The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-08-21
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Russellism and High Finance
the Editor of The Republican.

VII you hilIuly PUBLISH Iile dCCOIH-
panying editorial taken from the Pitts
burgh Christian Advocate of August
18th, bearing upon Mr. Russell and his
teachings:
A little while ago we learned that
man representing himself as an agent
of the bible and Tract Society" of
England was flooding certain communi-
ties in Ohio with books and tracts. On
examination these proved to be the
literature with which Pastor" Russell
is seeking to enlighten the world. This
Bible and Tract Society" is only one
| of the many agencies through which the
teachings and Examinations of this self
constituted prophet and apostle are be-
ing industriouslv and only too success
fully propagated. lions Watch
Tower" "Millennial Dawn" and 1.-The
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
of Brooklyn became too we'll known,
they became too closely identified with
Pastor" Russell, to reach the people
whom this cunning fisherman desires to
catch THE international Bible Stu
dents Association" has managed to get
itself into the papers. and a year or two
ago some of its deliverances were
heralded abroad as though they were
the utterances of real scholars concern
ing matters of Scriptural Interpretation.
1t was gravely announced that Biblical
! scholars had come to an agreement that
HELP should be eliminated from Chris
tian teaching. But the scholars
were only Charles Taze Russsll and
some of his followers.
Some months ago a generous offer
was made by what purported to be the
bible Study Club" with offices in the
Metropolitan Building, New York City.
A circular letter was sent to Sunday
school superintendent in connection
with periodical which purports tc eX-
pound the International Sunday School
Lessons, The publication was offered
gratis for six months, and the names of
teachers and adult scholars were asked
for, that copies might be sent to them,
gratis for six months, and then at the
investigation has disclosed the fact that
the "Bible Study Club" is only another
of Pastor" Russell S DISCUSSES, by which
he hoped to inoculate large number of
unsuspecting people in the churches
with the virus which he both loudly and
insidiously heralds as the truth.
1t is characteristic of religionists like
Bowie, Mrs. Eddie, Pastor" Russell
and their ilk, to make claim, not only to
the discovery of the truth hitherto only
dimly perceived, if at all, but to such
and exclusive discovery of it as gives
them sort of patent right on 1.-THE
truth" in away becomes their proper
ty That pastor" Russell has made
such claim for his writings is clearly
shown by the following statement, pub
lshed in the Watch Tower" of Sep
TENDER Is, 1910, and quoted by Williem
T. Ellis, in his investigation of an In
vestigator":
'If the SIX volumes of Scripture
Studies are practically the Bible,
topicallY arranged. with Bible proof
text given, we might not improperly
name the volumes The Bible in an
! Arranged Form. That is to say,
they are not merely comments on
The Bible, but they are practically
the Bible itself. =
Furthermore, not only do we find
that people can not see the divine
plan in studying in the Bible by it
self, but we see also that if any one
lays the Scripture Studies aside,
even after he has used them. after
he has become familiar with them,
after he has read them for ten years
if he then, lays them aside, and
ignores them, and goes to the Bible
alone, though he has understood his
Bible for ten years, our experience
shows that within two years he goes
into darkness On the other hand,
if he had merely read the Scripture
Studies with their references, and
had not read page of the Bible as
such, he would be in the light at the
end of the two years, because he
would have the light of the Scrip
lures.
1t is very dangerous thing to read
the Bible without Russells lantern!
1t is worthy of note concerning these
religionists, who think they have been
given "cinch" on the truth" that
they also imagine themselves divinely
commissioned to handle the money of the
people who accept their authority
They are shrewd in business matters.
Pastor" Russell is no exception to
this statement. When the clever news
paperman, W. T. Ellis, editor afield of
the Continent, turned his attention to
the Watch Tower" man he wrote: 81
sought prophet, and found business
man! Instead of humble seeker after
truth, found the cleverest propaganda
list of the age-a man before whom John
Alexander Dowie, Mary Baker Eddy,
Madame Blavatsky, Abbas Efendi,
Elijah Sanford and Joseph Smith pale
into puerlle ineffectiveness.
Of his methods, Mr.. Ellis says:
When it comes to raising money,
most pastors, Board secretaries and
financial representatives of benevo-
lent causes can sit at RusselPs feet