Signs of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 6. (2/10/1904)

Signs of the Times

Feb 10, 1904

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 10, 1904

IDOLATRY.

By W. N. Glenn

THE only true God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, has a right to say, and does say, to all men, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Yet the history of the human race is lined and interlined with the story of man's disobedience, of his setting up gods of his own short-sighted invention. Even the earth itself is marred from pole to pole by the disastrous effect of man's acknowledgment of other gods than the One who is over and above all things. Yea, for this cause "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Rom. 8:22, 23.

THAT men are utterly "without excuse" in any of the innumerable forms of idolatry that have been and are practised, is witnessed by the fact that "the invisible things of Him [God] since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity." Ch. 1:20.

THEN follows the real reason of the general apostasy: "Because that, knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." Verses 21-23. Then God "gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness." He did not coerce their allegiance to Him, but let them have their own way, because they chose to exchange "the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator." Verses 24, 25.

MAN did not drop suddenly to the worship of crude images. He first yielded allegiance to Satan as he spoke through the serpent in Eden, the most subtle of all the creatures under the dominion of man. This idol was able at least to make specious promises. Then we find men worshiping the sun, which is, indeed, the medium of many blessings. Then followed the worship of the moon, which was supposed to be the female factor in the production of the sun's benefits to man. The stars were utilized as visible representatives of imaginary gods of various characteristics. Then came the living creatures of earth, and afterward lifeless images of these and of other imaginary deities, which it was deemed expedient to please, in order to gain favor or to ward off calamity.

IN the illustration on this page we have a representation of totem-poles in use among the Indians of the far northwest, especially in Alaska. Some creature or plant is selected as the totem, or special god of an individual or tribe (there may be several of these totems), and on the pole are carved images of the totem or totems. These may be carved on the pole, or placed on top of it, or attached to it in some other way. And these crudely-carved posts are supposed to be a protection to those who erected them.

THE Spirit, speaking by the prophet Isaiah, says: "They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity [margin, "confusion"]; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know; that they may be put to shame." Ch. 44:9. The folly of image-worship is also set forth by the prophet in the use made of a tree after it has been planted and grown: "Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshipeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto." Thus he worships as a god superior to himself a thing that he has himself made.

PAUL turns the saying of a heathen poet against the practise of heathen idolatry. Speaking to the learned men of Athens, he said that in God

"we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man." Acts 17:28, 29. "Shall a man make unto himself gods, which yet are no gods?" Jer. 16:20.

BUT the end of idolatry is not necessarily marked by the disappearance of visible idols. Idolatry is not confined to the worship of the planets, or the living creatures of earth or heaven, or the graven images made by "Christian" manufacturers and sold by "Christian" merchants to the people of "heathen lands." In an earnest exhortation to the church, in view of the appearing of Christ, Paul says: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." Col. 3:5, 6.

"THOU shalt not covet . . . anything that is thy neighbor's" is a part of the same law that says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything" in heaven or earth, to bow down and worship it. The whole law is one inseparable code; for James says that to offend in one point is to make the offender "guilty of the whole." Then to offend in the violation of any command of the Decalogue is to become an idolator. Adam was an idolator the moment he yielded to the tempter and disobeyed God.

SO WE find that there will be idolatry in the church as we near the end of time. "This know also," says Paul, "that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous," etc. To what class of men does he refer?—He refers directly to men "having a form of godliness;" that is, professing to be Christians. Is there not need of a special message to the church in the last days calling her away from idolatry?

In the last days the prophecy of the Revelation shows a message of the everlasting Gospel to all the world. Another message immediately follows, declaring that "Babylon," the apostate church, "is fallen." Then follows the last message of warning to the whole world. And the result of these messages is the gathering of a people who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." They will thus have been saved from all manner of idolatry. W. N. GLENN.

IS THERE DANGER?

By Clarence Santee

Is there danger of those who are looking for Christ's coming being deceived by the manifestations of Spiritism? The fact that some are already losing their bearings—some who have seemed strong in the past—by seeing the miracles and outward display of power, makes it evident that there is great danger.

Satan presents his temptations in so many ways that no man will meet them in the way he expects to. There is no man who has explored the length and breadth of this Satanic agency. So no man is safe in resting his confidence upon his present knowledge. We meet many earnest Christians, our brethren and sisters, who seem greatly troubled over the lack of power and miracle-working among us. It is to this class I dedicate these lines especially. What is the sure foundation? God will work wonders among His people as a blessing of love and deliverance from present affliction. The prayer of faith has never ascended in vain. But God does not promise wonders or miracles as a test of truth. This is evident from the statement made by the Spirit of God in 2 Thess. 2:9. First we have the injunction in the third verse, "Let no man deceive you by any means." "Any means," covers all the means Satan can use. Then verse 9 says that Satan will work with "all power and signs and lying wonders." This word "all" applies to "signs" and "lying wonders" equally with "power." It can only be read, "with all power" and all "signs" and all "lying wonders." Then if Satan will work with "all power," will there be some grade of power that will especially point to the true God?—You can see there will be none. Power will not be a test of faith. This can certainly be seen from the fact that Satan will use "all power" in his deceptions.

"Signs" can not be pointed to as evidence of the truth. God has warned us that Satan will use all signs. Then if Satan uses the same signs, and all of them, that God uses as a means of blessing and comfort to them that

believe, can you not see that God's truth must decide the nature of the sign or miracle, and not that the sign or miracle must decide where the truth exists? So, then, outward power and miracle working can not be a sign. Then do not be deceived by this, which is one of the "any means" that will be used to cause the child of God to be lost.

Elijah's day will come back to God's children. Mal. 4:5. John came in "the spirit and power of Elijah." In him we have a second representation of those who will live when the last message is given.

What was the nature of their work?

When accused of troubling Israel, Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord." 1 Kings 18:17, 18. Obedience to the commandments of the Lord was the burden of Elijah's message.

When Elijah stood upon Mount Horeb after his journey of forty days (1 Kings 19:8) the Lord gave him a test as to his discernment of the true presence of God. "A great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks." Here was outward power; but we are told, "The Lord was not in the wind." So outward power was no test with Him. Then came an earthquake, but "the Lord was not in the earthquake." Then came a fire, which is so often used as a symbol of extreme earnestness and fervency, as well as a stupendous miracle; but "the Lord was not in the fire." Then there followed a still, small voice,—the very opposite of miraculous working, of outward power; but tho so still and small, it was the word of God. This caused Elijah at once to wrap his face in his mantle, and acknowledge the presence of the Lord.

Elijah had seen the multitudes gathered upon Mount Carmel, a strong resistless tide in favor of Baal worship, led by nearly a thousand of his ministers. He had seen them pray, with loud crying and tears, "O Baal, hear us." He had seen them leap upon the altar, cutting themselves until "the blood gushed out upon them," showing that in their zeal they were willing to take their place by the victim which had been cut in pieces and laid upon the altar. He had seen the armies of converts to the "new faith," while it seemed to himself that he was left alone a worshiper of the true God. But he closed his eyes and ears to all these, and repairing the old broken-down altar, he prayed the Lord to let the people know that he had "done all these things at Thy word." The "word of God" was his all, and it prevailed.

Said God, "I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Mal. 4:5. Closing their ears and eyes to all outward signs, there will be found, just before the Lord comes, those holding up the commandments of God, and letting all know that they have "done all these things at Thy word."

John the Baptist came "in the spirit and power of Elijah." Not something resembling it, but the same thing. What was the character of his work?—The people "were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins"—transgressions of the law. Matt. 3:6. "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying 'unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." Acts 19:4. So the burden of John's message was "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

He had a message of preparation for the coming Saviour. He did not depend on outward manifestations. It was witnessed of him, "John did no miracle; but all things that John spake of this Man were true." John 10:41. Thus the spirit and power that went with the teaching of Elijah and John was that which was alone in the truth. "All things that John spake . . . were true." Yet, with "no miracle" he was "more than a prophet." Luke 7:26.

When the same power is again seen, will it be the opposite of what was seen then?—Certainly not. It will be the same. The "Word" is more potent than all outward manifestations. After speaking of what he had seen with his eyes, and heard with his ears, Peter says, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy." Can it be more sure than the seeing of our eyes, or the hearing of our ears? How often these have deceived us. No two see a thing exactly alike. We have heard men argue over the things they had heard as to which had heard aright. But the "sure word of prophecy" was given by "holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21.

This word never changes. It contains the power, the signs, the wonders, that can not be counterfeited by Satan and his agents. That power in all its fulness, the signs, the wonders, are seen in the turning of an outbreaking sinner to complete, restful obedience to the commandments of God. That is the miracle of all miracles. Satan can not accomplish one so wonderful. His devotees will show all degrees of humility, consecration, zeal, and all these things at times, but the heart is not changed. No man can see the heart, and the outward evidence is not sure. So we see the utter worthlessness of looking to some earthly object for the expression of the truths of God. They are found alone in the "Word." It is sure.

Christ testified, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, tho one rose from the dead." Luke 16:31. Seeing will never change the heart. It is changed by faith. Christ dwells there by faith.

But to-day, as in Elijah's day, there is a tendency to seek after that which allures the outward senses. If one should seemingly raise a person from the dead, people would rush from every part to see that wonderful healer.

Yet a belief in the Word of God is thought of little value by the same persons. The Word of God alone will attest the value or the delusion of all miracles. A Christian should not go to see or hear the wonder-workers of the present day. The Saviour, seeing the tendency in the human heart to seek after the marvelous, has given a safe rule for those who will hear His word. "If they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert, go not forth, behold, He is in the secret chambers, believe it not." Matt. 24:26. Then He makes it more general, and says, "If any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there, believe it not." Mark 13:21.

What will be the evidence that will be given to convince you that Christ is "here," or "there"?—It will be miracles.

Well, shall we not go and test them?

Christ says, "Go not forth."

"I am certain that I, who 'know present truth,' am secure."

"Go not forth."

"I do not believe we can have an influence with these people unless we go and hear them."

Still He says, "Go not forth."

My brother, my sister, do you suppose the Saviour knows your strength, your ability to stand firm, as well as you do yourself? When some person shall say that He is here or there, Christ says that you are to "believe him not." If you are not to "believe him," it is because it is not true. If it is not true, then the work is a deception. Christ is not there. The sad part is, the very elect themselves will be in danger from the fact that the demonstrations will be with so much earnestness, devotion, and seeming self-surrender that this class will feel that it is akin to blasphemy to decide that Christ is not leading.

How, then, can we be safe? First, when you are invited to go to hear or see them, "go not." The Lord commands it, and in obedience you are safe. I have known souls to fall into the snare, become confused, and give up the truth by going. I have never known this class of temptations to drag down a single soul who never went near them.

If Christ is not there,—and He says He is not,—why do you want to go? Second, if you ever hear in mind that the only reason you are in this world to associate with any one, is to carry to them God's saving truth, you will have no inclination to follow after these last-day wonders. One has well said: "If God has any new light to communicate, He will let His chosen and beloved understand it, without their going to have their minds enlightened by hearing those who are in darkness and error." "I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings. . . . The influence of such gatherings is not good. . . . The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy." Early Writings, Supplement, pp. 37, 38.

This agrees with the injunction of Christ, "Go not forth." If they say Christ is there, "believe it not." The angels also "believe it not." This is the reason that they leave us to pursue our course unattended if we persist in going forth. Angels are not safe where Christ is not. Then how about you and me? Let the days of Elijah and John come back in your heart and mine, and in this way we will assist in fulfilling one of the last signs that will herald the coming of the Saviour.

Fernando, Cal.

A MORE SCRUPULOUS WATCH.

By John Ruskin

IT seems to me that the shortest way to check the darker forms of deceit is to set watch most scrupulously against those which have mingled, unregarded and unchastised, with the current of our life. Do not let us lie at all. Do not think of one falsity as harmless, and another as slight, and another as unintended. Cast them all aside; they may be light and accidental, but they are an ugly soot from the smoke of the pit, for all that; and it is better that our heart should be swept clean of them, without overcare as to which is largest or blackest.—John Ruskin.

COMFORT IN AFFLICTION.

By L. D. Santee

BY L. D. SANTEE.

"Lo, I am with you alway." Matt. 28:20.

THERE'S a promise whose gladness will ever Cheer my heart in its hours of pain, That those who love Jesus will never Seek His presence and blessing in vain.

When the flames of affliction are highest, And the soul is encompassed with fear, It is then that the Saviour is nighest, And angels of comfort draw near.

I'd not be on earth a repiner, For the future is sacred to joy, And Christ is His people's refiner, While the fire shall consume the alloy.

I'd be dumb while the furnace-heat quivers, Resigned to the ways of His will, And patient; tho earthly hope shivers, I would in the fierce fires be still.

I am but as clay in His fingers, To fashion me as He desires; As silver, but while the dross lingers, I ask not release from the fires.

The joy of His presence delights me, Tho earthly hopes fade, and grow dim, And the peace in my bosom requites me, For all I have suffered for Him.

And now in my heart I can never Doubt His love, His affection, again, He abides with me now and forever, A recompense sweet for all pain.

THE TRUE EDUCATIONAL BASIS.

By H. A. St. John

BY H. A. ST. JOHN.

It appears to me so evident that no person of whatever age is prepared to make substantial progress in Christian education until fully converted to God. I would impress the same truth upon the mind of every educator in the school of Christ. Certainly no one would think for a moment that an unconverted person would be at all fitted to teach in a school intended to impart a Christian education. Such a teacher would lack an absolutely essential qualification for such a responsible position.

If, then, it be so necessary that a teacher be truly converted, and have a living experience in the things of God, in order to impart truth to the learner, then why should it not be deemed just as important that the learners be likewise converted, that their minds and hearts be in a condition to receive the truth into good ground, where it will spring up and bring forth fruit unto eternal life?

Until the pupil is converted, the teacher, with all his faithfulness, energy, and efficiency, is surely building on the sand. And some day all such structures will fall. All true education is character building, and all character building not founded on hearing and doing the sayings of Christ rests upon a sandy foundation. It must needs be taken down by repentance, or some day, when the time for repentance is forever past, it will fall, and great will be the fall thereof.

Now if these things be true, and I verily believe they are, then should not every teacher in all of our schools see, sense, and realize the importance of this matter? If it be true that the teacher of Christian education must be in Christ, and that such education can be obtained only in Christ, then why does it not follow irresistibly that the pupil must also be in Christ? And to be in Christ is to be converted—born again, from above.

Hence it appears that the first, the highest, and the constant concern of the true teacher should be to have every pupil a member of Christ's body, and growing into Him in all things; otherwise all effort in their behalf will prove as wood, hay, or stubble, or a structure founded on the sand.

It is recorded in the Word of God that, once upon a time, when a company of divinity students were engaged in building a place for a school on the bank of the river, under the direction and instruction of Elisha the prophet, the ax of one of the workers came off the handle and fell into the stream. Now the great teacher did not say to the unfortunate student, "Never mind; go ahead and do the best you can with the ax-handle." No, no; the ax was the important part and must be restored, tho a miracle were necessary, before the student could go on with his work. Likewise in the Christian school of to-day, the miracle of conversion is necessary; it is the important part, and must be wrought before the student can properly begin, or successfully prosecute, the glorious work of restoring the moral image of God in himself. And when the student is brought to see and feel the need of Jesus, and cries, "Alas! Master, I am undone and lost; I am helpless; have mercy upon me, forgive my sins, cleanse me from all unrighteousness, and give unto me Thy Holy Spirit," he will find Elisha's God just as ready to work a miracle in his behalf as He was to work in behalf of the student of long ago. For, upon confession, He is faithful and just to forgive sin, and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Every teacher in a school of Christian education should realize that carnal-minded students are not only incapable of making progress, but are a constant source of evil influence. Hence, from whatever standpoint we view the matter, we clearly see the importance of conversion as the basis of a true Christian education.

It is recorded of Dr. Adam Clarke that, up to the time of his conversion, he was a dull and listless student, but after conversion he learned more in one month than in a whole year before. And, best of all, what he learned was, by the Holy Spirit, interwoven into his character, never to be lost. Let us, therefore, insist more upon the new birth from above, filling the soul with divine love, as the only true basis of an enduring Christian education.

The Cross Reveals Christ’s Humiliation and Exaltation

By Phillips Brooks

CHRIST was humiliated into our condition that we might be exalted unto His. Christ was crucified with man that man might rejoice in being crucified with Christ. Both the depth to which He went to seek man and the height up to which He would carry man were set forth in the cross. Alas for him who, . . . looking at the crucifixion, does not see both of these, does not learn at once how low his Saviour went to find him, and how high he may go if he will make his Saviour's life his own!

History of Government

By Alonzo Trevier Jones

BY ALONZO TREVIER JONES

VI. CHARACTER OF EARTHLY MONARCHY.

We have studied the principles, the origin, and the essential nature of monarchy. Monarchy being the recognized system of government, it was in essence the same everywhere; yet there were varieties of form which, in practise, made the successive monarchies different, and in some things peculiar.

Since, in its very inception, the assertion of monarchy was the assumption of the title and prerogatives of God, it became necessary for the monarch, in supporting this pretension, to separate himself as far as possible from the people, and to surround himself with an atmosphere of exclusiveness and pseudo-divinity; and indeed, personally, to assert divinity. This was the case with Nimrod; and in this also he was imitated by the world-kings, as they also imitated him in the manifestation of the imperial spirit.

This is illustrated more fully in the kings of Egypt than in any other ancient nation. The sun was held to be the great god, and in Egypt the kings professed to be the very impersonation of the sun-god. They claimed identity with the sun-god, and must be addressed as "sun-god." For instance, Thothimes III., the founder of the Egyptian empire, inscribes himself as "Son of the Sun, Thothimes III., Giver of Life, like the Sun forever." And, again, "Giver of Life like the Sun eternal." The governors must address the king of Egypt as "The king, my Lord, my Sun-God," and say, "At the feet of my Lord, my Sun-God, seven times seven I prostrate myself." In the records of Egypt, letter after letter from governors to the king open with the words, for instance, "To the king, my Lord, my Sun-God, I speak, even I, Rib-Addu, thy servant; at the feet of my Lord, my Sun-God, seven times seven I prostrate myself." And again, "To the great king, the king of the world, I, the servant of the mighty Lord, to the king, my Lord; at the feet of my Lord, the Sun-God, seven times seven I prostrate myself."

As he was the "giver of life," the people were supposed to receive from him "the breath of their nostrils." As, for instance, on a certain occasion it is recorded of the chiefs of a conquered country, making their submission, "Then the chiefs of that land came bringing the usual tribute, adoring the spirits of His Majesty, asking breath for their nostrils of the greatness of His power and the importance of His spirits."

Being so great, he must be beheld by the mass of the people afar off, and was approachable only by the inner ones of the gradation of royal circles. For instance, when one of the kings had decided to establish and build a temple, and wanted to convey to even the royal masons and the sacred sculptors his purpose, he must do it thus: "Then His Majesty ordered that orders should be given to the superintendent of the royal masons, who were with him, and the sacred sculptors." Here are plainly no less than two, or possibly three, gradations between the king and even the royal masons and sacred sculptors. What, then, must have been the distance between "His Majesty" and the daily toiling masses?

Not in every monarchical nation or world-empire did the king stand at this extreme of idolatrous "Majesty." But with Nimrod and the kings of Egypt it was so; and with the kings of Assyria it was hardly less than so. For, eleven hundred years before Christ, Tiglath-Pileser I., of Assyria, published himself as "the powerful king, the king of hosts who has no rivals, the king of the four zones, the king of all kinglets, the king of lords, the shepherd of princes, the king of kings, the exalted prophet."

". . . The faithful shepherd, proclaimed lord over kinglets, the supreme governor whose weapons Assur has predestinated, and for the government of the four zones has proclaimed his name forever."

Two hundred years after this, another king of Assyria proclaimed himself "Assur-natsir-pal, the powerful king, the king of hosts, the king unrivaled, the king of all the four regions of the world, the Sun-God of multitudes of men, . . . who has overcome all the multitudes of men, . . . who has established empire over all lands, . . . the supreme judge, . . . who has established empire over all the world, . . . mightiest among the gods am I."

His son and immediate successor, Shalmaneser II., proclaimed himself, "Shalmaneser, the king of the multitudes of men, high priest of Assur, the powerful king, the king of all the four regions, the Sun-God of the multitudes of mankind, who governs in all countries; the son of Assur-natsir-pal, the supreme priest, etc., etc."

In Babylon and Later Empires.

It does not appear that in the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar this self-exalted "Majesty" was so boastingly proclaimed; but that the spirit of it was manifested there is shown by the scripture, in the instance cited in the preceding account, in which king Nebuchadnezzar openly and positively set up his idea against the known idea of the God of heaven. It is further manifested in the instance in which, after king Nebuchadnezzar had completed the building of his great temples and his mighty works in Babylon, he again set himself against the God of heaven in the boast, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?"

But Nebuchadnezzar had an experience which humbled his pride and annihilated his self-exaltation, and led him to recognize the true God in truth, and that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."

But this was all forgotten by the successors of Nebuchadnezzar; and blasphemous defiance of God reached its culminating point that last night of Babylon when there appeared the mystic fingers of a man's hand over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall: "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it."

". . . Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." And in that night of blasphemous defiance of God, Babylon sank forever.

There was in the kingdom of Babylon a feature that, of all the empires of ancient or modern times, is peculiar alone to Babylon; excepting only at the seat of the Babylon of modern times. The king of Babylon required of the subject kings of his world-empire that their thrones should be in Babylon, ranged with the throne of the king of Babylon, and in gradation according to the degree of their importance on their own part, and their favor in his sight.

In the kings of the empire of the Medes and Persians the pride and idolatrous self-exaltation of "His Majesty" was subdued in Darius, the Mede, and Cyrus, the Persian, by their recognition of the true God and their submission to Him. And this self-exaltation never did rise in Persia to anything like the height it had attained in Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and Shinar. But when in the imperial succession we come to Greece, we find it again in full measure. It was Philip of Macedon who unified Greece and paved the way for Alexander's imperial succession. And both he and his wife aspired to divinity. She was a bacchanalian devotee, and indulged in the ceremonies of magic and incantation. And Philip was in the very act of celebrating his own divinity when he was slain by the hand of an assassin; for he was at that moment making a grand and majestic entrance into the great and crowded theater, having been preceded only shortly before by a procession of the twelve great gods, and immediately after them the statue of Philip himself as the thirteenth god.

Coming from such a parentage as this on both sides, it is not strange that there should be manifested in their son, Alexander the Great, that insatiable aspiration to be a god which characterized his whole public career.

The same thing was repeated in the monarch of the next world-empire, that of Rome. For when the Roman empire, which was originally a government of the people, had fallen to a one-man power, the very first one was declared by the representatives of that people to be no more Caius Julius a man, but Divus Julius a god. And they voted that a temple should be built for the worship of him, and they named one of their party to be the priest who should conduct this worship. And then when they murdered him they continued the same thing to the man who succeeded him in the government and made permanent that world-monarchy.

Then when Rome fell and the barbarians of Germany established their ten kingdoms upon her ruin, these all traced the genealogy of their kings to their one great ancestor, the god Woden. The kingly houses all claimed descent from the blood of the gods.

And, when, beyond all this, upon the ruin of Rome and over the monarchies of the barbarian invasions and their final settlement, the bishop of Rome asserted kingship in the church and rose to imperialism in ecclesiastical power, in this also there was continued the old usurpation of the place and power, the title and prerogatives of God; the same persistent idolatrous claim and assertion of the attributes of divinity; and the same old self-exaltation. Only here beyond all heights that ever were before, the pride and self-exaltation of monarchy and imperialism was asserted above all that is called God or that is worshiped, declaring in the face of the avowed exclusive knowledge of the supreme God, that "He is God."

Such is the character and course of monarchy on earth. And that the exercise of governmental prerogative by such power as this, from Nimrod to Pius X., must be a persistent succession of despotisms, was in the nature of things a certainty; and that despotism, so persistent and steady that to attempt a story of it would be but a constant repetition as steady as has been this brief story of the nature of monarchy, and far more wearisome.

History of Government BY ALONZO TREVIER JONES AUTHOR OF "TWO REPUBLICS," "EMPIRES OF THE BIBLE," "GREAT EMPIRES OF PROPHECY," "ECCLESIASTICAL EMPIRE," ETC.

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