Much has been written showing the importance of consecration and devotion to the cause of Christ, if we would be successful in the missionary work. All that has been said and written upon this point is true, and much more might be said. The burden of the work should be felt and the importance of it realized by those that enter upon it. The heart must be drawn out after others to that extent that personal interests are laid one side if others can only be brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. Selfishness has no part nor lot in true missionary work. The motive that actuates the true missionary is pure, disinterested benevolence. It is the spirit that brought Christ down from Heaven. It is to do good to others without looking for a reward in this life. The reward will be in seeing them saved with an everlasting salvation in the kingdom of glory. “What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?” says the apostle; “are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” 1 Thess. 2 : 19, 20. Thus we are ever pointed forward to the resurrection of the just for a reward.
The language of the Saviour is very explicit upon this point: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14 : 12–14.
When pure religion is defined by inspired men, a class of works is referred to that cannot be performed unless this principle exists in the heart. James 1 : 27; Matt. 25 : 35–40. It should be the ruling principle of life. Everything of a worldly nature that we have to do with while here in this world will be used for the carrying out of unadulterated Christianity. The object of the farmer who plants his corn and sows his seed in the spring, and of those who engage in the various trades and occupations which have temporal ends in view, should not be that they may say to their soul: “Soul, take thine ease,” but that they may bless others with the means thus obtained. And that which is appropriated for our own use should be for the purpose that our life and health may be preserved to exemplify the Christian religion, and thus be the means of gathering others to the fold of Christ.
This principle does not grow in the heart that is unrenewed by the grace of God. It is a heavenly principle originating in the bosom of God the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ. And where the Spirit of God and of Christ dwells, this spirit will be manifested, and its fruit will be seen. If no fruit is seen, this spirit is wanting. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.” But when this Spirit controls the heart, then “the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” “So then they that are in the flesh [or controlled by a selfish spirit] cannot please God.” “For to be carnally minded [the minding of the flesh, margin] is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8.
Here the spirit of selfishness or carnal-mindedness is contrasted with the spirit of disinterested benevolence, which is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit of Christ never witnesses with a heart that is controlled by selfish motives; for there is no principle in it that God's Spirit has any sympathy with.
It is the object of the tract and missionary society to develop this unselfish principle. We do not say if you do a little to-day or to-morrow by way of giving your means or labor that that is the end of it. No, not by any means. The little that has been done is only by way of educating ourselves to do more. If we have sacrificed a little, it is only preparing the way to sacrifice more. If we possess the Spirit of Christ, our sacrifices will increase and not decrease. As the man who educates himself to any profession or trade becomes familiar with his calling, more is expected of him. This is reasonable and right. Thus our sacrifices will increase in proportion as we possess the Spirit of the man of Calvary, who left all to come into this dark world of sin to die for us.
Never should it be set forth as a prompting incentive for individuals to join the tract society that it will advantage themselves; that is, that they can procure reading matter at a less cost than they otherwise could. It is true that the Publishing Association has offered great inducements to the tract societies in reduction to them of the prices of our publications; but this is not that individual members may get the reading matter into their own houses and lay it by for a library. But it is to get the reading matter before others. If there are poor brethren who cannot purchase some of our important works, such as “The Testimonies,” “How to Live,” &c., the tract society should give them these publications. But it is no part of the missionary spirit for individuals to join the Tract Society to simply benefit themselves with reading matter.
A letter was received at the Review Office from a brother a few weeks ago, requesting them to send him a “History of the Sabbath” and a few other books for himself, stating that he belonged to a tract society in a Conference which was one thousand miles or more from where he then lived. This request could not be granted; for, 1. Orders for publications to the Office should always come through the president of the tract societies. The Constitution reads as follows: “He [the director] shall order all his books through the president of the tract society.” “It shall be the duty of each director to see that a librarian is appointed in each church, and he shall commit to such librarian a suitable quantity of publications for that church.” It is thus that individuals are supplied. 2. It would be taking advantage of the liberal offer made by the president of the Publishing Association, to appropriate such publications to our own individual use, thus violating the principles upon which missionary labor is based. The offer made to furnish the tract society with the “History of the Sabbath” at the price it does, is to place it in public reading rooms and in the hands of those who we hope may become interested in the truth. And we feel assured that no member of any tract society correctly understanding the spirit and object of his work would ever take advantage of such liberal offers to secure to himself publications.
Our hearts should be enlarged. A world lies in wickedness. Thousands upon our right hand and our left are perishing for want of the light of truth which God has mercifully permitted to shine in our pathway. And shall we become so engrossed in the cares of this life that we cannot devote time to labor for those for whom Christ died? Will we withhold means that God has committed to us to do good with, and see the cause of God languish which has cost the precious blood of the Son of God? Will we let our minds become entangled with trials and darkness so that we have no time or interest to labor for others? Or, when a system is adopted to spread this truth, shall we seek to advantage ourselves by it? God forbid. To sacrifice, to bear burdens, and to toil for others' good, is to follow in the footsteps of our Saviour and to walk in the path which will end in eternal bliss. S. N. HASKELL.
Sins of Presumption.
By D. T. Bourdeau
Sins of presumption are more heinous in the sight of God than sins of ignorance or sins of weakness, because they are committed deliberately and with a knowledge of duty. Under the old dispensation, those who were guilty of the sin of presumption were killed on the spot, or died without mercy; and those who commit this sin under the Christian dispensation are not less guilty before God, although a longer probation is given them, that they may repent and flee from the awful wrath of God which they justly deserve.
Peter cautions Christians against this sin when he says, “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (or conduct, according to the meaning of the word when the Bible was translated into English). 1 Pet. 1:14, etc.
We cannot sin so cheaply as we could while in ignorance. And we should not presume to think that God will show us mercy while willfully persisting in ways and practices that we know to be sinful. Says the Saviour, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin.” John 15:22. And in harmony with the sentiment of these words, is the following conclusion from James: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17.
Peter presents as a motive to shun the sin of presumption the fact “that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation [or conduct] received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. The idea that the precious blood of Christ was offered to redeem us from our sins of ignorance, is the strongest possible rebuke against falling back into those sins, and regarding any sin as a trivial affair.
The great preventive against the sin of presumption is to cultivate a tender conscience and genuine humility. Those who do this are approved of God, although Satan and sinners may insinuate that they are overnice, that their conscience is diseased and overexcited, and that they unnecessarily lower their dignity, as though man was above the Almighty. Says the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity: “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isa. 66:2.
It was for a want of this qualification that Saul presumed to officiate as a priest before the Lord, and that he preserved king Agag, the best of the sheep, and of the fatlings, etc., alive, against the commandment of the Lord, 1 Sam. 15; that the men of Beth-shemesh dared to look into the ark, and were destroyed, 1 Sam. 6; that Nadab and Abihu ventured to offer strange fire before the Lord, instead of offering sacred fire, fire of God's kindling, from the altar; and fire fell upon them from heaven and devoured them. Lev. 10.
It was through presumption that king Solomon multiplied unto himself wives, and went into Egypt after horses against the express commandment of God, and he shamefully ran into idolatry, and closed his life in shame and effeminacy. It is through presumption that many make light of present truth, and regard it as being composed of non-essentials, as though God dealt in non-essentials.
Oh! let us guard against what men call small deviations from God's word. It is by just such deviations that apostasy crept into the church, and that the huge monster of iniquity was formed. And can we expect to fully emerge out of error and apostasy unless we are as particular in returning to the word of God as men have been slack in departing from it? D. T. BOURDEAU,
The Warning.
By Jos. Clarke
“WHEN the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Matt. 12: 43-45; Luke 11: 24–26.
When the sinner or the backslider is brought to repentance, and his heart is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and light is diffused in the heart, then is the very time for watchfulness and prayer, that God, by his Spirit, may take full possession; for, no doubt, Satan will make great efforts to retake the citadel which he has lost; and he will with greatly increased force make war upon that soul so rescued from his grasp, and should he do this, and succeed in retaking his prey, the last state of that man is more hopeless than at first.
Let us beware of backsliding and apostasy; beware of indifference and lukewarmness. No time is of more importance than that following great religious awakening, when the Spirit has been striving, and the soul has been aroused, and the character has been partially changed, evil habits laid aside, and the carnal nature partially subdued, or for the time wholly reformed.
Satan, who for thousands of years has deceived our race, knows when and where to strike; he knows how to avail himself of the natural reaction of the carnal man; and if just then the soul is off its guard, or is careless and secure, great evil may ensue, and shipwreck may occur to the waning soul; the seven spirits may now enter, and hold their ground. Be sure then to pre-occupy the ground. Let the Spirit of God occupy the whole soul and mind. JOS. CLARKE.
Iniquity Abounds.
By D. T. Bourdeau
WHEN in a land of Bibles and of boasted liberty and freedom like ours, we see in a single county (that of La Salle, Ill.,) an organized gang of at least twenty robbers, plundering, and striking the inhabitants with fear and consternation; when preachers with a knowledge of our faith in the soon coming of Christ and the needed preparation to meet him, will one week acknowledge us as Christians, and in their very next sermon, call us devouring wolves while we are earnestly endeavoring to induce men to be converted to God, that they may flee from the wrath to come; and when under the same spirit men will say we ought to be killed, and will advise others to kill us; when we see so-called Christians acknowledge the truth, and then turn away from it through fear of reproach or of suffering temporal losses; when we see all this and much more, we are led to feel in our hearts that conscience is becoming a scarce article in the world, that truly iniquity abounds, and that it becomes us to prepare for worse scenes, and to be more in earnest in laboring to save those who can be saved. Only two days since, one of the most horrid and shocking murders was committed six miles from this place.
D. T. BOURDEAU.
Serena, La Salle Co., Ill., Feb. 13, 1874.
'Twas an Unhappy Division
'TWAS AN UNHAPPY DIVISION that has been made between faith and works. Though in my intellect I may divide them, just as in the candle I know there is both light and heat, but yet put out the candle, and they are both gone; one remains not without the other; so it is betwixt faith and works.—John Selden.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
“OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.”—You cannot fix a person's attention to listen or think about Heaven who is all absorbed in the world. A world out of sight is all visionary to him.—This tangibility of earth suits the earthly best. We must use the means to become heavenly minded.
Indiana.
By Wm. Covert
The quarterly meeting at Ervin, Ind., was held according to appointment, Feb. 21, 22. Bro. S. H. Lane was present. Several attended from abroad. The roads were very muddy, and much rain fell during the meeting, keeping many of the friends from coming, yet the house was well filled. The meeting was a source of strength to the cause in this part of the State. The brethren and sisters were encouraged, and many outside of the truth are much interested. One young man was baptized, and received into the Alto church.
The convention held at Pittsburgh lately, to secure the religious amendment of the Constitution, is making an impression on many minds that nothing else seemed to reach.
We are glad to know that the tract and missionary societies have been scattering the light, but regret that many fail to report. Let me ask you to make a note of what you do in the missionary cause, and do not neglect reporting for our next meeting. It would be well for all to become better acquainted with the harmonious system connected with this cause. To do this, the True Missionary must have a wider circulation in this Conference. Brethren, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. Let your light shine. If you have been laboring in the missionary cause, report the result, that others may also be “provoked” to do something in the Master's cause. We all need the stimulus that might be obtained at the missionary meetings if all would help to make them a success. Who will try?
Wm. Covert.
Twenty-fifth Year of Pius IX.
By John Norton Loughborough
I MUST here tell you something about a Catholic display I witnessed in San Francisco, on Sunday, July 2, 1871, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the pontificate of Pius IX. The Catholic church have long claimed that “St. Peter was pope for twenty-five years, and that no other pope would reign so long but the last one, and that before his death Christ will come.” It is true no pope ever has attained to a reign of twenty-five years until Pius IX. So, of course, the twenty-fifth anniversary of his pontificate was an important event, celebrated with great pomp and display in various parts of the world. Perhaps the display in San Francisco was as great as anywhere.
The expense of this display, was stated to be some $50,000, and over fifty thousand Catholics were in the great procession. Some idea may be formed of the vast procession when we tell you that it required two and one-fourth hours for it to pass any given point. There were thirteen bands of music accompanying the procession, at different intervals, and the procession was arranged in twelve different divisions as follows:—
In the first division were nineteen cars trimmed with yellow and white, each drawn by two horses, representing the nineteen centuries. On an elevated central portion of each car were the names of the popes claimed for each century. On the first car were the names, Peter, Linus, Cletus, Clement, the popes claimed for the first century. In this car there were twelve young ladies dressed in white, representing the twelve apostles, and it had also represented upon it a large painting of Christ delivering the keys to St. Peter. In the nineteen cars were represented, by young ladies dressed in white, two hundred and fifty-nine popes, a list of which, with the time of the reign of each, we will publish soon.
The second division of the procession was composed of soldiers and protective associations.
The third division consisted of several hundred Hibernian soldiers in full uniform of green, &c. This division was arranged in six subdivisions.
The fourth division was composed of parishioners and school children of St. Mary’s Cathedral. In this division was a triumphal car drawn by six white horses. This car consisted of a large platform with four short pillars, each crowned with a bouquet of flowers. From the center sprang four pillars supporting a dome, the exterior of which was deep blue, spangled with stars of silver. Around the outer rim of the top were the signs of the zodiac. Beneath, on a tastefully decorated pedestal, was a gilded bust of Pio Nono. At the base of the car was the motto, “One fold, and one Shepherd.” Beneath this was, “Christ our Lord is king, and the pope is the vicar of the King.”
The fifth division was made up of Catholic Sunday-school children and convent girls. In this division was a car with twenty-five girls dressed in white, representing the twenty-five years of the pope.
Sixth division, many decorated cars, footmen, &c.
The seventh division contained the boys of the sanctuary, Society of St. Ignatius, dressed as they are when they serve at the altar, in scarlet skirts and caps, lace skirts over the scarlet, scarlet skull caps, twenty-four of them in all; also a car of twenty-five young ladies dressed in white, representing the years of the pontificate of Pius IX.
In the eighth division was a car with a picture of a rock surrounded with water, and on it the name, Peter. From the base of the rock and rising to its top were the names of eighteen of the most distinguished popes, one from each century. In this division was also a car filled with children, and on the car was the inscription in German:—
“The first of all the popes was Peter,
For five and twenty years he reigned:
No pope of all that followed have,
Save Pius IX., this length attained.”
The ninth was the visitors’ division, in which were large representations from Oakland, Vallejo, San Rafael, and other cities.
The tenth division contained many decorated cars; in one of the cars were twenty-five young ladies as before.
Eleventh division, soldiers, and a car with twenty-five young ladies, each bearing a white cross.
The twelfth and last division comprised two hundred and thirty-three teams.
In one division there was a car in which were men and boys of all colors and nationalities, and this motto inscribed upon the car: “The church of Rome claims all nations as her children.” Throughout the procession there was a profuse display of yellow ribbon, and many thousands of white flags, stamped in yellow, with the pope’s tiara, and the crossed keys of St. Peter, resting upon an altar.
The sight of the procession was imposing and well calculated to effect that for which it was gotten up—to move the people through their senses instead of their judgment. But, like the displays at St. Peter’s, Rome, it ill comports with the saying of Christ that the kingdom of God “cometh not with outward show.”
A speech was made on this occasion by the Hon. Zach. Montgomery, of Oakland, Cal., from which I shall make some extracts, as I wish to contrast it with one made by Aug. D. Splivalo at a celebration of Italy’s Union, held in San Francisco, Aug. 6, 1871. Both of these men are Catholics in religion, but differing in their ideas of the temporal power of the pope; therefore they give us in their speeches both sides of that question.
Zach. Montgomery says: “John Maria Mastai Ferretti was appointed as pope under the title of Pius IX., June 16, 1846.” He was born May 13, 1792, hence he was eighty-one years of age in May, 1873. “There are one thousand archbishops and bishops under his jurisdiction, and Pius IX. lies enthroned in the hearts of two hundred millions of his children throughout the world.” What is this temporal power of the pope, which he is called upon to surrender? Whence was it derived? What are its objects?
ROME BELONGS TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
“More than a thousand years ago, after the downfall of the Roman Empire had left Italy for centuries a prey to the successful incursions of the Huns, the Goths, the Vandals, and the Lombards, and the other savage tribes, the Catholic powers of Europe, foremost among which was France, drove off the barbarian hordes, and with the consent and even to the great joy of the Italian people, they set apart a small spot of Italian territory as the property of the universal church, and then they clothed the head of that church with temporal sovereignty over that territory, for the purpose of securing and perpetuating to him and his successors, for all coming time, entire spiritual independence in their dealings with all the different nations and people of Christendom. It was upon the faith of that act which clothed the pope with temporal sovereignty over the pontifical States, and with the full understanding that it should remain as a guarantee and a shield for the free exercise of his spiritual functions throughout the nations, that Catholic charity all over the world has, from that time to the present, poured its choicest gifts into the lap of Rome.
“It was upon the faith of this act that St. Peter’s, the grandest Roman structure that ever rose to honor God, or attest the genius of man, was built, at a cost of more than $80,000,000, gathered, in great part, from the private purses of tens of millions of Catholics who never set foot on the soil of Italy. . . . As some eloquent writer has well expressed: ‘Rome is not the property of the Romans, but of the Roman Catholics.’ The pope holds his temporal power not alone for himself, nor for the people of the pontifical States, but he holds it in trust for the universal church. It belongs to that church.”
He next proceeded to claim that the position of the popes’ temporal dominion to the rest of the world is like the relation of the District of Columbia to the rest of the United States, not the property of the States, but of the general government, and “the Constitution declares that Congress shall exercise exclusive legislation over this in all cases whatsoever.”
Again he says: “But if God Almighty, for the good of mankind, has granted infallibility to the popes’ decisions in matters of faith, he never intended that mankind should leave it optional with ambitious tyrants to say whether these decisions, when made, should be published to the world, for its guidance, or whether they should be committed to the flames or lost in the rubbish of a prison, unseen by other eyes than those of their author.”
“This same Almighty, as every Catholic believer, has placed upon the rock, Peter, the beacon light of faith for the spiritual illumination of the world; but it is for us to see to it that this sacred light be allowed to penetrate the hearts of ourselves and our children, and that no impious usurping hand dares to cast its black shadows between.”
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
Increase of Skepticism.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
For more than a quarter of a century, Adventists have been opposed to the majority of religious teachers concerning the conversion of the world. Adventists claim that the world is drifting away from God, from faith in the Bible as an inspired revelation, and from faith in Christ as a personal, living Saviour. Their opponents, on the other103hand, claim that the world is growing better, and that the Bible and Christianity are rapidly gaining ground. But, however desirable such a state of things might be, the facts in the case are sadly against it. The favorable view which is taken of this question is largely based upon the few thousands who are being converted from the heathens, while no notice is taken of the wide-spread and rapid increase of skepticism, spiritualism, Romanism, and formality in nominally Christian lands.
The New York Tribune, in an extra (No. 12, price 25 cts.) of 32 pages, has published in full a report of the Evangelical Alliance held in that city Oct. 2–12, 1873. Carefully prepared papers by the ablest ministers in all parts of the world were read before this Alliance. From these papers, I take the following statements relative to the state of religion in the different countries of the world. These men cannot be suspected of taking too gloomy a view of this question, but rather as confessing only what stern and abundant facts compel them to. Let us look at the condition of things in the different nations of Europe beginning with
HOLLAND.
“Rev. M. Cohen Stuart of Rotterdam spoke for Holland, and said:—
“Nearly four-tenths, it is true, of the population belong to the Roman Catholic church, and nowhere, perhaps, has the pope more pious devotees and zealous adherents. Neology, unbelief, and religious indifference, have sadly served the cause of the Roman See, its church daily increasing, if not in relative numbers, at least in power, boldness, and influence.”
This is not a very flattering view for a Protestant to contemplate. After three hundred years’ contention with the Romanists, the Catholics are now rapidly gaining on the Protestants. The speaker continues:—
“No, it is not the church of Rome, however daring and dangerous, which is the most dreadful enemy of Christianity in Holland. There is a tide of neology, a flood of unbelief, which no dykes or moles can keep back. Thousands, it is true, of the lower and middle classes, and these undoubtedly the best and soundest part of the people, steadfastly and staunchly cling to their old Bible faith, often with a strongly marked, ultra-dogmatic tendency, and with a narrow-minded stubbornness in some secondary points (an inveterate aversion, for instance, to hymn singing and to vaccination), still with a piety, on the whole, solid and sound. But a great many, a sadly increasing number, are more or less forsaking the gospel and becoming estranged from Christian truth. Materialism and irreligion are slaying their tens of thousands in the ranks of so-called Christians. So it is everywhere in Europe, so in Holland especially.”
The upper and educated classes gone over to skepticism and tens of thousands more from the church following them! But what is the condition of the Protestant church there? Of this he says:—
“It is evident, indeed, that the utter confusion into which the Reformed Church of Holland has fallen cannot last very long, lest it should lead to a total disorganization and overthrow of the whole.”
Not very encouraging that. Listen further:—
“It cannot, alas! be denied; bitter are the fruits of the reigning spirit of the age now already visible in Holland. Church attendance is fast decreasing. Levity and dissipation are progressing, and the old Dutch character is tending to degenerate.”
Poor Holland! Not much hope of a speedy millennium there. Let us pass on to
GERMANY.
Here was the home of Luther, the birthplace of the Reformation, the land where it gained its strongest hold and most numerous followers. How does it stand there now? The learned and world-known Rev. H. Krummacher, of Brandenburg, spoke for that country. In his remarks, he said:—
“I do not seek to deny that in my country, as in others—yea, perhaps more than anywhere else—an incredulous and anti-Christian culture is in vogue, and that the symptoms of that sad fact show themselves, alas! too frequently, among the people, in the Parliament, in the literature, in the daily papers. The alienation of thousands upon thousands from any kind of worship, especially in our large cities; the intoxication of the masses with the idea of socialism; the hunt after riches, which has spread even to the highest classes; the war waged by many writers under the pretext of science, especially of natural philosophy, against the fundamentals of religious truth; the favor which these representations of unbelief venture to expect from persons of rank and from the common people—as, for instance, David Strauss, who has written his second “Life of Jesus” for the German nation, and his “Life of Voltaire” for a German princess, a daughter of the royal house of England, the lately so painfully tried Princess Alice of Hesse—all these are dark shadows of the religious and moral life in Germany, the same shadows which are at present darkening the whole civilized world. The newspapers and the popular sentiment, ruled by them, usually take the part of the opponents of the gospel.”
What a picture for that highly favored nation, once so celebrated for its faith and piety! But now the masses are gone over to socialism, and unbelief and opposition to religion is popular in all classes. He thus laments the deplorable effects of the late war:—
“The unparalleled victory which God granted to the nation in the late war has not regenerated us in faith and elevation of our souls to him. On the contrary, the new epoch that has been inaugurated, as far as human eyes can see, proves itself to be an ever-proceeding dissolution of positive faith and Christian interest; and this is not only the case in a few parts of the country, but throughout the whole of Germany. Two or three years have passed since then, and today it will no longer be rash to assert that the expectation that a religious revival would be the fruit of the great national events, as was originally fostered, has not been realized. A deepening and increase of Christian life has not been associated with the political and national progress. This is, I think, a fact of history. This fact is a deplorable one—or must we use stronger and harder expressions, and say it is hopeless, it is desperate?”
“It is true the number of candidates for the service of the church, the school, and the ‘Tunere Mission,’ has alarmingly diminished during the last few years.”
Alas! for any sign of an early millennium here. Let us pass on on to
SWITZERLAND.
This was the land of the great reformers Zwingler and Calvin. What a rich harvest of souls the Reformation here gathered! What glorious anticipations were indulged for the future of this country. But now listen to the sad tale of one of its prominent ministers, the Rev. Eugene Reichel of Montmirail. In his speech before the Alliance he said:—
“On the other hand, we have to contend with a rank infidelity—a second mighty source of evil in Switzerland. It is not a thing of yesterday. For a long time already a deplorable unbelief has led captive the masses of the people. They have left their churches to engulf themselves in the vortex of business and worldly pleasure. This state of things in a measure paralyzes the efforts of the servants of Jesus. On every side, infidelity is become rampant and much more aggressive than in former years. Better organized than once, and finding an efficient support both in the indifference of the people and the countenance afforded by government, this insidious foe closing up its ranks is not slow to assail the truth.”
Of a certain party there professing to be Reformers, he says:—
“When, however, we eagerly draw near to inquire into the spirit of the ‘Reform,’ we discover at once that all its parade is but the flimsy disguise of a deadly hostility to the gospel, and its rallying watchword only a reiteration of the ancient enmity to Christ so expressively set forth in the language of the parable, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ Such, alas! is the utterance of the lower classes, of the public press, of the legislature, and, I am sorry to be obliged to add, even of the pulpit itself.”
The masses led captive by infidelity; the lower classes, the public press, the legislature, and even the pulpit arrayed against Christ!! We will not dwell here, but hurry on to
ITALY.
Of course we do not expect much of Italy, and we shall not be disappointed. But why should we not expect religion to be flourishing here? It was planted here by Paul himself and has had eighteen hundred years in which to grow and spread. If the gospel is designed to convert the world, why has it not at least held its own where it was planted by the apostles? We leave others to answer if they can. Rev. Matteo Prochet of Genoa, in his account of Italian affairs, said:—
“A very complicated state indeed it has been for some years past, and is now so more than ever. ‘The Roman Catholic religion is the religion of the State,’ says the first article of the Italian Constitution, and in fact 25,000,000 Italians have been baptized by the priests, are on the priests’ rolls, and entitle Italy to the name of a Roman Catholic country. We find an enormous proportion of the population which, while it remains outwardly Roman Catholic, belongs really to the religion of I don’t care, or is no religion at all. We have still to look at a party which is making awful progress in Italy. I mean the unbelievers. The number of those who have come to the rejection of all religion from a more or less philosophical and logical inference, from assumed principles, is comparatively small; but their influence is increasing every day and pervading the masses. Whether their names be free-thinkers, positivists, or naturalists, they all find themselves on the same platform:—‘No personal God, Creator, or Judge; man’s conscience his only rule; the religion of humanity the common bond that will one day bind together all nations in one family.’ Confounding Romanism with Christianity, it is an easy work for them to show the former in complete opposition to every freedom, and to find adherents among a people which is the more eager for liberty that it has been longer deprived of it. Add to this the natural tendency of man to say in his heart, ‘There is no God,’ and you will readily realize the importance of the impending danger, more dreadful than superstition itself.”
As is well known, Protestantism has scarcely a foothold in Italy. Of them the speaker said, “Their influence is of very little value.” Seventeen millions of the population cannot read. While nearly all are nominally Catholics, yet an “enormous proportion” have no regard for any religion, and the prevailing skepticism of the age “is increasing every day and pervading the masses.” It must be a hopeful soul indeed who can see any immediate sign of the wished-for millennium here. Let us now take a peep at religion in
GREECE.
Here, so far as faith in the Bible is concerned, the old Greek church holds everything under its power. This church, as all know, is as far gone in ignorance, corruption, and apostasy, as the Catholics themselves. Rev. Mr. Kalopathakes spoke for Greece, concerning which he said:—
“God has enabled us thus far to establish but one church, but that little church is something that troubles the Greek church.”
Only one little church in all Greece! Again he says:—
“You have no idea of the power of that national feeling. It makes religion and nationality one, one and inseparable. He that gives up his church is looked upon as an outcast. He is looked upon as worse than Judas. You can imagine how one stands before a whole nation in that light. If he has an office under the Government he has to lose it. If he is a professor or a teacher, he has to lose that. If it is a young lady, she has very little chance to get married to a young man. You see, therefore, the difficulties against which the Protestant has to contend.”
True, we do not know that unbelief is as wide-spread there as in other countries, yet he says that there is a large class “who believe nothing at all.” From here we go to
SPAIN.
Here, too, we find the masses of the people turning away from all religion. Rev. F. Fliedner of Madrid, speaking for Spain, said:—
“Salmeron, the last President, protested against Spain being called still a Catholic country, and it is true that not only a great part of the country is indifferent to religion, but that also there exists among the lower classes a bitter hatred against the Roman Catholics. In the last revolution in the South, they put the Archbishop of Granada in prison, destroyed some churches and nunneries, and the famous processions of the Holy Week did not dare to come forward. Only in Valladolid the people said: ‘Our Holy Virgin is republican, too.’ They adorned her with the red cap, and carried her around. We do not require to enlarge on the harm which such exercises must do to religion in general, and to the evangelical movement in particular.”
Catholicism and opposition to all religion are all we find here.