p. 10 | In the Great World

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 27, 1909

In the Great World.

In the Religious World. Roman Catholicism.

The Roman Catholic papers are very joyous, jubilant even, over the organization of the Church Extension Society which held its great meeting in Chicago a short time since, and which was reported in this journal; and they are making the

most of it. One of the resolutions passed at that time was that the secular press should be used, and we see examples of this in the reports of Catholic meetings and what Roman Catholics are doing, to a larger extent than usual. And the secular papers seem to have no limit to the space that is accorded the Roman Catholic Church. Protestant churches are given stinted space. Reports from their great conventions are very meager, but not so with the reports concerning the Roman Catholic Church. Any city which possesses a bishop notes all the news of his movements and work, and repeatedly the same photograph appears in the papers. They seem to take extra pains to exploit in every way the work and influence of the leading Catholic prelates and the work of the church itself. In this way Roman Catholicism is gradually molding the minds of the people of the United States. The daily press is the educator of many. Very many times these articles on Romanism, or inspired by Romanism, in the daily press discount in every way possible the history of the past; and many Protestants, or men with Protestant leanings, have come to believe that the history of the past concerning the Roman Catholic Church and the persecutions of the Dark Ages are falsehoods; that the church itself is greatly maligned. Receiving these impressions, the natural conclusion is that the Reformation was itself a mistake, and in the light of a present-day Protestantism with no standard, many conclude that the better way to do is to turn back to Roman Catholicism.

Another thing which is helping along the great Catholic movement is the remarkably ornate display which is made on all great occasions. It has ever been true in the history of the race that when the church possessed the least of deep spiritual experience she was more affected by outward display. Human nature is naturally superstitious, and the immense parades, the appeal to the senses, of which the Latin church is the master, have their effect upon the ordinary mind. This, too, is manifest in the trend in that direction on the part of Protestant churches in the making so much of Christmas, Easter, Lent, etc. When Protestantism departs from the simple Gospel of Christ and the standard of the word, she is left to the currents and winds of the great open sea, without chart or rudder. Some will follow science falsely so called, while others will drift back to the great church of tradition. Thank God there are a few who still cleave to His word.

In Protestant Circles.

One of the noted things in the Protestant religious world, as The Homiletic Review, the great ministers’ monthly, observes, is the growing strength of a Socialistic spirit, not only in political circles, but in religious circles, shown by the increasing number of clergymen, both in this country and in England, who have thrown themselves into the Socialistic propaganda, and have indorsed “Dr. Campbell’s recent pronunciamento, that Socialism is the economic expression of the Christian ideal. Never before in the history of the church have social questions occupied so large a place in the attention of the pulpit.” And yet Socialism is not Christianity, nor is the political Socialism of the day the economic expression of the Christian ideal. The only true expression of the Christian ideal is that which grows out of Christian character, and Christian character is only wrought by being begotten again by Jesus Christ through the word.

— The Review also notes the amazing progress of the Emmanuel movement which is reaching out from Boston and establishing itself in other great cities. This is another great movement which masquerades hypnotism and hypnotic suggestion under the garb of Christianity.

— Almost constantly are we met by manifestations which indicate the outward drift of Protestantism and reveal its unsettled, feverish condition. For instance, here is the title of an article in the last Biblical World: “How May Christianity Be Defended To-day?” The simple fact is that it is not Christianity that needs defense. It is poor humans. God has not presented His religion for humanity to defend, but He has presented Christianity to defend humanity. It is the great refuge that He has presented to a storm-tossed, storm-beleaguered world. It is the great cleft Rock into which they can run and be safe. If the Christian ministry had confined themselves to the one object for which they were called,—the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the teachings of His holy word,—they would not now be met by a thousand questions to which they have no answer to make; they could have pointed to souls redeemed—the mightiest miracle of the Gospel—as an answer to all the objections which the critics could bring against the religion of Jesus Christ. It is not theology which the world needs; it is religion. Neither is it a religion of mere ethics that the world needs; it is the religion of life and power.

“As Christ Would Live.”

Just recently a lawyer in an Eastern city asked the young people to live for two weeks just the way Christ would live, and something like two thousand pledged themselves to do it. Of course such a scheme as that would be futile. If these young people were truly regenerated and converted to Christ they would endeavor to live as did the Master anyway, not for two weeks, but for all the time; but to live as Christ did without the life of Christ which comes only through conversion, is always a fruitless task. It is the experience of Romans 7 over again. A popular writer notes the experience of one of these who started out so to live, a stenographer connected with one of the biggest business houses in Cleveland. Her testimony is that no girl can live a consistent Christian life and hold a business position. She says: “The business world is too deceitful and too crooked and business life is too wicked. I have tried to be a consistent Christian in my business life for three days, and I will either have to give up my job or quit trying to keep up to my new ideal. I had to tell three lies for my employer in three different letters the very first hour of the very first day I was trying to lead the ideal Christian life.” It seems as tho the stenographer had a better conscience than this popular writer, for she tries to tell the stenographer at once that her employer’s conscience belongs to him and that she has no more to do about what he dictates than has the machine upon which she writes, and the wicked old aphorism is given by this popular writer: “Business is business, and not religion,”—one of the sophistries by which thousands of professed church-members are trying to excuse their sin and criminality in the business world, and pose at the same time as consistent Christians. When people come before the great judgment-seat of Christ there will be no such discrimination. The question will not be over the kind of business that we have done, nor for whom we have done it, nor the competition we have had in it, but it will be over character. And character will be measured not by a fallen standard in the world, but it will be weighed in the balances of God’s sanctuary.

Knights of Columbus, at the great Catholic Missionary Congress at Chicago, Nov. 15-18. The Knights formed a special guard of 500.

Seismic Troubles.

The latest news from southern Italy and Sicily, while cutting down a little perhaps the number of lives lost from the first reports, indicate fearful conditions. Many have died in consequence of exposure, disease, and accident, so that there will probably be not less than 200,000 deaths as the result of the earthquake. The shock itself was probably not harder than that which affected San Francisco and vicinity, but the buildings seemed to have been more frail. It is called by various authorities the greatest earthquake of modern times, if not the very greatest on record in its awful loss of life and property combined, altho in violence, as stated by The New York Independent, it does not rank among the strongest shocks even of the present year. The same paper says again: “Hitherto the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, when 60,000 people were killed, has been in the first rank among the cataclysms of nature, tho some of the earthquakes of southern Asia have destroyed far more lives.” Both of the volcanoes, Etna to the south, and Stromboli to the north, are active, and the scientists would have us believe that these have no direct connection with the earthquake, but it will be difficult to convince the ordinary man. Why is it that these volcanoes broke out just at the time that the earthquake came?

There has been a hearty response to the Italian sufferers from all parts of the world. The sympathies of humanity have been touched, and from every civilized land on the face of the earth means have been forwarded to the suffering in southern Italy. One sad thing was that succor could not have been given earlier. But inasmuch as railways were broken up and telegraph lines were down, information was slow in reaching those who could help.

In other parts of the world there have also been seismic tremors. We noted last week that off the coast of Georgia the sea was seen to be boiling. In West Virginia hot springs had broken out. The report comes from Santa Cruz, Cal., that showers of hot stones had fallen. News comes from Seattle, January 11, that that city was severely shaken by an earthquake at 3:55 in the afternoon of January 11. Buildings of all sorts were rocked and moved perceptibly. Thousands ran into the streets and some fainted. Bellingham, Wash., had the same experience. The old earth is sick and her rheumatic troubles are increasing.

Among the Nations.

The Prime Minister of England, Mr. Asquith, came to the close of his session with two of the measures which he hoped to crystallize into law, still unpassed. One was the licensing bill, a very moderate temperance measure indeed, and the other was the education bill. There had been many councils and compromises, and it was thought the bill would carry, but it was defeated. Finally, a new bill was introduced which provided for popular control of the schools, and teachers’ freedom from tests, and the concession of denominational facilities in all schools on two mornings a week, with a statutory provision of universal Bible teaching. But this, too, failed. These defeats really leave the present administration weak.—The old-age pensions bill was carried, but this was favored by both parties.—There was a surplus in revenue over the last year of 4,726,000 pounds sterling, which was devoted to the reduction of the national debt, paying off in three years up to March 31, 1909, £46,700,000.—The naval estimates amount in round numbers in American money to $160,000,000 for the coming year, $4,500,000 over the previous year. The army estimates amounted to $133,000,000, a decrease of $1,500,000 during the past year. (Continued on page 13.)

Among the Nations.

(Continued from page 11.)*

On account of the criticism which has been raised over the Panama Canal, the President has invited six prominent engineers,—men who have had to do with great works,—to go to Panama, examine conditions there, and report. They will make a thoro inquiry.

Turkey.

Great interest has been taken in the new constitution in Turkey, and the opening of the first parliament was indeed a very auspicious one. Old rivalries and enmities between Mohammedans and Christians seem to have been buried for a little time at least, and the spectacle was seen of devotees of these rival religions falling upon each other’s necks and marching together through the streets to celebrate the new liberty in which they equally rejoice. The latest news is that Turkey has accepted $10,800,000 from Austria-Hungary as indemnity for the loss of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is thought that the powers signatory to the Berlin treaty will agree to this. But the Balkan troubles are not yet settled. The condition of Europe is a very delicate one. The slightest turn in international affairs may set all Europe ablaze. Thoughtful men are doing all in their power to smooth matters over, at the same time preparing for great crises. The Christian may be assured, however, that God has a hand in the matter, and He will overrule to His glory. Certainly now is the time when missionaries should be placed in Turkey. This freedom of speech ought to be improved to the fullest.

India.

News from India is little more assuring than it was a month or two ago. The vigorous way in which the English Government has taken hold of the matter has quieted things in a measure. Some of the independent tribes which were seemingly in doubt as to which way they would turn, have manifested a much more friendly spirit, and are cooperating with England, while those of anarchistic tendencies have been very quiet. It is hoped that the crisis is over.

Russia.

Russia, however, is not free from Nihilism; 500 have been arrested within the last month or so, and the season’s crop for this year seems to be an increase over any year previous. It has been truly remarked that if the government’s agents would give more attention to the condition that makes Nihilists, and less to the agitators themselves, they would find their task much lighter. The whole tendency of the age in the social, religious, and political, as well as in the medical, world, is to treat symptoms rather than to get at the causes.

A Big Gun.

We recorded last week the immense guns with which Great Britain is fitting her latest ships. A new naval gun has been designed and made in Washington, said to be the most powerful in the world, able to propel in almost a horizontal line a shell 1,300 pounds in weight, to a distance of nine thousand yards, at which distance it can penetrate the best armor in use by any of the great naval powers of the world. Its initial or muzzle velocity is 3,100 feet a second. Experts are now at work on a scheme by which some ship armored like the best modern battle-ships, shall be made the target for this supreme test of gun power and precision in firing. And still there are greater guns to be invented and stronger armor-plate to be made, of which more in the future.

A Procession of Priests. Those standing at the side in silk hats and with swords are Knights of Columbus.