p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 33. (8/25/1898)

Which Is It?

By Editor

We were astounded to see in a London religious journal the editorial utterance, “Might is not only right, but legal, according to the divine Book, and is taught by all the prophets of Israel.” It is not so. The axiom is Satan’s, opposed to God’s, Right is might. Right is eternal; wrong is temporal. The former is of God, and has the seeds of eternal existence within itself. The latter is of Satan, and bears in itself the seeds of eternal destruction. To say that might is right is to proclaim the gospel of force—Satan’s gospel. To declare and live that right is might is to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord our Righteousness. It is Satan’s gospel to force men’s wills. It is the Gospel of Christ to win them to undying loyalty to right, whatever may be present consequences or seeming appearances.

“PUNISHED FOR SABBATH-BREAKING.”

We take the following from the Literary Digest of August 6:—

“The fact that Admiral Cervera deliberately selected the hour when the crews of the American ships were at religious service for his dash out of Santiago harbor on that now historic sabbath morning, may in the providence of God have had more to do with his overthrow than most people have yet imagined. The morning was calm and peaceful, bringing its tender reminiscent reflections to hundreds of worshipful American hearts on the fleet at anchor off shore, when suddenly, as tho to disturb the Almighty at His own devotions, the impious Spaniards, fired while also fuddled with wine, rushed forth, as it proved, horribly to die or finally to be captured. What a way to spend Sunday! And when the sun set that sabbath, its last reproachful beams slanted across the smoking hulks of the fleet of the proud Spaniard who deliberately broke up religious meetings in the hope of gaining a strategic success. But the stars in the courses fought against Cervera. God is not mocked, nor can His commandments and sacred sanctions ever be impugned with safety.”

Let the reader note the following simple facts: (1) Sunday is not the Sabbath, by any divine authority, as any number of learned divines will admit, or as any one may know by reading the Bible. (2) It is not a “commandment” of God to remember Sunday to keep it holy. By both precept and example God has told us to work on the first day. There is a command, however, “Thou shalt not kill.” (4) It was on a quiet Sunday morning that a certain squadron sailed into a peaceable oriental bay for the sole purpose of finding and capturing or destroying the enemy’s fleet. It took the enemy by surprise, and destroyed his fleet, and killed hundreds of men, winning “a glorious victory.” Who was the aggressor on that Sunday morning of May 1 in Manila Bay? And in the light of Christianity is it more wicked and God-dishonoring to run away to save life, even tho done on Sunday, than it is to watch to destroy it? These are questions worthy of consideration.

Newly-Found Royal Mummies.

Summer and winter see little cessation of activity on the part of those who labor in the fields of Biblical and other archeological research. Perhaps the most important recent discovery of royal Egyptian mummies has been made by Mr. Loret, the director of the “Service des Antiquités” in Egypt. The tomb and mummy—well preserved, and covered at the feet and neck with garlands of flowers—of Amenophis II. have been brought to light. Details as to the discovery of this and other notable mummies are furnished in an article written for The Sunday School Times of August 6 by Prof. Dr. A. Wiedemann, of the University of Bonn, Germany. In fact, there is no journal doing more just now in bringing to light archeological discoveries, illuminating ancient history, sacred and profane, in a way that all may understand, than The Sunday School Times.

A Glimpse from the Outlook.

If we were to promulgate the sentiment expressed in the following resolution as from our own observation, we might be charged with pessimism; but coming, as it does, from the recent State convention of the popular Y. P. S. C. E., it must be recognized that there is a fundamental cause for the utterance:—

“WHEREAS, As young people we seek the highest and best things, and believe that our great institutions of learning should be places of moral education and training for good citizenship;

“Resolved, That we view with alarm and deep sorrow the recent exposures of drunkenness and debauchery in so many of our great institutions of learning; that we call upon the faculties of all such places to do all in their power to discountenance intemperance among their students, and to drive the saloon from their midst; and that we will especially recommend to all prospective students such places of learning as have taken such action.”

THE HOLY SHROUD.

In Turin a few days since, so say the reports, a photograph by a specially prepared apparatus, and with the aid of an electric light, was taken of the “holy shroud.” King Humbert, who is the hereditary guardian of this so-called sacred relic, hesitated for quite awhile about allowing it to be done, but his consent was at last obtained. When the picture was taken, so goes the story, instead of a photograph of a shroud merely, there appeared the perfect outline and facial lineaments of Christ.

Such stories seem quite fitted to the ignorant and superstitious times of the Middle Ages, but it is incredible that men should seriously believe such nonsense now. And it is very evident that all who do believe such things have not yet broken through into the light of Gospel day. If these poor, superstitious people, be they kings or nobles or what not, would only study the Bible for themselves, and thus get acquainted with the real Christ, they would not have much interest in the robes and other relics that a credulous superstition now causes them to venerate.

They would know the power and help and peace and joy of the living Jesus, and look back with gladness of heart to the influences that led them from these lifeless and helpless objects of their former veneration.

The Pope’s Blessing.

—“Three times and out” is an expression of the boys in connection with a popular game. Applied to the papal blessing on military enterprises, it would have been deemed “out” before this, but the “faithful” will probably rely upon it still. Perhaps no one knows just how often it has failed, but a very ordinary reader can easily recall five times, four of which have been within forty years. The great Spanish armada which started out to conquer England in 1588 had the papal blessing, in addition to 180 priests on the 130 vessels composing the armada. Such, however, was the disastrous nature of the defeat that only 54 vessels returned, with their men in a starving condition. When the rebellion of 1861 was inaugurated in the United States, the pope’s blessing was bestowed upon the cause of the Southern Confederacy. When Maximilian undertook to establish a monarchy in Mexico, the papal blessing was given to the enterprise. A few months later the “empire” was overthrown and the “emperor” was shot. In the war between Germany and France in 1870, the French army had the blessing from Rome, and the terrible defeat is fresh in the minds of all. In the short war just closed, the Spanish army was stimulated by the same ineffectual blessing, which again proved the precursor of disastrous defeat. We might add that the pope’s anathema was equally futile when hurled against Garibaldi and Victor Emanuel.

God’s Love

“God’s Love.”—John G. Woolley is quoted as saying:—

“I do not love the saloon-keeper; I have never even prayed for grace to love the saloon-keeper. But the saloon-keeper who sells strong drink is more logically right than the Christian who is horrified at the idea of such a sale, and ‘belongs all to the Lord,’ and every Sunday evening ‘reconsecrates himself to the Lord,’ and on election day votes to sell the saloon-keeper the right to sell strong drink.”

We hope he did not say it; for God loves all men, sinners as well as saints. Jesus died to save sinners, the worst of sinners; for “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” We may hate the saloon and its cursed business and traffic; but the saloon-keeper is a man as needy and as salvable as any man. “Love your enemies,” not their sins.

Spirit Medium’s Predictions and Satanic Deceptions

A little pamphlet has been laid on our table advertising a man, and his wonderful powers as a healing spirit medium and prophet. He numbers as his converts, it is said, a list of “reverends,” “M.D.’s,” “Ph.D.’s,” “L.L.D.’s,” etc., among whom is a professor in the University of California. The doctor predicts many things for 1898, and very “hard times for this country during the years 1898, 1899, 1900.” All such things as the above are but the fulfilment of 2 Thess. 2:9, the deceptions of Satan. The only way to meet them is by the Word of God.

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