The P. O. address of Eld. G. D. Ballou and wife is Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal. Temperance and Sabbath-school business should be thus addressed.
General Conference Appointment
By Editor
THE appointment of General Conference is not yet published. We expect to be able to announce it next week.
A Day of Thanksgiving
By Editor
WE give in full the proclamation of the President of a day of Thanksgiving. Let it be observed. We have more reasons to be thankful than can be enumerated.
Justified by the Law
By Editor
To MRS. O. W. C., Scranton, Iowa.—If we knew of any class or any individuals who desired or expected to be “justified by the law,” we would forward your card to them. But as we know of no such, it gently falls into the waste-basket.
Brother Smith’s Labors.
By Editor
Eld. Uriah Smith leaves Oakland this week for his home and his labors in the East. We shall always be thankful that he answered our call for assistance in the important work of this season. Our ordinary labor is all that we can well attend to, and had he not come we could not have carried out our plans in the publication of our "Special Edition." We pray that he may be spared and strengthened for the conflicts yet before us.
A Frank Statement.
By Editor
COL. GEORGE BABCOCK made a strong speech at a prohibition meeting in Oakland last week. He justly censured those who profess to be temperance people and yet vote some other ticket in preference to the prohibition ticket. Such persons show that they are bound to a party, and not to principle. But that which interested us most was the statement that "there is no moral difference between selling liquor on Sunday and any other day of the week. That which is in itself wrong, is always wrong." To this we give a hearty assent. And since this is the fact, we cannot see the propriety of a temperance party meddling with Sunday legislation. What benefit can a Sunday law bring to the cause of temperance that is not secured by prohibition? If the sale of liquor is prohibited every day in the week, it would be the height of folly to pass a law prohibiting it on Sunday also. And thus it appears, in whatever light it is viewed, that the Sunday Law is in no sense a temperance law, but is purely and simply in the interest of religion. And so we refuse to support it for two reasons. First, the religion which is thus to be enforced is a counterfeit religion; and second, it is not within the province of any man to legislate on matters of religion, of which God alone is the judge.
St. Helena Health Retreat.
By Editor
It was our privilege to visit the Retreat a few days since at the election of a Board of Directors. The By-laws were remodeled throughout, and made better to suit the working of the institution.
Again we congratulate the managers of the Retreat in having secured the services of Dr. Chase. We know him to be a gentleman of culture, careful and discreet in all his movements. Those who have been acquainted with the history of "Health Reform," will appreciate these qualities in the physician. The cause of hygiene has received more injury from its professed friends—from ultraists and fanatics—than it ever received from its open opponents.
In the early days of Oberlin College, the old-fashioned "Perfectionists" there adopted the most rigid system of living, and, in defiance of every principle of "free agency," compelled everybody, without regard to their physical condition or previous habits, to conform to it. As was to be expected, there came a reaction, and, instead of settling down to a rational system, the people discarded the whole matter, and in process of years hygienics were scarcely heard of in Oberlin. Some of the most prominent health teachers in the United States have proved the most impractical theorists, and left their impress upon a few, while, if they had exercised a due degree of common sense, and studied human nature more, they might have influenced the masses. We believe there is a bright future before our Health Retreat, and invite the attention of men of means to its prospects and its wants.
Bishop Merrill on the Advent.
By Editor
The article in this number on Christ's Coming at the Resurrection, from Bishop Merrill's book, is a sound argument. He yields too much at the commencement, however, impliedly contrasting the testimony of Matt. 13 with "those passages which connect these two events together by positive statement." What is said in Matt. 13 about the harvest, the end of the world, the sending of the angels to gather the elect, is not a parable, but it is Christ's explanation of a parable. Nothing can be more positive and plain than these words, so perfectly in agreement with all the other scriptures on this important subject.
Was Matthias an Apostle?
By Editor
"A READER of the SIGNS" sends the following:—
"Was Matthias of Acts 1:26 chosen by inspiration? and if so, why didn't he fill the place of one of the twelve? and why, as some claim, did Paul take his place? A lady friend of mine a Methodist, asked the question. If Moses was buried by the Lord, how did the divine writer know it? I replied that the writer was inspired. She then said that the apostles made a mistake in their writings, and referred to the case of Matthias; she said their Elder said so."
We see no reason to doubt that the disciples' prayer was answered, and that Matthias was chosen by the Lord. The record states that "he was numbered with the eleven apostles," and in Acts 6:2 we find that there were twelve apostles. Nothing is said which would intimate that Matthias has no business to be among them. It is also true that Paul was called to be an apostle, by the Lord Jesus Christ; but it is nowhere stated that he was to take the place of one of the twelve. He was a special apostle, chosen for a special work. Barnabas was also an apostle, Acts 14:14, but he was not one of the twelve.
The persons who make such reckless assertions show that they think more of their opinions than they do of the word of God. We expect this in an avowed infidel, but for a professed Christian to thus "handle the word of God deceitfully" shows that the moral sensibilities have been dulled to an alarming extent. There is getting to be more infidelity inside the church than outside; and religious infidelity is the very worst kind, for there is with it a show of piety.
A MINE OF INFORMATION.
By John Nevins Andrews
HISTORY OF THE SABBATH AND FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.
By Eld. J. N. Andrews.
The Bible record of the Sabbath; the secular history concerning it; the successive steps by which the change to the first day was made, and the work of restoration, are given in detail.
EVERY TEXT OF SCRIPTURE concerning the Sabbath is commented on at length; and the COMPLETE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS in regard to the Sabbath and first day is given. The comparative merits of the seventh and the first-day Sabbaths are fully shown. A copious Index enables the reader to find any text, or the statement of any historian.
Should be read by everybody. 528 pp. Price, $1.25.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
THE TRUTH FOUND.
By Editor
THE NATURE AND OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
By Eld. J. H. Waggoner.
The title of this little book sufficiently explains its character. It contains more Scriptural information in regard to the Sabbath than any other book of twice the size, and yet it is so simplified as to be easily comprehended. The author quotes the opinions of many learned men concerning the Sabbath, and their conflicting theories are strongly contrasted with the clear, straightforward teaching of the Bible.
64 pp. Price, 10 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
Appointments.
No PROVIDENCE preventing, I will meet with the church in Los Angeles, Cal., on my way East, Sabbath and Sunday, Nov. 11, 12; with the church in Boulder, Colo., Sabbath and Sunday, Nov. 18, 19; and in Knoxville, Iowa, Sabbath, Nov. 25. U. SMITH.
No PROVIDENCE preventing, I will be with the church at Salinas, Sabbath and Sunday, Nov. 18, 19. I hope to meet there the friends from Soledad and Gonzales. There will be opportunity for baptism. Let us come together to plan for the success of the truth. G. D. BALLOU.
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES,
By Editor
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, CAL., FOR THE
Missionary Society of Seventh-day Adventists.
A twelve-page Religious Family Paper, devoted to a discussion of the Prophecies, Signs of the Times, Second Coming of Christ, Harmony of the Law and Gospel, with Departments devoted to Temperance, The Home Circle, the Missionary Work, and the Sabbath-school.
Price Per Year, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $2.00
In Clubs of five or more copies to one address, to be used in Missionary Work, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.50
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal
—OR—
REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Michigan.
MRS. ELIZA PALMER, Sec. N. E. Tract Society, South Lancaster, Mass.
ELD. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, Ravenswood, Shirley Road, Southampton, England.
MRS. C. L. BOYD, Salem, Oregon.