p. 96 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 6. (2/9/1915)

Earlier text: THAT’S THE WAY ORDERS HAVE COME DURING THE PAST TEN DAYS FOR

Our Depositories

By Editor

Alabama Tract Society, 316 Lyric Bldg., Birmingham, Ala.

Alberta Tract Society, Drawer E, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.

Arizona Tract Society, 417 West Fifth St., Los Angeles, Cal.

Arkansas Tract Society, 37 E. South St., Fayetteville, Ark.

British Columbia Tract Society, 1708 Maple St., Vancouver, B. C., Canada.

California Bible House, 537 Twenty-fifth St., Oakland, Cal.

California-Nevada Missionary Society, 341 E. Lodi Ave., Lodi, Cal.

California Tract Society, Southern, 417 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles, Cal.

Canadian Publishing Association (Eastern Canada), Box 308, Oshawa, Ont., Canada.

Central California Bible House, Box 1304, Fresno, Cal.

Chesapeake Tract Society, 1611 Ellamont St., Baltimore, Md.

Colorado Tract Society, Eastern, 112 Klamath St., Denver, Colo.

Colorado Tract Society, Western, 122 S. Eighth St., Grand Junction, Colo.

Cumberland Tract Society (Eastern Tennessee), Graysville, Tenn.

District of Columbia Tract Society, 708 McLachlen Bldg., Washington, D. C.

Florida Tract Society, Room 11, Yowell-Duckworth Block, Orlando, Fla.

Georgia Tract Society, 169 Bryan St., Atlanta, Ga.

Hawaiian Tract Society, 767 Kinau St., Honolulu, H. T.

Idaho Tract Society, Southern, Room 327 Sonna Building, Boise, Idaho.

Illinois Tract Society, Northern, 3645 Ogden Ave., Hawthorne Sta., Chicago, Ill.

Illinois Tract Society, Southern, 304 W. Allen St., Springfield, Ill.

Indiana Tract Society, 521 E. 23d St., Indianapolis, Ind.

Iowa Tract Society, Nevada, Iowa.

Kansas Tract Society, Room 614 Butts Bldg., cor. First St. and Lawrence Ave., Wichita, Kan.

Kentucky Tract Society, Nicholasville, Ky.

Louisiana Tract Society, 810 Jackson Ave., New Orleans, La.

Maine Tract Society, 75 Grant St., Portland, Maine.

Manitoba Tract Society, 290 Bannerman Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Massachusetts Tract Society, South Lancaster, Mass.

Michigan Tract Society, East, 426 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, Mich.

Michigan Tract Society, North, 510 Petoskey St., Petoskey, Mich.

Michigan Tract Society, West, 1214 Madison Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich.

Minnesota Tract Society, 336 East Lake St., Minneapolis, Minn.

Mississippi Tract Society, 932 Union St., Jackson, Miss.

Missouri Tract Society, 203 W. Franklin St., Clinton, Mo.

Montana Tract Society, 411 S. Black Ave., Bozeman, Mont.

Nebraska Bible Supply House, 905 N. California Ave., Hastings, Neb.

Nevada (See California-Nevada Missionary Society).

New England Tract Society, Northern, 136 N. Main St., Concord, N. H.

New England Tract Society, Southern (Rhode Island and Connecticut), 51 Whitmore St., Hartford, Conn.

New Hampshire (See Northern New England).

New Jersey Tract Society, 200 Columbus Ave., Trenton, N. J.

New Mexico Tract Society, Box 286, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

New York Tract Society (Greater), Room 904, 32 Union Square, New York, N. Y.

New York Tract Society, 317 W. Bloomfield St., Rome, N. Y.

New York Tract Society, Western, 527 Garson Ave., Rochester, N. Y.

North Carolina Tract Society, 234 Summit Ave., Greensboro, N. C.

North Dakota Tract Society, Drawer N, Jamestown, N. Dak.

Ohio Tract Society, Box 187, Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Oklahoma Tract Society, P. O. Box 64, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Oregon Missionary Society, Western, 508 E. Everett St., Portland, Ore.

Oregon Missionary Society, Southern, 1164 Military St., Roseburg, Ore.

Pennsylvania Tract Society, Eastern, 4910 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa.

Pennsylvania Tract Society, Western, 7155 Mt. Vernon St., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Saskatchewan Tract Society, Box 244, Regina, Sask., Canada.

South Carolina Tract Society, 1208 Calhoun St., Columbia, S. C.

South Dakota Tract Society, Drawer R, Redfield, S. Dak.

Tennessee River Tract Society (Western Tennessee), 509 Cole Bldg., Nashville, Tenn.

Texas Tract Society, North, Box 15, Keene, Texas.

Texas Tract Society, South, Box 392, Austin, Texas.

Texas Tract Society, West, Box 16, Abilene, Texas.

Upper Columbia Tract Society, College Place, Wash.

Utah Tract and Bible Society, 776 E. Sixth So., Salt Lake City, Utah.

Vermont (See Northern New England).

Virginia Tract Society, 2705 W. Main St., Richmond, Va.

Washington Missionary Society, Western, Box Q, Auburn, Wash.

West Virginia Tract Society, 124 Marion St., Fairmont, W. Va.

Wisconsin Tract Society, Box 57, Grand Rapids, Wis.

Wyoming Tract Society, Crawford, Neb.

Above is a list of our authorized agencies and depositories, and we invite you to communicate with them if you wish to secure any books or periodicals advertised in this journal.

Save 50 Cents

By Editor

Save 50 Cents by accepting our combination offer of $2.25 for the Signs of the Times (weekly) and the Signs of the Times Magazine (monthly). May be sent to one or separate names and addresses. Address our depository in your state or SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Mountain View, California.

COLDS: Their Cause, Prevention, and Cure.

A little 25c book that tells how to treat colds successfully without drugs. Better yet, it tells how to live so as not to “catch” colds. Address our depository (see list on this page) in your state or

PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Mountain View, California

The Spirit World and a Future Life

By George W. Rine

By GEORGE W. RINE, Litt. M.

Traces the growth and development of Spiritualism, with its various manifestations to the present time, and treats the whole subject in the light of God's word. 96 pages. Price, postpaid, 10c.

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PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSN. Mountain View, California

The Outlook for the Papacy

By M. C. W.

War Losses and Gains — What Will Come to “the Church” as the Result of Europe’s Conflict?

We know that the losses of the nations engaged in this war are already tremendous, incalculable. What their gains may be is problematical. No man may foretell them. There are too many unknown factors to deal with. Providence may intervene to overturn the strongest ambitions and highest expectations of men, but it seems clearly evident at the present time that the papal outlook is distinctly favorable.

Against the strong protests of the great Churchmen’s Union and Evangelical Alliance of England, the British government sent her ambassador, Sir Henry Howard, to the Vatican, reversing the Protestant policy of four centuries. The Churchmen’s Union feels that the government is undoing the work of four hundred years, during which the “English kings have consistently ignored the pretensions of Rome.” Sir Henry Howard is now in Rome; has already received “visits of two distinguished prelates, and has presented his credentials to the holy father, and has been received.”

Britain Would Not Assign a Reason

Demands were made upon the British government for the reason of this change in policy; but the Western Watchman’s (Catholic) London correspondent declares that the government “declines all information regarding the exact reasons for the mission, or the instruction to the ambassador, who, if he is a Catholic, is also an accredited diplomatist. The outburst is a sufficient explanation of the reason which caused the British government to preserve the strictest secrecy regarding the appointment to the last moment. That the appointment was going to be made was known in France four weeks before it was even hinted at in England. The bigot can do very little now the diplomatic relations with the Vatican are a fait accompli [accomplished fact], but if they had had time to organize beforehand in their selfish shortsightedness they might have wrecked the plan.”

When it was declared by the Protestants of England that the government was embarrassing Italy and France, the reply was that Italy “was quite cognizant of the action taken,” which clearly shows that Italy herself is reversing her policy pursued since 1870.

France, Russia, etc., to Take the Romeward Step

The Rome correspondent of the Western Watchman, in that paper of the same date, January 21, declares that “a permanent representative of the British government is being received to-day by the holy father. It is only a question of time until France follows England’s example;” and the London correspondent says that the French government has appointed Monsignor Duchesne, who lives in Rome, as its chargé d’affaires to discuss matters with the cardinal secretary of state. It is believed that this will soon ripen into a full ambassadorship; for we are told, “The Vatican is also amiably impressed by the action of the French government.”

Another item along this same line is that while Turkey has induced the sheik ul Islam to declare a holy war, at the same time she is coming nearer to the Vatican. Heretofore the matters which lay between the Vatican and the Turkish government have been handled by the French ambassador; but the London correspondent above referred to says: “For the first time, a sultan of Turkey has received an apostolic delegate without the intervention of the French embassy. Monsignor Dolci, the new apostolic delegate to the Ottoman empire, arrived in Constantinople a few days ago attended by his secretary and his vicar, and was received almost immediately by the sultan. The delegate presented to the latter an autograph letter from the holy father.”

There are rumors that it will not be long before Russia will have her representative at the Vatican.

Protestantism Going to the Papacy

Another item along the same line is the favorable attitude of Protestants to the papacy. The Rome correspondent of the Western Watchman above mentioned quotes from the Osservatore Romano, the semi-official organ of the Vatican, that “printed on the first page was the copy of a cablegram sent to the holy father by Mr. John Wanamaker of Philadelphia in the name of a great peace gathering in that city, and expressing the appreciation of those present of the holy father’s effort to promote peace amongst the warring powers. The telegram was given in full; and I have been informed, since my arrival in Rome, that it gave great pleasure to the holy father, and that he was deeply touched by the sympathetic and appreciative tone of Mr. Wanamaker’s message.”

These are more than straws that show the world tendency back to Roman Catholicism. Out of this war will come a stronger reunion with the church for a little time than has ever been known before. There are some who see this in the trend of political events. There are others who feel far better assured from the prophecy itself which points to a restoration of the papacy, and God’s message warning against that union of church and state which will come with it.

It is the business of Christians at the present time to study the great message that God has given us in the fourteenth chapter of the Revelation and its related prophecies. It points out the dangers that the world is facing. It points out the only remedy—the everlasting gospel. M. C. W.

The Craze for Pleasure

SOME one has interested himself in gathering statistics of those who attend the moving picture shows throughout the United States. He informs us that an average of 18,000,000 persons attend the theaters, of this class each day in the year. The amount paid for admission can not be below $1,350,000 a day. These figures are for the moving picture shows only, and do not include the regular theaters. This gives something of an idea of the amount that is spent day by day on pleasure.

If everything exhibited in the moving picture show and on the stage were elevating and ennobling, it would not be so bad. But when it is considered that many of the most degrading things that the human mind can conceive are enacted, we get an index of the tendency of the time and the intensity of its degradations; for this item of theatergoing is only one among the many things which show that this age has gone mad over the pleasures that are mere follies instead of real joys.

$500,000,000 a year is expended in the United States on drinks served at soda fountains. This expense would give a half million young people a university education, allowing each one of them a thousand dollars a year.

Darwin’s Theory Discredited

By Editor

THE Scientific American makes the statement: “Darwin’s theory of the origin of species has been generally accepted for many years; but since its enunciation, the progress and discoveries of science have raised doubts as to its value. The necessity that every theory of evolution must be in accord with the more recently discovered facts of physics and of chemistry is emphasized by Prof. William Bateson, president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.”

It is highly proper to speak of Darwin’s doctrine as a “theory,” and it is also perfectly proper to say that the facts never warranted the enunciation of any such teaching as that promulgated by Darwin. Darwin’s theory, like all kindred theories, has at the bottom a desire to substitute some kind of human teaching for the Bible story of the origin of things.

It had become the “style” of thought throughout the world to take Darwin as law and gospel; and the majority of people accepted Darwin because it was the “style,” and not because they knew enough of his doctrine to enable them to endorse his teaching intelligently. There is something about humanity that leads it to desire to follow the prevailing style; and this is just as true in the realm of thought as it is with hats, dresses, and coats. Men follow the style no matter how ridiculous it may be. And no style for dresses, hats, or coats, was ever more ridiculous or absurd than the style that was started by Darwin of thinking that this world came about by a process of evolution.

We are glad that the scientists are being driven to discard his absurd theories; and while discarding his theories, it is a good time to study the Bible anew, and realize that the only satisfactory story of creation is the one presented by the sacred Book itself. The power of the word of the Omnipotent is the source of every created thing. The Word teaches this plainly, and the evidence is all in harmony with the teaching of the Book.

“Filled with Customs from the East”

SAN FRANCISCO has a Vedantic temple; and while on Sunday, December 28, the Hindu preacher was endeavoring to tell his congregation some of the intricacies of Oriental philosophies, a man who had made himself half crazy by trying to solve the mysteries of that religion, walked down the aisle and exploded a big dynamite bomb in front of the speaker. The man who threw the bomb was instantly killed. Several others, including the preacher, were very seriously injured. The incident would hardly be worth mentioning were it not for the fact that many of our large cities, which are supposed to be centers of culture and education, have growing congregations of men and women who are devoted to these Oriental religions that have held India and other eastern countries in the grasp of superstition and decay for centuries. One of the complaints that God through the prophet Isaiah lodges against the people in the last days is that they are “filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.” Isa. 2:6.

Like the French Revolution

THE North American Review quotes a letter from a statesman, but does not feel free to append his name. In this letter, this statesman, referring to the European war, says:

“This war is no more inexplicable, though on a vaster scale, than the French Revolution. It is in a sense a working out of those inscrutable forces of humanity on a more tremendous scale, a more fearful plan, but along the same lines as that which gave us the most stupendous enigma in history until now, the French Revolution.”

There are many of the foremost students and thinkers of this time who recognize the striking similarity between the conditions that prevail throughout the world now and the situation in France just prior to her great Revolution and Reign of Terror. The picture would be an exceedingly dark one were it not for the pages of prophecy that show the light beyond.

Coming Back

THE writer of the “London Letter” to the Western Watchman (Catholic) tells us, in the issue of that paper of January 14, 1915, that the Christmas services in London show “many persons coming back to their duties who have not been for years.” And the writer of the “London Letter” in the same issue says: “How well Mars the God of war has led the French back to the faith of their fathers. [Initial capitals as we find them.] Every soldier,” they tell us, “has his scapular medal, and really he wears it outside his uniform.” Sisters have been commended by generals, and some have been offered the cross of the Legion of Honor, and the priest finds himself wanted everywhere. Indeed France is religious on the battle field.

England in Egypt and Babylon

It is worthy of a news note, and to students of prophecy it may mean much more than a new note, that England has proclaimed a protectorate over Egypt—practically annexation—and that she has taken the Persian Gulf, and is now in possession of the lower part of the Euphrates Valley—the old site of Babylon.

Catholic Support for Wilson

The Western Watchman (Catholic) of January 14, 1915, says that “the administration is very thankful to us” for the Watchman’s attitude on the Mexican questions. The editorial closes with “He [Mr. Wilson] will find Catholics all friends and disposed to support his administration, and the talk of Catholic hostility foolish.”