April 5, 1906.
To the dear Pilgrim
Brethren, co-laboring in the Master’s service under the auspices of
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
Without casting the slightest
reflection upon any of you, and merely having in view the fact that no one in
“the evil day” mentioned by the Apostle, and that we may be certain that our
Adversary will be more than ever alert to injure the cause of truth and its
servants, we are proposing to each and all of the brethren here by addressed
that each shall bind himself by a vow to the Lord, which we believe will prove
helpful, strengthening, and be in some measure a fortification or safe-guarding
of the interests we have pledged our lived to serve. We are not requiring that
this vow be made to each other, but to the Lord; nevertheless, we will be pleased
to hear from each one who receives this letter if he does take the vow in the
name and in the strength of the Lord. Furthermore, he fact that we have taken
such a vow may prove helpful to others not only in the Pilgrim service, but out
of it – yea, amongst all of the Lord’s people with whom we are in contact – not
by public profession, but whosoever it would seem wise and proper by a private one.
By way of starting the matter, by
was of encouraging others to see that the vow proposal is in full harmony with
our original surrender of ourselves, and all of our earthly rights to the Lord,
and the service of his cause, and by way of suggesting that this is another
means by which we may “bind the sacrifice to the horns of the altar” the writer
hereby informs you all that he himself has made this vow to the Lord.
The vow is: “Our Father which art in
Heaven, hallowed be thy name. May thy rule come into my heart more and more,
and thy will be done in my mortal body. Relying on the assistances of thy
promised grace to help in every time of need, through Jesus Christi our Lord, I
register this vow. Daily will I remember at the throne of heavenly race the
general interests of the harvest work, and particularly the share which I
myself am privileged to enjoy in that work, and the dear co-laborers at the
Bible House, Allegheny. I vow to still more carefully, if possible, scrutinize
my thought and words and doings, to the intent that I may be the better enabled
to serve thee, and thy dear flock. I vow to thee that I will be on the alert to
resist everything akin to Spiritism and Occultism, and that remembering that
there are but the two masters I shall resist these in all reasonable ways, as being
of the Adversary. I further vow that, with the exception of my wife, I will at all
times and in all places conduct myself toward those of the opposite sex in
private exactly as I would do with them in public – in the presence of a
congregation of the Lord’s people, and as far as possible I will avoid being in
the same room with any female alone, unless the door to the room stand wide
open.”
With warmest greetings
to you all, and prayers for the Lord’s continued blessing
upon you all, I subscribe myself,
upon you all, I subscribe myself,
Your brother and servant in the Lord,
1 comment:
Commenting on the following portion:
"I further vow that, with the exception of my wife, I will at all times and in all places conduct myself toward those of the opposite sex in private exactly as I would do with them in public – in the presence of a congregation of the Lord’s people, and as far as possible I will avoid being in the same room with any female alone, unless the door to the room stand wide open."
Of course, this is the very same stand taken by Mr. Pence, the current Vice-President, and he has come under much unwarranted criticism for it. If he and his wife are in agreement on this issue, it's not for others to criticize. And frankly, I have known men with nearly pathologically jealous wives, who wouldn't even allow them to be alone with other MEN, let alone with other women. I sincerely hope that is not the state of the Pences' marriage.
As a matter of fact, I can think of wives of several previous occupants of the White House who would have preferred that their husbands had actually lived by that vow. I will name only one of the extreme cases: Mrs. Harding.
Apparently a revised version of the Vow was adopted after Bethel was moved to Brooklyn. It was contained in the 1975 Yearbook, pp. 51-52. Besides changing "at the Bible House, Allegheny" to "at the Brooklyn Bethel", the final section was significantly expanded:
“I further Vow that, with the exceptions below, I will at all times and at all places, conduct myself toward those of the opposite sex in private exactly as I would do with them in public—in the presence of a congregation of the Lord’s people, and so far as reasonably possible I will avoid being in the same room with any of the opposite sex alone, unless the door to the room stand wide open:—In the case of a brother—wife, children, mother and sisters excepted. In the case of a sister—husband, children, father and brothers excepted.”
So now it includes wife, children, mother, and sisters. Good, as far as it goes, but I helped raise a niece, who lived in my mother's home while I was there, and I feel that teh Vow, even in its revised form, is overly restrictive.
The 1975 Yearbook adds: "Recitation of this vow was later discontinued among God’s people at Bethel and elsewhere. Yet, the high principles embodied in its words are still sound."
Again, good as far as it goes, but . . . as far as I know (and things may have changed) the principles of the Vow are still enforced - and now included in a written agreement for Bethel entrants, and violation of it constitutes grounds for dismissal.
Myself, I have always had about as much use for such vows as I do for loyalty oaths. Easily made, just as easily broken. As Dr. Johnson stated: "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." The Americans have a similar saying: "Wrapping oneself in the flag". According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, "to wrap yourself in the flag is to make an excessive show of your patriotism, especially for political ends."
So . . . I suppose the relevant question is: What connection, if any, does this 1906 vow have with the Rose Ball incident ("The Jellyfish Girl") during Mrs. Russell's 1894 legal action against her husband?
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