The Witty-Murch Coalition

For a long time there has lingered in the back of my mind that softism, premilliennialism and Witty-Murchism had many things in common. Birds of a feather still flock together. When I knew of our apologistic brethren attending the love feasts, designed to open the flood-gates of digression into the last fortress of loyalty to the word of God, I thought I could detect the odor of the Bollistic skunk. A few days ago I discovered the animal. It has its den right in the headquarters of the movement. I have known for a long time that the Christian Church was stricken from the center to circumference with every variety of Premillennialism from the common boll-weevil type to the Rutherford-Russell-Zionistic variety. But what I did not know was where Witty came in.

There fell into my hands a few days ago a little book written by Claude F. Witty. It bears the title: "Babylon Is Falling." On pages 53 and 54 of this book are some things that if not premillennial would take but very little stirring to render them such. Here is a sample: After quoting Daniel 7:26-27, Bro. Witty observes: "Thus we see that while the little horn became a mighty power, God and Christ brought him to judgment. They destroyed all of the four beasts, all of the horns, and then they completely destroyed the eleventh, or the little horn.

"Nor did the world end at this time as many might suppose: far from it. All of the territory under the whole heaven shall at this time pass into the possession of the people of the saints of the Most High, and all the dominion of the earth shall serve and obey him.

"What a picture! The little horn gone forever, God and Christ supreme, and all mankind united in one great Christian, family." I think Witty and Bro. Armstrong can fully and freely strike hands over these outpourings of this apostle of union at any price. True unity can be had only upon the truth of God's word.

But back to Witty-Murch debacle. I have thought with others that I could foresee the emergence of a premillennial sect garnered from all the future kingdom advocates in all sectaries. I am predicting when, and if, this ever occurs, that Witty and his kind will, to use a schoolboy expression, be right in the big middle of it. For awhile I was somewhat apprehensive of the results of this affair and of its effect upon the church. I feel inclined now to observe that every lover of truth has written this movement down as a farce, and has it properly classified. Its appeal, is, and has been all along, to those among us who were as soft as mush (with apologies to the mush) anyway. Probably a few withdrawals of this brand would be a healthy thing for the church. A backslapping, Christian Church-petting preacher is a poor asset to the body of the Lord. My experience with Christian Church preachers has been that they are the most tricky of all the sectarians that we contact, and this experience has been a fairly wide one. The earnest honest souls among the Christian Church are coming are out of it. One of their finest young ministers whose announcement occurs in this issue of the Bible Banner has been led to see the light of their digression, has denounced them, and has taken his stand for truth in all things. May God hasten the day when others shall follow. God commands: "Come out of her, my people."

Geo. B. Curtis, Henryetta, Okla.