VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER.
AS POINTED out in these columns as long ago as 1880, “Christendom,” since 1878,
is passing through the sifting and testing of the close or “harvest” time of
the Gospel age, foretold by the apostles: a sifting which is to result in the
fall of many in nominal Spiritual Israel. “A thousand shall fall at thy side,
ten thousand at thy right hand,-but it shall not come nigh thee [the true
saints, the body of Christ], only with thine eyes [enlightened by the
spirit of the truth] shalt thou behold the reward of the unfaithful.” -Psa.
91:7,8.
The Prophet describes the testings of this evil day, or day of falling.
Its “pestilence” of infidelity he describes as operating secretly,
hidden, as in the night darkness,-spreading spiritual sickness and death among
the millions who outwardly confess, saying, Lord, Lord, while their hearts are
far from him. Its “arrows” of “bitter words” (Psa. 64:3), slanders and
misrepresentations of the faithful, he shows will be open as at “noonday;”-yet
these “arrows” will not harm the faithful, for they “shall never fall” (2 Pet.
1:10,11), but, glancing off them, all others than the pure in heart will be
caused to fall. The real enemy, as the Prophet shows, is the great Adversary,
Satan, the “fowler,” the ensnarer-his human agents being found amongst the
deceived ones: and he prefers the most talented and influential he can obtain.
He is finding thousands of these amongst the professed ministers of Christ
who, seeking honor one of another and not solely divine approval, are anxious
to pose as “advanced thinkers,” “higher critics,” etc. These read, more
correctly than do the masses, the trend of sentiment, the revolution of
religious thought from faith in the ransom for sinners paid by the
precious blood of Christ, to a theory of Evolution and self-development. They
perceive that a large proportion of the “best educated” laymen as well as
themselves already are Evolutionists and anti-ransomists: they are anxious to
be considered leaders in thought among their flocks, but not anxious to
alarm and drive off any of the “sheep,” and especially are they thoughtful of
those who have the long golden fleece.
Cases like that of Prof. Charles A. Briggs of the Presbyterian Church, who
stated himself so plainly as to arouse the laity to demand his trial for
“heresy,” are exceptional and purely accidental-the results of miscalculation.
Prof. Briggs, finding the Evolution and higher criticism ideas so popular
amongst the theological students, miscalculated the general ripeness and
readiness of Presbyterianism on this line. He supposed that he would be famous
in a night-he knew correctly the sentiments of his own presbytery and
the “upper classes” of Presbyterians with whom he came in contact: he did not
realize that the Presbyterians of the “back-woods” were so unprepared to
welcome him as a new Moses. Others more cautious, not only in Presbyterianism
but in all denominations, waited to note the effect. The public did not applaud
Prof. Briggs, and hence he was deserted, and in the interest of peace became a
heretical “scape-goat,” and was allowed to wander off unhonored into the fold
of the Episcopal Church and into silence.
But the heresy which Prof. Briggs expressed too soon is
growing, spreading everywhere, in all denominations: it is being “wisely,”
secretly, presented by ministers and Sunday-School teachers everywhere, and if
we understand the Scriptures aright, it will not be long until all but the
heart-consecrated children of God will be poisoned by it.
But when we say that nearly all will fall-“a thousand shall fall at
thy side,”-we do not mean that they will all fall into open immorality, nor
that they will abandon church organizations, nor that the fallen ones will even
know that they have fallen. On the contrary, the fallen ones as usual will
think that they are rising higher and higher-getting rid of error, etc. They
will be thoroughly blind to the fact that with the errors and superstitions
they are getting rid also of the truths and the faith which alone constituted
them Christians in God’s sight. This is the sense in which Babylon is falling,
since 1878, and hence God’s call, “Come out of her, my people, that ye
be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”-Rev.
18:4.
BIBLICAL CRITICISM AMONG METHODISTS.
The public was surprised indeed, to read among the press dispatches of
March 7th, published in the leading journals, under startling headlines-
“THE REV. S. P.
CADMAN APPLAUDED, WHEN HE READS A PAPER HOLDING THAT THE GOOD BOOK CANNOT BE
THE RULE OF FAITH. HE CALLS ATTENTION TO ITS DISCREPANCIES AND SAYS THE CHURCH
WILL HAVE TO MAKE A NEW RULING ON INSPIRATION.”
It seems that
the Methodist ministers of New York and vicinity have of late been discussing
at their Monday gatherings some of the Bible’s “errors,” as viewed by agnostics
and “higher critics,”
-That Joshua commanded the sun to stand still.
-That the Red Sea divided before the Israelites.
-That Jonah was in the belly of a fish three days.
-That Aaron’s Rod turned into a serpent.
-That Moses tapped a rock and waters gushed out.
-That the earth swallowed up Achan and his
companions.
-That Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were in the
furnace unharmed.
-That God spake to Moses out of a burning bush.
-That Daniel stayed unhurt in a den of lions.
On Monday, March 6th, Rev. Cadman read a paper affirming, “That the
inerrancy and the infallibility of the Bible are no longer possible of
belief among reasoning men.”
About four hundred ministers were present, and on the rising of the
speaker and the announcement of the topic the clerical audience expressed its
sympathy with their brother in that he was willing to champion their views in
so bold a statement of it, by hearty applause. The gentleman had not finished
when the appointed time expired and “his auditors were so deeply interested in
him that they readily voted that he finish. When he sat down the preachers
loudly applauded the discourse,” says the press report.
We quote from the published reports of the discourse which we have not
seen denied in Methodist journals, altho a month has since elapsed:-
“This bold, portentous utterance-involving the most radical departure from
accepted tenets of the Methodist Church since its very foundation-was made
before the most representative body of Methodist clergy in America. It
included the vast majority of the preachers of Greater New York. It is the
first announcement of an impending controversy, which may shake the Methodist
Church to its very foundation stones.
“The acceptance of Dr. Cadman’s proposition, heard with respect and
applause by the New York ministers, is comparable to the adoption of a new
constitution for the United States. It places the Bible on the basis of
historical works on other than divine subjects: it rejects the authenticity of
all parts of Holy Scripture which are repugnant to human reason.
“UNDERMINING THE BASIS OF THEIR FAITH.
“As Mr. Cadman himself said yesterday, the Bible was accepted as the
true source of authority and inspiration by Martin Luther when he established
the Protestant Church. Luther made the Scripture the base of all faith. It is
now proposed to abandon the teachings of the early fathers of the Protestant Church.
“The speaker referred to the Old Testament, half of whose pages, he said,
were of unknown authorship. The New Testament likewise contained
contradictions. The Bible, the church, the ministry, he said, were agencies.
The true source of inspiration was neither a book, nor a church, nor a
ministry, but the living Christ himself.
“The weekly meetings of the Methodist ministers take place in the
Methodist Book Concern building, on Fifth avenue. They are held in secret.
The congregations have not known anything concerning the discussion of this
vital change in doctrine. This publication will be the first intimation they
will have had that the faith in which they have been reared is threatened with
an organic change that will make it no longer the faith of Wesley.
“It also goes without saying that the enunciation of this proposition will
not tend to heal the differences between the Methodist Church North and the
Methodist Church South, which were rent apart by the civil war, for the
Southern Church has rejected time and time again kindred innovations.
“But Mr. Cadman insists that, whatever the church may decide on the
question in the future, it will not destroy the belief in the chief and final
source of Christian inspiration, a belief in Christ, the Son of God.
“In taking up his subject the preacher stated the proposition which he
would prove:
“‘That the inerrancy and the infallibility of the Bible are no longer
possible of belief among reasoning men.’
“THE TWO CRITICISMS.
“The speaker referred to the great change which had taken place in
the methods of Bible criticism within the last fifty years. There should no
longer be any confusion between literary criticism and the criticism of
inspiration. It had been said in former times by authorities of weight that
the two criticisms conflicted. This was not true. They were not on the same
plane. Inspiration appealed to the spiritual ear. Literary criticism was
addressed to an ascertainment of facts from a human standpoint. Mr. Cadman
illustrated his meaning by saying that it was one thing to examine, classify
and discuss the mechanism of a great organ, and another to pass judgment upon
the music which proceeded from it. No literary criticism could affect the
divine music breathed into the soul of man by the life of Jesus Christ.
“The Bible, he said, was compiled much as is any other book. It was
written from the records and witnesses of the time. It had been impossible to
determine the authorship of much of the Old Testament. Half of its pages, said
Mr. Cadman, were of unknown authorship. The same was in a measure true of the
New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John differed in quoting words said to
have been pronounced by Christ upon a given occasion. Parallel passages were
not alike.
“Mr. Cadman referred to that much-discussed question of Christ’s reference
to the miracle of Jonah and the whale. Those who have taken the Old Testament
in its entirety, believing all and every part of it, have based their theology
in part upon Christ’s reference to Jonah, when, in Matthew 12:39,40, he said:
“‘But he answered and said unto them: An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of
the Prophet Jonas.
“‘For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so
shall the Son of man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth.’
“There had been, the preacher said, a great conflict upon this speech of
Christ. It had been particularly a bone of contention, because as a matter of
fact Christ did not remain in the earth three days and three nights, but two
nights and a day. Mr. Cadman said that he had settled the matter in his own
mind by saying that he was willing to suffer from the disease of suspended
judgment so long as he knew that Christ did arise. It would always be
impossible to reconcile the facts of Christ’s burial with the facts of his
alleged statement, and it would be forever useless to discuss whether he had
ever said what St. Matthew attributed to him, or whether he had lain as St.
Matthew quoted Christ as saying he would lie. But this should never deter
Christian men from believing in the Christ and in his life.
“When Luther separated his followers from Papacy he had turned from
priests and priestly interpretations of the Bible to the Book itself. He had
placed the Bible before mankind as the source and authority for inspiration.
Mr. Cadman said he regretted that these early fathers of Protestantism had not
gone further and urged as the highest source of inspiration Christ himself.
“The speaker said that the trend of thought among the best minds in the
Methodist Church during the last fifty years had been toward a better knowledge
and a newer view of Christ himself rather than of the Bible. He said that
there had been a vast increase in the number of the ‘Lives of Christ’ in the
last decade: that the energy and force of Christ as the incarnation of God was
becoming better understood every day. He regarded as inevitable a
restatement and a rejudgment of the church upon the infallibility and
inerrancy of the Bible.
“The Bible itself gave authority for a belief that God was in the ocean,
in the firmament, in the rocks. Science’s contribution to the knowledge of
mankind went hand in hand with a belief in God. By this statement he did not
mean to agree with those philosophers who had used the word God as a peg on which
to hang their vagaries: but nevertheless he believed in the demonstration of
God in the seas, in the mountains, in the various forms of life on this planet.
“There were means of salvation outside of and beyond and before the Bible
was written. That must be conceded by every one. The Bible was an agency, the
church was an agency, the ministry was an agency.
“The church had dabbled too much in the distant streams of theology. It
had examined the streams, but not the source, which was alone pure. The
streams had been polluted by conflict and dissension.
“The ministry had taken up too much time in unraveling knots of theology
to the neglect of God himself.
“The leading authorities of the church had discussed the questions
involved in the parables of Christ. It had been urged that even if the events
named in the illustrations the Lord used were not of actual fact, that did not
destroy their value as moral lessons. So, also, it had been urged that if the
story of Jonah and the whale had been an allegory like Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s
Progress,’ it nevertheless had force and effect, for the Prophet Jonah without
doubt stood on a very high spiritual ground.
“But whatever position the church took-whether it held that the Bible must
be accepted, as it stands, as the revealed truth, as the Word of God, as
compelling faith because it was the Word of God, or as a historical document,
valuable, ineffably valuable, because of its real substance-the decision would
never affect the faith of Christian men in the Holy Trinity-in God the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
With more zeal than discretion the Rev. J. B. Gallaway of the Third
Presbyterian Church of Paterson, N.J., put in an appearance among the Methodist
ministers the following Monday, apparently to criticize Rev. Cadman’s position,
but he was soon identified and his voice drowned by applause for Rev. Cadman,
and amid cries of “Put him out!” the gentleman was gently hustled out “in a
decidedly ruffled condition.”
When the press reports were published, the New York M.E. “divines” were
astonished that their views should be considered extreme-Rev. Cadman no less
than the others. They had been so united in their views that they were
surprised that the reporter should think them strange. It was another case of
honesty among preachers to an extent the public cannot yet appreciate. But the
public of “Christendom” is following these leaders rapidly: if only the leaders
have yet lost faith in the Bible and its doctrine of the ransom, the
others are rapidly losing this-the saving “faith once delivered to the
saints.”-Jude 3.
Interviewed by a reporter, Bishop E. G. Andrews, who was present during
the address, said, “I do not care to discuss the question.” Bishop Stephen M.
Merrill, who was not present, said, “I don’t want to think of it. It will not
amount to much anyway. I have nothing to say either of Cadman or his
nonsense.” Rev. Cadman himself said of the matter:-
“I was surprised when I saw the article in the Journal. I regard my paper
as a conservative statement of the trend of modern Methodist
theology. The questions I have discussed must be settled sooner or later.
I have no objection, under the circumstances, to the publication of my views.”
We are to understand, then, that, bold as these words may appear to some,
they were not half the truth, but a “conservative” statement. And they
represent the “trend [or tendency] of modern Methodism.” This is just
what we are emphasizing,-the movement is going on and on, in the same direction
with increasing momentum, not only among Methodists, but among all classes of
Christians who do not now receive the sealing in their foreheads.-Rev. 7:3.
* * *
When we remember how nearly our own feet came to slipping in this same
manner thirty-one years ago, it gives us great sympathy for others. At that
time, confused by the contrary doctrines of Christendom and the irreconcilable
antagonism of many of its chief teachings (in re hell, etc.) to the
simplest kind of justice and reason and love, the writer concluded, much
against his will, that he must abandon the Bible as an inspired standard:
he would regard its writers not as knaves, but as well-intentioned tho deceived
men. He would give most credence to the New Testament writers, yet could not
regard them as inspired or reliable, because they believed the Old Testament
prophets to have been inspired and quoted their words as inspired. He reasoned,
as others are doing to-day, that, if the New Testament writers had been
inspired, they could not have been deceived in re the Old Testament
writings; and that the inspiration of the apostles could not have been plenary
or direct, but merely an inspiration in a secondary sense, as we sometimes use
the word, when we say that music is inspiring, or that the truth is inspiring
to all who receive it into honest hearts.
Exactly like Rev. Cadman, his mind centered upon Christ as the great
revelation of God to men, and he would hold to Christ, even tho he felt that he
must drop the Bible as a standard.
But what should he believe respecting Christ? was the next
question. How could he determine which of the apostolic statements were true,
and which were their “mistakes”? He soon saw that, if he considered himself
able, qualified to select the wheat and reject the chaff of apostolic
testimony, he would be obliged to consider himself greater than the
apostles-more inspired than they. Of humble mind, he could not do this which
many to-day have no hesitancy in doing. He looked again at the plain,
unvarnished tale of the New Testament and noted that the apostles displayed no
evidences of fanaticism, and that all their reasonings and deductions were
eminently moderate and logical. He noted also their purity of life and of
teachings, their unselfishness and self-sacrificing zeal, and concluded that
these matters must be given weight; and that such cool, noble, zealous men
should not be accused either of knavery or fanaticism, when they claimed
special endowment with power and wisdom for their particular work.
Coming to the consideration of our Lord Jesus, he concluded that he was
dependent upon these witnesses for all that he knew respecting him who “spake
as never man spake,” and that he could not consistently accept a part of their
testimony as truthful and reject another part. Further reflection pointed out
that our Lord himself, according to these honorable witnesses, quoted from the
Old Testament in a manner which clearly testified his faith in the divine,
plenary inspiration of the prophets and in the general correctness or truthfulness
of its merely historical portions:-Jonah and the great fish; Noah and the
flood; the destruction of Sodom and of “Lot’s wife,” etc.
The question then was between rejecting all or accepting all.
Carefully and prayerfully he considered the matter and reached the conclusion
that he had never yet examined the Scriptures purely on the merits of their own
testimony. He had followed the usual custom of judging the Bible in the light
of what the various creeds of Christendom say it teaches: and yet he was
aware that these various creeds in many particulars directly antagonize each
other. He resolved to thoroughly investigate the Bible, to see what its
theory might be, interpreted by itself to a mind stripped of all reverence for
human tradition, and willing, yea desirous to find in the Scriptures a divine
revelation. He felt his need of a standard or test of truth; he felt that he
dare not trust or lean to his own understanding-nor yet to the understanding of
others, on questions so wholly beyond human knowledge and experience. He felt,
moreover, that it is but reasonable that we should expect that God, having
wise, just and loving plans and purposes respecting mankind, should make some revelation
thereof, that would be reasonable and understandable to those in harmony with
him and desirous of knowing and doing his will, however hidden and obscure from
others.
The results of these investigations are well known to WATCH TOWER readers,
and are set forth in the volumes of the MILLENNIAL DAWN series. We found that
for centuries various sects and parties had split up the Bible doctrines
amongst them, blending them with more or less of human speculation and error;
and that the misplacement of the truth frequently made of it gross error. We
found the important doctrine of justification by faith and not by works had
been clearly enunciated by Luther and more recently by many Christians; that
divine justice and power and wisdom were carefully guarded tho not clearly
discerned by Presbyterians; that Methodists appreciated and extolled the love
and sympathy of God; that Adventists held the precious doctrine of the Lord’s
return; that Baptists amongst other points held the doctrine of baptism
symbolically correctly, even tho they had lost sight of the real baptism; that
some Universalists had long held vaguely some thoughts respecting
“restitution.” And so, nearly all denominations gave evidence that their
founders had been feeling after truth: but quite evidently the great Adversary
had fought against them and had wrongly divided the Word of God which he could
not wholly destroy.
Our work since has been to bring together these long scattered fragments
of truth and present them to the Lord’s people-not as new, not as our
own, but as the Lord’s. So far from desiring to make something new,
we are most careful to avoid both in letter and spirit either taking from or
adding to the Word of the Lord; for we are fully convinced that “the Word of
God is sufficient,” “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works.”- 2 Tim. 3:17.
What blessings, what riches of grace, have come to us and to others of the
household of faith through this bringing together of the jewels of divine truth
so long scattered amongst various denominations and misset in tarnished human
theories! What harmony, what beauty, what refreshment we now have in that
which before was insipid, incongruous and distracting! How firm a foundation
we now have for faith, hope and love! What a contrast to our former vague
hopes, dim faith or credulity, and cold love-three-fourths fear!
But as we claim that what we present is not our own, not new,
but “The Old Theology”-so old that it had been lost sight of for centuries-we
must disclaim any credit even for the finding and rearrangement of the jewels
of truth. “It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” The
writer wholly disclaims superior ability or qualification for the
reorganization of the truth in its present solidarity. As the time had come
for the bringing together of the scattered thoughts of past centuries in the
marvelous inventions of our day,-so the time had come for the bringing together
of the fragmentary hopes and promises of God’s Word scattered through
Christendom. To deny that the Lord has simply “poured out” this harvest time
blessing of “present truth” in his own due time and in his own way, would be as
wrong as to claim it as of our own invention. “Poured out” exactly expresses
the truth on this point too, for he neither “burned the midnight oil,” nor
racked his brain, nor otherwise forged the chain of truth with heavy sledge
blows of human reason on the anvil of knowledge. On the contrary, it came
gradually, silently, as comes the morning dawn: the only effort necessary was
to keep awake and face in the right direction. And the greatest aid in
so doing was the effort put forth to awaken others of the “household of faith”
and point them to the light and in turn to urge upon them the necessity for serving
also, if they would overcome the lethargic “spirit of the world,” and be ready
to go in to the marriage of the Lamb.
To deny that the “marvelous light” of present truth is of the Lord’s
providence as truly as was the light of the Jewish “harvest,” and the lesser
light of the period of “The Great Reformation,” would be to deny that we are in
the “harvest” of this age, in which the Lord specially promised his people just
such refreshment-“meat in due season,” “things new and old”-set forth afresh under
his own supervision.
In view of the fact that we are in the testing time, when (in the Church)
every man’s faith and works are to be tested “so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:15); in
view of the fact that we are now in “the evil day” when the question is not so
much, Who shall fall? but, “Who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:17) what shall
we conclude respecting the conditions on which one may “never fall,” but
have an abundant entrance to the Kingdom now near at hand?-2 Pet. 1:11.
Several conditions are laid down in the Scriptures.
(1) All of the “brethren” will be awakened in season to put on “the whole
armor of God” as in contrast with the small pieces of the armor worn by various
denominations in the past-“in the night.” Whoever shall be left asleep and in
darkness and thus not prepared to “stand” in this evil day, will thereby make
it evident, whatever his professions, that God who readeth the heart did not
find him worthy of the light of present truth. “Light is sown for the
righteous, gladness for the upright in heart.”-Psa. 97:11.
(2) All once awakened must be sufficiently appreciative of the “marvelous
light” to rejoice greatly therein. They must also take heed, lest they become
overcharged and spiritually drowsy by “the cares of this life,” etc.; and must
use energy in putting on the whole armor of God-not only the “helmet” to
protect the intellect from the “fiery darts” of Evolution and agnosticism, but
also the “breastplate” of righteousness to protect the heart, and the “shield”
of faith for use on all occasions as necessity demands; and besides these they
must have the “sword” of the truth, the Word of the Lord-grasping it by the
handle and not by the blade, that they may defend themselves and others in this
conflict with the powers of darkness, with which this age ends. Lastly they
must prepare for the rough pathway by putting on the “sandals” of full
consecration to the Lord, even unto death.-Eph. 6:11-17.
(3) All such soldiers of the cross will be fiercely assaulted by the
Adversary, and, to be able to stand, must “contend earnestly for the faith once
delivered to the saints.”
(4) One of the final and most searching tests of
these “brethren,” and the one under which probably the most of those once
awakened and armed will fall, will be,-love for the brethren. Seemingly many
will fail at this point and be therefore accounted unworthy of an abundant
entrance to the Kingdom on this score. Whoever has the spirit of love
according to the pattern (Rom. 8:29), is expected to agree with the Apostle
Paul’s statement,-“Because he laid down his life for us, we ought also to lay
down our lives for the brethren.”-1 John 3:14,16; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8.
This, like all other tests, will be most pointed and conspicuous during
this time of special privilege and special trial in the end of the age. (Rev.
3:10.) Let us consider how it will come that we may be the better prepared to
meet it successfully. (a) It will recognize brotherhood neither along
the narrow channels of sectarianism, nor on the unlimited plane of worldly
disregard for the divine Word which declares for “the brotherhood of man.” It
will recognize children of the Evil One and children of God: and all of the
latter will be esteemed and loved and served as “brethren”-all trusting in the
precious blood of Christ for forgiveness, and fully consecrated to the Lord’s
service.
(b) If such are seen anywhere, in “Babylon” or out of her, asleep,
fettered and blinded by false doctrines and superstitions, by a soldier of the
cross who has gotten awake and put on the armor, it is his duty, as it should
be his pleasure, to speed to his relief in the wisest and best and quickest
manner. Self-ease, self-repute nor any other self-ish spirit must hinder him;
the spirit of love must energize him to do all in his power-even to the laying
down of his life-for the brethren. All who have this spirit must yearn to help
those in danger of losing their hold upon the Lord after the manner of those
now blindly leading them into unbelief.
(c) The same spirit of the “Captain” (Heb. 2:10) will lead him to
so love not only the brethren that are still asleep, but if possible still more
ready to lay down life for the brethren who, like himself, have gotten awake
and are putting on the armor. He will sympathize with their trials by the way
and assist them to put on the sandals and to adjust every piece of the armor. Should any be specially weak and liable to stumble he will
not despise him, nor revile him, even as the elder brother, the Captain, would
not do so. On the contrary, he will be the more watchful and helpful toward
the weaker even tho he most enjoy himself in the company of the stronger.
This is not the time for the strong to gather by themselves for mutual
admiration and enjoyment;-that will come later on to all such who so love the
brethren as to lay down their lives on their behalf. These will hear the
Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant: enter into the joys of thy
Lord.”
* * *
Only in the light of present truth is the Bible explainable to reason. In
its light we see that certain books are inspired directly, others, historical,
needed not inspiration, but merely supervision of the Lord, that the truths
appropriate for each age might be so stated as to be understood by the
consecrated class, the “brethren,” under the guidance of the spirit in due
time.
Only from the inside can the great plan of God be seen and
appreciated, and only the “brethren” are admitted to this inside view. “If any
man will do his [the Father’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine.”- John
7:17.