p. 172 | The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 11 (March 11, 1880)

Earlier text: THOUGHTS ON CONDUCTING TEACHERS’ MEETINGS

UNIVERSALISM

By Roswell F. Cottrell

BY ELD. R. F. COTTRELL.

UNIVERSALISM and Calvinism are built upon the same foundation,—the assumed immutable decrees of the Almighty. Calvinism teaches that God “foreordained whatever comes to pass;” that salvation or damnation does not depend upon man’s agency, but upon the irresistible will of God; that a certain number, and not only that, but certain individuals of the human race, are elected to salvation, and cannot by any possibility be lost. Universalism differs from this only in that it makes the elect to include all mankind. It teaches that God “will have all men to be saved,” not merely in the sense that he is willing and desirous that this should be the case, and has made provision for it, on condition of man’s acceptance, but that the irresistible will of God is pledged that all men shall be saved.

Universalism assumes to reason. It does not draw its conclusion so much from what God has said he would do, as from what they claim it is reasonable that he should do. Reason is a good thing; and if God has given us reasoning powers, we certainly ought to use them; and on no subject more than that of the revelation which he has given us. But the standard of appeal is outside of ourselves. God has given us his word; and we should bring our reason to the test of that word, and not try the word of God by our reason. His reasoning is above ours; and we should take his word as authority, and base our reasoning on that. We should seek to find the harmony of every part of the word, knowing that until we find that harmony, we have not the whole truth, but only a partial, one-sided view of it, at the best.

But Universalism assumes that certain things are reasonable; and if anything in the Bible conflicts with that, it fails to convince. Its advocates seize upon one Scriptural idea, such, for example, as that “God is love,” and while they extol the attribute of love, and build fanciful theories upon it, they refuse to learn the truth that God is justice, as well as love. The love of God is truly a most cheering and exalted theme. They will accept the testimony that God is love, and dwell upon it, and found any amount of reasoning upon it to favor their doctrine; but speak of the wrath of God, and of a time to come when it will be poured out without mixture,—wrath and nothing but wrath, no mercy mingled with it,—and they will not believe a word of it.

They will expatiate upon the thought that God is a kind and loving Father, as he truly is, all men being his children, as they are by creation; and then they will draw upon the sympathies of their hearers by a contrast between the conduct of a loving and pitiful father toward his children, and that of a God who would consign his own offspring to the fiery torments of an endless hell, such as is described in the writings of those called orthodox, where they must suffer and writhe in the most intense pain and agony while the ceaseless ages of eternity shall roll.

In this way the minds of the hearers are wrought up to such a degree of excitement as to be blinded to the sophistries which are to follow. They proceed to state that God is immutable in his attributes; so that if he loves sinners at any time, he will love them forever. They forget to state that God has a righteous law, which is of more value in his sight than the life of its transgressor; that he hates sin, and must ever hate it; that his justice is as unchangeable as his love; and that the two are exercised in perfect harmony, there being no antagonism between them.

True, we are all children of God by creation; but the Bible describes a class as “children of the devil” and “children of wrath.” There are no good promises to the children of wrath; and such are all by nature (Eph. 2 : 3.); but they are “fitted to destruction.” All the heirs of the promises of God have become his children in a better sense, by compliance with certain prescribed conditions. Jesus taught his disciples to do good to all. “That ye may be,” said he, “the children of your Father which is in Heaven.” Matt. 5 : 45. Again, an apostle says, “Wherefore come out from among them [the children of wrath], and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6 : 17, 18. Those who obey the conditions, become the children of God in a peculiar sense; and there are special promises to them as a class. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.”

These things are ignored by the teachers of Universalism. They make all alike the children of God, and infer the eternal salvation of all, against the most positive testimony of the word of God. They leave a part of the truth untold. For example, they read in Acts 3 : 21 of the “restitution of all things,” and claim it as proof of the restoration of all men. But this phrase is qualified by another; it is the restitution of all things “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” It is simply this: There will be a restoration of all things which the prophets have promised should be restored. Uncover the sophistry, and all is plain.

Now what has God by his prophets promised should be restored? The most ancient prophecy of which we have a record is that of Enoch, the seventh from Adam. Said he, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude 14, 15. Does not this seem more like retribution than restitution?

We notice a few things spoken by the prophets. Speaking of Christ, Moses said, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” Deut. 18 : 19. Peter applies this prophecy to Christ, and says, “Every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” Acts 3 : 23. Will restitution come after this destruction? “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Prov. 29 : 1.

Job teaches “that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.” Job 21 : 30. In connection with this we cite the apostle Peter: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished.” 2 Pet. 2 : 9. According to these testimonies, the wicked do not receive their punishment as they pass along through life, nor are they cast into torment before the day of Judgment. God hath appointed that day. See Acts 17 : 31. The wicked are reserved and brought forth to the day of wrath. Whence are they brought forth? “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5 : 28, 29. The resurrection to life is restitution.

Again the apostle says that the earth is “reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Pet. 3 : 7. Perdition is not restitution. But he does promise a restitution. “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Verse 13. The heavens and the earth are to be restored. This was promised by the prophet Isaiah. Chap. 65 : 17. The righteous alone have the promise of dwelling there. The phrase, “wherein dwelleth righteousness,” signifies that no unrighteousness shall be there. The new Jerusalem will be there, “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Rev. 21 : 27.

“Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5 : 5. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.” Dan. 7 : 27. “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.” Ps. 37 : 29. But when the righteous are restored from death to immortal life, so that they can inherit the renovated earth forever, where will the wicked be? Let the inspired word answer: “For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth.” Ps. 37 : 9–11. To be cut off, and not be, so that a diligent search for his place cannot discover it—is this restoration? Again, of the righteous he says, “Their inheritance shall be forever.” “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” “For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.” See Ps. 37 : 9, 10, 11, 18, 20, 22.

What prophet or apostle has foretold the restitution of all men? It is hard to perceive how men can be restored after having been “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.” 2 Thess. 1 : 9. How can those be restored “whose end is destruction”? Phil. 3 : 19.

Universalists claim that all men must be saved, because the purposes of God’s grace cannot be frustrated, but must be accomplished. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” From this they argue that as his grace has appeared in behalf of all, therefore all must receive the benefit of it. But this very text refutes their argument. The expressed purpose of this grace is to teach men. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2 : 11, 12. Is the purpose of this grace attained?—do all men live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world? If not, the design of it is not fulfilled in respect to all men. And if it has failed of its design in respect to a part of mankind in this world, where is the assurance that it will save all in the world to come?

WHO WAS THE ANGEL THAT JOHN WORSHIPED?

By Dudley Marvin Canright

BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.

In Rev. 22:8, 9, we read: “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book; worship God.”

This passage is claimed as proving the conscious state of the dead. It is asserted that this angel was one of the old prophets who thus appeared to John. If we grant this, the text does not prove the conscious state of the dead, because some of these prophets had already been taken to Heaven. Enoch was a prophet, and he never died. Elijah was a prophet, and he had been translated. Moses was a prophet, and, as can be shown, he had been raised from the dead. Again, at the resurrection of Christ, many of the saints which slept were raised; and in Eph. 4, Paul intimates that they ascended with Christ. It might have been one of these. So that, granting that it was a prophet that talked with John, the text does not prove the conscious state of the dead.

But this was an angel, and not a man nor the soul of a man. John says, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.” A man is not an angel, but this was an angel. Is it not said that he was one of the prophets? No; a careless reading might give that idea, but a close examination shows that this is not what is declared. It is simply asserted that this angel was a fellow-servant of John and of his brethren the prophets. That is,

this angel was not to be worshiped, because he was simply a servant of God, and had only been sent to serve the prophets, John’s brethren. Read it carefully: “I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets.” Let us read a few other translations which will give the idea better. The American Bible Union translation reads: “I am a fellow-servant of thee, and of thy brethren the prophets.” The Emphatic Diaglott says: “I am the fellow-servant with thee, and with thy brethren the prophets.” Tregelles translates it: “I am the fellow-servant of thee and of thy brethren the prophets.” These translations give the idea better and more correctly. He was only a fellow-servant of these prophets, not one of the prophets themselves.

Furthermore, the interpretation given by our opponents contradicts the Bible by teaching that the dead come back to this earth and converse with men; while the Scriptures plainly declare that the dead know not anything. Thus Job says, speaking of a man’s death: “His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.” Job 14:21. Then after a man dies he knows nothing of what is transpiring on the earth. Again it is said: “For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything . . . Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.” Eccl. 9:5, 6. How can this be harmonized with the idea that the departed spirits of the dead do come back to earth and minister to their brethren? And in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, of which our opponents are very fond, the very point made is, that the dead cannot come back to earth and communicate with the living. Will they now contradict all this testimony to make out a case from this passage? Our orthodox brethren have joined hands with the spiritualists on this point. If their theory of this passage is correct, then the spirits of the dead do return to earth and do communicate with men, as the spiritualists say. The latter only carry it a little further, and thus establish their blasphemous doctrine of spirit communication.

SPECIAL MENTION.

THE CONTROVERSY IN BELGIUM.

The Christian at Work of Feb. 19 gives the following relative to the contest between the civil and ecclesiastical power in Belgium; a contest in which every lover of liberty, religious and political, is interested:—

The contest between the Liberals and Clericals—or between the Roman Catholic Church and Liberty—in Belgium, is marked with such persistent and exceptional bitterness that the mere looker-on can scarcely refrain from questioning the fitness of either party in the fierce controversy to appreciate the arguments or do justice to the position of the other. But the issues involved in the contest are of incalculable importance, and partisanship runs high, because both parties are dreadfully in earnest. M. de Laveleye, one of the most eminent among Belgian writers, points out the real cause of the contest to which at present all eyes are turned, as found in the fact that “the principles of the Belgian Constitution, borrowed from England and the United States—that is, from Protestant countries—are condemned by the dogmas of the dominant religion in Belgium.” Why that conflict is more violent in that country than elsewhere, he explains by a twofold reason: first, because the principles embodied in the Belgian Constitution have been proclaimed there with more distinctness than in other Catholic countries; and, second, because the clergy there have maintained more authority and influence over the people than elsewhere. “It is impossible to forget,” says M. de Laveleye, “that our clergy overthrew two sovereigns, Joseph II. and William I.”

Three points are clearly demonstrated in connection with this controversy: (1.) that the Catholic Church, by the agency of Councils, Popes and Bishops, condemns the liberty of opinion, of religion, of the press, of civil rights claimed by modern Protestantism; (2.) that this liberty is more absolutely recognized in Belgium than elsewhere, and (3.) that the Catholic clergy arrayed against it, have there more influence, or have more effectually organized their means of action. The issue between Roman Catholicism and liberty has been raised in such a distinct and practical manner in Belgium that the parties to the conflict are not likely to lose sight of the distinctions which separate them, and, at the same time, the strength of the two sides to the conflict is so evenly balanced that neither side can afford to be off its guard.

The struggle is a political one, and concerns the future as well as the present. It involves, in a large measure, the existence of personal liberties, and the continuance of free institutions. For the time being, the Liberals are in the ascendant, and the principle is asserted and enforced that in matters of religious opinion and practice the citizen is entitled to freedom from the control of the State. On the other hand, the Clerical party are working incessantly to wrest the power from hands which they consider sacrilegious, and would thus place Belgium under a priestly tyranny, as complete and as crushing as that which holds sway in Austria or Spain. To this end they seek constantly to get under their direction the education of the young, for they know that it is with the plastic material of youth that they can most confidently expect to acquire abiding influence and produce permanent results. And we see, too, this same principle sought to be carried out in our own country through the concerted and well-arranged attack made by the Roman Catholic Church upon our own educational system. Happily, in Belgium, the vigilance of their opponents is at present more than a match for them, and every friend of civil and religious liberty will hope that it may continue so. The acrimoniousness which has entered into the contest is certainly to be regretted; but in a conflict between Right and a terrible Wrong, between Freedom and Bondage, between Progress and Stagnation, between man's most sacred privileges and aspirations and the most crushing tyranny of both body and soul, there will be heat and fierceness and earnestness in proportion to the depth of conviction in the souls of the contestants.

THE DECLINE OF CHURCH-GOING.

We find in the Journal of Commerce a letter from that always interesting and instructive writer, Mr. William C. Prime, giving some rather startling accounts of the decline of religion in New England. It is the habit of Mr. Prime every autumn to make excursions in his own carriage through the more picturesque and attractive portions of the New England States; and this mode of traveling brings him into much more intimate relations with the people than are possible in the rapidity of an ordinary journey. He stops over every Sunday, of course attending church wherever he happens to be; and the facts he has observed afford occasion for these reflections:—

“I confess that year after year I grow more and more to wondering why it is that New England country people do not seem to have much interest in their churches. Whatever the denomination, we always find empty churches on Sunday mornings and very small groups on Sunday evenings. In villages of considerable size, with surrounding farms on which the population is not small, it never happens that we find a morning congregation of more than forty or fifty persons at church, and usually the number is much less than that; while at evening service it is almost invariable to find only ten or fifteen females and rarely more than two, three, or four men, In large towns the attendance is proportionately small. The proportion of the people of parts of Northern New England who are regular church-goers would seem to be small, even smaller than in our large cities, if one can judge from personal observation during the past few years on pleasant September and October Sundays.”

“It was not so once. I know country churches which once gathered in on Sunday morning pretty much all the population around, and which are now full of emptiness. I see plenty of churches which are sheds for horses and wagons, which, by their extensive size, indicate that they were once used by many families, and which are now not only empty, but roofless, shabby, and useless; nor could I learn that the building of other churches had led away the congregations: “Probably the same is true of parts of New York and other States.”

Mr. Prime is a careful and conservative man, and does not give utterance to any casual impressions or exaggerated opinions. What he says is surely so; but if he had gone further and explained the causes for such a state of things, he would have laid the public under greater obligation.

The decline of church-going has been noticed in many quarters, and by observers who are far from sharing Mr. Prime’s orthodox and devout sentiments. It is, we believe, just as evident in the churches of this great city as it is in any rural village; and the essence of the fact everywhere, at least to the superficial observer, must be declared to be that the prevailing forms of Christianity are losing that hold upon the public mind which they once possessed. There are as many churches as ever, but there are fewer worshipers. There may be as many church-members, but the earnestness and the piety of their faith has suffered an eclipse. There are as many sermons as ever, but they no longer warm the hearts of men as once they did with the fire of “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.”

There is, then, a most notable decay of religion among us. Men are ceasing to be Christians, and what are they becoming instead? Faith in Christ, in the Scriptures, and in retribution hereafter for deeds done in the body, no longer controls their actions. And what is taking the place of that faith? And where is the fault? Why is it that the venerable bulwarks are broken down? Why is it that ideas of truth for which men have endured everything, even the loss of life, are thus thrown away and abandoned? Is it the fault of the infidel teachings of modern science? Is it the fault of the church? Is it the fault of a clergy grown rich and luxurious, and, like the masses of their congregations, unbelieving at heart? Is it because the true doctrine of the Saviour has been cast aside by the churches, and the imaginations and devices of men substituted in its place? Or is it because some new and more practical application of that doctrine in the institutions and relations of society is necessary to reconcile the inconsistencies and revive the ardor of the ancient creeds?

These are questions which merit the most serious, nay, the most solemn attention from all persons interested in the welfare of mankind and the safety of society. But unfortunately the considerations which we have now presented are none of them new. They are familiar to priests and to philosophers of every name; but as yet none of these have been able to give an answer which has brought any comfort to the anxious minds of the religious, or silenced to any extent the doubts of the scoffing.— N. Y. Sun, Dec. 14, 1879.

THE CZAR.

On the 2d of March, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Czar’s accession to the throne of Russia was celebrated in St. Petersburg and in other towns throughout the empire. Notwithstanding the threats of Nihilists, there was no disturbance. St. Petersburg was gaily decorated, and the day was generally observed as a holiday. Vast crowds assembled to do honor to their sovereign, and the occasion was observed with much pomp and enthusiasm. In the interior of the empire the festivities and rejoicing were general, and in some of the large towns the fetes were on a grand scale. A congratulatory letter from Emperor William, countersigned by Prince Bismarck, was published and creates a very favorable impression in all the European capitals. The terms of the letter are those of warm friendship; the Emperor expresses his gratification that the friendship which united their fathers has been maintained, and his hope that it may continue. Pardons were granted to prisoners, arrears of taxes owing by the rural population were remitted, and orders of distinction were awarded; but the desire of the people for a constitutional government was not granted.

At the present time, when Russia and Russia’s ruler are prominently before the people, the following paragraphs from the Christian Weekly of March 6 will be of interest:—

“The present Czar was the oldest son of Nicholas I., and will be 62 years of age if he lives till April 29. In early youth he showed a fondness for books and the society of men of culture, rather than for military tastes, so that when he came to the throne, at the age of 37, he found that his enlightened and liberal plans were opposed to the prejudices and passions of the old Russian party. He, however, has been able to carry them out to a great extent, and the fact that he was successful in securing the abolition of serfdom throughout his empire within six years after his coronation, is an imperishable memorial of the power of his influence and the humanity of his disposition.”

“He has also in other important directions improved the administration of affairs, so that the moral and material advancement of Russia over its position in his father’s reign, is said to be as great as has been that of England, during Queen Victoria’s reign, over that of George III. Russia is now open to the circulation of the Bible, restrictions on the press have been removed, education has been encouraged, every soldier of the army being now required to read, great reforms in the administration of justice have been introduced, and the education and morals of the priests have been greatly improved. It has been hoped that the Emperor would signalize the coming anniversary of his accession by proclaiming entire civil and religious liberty throughout his dominions; but the unfortunate, if not criminal, domestic complications that have estranged him from the influence of his excellent wife, it is feared will retard the progress of the reforms to which he had so heartily committed himself.”

WELL DESERVED.

The wonderful immunity from accident and death, and the absolute freedom from danger of either, upon the railroads of this country, demonstrate that railroad management here has practically reached perfection. It may be truly said that a passenger whirled through space at the rate of forty miles an hour in one of the coaches of the Northwestern Railway Company is in less hazard and less liable to accident than he would be in walking the streets of Chicago, and as safe from possible injury as he would be if seated at his own fireside. For the first twenty years of railroad travel in the United States, as we learn from the report of the Rhode Island Railroad Commissioner, there was on an average one passenger killed of every two millions carried, while in the succeeding twenty years there was but one killed of more than six millions carried. If we recognize the further fact that more than ninety per cent of the passengers killed meet their death by their own recklessness or by their disregard of the rules of the railroad companies, we might say that a number of passengers equaling the country’s population are annually transported over our roads without a fatal accident that can be attributed to the fault of the railroad officials.

A sense of security on the part of the passenger, and the constant study of the railroad official to invoke every possible aid to promote the safety and the comfort of patrons, make railroad travel a pleasure indeed. The newly invented air-brakes, the patent platforms and couplings, the improved methods of tie and rail laying, and the perfect system of signals, combine to produce this extraordinary absolution from accident or injury.

We are led to these reflections from an intimate acquaintance with the workings of one of the best managed roads in the United States—the Chicago and Northwestern, whose operations extend from Chicago to the British Possessions, and whose branches permeate every considerable point of traffic throughout the great Northwest, and even to the Pacific coast. No ordinary mind can master the details of operating a huge corporation like this, whose hundreds of trains, passenger and freight, arrive and depart with the regularity of the clock; whose millions of passengers are transported, each with the self-assurance of a speedy, a safe and a comfortable transit; whose officials without exception are men of long experience and excellent judgment in all things pertaining to the business in hand. There is not in all this country a company which maintains a better corps of conductors, many of whom the traveling public have met for twenty years past, and all of them gentlemen in the strictest sense of the term.

To the management is solely due the general excellence of this great highway, and we are glad to know that the vast business which the company is now doing, indicates the public appreciation of the efforts of these gentlemen to serve them.—The Herald, Sept. 1, 1879.

DAKOTA

Sioux Valley, March 1.—Came to this place Feb. 20, and have held eleven meetings. The interest is quite good; the average attendance is about thirty-five. Some are quite favorably impressed, and say that we have the Bible on our side. One family of Swedes are nearly convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and will meet with the brethren at Big Springs. We much need and earnestly desire the prayers of God’s people. M. M. OLSEN.

Allentown, Turner Co., Feb. 29.—The interest here continues; but on account of a sweeping prairie fire, the attendance on our meetings has fallen off some, as quite a number lost their stables, etc., by it. We have spoken three times on the Sabbath question, and eight have already commenced to keep it. They were all members of the Methodist church. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Others are deeply interested, and we think they will obey. We have liberty in presenting the truth. To the Lord be all the praise. D. T. BIGGS.

NEBRASKA

Waco.—The past two weeks have been spent with the friends near this place. The Spirit of God has been working both within and without the church. The inclemency of the weather interfered with our Sabbath meetings. I return next Sabbath. May the Holy Spirit assist in completing the work. CHAS. L. BOYD.

Beaver City, Feb. 23.—The meetings held seven miles west of this city closed last Sabbath morning. Three sermons against the Sabbath were preached by a Baptist elder. His last effort only made us friends; it needed no reply. Some of the brethren from Sapa Creek came to our closing meeting, and by their presence helped to remove prejudice; they also rendered assistance in the social meeting. Two good sisters signed the covenant; we feel sure they will be a light here. May God bless them. The work will be followed, if the Lord will, by missionary labor. GEO. B. STARR.

THE CAUSE IN ENGLAND.

By John Norton Loughborough

The cause of truth here in England is still progressing, and at Southampton in particular. I hope none will think that because we have made our home at this place, our work has altogether been confined to this locality. We are circulating tracts and papers, and holding correspondence with numerous individuals, thus seeking to awaken an interest all over the kingdom. Nearly every day we get encouraging responses, and evidence that the truth is working its way to hearts. The past season has been so unfavorable, on account of stormy weather, that it has been a slow process to get the interest here matured.

As before reported, our T. and M. society is organized. Since our last report we have had three occasions of baptizing. Thirteen have been baptized already, and several others have applied for immersion. The subject of baptism has given us no little perplexity. Where should the baptism be attended? was the difficult question. The few Baptists here have fonts in their chapels for this purpose. But we could not get even the loan of their robes, and it was evidently useless to ask the privilege of using a font. An attempt was made by others, not long since, to baptize in a stream a few miles from Ravenswood. A vast mob assembled, and threw brick-bats, stones, and dirt to break up the baptism. It did not seem proper, just at this time, for us to try a similar experiment. At last we decided to prepare a font in one of the lower rooms of Ravenswood. We did so, and our baptisms here have been quiet, blessed occasions.

The first baptism by Seventh-day Adventists in England was on first-day morning, Feb. 8. On that occasion six were baptized. At the close of our Wednesday evening service, Feb. 11, two more went forward in this ordinance. One of these was the steward of a vessel mentioned in a former report. Sabbath, the 14th, five more were baptized, and we are to have another baptism next Sabbath.

Next week I go to the place of Bro. Veysey's residence, to commence a series of public lectures there. To-day we have brought home from the printing office of “Foster and Bond” an edition of 2,000 each of seven tracts, 14,000 in all. This is our first effort here in printing. As we gather around this pile of printed sheets, we unite our prayers to God that his signal blessing may rest upon and follow these tracts, and that the time may soon come when thousands may be reading “present truth,” printed in England for English readers.

As the result of inserting, for a few times, a notice of this Ravenswood depository in the Signs, we have already had several applications for papers and tracts. Of these applicants, one at least is now keeping the Sabbath. This morning we received a letter containing the following:— “Dear Sir: I have met with a torn sheet of the Signs of the Times, printed in California. I see it mentions your name, as having some of the tracts issued by the same persons. Will you kindly send me a list of what you have, and the price. If you will send me 1 s. worth of back numbers of the Signs of the Times, you will oblige.” His letter contained 24 cts. in stamps. We sent him nine numbers of the Signs, and one copy of the tract, “Is the End Near?” with catalogue of English prices on the back. This man has the first copy printed in Great Britain.

It seems to me that if we could have a standing notice of our depository in the Signs, if it was only two lines of very fine type, it would be an excellent thing, as so many hundreds of copies are being distributed by our friends in America, and by us here. A prominent temperance man said to us the other day, “Your papers are getting scattered all around. I meet them in many places where I go, and they are read with increasing interest.” May the Lord give us wisdom in all branches of our labor here, and may there be a rich harvest of souls from Great Britain.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

Feb. 18.

CHRISTIANA, NORWAY.

By J. G. Matteson

The S. D. A. Building Association of Christiana held its first yearly meeting Jan. 28. The treasurer’s report showed the following:—

Receipts.


House-rent,	Kr. 2,809.49
Shares, donations, and weekly contributions,	2,408.65
Rec’d in the contribution boxes,	748.28
Borrowed money to balance,	44.27
Total receipts,	Kr. 6,010.69
Equal in American money to,	$1,602.51

Expenditures.


Payments, interest and taxes,	Kr. 3,295.56
Improvements on the building,	2,391.05
Fuel and incidentals,	324.08
Total,	Kr. 6,010.69

The Printing Association consists of those brethren in America and Europe who in the providence of God have been instrumental in starting and sustaining the work. The Association is merely nominal, for it has not yet been organized. It has owned a printing office a little more than half a year. Tidernes Tegn was printed during the first quarter of 1879 as a four-page weekly. It commenced its career as a subscription paper April 1, with eight pages, and has since that time been published semi-monthly. No. 10, dated August 15, 1879, was the first number printed on our own press. We were inexperienced, and did not succeed so well at first; but we have tried to improve, and, by the help of God, we have succeeded. We now print 1,250 copies. We have also printed 36,000 signatures (of 16 pp.) of books and tracts during the year. Our press is but a hand-press; but we have now learned to use it so well that our papers and tracts are plain and readable. If needed, more than twice as much matter could be printed on this press.

The treasurer’s account for 1879 is as follows:—

Receipts.


On Tidernes Tegn,	Kr. 1,654.17
“ tracts, pamphlets, and books,	959.42
“ Advent Tidende and Harolden,	68.93
“ donations,	1,774.40
“ job work,	16.50
“ borrowed—balance,	10.04
Total receipts,	Kr. 4,483.46

Expenditures.


On labor,	Kr. 1,341.36
“ stock,	1,144.61
“ fuel and incidentals,	279.43
“ machinery and type,	1,434.06
“ accounts,	284.00
Total expenditure,	Kr. 4,483.46
	$1,195.59

Inventory.


Value of machinery, type, etc.,	Kr. 1,400.00
Tracts 24,559 signatures,	736.77
Tidernes Tegn 6,185 copies,	309.25
Books and pamphlets,	193.42
Book accounts,	284.00
Total,	Kr. 2,923.44
Indebtedness,	Kr. 10.04
Increase,	Kr. 2,913.40
	$776.91

All the donations amount to Kr. 1,774.40. Consequently the office has with this capital earned Kr. 1,139 during the year. And this earning falls principally on the paper. The cost of the paper alone has been Kr. 1,037.61; and it has brought in Kr. 1,654.17 and papers left over worth Kr. 309.25.

Of the donations Kr. 1,359.00 have been received from the Danish Mission in America, Kr. 220.00 from the brethren in Chicago, and Kr. 195.40 from others.

Nothing has been done for the Scandinavian mission, that has helped to spread the truth more through the three kingdoms, than this printing work. And this would be still more the case if we could get a Swedish printer here and start a Swedish paper on the same scale as Tidernes Tegn.

We need more machinery and type, and money to put in stock. And we need also more laborers and colporters to bring the truth out. We believe the Lord will help us, and add his blessing to this small beginning, until here also a people may be prepared for the coming kingdom.

The sisters have tried to help the Building Association, and have collected, for work and by donations, Kr. 275.00 during the year.

The truth is preached, and is working on many minds. Sabbath evening, six souls were buried with Christ in baptism; afterward we had an interesting social meeting. Bro. Rosqvist is now here, and will help in preaching and selling tracts. I start to-morrow for Skien.

Feb. 10. J. G. MATTESON.

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