UNION BETWEEN PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS. Some prominent points showing the prospects of such a confederacy. 8 pp.; $1.00 per hundred. Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal.
SHOULD SABBATH OBSERVANCE BE ENFORCED BY CIVIL LAW? An able negative argument delivered at the annual contest of the Philomath and Adelphic Literary Societies of Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pa., June 1891. 24 pp.; 3 cents.
SUNDAY LAWS OF THE STATES AND TERRITORIES. A comprehensive collection of laws and decisions regarding Sunday observance, especially useful as a compendium of information. Paper covers, 25 cents. Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal.
THE TALENTS. By M. C. Wilcox. A brief essay on "The Parable of the Talents," showing that the talents represent the various gifts of the Spirit which God bestows as he will upon those who are consecrated to him, with the duties and blessed privileges involved therein. Bible Students' Library, No. 77; 16 pp., price 2 cents.
News and Notes.
By Editor
FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 19.
RELIGIOUS.
—The Cincinnati Presbytery has found Prof. Henry P. Smith, of Lane Theological Seminary, guilty of heresy and suspended him from the ministry of the Presbyterian Church.
—Dr. M'Glynn, the once popular New York priest, who quarrelled with his archbishop a few years ago, and was excommunicated because he refused to obey a summons to go to Rome, has at last succumbed to the papal power and returned to the church.
—The missionary schooner Hiram Bingham, fitted with a gasoline engine, which left San Francisco, October 31, for the Gilbert Islands in command of Captain Walkup, arrived at Honolulu after a passage of twenty-three days. After a short stop she proceeded on her voyage.
—Bishop Paret, of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the District of Columbia, will soon have built for him a steamer, the inside of which will be fitted as a church. The steamer will carry the bishop and his assistants to the oyster-dredging grounds on Sundays, where services will be held.
—It is reported that there is just now a remarkable cordiality between the pope and the Russian Government. The friendliness of the pope for the czar's dominion has just been manifested in a brief to the Polish bishops, in which they are exhorted to discourage insurrectionary tendencies, and to submit to the will of Providence which has made them subjects of Russia.
—The B. Fay Mills revival meetings at Omaha, Nebraska, are said to be creating a great sensation. On the 14th inst. (Wednesday) merchants of all classes, lawyers, bankers, and even saloon keepers, closed their places of business until noon, in order to attend the great meeting. The schools were closed, and it is said that at eight o'clock A. M., in 200 homes, neighborhood prayer meetings were held.
—Representatives of the Utah or polygamist branch of the Mormon Church are endeavoring to secure a foothold in this city. They still believe in polygamy, but are deterred from its practice by the prohibitory law. The old antipolygamy branch, which has for many years held forth here, is much agitated by the new innovation, especially on account of some of its members going over to the opposition.
—In a Thanksgiving sermon, delivered in the Reformed Catholic Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., Rev. Justin D. Fulton, D.D., gave a remarkable summing up of the manner in which this country is catering to Rome. But he says "the letter of the President to the pope, asking for his assistance at the Columbian Exposition, and saying that the Secretary of War should place a national guard about the convent to be built on the grounds and have it guarded day and night, as if the stuff brought from the Vatican was more precious than any other of the exhibits, capped the climax."
—Apropos of the Christmas holidays, it may be worthy of mention that Christmas originated in the Roman Saturnalia, or feast of Saturn. At one time the whole month of December was dedicated to Saturn, but under Augustus the festival was embraced in the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Afterward a fourth day, and under Caligula a fifth, were added. In some instances, however, seven days were celebrated, including three separate festivals—Saturnalia, Opalia, and Sigillaria, so called from the little earthenware figures given to children as presents. Like Sunday, and most all church festivals, it is a relic of heathenism adopted by an apostate church.
—And still another thrust at the authority and authenticity of the Bible from ministerial circles is found in the language of Rev. Minot J. Savage ("Congregational-Unitarian"), in a criticism of Mr. Moody's belief that a certain steamer was saved from wreck in answer to prayer. He is reported to have said that "Mr. Moody represents the worst and crudest form of old-time religion." And when asked if Mr. Moody's belief was not in harmony with the Bible, Mr. Savage replied: "Yes, with certain parts of it. The Bible is not a book; it's a library, and the books composing it were written at various times, covering a period of perhaps a thousand years, and of many of them the authors are unknown, as is also where they were written. Mr. Moody's belief will agree with some books and not with others." How childish all this worldly wisdom of Mr. Savage's must seem in the sight of heaven!
Editorial Notes and Current Events
By Editor
THIS week concludes the series of articles on "Man's Sin and Saviour;" we hope the whole series has been faithfully read.
A NUMBER of questions from interested correspondents await reply. We will endeavor to answer them, or at least a part of them, in our next issue.
NEXT week we begin a series of articles on the great threefold message of Rev. 14:6-12. It consistently follows the series on "Man's Sin and Saviour." The reader's understanding of these articles will be materially assisted by an outline chart or cut specially prepared for this purpose.
THE papers report, what we long ago predicted, that Father M'Glynn has been reconciled to the Catholic Church, and this reconciliation effected here has been confirmed by the pope. M'Glynn has been called by many Protestants "the modern Luther." There was this difference, Dr. M'Glynn was a convert of Henry George, and Martin Luther was converted by the gospel of Christ. It is only the "mystery of God" which can fully and finally separate from the mystery of iniquity, whatever form the last named may take.
THE American Sabbath Union suffered an unexpected defeat at Chicago on the 17th inst. The Union was holding its annual convention, and arrangements were made for four mass meetings. Everything seemed to be going along smoothly, until a series of resolutions were read condemning the efforts being made to have the World's Fair open on Sunday. When the vote was taken on the adoption of the resolutions, there was a strong majority against them. The result was a marked surprise to the leaders of the Union, and, to make matters worse for them, the chairman was indiscreet enough to ask some explanation for the action of the majority, and he got it from Elder A. T. Jones, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, in pointed remarks against the action of Congress in closing the Fair for theological reasons. Although personally indifferent whether the Fair was opened or closed on Sunday, he showed that Congress had no constitutional right to legislate on religious matters, and that it could not in any way establish or legalize a Sunday law, according to the Constitution. When charged with being an infidel, he replied: "No, sir; I am a Christian. God never gave his pledge in favor of Sunday. He always said the seventh day was the Sabbath, and when you say he meant the first day, where is your respect for the law of God?"
A MOST excellent social meeting was held in the afternoon of Sabbath, December 17, in Oakland. After the regular reading for the day, with some remarks of exhortation and a short season of prayer, opportunity was given for testimonies, exhortations, etc. From one to fifteen were on their feet at once, till nearly the close of the Sabbath. Many more would have spoken if there had been opportunity. Some who had not been heard from for months broke over the restraint of the enemy and started anew. Far greater blessings are expected before the week of prayer closes. God is very good, and the door of mercy and blessing does not simply "stand ajar," it is wide open.
IN another column is a note concerning the blessed work of the Lord in the office at Battle Creek, Mich. We rejoice because of it; we rejoice with them in some degree of the same blessings. There is one point which we wish to emphasize here, and that is that at one of the best meetings there, there was no preacher. Oftentimes the preacher is depended upon altogether too much, and he comes in between the soul and Christ. This should not be. The fountain of God's grace is always open for all who will come and drink. A preacher may be a help, but it is God that giveth. Therefore, brethren and sisters, go direct to the Fountain as you are, as individuals, as needy ones, and in faith claim the promises of God. Be assured he will not send you empty away.
The Sunday School’s Proper Place
By Editor
The Sunday school has been a fruitful source of dissension and difference; it has been a free field for theory and experiment. In some directions it has been magnified until the church has shrunk to a mere appendage beside it; in others, by a very natural reaction it has been denounced as uncatholic if not unchristian. At last, however, order seems to be arising out of confusion, and a larger and truer ideal of the training of children in the elements of faith and morals is winning way. That at least would appear to be the witness borne by the very interesting meeting of the Sunday School Institute in Baltimore last week. It is clear that the path of reconciliation between those who ardently support and those who disparage the Sunday school lies in the direction of putting the Sunday school into a right attitude towards the three circles of natural and necessary relations, the home, the community at large, and the church. The Sunday school holds a place entirely subordinate and auxiliary to all these, and it is the forgetfulness of that fact that has brought the Sunday school into ill-repute, as needless and impertinent.
And to our mind this is about the truth of the matter. The Sunday school or Sabbath school has no right to command or demand; it should be just what is needed, yea, demanded, by all those in the circle which it is designed to fill. Under God and the church, let it be a teacher and winner of souls.
In Mr. Cleveland's letter of acceptance of the nomination to the office of chief magistrate of this nation, he said:—
Paternalism in government finds no approval in the creed of democracy. It is a symptom of misrule, whether it is manifested in unauthorized gifts or by an unwarranted control of personal and family affairs.
Mr. Cleveland is now president-elect. It will be remembered that it was a Democratic House of Representatives which passed the Sunday closing act of the World's Fair, a mighty stride toward "paternalism in government." Mr. Cleveland will have brought before him, doubtless, other measures involving the same principle. Will he stand to the good words above?
President Harrison promised before his election that his influence would be cast against anything tending to a union of Church and State, and yet his signature made a law of the Sunday-closing measure,—a step taken at the demands of the church, and which literally unites Church and State.
SATOLLI, the representative of the pope now in America, thus speaks of the people of this country:—
From the want of prejudice I have remarked in America, it looks as if many were Protestants more in name than in reality.
And there is truth in the prelate's observation. America has few real protestants against Rome, while many of those that do see the advancement Rome is making, hold principles themselves which are as subversive of human liberty as is Romanism. The present efforts for the enforcement of Sunday laws are as wicked, and have as great possibilities of evil within them, as Rome's efforts concerning our public school. Both parties are but factions under the same banner of the mystery of iniquity. The future will demonstrate the truth of this statement, as the Scriptures and logic now evidence it.
THE Church Militant, for December, publishes a "Call for a General Conference of Christian Prohibitionists" to meet in Philadelphia, Pa., January 24, 1892. This call is signed by H. A. Thompson, D.D., LL.D., Hon. Neal Dow, Hon. J. W. Bruce, and twenty-two other prominent Prohibitionists. The Church Militant is not the originator of this movement. It looks like a political, partisan, Prohibition Church, such as now exists in Newburg, N. Y., and such as efforts are being put forth to organize in this city. We wonder how success can be hoped for from this quarter; if church members upon whom no compulsion is brought will not vote prohibition by a secret ballot, what hope is there that they will join a Prohibition Church? We shall have more to say of this hereafter.
DEMONIACAL POSSESSION.
In speaking of those who characterize the demoniacal possession in the time of Christ as mere disease, Rev. Dr. S. P. Sprecher, of Cleveland, O., says in a sermon preached on Mark 5:1-20, and reported in the Cleveland Plaindealer of October 17:—
Jesus Christ believed in these possessions. He does not in this case merely use popular language without committing himself to the popular belief. Neither does he use a word which has changed in meaning. This is sometimes done. . . . But this is not the way Christ speaks of these possessions. He addresses the evil spirits and commands them to come forth. He speaks of demoniacs not as persons insane, but as enthralled by evil spirits. He addresses the evil spirit as distinct from the man.
And more than all this testimony God's word has declared that such manifestations will constitute one of the workings of the last days. See 1 Tim. 4:1-3; Rev. 16:13, 14; Isa. 8:19, 20. We see the fulfillment of this in part in Modern Spiritualism.
He further says, after quoting from James Freeman Clarke, and also from Mr. Huxley, who declares that such a belief is not unscientific:—
But men like Mr. Clarke who are among the most intelligent and learned believe that such possessions even now take place. With all the light of modern science about them they believe that they have met with cases which cannot be explained without assuming possessions of evil spirits.
The Churchman on Sunday Schools
This is what the Churchman of New York has to say of the Sunday school:—
Catholic Dispensation for Royal Marriage
The Primitive Catholic has the following:—
The pope has granted a special dispensation permitting Prince Ferdinand of Roumania to marry the Princess Marie of Edinburgh. This puts the English royal family in a very undignified position. Two and a half millions of francs was the price of the dispensation.
It would have been cheaper for the bride to have joined the Roman Church, and it would have saved time, for that will be the eventual outcome. In fact, that is what she has already done.
WHERE IS THIS CHAPTER?
This is what the Catholic Review of November 19, 1892, says:—
"We rejoice for their conviction that, as the Bible says, 'it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins.'"
This is what the Christian Statesman of December 3 says of the above remark:—
"This verse may be found just preceding the text about the "wind" and "the shorn lamb."
Very good; and the injunction concerning Sunday sacredness and the obligation to observe the day is found in the same chapter.