WEBSTER defines substance as follows: "In a general sense, being something existing by itself; that which really is or exists, equally applicable to matter or spirit. Thus the soul of man is called an immaterial substance, a cogitative substance, a substance endued with thought." The soul of the Bible and the theological soul seem to be quite two different things. Soul is defined in theology as a "simple essence uncompounded, indivisible, indestructible, and hence immortal."
If the soul is immaterial, how can material fire burn it, as is represented in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?
Again, if the soul is indestructible, what is the force of the words of Christ (Matt. 10:28), "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell"? Here, then, is positive proof that the soul can be destroyed, and one "thus saith the Lord" (and many texts can be given) is worth more than all the man-made theology in the world.
In "Smith's Dictionary of the Bible" we find soul defined as follows: "Heb. nephesh, Gr. psuche (ψυχή), one of the three parts of which man was anciently believed to consist." The word psuche is sometimes used to denote the vital principle or seat of the senses, desires, affections, appetites, passions. Gesenius, the standard Hebrew lexicographer, defines nephesh as follows: "(1) Breath. (2) The vital spirit, as the Greek psuche, and Latin anima, through which the body lives, that is, the principle of life manifested in the breath. (3) The rational soul, mind, animus, as the seat of the feelings, affections, and emotions. (4) Concr. living thing, animal in which is the nephesh, life."
We must necessarily be brief in definitions, as one good, positive definition by a standard author is just as good as a dozen, and more especially as they do not materially differ.
Robinson, in his Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, defines πνεῦμα (pneuma) to mean primarily: "(1) A breathing, breath, breath of air, air in motion. (2) The spirit of man, i. e., the vital spirit, life, soul, the principle of life residing in the breath breathed into men from God, and again returning to God." Grumpell, Parkhurst, Bagster, and others give similar definitions, and none of them prove the natural immortality of the soul.
As there are a great variety of meanings attached to the words "soul" and "spirit," in both the Old and the New Testaments, it seems that the only reasonable way to dispose of them is to give them that definition which the sense of the context requires.
The Hebrew and Greek words from which the words "soul" and "spirit" are translated occur in the Bible seventeen hundred times, but in this large number the soul is not once said to be immortal or the spirit deathless.
Webster defines soul as "the spiritual, immortal part of man, life." But as Webster says that "in theology death means perpetual separation from God and eternal torment," it is no wonder that he agrees with many of the modern theologians in putting immortality into the definition of the soul. A word may mean one thing in theology, and quite another in the Bible. In theology Sabbath means Sunday, or the first day of the week; baptism means sprinkling; eternal death means eternal life, and so on. Therefore the words "death" and "soul" must be defined to correspond to modern theology.
To prove this point in respect to the warping of definitions, we can not do better than to quote from an article in the Christian Union of January 30, 1878, having the signature of Clericus. In the article we find the following significant language: "The words psuche and zoe, two distinct words in the original, the former referring to the natural life of man and which is defined to be transitory, and the other referring to the higher life given in the new birth and declared to be eternal, are both translated by one and the same word, 'life,' and both considered as being equally permanent, and inextinguishable. . . . The great object and end of Christ to a dying world was not by suffering to save us from suffering; by dying, to save us from death; not to bring eternal happiness to immortals, but eternal life to dying men."
In referring to the Hebrew and Greek lexicons, compiled for the purpose of aiding us in interpreting the Scriptures, to ascertain the true meaning of such words as ahvad, thanatos, appollumi, signifying death and destruction, on the one hand, and zoe and soteria, signifying life and salvation on the other, after giving the true literal meaning, the author tells us they have a peculiar, unusual meaning in the Scriptures. And why so?—Simply because that meaning has been put into them to make them confirm this dogma, and then transferred to their lexicons. For example, referring to Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death [thanatos], but the gift of God is eternal life [zoe aionios], through Jesus Christ our Lord," I am informed in the theological lexicon, under "thanatos," that the word here means an unchanging eternal state of wretchedness and misery, and under "zoe aionios" I am told that everlasting happiness is the meaning! And so it is with every important word bearing on the question.
Referring to the word "soul" in Webster's great dictionary, I find the first meaning to be the "spiritual, rational, and immortal principle in man," as though the author would estop all inquiry as to the question in hand by making its immortality enter into the definition of the word; and then in other editions he gratuitously informs us that the immortality of the soul is a fundamental article in the Christian system. And so he would close the doors of the church against all who may venture to call his psychology in question. If he means by the immortality of the soul the eternal life which is given through Christ, it is indeed a fundamental article, and can not be too strongly emphasized; but if he means the immortality of the soul of the soul of the natural man, as an inheritance from Adam, so far from admitting it to be a fundamental article of the Christian system, we demand in the name of truth by whose authority it has any place whatever in the Christian system.
The preceding quotation from Clericus is a truthful and forcible representation of the perversion of Scripture terms.
"ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS."
By David Paulson, M. D.
SO much for pride and fulness of bread, now what about abundance of idleness? Eph. 16:49. This is sapping the very life out of society. I have seen children in the yard raking up leaves and having a gay time. Take those children twenty years from that time and ask them to rake up similar leaves, and they would feel very much insulted. Now, they have reached a stage when they want to learn how they can get through the world without working. They want a "soft snap." Children are taught to look forward, as a thing to be desired, to a time when they can have an abundance of idleness, to seek positions where they will not have much hard work to do.
That is the main reason young people crowd into cities, where they can have an easy time. Parents encourage children in this very direction. Many a father says to his boy: "Johnny, you shall never have such a hard time as I was compelled to have. I will see that you get a chance in the world." So the father saws the wood, and does the necessary work on the premises, while Johnny is getting more and more thoroughly convinced that he is learning more than his father knows, and that there is a better way of getting through the world than by working at honest labor. Seed that has been sown in that boy's mind will, by and by, bear its legitimate fruit. And, unless the grace of God saves him from reaping the full harvest of it, he will some day become an outcast, and possibly, a vile criminal. Our prisons are full of young men who are brought up in that kind of homes, in that kind of training.
What about Johnny's sister? The mother, who toiled at honest labor in her youth, and developed physically as she developed mentally, says: "Mary, you shall never have such a time in life as I have had. I am glad we can give you a chance." So she drums the piano, learns a little crocheting, fools away a little of her time trying to paint landscapes that she has not yet learned to appreciate, and gradually despises more and more the humble duties that her mother has to pursue in order to give her this "chance."
"What shall the harvest be," provided circumstances are favorable for its full development? Go with our midnight mission workers as they go on their errand of mercy on the streets of Chicago to-night; learn the home history of the majority of the 10,000 girls who on the open streets seek to barter their womanhood for money, and you will be amazed to find that they were reared by just such mothers as I have described, and they had just these very advantages (?). But ought we to be surprised at this when the Lord says that "pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness" will produce Sodom, and when children are educated to have all three of them?
"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." But right in the midst of this corruption there will be a people who will follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, and as a result of following Him here, they will continue to follow Him in the better world. There will be a difference between those who serve the Lord and those who do not. A thousand will fall on one side and ten thousand on the other side, but it will not come nigh them. It is because they have recognized and avoided these fundamental origins of all sin.
DAVID PAULSON, M. D.
Christ’s Work Through Personal Interviews
"The work of Christ was largely composed of personal interviews. He had a faithful regard for the one-soul audience; and that one soul has carried to thousands the intelligence received."
A LESSON TO TEACHERS.
WHEN Jesus taught Nicodemus the fundamental truth of His kingdom, "Ye must be born again," Nicodemus marveled, doubted, and questioned, "How can these things be?" He followed the method of the schools, which is the method of unbelief, the method of "science falsely so called," the method of unaided human reason.
So Moses, after the wisdom of Egypt, questioned, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" So the unbelieving noble questioned how God could bring plenty in one day where was such sore famine. So the disciples questioned how Jesus could feed a multitude in the wilderness. Men in theological seminaries, set to train young men to bear the Gospel message to a dying world, are questioning God's Word and power by many an insinuating "How?" "How can these things be?" is an old common question. It is not so sad to hear it from the world, but it is sad to hear it from the professed teacher of the Gospel.
Listen to the Saviour's reproof: "Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?" In other words, the people of Israel were different from other nations only as they were separate from other nations in purpose, in principle, in knowledge of God. Israel was of heavenly origin, prevailer with God. The heavenly birth was a necessity to Israel, to be maintained by feeding on the heavenly manna of the Word. Nicodemus as the teacher, the very leading one in this respect, should above all others have known the fundamental truth of the new birth and its necessity. He felt the necessity of this knowledge. His visit to Christ on that eventful night was evidence of longing for better things. And the secret of his need and the source of supply was revealed in the Saviour's instruction.
There are many honest teachers to-day who are longing to be character-builders. They are following the old treadmill methods of the world. They educate good boys; but the same system and methods educate equally those who are evil. They are longing for something better. And, praise be to God, He has met the longing heart. By the lesson to Nicodemus God would enlighten every teacher.
"Ye must be born again,"—"Ye must be born from above." Only so can you know God or heavenly things. Only by knowing God and heavenly things can you teach heavenly things. Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen." Said the beloved disciple: "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is in the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." So if we would testify of the higher things, we must know them; if we would know them, we must be born from above. If we would lead the soul upward, we must have our other hand in that of the Divine. If we would help to build strong characters, our feet must be placed on the Eternal Rock.
“I CAN’T FIND WORK.”
By T.
YOU will meet thousands of men and women to-day who will pitifully tell you that they are out of a job, and that they can't find work. There are thousands of families depending upon the daily wages of the husband and father, and when he is thrown out of employment starvation stares the family in the face. And usually this father's industrial education is such that he knows how to do only one thing. And no matter how much work there may be around him, unless he can get his particular kind of work he must go unemployed.
This is a condition of things that did not exist fifty years ago. There may have been a case now and then where a man was out of work, and could find nothing to do, but there were so few in this condition that it is hardly worth while to mention it. But now it is no uncommon thing, particularly in the winter-time, to read of from 40,000 to 70,000 in a single large city like Chicago who are on the verge of perishing from hunger and cold because they can find nothing to do to support them.
Fifty years ago the rule was for every man to be his own master. If he was the village blacksmith or carpenter he had his regular customers, and usually had a small piece of ground of his own on which he did his own gardening and raised very much of what he used on his table. The farmer not only raised what he ate, but also raised his own sheep to supply his family with wool for clothing, and also raised his flax and cotton out of which to make fabrics for his household. The raw material was prepared, spun into threads, woven into cloth, and worked into garments right in the home. And every member of the family learned how to do all this variety of work that was necessary in that form of domestic life. And, furthermore, the people were contented, independent, industrious and happy. But the last half-century has worked a complete revolution. The factory has come into existence, and men and women and even the boys and girls, have been taken from their happy and independent lives and worked over into mere parts of a great machine. So long as the factory runs all goes well. But if the factory is mismanaged and goes into bankruptcy, or if for any other reason it has to be shut down, then all of its wage-earners are simply adrift, and a drug upon the labor market.
To be sure it is to the interest of the factory owners and large employers of laborers in general to keep the market full of men and women that can be hired at a moment's notice, and who can be just as promptly discharged. But it is not for the best interests of humanity in general. And if the present industrial system is allowed to produce its legitimate harvest, it can be nothing short of an industrial revolution. And with the high-wrought state of feeling, this revolution will be the most bloody that the world has ever seen. To be sure it is beautiful to sit down and dream of the present difficulties being settled in a peaceable manner. But such is a moral impossibility. Capital is too self-centered, too grasping and greedy, too haughty and indifferent, for the peaceable methods to prevail. And even if the capitalists should begin at once to reform and work upon right lines, it is altogether improbable that they could avert a clash with labor; for the laboring element has allowed such a feeling of intense hatred of the rich to take possession of their minds, and this hostility has rankled in their breasts for so long, that they are surcharged with a spirit of revenge, and nothing short of a mighty miracle will stop the revolution that is even now upon us.
But the laboring class have made and are still making one great and fatal mistake. Men should never allow themselves to become a part of a mere machine in a factory. It is true that circumstances seem to chain some men to the place where they are always dependent on some one else for work. But every effort should be made to break the shackles and get away. You might not find something on the start that was quite so much to your liking as work in a factory, but the mind should be set to hard thinking in regard to what can be done to support yourself and family without being dependent upon some capitalist or factory boss to hire you.
There are millions of acres of unoccupied land. If you are not able to buy you can rent for a time. Five or ten acres well cultivated will furnish a family with more than it can use.
But whatever else you do, begin at once to study some plan by which you can set yourself profitably to work. Do not go through life depending upon some one to dole out work to you. God created men to be more independent than that, and He will help every one who is struggling for godly independence. And in the times into which this world is drifting the condition of those who have no independent means of subsisting will be awful. If you are out of a job and temporarily under the necessity of hunting work, do not allow that to hinder you from studying as hard as you can how to make profitable work for yourself. You may think that circumstances have you down. But do not give up too easily. Trust in God and look up. The way of escape may be hanging right over you.
THE GREAT “I AM.”
WHEN the Lord sent Moses to the children of Israel, He told him to say to Israel, “I AM hath sent me unto you.”
This name, with all its fulness of meaning, was God’s blank pledge of all His exceeding great and precious promises to His children. In the Lord’s covenant to Abraham and his heirs He has given all, all blessings in all fulness. And His announcement to Israel was the Bank of Heaven’s blank cheque for Israel to fill out by faith.
I AM hath sent me to you. He desired to be their fulness at that time, a very present help, their all in all, according to their needs. How much they never knew. How much we shall never know till we stand triumphant on the crystal sea before the throne.
But “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”7
Jesus is the “prophet like unto Moses,” the Sent of God. He says, “I AM hath sent Me unto you.” Nay, more, He is the I AM in humanity. He is Heaven’s cheque in blank for all He has promised for every one of His children to fill out by faith.
Do you want redemption, to be created anew, to have your sins pardoned, cleansed?—Fill out the cheque and present it to the Bank. It will be honored. “I AM thy Redeemer; I AM thy Creator; I AM the propitiation of thy sins; I AM thine Advocate,” is His message oft told. Do you desire counsel, comfort, companionship?—I AM thy counselor, thy Friend, thy Brother, thy Shepherd, thy Father, thy God. He is all in all to all who will receive Him.
O soul, needing a Saviour, learn His name; fill it out with all your needs; and know the wonderful goodness and fulness of the great I AM.
942. Elijah and John Baptist
By Editor
NOTE.—We wish those who ask questions to take particular notice: (1) Only such questions will be answered here as we believe to be of general interest and information. (2) We can not undertake to explain from four to a dozen scriptures, as in one sentence we are often requested to do. (3) Do not ask to "explain" a certain text or passage. State clearly the point in question. (4) Give full name and address, not for publication unless desired, but as evidence of good faith, and to give us the privilege of replying by letter if deemed best. (5) Unsigned communications of any kind find the quickest way to the waste-basket. (6) It is always well to inclose stamp. (7) "Foolish and unlearned questions avoid," also those that minister to mere curiosity. (8) Study the Scriptures yourselves.
941. J. E.—Yes; we can keep God's commandments if we will yield to Him and by faith let the Spirit of Christ abide in us. Carnal man can not keep God's law. Rom. 8:7. But he who receives the Spirit has the love of God shed abroad in the heart. Rom. 5:5. And "this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3; John 15:10. To the child of God every command of God is an enabling act, containing power to do it.
942. Elijah and John Baptist.
PLEASE explain Matt. 11:14 and Mal. 4:5. Is Elijah and John the Baptist the same man? J. G.
No, not the same man. Elijah was a type of John the Baptist. John went before Christ "in the spirit and power of Elijah." Luke 1:17. Elijah in his spirit and power is also a type (Mal. 4:4, 5) of those who shall bear the message in the last days, even as Jezebel and Babylon are types.
'AND GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO.'
By T.
THE whole of the life of Christ was a manifestation of the true God. Men did not know the Lord as He really is. They had learned to look upon Him as cruel and tyrannical. And so Christ came into the world to manifest the Father—to show to men by every act and word of His life just what the Lord of heaven and earth really is.
And since Christ was here upon earth all men seem to admit that Jesus was truly kind. Even those who do not receive Jesus as their Saviour will acknowledge that He was the embodiment of every good thing through all His life upon earth. But many even yet look upon the heavenly Father as being harsh and sometimes cruel. They think that Christ is under the necessity of exercising all His loving persuasive powers in order to keep His Father from striking men down in His wrath.
But such a view is a very gross misrepresentation of the divine Father. Christ did not come into the world to manifest Himself; but to make known the character of His Father was the object of His mission to earth. "Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:9-15.
Thus do we see from the foregoing scripture that the work of Christ was simply a presentation to the world of what the Father is. The mighty miracles of Christ, His powerful life of righteousness, the gracious words that He spoke, every act of devoted love and mercy, were all to show lost and fallen mankind how much the Father in heaven loves us.
As we review these mighty works of Christ in manifesting the Father to the world, we should not overlook the great promise. We are too apt to think that the mighty works of Christ are ended. We look upon what the Master Himself did, and are lost in wonder and admiration. But do we grasp what He proposes to do through us?
The work of manifesting the Father to the world is not completed. Christ did His part while here upon earth, but He has seen fit to share this work with His followers. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father."
Most blessed promise! "He that believeth on Me," says the Lord, "the works that I do shall he do also." Repeat this promise o'er and o'er. Believe it. Feed upon it. And then let the mind be expanded to grasp the still greater promise, "And greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father."
The foundation of all the mighty works of Christ was His completely perfect life. And when He promises that we shall do the works that He did, He gives us the assurance that we shall have power to live His perfect life. And when He has performed in us the mighty miracle of leading us up to the place where we live His perfect life, it will be but a little step then to lead us on to where He will perform through us the great miracles of healing, etc., that so strongly marked His ministry.
Even mightier works than were done by Christ while here on earth are to be wrought now through those who believe. This is the word of the Master, and it can not fail. But He must have a channel of purity and righteousness through which to work so mightily. And if we, as individuals, are to be the instruments of these mightier works, we must first yield to His cleansing power so that He may prepare us for it.
Most inspiring are the promises of the Lord to every one of us! How they should fill us with the deepest devotion to His righteous cause! T.
"THE WORLD OF SPORTS."
By Editor
SOME of the papers of the day have a standing department that they call "the world of sports." And under various other titles every daily paper, as well as most of the weekly papers, have their special columns devoted to the sports of the day. And not only do we have these papers that devote simply a part of their space to sports, but there are many periodicals devoted entirely to the interests of what the world calls "fun."
And if it could only be fully known just what influence this sporting craze has upon the world it would no doubt be seen that very much of the evil of this time is directly traceable to the thirst for fun. Men embezzle funds with which they have been entrusted, in order that they may bet on the races, or speculate in the stock exchange, or on some board of trade; and the object in it all is to grasp a fortune at a bound, so that they may have no stoppage in their rounds of sport. Of course they do not expect to get caught, and perhaps in the most of cases they honestly intend to restore the embezzled funds. But the honesty should commence farther back. Men should not use funds for themselves that are entrusted to them by others, and if their honesty begins there they will never be embezzlers.
The rising generation is coming up with a regular mania for sports. The solid and useful, and, withal, happiness-producing occupations are looked upon as drudgery. Young men and young women curse their fate if they have to work. What they desire is lots of wealth, so that they can spend their time at theaters, races, hunting, fishing, and at games and sports ad infinitum.
There are some who are so unfortunate as to possess this wealth, and to spend their days in useless and hilarious fun. And there are many more who do not possess wealth, and seem doomed to a life of toil, but who also are so unfortunate as to be furiously envious of the rich. They see the display of wealth that is flaunted in their faces, and they witness the rounds of pleasures in which the wealthy are engaged. And the thought comes to them continually, "If I only possessed some of this wealth, I, too, could have an easy, good time."
Thus the spirit of the love of sport is working in the world, and the harvest must soon be reaped. And an awful harvest it will be; for this spirit of fun carries with it every form of vice and debauchery. In some instances, of course, the evil of the degrading vices is concealed to a large extent from the ordinary gaze, but it is there just the same, and the very fountains of society are being polluted.
It has been the unvarying testimony of history that when a people give their time largely to luxurious feasting and gay and hilarious sports they have gone through revolutions into ruin. And what is the outlook to-day, not merely for America, but for the world? T.
DIVORCE AND DIVORCE.
'Practical polygamy,' says Bishop Leonard, of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Ohio, 'is being practised all over this country. Things have come to such a pass that the flimsiest pretexts are made the means of securing a divorce. A slight quarrel or miserable lust are alike made a means to this end.' Yet divorce was the foundation of all Protestantism and especially of the Anglican Church, the parent of the Protestant Episcopal organization. Divorce brought Protestantism into being, but is now the cancer eating away its vitality. The house of Protestantism was built on sand. The fate foretold in the Gospel is about to overtake it.'—Catholic Mirror.
The divorce business, as carried on in our civil courts, reveals a sad state of society; but there is no just ground for the Catholic Mirror's remark. It knows, or ought to know, that the revolt from Catholicism in England was not caused by Henry VIII.; that gross king simply used it for an occasion.
The revolt was so strong that he felt that under its shadow he could successfully rebel against Rome.
But in a better way 'divorce was the foundation of [true] Protestantism.' It was the divorce of religion from the world. It was the divorce of Church and State, for which Rome stood. And what is destroying Protestantism to-day is that it has turned back to the world. It was built on the rock of God's Word. It is shifting its base to a foundation composed of the quicksands of worldliness and the slough of medieval tradition.
Teach me, Lord, my true condition;
Bring me, childlike, to Thy knee,
Stripped of every low ambition;
Willing to be led by Thee.
RACING FOR GAIN.
By W. N. G.
EFFORTS were made during the last session of the California Legislature to so curb the horse-racing enterprise as to practically do away with it. The good people of this city have several times censured the Fabiola Hospital managers for accepting a day's receipts from the race-track as a gift to assist that institution in its charitable work. Foot-racing on the part of professionals is also deemed very bad. It would hardly be expected that those who so loudly condemn such things would publicly indulge in them. It would hardly be expected that they would announce to the papers that they intended to conduct racing games on a set day, and invite the public, and afterward publish the result. But all this is just what has happened recently.
In the Tribune of May 25 there was the announcement of "the grand outing of Oakland churches and Sunday-schools." It was promised that it would be "one of the biggest affairs of the kind on record here." A general invitation was extended to "all church people and friends." The place was Sunset Park, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The special inducement was a program of twenty-two races, with two prizes attached to each race—making forty-four prizes to be gambled for in one day. The first race was for boys from 5 to 7 years old, and the second race was for girls of the same age. Think of it! the churches and Sunday-schools beginning with children of that age to teach them racing for gain! What good will it do to tell those children how wicked it is for people outside of the church to do such things? Imagine these children being taught that racing for gain is terrible when conducted by men of the world, but is all right when carried on under the auspices of the "churches and Sunday-schools."
But the day's instruction and the example did not stop here; there were races for all classes—7 to 9 years, 9 to 11 years, 11 to 14 years, races for "all ages" and both sexes, and of all conditions of people who could run at all; and each race was for "prizes." Had there been a horse-race or a professional foot-race for a "purse" anywhere in that region, it would have been "awful." But these races for prizes were under the management of the "churches and Sunday-schools," and not conducted by wicked men of the world. True, it was gambling; and it was teaching children to strive for gain under the influence of the gambling spirit,—but it wasn't on Sunday.
One of the races was especially attractive, and that was a race (professionals would call it a "single dash") by the "pastors and superintendents." The first prize was a hat, and the second prize was a pair of shoes. Both prizes were won by Methodist pastors.
In this connection we would call attention to a prize for which the apostle Paul strove, making a life-long race for it. He mentions it in this way: "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," Phil. 3:13, 14. With the Christian the world's races and prizes ought to be of "those things which are behind," and to be forgotten. Christians ought to be able to find entertainment for an "outing" without having to imitate the gambling devices of the world, without having to gather up and adapt the things which they so loudly condemn in others.
W. N. G.
A REBUKE TO "CHRISTIAN" NATIONS.
By Editor
THE following from an article recently written by Wu Ting Fang, the Chinese minister to this country, should be read by the Christian people and the "Christian" statesmen of this country and Europe. It contains lessons worthy of consideration. It is a well-merited rebuke from "the heathen Chinese"—
"The spirit of commercialism has lately risen to a dangerous pitch. As a market for the world's goods, China indisputably holds the first place, for the wants of 350,000,000 to 400,000,000 people have to be supplied in some way. It has been said that, as a market, one province of China is worth more than the whole continent of Africa.
"It has always been the policy of China to treat all foreign nations alike. They are all most-favored nations in a literal sense. The maintenance of an 'open door' is exactly in the line of her policy. But unhappily human nature is never contented. WHEN A MAN GETS AN INCH HE WANTS AN ELL. It is now the turn of missionaries to tell us that if there were no foreign adventurers in China there would be no foreign complications.
"Twenty-five centuries ago, our sage, Confucius, the greatest philosopher that ever flourished in China, said, 'Wealth gotten by improper ways will take its departure by the same.' This is equivalent to your proverb, 'Goods ill-gotten go ill-spent.' Nations as well as individuals should not forget this, as the maxim of Confucius as well as your proverb will always come true if any nation or individual should unjustly obtain possession of any property. Some people call themselves highly civilized and stigmatize others as uncivilized.
"What is civilization? Does it mean solely the possession of superior force and ample supply of offensive and defensive weapons? I take it to mean something more. I understand that a CIVILIZED NATION SHOULD RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER NATION, just the same as in society a man is bound to respect the rights of his neighbor. Civilization, as I understand it, does not teach people to ignore the rights of others, NOR DOES IT APPROVE THE SEIZURE OF ANOTHER'S PROPERTY AGAINST HIS WILL. It would be a sorry spectacle if such a glaring breach of the fundamental rights of man could be committed with impunity at the end of this nineteenth century. What would the future historian say when he should come to write about the events of this century? IS IT NOT TIME THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST RECOGNIZE THE PRINCIPLES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE, AND FAIR PLAY?
"But I do not believe such practise of ignoring other people's rights is generally resorted to, and I am persuaded there are many people who denounce it. China welcomes to her shores the people of all nations. Her ports are open to all, and she treats all alike, without distinction of race, color, nationality, or creed. Her people trade with all foreigners.
"In return, she wishes to be treated only in the same way.
"She wants peace—to be let alone, and not to be molested with unreasonable demands.
"Is this unfair?
"SHE ASKS YOU TO TREAT HER IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. SURELY THIS REASONABLE REQUEST CAN NOT BE REFUSED.
"We are about to enter into the twentieth century, and ARE WE TO GO BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES AND WITNESS AGAIN THE SCENES ENACTED IN THAT PERIOD?"
Mr. Wu hopes not. Let him read the Christian's Book, not listen to the "Christian" diplomats.
