New-York tribune., 1918-03-11
Pastor Russell's
FINISHED Mystery"
Solved by Arrests
Three Distributors of Anti
War Book Seized in
Pennsylvania
1t Is Called Disloyal
Prosecution Of Present Strug-
gle a Crime, Is Said To
Be Writer'S Attitude

"The Finished Mystery" purportrg
to be posthumous work of the late
Pastor'R Russell, is a mystery no longer
20 the United States Secret Service.
utcrs Of the book in Scranton, Penn,
and the raid by government officials
upon "Thc Watch Tower" headquarters
Of the "Russelites" in Brooklyn, few
days ago, Federal authorities have pro-
nounced the volume anti-war and anti
patriotic, and are predicting the arrest
Of others concerned in its circulation
The book, which, according to its
title page, is now in its "75. 900 edition.
is published, still according to the title
page, by the international Bible Stu
the outside cover OF the volume pro-
claims its publishers to be the "Bible
and Tract Society,"" Of London and New
York.
Each paragraph in the book is headed
with black letter quotation from what
a footnote calls "thc Siniatic MS"
This. it goes on to explain, "is the old
est known version of the Scriptures
Following the "Sinaitic' quotations
are the words of the late Pastor Rls-
sell. These, however, are literally in
terlalded with the words Of other
preachers and writer's, among them
John Haynes Holmes, pastor of the
Church of the Messiah, who is quoted
as terming our participation in the
war as "political and economic, not
ethical in it's character"
Mr.. Holmes Calls War Wrong
"The war itself is wrong" Mr.
Holmes is quoted further as saying.
cts prosecution will be a crime. There
is not question raised, an issue in
volved. a cause at stake. which is worth
the life of one bluejacket on the sea
"The Finished Mystery' on its own
responsibility has no less harsh things
to say concerning the conflict and our
part therein.
'War is an open and utter violation
of Christianity" it says on page $50.
eff war is right, then Christianity is
wrong, false. lie. If Christianity is
right, then war is wrong, false, lie.
The God revealed by Jesus and by
every spiritual leader of the race is no
God Of battles. His spirit is
love- His rule is peace. His method
of persuasion is forgiveness"
Further along on the same page
there follows another indictment Of
this war in particular presumably
from the pen of Pastor Russell. He
refers to "thc curious situation of all
war being wrong in general and each
war being right in particular"
Germans" he continues. "denouncee
war, with the exception, of course. Of
the present conflict with England Eng
lishmen condemn war. but exclude
against the Central Empires.
''If you tell me that this war is
foughts for the integrity of interna-
tional law, I must ask you why it is
directed only against Germany and not
also against England, which is an
equal, although far less terrible, 10
lator of covenants between nations?
Rights Of Neutrals
"If you say that it is fought on be-
half Of the rights of neutrals, | must
ligercnt the rights of neutrals have
been conserved in this war and what
guarantee you can offer that, after all
our expenditure of blood and money
for their defence, these rights will not
be similarly violated all over again in
the next war by any nation that is
battling for its life?
"If you say that the war is life and
death struggle for the preservation of
civilization against barbarism, I must
ask you why we remained neutral while
Belgium was raped and were at last
aroused to action not by the cries f
the stricken abroad, but By our own
losses in men and money"
In another portion of the book, page
247, Pastor Russell rails against patri-
otism.
lie terms it "a certain delusion,
which is best described by the word
patriotism. but which is in reality mur-
der, the spirit Of the very Devil He
also calls IT. this last and crowning
feature of Satan's work"
"Nowhere in the New Testament" he
continues. ''is patriotism Ga narrow
minded hatred of other pcoplcs) en-
couraged. Everywhere and always mur-
der in it's. every form is forbidden, and
yet, under the guise of patriotism, the
civil governments OF earth demand of
peace loving men the sacrifice of
themselves and their loved ones and
the butchcry of their fellows, and hail
it as a duty demanded by the laws of
heaven"