The Interior, in an article entitled, "Does It Pay?" contrasts the present expensive churches and the fancy prices paid to the pastors of fashionable churches, with the churches and salaries in early days, and says:—
"Many, contrasting the present with the past, say that the churches are becoming proud and extravagant, and that they cost more than they are worth. It is easy for one who takes a superficial view of the facts to find fault. But a careful study of them will show that the Christian church has only followed in its development the leadings of Providence, and kept, as was its duty, abreast of the age. To-day, as in those early days, it pays liberally for all that is invested in it. It is a financial success.
. . . Leaving out of our estimate for the time the higher interests for which churches are organized, considering them only as institutions for promoting the culture, the elevation, and the enjoyment of the people who sustain them, we see that they can safely challenge comparison with the other institutions of the age. As merely human organizations they are models of efficiency and economy. He who helps to sustain a church is not giving to a charity, but is making a first-class investment for himself and his family. The church will pay back to him in its elevating influences upon himself, his home, and his neighborhood, double compound interest for all that he puts into it. This view of the matter is commended to the attention of business men, to public-spirited patriots, and philanthropists. The church does not come to them as a beggar, but as offering them the best of all investments for the life that now is."
While we fully believe that "godliness is profitable for all things; having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come," and while there is no doubt that the church, when it does its duty, does exert a refining, elevating influence, we deprecate its being put forward as a paying institution. It is not true. The bulk of the world's wealth is not in the church, but is held by non-professors. The result of attempting to make the church a paying institution will be to bring the customs of the world into the church. This tendency is already manifested to a large degree. When business men listen to such proposals as the Interior makes to them, one of two things will happen: Either they will become disgusted when they find the church does not pay them financially, and will give it up, or else they will make it pay, by applying the business methods which give them success in the world. We predict that their natural desire to succeed in whatever they undertake will lead them to the latter course.
How differently the Saviour represented his church. To the rich ruler he said: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come and follow me." Matt. 19:21. And he showed that his church would not be a stepping-stone to worldly wealth and honor, by saying: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38.
STOCKHOLDERS' MEETING.
By C. H. Jones
THE thirteenth annual meeting of the stockholders of the Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, for the election of officers and the transaction of other business, will be held in Oakland, Cal., Monday, April 23, 1888. In many respects this will be the most important meeting ever held by the association, and it is very desirable that there be a full attendance of stockholders, and others interested in the publishing work.
In accordance with the resolutions passed at the last annual meeting, extensive improvements have been made during the past year, in the line of new buildings and new machinery, until now this institution is acknowledged to be the largest and best equipped printing and publishing house on the Pacific Coast. The new building was completed about six months ago, and ever since that time every department has been crowded to its utmost capacity, thus demonstrating the wisdom of the action taken at the last annual meeting.
In view of the fact that the office is now prepared to do a large work, it seems that broader plans should be laid, and advance steps taken during the coming year, in reference to placing our publications before the people. To this end, we desire a full attendance of all those interested in the work.
Those who cannot possibly attend the meeting in person are requested to fill out the blank proxy which will be sent to each stockholder, and return the same as soon as possible.
C. H. JONES, Vice-Pres.
Conflicting Reports from Europe
ONE of the latest dispatches from Berlin states that there are hopes that the Emperor Frederick may recover. The next one may be that his death is expected at any moment, and the one following that he is on the high road to health. The dispatches concerning his health, and those concerning the war situation in Europe, are very similar.
Gladstone on Ingersoll’s Religious Opinions
By Editor
It is stated in Public Opinion that "an early number of the North American Review will contain an article by Mr. Gladstone on the religious opinions of Col. Robert G. Ingersoll." That is the first intimation we ever had that Ingersoll had any religious opinions. If he has any, he never gives utterance to any of them, for everything that he says is decidedly irreligious.
Diseased Meat Sold as Food
A FEW days since an ex-pork-packer testified before the House Agricultural Committee, at Washington, that to his personal knowledge cholera-infected hogs are cut up and put upon the market as good meat. Carcasses of animals that have died from cholera and other causes, he says, are used in the manufacture of "pure steam lard" for family use. The custom of selling diseased meat he claims is quite common, and says that packers cannot deny it.
Pulpit Sensationalism
By Editor
A SECULAR contemporary contains the following item:—
The following choice bit of pulpit sensationalism was recently perpetrated by the pastor of a wealthy church in an Eastern city:—
The pastor will preach on the following texts and topics on Sunday evenings:—
February 6 . . . . . . . "Ho"
February 13 . . . . . . . "As"
February 20 . . . . . . . "So"
February 27 . . . . . . . "But"
March 6 . . . . . . . . "Only"
March 13 . . . . . . . . "Yes"
March 20 . . . . . . . . "No"
March 27 . . . . . . . . "By and by"
Come and bring your friends.
P. S. The pastor will sing a sacred solo each Sabbath evening.
We do not know just how many different words there are in the Bible, but there are several thousand, so that this fashionable pastor will not be in danger of running out of sermon topics as long as he lives. The paper from which we quote gives evidence of good taste by the remark: "Of such is [not] the kingdom of Heaven."
A Crooked Sabbath Question
By Editor
SOMEONE sends the following from the Pacific:—
"A Methodist clergyman says he asked a seventh-day minister the following question: 'Suppose you were a legislator; the question comes before you that without reference to any denomination, or even Christianity, you were convinced that one day in seven, for the good of the country, for the best physical, social, and moral development of those for whom you were elected to make the laws, the wheels of business, labor, and commerce should cease, what day would you select?' We suppose that the Saturday man was not able to look at the question in that way."
Very likely not, unless he was cross-eyed, for the question is too crooked to be taken in at a glance by a man with ordinary vision. But if we get the proper meaning of the mass of verbiage, we should answer it thus: If we were a legislator, and believed that on one day in seven all business ought to be stopped by law, we should no doubt endeavor to have it cease on the day on which we were convinced it ought to cease. If we were a National Reformer, we should not be a Seventh-day Adventist. Ask us something hard.
The Church’s Political Power
An Eastern religious paper instances the fact that "there are 60,000,000 people in the United States, one-half of whom never go to church;" and then adds: "Those 30,000,000 souls comprise the bulk of the restless, uneasy class whose manner of life is hostile to our civilization." It then significantly asks: "What are we going to do about it?"
This question is by no means an easy one to answer. It is one thing to tell what ought to be done, and it is quite another thing to tell what will be done. Every minister ought to preach so plainly and earnestly the duty of all men to "fear God and keep his commandments" that evil-doers would, by "the terrors of the Lord," be restrained from much of their wickedness. And professed Christians ought to live such humble and devoted lives that all men would be constrained to acknowledge that there is a reality in the Christian religion. But it is not likely that this will be done, for the reason given in 2 Tim. 3: 1-5.
What a backslidden church lacks in spiritual power, she will strive to gain in political and civil power. Already large and influential associations are clamoring for constitutional amendments, and for State and national legislation, which can be appealed to coerce all whose "manner of life is hostile" not only "to our civilization," but to certain popular theological tenets.