TEXAS, Waxahachie, July 21-31.
OHIO, Delaware, Aug. 11-21.
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN, Hillsdale, Aug. 16-21.
ILLINOIS, Watseka, Sept. 5-12.
Address of Elder Boyd
By Editor
THE address of Eld. Chas. L. Boyd is Salem, Oregon. Any business with the North Pacific T. and M. Secretary should be addressed to Mrs. C. L. Boyd, Salem, Oregon.
Pearly Portals.
By Editor
Our singers of the Oakland church have been trying the music of this book and are delighted with it. We think a notice of the work in the Household, published in Brattleboro, Vt., is truthfully expressive. It says:—
“The addition of another to the numerous collection of song books already existing will require no apology to those who, interested in the subject of Sabbath-school work, will undertake to examine its contents. The publisher claims in this volume a higher standard of excellence, in music and in text, than can generally be found in works of this class, at the same time not reaching beyond the capabilities of those for whose use it is intended. The greater portion of the pieces appear now in print for the first time, many of which cannot fail to become general favorites, not only in the school but in the social circle.”
The Southern World.
By Editor
WE find on our table a specimen copy of a 16-page paper, large sized, named the Southern World, published twice a month, in Atlanta, Ga. Everything marking the progress of the Southern States, at this time, is of interest. We have been pleased in the examination of this paper. It is mainly devoted to the agricultural interests of the South, and is ably conducted. It certainly indicates that there is an enlightened interest in the subject of agriculture in the South, which speaks well for its progress, and gives pleasure to every lover of our common country. We wish it abundant success.
Healdsburgh College.
By Editor
IN order to carry on the necessary improvements in Healdsburgh successfully, it will be necessary to incorporate the College; and in order to do this it will be necessary to have a certain amount of stock subscribed, and a certain percentage thereof paid in. Quite a number pledged liberally at the last camp-meeting, but as very little has been paid on those pledges, they are not yet available for the purpose of incorporation. What will the friends of the enterprise do about this matter?
The hope expressed last week has been realized. A sister has furnished sufficient money to warrant us to commence the erection of a commodious boarding-house. A well will be dug, and a windmill and tank put up immediately, as a necessary part of the work. By the liberality of the same sister a piano has been shipped to the College, which will prove very acceptable.
The College ought to be incorporated immediately. Until it is, the building and boarding-house lot must be held as private property, as there is no legal body of trustees to hold them. We urge the friends to assist in the work now, so that there need be no delay in making the necessary improvements. The boarding-house ought to be finished before the rains fall; but in order to this move means will be required.
The U. S. Post-office Department spells Healdsburgh with a final h, and money orders must be made out to the name so spelled. We shall accordingly adopt this method in using the name hereafter.
Coming of Christ.
By Editor
BISHOP MERRILL has written a book with this title, which is published by the Methodist House of Cincinnati. We have read it with more than ordinary interest. It is a very candid presentation of the subject of the Second Advent, with the doctrines connected with it. We do not agree with all his positions—it would be somewhat strange if we could—but he writes so much more good and important truth than is common for the ecclesiastics who write on this question, that we read his pages with much satisfaction. He speaks very modestly on the subject of the Jews and their restoration, laying down nothing as settled except that there is a very wide difference of opinion in the church in relation to it. We must dissent from his view of "the first resurrection" in Rev. 20. Had he examined and cited more fully the texts of Scripture on certain points, we believe his conclusions in regard to them would have been necessarily modified.
On the nature of the resurrection he is emphatic and clear, and consistently with this, he gives no quarter to those who advocate a "figurative coming" of Christ. We have long urged that the "orthodox" churches have strengthened the hands of the Universalists by accepting for the Second Advent something less than a literal, personal, visible coming of Christ; and the Bishop combats that view as the Universalist theory. He is also decided on the presence of "literal fire" in "the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:3-13. Rev. 20:9-15, etc. Our readers may remember that at the last Methodist General Conference, the reporter of a Cincinnati paper interviewed a large number of the most prominent members of that body, and found scarcely any who would indorse the old Methodist belief, which is the Scriptural view, that there will be actual fire in the punishment of the unjust. Had Bishop Merrill aimed his shafts at the majority of the dignitaries of modern or "progressed" Methodism, he could not have made a more palpable hit.
As soon as the state of our pages will permit, we shall give our readers the benefit of some quotations from this book.
A Surfeit of Honors.
By Editor
A MAN recently received the title of D. D. from two colleges. Should there not be a new title invented for such cases? We suggest DD. D.
It seems that our contemporary of the Pacific has been given the title of D. D., and now he modestly suggests that all colleges suspend conferring that degree for the next ten years—just as long as the Chinese are shut out of California!—that he may enjoy his honors without being buried out of sight by a new flood of D. D's. But just imagine what would have been his feelings if they had ceased to confer the degree a year ago.
The last number of the Herald of Truth contains the following item:—
“After being degreed with D. D., Rev. G. D. B. Pepper, President of Colby University, has been honored with LL. D., by Lewisburg University, and again with S. T. D., by Amherst College. It did not require these titles, however, to make Rev. G. D. B. Pepper D. D., LL. D., S. T. D., one of the most capital men in the United States.”
For the church of Christ, this looks like a serious farce. What about receiving honor one of another, and not seeking the honor that cometh from God only? John 5:44. In a church convocation, now-a-days, a plain unlettered Christian, however godly, is lost amid the “flattering titles.” Job 32:22.
Seventh Day of the Week.
By Editor
A WRITER in the Pacific, the organ of the Congregationalists, published in San Francisco, has made a wonderful discovery, which, if accepted by the body at large, will overthrow the established literature of the Christian world, and play havoc most sad with the old "orthodox" bodies of centuries past. He has discovered that the Seventh-day Adventists are guilty of a great sin; that of adding to the word of God by claiming that the Sabbath of the decalogue is the seventh day of the week. This he strongly denies; so strongly as to denounce our positions and arguments as "lies," and using other mild and Christian language!
As argument is lost upon people of his cast, we will barely present two ideas for his consideration:—
1. The suggestion of the Christian at Work to a seventh-part-of-time-Sabbath theorist, that if he had tried to keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment on Sunday, or the first day of the week, in the time of Moses, or during the time of the falling of the manna, he would have found himself involved in difficulty. The falling and the withholding of the manna marked the day which God commanded to be kept in the fourth commandment. This day was observed by the Jews, and is regarded by their descendants to the present time. Which day of the week is it? Any one in particular? or is it any day which we may choose to select?
2. We ask this writer, and the Pacific may answer for him if it chooses, what they are going to do with all the literature of the churches, the many volumes from their best, most gifted, and most highly educated authors, to prove that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week at an early period in this dispensation? If the position of this would-be wise man is correct, all these writers were laboring under a most grievous error. Or will he assume that the time of the Sabbath was changed from no particular day to some other day? How will he establish such a change as that?
We advise the opponents of the Seventh-day Sabbath, the only Sabbath of the Bible, to adjust their own literature to their ever-changing positions before they try to correct ours.
Encouraging.
By Editor
A FRIEND, a stranger, in New York City, writes:—
“I have been much helped by reading your papers in the Brooklyn Y. M. C. A. I have studied Spiritualism for years. It is subtly working its way in the churches. I have no doubt that it is part of the Antichrist. In Terra Haute, they have gone so far as to materialize our Lord and Saviour. I have lectured on this subject considerably in the old country, and I’m happy to find one taking the same view of this subject as I believe the Lord has led me to see.
“Can you send me some tracts on the coming of Christ, or anything on the subject?
“Yours in Christ, W. R. S.”
Appointments.
Oakland and San Francisco.
OAKLAND.—Church N. E. corner Clay and 13th Streets. Meeting every Sabbath (Saturday) at 11 A. M. No other regular preaching at present. Prayer-meeting every Tuesday evening. Eld. J. H. Waggoner, Pastor. Sabbath-school at 9:30 A. M. C. H. Jones, Superintendent. Seats always free.
San Francisco Church
SAN FRANCISCO.—Church on Laguna Street, between McAllister and Tyler Streets. Meeting every Sabbath (Saturday) at 11 A. M. Prayer-meeting Wednesday evening. M. C. Israel, Elder. No regular preaching. Sabbath-school at 9:45 A. M. E. A. Stockton, Superintendent. Street-cars of the Hayes Valley Line, and Central and Lone Mountain Line, pass close to the meeting-house.
State Quarterly Meeting.
By M. C. Israel
ON account of its being harvest time, when our brethren cannot well leave their work, we will omit having the State T. and M. meeting for the past quarter. The report of labor, etc., will be given in the next number of the SIGNS.
M. C. ISRAEL,
Vice Pres. T. and M. Society.
Our Publications in England.
By Editor
ANY of the books, pamphlets, and tracts issued at this Office may be obtained of Eld. J. N. Loughborough, Ravenswood, Shirley Road, Southampton, England, who will furnish Catalogues, and give prices in English money. He will also receive subscriptions for our periodicals.