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tears

Cover page

Tears of Gratitude

Or

Cause and Effect

1934

FRANK J ANN AW AY

LONDON, S.W.9, ENGLAND


 


Page 1

"We shed tears of gratitude for our deliverance through reading 'CHRISTENDOM ASTRAY'."

Countless are those similarly thankful. As to why?—The Editor of the "Christadelphian Magazine" declares :

"It has been printed in many thousands of copies, and has revolutionized the religious convictions of great 'numbers of people. It shews that the Bible is not responsible for the views and tenets of Christendom."

Why so? Let another speak :

"I found that although I earnestly sought the Truth, many of the views I held were based on tradition. Some few months ago a book was placed in my hands—'Christendom Astray'—and the reading of the same created a gratitude which 1 cannot adequately express."

Another writes :

"I know of no work so suitable to place in the hands of honest seekers after truth. It is plain, exhaustive, admirably arranged in the treatment of the whole subject of truth; and, the language is such that it makes the Truth speak for itself, in the beautiful simplicity of its own personal grandeur and power."

The reason for all this is well explained by another grateful reader :

"With such a book in their hands they can sit down, and with an open Bible before them, calmly lift from their minds the covering of their own and all the eyes of Babylon's children."


When brother Robert Roberts republished his "Lectures" in 1884 under the new title of  "Christendom, Astray ", the writer of this booklet suggested to him that every Public Library in Britain be furnished, with a copy, seeing it was generally recognized by>the entire brotherhood as without equal as a vade mecum of the First Principles of Bible Truth.. Brother Roberts heartily agreed and offered to give the proposal a start by supplying the first 50 copies.

Then was a day of small things. Public and Free Libraries were few and far between; only becoming popular through the munificence of such public benefactors as Passmore Edwards, Henry 'fate, and Andrew Carnegie. Our project was hindered by repeated visits to Palestine and many other unexpected events, including the tragic and. sudden death of Brother Roberts in America. Later, we confided our plans to the new Editor of the "Christadelphian Magazine"; he responded as. did his predecessor whole heartedly " Go ahead ", and also offered 50 copies.  At that time there were only about 600 Public Libraries in the whole of Britain. We circularised the Ecclesias as to the project; they readily came to our help, with the result that by the year 1910, we had " Christendom Astray" on loan at 600 Public Libraries. More and more such Libraries sprang up; but, in the year 1914, the work had to give place to the all-important and God-blessed task of shepherding the brotherhood outside of the meshes of the Military Conscription net, a work which devolved entirely upon the " London Committee" formed by the South London (Clapham) Ecclesia, and which work is fully set forth in " Without the Camp ".'*

* See copies in "British Museum" and many Libraries.

f Read "Birmingham Trouble", copy will be sent free on application.

 

With the end of the Great War came the removal of Conscription; and, alas, with the release an aftermath of regrettable forgetfulness of God's remarkable protection, and a willingness on the part of the "Christadelphian Magazine" and the "Temperance Hall" Ecclesia to shield Christadelphians who had not signed the "London Petition for Exemption ", and who did not consider it un-Christlike to belong to the State Forces. The inevitable outcome thereof was a world-wide division of the brotherhood, known as the "Birmingham Troublef ". This prevented, for a time, the furtherance of the more agreeable and peaceful work of providing the fast-multiplying Libraries with " Christendom Astray". But, the opportunity did come, and we lost no time is using the open door.

Facts and figures culled during our visits to the Library of the British Museum showed we should be prepared with an edition of 5,000 copies, if we would attain our aim of providing the world with the book. But, what about the cost? Referring to the Birmingham list of "Publications in Supply" we saw that the cheapest cloth bound edition was 5/-, plus postage. At that price the carrying out of our project seemed rather remote, especially as we were determined not to make any appeal to the ecclesias for a subsidy, or financial help of any kind. We had faith in the open door where and when it was at hand. An offer from a London firm of printers came to hand, to provide an equally well bound book, with newly set up type, for less than 1/6 per volume. We closed with the offer, fully determined to spend and be spent in carrying to fruition the task on which we had set our hearts in 1884. Weeks and weeks were occupied by a small band of workers of the whole-hearted kind referred to in Nehemiah iv. 6 in making arrangements essential to the success of the scheme, which now had become one of supplying every Public Library throughout the whole world, where English was spoken, with the masterpiece of brother Roberts, henceforth to be known under the extended title "Christendom Astray from the Bible ". God has blessed and is still blessing the work, beyond our wildest dreams. The book is now available in every known Free or Public Library in

GREAT BRITAIN

England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

EUROPE

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Latavia, Lithunia, Norway, Papal Possessions, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Yugo-Slavia.

AUSTRALIA

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and The Northern Territory.

CANADA

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward, Island, Quebec, Sackatchewan, Yukon Territory,and North Western Territories.

THE UNITED STATES

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Lousiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Brazil, British Guiana, Colombia, Dutch Guiana, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

AFRICA

Algiers, Angola, Ashanti, Belgian Congo, British Bechuanaland, British Somaliland, Cape of Good Hope, Damaraland, Egypt, Egyptian Sudan, French Guinea, Gambia, Gold Coast, Katanga, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Mozambique, Natal, Nigeria, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Orange Free State, Portuguese East Africa, Sierra Leone, South West Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Sudan, Tanganyika, Transvaal, and Uganda.

PALESTINE AND SYRIA

Beirout, Damascus, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel-Aviv.

MESOPOTAMIA

Baghdad and Basra.

INDIAN STATES

Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Benares, Bombay, Calcutta, Cawnpore, Chakadapur, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jhansi, Lahore, Lucknow, Madras, Malacca, Masulipatarn, Poonah City, Rangoon, and Siam.

CHINA

Hong Kong, Nankin, and Shanghai.

JAPAN

Tokio and Kawasaki.

PERSIA

Isfahan and Teheren.

ISLES OF THE OCEAN

Antigua, Ascension, Azores, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermudas, Borneo, British Honduras, Canary, Cape Verde, Caymen, Ceylon, Corsica, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland, Farv e, Friendly, Gibralter, Gilbert, Greenland, Grenada, Hawaii, Honduras, Iceland, Inaccessible, Jamaica, Java, Leeward, Lord Howe, Madagascar, Madeira, Maldive, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Nauru, Nevis, Newfoundland, N e w Guinea, New Hebrides, Norfolk, Orkney, Philippine, Pitcairn, Porto Rico, Prince Edward, St. Christopher, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Samoa, Straits Settlements, Seychelles, Sokrato, Solomon, Spitzbergen, Trinadad, Virgin, and Windward.

SHIPS ON THE SEA

Bibby Line, Blue Star Line, Canadian, Canadian Pacific, Cunard, Elder Dempster, Maritime Messageries, New Zealand Line, Orient Line, Peninsular and Oriental, Royal Mail, Union Castle, and White Star.

~~~~~~~~~~

It is a truism in the commercial world that " one may have the finest emporium, and the best of goods; and, yet, make no headway"! The public must be told and retold, and with no uncertain sound. Hence, knowing we have the best of goods (the real Truth of the Bible) in the most available of stores (the Free and Public Libraries), we set out to let all the world know it by means of both paid and unpaid machinery; by paid machinery we mean THE WORLD'S PRESS.  

God demands our best, and we are determined to make use of it in His "business" (Luke ii. 49). No skin-flint policy will meet with the Lord's approval : and, so, papers with the largest certified net circulations have been commandeered, papers, each with a circulation of nearly two millions; and even of them we have secured the best positions available, such as "solus" on the leading article page as the managers of the London Daily Mail, Daily Express, -Clironicle, and Daily Herald can testify. Our standing orders are ''hold over till such space is available''.

The advertisements of the Free Library edition of "Christendom Astray from the Bible" have appeared for years every week, without exception, in the " Oversea's Daily Mail " Personal Column; and we have not overlooked the London Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror, Sketch, Manchester Guardian, Yorkshire Post, Leeds Mercury, Western Mail, Liverpool Mercury, The Scotsman, Birmingham Post, Birmingham Gazette, and about 300 other Provincial papers, as well as the Christian World, Christian Herald, Baptist Times and many other religious journals.

Why do we tell the recipient of this little booklet all this? Because you can help further the work. No, you are not asked to contribute a single penny, God has provided the means, and that too like the widow's cruse of oil—no limit to the "oil". He has provided a "blank cheque", and we can testify of this Free Library work as David did of the Temple work (I Chron. xxix_12-16).

 

YES YOU CAN HELP

If you know of any Public Library without "Christendom Astray from the Bible", or where it is worn or dirty, please send name and address of the Library and name of the Librarian; a copy will be forwarded gratis and carriage paid.

 

You can also help by asking for the book at your Library, thus making sure it is available. So too, you can assist by making known that it can be borrowed from any Public Library. This can be done by distributing little cards like this:


 

{IMAGE of wallet sized card which reads: }

The (Key) to the door of Bible truth has

been lost by the Churches

Where is it?

Read

" Christendom Astray

from the Bible"

(By ROBERT ROBERTS)

 

IN 5,000 FREE LIBRARIES

If not in yours, send postcard to—

FRANK JANNAWAY,

99 STOCKWELL PARK ROAD, LONDON, S.W.9., ENGLAND


 

These little cards may be left in trams, trains, buses, cars, telephone boxes, waiting rooms, enclosed with letters, and distributed in a hundred-and-one other ways. A packet of 30 (one for each day), will be sent absolutely free every month by the publisher, simply by sending him your name and address. Many hundreds of willing helpers- in various parts of the world are regularly engaged in this labour of love, year in and year out. At the time of going to Press no less than close on 2,000,000 of these cards have been judiciously placed by volunteers, whose only aim is to further their Father's business and please the Lord Jesus (Rev. xxii. 17).

 

MONEY WELL SPENT

One or two correspondents have questioned "whether money spent in this world-wide campaign could not be better used by confining it to those districts where there resided. Christadelphians to personally help instruct the interested readers of '" Christendom Astray from the Bible". That was not the Apostle Paul's mind, or he would have left out of his missionary programme many barren places where, as the result of his sowing the seed, ecclesias were established (see "Acts of the Apostles"). If we faithfully do the sowing and watering, we can with confidence rest assured our Father in Heaven will see to the increase.

 

ENCOURAGEMENT

Let us here recall an instance confirmatory of what we have just said. \n 1931 we sent a copy of " Christendom Astray from the Bible " to the Public Library at Manilla, the capital city of the Philippine Islands. In 1932 we received a request from the "Government of the Philippine Islands" for "30 additional copies" for installation at their '" Branch Libraries and Deposit Stations ". These were duly sent. In May 1934, we received the following: letter :

Nueva Ecija,

Philippine Islands.

Dear Brethren,

An unknown Truth-seeker sends you, and every true Christadelphian, Greetings, and wishes the Light continually and increasingly burn in your hearts and his. Amen.

I have read your precious and extremely helpful book " Christendom Astray from the Bible ", by Robert Roberts. It has opened my eyes to the Truth. I think I have to read (study) it many more times for further elucidation. With the Holy Bible I hope to learn the whole Truth. The Lord be praised in honouring you to extend the true Word of the Most High to me and others who grope in overwhelming darkness!

I believe the end, the Second Advent of Jesus Emmanuel is almost at hand. I need must be baptised into the name of Jesus Christ at once, or as soon as possible.

Dear Brethren, I know not of any body- who can perform true baptism on me here. Oh, help me be baptised.

I will be waiting for your kind heaven-sent.assistance. Meanwhile I will be studying both the Holy Bible and Mr. Robert Roberts' "Christendom Astray from the Bible " so that I may be the more and ready for my re-birth of water through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And please, if it would be all right for you to provide me with a copy of Mr. Roberts' book, for the copy I am reading belongs to the Public Library and needs to be returned in short time.

Besides I think a copy in my hand will help me very much, not only for my own sake, but also of others as well.

The Most High repay you for my many impositions on you. God bless us every one. Hoping to hear from you soon,

I am very sincerely,

P.S.—Can, or rather, is a baptised believer authorised to administer baptism to another believer? What is the procedure assuming" belief?


 

 

What an interesting and encouraging episode this is in our Free Library Scheme !

You who have the Truth received.

By God's Grace to you revealed :

Should you dare to keep it back,

You the rich reward may lack".

 


 

** CHRISTENDOM ASTRAY FROM THE BIBLE"

by Robert Roberts

This "Free Library Edition'' is not published as a commercial enterprise, but to equip every Public Library where English is understood. Many thousands are now in circulation all over the world. To meet the wishes, however, of an who desire personally to own the book, copies are now available at actual cost of production, 1/10 in Great Britain, 50 cents in Canada and the United States. It contains 344 pages. Printed on Antique Wove paper, 1 inch, thick, newly set type, bound strong canvas cloth, with pages mounted on linen to give extra strength.

Orders to be addressed to :

FRANK JANNAWAY,

99 Stockwell Park Road, London, S.W., England.

 

{IMAGE OF A HAND HERE} On the following pages will be found the plan arranged by the author of "Christendom Astray from the Bible", whereby the whole of the Bible may be systematically read in the course of the year.

  Bible Companion

 

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