ON December 15, J. S. Rooker, a Seventh-day Adventist, was tried in a Tennessee court for working on Sunday, was found guilty, and was sentenced to pay a fine.
It is said that we are living in an age of great progress and freedom. It is said that in this time we are no longer under the dominance of religious prejudice and religious bigotry. But in the face of these fond affirmations, how is it that every little while a Seventh-day Adventist is haled before court in one state or another in the Union, and fined or sentenced to prison for working on Sunday?
When the question is brought up, in connection with such cases, as to the honesty and general character of these men, it is admitted in each and every case that no fault can be found with them from the standpoint of honorable citizenship. The only trouble is that they work on Sunday, and Sunday75is a religious holiday, protected by the state.
There are various kinds of technical twists that are made by certain individuals in order to have it appear that they are great patriots, and that they are upholding law and order, when they inflict fines and imprisonments upon people who work on Sunday after conscientiously keeping, in harmony with the Bible teaching, the seventh day of the week. Now if these men were really seeking to uphold law, they would not single out Seventh-day Adventists, but they would arrest every man, woman, and child throughout the country who violates the Sunday laws. Pure patriotism would enforce law impartially. But when those only of differing religion are punished, religious bigotry has stolen into the seat of patriotism, and thereby deceived.
But there is a studied plan back of all this, that is much deeper and much more significant than recognized by ordinary human vision. Religious despotism, in all history, has been carried under the guise of the highest form of patriotism. Some of the greatest patriots have been distinguished because of their tyrannies in religious matters. Some of the best emperors that Rome had in the early part of the Christian era, looking at it from the standpoint of patriotism in the Roman state, were those who sought to obliterate Christianity through their persecutions and tortures.
The people represented by this paper have taught from the prophecies, for more than half a century, that one of the last acts in this world's history would be the establishment of a world-wide religious despotism, with Sunday as the central plank in the platform. Religious organization after religious organization has arisen to carry out various "reforms," and a leading factor in all of them is the thought of securing and enforcing uniform Sunday observance. These church organizations, both Protestant and Catholic, unite on this central theme. There is yet to be promulgated a universal Sunday law, with universal enforcement, and death to be the penalty. Such is the outline of the prophecy, as we have taught it from the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Revelation. And men who think that religious bigotry has been destroyed, and that such a thing can not exist in this time of great enlightenment, would do well to study carefully such occurrences as the fining of this man for working in his corn field on the back part of his farm on a Sunday — a work that they all admit would have been commendable if done on any other day of the week.
The marked tendency of this time is, to unite the whole religious world upon certain dogmas, and sweep everything before it. This is an age of significant combinations, and the most striking of them all is the great ecclesiastical combine that is being formed through the dream of federating Christendom.
Occurrences like the fining of Mr. Rooker for working on Sunday are only straws which show the general current. Do not throw these things aside as strange or fanciful, but give them thought and study. Ecclesiastical organizations that have become strong enough to grasp political power, have always caused persecutions, and the thing that lies just before us will be no exception to the general rule.
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN ON DARWINISM
By R. C. P.
Mr. Bryan is well known throughout the world as one of the ablest American lecturers and editors. In one of his public addresses, entitled "The Prince of Peace," he refuses to accept the theory of Darwin on the ascent of man, because "it does not solve the mystery of life or explain human progress." He further says:
IS THE MONKEY IN FRONT OR BEHIND US?
"All I mean to say is that while you may trace your ancestry back to a monkey, if you find pleasure or pride in doing so, you shall not connect me with your family tree without more evidence than has yet been produced.
. . . I object to the theory for several reasons. First, it is a dangerous theory. If a man links himself in generations with the monkey, it then becomes an important question whether he is going toward him or coming from him—and I have seen them going in both directions. I do not know of any argument that can be used to prove that man is an improved monkey, that may not be used just as well to prove that the monkey is a degenerate man; and the latter theory is more plausible than the former.
"It is true that man, in some physical characteristics, resembles the beast; but man has a mind as well as a body, and a soul as well as a mind. The mind is greater than the body, and the soul is greater than the mind; and I object to having man's pedigree traced on one third of him only—and that the lowest third. Fairbairn, in his 'Philosophy of Christianity,' lays down a sound proposition when he says that it is not sufficient to explain man as an animal; that it is necessary to explain man in history—and the Darwinian theory does not do this. The ape, according to this theory, is older than man; and yet the ape is still an ape, while man is the author of the marvelous civilization which we see about us.
THE MYSTERY NOT AVOIDED
"One does not escape from mystery, however, by accepting this theory; for it does not explain the origin of life. When the follower of Darwin has traced the germ of life back to the lowest form in which it appears—and to follow him one must exercise more faith than religion calls for—he finds that scientists differ. Those who reject the idea of creation are divided into two schools, some believing that the first germ of life came from another planet, and others holding that it was the result of spontaneous generation. Each school answers the arguments advanced by the other; and as they can not agree with each other, I am not compelled to agree with either."
If compelled to accept one of these theories, Mr. Bryan says he would prefer the first, "for if we can chase the germ of life off this planet and get it out into space, we can guess the rest of the way, and no one can contradict us; but if we accept the doctrine of spontaneous generation, we can not explain why spontaneous generation ceased to act after the first germ was created." Mr. Bryan continues:
"Go back as far as we may, we can not escape from the creative act; and it is just as easy for me to believe that God created man as he is, as to believe that, millions of years ago, He created a germ of life, and endowed it with power to develop into all that we see to-day. I object to the Darwinian theory, until more conclusive proof is produced, because I fear we shall lose the consciousness of God's presence in our daily life, if we must accept the theory that through all the ages no spiritual force has touched the life of man or shaped the destiny of nations.
DEVELOPING BY LAW OF HATE
"But there is another objection. The Darwinian theory represents man as reaching his present perfection by the operation of the law of hate—the merciless law by which the strong crowd out and kill off the weak. If this is the law of our development, then, if there is any logic that can bind the human mind, we shall turn backward toward the beast in proportion as we substitute the law of love. I prefer to believe that love rather than hatred is the law of development. How can hatred be the law of development, when nations have advanced in proportion as they have departed from that law and adopted the law of love?"
This is a sane and consistent view of Darwinism. Shall we reject the Bible for such uncertainties as evolutionary theories offer? How many times will the "fundamental belief of science" be "completely overset," how many "complete departures from former theories" will there be, how often will "all doctrines be upset" and "swept aside," before men will know what to believe? The word of God has predicted all this pretended wisdom, and revealed its weakness, as follows:
"The wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. . . . For shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?" Isa. 29: 14-16.
One who receives the evolutionary theories of to-day must reject God as the Creator, and to reject the creatorship of God is to reject the gospel. But the silent tablets, lying deeply buried, arose at the time of the greatest skepticism, to bear their testimony in confirmation of the Bible record of creation and the Flood. Science stood abashed, and again corrected its reckoning. True science ever confirms the Bible record of creation.
THE FEDERATION OF THE CHURCHES
By L. A. R.
Does It Savor of a Political Machine? or Is It a Power for Righteousness?
AMONG some of the churches of to-day there is a sentiment in favor of church federation. One argument in favor of this federating of the churches is the proposition that it will conduce to church unity. But federation is not necessarily unity.
In the San Francisco Chronicle of November 17 was published the following news item:
"Urging the abolition of separate denominations in the church, and the consolidation of all places of worship, with one governing head, Rev. William Kirk Guthrie spoke yesterday morning at the First Presbyterian Church, Van Ness Avenue and Sacramento Street.
"Dr. Guthrie said the various denominations were practically a thing of the past, and that they were only kept alive through their missions, the rules of which have been framed by shrewd lawyers, whose power seems to be greater than that of God.
"If the ministers would get together and find their real duty," he said, "they would run their churches under one government, with Jesus Christ at the head. Every pulpit should be instructed to preach the same sermon, so that every person attending church in a city could be enlightened on a common head. Such an organization would rapidly make the church a great power in affairs, rather than separate bodies of individuals working against one another."
Dr. Guthrie's statement that the various denominations are practically a thing of the past, meaning, we suppose, that the differences in many of the denominations are inconsequential, is quite correct. And this is not because the churches have drawn together, but because the churches have to a very large extent turned away from Bible doctrines altogether. It makes little difference, any more, what doctrines one believes or does not believe, provided he lives a respectable life and puts his sympathy with the church. On this account, there is no reason why doctrines should be a wall of separation, since they are considered so lightly.
If shrewd lawyers are the cause of the permanency of denominations to-day, it would seem that Dr. Guthrie's real source of unity is to be the getting together of ministers, so that the federation of the churches by this means would be as much man-made as their separation now is man-made.
SAVORS OF POLITICAL MANIPULATION
There are many who see the inadvisability of church federation. It savors of political manipulation in order to give a body strength to a work that is fast becoming almost worthless as an influence in the world.
There will be church federation, and federation of the nations, until the whole world stands together for certain purposes which it desires to secure. But every work that is not founded upon the solid principles of righteousness, and is not united in the great oneness of Christ's life and teachings, is opposed to the purpose of God. To anything else the admonition of the prophet of old is forceful and pertinent:
"Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." Isa. 8: 12-16.
L. A. R.
4258—CONSECRATION OF THE FIRST-BORN
Will you kindly give some light on Ex. 13:1, 2, 11-13? You see the Lord tells Israel to set apart the first-born, both man and beast, and they are to continue to do this when they come into the land of Canaan. Notice the change the Lord made in about one year. Num. 3:12, 13, 41. Is there any scripture that tells why He made the change?
By an appointment made in memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from the last judgment which was visited on Egypt, on all the families of the Egyptians, but from which the first-born of Israel were exempt, all the first-born of the Israelites were consecrated to God, and this consecration brought to them distinction in three different points,—the priesthood, the double portion, and the rulership. Of course the father, as head of the family, acted as priest of the family. But his work was the same as that of the high priest in the sanctuary service, which was instituted later, and the eldest son acted as priest under the father; and when the father grew old, or after he had died, these services were performed by the first-born. But on account of the faithfulness of the Levites to God in the affair of the golden calf (Ex. 32:26-29), the Lord specially honored the Levites by transferring the priesthood, which had formerly been committed to the first-born, to the Levites. The designation thus of a special class for this work was wise; for on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might neglect the service of the sanctuary, but the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service would insure the regular performance of the rites of religion. But even after the Levites were appointed to this work, the Israelites were required to redeem their first-born, and the proceeds from this redemption went to the Levites. See Num. 3:40-51.
4259 — PAYING TITHE AND DEBTS
By James White
If a man is in debt, does God require him to pay tithe on every dollar he earns? Is he lost if he does not pay tithe?
H. W.
God's requirements never impede our progress under any conditions, but are always helpful; and if a man is in debt, the best way for him to get from under the unenviable load is to be faithful in carrying out all of his convictions toward God. Read the wonderful promise which God presents to all who are faithful to Him in the matter of tithing. He says: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3: 10-12. In the face of promises of this character, can we not see that faithfulness in tithing is one of the greatest helps that we can lay hold upon in relieving ourselves from the burden of debts?
It would not be proper to single out any one of the requirements of God and say that we will be lost if we do not do that particular thing. Our views of the moral uprightness into which the Bible seeks to lead us are circumscribed when we think that an individual can be perfect in all his life and yet be lacking in just one point. If we stumble over obedience to any one of God's requirements, we open the way for a flood of other wrong things that we will be doing, even though unconsciously to ourselves. When we break down any one moral barrier, or moral obligation, we carry a great many others with it.
4257 — Bruising the Serpent's Head
By Editor
Please explain Gen. 3:15; and is the devil of to-day in the form of the serpent?
The "seed of the woman" refers to Christ, and His final triumph over Satan is indicated in the expression, "It [the seed of the woman, or Christ] shall bruise thy head." The serpent's poison is lodged in the head, and a bruise on that part is fatal. So the stroke that Satan receives from Christ is fatal. "Thou [the serpent] shalt bruise His [Christ's] heel." The serpent wounds the heel that crushes him, and so Satan would be permitted to afflict Christ, and bring suffering and persecution on His people. As to the form which Satan assumes at the present time, the Bible says that "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." 2 Cor. 11:14. It is believed that when Satan appeared in the wilderness to tempt Christ, he came in the form of an angel. These scriptures show that he has the ability to appear in different forms. When it serves his purpose to appear as a serpent, he comes in that form, and he may also appear in the splendors of an angel of light.
SYSTEMATIC BIBLE STUDY
By Editor
WHEN the Master was here in person, one of the texts in which He emphasized the importance of Bible study is this:
"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." John 5:39.
Searching the Scriptures until we become familiar with each and every sacred text, is one of the pleasurable objects set before the Christian. The reason why so many people find their religious duties irksome is because they have not become intelligent Bible Christians. They have not familiarized themselves with the Bible. They have not studied the Word verse by verse and chapter by chapter and book by book, all the way through.
We trust that the importance of reading the Bible for yourself, until you become familiar with every one of its sacred utterances, will engage an ever-increasing army among our readers who have the object before them of reading the Bible through at least once each year.
Following the program that we are suggesting for 1914, the following is the—
Read one chapter in Genesis each week-day, and on the Sabbath the two chapters in Exodus. Read one psalm each day during the week. Read one chapter in Luke each week-day, and two on the Sabbath.
Keep in mind the suggested help that may be received from reading "Patriarchs and Prophets" in the study of the first part of the Old Testament, and "The Desire of Ages" in studying the story of the life of Christ as revealed in the Gospels.
The Message and Its Progress in England
By H. H. Hall
Sixty-Seven Acre Park Contains the Publishing, Sanitarium, and Educational Buildings — Interesting and Substantial Progress — Wyclif and His Judgment Message, and the Message for To-Day
By H. H. HALL
I N this land where the “morning star of the Reformation” shone so brightly, it is cheering to note the progress of the message for to-day, and the substantial character of the facilities for its advancement. Above the chancel arch in the Wyclif church in Lutterworth may still be seen a painting representing the day of Judgment, and of that day he often spoke. How fitting it is that a message crying aloud, “The hour of His Judgment is come,” should be preached to and accepted by the descendants of the people who listened to his earnest appeals!
451 HOLLOWAY ROAD LONDON, E. C.
Being specially interested in the publishing and school work, I went to 451 Holloway Road, where the Pacific Press opened a branch office in 1889. A view of the building is given herewith. This was not the first that had been done toward publishing the third angel’s message in this country, however; for Elder J. N. Loughborough, whom so many fields delight to honor as their pioneer, began printing in Southampton at an earlier date.
THE SCHOOL WORK
I also went to the little Duncombe hall where Prof. H. R. Salisbury and wife opened a school in 1902, and where, with almost no facilities, they carried it on for two years. The enrolment began with twenty, and closed with fifty. Nearly all the students earned their way by canvassing for gospel literature. Many of them are now in the field preaching, or carrying the gospel in printed form. Later the school was taken to Holloway Road, near the publishing house, and then to Manor Gardens, a large double dwelling-house. Again it was removed to the old mansion house at Stanborough Park, and three years ago to its own quarters in the park, a view of which is here given. This new building is beautifully located near the park entrance and has ample chapel, recitation, dining, and library rooms, also dormitory accommodations for nearly a hundred students.
STANBOROUGH PARK
VIEW IN STANBOROUGH PARK, WITH SANITARIUM ON THE RIGHT AND COLLEGE BUILDINGS ON THE LEFT
Stanborough Park, which was purchased seven years ago, is sixteen miles from London, and near the little town of Watford, county of Herts. It contains sixty-seven acres, a portion of which is well wooded, and the rest is covered with lawns and gardens. Here are grouped the school, the sanitarium, the food company, and the International Tract Society, as the publishing house is called. They represent an investment of more than $152,000. All these institutions, together with twelve cottages, belong to the union conference organization.
JOHN WYCLIF
THE PROSPEROUS SANITARIUM
The sanitarium, which is under the capable care of Dr. C. H. Hayton, has rooms for thirty-five or forty guests, and is now about half full, this being the light time of the year. It has a family of twenty helpers, only five of whom are under salary, the rest taking the nurses’ course and other classes at the school two blocks away. This is true of the employees of the food company and of the publishing house also, for nearly all are taking either one or two studies, and have time off from their regular work, for recitation periods.
There is an air of restfulness about the sanitarium that compares favorably with the best institutions I have ever visited. Like all other growing institutions, it expects to enlarge its quarters again after a time, and has its plans and estimates all drawn up; but in strict harmony with the policy followed over here, it will wait till its patronage will warrant it. That time will soon come if the people find the true worth of the institution.
THE HEALTH FOOD COMPANY
The business of the food company is growing year by year, and now stands at about $35,000 annually. It is under the general charge of Brother W. C. Sisley, and the direct supervision of Brother W. R. White, who also has the management of the book and periodical departments of the International Tract Society.
THE COLPORTEURS — THE OLD WYCLIF BIBLE
To me the publishing work was the most interesting; for how can this great country, with its forty-five millions of people, learn of this gospel of Christ’s13soon coming, if the literature side be weak? History tells us that Wyclif carried on his great work through handwritten portions of the Scriptures and gospel tracts, which were carried throughout England by his organized “traveling priests,” as they were called.
LODGE GATE, AND ENTRANCE TO THE SANITARIUM, STANBOROUGH PARK, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND
By the way, I saw one of the thirty copies of the first Wyclif Bible. It formerly belonged to Thomas Woodstock, duke of Gloucester, uncle of Richard II. It is beautifully traced, and represents an almost inconceivable amount of work. And appropriately enough, the life-size wax figure of Wyclif in Madame Tussaud’s exhibition shows him with his precious Bible tightly clasped in his arms.
I was glad to find that we have 175 active colporteurs throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, with annual sales of $70,000. Brother S. Joyce, who is in charge of the field work of these agents, had his attention first drawn to this gospel of Christ’s soon coming and kingdom by purchasing and reading a copy of “Bible Readings” back in 1892.
Truly these 175 faithful colporteurs, these rapidly growing institutions, and the 2,500 people who have already accepted this message which is leading them to prepare for our Saviour’s return, are abundant causes for thanksgiving.
Publishing Work in England
By Editor
IN the interests of our publishing work, Mr. H. H. Hall, the manager of our book department, is making an extended trip through Europe, after which he proceeds to South America.
This trip is made necessary by the expanding proportions of our publishing interests in foreign languages. There is a large population of foreign-speaking peoples in this nation, and to supply them with the best literature on the message of the soon-coming Christ is one of our most important problems. Then there is the constant demand upon our older publishing houses to send literature in foreign tongues into places in other countries where as yet we have only depositories and the work is not developed sufficiently to demand the erection of printing plants. An interchange of book-plates of works already in print; proper cooperation in securing the best translators; what books, pamphlets, etc., shall have precedence; how to occupy the field so that all our forces shall be used to the best advantage,—these and many allied questions seemed to make this extended trip necessary.
Mr. Hall has consented to furnish some items on the progress of our work that he finds on his journey. This article gives brief mention of our institutions in England. We shall hope to hear from him next from Scandinavia, Germany, and elsewhere on the continent of Europe. EDITOR.
Annual Meeting of Our Publishing Association
THE tenth annual meeting of the membership of the Pacific Press Publishing Association was convened in their assembly hall at Mountain View, California, on Monday, January 26, 1914. While this was the tenth meeting of the reorganized company, it was in reality the thirty-ninth meeting of the Pacific Press corporation.
There was a good attendance from different parts of the Pacific coast. Among those present were Elders E. E. Andross, president of the Pacific Union Conference; E. W. Farnsworth, president of the California Conference; C. L. Taggart, president of the California-Nevada Conference; H. W. Cottrell, president of the Western Oregon Conference; W. C. White, of Sanitarium, California; E. J. Hibbard, instructor in Bible at the Pacific Union College; George Thomason, M.D., superintendent of the St. Helena Sanitarium; J. J. Wessels, manager of the St. Helena Sanitarium; A. J. Sanderson, M.D., from El Reposo Sanitarium, Berkeley; L. J. Belknap, M.D., from the Garden City Sanitarium.
END VIEW OF PRINTING PLANT, WITH COTTAGES IN THE DISTANCE
Reports from the president and treasurer showed that the past year was one of the most prosperous in the history of the association.
Good reports showing splendid prosperity were also received from the branch offices at Kansas City, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada — all three of which have recently purchased land and erected suitable offices and warehouses.
Our association prints a large number of books, pamphlets, and tracts, not only in the English language, but also in several foreign languages.
The report from the book department showed the largest sales last year in the history of the institution. The manager of that department is at present on an extensive trip to the Old World and parts of South America, particularly in the interest of our foreign publications.
In addition to this journal, the association publishes the Signs of the Times Magazine, monthly, and Our Little Friend, an 8-page paper for children.
The time of the meeting was principally devoted to hearing the reports of progress for the past year and to discussing plans for aggressive work during the year upon which we have entered.
The following-named persons were elected as the board of directors for the ensuing year: C. H. Jones, H. G. Childs, H. H. Hall, M. C. Wilcox, James Cochran, B. M. Shull, W. E. Whalin.
The board organized as follows:
President and general manager, C. H. Jones;
Vice-president, H. H. Hall;
Secretary and treasurer, H. G. Childs.
APPOINTMENTS OF THE BOARD
Auditor, J. J. Ireland;
Manager of book department, H. H. Hall; assistant, James Cochran;
Manager periodical department, G. C. Hoskin; assistant, W. V. Sample;
Art director, F. H. Gage;
Cashier, T. F. Culhane;
Manager of Kansas City office, S. N. Curtiss;
Manager of Portland office, J. F. Beatty;
Manager of Canadian office, J. M. Rowse;
Editor Signs of the Times weekly, A. O. Tait; associate, L. A. Reed;
Editor Signs of the Times Magazine, L. A. Reed; associate, A. O. Tait;
Editor Our Little Friend, Kathrina B. Wilcox; associate, Mrs. Vesta J. Farnsworth;
Book editor and literary critic, M. C. Wilcox.
China Training-School
By O. A. Hall
We are glad to announce that progress is being made on the training-school buildings and foreign residences, and that they will soon be enclosed and ready for the inside finishing. Both the dormitories are now under completed roofs, the foreign dwellings nearly so, and the roof of the school building is framed. It was definitely decided that school should open December 1, for both the young men and the young women.
A Mandarin language school, for the workers who recently arrived in China, will be conducted in connection with the training-school. We are glad to have this company of recruits with us in Shanghai for a few months. O. A. Hall.
The School of Christ
"The human agent must place himself as a willing student in the school of Christ. As he accepts the grace freely offered him, the presence of the Saviour in the thoughts and in the heart will give him decision of purpose to lay aside every weight, that the heart may be filled with all the fulness of God."
