READ "Preparing for War," in another column, and then read Joel 3:9-16 and see if what the prophet predicted is not coming to pass in our days.
NEXT week we begin a new series of Sabbath school lessons in the SIGNS on the "Word and Spirit of God." These lessons are not simply designed for Sabbath schools, but will be invaluable studies for all our readers.
THIS number of "Man's Sin and Saviour" may seem a little long to the average reader, but we did not wish to break by a week's time the subject with which it deals, namely, "The Ministration of Christ." It is a subject of intense interest, and we hope it will be faithfully studied.
WE are sure that among our more than twoscore and ten poems, notes, and articles, our readers will find much good food. Say, reader, does not the SIGNS OF THE TIMES present more Bible truth than any other paper with which you are acquainted? Should it not be more widely circulated? Will you not help us?
SOME of Mr. Crafts' strong arguments (or statements), and replies thereto, are presented in an article beginning on the first page of this paper. Being the foremost advocate on the Sunday side of the Sabbath question, he presumably presents the strongest arguments that can be presented. We wish to examine them in the light of the sacred record.
THE Prohibitionist thus voices its sentiments in reference to the vote cast for the presidential electors of the Prohibition party:—
One of the saddest things to contemplate in the face of the returns is the realization forced upon all, of the vast number of professed Christians who voted with the whisky parties. It looks now that the principal work to be done the next four years will be the conversion of the Christian church, before any further advance can be made. It is a fearful charge to make, but with only 300,000 votes against the saloon polled November 8, in a land professedly Christian, it looks very much as though the church is responsible for the open legalized saloon and all its awful results.
And we do not know why our earnest contemporary does not speak the truth. But if our Prohibition friends would place the Prohibition question on its merits and not make it a church or religious question, with which politics of a right have naught to do, the party would be much more successful. A backslidden church will never vote prohibition unless it comes to be popular.
ELDER COVERT's article, "Dead to Sin, yet Living unto God," properly follows his last on "Justification." The sinner is justified that he may be free from his old master, sin. Mrs. White continues the interesting subject of "Coming to Christ," which we hope will be thoroughly read. Elder Haskell discusses "What Jesus Said of John the Baptist." These articles of Elder Haskell's, though not immediately connected, have a thread thought running through them all of the principles manifest in God's work in all ages.
WE call attention to an article from the Baptist Leader, in another column, entitled "Shall Rome Rule America?" We are glad to see an outspoken utterance once in a while; but we should like to see some of our professedly liberty-loving contemporaries lifting warning voices against the very unprotestant movement of our great so-called Protestant churches, by which they are seeking to dominate the State, and compel the State through political boycotts to compel observance of the institutions of the church. This is notably true of the Sunday, a day the "sacredness" of which is wholly of Rome. The difference between the rule of Romanism and a corrupt Protestantism is the difference indicated in the prophetic word between the beast and his image in Revelation 13.
SAYS the Christian Statesman of November 19: "The strongest argument against woman suffrage that we have seen is the action of woman suffragists of late, personally and by associations, favoring Sunday opening of the World's Fair. Is that the way their votes would help 'moral issues' by advocating sabbath breaking and law breaking?"
The foregoing is illustrative of the liberty which the Statesman would grant to others, as well as its standard of citizenship. Its liberty to others would be to think and do just its way; its standard is its own opinion. The class under consideration might think that the strongest argument against granting the right of franchise to the W. C. T. U. women was the fact that they favored Sunday closing. And are not their rights in the matter just as sacred as those of the Christian Statesman and its supporters?
AN IRATE "CHRISTIAN" YOUNG MAN.
By Editor
It is thus that the general secretary of the Y. M. C. A. of Winsted, Conn., writes us:—
MR. EDITOR—Dear Sir: Will you please drop our name from your free list. Don't want your paper (SIGNS OF THE TIMES), and am tired of throwing it in the wastebasket. I suppose all my fellow secretaries feel the same way. Think your treatment of Rev. Mr. Crafts deserves a rebuke from every decent man in this land. Would rather put dime novels on our table than your paper. Respectfully,
E. B. PHILLIPS.
We would cheerfully grant Mr. Phillips' request if we could, for we believe the SIGNS has a more worthy mission than the wastebasket. And from many letters received from various parts of the country we are sure that there are not a few secretaries of the Y. M. C. A. who agree with us. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES, however, does not send the paper. It has evidently been ordered sent by some friend of the paper and the association from some regular news agency, the managers of which if they see this notice will act accordingly.
As to our treatment of Mr. Crafts, the SIGNS is not aware that it ever treated him in any other way than courteously, and more than justly. For his pronounced National Reform opinions we have only the utmost abhorrence, as we are sure he will sometime, when he reaps the harvest if not before. We pity him; we are sorry for his dupes, and we feel this way simply and solely because that upon which he largely expends his unbounded energy is contrary to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We oppose his principles because they are a perversion of the gospel of Christ and of the civil liberties granted under the Constitution.
As to the preference which Mr. Phillips has for dime novels as compared with our paper, we have only to say that that is his privilege. We are sorry that he feels thus; we would that he could see the gospel of Christ as it is, and greatly regret the influence which such feelings as Mr. Phillips cherishes must have upon the young men, Christian truly, we hope, who frequent the rooms in which he holds official position.
Religious Bodies and Sunday Closing
By Editor
The Advance of December 1 has the following in its leading editorial, entitled "Congress Again on Sunday Opening":—
But the action of nearly all the religious bodies in the United States, with the exception of the Roman Catholics and perhaps the Episcopalians, in all their several assemblies, conferences, associations, conventions, and so on, from largest to smallest, local and national, had nothing to do with any "Sabbatarian associations," but was the direct expression of the most considerate convictions of the members, and through them of the great mass of those whom they represented.
Indeed! "Had nothing to do!" "Considerate convictions!" Is the Advance so ignorant? or does it design to willfully misrepresent the facts in the case? Almost every paper of note knows, and the Advance ought to know, that all the religious bodies nearly which have taken any action at all relative to Sunday closing are part and parcel of the "American Sabbath Union," the energy of which has been exerted through comparatively few individuals. It may be said that "American Sabbath Union" and "Sabbatarian associations" are different terms, which is true, but the former is a latter in the sense intended by the Advance. How many who have petitioned for Sunday laws have any convictions at all about the matter?—Few indeed.
Paul and Christ’s Second Coming
SOME writers have said that Paul thought that Christ might come the second time in his day, because he said to the Corinthians, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." 1 Cor. 15:51. But there is nothing in this text which would necessarily imply any such thing as that. By the "we" the apostle meant the entirety of the members of Christ's body, or church. He was a part of the "we" not less than every Christian living when Christ comes. So also was Stephen, the martyr. But Paul did not believe that Christ was coming in his day. See 2 Thess. 2:1-9. The great apostasy must first come before Christ should appear. The apostles wrote for all time, and especially for the last days. This is a fact that should be kept in mind.
Sunday Closing and Temperance
By Editor
The California Prohibition organ says:—
The reason the San Jose ministerial union, "representing twenty different denominations," gave for advising their folds to support men for supervisors who would license the saloons six days each week, was "because they would close them one day each week!!!"
Exactly, and that is the measure of every Sunday temperance man and movement. All Sunday closing is in the interests of the Sunday and not of temperance. Will our true Prohibition friends ever get to see this fact as it is?
The World’s Fair and Sunday Opening
By Editor
THERE is no question but what Congress will be asked to repeal that part of its action relating to the World's Fair which demands that the Fair be closed on Sunday. The directors are in favor of Sunday opening. The Chicago Herald and many Chicago officials are putting forth great efforts to have it opened. Bishop Potter and other Protestants favor it if the machinery is not run; and Cardinal Gibbons and Master Workman T. V. Powderly favor it. These influences, especially that of the Catholic cardinal, which command so many votes, may assure the weak-kneed congressmen that it is safe to reverse their former decision. Some of those newly elected may have the boldness to do what is right now and vote to repeal the Sunday-closing act, knowing that Congress had no right to meddle with the matter anyway. Still others may vote the same way under the impulse of right, even though they make "provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof" by hastening to get on the side of the Sunday advocates when their term of office is about to expire. Others still will stick by Sunday thick or thin. Sunday laws are wrong; let that be settled; but let us not oppose them in wrong ways or by wrong methods. We hope that every true Christian will take such a course as he will be willing to meet at the bar of God.