You up to the challenge? I need original source material for these Watchtower statements:
*** w67
2/15 p. 108 par. 13 Jehovah Makes Full Might Abound ***
13 A forceful example of this was
the series of debates held in 1903 between the Watch Tower president of that
time, C. T. Russell, and a Pittsburgh clergyman, Dr. E. L. Eaton.
As a result, not only did many of Dr. Eaton’s congregation leave him to
become Jehovah’s witnesses, but a number of clergymen acknowledged the
correctness of The Watch Tower’s stand on fundamental issues. After the
last debate, during which Brother Russell clearly showed that “eternal torment”
is unscriptural, one of these clergymen told him: “I am glad to see you turn
the hose on hell and put out the fire.”
*** w55
2/15 p. 107 Part 4—Going on the Offensive ***
Interesting side lights: During the debates several
of the local clergy were on the platform with Dr. Eaton to give him
textual and moral support, while Russell, alone, stood his ground as a sort of
Daniel in a lions’ den. On the whole, Russell came off victorious for each of
the six debates and especially the last one, on “hell.” It is reported that one
of the attending clergymen, acknowledging that victory, came up to Russell
after the last debate, saying, “I am glad to see you turn the hose on hell and
put out the fire.” Soon after this exposure of the false doctrines of the “Babylonish”
church systems quite a number of Eaton’s Methodist congregation became Bible
students.
13 comments:
The account is still anecdotal, but the quote appears in Great Battle in Ecclesiastical Heavens by J F Rutherford, page 10.
Thanks. Helpful as usual.
Are you certain of the page number?
I need, more specifically, the original source for the claim that many of Eaton's on congregation left him for the Watch Tower movement. Can we find that?
Ignore my question re: page number
Regarding page number, I believe there is a difference in the pagination of some editions. Totally off the point, but at one time this booklet did not appear in all WT bibliographies because it was published privately by J F Rutherford. However, the UK edition clearly states it was published by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Craven Terrace, London.
About the Eaton’s congregants who became members of the Watch Tower movement, an interesting hint can be found in an article by Albert V. Vandenberg entitled “ Charles Taze Russell: Pittsburgh Prophet, 1879-1909 ”, published in The Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, Vol. 69, No. 1 (January 1986), p. 14-5 and ref. 38, 39,
(available in pdf format at :
https://journals.psu.edu/wph/article/download/3986/3803&usg=AOvVaw0R_d1SgCLvwuTZRSJrg0x- )
which states :
“ The impact of the debates remained obscure. However, one of Russell's colporteurs reported that some of Dr.Eaton's own congregation became members of the Bible student movement. [38] Many years later the society substantiated this observation, asserting that "soon after this exposure of the false doctrines of the 'Babylonish' church systems, quite a number of Eaton's Methodist congregation became Bible students." [39] ”
réf. 38 : Charles H.Capen, "Associated With Jehovah's Organization for 77 Years" (unpublished typescript, 1970), 3. Original in Repository, Jehovah's Witness Congregation, Pittsburgh, Pa.
réf. 39 : Watch Tower LXXVI (Jan. 15, 1955) : 107.
Stéphane
Thanks Stéphane
I knew Al Vandenberg. We both worked for the same school district. He was a disreputable man [time in prison] and a sloppy researcher. While I may ultimately use a small bit of his article, it will not be without some qualification.
Although nothing is said about her previous religious affiliation, the ZWT mentions the case of a young lady who became member of the Bible Students after attending the debate :
Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. – Annual Report. – Dec. 1st, 1902, To Dec. 1st, 1903,
Zion’s Watch Tower, December 15, 1903, page 452-3 [Reprints page 3287] :
“ […] One of the encouraging features of the work is, that the newly interested seem to grasp the Truth quickly, thoroughly, and with a self-consuming zeal which stimulates afresh those who have been longer in the way. As an instance we mention a young woman of less than twenty years who, during the Eaton-Russell Debates in October, fully consecrated her life to the Lord, set about a systematic study of the Dawn volumes, and so on, resolutely sacrificing the comforts of an elegant home, became a Colporteur, and began to carry the water of life to others fainting by the way. She realized herself to be an "eleventh hour" laborer, and besought the Lord for privileges and blessing in the vineyard. The language of her heart was expressed in the words of the hymn:
"The hour is come to do and dare,
To win a heavenly prize."
Did she succeed, you ask? Surely; where faith and zeal go hand in hand to the Lord for service he rarely if ever rejects them; guidance, direction, alone was needed, and we were privileged to supply it. As a result that sister is circulating from fourteen to forty volumes of Millennial Dawn daily--delivering from 200 to 600 sermons daily, reckoning each chapter a sermon. ”
Just in case…
Stéphane
Thanks Stéphane. Keep looking. I wonder if we can locate the typed manuscript Al Vandenberg located.
[Continued and concluded]
--- More extended reminiscences of him can be found in no less than 3 instances in the centennial book of 1914 published by the Watchtower Society :
God’s Kingdom Rules! (2014), chapter 2, pages 18-9 :
“ 21 The Bible Students had their headquarters in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. There they set a fine example by gathering together in obedience to the inspired counsel recorded at Hebrews 10:24, 25. (Read.) Much later, an elderly brother named Charles Capen recalled attending those meetings as a boy. He wrote: “I still remember one of the scripture texts painted on the wall of the Society’s assembly hall. ‘One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.’ That text has always stood out in my mind—there is no clergy-laity distinction among Jehovah’s people.” (Matt. 23:8) Brother Capen also recalled the stimulating meetings, the warm encouragement, and Brother Russell’s diligent efforts to shepherd every member of the congregation personally. ”
page 21 :
“ 25 Those who devoted themselves to the ministry full-time were called colporteurs. Charles Capen, mentioned earlier, was among them. He later recalled: “I used maps made by the United States Government Geological Survey to guide my covering the territory in Pennsylvania. These maps showed all the roads, making it possible to reach all sections of each county on foot. Sometimes after a three-day trip through the country taking orders for the books in the Studies in the Scriptures series, I would hire a horse and buggy so that I could make the deliveries. I often stopped and stayed overnight with farmers. Those were the preautomobile days.” ”
chapter 11, page 111-2 :
“ 12 Use of tobacco. Christ’s servants began taking a dim view of the use of tobacco even before the last days began. A number of years ago, an elderly brother, Charles Capen, recalled his first meeting with Charles Taze Russell late in the 19th century. Capen, then 13 years old, and three of his brothers were on the staircase of the Bible House in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. As Russell passed them, he inquired: “Are you boys smoking? I smell tobacco smoke.” They assured him that they were not smoking. Surely they were left with no doubts about his views on the subject. In the Watch Tower of August 1, 1895, Brother Russell commented on 2 Corinthians 7:1 ”
--- I found a first preliminary hint of Bro. Capen’s identity on geni.com that could correspond to him (his 77 years association with the Bible Students, as indicated by the title of his transcript dating from 1970, must have begun in 1893, and if he was then more or less 13 years old, he could actually have been born in 1880, but he is assigned only one brother instead of 3) :
Charles Henry Capen
Birthdate: 11 September 1880
Birthplace: Beaver Falls, Beaver, Pennsylvania
Death: December 1974 (94)
Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA
Famille proche :
Son of Henry H. Capen et Mary Vinton Causer
Husband of Nellie Julia Cribbs
Father of Private and Lois Cribbs Capen
Brother of Edward Albert Capen and Annie Callihan
Managed by: Tracey Jeanina Brunelle
Last Updated: 23 July 2020
***
All the foregoing advocate the importance of Charles Capen’s autobiographical notes, so I will try to obtain from one of the Pittsburgh JW Congregations (Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2701 N Charles St, Pittsburgh PA 15214-3106) the address of its repository and then ask for a scan, even without much of credentials, let alone a FRHistS…
***
It seems that another lady (a Sister Elizabeth M. Gillett,--Pa.) attributed her introduction to the truth to the Eaton-Russell debate, see Some interesting letters, Zion’s Watch Tower, June 15, 1906, page 190 [Reprints page 3798] :
“ […] You can imagine, dear Pastor, better than I can describe how happy I am, therefore, in the fact that God guided me not to oppose what, from the time of your debate with Dr. Eaton (which was my initiation into the study of Present Truth), appealed to me as the Truth. ”
Stéphane
Oops, the 1st part of my last comment has disappeared, here it is back :
Dear Bruce,
As a start, let me add some remarks about this colporteur, Bro. Charles H. Capen, whose memoir is referenced as note 38 in Vandenberg’s article.
(By the way the following note, number 39, of his text refers erroneously to a “ Jan. 15, 1955 ” issue of the Watchtower, instead of that of February 15 [Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Part 4 : Going on the Offensive, The Watchtower, February 15, 1955, page 107, developing the slightly abridged version of Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Qualified to be Ministers (1955), pages 306-7]… – sorry for this fit of pedantry –, which does not prevent that his article has the distinct and rare honour to be referenced in the “ Proclaimers ” book published by the Watchtower Society, [Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom (1993), chapter 29, page 643] with his name even being listed in the Index !)
--- Interestingly Bro. Capen reappears a little further in Vandenberg’s text on page 15 and reference 43 as follows :
“ The house-to-house encounters revealed much opposition. Ministers often refused to speak with the colporteurs when called upon (usually by accident). At times ministers led the persistent colporteurs from the houses by the arm. Pittsburgh's oldest and perhaps most celebrated colporteur, Charles H. Capen, avoided ministers as much as possible. Ministers spread much prejudice against the colporteurs and "advised their people to refuse the books when a colporteur came to deliver them." [43] ”
ref. 43 : Capen, “Associated ...for 77 years,” 5.
So he was considered as the oldest colporteur of the Pittsburgh class.
--- An interesting mention of other old-timers of the Pittsburgh class, still alive at the time, appears in the “ Divine Purpose ” chronicle published by the Watchtower Society :
Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Divine Purpose (1959), page 42 :
“ Furthermore, many of Dr. Eaton's own congregation became Jehovah's witnesses after that. In fact, there still are some in the truth to this day, older brothers, that were former members of Eaton's congregation. ”
--- Bro. Capen’s name appears discreetly in the 1975 Yearbook of JW :
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 62 :
“ What about transportation? Well, Charles H. Capen recalls working several Pennsylvania counties “by ‘shanks’ mare’ (on foot).” ”
That brief mention asks for a comment : during the 1970s, when the Watchtower Society was gathering documentation to prepare the Yearbook historical monographs of the work by countries, they asked veteran brothers and sisters to write down their recollections : I remember, as I was still a student, to have been solicited by one of the oldest brothers of my Swiss congregation to gather data relating to the congregation, from the first issue (October 1903) of the French ZWT onward, in order to enable him to recall events accurately, while writing his autobiographical notes upon request of the Branch Office, with the aim of a future publication in the 1987 Yearbook. Hence probably this reference to Bro. Capen’s biography.
[To be followed]
Thanks Stéphane. Much appreciated.
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