Earlier text: AN INKLING OF THE JUDGMENTPERSONAL SALVATION A CHARACTER SALVATION.
A SECULAR publication, the Torch of Reason, prints that sublime panegyric of love (1 Corinthians 13) with little variation in the text, but in form as it often appears in this paper. It prints after it the following from David Hume, the historian, as expressing the same thought:— In all creatures that prey not upon others, and are not agitated with violent passions, there appears a remarkable desire of company, which associates them together, without any advantages they can ever propose to reap from their union. This is still more conspicuous in man, as being the creature of the universe who has the most ardent desire for society, and is fitted for it by the most advantages.—“A Treatise of Human Nature,” vol. 2, p. 150. The reader will note how tame and weak is Hume’s “ardent desire for society” compared with Paul’s love. (See the love poem on page 11 of this paper.) The ardent desire for society may be wholly selfish; love is wholly unselfish. Yet in the light of Paul’s teaching the Torch remarks:— Yet strange anomaly! The apostle Paul, with his Christ, and God, and PERSONAL redemption, was the father of all Anarchists, from the “Levelers” down to Czolgosz. Only “the believers were accepted.” They only were to be saved. “Where all must go, each must go ALONE.” That narrow tribal limitation of LOVE broke the Roman Empire, excommunicated the human race and plunged it into one eternal hell. Now it is natural for the human race, we know, to desire some other kind of salvation, some other kind of redemption, from personal. It is not so meant, but it is nevertheless, the strongest sort of evidence of a consciousness of personal failure. We know we come short; we fall below our own ideals; in ourselves personally we can not meet the demands of justice. How to supply our defects is the question. Penance, pilgrimage, torture, have been the attempted solution by many. “Good works” always fall short, so filled are they with selfishness. The Roman Catholic believes that “the church” has a large fund of righteousness or merit to supply all defects of her children. Protestants, and now it seems, our infidel friends, the one class departing from the Gospel, the other rejecting it, are demanding the salvation of the race en masse. Either the race has a fund of unused, undeveloped merit, or somehow, never demonstrated in the past, it must grow into it. And the race passes on to hopeless ruin and despair, endeavoring by something it does not possess, and can never earn, to achieve its own salvation. There is but one salvation, the personal salvation in the sublime love of which Paul sings, and which is personified perfectly in Christ Jesus. Salvation must be personal, because character is personal. He who is truly righteous is not righteous by any other save his Creator. He loves God, and the love of Him who is love perfects character. Rebellion, anarchy, and all the other hell brood came from love perverted, from Lucifer, the perverter, who desired to reign alone, to the present generation with its multitude of “children of disobedience.” “Personal redemption” is not a matter of personal antagonism to others; it is a matter of relation to the law of love. “Only believers are accepted,” because in the very nature of the case only a believer can be accepted; for only a believer is in harmony with the government of God. And it is not for human tribunal to pass upon his faith; that rests with God. Moreover, the one who believes has a burning desire that others shall share in the same salvation by coming into perfect harmony with God. And he who is in perfect harmony with God is in accord with all the perfect harmonies of the universe. He is not therefore alone. There is nothing anomalous with his faith. It binds him in association first of all with the King of the universe—glorious company—and through Him with all the realities and real beings of eternity, while he who rejects the only means that can save him, elects to abide in nothingness. Heaven could be no place of enjoyment to him who is not in harmony with its government. But the man who wants everybody to be saved is the man who is in harmony with heaven. Such an one was the apostle Paul. NOT ORIGINAL AMERICANISM.
By Editor
Not Politics, but Principles.
An able and enthusiastic labor candidate, in speaking of the overreaching greed of monopoly trusts, says:— The most formidable of the combinations dangerous to the mass of men and dangerous to our republic are what are known as monopoly trusts; and if these trusts are to be governed as they should be, if they are to be shorn of power to enslave the millions who are poor and to embarrass the millions who are only moderately rich, then those millions must promptly and vigorously deal with the problem presented by the new conditions. Trades-unionists must strengthen their unions, and must vote for men who are of and for the people; those who, not being trades-unionists, stand for the principles of the Declaration of Independence and against plutocracy, must give friendly aid to trades-unionism, and must help to give the positions of public power to men in ardent sympathy with the doctrine, “The greatest good to the greatest number.” Now this journal is not in politics. It is not controlled nor can it be controlled by any political party. It quotes the above from a party politician to show the drift of “American patriotism,” the trend of “reform” in politics, the hope that thousands have set before them for political salvation; and we wish the reader to see the fallacy of it all. The danger, the greed, the tyrannous power of the trusts, all will admit, except trust beneficiaries actually or in hope prospectively. They are not only embarrassing the millions, but in their conscienceless greed they are rapidly enslaving many. What is the remedy proposed?—It is trade-unionism. But trade-unionism is the monopoly trust of labor, working objectively only for those within the union. It is their great purpose so to increase in numbers that they can reap to themselves a sure return. The trade-unionist is as much against the laboring man who will not join the union as the trust magnate is against the firm who will not yield to the trust. This labor-union candidate solicits the support of the non-unionists who “stand for the principles of the Declaration of Independence and against plutocracy.” These, we are told, “must give friendly aid to trades-unionism, and must help to give the positions of public power to men in ardent sympathy with the doctrine of ‘the greatest good to the greatest number.’” Now there are many men who are against trusts, because they believe in the principles of the Declaration of Independence; and for the same reasons, while in sympathy with the laboring men, they are opposed to trade-unionism. Not that they deny the right of the workmen to organize in any way; but they do deny the right of power to any organization to coerce or compel any person or persons to join it. They note in the trade-union organization the same effort and spirit to control the laborer that the trust has to control the mill-men, the merchants, the manufacturers, the trade of the country. The trust endeavors to ‘freeze out’ all firms which will not yield to its dictation. This is wrong. But it is no worse than to bar from his position and means of support a fellow-laborer who differs from his fellows in the one sole thing that he is not a union man. He is just as honest, just as industrious, just as good a workman, just as kind and helpful a father, husband, neighbor, and wants a just wage for the work rendered. He has nothing against union men as men. He can work with them as with others. But he does not believe in the principles of trade-unionism. Notwithstanding his qualities as a man, labor-unionists insist that he shall leave his position of years’ standing, won and held by merit, or join the union. The principle is the same as that of the trust, isn’t it? Surely, it is a far cry from such principles to those of the Declaration of Independence. That historic document stood for the equality of man, not the equality and rights of trust magnates or the equality and rights of labor-unionists, but the equality and rights of all men irrespective of political or religious creed, nationality or race. The man who stands by these principles of the Declaration of Independence, but who should aid labor-unionism to success, would find that he himself would become the object of attack unless he abjure these principles, join the union, and fight against the true lovers of equality. No good government stands for “the greatest good to the greatest number.” It sounds good, but it will not bear analysis. It simply means, the greatest good to the majority, let that majority be what it will. The true government, the ideal government, the government under which the poor can live as well as the rich, is the government which protects the weakest person, be that person a labor-unionist or “scab,” be he capitalist or employee. The government under the folds of whose flag the rights of the weakest are protected is a government in which the rights of all are safe. That is true republicanism, true democracy. That also is true Christianity. But O, how far from that ideal the republic has departed! The equality of the Declaration of Independence is the equality which our cult or organization may demand. The rights to be protected under the Constitution are our rights; and the sad thing is that there are no warning voices raised against such utterly, foolishly selfish and corrupting principles. MANY who were formerly students at Drew Theological Seminary have heard in an indirect way that something awful has happened to the town of Madison, N. Y., during the past summer. They constantly inquire from remote parts what it is; and surely it was something awful, unparalleled indeed in many of its aspects. Sunday afternoon, August 10, was somewhat rainy, but the fall until half-past eight was comparatively light. Then heavy thunder and terrific lightning began. At nine o’clock the rain came down with incredible force. As it struck the pavement a blinding mist arose. People who lived only a door or two away were unable to leave the Methodist church for two hours. Two miles and a half from Madison, to the west, stands St. Elizabeth’s Academy, on an elevation considerably above Madison. From that point along the macadamized roads waters accumulated until they were reinforced in the vicinity of Madison by similar streams running over the macadamized roads from the hills in all directions. The brook which crosses Main Street, Madison, twice between the square and the entrance to Hillside Cemetery, a beautiful cemetery extending from a high hill to the sidewalk, had become a raging torrent. It rushed along the boulevard, several feet in depth, and when it reached the cemetery it burst a culvert and washed out the earth from four to twelve feet in depth and about seventy-five feet wide, extending entirely across the cemetery, carrying with it destruction and producing the most fearful scene imaginable. Sixty bodies were washed from their graves and carried down the stream, left high upon the hillsides, and even entangled in the branches of trees. A rescuing party was formed, and with lanterns, ropes, pikes, and other instruments, they toiled all night and well into the morning hours to rescue the bodies, those over whom9 the words “Rest in peace” had been sculptured, but who were thus mysteriously dislodged. Wrenched from crushed caskets and coffins by fearful force, many of the bodies were quickly buried in sand, mud, and débris, or thrown upon the meadows shroudless and dismembered, far from the stream’s regular course. In the morning hastily extemporized pine coffins were placed upon the green sward in rows of ten, surrounded by relatives of the dead, until most were identified. There were many walking to and fro “wringing their hands in anguish and weeping piteously.” The day after the scene we visited the spot, and such effects of water upon beautiful estates, well-kept grounds, culverts, and the park given to the town by the munificence of D. Willis James, we have seldom seen. This has been a summer of wonders.—Christian Advocate. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND LIBERTY.
By Roy F. Cottrell
In an article published over the signature of Bishop Gabriels, of Ogdensburg, New York, the writer speaks of the causes which have had the greatest influence on the development of Catholicism in the United States during the last century. Altho stating that the United States was not favorable in 1800 to the expansion of the Catholic Church, he does not deny that it was the principle of liberty that enabled the 50,000 Catholics living in this country at that time to increase to the millions. The proportion of Catholics to the population of the republic was then one to one hundred, while now it is one to seven. Concerning the influence of liberty in Catholicism, the bishop then says: “It is an error to believe that in the United States the separation of the Church and State is absolute. This separation has been claimed by a handful of liberals and freethinkers, but until now without success. It is true that the close union between Church and State found elsewhere does not exist, but the States recognize some Christian traditions, such as the observance of the Sabbath, the oath, clerical immunity to a certain extent, and other religious privileges; it protects the ceremonies of the cults, recognizes canonical authority, and passes sentence upon ecclesiastical differences between members of the church according to the laws of the church itself. Not only does it grant entire liberty to religious associations and to educational institutions, but it facilitates the incorporation of dioceses, parishes, congregations, schools, and cemeteries, which thus become individuals, and can enjoy their rights in accordance with their own statutes. The public has not been terrorized yet by the specter of mortmain. If it was not for public education without God, and a few minor points, we could consider the United States Government as a model for the countries not possessing the unity of faith.” Of course, no country in the eyes of a Catholic could be considered a “model” unless Catholicism was established. But here it is said by a high official of that denomination, which has always stood for a union of Church and State, that this government approaches very near the “model” for one not wholly under the control of the Papacy. Such a statement would never have been made in 1800. Is the Catholic Church, then, changing her attitude?—Never. It is her boast that she never changes; that she “never erred, and never can err.” Let us then look at the United States. Does it remain the same that it was a century ago? There can be but one answer, and that is a decided NO. It is not the purpose of this article to discuss at length the prophecies regarding this country, or the chain of events that has produced this difference in the attitude of our government. But a study of the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of Revelation will reveal to the earnest truth-seeker that this country's past, present, and future is there outlined under the symbol of the two-horned beast. His change of policy is indicated in verse eleven of chapter thirteen. His disposition is here given as lamb-like; but this changes, “And he spake as a dragon.” In a decision rendered by the Supreme Court on Feb. 29, 1892, it was emphatically stated that “Christianity is the law of the land,” and that, “This is a Christian nation.” Now it is evident that this ignores the real meaning of the First Amendment to the Constitution, and directly contradicts Article VI. of the Constitution as expressed in the treaty with Tripoli in 1797, which declares that “The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” And instead of holding firmly to the principle that the Church and State should be kept forever separate, several strong organizations have been at work for years, their object being to “secure such an amendment to the Constitution of the United States as will declare the nation's allegiance to Jesus Christ,” and “to preserve the Christian Sabbath [Sunday] as a day of rest and worship.” Nor is this all. They have made strong bids for Catholic assistance, and have repeatedly stated that whenever the Catholics are ready, they will join hands in resisting atheism and in securing Sunday laws. And the Catholics say, “That is the very thing we want.” But this is only the beginning of a great movement which is soon to be felt throughout the world. In fact it is being agitated to-day in many places both in the New World and in the Old. This prophecy to which we have merely called attention points forward to the coming conflict. It is the last great struggle to engage the interests of earth's mighty nations. This is no fancy. Seventh-day Adventists, basing their faith on this prophecy, have been teaching this very thing for nearly fifty years. At first there was not a cloud to darken the heavens, but now the omens are abundant which betoken the fearful storm. Reader, now is the time to prepare, that when the tempest does burst upon the shelterless heads of the ungodly, you may find in God an eternal refuge. ROY F. COTTRELL. The Anthracite Coal Strike
The President of the United States, the Governor of New York, and influential politicians of Washington, Pennsylvania, and New York State, all have sought in vain to bring about the settlement of the great anthracite coal strike. The coal barons continue firm in their position that there is nothing to arbitrate, and that they will not recognize the miners’ union in any way. Much feeling has been stirred up over the matter in all parts of the country. The mine operators have demanded that the President send Federal troops into the coal regions; but this the President has not consented to do. Some have demanded that legal action be taken against the miners’ organization on the ground that it is now operating in restraint of trade. On the other hand, suits have been brought against the coal-carrying railroads on the ground that they have entered into combination in defiance of the Sherman anti-trust law; that they are engaged in mining coal for other use than their own fuel needs, which is contrary to law. All the troops of the State of Pennsylvania have been ordered out, and still but little coal is being mined. Nearly all the mines are practically idle. There have been some cases of violence in the coal regions and some arrests. English labor organizations are seeking to stop the exportation of coal to America in order that the coal famine may have its full effect in the settlement of the strike. The American Federation of Labor has issued a call for contributions for the support of the striking miners. The price of hard coal in Eastern cities is now $25 a ton, and soft coal also is increasing in price. There is bound to be great suffering, especially in the tenement districts of the great cities, during the fall and winter, through the inability of the people to get coal. There is now before the British Parliament an educational bill which is causing much heated discussion. It is known to be a government measure, and the British cabinet is staking its own tenure of office on the passage of the bill. The objectionable feature of the bill is its provision for a direct tax upon the people for the support of Church of England schools. The Liberals are opposed to it, and religious bodies other than the Church of England are also opposed to it. At a recent session of the British Baptist Union the measure was denounced emphatically, and Baptists were urged to suffer distraint of property rather than pay the obnoxious tax. The premier himself is championing the measure, and Mr. Chamberlain has declared that the government would resign in case the bill fails of passage. Lady Henry Somerset, the well known Temperance worker of England, arrived in New York on October 6. She has the following to say regarding conditions in England: “We have done much work in England, altho things go very slowly there. One great success that our temperance cause met with was the passage of a bill prohibiting a child under 14 years of age carrying liquor from a saloon, or visiting such a place under any pretext whatever. Drunkenness among women is on the increase in England to an alarming extent. To every woman drunk in London streets there used to be four men in the same condition. Now it is reversed, and you can see four drunken women to every drunken man. England is a nation of drunkards. It is dreadful to have to say so, but it is an undeniable fact.” A decision has been handed down in the United States Circuit Court at New York, by Judge Lacombe, in which he holds that a citizen of Porto Rico is not a citizen of the United States, and so must be subject to the immigration laws pertaining to aliens when landing at a port of the United States. This decision is due to the provisions of the treaty of Paris, which state that the political status of the inhabitants of Porto Rico shall be determined by Congress. Congress has not spoken, and so, in the eye of the law, Porto Ricans continue to be aliens. The Colombian Government has had an engagement with the forces of the revolutionists at La Cienaga, in which the rebels are said to have been badly beaten. There is still some friction between the American commander at Panama and the Colombian officials over the matter of the transportation of troops on the Panama railroad. Colombia protests against Admiral Casey’s ruling in the matter, and the United States Government has cautioned the admiral not to trench upon the sovereignty of Colombia. After the reduction of a number of Moro forts, the American commander in Mindanao sent warnings to the Sultan of Bacolod to cease hostile acts toward the Americans. The sultan replied defiantly, declaring that he wanted war, and did not care for American friendship. He is now fortifying his strongholds and preparing to resist the expected attack, which will not be long delayed. The government has ordered the taking of a census of the inhabitants of the Philippines, and the work will soon begin. By a decision of the Nebraska Supreme Court rendered on October 9, the reading of the Bible and the singing of hymns in the public schools of the State are prohibited. The case has been appealed from the lower courts and reverses the decision of the District Court. The decision states that such exercises are forbidden by the constitution of the State. The judges state that the decision is not in accordance with their personal wishes, but that being the law of the State, it must be enforced. The directors of the British cable company, whose line will soon be finished between British Columbia and Australia, and the directors of the American cable company, whose line is about to be laid from San Francisco to the Philippines, are reported to have agreed to connect the two cables at Fanning Island, where the British cable lands. Thus in case of a break in either of the lines, communication can still be carried on by means of the other. The street-car strike in New Orleans has been brought to a close after two weeks’ duration. There was much violence during the strike, and the street-cars were completely tied up. The militia had to be ordered out to preserve the peace, as the police were unable to stop rioting or disperse the rioters. A compromise was effected on October 12, the strikers fearing that the sending of soldiers would enable the company to run its cars without them. The Standard Oil Company is said to be financing the beef trust through the City National Bank of New York. In this act of financing, or underwriting, the beef trust there is a profit to the underwriters of $10,000,000. Thus is one trust backed by another, and in the process millions of dollars are added to the accumulations of the wealthy, all of which ultimately comes out of the scanty earnings of the people. The attempt of the New York pressmen’s union to prevent the issue of the November magazines until the employing printers agree to raise the wages of the striking press-feeders and discharge the non-union men who took their places, is declared a failure, and the great magazines will be out on time. In Venezuela the rebels seem to be gaining ground. They are expecting soon to capture the Venezuelan president, who is in the field with his troops practically surrounded. The Japanese house tax, which has long been a source of annoyance to foreigners residing in Japan, is to be a subject for arbitration at the Hague in the near future. England, France, and Germany will be Japan’s opponents in the case. The United States will not participate in the arbitration, but will reserve her rights in the matter under the “most favored nation” clause of international treaties. On October 9 the French Miners’ Federation declared a general strike in the coal mines of France for better pay, an eight-hour day, and old age pensions. It is estimated that 60,000 miners are now on strike. A general strike has been declared in Switzerland, but not all of the labor unions will obey the call. The people generally look upon the strike with disfavor. The Interstate Grocer declares that a plan is now being worked out for the consolidation of the wholesale grocery business of the whole country into one organization. One great corporation will be formed which will buy outright the business and good-will of the various firms, and the central office will do the buying for all the houses operated by the trust. The little gunboat Bogota, recently purchased and fitted out by the agents of the Colombian Government in San Francisco Harbor, sailed for Panama on October 7, with the avowed purpose of attacking and capturing the insurgent Colombian gunboat Padilla, which has been giving the Colombian Government much annoyance for several months past. The Burlington Express was held up by bandits near Lincoln, Nebraska, on October 11. The safe of the express car was blown open with dynamite, and the contents secured. The amount taken by the robbers has not been made known by the company, but it is believed to be large. Zion City, the citadel of John Alexander Dowie and his followers, is now facing a financial crisis. His institutions are refused credit by the merchants of Chicago, and he is making an urgent appeal to his followers to come to the rescue with sufficient cash to tide over the crisis. An aged colored woman who claims to have been born in 1770 died in Chicago on October 11. If her story is correct, this woman had reached the remarkable age of 132 years. She was living at the time of the Boston Tea Party and of the meeting of the first Continental Congress. The war minister of the provisional government of Hayti has been defeated in a spirited engagement with the insurgents, losing many men and some of his equipment and ammunition. The government is planning to send stronger forces to cope with the rebels. Affairs in Bulgaria and Macedonia are still in a very unsettled condition. Reports from the latter country state that a general insurrection has broken out, and because of this Bulgaria is calling out her reserves to prevent the invasion of her territory. Another peasant uprising has broken out in Poltava, Russia. According to despatches sent across the border, fierce conflicts are taking place between the peasants and the local forces. Many persons are reported killed and wounded. A combination of English capitalists is reported to have launched a scheme to capture and control the British food market in the interests of the Canadian producers. The corporation is said to be capitalized at $3,000,000. The Grand Army of the Republic, whose annual encampment closed at Washington on October 10, voted to hold its next encampment at San Francisco, California. Thomas J. Steward was chosen as leader of the organization. William Zeigler, who financed the Baldwin expedition in search of the North Pole, is planning to send out another expedition for the same purpose, altho he has already spent $350,000 without accomplishing that object. The crown prince of Siam, Chowfo Maha Vajira-vudh, arrived in New York on October 10, and was taken at once by special train to Washington, where he was cordially received by the President and Secretary of State. A terrible gale prevailed on the Labrador coast on October 4. Eighteen fishing vessels were driven ashore and wrecked. This storm is said to have been the worst since the memorable gale of 1888. W. H. Wright, treasurer of Hawaii, has absconded, leaving a shortage in his accounts of $17,949. The police have not yet been able to locate the defaulter. The National Irrigation Congress which has been in session at Colorado Springs, Colo., adjourned on October 9, and will meet next year at Ogden, Utah. Twenty persons were killed in a riot attending the closing of a Spanish Socialist club just across the line from Gibraltar on October 11. It is now possible to send telegraph messages as far north as Eagle City, Alaska, which is just on the Arctic Circle. PREDICTING CATASTROPHE AND BUT ONE SAVIOUR.
The Christian Advocate of Sept. 18, 1902, quotes from an address by a Paulist Father, Alexander P. Doyle, on the occasion of the laying of a corner stone of a Catholic church in New York City, as follows:— There are men who see danger in the lack of cohesive power in our great nation, country-wide in its reach, and at best only loose-jointed in its organization. The last Civil War was between the North and the South; the next, it is said, will be between the East and the West. The Catholic Church, embracing all nationalities, existing among all classes of people, and pervading all ranks of society, will be the cement that will hold together the various parts which are politically, at best, but loosely joined. Her strong and marvelously-knitted-together organization will serve to unify and make firm our civic well-being. But why has there not been more cohesive power in those countries which are practically wholly Catholic, such as Italy, Spain, France, the South American republics? History ought to teach the world some lessons, and it would, too, if read with some purpose. The “more sure word of prophecy” is clearer still. NEW YORK’S TRINITY OF VICES.
“GAMBLING, licentiousness, and unrestricted rum-selling every day in the week hold now high carnival here,” says the New York Christian Advocate. “District Attorney Jerome declares that ‘more gambling is going on under a police commissioner appointed by a reform mayor than when Devery was running the department under Van Wyck, a year ago.’ The Post, which has constantly commended Mayor Low, prints this statement by the chief officer of the county, and observes that it would startle the public ‘if the people had not been prepared to accept it by the notorious recklessness of lawbreakers of this class during the last few months.’” And this is the character of a great deal, nay, about all, of the political reform of the present day. “Living by Faith.” (Spanish.) A translation of Bible Students’ Library No. 75; 16 pp.; price, 2 cents. Address, PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING CO., Oakland, Cal.