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Jesus to "follow me" but are averse to taking orders from any one else, for he only is a perfect guide, and no one ever reaches quite as high as he aims and if our pattern or copy be imperfect, we must surely attain a still lower realm; and while like Peter, we may and do follow "very far off" it is because "the flesh is weak" but not because the spirit is unwilling.

XIII.

PASTOR RUSSELL, BROOKLYN.

Paul tells us in Gal. 6:1: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted," hence concerning the charges and counter charges of which the courts of justice finally acquitted "Pastor Russell' I shall make no further mention, especially as he published in a later number of "The Watch Tower" that he had been chosen by Governor Glynn of New York, as one of three delegates to represent that state at a "Moral purity congress" which seems to indicate that some at least thought the charges a result of prejudice.

Be that as it may, I desire to base such remarks as I shall make on the article contained in the November 15th "Christian Herald" announcing his death: "Another type of new theologian was 'Pastor' Charles Taze Russell, of Brooklyn, who died recently on a train in Texas. He disclaimed being the founder of a new religion. What he taught was the broadest universalism with other features superadded which served to draw many to his standard. Within a decade he had an immense organization with churches in a number of states and a pastorate that compelled him, in order to keep in personal touch with his constituency, to travel some 30,000 miles a year. He taught conditional

immortality, the abolition of hell and its tortures, and the substitution of eternal death for eternal punishment. With a boldness in editing and interpreting the scriptures which sprang largely from ignorance, the new theology of Russellism was so amazingly constructed that it never challenged the sincere consideration of Bible authorities. Pastor Russell's excursion into the domain of prophecy was also a distinguishing trait of his work. Like many others who have assumed the difficult role of prophetic interpretation, he came to grief over the date of which the Millenium was due, which he set for the fall of 1914, when the European war broke out instead."

If I am any judge this entire summing up will be in the sight of God, and the angels a most wonderful tribute of praise. I could ask no greater, for Pastor Russell did all this work without charges, so far as his audiences were concerned. I've been told rich members financed much of his work, but for a man 64 years old to travel 30,000 miles a year, for the faith that was in him and the love of God and his fellowman speaks volumes, with Him who looks on the heart and counts the aim and not the mistakes of the man, else why would God have chosen Paul, while yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against his followers? As for his mistakes in his dates, he is not alone in that line. Mr. Gabelein, the editor of "Our Hope," who, however, is extremely orthodox, and calls hell fire and everlasting punishment a "Solemn doctrine" and who is a merciless critic of both Mrs. Eddy and Pastor

Russell, published in Vol. XI, of "The Fundamentals" this statement (page 85, last sentence in second paragraph): "Thus was the prediction fulfilled," and that we shall make no mistake concerning what prediction he meant, he quoted the passage from Daniel (in opposite column) which speaks of "the abomination of desolation" and declares it was fulfilled about 150 years B. C. while Jesus pronounced it future, from A. D. 30.

The statement that Pastor Russell's boldness in editing and interpreting the scriptures, sprang largely from ignorance, and that "it never challenged the serious consideration of Bible authorities" is rather a "serious" charge. Jesus promised that the "Spirit of Truth” would come and guide us into all truth, and Pastor Russell certainly trusted God to keep that promise for he used scripture as a basis for his statements. And if there is any doctrine taught in the Bible (as I understand it) that doctrine is "conditional immortality," for in the 3rd chapter of Genesis we read: "And the Lord God, said, behold the man is become as one of us to behold good, and evil, and now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden, and he placed at the end of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life." And in Ezekiel 18:4: "As I live saith the Lord God, behold all souls are mine. As the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth it shall

die." And in Romans 6:23, Paul says: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." Could language be plainer? (See my article on "Hell Fire.") And the second item of this charge, "The abolition of hell fire and its tortures and the substitution of eternal death for eternal punishment, must follow as a necessary consequence, and if this be ignorance, then ignorance is bliss, for to teach the opposite of this is to me a crime, for God not only does not torture any of his children either here or hereafter, but he prevents and limits"man's inhumanity to many by mercifully sending unconsciousness and death to his victims-and thus puts a stop to man's fiendish cruelty." No doubt many have read the story of Parrhasius, the Grecian painter, and the captive, how that he exclaimed, "O, ye gods! that I might paint a dying groan," and how he so carefully pressed the poisoned barb, lest the captive faint and rob him of his opportunity. Yes, it is not only to the waves of the sea that God says: "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further," but to man's cruel ingenuity as well. When Jesus saw that He was rejected by Jerusalem, He wept because they "know not," and at His crucifixion He prayed His Father to forgive His cruel murderers, "because they know not what they do." That Pastor Russell made mistakes is only natural, because "there is none perfect, no not one." In writing to the seven churches of Asia, Jesus began each message with the words, "I know thy works," and after commending all that was good he exhorted to repentance for the "few

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