Untitled article by Editor

Untitled article

Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · April 9, 1891

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 6, No. 15

APROPOS of our note of last week, in which it was stated that owing to persecutions about one hundred thousand of the poorest class of Russian Jews had embraced the Russian faith, is the following item from the Recorder, of this city:—

‘The Russian Government gives a reward of fifteen roubles to every Jew who becomes a Christian, and conversion is becoming as common an employment as peddling. One Jew who has been converted seven times, and has consequently absorbed one hundred and five roubles’ worth of Christianity, is in prison; but his fate does not deter his fellows from rallying round the Cross for an appropriation.

Is there not in this a suggestion for National Reformers? Could they not after all buy the infidels more easily and even more cheaply than they can hope to coerce them? True, the fagot and the rack may be necessary to the conversion of such men as Ingersoll, who is already well to do in the things of this-world, but for the “common herd” is not the commercial plan the better one? is it not at least more in harmony with the spirit of the age than imprisonment, whipping, etc., to say nothing of the still more coarse and even brutal methods of the Inquisition? Certainly our National Reform friends could study Russian methods of evangelism with profit. The Russian methods differ in degree but not in kind from those advocated in this country.