Horace A. Randle is mentioned in the Proclaimers
book (page 418) and his story has been well told on the two history blogs. A
medical missionary in China, he resigned after reading Millennial Dawn, and
came back home to England. He published an eight page tract on Future Probation
in 1901 from London. The census returns for London in 1901 describe him as “Medical
Missionary and Preacher, Millennial Dawn Christian.” He was then living with
his wife Ellen, and son Arnold.
In 1907 he started a short-lived magazine entitled Good
News of the Coming Age published in Salford. At least one issue is in the
British Library, but only a small portion can be copied, and then only by
someone physically visiting the library.
In the 1911 census, Horace was in Salford at his
sister’s home, along with his mother and two brothers. His wife and son Arnold were
still living in London. References to Millennial Dawn had disappeared; he was
now just described as Medical Missionary retired.
He appears to have left association with ZWT over
the New Covenant issue (see Proclaimers page 630) and by 1914 was circulating
material critical of both CTR’s revised views on the New Covenant, and also his
high profile in the media of the day.
As a result, the St Paul Enterprise – a newspaper mainly
published for Bible Students – in its issue for September 25, 1914, printed a
response from an Alex Evans of the Olive Branch Ecclesia in Louisiana.
This response was viewed as sufficiently important
to be reprinted in a special issue of the St Paul Enterprise in November 1914, where
Evans is described as “one of our colored brethren.” This suggests that Randle’s
criticism was quite widely circulated at the time in the Bible Student
community.
Randle’s subsequent activities are not known, but he
died in the Salford area in the latter part of 1926 aged 71.
Below is a transcript taken from the first publication
of Alex Evans’ rebuttal.
Alex. Evans replies to Mr. Horace A. Randle
A Member of an Ecclesia at Olive Branch, Louisiana, in defense of Pastor
Russell, Submits this Open Letter.
Olive Branch, La., Sept. 3d, 1914.
Editor St. Paul Enterprise:
I have read an open letter to Pastor Russell by Horace A. Randle, in
which he makes several charges. I wish to make the following reply:
The letter is written in an apparently Christian Spirit. But herein lies
its Evil Subtility, for we remember the Betrayal kiss by Judas which had the outward
appearance of an act of Love, but proved to be the farthest thing from Love.
Randle claims that Pastor Russell and the Bible Students’ movement has
changed in recent years; to this I quote the following Scripture: "The
path of the Just is as a shining light that shineth more and more, unto the
perfect day." (Prov. 4:18.) "Walk as children of the light."
(Eph. 5:8.) "If we walk (not ‘sit’) in the light." (1John 1:7.)
Some claim that the one whom the Lord would use as "That
Servant," at His second advent (Matt. 24:46; Luke 12:42) would need be
infallible, perfect, and make no mistakes. But there have been only two perfect
men on earth, Adam and Jesus. I have heard people say that both of them made
mistakes: That Adam made a mistake in thinking that it would be better to
transgress and die with Eve than to live alone after her death. And that Jesus
made a mistake in going to a certain fig tree for figs and found nothing but
leaves. Whether this be so or not, I can’t see why anyone should blame Pastor Russell
for making and correcting a few little errors during the long period of the
last forty years. Rather we should say, He has done well.
Randle says that, the pastor errs in saying that the Goat of Lev. 16:15
is a type of the church, and that it signifies that the church is a joint
sacrifice with Jesus in the world’s great sin offering.
If the Lord’s Goat, and its process of offering did not typify the
church and its suffering with Jesus, I ask, What then did it typify? All Bible
Students ought to be able to agree that Jesus was an exact corresponding price
for Adam, and that justice calls for nothing more. Yet we can see how it could
"permit" more to be put on the measure. We remember how Jesus spoke
of giving measures. He said: "Pressed down, shaken together, and
"running over." (See Luke 6:38.) What if the church is found to be
making the measure overflow? And what shall we do with the following Scripture
if the church is not a joint sacrifice with Jesus?
"Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His
reproach." (Heb. 13:13.)
"We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones."
(Eph. 5:33.)
"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake,
"which is the church:’" ( Col. 1:24.) (There was a portion left
behind for the church to fill up according to this Scripture.) Again we read,
"Both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are one." (not
two.) (Heb 2:11.)
"I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me." (John 17:9.)
"A people for his name." (Acts 15:14.) (What people?)
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the Glory of
this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you (the church) the Hope
of Glory." (Col. 1:27.)
"If ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according
to the promise." (Gal. 3:29.)
"If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with
Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be Glorified
Together." (Rom. 8:17.) (The joint heirship depends upon the joint
sufferingship, in the type the Goat suffered with the Bullock.)
"If we suffer with Him, (as did the Goat with the Bullock) we shall
also reign with Him." (2 Tim. 2:12.)
I could cite many more Scriptures showing that the church (His church)
takes a part with Jesus in the world’s great sin offering. Not that justice
required it, but that wisdom and love arranged it so. It is not an obligation,
but a great privilege, the greatest ever offered.
There are two more standpoints from which we can view nearly everything,
and so it is with the subject under discussion. From one standpoint, we can
view it as being all done by Jesus, because all the merit resides in Him, and
from another viewpoint we see each member of His church presenting themselves
to be joint sacrificers with Jesus filling in a place as though the sin
offering would not have been complete without them. But from either view point
it remains materially the same.
Jesus wears the title of priest at the present time and the apostle says
every priest must have something to offer (Heb. 8:3) and the intimation is that
when He ceases to have anything to offer, then His priestly office will end.
Now I ask, what does Jesus have now to offer, remembering that He has long
since offered Himself once for all time? Still he has something to offer, and
what else could it be but His church, His mystical body in the flesh? Rom. 12:1
comes in right here. We present ourselves to Him, and He presents us to the
Father. The High Priest in the type supervised all the sacrificing and the same
is being done in the antitype. It is all so beautiful and clear to many Bible
Students, including the writer.
The relation or connection that Christ and His church bear one another,
has been the mystery unsolvable for many centuries to not only the world, but
also to the nominal church.
But now in the light of the foregoing we can understand Heb. 5:3. As the
church was to become part of Himself, (His wife, Rev. 19:7) in the sense of
becoming a member of the great Messianic body of which He was the head, it can
thus be said the he made an offering for himself, although he had no personal
sin. (Heb. 7:25.)
Concerning the "new covenant," I will say, If it has gone into
operation as Mr. Randle and others say, I would like them to tell us why it is
that the Jews don’t know anything about it? According to the Scriptures it is
to be made with them. (See Jer. 31:31, and Heb. 8:10.) And where is the
"new heart" and general knowledge that is to result from it? I know
that these questions are unanswerable, except from the viewpoint that both
Jesus and His church are the world’s great testator; and before the Testament
can go into effect, the death of the Testator must take place. As the church,
which is a part of the great Testator, has not finished dying. The "new
covenant" has not gone into effect yet; for where a Testament is, there
must also be the Death of the Testator, says the apostle. (Heb. 9:16.) Though
we are now serving, and being made able ministers of the "new
covenant," in the sense of preparing ourselves for it.
Randle complains about the Pastor’s name appearing in a certain Tower
more times than the name of Jesus. There is no virtue in mentioning a name, nor
a lack of virtue by not mentioning it. Bible Students will remember that Jesus
said that many will say to Him in that day, Lord, Lord, (calling his name
double) have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name done wonders, cast
out devils, etc.? And he will answer them saying, I have never recognized you;
depart from me ye workers of iniquity. (Matt. 7:23.)
Again He asked: Why call ye me Lord, Lord, (so many times) and do not
the thing which I say? (Luke 6:46.) Upon the testimony of these Scriptures we
can rest assured that nothing is to be gained by calling the Lord’s name so
many times. And as to Pastor Russell’s name appearing in the Jan. 1, 1912,
Tower a good many times, that is the special Tower setting forth the beginning
and development of present Truth, and the Harvest Work as was called for by
newspaper editors who were contracting to publish the sermons; because they
knew that the world wants to know about the personality of a man, where he came
from, etc.; and had Pastor Russell not granted their innocent request, He would
not have been acting wisely, because editors would have refused to publish a
man’s sermons who had refused to make Himself known, and the Tower contained
such, together with newspaper clipping; that all its readers might know how the
work we love so much was progressing. The pastor objected to his picture going
at the head of his sermons but the editors protested that it must be and he
granted it only to keep from hindering the cause he loved so well as to
sacrifice his thousands of dollars and himself for.
The Pastor made clear his unselfish motive in the start when he
sacrificed his prosperous business and himself for the good of others and he
maintains this same motive even unto this day. And the facts, when all of them
are known about this noble man, will prove that a prophet sent of God has been
in our midst, and he will go down in history as one of the greatest of men.
I am glad that I had the privilege of reading that open letter for it has
caused me to research my Bible and Pastor Russell’s writings in the Tabernacle
Shadows and to thus review the cloud of Scripture witnesses in the Pastor’s
doctrinal favor. And I would suggest to all those who have not read the
"Tabernacle Shadows" and "The Divine Plan of the Ages," by
Pastor Russell, to do so on the first opportunity and begin to enjoy the feast
of fat things therein revealed. They can be obtained from the W. T. B. & T.
Society, 17 Hicks St., Brooklyn, N. Y., at a nominal cost or free to those who
need.
"I live for those who love me,
And awaits my coming too;
And the good that I can do."
For the cause that lacks assistance,
For the future in the distance,
For the Heaven that smiles above me,
For the wrong that needs resistance,
For those who know me true;
Yours in the defense of the Lord’s Truth, and His special servant,
ALEX. EVANS.
(end of transcript)
