ONTARIO by P. M. Howe

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 9, 1901

ONTARIO

By P. M. Howe

The Holy Spirit is needed among the workers and believers here. The task of breaking down the conservative spirit is growing harder and harder. Some of the churches are trying to do a little to warn the people about them. Everywhere the world seems anxious to read papers, tracts, and even books. Some of our canvassers are doing good work, but as a people we are not awake to the times in Ontario. Ontario is the home of the Lord’s Day Alliance. This organization works to retain all present Sunday laws and secure more. The rehearing of the “slated case,” the decision of which will settle the case of Brother Shirk, of the Albuna church, will take place in a few days. This means much to our cause here, as Brother Shirk is a farmer. I thank God for the interest shown by the Religious Liberty Association in this matter. Every member in Ontario ought to be deeply interested in helping the association by payment of dues, and also in using the Sentinel and other reading-matter to enlighten the people on the question of true religious liberty.

The Alliance has all their Sunday-law forces well organized. Every element, even to the Catholic Church, is enlisted to prosecute the work of lecturing, spreading reading-matter, and praying lawmakers to amend the Lord’s-day act. In this work Catholic priests and laymen are invited to take part. This bond of union between Protestants and Catholics has been greatly strengthened in all Canada by the recent action of Parliament to amend the coronation oath, striking out the part so offensive to Roman Catholics. If this recommendation by the Canadian Parliament is accepted by the English Parliament, the last barrier to a complete restoration of the Beast to its old-time power is broken down, and soon the cry in Great Britain will be, “I sit a queen, and am no widow.” This move of the Canadian Parliament met with great favor. Members who opposed it were “jeered” from the floor. It passed at 1:50 A. M.; by a vote of one hundred and twenty-five to nineteen. It was stated by the premier, who is a devout Catholic, that forty-three per cent of British subjects in Canada are Catholics.

Now, dear brethren in Canada, what are we doing to enlighten these men, both in the Dominion Parliament and in the provincial legislatures? Do they know the truth? Are we not asleep? Why not awake, and put all our energy into the work of sowing the seeds of gospel truth? The clouds that are gathering will soon break over our heads, and what then? It will then be very hard to prosecute the work. Dear brethren in Ontario, let us awake out of sleep. The Sentinel can be had at easy club rates. This paper should be read by every one of us, and all our lawmakers. The Lord of the harvest will help us. Let us be live missionaries indeed. Christ says, “Lo, I am with you,” “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Let us organize, and work while the day lasts; for the night will soon come when no man can work.

P. M. HOWE.