Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 28, 1883
General Articles.
By Mrs. E. G. White
Luther Summoned to Augsburg.
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
Luther's pen was tracing words of truth that shook the very foundations of the papacy. "Whatever sermons and instructions do not exhibit and make known Jesus Christ, cannot be the daily bread and nourishment of souls. Therefore we must preach Christ alone." What words were these to come from a son of the Roman Church! Christ was exalted above the pope. Christ was lifted up before the people as the Lamb of God, who alone can take away the sin of the world. What marvel that Satan was enraged, and that all the power of the Roman hierarchy was excited against Luther?
The Reformer continues: "What is it to know Christ? and what good will come of it? I answer, To learn and know Christ is to understand what the apostle declares, namely, that Christ is made unto us, of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." "To believe is nothing else than feeding on this bread from Heaven."
Concerning the power of the church to remit sin, he writes: "The remission of sin is out of the power of pope, bishop, or priest, or any man living, and rests solely on the word of Christ and on their own faith. A pope or bishop has no more power to remit sins than the humblest priest."
To bring the truth more prominently before the people, Luther prepared theses setting forth the new doctrines, and engaged in public discussion of them with his opponents, at one of the leading universities of Germany. This discussion was listened to with deep interest. Educated young men marked with astonishment the force of Luther's arguments from the Scriptures. They sought out the Reformer, and in private eagerly listened to his explanation of the word of God. They honestly desired to know the truth; therefore the entrance of God's word gave light to their understanding. The teacher's work was rewarded. When Luther was called to other fields, these young men, with the Bible in their hands, fearlessly proclaimed the words of life. Crowds came together to hear the truth, and many captives were released from the bondage of papal error. These young men became active and useful laborers in the church, and occupied responsible positions in the great work of the Reformation.
Luther saw that the cause of truth had little hope for from those who had been educated in error, and he felt that its success must depend upon the rising generation. He says: "I have the glorious hope that as even Christ, when rejected of the Jews, turned toward the Gentiles, so we shall see the rising generation receive true theology, which these old men, wedded to their vain and most fantastical opinions, now obstinately reject."
These words of the Reformer contain a truth that should be heeded by those who are still pressing forward in the work of reform. Men are slow to renounce the cherished errors of a life-time. Many resolutely close their eyes, lest they see the light of truth. Oftentimes the clearest evidence from the word of God serves only to excite their hatred and opposition. Now, as in the time of Luther, the hopes of reform rest with the young, whose habits and opinions have not yet become stereotyped, and who therefore more readily yield to right influences. Converted to God, the youth of our time may, like the young men whom Luther instructed, fill an important place in the cause of truth.
The wide-spread interest excited by Luther's teachings aroused the fears of the papal authorities, and efforts were at once put forth to quench the dangerous heresy. A letter was written in the pope's name to the elector Frederic, urging him to withdraw his protection from Luther, and intimating suspicion of the elector's fidelity to the church. The Romanists had misjudged the character of the prince with whom they had to deal. Frederic of Saxony was a devoted servant of the church, but he was a man of sterling integrity, and he would not sacrifice justice and truth, even to the demands of the pope. To the papal letter he replied, that Luther had uniformly expressed a willingness to defend his doctrines before proper judges, and to submit to their decision if they should be able by the Scriptures to convince him of error.
But the word of God was not the weapon most convenient for Rome to handle. It was the very thing that they did not want brought to light; for they well knew that the truths contained therein would not only condemn their unrighteous course, but would lay their lofty pretensions in the dust. The only weapons which they could safely use were prisons, torture, and death. Ere long Luther receives a summons to appear at Rome to answer at the papal tribunal to the charge of heresy. This command fills his friends with terror.
They know full well the danger that threatens him in that corrupt city, already drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. With indignation they ask among themselves, Shall every man who dares lift his voice against the sins of Rome be silenced by death? Shall we permit this great sacrifice?
Luther's teachings had attracted the attention of thoughtful minds throughout all Germany. From his sermons and writings issued beams of light which had awakened and illuminated thousands. A living faith was taking the place of the dead formalism in which the church had so long been held. The people were daily losing confidence in the superstitions of Romanism. The barriers of prejudice were giving way. The word of God, by which Luther tested every doctrine and every claim, was like a two-edged sword, cutting its way to the hearts of the people. Everywhere there was awakening a desire for spiritual progress. Everywhere was such a hungering and thirsting after righteousness as had not been known for ages. The eyes of the people so long directed to human forms and human mediators, were now turning, in penitence and faith, to Christ and him crucified.
Luther and his friends knew that he could not hope for justice at Rome. They knew that there would be no safety for him on the journey to Rome, and no safety after his arrival. The Romanists had not been sparing in their denunciations of him, and once in their grasp no human power could release him. His friends were unanimous in the desire that he should receive his examination in Germany.
This arrangement was finally effected, and the pope's legate was appointed to hear the case. The instructions communicated by the pontiff to this official were as follows:—
"We charge you to compel Luther to appear before you in person; to prosecute and reduce him to submission without delay, as soon as you shall have received this our order, he having already been declared a heretic by our dear brother Jerome, Bishop of Asculan." "If he should return to a sense of his duty, and ask pardon for so great an offense, freely and of his own accord, we give you power to receive him into the unity of the holy mother church." "If he should persist in his stubbornness, and you fail to get possession of his person, we give you power to proscribe him in all places in Germany; to put away, curse, and excommunicate all those who are attached to him, and to enjoin all Christians to shun his society."
The pope goes still farther, and calls upon his legate, in order entirely to root out the pestilent heresy, to excommunicate all, of whatever dignity in church or State except the emperor, who shall "neglect to seize the said Martin Luther and his adherents, and send them to you under proper and safe authority."
Here is displayed the true spirit of Romanism. Not a trace of Christian principle, or even of common justice, is to be seen in the whole document. Luther is at a great distance from Rome; he has had no opportunity to explain or defend his position; yet before his case has been investigated, he is summarily pronounced a heretic, and in the same day, exhorted, accused, judged, and condemned; and all this by the self-styled holy father, the only supreme, infallible authority in church or State! The spirit of the dragon, "that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan," is seen in this transaction. Notwithstanding his cunning, he has in his rage forgotten to be wise.
Augsburg had been fixed upon as the place of Luther's trial, and thither the Reformer went. Serious fears were entertained in his behalf. Threats had been made openly that he would be waylaid and murdered on the way, and his friends begged him not to venture.290Staupitz entreated Luther to come and take refuge with him until the storm should subside. "It seems to me," he wrote, "that the whole world is up in arms and combined against the truth. Even so was the crucified Jesus hated. I see not that you have anything else to expect than persecution. Your most prudent course is to leave Wittenberg for a time and come and reside with me. Then let us live and die together."
But Luther would not leave the position where God had placed him. He must continue faithfully to maintain the truth, notwithstanding the storms that were beating upon him. His language was, "I am like Jeremiah, a man of strife and contention; but the more they increase their contentions, the more they multiply my joy. My wife and children are well provided for, my lands and houses and all my goods are safe. They have already torn to pieces my honor and my good name. All I have left is my wretched body; let them have it; they will then shorten my life by a few hours. But as to my soul, they shall not have that. He who resolves to bear the word of Christ to the world, must expect death at every hour."
GUIDE US TO-DAY.
By Laura Sanford
Guide us to-day, O loving Care,
Shielding our dangerous way
The white mist binds the sky o'erhead,
The gulf beside is deep and dread,
Our course a maze, our path a thread.
Guide us, Love's dearest care;
Guide us this day.
Guide us to-day, sweet soul of Peace,
Making men's hearts obey.
Our naked breasts bleed at a wound,
Oppression bows us to the ground,
Our hearts faint at a cruel sound.
Kind, calm, consoling Peace,
Guide us this day.
Guide us to-day, O tender Grace,
From zenith, shadows stray;
A sad, deep murmur haunts the sea;
The summer withers; and the free,
Fresh wind has sighs of mystery.
Guide us, O tender Grace;
Guide us to-day.
Guide us, Love, Peace, and Grace !
Guide us, divinest Light !
Through all our work and care and woe,
Through all the dizzy joys we know,
Through that "Dark Valley" where we go,
Guide us, Love's dearest light.
To-day, to-night.
—Laura Sanford.
The Gospel Motive.
(Concluded.)
13. TO SUFFER with Christ. "Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." "For if we suffer, we shall also reign with him." "If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." 1 Pet. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rom. 8:17.
14. To watch and pray. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." "Be like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; . . . blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching." But "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Luke 21:36; 12:36, 37; Rev. 3:3.
15. Moderation. "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Phil. 4:5.
16. To induce us to fear the Lord, think upon his name, and speak often one to another. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Mal. 3:16, 17.
17. Love to the brethren. "The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." 1 Thess. 3:12, 13.
18. Comfort under bereavement. "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Besides this I affirm to you, by the command of the Lord, that we the living, who remain at the coming of the Lord, shall not anticipate them who are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Afterwards, we, the living who remain, shall at the same time with them, be caught up in clouds to join the Lord in the air: and so we shall be forever with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:13-18. Paul would not have his brethren ignorant of the hope based upon the resurrection from the dead, for he would not have them sorrow under the bereavement of friends, as those who are without hope. For as certain as that Christ died and rose again from the dead, so certain is it, that them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him from the grave, the place of the dead. He then assures them that, although they might be alive at the second coming of Christ, they should not go before, or anticipate (see McKnight's trans.), or outstrip (Whiting's) their brethren who are asleep in the grave; and gives as a reason, the fact that Christ himself will come from Heaven in person, and then he will change us who are alive, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and we shall all go up together in the clouds to meet Jesus, and then we shall be no more separated from him—no, nor our friends—and Paul exhorts us to comfort one another in our bereavement, with this blessed hope. God will bring them up from the grave; though dead, they shall live again, when Christ comes.
From this array of Scripture, it is evident to all that the motive by which those who preach the gospel are to enforce obedience to its claims, to its requirements, and duties to God and man, is Christ's second coming, or those events connected or dependent upon his coming.
If this be so (and who, I ask in all candor, is prepared to dispute it), then, I ask, if we present other motives than those founded in the gospel, are we not assuming the prerogatives of Christ? Are we not taking the seat of the Man of Sin? Are we not taking the false teachers of these last days, spoken of by the prophets, by Christ, and the apostles? Are we not, in the strictest sense, Antichrist? In fine, are we not preaching another gospel than Christ's?
And what shall we say to such? What saith the Scriptures to such? for we would stand aside and let God speak.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20.
And Paul says: "Though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If ANY man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8, 9.
God help us, my brethren, to avoid this curse. Oh, let us examine into this matter, and see whether we are preaching another gospel, or enforcing the claims of the gospel of Christ by other motives than those chosen by Christ. And if so, God help us to repent and submit to Christ; and, as he commanded Jonah, go and preach to the people the preaching that he bids us. Jonah 3:2. Let us forsake all, leave all, turn from our own ways and the traditions of men, and follow Christ.
And do you ask, What is following Christ in this respect? Let Christ himself answer.
"And he saith unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury the dead, but go thou and preach."—Preach what? That men should prepare for death? No; but preach—"The kingdom of God." Luke 9:59, 60.
Then "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel (good tidings) of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the good tidings." Mark 1:14, 15.
Paul "went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers [many] were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude"—What way? Why, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. That is, because he would preach the coming and kingdom of Christ, as the motive to induce men to repent and believe on Christ, &c., the church was displeased with it. Well, what did Paul do? Read on. He went out of the church and took all the disciples with him, over and hired a school-room where Tyrannus taught school. And God blessed him richly, and wrought special miracles by his hands. Acts 19:8-12.
Thus did Paul, rather than to cease preaching Adventism—the coming and kingdom of Christ—as the great motive to induce men to yield and to accept the claims of the gospel. And so, my brethren, let us go and preach the preaching Christ has bid us—"The kingdom of God." Go into the churches and preach it; and when they become hardened, and believe not, but speak evil of this doctrine before the multitude, come out from them, leave the church, and take the disciples with you, and go and hire a school-house, hall, or the barn, or go into the street; anywhere, rather than yield the motive of the gospel—than preach "another gospel" than Christ's coming and kingdom.
God commands you by this example of Paul to come out (and remember his will made known by example is as binding as though made known by precept) and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; obey him, and he will bless you abundantly, as he did Paul, and bring you safely through, justify and crown you, and give you the kingdom.
And now, my brethren, I exhort you to be faithful—"preach the word"—"go, preach the kingdom of God." Fear not; God will protect you in the path of duty. And what your hands find to do, do with your might—do quickly—for Jesus our Lord is coming, and coming quickly, to give reward to his faithful servants.
Sinner! awake! awake!! repent. The Lord is coming, with all his mighty angels, to take vengeance on the wicked. Oh, sinner, flee to Christ—believe in him—lay hold on eternal life—quickly, quickly! or soon it will be too late.
The last sands of time are falling. The last woe comes quickly. Soon, soon the opening heavens will reveal Him. God help us all to be ready when he comes, to share with him in the glories of his everlasting kingdom. Amen.—Advent Tract, No. 2.
Did Ezra Deceive Christ?
By Wilbur F. Crafts
THAT is the real point of controversy in the debate now going on within the evangelical church. Let not the multitudinous clouds of scholastic discussion about "the Elohist," and "the Jehovist," and "the second Jehovist," and "the redactor," hide the main question. Nor should the unlearned suppose that the vital issue involved is one on which only those who can talk Hebrew are able to form a correct judgment. If it were so it would be cruelty in the Hebraists to bring the subject before the people at all; indeed, it would be cruelty in God to put the evidences of inspiration so high that only a few can see them. The real question at issue, Did Ezra deceive Christ? that is, did a good man deceive the Godman? is not so much a question of learning as of logic. It is not to be decided by uncommon learning, by uncommon sense.
It is admitted by Robertson Smith and the advocates of the new criticism generally that Moses is mentioned hundreds of times in the Pentateuch as doing, saying, and writing certain things, but they say that except in a few chapters (Ex. 20-23) Moses did not do, or say, or write those things, but that a good man named Ezra inserted Moses' name as a "legal fiction" into his own codification of laws to make them more impressive. The reason for believing that Moses did not write all the laws he is said to have written, is that some of them were not obeyed until the days of Ezra. Admit that to be so it is a question not of learning but of logic whether the non-enforcement of a law proves its non-existence, and whether Ezra could be a straight saint and a crooked, forging Chatterton at the same time.
But it is further claimed by the new criticism that not only the Jews, but Jesus also was deceived by the "legal fiction" of Ezra into believing that Moses really wrote the Pentateuch. We are reminded that Christ, when his deity was veiled in flesh, declared there was one subject on which he could not speak, because he did not know about it. From that it is argued that he might not have known some things which he did say—an inference much too strong for the text. To say that Christ, when incarnate, did not know some of the things of which he did not speak, is vastly less than the claim of the new criticism that he did not know some of the things which he professed to know, and of which he often spoke; for instance, that he was mistaken when he indorsed the general belief in the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. I am aware that some of the critics, by that sort of "forced interpretations" which Dr. Ellis assigns to the Unitarians, reason away the evident meaning of Christ's words; but it is admitted by Robertson Smith and his followers generally that Christ did often speak of the Pentateuch as written by Moses, which statements they declared are proved to be erroneous.
The whole question at issue may then be put into four words, Did Ezra deceive Christ? That again is a question of logic rather than learning—turning on the nature of Christ rather than Hebrew words. God had revealed himself to man291first in the Oldest Testament of nature and conscience, then more clearly in the Old Testament. Then he sent men a living Word to explain the written word. It matters little whether in the limitations of his humanity Christ understood all we do of astronomy or geology, which have no close connection with redemption, and of which he said nothing, but what shall we say of the King's Son if he makes misstatements about the very law book he came to explain? If he had no more knowledge of its authorship than the people about him, why should we suppose he had any more knowledge of the laws themselves? It is the old foe with a new face. Could Christ have been either deceived or a deceiver? Can one who is perfectly good and great be base enough to deceive, or weak enough to be deceived?
The question is one of reasoning more than of research. Surely he that believeth will not make haste to accept the claim that Jesus made misstatements on the authority of a nebulous criticism, whose results are so uncertain that its experts of equal standing differ a thousand years as to the age of the book of Job, and six hundred years as to Obadiah. While welcoming all the valuable results of critical Bible study, we hardly need to reshape our theology to it until its nebulous hypotheses are cooled into scientific certainties.
This is what Delitzsch says of the words of the new criticism:—
"Many of the former results of the critical school are now out of fashion. Its present results contradict each other. In reality we know little and imagine that we know much."
On the other hand this is what Jesus said of all his words:—
"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I spake not from myself; but the Father which sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life eternal; the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak." John 12. 48-50.—Rev. W. F. Crafts.
A Plea for Legalized Christianity.
By William Covert
BY ELD. WM. COVERT.
[We think the reader will readily see the force of the following presentation of the position of those who are endeavoring to Christianize this nation by an Act of Congress, and will pardon the irony used by the writer.—ED. SIGNS.]
It is thought that Christianity in this country would be greatly advanced if we would assert in the national constitution that "This is a Christian Nation."
If this can be done without doing violence to the ninth commandment, and we can get such large returns in Christianity with so small an investment in effort, we are not wise if we neglect the opportunity. If we have attained to such a mark of distinction there should be some action taken that will call the attention of other nations to our superior virtues. I suggest that an international council be called, and that we apply for a diploma of Christian character. Could we have such a degree of honor conferred upon us, we could then with our national modesty and Christian virtues mightily help other nations, and perhaps we could soon induce them to imitate us in legalizing the Christian religion.
Perhaps it would be best to proceed in this manner; for if we should declare ourselves to be a Christian nation it would have an appearance of egotism, and there would be danger of jealousy and fault-finding from abroad. But if we can induce other people to give us the honor due us, we will not be under the necessity of uttering our own praise, and then we would not be afraid of Prov. 24 : 24.
As Christianity is not merely a local institution, but was designed to bless all nations, it would be contrary to the spirit of it for us to endeavor to monopolize it in this country. Therefore it is absolutely necessary, from the nature of the case, for other nations to also declare that they are Christian nations, that we may be one brotherhood, and the world become one Christian community. Some departure of this nature is a necessity of the times, because the world is losing confidence in our revival efforts, and we must do something to retain our hold upon the people. And why should it be thought a thing improper for us to seek to legalize Christianity? Did not Mother Rome do in effect what we are proposing to do? And did not kings call her blessed for such a service? Let us also remember that very many who profess conversion in the modern revivals are not benefited more than were the pagans when Constantine imposed the Christian religion upon the people in his day. Wherefore it is clearly our province and our duty to proceed at once in this matter. Many can be influenced to connect themselves with us that at present are keeping aloof from us. If we could but get the nations to declare themselves Christians, certainly we could then say the world is converted, and the millennium has come.
Then again, it seems clear that we would be enabled, in a short time, to control the finances so that all would be compelled to contribute to our support. Certainly if Christianity is to be placed on a legal basis it will be entitled to a legal support. There could be nothing wrong in this. Rev. 17 : 4. In short, we think the time has come when we should assert our rights and make ourselves to be appreciated! Should we lay aside our veil of modesty and settle the Mormon question, and prevent Chinese immigration to this country, and in Europe dispose of Mohammedanism the world will then recognize our skill and ability, and court our favor. I think we have been too timid in the past. When the Constitution of the United States was being formed, we were asleep and let them bind us with thongs; but we must break their bands asunder, for our numbers will give us the victory. Instead of being regarded as a widow and entirely divorced from the world, we should sit as a queen. Rev. 18 : 7; Isa. 47 : 7-9. It is high time that we should pour the oil of gladness upon the nations and their rulers, that we may share in their good favor. Isa. 57 : 7-15. It is necessary to have the good opinion and the friendship of the world if we expect to help them. Jas. 4 : 4. Doubtless a few fanatics may consider themselves persecuted if we should make a practical application of our legalized rights, but these few should realize that we have a great mission, and to accomplish it we will be under the necessity of giving life to our measures; and the few should be willing to suffer many inconveniences that they may have the privilege of living in such a country as we will have when we get the law in our hands. Let no one say that we do not contemplate sufficiently practical ends. What we want is law to regulate our Christian differences, that all may share in our superior clemency, which will show fractious ones what their end shall be when our legislation shall conform to the spirit of Christianity, and all shall learn that we are not of this world, and that our kingdom is not from hence.
An Interesting Calculation.
By Editor
[The following is an extract from an article furnished by an English gentleman to a Boston paper, published in 1843. Of course we cannot vouch for its accuracy, though there is reason to believe that it is quite or nearly correct. This disparity of income and wages is now growing up in the United States. "Millionaires" are now very common, but they are very modern in America. There is every reason to fear that American laborers will not look upon this contrast with that complacency that has marked the poorer classes in England, as there they were raised with an aristocracy that owned the country. The Lord has warned the "rich men" who "heap together treasures for the last days," Jas. 5, but they have no idea of heeding the warning. But there is another injunction of the apostle, in that chapter, which we hope will be well heeded: "Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord."—ED. SIGNS.]
ABOUT seventy years ago, England received a terrible blow by the commencement of the American struggle for independence. In 1783 that work was consummated. Soon after, a revolution more destructive to the interests of the workingmen of England took place than any that had preceded it. I allude to steam. The power-loom and spinning-jenny were set in motion by steam power, and hundreds of thousands of honest, industrious workingmen were ruined by its application. The great perfector of the spinning frame, Sir Richard Arkwright, has died lately, worth $35,000,000. In the year 1797, there were manufactured 23,000,000 lbs of cotton; in the year 1841, there were manufactured 528,000,000 lbs. The wages paid to the spinner in 1797 were 7s. 6d. British money, or nearly $2 per day; but in 1841, it was only 1s. 5d., or nearly 33 cents American money. Thus, whilst the trade of the country had increased 23 fold, wages had decreased upwards of four-fifths.
The English people complain the law of primogeniture. By its unnatural and unjust tendency, it has retained 77,000,000 acres of land in the hands of about 30,000 oligarchical families. The eldest son of a peer invariably inherits the estate; the next son is sent into the army, the next into the navy, and the simpleton of the family often into the church. They complain that there is an Antichristian law church, supported by the bayonet, drawing sixty millions of dollars per annum from the poor. They draw comparisons between the scanty pittance earned by themselves and the income of bishops and landlords, who draw such immense salaries from the people. A workingman's wages average about 8s. or $2 per week. Archbishop Canterbury draws £20,000, or about $100,000 per annum. Contrast thus:—
Workingman $2 per week, or $100 per annum. Archbishop's salary divided by the workingman's wages, $100)$100,000(1,000
Thus, it would take a workingman a thousand years to earn the salary of the Archbishop of Canterbury; or, in other words, the Archbishop has, for the support of his family, as much as one thousand of his neighbors have for their families. The Duke of Buceleuch has $1,250,000 per annum. It would take a workingman 12,500 years to earn his salary. The Marquis of Salisbury has $1,750,000 per annum. It would take a workingman 17,500 years to earn his salary. The Marquis of Westminster has £520,000 per annum, or $2,600,000. It would take a workingman 26,000 years to earn his salary.
These are only a few of the many who draw such immense sums from the people. By the recent statistics on the income tax, it is very clearly ascertained that the landlords draw about one thousand millions of dollars per annum, as rent; and the State church about $60,000,000. They also complain that the rich are well fed, well clad, and well housed, whilst a poor-law bill was passed that compelled an able-bodied man to exist on 15 pence per week, in a poor-law bastile, and outraged nature and nature's God, by separating husband from wife, and children from parents. They complain that a centralized system of police, numbering 26,000, are in full operation to crush the spirit of the people. They complain that there is an army of about 120,000 men, to shoot and dragoon the people, should they complain of the injustice practiced toward them. They complain that $150,000 were expended on dog kennels for the Queen, when they themselves were starving. They complain that thousands of industrious artisans are compelled to live in damp, dark, dirty, ill-ventilated cellars, where the lives of their families are often shortened by such privations.
Its Own Best Witness.
The Teachings of Christianity are the best vindication of their own divinity. The impartial biographies of the Old Testament, and the faithful pictures of the imperfections and failures of a Job, an Abraham, and a David, are simply superhuman. The ten commandments contain a code of righteousness so comprehensive and divine, and so unapproachable by any human ethics that even scepticism has been compelled to ask, "Where did Moses get that law?" The life of Jesus is a greater miracle than any of his works; and even Rosseau had to admit that to have invented it would involve a greater miracle than to have lived it. Where is the clever author? Why has he hidden his name from a world that would have immortalized him above Homer, Shakespeare, or Milton? The plan of redemption, its deep wisdom, inevitable righteousness and unfathomable love; its wonderful unfolding in ancient type and prophecy; its marvelous adaptation to man's guilt and sin, misery and helplessness; its power to heal the conscience, cleanse the soul, transform the life, and satisfy the aspirations of man; this is the wonder of angels, the glory of Christians, the self-evidencing witness of the gospel. The heart that truly receives it knows that it is true. The principles of the gospel need no other vindication than their blessed fruit, heavenly characters, holy lives and beneficent influences. Let any one read the Bible itself, with a candid spirit, and he will be constrained, like many a former inquirer, to acknowledge, in the face of its holy effulgence, this is the true light of men.—Word, Work, and World.
Much Pretension, Much Borrowing
WHEN there is much pretension much has been borrowed; nature never pretends.