In the twenty chapters into which this book is divided, the author discusses the unity of the divine plan and the continuity of God's purpose through all the ages, showing that in all dispensations the truths constantly impressed upon the minds of the people have tended to one end,—the elucidation of one central idea,
THE RESTORATION
of the dominion which was lost in Adam.
CHAPTER I is a brief discussion of the Creation of the World; Man's Dominion and How He Lost It; the Origin and Authorship of Sin, with the divine remedy for its consequences.
CHAPTER II treats of the “Promise of God to the Fathers,” with all that it implied in heaven and on earth. In other chapters are discussed such subjects as “The Abrahamic Covenant;” “Righteousness through Faith;” “The Covenant with Israel,” the reasons for it, and the universality of its application; “The Return of the Jews;” “The World's History in a Dream;” “The Setting Up of the Everlasting Kingdom;” “The Hour of Judgment;” “The Fall of Babylon;” “The Seal and the Mark;” “Signs of the Second Coming of Christ,” and the responsibility of man in recognizing them; “The Resurrection of the Dead,” and what the doctrine involves.
THE LAST CHAPTER is a GRAND COMPILATION of the Promises of God in regard to the “Restoration of the First Dominion,” with a vivid portrayal of the earth's appearance and condition when clothed in the garb of Edenic purity and loveliness.
THE BOOK is substantially bound, and handsomely embossed with floral designs; gold title on side and back; heavy, cream-tinted, sized and super-calendered paper; size, 5½ in. x 9 in.; price, postpaid, $1.00; gilt edge, with side design embossed in gold, $1.50.
Address, PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING CO., 43 Bond St., New York. Oakland, Cal.
BIBLE ELECTION. By M. C. Wilcox. A brief presentation of God's plan and purpose concerning man, showing that the doctrine of election, or predestination, according to the Bible, is full of comfort and instruction. It throws new light on old controversies. Bible Students' Library, No. 67; 24 pp.; price 3 cents. Address Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal.
Notes for Our Readers
By Editor
ELDER COVERT's good series of articles closes with this number. We trust they have been a blessing to our readers.
We hope our readers will read the paper on "The Three Messages of Rev. 14:6-14," in connection with the article entitled "The Two-Horned Beast."
THE work that evidently sincere yet misguided Sunday-law people are doing, or endeavoring to do, in this State is clearly set forth in the article in another column entitled "A Petition for a Sunday Law." Let it be read and circulated.
WOULD that our readers would appreciate the blessings and benefits of Bible study. Mrs. White has given us precious thoughts on this subject in this and the last number of the SIGNS. The word of God is everything. Our faith rests upon that; our hope on its blessed promises. Following that the light grows clearer, the way more distinct. The word, received as the word of God, sanctifies; the word cleanses; the word builds up.
OUR Mission Field department has a much more limited amount of matter this week than usual, but, nevertheless, has some interesting items. Next week we begin a series of independent yet connected articles on "India," from the pen of Elder S. N. Haskell, who has placed special study on this field, as well as visiting it in person. These are not the same as those which have appeared under his name in the Review and Herald. Those who have read them will be better informed by reading these.
THE "Society of the Immortals" is the reported name of an organization in the First M. E. Church of this city. The report says that it grew out of a sermon by the pastor on "Giving." Half a dozen members at that time pledged to give one-tenth of their income for religious and charitable purposes, and afterward organized this society. What the object of the organization has to do with the name we cannot see. Does it mean that giving a little will buy immortality? or does it mean that those who belong to this society are advanced Christians and have attained to immortality? or does it mean that they are striving after immortality? or what does it mean? In any case it gives not an overpleasing compliment to the other members of the church. Then again, why not organize a society for every simple duty? Christ gave all; he requires not less of his people; and his word declares that a tithe is the Lord's. We do not give that, we simply pay it.
ERRATUM.—In the article on "Study of the Bible; Its Benefits and Importance," in SIGNS No. 11 of present volume, in the sentence, "There may be more than a dozen different subjects mentioned in a single passage"—the word passage should be "chapter." We cheerfully make this correction, to avoid a misunderstanding, simply remarking that a passage is not necessarily confined to a single verse of Scripture, although so used many times.
AT the new divinity school in Boulder, Colorado, a Baptist is the dean of the faculty. Its Church History chair is occupied by an Episcopalian. The chair of the History of Church Doctrines goes to a Universalist. Its professor of Systematic Theology is to be a Presbyterian, while a Unitarian teaches Comparative Religion, and a Congregationalist instructs in the ethics of Social Reform. This is what would be called modern "comity," we suppose, but for us we would prefer some of the old-time honest dogmatism, even though often erroneous, than this jellyfish union. The old-time dogmatism had backbone. The Interior fancies that the graduate of such a school, in fishing for men, would have a hard time in sorting his bait. That college, however, is about the way some of our churches stand except in name.
A DAY OF REST BILL.
By Editor
WE stated two weeks ago that a day of rest bill was introduced into the California Legislature, January 11, by Hon. W. Boyce, of San Francisco. It is known as Assembly Bill, No. 190. Through the courtesy of Mr. Boyce we are able to present a copy of this bill before our readers:—
AN ACT
TO PROVIDE A DAY OF REST FROM LABOR.
The people of the State of California, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:—
SECTION 1. Every person employed in any occupation of labor shall be entitled to one day's rest therefrom in seven; and it shall be unlawful for any employer of labor to cause his employees, or any of them, to work more than six days in seven.
SEC. 2. For the purposes of this Act, the term "day's rest" shall mean and apply to all cases, whether the employee is engaged by the day, week, month, or year, and whether the work performed is done in the day or night time.
SEC. 3. Any person violating this Act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect and be in force thirty days from and after its passage.
The above is the bill, eminently just in its provisions, leaving the particular day of the week to be settled between employe and employer. The only danger rests in the temptation to amend it so as to legalize some religious day. If the bill passes without such amendment, the next step will be to prescribe just what day of the week is the rest day. It will be well for the friends of liberty to keep watch. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
The Hearing on the Sunday Bill.—The Sunday-law hearing before the World's Fair Committee of the House of Representatives took place January 10-13. The unconstitutionality of the Sunday-closing law on religious grounds was ruled out as irrelevant to the question. The bill, House Resolution 163, did not call for a repeal, but for a modified Sunday law. Nevertheless, some good blows were put in on those points. On the side of Sunday opening the principal speakers were Mayor Washburne, Aldermen Madden and Sexton, of Chicago; President Gampers, of the Federation of Labor; Mrs. Boyesen, Mrs. Remick, and Mrs. Washburne, from the Woman's Club, Chicago; Mrs. Susan B. Anthony, Rev. Mr. Cross, of Ohio; Rev. Minot J. Savage, of Boston; Mr. Putnam, of California; Mr. James T. Ringgold, Esq., of Baltimore; Rev. A. H. Lewis, Elder A. T. Jones; Messrs. Morgan and Askew, of Chicago; and Rev. Dr. Thomas, of Chicago. On the side of Sunday closing, or the American Sabbath Union, were, Elliott F. Shepard, Revs. Dr. Ramsdell, of Washington; Joseph Cook, of Boston; Mott, of New Jersey; Fernley, of Philadelphia; Brooks, of Brooklyn; W. F. Crafts, of Pittsburg; Hunter, of Pennsylvania; Hamline, of Washington; McCarroll, of Pennsylvania; Christie, from Asia Minor; Attebury, of New York; Bishop Hurst, of Washington, D. C.; Robert L. Belknap, of New York; Rev. Dr. McKim, of Washington, D. C.; Gifford Agnew, of New York; Mr. Cornell, of Maryland; Rev. Dr. Herrick Johnson, of Chicago; Rev. Dr. Blanchard, of Illinois; Rev. Dr. Brooks, of New York; Mr. Coffin, of Iowa; Rev. Dr. Leiper, of Pennsylvania; Mrs. La Fetra, of Washington; Mr. O. C. Evans, of Smyrna, Del.
A candid eyewitness, a gentleman educated in the law, has thus recorded his observations of the hearing:—
Upon two things, however, there was complete unanimity of conviction and expression, and those were that by decision of the Supreme Court this was a "Christian nation," and legislation asked by its religious representatives for the furtherance of Christianity, therefore, permissible, and that this decision, with the judicial precedents and social customs upon which it is based, made all reference to constitutional principles entirely futile, useless, and quite out of place. Over and over again the subtle flattery was laid at the feet of congressmen—combined with a backhanded blow at those who assert constitutional principles, that it would seem a reflection upon the committee and Congress that this matter should come up for discussion again at all; and that the necessity for such a discussion involved a reflection upon Congress that it did not know what it wanted and was composed of hypocrites and weather vanes; and that to say a word upon the unconstitutionality of the Sunday-closing proviso would be a reflection upon the committee, Congress, which passed it, and the President of the United States, who signed it.
The future will show the evil fruit of this seed sowing.
AN IMPORTANT PAMPHLET.
By Editor
THERE has this week been laid upon our table a modest looking little pamphlet of nearly 100 pages, bearing on its title-page, "The Union of Church and State in the United States. A Protest; by Alonzo T. Jones." It is a review of the United States Supreme Court Decision in Case No. 143, October term, 1891; The Rector, Church Wardens, and Vestrymen of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Plaintiffs in Error, vs. The United States [February 29, 1892], and also certain Acts of Congress for the closing of the World's Columbian Exposition on Sunday. Published as No. 53 of the Sentinel Library; price, 15 cents. Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal., 43 Bond St., New York.
To be appreciated the pamphlet must be read, and candidly considered. The author goes back to the foundation of the republic, the rights of the people as regards religion, important utterances made at that time, and the crystallization of prevailing sentiment in the first Amendment to the Constitution. The Supreme Court decision is then brought under review and the evil and far-reaching results of that decision are shown. Then follows a sketch of Sunday legislation in connection with the World's Fair and by what means and methods it was secured, closing with an appeal and remonstrance. This pamphlet should be circulated by the million. Some of the evidences adduced in this pamphlet, the quotations from Presbyterian and Baptist protests against any such a recognition of religion as the decision of the Supreme Court gives, are many times worth the price of the pamphlet. Some of the memorials presented by the Presbyterians and Baptists in the good old days of Virginia, when this very question of Church and State was brewing, deserve to be written in letters of gold. An appendix gives the full text of the Supreme Court decision. Let every lover of liberty assist in the circulation of this little book.
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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