p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 31. (8/12/1897)

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY STRUGGLE.

By Editor

It is not in America alone that freedom of conscience has its inveterate foes under the guise of the conservatives of public morality. Those “reformers who hope to mend the morals and manners of society by making and patching up old constitutions, exist all over the world; and Britain and her colonies are in the conflict. In Australasia the great general question before the people is that of federation of all the colonies, and among the sub-questions which must be decided is that of the attitude of the federated colonial government toward religion. Two petitions have been circulated, one asking for a declaration of religious belief, and the other a counter petition asking that the constitution should have nothing to do with religion or religious belief. These petitions were laid before the Federal Convention, held at Adelaide, and the Constitution reported by the delegates was free from any religious declaration. The friends of liberty under the Southern Cross did yeoman work in the circulation of the Southern Sentinel and other publications, and God has helped men to see where right is. Now the issue comes before the parliaments. We will present one of these appeals in a near issue.

Remedy for Spiritualism.

There has been sent to us “a call for a convention to organize a National Anti-Spiritualistic Association of America,” commencing in Anderson, Ind., Sept. 7, 1897. It seems to us that the Word of God, borne by the man of God, is sufficient to oppose all error, howsoever blighting it may be. Of course men may not believe it; but if they do not it is because their hearts prefer the selfish morality of some false system. God gave Adam and Eve his Word in the Garden of Eden, but they believed the serpent; and the same old lie has been taught ever since; and on this lie Modern Spiritualism is based. Of course there are many other deceptions connected with it, such as sleight-of-hand, prestidigitation, etc., but no effective Gospel opposition can be carried on by exposing these tricks just as long as people are taught that the dead are not dead, but conscious. They are thus led to hope for communication with them, and demons personate the dead friends or help their agents to trick their dupes. In either way the soul is deceived and led from Christ. The only antidote for Spiritualism is the Word of God and its teachings concerning sin and resultant death, and the only Source of righteousness and life—Jesus Christ our Lord. Every man who bears witness to this is a most effective foe, not to Spiritualists, but to “Spiritualism,” and every other ism based on that first falsehood, “Ye shall not surely die; . . . ye shall be as God.” Gen. 3:4, 5.

Christian Endeavorers and Their Yells

An itinerant press item says: “The Christian Endeavorers left Chicago with several new and improved ‘yells.’ Think of Paul and Timothy starting for Macedonia on a missionary journey and giving a ‘yell’ as they left Ephesus.”

A Word from the Editor

By Editor

WHATEVER about this paper is not up to standard is owing to the incompetency and sickness of the editor. Whatever is good, and that is much, we owe, under God, to our contributors and helpers.