1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

God's Word than many Pharisaic professors about him covered withthe filthy rags of self-righteousness, and bound and blinded by thehuman tradition of some popular sect. Thank God that the day isdawning, in which all this blindness and the blinding influenceswill be removed forever.[To appreciate the article below fully, turn to and examine all textscited.-- EDITOR.]R802 : page 6THE BIBLE VS. "ORTHODOXY."To the Reader.--My mind having been greatly exercised by thefollowing doctrines of so called "Orthodoxy," I searched to seewhat the Scriptures say, with the following result. When I pennedthese lines, I had no intention whatever of having them printed, asthey were simply written to send to the pastor of the Chapel where Iused to worship, but showing them to a brother in Christ, heexpressed his wish to have them printed. This has been done, in thehope that any who have been seeking for the truth, may by thegrace of God, be assisted in finding it, and realize as I myself domost gratefully, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall makeyou free."I am yours in the love of God, and in the glorious liberty of thegospel of Christ,G. C.IMMORTALITY OF MAN.I find no scripture to lead me to believe this doctrine; quite thereverse, man is never described as having an endless existence."Your fathers, where are they, and the prophets, do they liveforever?" Zech. 1:5, and as to man having a conscious existenceafter the breath leaves the body, I do not believe it, not until theresurrection, "for in death there is no remembrance of thee." Psalm6:5. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that veryday his thoughts perish." Psalm 14:6, "There is no work, nordevice, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thougoest." Eccles. 9:10. "Then shall the dust return to the earth as itwas, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Eccles. 12:7."If Christ be not raised, ye are yet in your sins, then they also whichhave fallen asleep in Christ are perished.... what advantageth it meif the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 1Cor. 15:17,18,32. If there is consciousness after the breath leavesthe body, there should have been consciousness before the breathentered in, (kindly examine this). I know that Luke 16:23-31, maybe argued against this, but are you sure that our Lord is speaking ofindividuals here and not nations, Jewish and Gentile. He wasspeaking to the Pharisees, verses 14,15, kindly compare rich man,verse 19, (Jewish nation), with Ezekiel 16:1-14, and the same