p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 43. (11/1/1910)

Earlier text: 75 cents will bring you a neat Canvassing Carrier

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

By Editor

PUBLISHED WEEKLY

(Entered Sept. 15, 1904, as second-class matter at the Mountain View, Cal., post-office, under Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.)

Editor .......................... Milton C. Wilcox Associate Editor ........................ L. A. Reed

Manuscripts should be addressed to the editor. Address all business and make all money-orders, etc., payable to the Signs of the Times, Mountain View, Cal.

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Next Week

By Editor

AMONG many good things in this journal next week will be the following:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ.—A study of its first three verses, which we believe will be greatly helpful.

The Master's Coming.—What will be its character? Will it be literal, as was the first advent, or is it a spiritual movement? The question will be answered.

A stirring article, "Preach the Word," from the pen of Mrs. White, brings home to the heralds of the cross and others the importance of the apostolic injunction.

Stirring and full departments.

A beautiful new cover design.

Now is the time to begin the series.

How Much Owest Thou My Lord?

"How Much Owest Thou My Lord?"—There are many wealthy persons who bask in God's sunshine and breathe God's air, yet who show no gratitude by giving for the needy spiritually or physically. The poor woman who gave five cents a week was told that a well-to-do brother had offered to relieve her from what was seemingly a burden. But her eyes filled with tears, and she declared that in view of God's goodness she found giving to His cause her chiefest delight. Gratitude in words only, will inevitably harden the heart. Gratitude in deeds enlarges and purifies.

A Right Decision

By Editor

THE supreme court of Illinois handed down a just, righteous, and truly American decision the other day; namely, that the Bible should not be read in public schools. The court said:

“If these exercises of reading the Bible, joining in prayer, and the singing of hymns were performed in a church, there would be no doubt of their religious character; and that character is not changed by the place of their performance. If the petitioners' children are required to join in the acts of worship, as alleged in the petition, they are deprived of the freedom of religious worship guaranteed to them by the Constitution. The wrong arises not out of the particular version of the Bible or form of prayer used, but out of the compulsion to join in any form of worship. The free enjoyment of religious worship includes freedom not to worship.”

The same principle is just as true regarding Sabbath observance. The true principle of religious freedom includes freedom not to observe a day as sacred as truly as it does to observe a day.

Hurricane in Cuba

It is said the worst hurricane in the history of Cuba swept over the island October 17. Havana was flooded. The damage to the city alone is more than a million dollars. The great sea-wall about the city was hammered to pieces by the immense waves. In the three western provinces of Cuba thousands of peasants are homeless, and the republic may ask international aid.

Roosevelt and the Vatican

As a result of Roosevelt's imbroglio with the Vatican during his recent visit at Rome, three Catholic prelates, an archbishop, two bishops, and over two hundred priests refused to sit at the table with the former President when he was the guest of honor at a banquet given by the Knights of Columbus, in Peoria, Illinois, October 2. "Simply found it impossible to attend," was the only reason given.

Death of Julia Ward Howe

Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, the noted philanthropist and author, died at the age of ninety-one years at her summer home in Middletown, Rhode Island. Among many other poems which she has published may be mentioned "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

A General War.

The Western Watchman, after reviewing conditions among the nations, says: "All these considerations impel us to the inevitable conclusion that the world is on the eve of a general war on land and on sea and in the air."

The Two Witnesses

By Editor

The Two Witnesses.—Dr. R. C. Wylie in the Christian Statesman takes the ground that the two witnesses of Rev. 11:3, 4 are the Christian church and the Christian state. Think of the latter, the professed Christian state of Italy, of France, of Austria, of Spain during the centuries when union of church and state flourished! Did the Inquisition in Spain witness for Christ? Did the St. Bartholomew massacre? Did the martyr fires of Smithfield? Did the burning of John Huss? Did the death of Servetus? Yet all these deeds were wrought under the authority of a "Christian state." A witness for Christ! Think of it. In our studies in the Revelation we will learn what those witnesses are. The Christian Statesman for October, 1910, is forced to admit editorially, in a discussion of the common law of the United States and Christianity, that "we must not expect to find any decision by any Federal Court declaring formally that the Christian principles of civil government enter into the vital constitution of this Government. Nor must we expect to find these principles swaying the politics of the country to the extent we might desire." The conclusion is, however, that "the common law has certain Christian characteristics." It has, but it will not have them under the National Reform régime. Absolute separation of church and state is a Christian principle. This the Statesman would not admit.

Sorry, but Glad.

By Editor

A letter from our friend Mr. W. R. Beatty, dated College Place, Washington, October 14, tells us that the night previous the engine-house and laundry of Walla Walla College were destroyed by fire. It broke out about midnight, and made rapid headway. It seemed at one time that the boys' dormitory would surely go, but the wind providentially changed, and the efforts of the boys subdued the fire. We sympathize with our friends in their loss, but we are glad that no more destruction of property resulted, and above all we are glad that no person was even injured. Mr. Beatty says that he never saw an unorganized company work so systematically as did the college boys in fighting the fire. In fact all did splendidly. He was able to render good service. The next week the school was running regularly.

It Must Have Been an Oversight

By Editor

It Must Have Been an Oversight.—The Baptist Chronicle (Alexandria, Louisiana) of Oct. 6, 1910, prints on its first page a beautiful poem from the pen of one of our contributors, Flora E. Warren, as tho it were contributed to that paper, with no mention of this journal, from which it was taken. This lack of journalistic courtesy on the part of our esteemed contemporary must have been an oversight.

Christianity and Keeping Agreements

A religion which will not hold a man or a company of men to a fair and square bargain, is not worth keeping. Christianity will do that; and if a man breaks contracts, or does not keep agreements, who professes to be a Christian, his religion is only an empty form, his Christianity but a name. He belongs to that other class named by the apostle Paul, "truce-breakers." 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

The Coming of the Master

By Editor

We commend to our readers the earnest perusal and study of the articles on "The Coming of the Master" which begin in this issue.

Bible Versions and Subscription Information

By Editor

Our authority is the Bible, the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. When the Common ("King James" or "Authorized") Version or the American Standard Revised Version is used, the version will not generally be designated in reference. Any Bible quotation in this paper, therefore, differing from the Common Version, unless otherwise indicated, will be almost invariably from the American Standard edition of the Revised Bible, copyright 1901, by Thomas Nelson & Sons.

For further particulars, subscription rates, etc., see page 15.

Not Sectarian

By Editor

Not Sectarian.—The Bible is not a sectarian book, declares the Christian Statesman, and we say Amen. The Bible Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, is not a sectarian Sabbath. Bible baptism, immersion, is not sectarian baptism. Salvation, righteousness by faith, and life through Christ, are not sectarian teachings. The doctrine taught of separation of church and state is not sectarian. Sects are always made by departing from the Bible.

The Deity of Christ.

By Editor

The Sunday School Times has been printing for some time the utterances of noted Christian scholars who believe unequivocally in the Deity of Jesus Christ,—an expression, the editor remarks, which means now what the "Divinity of Christ" meant a few years ago. The "Deity of Christ" has been compelled by the belittling of the term "divinity," men holding that it was common to men as to Christ, only perhaps in different degree. The editor tells us that the Sunday School Times has been censured for giving such prominence to the great subject; and that he was warned that his course would be unwise, and that he is now told that it is ill-timed and productive of harm. Some wish to debate the question, but the editor nobly says that the paper is not open to a debate upon the Deity of Christ. Would there were many more to take the same noble stand.

World's Christian Citizenship Congress

By Editor

THE following announcement is from the Rev. J. S. Martin, general superintendent:

"The World's Christian Citizenship Conference promises to be epoch-making. Already more than one thousand delegates have been appointed, representing almost every Christian interest in our own and other lands. Scores are being daily appointed and the number will doubtless reach thousands. Congregations, missionary societies, Sabbath-schools, men's brotherhoods, Christian Endeavor, and other young people's societies, ministerial associations, Y. M. C. A.'s and Y. W. C. A.'s, and various Christian reform organizations are entitled to appoint delegates. Any such organization desiring yet to appoint should do so at once and send without fail the names and addresses of all appointees to the general superintendent, J. S. Martin, 603 Publication Building, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Any person desiring to attend, whether delegates or not, should likewise immediately write the general superintendent. This is the only way to insure seating accommodations."

Mayor McCarthy and Presidio Saloons

By Editor

Mayor McCarthy, of San Francisco, has aroused a storm of protests as a result of a communication sent to Colonel John A. Lundeen, commandant at the Presidio, in which he seeks to break down the opposition of the army officers to the re-establishment of saloons around the entrance to the Presidio. Instead of bringing the military men to his view, a mammoth petition is being prepared at the Presidio, which will be signed by every officer and perhaps the 30,000 enlisted men at this post, protesting against the efforts of Mayor McCarthy to establish the soul-destroying retreats just outside the entrance to the reservation. When those to whom the people have committed their civil and municipal welfare, and in whom they have reposed their confidence, will go so far in perverting their office as to seek to establish immoral agencies that foster crime and that would drag protesting men down to bestial degradation—what are we coming to?

Dynamite Threat Against San Francisco Merchant

A wealthy shoe merchant of San Francisco, B. Katschinski, received an anonymous letter demanding $500. In case he refused to comply with the demands of the letter, it threatened to dynamite the family home. Mr. Katschinski is a quiet, conservative merchant, and is at a loss to know why his home should be thus endangered if he failed to meet the demands of these brutal bomb men. Rewards aggregating several thousand dollars are offered for the arrest and conviction of the dynamiters.