p. 301 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 1, No. 38. (7/29/1875)

Earlier text: An Exposition of Eph. 2 : 14, 15

Constantine.

By J. H. Waggoner

It appears, not from a single statement of a single historian, but from the oft-repeated statements of many historians, that Eusebius was so carried away by the supposed benefit that Constantine was conferring on Christianity, and the personal favors bestowed on himself by the emperor, and so far lost sight of the purity of the gospel and the strictness of Christian principles, as to greatly injure his own reputation as a historian. With Constantine's crude or confused notions of Christianity, with his commingling of pagan and Christian rites, as it is well agreed that he did, most of his public career, if not to the very last year of his life, with his policy of making everything subserve his own interests, we cannot be surprised that he both practiced and advised deception when it favored his plans. Theodoret thus speaks of his address to the bishops of the council of Nice :—

"He said that the crimes of priests ought not to be made known to the multitude, lest they become an occasion of offence or of sin. He said also that if he had detected a bishop in the very act of committing adultery he would have thrown his imperial robe over the unlawful deed, lest any should witness the scene and be thereby injured."—Theodoret, p. 46.

When we see that the influence of this advice has not been lost upon the church even unto this day; when we consider how many in this age of light, plead against faithfully exposing the sins of professed ministers of Christ, lest the gospel faith should thereby receive injury, we are not surprised that the words of the emperor, who was regarded almost as an oracle by the bishops, should have been received as wise and prudent, and acted upon. Eusebius was as likely as any to follow in the wake of his imperial master. And we are not left in this matter to a supposition as the following shows :—

"In describing the sufferings of the Christians during the last persecution, Eusebius admits that it does not agree with our plan to relate their dissensions and wickedness before the persecution on which account we have determined to relate nothing more concerning them than may serve to justify the Divine Judgment. We have, therefore, not been induced to make mention either of those who were tempted in the persecution, or of those who made utter shipwreck of their salvation, and were sunk of their own accord in the the depths of the storm; but shall only add those things to our General History which may in the first place be profitable to ourselves, and afterwards to posterity! And in another passage he asserts that the events most suitable to a history of martyrs, are those which redound to their honor." Waddington, Eccl. His., p. 90.

There are few writers who seem to have given more easy credence to the statements of Eusebius than Gericke, yet he is constrained to speak of him as follows :—

"It is to be regretted that this oftentimes wavering and weak, yet great, emperor—who, under the impulse of passion, was guilty even of the murder of his son Crispus and of his own wife Fausta—could not have had the plain warnings, and evangelical instructions, of a bolder and less dazzled spiritual guide than was the bishop Eusebius."—Page 243.

Neander says :—

"We should remark that Eusebius was strongly inclined to turn everything to the advantage of his hero."—Vol. 2, p. 6.

Waddington, however, does not need the aid of other historians to justify the statement we first quoted. In the following he gives, and that most forcibly, further reasons why he cannot rely fully on the words of Eusebius :—

"But that delinquency of Eusebius which we have just mentioned is confined to the suppression of truth—it does not proceed to the direct assertion of falsehood—we shall now notice a still more serious suspicion to which he has rendered himself liable. The thirty-first chapter of the twelfth book of his Evangelical Preparation bears for its title this scandalous proposition—'How it may be lawful and fitting to use falsehood as a medicine, for the advantage of those who require such a method'! We have already deplored with sorrow and indignation, the fatal moment when fraud and falsehood were first admitted into the service of religion. Philosophy, in the open array of her avowed hostility, was not so dangerous as when she lent to her undisciplined adversaries her own poisoned weapons, and placed them in unskillful hands, as implements of self-destruction. It was disgraceful to the less enlightened fathers of the second and third centuries, that even in the midst of trial and tribulation, they borrowed a momentary succor from the profession of falsehood—but the same expedient was still more shameful to Eusebius, who flourished during the prosperity of the church, whose age and more extensive learning left him no excuse in ignorance or inexperience, and whose great name and unquestionable piety gave sanction and authority to all his opinions. There can be no doubt, then, that the publication of that detestable principle in any one of his writings, however modified and limited by his explanation, must, to a certain extent, disturb our confidence in the rest—the mind which does not profess to be constantly guided by truth possesses no claim to our implicit submission."—Church History, p. 91.

Mosheim more than casts a doubt upon the veracity of Eusebius or his reliability, at the least, in the following language :—

"These very edicts, which evince his good will for the Christians and his reverence for Christ, at the same time prove that all the things stated by Eusebius could not be true; and they show Constantine was not, at that time, a Christian, except in the lowest sense. For while he believed Christ to be a God, he did not believe him to be the supreme God, who created all things; nor did he consider the Christian religion to be the only way of attaining salvation."—His. Com., p. 467.

Keightley, speaking of the murder of Constantine's son—for no other name can be given to the crime—thus presents the evidence against the 'courtly bishop' :—

"When a biographer passes in silence over any important action of his hero, we may be certain that a minute and exact inquiry, and a sifting of all the circumstances, has convinced him that it is incapable of bearing exposure to the light, and that no ingenuity can avail to extenuate, much less excuse it. On this principle we hold the profound silence of Eusebius on this mysterious transaction to be conclusive of the guilt of Constantine and the innocence of Crispus; and, at the same time, destructive of that prelate's claim to truth and integrity as an historian."—History of Rome, p. 346.

No one can reasonably complain of the tenor of this language. No one can deny that it is fully justified by the circumstances. On the part of Eusebius there is more than the suppression of a well-known and important fact; he exalted the character of Constantine even as if the crushing fact did not exist. It must appeal to every one that if he had considered that that action could be justified he would have noticed it with all the extenuating circumstances he could command. But, as Keightley well says, it was evidently beyond his power to justify or extenuate. Who, then, can justify the course of Eusebius in holding up Constantine as a man of pure life and pure motives, in the face of such facts?

Nor was it left to later ages to discover this want of integrity in Eusebius. One born in his own century has left on record the following estimate of his reliability :—

"In writing the life of Constantine this author has very slightly treated of the Arian controversy, being evidently more intent on a highly wrought eulogium of the emperor, than an accurate statement of facts."—Socrates' Eccl. History, p. 1.

Thus we think it is made plain beyond question that Constantine was not, in consideration of either his laws or his actions, worthy of the name of Christian. And that Eusebius, his favorite bishop and most servile flatterer, was so intent on exalting Constantine as a Christian Emperor that he both suppressed and misrepresented facts to such an extent as to render his testimony unreliable in many respects.

The questions will naturally arise in many minds, Why is it that Eusebius is regarded so highly as a historian while the evidence is so abundant that he was so biassed and blinded that he greatly perverted the facts of history? And why is it that Constantine, even in this day is held up as a Christian, and extolled as a Christian Emperor and the benefactor of the church, while historians are so well agreed that his religion was a mixture of Christianity and paganism, that his whole life was unworthy of a Christian and even of a humane pagan, and that his influence over the church was evil, and disastrous to her as regards piety and purity of both faith and life? The reader is requested to weigh these questions, and consider what reasonable solution may be offered to this apparent mystery. We have no hesitation in giving it as our opinion that partisan prejudice has had much to do with this perversion of history, and that men have, perhaps, not always conscious of the motive or of the evil resulting, exalted unworthy means for the purpose of maintaining what they really considered worthy ends.

We come now to the consideration of Constantine's famous Sunday edict. While many will, no doubt, be surprised at the evidence of history on this subject, all will be able to perceive the justness of the remark in the preceding paragraph.

In the year 321, March 7, Constantine issued the following :—

"Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades, rest on the venerable day of the sun; but let those who are situated in the country, freely and at full liberty attend to the business of agriculture; because it often happens that no other day is so fit for sowing corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted by Heaven."

This is a matter of great historical interest, and the place which it has been made to occupy in theology makes it the most interesting event in the life of Constantine. History points with unmistakable directness to this decree as the first law for resting from labor on Sunday. And because of the position given to Sunday for a few centuries past it is important to understand the real motive which actuated the emperor in giving this decree. From a careful observation of the subject, we are constrained to believe that the effort to make Constantine appear as a "Christian emperor" has been made in reference to this Sunday law, to give it the character of a Christian institution. It is indeed true that if Constantine had been an earnest or sincere Christian at the time of his issuing this decree it would not prove it to be a Christian institution. To prove that we should require something back of his authority, as it cannot be disputed that an emperor in the fourth century, however sincere in his belief in Christianity, could not bring into existence a Christian institution. For such an institution we must have the direct evidence of Scripture.

First, then, we must notice the fact that this was the first public authority for Sunday keeping. Dr. Heylyn, of England, who wrote extensively on this question, said :—

"Tertullian tells us that they did devote the Sunday partly unto mirth and recreation, not to devotion altogether; when in a hundred years after Tertullian's time there was no law nor Constitution to restrain men from laboring on this day in the Christian church." Hist. of the Sabbath, part 2, chap. 8, §13.

Tertullian died 216; a hundred years brings us to 316, only five years before Constantine's law. Thus does Heylyn point to that as the first law to restrain men from laboring on Sunday.

Alexander Campbell, speaking before a graduating class in Bethany College in 1848, said:—

"Was the first day set apart by public authority in the apostolic age? No. By whom was it set apart, and when? By Constantine, who lived about the beginning of the fourth century."—Copied from Proclamation and Reformer, Cincinnati.

Morer wrote thus of the first day :—

"And being taken up and made a day for religious exercises, yet for three hundred years there was no law to bind them to it, and for want of such a law, the day was not wholly kept in abstaining from common business; nor did they any longer rest from their ordinary affairs (such was the necessity of those times) than during the divine service."—Dialogues on the Lord's Day, p. 233.

Here, again, three hundred years

pass away before there was any law for resting on Sunday. Although the churches were accustomed to hold divine service on that day, they were accustomed to do the same on the sixth day; on the one, in honor of the crucifixion; on the other, in honor of the resurrection. They did not, however, claim any Scriptural authority for such customs, nor did they abstain from secular labor on either day.

Sir Wm. Domville, who closely and critically examined this subject, wrote as follows :—

"Centuries of the Christian era passed away before the Sunday was observed by the Christian church as a Sabbath. History does not furnish us with a single proof or indication that it was at any time so observed previous to the Sabbatical edict of Constantine in A. D. 321." Exam. of the Six Texts, p. 291.

J. W. Morton, formerly missionary of the Reformed Presbyterian church, in his address to the synod, said :—

"The first day of the week was not observed by any of the children of men, as a Sabbath, for three hundred years after the birth of Christ. Do you ask for proof? I refer you to Theodore de Beza, who plainly says so. If you are not satisfied with the witness, will you have the goodness to prove the affirmative of the proposition."—Vindication of True Sabbath, p. 34.

J. H. WAGGONER.

(To be Continued.)

News from the East.

FATHER BYINGTON is yet in the field. Though suffering the infirmities of advanced age, he works on, and we get reports from time to time of his meetings with the churches in Michigan, among whom he has labored for eighteen years.

Bro. Frisbie is on his old battle ground in Western Michigan. He closed his meetings in Green, Mecosta Co., by baptizing nine in the Muskegon River. Twenty-one persons have covenanted to keep the commandments of God, and Sabbath meetings have been established.

Eld. R. F. Andrews writes: "We came to this place [Watseka, Ill.] July 3, and commenced meetings evening after the Sabbath. We found the people greatly opposed to anything connected with the second advent cause. This opposition has been brought about mainly by time-setting Adventists and reckless speeches made by unconsecrated preachers on the subject of man's nature and future punishment. What a wretched work this class of persons have done and are doing! Blight and mildew, death and destruction, follow in their wake. We had other serious hinderances to contend with, such as prolonged rains, opposition meetings, and determined effort to keep the people away.

"But, notwithstanding all these influences, we have reason to be of good courage; for the Lord has been working for us; to his name be all the praise. At our first meeting we had about thirty hearers, and many of those came into our tent in a manner which showed unmistakably that they would rather others would not know where they were going, a great deal after the style of Nicodemus, who "came to Jesus by night." Now the people come in boldly, and without fear. Our congregations have steadily increased to between three and four hundred. Eleven discourses have already been given. We have endeavored to place ourselves in a right light before the people, and prejudice has given way, and the people now manifest a willingness to hear."

Eld. Bourdeau is preaching in both the English and the French, in Illinois. In speaking of the French brethren in Kankakee, he says:

"I found that their numbers had more than doubled during my absence, and that those who had received the truth had received it with a mind to work, and had labored not only for their French acquaintances in their vicinity, but also for their friends in France, to whom they had sent some of our tracts, and with whom they had opened a correspondence. Most of these French brethren came from Le Banc de La Roche, France. The inhabitants of that place and vicinity enjoyed for years the faithful labors of Oberlin, whose interesting life has doubtless been read by many of our readers. Two of our young brethren will return to France in a few months. We hope they may be prepared to properly represent the cause they have espoused."

Interesting meetings followed in Kankakee and St. Anne. In these meetings both the French and the English brethren took part, and Eld. Bourdeau addressed them in both languages. Sabbath, July 10, sixteen French converts were buried with Christ in baptism. The Belgian brethren in Wisconsin are promised a visit soon.

The World Will Move On

Don't fret, the world will move on as usual after you are gone.

California Tent.

By Joseph Harvey Waggoner

We took down the tent in Gilroy, Monday, July 19, and pitched it the same day in Hollister. We were favored in the location, as we now find that we have the best place in the village.

Hollister is beautifully located in a narrow valley near the San Benito River. The valley of the river, which is also called San Juan, opens directly toward the ocean, and the wind blows every day with great force. Having a double top the tent is not so easily handled in a wind as if it were a single top and we have concluded that it is necessary to procure more ropes, and put extra guards upon it to secure it from the violence of the winds. No one who has not experienced it can well imagine the effect of such winds over a plain which has no rain for months. Yesterday afternoon we were reminded of the driving snow storms on the prairies. The air was filled with dust, and everything in the tent became covered with it. But the wind as invariably goes down every night, leaving a pleasant time for meetings. The interest to hear thus far is good; the congregations have increased in numbers from the first, and they seem mostly to appreciate the force of the truths spoken.

We heard only discouraging words concerning this place before we came here, of the high winds, cold nights, alkali water, &c., but we felt constantly impressed that it was duty to make an effort here. We ask the prayers of all who love the truth that we may be prospered in our efforts.

I have been agreeably disappointed in one respect in this State. The order in the tent meetings is as good as I ever saw in any State, and the tent and everything about it remains undisturbed both by day and night. It seems providential, and we are thankful for peace and quiet in our temporary home.

J. H. WAGGONER.

One Idea of Poverty.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

It was Bulwer who said that in nine cases out of ten, poverty is only an idea. Some with ten thousand dollars a year suffer more want of means than others with three hundred. The reason is, the richer man has artificial wants. His income is ten thousand, and he suffers enough from being dunned for unpaid debts to kill a sensitive man; he who earns a dollar a day, and who does not run in debt, is the happier of the two. Very few people who have never been rich will believe this, but it is true. There are thousands and thousands with princely incomes who never know a moment's peace, because they live beyond their means. There is really more happiness in the world among the working people than among those who are called rich—always providing that poor folks do not in a smaller way, emulate the prodigality of their richer brethren. Poverty is simply a question of the good or bad management of money in hand.

Spare Moments.

By Kansas Farmer

"Spare moments are the gold dust of time." When Queen Elizabeth lay upon her dying bed, she cried, in the deepest sorrow and anguish, "Millions of money would I give for an inch of time." At that moment he who would have offered her gold, diamonds, or power, more than she ever before possessed, who would have borne to her news of a splendid victory, or pay the most delicate compliment, would have been thrust aside to make room for any one who could have prolonged, even for an hour, the life of the dying queen. Time is a priceless gift of God to weak humanity. We are placed in this world for a purpose, and time is given us to fulfill our allotted task. If we act in unison with the Almighty, we find that not one moment need be unemployed. The service of God, the improvement of our talents, and the bestowal of charity upon those less favored than ourselves, will fill up every inch of time. As the minute particles of which gold dust is composed glitter in the light of the sun, so shall the apparently insignificant actions, which occupy but a moment, brighten the page of our lives, when the powerful light of the dissolving elements shall expose it to the scrutiny of the all-seeing Judge. In view of such a time should we not gather up the fragments, the minutes—aye, the seconds? As short a time will suffice to say that which may save another from committing sin, as would be occupied in momentarily gratifying ourselves. We cannot calculate the ultimate value of hours and minutes, but we know that, as gold-dust carefully gathered becomes valuable, so we may expect to become happy reapers of an invaluable treasure harvest, if we faithfully garner and cluster time's golden fragments.—Kansas Farmer.

How to Do It.

By John Norton Loughborough

WHAT? Our T. and M. credit business on the periodicals. With all the explanations that have been made, the subject is not yet clear to the minds of some. We decide to explain this again, and introduce a diagram illustrating our explanation, and to show wherein it is deviated from, the confusion thus created, and the reason why.

According to the decision of our late State Quarterly Meeting, ALL CREDIT BUSINESS ON PERIODICALS, whether on the Signs, Review, Reformer, Instructor, or any other periodical, is to be done through our State Secretary. To accomplish this in a systematic manner, business agents are appointed to look after these things in the churches, and to forward the business to the district secretary. The district secretary is to copy the items of business on his business book, and send a copy of the same to the State Secretary who will forward it to the proper office.

But, you may ask, why do any credit business at all? I answer, as a matter of convenience, and safety. It is not convenient, and is expensive to send a few dollars, especially in coin; but it can be paid over to the director, and sent to the treasurer, at the time of the State Quarterly Meeting, in most cases, without expense. In this case there is not that risk to run, nor losses occurring, which have occurred in several instances in sending money through the mail.

In case it is desired to send a subscription on the credit system, the member, or individual, gives the name and address to the business agent, paying him the money. The business agent enters these names on his business book, and sends an exact copy to the district secretary requesting him to enter the same upon his business book, and to charge the items on his cash book to that church. The district secretary after entering the items on the business book and cash book, copies these items from his business book, and sends them to the State Secretary, with the request to do the business and charge it on her cash book to that district. The State Secretary, after making an entry of the items, sends them to the Review or Signs Office, as the case may be, requesting in each case that the money be charged to the State T. and M. Society.

If the above directions are carried out, the business going through one channel will be done correctly. In some instances, heretofore, some of the business agents have sent credit business direct to the Signs Office, stating that they sent for fear their secretary would not send it, although they had sent it to him. It appears that there was ground for their fears, for, in some instances, their district secretary never sent the business, and when they did, the business was liable to be done twice, unless it was specified that it had been sent before, or unless our Office Secretary should happen to remember the name of the one or two out of four thousand subscribers, in time to save entering the name again.

I believe our district secretaries are competent for their positions, if they have a chance to practice. Hereafter all business sent improperly should be returned to the ones sending it, so that they may send it through the proper channel, for by this means they will sooner learn how to do business correctly.

When the business agent pays the money on periodicals to the director, he should give him a list of the names for which he pays, with the amounts, &c., and should at the same time report to the district secretary the names and amounts paid, so that the district secretary can give that church credit on his cash book for these sums. If this course is pursued in a district the director can tell at once by examining the books of the district secretary how the account stands in any district, or in any church in that district.

When the district secretary receives the statement from the business agent that money has been paid to the director, after making the credits for the items on his cash book to the respective church, he should forward a copy of the same to the State Secretary requesting her to place the items on her cash book to the credit of that district. In case these directions are followed, the President can tell on examining the cash book of the State Secretary, how the credit account on periodicals stands in all the districts. When the directors pay the money into the State T. and M. treasury they should give the treasurer a statement of items, stating simply the amount from their respective district for Signs Office, and the amount for Review Office, so that he may make correct entries upon his cash book. In these business rules are observed the secretary’s cash book and the treasurer's book will agree.

When money is drawn from the treasury by order of the board of directors, to apply on account at Signs Office, the same should be reported to the State Secretary so that she may enter upon her business book an account of the same with the amount paid.

We will now give an illustration of the statements made above:—

O — SS — DS — BA — { M; M; M } — BA — { M; M; M } — DS — BA — { M; M; M } — BA — { M; M; M }

ILLUSTRATION OF CREDIT SYSTEM. O means OFFICE of publication; S. S., State Secretary; D. S., district secretary B. A.: business agent; M., members. The member does his business with the business agent, the business agent with the district secretary, the district secretary with the State Secretary, and the State Secretary with the Office of publication. When money is paid by the business agent to the director, he reports to the district secretary, and the district secretary reports to the State Secretary as before stated. J. N. L.

God's Witnesses.

By M. Wood

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord." Isa. 43 : 10. Every true believer in God, is a living witness of Jesus Christ. He is, and should be, a representative of the church of God. He is led to prove the truth, power, and blessedness, of pure religion, and then he is required to bear witness of it to others. For ye (Christians) are my witnesses, saith the Lord. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ; that the man of God might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17. The Scripture here mentioned, is the Bible, written for the church, but the church herself is the Bible of the world. Christians are regarded by the world as the Thermometer of the church. Paul, in his second epistle to the Corinthians, says, "Ye are our epistles written in our hearts, known and read of all men." All Christians (and especially those professing to be employed in giving the last message of mercy to a world lying in wickedness) should have their lives so in conformity with the law of God, that the world might see the transforming power, elevating purity, and true dignity of pure religion, as taught and practiced by Jesus and his apostles. Therefore, we are exhorted, as the elect of God, to put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and long-suffering, and to be continually working upon the plan of addition as recommended in 2 Peter 1 : 5-7.

Our lives should be a living witness for Jesus. Not only in the prayer-meeting should we be Christians, but in the world, in our families, and in our business relations with our fellow-creatures. We should strive to follow the voice of the Great Shepherd, walking as did Zacharias and Elizabeth, in all the commandments, and ordinances of the Lord blameless, thus witnessing for God and his precious truths in our daily walks of life. But not only in our lives, but with our tongues we should bear witness for our divine Lord. Our tongues should be employed in singing his praise, testifying of his loving kindness and tender mercies toward us. We should speak of the glorious honor of his majesty, and talk of his power to make his will known to those who earnestly desire to do it.

Every believer should feel his acceptance with God, through Christ, and should therefore witness to the freeness, and greatness, and power of God's love, manifested to the children of men. This witness should be plain, clear, and distinct, so that no one may mistake it, or be misled by it. To be a fellow-laborer and co-worker with Jesus, is to be crowned with the height of honors. Oh! it is a glorious thing to witness for God, and uphold his precious law which the psalmist informs us "is perfect, converting the soul, rejoicing the heart, and enlightening the eyes." Bless God for his commandments, for more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold : sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Oh! that we might so witness as to impress all around with the importance of Bible religion.

Alas, that any one should profess Christ and yet not witness for him, or so walk as to leave a false impression respecting the church of Christ. Be it our concern, dear reader, to bear a faithful witness for Jesus, wherever we are, and so to walk, and speak, and pray, as to have a beneficial influence on the side of the truth. "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart." 2 Cor. 3 : 3.

M. Wood. Boston, Mass., July 12, 1875.

Question.

By John Norton Loughborough

"Bro. Loughborough :—What day do you think John had reference to where he says 'I was in the spirit on the Lord's day'? Rev. 1 : 10. If he meant a day of the week, I am inclined to think that he referred to the seventh—the Sabbath of the Lord, it being the only day he sanctified and blessed.

"The seventh-day Sabbath was observed by Christians in John's day, and it was the only day then distinguished as the Lord's day, and could not possibly have had any reference to Sunday as holy or sacred time. I would like to know what you think about it, and if of sufficient importance, please reply through the SIGNS, and oblige others as well as myself. Yours truly, B. G. ST. JOHN."

Reply : I am of the same opinion as yourself, that the term Lord's day of Rev. 1 : 10, refers to the seventh-day Sabbath. The fourth commandment calls it "The Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20. The Lord by Isaiah calls the Sabbath "My holy day." Isa. 58 : 13. Christ says, "The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day." Matt. 12 : 28. We would suppose the above expressions were evidence that the seventh-day was the Lord's day, inasmuch as he has called that day his.

The Lord has never said in his word that the first day was his holy day, or that men should keep it. Rev. 1 : 10 speaks familiarly of the day as though all would understand what it meant. "The Lord's day"—the day God has reserved to himself. According to Scripture that day is the Sabbath.

John wrote his gospel two years after he wrote the book of Revelation. In his gospel he designates the first day by the simple title of "first day of the week," and gives no hint that it has become a holy day.

A minister in Sonoma Co. once told us that we could "not tell by the Bible what day was the Lord's day, but to settle that question we would have to go to history." If we appeal to history in this case, we shall find Mr. Kitto stating in his Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, original edition, Art., Lord's day, that Tertullian, who wrote A. D. 200, gives the earliest authentic instance," in

which the name Lord's day is applied to the first day of the week.

To show the manner in which Tertullian regarded the new institution we will quote one of his statements : "As often as the anniversary comes round we make offerings for the dead. As birth-day honors. We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord's day to be unlawful. At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign [of the cross].

"If, for these and other rules, you insist upon having positive Scripture injunction, you will find none. Tradition will be held forth to you as the originator of them, custom as their strengthener, and faith as their observer."

You will perceive that when Tertullian, mentions Sunday as Lord's day for the first time, he associates it with "offerings for the dead," and with making "the sign of the cross" on the forehead. When asked for Bible authority for all these things, he does not say we have John's testimony for applying the term Lord's day to the first day of the week, and tradition for offerings to the dead, but he says we "have tradition" for all of them. So we are left to conclude, of course, that they all come from the same source, and that one has as much divine authority for observance as the other.

For a more full exposition of this Lord's day question see a small pamphlet entitled, "Testimony of the Fathers," for sale at the SIGNS Office. J. N. L.

The Heavenly Warrior.

GIRD thy heavenly armor on, Warrior of the cross! Rest doth not to thee belong; Rest is only loss; Till thy Master, from the skies, Calls thee up to take thy prize.

In the tumult and the strife, He will bid thee cheer; Seek not comfort or delight, Nor thy life hold dear; Then, 'midst all the battle's noise, Thou shalt hear his gentle voice.

And when thy feet shall lightly tread The star-paved courts of Heaven, There only shalt thou know indeed What price for thee was given. Fear not the foe, thine armor brace, And boldly meet him face to face.

And when the eastern sky shall break With glory o'er our world, Then, only then, thy sword forsake, Thy Master's flag be furled, Then thou shalt hear the thrilling cry, "Behold the Bridegroom" in the sky!

Then keep thy face toward the dawn; The red streaks now the sky That heralds in the approaching morn, The morn of victory! Then thou shalt hear the Master's voice, "Rejoice, my faithful one, rejoice!"

—Sel.

Missionary Department.

By John Norton Loughborough

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." EccI. 11 : 6.

Obtaining Subscribers.

ONE branch of the T. and M. work as defined in the Constitution is, "To obtain subscribers for our periodicals; to collect dues and renew subscriptions, and to pay subscriptions for the worthy poor; and for this purpose, agents shall be appointed, who shall report quarterly to the director of their district."

We need not, at this time, argue that our periodicals are one of our most powerful agencies in bringing the truth before the people. The testimonials given from time to time in the SIGNS, from those who are receiving these truths, speak for themselves.

The move that has been made with our list has not been to cut short our acquaintance with any of our interested readers, but to find the true state of mind of our subscribers. We receive many interesting responses from those who desire the paper. We also learn that many whose names are on our lists, and to whom the paper has been sent for a year, have removed and have not had the paper for months. This shows the importance of looking after the lists of trial subscribers, at least once in three months.

We do not ask you to slack your hand in obtaining trial subscribers for the SIGNS, but keep a list of the subscribers you obtain, and consider it your duty to look after them, and report to the SIGNS Office once in three months. J. N. L.

Credit Business.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE following questions are asked which we will answer: “Why not let the business agents do credit business direct with the SIGNS Office instead of through the district and State Secretaries?”

ANS. : 1. Because the source from which the director is to ascertain the financial standing of his district just before a quarterly meeting, is the secretary's cash book. If all credit business is done through the secretary, the standing of accounts can be ascertained; but if it is otherwise the account will be in confusion.

2. In case a business agent has sent his credit business to the SIGNS Office instead of to the district secretary, when he pays the cash on periodicals to the director, and reports the same to the district secretary, the cash account on periodicals against that district will not balance, as there will be more money paid than the accounts on the secretary's book will call for. In such case, before they could ever right it up, they would have to get a statement of accounts with individual names from the publication office.

“Why must the business agent report to the district secretary each item of business for which he pays money to the director?”

ANS.: So that the cash book of the secretary will show to the director that the items of business before charged have been paid, and in case there are items not paid, it will appear just where the balance is due.

J. N. L.

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