Current Notes and Notices
By Editor
At this writing a good camp-meeting is in progress in Oakland, Cal. Some of our force were detained at home to get out the paper. Read the article on "The Presbyterians of One Hundred Years Ago and of To-day" in our Outlook Department. It shows the religious drift. The Presbyterians are not alone in this respect, many others are with them, ignorant, we would fain believe, of consequences which will result in worldwide tyranny and oppression. Would that our Presbyterian friends could see this and return to the principles of the Presbytery of Hanover, or back of that to the New Testament. Typewriters for Sale.—THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES has for sale three Wellington typewriters. They were to us a welcome gift by a friend and brother, brand new at the time of our fire. They have done excellent work, being used but part of the time. Our reason for disposing of them is that we wish to reduce the number of different makes of machines in the office, having at the present time four. We do not need so many machines. The Wellington is a simple, durable, modern machine with standard keyboard. It is one of the best for a traveling man who wishes to carry a typewriter with him, as the machine weighs but twenty-four pounds in the case. These machines will be sold at a genuine bargain. Address the editor. According to the Springfield "Republican," the deficit for the next fiscal year of the United States government will approach $150,000,000. This year it is about $60,000,000. The appropriations direct for the army of 1909 is $95,382,000; for the navy, $122,660,000; for fortifications, $11,500,000; and for pensions, $163,000,000. Militarism is chiefly responsible for the great increase, aggregating in the four items given, $392,542,000. Like Unto Moses.—The manner in which God made His revelations to Moses and Jesus was unique. To His other prophets He made known His word in a vision or in a dream. Num. 12:6. "My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of Jehovah shall he behold." Num. 12:7, 8. Moses talked with God face to face. His was not alone inspiration, but revelation, divine illumination. He knew, so far as the limitations of mortals permitted, whereof he spoke and wrote. Other prophets prophesied beyond their understanding. Jesus much more than Moses dwelt "in the bosom of the Father." He testified whereof He knew; He spoke of the things He had seen. "Moses, the man of God!" "Jesus, the Son of God," "Immanuel!" Early Apostasy.—There is one thing that the Christian student of church history should never forget, and that is the rapid growth of apostasy within the church when once germinated. It was less than forty days after Israel had solemnly promised to obey the living God that they were bowing down to gods which their own hands had made. It would be contemptible logic which would cite Israel's act of idolatry under Aaron, the priest, as an evidence of what the worship of God should have been at that time and to interpret God's law by that act. But that is just what Sunday advocates do when they quote the apostate "Fathers" as proof that Sunday is the Bible Lord's day. Aaron said of the golden calf, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 32:4), and Sunday advocates say of the pagan Sunday, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; this is the Lord's day." What is the difference between the two? The question is not, What did an apostate church or people do? but, What does the Lord say? What did Jesus Christ do? The apostasy had already hatched in Paul's day. It had its pin-feathers in the first century. It was full-fledged in a very short time afterward. The Reason.—Cardinal Logue, says the Kansas City Journal, sends a note of warning to the people of this country against anarchy, Socialism, and the divorce evil, and the lack of religious principles. He declares that these constitute the greatest menace to the nation. Anarchism, he declares, should be eradicated wherever existing, root and branch; a Socialistic government, if its doctrines were put in practise, would crumble and fall within six months. The divorce evil threatens the very foundations of society, while the lack of religious faith is inimical to the political and moral health of any community. And some of these things are literally true, but they may be all summed up in one cause, however, and that is disregard of God's law. Men have lost faith in God; the attitude of ministers and priests who should teach God's law has turned men either to tradition or infidelity, and the world is now reaping the fruits of it. Too Much Organization.—The Rev. E. P. Marvin in Watchword and Truth declares strongly against the craze for organization. He justly remarks that "God organized the church as a consolidated body with a minimum of machinery, and a maximum of power; elders and deacons were the only officers, and its methods of work and worship were simple, spiritual, and reverent. It was a specialistic society to work under a special commission, not after the manner of human wisdom. All devices to revise this divine plan involve an impeachment of divine wisdom." He goes on to say, "Now that the church is copying the world in worldly clubs and trumpery societies until it becomes an ecclesiastical confederacy, it requires the administrative ability of a railroad president to run it. Homes are neglected for women's clubs, and outside fraternities are yoking church-members up with the world. Even Sunday-school classes are organized with officers and committees for social functions," and he declares that a pastor and wife lately chaperoned one of these to a banquet and a dance. He well asks, "If men will not do Gospel work in the church as God has appointed, what reason have we to hope that they will do it in a club or a brotherhood?" He pleads for one more society in the church, a "S. S. S. S.—Society for the Suppression of Superfluous Societies." And we heartily say, Amen. "The London Weekly Times" of May 15 reports that at Calcutta an anarchist college was discovered in which a revolutionary plot on a vast scheme had been organized. Bombs were manufactured and instruction in explosives given. The scheme was to divide India into districts, each of which was to furnish two graduates, who would spread the poison of instruction broadcast. The bombs found were of a most powerful and deadly character. The persons arrested refused to incriminate others, and gloried in their heroic conduct and noble design. A man who was disputing with his fellow passengers was arrested at one railway station, and on being searched was found to be carrying four bombs and three daggers. An Indian paper published an article glorifying the persons arrested, regretting the interference of the authorities which prevented a great sacrifice from being arranged in honor of the goddess Kali, and concludes its article with, "Have courage, brethren, the mother watches; another day and the universal sacrifice will come." The Presbyterian Church has a labor department, presided over by Rev. Charles Stelzle, who is not only a minister, but also holds a card as a member in the machinists' union. A large mass-meeting was held in connection with the Kansas City Assembly to which the laboring men were urgently invited in order to convince them that the church has a care for the problems and difficulties that confront them. The treasurer of the American Federation of Labor was one of the speakers. A characteristic utterance was: "I believe in organized labor, and I believe in the organized church. Nothing has been accomplished for salvation outside the organized church and nothing has been accomplished for labor outside the organized unions." The whole effort of this "labor meeting" seemed to be to move in the direction of allying the church with the labor organizations. Its Importance.—There is more than mere theological importance to be attached to the doctrine of man's nature. Upon the claim of man's immortality or "immortal soul," of consciousness in death, Satan has reared the great superstructures of idolatry, saint worship, Mariolatry, eternal torment, Universalism, Christian Science, Modern Spiritism, and other soul-destroying doctrines. Given a knowledge of the Bible truth that man is mortal, that his only hope of future life is thru Jesus and the resurrection, all these baleful errors are destroyed of themselves. Interest in Individuals.—"Charles Sumner has got beyond having interest in individuals," wrote Julia Ward Howe; "God Almighty has not got so far." And He has not. He takes an interest in every soul. Every soul however small he may be in the eyes of the human. He has special care for every honest heart seeking to know and do His will; for is it not written: "The eyes of Jehovah run to and fro thruout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." 2 Chron. 16:9.