of blood repugnant and so refused to attend. “Because they hated the wickedness of the world, with its ruthless games and hideous idolatries, they were accused of hatred of the whole human race.”⁶ And this brought increased persecution, not only from the official world, but from the populace as well.

Modern-day witnesses of Jehovah have found themselves in a similar position. Although they do good to their neighbors and spread a message of love, persecution and hatred are heaped upon them in all parts of the world. While they are neutral as to the affairs of the world, the world interprets it as hatred of mankind. When they quote the Word of God as authoritative and setting the only valid standard for acceptable worship, they are considered narrow. Since they will not set aside Christian standards for worldly pleasure, they are labeled kill-joys. And when they will not prostitute Christian principle in the name of expediency when the world demands it, they are considered obstinate even as early Christians were.

The course of faithfulness on the part of these witnesses stands as a condemnation of the professing Christians who fail to live up to the high standards of God’s Word, and they do not like it any more than did the ancient Jews or Romans. By every means, subtle inducement and, when it fails, violent coercion, they seek to force a compromise. But can a Christian compromise?

To those unstable in their faith Jesus says: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or else hot. So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15, 16, NW) In his sermon on the mount Jesus warned against the broad road of compromise for those who want life in the new world when he said: “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.”—Matt. 7:13, 14, NW.

So if you know the way that God’s Word shows to be right, be wise, do not compromise. “Keep your senses, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. But take your stand against him, solid in the faith.”—1 Pet. 5:8, 9, NW.

REFERENCES

¹ Great Events by Famous Historians, pp. 139, 140.

² Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History, p. 23.

³ Ibid., p. 24.

⁴ History of Christianity, by Edward Gibbon, pp. 234, 235.

⁵ Ibid., p. 213.

⁶ Great Events by Famous Historians, p. 141.

Death for Doubting the Trinity

When an article in The Watchtower not long ago stated that persons were put to death for doubting the trinity more than one reader inquired about this. Of course, medieval history tells of countless thousands of Jews being put to death for refusing to accept the trinity. And especially noted is the case of Servetus, whom Calvin had slowly roasted to death at the stake for his denial of the trinity.

But it is not necessary to go back so far, for there was an Act passed April 21, 1649, in the state of Maryland, or rather the colony of Maryland, which among other things stated: “By this Law, (1) Blasphemy against God, denying our Saviour Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, or denying the Holy Trinity, or the Godhead of any of the three persons, etc., was to be punished with death, and confiscation of lands and goods to the Lord Proprietary.” Yes, there was a time on the American continent, not just in medieval Europe, when to deny the trinity meant death.