A REVISED VERSION OF THE GOSPEL.
By W. E. Howell
HAVE you heard that the gospel is being revised? Our National Reform friends have gone so far in their work of reform (?) that they have begun to print a new edition of the gospel, and have kindly given us a few advanced sheets. Having long felt a lack of that power which alone is effective in promulgating the gospel of Jesus Christ, it has evidently occurred to them that if they would revise the gospel and make it conform to their course of operations, instead of conforming their work to it, they might at least appear a little more consistent in using it as one of their “pries” over which to “elevate the nation.” Naturally the first step in the work would be to find a new definition for the gospel. The Bible definition is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” Rom. 1:16. Then the preaching of the gospel is the preaching of the power of God. What is the new definition? “Preaching the gospel is telling men in good round English their sins and the penalty of them.” (Christian Statesman, July 15, under the heading “Reform Articles.”) And this is the very gospel they are preaching, and the very reform they are instituting. Their burden seems now to be for the “heathen” in Chicago, especially those connected with the World’s Fair, both officially and otherwise. Consistently with their definition they have been faithfully telling the management of the Fair their sins in opening the Fair on Sunday, in such terms as the following: “Lawless and gilt-edged anarchy,” “national outrage,” “rebellion against the national government little short of those who fired on the flag in 1861,” “sabbath breaking, law breaking, contract breaking,” “another edition of rum, Romanism, and rebellion,” “what is the difference between the conduct of Higginbotham and Spies,” “compromising sot to Satan,” etc., etc. They characterize the directors as “broadcloth mob,” “little squad of inflated officials,” “Sabbath breakers, law breakers, contract breakers,” etc.; and style the Fair a “pagan show,” “gigantic grogshop,” “propaganda for untruth,” etc. The penalties are, “consumed like Sodom and Gomorrah, with fire from heaven,” visitation of the death-dealing cholera, a great tidal wave from the lake to sweep the Fair out of existence, financial failure, ruin of the nation, America disgraced by setting a bad example before the world, etc. A gospel contains good news. But what is there either good or new in “telling men in good round English their sins and the penalty of them”? Men are already conscious of their sins and the penalty of them, and what they want is release from them. And so far from its being good news to remind them of their sins and their consequent penalties, without pointing out the remedy, it only increases their misery and remorse of conscience. But do they not offer a remedy?—Yes, what they consider a remedy. The nature of it may best be understood perhaps from that adopted for “Sabbath desecration.” Mr. Crafts, in a mass meeting at Boston, May 18, said American people were bound as Christians to enter their protest, and call upon President Cleveland to send troops, if necessary, to enforce the laws of the State and laws of the sacred sabbath. And at the close of the meeting it was unanimously decided to telegraph Cleveland “to suppress with Jacksonian firmness Chicago sabbath nullification . . . with troops if necessary.” The Pittsburg Advocate said, “The only way to reach the management,” who “trampled on . . . the sabbath for greed,” “is with a financial club, and the Christian people are ready to swing it.” In harmony with this idea of clubbing, the Michigan Advocate says, “Sabbath breakers generally will never receive any very hard knocks from the secular press, especially from the Sunday newspaper.” So, in short, the remedy is the use of armed troops, financial clubs, and “very hard knocks.” “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Gal. 1:6, 7. Satan is satisfied as long as he can get everything “wrong end to,” persuade men to believe that to lead means to drive, and to mistake deform for reform. But, judging from the forerunners of this new edition of the gospel, someone who is at least well acquainted with the devil’s method must be the reviser. Reader, do you want to buy?