NO. 134: R.G. JOLLY AGAIN

NO. 134

My dear Brethren: – Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!

On pages 44-47 of this May-June Present Truth R. G. Jolly once again resorts to his favorite pastime of “repetitiously claiming... speaking in righteousness and sincerity.... that he is God's workmanship (See E-10:586) And because of this pharisaical attitude, Brother Johnson describes him and others on p. 591 (having mentioned R. G. Jolly by name on p. 585) as “loquacious, repetitious and false-accusing.... pouring out foolish effusions.” It would seem that any one properly exercised in humility would have been so humiliated by this caustic re­buke – presented before the General Church – that he would be sufficiently sobered never to repeat such tactics. Let him show where Brother Johnson ever issued such a stinging and humiliating accusation against JJH! We realize, of course, that R. G. Jolly is desperate; but his real desperate concern should have to do with cleansing himself, rather than attack one who had befriended him so generously in the past.

In Question 2 on p. 44, he says we “boast falsely that Brother Johnson appointed us as a General Elder in the Church (which is obviously false, for he never was a can­didate for Little Flockship)”; and that we sign ourselves as “Pilgrim.” Such an expression from him is clear evidence that he is still in the clutches of Azazel, or he never would have made such a ridiculous spectacle of himself! What has been his own history? Was he not precipitously expelled as Pilgrim from the Little Flock because of his own unfaithfulness? And was he not openly exposed before all by Brother Johnson for his “foolish effusions”? As for JJH, Brother Johnson was always expansive In his praise of his faithfulness and zeal toward the Lord, the Truth and the Brethren. And R. G. Jolly expressed himself similarly toward us ­until we began attack upon his sins of teaching and practice, and his “whispering campaign” (one of his secret weapons—See E-10, p. 585, bottom) to destroy our good influence in the General Church. Why doesn't he explain just what our Pilgrim appointment did give us in the General Church?

In proof of our statements aforegoing, we set out below R. G. Jolly's own state­ment in the September 1952 Present Truth, p. 70, col. 2:

“Bro. John J. Hoefle, of Detroit, Mich., was one of Bro. Johnson's special assistants in a more potent way than most of the brethren realize. Throughout most of the Epiphany, and even to the end of his life, Bro. Johnson leaned on Bro. Hoefle in special ways, finding in him an ever ready and willing helper, often under very exacting conditions that involved much sacrifice and self-denial. Probably the largest financial contributor to the Lord's Epiphany work, he came to Bro. Johnson's relief in times of special need, making possible the purchase of plates and other materials for various books that were published, donating the Bible House property free from debt to the work (and subsequently sold by R. G. Jolly for about $11,000, and the proceeds used to improve the Philadelphia Tabernacle—JJH) and additionally donating thousands of dollars, to the exhaustion of his finances, in the spirit of the Lord's instruction in Matt. 6:19-21. He also ably helped Bro. Johnson in legal and general executive matters. E.g., in 1937 he started action in the courts which resulted in the LHMM obtaining income-tax-free status, donations made to it by others also being now free from taxation and deductible in Individual income-tax returns. This has resulted in quite an increase in funds for carrying on the work, and has served as a precedent in obtaining for the LHMM more favorable positions and deci­sions, e.g., in connection with various bequests, deeds, U.S. Customs, U.S. Courts and other agencies, employment tax exemptions, tax-free services, lower rates, etc.

In 1947 ‘at a most opportune time’ he left everything to serve at Bro. Johnson's bedside, assisting in correspondence work, etc. Bro. Johnson spoke of him as ‘my real son Timothy’ and later wrote him: ‘I love you because of your personal good qualities, which I appreciate, and because of the great service you have been to the Epiphany Truth.’ Bro. arranged for him to act as executor for himself and Sr. Johnson, and made special request that he serve at his funeral. Indeed, Bro. Hoefle, WHO ALSO SERVED AS A PILGRIM, was one of Bro. Johnson's seven special helpers.”

The above was not published at our request, we had no hand whatever in compos­ing it, were not at all aware it was to appear in the Present Truth until that paper came to us through the mail. It will be noted R. G. Jolly himself says we “served as a Pilgrim”; yet he now attempts to berate us for using the title. He was quite agreeable, however, when it served his own purposes. Thus, we have now before us a livid example of “a doubleminded man (a crown-loser), unstable in all his ways.” If the brethren will just keep in mind his “doublemindedness,” they will not likely be led astray by his Levitical antics. Of course, in all this he has taken his leading from his “Pastor and teacher,” J. W. Krewson, who also attempted to besmirch our Pilgrim status when our refutations of his errors became much more than he could bear. “Birds of a feather”! They are indeed close “first cousins.” For the bene­fit of our faithful brethren we now record that no faithful Pastor and Teacher ever accused us of unfaithfulness, or measurably faithfulness, to the Truth and its Arrangements. This has only been done by crown-lost leaders, revolutionists and perverters. As R. G. Jolly has truthfully pointed out, Brother Johnson found us faithful to the Epiphany Truth – and our faithfulness to the Parousia Truth rewarded us with the Epiphany Truth early in the Epiphany period.

As a further instance of R. G. Jolly's “double mind,” note his comments con­cerning J. W. Krewson in par. 1, col. 1, p. 45. He there truthfully states that J. W. Krewson was never appointed by Brother Johnson “as a teacher for the Lord's people in general, either as a Pilgrim or an Auxiliary Pilgrim.” Here R. G. Jolly inferentially admits that J. W. Krewson would have been privileged to teach “the Lord's people in general” had he received the proper recognition from the Epiphany Messenger; yet he derides us for proclaiming our own appointment to this office. Truly, these doubleminded perverters (Azazel means Perverter) seem to be capable of the wildest kind of mental gymnastics as occasion requires. We realize, of course, that his contentions in this Present Truth are prompted by desperation; and in due time more of his present supporters will become aware of this. As Brother Johnson often said of JFR, the very things he wrote disparagingly about others apply pointedly to him; and we now say the same concerning R. G. Jolly.

THE EPIPHANY: ITS NARROW AND WIDER SENSES

In col. 1, p. 45 R. G. Jolly tries to make a case for himself in his perversion of the Epiphany as the last special period of the Gospel Age; and here again he acts in truly Jolly fashion by resorting to his “loquacious, false-accusing foolish effusions.” (See E-10:591, par. 1) He cites E-4:49-52 to “prove” that Brother Johnson “plainly showed that the duration of the Epiphany period in its narrow, or restricted, sense would be until 1954.” At no place in those pages does Brother Johnson once use the words “narrow or restricted sense” – nor does he use either of these words in those pages – nor did anywhere ever speak of the Epi­phany in its “narrow sense” (although he did speak of the Time of Trouble in its wide and narrow sense – teaching us that the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble in its “narrow sense” are identical – i.e. from 1914 to the end of Jacob's Trouble). This is pure invention by R. G. Jolly himself (the same as his Justification outside the linen curtain) – a tool of convenience to mislead his sleepy readers.

In this connection, note especially his unscrupulous technique at top of p. 45, col. 2, where he “quotes” Brother Johnson from E-4:51 (as he handles the Epiphany Messenger's writing's deceitfully): “We think it reasonable to look for the Epi­phany to begin to end (that is, to end in its narrow, or restricted sense) in 1954 with (in a wider sense) a probable lapping of two years and one month into the Basileia, Kingdom.”

In the above, those words in parenthesis, and underscored by us, are not in Brother Johnson's statement at all; they are simply a bold and unprincipled inter­polation by R. G. Jolly himself, although no one would suspect this unless they read Epiphany Vol. 4, p. 51 for themselves. Yet in the same col. 2 on p. 45 he accuses JJH of “the tactics of a shyster lawyer” – a description which applies pointedly to him. In fact, the civil courts of our land would evaluate R. G. Jolly's “quotation” as blatant fraud. When Brother Johnson accused R. G. Jolly in Epiphany Vol. 10, p. 585 of having “a bad conscience” and guilty of many “misrepresentations,” and a “false-accusing Epiphany crown-loser,” it is now clear enough that his charge was no exaggeration: R. G. Jolly is still up to his old tricks; though years have taught him just nothing. Only the most unprincipled “shyster lawyer” would resort to such tac­tics in a desperate effort to prevail in his argument. We pity him! Apparently it will take only the most extreme of fit-man experiences to “cleanse” and sober him; and we patiently await the Lord's manifestations of his deplorable condition “in due time.”

And in identical fashion he endeavors to class JJH with J. W. Krewson – as being lopsided on the Epiphany (although we believe and teach the same now as we did under Brother Johnson – “The Time of Trouble in its narrow sense – from 1914 to the end of Jacob's trouble – is IDENTICAL with the Epiphany period); whereas, R. G. Jolly demonstrates himself once more as a true “cousin” to his former partner in error. R. G. Jolly claims we are now in the Basileia (the Kingdom), which, if true, catalogs the worst features of the Time of Trouble as a Kingdom performance. J. W. Krewson says we are now in the Apokalypsis, which is a direct repudiation of the Epiphany Messenger's teaching that the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble are identical. It would be most interesting to hear an explanation from both the “cousins” as to just how Brother Johnson could be the Epiphany Messenger, yet be so wrong on his under­standing of the Epiphany as identical with the Tine of Trouble in its narrow sense (1914 to the end of Jacob's Trouble).

These two “cousins” have also invented a class now (one naming them Quasi-elect Consecrated; the other, Consecrated Epiphany Campers) to go hand in hand with the Jehovah's Witnesses' Jonadabs, or Great Crowd. When the Epiphany Messenger was here, he had described the Jonadabs as “a non-existent class”; but he never had an oppor­tunity to express himself on the “strange fire” (false doctrine) of the “cousins” (the reason being that they didn't openly advocate such false doctrine while under the restraining hand of the true Pastor and Teacher). And in all this bedlam of con­fusion the one “cousin” designates himself the Apokalypsis Messenger; and the other – ­by inference, at least – labels himself the Basileia Messenger (as he beckons to the Restitutionists to consecrate), yet at the sane time publishing the “Present Truth and Herald of the Epiphany.” Just how 'foolish' can he get! (See Matt. 25:2; also Berean Comment on Matt. 25:5: “And many of them dreamed strange, unreasonable things”—)

And when Brother Johnson does mention “the Epiphany in its widest sense” at bottom of p. 51, R. G. Jolly is either willfully perverting Brother Johnson's thought, or he just has read something without understanding what he has read. Why didn't he go over to P. 53, par. 51. to refer his readers to Brother Johnson's clear statement of just what he did mean to say? We now quote some of it:

“The expression, The Time of Trouble, is used in two senses. In its wide sense it covers the period from 1874 until the end of Anarchy and of Jacob's trouble. In its narrow sense it covers the period from the beginning of the World War in 1914 until the end of anarchy and of Jacob's trouble. It is in the narrow – the second-sense of that tern that we use it in our subject. We understand that the special tribulation period (from 1914 to the end of Jacob's trouble—JJH) and the Epiphany as a period are one add the same thing.” And with this we are In full agreement, and have been presenting it exactly as Brother Johnson has It against R. G. Jolly's perversions and repudiations of the Epiphany Messenger's teaching on the Epiphany period. We call particular attention to the fact that Brother Johnson's Time of Trouble “in its narrow sense” is from 1914 to the complete end of the Trouble. Thus, to “narrow” it, he takes forty years off the beginning (just as we have stated) from 1874 to 19l4; but nothing at all off the ending. This is just the reverse of R. G. Jolly's handling of the Epiphany. He takes nothing off the front end to reach his “narrow” (or restricted) sense!

Let R. G. Jolly give us his understanding of the foregoing – if he has one; but we may be reasonably certain he'll be glad to drop this part of Brother Johnson's explanation in a hurry, because it directly contradicts – and sets to naught – what he has set forth in his May-June PT. So once again we offer Brother Johnson's words respecting such “doubleminded” would-be “mouthpieces” of the lord: “Why do they so often quote passages to prove points positively disproved by those very passages? Is it not because they are in Azazel's hands, and are thus blinded by him, and at his direction palm off his errors on the dear unsuspecting sheep of God's flock?”

R. G. Jolly says we give no quotation from Brother Johnson to prove the “narrow­ing” is at the beginning of the Epiphany, and not at its end. We've given the above citation in our past papers; but we realize he is so befuddled by Azazel that he can't read plain and simple English, and understand what he has read after he reads it. He is now experiencing the penalty of “the unprofitable servant” (Matt. 25:30—­See Berean Comment) – “cast into outer darkness,” Error, which has overcome him in various respects. The weeping and “gnashing of teeth” (sorrow, disappointment and chagrin in every sense—See Berean Comment) is an experience yet future for him, if he is to be cleansed. Nor should this surprise us; it is the very thing Brother Johnson had predicted for these perverters as we go further into the Epiphany:

“Azazel means averter, perverter, and is Satan (1 Cor. 5:5) in his capacity of using the Great Company (the “unprofitable servant,” who is cast into outer darkness, error—JJH) to avert and pervert the Lord's Truth and arrangements; i.e., to work Revolutionism.”

As Brother Johnson has also properly deduced, these Perverters always appear much better under the restraining hand of the Star Member than they do when free of such restraint. Thus, JFR, and many others, performed much meritorious service under Brother Russell – just as R. G. Jolly did under Brother Johnson (although we shouldn't overlook the fact that he was unfaithful enough under Brother Russell to lose his crown as so manifested in the Epiphany – losing Priestly fellowship and his Pilgrim appointment in the Church which is His Body, etc., under Brother Johnson. We now witness his further revolutionisms and perversions without having the restraining hand of either Star Member – “while he is very unfaithful”—See Epiphany Vol. 15, p. 519). And just as JFR showed his real inner self after Brother Russell's death, so R. G. Jolly has done the same since Brother Johnson's death. So we should “think it not strange” that he now perverts one truth after another that he at least appeared to accept and teach while Brother Johnson was still with us. And, unless he speedily reverses his present course, he will lose completely his position in the Great Company – If he has not already done so – just as he lost his position in the Little Flock under Brother Russell. Let him show some evidence of reformation, and he will find us, and other faithful brethren, as ready to give him brotherly help and favor as we did in the early years of the Epiphany. But, until he does that, we may sadly expect him to sink deeper and deeper into the quag­mire of error; and he will carry with him those new creatures, Youthful Worthies and tentatively-justified whose minds and hearts incline to his evil ways.

“Deliver me, 0 Lord, from the evil man (in Azazel's clutches): preserve me from the violent man: Which imagine mischiefs (false-accusing imaginations)..... They have sharpened their tongues like serpents; adders' poison (error and slander) is under their lips. Blessed be the Lord my rock (margin) which teacheth my hands to war” (to refute the Revolutionism of false-accusing Epiphany crown-losers). Psa. 140:1-3; 144:1–

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

My dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in the Master's Name!

Now with the Memorial still fresh in our minds come the sad feelings in the death of Brother Walcott. He passed away on April 30 at 7:45 p.m., after suffering in a bed of affliction for nearly six months when it pleased the Lord to relieve him of such suffering. We have all reason to believe that all was well with him and the dear Lord – for during his suffering he lived very near to the Cross. My two last visits with him were on the 22nd and 29th, when we prayed with him and he died the next day. There was a very large attendance at the funeral. I gave the discourse – “The Hope of the Creation,” taking my first text from Romans 8:20,21 and Acts 24:15, and other appropriate texts. Brother Peters assisted.

The June paper is here and is fine.... I also received the last papers “God's Great Sabbath Day” with more Resurrection of the Dead. The dear ones are in good spirit, and they always ask me to remember them to you and Sister Hoefle and the dear ones with you.....

Dear Brother, please continue to hold us up at the Throne of Grace, as we con­tinue to make mention of you when we go to the lord in prayer. Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee........ Numbers 6:24-26. Your brother in the one hope, ------- (TRINIDAD)

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My dear Brother Hoefle: I hope you and your loved ones there are well. Forgive me..... for I know you are busy with this wonderful work.

I rely upon your letters and your advice. Your letters and mail have been such a strength to me. Perhaps I cannot explain it correctly. I know the spirit of Jesus will let you know that you have done a ministerial work here with me.... The book Heavenly Manna is always by my side – and I read it with understanding. I have grown in the knowledge of our Lord. My life is more satisfying –Praise His Name! I feel that you are including me in your prayers, because some of my daily worries are over and my pains are fewer. Please continue to join me in these prayers. May your strength be multiplied and your desires all be fulfilled.

Christian love, ------- (NORTH CAROLINA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace! I have been quite disappointed that I did not receive the April letter this month. Will you please send to me at once...... We were in California for about four weeks, and I came in contact with Brother & Sister ------- and Brother and Sister ------- They are quite well and the Epiphany Campers idea of Brother Jolly doesn't have any appeal to them. Was over to Brother ------- who is holding along the views of Bro. Johnson and yourself, rather than Bro. Jolly's Epiphany Camp, which I was glad to see in a discourse he gave....... Brother ------- has moved. Will give you his new address and some others.

The Epiphany friends here seem to have given up the idea of a large public work to be done – even admitting that they expect their ranks to grow smaller year by year. We sure enjoyed your masterful article on the Six Saved Classes......

I am sending you $--- to help you in your expense in the general work. Am enclosing some names .. Hoping this completes your mailing list

With much Christian love ------- (ARIZONA)