—Extensive forest fires are reported in different portions of Christian County, Ky.
—General Moraes, the new president of Brazil, was formally installed on the 15th inst.
—At Cedar Rapids, Neb., a child two years old recently died from eating the sulphur off a bunch of matches.
—The seaport town of Limasol, island of Cyprus, has been extensively damaged by floods, and twenty-one persons drowned.
—Advices from Chemulpo, Corea, state that Corean soldiers sent out against the rebellious Tonghaks have joined the rebels.
—Six persons lie in a critical condition at East Liverpool, Ohio, from the effects of inhaling escaping natural gas at church.
—The village of Sheffield, Iowa, on the Iowa Central Railway, was destroyed by fire on the night of the 14th inst. Loss, $100,000.
—Three earthquake shocks, on the 16th inst., frightened the people of Carson, Nev., and vicinity, but did no serious damage to property.
—The newspapers in Yokohama resent the intervention offer of Great Britain, as they regard it as entirely a movement in behalf of China.
—Dr. James H. McCosh, the noted author and ex-president of Princeton University, died in Princeton, N. J., on the 16th inst., at the age of 83 years.
—Guatemala is not only threatened with war with Mexico on account of a boundary dispute, but internal dissatisfaction is almost at the point of insurrection.
—A fire in the lace manufacturing district of Nottingham, England, on the 17th inst., destroyed property to the value of $750,000, leaving several hundred operatives out of employment.
—All officials of the Russian Government, both civil and military, are required to renew their oath of allegiance to the crown on account of the accession of a new czar to the imperial throne.
—From Hamburg, Lubeck, and Brussels come reports of great hurricanes on the 13th inst. Much damage to city property and to shipping is reported, and in Brussels three persons were killed.
—The Associated Charities of San Francisco is preparing for the winter's emergency in the way of assisting the poor. The association's wood yard has been opened, and patronage is solicited.
—Great Britain has sent several war ships to take possession of Chusan Island, off the China coast, opposite the city of Ningpo. The island contains 230 square miles, and has a population of about 250,000.
—One of the African Steamship Company's steamers attempting to land cargo at Settrakoo, Liberia, which is not a port of entry, was fired upon by a Liberian gunboat, and twenty-five men were killed.
—Cecil Rhodes, the "Diamond King" of South Africa, says that they could produce three times as many diamonds as they do, but they could not sell them, and there is no use producing more than the market demands at a good price.
—Cassius M. Clay, of Kentucky, once a conspicuous though eccentric politician, has not yet lost his eccentricity, although he has for some time been in retirement. At the age of 84, he has just married a girl of 15, to the great discomfiture of his friends.
—It is said that the first white men to reach the battle field of Ping Yang after the war correspondents were three American missionaries—Graham Lee, D. A. Moffet, and W. D. Hall. Mr. Lee came through the mountains on a bicycle, and his companions walked.
—And now Col. W. C. P. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, thinks he has attained a sufficient prominence to enter the lecture field. His notoriety is established beyond a doubt, and his career has been unsavory enough to attract the morbid curiosity of the masses.
—A lot of Italian employees of the Roaring Creek and Charleston Railroad, in West Virginia, are said to be on the verge of starvation because of non-payment of wages. As a means of retaliation they have begun tearing up tracks and otherwise damaging the company's property.
—The combinations of European governments are threatened with disruption by the personal friendship of the Prince of Wales and the new czar of Russia. This straw shows what uncertainty surrounds all earthly schemes, and upon what flimsy foundations human governments stand.
—The coroner of Fayette County, Ohio, has returned a charge of murder against Sheriff Cook and Colonel Coit, of the National Guard, on account of the killing of several citizens who were endeavoring to break down the jail at Washington Court House, and do violence to a colored prisoner.
—Disastrous floods are reported as causing untold damage to property in some portions of London and vicinity. The Thames River is said to be higher than at any time since 1881, and "the storm is the worst that has occurred since 1882." A public relief fund is being raised, headed by the queen.
—Near Kellar, La., on the 13th inst., while Abraham Smith and his wife were in the field picking cotton, their cabin was burned, and with it their three children. On the same day, near Natchez, Miss., the house of Louis Williams was destroyed by fire, and himself and three children were burned to death.
—On the 17th inst. 250 men who had been discharged from the Water Department of Chicago appeared at the controller's office, and demanded their pay. On being informed that there was no money on hand to pay them, they immediately raised a cry for bread, and shouted threats of vengeance. They were finally dispersed by a battalion of police.
—As was expected, the reports of rich discoveries of gold in the Coolgardie mines of West Australia drew many people into the region only to suffer disappointment and privation. While there have been some rich strikes, poor prospectors who find nothing must come to want where food and water are scarce and high, the latter selling as high as $6.00 per gallon.
—The president of the American Protective Association in this State has given public notice that if the Republican party of this city does not manage its primaries in the forthcoming city election to the liking of that association it, "will take charge and inaugurate such a movement as will again send up the Salt River any candidates who may be diametrically opposed to the object,—good government."
—The recent report of a cruel massacre of Armenian Christians by Turkish Moslems, encouraged by Turkish officials, is said to have been more extensive than at first reported. Those who were cognizant of the affair did not dare to send out reports, and the matter is said to have come to light through the courage of an American missionary at the risk of his life. It is stated that many thousands of men, women, and children were cruelly put to death, in many cases after the most brutal treatment previous to being killed.
—Two Americans, who have been serving a term of one year in a Siberian prison, arrived in San Francisco last week. They are Capt. John Johnston, of the sealing schooner Emma P. Riley, and one of the hunters. Their story is that they were driven out of their course by a storm, and sought shelter under Saghalien. Here they were espied by a Russian gunboat and arrested as poachers. The vessel was confiscated and the men sent to prison. They report a terrible experience, during which time one man went crazy and committed suicide, and another was left sick in a prison hospital.
—Mrs. Cleveland has offended some of the very zealous portion of the W. C. T. U. She was selected to christen the new war ship St. Louis, and had been requested by resolution of the W. C. T. U. State Convention of Pennsylvania to use a bottle of water for the ceremony instead of the customary champagne. Mrs. Cleveland paid no attention to the request, and therefore the indignation. Of course the ceremony is one of the silly customs of the world, but it would not be amiss if all the champagne were disposed of in a similar manner. But it is coming to be deemed a serious public grievance not to heed the counsel of the W. C. T. U.
—Southern Italy and Sicily were violently shaken by earthquake shocks on the 16th inst. In many places people were driven from their homes, and remained outdoors all night. Many houses were damaged, and seemed about to fall, while in San Procipo several did fall, burying their occupants. At this place sixty persons were killed. In the province of Calabria all trains ceased running on account of landslides. In the penitentiary at Messina 200 prisoners mutinied and tried to escape. In Reggio, where there were six shocks, many houses were cracked and rendered unsafe. It is thought that about 100 lives have been lost at different points.
News and Notes.
By Editor
FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 19.
RELIGIOUS.
—Rev. E. R. Drake, who for several years was pastor of Mr. Moody's church at Northfield, Mass., has entered the evangelistic field.
—The largest salary that any Baptist minister receives in Germany is 3,600 marks, about $850, and the church that pays this salary has between 500 and 600 members.
—At the National Convention of the Christian Alliance, in session last week at St. Louis, the call for missionaries brought out fifty volunteers for foreign work and fifty-four for service in the home field.
—In a recent sermon in San Francisco, Rev. F. L. Farrand said, "Love is a deathless passion." But the Scripture says, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." So Christ says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
—The National Reform party and the Presbyterian Church failed in their effort to defeat Walter P. Lyon, candidate for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. Their opposition was due to his pledge to use his influence for the repeal of the tyrannical Sunday law of that State.
—The London Standard's Rome correspondent says: "The Vatican views with disfavor the nomination of Prince Hohenlohe to succeed Caprivi to the German chancellorship, because he opposed the doctrine of infallibility and the temporal power of the pope. Nevertheless, its diplomatic reserve will be maintained."
—The logic of the Theosophy creed was recently illustrated in Providence, R. I., when a devotee of that religion caused a special service to be held over the grave of a favorite dog on the anniversary of the animal's death. The man believes in the reincarnation of souls, and showed his confidence in the assurance of Madame Blavatsky that the soul of the dog had once been the soul of a great warrior.
—An Episcopal tourist tells the New York Sun that Protestant missionaries in China have been far less successful in making converts than the Catholics. As one reason of Romanist success he states that "Jesuit missionaries from France and Italy were met who looked so much like Chinamen that it was difficult to distinguish them from the natives. They have adopted the Chinese dress, even to the cue, and they live like the Chinese and talk their language fluently. The Protestant missionaries live like Europeans, and generally aloof from the natives."
—Rev. Dr. Hirst, of San Francisco, recently preached a good, strong sermon against the union of Church and State. We hope he will stick to it, and while he so earnestly protests against the fruit, that he will stop cultivating the tree. Unless very recently converted, he is an ardent advocate of Sunday laws and kindred legislation, which form the very essence of Church and State government. There are a number of professed Protestant ministers who are just now nominally opposing the doctrine of Church and State union because they are fearful of Catholic influence in the State. Yet if the combined Protestant churches could be sure of wielding the church influence in the event of such a union, their protesting voice would not be heard.
—That the spirit of enforced Sunday observance is identical with the spirit of Church and State union, we have in evidence the utterance of one Dr. Young, in a recent speech at Newark, N. J.: "No rest should be taken until the city is cleared of all who are not of the spirit of the Covenanters and Puritans who settled in Newark in 1666. The good religious people who came here from New England founded a colony in which they could worship God according to their hearts' desire, and all others who do not carry out the purpose of the founders are unbidden intruders." He is also reported to have glorified the time when "the town was the church and the church was the town," stating that the pastor of the first church called the town meeting, and no one was allowed to vote unless he was a member of the church.
—Like millions of other professed Protestants, Emperor William II. of Germany is, no doubt unwittingly, a Roman Catholic in principle. Here are his words, addressed to some recruits recently enlisted in the army: "After you have sworn allegiance to me I greet you as my soldiers. I hope you are all good Christians, for if you are to be good soldiers you must be good Christians. You will have to guard and fight for the welfare of the fatherland. You soldiers are to be guards, and will enjoy the advantage of serving under my own eyes. You will wear a handsome coat, and the moment you are draped in this coat you will become something noble. Always remember that the colors before you must never be insulted. Obey the oath you have taken, and be courageous, despising death. Not only must you defend the honor of the fatherland abroad and keep order at home, but you must defend our holy religion if necessary with your lives."
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
What Is It? Is It Science? Is It Christian? Is It Akin to Modern Spiritualism?
The subject of Christian Science is treated under three heads:
I. Is It Scientific? The author shows by copious quotations from the writings of Mrs. Eddy, Dr. Marston, G. B. Day, and others that "Christian Science" is not only unscientific, but in its teachings directly contradicts the most plain and simple facts of science.
II. Unchristian Theories. Here it is shown from their own writings that "Christian Science" is opposed to the teachings of the Bible and the principles of Christianity, corresponding in almost every particular to Spiritualism.
III. Modern Spiritualism is a treatise on the origin, character, numerical strength, doctrines, and deceptive practices of Spiritualism.
This little work deals extensively with the writings of the leaders in Spiritualism and Christian Science, and from the extracts quoted the reader can get a very good idea of the nature and trend of the doctrines of each. It should be read by every Christian. 85 pages, paper covers, price, 15 cents. Address,
PACIFIC PRESS PUB. CO.,
Oakland, Cal.
43 BOND ST., NEW YORK.
Mathews-Northrup Up-to-Date Map
By Editor
Do you wish to get a handy vest-pocket map of California? We do not know where you will get a better, more convenient one than a map which has been laid upon our table, the Mathews-Northrup Vest Pocket Map. What is better than all is that it is absolutely up to date; everything is new. In fact, that is the name of the map—the Mathews-Northrup Up-to-date Map. The special one to which we now refer contains the map of California, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, and a map on an enlarged scale of San Francisco and its environments. It is printed on almost indestructible paper, with a complete index of the places on the back, giving the population of counties, cities, villages, etc., with some very complete notes on California and Nevada. The size folded is 5¼x2½ inches, and less than one-eighth of an inch thick, but it is multum in parvo. The style of the letters on the map indicates the character and relative importance of the place. The maps of this company are nicely printed, and the counties of the State maps are of different colors. It also publishes a map of San Francisco, and of various States and Territories in the United States, and also of the largest cities in the United States. For prices see advertisement, on page 877.
Atonement for Spiritual, Physical, and Eternal Death.
By Editor
We are requested to express our opinion concerning an article which appeared in the Faith of God, published at Allegheny, Pa. The heading of the article is "Atonement for Spiritual, Physical, and Eternal Death." There are good things in the article, and yet it is based on an entirely erroneous view. The Bible nowhere makes any such distinction as spiritual, physical, and eternal death. The penalty for sin was death, simply death, and nothing more. Spiritual death is, as the term is generally used in the theological world, a condition of sinfulness, or, as sometimes expressed, "death in trespasses and sins." But that is not a penalty; it is a consequence of yielding to sin. The penalty pronounced upon Adam became a consequence to the children of Adam because they inherited his fallen nature; but God saved them from that, irrespective of character, and gave them, through Christ Jesus, the privilege of obtaining eternal life. Those who do not choose Christ, but who rather choose sin, choose with that sin its penalty, death, just the same as Adam did in the beginning. Adam's death was rendered temporal because of the interposition of the gospel. The second death will be eternal, not because the death is any different from the first death, but because that after it there is no promise of a resurrection.
The atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ covers every death, but upon the atonement the writer is at sea, thinking it was made upon the cross. But the reconciliation was made there—the offering for sin; the atonement is made in Christ's closing work. Then all of those who have accepted of Christ, renounced sin, and by his grace are cleansed from all iniquity, will be made "at one" with him forever. Of course this work begins in the regeneration of men at conversion; the power which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, changes the heart of man, perfects him in character, and when Christ comes, changes the body of man's humiliation and fashions it like unto the body of Christ's glory. Of course in that sense the atonement in Christ Jesus saves from all death; but our deliverance is not, as stated by this writer, in this present evil world, but from this present evil world. Scriptural ideas of the atonement will be obtained by a careful reading of the articles by Elder M. H. Brown, on the sanctuary question, which are now running in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
WHAT A TENNESSEE PAPER SAYS.
By Editor
THE following from the Dayton (Tenn.) Leader of November 2 will speak for itself:—
"A QUESTION OF FAITH.
"Seventh-day Adventist Jailed for Working on Sunday.
"DWIGHT PLUMB, OF GRAYSVILLE, THE VICTIM OF PERSONAL MALICE.
"Last Friday, a young man named Dwight Plumb, of Graysville, was placed in the Rhea County jail for working on Sunday. Mr. Plumb is a Seventh-day Adventist, and bears a high character for industry, honesty, and morality in his community. He is a consistent, zealous Adventist, who faithfully adheres to his religious faith. His religion teaches him that Saturday, or the seventh day, is the day of rest ordained by God for the observance of man, and for working on Sunday, the first day of the week, he was arrested, on complaint of Wright Rains, and his trial held before Squire Clouse. He was convicted and fined $3.00 and costs. It is against the principles of the Seventh-day Adventists to recognize a law that persecutes them because of their religious convictions, and Mr. Plumb refused to pay the fine and costs, the result being that he must spend about a month in jail.
"Wright Rains is the name of the zealous sabbatarian who prosecuted Mr. Plumb. Wright is such a pink of perfection, such a human nugget of sanctified life, that it makes his sabbath [Sunday] loving heart palpitate with loathing for anyone who will dare to desecrate the first day of the week. And yet it is charged that the gratification of personal spite had more to do with the prosecution of Mr. Plumb than any regard for law, either human or divine."
See letter from Brother Plumb in Our Work and Workers department.
Sunday School Lesson and the Sabbath
On a Sabbath day Jesus and his disciples went through the cornfield, and the disciples being hungry they plucked some ears of corn and ate them. For this the Pharisees made complaint against them to Jesus. On the next Sabbath day Jesus healed a man with a withered hand. With these incidents as a lesson, a certain Sunday school paper propounds the following questions:—
"Where did Jesus and the disciples go one Sunday morning? What did the disciples do? Why did they do this? Who found fault with them? What did Jesus say to the fault-finders? Whom did Jesus see in the synagogue on another Sabbath? What did he do for the poor man? What day have we now in place of the Sabbath? How should we spend it? In memory of what great event do we keep the Lord's day?"
The further question arises, Is this attempt to substitute Sunday for the Sabbath a result of the lesson writer's ignorance, or was it his deliberate purpose to deceive the children? Is it possible that one sane man could have written the first question and the third from the last?
Vegetarians
Vegetarians.—In the Outlook of some time ago Catharine M. Bott gives an interesting account of the monks of Certosa di Val d'Emo, and incidentally gives us something of the value of their asceticism as affecting health and longevity. One of the rules of the order was that meat never was to be eaten. Hearing of this, one of the popes sent a message to the monastery, recommending that strict adherence to this rule be broken in the case of weak or ailing members, and in reply the prior sent a delegation of thirty monks to Rome. When they arrived, the pope asked the youngest member of the delegation to step forward. "How old are you?" inquired the pope. "Eighty-four," was the prompt reply. The pope came to the conclusion that if the baby member of the delegation was eighty-four years old, improvements in their methods of life were quite unnecessary, and forebore further suggestions as to their diet. The present inmates of Certosa are from seventy to ninety years of age, and furnish a strong argument in favor of the vegetarian theory.
To Our Subscribers
By Editor
To Our Subscribers.—We wish to thank those of our subscribers who furnished us No. 45 of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. We have now all that we need.
The Pilgrim Fathers of Alaska
By Editor
We give this week the closing article on "The Pilgrim Fathers of Alaska." It is a most interesting story of an interesting work, the civilizing and Christianizing of the natives. It may be suggested to some of our readers that Mr. Duncan's work has a little too much of the union of Church and State with it; but the noble man labored as best he could with the materials at hand. He has done nobly. Let us hope that the clearer light may enable him to do nobler still.
The American Protective Association
By Editor
It is evident that the American Protective Association has not been idle in this State during the last year. Rev. J. Q. A. Henry, who is posing as its champion, declares that 31 of the 146 councils in this State have been organized within the last ten months. The organization numbers in San Francisco nearly 17,000 members, and before this paper reaches all its readers, we will have learned just what its influence has been in national and State politics. It may be able to win temporary victory, but it is safe to say that it will not be permanent. Rome never has been conquered by her own methods and never will be.
It Is About That Way.
By Editor
The Commercial Traveler of October had the following note on politics in the West, which the late election seems to demonstrate applies as well to the East:—
"Curious elements are entering into California politics this campaign. As if the issues of railroad monopoly, labor and capital, and the tariff were not enough for party contention, religious differences must needs be brought into the fight. The Roman Church and the A. P. A. are warring to the death, and both look to the ballot box to declare the victor; as though religious strife was ever settled with the armaments of peace. The American patriot is too late with his cry of alarm, and, having ever had the history of the world before him as a warning, he has only himself to blame if the enemy is already in the citadel of his institutions. Rome will rule this land or go down in a sea of blood."