Review and Herald, Vol. 81, No. 3. (1/21/1904)

Review and Herald

Jan 21, 1904

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jan 21, 1904

Publishers’ Page

Conducted by the Department of Circulation of the Review and Herald Publishing Company.

First Quarter Sabbath-School Lessons for 1904

THE Sabbath-school lessons for the first quarter, January, February, and March, 1904, are a series of thirteen lessons upon the prophecies of Daniel, treated under the following divisions:—

The Prophecy Illustrated by Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream; The History of Nations Foretold; The Papacy and Its Work; The Vision of Daniel 8; The 2300 Days; The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing—in Type; The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing—in Antitype; The Judgment; The Eastern Question; The Standing up of Michael; The Battle of Armageddon.

The Quarterlies are now ready. Regular retail price, 5 cents a copy.

Lesson Helps

IN the study of the prophecies of Daniel, outlined in the Sabbath-school lessons for January, February, and March, the following list of books will be suggestive to those who desire to make a thorough study of the subjects treated in the lessons:—

“Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,” “Empires of the Bible,” “Great Empires of Prophecy,” “Ecclesiastical Empire,” “Looking unto Jesus,” “Great Controversy,” “Patriarchs and Prophets,” and “The Eastern Question.”

Daniel and the Revelation

THIS old, standard work is a verse-by-verse commentary upon the prophecies recorded in the books of Daniel and Revelation, and its teachings have been tested and found sound and reliable.

As the prophecies are fulfilled, the more important it is that they are studied and understood; and “Daniel and the Revelation” is the standard in prophetic studies.

It is published in the English, German, Swedish, Danish, and Holland languages, and is bound in—

Paper covers (English), without illustrations, two volumes, each, $.25.

Plain cloth binding, thin edition, without illustrations, $1.

Cloth, marbled edges, regular edition, illustrated, $2.25.

Cloth, gilt edges, regular edition, $2.75.

Library, regular edition, $3.

Morocco, regular edition, $4.50.

Empires of the Bible

A CONCISE and reliable history of the empires of the Bible, from the time of the flood to the Babylonian captivity.

In recent years there have been discovered many valuable historical records made by the people living in the time of these empires. These are connected with the Bible history of these empires, and together with the twenty-one special maps revealing their course, render this book invaluable to every student of prophecy.

Bound in plain cloth, $1.50.

The Great Empires of Prophecy

“THE Great Empires of Prophecy” embraces the history that was foretold in the prophecy of the great empires in the book of Daniel—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, and the ten divisions of the Roman empire.

More than eighty standard historians and authorities on the history of the respective empires of the prophecy speak in the book in their own language, so that it is fairly a cyclopedia of history in the fulfilments of the prophecies of the book of Daniel.

It contains 712 large pages, 22 full-page maps made especially for the book by the author. Bound in plain cloth; price, $2.

Ecclesiastical Empire

A VOLUME containing an account of all the principal events that have affected the civil government, and tended to the establishment of ecclesiastical authority, from the time of the fall of Rome to the publishing of this book in 1901. It contains a good history of the Reformation; a compendium of the principles of true Christianity; the reason of our national apostasy; and a full treatise upon the union of church and state.

It is a large work, containing 874 pages, bound in plain cloth; price, $2.50.

Looking Unto Jesus

BY URIAH SMITH

THIS book was acknowledged by the author himself to be his best work, and the one into which, he often said, he put the best part of his life.

It is an entirely new, original, and exhaustive concordance of the sanctuary question, showing the present work of Christ and its meaning to those who are now living—Christ in type and antitype, as revealed in prophecy from the beginning.

Neatly and substantially bound in cloth. It contains 300 pages, nicely illustrated. Price, $1, postpaid.

Great Controversy

THIS wonderful book presents the most interesting history that has ever been written of the great conflict between Christianity and the powers of darkness, as illustrated in the lives of Christian martyrs and reformers on the one hand, and wicked men and persecuting powers on the other. Beginning with our Lord’s great prophecy while viewing Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, this book outlines the whole history of this dispensation, down to the time when sin and sinners are no more.

It contains 700 pages, beautifully and substantially bound in the popular styles, ranging in price from $2.25 to $4.50.

Published in English, German, Danish, Swedish, and French.

Patriarchs and Prophets

AN excellent, important commentary on the principal Bible subjects from Adam to the death of David, tracing the great conflict between good and evil, from its inception down through the centuries, and revealing God’s wonderful love for mankind through his dealings with the holy men of old. It is one of the most practical books published, and is almost indispensable in connection with the study of the prophecies. It contains 760 large pages, and is bound in the popular styles, ranging from $2.25 to $4.50 a copy.

Published in the English, German, Danish, Swedish, and Holland.

Missionary Work in Which All May Engage

The Fireside Free Circulating Library

consists of five packages of tracts suitably arranged to present present truth without creating prejudice. The series is furnished in large manila envelopes, consecutively numbered. Full explanation is printed on the outside of each, showing the object of their circulation, etc. One envelope is to be delivered each week for five weeks.

In the last of the series is placed a printed letter of special appeal to the reader, calling attention to the importance of the subjects presented, and encouraging further inquiry and study.

Twenty-five cents per set, or 5 sets for $1, postpaid.

Five sets will furnish sufficient ammunition for the starting of a vigorous missionary campaign.

Why the Fireside Free Circulating Library has been adopted by so many in their missionary work:—

So simple—a child can distribute it.
If you can not “talk,” hand it to some one; it will explain itself.
Packages are arranged in a way to give the least prejudice.
Contains the tracts prepared and recommended by the General Conference Committee.
Covers the most important Bible topics.
Subjects condensed into a few words for “busy people.”
Any one will accept a Free Circulating Library.
Opens the way for the sale of larger publications.
Gives opportunity for missionary visits.
Contains list of other tracts, and solicits further study.

Order of State Tract Societies: Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich.; Review and Herald, Washington, D. C.; Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal.; Kansas City, Mo.; Southern Publishing Assn., Nashville, Tenn.

Hold Fast

By Editor

Editorial

Hold Fast

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” “Behold, I shall come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

The Mark of Christ

Those who accept Christ as the personal Saviour from sin will have an experience which will be a constant testimony to the transforming power of God's grace in the life. There comes to them a power for righteousness which will be revealed in the savor of a godly life. There goes out from them an influence which is recognized even by unbelievers as a reproof of sin and an invitation to holiness of character. This is simply the natural result of fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. These are the works of faith. “Christ expects every one who believes in him to reveal in his life the fulfilment of the promise, ‘As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ Christians are bound by a most solemn obligation to show that their faith is a reality, that they have received power to become the sons of God. They are to give evidence, in word and act, that they possess this power. They are to adorn the doctrine of Christ their Saviour. They are to be frank, sincere, kind, amiable, sober-minded, cheerful, showing by example the elevating character and sanctifying influence of their faith. Thus believers and unbelievers will take knowledge of them that they are laborers together with God. The mark of Christ is upon them, because they have learned of him.”

Sound the Keynote

“God has called this people to give to the world the message of Christ's soon coming.” “The return of Christ to our world will not be long delayed. Let this be the keynote of every message.” “When the true keynote is struck, God will reveal himself as a God of mercy and love. Angels of heaven will ascend and descend on the ladder of shining brightness, co-operating with human workers. The members of the church triumphant—the church in heaven—will be permitted to draw near to the members of the church militant, to aid them in their necessity. Let us ever remember that we are laborers together with God. In this heavenly union we shall carry forward his work with completeness, with singing and rejoicing. In every soul will be kindled the fire of holy zeal. Company after company will leave the dark standard of the foe to come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.”

A Personal God

Our God is a personal God who can speak to men in the language of men. One instance of such speaking is thus mentioned by Moses in describing the experience at Sinai: “Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire; we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth.” The prophet Isaiah saw God upon his throne: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.” The prophet Ezekiel gives his view of the throne and of him that sat upon it in these words: “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.” The prophet Daniel thus describes his view of God on his throne: “I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.” The apostle John was also given a view of God on his throne, and here is his description of what he saw: “I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne; and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.” On the throne with this personal God sits the man Christ Jesus: “I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.” No such language as that which we have quoted could with any propriety be used of a mere all-pervading essence. Our God is a personal God.

The Coming of the Seed

The Church in Babylon

In tracing the development of the original promise of the Seed who should bruise the head of the serpent, we find that the time from Adam to the first advent is divided into four periods, which are clearly designated by experiences of special significance. The first period is from Adam to Abraham, the second period is from Abraham to David, the third period is from David to the captivity in Babylon, and the fourth period is from the captivity in Babylon to the first advent. These divisions are clearly recognized in the inspired record. The Gospel by Matthew is declared to be “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” and after tracing the genealogy of the promised Seed from Abraham to the family of Joseph, the writer says: “So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations.”

We have already given some study to the promises to Abraham and the promises to David, and we have seen that in each case a new and larger view was

given of what was involved in the original promise of the Seed. In the declarations to Abraham concerning the land, it was made clear that the earth, once given to man but lost through sin, would be restored to the possession of the human family through the gift of the Seed in whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. In the assurances to David of the everlasting continuance of his house and kingdom was revealed the Lord’s purpose that the first dominion should be restored to man in him who was both David’s son and David’s Lord. The experience of Abraham, “a sojourner in the land of promise,” and the experience of David on the throne in Jerusalem were simply the object-lessons in which these great truths were illustrated, a sort of terrestrial setting for heavenly truth. But only in the coming of the promised Seed could the reality of these object-lessons be brought within the range of human experience. These experiences of Abraham and of David apart from the coming of the Seed were the shadows, and not the substance.

But in the course of time the religious experience of the descendants of Abraham and of David degenerated into a “form of godliness.” They lost sight of substance and reality. The Lord himself, through the prophet Isaiah, thus describes their condition: “This people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me.” They neglected their mission as a missionary people to spread throughout the world the knowledge of the redemption provided in the promised Seed, and attempted to build a wall of exclusiveness around themselves. Thus by the method of withholding rather than of imparting, they attempted to secure for themselves alone the possession of those material blessings, the land of Canaan and the throne of David in Jerusalem, to which by their fleshly interpretation of the promises they had practically limited themselves. Thus by losing Christ out of their experiences they left him out of the promises, and they exchanged the world to come, which could be possessed by faith, for as much of this present evil world as they could see and could hold by fleshly power.

In vain did the Lord send them warnings and reproofs through his prophets, “rising up early and sending them.” They went on in their evil ways until they became worse than the heathen around them, and until there was no remedy except the hard discipline of that adversity which their own wickedness brought upon them. All this is declared by the prophet Jeremiah in these words: “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even unto this day, these three and twenty years, the word of Jehovah hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising up early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. And Jehovah hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them (but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear), saying, Return ye now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Jehovah hath given unto you and to your fathers, from of old and even forevermore; and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith Jehovah; that ye may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith Jehovah, and I will send unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”

The word of the Lord was fulfilled. Although they struggled with the energy of despair to hold the land and the throne which they might have retained by the fight of faith, yet the wisdom of men was found to be foolishness, and the strength of men was found to be weakness. The helplessness of humanity apart from God was plainly revealed. The Lord “brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed. . . . And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon.” Having been brought into the captivity of sin because they had rejected the power of God in Christ the promised Seed, the only protection against sin, they were brought into the captivity of Babylon as the inevitable result. Slavery of soul means slavery of body. Sin means death. In the coming of the promised Seed is the only hope of deliverance. The lesson was a severe one, but the course of the people made it necessary. The judgments of the Lord are his final appeal to his people. So it was then, and so it is to-day.

And so the Lord permitted the king of Babylon to take from his people the land which had been promised to Abraham, and to carry away to Babylon the king who sat on David’s throne in Jerusalem, that he might teach them the hopelessness of putting confidence in the outward and the fleshly, and that they might be brought back to the simple faith of Abraham and of David in the power of God’s word and in the promise of the coming of the Seed. And thus it is that the carrying away to Babylon is one of the historic landmarks in the development of the original promise of the coming of the Seed.

Some Extraordinary Assertions

By L. A. S.

In a report of an address by Rev. Dr. Stafford at St. Patrick’s church, in this city, on the occasion of the annual visit of Cardinal Gibbons, Sunday, January 10, we note some statements which, by comparison with well-known historical facts, appear truly remarkable. As is not uncommon with Catholic orators, the speaker set forth the Catholic Church as having been the defender and preserver of religious liberty through the centuries that have elapsed since it became powerful in the world, but “Father” Stafford went beyond all others by this comparison which he drew between that church and the United States:—

Between the Catholic Church, then, and the American republic there is a perfect conformity, nay, an absolute identity, of principle; and if the founders of the Constitution had been Catholics, bent upon founding a government conformable to the Catholic Church, they could not have done better. The American government, then, is not only the most, but the first, real Catholic government in history.

That is to say, during all the long period of Catholic supremacy, during which kings, queens, and emperors obeyed the behests of the popes, when the threat of excommunication was sufficient to terrify the subjects of every ruler into absolute submission to the papal will; when there were rulers especially honored by the popes for their zealous conformity with papal ideas and principles,—“most Christian” and “most Catholic” princes, “dutiful sons” of the church, etc.,—during all this long period of papal supremacy, there was no “real Catholic government” in the world, and it remained for the Reformation, which asserted man’s right to think for himself and to act according to the dictates of his own conscience, and therefore to break away from the despotism of monarchs who claimed to rule by divine right,—it remained for Protestants, in the New World, to establish “the first real Catholic government in history”!

Are the times ripe for such bold utterances? Evidently Catholic prelates believe they are, and the fact is very significant.

It seems fitting in this connection to quote from two Catholic authorities who have spoken on this subject of man’s natural right to the blessings of civil and religious freedom of which the Catholic Church is now alleged to have been the guardian. Cardinal Gibbons, in whose honor “Father” Stafford’s address was delivered, says in his book, “The Faith of our Fathers,” page 264:—

A man enjoys religious liberty when he possesses the free right of worshiping God according to the dictates of a right conscience, and of practising a form of religion most in accordance with his duties to God.

A “right” conscience,—what is such a conscience, from the cardinal’s point of view? Is it anything else than a conscience instructed by the Catholic Church? And what, from the same standpoint, is “a form of religion most in accordance with his duties to God”? Does not the cardinal hold that the Catholic religion is that form of religion most in accordance with one’s duties to God? Religious liberty therefore, as this Catholic authority defines it, is the liberty to worship God according to the dictates of the conscience, not of the individual concerned at all, but of the pope, the cardinal, or the priest,—the right to worship God according to the conscience of some one else, and not of one’s own conscience at all, unless that conscience coincides with the “right” conscience which his religious superior assumes the prerogative to define.

Here is another testimony from more ancient but no less eminent authority. Pope Pelagius, one of the earliest of the Roman pontiffs, made this justification of papal persecution to Narses, who had refused to obey one of his commands on the ground that it would be persecution:—

Be not alarmed at the idle talk of some, crying out against persecution, and reproaching the church, as if she delighted in cruelty, when she punishes evil with wholesome severities, or procures the salvation of souls. He alone persecutes who forces to evil. But to restrain men from doing evil, or to punish those who have done it, is not persecution, or cruelty, but love of mankind. [See Bower’s “History of the Popes.”]

Hence when an individual is forced to do “right,” to worship God according to the dictates of a “right” conscience, he is not persecuted, and no cruelty is exercised toward him. Pope Pelagius and Cardinal Gibbons agree in the matter, and both justify all the bloody persecutions ever inflicted by their church upon dissenters.

Another noteworthy statement in “Father” Stafford’s address is: “The better Catholic you are, the better American you are; and the better American you are the better Catholic you are.” True Protestants, according to this, are nothing less than traitors to this government; for true Protestantism is in every principle utterly opposed to Rome.

The Supreme Court of the United States some years ago asserted that this nation is a Christian nation; Pope Leo later on declared it to be a Catholic nation; and now “Father” Stafford at this gathering of laymen and hierarchy declares that this government is, above all others that have ever been, a Catholic government, and that the only good citizens in it are Catholics. It would seem that the limit in the line of assertions has now been reached. L. A. S.

The Message of Our Missionary Graves

By William Ambrose Spicer

AGAIN, by the death of Brother J. H. Watson, in Nyassaland, we are sternly reminded of the fact that the missionary campaign is a genuine battle. But in the hour of sadness, we may rejoice that, whether at home or abroad, loyal soldiers of Christ are ready to endure hardness or to yield the life in planting the standard of truth in new fields.

This is our first missionary grave in the Nyassa country. It speaks not at all of retreat, but rather of advance. More than ever it binds our hearts to the work which our brother had so wisely begun. This is true of every missionary grave that marks the soil where feet of our brethren have pressed. It is an added incentive to quickly hasten with the warning message through every land. Then shall the end come. These graves will open, and our comrades will answer to the roll call when the glorious victory is won.

It is thoughtless to ask at such times as this, Does it pay? The old answer, ever sufficient, comes from the lips of Christ, “If it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” To think of drawing back from needy fields because their evangelization means the sacrifice of life, is to suggest that if conditions were equally unfavorable in the home land we would not serve the Lord here. That is not the message that Brother Watson’s life leaves with us. He counted the cost when he accepted this truth, though but a lad alone, years ago in Ireland; and his life has witnessed that he counted nothing too precious to offer in the service of the Lord Jesus.

A missionary student, Dr. Cust, of London, once said, “Deaths are required as well as lives to complete the picture of the new life.” Given proper care and precautions as to health, one may never say that the death of a worker in the field may not be used of God to accomplish very great results. It is the promise that while the laborer rests, his works shall follow him. Our missionary graves are solemn missionary appeals to us. As the workers prayed by the bedside of Brother D. A. Robinson in India, as he lay smitten with the deadly hemorrhagic smallpox, while the conviction came, against the earnest longing of the heart, that our brother would be taken from us, yet there was also the conviction that God would use that death, even as the life, to bind hearts more than ever to dark India. So, I believe, it has been.

Whether the term of service has been long or short, no man may say the sacrifice was fruitless. All the bright story of missions repels the thought. Rosine Krapf, expecting to die at sea on her way to the East African Coast, begged her husband to have her buried on the shore in order that her grave might bear witness to the heathen Wanikas of the love that brought her there. It is a testimony that speaks to the very heart. It was the same thought that led the aged and feeble Dr. Duff, when volunteers were few, to declare to the Scottish Assembly that he would go back to India once again to let the Hindus know that one Scotchman was not afraid to die for them.

The fear that death in the field might hold back others and bring delays, has ever been a cause of anxiety to falling missionaries. Young Roland Peck felt the burden of West Africa. His mother said, “Roland, if you go to Western Africa, you will be the death of me.” “Mother,” he replied, “if you do not consent to my going to Africa, you will be the death of me.” He went with her consent. Six months he was used in reviving and saving souls, and then he was stricken with death. The last day of his life he said: “Nothing grieves me so much as the thought that my death will cause the hands of our friends in England to hang down.”

A few years ago, during the Boxer uprising in China, a young girl was writing a last message before her martyrdom. Face to face with eternity, she wrote in unswerving trust to her mother in England:—

Darling mother, don’t be anxious, whatever news you may hear of me. It will doubtless seem useless in the eyes of the world to come out here for a year, to be just getting on with the language, then to be cut off. Many will say, “Why did she go? Wasted life.” Darling, no. Trust. God never makes mistakes. We are glad to suffer with Jesus. We shall see his face, and, darling mother, I will wait for you.

No, it is not wasted—the life that teaches us how not only to live, but how to die for the Lord Jesus and his blessed cause. The French missionary Golaz, and his wife, died within a year of their landing to open work in Senegambia, on the African West Coast. His farewell battle-call has stirred hearts to action ever since. His message was:—

Do not be discouraged if the first laborers fall in the field. Their graves will mark the way for their successors,

who will march past them with great strides.

It is the same spirit that rang in the apostle’s confession of missionary faith: “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

We rejoice in a world wide open for the final message, and in the fact that the Word of God speaks in over four hundred tongues to-day. Let us never forget that this way has been prepared for a quick work only at the price of sacrifice. Poor representatives of the final, and therefore most urgent, message would we be, if we held back because of hardships or losses by the way. A new grave now marks our way into Nyassaland. In loyalty not only to our Leader, but to the memory of our comrades who have fallen, we will press this missionary forward movement to the finish. This surely is the response of hearts everywhere to the message of our missionary graves. For we can not forget that it was the cry of the perishing that led our fellow workers to lay down their lives in service. Still the cry comes. Souls in darkness and ignorance are dying without hope. Wherever this is so, there do we belong with the message God has given us. Over every new-made missionary grave we will renew our consecration to service and our pledge of loyalty to the cause of our Leader.

“Dying in loveless silence, For there is none to tell The only message that comforts, The message we know so well; That the God of love who gave his Son Has given him freely for every one. “Dying? Lord, we are willing To tell them that Christ hath died; We are ready to go to earth’s darkest place And speak of the Crucified. Ready, dear Master, to work for thee, And to carry thy message wherever it be.”

W. A., S.

Science and Spiritual Truth

There is a legitimate field for true science. So long as its researches are confined to its proper sphere, and it does not substitute assumption for fact and mere speculation for sound reasoning, it makes most valuable contributions to the sum total of human knowledge, and is one of the chief factors in the solution of the problem of the world’s civilization and enlightenment. “In a general sense, science means knowledge reduced to order; that is, knowledge so classified and arranged as to be easily remembered, readily referred to, and advantageously applied. Strictly speaking, it is a knowledge of laws, principles, and relations. All science is based on the assumption that the laws of nature are immutable. From this point of view science may be regarded as a knowledge of the laws of nature, embracing the processes of observation and deduction by which they are discovered, and the modes of reasoning by which their operation in the production of phenomena are made known. Pure science is based on self-evident truths, and from these, as premises, laws of relation are deduced by a regular course of logical deduction. Of this nature is mathematical science. Natural science is based on experiment and observation; its fundamental laws are deduced by induction. Knowledge of the relations of quantity is abstract science; knowledge of causes and effects is physical science.”

From this brief presentation of the nature of science and the subjects with which it deals, written by one who is himself a scientist, it will be comparatively easy to define its legitimate field. “Pure science is based on self-evident truths. . . . Natural science is based on experiment and observation.” Using self-evident truths as the premises, pure science deduces laws of relation “by a regular course of logical deduction.” In natural science, experiment and observation furnish the premises, and from these “its fundamental laws are deduced by induction.” It is the province of pure science to develop all the conclusions which are directly or indirectly involved in those statements of truth to which every sound mind is compelled to assent without argument. It is the province of natural science to determine facts by experiment and observation, to classify these facts, and to draw such conclusions from them as are warranted by a course of sound reasoning. Its fundamental principle is that “the laws of nature are immutable.”

It will be readily seen from the foregoing definitions and statements that the field of both pure and natural science is wholly outside the realm of the spiritual. Pure science can find no premises in the field of spiritual truth from which to make its deductions, inasmuch as there are no spiritual truths which are self-evident. All knowledge of spiritual things must be given by direct revelation. Natural science can not establish in its laboratories, either by experiment or observation, any facts in the realm of the spiritual from which to draw conclusions by the process of induction, inasmuch as spiritual truth can not be discovered by any such experiment or observation. The laws and truths of the spiritual kingdom are not discoverable to human research, for “the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.”

With the curse on the earth and man depraved, with a deep shadow on the face of nature, and the faculties of the mind blunted and weakened, it is not possible for science, unaided by revelation, to reveal to us a personal God, and to discover the laws which govern our relation to him, and the provision which has been made for our restoration to the image of God. For these truths we are dependent upon a direct revelation in human language, and our only way of knowing these truths is to believe that revelation. In the school of Christ, where the science of salvation is taught, revelation takes the place of experiment and observation, and faith takes the place of reasoning. And this is not because spiritual things and the science of salvation contradict true science, but because they are outside of and above its sphere; and not because faith is subversive of sound reasoning, but because it deals with themes and relations which lie beyond the grasp of human reasoning.

It should also be observed that there is no such thing as a scientific basis for faith. The so-called scientific basis for faith is simply a demonstrated basis for confidence in the immutability of natural law. Such a pretended basis for faith really prohibits a faith which is above reason, and leaves no room for the miraculous in our experience, by reducing the spiritual to the plane of the natural. This is directly contrary to the method followed by the Great Teacher. He revealed spiritual truth in the things of nature, but he also revealed a God who is the author of law, and not the slave of law. He placed faith in God’s Word above the result of observation, or confidence in the immutability of natural law. To Thomas he said, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” “Faith is the giving substance to things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” The only basis for faith is the word of the Lord.

When modern science goes outside of its legitimate field, and attempts to demonstrate and to interpret spiritual truth on a scientific basis, it leads to such conceptions of God, and such views of the relations between God and man, and such conclusions concerning the way of salvation as do not differ in their real essence from the teachings of the heathen of all ages. The so-called larger conception of God which rests upon scientific research dethrones the true God, and puts in his place an infinite personality which is merely the personification of law. Thus God as revealed in law, instead of God as revealed in Christ, becomes the savior of men, and man can save himself from all the results of disobedience by his own conformity to the personality of law. This is called being “in tune with the infinite.” Prayer becomes merely the expression of harmony with law, and the atonement of Christ on the cross not simply becomes unnecessary, but the very thought of it becomes abhorrent to the scientific mind. But this is simply modern and refined heathenism.

Some other phases of this same general subject will be considered at another time.

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