p. 386 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 21. (6/3/1889)

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The Roman Question

In a recent article on “The Roman Question,” or rather on the restoration of the temporal power of the Pope, the Catholic American asks: “How can he (the Pope), without being independent in temporal affairs, have the assurance of being able to teach all nations?” We give it up; and we confess that we do not see how he could have that assurance even with temporal power. “How can they preach except they be sent?” says the apostle; and we are sure that the Pope has no authority at all, as Pope, to teach the gospel. The power of which he is the embodiment is called by the apostle, “the man of sin,” and “that wicked,” and “unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?” He “that as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,” can have no divine “assurance of being able to teach all nations.”

Crafts Campaigns for Sunday Laws

The California Christian Advocate of April 17 has the following, which will be of interest to all the readers of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. We have before alluded to this proposed visit and to its object, but this presents it more fully and shows that so far from being dead the demand for religious legislation is not even sleeping on this coast. The Advocate says:—

“Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts, field secretary of the American Sabbath Union, is planning to spend August and September in the Pacific States and Territories, in the interest of Sabbath observance, and especially in the interest of the proposed National Sunday-Rest day, for which ten millions have petitioned Congress. He has spoken on this subject twice before the Senate’s Committee on Education and Labor, also at the International Convention of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and at the General Assembly of the Knights of Labor, both of which bodies indorsed the petition unanimously. He has presented this subject in the halls and churches of the chief cities of twenty-two States. The remaining States and Territories he expects to visit before the next Congress. Of course, his visit on our coast will greatly help in securing Sunday laws in California and Nevada, the only States that have none, and in securing better enforcement of the existing laws in the other States and Territories, and better observance of the Sabbath by church people.”

“Mr. Crafts is to debate with Professor Jones, of the Seventh-day Adventists, in Michigan, and will probably arrange to meet some of their leaders in California also.”

Of course our readers are aware that Mr. Crafts is not to debate with Professor Jones, of the Seventh-day Adventists. But the reason has not yet been stated; it is this: He simply don’t want to. The facts are that Mr. Crafts challenged Mr. Jones for a debate; the challenge was promptly accepted, and the time, place, etc., etc., all agreed upon, when for some not very clearly defined reason the valiant champion of National Reform backed out, and now says that he will not debate. Possibly he has concluded that “Professor Jones, of the Seventh-day Adventists,” has arguments which he does not care to encounter at short range.

We are not authorized to speak on the subject, but we doubt not that if Mr. Crafts will make his wishes known in time, and give a sufficient guarantee that he will not run before the battle begins, he can be accommodated if he desires “to meet some of their leaders in California.”

CAMP-MEETINGS FOR 1889.

It is announced by the General Conference Committee that the camp-meetings this year will begin on Tuesday evening and close the following Tuesday morning. Those marked with the star (*) in the following list, will be preceded by a workers’ meeting. The committee states that where workers’ meetings are to be held, and they are not thus marked, notice should be given at once. The list, which is subject to change, is as follows:—

*Minnesota, Minneapolis, June 11-18 *New York, Rome, " 11-18 Wisconsin, Mauston, " 18-25 Dakota, Madison, June 25 to July 2 Michigan (Northern), Wexford, " 25 to " 2 North Carolina, July 9-16 Virginia, " 16-23 West Virginia, " 23-30 Georgia, July 31 to Aug. 6 Michigan (Southwestern), Aug. 13-20 *Ohio, " 13-20 *Missouri (general), " 13-20 California, Ferndale, Humboldt Co., " 15-22 Arkansas, Rogers, " 20-27 Maine, " 20-27 Tennessee, " 20-27 *Michigan (general), Aug. 27 to Sept. 3 Texas, " 27 to " 3 Vermont, " 27 to " 3 California, San Diego, " 29 to " 9 Colorado, Sept. 3-10 Canada, " 3-10 Nebraska, " 10-17 Illinois, " 17-24 Indiana, Sept. 24 to Oct. 1 *California (general), Oakland, " 25 to " 7

Question About Samuel and Endor

MRS. L. D. F.: You will find your question fully answered in the article entitled, “Samuel and the Woman of Endor,” on page 323 of this paper.

The Berlin Conference on Samoa

At this writing it seems probable that before this paper reaches the reader the work of the Berlin Conference on Samoan affairs will have been completed, and that in a manner most satisfactory to the people of Samoa. It seems that everything claimed for the Samoans by this Government has been conceded by Germany.

The Papacy and Its Temporal Power

The Catholic American says that “the restoration of the temporal power is in the highest degree an international question which deserves to be discussed in an international congress.” And we take it from Rev. 17:12, 13 that it will be so discussed, and that the powers of Europe will “have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast,” the Papacy, but only for a little while; for it is that power whom the Lord shall “consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming.” And his coming is near.

Sabbath-Keeping and the Stranger

A CORRESPONDENT of the Christian Oracle in a late communication to that paper makes the proposition that “Adventists who pretend to keep that Sabbath law ought to do their utmost to compel all around them to keep the Sabbath,” and says, “They do not obey the commandment unless they do.” His proof (?) is as follows:—

“Examine the Sabbath law of the decalogue. You must keep the Sabbath yourself. But is that all?—No indeed. You must compel others to do it too, and here are the ones named: (1) Your son; (2) your daughter; (3) your manservant; (4) your maidservant; (5) your cattle; (6) the stranger or the gentile.”

The most notable feature in this exhibit is the omission, after the word stranger, of the words, “that is within thy gates.” The commandment says, “Nor the stranger that is within thy gates.” This requires Sabbath-keepers to require all upon their premises to refrain from labor upon the seventh day, but lays no duty upon them, and gives them no authority outside of that, as everybody knows, and as every honest man will admit. The Sabbath-keeper can and should say to a stranger who for any reason might desire to do any unnecessary work upon his premises on the Sabbath, “You must not do it;” but he would have no right to say it to his neighbor who wished to work upon his own premises, within his own gates.

MRS. MARY M. SHARROW

By Mrs. Mary M. Sharrow

EDITOR OF THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES: Please allow me through you to thank good Mr. and Mrs. V. O. Wait, of Albany, Oregon, for the pamphlets entitled “Christ’s Second Coming” and “The Three Messages.” Besides these they have been sending me the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and the American Sentinel regularly since the 23d of February, and that without money or price. God certainly has some great blessing in store for them. I have derived great good from reading them, as have also my friends to whom I loaned them. Some to whom I read are filled with wonder at the truths that are made so plain by the writers of the papers. I have but one Sentinel at home to-day; all the rest are out, and doing good.

May God's choicest blessings ever be with the editors, and all concerned in sending forth the glad tidings contained in your papers.

Yours with respect,

MRS. MARY M. SHARROW

Except the Lord Build the House

“EXCEPT the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Ps. 127:1.

Christianity Made Acceptable to the World

CARDINAL NEWMAN is credited with saying that “much of the fault found with the gospel comes from a wish to make religion acceptable to the world in general, and more free from objections than any moral system can be made, and more immediately and visibly beneficial to temporal interests of the community than God's comprehensive appointments condescend to be.”

This is certainly true, and the fact is to be deplored, but in catering to the demand for a gospel shorn of its “objectionable” features, the ministers of the present day are only following the example of the bishops, especially in the third and fourth centuries, when to make Christianity acceptable to the heathen they incorporated with Christian rites the many pagan forms and ceremonies still observed by the Roman Catholic Church. The children are only following the example of the mother, for the time has come when people will not endure sound doctrine. And as in the fourth century, as related by Gibbon, the most respectable bishops persuaded themselves that the heathen “would the more readily renounce the superstitions of paganism, if they found some resemblance, some compensation, in the bosom of Christianity,” so the popular ministry to-day console themselves with the thought that lowering the standard, and throwing over the follies of the world the garb of religion, will make Christianity so attractive that all will embrace it. But alas! when thus emasculated it is no longer the Christianity of Christ, and is little better than the baptized paganism, which is now known as Roman Catholicism.