A REPORT from our missionary, Elder B. J. Cady, came just too late for this issue. It will appear next week.
“NOTES FROM FRANCE,” in another column, shows us somewhat of the condition of affairs in Europe. “What next?” expectantly asks the multitude.
We give in this issue another installment of Professor Magan’s paper on a “Review of Sunday Legislation in Century Nineteen.” We hope that it may be widely read.
READ the article in another column on the “Parliament of Religions” from the Herald and Presbyter. It bears fine contrast to the many fulsome laudations of that antichristian gathering.
As A man, a Roman Catholic is no more a persecutor naturally than the member of any other sect. It is his principles which make him what he is. Anyone who will adopt the principles of that church with all his heart must of necessity become a persecutor if he have the power, and there be heretics to persecute. The inexorable logic of the whole system is intolerance and persecution. And when Protestants adopt the same principles, they are inevitably led to the same conclusions. But these principles are antichristian; for the principles of the gospel of Christ know nothing of coercion, intolerance, or persecution.
AT the Massachusetts Democratic Convention a resolution was adopted favoring a plan of referendum, by which important acts of the Legislature can be voted by the people. This would be a limited feature of original democracy. But it will not succeed to any marked extent, if at all; the tendency is all the other way. Ever since the civil war centralization of governmental power has been making rapid strides. Notwithstanding that each of the dominant parties has raised the cry against the one in power, it is a fact that each succeeding administration, whether Republican or Democratic, has carried the principle a step or two farther forward. It was this centralization, and disregard of the real sentiment of the masses, that made it possible to open the doors of Congress to religious legislation in the matter of declaring Sunday to be the Sabbath, and enacting that the Columbian Exposition, a State corporation, should be closed on that day. That precedent will be enlarged upon as the principle of centralization becomes more pronounced.
IT IS thus that an esteemed contributor of the Signs writes in a private note of the refusal of the Parliament of Religions to allow the Mormon representative a hearing; and who can say that he speaks too strongly?
The elder says, “This may be good Christian treatment, but it is different from that taught by the Mormon Church.” But a man cannot have a very high ideal of Christianity who would expect “Christian treatment” at the hands of such a hodge-podge of Catholicism, degenerate Protestantism, and all the other idolatries that could be induced to join the show. How could any Christian manifestation come out of the worst medley that the world has known since the confusion of tongues at Babel? However, it is a little strange that a religion claiming 300,000 adherents could not have a chance on the platform with the universal pot-pourri,—especially as they adhere to the “American Sabbath.” It certainly was not an exhibition of true American patriotism to invite a display of all the polygamy of foreign countries—free of duty—and then rule out the home product.
“BIBLE READINGS ON HEALTH AND TEMPERANCE TOPICS.”
By Editor
THE above is the title of a pamphlet of nearly 100 pages, which has come to us from the Good Health Publishing Company of Battle Creek, Mich. The pamphlet was written by W. H. Wakeham, a minister of the gospel, as well as an earnest student in physiology and hygiene, and all else that makes better the physical man. It draws not only from the Bible, but other works of authority. While we have not had time for a critical examination of the work, we feel sure from our acquaintance with the author that it is a book of value and one that should be studied. Address as above. Price, 30 cents.
THE COURAGE OF DESPERATION.
By Editor
SAYS the Prophetic News, edited by Rev. M. Baxter:—
More mysterious than ever is the unbroken continuance of European peace up to the present month of September, 1893, notwithstanding the indications furnished by Daniel’s Dates that a great European war might be expected to break out not later than the present autumn, so as to change the existing Twenty-three Kingdoms or States inside Cæsar’s Roman Empire territories into the confederacy of Ten Kingdoms prefigured by the ten-horned wild beast of Dan. 7: 24.
Mr. Baxter has set dates, times without number, for the close of this dispensation, the appearance of antichrist, the destruction of existing European governments, and various other events clustering around the end. Times without number he and his followers have been disappointed. But with a courage born of desperation he plunges madly on in the darkness of the fog evolved by his own principles of interpretation, only to suffer disappointment again. One of the greatest manifestations of antichrist has been before him for hundreds of years, clearly portrayed in prophecy, but he does not know it. The ten horns of Daniel 7 were developed between the years of A. D. 356 and 476, but he cannot see it. The Lord has said, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man,” but this seems of little weight with him. He believes that we must know definitely when these things occur, that they must develop through certain channels; and, holding to these erroneous principles, his great endeavor is to force God’s word to sustain them. But it will never do it. God has a message to give to the world. In harmony with the words of Christ, that message will not be a definite time message. It is a message calling men back to the worship of the true God, the faith as it is in Christ, and the observation of all God’s commandments. Until this message goes to the world, God will hold the winds of universal strife. This he has declared in his word. There may be slight outbreaks of war, but there will be no universal war till the message of God is given to the world, as outlined in Rev. 14: 6-12.
Mr. Baxter is said to have great courage to still pose as an interpreter of prophecy, in the face of all his disappointments. He has, but it is the courage of desperation. We pity those who are so blinded. We pity even more those who are longing for the right way, but who are led by the blind in a way they know not. We entreat them to turn to the Lord and his word.
Question Corner.
By Editor
“If ye will inquire, inquire ye.” “But avoid foolish questions.”
122. OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Will you be kind enough to tell us in the SIGNS in what manner and to what extent we are responsible for the acts of servants and strangers within our gates, as referred to in the fourth commandment? And what does within our gates include?
Such questions cannot be answered dogmatically. “Within thy gates” evidently refers to all the land and buildings which a man controls and works. This would not refer to houses or lands rented to others. Servants should not be required to do any unnecessary work on that day, and neither strangers nor servants should be permitted to do public unnecessary work on that day. The matter should be kindly stated before them, and we are sure no worthy servant or stranger sharing our hospitality would desire to offend. Doing work of this kind in the privacy of their own rooms might not be in our power to prevent. In fact we should not care to act the part of a spy or inquisitor upon those even whom we suspected. Acts of a public character it would be our duty to control within our gates. “The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours.”
123. THE SWEDISH BIBLE AND SUNDAY.
What makes the Swedish Bible say Sunday instead of the seventh day? The Bible I refer to was made in Stockholm.
We have not the Bible at hand, and, not being acquainted with the history of its translation, cannot of course give a decided answer to the above question. But this we may say on general principles, that if the “seventh day” or the word “sabbath” is translated “Sunday,” it is a mistranslation; for the Sacred Record in both Hebrew and Greek contains no such term. Even the Bible term “first day of the week” is not equivalent to our Sunday.
124. ABOUT THE TITHE.
A person who sells goods says: “I may clear about thirty-three and one-third dollars on a hundred dollars worth of goods sold. I want to know how to pay the tithe on that. When I collect $20, ought I to pay the tithe on the $20, or on what profit there is in it?”
The tithe should be paid on the profit, we should say, if we have a correct understanding of the case. If A bought ten dollars worth of goods and sold them for fifteen, his income would be five. The balance of ten dollars would go for the payment of the purchase of the goods. His tithe would be paid, not on the fifteen dollars, nor on the ten, but on the five, and would therefore be fifty cents.
The Parliament of Religions.
By Editor
Many inquiries have come to us concerning reports of the Parliament of Religions. To all our readers we wish to say that a work is now preparing which will give a complete account of this great gathering. It will be issued complete in one large octavo volume, and will be a careful compilation of all of the proceedings. It is a narrative of the greatest achievement in modern religious history, and which the future will demonstrate to be of world-wide import. The book contains the origin of the Parliament of Religions; proceedings of every meeting of the Parliament; speeches delivered and papers read at every session of the noted gathering; the beliefs of the various religious denominations; opinions of eminent divines in regard to the Parliament; influence of the Parliament upon the religious thought of the world. It will be a work of reference of great value. Published by F. T. Neely, Chicago. Price, cloth, $2.50; sheep, $4.00.