Government Ordinance Regarding Propagation of Religion in Korea
By C. L. BUTTERFIELD
In September of last year an ordinance was issued by the Korean government requiring all religious propagandists to report to the government before the end of the year. They had to give a history of their lives, and send a copy of their credentials or license showing their connection with their respective churches. Then all places of worship had to be reported in detail, giving time of establishment, how supported, name of one in charge, etc. These reports had to be signed by the superintendent of the mission, and he also had to send to the government an outline of teaching, statement of methods of labor, and form of organization.
The ordinance required new workers to first obtain a permit by reporting to the government as directed above; also new places of worship must first obtain a permit to hold meetings.
At first some concern was felt by religious workers lest their liberty was thus endangered. However, the experience of the past six months has done much to relieve our minds along this line; for instead of hindering the work of preaching the gospel, we find it an advantage in some ways.
One such instance has just been brought to my notice. In the past our colporteurs in going from place to place, have sometimes had a little difficulty in establishing their identity, and thus making themselves secure against police molestation. The police are very active here in looking after people who go about from place to place with no apparent occupation. We have just received a letter from a colporteur who, with four other colporteurs, went to a city of about 3,500 houses. A policeman called on them, and they showed their permits granting them the right to sell literature and preach the doctrines of this denomination. After this the police spoke highly of their work, and that is a great help here. They began a house-to-house canvass of the place, and held public meetings each evening at their boarding place. They report twenty persons attending these meetings, six of whom have already promised to keep the Sabbath. The colporteur writes that we should send an evangelist there at once to carry forward the work they have started.
So far, we cannot say that the new regulations have in any way hindered our17work, but in several instances have proved an aid. We praise God for freedom to preach the gospel in this land, and trust that many souls will be won to Christ. God still rules in the kingdoms of men, and to him be all the praise for victories won. The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Send more.
C. L. BUTTERFIELD.
The South is Ready for Rural Schools
By Edward Alexander Sutherland
For years we have been told that the time has come for the third angel’s message to be carried to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. A great work has already begun, but we are now down at the very close of this world’s history, when this work calls for a great laymen’s movement. Thousands of families will be moved upon by the Spirit of God to settle in the waste places of the earth. Farmers, financiers, builders, and those skilled in the various arts and crafts, filled with the love of God, will go to neglected fields to improve the land, to establish industries, and to prepare humble homes for themselves, at the same time giving the truth to their neighbors. “This is the work we are called to do. Even the desert places of the earth, where the outlook appears to be forbidding, may become as the garden of God.”
As the people of God allow his Spirit to take more complete possession of them, there will be a breaking away from those things that have bound them, such as homes, friends, and pleasant church relations. There will be less desire to seek those things that please only the physical and the intellectual man. Plans, homes, friends, means, worldly opportunities,—all will be laid upon the altar, in order that the individual may enter those fields that will yield the largest harvest of souls.
Some of our people have had a foretaste of this experience in their endeavor to develop the rural school work of the South. Families have left the comforts of life in their Northern homes, where they enjoyed splendid church privileges and other advantages. They have gone out into regions where the truth was not known. They have planted little schools, missionary centers; they have lived the truth before their neighbors. They have carried out the principles of reform for which we as a people stand. And while many of these people had little practical experience in working for souls before they came South, they are making a deep impression here.
In a meeting attended by presidents of normal schools, colleges, and universities, State superintendents of public instruction, and other leading educational men from nearly every State in the Union, which was held last year, a well-known educator talked about what he had seen in the rural schools of the South conducted by Seventh-day Adventists. He told those present that if they wanted to come in touch with the genuine teaching spirit and with the sacrifice that is essential to the success of the rural schools, they should visit some of our schools. Such favorable mention of the work of these obscure teachers is one of God’s ways of bringing divine principles before the world. The result is not due to the great wisdom and intellectual power of these workers. It comes by recognizing a great principle, and then losing self in the attempt to develop a work that God says the world needs. The rural school should be the entering wedge into hundreds and thousands of communities to prepare people for advanced light.
To show you that the workers in these rural schools have made some impression for the truth, note the following words, written by Dr. Claxton, United States Commissioner of Education, as an introduction to “Men of the Mountains,” a book which describes Madison and the rural school work:— “The smaller schools maintained by the Seventh-day Adventists, described in the latter part of this book, are not so well known by the outside world. Indeed, they are hardly known by the people who live a few miles away. Yet a careful study of these schools, their spirit and methods, their accomplishments and the hold that they have on the people of the communities in which they are located, as well as of the earnest and self-sacrificing zeal of their teachers, has led me to believe that they are better adapted to the needs of the people they serve than most other schools in this section. They have discovered and adapted in the most practical way the vital principles of education too often neglected.
“I can never forget the summer day of 1913 when, in company with Dr. Sutherland and Dr. Magan, of the school and rural sanitarium at Madison, Tenn., I first visited some of these schools and learned how thoroughly they had adapted themselves to the conditions and needs of the people. I am sure they are worthy of the most careful study of all who are interested in adapting schools of whatever kind to the needs of the people of all this mountain section and of all the Southern mountain countries, and that they contain valuable lessons for the improvement of rural schools in all parts of the United States.”
These words should encourage hundreds of Seventh-day Adventists now practically idle in the market place to enter this long-neglected field. A hundred mature men and women should be ready to begin this kind of work next fall. The Southern conferences are ready to cooperate with those who are prepared. If the Spirit of the Lord calls you to take up this work, do not delay, but at once plan for a preparation. The summer term at Madison gives a special, brief preparation for rural school work in the South. E. A. SUTHERLAND.
Words of Encouragement to the Colporteurs
By W. H. George
It seems strange that some colporteurs have fine success while others can hardly earn a living by their work. Those failing are apt to place the blame on the territory or unfavorable conditions, but I have come to think that territory has but little to do with it. This opinion has been formed from the actual experience of having succeeded in territory where even those of our faith said that one could not succeed, as money was too scarce. While waiting for the train one day, I took $52 worth of orders. A friend remarked that though the orders were taken, the books were not yet delivered. A few of the books were desired right away, and were sent by parcel post, and all the others were delivered at the appointed time, not one order being lost. One of the gentlemen ordering the book said that years ago he had prophesied that the day would come when some one would write a book on the prophecies, and that his prophecy had now been fulfilled.
At this time many are choosing their field for the summer. The one thing that the colporteur needs is the presence of God with him in the work, and the territory will be all right; and if he fails, let him consider that it is the man and not the field that is to blame, and seek God earnestly for help, and he will find the wilderness a fruitful place.
A word or two about the work here in Virginia. April 22 marked the close of the year that Brother T. D. Gibson has been laboring in this field, and during that year he worked 202 days, or 1,498 hours, and took orders amounting to $1,926 for “Bible Readings.” He will have placed nearly $700 worth of books in Staunton if the coming deliveries prove as good as those of the past. When he has finished the county, I believe he will have placed nearly $2,500 worth of books in it.
While waiting for the train at another station, I took four orders, amounting to $16, and received $4 cash and my dinner without asking for either. Surely the Lord is good to his people.
“I advise you, my son, in whatever you read, and most of all in reading the Bible, to remember that it is for the purpose of making you wiser and more virtuous. I have myself, for many years, made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year. I have always endeavored to read it with the same spirit and temper of mind, which I now recommend to you; that is, with the intention and desire that it may contribute to my advancement in wisdom and virtue.”— John Quincy Adams.
The Book of Ecclesiastes
“Ecclesiastes signifies Preacher. It was written by Solomon, most probably at the close of his life and reign, after having been drawn aside by his idolatrous wives, and as expressive of his sincere repentance and return to God. The main object is to show the utter insufficiency of have earthly objects of desire and pursuit to confer real happiness. The inscrutableness of many of the arrangements of divine providence in this life, together with the universality of divine control in the affairs of men, is also set forth; also the numerous and bitter disappointments often experienced in the failure of human purposes and plans. The need of the gospel, rather than the gospel itself, is proclaimed in this book. Note especially the beautiful description of the infirmities of old age in the last chapter.”— Anderson.
“This is a book of experiences, the experiences of a man who had tried the ways of the world to find out what pleasure there was in them, and ascertained to his sorrow that, from a worldly point of view, ‘all is vanity and vexation of spirit.’ This is a potential book. There can be no doubt but that Solomon sincerely repented of his folly. After testing all the gratifications there were in worldly grandeur and riches, and sensual pleasure and mirth, he turns away with utter disappointment; for the world is full of sorrow, not only in the life experience of the poor, but of the rich and pleasure-loving also.”— Starr.
Chapters 12 to 22
of the first book of Kings “relate to the history of the two separate kingdoms of Judah and Israel for about eighty years, from the revolt of the ten tribes to the death of Jehoshaphat. It comprises therefore the histories of the reigns of several kings both of Judah and Israel. Note especially the robbery of the treasures of the temple and royal palace as the punishment for idolatry, also the extraordinary ministry of the prophet Elijah.”
My Burden
By L. C. Beckwith
God laid upon my back a grievous load,
A heavy cross to bear along the road.
I staggered on, and lo! one weary day,
A mighty lion sprang upon the way.
I prayed to God; and swift at his command
The cross became a weapon in my hand.
It slew my raging enemy, and then
Became a cross upon my back again.
I faltered many a league, until at length,
Groaning, I fell, and had no further strength.
“O God,” I cried, “I am so weak, and lame!”
Then straight my cross a winged staff became.
It swept me on till I regained the loss,
And leaped upon my back again a cross.
I reached a desert, O’er the burning track
I persevered, the cross upon my back.
No shade was there, and in the cruel sun
I sank at last, and thought my days were done.
But lo, the Lord works many a blest surprise;
The cross became a tree before my eyes.
I slept. I woke to feel the strength of ten;
I found the cross upon my back again.
And thus through all my days from that to this,
The cross, my burden, has become my bliss;
Nor ever shall I lay the burden down,
For God some day will make the cross a crown.
— L. C. Beckwith.
The Value of a Sweet Temper
“THROUGHOUT the many vicissitudes of life, a sweet temper is found to be a valuable asset and a panacea for most ills. It is a Christian virtue of great worth and merit, and its moral influence is boundless. It is graceful, and sits well on old and young. It is the best of all good company, and adorns the wearer more than rubies and diamonds set in gold. How delightful does it make social converse. Here it looks on the bright side of human nature, and is kind in its judgments of others. It is charitable, gentle, and truthful; it scatters comforting words, which produce others in return; and thus good thoughts are cherished and deeds of kindness done.”
Three Things
“THREE things to govern,—temper, tongue, and conduct.
“Three things to cultivate,—courage, affection, and gentleness.
“Three things to commend,—thrift, industry, and promptness.
“Three things to despise,—cruelty, arrogance, and ingratitude.
“Three things to wish for,—health, friends, and contentment.
“Three things to admire,—dignity, gracefulness, and intellectual power.
“Three things to give,—alms to the needy, comfort to the sad, and appreciation to the worthy.”
No Evil Shall Happen to the Just
“THERE shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.”
Missionary Volunteer Department
M. E. KERN . . . Secretary
MATILDA ERICKSON . . . Assistant Secretary
MRS. I. H. EVANS . . . Office Secretary
MEADE MACGUIRE
C. L. BENSON
J. F. SIMON . . . Field Secretaries
Home Missionary Department
By E. M. Graham; F. W. Paap
E. M. GRAHAM - - - General Secretary
F. W. PAAP - - - N. Am. Div. Secretary
The Home Missionary Work for Quarter Ending Sept. 30, 1915
By Edith M. Graham
The report of the third quarter's home missionary work shows that the spirit of service is growing among our people. The totals of the different items run into large figures, and it must be evident to all who look at them that such a volume of work must have given a knowledge of this last warning to a large number of people.
One union conference report has failed to reach us, the South American Union. We think it must have been lost in transit, as the reports from that union have come promptly before. This has reduced the foreign totals somewhat, but even so, they are encouraging.
More persons have reported work this quarter than reported last—564 in the North American Division, and 3,493 in the foreign fields. There were 2,107 more letters written in the Division, and 5,272 more outside of it. In the Division 4,344 more missionary visits were made, and in the regions beyond 5,675 more. The Division members gave 3,486 fewer Bible readings, but the foreign members increased theirs by 6,496. In the Division 285 fewer subscriptions were taken, whereas in the other fields there was a gain of 3,640. In papers sold, the Division came out ahead by 16,193 more than the previous quarter, while in the foreign fields 4,115 fewer were sold; but the Division lent and gave 45,056 fewer this quarter, and the foreign fields 3,973 more. The Division gain in books sold was 3,632, and the foreign gain 2,256. In the Division 52 fewer books were lent or given, and in the outside fields 3,512 more. The Division sales of tracts increased by 6,661, while the foreign sales were 22,135 less. In the Division 238,867 fewer tracts were lent and given, but the regions beyond used 171,582 more in this way. The Division gain in hours of Christian help work was 981, and the gain abroad 711. Articles of clothing given in the Division were 2,657 fewer, and outside of it 918 more. In the Division 2,060 fewer meals were given, and 1,202 fewer abroad. In the Division 258 more treatments were given, and 563 more in the foreign fields. The Division obtained 72 more signatures to the temperance pledge, and the foreign fields 541 more. The offerings in the Division were increased by $580.30, while the foreign offerings had a drop of $135.36. There were 173 fewer conversions reported in the Division, and 116 more in the foreign fields.
We obtained a report from one European mission field; and Korea, the Inca Union Mission, and Honduras are represented in this report, the two latter for the first time.
We think these figures should encourage our people to press forward. This home missionary work, which is to have an important part in the finishing of the work, is not being left to the members of strong conferences, but it is fast becoming a world-wide movement.
Edith M. Graham.
CONFERENCES AND MISSIONS
Membership · No. Reporting · Letters Written · Letters Received · Missionary Visits · Bible Readings or Cottage Meetings · Subscriptions for Periodicals · Papers Sold · Papers Mailed · Lent or Given Away · Books Sold · Books Lent or Given Away · Tracts Sold · Tracts Lent or Given Away · Hours of Christian Help Work · Articles of Clothing Given Away · No. of Meals Provided · Treatments Given · Signers to Temperance Pledge · Offerings to Home Missionary Work · No. of Converts Signed
Notes and clippings from the daily and weekly press
— More than $9,200,000 worth of polished diamonds were imported into this country from Holland last year. This amount exceeds the importations of the previous year by over $4,000,000.
— There are 24,922,052 Catholics under the protection of the flag of the United States, according to a new official Catholic directory, which says that 16,564,109 Catholics live in the United States proper, 7,285,458 in the Philippines, and 1,072,485 in Alaska, the Canal Zone, Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii, and Porto Rico.
— Dr. Wilfred T. Grenfell, the famous Labrador missionary who has been doing medical service with the British troops at the front in France for three months, is now returning to his accustomed task among the fishermen of the north. Much as his heart has been in his military duty, he feels that he dares not desert his fisher friends during the summer season, when they look so eagerly for his ministering visits in their lonely settlements up and down the coast.
— The centennial of the death of Francis Asbury, known as the “Apostle of American Methodism,” has been celebrated by Methodist churches all over the United States during the past few weeks. When Asbury came to America, in 1771, there were in this country only 316 members of the Methodist Church. At his death, March 31, 1816, the church had grown to a membership of 214,235. His spiritual successors in America now number more than 8,000,000.
— An unusual story of automobile supremacy comes from the Catskill Mountains region of New York State, where three bankrupt railroads have been sold. Owing to the influx of automobiles, these properties brought only a fraction of their cost. They were built for about $560,000, and brought $44,050 at auction. These mountain lines were operated only during the vacation season, and included the Catskill Mountain Railway and the Catskill and Tannersville line.
— May Day, featured in New York City by a monster parade of union workers, was also marked by the beginning of new labor disorders as well as by the settlement of several strikes in the metropolitan district. Approximately 20,000 men are out on strike in Ohio, and as many more in Pittsburgh and its vicinity. It is said that twenty-three centuries of lost time is the record of New York’s strikes and lockouts during the year which ended Sept. 30, 1915, and a money loss of more than $1,000,000.
— Construction work has begun on the great engineering project for flood prevention in the Miami valley, in Ohio, to prevent a repetition of the disastrous floods of 1913, which caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage and claimed several hundred lives. Five mammoth detention basins, large enough to hold back the crest of a flood forty per cent greater than the devastating flood of three years ago, are being erected. The cost of materials will be about $24,000,000. There will be five large dams at crucial points.
— Government statistics available today show that there are more than 8,000,000 women workers in the United States. There are 263,315 stenographers and typewriters, 14,061 women linotype operators, 2,500,846 domestics, 1,800,980 factory and mill girls, 76,508 trained nurses, 111,117 midwives, 2,000,000 women farm laborers, 100,000 women bakers, 8,219 telegraph operators, 88,262 hello girls. Eighty per cent of our teachers are women, also two thirds of our cotton mill workers, one third of our hat, suit, and overall makers, one fifth of our tailors, one third of our shoemakers. Women have been found working before the flaming doors of blast furnaces in Pennsylvania.
— Because the Panama Canal, when it comes into its own with the close of the European war, will refashion the trade routes of the world and lead an endless procession of vessels through waters hitherto unfrequented, the United States government is preparing to go far afield and establish a lighthouse on Navassa Island, a small, rocky islet of the West Indies, west of Haiti. The light will be unique, says the Washington Star, in that it will be the only one maintained by the United States alone on land not a part of its national domain. Congress appropriated $120,000 for the erection of the Navassa light, which will have a beam of 56,000 candlepower, that can be seen for twenty-seven nautical miles.
— Another attempt is to be made by Rodman Wanamaker this summer to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an airship. In order to work out his plans, he has formed a corporation, with authority to engage in transatlantic passenger and freight service by means of aeroplanes. It is understood that if the initial attempt meets with success, steps will be taken to inaugurate a regular service. Work on the construction of the new aeroplane will begin immediately at the Curtiss works. It will have three huge wings to support the large boatlike car, from which it will be navigated. Every instrument used in the science of navigation, including wireless telegraphy, will be installed in the machine. The crew will be composed of six men. The first flight is now scheduled for July or August. It is declared that it is feasible to cover the distance in two days.
— One of the most trying tasks incident to trench fighting has been considerably lightened by the appearance in the British trenches of gloves made of a fabric which is said to be impervious to barbed wire points. The fabric is made up into mittens, with the first finger and thumb separate. The fabric is waterproof, and in addition the gloves are insulated for gripping electrically charged wires. The same material is applied to the manufacture of sleeping bags, which, when opened, may be thrown over a barbed wire entanglement to allow a soldier to climb over the sharp points without injury. When made up into vests or tunics, the fabric is strong enough to turn shrapnel splinters, or even a bullet when it has lost part of its momentum. The interlining is antisepticized, so that if a bullet goes through, it takes into the wound enough antiseptic wool to prevent poisoning. The materials used in the manufacture of this remarkable fabric have been sedulously kept secret thus far.