This is a six page tract [originally a letter] written by a prominent Watch Tower pilgrim as to the changes he saw within the Society shortly after the death of Pastor Russell.
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WHY
BROTHER AND SISTER F. A. HALL
(FORMER PILGRIM)
Have withdrawn from all connection with the
W. T. B. & T. SOCIETY
Yet seek fellowship with the dear Israel of God.
Since Bro. Russell's death, I have been Noticing the development in the church, and especially among the officials, of a different spirit than was formerly displayed. This set me to thinking. I saw a political activity manifested at the Bible house after Bro. Russell's death, which I could not understand. I passed no opinion one way or the other, because I believed that this was God's affair. I feared to touch so great matters, and therefore decided to wait for more light. It seemed that Bro. Rutherford had assumed more authority than was proper, but I was not satisfied that the surmises forced upon me could be correct.
Later on, the stand taken in the Indianapolis church by two elders against the vote of other five elders, that Bro. Rutherford should be elected as our Spiritual Counsellor startled me. If all the Ecclesias did likewise, I saw that thus he would have an absolute power similar to the pope.
When the two elders mentioned above forced his election on our class, over the protest of four of our elders, I then began to see more clearly what the term "Our Board of Elders" meant; that the election of a president, a vice president, secretary and treasurer by the "Board of Deacons and Elders" seemed to constitute our Ecclesia one of the integral parts of the system of "Babylon". It looked like the officers of this church were lording it over God's heritage. Although an elected elder, I had no more to do or say in the affairs of this class than any other attendant at our meetings; I was an adherent of the nominal church, not that I aspired to any authority.
THE SPIRITUAL COUNCELLOR
This affair, above mentioned came off November 21, 1917. I was not listed to speak during the rest of that year. None of us four elders were elected for the ensuing year. To make this possible, the defaming of our characters was necessary, as there were no other charges that could be brought against us, than opposition to Bro. Rutherford as a "Spiritual Counsellor". Our reputations as faithful brethren had to be sacrificed. No expression of regret for the vicious spirit of the two elders mentioned, and their false, malicious charges against the elders on the night of the Rutherford election has ever yet been
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forthcoming. I speak now only for myself. I call the whole membership of this Ecclesia to witness that no words of condemnation or complaint have ever passed my lips against anyone in the class for the heartless, unjust treatment I have received, ex-cept once when I said in a meeting that I felt hurt at the way I had been treated. Even then no one answered a word of comfort. What more could I do but hang my harp on the trees of Babylon when a joy- ous song was asked of me?
I still believe that these brethren thought they were doing what was for the best interests of the service of God. I hold nothing in my heart but love for them, as manifested by my kindness to all since that time. The coolness towards Sr. Hall and myself, how-ever, has continued until the present, notwithstanding I was again elected elder for the year 1919.
I was not given a class to teach by the officers of the board, possibly because of my physical illness. We attended a few Berean Studies; but when we saw that the Berean teachers made a practice of leading the classes off from Bro. Russell's answers to the questions to Bible texts, allowing the class members to get the answers out of the texts instead of wholly taking Bro. Russell's explanations and the texts he gave, we simply lost interest in the studies and ceased attending.
I am not blaming any one in all this. I see it to be simply the spirit of "the mystery of iniquity" working unawares among us, leading the Lord's dear people away from Bro. Russell and his writings.
The cause of it all is the subtle teaching of Spiritualism which is developing in the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and is setting before us the so-called 7th Volume of Pastor Russell's Scripture Studies as the creed for the truth people. If you do not accept this you cannot teach or hold an eldership. I now see the error I myself was in, in holding up this "Finished Mystery." For this reason I want to expose its claim as sent from the Lord to his people as widely as I formerly supported it. I now see it to be a part of the great deception which will eventually deceive all but the very elect."
GOD DOES NOT SANCTION IT
I have lately secured absolute proof of this, which I will furnish free to all who ask for it. That it is subtle spiritualism is proven by the claim of its supporters, that Pastor Russell in the spirit world is directing the church, and that the Watch Tower and the preaching service of the W. T. B. & T. Society is the "channel" used by the Lord. This has ever been Satan's method.
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The misnamed 7th Volume was published by Rutherford alone and not by the Watch Tower Society, as the posthumous work of Pastor Russell. Pastor Russell never prepared one scrap of manuscript for this 7th Volume. All the quotations in it from his pen were published in his writings before he died therefore it is not his posthumous work. His name was attached as a bait to sell it to God's saints, not-withstanding confusing. explanations to the contrary. I have ample satisfying proof of this.
We have never heard but one side of this whole trouble since Pastor Russell's death. Therefore, I have been deceived and confused until I made this careful investigation of the blinding deception handed out to us by the W. T. B. & T. Society. We were taught that the whole dispute was over four brethren at the Bible house aspiring to get control of the Society after Bro. Russell died. This was a misrepresentation. Bro. Rutherford grasped the control, and illegally ousted those who were the legal directors.
This caused twenty-five others to leave headquarters, and hundreds of Pastor Russell's old standbys, veterans in the truth, to sever all connections with the Society in all parts of the world. These truth people have classes everywhere; where there are enough to hold meetings, and I was astonished to see the number of former pilgrims, public speakers and elders, besides sisters, meeting in the same sweet old way, talking of the things, dear Bro. Russell loved and preached. I could scarcely believe my eyes and ears. Their various conventions are spiritual love feasts. Surely these are the people of God, and here I have been standing, during the past two years, grieving because I wondered if God had left me. When I saw Jesus, my Savior, among these humble, loving opposers, Protestants, I said surely realize we must keep "coming out" from the snares set by our adversary until the end.
ELIJAH AND ELISHA SEPARATED
I can now see how true Bro. Woodworth wrote when he said the contents of the 7th Volume(?) would separate Elijah and Elisha. The separating is going on. The "Finished Mystery" will I feel be end of the "Mystery of Iniquity", when all the dear
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saints recognize how W. T. B. & T. Society, in which we all had such confidence, has bound them up with the misrepresentations, false hopes, and a spirit so evil that falsehood seems like truth, and deception like liberty. My heart goes out in love and sympathy to all such as I am severing all business relations with this Watch Tower System, but not fellowship with God's, dear saints.
COME BACK TO THE OLD TEACHING
If enough in our Indianapolis class wake up to realize the true condition as I have, we may start a Bro. Russell class of Bible students here and come back to the Bible and Jesus alone, as the one Lord over his people. We have been told that all who leave the Society have gone out of the truth, but dear friends, it is not so. You are simply corning back into the arms of Jesus our Shepherd, who will hold his poor straying lambs and sheep very near his heart. You will not "go out". You will only be coming back to the sweet, pure teaching of the six Volumes of the complete message of the Lord to his church, through his wise, faithful steward who "finished his work" (Ezek. 9), at his death. Remember that Bro Hall has the proof of these things, when the lords of God's heritage, mistakenly we hope and pray, try to bind you more securely.
The so-called 7th Volume is so full of contradictions of Pastor Russell, and of its own erroneous claims and statements, tha I cannot here even attempt to show them. I cannot show the proofs of the swiftly developing errors in the Watch Tower, Society, it will not harm you. If I can show you, you will get the same spiritual uplift which hundreds of the loyal truth people all over the world are now enjoying.
Our home, 3144 Northwestern Ave., will be open every Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, p. m., for examination of these proofs until a class is formed for a regular study of the true "New Light" from the Old Watch Towers and the six volumes of Bro. Russell's Studies in the Scriptures, which took us all out of Babylon once, and sanctified us through God's word. Surely the Fiery Chariot is bearing the true Elijah nearer home. "One is your Master, even Christ, all of you are brethren." There is no new or-
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ganization among these: separated grains of wheat. The delusions which will deceive all but "the very elect", will not be easily seen. They are not on the surface, and are intended for those whose hearts are in a proud, bitter attitude. It is still "Summer time", dearly beloved saints of the Lord. The harvest is not entirely over. Hear the Master's voice, "Come out of her, My People." Do not think there is much of anything now left in the nominal church.
Let the fiery chariot bear you away to God. Oh, blessed hope ! Elijah and Elisha must separate, even though the parting causes pain. There is no truth in Elijah and Elisha merging . The August 1st and 15th Watch Towers on Elijah and Elisha completely opened my eyes to the deceptions of the adversary working in the W. T. B. & T. Society. I cannot hope to help any of those dear brethren whom I still love tenderly, I do have faith that many others yet can be gathered out before the end. The door stands open still. Have a little talk with Jesus about it. Read Chapter VIII in Studies in the Scriptures. The title is " Elias Shall First Come ". You will see how unreliable the Society's teachings have become. Remember that Elijah's end or John the Baptist's end has not yet arrived. It is near. Would you like to attend a convention of Bro. Russell's faithful friends? Maybe it can be arranged.
Is IT THE TRUTH?-OR A SOCIETY?
"He that judgeth a matter before he heareth (understandeth) it, it is shame and folly unto him."
Finally, we see there were to be, two separating operations among Christians during the harvest time. First, the call out of Babylon - the wheat from the tares - and the second, the separation of Elijah from Elisha afterwards.
On page 39, February 1, 1916, Watch Tower, top of page, second column, Bro. Russell said that he did not know what the chariot of fire was, which would do the separating. He said it might come soon, within a few months, or perhaps a year or more. He thought it a fiery trial among the Lord's people. Is not the forcing of the 7th Volume on us the fiery trial? Have not many hundreds of Bro. Russell's faithful followers, old-time pilgrims, public speakers, and colporteurs, largely, and other hundreds who stuck to the
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message of the six Volumes and the old Watch Towers up to his death, withdrawn from the Society? My conscience will not allow me to stand by the Bible & Tract Society teaching any longer. I must go back to Bro. Russell and his teaching. All of the true Elijah and true Elisha will not force one another apart. They simply separate. The forces belong to another class. Do you stand for Truth?
F. A. HALL
721 OCCIDENTAL BLDG.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
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