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DELIVERED FROM SATAN’S SNARE

DEARLY Beloved Brother and Pastor:—I am writing to tell you how good our dear Lord has been to me in delivering me from the Power of Darkness, and restoring me to his favor again; and also to ask you to forgive me for the trial that my recent course must have caused you. But in order that you may fully realize the mercy and loving kindness of God toward me, I will briefly tell you of my experiences of the past few months:

Late last summer I began to doubt the Scripturalness of your position on the Covenants and the Sin-Offering. From a small beginning, this soon grew until it included many other points of doctrine, and, in my conviction that you were wrong, I opposed your teaching, though not publicly. I still continued to meet with the Class, but felt that sooner or later a separation must come; yet I loved the friends so much my heart ached as I saw we were surely drifting apart. About the time of the Saratoga Springs Convention, I had become convinced that God’s people were being misled by you, and that you were profiting by their blindness; that you had become unfaithful to your stewardship. Not only would I not go to the Convention myself, but was unwilling that my dear wife and daughter should go—both of whom are in the Truth and have never swerved in their loyalty to it—so I not only missed a blessing myself, but deprived them of one. But the prayers of the dear friends in my behalf prevailed, and my eyes were opened to see that I was wrong. I turned about, and peace and joy once more filled my heart.

Then I began to search for the cause of my blindness, my unbelief, and I was sure that I found it. It was the Vow! What! did I oppose the Vow? No! Had I not taken the Vow? Yes; but with limitations. You know that at the time the Vow was suggested I was doing local Pilgrim work under the appointment of The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and I thought the Vow was only for the Pilgrims, so I took it “for so long as I was in the Pilgrim work.” It followed, then, that when the local Pilgrim service was discontinued a year ago that my Vow expired by limitation, and the protection that it had afforded me against the suggestions of Evil Spirits was at an end. So for several months the barrier had been thrown down, as it were, and I believe Satan and his co-adjutors had seized the opportunity (Eph. 6:12), with the result that my faith had been nearly shipwrecked. Dear Brother, as soon as I saw this I renewed the Vow for all time. This happened immediately after the Saratoga Springs Convention. Some of the dear brethren to whom I had confided all, advised me to make a public statement of the facts in our testimony meeting, that others might be helped, and also write the same to you; but I said, No, only a few of the friends know anything of my doubts, and I will not tell them. I overlooked the fact that God knew, and that my testimony should be to his glory. Had I taken their advice, I believe, the remainder of this letter would never need be written. But this I failed to do; my stand for the Lord was not sufficiently firm. Is it any wonder, then, that Satan quickly took advantage of the loophole thus left open, and soon my doubts returned? Truly “every man’s work is being tried so as by fire.”

When the article on “The Wedding Garment” came out in THE WATCH TOWER of December 1, 1909, implying that full justification was granted only those who agree to consecrate—to sacrifice the restitution blessings reckoned to them, I took exception to this teaching. You recall, dear Brother, our talk over these points on the occasion of our ride from Washington to Richmond, and how I disagreed with you and charged you with wresting the Scriptures. At first I said, “This new view of justification is the only thing I take exception to,” but soon discovered that you had erred (?) on the Covenants; next, the Sin-Offering doctrine was an insidious denial of the Ransom; next, it was Baptism—that was wrong, too; and of course you had worked your blasphemous (that is what I called it) doctrine into the Memorial service of our Lord’s death. Soon those who opposed you were all right, and you were wrong. I got to believe that you had never been “That Servant, whom the Lord made master of all his goods”—that Servant was a class; that most of those things you once had right, but you had changed. You see the condition my mind was in, and yet, I believe I was honest, and was loyal to the Lord in opposing what I thought was error. My heart was not at ease; the conflict was terrible, and I suffered greatly. And while I verily thought I was right in my course, I have prayed earnestly every day for guidance into the Truth, and into peace. I kept the Vow as best I could under such conditions. While I thought my faith was on a surer foundation than ever, I now know it was nearly gone.

Within the last few months meetings have been established in Washington by those who oppose your teachings; and to this meeting I went, while still attending the regular services of those in the Truth. However, I soon found it impossible to partake of two tables, and I chose the table of error, as I now see it to be; then, however, I felt sure it was a purified table of the Lord. Such was the state of my mind when the One-Day

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Convention was held here on March 13th, 1910. This was the turning point with me—the day when the Lord graciously showed me my true condition—that I was growing spiritually blind. On the Wednesday previous I had declared that I would never attend another “Russellite” meeting, and when I arose on the morning of the Convention I was still resolved not to go to the services. Then, as I saw my wife and daughter preparing to go I thought I would better pray over the matter; and I earnestly besought our dear Father for guidance—whether to go or to remain away. I arose from my knees, now undecided. I then began to arrange some papers in my desk, when my eyes fell on a note I had made on a statement in THE WATCH TOWER of March, 1898. It read, “The armor complete in 1898 with the New Covenant as one of the pieces.” (This is not a quotation, but a comment I had made.) I started to copy it in a “List of evidences that Brother Russell has changed.” I see now that the knowledge that God “will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” is a part of the armor. When I looked up the paragraph I happened to glance over the article in the same TOWER on the Memorial Service (p. 101). Now at our “Opposition meeting” our last Bible study had been on the Last Supper, and we thought we had learned something that Brother Russell had never seen, viz., That the Jewish day on which our Lord instituted the memorial of his death was the day of preparation for the passover, “when the lamb should be slain.”

Judge my surprise when in a short paragraph I found that you had fully set forth the same thought some twelve years ago, together with a more important thought that had escaped our attention, namely, that we do not celebrate the passover feast, but the death of the antitypical Passover Lamb. I then turned to page 71 and read the list of questions and found in questions 5-8 a thought recently more clearly stated, that our Lord in dying “bequeathed the Restitution blessings purchased by his death to the fallen, dying race—as many as shall accept the blessings under the conditions of the New Covenant.” But the fact that we symbolize our acceptance and sacrifice of these shows they will not be given directly to the world, but through the Church. Now this was the very point that I had declared “new” last year, when it was more plainly set forth in THE TOWER, and over which I had been finding so much fault, and getting more and more confused, until I had finally rejected nearly all that you had ever presented. But the most surprising fact that dawned on me was that for ten years I had been using this same article as a basis for the Memorial service, and had explained these same points each time. The alarming truth dawned on me—I was growing spiritually blind! I was not only forgetting the precious truths, but I saw that I was losing sight of the true import of our Lord’s death. This decided me: I went to the Convention. I was further convinced that what I saw and heard was of the Lord.

On the advice of two loving Sisters, I asked several Brethren to call on me and pray with me and give me counsel. I told them that I realized that I was spiritually sick from improper food, and was growing blind, so that my ability to appreciate the deep things of God’s Word was slipping away. I told them how our Lord had called my attention to this, and now, that I saw what the trouble was, and while I could not even then see as they did on some of the points of doctrine, it was no longer a matter of doctrine, but a desire of getting back fully into God’s favor; and I had confidence that I would soon get all right on the doctrine. After a season of prayer and counsel from the brethren, the Lord enabled me to make a firm decision as to my future course. Immediately I gathered up all of the literature of the Henninges, McPhail, Randall, et al., stamp and burned it. You can imagine how pleased the brethren were to see me do this, for they had been very cautious in advising me, rather leaving the Lord to guide me. On the following day I sent a letter to the ones with whom I had been meeting, explaining why I could not attend those services again. I enclose a copy of this letter. On the same night I made a statement to the Church confessing my error in my past opposition to the Truth, and my resolution and by the Lord’s help to return to the clean table, where the food neither sickens nor blinds, and asked them to forgive me.

I am glad to add, dear Brother, that the points of doctrine which had been a cause of stumbling to me have since become clear; the Lord has graciously healed my spiritual sight, and my heart is rejoicing in the sunlight of his favor. I want to add in behalf of my brethren who are still in confusion, that I believe they are honest in their convictions, and that there is no bitterness in their hearts, and I hope they will yet be recovered from the snare of the Adversary. I think when they show a disposition to return by attending the regular meetings in a proper spirit, they should be met with kindness and encouragement. With much Christian love,

Your brother in Christ,

CLARENCE E. FOWLER,
Washington, D.C.

COPY OF BRO. FOWLER’S LETTER TO THE SECEDERS

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS—LOVE AND GREETINGS IN CHRIST OUR REDEEMER:—Perhaps it will be a surprise to you to know that during the last few days I have become awakened as to my real spiritual condition. As I reread some of the views I once appreciated and rejoiced in, I was surprised to find that to some extent their deep significance seemed obscure. I also found that some of the things that we had labored so hard to search out, and thought as new, had been presented some twelve years ago; and I saw that I was fast becoming spiritually blind, and that Satan was leading me around in a circle, as it were. Then, at the Convention meetings last Sunday, the fervor, the zeal, and the love manifested by the brethren touched my heart, already broken. Again, Brother Russell’s talk on “Choose you this day whom ye will serve,” caused me to seriously ask myself, Have I chosen aright? Does the Lord approve my course? Surely this that I both see and hear is Truth, and of the Lord, and yet I have arrayed myself in opposition to it. And then I prayed our Lord (as I had been praying for months), to open my eyes, and I believe he answered my prayer. I became convinced that the trouble was with myself, and not with the Truth as Brother Russell had presented it; I had not been looking at it from the proper angle of vision. I have since prayed over the matter, and some of the points have become clear to me, and I have confidence that in the Lord’s due time it will all be plain again. So I have resolved, by the Lord’s grace, to retrace my steps ere it is too late—to return to my “first love”—the Table where we all received the Truth.

There is no question, dear brethren, that of us who believe we are in the Harvest of the Gospel Age—in the second presence of the Lord—events of tremendous importance are occurring which are rapidly approaching a climax. Church Federation and events outside sink into insignificance in comparison with developments within the Church: “Every man’s work is being tried as by fire”; the question is, “Who shall stand?”

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In view of my recent positive stand in opposition to the teachings of THE WATCH TOWER, no doubt my present attitude will seem inconsistent, but, dear Brethren, we must each answer to his own Master, and I know your love for me will prompt you to wish me God’s blessing, even though to some extent our views of doctrine diverge. On the other hand, dear Brethren, I wish to assure you that my recent experiences and associations with you enable me to more deeply sympathize with you, and love you all. And even though you cannot admire my vacillation, believe me to be sincere.

As long as we stand together on “Christ, the solid Rock,” I shall esteem you as brethren, and will daily pray that the mists of confusion which now threaten to separate us will speedily be cleared away, and then we will once more see “eye to eye.” Meanwhile, dear Brethren, I trust you will see it to be the Lord’s will to meet with us again, and can assure you a hearty welcome in seeking with us to know and serve the Lord. God bless you! With love, as ever,

Your brother and servant in the Redeemer,

CLARENCE E. FOWLER.

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— July 1, 1910 —