Earlier text: He Watches Over IsraelA Testing Message
By C. M. S.
WE are now nearing the great crisis in the history of this world. To pass through that crisis victoriously means a work of no little intensity. It can not be accomplished by our doing as we please now, and when the final clash of forces takes place, quickly ranging ourselves on the side of truth. Character is not made in a moment. Loyalty can not be demonstrated by one act. Ocean steamers do not start out from port, and wander aimlessly about in the sea, with their captain expecting that when the moment arrives for him to be at some destined port, he will be there with his ship. How we stand in that day of days will be determined by how we stand now and from now on. The prophet Malachi speaks of that day of proving in vivid and fearful language. He says:— “Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver.” Mal. 3: 1-3.
In order to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, it was necessary that God should give to all peoples an opportunity to demonstrate whether they are for him or against him. So our Saviour says:— “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24: 14.
With this agrees perfectly the following declaration of the revelator:— “I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he saith with a great voice, Fear God and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14: 6, 7.
Inspiration places the giving of the last message (the gospel of the kingdom, or eternal good tidings) in immediate connection with the end of time, the end of earth’s history. In the one place it is “then shall the end come,” and in the other “the hour of his judgment is come.” These two expressions refer to what is practically the same period. The close of the judgment work and the end of the world are practically synchronous. By both the scriptures last referred to is the world promised a message of warning and preparation before the inhabitants of this world are called to stand before the bar of God. The testimony which Malachi gives is practically the same. The messenger who is sent to prepare the way, before the Lord shall suddenly come to his temple, is the people who are now giving the third angel’s message. That message is a touchstone, which reveals both the character of the individual and his attitude toward the foundation of God’s government. It tests the character of those who hear it as the refiner’s fire tests and purifies the metal, and as the fuller’s soap tests and cleanses the fabric to which it is applied. It is God’s last call. Through the ages of the past he has been calling his people, warning them, admonishing them, pleading with them to turn from that which is dragging them down to ruin, and to lay hold of that which will lead them up to the heights of everlasting peace and joy and righteousness; to turn from the certainty of death unending to the certainty of life everlasting. But he could not continue it forever. To do that forever would mean that sin with all that it brings would go on forever. There must be an end, and it is the proclamation of this threefold message in all the world that brings the end. The message given us through the prophet Malachi shows this to be the case. The messenger prepares the way, and immediately “the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple.” There he finds the “book of remembrance,” in which has been written the deeds and the character of his loyal people. Concerning them he says:— “And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Mal. 3: 17, 18.
These are the loyal remnant whom God takes out of the world. Some have been saying that it is vain to serve God, and so they have refused to serve him, and by what they have said and by what they have done, have encouraged others to do likewise. Then, in the day that he makes, God demonstrates whether or not it is in vain to serve God. To that company which he takes out of the world as trophies of his grace, and whom he makes joint heirs with Christ in the eternal inheritance, he makes very plain what the difference is between “him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” And to that company which is left behind he demonstrates that “the wages of sin is death.” Quoting again from Malachi:— “For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith Jehovah of hosts.” Mal. 4: 1-3.
This shows what is to be the culmination of both the work of the gospel and the work of sin in this earth. The one brings out and perfects a company who will share eternity with God; the other brings out a company who will share8with Satan and with sin the end which they both merit. The righteous, who have been trodden upon in all ages by the Ishmaels of this world and who have been deprived of their rights, civil and religious, and even of life itself, by the Cains of religious oppression, will, in that day, tread upon the ashes of those who have trodden upon them. And the same feet that tread upon the ashes of the wicked in that day, will, before that time, have stood upon the sea of glass around the throne of God, where those who have been redeemed out of this world will sing the song of victory over this world and over the god of this world. C. M. S. Pulling In on the Rope
By F. M. W.
THE history of the church of God has witnessed the coining of many church creeds. Too many times the adoption of these creeds has shut off further investigation of the truth. The church has said to its members: “Thus far shalt thou go and no farther. This creed is the embodiment of all truth.” This, however, could not be justly said of any system of religious faith ever yet adopted by any church in this world. The truth of God is progressive. Just as long as God is higher than man, there will be new revelations of divine truth; there will be new mysteries to be searched out, deeper depths to be fathomed, and higher heights to climb. The Word of God is a great storehouse of wisdom. It speaks of mysteries into which even the angels of God desire to look. These mysteries are infinite, and in their fulness will require an infinite age for their comprehension. Speaking of creeds, the Northwestern Christian Advocate of July 31, 1912, says:— All human creeds are both right and wrong. No church is altogether right, nor is it totally in error. We husk our corn, thrash our wheat, crack the nuts of the trees, and from them take the essential kernel; we peel our apples, pare our potatoes, and—sort our creeds.
Fire a shotgun at the bull's-eye of a target; the bell will ring, but the whole target is pocked with misdirected shot. Only a few went home. Fire a church creed at the bull's-eye of truth—put every article in it, take fair aim, and let them go. Two or three missives reach the mark; the clear bell of truth will ring out in response; the church applauds: “We alone are the bearers of God's truth.” But hush! Any other denomination could have done the same thing. And look, will you, at the marks of error made by those false articles that failed in their course. The whole target face is disfigured, and some even missed it altogether. But sometime, in that fond future, the future of our dreams, we shall bind the false in our creeds and burn it like tares, while the truth shall be gathered into the garner of human hearts made ready to receive it.
While we should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints; while we should be careful that scientific reasoning and speculative theories do not lead us away from the cardinal doctrines of God's Word, we should seek to know, as far as possible, all of God and of his truth. From the things which we now know to be his truth, we should reach out continually into the great unknown, seeking by the guidance of the Holy Spirit to learn more of God and of his great plan of the ages. Dr. Lyman Beecher at one time gave to a graduating class of divinity students this sensible advice:— Young men, beware of speculation. I myself sometimes engage in it; but before wading out into the great sea of the unknown, I find some old stump of a doctrine by the seashore that has withstood the winds and waves for centuries, and make fast to that. Then I cautiously venture out. There may come along a breaker, and I may be swept off from my feet. I may not know where I am, but I know where that stump is, and I pull in on the rope.
So in our faith and Christian experience we should settle in our own minds some things once for all. We should settle it that God is true; that the Scriptures are his revealed word to man; that the great cardinal doctrines of salvation through Jesus Christ, the perpetuity of his holy law, and other great fundamental truths, are forever settled in our faith, even as God's word is settled in heaven. And we should not permit the enemy through speculations or theories to lead us into that which would contradict or weaken these great principles. If anything comes into our lives that seeks to do this, and we find ourselves losing our bearings, let us pull in on our rope, and get back to the great standard of all truth,—the blessed Word of God. The American Federation of Catholic Societies
By C. M. S.
Rome Makes Plain Her Purposes Concerning America
The eleventh annual convention of the American Federation of Catholic Societies was held in Louisville, Ky., August 18-21. It was, without question, the most important gathering of this body that has ever been held. The spectacular was in evidence from the beginning till the close, but especially at the beginning. At three o’clock on Sunday afternoon, the eighteenth, the great procession began to move. The length of the procession was so great that it took over two and one-half hours for it to pass a given point. It contained seventy-four expensive floats, typifying various periods in the history of the Catholic Church. Not only were the resources of the church in every department drawn upon to make the parade a success from the spectacular point of view, but the State of Kentucky was made to bear a part in making this Roman holiday. The governor of the State was present to welcome the federation to the State, and the lieutenant-governor was also there to help in the matter and to contribute his part in the actual program of the convention. These State officials were also present at the pontifical high mass which followed the parade, and occupied the most conspicuous place in the church while the Pope’s special representative was officiating at the altar in the service of the mass. In addition to this, a regiment of the State militia was brought to the city to participate in the parade, and two batteries of the State artillery added their quota to the great spectacle. The city of Louisville also contributed its portion to the pageant, and its mayor welcomed the delegates to the city, and was present at the banquet that closed the convention. Everything public in the city of Louisville, and much that was in no way public, bore the trade-mark of Rome during the convention. The yellow and white bunting—the papal colors—was everywhere in evidence. On asking a property owner of the city why it was that so many Protestants had lent their horses and drays to make the parade a more striking event, the writer was informed that “they had to do it; they knew better than not to do it.” He was given to understand plainly that had they not done so, they would have been marked and their business would have suffered in consequence. This was no doubt the reason why department stores owned by Jews were so profusely draped with the papal bunting. There was manifest throughout this convention a tone of confidence in their ability to carry out their aims in this country, and many striking statements were made as to the demands that they should make of civil officials, and the success with which they were meeting in the demands already made of those in authority. It is claimed that the American Federation of Catholic Societies now numbers nearly three million members. As it is made up of the members of Catholic secret societies, it can readily be seen that its membership is restricted to men, and that means so many votes. There is no means of verifying the statements given out in reference to the number belonging to this federation; but office-holders and politicians undoubtedly believe the figures given; otherwise there would not be so great haste manifested on the part of public officials to yield to the demands of the federation. The writer was much interested in the annual reports of the president and secretary of the organization. The report9of the president, Mr. Feeney, dealt very largely with the question of socialism, holding that movement up as the greatest menace now facing this country. He declared that should socialism accomplish its purpose in the world, it would mean the establishment of “the greatest despotism this world had ever seen.” If that be true, then might the world well stand in dread of such a calamity; for a greater despotism than that of the Roman Church during the dark ages would certainly turn this world into a veritable purgatory. The report of the national secretary, Mr. Anthony Matre, was very full and complete, comprising about fifteen thousand words, and giving in detail much of the accomplishments of the organization during the past year. The statement was frequently made that the organization’s purposes were pacific and benevolent; but the reports of what had been accomplished and the means by which it had been brought about make it perfectly evident that the organization’s one object is the glorification and exaltation of the Catholic Church, and the accomplishment of every aim which the church has set for herself in this country. Now it ought to be apparent that when any church builds up an organization of between two million and three million members who are sworn to do its bidding without question, that organization ought to have the most serious consideration of every American citizen. By working through officials of the United States government, the federation has blocked the desires of the Filipino people as expressed in their own legislative actions, and is now interfering with similar legislation in the republic of Cuba, and doing that also through officials of the American government. The United States seems thus to have thwarted the will of the people of both the Philippines and Cuba under pressure from this organization. Last year the secretary’s report showed the government’s willingness to refrain from doing what it intended to do in the matter of the Kongo atrocities; and this year the secretary’s report shows the government’s willingness to go outside of its own jurisdiction to aid the federation in accomplishing in another republic the purposes of the Catholic Church. For years the hierarchy has been voicing its intention to “make America Catholic;” the American Federation of Catholic Societies is its most powerful and most pliant tool in bringing about that consummation. Bishop McFaul, in pleading for a more wide-spread distribution of Catholic literature, said: “Thus shall we confer countless blessings upon Catholics and non-Catholics, and bring about the consummation of our hopes by making America a Catholic country and the brightest gem in the crown of our holy mother, the church.” How this is to be brought about may be judged by such expressions as this voiced in one of the resolutions passed by the convention:— In exercising their civil functions, they [civil officials] must be guided at all times by the interests of God and country, which must never be supplanted by merely partizan consideration, and that Catholics holding public office are specially bound to live up to their church’s standards and be exemplars of the highest citizenship. The wording of this resolution must be understood in the light of Catholic teaching. The interests of God and country will be made known to Catholic voters by the clergy, and this instruction must take precedence over party fealty or over the personal preferences of the individual voters, and the Catholic official who would “live up to the church’s standards” must sink his individual preferences out of sight when the church instructs him as to what measures or men he must oppose or support. This is made certain by the following extract from Secretary Matre’s report:— The shibboleth of this universal union should be “God and Country,” and its members should proclaim before the whole world their unswerving adherence to the universal Catholic demand for the absolute independence of the Holy See, that the voice of Christ’s vicar may sound to every nation without let or hindrance. A resolution was passed incorporating this idea and making even more emphatic the church’s purpose to take its politics as well as its religious instruction from Rome. The resolution reads:— We proclaim before the world our unswerving adherence to the universal Catholic demand for the absolute independence of the Holy See, without secular dominance or interference; and while we pray that God in his providence may lighten the burdens of his pontificate, and leave him long to blazon the way we are to follow, we give him the solemn assurance that, in the future as in the past, the greater the fury of his enemies, the brighter will burn the fire of our love, and the more untiring will be our efforts to solace and assist him. These resolutions and these declarations leave no room for doubt that it is Rome’s intention to rule America politically as well as religiously; for the “absolute independence of the Holy See,” which would leave him free to carry out his will “without let or hindrance” in “every nation,” would put all power under his feet and make all rulers and all peoples subject to him. And that is the aim of the Papacy. When the head of the Catholic Church is so absolutely independent in every country that he can pursue his will “without secular dominance or interference,” he will be the supreme ruler of the world. There is no question that for a time he will occupy that position when the culmination of the conflict is reached, so that the church will say, in the language of Scripture, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning.” But then comes her end. To attain to that position in this world, it is necessary that she have some such organization to guide the willing and drive the unwilling to an acknowledgment of her sovereignty. This federation will be one of the chief instruments, if not the very chief, in bringing about that condition. Through the influence of the United States, England, Canada, and Australia, the Roman Church expects to lead the rest of the world back to her fold and see them bowing at her feet. That is why this organization is being so earnestly fostered in this country and in England and her dependencies. In another article we shall speak of how she is, through this organization, dictating in legislation, manifesting political activities in the interests of the church, what the church considers herself able to do with this strong organization, how she is accomplishing her purpose, and how deluded Protestantism is helping the program on. C. M. S. The End of the Race
By Editor
SENATOR TILLMAN believes that the end of the race for naval supremacy can be reached by the United States’ building the best battle-ship that the world has ever seen or ever will see, and, naming it “The Peacemaker of the World,” using it to enforce discipline. With the spirit of rivalry which exists, we fear that the end of the race for supremacy never can be reached in this way. If this were done by the United States, Japan or England or Germany or some other nation would seek to build10a larger and better ship, and thus the race would continue. This has been the history of the strife for supremacy throughout the years. The end of human strife and national aggrandizement can come only through the efforts of the one true Peacemaker, the Prince of Peace. When he comes, he will put down all earthly rule, and will settle with the nations of earth the long account of the ages. Earthly kingdoms will pass away, and he will rule whose right it is. For that glad day let us earnestly pray, and while we may deplore the preparations for carnal strife which exist on every side, let us see in them signs of the days in which we live, harbingers of the everlasting reign of peace which will be ushered in with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Seventh-day Adventist Mission Board is not the only board that has to struggle with financial difficulties. Thanks to our generous-hearted, loyal people, our Mission Board so far has never been compelled to show a large annual deficit. The Methodist Foreign Mission Board is confronted at the present time with a large falling off in its receipts as compared with previous years. According to the Lutheran of Aug. 8, 1912, they face a debt of $172,000, “one of the largest debts any mission board ever had.” With the same constituency behind it as has the Methodist Foreign Board, and with the same liberal hearts as now possessed by this people, this would be a small deficit for the Mission Board of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A Visit to the Tsungwesi Mission
By R. C. PORTER
Nearly two hundred acres is now under cultivation at this mission. A new brick dwelling, cattle and mule kraals, a new pole-and-mud school building, and huts for the accommodation of the students, have been erected. Eighteen months ago there were only fifteen acres under cultivation, and four native huts on the mission. It is surprising to me what Brother and Sister Sturdevant have accomplished by way of improvements in that short time, aside from teaching in the school, with no white helpers, except Brother and Sister Claude Tarr for a short time; and for about five months Brother Sturdevant has not been at all well. The school attendance has increased from twelve to fifty-five. One not familiar with mission work can scarcely comprehend the many cares that constantly attend mission life. As the work becomes better established, and the older students become settled in Christian experience, they share the burdens, and the work grows lighter. Eighteen months ago the place now occupied by house and gardens was a thick bush, or forest; the three hundred acres now enclosed with a barbed-wire fence was a wild tract of forest grazing-ground. To-day, nearly two hundred acres of it is under cultivation, and shows a productiveness not generally seen in southern Rhodesia. On account of the east coast fever among the cattle, which is again prevalent in some parts of Mashonaland, oxen can not be used for transport, although they may be used on the farm. Brother Sturdevant has been fortunate in being able to purchase mules for transport work. One interesting feature of the survey of farms in southern Rhodesia is the fact that little regard is paid to the four points of the compass in surveying a farm. The surveyors start with a beacon on some very high mountain or kopje, or mound of rocks, and then run a line to another similar mound for the second beacon, and so on until the four corners are located. The southwest beacon of the Tsungwesi farm is on the top of a large rock one hundred fifty feet high, standing on top of the mountain along the west border of the basin in which the larger part of the farm is situated. On the top of this rock Chief Dzawo built his huts, and lived for years. His wives were required to carry all needed water from the river up the mountain, and then climb the rock up a very steep stairway. The food was grown by his wives on the top of the mountain, and was all carried up the steep and difficult stairway to the top of this beacon rock. Here the chief lived in heathen luxury. He had a beautiful garden of flowers and trees, under the shade of which he could recline during the heat of the day. Here he was secure from invasion or disturbance by wild beasts, which then abounded in the mountain fastnesses. It is still the custom for the leading chiefs to live in such high places for security. Since the mission was started here a year and a half ago, lions have frequented the mountain near the house. One was killed by Brother Sturdevant and the boys after a desperate encounter. Four bullets penetrated the lion’s body, after which he roared and charged on them in fury. Brother Sturdevant had no time to place a cartridge in the rifle barrel, and but for a charge of buckshot in another barrel, would certainly have fallen a prey to this enraged beast. On receiving the charge of shot in the face, the lion reared straight up to his full height, then fell backward over the rocks down into the long grass below, and died after going a short distance. A great change has taken place among the natives in this vicinity during the last year and a half. The school then began its work with twelve or fifteen students in irregular attendance. They were untrained, and uneducated, and vacillating. They did not know how far to trust the new white missionary, and they were shy and questioning. Now, fifty-five students, mostly in the home, have settled11down to solid study and farm work, and from one hundred to one hundred fifty regularly attend the Sabbath services. Many of these bear intelligent testimonies to the change which the love of Christ has brought into their hearts and lives. The transforming power of divine grace upon these poor heathen is one of the most wonderful miracles of modern times. The mission, while located in the basin of the Tsungwesi River and a tributary, lies on the high divide between Beira and Salisbury. The country slopes both ways. It is therefore well located for a health resort for southern Rhodesia. With reasonable care of the health, the indications are favorable for freedom from fever, and the outlook is promising for the success of the mission work. The temporary help afforded by the coming of Brother Tarr and wife was very timely, and averted a permanent break in Brother Sturdevant’s health. Their faithful labors have contributed much toward developing the industrial part of the work, and are greatly appreciated. Brother and Sister Lynn Bowen are now permanently settled on this mission, and are a part of the mission family. They were most cordially welcomed, and their coming has supplied the needed help for successful mission work. The Courage of His Convictions
EVANGELIST K. C. RUSSELL, of Chicago, according to the Israelite of that city (August 10), is a brave man in that he is not afraid to declare what the Israelite (Jewish) concedes to be the truth of God. We quote:— It is not often that a Christian evangelist has the courage to declare that Saturday is the “Lord’s day,” and not Sunday, and yet this is what Evangelist K. C. Russell did in a sermon at the gospel tent, Chicago and Laurel Avenues, Austin, last Sunday night. This was the contention made in these columns last week in reply to the stand taken by the Christian Advocate, which denounced the Olympic games held at Stockholm, on the ground that they were permitted to take place on the “Lord’s day.” Evangelist Russell declared that the fourth commandment says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” No kind of arithmetic, no kind of almanac, can make seven equal to one, or the seventh mean the first, or Saturday mean Sunday. For centuries past, Sunday, the first day of the week, has been almost universally observed as a sabbath of rest, and it is still designated by some as the “Lord’s day” of the Bible. Upon what authority is this assumption based? We answer, This assumption is based on presumption. There are no facts to warrant the conclusion. Christians must thank Constantine the Great for giving them a day sacred to a heathen god as their day of rest.
BOUNTIFUL harvests are always cause for rejoicing. With the possibility that the crop for 1912 may have an influence to decrease the high cost of living, the promised yield is looked forward to by many with cheerful anticipation. The Wall Street Journal estimates that the six leading crops, namely, corn, wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and hay, will net to the country $760,000,000 more for 1912 than for last year. Present prospects show a yield of 59,000,000 bushels more potatoes this year than during 1911. It is to be hoped that these expectations will be realized. It makes me marvel when my soul beholds
The high and holy love Thou hast for me;
The perfect trust, and confidence, and joy
Thou hast deigned to let me have in thee. I see by faith the fountain’s cleansing blood;
That Lamb, all torn and bleeding, on the tree;
The meek and suffering Lord: and I exclaim,
“Wonder of wonders, that he died for me!” I see, afar, the purchase of thy blood,
Bathed in that gracious, heavenly light,
Upon the sea of glass before thy throne,
Triumphantly victorious by thy might.