosevelt believes and appreciates. But the same thought is in the minds of
others who profess little knowledge of or faith in the Bible. The Cincinnati
Post, for instance, commenting on the same subject, says:
"And no one knows what it all means now or
next week or before another generation has begun to crawl.
"Men talk among themselves--experienced
newspaper men, men who have attended political conventions for years. But they
don't print what they talk and don't talk all that they fear.
"There is a feeling that history is being
made in a more mysterious manner than any of us can understand --that something
is moving more powerfully than any of us can comprehend--and however much men
predict or hazard guesses, nobody knows.
"Sometimes one forgets it is a Republican
convention and sees only two tremendous forces about to clash. It is people who
are stirring, not mere partisans. And it is the same spirit of unrest, the same
mysterious uprising and breaking forth from beneath of a wonderful and awful
power that has been breaking forth in spots all over the world."
If, however, it be conceded that the financial
powers have set themselves in opposition to progress, those who know the power
of money may well fear that the chances of the progressives are small. The
money power, through the banks and bankers, has its influence upon all
borrowers of money. There lies the danger. The power which can thus control
nearly all of the influential is in danger of carrying its power too far and
sitting upon the safety-valve [R5062 : page 225] until
the explosion takes place--just such an explosion as the Bible warns us to
expect.
What should be the attitude of God's consecrated
people at this time? They should remember the Master's words and not be
alarmed. He said, "When ye see these things begin to come to pass, lift up
your heads, for your deliverance draweth nigh." (Luke
21:28.) This does not mean that we should ever act or feel boastfully,
or even carelessly, respecting the welfare of humanity so seriously at stake. It
means that with quiet confidence we may look up to God, and, realizing His
omnipotence, wisdom and love, we may trust Him where we cannot trace Him and
rest assured that all things are working together for good--especially for the
Church, but indirectly also for the interests of all humanity.
God's consecrated people should more than ever
"set their affections on things above and not on things on the
earth." (Col. 3:2.) More than all, we
should spend time and influence in the service of God, of the Truth, of our
families and of all men, so far as we have opportunity. We should do them good,
calming instead of arousing their fears. Instead of dilating particularly upon
the trouble coming, we should expatiate especially upon the time beyond the
trouble, encouraging them to faith in the Omnipotent One who has promised that
through the Seed of Abraham "all the families of the earth shall be
blessed." --Gal. 3:29.
Today we have wonderful opportunities. The world
is waking up and inquiring about the meaning of the wonderful things of our
day. Intelligent people are perplexed. They need the very light upon the Divine
Plan which we have for them. The Golden Rule bids us do toward them as we would
have them do towards us, if we were in the dark and they in the light. The
Class Extension work is being greatly blessed and is reaching many. The
Colporteur work is gathering, we believe, many ripe grains.
On the whole, the Lord's blessing seems to be
specially manifest thus far this year. No doubt many who are now receiving the
Truth respecting the Harvest time, etc., have been God's children for a
considerable time, and under Divine providential guidance, direction,
discipline, in preparation for the Kingdom. To these Present Truth comes as a
special blessing and refreshment and as a [R5063 :
page 225] special ripening for the Kingdom. Today's opportunities
become tests also of our love and loyalty to God. "He that reapeth
receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal." (John
4:36.) Freely have we received, freely let us give to others the
glorious light of Present Truth.--Matt. 10:8.
MEN'S HEARTS FAILING THEM FOR FEAR
There is a general apprehension of something
unusual and fearful. Religious people of all denominations are distressed, as
well as politicians and financiers. Large sums of money are still forthcoming,
but chiefly from the wealthy. And these are growing weary of their trials as
the supporters, "pillars," of their respective systems. Church
attendance grows more slim, and many who do attend service confess that their
worship is largely a form of godliness and custom and habit rather than an
intelligent appreciation of their privileges. The people believe --they know
not what. The "new thought" offered them as a soul-satisfying portion
is, "Our forefathers generations back were monkeys." There is nothing
soul-satisfying in this statement. The true-hearted are starving, not for
bread, nor for water, but for hearing the Word of the Lord. (Amos
8:11.) The formalists are discouraged because of lack of numbers. All
are in dread lest some one should ask questions respecting the various creeds
of Churchianity, knowing that no one of intelligence can defend even one creed
of Christendom.
Various schemes have been tried. Various good
endeavors have been made to awaken the public to an interest in religious
things. The public interest in Churchianity has died out. Evolution and Higher
Criticism have undermined faith. The public say, "The preachers themselves
do not believe the Bible. Why should we?"
Finally, the solemn thought is being pressed
home daily that a great trial time has come upon Christianity as a whole--a day
of judgment; and that in harmony with the adage, "In union there is
strength," all Christian people should draw together for mutual support. The
cry is, "A federation" (a confederacy--Isa.
8:12). This movement, foretold by the Scriptures, is now nearing a
fulfilment, much as the matter was disputed when we called attention to it
thirty-five years ago.
As we write, the Conference in Lambeth Palace,
London, is in
session. The chief representatives of the churches in Great Britain and the United States have assembled to see
to what extent they can let down the bars of custom and superstition and
recognize Protestant Christians of all denominations as fellow-Christians of
the one Body of Christ--the one Church. Very soon there is to be a general
meeting in the United States
to which the proposals of the Lambeth Conference will be submitted.
The feeling of fear, uncertainty, need of union,
is so generally felt that undoubtedly many Christians of various denominations
will be glad to be associated, federated. The hope is that thus they will
present a solid, religious backing to the Government and that the Government
will give them in return a support. It will not surely amount to a union
between Church and State, as in the old world, but it will amount to an
understanding between Church and State, for the State also is feeling its need
of backing. The result will be an apparently triumphant Churchianity, a
brilliant flare-up of success. However, according to our understanding of the
Bible, their prosperity will be short-lived, for it has no real foundation of
Christian faith, but merely the excuse of necessity for its federative
existence.
With the flare-up of Churchianity's apparent
prosperity all not joining in will be esteemed as enemies, however
conscientious. And they will have hard experiences for a little while, until the
Master shall say, "It is enough. Come up higher." "To him that
overcometh will I give power over the nations"; "To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne"; "Be thou
faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life."--Rev. 2:26; 3:21; 2:10.
----------
BAPTISTS DIVIDED ON COMMUNION
QUESTION
"Toronto,
Ont., June 15.--The question of restricted communion was discussed by the
Toronto Association of Baptist Churches in Parkdale Baptist
Church yesterday. The
leading speaker on the subject was the Rev. J. J. Ross, who maintained that
"the ordinance of the Lord's Supper is unmistakably a restricted
ordinance, and those who partake of it unworthily will bring judgment upon
themselves.
"The debate was opened in the morning, but
gave way to other topics until it was resumed by arrangement in the midst of
the Women's Missionary Conference in the afternoon. A lively period of
three-quarters of an hour was given up to it. Mr. A. M. Denovan took the view
that it was never proven that Christ did not baptize infants a span long. Rev.
T. T. Shields quickly retorted [R5063 : page 226] that
it certainly had been proven that He had never done so.
"A heated discussion followed between those
who maintained that the love of God in people's hearts entitled them to a place
at the communion table, and the others who rigidly held that the only passport
was immersion.
"An extra session was held at 6:30 p.m.,
when the discussion was vigorously continued. No decision was reached."--Woodstock,
Ont., Daily Express.
Our Baptist brethren are having their troubles. After
more than eighteen centuries they are half inclined to believe that they have
made a huge mistake! Perhaps all the heathen who have not been baptized did not
go to hell and are not still there roasting! Perhaps the Presbyterians,
Congregationalists, Methodists, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians,
etc., are not in hell for similar insufficiency of water!
Perhaps, after all, it has been a mistake that
our Baptist friends have been excluding others from their communion
table--claiming that, not being completely immersed in water, these are not
members of the true Church
of Christ, not eligible
to heaven, etc. It is certainly time that our dear Baptist brethren became
established with definite ideas about baptism, or else they should take that
particular word from their denominational name.
The foregoing suggestion from the Daily
Express respecting the baptism of infants is an outgrowth of the general
misunderstanding of the subject of baptism.
The Bible teaches clearly enough that Christians
are baptized into the Church, which is the Body of Christ, but nowhere does it
say that it is the water baptism which inducts the believer into Christ. On the
contrary, it most explicitly declares that the real, true baptism is baptism
"into Christ's death." To be immersed into Christ's death plainly
enough means to have a participation with the Redeemer in the death which He died--death
to self-will, death to earthly hopes and aims and prospects. Only such as are
thus immersed into His death will be in His likeness in the resurrection. "If
we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him"; "If we be dead with
Him, we shall live with Him."--Rom. 6:4-6;
Col. 2:12; 2 Tim.
2:12,11.
If our Baptist brethren come to see what the
true baptism is, they will all the more appreciate the water baptism as merely
a symbol of the true immersion. Our baptism into Christ's death inducts us into
the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church, whose names are written in
heaven.--Eph. 1:22,23; Heb.
12:23.
Throughout this Age some Presbyterians,
Methodists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and others have had this
real baptism into Christ's death, and accordingly have had their names written
in the Lamb's Book of Life. These constitute the members of the One Church.
Some of them were confused on the subject of baptism and used sprinkling--incorrectly,
unscripturally. Others used immersion unscripturally--the Disciple friends
thinking it the same as the Jewish baptism practised at the first advent of our
Lord, for the remission of sin and for bringing Israel back into harmony with the
Law Covenant. Others used water immersion improperly instead of the real
immersion into Christ's death. The true view of the subject shows that we all
in the past have been more or less in error. Humiliating as this fact is, it
needs to be learned if we would make any progress.
YET ANOTHER LESSON
Another lesson we need to learn is that not
merely the Church, which is the Body of Christ, is to be saved, but that God
has a salvation--although a very different one-- for others.--Heb.
2:3; Jude 3.
Under the creeds formulated during the Dark Ages
we supposed that since the whole world is under Divine condemnation, therefore
every infant is so condemned. We were right in this, but wrong in respect to
the character of the condemnation. None of our race were condemned to
eternal torment or purgatory. The Bible explicitly tells us that we were
condemned to death. (Rom. 6:23; Gen. 2:17; 3:19.) As a consequence
mankind are a dying race. The dying processes of the six thousand years have
affected the race mentally, morally and physically.--Psa.
51:5; Jer. 31:29,30.
Only those baptized into Christ's death and thus
vitally united to the living Head of the Church, have as yet escaped from the
condemnation which rests upon the world. But God's provision, which begins with
the Church, will proceed, after her glorification, to bless the world. (Gal. 3:8,16,29.) Then all the non-elect, all the
unbaptized, all out of Christ--infants, heathen, all--will be subjects
of the blessed Millennial
Kingdom. All will have
the opportunity, not to be baptized into the Body of Christ, but to experience
the promised restitution to human perfection and earthly paradise--all that was
lost in Eden, all that was redeemed at Calvary.--Acts
3:19-21.
W.T. R-5061b : page 223 - 1912r.