Thomas Emlyn's Message in America

Russell was non-Trinitarian as were many Adventists and Millenarians in his era. The Proclaimers book mentions Emlyn's intensely interesting book. This was published in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1790. From our research collection.

American Age-to-Come booklet - 1866

Literalists and Adventists disagreed about the fate of natural Israel. This is a Literalist tract related to that debate. Russell adopted the views found in this and similar tracts.

Mid-19th Century British Millennialist Tract

This tract was published anonymously, but it is known to have been written by William Kelly. Twenty thousand copies were printed in 1866. We know of no other surviving copies.

Current work ...

Please read the article Human Teachers appearing in the June 1882 issue of Zion's Watch Tower. I will appreciate any observations no matter how simple. But I would like you to put this article in its context. We've discussed this for a few weeks [B and myself, that is.]. We will quote from it, but I'd like additional eyes to read it and minds to ponder it.

More from our research collection: Things you've never seen ...

Reminder

Do not link to this site through facebook - ever.

Aaron Kinne's 1814 Book. See previous post

Aaron Kinne - 1813

Bruce mentioned Aaron Kinne in his essay. This is from our research collection:

The Christian Observer

As with the Literalist mentioned and shown in my previous post, The Christian Observer is mentioned on Separate Identity volume 1 and will be again in volume 2. It was published in England by "Members of the Established Church." It was republished in America issue by issue. It ran many articles on prophecy from the Literalist viewpoint. The image is poor. I can't make a clearer scan without damaging this very fragile bound volume.

The Literalist

We refer to this periodical in Separate Identity v. 1 and again in volume 2. Few if any of you will have seen one. Published in Philadelphia, it republished works by British millenarians. The periodical title is inside the front cover. Nominally, it was published semi-monthly during its short life. However some issues were several hundred pages long republications of major books. These stood for many issues. Below is the April 1841 issue [No. 19]. We have three entire volumes and this stray issue. It is rare to say the least.

This represents the antecedents to the Age to Come movement as Russell met it in 1869-1870.

With a growing readership, you'd think ...

that there would be more comments on our blog articles and photos.

Okay ... so

Jerome, whom I tend to listen to even when I don't want to, says I was too hasty in removing an earlier post. So here it is again with some minor edits. It is here for comments. Comments make this blog worthwhile. Without them it serves no useful purpose.

B's intro essay in partial rough draft

Introduction

...

            Criticisms have been few. Some continue to believe that Russell was a Mason, part of a conspiracy seeking world domination. If he was, he was very ineffective. Though this conspiracy theory is dying a slow death on Internet boards, we readdress this in appendix one. Despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary, some continue to assert that Russell was an Adventist. We think the evidence presented in volume one is plain. Those who reject it should do so on the basis of some evidence other than speculation about what ‘might have been.’

            Zoe Knox wrote a largely positive review but added this suggestion: “Schulz and de Vienne make little attempt to connect their work meaningfully to research on nineteenth-century American religious history, which they might have done by, for example, considering what was unique about the emergence of the Bible Students as compared with other ‘American originals.’”[1] We think we made the most significant connections in volume one, but her comment has led us to reflect on the current approach to American religious history particularly by British writers. Frankly, we thought the elements of American religious history so obvious – so widely know – that we did not need to address them. We were wrong.

            For the last three quarters of a century the approach to so-called American Originals has been based on a flawed often superficial understanding of America’s religious journey.[2] Cultic growth is seen as a phenomenon primarily of the last half of the 19^th Century. Christian Science, Watch Tower faith and Latter-day Saints, grew in this period. The growth of fringe sects continued into the early 20^th Century giving us Pentecostalism. In the minds of sociologists and some historians, they developed out of similar causes. Sociologists especially feel it is obligatory to make a cursory comparison between “Russellism” and other “new religions.” Some give us a ‘compare and contrast’ essay similar to that I might assign to middle school children.

            Andrew Holden believed that Christian Science and the Watch Tower movement arose from like causes, and he believed that Watch Tower movement was connected to other 19^th Century religious movements: “The Witnesses were founded at a time marked not only by great social unrest but also by the birth of a number of other world-renouncing movements.”[3] Without clearly adopting any of the current interpretations of millenarianism, he uncritically adopted a generalized social-crisis view.[4] This omits key elements in the development of Watch Tower and similar theologies.  

The remainder of this post has been deleted.

Posts here ...

I'm very busy. I don't anticipate posting anything for a week or so, maybe longer. No-one really comments here anyway. This blog exists for comments on our work. There is little other reason for it to exist.

So fair warning. No posts from me for a while. Roberto and Jerome can, of course, take up the slack.

on ebay

Since there is some interest in Watch Tower relevant material, I'm posting another ebay item. This is not by a Watch Tower, Adventist or age to come believer. It is Farrar's now classic life of Christ ... but it was published in America by Rufus Wendell, long time associate of Storrs and Jonas Wendell's nephew.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Life-of-Christ-Farrar-1875-First-American-Edition-Fine-Binding/253224793792?hash=item3af55fb6c0:g:c8IAAOSw3fZZ74g3

We recommend that you watch this video ...

Update to Preface

Please read this carefully and comment. Re-read the portions you've already read. There are some changes. Look for logic flaws and mistakes. Anything that may improve this ....

Introduction

...

This temporary post has been deleted because of total lack of reader interest. I will not re-post. Don't ask.

Currently on ebay ....

I don't know if we're interesting anyone in these. I'm not trying to sell stuff for people I do not know, but here is another book related to Watch Tower history.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hades-Or-the-Intermediate-State-of-Man-Henry-Constable-HB-G/282386908305?hash=item41bf924491:g:HFgAAOSwfVpYvv8b

Daniele Rivoire and Giuseppe Banchetti

"Two Pastors Who Appreciated Russell’s Writings" - w2002 4/15 pages 28, 29

Daniele Rivoire [the picture in w2002 is wrong]

From Zion's Watchtower February 1, 1905:

"DEAR SIR AND BROTHER: --

   By this time I hope you will have received the 500 volumes of the MILLENNIAL DAWN in Italian.I hope you are satisfied with the print and binding of the volumes. We have tried to do our best, and have had experiences that will be useful in future. 

     Although ill, but now, thank God, a little better, I have never ceased to be occupied with the work, and the Lord has blessed it. To the many letters and cards that I could send you, there is one most rejoicing and very important of the Pastor Giuseppe Bauchetti [Banchetti], doctor of letters and philosophy, a very learned man, who with child-like simplicity has received Present Truth and is ready to give testimony. After reading the two volumes in French, he has bought all the other books in English, and he has so learned that tongue as to be able to understand the third, fourth, fifth and sixth volumes. Others have started to study the French, it being much easier for them than the English volumes. 

     Brother Bauchetti [Banchetti] is wishing to write to you personally to express his admiration and gratitude for having freed him of many terrible doubts and made to shine in his heart such bright light and assurance and inexpressible joy. 

     I am busy selecting in each of the principal towns a brother who will sell the books and endeavor to spread the Truth. 

     I need not tell you how orthodoxy and traditionalism are making war on us, but in all humility and not trusting in ourselves, we are ready to go on, confidently trusting in him who said, "Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world." 

     Last week I had occasion to visit two districts of the Waldensian valleys, and I never expected to find among people that pretend to be Christians such deadly sleep as I found there. Some watchful ones, however, are to be found here and there, and they quite readily accept the food so long desired. 

     Expressing to you my gratitude and that of all the brothers and sisters for all that you are doing for us, I remain yours most humbly in the Lord,

 DANIELE RIVOIRE,--Italy."

A young Giuseppe Banchetti

The Photo-Drama of Creation.

Now, on eBay 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/watchtower-/322828073386?hash=item4b2a0d79aa:g:bqAAAOSwn2JZ4oGz

A request from another researcher

If you are interested in helping, email me and I'll forward your contact information ...

From: P* B*
To: "rmdevienne@yahoo.com" <rmdevienne@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2017 10:54 AM
Subject: Contacts in Spain

Dear Rachael,

Greetings. My name is P*** B*** and first of all I would like to congratulate you for all the precious work that you have done with your research about the Watch Tower history, and the offspring of this research, the book A Separate Identity, and also the very informative blog truthhistory.blogspot.gr  all of which are bringing the theocratic history so close to us. 

Now, the reason that I'm writing you is because I'm trying to perform a research which has to do with the theocratic history in Spain. Do you have any contacts in Spain?

E. C. Gruss

Some of you have read his Apostles of Denial, in our opinion a really disreputable book. But I'm more interested in  your observations than in my own. Comments?

Photo Drama Handbill

 

Currently on ebay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fantastic-Photodrama-of-Creation-Advertising-Card-WATCHTOWER-Jehovah-ORIGINAL-/372109175128?hash=item56a36f6958:g:e8AAAOSwKytZHiP~