Among the sisterhood of republics of the Western hemisphere, Mexico, our nearest neighbor on the south, is one of the most interesting. From the days of Cortez, when he led his daring adventurers into the kingdom of Montezuma, and overthrew the government of the ancient Aztecs, down to the present generation, Mexico has been a country of international fame.
The fabulous stories of its glittering mines of gold and silver have stirred the cupidity of two continents, and sharpened the greed of Shylocks for nearly four hundred years.
MEDICAL MISSION
Governed for many generations by the court of Spain, Mexico has had her revolutions and national sorrows; but her struggles for liberty have at last placed her among the countries that have shaken off the yoke of foreign supremacy and repudiated the doctrine of “the divine right of kings,” and she has taken her place among the splendid republics of the New World.
A MEXICAN STREET SCENE
From the day when Cortez planted the flag of Spain in the heart of the kingdom of Montezuma, to the present time, Mexico has remained largely Catholic.
A WATER-CARRIER
In the year 1895, according to the statistical report, there were to be found in the twenty-eight states of Mexico less than fifty thousand Protestants.
(Copyright, Underwood
HOME LIFE IN MEXICO
It is a sad commentary on the four hundred years of absolute control of the religion and education of a great people, that out of a population of more than thirteen millions, more than eleven millions can neither read nor write.
Splendid church edifices and gaudy priestly trappings have appealed to the vanity of the uneducated populace, while dead formalism and church ceremonies have been substituted for a genuine work of grace in the heart. The Word of God has been hidden from the laity, and all the knowledge of God that many of these poor souls have is through the formal services of the Catholic Church, and what is taught them by the priest. Centuries of darkness have blinded the eyes of a great majority of the people, and paralyzed their spiritual eyesight.
A MEXICAN NURSE
Mexico needs the Word of God. Nothing can help the people so much as the circulation of the written Word. Much good has been done by some of the strong missionary societies, especially the American Bible Society, in circulating Bibles among the laity.
Protestant religious literature, written in the fear of God and in the love of souls, will do great good in Mexico. The Seventh-day Adventist people have already started a printing plant in the metropolis of the republic, in which they are printing a large amount of literature in the language of the people. This literature is sold from house to house, distributed freely wherever persons can be persuaded to read, and is designed to teach the people concerning faith in Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sin by repentance, and the promises of the Word of God.
NATIVE FRUIT-SELLERS
In the city of Guadalajara, Mexico, we have established a medical mission where the poor can receive treatments at a nominal cost, or in cases of poverty, free of all charge. Many other medical institutions ought to be opened up in this great republic, where the help that comes through a knowledge of the laws of life can be given to the people. It is impossible for the masses of the people ever to avail themselves of an institution far from their homes.
THE NIAGARA OF MEXICO
Copyright, Underwood
Mexico needs much; but there is none so able to help our sister republic, with her great population, to receive a knowledge of the true God as the Protestant churches in the United States of America. To the enlightenment of our near neighbor, all churches should bend their energies. If this is done, a few years will work wonders in the transformation of the hearts and lives of the people.21
Encouraging Experiences
One of our canvassers was in Salina Cruz last year, and met a young Spaniard, talked the truth to him, and sold him some literature. I understand that he was with him not more than an hour or two. The canvasser went his way, and nothing was heard for some months, when the Spaniard sent for more literature, and said that about eighteen were keeping the Sabbath there. Dr. W. S. Swayze visited them, and reports a good company. The young Spaniard is
a brick- or stone-mason, and works by day, but holds meetings every night with about twenty interested persons, who are leaving off their bad habits, and taking hold of the Sabbath and other truths.
A leper sent to me from a place in the state of San Luis Potosi promises to furnish a hall or room for preaching, if we will send the man to do the preaching. Another letter from a minister of forty-five years’ experience says he never saw anything so clear as El Mensajero (the monthly paper printed in the Spanish language) on the prophecies. He wants to take an agency for the paper. Our little meeting-place is so full that we are thinking strongly of getting a larger place. The two brethren who are canvassing sell and take subscriptions amounting to about one hundred dollars apiece each month. We are trying to do all we can to satisfy the demands for books in Spanish, but expect that they will grow faster, and keep ahead of us. The evidence seems to show that the Lord has gone out before us in every direction.
G. W. CAVINESS.
Selling Literature
FOUR workers from California have recently gone to Mexico to engage in the sale of our literature in the Spanish language. Not being able to speak the Spanish, these workers were compelled to commit to memory a general statement concerning the books they proposed to sell, so that they might be able to make an intelligent statement to the people concerning the contents of the books. In writing of their experience, Brother H. H. Hall speaks as follows:—
“I have seen canvassing classes who thought it was hard to memorize an English canvass. How I wish they might have been with us as we struggled with this one in Spanish. But in the ten days we had practically mastered it, and were able to apply it to the Spanish book very intelligently.
THE PRINTING-OFFICE AT TACUBAYA
“While learning the language, and getting familiar with the best methods of entering the Spanish homes, the English-speaking portions of the city will be worked. Brethren Marchisio and Schulz, who have been doing colporteur work with the papers and tracts, will continue in that line for the present. They have gone out on a trip that will probably last six months.
“Just before I left, Brother A. G. Nelson, of New Mexico, sent in a list of over fifty subscriptions for El Mensajero, the Spanish paper, which had been taken in connection with his other work in a week's time. This makes something over six hundred subscriptions he has sent in this year. The record for another colporteur was over one thousand subscriptions in a year. Brother Bowers, who is working near Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast, has sold books during the past three months to the amount of four hundred ten dollars Mexican.” Thus is the light of the gospel being caused to shine upon those in the darkness of superstition.
A Statement of Belief.
INQUIRY is often made whether Seventh-day Adventists are evangelical in their doctrine. The most satisfactory reply to this question will be a brief statement concerning their belief:—
Seventh-day Adventists believe in the inspiration and divine authority of the Word of God, and that the Bible is a sufficient rule of faith and practise.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in the deity, the divinity, and the pre-existence of Christ.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in salvation from sin through faith in the merits and atoning work of Christ,—righteousness by faith,—the original Protestant doctrine.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in conversion, or a new birth, by the operation of the Spirit, and that only regenerated persons can be admitted to the kingdom of God.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that life and immortality were brought to light through the gospel, and that, therefore, man is not immortal by nature.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in the perpetual obligation to obey the law of God as it reads, but that this can be done only by grace through faith.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in a literal resurrection from the dead, and that rewards and punishments are bestowed at the time of the general judgment.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the best method for the support of the gospel is that which God himself has established, and they have, therefore, adopted the tithing system for raising means with which to carry forward their work.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that immersion is the Scriptural method of baptism, and they govern their practise accordingly.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in the separation of church and state, and in granting to every man freedom to believe or not to believe, to worship or not to worship, according to his own choice.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in Christian education; and in order to provide for the young people of the denomination suitable intellectual training, they have established educational institutions covering the whole course, from the primary grade to the completed college curriculum.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in and practise temperance in the strictest sense, and are in favor of proper legislation prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that Christ will return to this earth according to his promise, and that he is now “near, even at the doors;” but they do not set any definite time for his appearing.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the divine commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature is still in full force.
MISSIONARY LITERATURE
One Million Dollars' Worth of Gospel Literature a Year
THE history of the rise and progress of the Seventh-day Adventist publishing work is in many respects a remarkable story. Since the publishing of the first tract in 1846, it has grown steadily, under the prospering hand of God, until the total value of the output in all their publishing houses during the year 1907 was $1,035,565.62. The first periodical was published in July, 1849, and the first subscription book was issued by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in 1882.
PRINCIPAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PERIODICALS PUBLISHED IN AMERICA
During the past sixty years, since issuing the first tract, the publishing work has been one of the great pioneer means in carrying the gospel around the world to nearly every nation. There are now twenty-two Seventh-day Adventist publishing houses, in which are employed between four and five hundred persons, devoting their entire time to the production of gospel literature.
According to the latest statistics, these now have 697 tracts, containing 8,042 pages; 109 periodicals; 174 pamphlets, containing 15,212 pages; and 215 bound books, containing 69,167 pages.
There are now more than twelve hundred persons devoting their entire time to the sale of large books. About the same number are giving all their time to the sale of periodicals, and there are over three thousand workers who devote part time to working with the periodicals and small books. These, together with thousands of others who are not classed as salesmen, but who circulate a large amount of literature, keep the publishing houses busy, and render these institutions self-supporting. During the period of about thirty-seven years from the time the first tract was published in 1845, until the beginning of the subscription-book work in 1882, the total sale of publications amounted to $300,000.
As an illustration of how rapidly this work is increasing, as it works its way among the many nations of the world, note carefully the following figures, showing the expansion of the work for the past seven years. The total sale of publications during the year 1901 amounted to about $300,000, or an amount equal to the total sale of publications during the first thirty-seven years. During 1902 the sales were $430,027.71; in 1903, $477,714.98; in 1904, $436,600.68; in 1905, $547,067.03; in 1906, $824,027.69; in 1907, $1,035,565.62. The record for 1908 is yet to be made; but up to the time of this report, we can state that the sale of literature this year shows a substantial gain over last year, in spite of the peculiar conditions brought about by storms, droughts, panics, and political disturbances.
The power of the gospel is the only power which can withstand the vicissitudes of this sin-cursed earth. It is the glory of the gospel that it blooms in the desert, and prospers when beset by the storms of this world.
Literature as a Pioneer in Establishing Modern Missions
ROBERT MORRISON, the pioneer missionary to the Chinese, realizing the power of the Scriptures in all mission work, devoted himself untiringly for twenty-five years to the translation of23the Bible into the Chinese language and to the stupendous undertaking of making a Chinese dictionary. His translation, which was the first Bible given to the Chinese, was first issued in fifteen volumes, at a cost of seventy-five thousand dollars. This patient work by Morrison became the foundation of all succeeding missionary effort in China.
In opening the mission work in Burma, Adoniram Judson devoted many years to the translation of the Scriptures into the Burmese, translated several valuable books, and wrote many tracts. The natives were so desirous of learning from the Scriptures and tracts which Judson had prepared, that some of them, he says, came two or three months’ journey from the borders of Siam and China to inquire after the books, saying, “Sir, we have seen a writing that tells about an eternal God. Are you the man who gives away such writing? If so, pray give us one, for we want to know the truth before we die.” Others came from the interior of the country, where the name of Jesus was little known, and asked, “Are you the Jesus Christ man? Give us a writing that tells about Jesus Christ.”
When John Williams, the pioneer missionary among the islands of the Pacific, entered upon his life-work, which was to be devoted to giving the gospel to the natives of the islands, who were all heathen, he realized that they must have the Scriptures. Few men have issued literature under greater difficulties, as the islanders had no written language. It was necessary, therefore, for Mr. Williams to learn the spoken language, reduce it to writing, make his own grammar and dictionary, and then translate the Scriptures.
His work progressed slowly at first; but when he could place the Scriptures in the hands of the natives, and teach them to read, they more readily accepted the gospel, and many whole islands renounced heathenism, and accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Literature, and especially the Bible, has lost none of its power since the days of these pioneer missionaries. The printing-press is becoming more and more the great agency by which the gospel message is being carried to all parts of the world.
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA.
S.D.A. PERIODICALS PUBLISHED OUTSIDE OF AMERICA
S.D.A. CONFERENCE PERIODICALS, ISSUED IN AMERICA.
SOUTHERN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION — NASHVILLE, TENN.
The Power of the Printing-Press in the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century
THE publishing work is one of God's most universal and powerful agencies for spreading the gospel during the last generation. The printing-press has come to the world in fulfilment of the words of the prophet, “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” It was first recognized as a factor by the Reformers of the sixteenth century.
PUBLISHING HOUSE IN ENGLAND
As Luther stood before the stalwart, and Christian youth, who flocked to the university at Wittenberg in response to the rallying gospel call of justification by faith, he saw in them a power which could carry the gospel to all the countries of Europe, if that gospel could only be multiplied by the printing-press so as to be placed in their hands for general distribution. Therefore, Luther translated the Scriptures from the dead languages, which could be read only by the educated few, into the tongue of the common people, in order that they might be read by all. He and Melancthon also published between four and five hundred tracts and pamphlets. This literature in the hands of the students from the more progressive evangelical schools, like Wittenberg, soon became a power which enabled the gospel to gain a foothold in every country of Europe, and accomplished more than all other agencies combined in making possible the great Reformation of the sixteenth century.
Luther's Ink-Bottle
It is said that, on a certain occasion when Satan appeared to Luther, and endeavored to crush him under discouragements, Luther drove Satan from the room by hurling an ink-bottle at him.
At first thought it might appear that the throwing of the ink-bottle was a weak and almost childish thing to do; but the fact is that the ink-bottle was at that time, and has been ever since, the most formidable weapon that has ever been used against the great adversary. The printing-press has for centuries been hurling ink-bottles at the many fortifications which Satan has erected in this world, and clearing the highway for the coming of the Lord.
