The Signs of the Times by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 23, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 37.

The Signs of the Times.

By Editor

OAKLAND, CAL., SECOND-DAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1889.

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A man in Buffalo, N. Y., is anxious to be cremated alive, in order that he may appear in spirit form and convince the world that he can live without his body. He would do well to read Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.

THE Monthly Observer is a bright little temperance paper published at Armagh, Ireland. It takes no half-way ground on temperance. It believes in straight out prohibition as the effectual means to stay the alcoholic tide. Address of the editor, Scotch Street, Armagh, Ireland.

THE Fire and Hammer takes the editor in the Banner of Holiness to task for certain expressions in an obituary which appeared in that paper. It calls the statement "an abominable lie," and heads the article, "Obituary Lying." There is much truth in the expression in a general way, whatever may be said of this particular instance. "Obituary lying" is exceedingly common.

WE learn from the Atlanta Constitution of August 30 that one of our brethren has been convicted and fined under the Georgia Code for chopping wood on Sunday. This man did no more than his neighbors are in the habit of doing, and his real offense was observing the Sabbath of the Lord. In his argument the prosecuting attorney urged that "the Adventists are trying to displace the Sabbath of our forefathers and to overturn the religion of all past generations!" This marks the case as one not of civil prosecution, but of religious persecution. Brother Conklin's attorneys labored to show the court and jury the iniquity of the whole proceeding, and failing in this paid part of their client's fine out of their own pockets.

A CORRESPONDENT asks an explanation of Isa. 45:7, which reads thus: "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things." The only difficulty, we presume, is in the words "create evil." The word "evil" has, according to Webster, two meanings: 1. "That which produces unhappiness; anything that directly or remotely causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; injury; mischief; harm. 2. Moral badness, or the deviation of a moral being from the principles of virtue impressed by conscience or the will of the Supreme Being," etc. In the first sense God creates evil when he sends special judgments upon nations or individuals, but in the second sense God does not create evil, nor does the text in question teach that he does. A comparison of Isa. 45:7 with Lev. 26:16 and Josh. 23:15, will assist to an understanding of the text.

THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES has ever stood as an advocate not only of temperance but of prohibition, both State and National, seven days in the week; and we have ever advised and encouraged our readers to work and vote for the adoption of prohibition, whenever and wherever that issue was not so connected with other issues of a different character that they could not consistently do so. This is still our position; and we would urge upon all our readers in Washington and South Dakota, the importance of voting and working for the adoption of prohibition in these new States at the approaching constitutional election. Owing to the prevalence of political corruption many of our brethren have abstained from voting, and under ordinary circumstances this course is to be commended; but in the States named, it seems to us that it is the duty of every Christian, who is entitled to a vote, to cast his vote, and to cast it for constitutional prohibition of the liquor traffic. Seventh-day Adventists are prohibitionists to a man; let those who now have the opportunity to do so, show their faith by their works.

IT is stated by the Alaskan of July 20, that "in making distribution of the $50,000, appropriated by Congress for the support of public schools in Alaska during the current fiscal year, no distribution was made in aid of any of the Roman Catholic schools in the district. Aid was given to the schools of other religious societies, but for the want of definite information, that of Catholic schools was postponed."

Commenting upon this, the Catholic Review of New York asks in a surprised sort of way: "Is it possible that the Catholics interested in the Alaskan Mission have failed to give the proper information?" So it certainly seems, though it is a most surprising occurrence, but the omission is one of which New York Catholics would never be guilty. The Romanists of the Empire State never sleep as long as there is a dollar of unappropriated school or charity funds in sight.

THE Christian Register says that "the Earl of Carlisle is a Unitarian with the courage of his convictions," and notes with approbation the fact that he "has closed the Episcopal church on his own estate, and drives on Sundays to the nearest Unitarian chapel, and personally interests himself in its welfare and the progress of the principles it represents."

Concerning this the Christian at Work pertinently asks: "But why did the earl close the Episcopal church? tell us that. If he wants to hear the Trinity denied, all very well; but how about those who love the English Church, and its service;—why did the Earl of Carlisle close the church doors against these? Is that liberal Christianity? If so where does the liberality come in?"

It certainly looks a little as though the earl's "liberality," like very many people's charity, not only begins but ends at home.

Freethought, a liberal paper published in San Francisco, says:—

"The majority of the ministry strongly favor the prohibition movement and compulsory sobriety. If this is logical, it should be carried further, and they should entirely abandon their calling—which is one of moral suasion wholly—and turn their attention to the lobby, in order to get laws that will compel the people to be religious, and then compel them to be moral. When Christian ministers advocate compulsory laws for anything, they cease to be teachers, sink their calling, and reach the level of politicians."

It does not follow that because the "majority of the ministry favor the prohibition movement" it is wrong, or that it should be shunned, even by infidels. Nor is it true that prohibition means "compulsory sobriety." It simply means that the business of making drunkards shall cease. Prohibition laws are aimed not at those who drink, but at those who for gain cultivate in their fellows perverted appetites, and then minister to those appetites that they may grow rich at the expense of their victims. Minnesota has a law making it a crime for a man to get drunk more than twice. When a person has been found drunk for the third time, the law makes it the duty of the public magistrate to impose a punishment of thirty days' imprisonment in the work-house. Why do not the advocates of "personal liberty" assail this law?—Simply because it does not touch the liquor traffic; it only punishes the poor victim of the liquor-seller's arts, while it throws around the saloon the protection of the State.

Laws prohibiting the liquor traffic are no more laws compelling people to be moral, than are laws prohibiting opium joints, and forbidding the indiscriminate sale of poisons.

A NEW book of 192 pages, "The Double Nature of the Kingdom of Christ," by one Isaac H. Curtis, of Paris, Ill., has reached our table. The book will be sent postpaid to any address for $1.00, and would in our opinion be dear at half the price. The central thought of the work is that the "Man Child" of Rev. 12:5 is the United States of America. The whole book is an effort to bolster up this absurd idea. In his introduction the author says:

"The kingdom of Christ when completed, or perfected, is twofold, civil as well as ecclesiastical, and hence, that the prophecies and types relating to his kingdom are twofold: first, they relate to the first coming of Christ, when the church was set up; second, they relate to the second coming of Christ, when his chosen civil government will be set up; third, that the American government is the chosen civil government of Christ, and that the prophecies relating to the second coming of Christ comprehended its establishment and purification—it being the restored Israel. For the development of this theory of explication of the prophecies relating to the kingdom of Christ, the following chapters were written."

The book ought by all means to be dedicated to all those who accept the National Reform idea that this country is eelong to become a true theocracy. It is certainly chimerical enough for the most visionary.