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JEHOVAH’S

WITNESSES

10 Years revealing secrets because there is no excuse for secrecy in religion – w1997 June 1; Dan 2:47; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2; Acts 4:19, 20.

Here is an interesting article regarding Charles Taze Russell (aka Pastor Russell) on his visit to the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1910. Prior to arriving in the UK, he had visited Egypt and Palestine. You’ll notice in this article that there are a number of key statements made.

  1. Pastor Russell is an independent teacher.
  2. He was brought up and educated as a Congregationalist.
  3. He is also author of works entitled, “Studies in the Scriptures”
  4. The Great Pyramid is the subject of an important chapter in one of his books.
  5. Pastor Russell was the principal speaker at the four Christian Mass Meetings.

London: Thursday, May 5, 1910

Since the days of Henry Ward Beecher and Dr. Talmage, no preacher has occupied so prominent a position in the United States of America as Pastor Russell, of Brooklyn Tabernacle, holds to-day.

Now, we on this side of the Atlantic are to be privileged to listen to the man, the announcement of whose name fills to overflowing the largest halls in the States, whose converts are numbered by thousands, and whose sermons appear regularly in six hundred newspapers, reaching millions of homes. Pastor Russell will be the principal speaker at the meetings of the International Bible Students’ Association’s meetings, which are to be held at Albert Hall on the evening of Sunday next and the two following Sundays.

He will, in addition, visit during the next three weeks the principal cities and towns in England, Scotland and Ireland, delivering addresses and endeavouring to bring about in the British Isles some such awakening to Bible truths as has marked his career in America. Like Beecher and Talmage, both of the same “city of churches,” Pastor Russell is an independent teacher, not allied to any particular denominational organisation, giving his time, his strength, and his great powers of oratory to the moulding of public thought “with charity toward all and malice toward none.”

Above all, the Pastor may be described as strictly orthodox, evidenced by his close adherence to the Bible as the inspired Word of God. In reference to this, an old American friend of his, now visiting England, remarked to the writer, “After all, if the Bible is to be man’s only chart and compass as respects God and the future, it is impossible to give too earnest heed to its teaching.”

Although Pastor Russell holds to the Bible tenaciously, he claims to have proved that on some points it has been misunderstood by friends as well as foes. He has called attention to a few faulty translations, and has offered preferable interpretations of some of the parables, and altogether has thrown a new light on the Scriptures. There is nothing in the Bible that he either denies or doubts, but there are many texts on which he throws a flood of light that seems to uncover their meaning.

As Pastor Russell is to play an important part in the May Meetings, a brief sketch of his life will be of interest to our readers. He is of Scotch-Irish parentage, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1852. He was brought up and educated as a Congregationalist, being a very devout, earnest, and zealous Church and Sunday School worker in his youth. In his endeavours to persuade an infidel friend into a belief in the Bible as being God’s inspired Word, he himself was driven into infidelity by questions which he could not answer. In his search for a basis upon which to build his hope for future bliss, he undertook a lengthy investigation of the claims of Confucius, Mahomet, Buddha, and other founders of religion, these he found to be unsatisfactory to either heart or head. Almost without hope, he took up the claims as presented by the various Christian denominations, also the systematic study of the question of the punishment for sin. His findings upon the latter were such as to restore perfect confidence in the Bible as God’s inspired Word and revelation of His purposes towards mankind.

Pastor Russell in 1877 began to come prominently before the public eye in connection with Bible lectures delivered in various cities in New England, his work centring at that time in Boston. Intervening years have been full of activities along the line of Biblical interpretations through religious journals, magazines, newspapers, books, tracts, etc., and the public platform. As before stated, over six hundred leading American newspapers now publish Pastor Russell’s sermons weekly, reaching approximately ten million homes. He is also author of works entitled, “Studies in the Scriptures,” over three million copies being in the hands of readers. The fourth million is now in the press. This is a remarkable testimony to the popularity of his writings.

Pastor Russell is now on his way to London having just revisited the Pyramids and Palestine. It is expected that his recent investigations will have much to do in still further unsealing the mysteries which for centuries have been kept secret by that “Stone Witness.” The Great Pyramid is the subject of an important chapter in one of his books, in which he makes some most interesting applications of the published measurements made by the late Piazzi Smyth, formerly Astronomer Royal for Scotland. Dr. John Edgar, within the last year has verified all of Prof. Smyth’s measurements, which have been used by Mr. Russell. The return of the Jews to their promised land, as prophesied in the Scriptures, has been elaborately treated by Mr. Russell, and he will now be in position to speak with added knowledge regarding the work of the Zionists, he having been in Jerusalem during the recent Passover week.

Pastor Russell was the principal speaker at the four Christian Mass Meetings recently held in the Academy of Music in New York for the consideration of Church Federation, a question now exciting interest both here and in America.

Details of the subjects to be treated of at Albert Hall will be found on our Leader page. No tickets are required. All seats free.

PDF of article is available to download here: Christian-Globe-May-5-1910-Pastor-Russell