WE recently received a letter containing a statement of a certain writer, that 2 Cor. 3:7 afforded the clearest evidence of the abolition of the ten commandments, and asking for some comments on that passage. The controversy on this text turns on the meaning of the phrase—
MINISTRATION OF DEATH.
The word ministration means, the service of a minister. Greenfield defines it, "ministry, serving, service, waiting, attendance." In the text we have a comparison of two ministrations, both glorious, but one excelling the other in glory. One of the past dispensation—"done away." The other in the present—"which remains." One called the ministration of condemnation, or death; the other the ministration of the Spirit, or of righteousness.
In this text we are taught one of two things: (1) It was the ministration or service of the priests that was engraven on stones, or, (2) The ministry of the priests was concerning that which was engraven on stones. As a matter of fact, we know that the arrangement of priestly service was not written on stones, for only the ten commandments were written thereon.
It is inferred from this that the ten commandments are done away. Before proceeding to examine this inference, we will notice a position taken by some, which is supposed to remove the difficulty and disprove the inference. It is, that the text does not refer to the tables of stone and to the commandments written thereon, but to the plastered stones on which other laws were written, according to Deut. 27:2, 8. However plausible this may appear, we do not think it is the sense of this passage. We are told that this view offers a successful method of silencing an opponent. Were this so, it would not present any inducement to use it unless it is the truth. As truth, and not mere victory, is our object, we must seek for the actual meaning, and not rest on a possible solution.
But we think that examination will show that the idea of successfully meeting opposition with that view is a mistaken one. In this chapter is a comparison of the priesthood of Moses and that of Christ. Moses is taken as the representative of the old covenant, because he was the first priest under that covenant. Ps. 99:6, &c. The reference in 2 Cor. 3 is not to anything commanded in Deut. 27, but there is undoubtedly reference to that which took place as recorded in Ex. 34. Joshua built an altar and wrote on it, after the children of Israel passed over Jordan. Josh. 8. But when Moses came down from the mount where he had been forty days and forty nights, communing with the Lord, with the two tables of stone in his hands, his face shone with the glory which it brought from the presence of the Lord, so that the people could not look upon it, and he put a veil over his face while he talked with them. Of this Paul speaks in 2 Cor. 3.
We shall find on examination that that which was written on the stones is now written on "the fleshly tables of the heart," by the ministration of the Spirit. Many have supposed there is in this chapter a contrast of ministrations. This is true only so far as their effects are concerned, righteousness and life being contrasted with condemnation and death. But the ministrations themselves are compared—not contrasted. One was glorious; the other is more glorious—"excels in glory." Of law there is neither contrast nor comparison. But one law is brought to view, as will be shown when we consider 2 Cor. 3:6 as a fulfillment of Heb. 8:10. There is, however, a wide difference between the places or materials on which the law was written. Under one it was written on stones; under the other, in the heart.
It was the face of the minister, not the law on the tables of stone, which was veiled. The children of Israel could not "look to the end of that which is abolished." They could not look upon the glory of Moses' countenance, or discern that which it represented. The service of Moses and of his fellow-priests was typical; it must pass away. But the words of Jehovah, written by his own finger on the tables of stone which Moses held in his hands, were not typical; they are moral. They were not nailed to the cross; they are not done away. Paul says, "Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after." Heb. 3:5. This clearly shows the typical character of the work of Moses.
We say the law of ten commandments is not typical, and no one who understands the nature of a type—who knows the difference between a moral and a positive law—will say in candor that it is. Every part of the ten commandments is moral, relating directly to God, our Creator, and to man, our fellow-creature. It may be replied that all positive or remedial laws also relate to God. But there is this essential difference: They are contingent, and are made necessary by man's action, and his condition as a sinner. The fact that they are remedial sufficiently shows this. But moral law is not contingent; it does not grow out of man's condition as a sinner, or depend on any secondary relation. It grows out of the will and action of God alone, without reference to the condition of the subject.
Every part of the ten-commandment law is of this nature. Every jot and tittle of it has for its sole origin and basis the action and authority of God the Creator, entirely independent of man's action. Of the one contested point, the Sabbath, this is eminently true, it being founded only upon the act of the Creator and the work of creation. Ex. 20:8-11. Over this work man could not possibly have any control. But not so of the typical institutions. Had not man sinned, they would never have had an existence; there would then have been no place or necessity for the gospel which they prefigured. If the law of ten commandments, including the Sabbath, is not moral, then nothing can be proved to be moral, and morality and moral character are meaningless terms.
In settling the meaning of a text of Scripture, we must not altogether lose sight of the consequences of our conclusions. If they are found to be dishonorable to God and to his government, or if they lead to a conflict with other scriptures, we may be assured that our investigations have led us in a wrong direction. As all things were created for God's pleasure and glory, it must be that the counsels of his grace will not be to the dishonor of his government, or at variance with the moral law which he has revealed. And as his word is yea and amen—not yea and nay—no one part of his word will conflict with another part, nor will any part be contrary to the tenor of the whole. But above all things we should cultivate a spirit of reverence and submission to his will, and not let our feelings incline us toward certain conclusions; for if we do this we shall certainly pervert the word of God, and make it minister to our selfishness. Let no one think this caution is not in place; for it is necessary on this subject above all others, because the carnal mind being enmity to the law of God (Rom 8:7), and the law and the flesh being contrary to each other (Rom. 7:14, 18), there is danger that our natural dispositions will control us and incline us to accept conclusions not in harmony with the righteousness of the law. There is surely little danger that the carnal mind, or a fleshly, selfish spirit will err in favor of the law of God, which is holy, and just, and good.
To make it appear that it was the law of ten commandments which was abolished, it will be necessary to establish the following points:—
This law is not a rule of holiness; though Jehovah himself declared it was. Ex. 19:5-8; Deut. 4:12, 13.
It is not the condition of life; though both Moses and Christ declare it is.
It is not perfect; though David says it is.
It does not contain the whole duty of man; though Solomon says it does.
Christ did not magnify it and make it honorable; though the Lord by his prophet said he should do so.
Christ destroyed or abolished it; which contradicts his own words.
Men could have been proved sinners on the day of Pentecost in the absence of the law; which is contrary to reason and to Paul's words in Rom. 5:13 and 3:20.
Sinners will not be judged by the law; but Paul says they will. Rom. 2:12, 16.
Sin is imputed without the law; but Paul says it is not.
The knowledge of sin is not by the law; but Paul says it is.
The law is made void through faith; though Paul says it is not.
The law is not spiritual; but Paul says it is. Rom. 7:14.
The righteousness (or precept) of the law is not to be fulfilled in the followers of Christ; but Paul says it is. Rom. 8:4.
This list might be largely extended, but it is not necessary.
The theory of the abolition of the ten commandments involves the above and many other contradictions of Scripture, and is every way dishonoring to the moral government of God.
But, the objector inquires, is there not a difficulty in your view of the text, and does not ministration agree, grammatically, with that which is written and engraven in stones? We answer, Yes, there is such an agreement, and at first sight, without a thorough examination of the text, one might be led to infer therefrom that that which was engraved in stones is done away. We should not deny or seek to hide the difficulty, even though we could not solve it. And even if we could not solve it, we could not admit the view of the objector, because it involves a contradiction of known facts, and of many declarations of Scripture. We invite the attention of the objector to the following quotations from Dr. Carson's work on Baptism:—617
"It is an important truth that is stated by Dr. Hawkins, that 'there may be truth, and truth supported by irrefragable arguments, and yet at the same time obnoxious to objections, numerous, plausible, and by no means easy of solution.' I go further; there may be truth liable to objections that to us may be unanswerable, while the proof is irrefragable."
It was with this just remark by Dr. Carson in view that we said we should not admit the objector's position even if we could not answer his objections. But we do not intend to avail ourselves of the benefit of the truth he has stated; we do not need it. The objection is far from being strong against our position, because it cannot itself be harmonized with the Scriptures. Indeed, it involves a still greater difficulty by contradicting well-known facts. And this is admitted by the very best authorities, even among those who are not with us in our views of the teachings of the law.
No class of religionists have made so free use of this text as the Disciples. Being antinomian in faith, they have used this as a stronghold of their position, and confidently referred to the Greek as proving that the law is done away. Prof. Anderson, of Kentucky, was of that church. He early conceived the idea of making a version of the New Testament, and gave himself up to the thorough study of the Greek in order to the accomplishment of the task. It was the work of his life, and he literally sacrificed his life to the work. He rendered this text as follows:—
“But if the ministration of death by means of a covenant written and engraven in stones is glorious,” &c.
Prof. Anderson recognized the evident fact that the ministration, or service, of the priests of the old covenant, was not written on the stones, and he therefore supplied an antecedent in agreement with “written and engraven in stones,” and in harmony with the tenor of the Scriptures.
But Prof. Anderson was not alone in this view. We are confident that he gave such a rendering only after a careful examination of the subject of the text, and a careful consultation of authorities. Thus Olshausen says:—
“The entupomene en lithois [engraven in stones] refers only figuratively to diakonia [ministration]; its primary reference is to the decalogue.”
Thus he considers that by a figure, putting that to which the ministry relates for the ministry itself, the apostle brings to view the effects of the ministration in the most direct manner. For, as Anderson renders it, it was only by means of the decalogue that the ministration or service of the priests had any efficiency or significance.
Bloomfield, in his “Critical Notes on the Greek of the New Testament,” says:—
“I have in Recens. Synop. shown that the sense of the verse is this: If the ministry or office of promulgating a covenant which in the letter (when written on tables of stone) brought nothing but death with it, was glorious (namely, by the appearance of angels with the cloud of glory), and so glorious that the children of Israel were not able to look upon the face of Moses, because of the shining of his countenance,” &c.
Here again we have the same idea presented; the ministration was concerning that which was engraven on the stones. And so also Lange:—
“By a bold turn of expression he combines the ministry itself with its object, and designates the whole as one which was engraven in letters upon stones (the only point in which we can here agree with Meyer, who regards the decalogue as Moses’ commission, or matricula officii). The ministration of Moses and of all his successors consisted in the presentation or enforcement of the law whose letters had been engraven upon some tablets.”
Dean Alford, in his “Testament for English Readers,” takes the same view; he says:—
“It seems strange that the ministration should be described as engraven on stones; but the ministration is the whole putting forth of the dispensation, the purport of which was summed up in the decalogue, written on stones.”
Conybeare and Howson, in “Life and Epistles of Paul,” make the same distinction between the ministration and the law. They render it thus:—
“Yet if a glory was shed upon the ministration of the law of death (a law written in letters and engraven in stones).”
And yet again, Barnes says:—
“The word ministration means, properly, ministry; the office of ministering in divine things. . . . The word here seems to refer to the whole arrangement under the Mosaic economy by which his laws were promulgated and perpetuated. The expression a ‘ministration—written and engraven on stones,’ is somewhat harsh; but the sense evidently is, the ministration of a covenant, or of laws written on stones.”
There are very few contested passages upon which there is such a remarkable agreement of eminent authorities. They all accept the fact, which every careful reader of the Bible understands, that the ministration or service of the priests was not written on the stones; they all recognize the clear distinction between the ministration and that which was written on the stones, and that it is by a figure of speech the ministration is thus spoken of. That that ministration or priestly service is done away, there is no dispute, for it was typical. But the law which that typical service concerned was moral and did not and cannot pass away; and to contend that it has passed away is to discard all morality, and to contradict a multitude of scriptures.
(To be Concluded.)
The “Teaching of the Apostles.”
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
LAST week we found that the “evidence” from this document in favor of Sunday-keeping proves to be no evidence at all, being nothing but a stupid forgery that is of itself indefinite. We wish to call the reader’s attention still further to chapter fourteen of the “Teaching,” in order to prove our statement made last week, that there is nothing in the passage which requires the insertion of the word “day.” For this purpose we once more quote the chapter:—
“Coming together on the Lord’s day break bread and give thanks, confessing your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. And let no one who has a dispute with his fellow approach with you until they be reconciled, lest your sacrifice be profaned, for this is the sacrifice spoken of by the Lord: In every place and time bring to me a clean sacrifice, for I am a great king saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.”
Now if this document is to be accepted as embodying the correct teaching of the apostles, it must be accepted as a whole. As soon as we discriminate against any portion, as being incorrect, we throw discredit upon the whole. If the above reference is to be taken as proof that the apostles observed the first day of the week, and thus marked out our duty for us, it also proves just as conclusively that they partook of the communion every Sunday, and that all Christians should do likewise. The fact that those who laud the “Teaching” the most highly do not follow its injunction in this respect, is proof that they do not attach any real value at all to the document. They will follow it just so far as it seems to support their preconceived opinions; and they find it very convenient to have even a forgery to which to appeal in support of the practices which they are determined to follow.
It will be asked, “If you throw out the term ‘Lord’s day,’ what word or words should be supplied to make the sense complete?” Read the passage once more carefully, and you will see. Of what does it treat? Of the Lord’s Supper, and that alone. And what is there in connection with that ordinance, of which it would be proper to say to any individual, “You must not approach it”? The table. And the Greek word for table agrees exactly with the adjective kuriakem. Now read again: “Coming together to the Lord’s table, break bread and give thanks, confessing your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. And let no one who has a dispute with his fellow approach [the Lord’s table] with you until they be reconciled.” This makes the passage consistent with itself, and also in harmony with the real teaching of the apostles.
Thus much for the “Lord’s day” evidence. It has vanished into nothingness. Having shown this conclusively, we will now state that even if the “Teaching” did contain the expression “Lord’s day,” and that many times repeated, and even if it expressly stated that Sunday was the Lord’s day, and contained a positive command for its observance, it would have no effect whatever on seventh-day keepers, for the simple reason that such a command would conflict with the Bible. We will also say that we are very much surprised at the modesty of those who made the translation (?) from which we have quoted. It is a marvel to us why they did not make the “Teaching” state positively that the first day of the week is the Lord’s day, and should be sacredly kept. Such testimony as that would have had great weight with many, and could have been used very effectively to deceive the unwary. If we were going to commit a forgery, we would do it in such a manner that it would count for as much as possible.
And now as to the authenticity of the document in question. Its surroundings and companionship are all against it. First, it was found in the library of the Monastery of the Most Holy Sepulcher, in Constantinople. Not exactly on Catholic ground, but on that of a relative so near of kin as to merit the title of sister rather than daughter of the mother of harlots. A section from chapter eight will serve to show the proclivities of the unknown writer of this now famous document. It is as follows: “And let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second day of the week and the fifth, but do you fast on the fourth and on the Friday.” Now here is a plain command, and we are waiting to see how many of those who are almost willing to swear by the “Teaching” will obey it. As yet we have seen no indication of any such design on the part of any one. Nobody seems to have any special interest in this portion of the precious relic. And this again proves our statement that nobody really believes that the “Teaching” carries with it any weight of authority. It simply gives the modern Athenians something new to talk about, and a new chance to exercise their wits in finding excuses for not obeying the commandment of the Lord. It would be impossible to convince the religious world that they ought to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays; if such a thing were attempted, they would immediately ask for Scripture proof. And yet there is more reason for fasting regularly on those days, or even for keeping them holy, than there is for keeping Sunday. If we wished, we could show that the seventh day was regarded as the Sabbath by the one who wrote the “Teaching,” but it is not worth the while; for even if that fact were plainly stated in it, it would not make seventh-day keepers one whit more confident in their position. We do not depend upon the words of a man, but upon those of God himself, and his Son Jesus Christ.
Nor does the supposed fact that the so-called “Teaching of the Apostles” is a product of the second century, add much to its value. The mystery of iniquity had begun its work of opposition to God, even while Paul was living (see 2 Thess. 2:3-7); and Peter warned the brethren that there should be false teachers among them, who privily would bring in damnable heresies. 2 Pet. 2:1. History bears record to the fulfillment of this prophecy. Mosheim, the learned church historian, after speaking of the mystical interpretation of the Bible, which prevailed quite largely even in the second century, says:—
“To this great error of the Christians may be added another, not indeed of equal extent, but a pernicious one, and productive of many evils. The Platonists and Pythagoreans deemed it not only lawful but commendable to deceive and to lie, for the sake of truth and piety. The Jews living in Egypt learned from them this sentiment, as appears from many proofs. And from both, this vice early spread to Christians. Of this no one will doubt who calls to mind the numerous forgeries of books under the names of eminent men, the Sibylline verses, and other similar trash, a large mass of which appeared in this and the following centuries. I do not say that the orthodox Christians forged all the books of this character; on the contrary, it is probable that the greater part of them originated from the founders of the Gnostic sects. Yet that the Christians who were free from heterodox views were not wholly free from this fault, is too clear to be denied.”—Ecclesiastical History, Book I, Century II, Part II, chap. III, section 15.618Thus it appears that they who place their confidence in a certain book, simply because it was written early in the Christian era, are depending upon something that is even worse than a blind guide. For even though the book contained nothing positively false, how much spiritual instruction can we expect to gain from the writings of one who will lie for the sake of “truth and piety”? This practice grew more common in the later centuries, and finally culminated in the establishment of the papacy, with all its abominable practices. Some of these forged documents contained the most arrant nonsense, and well deserve the title which Dr. Mosheim has given to them,—“trash.” Others were only slightly tinged with error.
The reason for these forgeries is easily seen. Obscure persons, in order to secure recognition for their productions, would credit them to some well-known and highly-esteemed person. Many of these documents, as has been said, contained nothing seriously wrong. They were weak productions, which, if it had not been for the famous names appended to them, would have sunk into oblivion centuries ago. The “Teaching of the Apostles” is one of these. It is for the most part a poor paraphrase of Scripture precepts, with some human additions, modeled as nearly as possible after the style of the Scriptures. The writer was no doubt an inoffensive sort of person, with no original ideas except a few vagaries, and whose worst fault consisted in labeling his platitudes the “Teaching of the Apostles.” There have been far abler exponents of the apostles’ doctrine and practice, who were a great deal more modest than he. Whether this little pamphlet was accepted as genuine at the time it was written, we have no means of knowing; it is not probable that it was by many; yet without doubt there were people then as well as now who were more willing to take their religion at second-hand than to search for themselves at the fountain head.
Next week we shall consider farther early writings in general, and the right of the “Teaching” to claim respectability, in view of the company in which it was found.
The Missionary.
California Tract and Missionary Society.
THE fourteenth annual session of the California Tract and Missionary Society was held upon the Oakland camp-ground. The first meeting convened Sept. 21, at 5 P. M., the vice-president in the chair. Prayer was offered by Elder Loughborough. The reading of the minutes of the last annual session was waived, and the report of meeting held at Healdsburg in January read.
Mention was made of those resolutions referring to the library work, and a list of the libraries furnished with our publications, as published in SIGNS No. 28, was read. Committees were appointed as follows: On Nominations, Elders J. D. Rice, N. C. McClure, and E. A. Briggs. On Resolutions, Elders J. N. Loughborough and Wm. Ings, and C. H. Jones.
The second meeting was called at 9 A. M., Sept. 22. A summary of work done during the past year was given: At the present time the society has a membership of 821, which is 122 more than were enrolled last year; 1,250 reports have been returned by the members, an increase over the previous year of 108; number of families visited, 8,522; letters written, 5,934, which exceeds last year by 1,988; pages of reading matter distributed, 1,071,170; periodicals, 153,906. Last year the number of subscriptions taken for our various periodicals was 2,184, including 1,000 short-term subscriptions to the SIGNS, the greater part of which were for one month or six weeks; this year it is 2,341, with but 871 short-term subscriptions, at least one-half of which are for three or six months.
Books to the value of $1,369.65, and tracts to the amount of $589.64 have been sold during the year, not including those sold by agents. The expense of postage, stationery, and printing for the year is $178.79, and for furnishing libraries with our works, $80.
The branch of the work performed by the Seaman's Mission has increased in importance during the past year; 1,200 ships have been visited, 18,950 periodicals distributed, and 175,375 pages of reading matter left on board, which have been taken to almost every port throughout the world, thus fulfilling Rev. 10:11 in sending the truth to “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Books have been sold on board ships to the amount of $165.53.
The tract distributors, such as were first introduced at the April meeting, have proved a very interesting and profitable feature of the work during the summer. These distributors are simple and inexpensive, yet durable. They are nicely finished so as to present a neat and attractive appearance.
In Portland, Oregon, where Elder Ings has been laboring, sixteen steamers have been supplied, all but one receiving two distributors. Many more could be used to advantage. Remarks were made by several, attesting the favor with which they are received, and the good already resulting from their use.
The Committee on Resolutions presented the following:—
WHEREAS, The Lord has seen fit to remove from us, by death, our worthy and efficient Secretary, Sister B. C. Rice; and,
WHEREAS, We feel that in her death the society has lost one of its most valued and efficient workers; therefore,
1. Resolved, That while we bow in submission to the dispensation of Providence, we deeply regret the loss that has been sustained, and that we extend to the bereaved husband and sorrowing relatives our heart-felt sympathy, in this, their hour of bereavement.
WHEREAS, We recognize the hand of God in establishing the Seaman's Mission, and we see the work rapidly increasing; therefore,
2. Resolved, That we express our gratitude to God for the success that has attended the Mission during the past year, and that we recommend that this work be extended as the Lord shall open the way.
3. Resolved, That the name, “Seaman's Mission” be changed to “San Francisco City Mission.”
WHEREAS, There is a great field for successful missionary work opened before us through the great lines of railroad that center in Oakland and San Francisco; therefore,
4. Resolved, That we recommend that a city mission be established in Oakland, to be called the “Oakland City Mission,” and that the work on the railroads and other places be vigorously prosecuted.
5. Resolved, That we recommend that our colporters and others endeavor to secure subscriptions to the SIGNS OF THE TIMES for the term of three months, or longer, instead of the short term of six weeks as heretofore.
6. Resolved, That the missionary districts of this Conference be arranged as follows:—
Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, Lake, and Napa, to be known as No. 1.
Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Alpine, Mono, and Mariposa, as No. 3.
San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo, as No. 4.
Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, and Kern, as No. 5. San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara, as No. 6.
The State of Nevada, as No. 7.
WHEREAS, The times demand a greater activity in placing the truth before our neighbors and friends; therefore,
7. Resolved, That we increase the circulation of our publications by loaning, selling, and giving the same in our respective fields of labor.
WHEREAS, Success has attended the missionary work in sending the SIGNS OF THE TIMES to the different counties in this Conference, therefore,
8. Resolved, That we will continue to prosecute this branch of the work with renewed zeal, during the coming Conference year.
WHEREAS, The life and power of any organization cannot be preserved without frequent meetings, therefore,
9. Resolved, That we recommend that our local societies hold their meetings as often as once each week.
WHEREAS, The distributors (tract and paper cases) placed on ships, and in public places, have fully met our expectations in accomplishing the object for which they were designed; therefore,
10. Resolved, That we recommend that our T. and M. Societies place similar distributors in hotels in their respective fields, and that we invite all so disposed to subscribe for such distributors, to be used for said purpose.
11. Resolved, That we recommend the raising of a sum of twenty-five hundred dollars to be used in carrying forward the work of our city missions.
These resolutions were acted upon separately and adopted. The first was spoken to by Elder W. C. White and others. Notwithstanding we had all known of the declining health of Sister Rice, the hope had been cherished that her life would be spared and she would again take her place among us. We shall greatly miss her counsel and sympathy in the work she loved so much. Her work can be done by others, but she occupied a place in the cause and in our hearts that can never be filled by another. In no case could the words, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord,” for “they rest from their labors and their works do follow them,” be more appropriate than in hers. We trust if faithful to meet her in the morning of the resurrection. The resolution was adopted by a rising vote.
In reference to the third resolution, it was stated that this work on the railroads could be done in other large cities that are important railroad centers, some of which present advantages over Oakland, but considering all the circumstances, the latter was thought the most suitable place to begin the work, as it could then have the benefit of experienced laborers. Elder Ings spoke of what is being done in Portland, in reference to furnishing passengers with our reading matter, and the dissatisfaction manifested by the news-boys, as their sales are thus very materially affected. He is convinced that much good can be accomplished in this way, as travelers will have something to read, and many are not interested in the sensational literature usually sold on board the trains.
The method of securing names for missionary use was freely discussed. The plans recommended from time to time were approved. Many interesting cases have been developed, some of which were related, inspiring courage in the hearts of all. It was voted that all available lists be forwarded to the State secretary, and that she furnish names to the local societies through their officers when needed.
The sixth resolution was spoken to by Eld. J. N. Loughborough. The object in view in this arrangement of the districts is to make them more easy of access to the directors, and to add efficiency to the work. It will greatly facilitate the work if the directors visit their respective districts at least once a quarter, to plan and supervise it.
In accordance with the eleventh resolution an appeal was made to those present in behalf of the city missions, and before this meeting was dismissed, $1,245 had been pledged; sixty-eight distributors were also ordered, many of which are to be donated to the mission.
The Nominating Committee submitted the following report:—
For president, Elder S. N. Haskell; vice-president, Elder Wm. Ings; secretary, Anna L. Ingels; asst. secretary, Sarah McEnterfer. Directors—District No. 1, C. C. Ramsey; No. 2, J. D.619Rice; Nos. 3 and 4, M. C. Israel; No. 5, W. G. Buckner; No. 6, G. W. Cody; No. 7, J. J. Cushman.
CASH REPORT.
Cash received on memberships: $120.00
Cash received on donations: 742.40
Cash received on one-third: 478.55
Cash received on book-sales: 550.10
Cash received on SIGNS: 2000.78
Cash received on periodicals: 1019.23
Cash received on Seaman's Mission Fund: 872.10
Cash received on Reserve Fund: 51.70
Cash received on individual accounts: 507.63—$6348.49
Paid Signs Office: $5018.52
Paid Review: 216.48
Paid incidentals: 104.24
Paid individuals: 11.10
Paid Seaman's Mission: 239.00
Paid Reserve Fund: 759.15—$6348.49
FINANCIAL STANDING OF THE SOCIETY.
Due from districts on account: $1771.80
Due from individuals: 8.31
Due from SIGNS to England: 40.75
Due from Seaman's Mission: 562.79
Reserved deposit: 3028.95
Foreign publications: 292.85
Other stock on hand: 77.33
Cash: 66.00—$5848.78
Society owes Signs Office: $1009.15
Society owes Review: 238.20
Society owes Spanish Mission: 131.00—1378.35
Assets over liabilities: $4470.43
It was decided by vote that $40.75 of the Spanish Mission Fund of $131 be applied on the amount yet due on SIGNS to England, and that the remaining $90.25 be donated to the city missions. On motion the meeting adjourned.
M. C. ISRAEL, Vice-President.
ANNA L. INGELS, Asst. Secretary.