Our Work and Workers by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 1, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 30.

Our Work and Workers

By Editor

Matters in Portugal

A PRIVATE letter from Pastor C. E. Rentfro, our missionary in Portugal, informs us that the expected separation of Church and State is in vogue there now. It is visited upon all religions alike. The general plan seems to be to put the church under strict laws, as any kind of society whose statutes must be approved by the government, on the supposition that the government has the right to know for what purpose money is used, and what each propagandist does and says in a public way. Ordinarily, that would not be necessary in a free country; but the Portuguese government seems to feel that with the plots and counterplots that exist and may arise, it is necessary to safeguard the government. No religious speaker can talk on politics in the same place where religious meetings are held. Article 7 says, "The private or domestic worship of any religion is absolutely free and independent of legal restrictions."

In "public worship" it is necessary to have more than twenty persons present, and it is free only from sunrise to sunset. After sundown special license is necessary for the conducting of church services. The members can only make their offerings to a corporation, which must have a board of Portuguese citizens only, and in the committee no minister of the church can have any part, or anything to say. Of all money received, the church must give one third to philanthropic purposes.

"This may be changed later; at least we hope so. The church corporations may possess the buildings, but after ninety-nine years these buildings must be delivered to the State. All ministers of all religions must be registered; and no one, foreign or naturalized, is allowed to preach without a license from the government. The priests that at present are actually working may receive a life pension. Should he move to another place or die, his successor will not receive anything. Many of them refuse to receive their pension, which will probably be put to philanthropic purposes."

Brother Rentfro says that "our own position over there has been placed before the Central Commission, but no answer has yet been received. Since the Catholic religion ceased to be the State religion the condition of the people is somewhat like the times of the French Revolution. The people have quickly dropped religious feelings and ideas; and should the State religion be enforced again, many of them would clothe themselves in the same mantle of hypocrisy. British and Foreign Bible societies say the work is very difficult now. It is a time when the people of God must pray much that God may keep back the waves of infidelity and persecution until the Lord's people shall be sealed with the seal of the living God, and then we hope that out of this country there will be a large number who will stand the test of the judgment."

"In talking the other day with a Swiss Y. M. C. A. secretary, who was for several years in America, he lamented that we, meaning the Protestants, have no representative, no person who could speak to uphold the principles of Protestantism before the nation. All in any position of authority are infidels. We could only reply, We have God on our side; we need to pray more — be men of faith and prayer."

Surely our Portuguese friends have very little idea of what religious liberty means. In their effort to restrict ecclesiasticism, they have declared for religious freedom, which, under their interpretation, seems to mean no freedom at all.

"Outline Studies from the Testimonies," by Clifton L. Taylor, principal of Beechwood Manual Training Academy. Emmanuel Mission College Press, Berrien Springs, Michigan. This is an outline topical study prepared by Mr. Taylor, designed to aid in the fuller, completer, and more systematic study of the series of volumes written by Mrs. E. G. White entitled "Testimonies for the Church." It will, we are sure, be of great help to those who are pursuing this line of study.

BROTHER P. SHILSTRA writes from the Netherlands that twenty souls were added to the church at Rotterdam March 4, eleven by baptism.