Earlier text: The Danger of Continuing in SinWHEN a man says, "I have his word for it," we naturally ask who is represented by the pronoun—whose word has he? A word is nothing in itself but a sound, a breath, a few pulses of articulated air. Even when written it is only a little ink on a piece of paper. But if the speaker or writer is an honest man, a wise man, a man of authority, his word may be worth a great deal. It is an expression of his wisdom and of his will. If a millionaire gives his word for a thousand dollars and puts it down in black and white, we call the paper worth $1,000. Any banker will cash it. If a king gives his word and affixes to it the great seal of the kingdom, that word is law. Millions confide in it and obey it. But in the Bible we have a word surer and worth more than that of millionaire or monarch. We have the word of the Lord. When he speaks all holy intelligences listen and rejoice; every utterance adds to the absolute knowledge of his rational creatures; every word is a new fact. It is greater than a new world; for the world is perishable, but the word of God "liveth and abideth forever." In the early ages before there was any Bible the word of the Lord came, now and then, to some patriarch or prophet. He was in doubt, in darkness. He longed for direction and encouragement. How precious, then, the voice that told him just what to do! And when that voice came to a nation, when the prophet said, "I have a message for you direct from Heaven," how every pious heart leaped for joy, and every godly hearer hastened to obey. Think for a moment of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. They are hemmed in by the mountains and their enemies. Shall Moses call a council of war? If he did, what would the opinions of those fugitives be worth? Not a voice in that camp could suggest any way of escape. But listen. There comes a voice that thrills every heart. And the Lord said unto Moses, "Speak unto the people that they go forward." That was no mocking message. They knew that if God told them to advance, he would open a way. They obeyed with alacrity, and lo, the sea gave them a passage between walls of water on either hand. The Lord spake. They obeyed and they were saved. And when they stood on the eastern shore, and saw the army of Pharoah hastening through the way by which they had crossed, what could they do? They had no power or courage to resist the chariots and the horsemen. But then again, and at just the right moment, came the word of the Lord. Moses obeyed. He stretched forth his rod. The waters returned and the Egyptians were drowned. The Bible makes many wonderful statements about the word of God. By it the heavens and the earth were made. "He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." "He has magnified his word above all his name" (Ps. 138:2). His word is true. It is more precious than gold; it is a light that shineth in a dark place; it endureth forever. We have in the Scriptures all the words of God that were spoken through the prophets; we have the words of Jesus, who was in the beginning with God and was God; we have the words of inspired apostles, who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. There is no subject on which we need light that we cannot find in the written word; there is no question of our moral nature for which there is not an answer in the oracles of God; there is no spiritual foe that we cannot put to flight with "the sword of the Spirit." Our Saviour in the wilderness, when tempted by the devil, wielded this sword. He said again and again, "It is written." He conquered, not by arguments, but by quotations. And so may we, however fiercely assailed. What a blessed thing to have a "Thus saith the Lord" to guide us and to cheer us all along the journey of life. The traveler, through a forest where there are many paths, will often be in doubt and anxiety if there are no fingerboards to tell the right direction. But he would be a reckless traveler who should hurry on, choosing the way that was easiest, shadiest, or most flowery, instead of looking up and reading what was painted on the guide-board. Such a traveler would be sure to go far astray and be lost. And yet the world is full of just such travelers. The Lord has given them a perfect guide-book. He has put up in it many a pointing finger, with the words: "This is the way, walk ye in it." He knows the right from the wrong; he knows what is wise and what is foolish; he knows the road to happiness and Heaven, and he has given us such full information, that whoever will seek, in all the emergencies of life, for a "Thus saith the Lord," will never fail to find it. No wonder that Satan masses his motley forces—infidels, liberals, critics of all arms—against the plenary inspiration of the Bible. That is the Malakoff of our faith. If "God spake all these words," then we know what is truth and what is duty; then we know what to trust to in life and in death, and what to hope for beyond the grave. But if every "Thus saith the Lord" is a delusion, or, if we cannot tell which of the words are human and which are divine, we have no certainty; we are afloat on a dark and shoreless ocean, without compass, or chart, or pole star; without pilot, or lighthouse, or landmark; without any assurance of safety, or any hope of a haven.—The Occident. “He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” He that doubteth. He that is not fully satisfied in his mind; who does not do it with a clear conscience. The margin has it rendered correctly, “discerneth and putteth a difference between meats.” He that conscientiously believes, as the Jew did, that the Levitical law respecting the difference between meats is binding on Christians. Is damned. We apply this word almost exclusively to the future punishment of the wicked in hell. But it is of importance to remember, in reading the Bible, that this is not of necessity its meaning. It means properly to condemn; and here it means only that the person who should thus violate the dictates of his conscience would incur guilt, or would be blame-worthy in doing it. But it does not affirm that he would inevitably sink to hell. The same construction is to be put on the expression in 1 Cor. 11 : 29, “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself.” For whatsoever, etc. Whatsoever is not done with a full conviction that it is right, is sinful; whatever is done when a man doubts whether it is right, is sin. This is evidently the fair interpretation of this place. Such the connection requires. It does not affirm that all or any of the actions of impenitent and unbelieving men are sinful, which is true, but not the truth taught here; nor does it affirm that all acts which are not performed by those who have faith in the Lord Jesus, are sinful. The discussion pertains to Christians, and the whole scope of the passage requires us to understand the apostle as simply saying that a man should not do a thing doubting its correctness; that he should have a strong conviction that what he does is right; that if he has not this conviction, it is sinful. The rule is of universal application. In all cases, if a man does a thing which he does not believe to be right, it is a sin, and his conscience will condemn him for it. It may be proper, however, to observe that the converse of this is not always true—that if a man believes a thing to be right, therefore it is not sin. For many of the persecutors were conscientious (John 16: 2; Acts 26: 9); they who murdered the Son of God did it ignorantly (Acts 3: 17; 1 Cor. 2: 8), and yet were adjudged as guilty of enormous crimes. Compare Luke 11: 50, 51, and Acts 2: 23, 37.—Dr. Albert Barnes, in loco. The Church Courting the World
THE church of God is to-day courting the world. As a satisfaction for worldliness, a great deal is being made of Lent, and Easter, and Good Friday, and church ornamentations. The Jewish and Romish churches both stranded on this rock. The Protestant church will soon be wrecked on the same. What a fatal doom.—The Fire-Brand. THE TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION TO COME.
By A. F. Schauffler
THERE is one day to be a great triumphal procession in which Jesus will be the leader; in that day he will call forth all his resources, and will march in real triumph! The great procession of the universe is yet to come; for the day is coming when the Son of man will return to this earth “in his glory, and all the angels with him.” The apostle John tells us: “I saw Heaven opened; and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. . . . And the armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. . . . And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.” At that time Heaven shall be drained of all its resources to make that procession worthy of the Son of God. Prophecy had foretold his coming in humility, and it came to pass. But prophecy has also told of his coming again in glory, and that, too, shall come to pass.—Dr. A. F. Schauffler, in S. S. Times. MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
By Milton C. Wilcox
"Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation." "But I [Gabriel] will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth; and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael [Christ] your prince." Dan. 9:21 and 10:21. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." Rev. 1:1. "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1:11. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21. By putting these scriptures and others of more remote bearing together, some have concluded that the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost was a particular angel, called by Daniel, Gabriel, and by John, "His [Christ's] angel." This angel is evidently the angel of revelation. See Luke 1:19, and Rev. 22:9. The first three passages at the head of this article do unmistakably declare that God gave revelations through this angel. But the last two passages just as clearly declare that God revealed his truth by his Holy Spirit. Is not this proof, says one, that the Holy Spirit is this angel? By no means. That this is not the case, the following will shew:— 1. The Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit, existed before angels existed. Angels were among the "thrones," "dominions," "principalities," and "powers"—the "all things"—created by the Son of God. Col. 1:18. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath [spirit] of his mouth." Ps. 33:6. "By His Spirit he hath garnished the heavens." Job 26:13. This is also implied in Gen. 1:2, and Ps. 104:29. 2. God's power, separate from his personal presence, is manifested through his Spirit. This is evident from the above scriptures as regards creation. All the worlds and the hosts that inhabit them were created through the power of the Spirit of God. This of itself would be proof sufficient; for as all were created through the Spirit of God, and as angels are creatures, the power which brought them into existence must have a prior existence. And the angel which appeared to Daniel and John confesses his inferiority, placing himself as a creature on the level with John. See Rev. 19:10, and 22:9. And more, the Scriptures speak of the Holy Spirit as the power of God. In Luke 1:35 the Holy Ghost is called the "power of the Highest." Compare with Matt. 1:20. In Luke 4:14, it is said Jesus returned in "the power of the Spirit." In Acts 1:8, the disciples are told that they should receive "power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." The miracles and wonders wrought by Paul were by "the power of the Spirit of God." Rom. 15:19. 1 Cor. 6:14 reads: "God hath both raised up the Lord, and will raise up us by his own power." But the power by which God will raise up us is that of "his Spirit." Rom. 8:11. 3. The means by which the people of God are fitted to do his work are by gifts of his Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4, 7-11); the power by which they overcome sin is by his Spirit (Rom. 8:13); and the power which will recreate them or raise them from the dead is, as before shown, the same Spirit. The angels are God's servants the same as man. Rev. 22:9. Of nature much more powerful than man, especially in man's sinful state, they must yet depend on the power of God for any extraordinary strength; and the power of God is the Spirit of God. When God sends forth his servants, he bestows upon them his Spirit. And this is just as true of celestial servants as terrestrial. The angel of Rev. 18:1 was given power for his mission. So was Gabriel. He came to the prophets of God filled with the Spirit of God. He revealed to them truths, and yet not he, but the Spirit of God that spake through him. The Spirit was not dependent on the angel, but the angel on the Spirit. The Holy Ghost was not dependent on Isaiah, but Isaiah was dependent on the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God dwells within his people independent of angels. God gives them all of his Spirit they are fitted to bear; he throws round about them sacred influences to draw them to him, and keep them from the angels of the devil, by sending holy angels to guard them and minister to them. So he sends his servants on this earth to minister and instruct his people. Angels and men have each their offices and gifts, but the power is all of God, through his Spirit. Much more might be said. We have by no means exhausted the subject or the evidence. But, it seems to us, we have conclusively shown that the Spirit of God, the power in creation, regeneration, sanctification, re-creation, revelation, and inspiration is not a creature. It is a power that all may possess, the humblest of earth as well as the highest in Heaven. We are requested to give an explanation of 1 Cor. 3:12-15, with especial reference to verse 15: "If any man's works shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." In order to arrive at a proper understanding of this scripture, it will be necessary to know the subject of the apostle's discourse. Referring to verse 3, we learn that there was a division among the Corinthians, and in this division the apostle saw an evidence of carnality. He says: "For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." The conclusion reached is that, "Neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." And further, that those who labor, labor together with God, and that those who are converted under their labors are God's husbandry. Says the apostle: "Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." The apostle then states that Christ is the foundation upon which all must be built, and that "other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." It is expressly stated in verse 9, that those who are built upon this foundation "are God's building." The apostle Peter also uses the same figure (1 Peter 2:5, 6): "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious." From this it is evident that that which was to be built upon Christ, the foundation, was those who accepted the gospel through the labors of Christian ministers. But not all who are brought into the church are lively stones. The apostle Paul continues (verses 12, 13): "Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." The laborer in the cause of God goes forth preaching the gospel; men believe the truth, and, outwardly, obey it; they are received into the church, and so far as the work of the ministry goes, they are built upon the Lord Jesus Christ; but God alone knows the heart, and it is impossible for the minister to tell how much of his work shall abide. It may be that as he builds up a church, by far the greater part of it, instead of being stones, is simply wood, hay, and stubble. Says the apostle: "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon [that is, upon Christ] he shall receive a reward. But if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." By referring to 1 Cor. 1:12 we learn that these Corinthians had forgotten the one proper foundation upon which they could be built, and were saying, "I am of Paul; and I am of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." In this very division Paul saw an evidence that they were not right, and he simply warned them that they were carnal; that those who were building on Paul or Apollos or Peter did not belong to Christ, but that they were simply wood, hay, and stubble; and while those who had preached the truth to them, and had brought them to the point of nominally accepting Christ, would suffer loss because of their failure to make sure work, they would not, for that reason, be themselves lost. Strange as it may seem, some profess to find in this text an argument of universal salvation, but, as we have seen, it teaches the very opposite. It teaches that those only who are built on Christ, those who form characters that may properly be compared with gold, silver, and precious stones, will be saved, while those who, though built upon Christ in the sense of being instructed in regard to him, form only such characters as can be compared to wood, hay, and stubble, will be destroyed, and those who labored for them will fail of a reward because of their salvation. All ministers have not the same gift. Some succeed in interesting people, and lead them to take the first steps in the Christian life, but have not the faculty of fully establishing them in the truth. Such may be the means of bringing out a great many people, and yet they may see but very few finally saved through their efforts. Others are enabled to do more thorough work, to establish their converts in the Christian faith; and while they may be instrumental in adding fewer names to the church books, they may see more souls saved through their instrumentality. This, we believe to be the teaching of this scripture. C. P. B. Sunday Observance and Papal Power
A LONDON dispatch of the 4th inst., says that the world's Sunday-school Convention decided to send a memorial to the European sovereigns asking them to exercise their influence in behalf of Sunday observance. This question of Sunday-keeping is by no means confined to this country; it is world-wide. All the world will be made to worship the beast; and the Sunday is the distinguishing mark of the power which was to think to change times and laws. It is the institution to which the Papacy appeals as the badge of its power to institute festivals and precepts and to command men under sin. THE DAY OF THE LORD—ITS CHARACTER.
By M. C. W.
THERE is a prominence given in the Scriptures to the day of the Lord, second to no other period. The Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament repeatedly refer to that great day, and the New Testament is by no means silent on the subject. But as with all other important Bible subjects, there is a wide diversity of opinion in the Christian world in regard to the character, length, and scope of the great day of the Lord, as well as its relation to man. Where Satan cannot hide from the professed people of God the importance of a subject, he will divide their ranks concerning that subject. He will move upon men who have pet theories to support to connect those theories with the truth of God in such a way that, to the uninstructed, the truth seems to be dependent on the false theory, and it is accepted as truth; just as men persuade themselves that evil is good, in order that they may accomplish a certain purpose which seems good. The doctrine of the day of the Lord has suffered in this way. It has been made to do service to the temporal millennium theory and to the age-to-come doctrine. The theory has obtained that somehow the whole world is to be converted before Christ comes, or there is to be a new probation granted to men. The majority are to be saved someway. They do not see it accomplished here, therefore it must be in the day of the Lord. Thus they reason; and we would that it were true that the majority would be saved; but we cannot belie the words of our Saviour that few comparatively enter the way of life, many the way of destruction. We propose to show in a series of independent yet connected articles the character and length of the day of the Lord, as well as the principal events to occur in that day. What is the character of that day? is it a day of peace and safety and mercy? is it an accepted time, a day of salvation? It would seem that this must indeed be the case if it is true that in this day the great majority, at least, of the inhabitants of earth are to be converted. But it is not what we may believe, dear reader, that will decide this question. What does the Bible say? It is there alone that we learn that there is such a period, and it is evident that there alone we can learn its character. That it is not a day of peace, safety, and mercy to the inhabitants of earth, in which man may enter upon a new probation, is evident from the following considerations:— 1. It is nowhere represented in the Bible that a new probation will be given to man. No direct proof has ever been produced in support of the theory. The best arguments have been unwarranted inferences, sophistries, or appeals to man's selfish nature. On the other hand the word of Inspiration declares: "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have succored thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 3:7, 15; Ps. 95:7. 2. The positive testimony of the Bible concerning that great day. We have space for only a small portion of what is said in regard to the character of "that day." A part of the testimony of "the gospel prophet" is as follows:— "Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt; and they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger." Isa. 13:6-9, 12, 13. There can be no mistaking this language. It is "the day of the Lord" that is referred to; the prophecy applies to that time when it is near at hand. It comes not as salvation, but "destruction." It will not cause joy, but fear and faintness; for that day shall be cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate, and the sinners shall be destroyed. The world will be punished for evil, and the wicked for iniquity. The whole passage indicates the character of the day of the Lord in language too plain to be misunderstood. But it is said that this refers to the land of Israel which shall be made "desolate." And further, "the day of the Lord" does not always refer to the great day of God. While we would not contend for a moment that the prophecies of "the day of the Lord" had exclusive reference to the great day of God, that day is always included. The day of God's providential judgments upon lands and nations are only figures of the last final judgment, where the promised wrath will be poured out to the uttermost. The word translated "land" in Isa. 13:9 is erets, the same that is translated "world" in Ps. 22:27; Isa. 23:17; and Jer. 25:26; it is translated "earth" in Gen. 1:1, 2, 10, 11, 12, and in more than six hundred other places. That it refers to the earth in Isa. 13:9 is also evident from verse 11. The same day is referred to in Isa. 2:10-21, and chapter 24. Isaiah certainly represents the day of the Lord as a day of wrath; but let us hear the testimony of another prophet:— "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." Zeph. 1:14-18. The above language is much more terrible than that of Isaiah. It is so explicit, it is "the great day of the Lord." And how clearly is its character revealed by such terms as wrath, trouble, distress, wasteness, desolation, darkness, gloominess, and alarm! Those who have sinned shall be destroyed and no earthly ransom or power can save them; for "the whole land [earth, erets] shall be devoured," and "speedy riddance" will be made of all who dwell in the land [erets]. The earth-dwellers are the wicked. Luke 21:35. One more testimony in regard to the character of the day of the Lord, and that from the New Testament. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. In this passage the same character is given as in the prophets. It was given by the same Spirit. In that day, says the Lord, the atmospheric heavens will pass away, be rolled together like a scroll (Rev. 6:14), the earth shall be melted, and all marred by sin, burned up. In the seventh verse of the same chapter, Peter calls it the day of judgment and perdition (utter destruction) of ungodly men. Certainly this is sufficient to establish its character. All other testimony is in harmony with these quoted. They surely do not represent the day of the Lord as something to be desired by the inhabitants of earth. Yet it is to this that many are looking as a time of deliverance; but they will look for deliverance from earthly ills and will meet greater ills; they will look for peace and find tumult. In view of the scriptural testimony regarding the character of that day and these erroneous ideas now prevalent concerning it, we can realize the force of the scripture:— "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" Amos 5:18-20. In "that day," there is no hope for the sinner; and he who solaces himself with refuge then, will, like the one who seeks shelter in the house and support against its wall, find a greater evil than he fled from. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.
By C. P. B.
DURING the past two years, Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, have rejected constitutional prohibition by majorities ranging from 5,000 in New Hampshire to 185,173 in Pennsylvania. It is evident, therefore, that constitutional prohibition is not in favor with the majority of the voters of these States, but this is very far from being evidence that prohibition is not a good thing, and that it should not be generally adopted. We are not of the number who believe that the voice of the people is the voice of God. In fact, the majority of the people have always been arrayed against God, and this for the reason that the natural heart is not subject to the law of God. We believe firmly in constitutional prohibition. The standard arguments used against it have really no weight; and we can see no good reason why every State should not adopt it. It is universally admitted that the traffic in intoxicating liquors to be used as beverages is an evil. It is everywhere placed under restriction. In many States those who engage in it are required to pay enormous licenses; and, whether they realize it or not, every man who agrees that the liquor business should be subjected to such restrictions and should pay such licenses, admits that it is an evil. But it is urged that prohibition does not prohibit, and that it is better to regulate the traffic than to attempt to prohibit it. But the facts do not justify the assertion. We believe that it is true today that prohibition does prohibit. By this we do not mean that it dispenses entirely with all trafficking in intoxicating liquors, or with drunkenness. The people are not and probably never will be educated up to that point where the law will be fully enforced. There will always be individuals and neighborhoods that will in some way evade the law. But the fact remains that the open saloon is abolished, and that the amount of liquor consumed is very much less under prohibition than without it. The fact that more Government licenses have been issued in Iowa under prohibition than previously proves nothing. Few will try to violate the revenue laws of the United States, for the reason that the laws are rigidly enforced. There are more chances to escape the penalties of the State laws, hence, those who want to engage in handling liquor424in any manner shield themselves from the United States laws by paying the Government license. But their transactions are necessarily much smaller than they would be if they could also procure State license. When you drive the liquor business into cellars, back rooms, and garrets, you destroy its power for evil over those who have not yet acquired an appetite for alcoholic stimulants. It is the open saloon which is a menace to the rising generation. THAT COUNTER-PETITION.
By C. P. B.
THE friends of the National Sunday law and other like measures are very much troubled, as well they may be, in regard to the petition which is being circulated, praying Congress “not to pass any bill in regard to the observance of the Sabbath, or Lord’s day, or any other religious or ecclesiastical institution or rite; nor to favor in any way the adoption of any resolution for the amendment of the National Constitution that would in any way tend, either directly or indirectly, to give preference to the principles of any religion or of any religious body above another, or that will in any way sanction legislation upon the subject of religion; but that the total separation between religion and State, assured by the National Constitution as it now is, may forever remain as our fathers established it.” Joseph Cook and Wilbur F. Crafts have both characterized this as “a misleading counter-petition,”—the former, in an article in Our Day, and the latter, first in a circular letter, and more recently in an article published in the Christian Statesman. Mr. Crafts says that this counter-petition “would be unworthy of attention by the religious press, but for the fact that in many cases it has deceived the very elect.” Just what Mr. Crafts means by the “very elect,” we are not informed. It is certain he cannot use the term in the same sense in which it is used by our Saviour in Matthew 24, for there it is plainly implied that it is impossible to deceive the “elect.” We presume what Mr. Crafts means is that it has deceived some National Reformers. But why anyone should be deceived by it is more than we can tell. Certainly it is plain and straightforward. All that the petition asks is that Congress shall forbear adopting any resolutions or amendments that would in any way tend to a union of Church and State. It does not say that National Reformers are pressing any such amendment, and if they feel that they are innocent, why should they object to the petition? They profess to be opposed to the Union of Church and State, and if they are honest in this profession they should certainly be in favor of what they are now pleased to call “a misleading counter-petition.” The petition also asks “that the total separation between religion and the State, assured by the National Constitution as it now is, may forever remain as our fathers established it.” Inasmuch as these National Reformers profess that they want to maintain such a separation, and that they favor the Blair Educational Amendment bill, because it guarantees such a separation, they should certainly favor this petition, and the fact that they do not, shows that they are not sincere in disavowing a desire for the union of Church and State. It does seem more than passing strange how anyone could be misled by this petition. True, the fact of the existence of such a petition implies that there is a movement on foot to accomplish the things against which it protests. And we presume that it is in this fact that Mr. Crafts and Mr. Cook see what they are pleased to call “misleading.” They deny that their movement tends to a union of Church and State, but their denial does not alter the facts in the case. They ask to have laws passed recognizing the first day of the week as the Sabbath or Lord’s day, and to “protect the religious observance” of that day. The passage of such a law would make the State a party to a religious controversy, and certainly be a step at least in the direction of a Church and State union. But more than this. These gentlemen are both, if we mistake not, in favor of the Blair Educational Amendment bill, and that bill provides that the principles of the Christian religion shall be taught in the public schools. Now it is as clear as day, that if the principles of the Christian religion are to be taught in the schools, it must first be determined what the principles of the Christian religion are; and when that question is determined authoritatively, these principles become the established religion of this country; in fact, the State religion. It matters not how broad they may be, or how many denominations assent to them, they nevertheless constitute the State religion. It is true, as Mr. Crafts asserts in his article in the Christian Statesman, that Congress is at present forbidden to establish a religion, but the adoption of this amendment which he defends would virtually annul the first amendment to the Constitution, which now forbids the establishment of a religion, because, as already shown, it provides for the establishment of a religion. This, Mr. Crafts denies, and says that it only extends to the several States the prohibition which now exists. True, it does profess to do this, but in reality it requires each State to adopt Christianity as the State religion, and to teach the principles of that religion in its public schools. We are as much in favor of the Christian religion as anybody can be, but such prohibition as that contained in the Blair Amendment cannot be carried out without destroying religious liberty in this country. The moment the State lays its hand upon religion, and interferes in any way with religious questions, that moment it abridges religious liberty, and National Reformers are not ignorant of this fact. They know as well as we do just what the result of the adoption of this amendment would be, and instead of the petition against it being misleading, their efforts and their arguments in favor of religious legislation are misleading. Their cry of “stop thief” is simply to divert attention from themselves, in order that they may be enabled to carry forward uninterruptedly their infamous work. C. P. B.