p. 336 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 21. (3/27/1893)

RELIGIOUS.

—It is said that the Salvation Army has been ordered to withdraw from Finland.

—A Bible training school has been opened in connection with the normal and industrial training school for colored people at Tuskegee, Ala.

—A miniature copy of the famous mosque of St. Sophia is to be erected for the benefit of such Mohammedans as visit the World's Fair in Chicago.

—The Primitive Catholic says: "A scheme is on foot to build a palace for Satolli at Washington by voluntary contributions. The names of contributors will not be made public, but will be enrolled on a private list which will be used as a guide to the dispensing of future popish favors. This is a grand bait for politicians."

—At a special meeting of the Dublin Synod of the Protestant Church of Ireland, last week, a resolution was unanimously passed condemning the Irish Home Rule Bill. The Protestants in all parts of Ireland seem to look upon home rule as placing the home government in the hands of Rome; yet this is the pet measure of the present government of Protestant England.

—Another antichristian demonstration is reported from the inland city of Changsha, China. Two native converts visited a convert friend, and a reception was given in their honor. Religious services were conducted, Christian books being used. An emissary of the antichristian faction reported the affair, and a day or two later a deputy magistrate had the converts, resident and visiting, bundled into a boat and sent to Hankow. Their books were seized, and they were ordered not to return.

OVERLAND EXCURSIONS.

If you are going East, you will find it to your advantage to correspond with the undersigned and obtain full particulars of the "Weekly Overland Excursions," which leave every Wednesday. Experienced managers in charge, whose duties are to look out for the comfort of the passengers, especially ladies and children traveling without an escort. This is the most popular manner of making an overland trip, and no other line offers advantages equal to the "Great Sante Fe Route," the favorite winter route. It is the only line running Pullman palace and tourist sleeping cars through to Chicago every day on the same train. Baggage checked through to destination. Union depot connections in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago. Steamship tickets sold to and from all European points. For full information address W. A. Bissel, G. P. A., 650 Market Street, Chronicle Building, San Francisco, Cal., or J. J. Warner, agent, 972 Broadway, Oakland, Cal.

Immortality and Intemperance

By Editor

As a fruit of the fallacy that man has immortality in himself, which is the root of modern Spiritualism, we give the following press dispatch from Milan, Tennessee, dated the 16th inst.:—

In a lonely cabin in Lake County the bodies of Abner Carter and his wife Jennie were found clasped in each other's arms. An empty revolver lying between them told the cause of death. Saturday their baby died, and they became despondent and ended their troubles in death. They left a note saying, "Neighbors, we are going home, never to return. We were miserable in life, but will be happy in death. Farewell."

According to the Rockford Monitor, the drink bill for this country for 1892 amounted to $1,200,000,000. This was equal to the net earnings of all the railroads, nine times as much as the value of all property loss by fire in 1891, and more than the average yearly expenses of the United States Government. Truly have we reached that time likened by our Saviour unto the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, when eating and drinking, as regarded by the vast multitude, would be considered the chief end of their existence. How sad it is to see the hearts of so many men and women set in them to do evil! Thousands live day after day with no more object in life than the beast of the field. They live and labor only for the selfish gratification of perverted appetite and lustful indulgence, little realizing the high development of manhood and womanhood they might reach, and the exalted privilege they might enjoy as sons and daughters of the Highest.

The Turkish Censor has been insisting upon some curious changes in recent translations of the New Testament designed for circulation in that government. The words "Jew" and "Hebrew" are ordered stricken out. The story of Joseph and his brethren is not permitted to be published in the Sunday school papers; and for the passage, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners," the Censor demands shall be substituted, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save Christians." This last rendering would ill comport with the words of Christ where he says, "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Had men been Christians, Christ would not have needed to die. But "all men have sinned,"

therefore Christ died for all, for sinners. Of course the changes demanded by the Turkish Censor make nonsense of some passages. Sir Clare Ford, the British minister to Turkey, has sent an emphatic protest to the Turkish Government against these interferences by the Censor, and strenuously insists that all such changes shall cease.

The Outburst, of Spokane, Wash., thus speaks in its issue of January 28:—

A strong effort will be made to have the Legislature abolish taxation of church property. It is an effort that should be vigorously combated. Religious organizations should not in common honesty be permitted to repudiate their debts or shirk their responsibilities to the State any more than other organizations, corporations, and citizens. The tax gatherer should fall upon the just and unjust alike in proportion to the benefits they enjoy through the protection of the law.

Whether the Legislature did this or not we do not know, but it certainly has no right so to do. The Outburst speaks to the point and justly. Religion has no more right to ask favors from the State than has infidelity. Upon the above question the late General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists declared:—

WHEREAS, In view of the separation which we believe should exist between the Church and the State, it is inconsistent for the Church to receive from the State pecuniary gifts, favors, or exemptions; therefore,

Resolved, That we repudiate the doctrine that church or ecclesiastical property should be exempt from taxation; and, therefore, further Resolved, That we decidedly protest against any such exemption, and favor the repeal of such legislation as grants this exemption.

This is the just way, and it is the way of the gospel of Christ. Neither the church of Christ nor his gospel is dependent on State aid. All they can consistently demand is that they shall receive the protection which is granted to non-religious organizations, and that the State shall not meddle with religious matters in any way.

CONFUSION AND THE REMEDY.

By W. N. G.

THE Pacific Coast organ of the Christian denomination, the Harbinger, has this to say about the so-called "American Sabbath":—

We read a great deal in our religious exchanges about "the American sabbath." Now we confess that we do not know what the American sabbath is. If there is a day which the Americans recognize as a sabbath, we have never found it out. There are very many Americans, intelligent people too, who speak of the first day of the week as the American sabbath or simply as the sabbath. There is a great organization, known as "The American Sabbath Union," which issues a publication devoted to the advocacy of the American sabbath; and yet all this only leads to confusion. It is confusing one of the laws of the Decalogue, as given to Moses, with Christianity. It not only gives a confused idea of the design and uses of the Lord's day, but it leads to many religious errors. Seventh-day Adventism is a legitimate outgrowth of such teaching and such confusion.

The absurdity of the "American Sabbath" cry is discerned by a great many even of the advocates of Sunday observance. It certainly "only leads to confusion." But it will be through confusion that the masses will be deceived in the last days. The majority, under the influence of the image to the papal beast (Rev. 13: 11-17), will be led to receive the mark of the beast,—the counterfeit sabbath. They are thus susceptible to deception "because they received not the love of the truth" (2 Thess. 2: 7-12). See Ps. 119:142; John 17:17. But it is not true, as stated by the Harbinger, that it confuses "one of the laws of the Decalogue as given by Moses with Christianity." Between these there is no confusion. The law and the gospel harmonize perfectly. The work of God for sinners in the patriarchal age and under the Mosaic dispensation was as certainly Christian as that since the time of Christ. The true believers in the past ages were just as truly actuated by faith in Christ as are those of our own day. See Hebrews 11. In connection with the last message of warning given to our race, we read, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12.

The compliment paid to Seventh-day Adventists in the last sentence of the Harbinger’s comment is one we hardly expected from that quarter, and we heartily appreciate it. It is true that this organization of believers never would have existed but for the confusions that led to, and have grown out of, this first-day observance business. The deceptive work of attempting to destroy the Sabbath of the Lord, and to set up a rival institution in its stead, necessitated the raising up of a people to repair the breach (Isa. 58:12). There is a necessity in these days of confusion, in regard to this as also to other doctrines, that there be a people who will speak according to the law and the testimony (Isa. 8:20). The Seventh-day Adventists are that people, and the "dragon" is "wroth," and is making war with the woman (the church), and "with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17. The only remedy for confusion is the proclamation of the word of God. W. N. G.

IN the General Parliament of Religions to be held in connection with the World's Fair at Chicago the following are the topics to be considered and the general line of discussion, as indicated by the committee having the matter in charge:—

The idea of God, its origin and universality; The primitive forms of Theism; God in the light of modern science and the view of God now prevalent; Man, his dignity, nature, and place; The universe; The essential relations of the world and man to God; Religion essentially characteristic of humanity; Forms of religion; Value of the weekly sacred rest day; Religion in its relations to science and to morals; The religion of the family and of civil society; The African race and its religious missions and needs; The religious reunion of Christendom, etc.

As will be noted, one of the topics to be discussed is that of the "value of the weekly sacred rest day," meaning Sunday. The enforcement of the Sunday rest day by law will lose nothing from this discussion. This Parliament of Religions will no doubt be only one of the many combinations and councils of the last days to give weight and authority to Sunday legislation. It is hoped by its admirers that this parliament will go a long way toward bringing about international unity and cooperation on the topics discussed. This, perhaps, it may do, but it will not be the unity for which Christ prayed, a united body separate from the world and depending alone upon the great Head for guidance and assistance. Rather, it seems to us, will it result in the confederacy spoken of by Isaiah, a combination against the truth of God for these last days, and a union to enforce by law that day which God's word declares to be a counterfeit and usurper. May the honest-hearted engaged in the Sunday-law movements be led to recognize the lawful claims of the true rest day, and realize that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Master, that Christian unity is effected and the truth of the word promoted.

ALTHOUGH the pope has no territory under his control, he keeps up the play of temporal sovereignty, and a number of governments recognize his pretension by receiving and accrediting diplomatic representatives. The Catholic News gives the following list:—

There are apostolic nuncios in Austria, Bavaria, France, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. Holland has an apostolic internuncio. There is an apostolic delegate and envoy extraordinary in the republics of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, San Domingo, Hayti, Venezuela, and the United States of Colombia. Brazil is in possession of an apostolic internuncio on an extraordinary mission. And now we, too, have an apostolic delegate. The following have representatives accredited to the Holy See: Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Bavaria, Belgium, Monaco, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, Haiti, and San Domingo.

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By Editor

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