1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
gospel and universal, and Paul is supposed to be its strongsupporter, for he has given that which is the key note in thepromulgation of it, viz: "As in Adam ALL die, EVEN SO inChrist shall ALL be made alive." 1 Cor. 15:22. So ourUniversalist brother infers from this that in some way, in thehour of death, or before, or after, by some means, whether sinfulor holy, everybody, everywhere shall be saved; and why not? Hesays, did not Christ by the grace of God taste death "for everyman?" And if so did he die in vain for any man? But our brotherof this opinion would not probably dwell with as muchsatisfaction upon the passage "without holiness no man shall seethe Lord," Heb. 12:14, and would prefer that murderers andpickpockets should occupy a separate apartment in the manymansions." (Here again conviction almost arrives at truth.) Now,candidly, can we suppose that these views, which we think, in aplain-spoken way, we have fairly represented as being the viewsheld by the churches in general, regarding the gospel, are theviews held by saint Paul when he uttered the words we havereferred to?We cannot think so, and we do think that few, if any, whoreflect are perfectly satisfied that either of these were the viewswhich he held. Then do you stand back aghast and say: Can it bepossible that all this is error that we have been taught so long,and that has so much seeming support from the Bible? Do yousay, impossible? If these are errors, which is your choice, andwhich is good news to you? Can you walk out beneath the starryheavens at night and looking up into illimitable space among theexhibitions of infinite wisdom and power, and there alone in thepresence of God lay your hand upon either one of these dogmasand say, I believe THIS is the gospel of Christ, of which Paulwas not ashamed?No, my dear brother or friend these dogmas are not all errors,neither are they all truth. Like the confederation of states, towhich has been proudly attached the term "E Pluribus Unum,"so the truths of the gospel of which Paul was not ashamed are "EPluribus Unum," i.e. one composed of many. We understandthen that the gospel, of which Paul spoke, embraces in its scopemany of the ideas held by each of our brethren to whomreference has been made, and for whose opinions we haverespect, but we cannot think that either of them is completealone, and we believe that either of the churches who think thatits plan or creed is the only and true one, while so much atvariance with the others, has done much to make the man of theworld who is uninformed, reject the instrument (the Bible) uponwhich he thinks so many variant tunes can be played. With forcethen the question recurs to us; what was the gospel or good newsof which Paul was not ashamed? What was the great andglorious thought connected with the gospel that he had in mind?
Paul's was a critical and calculating mind, and his inspiredthoughts were stamped with that peculiarity. He "reckons" abouthis sufferings; he "counted all things loss," etc., etc. In this casehe is "not ashamed of the gospel for, i.e. for the reason that it is"the power of God," something above and beyond all humaninstitutions, something that the world, the mind of the naturalman never would have thought of, something supernatural, yesand something from which the mind of man (if left to itself)would soon wander; and that is evidently why these truths havebeen torn asunder, and the different parties in the church haveeach taken a piece, and upon it built a superstructure of its own,much of it, the "wood, hay, stubble," to which Paul refers in 1Cor. 3:12. Each of these, according to our understanding, hasalready begun to be swept away or to be burned up, and "theday" which "shall declare it" is even now begun, (vs. 13) wefully believe. We feel convinced that the fire which is toconsume the world (of error) is even "now kindled."But says one, where is the disagreement? Do we not all believethat this gospel is the power of God unto salvation? (to everyone that believeth, our Arminian brother breaks in--but he mustwait a little). Well they say so, but in practice deny it. OurCalvinistic brother says "unto salvation" and adds, (in creed) ofa few, and unto damnation of the many, i.e. power to save all,will to save a few. Our Arminian brother can emphasize the willof God to save, but whisper the power, for O! man opposes hiswill. Our Universalist brother can declare aloud both will andpower and take all into glory.Let us illustrate the difference between our brethren, andsuppose three natives of some foreign land, who were totallyunacquainted with the design or nature of the national emblem"the stars and stripes," were to call at different times upon theAmerican Consul in that land, and he was to present to one aportion of the flag as a memento, having only the red, at anothertime, to another one, a portion having only the white, and stillanother having only the blue, each might suppose that hisportion represented in color the whole and contend that becausethe representative of the nation gave it to him, he was sure thatwas the true color, and so of each of the others, while the factwould be that each was right in supposing that he had the truecolor, but erred in the supposition that he had the only color,when it was composed of "red, white, and blue," and that in aspecified proportion.Now our Calvinistic brother, sees so clearly that predestinationis taught in the scriptures, that he cannot see that there is auniversal salvation; and our Arminian brother sees so clearlythat there is salvation provided for all, that he cannot see thatthere is clearly taught the doctrine of predestination andelection; and our Universalist brother sees so clearly that all willbe saved, that he cannot see either of the others.
- Page 123 and 124: SPIRITUAL SEED. Now says Paul, "God
- Page 125 and 126: spiritual plane (except those who d
- Page 127 and 128: Paul's statement, that "The saints
- Page 129 and 130: and tares. (Matt. 13,) as the two c
- Page 131 and 132: needful to us and tend to sharpen o
- Page 133 and 134: that the observance of it as instit
- Page 135 and 136: R209 : page 4God not as sinners but
- Page 137 and 138: een brought to bear upon us, adjust
- Page 139 and 140: R210 : page 4What poor despised com
- Page 141 and 142: This work of progression and glorio
- Page 143 and 144: the type foreshadows it, and the se
- Page 145 and 146: tasting of death; [1 Thess. 4:15-17
- Page 147 and 148: God leadeth to repentance," and now
- Page 149 and 150: against the views of all the learne
- Page 151 and 152: We know of some who are now experie
- Page 153 and 154: pages. We trust that the Lord may b
- Page 155 and 156: as in power, he longs to know somet
- Page 157 and 158: IN NEWARK, N.J.The friends in Newar
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- Page 161 and 162: But these prizes were not offered t
- Page 163 and 164: their sufferings be a part of the a
- Page 165 and 166: instead of to the type, Abraham, th
- Page 167 and 168: enter into it anything that defilet
- Page 169 and 170: under him, we may see how Abraham m
- Page 171 and 172: 'Tis one thing now to read the Bibl
- Page 173: foreknow, he also did predestinate
- Page 177 and 178: every man in his own order, Christ
- Page 179 and 180: In the other five cases, it has ref
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- Page 183 and 184: twelve disciples; their sacrifices,
- Page 185 and 186: shut to the door (to the "Narrow wa
- Page 187 and 188: The Lord's grace (favor) he says, "
- Page 189 and 190: Seeing our justification, we reflec
- Page 191 and 192: efers to several such cures at "Pin
- Page 193 and 194: seem too, to show God's special fav
- Page 195 and 196: walk among them, and I will be thei
- Page 197 and 198: And for you, brethren, we pray that
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- Page 201 and 202: consecrated ones--the jewels which
- Page 203 and 204: A bed is a place in which to rest;
- Page 205 and 206: was literally fulfilled; they fled
- Page 207 and 208: influence, how you would lose your
- Page 209 and 210: God knows--not I--why, when I'd fai
- Page 211 and 212: THE CREDIBILITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.E
- Page 213 and 214: This is symbolical and expressive o
- Page 215 and 216: I contend, then, that the Israeliti
- Page 217 and 218: Jerusalem shall be trodden down of
- Page 219 and 220: "We are inundated with books and pa
- Page 221 and 222: you be. He was armed with the sword
- Page 223 and 224: the false teachers of Baal (Papacy)
gospel and universal, and Paul is supposed to be its strongsupporter, for he has given that which is the key note in thepromulgation of it, viz: "As in Adam ALL die, EVEN SO inChrist shall ALL be made alive." 1 Cor. 15:22. So ourUniversalist brother infers from this that in some way, in thehour of death, or before, or after, by some means, whether sinfulor holy, everybody, everywhere shall be saved; and why not? Hesays, did not Christ by the grace of God taste death "for everyman?" And if so did he die in vain for any man? But our brotherof this opinion would not probably dwell with as muchsatisfaction upon the passage "without holiness no man shall seethe Lord," Heb. 12:14, and would prefer that murderers andpickpockets should occupy a separate apartment in the manymansions." (Here again conviction almost arrives at truth.) Now,candidly, can we suppose that these views, which we think, in aplain-spoken way, we have fairly represented as being the viewsheld by the churches in general, regarding the gospel, are theviews held by saint Paul when he uttered the words we havereferred to?We cannot think so, and we do think that few, if any, whoreflect are perfectly satisfied that either of these were the viewswhich he held. Then do you stand back aghast and say: Can it bepossible that all this is error that we have been taught so long,and that has so much seeming support from the Bible? Do yousay, impossible? If these are errors, which is your choice, andwhich is good news to you? Can you walk out beneath the starryheavens at night and looking up into illimitable space among theexhibitions of infinite wisdom and power, and there alone in thepresence of God lay your hand upon either one of these dogmasand say, I believe THIS is the gospel of Christ, of which Paulwas not ashamed?No, my dear brother or friend these dogmas are not all errors,neither are they all truth. Like the confederation of states, towhich has been proudly attached the term "E Pluribus Unum,"so the truths of the gospel of which Paul was not ashamed are "EPluribus Unum," i.e. one composed of many. We understandthen that the gospel, of which Paul spoke, embraces in its scopemany of the ideas held by each of our brethren to whomreference has been made, and for whose opinions we haverespect, but we cannot think that either of them is completealone, and we believe that either of the churches who think thatits plan or creed is the only and true one, while so much atvariance with the others, has done much to make the man of theworld who is uninformed, reject the instrument (the Bible) uponwhich he thinks so many variant tunes can be played. With forcethen the question recurs to us; what was the gospel or good newsof which Paul was not ashamed? What was the great andglorious thought connected with the gospel that he had in mind?
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