p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 17. (4/25/1906)

Tithing and Religious Liberty

When Abraham met Melchizedek, after recovering the goods of the people of Sodom from their enemies, he gave to the Lord's priest "tithes of all." It is worthy of note that Abraham didn't first lay aside his personal expenses of the campaign before tithing the proceeds. He first paid the tithe, gave to the Lord His portion "of all," and then disposed of the remainder as he deemed just to all concerned. This is a good example in reckoning tithes due, inasmuch as it is one of the things that were "written for our learning." Rom. 15:4.

The "mystery of godliness" is this: "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 1 Tim. 3:16. The result to the sinner is faith in Christ, and the writing of God's law in the heart, according to the new covenant. There is no compulsion about the "mystery of godliness;" it is a marvel of religious liberty. On the other hand, the "mystery of iniquity" consists in the enforcement of religion and the observance of religious institutions by the power of human law. It is a scheme of the adversary of the Gospel by which zealous men are so blinded as to be led into palming off a base counterfeit for Scripture doctrine. Its fruit is spiritual Babylon, and its most striking demonstration was the Dark Ages. Its latest phase is in the modern efforts for religious legislation known as National Reform, Inter-church Federation, etc.

JAPAN FAMINE FUND.

WRECK AND RUIN.

By Editor

PACIFIC PRESS BADLY SHAKEN.

Damage from $10,000 to $20,000.

THE friends of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES will be made sad to hear of the awful calamity which has come to us. At 5:15 A. M., April 18, occurred one of the severest earthquakes which the Golden State has ever known, far surpassing those in the sixties. We have heard of no worse in its history.

At this writing no news can be obtained from San Francisco, forty miles to the north. All rumors are afloat from a harmless shake to the metropolis of the West to utter ruin. In suspense we wait for news.

San Jose, a city of 30,000 inhabitants, eleven miles to the south, is in ruins. The annex to Hotel Vendome is a mass of debris, and several persons are reported killed. St. James Hotel is a wreck, and two are reported dead. Agnews, insane asylum near San Jose, is said to be a mass of brick and mortar, with 100 killed.

One block is burning in San Jose and no water to quench the fire.

Brick buildings in Mountain View are utterly shaken to pieces. The largest store in town, the post-office, and an adjoining new building, in process of construction, brick-veneered, is a shapeless mass of ruins. Mr. Allen's furniture store is flat on the ground. Olympic Hall building is a ruin.

The town water works, with a tower of about 100 feet, surmounted by two water tanks of 20,000 gallons capacity each, is in kindling wood. No lives were lost in the town.

News from Stanford University is to the effect that all buildings are hopelessly shattered, save the museum, and that is greatly damaged.

Both ends of the Pacific Press building are but piles of brick, cracked and ruined walls, and general wreck. Many of the walls still stand, but are so broken that they will have to be torn down to the very foundation. To all appearances it is worse than rebuilding. All that will be gained in what is left standing will be more than lost in time and labor.

West End of Office, Upper Story Looking into Chapel.

For this we are grateful to God, who hath His way in the earthquake as in the storm, that no lives are lost; no one is injured.

Damage to our machinery is very light, all told amounting to perhaps $1,500. A water tower, belonging to the Pacific Press in another lot, is so damaged that it will have to be torn down.

Can You Help Us?

One more word to our friends who may be out of this calamity belt. Most of our employees here who have houses have suffered more or less, but we feel that our loss is nothing to the loss to our beloved office. There may be many among our readers who are touched by no calamity, who feel that it would be a privilege to give to this, one of the Lord's institutions, from $1.00 to $100 to help us in this time of trouble.

We are not singled out in this. There is damage and loss on every side of us. Will those help us who are in the midst of prosperity?

Let such send all money orders, drafts, checks, or express orders to Pacific Press Publishing Company, Mountain View, Cal.

East End of Office, Looking into Type-room and Foundry.

LATER DETAILS.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, Near Midnight.—Latest news from the city describes it as a great charnel-house. One gentleman who left there near midnight informs us that the death roll runs into the thousands. The city south of Market Street is on fire as far north as Tenth Street and is still burning. The Palace Hotel is ruined. The great Call building was badly broken with the first shock; it since caught fire and has been dynamited.

Great lodging-houses of brick shut their tens and scores and hundreds in like rats in a trap, where they perished.

The great stores, banks, and commercial buildings are heaps of debris. Some streets seem to be literally blotted out and unrecognizable. There were some buildings which sunk, others rose. Great steel girders were broken like pipe stems.

San Francisco practically ruined.

Oakland suffered but little comparatively. Only five deaths are reported.

Napa Valley towns are greatly damaged.

Los Angeles is reported a light sufferer.

Santa Cruz is said to be in the same condition as San Jose, greatly wrecked. Several were drowned along the beach.

Professor Burckhalter, director of Chabot Observatory, Oakland, reports the violence of this earthquake in a scale of 10, and calls it a very great earthquake. Its duration was 28 seconds. And all this loss of property and life was caused in less than one-half minute by the perverted forces of nature, forces which God designed should be for eternal good.

Earthquake Special

By Editor

As the journal having the largest circulation in the East of any journal published on the Pacific Coast, we feel that in view of the fact that many of our subscribers and friends in the East have relatives and friends in the West, it is our duty to take this time to present in a special number some of the awful calamities that have here occurred.

Pacific Press Folding-room as Exposed by the Earthquake.

We know that there are thousands upon thousands of families in the East who have relatives and friends in San Francisco, in Oakland, in the beautiful Santa Clara Valley, in Santa Rosa, and in others of the afflicted cities and towns of the Pacific Coast.

We believe that to all these the fullest and most accurate information ought to come from those on the ground.

Our Own Losses

The Signs of the Times is in the center of the earthquake territory. It, too, felt the terrible seismic shock. Its splendid building to which only a few months ago the last finishing touches had been given, is almost wholly ruined.

The spectacle which greeted the eyes of the nearly one hundred employees, as they came to it next morning, was one of sadness and desolation. To a great extent both ends of the building were piles of brick and mortar. But grateful were we to a kind Providence that our machinery is almost wholly left intact.

While our linotypes were put out of commission, our type was very little disturbed. Only a small quantity was pied. Our presses are in good running condition; and we know of no better way to use them than to tell our friends (and this scarcely includes less than all the great East), of the awful calamity that has devastated one of the fairest portions of the entire country.

We shall tell you in this number of the condition of San Francisco, as it was and as it is; of the great Stanford University before and after the earthquake; how the great seismic throb affected the large city of Oakland; also Santa Rosa, one of the fairest towns in California; of how San Jose, Sebastapol, Healdsburg, and other towns were shattered by the shock.

We shall endeavor to tell you what these things mean in the light of sober, common sense, and of the warning duties which God has presented in His Word.

As to the material damages, we shall endeavor to give a plain, unvarnished tale, just as far as we can obtain accurate report.

We are sending our representatives to different towns and cities of the afflicted districts, so as to give them the very best opportunities for presenting accurate reports of the great calamity.

San Francisco Doomed

Since the first page of this number was in print, we have learned from the fire chief of San Francisco that the whole city is doomed; that there seems to be no prospect whatever of saving the buildings that are left.

The magnitude of the calamity is such that no pen can describe it, and those who are witnessing it on every side, as a general thing are so dazed that it is impossible for them to fully appreciate the greatness of the loss in life and property; for while the dead number thousands, all-told, on the Coast, no one knows the broken constitutions, the foundation of premature disease and decay which have been laid in the awful experiences through which the people have passed.

Looking West from the Interior of the Chapel.

Thousands upon thousands are homeless and sleeping out-of-doors without even blankets to cover them; and yet, on the other hand we are grateful to see the many kindnesses on the part of those who have not suffered, as well as those who have to a certain extent. Nearly all are doing all in their power to meet the needs, altho any help which the Coast can furnish will be utterly inadequate.

The date of this

Earthquake Special

will be May 1. Any of our friends in the East who may wish large quantities would better order them direct from the office of publication.

This number will cost us much more than the regular issue. The price will be as follows: Less than 1000 copies to one name and address 3 cents per copy; all over 1000 copies to one name and address 2 1/2 cents per copy.