Review and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 15. (4/13/1905)

Review and Herald

Apr 13, 1905

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 13, 1905

The Great Conflict of the Ages

For nearly six thousand years a severe conflict has been going on between the forces of good and evil. Where did it originate, what progress is being made, and what will be the outcome? The important publications described below answer these questions fully. Please read the descriptions carefully.

The Great Conflict of the Ages

As Illustrated in

Holy Men of Old

PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS.— This book treats upon themes of Bible History—themes not in themselves new, but so presented here as to give them a new significance. Beginning with the rebellion in heaven, the author shows why sin was permitted, why Satan was not destroyed, and why man was tested; gives a thrilling description of man's temptation and fall, and rehearses the plan of salvation.

The deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the incidents of their forty years' wanderings, the building of the sanctuary, the entrance into Canaan, the subjection of the land, and the continued history of the Israelite nation down to the close of David's reign, are all related in an interesting, narrative style that charms the reader and opens up to him new beauties in the Scriptural record.

The book contains 762 octavo pages, illustrated. Price $2.25.

Also published in Danish, Swedish, German, and Dutch.

Christ and the Apostles

THE DESIRE OF AGES.— It is shown how Christ, as man's representative, endured the temptations by which man is overcome, and conquered in his behalf, and that man, becoming a partaker of the divine nature, is enabled to overcome as Christ overcame. God in Christ, and Christ in his followers, can withstand all the power of Satan.

This volume is a study of the conflict between good and evil as illustrated in the lives of Christ and his disciples. The evil one has misrepresented the character of God, all through the ages, and has denied the authority of his law. But Christ, by his life of obedience on this earth and by his death on the cross, redeemed the transgressor, maintained the immutability of God's law, and thus vindicated God's character and showed his justice and love.

“The Desire of Ages” is a large volume of 866 royal octavo pages. Profusely illustrated with over 400 original half-tones. Price $3.50.

This Generation

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.— In this book the author has selected such events in the struggle of the church as foreshadow the conflict just before it, and grouped them so that their meaning can not be misunderstood. In addition to the history thus introduced, there are several chapters devoted to history now making, and that which according to the Word of God is to be in the near future. From them we select the following:—

The Impending Conflict. The Final Warning. The Time of Trouble. God's People Delivered. Desolation of the Earth.

These chapters picture the terrible intensity of this last conflict, and can not fail to thrill the reader and to impress their solemn lesson upon every mind.

This volume is octavo in size, and contains over 700 pages. Price $2.25.

Also published in Danish, Swedish, German, and French.

To-day's Happenings and Their Meaning

The newspapers are filled with daily descriptions of appalling loss of life by murder and suicide, political and social troubles, dissatisfaction between employer and employed, strikes and fires, wars and rumors of wars.

Many thinking people see in these things evidences of some great change which is soon to come. What this change will be and how it will be brought about are clearly portrayed from the standpoint of the Bible in the book

Heralds of the Morning

Here are some of its chapter titles: “A Remarkable Century;” “The Prevalence of Crime—A Sign of Our Times;” “The Earth Is Filled with Violence;” “Ye Have Heaped Treasure for the Last Days;” “And the Nations Were Angry;” “The Voice of the Elements;” “The Testimony of the Earth;” “Our Refuge and Fortress.”

Revised and enlarged edition, 354 pages, fully illustrated. Price $1.50.

Do Bible Prophecies Prove Its Inspiration?

It is generally admitted that certain prophecies of the Bible have been literally fulfilled: but are these isolated instances, or are they links in the great chain of prophecy, reaching to our time and beyond? If all prophetic statements referring to events now past have been fulfilled, may we not expect that those relating to the future will be fulfilled also? And are there such unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible? These questions are intelligently treated in

Daniel and Revelation

This important book contains a history of the rise and fall of nations, by means of an exposition, verse by verse, of the important prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, comparing Scripture predictions with historical facts. It makes the Bible its own interpreter, and thus arrives at the exact meaning of the sacred writers.

757 pages, with illustrations; beautifully bound. Price $2.25.

Also published in Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and German.

Review & Herald Publishing Association

Battle Creek, Mich. — — — — Washington, D. C.

Editorial

By Editor

Effective Teaching

It costs something to be a true teacher of the people. He who administers genuine comfort to those in trial must himself pass through the furnace. He who speaks with authority must put his own life into his utterances. He who writes to move the hearts of others must dip his pen in his own heart’s blood. He who preaches effectively the gospel of unselfish love must himself experience the consuming power of self-sacrificing love. This means that the teaching which really lifts people to a higher plane of thinking and living must be vivified by the very life power of the teacher, and that the wise counselor must have wrought his own counsel into experience. These principles found expression in the life and work of Jesus, the world’s greatest teacher. “Never man spake like this man,” because no man ever lived like this man. He healed sin-sick souls with his words because his words were the vehicle for conveying the virtue of his own sinless character. His words of love were not the mere mouthing of the phrases common to the Pharisees, mere sound and emptiness, but they were the deeds of love incarnated in verbal expressions. And this heart-to-heart language was understood by the common people, and it brought comfort to the sorrowing and hope to the hopeless, and placed the feet of the despairing upon vantage-ground. Such teaching is needed to-day. The ears of the people have been wearied with professional platitudes, and their souls are not comforted by sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. So long have human substitutes been taught for real Christianity that many are apparently arrayed against Christianity who are really fighting the perversions of Christianity, and there is great demand to-day for teachers of truth whose garments are not borrowed in order to conceal the wolf character. Godly living and godlike teaching can not be separated.

Abiding Fellowship

The name of Jesus is still “Immanuel,” and it still means “God with us.” Although “no man hath seen God at any time,” yet we are assured that “the only begotten Son . . . hath declared him,” and Jesus himself has said, “If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Thus through the incarnation of the blessed Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit, provision has been made for abiding fellowship with “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.” What a privilege is this! and how highly it should be prized! Day by day, amid all the strife and confusion, we may walk with God. While earthly ties are broken by the last enemy, and the most intimate spiritual association is disturbed by a departure from the faith, yet through it all “He abideth faithful,” and we can maintain unbroken communion with our Father and our God. When cares press heavily, and burdens seem almost unbearable, and the tempter presses his companionship upon us, then, without attempting to answer by any course of reasoning the doubts and fears which may fill our minds, we may pierce the clouds which surround us, and by the fact of abiding fellowship with the Father and his Son we may disprove the suggestions of the enemy of our souls. This experience of fellowship with heaven and the results which flow from it constitute the best evidences of the reality of the gospel of Christ. Then “draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

“In heavenly love abiding, No change my heart shall fear; And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here. The storm may roar without me, My heart may low be laid, But God is round about me, And can I be dismayed?”

Sound Principles

By Editor

IN this third angel’s message are found those sound principles which are a safe guide in every experience of life. If there are differences of opinion over any question which involves revealed truth, the light of this message will guide the humble mind to the right conclusion.

Our recent experiences in this city have impressed upon us the value of right principles and the importance of our work in making known the truth. When the ministers of Washington proposed to emphasize before the public the need of better “Sabbath observance,” it was our privilege to set before all the people the principles of this message in relation to the true Sabbath. It required no profound reasoning and no labored attempt to justify our practise, or to harmonize it with the plain teaching of the Scripture. It was only necessary to state the simple truth as revealed in the Word of God, and to point out from the prophecies the explanation of the departure from the observance of the day specifically mentioned in the commandment. And after these truths had been thus stated, there was no serious or successful effort made to overthrow them. Those who are not trained in the subtleties of theological reasoning can make an impregnable argument in behalf of the doctrines of this message by presenting the plain statements of the Bible as they have been brought together to establish the truth and to correct the error.

When later a movement was set on foot to introduce the teaching of religion into the public schools of the District of Columbia, a further opportunity was offered to witness for the truth, and the soundness of the principles of this message was again demonstrated. Although those who represented these principles were almost unknown in this city, and were not backed up by the influence which is derived from numbers, wealth, or social position, yet the arguments presented have been publicly declared to be “temperate and unanswerable,” and they have commanded the respect of many people who are willing to give candid consideration to sound principles.

Although we stood almost alone at the first in this contest in behalf of religious liberty, yet the tide of public sentiment has steadily turned as we have urged upon the public by every means at our command the Christian principles which

have been committed to us, and we have realized more fully than ever the benefit conferred by a knowledge of the truth for this time.

The weakness of the arguments in behalf of error have been made abundantly manifest in contrast with the convincing power of the truth, and we are confident that a favorable impression has been made upon many minds with reference to the work of Seventh-day Adventists during this recent vigorous campaign in behalf of religious liberty principles. And this experience has justified in our own minds the policy of connecting our religious liberty work directly and openly with the denomination and its work. In opposing the effort to introduce definite religious instruction into the public school we have frankly and freely taught the distinctive doctrines of this message, especially the Sabbath truth. Until the Baptists adopted their protest last week, which is printed in another part of this paper, we were the only Christian body of people who took any stand against this movement. The Jews, the freethinkers, the secularists, and the agnostics objected to the plan of teaching religion in the schools, but quite largely because they were hostile to Christianity, while we objected because we believed in Christianity, and desired to see its principles prevail. This has, of course, brought into prominence the views and teachings of Seventh-day Adventists in contrast with the views of other professedly Christian denominations, but this would not have been the case if our religious liberty work had been conducted on the platform of an undenominational association.

It has seemed clear to us that all our work should be conducted from the standpoint of this message, and that Seventh-day Adventists have a work to do in religious liberty lines which no other people can do. Thus the distinctive principles of this message for this generation would constantly be kept before the people, and every phase of aggressive work would call attention to the truth as a whole.

The time will come when even the presentation of the sound principles of this wonderful message of truth will not hold in check the efforts to secure an alliance between the church and the state in order to enforce the teachings of the church, and we certainly ought to make the very most of the time granted to us in which to give the warning message. This is the real meaning of our present situation, and we ought to be quick to realize it and to act upon it. Let every one who prizes the sound principles of this closing message join heartily in this great missionary campaign upon which we have entered, with the avowed purpose of continuing it until the Master shall come. We shall never regret the sacrifices made, or the toil endured. Blessed work and blessed reward!

Which Policy Shall We Follow?

We have a great work to do. The best message of God to this generation is to be proclaimed “unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people” to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. The idea that the field is the United States instead of the world has dominated our plans too much in the past, and it seems hard to break its hold upon many minds even now.

A most earnest effort has been made during the last three or four years to enlarge the vision of the denomination until it should include the whole world, and there have been many very encouraging results, but in spite of this progress in the right direction there seems to be a tendency to become absorbed in that which is near at hand, and to forget that which is afar off. In dwelling upon the great needs and the many openings for the truth at home, the greater needs and the larger openings abroad are likely to be entirely forgotten, or neglected for lack of the very men and the means absorbed in this country.

In view of these general considerations and some special indications of a disregard of world-wide interests in order to build up large interests within our own borders, we are constrained to press upon the minds and hearts of our brethren in positions of responsibility some questions the answers to which involve far-reaching consequences in this advent movement:—

1. Are we not just as responsible for the proclamation of this message in one part of the world as another?

2. Must not this warning message be given in all the world before the Lord will come?

3. Is it not in harmony with the very spirit of the gospel that we should divide our funds and our laborers with the most needy fields?

4. Will it not bring new life and a larger measure of success into our local work if we exhibit the true missionary spirit by liberally sharing our resources with the struggling conferences and mission fields where believers are few and laborers are still fewer?

5. Is it a wise and justifiable policy to undertake the establishment of so many institutions in this country that we shall be embarrassed with financial burdens and pressing obligations to such an extent as to render it practically impossible to maintain a vigorous foreign mission policy?

We are heartily in favor of earnest and aggressive work in the home field, and would do nothing to hinder it, but we believe that the real success of the home work is bound up in the success of the foreign work. We fear for the prosperity of a conference when we see such obligations assumed as will call for the best efforts of its officers and will absorb the larger part of the resources of its membership in order to prevent financial distress. It would be deemed unwise for a conference already in debt to pledge twenty-five to fifty thousand dollars for the work in other fields, and is it altogether wise to involve the conference in debt for an equal amount for the local work?

We invite our brethren in the field to weigh these questions carefully when they are deciding upon their institutional policy. We do not wish to see the work restricted, but rather enlarged, and yet we can not be satisfied to see the great part of our resources devoted to building institutions in those fields which already have so much better facilities for giving the message than are found in most of the outside fields.

Furthermore, genuine zeal for a good work is commendable, but when such apparent zeal is evidently only one form of opposition to the same work in another locality, we can not feel unbounded respect for it. These are times when it is advisable to consider every unauthorized call for means in all its bearings, and not to forget some of the plain instruction which has been given through the spirit of prophecy concerning the present duty of this people in establishing the work of God according to his own plans. The counsel of the Lord concerning his own work will be fully justified, and the folly of opposition to it will yet be made manifest.

Such a Time as This

By William Ambrose Spicer

Was ever a time like this, when everything in the universe so appealed for alertness and activity in service? It is easy to see that the intensity of the most closing days of the advent warning is to make the old young again, and the young old. Those who have grown gray in the message are young in hope and strength for service as the end hastens on, and the youth are responding to the call with something of the steadiness and determination of maturity.

The other day we in Washington bade Godspeed to Brother W. H. Anderson and family, as they left us to plant the standard in a new field, farthest yet in our work toward the very heart of Africa.

During the ten years in Africa, death had come into the old home in Indiana, and Mother Anderson had been left alone. Now the question was whether

or not the children should remain to cheer her in her loneliness. It was for her to decide. She told us that she could not think of keeping them from Africa, and from the needy souls waiting in the darkness beyond the Zambesi. So she decided to leave the old home and go with them.

Though over sixty years of age, she is on her way to Barotseland, at her own charges, in order to keep the children in the field of service. God grant that it may not be, as she told us, to end her days in Africa, but to be kept in loving service until the glory of the Lord’s appearing shall flood all the Dark Continent. The Mission Board should have provided a strong helper to join the Anderson party, but it was not possible to do so with the resources in the mission treasury. May Mother Anderson’s spirit of service kindle a flame that shall yet send consecrated helpers to join them.

It need not take long to do this work when this spirit animates every heart, and all understand that the work is to quickly carry the sound of this message to those who have never heard it. In some of our annual camp-meetings we have seen the consecrated youth rising in scores to volunteer for service anywhere. We have seen the rank and file of fathers and mothers rise en masse to say that they would hold the ropes at home and stand by those who go. It is a glorious privilege to fall into line with the call of Providence when the last things are being done. Who that believes the third angel’s message can help but throw all of life and strength and means into the work that is to finish it?

W. A. S.

Impending Revolution

By L. A. S.

THE following facts and conditions indicative of an early social revolution, are specified by Professor John Bascom, LL. D., in a recent contribution to The Independent. Professor Bascom is the author of many standard works on political economy and sociology, and is now lecturer on sociology at Williams College. His views, says the editor of The Independent, “are of extreme significance, coming from a man of his age and academic environment.” Professor Bascom notes:—

1. The “multimillionaire can not be the member of a free State, on equal terms with his fellow citizens. This would be true under any circumstances,” he observes, “but is still more true when this wealth has been acquired in abuse and in defiance of economic and civil law,” and “this additional fact shows that the tyrannical temper is present, which, opportunity favoring, will disregard all rights in behalf of personal power.” And he utters the prediction that “the next generation is threatened with a still greater perversion of the conditions which belong to a free and democratic community.”

2. “Equality of opportunity in business relations has suffered a sudden overthrow,” because the great “captain of industry” who “can bring hundreds of millions to an undertaking, and by a little combination can carry the capital invested into the billions, has a power which in comparison with that of men of ordinary means gives him complete control of large undertakings.” He can so control all conditions bearing upon the success of an enterprise as to shut out all natural liability to loss, so that the gain must come to it under almost any circumstances. “The profits of a monopoly accrue to it at every stage.” This overthrow of business equality between the multimillionaire and the man of ordinary means is one which “the future will easily complete.”

3. Not only business equilibrium, but political equilibrium, has been destroyed by this accumulation of wealth. “Political influence is won by a contribution to the expenses which attend on gaining political power. The ruling party is so pledged to the support of a given financial policy that its chief virtue comes to be standing fast in existing relations. Even the defeated party is almost equally involved in the same interested motives.”

4. The educational system is beginning to bend to the influence of wealth. “Education is now becoming an opening to an occupation. It thus drops into subordination to production, with an abatement of its own superior character.” “In connection with the tendency to turn education into training there comes a growing demand for large endowments, and the college becomes a petitioner at the feet of wealth. Independence is sacrificed, commercial standards displace ethical ones, and civic principles adapt themselves as best they can to the new allegiance.”

5. The impress of this growing evil is seen also upon the Christian Church. “It has been no strange spectacle with us to find one ordering his economic activity in a method utterly subversive of the kingdom of heaven, and yet cherishing some detached notion of finding his way into that kingdom. He has provided himself with a night-key so that, an opportune moment arising, he may leave his business companions in the street, and drop into this quiet home of the faithful.”

All these facts and conditions can not but be, says Mr. Bascom, “an immediate and urgent cause of social changes;” and he believes it to be “quite within the range of possibilities that the Standard Oil magnates and their collaborators shall give date to a period in which the self-assertion of a few arose once more in the face of human attainments and the hopes of the many.”

Professor Bascom sees no hope of deliverance from this evil state in either of the dominant political parties. The one “is fast becoming the bondman of plutocracy;” the other “has broken midway, one extremity plutocratic, the other democratic.” But “the unrest of workmen,” “scattered revolt in many States,” and “the number, radical character, and large vote of secondary parties at the last presidential election,” are evidence that the elements of a new political force are in existence, only waiting the welding process to be ready to make a new and eventful chapter in American history and in the history of the world. “Our forecast is,” says Mr. Bascom in conclusion, “that one of those sudden changes which are sure to arise in times of wide pressure, will combine these forces of resistance, and with them sweep the field for another deal in human rights, and one more approach toward the kingdom of heaven.”

Referring to this forecast The Independent raises the query as to when and how this sweeping of the field is likely to be realized. “Is it to come ‘not with observation,’ as a quiet process of social evolution?” it inquires, “or is it to come with the devastating storm of a French Revolution?” “That in one way or the other it will come,” says the editor, “We entertain no shadow of doubt.”

The Independent sees in this present situation two conditions which are “especially disquieting” and “distinctly unfavorable” to a quiet evolution toward equality. “One of these is the disorganized, the almost chaotic, state of the social forces opposed to the superbly organized plutocracy. The other is the half-good natured, half cowardly attitude of the intellectual and spiritual forces inherent in the American people; the overpatient tolerance of tyrannical encroachments upon liberty, the unwillingness (to which we have heretofore called attention) to speak out on great issues of right and wrong.” There is also “a sycophant priesthood,” which in all ages “has been the most effective police power of the oppressor, the apologist for his crimes, and the soother of his conscience.” The Independent sees a hopeful sign in the fact that “a group of influential men have been brave enough to speak their minds and record their protest” against the acceptance by the American Board of Foreign Missions of a gift of money from the head of the Standard Oil trust.

In the view of The Independent the question whether the coming revolution shall be peaceful or otherwise “turns

absolutely upon the vigor and fearlessness of discussion.” If the people have become intellectual and moral cowards, then “the day when the sword of steel must be unsheathed is not far distant.”

From any point of view it is now evident that a great change is at hand. But only from the standpoint of the third angel’s message can the nature of the coming change be correctly apprehended.

L. A. S.

Plans for the General Conference

By Arthur G. Daniells

FROM the first suggestion to hold the General Conference session in Washington, it has been generally understood that we should be obliged to adopt the Chautauqua, or camp-meeting, plan of living and conducting our meetings. That is to say, we should be obliged to use tents for lodging and public meeting purposes.

The brethren in Washington to whom have been assigned the responsibilities of selecting the location, and providing for the care of delegates, etc., have given these matters the most careful and painstaking attention. Some of the questions to be decided have proved very perplexing. This is especially true regarding the location of the camp, the comfort of delegates, and the expense of living. We have desired to make this conference as great a blessing to the people of Washington as possible. With this thought in view, we have felt that our meetings must be accessible to the public. A special committee was appointed to search for a location in the city; but they were unable to find a suitable piece of ground large enough for our camp. And as we seemed compelled to go to one of the suburbs, we all agreed that Takoma Park would be the most suitable suburb of the District.

After deciding upon the location, the question of providing suitable accommodation engaged our attention. For a time it seemed that we should be able to rent a large summer hotel near the site selected for the camp, but in this we have been disappointed. From the first, we have counted on using the three school buildings which have been erected. These are located about one mile from the spot we had selected for the camp. The distance between the school buildings and the camp would make it necessary for us to operate two dining establishments—one at the school and the other at the camp. When we came to ascertain the cost of providing the necessary equipment and the expense of operating two separate boarding places, we could scarcely see how either the General Conference or the delegates could stand the expense.

While studying the proposition in its various phases, his suggestion came to the committee to locate the entire camp on the school grounds. This would oblige us to operate but one dining-hall, and would give the delegates many privileges that could not be provided if the main camp were located a mile from the school buildings.

Another question that caused more or less concern was the possibility of rather cool weather for tenting. While the prospect is fair for pleasant weather, yet it is possible that the evenings may be cool, and the weather at times rather damp. By locating the camp at the school, all the delegates will have access to the sitting- and reading-rooms of the buildings, which can be heated during the cool part of the day.

Another great advantage in being located by the school buildings, will be the opportunities that will be afforded the delegates in economizing in the expenses of living. A good store can be operated, at which all kinds of foods, fruits, etc., can be purchased, and abundance of hot water can be provided for all. One of the greatest blessings that will come from this retired position will be the excellent opportunity that will be afforded all to retire to the beautiful groves for prayer and communion with God.

But the question will at once suggest itself to many as to how we shall be able to reach the public if we place our camp in such a retired place. The arrangement we propose is this: To hold our business meetings in the large pavilion at the camp during the day, and to hold public meetings in the evening in tents, pitched in different parts of the city. It is planned to have one pavilion erected in the center of Takoma Park, on the ground we had at first intended for the camp. This will give all the people of Takoma Park an opportunity to attend the evening services. We have also planned to erect two or three tents in different parts of the city of Washington, and conduct public services each evening during the week.

We have learned by personal observation that the people of Washington do not attend conventions to any extent during the day. There are many large and influential gatherings being held in Washington during the winter and spring. These are held in splendid buildings, and are under the auspices of leading citizens of Washington and other large cities of America. But they do not draw the people. No matter where our conference proceedings are held, we can not expect to secure an attendance from the citizens. The only hope we can have of reaching the citizens is by public services in the evening.

As we have studied the situation, we have come to the conclusion that we shall be able to reach the largest number by conducting tent-meetings in three or four different parts of the District. It is our plan to have two or three ministers attend each one of these services. We shall arrange to have our missionaries from foreign fields speak in these different tents. We hope that by thorough advertising we shall be able to interest many people in these services. Those who conduct large religious conventions here usually arrange for the delegates to speak in the different churches on Sundays, and to some extent evenings as well. We can not occupy the churches, but we hope that by judicious and earnest efforts our tents will take the place of the church buildings.

We feel sure that our ministers and missionaries from the various States and mission fields will greatly enjoy conducting these tent services during their stay in Washington. By being located together on the school grounds, we can begin our work early in the morning, and press it advantageously until about five o’clock, when everything can close at the camp, and those appointed to attend the tent-meetings can then attend to the work of the evening. In connection with these public services in behalf of the citizens, we shall plan to supply the daily papers with good reports of our conference proceedings, and the subjects presented by the ministers and missionaries in the various tents.

This arrangement is the most satisfactory of any we have had under consideration, and meets the approval of nearly all our brethren and sisters in Washington. We trust it will commend itself to our delegates and our people everywhere, and that the special blessing of God will attend the conference, and our efforts in behalf of our fellow citizens.

A. G. DANIELLS.

Continue reading: Religion in the Public Schools