Signs of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 10. (1/9/1893)

Signs of the Times

Jan 9, 1893

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 9, 1893

A PROOF THAT IS NOT PROOF.

THE Literary Northwest discusses in its current issue one of the live questions of the day, namely, the closing of the World's Fair on Sunday, in a symposium of four articles. The third is entitled, "Close the Fair on Sunday," and is written by Mrs. Harriet G. Walker. There is one point which we wish to notice, not that it is worthy, but it shows the fallacy of the scriptural arguments put forth for Sunday. Thus the writer begins:—

It is a well-established principle in law practice that one complete proof is as good as many, and that a case is in nowise strengthened by multiplication of evidence bearing upon one point. . . . Acting upon this principle, I might, seemingly with entire safety, rest my case upon the first proposition, that the World's Columbian Exposition ought and should by right be closed upon the sabbath [Sunday], because it is God's command to all the children of men to "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."

This is Mrs. Walker's "one complete proof," but what is it?—It is a command of God to keep another day entirely, for another reason. The only thing in the whole Sabbath law in common with Sunday is the one word "day."

Sunday is not the Sabbath of the Lord. It never was, never has been, is not, nor ever can be. God never hallowed it, never commanded man to keep it holy, and man can never keep holy what God has not made holy. No divine being ever rested on Sunday, or ever blessed Sunday, or ever set it apart for rest or worship. Those who read Sunday into the fourth commandment most decidedly assume to change God's law. They thus usurp his authority. Mrs. Walker's Scripture proof (she brings none other) is absolutely no proof at all. Evidently, however, it is the best she knows. Poor Sunday! it must carry by force what it cannot prove by either Scripture or logic.

"CONSIDERATE!" "BROAD-MINDED!" "RIGHT!"

THE Advance, a leading Congregationalist paper of Chicago, and one of the chief advocates of Sunday laws, says in its issue of December 1, in speaking of the act of Congress in closing the World's Fair on Sunday:—

The action of Congress last season was considerate, broad-minded, and right. It was a decision worthy of our American history, and worthy of the American people to-day. The firm and consistent adherence to it will prove a transcendent benefit to the nation itself and as well to other nations.

1. Was it "considerate"? Let us see. Webster defines "considerate" to mean "mindful of the rights, claims, and feelings of others." Let us judge this by the golden rule. That declares:—

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

This is "considerate;" it is regardful of the rights, claims, and feelings of others. But we have in this country only about twenty million professed Christians, including Roman Catholics, Universalists, Unitarians, etc., out of a population of over sixty million. Of these it is perfectly safe to say that the greater part of the Catholic Church and many in some of the other churches would follow the lead of such men as Cardinal Gibbons and Bishop Potter, who desire the Fair opened. The majority of those who have been invited to come from other countries would desire an open Fair on Sunday. Yet the minority presume to say that the majority have no right to open the Fair, and this, says the Advance, is "considerate." Is it?

2. The broad-mindedness of this action must be judged by the results which will logically and inevitably flow from it. By its action Congress departed from the principles of liberty embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and took the first step in religious legislation; for the action of Congress relative to closing the Fair on Sunday

was distinctively religious legislation. Is not Sunday a religious institution? Is it not an institution of the church? Was it not at the request, behest, yea, demand, of the church that the action was taken? Was not the fourth commandment of the Decalogue read as one of the chief arguments as to why the bill should pass? Of course, the interpretation put upon that commandment in applying it to Sunday is a perversion of the law of God, but the fact remains that the Sunday bill was based upon a theological interpretation of a divine command and the demand of the church that that interpretation, so far as the World's Fair is concerned, shall be enforced by law. This is the first step.

Beyond all this lies those logically to follow: Congress must either brave church opinion and risk church patronage and confess its folly by repealing the law, or it must stubbornly go on yielding to greater and still greater demands till the entire republic is bound about with iron-clad Sunday laws and religious obligations enforced by civil statute. For the church will not rest till she is dominant in political affairs. She demands that this nation, decided by the Supreme Court to be "Christian," shall be ruled by "Christians," and by that class alone which holds to the absolute necessity of Sunday laws. All this will logically, inevitably follow unless the government dares to undo its inconsiderate, narrow-minded doing,—a step which is not at all probable in view of the character of modern politicians, and the strength numerically of the Sunday religionists. Other steps being taken with more rigid and farther-reaching Sunday laws to follow, those who now oppose these laws will be divided into two classes: (1) Those whose convictions of right are subject to expediency, and who will yield to the law to save persecution, and act as though they believed in the day; and (2) those whose convictions of duty to God will not permit them to yield to the unrighteous law, and who will thereby suffer its penalty. Thus a class of hypocrites on the one hand and a class of persecuted, honest, God-fearing men and women on the other, will be developed from this first step by Congress. Every unscrupulous politician will profess the greatest devotion to the Sunday shibboleth that he may win the religious vote. Political corruption is sure to follow. This is the "broad-mindedness" of the action.

3. It is "right." Is it? This can best be judged by a consideration of the Sunday itself, the methods used to promote it, the ethics of the act of those who voted for it, and the results sure to follow.

a. The Sunday itself is a usurper. It professes to be the Sabbath of the Lord, or the Lord's day; but its friends can give not one "Thus saith the Lord" that such is the case. There is absolutely no Bible evidence for the sacredness of the day. Every command for a Sabbath, every reference to Sabbath observance in the Holy Scriptures, has reference to an entirely different day, set apart for another reason than that alleged for Sunday. That it has been held by the good of many generations as the Sabbath has no bearing on the case. Many a counterfeit bill has passed through the hands of many an honest man,

but the sincerity of the man did not make the bill genuine. It remained counterfeit, and when detected by authority is always rejected as bad and rendered worthless. But the Sunday-law friends not only wish to confirm the claim that Sunday is the Sabbath, but they wish to force others who recognize the counterfeit, to regard it as the genuine. Is it right? They thus not only wish to foist upon the world counterfeit religious institutions of the church, but they put themselves in the place of God, and say that it shall be observed as God's law. In the first place they have no right to enforce any obligations of the true religion, but they go farther, and seek to compel the observance of a counterfeit as the genuine of God, putting themselves in God's place to establish a lie. Is it right?

b. The methods used by the friends of the Sunday to promote this Sunday-law business need not be dwelt upon. In their matter of argument, they have crossed and recrossed themselves. They have demanded only a "civil" Sabbath, and the next moment it is a religious Sabbath. They have persistently misrepresented those who have been opposed to them, and refused to even concede their opponents a right to demur. By their manner of obtaining petitions for Sunday laws, they have multiplied numbers in ways which would do justice to the worst political repeaters, and Sunday in its origin, its history, and its nature is worthy of all such methods. Adherence to such an institution begets just such methods to defend it, but are they right? And did Congress do right in indorsing them?

c. The ethics of voting for it. To say nothing of the State's right question involved in the matter by which the Congress of the United States attempted to control the territory of a sovereign State, the act of itself is in direct contravention to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the United States. Congressmen are sworn to uphold the Constitution, the charter of the liberties of the people. The Constitution declares in its first amendment that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." But that is just what this Sunday-closing act does do. Sunday is a religious institution; it is put forward by religionists as a vital part of their religion, a foundation stone; it is one of the very few things on which the majority of Christendom are agreed; and the church has demanded that this constituent, vital part shall be enforced by law, and Congress has acceded, and established to that extent the religion of those who hold Sunday as the religion of the nation. Is it right?

d. The results sure to flow from such a step. These have been considered to some extent under the broadmindedness of the act of Sunday closing. They were manifest to a mild extent some years ago in Arkansas, where a number of good Christians were jailed for working on Sunday. Mark! their work disturbed no one; others worked who were not molested, but those who bore the penalty of the law as criminals were those who did not believe in the counterfeit Sabbath, but did observe the genuine. They acted as free Americans had a right to do in making their opinions known; therefore the persecution by the majority. We have had similar results during the past two years in the commonwealth of Tennessee. Men have been persecuted for working on Sunday, for which act the only evidence obtainable was the honest confession of the accused and the reluctant testimony of friends and neighbors. Railways and many other enterprises and men were allowed to use Sunday as deemed best, but they were not arrested. Those persecuted were those who did not believe in the counterfeit; and, like honest adherents of Christ and his word, warned other people against the error. Hence their suffering. This is only the beginning. Religious bigots now are no better than religious bigots were in the Dark Ages. All these results are the evil fruit of the evil seed sowing seen in this act of Congress. Are these results good? Was the action right?

It was most unworthy of that part of American history which clusters around the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The men who then made American history would have protested against it with their lives if need be. It may, as our contemporary says, be "worthy of some of the American people to-day." Thank God, some are not so blinded by sophistry and tradition and popularity as to fall down and worship. No greater curse, no worse misstep, ever befell the nation, and its effects will be a baleful evil, which will curse all the nations of the earth. Is it right? Is it in harmony with the Golden Rule? Is it Christlike?

Editorial.

By Editor

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable."—2 Tim. 3:16.

WHILE the adherents of truth have often suffered villification, persecution, and even death, it is well to remember that these are not unquestioned badges or passports to a theory or doctrine. The champions of error have met these very things, and died bravely for the error they had espoused. The only standard of truth is God's holy word. The only example is the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE better way to celebrate what Christmas is said to be for,—the birth of Christ,—is not to keep a day for that purpose. Christ was "born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Gal. 4:4, Revised Version. It was for this purpose Christ was born. Let faith lay hold of that redemption, make his life our life, and we shall have every day a glorious revelation of the "glad tidings of good things" in Christ Jesus.

THE Spirit of Christ is one of unswerving devotion to moral principle and truth, to the principles of truth. The spirit of the world is one of compromise. Compromise, proper enough as regards mere methods where a moral principle is not involved, is manifest everywhere in all business circles. The worst of this is that it is seen in the church. The young Christian yields the service of God, that he may mingle with the pleasures of the world. He compromises his feelings of duty to speak for Christ when among his worldly associates, because someone might be offended. The Christian business man compromises moral principle and enters into partnership with those whose objects, aims, and motives are contrary to the Spirit of Christ. The young man or woman compromises principle in marriage with unbelievers. All these and many more examples are continually before us. The conscience of the world is benumbed till it wishes to make terms with God, and talks as though God would compromise with them. Loyalty and love to God are that unswerving devotion to his truth which knows no compromise.

Educators.—One of the worst characteristics about the journalism of the present day is its pandering to the depraved tastes and instincts of the brutal and wicked among men. It is said that the daily paper is an educator, and so it is, but it educates downward. It does not seek to bring the masses up, save in a little moral editorial now and then, but it deliberately panders to the most depraved and brutal tastes, because it pays. For instance, the Examiner, the leading daily paper on the coast, advertises a holiday edition with about thirty different writers, among which are President Harrison, Chauncey M. Depew, seven United States senators, and other noted men. Between the names of Edward Everett Hale and James Whitcomb Riley, and leading those of the seven senators, is the renowned name of James J. Corbett, a champion bruiser, and, if the newspaper stories are true, a libidinous libertine. Well, this is what a certain large class demands. The daily paper is a sort of general merchandise affair; and our magazines, and, sad to say, many present-day sermons are taking on the same complexion. Educators! May the youth be spared the education. And yet it is in just this school that the "Christian" youth of this "Christian nation" are receiving their education.

Persecution and Forced Conversion

The last news from Russia is that the persecution toward the Jews is greater than ever before; and yet the Moscow papers are said to boast that since the beginning of 1891, 20,000 Jews "have been converted" to the State church. This means that, to escape the intolerant persecutions, they have denied their faith. Thus it is that the American Sabbath Union and the National Reformers of America would convert the people of this country to the "American sabbath," Sunday. They ought to be the warmest friends of Russia. Why, oh, why will not our professed Christian churches adopt gospel methods, and by the power of Christ convert men?

America’s Advance Toward the Papacy

THUS the Advance, a leading Congregational journal, speaks of Satolli, the Papal Legate, now in this country: "If he is indeed as liberal, as American, and as sensible, as his address on the school question seems to indicate, we shall wish him the utmost success." This from a Protestant journal! Liberal, American, sensible (in a way) the Papacy is fast becoming—in America. It is policy to be, and as a matter of course America is advancing toward the Papacy in her great liberalism. At least the great churches, excepting, perhaps, their views on the school question, are looking toward Rome with ever-increasing kindness of aspect. But Rome will yet fix up the school question so as to suit our half-hearted Protestants. The governments of earth are represented in the prophetic word by the insensate, stupid horns of a beast, but the Papacy is symbolized by a horn that had the eyes of a man, indicating its shrewdness and farseeing policy. The shrewdness and the blindness are both manifest in America.

THE THREE MESSAGES OF REV. 14: 6-12.

By E. W. Whitney

BY ELDER E. W. WHITNEY.

No. 2. Application and Fulfillment of the First.

HAVING seen by the preceding article that these messages must necessarily be considered one, consisting of three parts, we now look for their application and fulfillment. The first angel by his positive announcement indicates the time when the work symbolized by these three messages should be accomplished. He says with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." These messages then constitute the proclamation of the judgment. The harmonious teaching of Scripture is to the effect that the judgment is related to the second coming of Christ, and takes place in connection with it. See Matt. 25:31-34; 2 Tim. 4:1. Therefore, the proclamation of the judgment and the second advent is necessarily connected with, and embraced in, these messages. Christ's second coming takes place at the end of this world, or age. Matt. 24:3; 2 Peter 3:3, 4, 10, 13. Then these messages, embracing as they do both the judgment and second advent proclamations, must be, and can only properly be, given to the last generation of men. That this is the time of their application is apparent from the context; for the very next event presented to John after his view of the three angels, is recorded in verse 14: "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." This is evidently the scene of his second advent. Compare description in Matt. 24:3 and 1 Thess. 4:16, 17 with Christ's parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13.

We are not to suppose, as is erroneously done by some, that the judgment occupies but a brief interval in immediate connection with the appearing of Christ, but rather that, taken as a whole, a considerable period of time is occupied, described by various expressions, as, "the day of judgment," "the day of the Lord," "the judgment of the great day," etc. This period begins before the appearing of Christ, continues beyond it, and is filled with various features of the judgment work.

There must of necessity take place before Christ comes an examination of the record kept in the books of heaven of every man's life, to determine who of the dead shall have part in the first resurrection (the resurrection of the righteous), and who of the living shall be changed to immortality without seeing death (see 1 Cor. 15:51-53). The scene of this feature of the judgment is described in Dan. 7:9, 10, where the Ancient of Days is said to sit upon the throne of judgment and "thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him [angels who had kept the records in the books]; the judgment was set, and the books were opened." The result to the dead of this part of the judgment is the determining of who shall be raised when Christ comes, for "the dead in Christ shall rise first" at his coming (1 Thess. 4:13-17), and the wicked dead in the second resurrection, one thousand

years later, for "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Rev. 20:5. Its result to the living is expressed in these words: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." And we see that this takes place just before the appearing of Christ, for the next words are: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12. It brings us to the close of human probation.

There must of necessity certain features of the judgment follow Christ's second coming, for "do ye not know that the saints shall

NOTES UPON THE ILLUSTRATION.

1. THE first message begins previous to 1844, announcing the hour of judgment, but continues to the coming of Christ, proclaiming the gospel and the worship of the true God (the commandments) as the basis of the following messages. 2. Simultaneously with the opening of the first message, and as a special feature of its introduction, it is joined by the message of the angel of chapter 10, which continues to 1844 and ceases. 3. Subsequent to 1844 the truths of the first message became more fully understood and preached, though generally rejected, and as a consequence it is joined by the second message, proclaiming the fall of Babylon, which also continues to the end. 4. Later the two are joined by the third, warning against the worship of "the beast" and his image and the reception of his mark, and also continues to the end. 5. Just before the end of gospel work the three are joined by the message of chapter 18, announcing the complete fall of Babylon, and calling upon God's people to come out of her because of her sins. This in effect produces a loud, earnest, and extended giving of all three messages combined, resulting in the lighting of the earth with all truth, and the development of a company keeping all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and fully prepared to meet Christ when he appears in the clouds of heaven.

judge the world?" 1 Cor. 6:2. When? Surely not in this life; but "I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived [were resurrected] and reigned with Christ a thousand years." "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." Rev. 20:4. From this we learn that the saints unite with Christ in the judgment of the wicked, after the resurrection, which takes place when Christ comes. The scene of the final judgment of the wicked is described in Rev. 20:11-15.

It is the first part of this whole work of judgment, evidently—that which takes place before Christ comes—which is announced by the first angel. And as a preparation for it, on the part of those living upon the earth, he, to the end of probation, calls upon all to accept the "everlasting gospel," and the worship of the true God, "him that made heaven and earth."

Looking with assurance for a fulfillment of this message, we recall the promise of the Lord by the prophet Amos. The question is first asked: "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" Then the promise: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. With such a promise we may confidently expect, by careful study, to know the time of the fulfillment of so important a message as the one under consideration.

From Daniel's prophecy we learn that the Lord has fulfilled his promise in this instance, and revealed through his prophet the time when this message should be given. We read in Dan. 8:14: "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." By a careful examination of this prophetic statement in connection with the explanation given by the angel to Daniel in chapter 9, verses 24-27, it becomes clear to the candid mind that the work of "cleansing the sanctuary" is precisely the same as that feature of the judgment announced in this message—the Investigative Judgment. It is also demonstrated that the prophetic period, "two thousand three hundred days," which was to begin, according to the angel's explanation (Dan. 9:25), with the "going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" (B. C. 457, see Ezra 7:11-26 with chronological date) reaches (the prophetic day taken as a year) to the year 1844 A. D., at which time the work of cleansing the sanctuary was to begin, or, as the message states, "the hour of God's judgment is come." See articles in the present volume of the SIGNS, entitled "Man, Sin, and Saviour."

With the mind thus directed to this date (1844) for the beginning of the judgment period, one naturally inquires whether such an announcement was made to the world at that time. The query is not difficult to answer. A few years previous to this date William Miller, and others associated with him, began preaching the doctrine of the second advent of Christ, and the hour of God's judgment come, basing their teaching principally upon the prophecies of Daniel and the message. Ministers of various denominations and of other countries joined in the work, by preaching and publishing, until, as is stated upon reliable authority, before 1844 had come, the sound of the message had reached every civilized part of the earth. Of the widespread character of this movement we have sufficient evidence in the almost universal familiarity with terms of reproach used concerning it, such as "Millerism," "Millerites," "Second Adventist," etc. However, this movement was but the introduction of the great work symbolized by the first angel, which, from the very nature of the everlasting gospel and the worship of the true God, constituting the burden of his message, must continue with ever increasing breadth and ultimately increasing

power to the end of man's probation.

Here an objection may arise in some minds: Did not William Miller preach that Christ was coming, and consequently the end of the world, in 1844, both of which proved mistakes? How, then, can you regard his work as fulfilling prophecy? We answer: Mr. Miller preached and demonstrated beyond successful controversy that the 2300 days of Dan. 8:14 began, as stated above, 457 B. C., bringing their close, and, consequently, the cleansing of the sanctuary, 2300 years later, or in 1844. He was mistaken in this, however: he assumed (without Scripture proof) that the earth was the sanctuary, and reasoned that its cleansing must be by fire at the coming of Christ, instead of seeing that the sanctuary of this dispensation is in heaven (Heb. 8:1, 2), and that its cleansing was a work of judgment to take place in the heavenly sanctuary preparatory to the coming of Christ. He was mistaken in regard to the nature of the event, but not in regard to the event itself, or in that 1844 was the time for it to occur. The hour of God's judgment had come, and this was the burden of his preaching, though he misapprehended the real significance of the message.

But a misapprehension on the part of the messenger, or a mistake in the work, by no means invalidates the message or the work as a fulfillment of prophecy, as is forcibly illustrated by the circumstance of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The disciples were as seriously mistaken in regard to that event as was Mr. Miller and his associates; for they supposed he was about to establish again the throne of David and reign a temporal king. In this they were sadly disappointed; they were fulfilling prophecy. That event must take place; for Christ said to the Pharisees who desired him to rebuke his disciples for their noisy demonstrations, "If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Luke 19:40. So with Mr. Miller and his associates; though not fully understanding the nature of the work they were introducing, they were fulfilling prophecy and giving the message due for that time. That even the mistake itself was a subject of prophecy will appear from the next article.

Continue reading: STUDY OF THE BIBLE—ITS IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS. NO. 2.