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Review and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 45.

Greetings, and a Call to Prayer

Review and Herald

Nov 7, 1912

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 7, 1912

Greetings, and a Call to Prayer

By J. T. Boettcher

A Message for the Coming Week of Prayer

Greetings from Russia (Ps. 103:17, 18): “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, . . . to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.”
The church elders assembled for counsel in the city of Kiev (Russia’s sacred city) send greetings to all our brethren in the wide world. Because of several decrees issued, we, as ministers, have not been able to visit the churches in this field as we should like to have done, so we have called in the elders to pray and study. A number of our meeting-houses have been closed, so that we hardly know what to do. But our brethren are of good courage, knowing this to be the truth for this time. Their desire is to see the cause triumph.
In one of our cities we held a canvassers’ institute. This had to be done without permission; but God blessed the effort and protected us, and we already see good results. However, one of the workers, upon his return home, was put in prison because he did not let his home police know where he had gone. He had previously been charged with making propaganda. We do not know how long he may have to remain in prison. We pray God that the hand of oppression may be stayed a little longer.
Our people are glad to suffer for a righteous cause. We can testify that God is good, and has answered our prayers many times. It strengthens our faith and gives us courage to know that our people everywhere are praying for us.
J. T. BOETTCHER.
Kiev, October 12.

“American State Papers,” Revised Edition

By Editor

“It is to set forth the true American idea—absolute separation of religion from the state; absolute freedom for all in religious opinions and worship—that these Papers have been collected and republished.
“The reader will find in this work a large number of most interesting and important state documents on this question. Part I deals with the ‘Colonial Period.’ In this, samples are given of the erroneous ideas of legislation and of the province of civil government brought over by the colonists from the Old World, together with a sketch of the life of that man who, more than any other, laid the foundation for the full and complete development in the national government of the principle first enunciated by Jesus Christ, of the complete separation of church and state, or of religion and civil government. Parts II and III contain the history, in documentary form, of the development of this principle during the ‘Federation’ and ‘National’ periods. In these will be found some of the most profound utterances to which American minds have ever given expression—veritable masterpieces of English and sound logic—bearing on the rights of conscience and the province and limits of civil authority. Part IV contains some important ‘Court Decisions’ regarding Sunday laws and religious instruction in the public schools. Part V contains the provisions in the State constitutions guaranteeing religious liberty, and the various Sunday laws now upon the statute-books of the United States; Part VI deals with the ‘Operation of Sunday Laws;’ Part VII is entitled ‘Sunday Laws Before the Bar of Reason;’ and in Part VIII is presented a brief but comprehensive ‘History of Sunday Legislation.’ In the appendix will be found the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and other valuable matter.”
This enlarged Revised Edition of “American State Papers” contains 800 pages, printed in large type, with very complete marginal index and general subject index, which help to make this one of the best arranged and most useful books we have published.
Do not fail to supply yourself with a copy. It is worth many times the price asked for it.
• Full cloth, $1.50.
• Sheepskin, $2.00.
• India paper, bound in flexible leather, $2.50. Order from your conference tract society.

THE WORK AND THE WORKERS

By Editor

Every mother should read the article on “Immodest Feminine Dress” found in the beautiful November issue of Life and Health.
Is physical culture increasing the stature of the Japanese nation? What will it do for you? See article in November Life and Health. Ten cents a copy.
For ten good rules by which to avoid the dread disease “Infantile Paralysis,” see article on page 613 of the beautiful November issue of Life and Health.
Can you prove that God is the author of religious liberty? If not, read the article “Religious Liberty Conferred by Divine Authority” in the last issue of Liberty magazine.
Brother J. A. Skinner orders 1,000 copies of the “Catholic Federation” and “Sunday Mails” number of Liberty magazine for sale in St. Louis, Mo. Says he will sell 2,000 there.
Would you not like to know how to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner without meat? See article “The Reformed Thanksgiving Dinner,” on page 633 of the November Life and Health.
The October 19 issue of the Jesuit weekly America devotes its first editorial (1½ columns) to a discussion of one article found in Liberty magazine. The article is quoted from at length.
Shall the United States help to support papal missions in Peru? For Rome’s latest plan see page 149 of the current issue of Liberty magazine. Price, 10 cents a copy; $1 for 20 or $2 for 50.
Have you read the “Physical Culture” and “Good Teeth” number of Life and Health? Have your neighbors? Fifty cents will pay for 10 copies, $1 for 20, or $2 for 50, to sell or distribute among your acquaintances.
Having good or bad teeth is largely a matter of diet. If you wish to know what to eat and what not to eat with this in view, read the article on “Tooth Decay,” by Dr. D. H. Kress, in the November Life and Health.
If you wish to engage in an easy and profitable line of work adapted to the young, the old, and the middle-aged, address your tract society for full particulars as to agency for Life and Health, Liberty, or the Protestant Magazine.
If you would know how it would be to have the Roman Catholic Church in control of the United States government, read “Putting the Church Over the State in Colombia,” on page 159 of the last issue of Liberty magazine. A timely warning to America!
Did Congress have the right to attach a “Sunday-closing rider” to the Post-office Appropriation Bill? See “American Principles in the Balance,” on page 165 of “Catholic Federation” and “Sunday Mails” number of Liberty magazine. Send $1 for 20 copies to distribute in your neighborhood. Sell 10 to get your money back, then give away the other ten.
What causes pellagra? This terrible disease is now found in more than forty States. See page 624 of the November Life and Health.
Our two editions of the October Protestant Magazine being entirely exhausted, we are now obliged to begin all $1 subscriptions for 1913 with the November issue, thus giving the subscriber fourteen numbers for $1.
If you wish to know how Rome succeeded in having Dr. Silas Swallow’s separation-of-church-and-state plank rejected by the Prohibition Party Convention, read the article “Rome and the Prohibition Party Platform” in the current issue of Liberty magazine. Send 25 cents in stamps for five copies.
All readers and subscribers for our magazine Life and Health are entitled to the free medical advice of the editor, Dr. G. H. Heald, through that most interesting department of the magazine entitled “Questions and Answers.” In the November number fourteen vital questions are answered in a sensible manner. Send $1 for one year, $2 for three years, or $3 for five years.
Did you know that officials of the new patriotic organization “Guardians of Liberty” offered to swing 600,000 votes to the Prohibition party if it adopted Dr. Swallow’s church-and-state plank in its party platform? How did priest Zurcher, of East Aurora, N. Y., succeed in having said plank rejected? See article in current Liberty, page 173. Send $2 for 50 copies to distribute among temperance and prohibition people in your vicinity.
Are Roman Catholic voters instructed how to vote by their priests? See article “A Significant Episode,” containing photograph of an advertisement which Mr. O. M. Plummer, a Protestant candidate for the Portland, Oregon, school board, was obliged to insert in the Oregon Daily Journal to counteract instructions by two Catholic priests in that city, to their congregations. It is contained in the current issue of Liberty magazine.
The October 23 issue of the Christian Herald is largely devoted to a symposium by the leading Protestant authorities in America, entitled “The Nation’s Voice on Rome.” You surely have several neighbors who are subscribers for the Christian Herald. Why not approach them with both Protestant Magazine and Liberty and secure their subscriptions? The editors of the Christian Herald inform us of their admiration for our religious liberty principles as voiced in these magazines.

“The Conflict Between Capital and Labor”

READY November 25. In these days of strife between the laboring man and the capitalist, when conditions have almost reached the breaking-point, as is manifested by strikes and violence of the different kinds in various places, the publication of a book written upon this subject by one who has made it a thorough study, and who is not biased by being a party to either side of the controversy, will certainly be welcomed by the many millions who are affected by the present strained relationships between employer and employees.
While other books have been written upon the subject of capital and labor, most of such works unfortunately present but one side. The author of this book, however, presents both sides of the controversy, and not only points out the evils of the present condition, but gives the remedy. Every reader of the REVIEW will want a copy of this book, and all who read it will doubtless feel an earnest desire to place it in the hands of the people among whom they live.
The book contains 208 pages, divided into 19 chapters, and is embellished with 51 illustrations. Price, 50 cents. Order from your conference tract society.

The Spirit of a Christian

By Ellen G. White

MRS. E. G. WHITE
There are too many among those who profess to be followers of Christ who seek to excuse their own defects by magnifying the errors of others. The highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control. We should copy the example of Jesus; for when he was reviled, he reviled not again, but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously. Our Redeemer met insult and mockery with uncomplaining silence. All the cruel taunts of the murderous throng who exulted in his humiliation and trial in the judgment-hall, could not bring from him one look or word of resentment or impatience. He was the majesty of heaven, and in his pure breast there dwelt no room for the spirit of retaliation, but only for pity and love. There is a time when silence is golden. We should always copy the life of Jesus; for we are to be like him. He loves us notwithstanding our defects and shortcomings. Let us not think that one of the graces of Christ is portrayed with no lesson to us in its portrayal. Pure love thinketh no evil. When we constantly imagine that we are not appreciated, and watch for slights, we do ourselves and others great harm. We must forget self in loving service for others.
If you think your brother has injured you, go to him in kindness and love, and you may come to an understanding and to reconciliation. When you deal with the erring, you should always keep in mind the fact that you are dealing with Christ in the person of his saints. Go to your brother whom you think in the wrong, and lovingly talk with him alone; if you succeed in settling the trouble, you have gained your brother without exposing his frailties, and the settlement between you has been the covering of a multitude of sins from the observation of others. Others will not need to know of your difficulty, and thus be put on the alert to watch with suspicion everything the one you think at fault may do, and put a wrong construction on his motives.
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” If the sinner repents because of your kind and loving admonition, work has been done for eternity. There is great need of carrying out the instruction of Christ in a definite manner, acting up to the word of our Master. This is living the law of God. In thus dealing with our brethren, we may make an impression on others that will never fade from their minds. We may not remember some act of kindness which we do, it may fade from our memory; but eternity will bring out in all its brightness, every act done for the salvation of souls, every word spoken for the comfort of God’s children; and these deeds done for Christ’s sake will be a part of our joy through all eternity.
When we pursue toward our brethren any course save that of kindness and courtesy, we pursue an unchristian course. We should manifest courtesy at home, in the church, and in our intercourse with all men. But especially we should manifest compassion and respect for those who are giving their lives to the cause of God. We should exercise that precious love that suffereth long and is kind; that envieth not, that vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. God would have his servants always appear at their best, both at home and in society; and where Jesus reigns in the heart, there will be sweet love, and we shall be tender and true to one another. It takes special watchfulness to keep the affections alive, and our hearts in a condition where we shall be sensible of the good that exists in the hearts of others. If we do not watch on this point, Satan will put his jealousy into our souls; he will put his glasses before our eyes, that we may see the actions of our brethren in a distorted light. Instead of looking critically upon our brethren, we should turn our eyes within, and be ready to discover the objectionable traits of our own character. As we have a proper realization of our own mistakes and failures, the mistakes of others will sink into insignificance.
Satan is an accuser of the brethren. He is on the watch for every error, no matter how small, that he may have something on which to found an accusation. Keep off of Satan’s side. It is true that you should give no occasion for faultfinding. A moment’s petulance, a single gruff answer, the want of Christian politeness and courtesy in some small matter, may result in the loss of friends, in the loss of influence. God would have you appear at your best under all circumstances, in the presence of those who are inferior to you as well as in the presence of equals and superiors. We are to be followers of Christ at all times, seeking his honor, seekingto rightly represent him in every way, that we may be lights in the world, showing forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. We are not to exalt our own opinions above those of others. If our ideas are superior to those of others, it will be made manifest without special effort on our part. People of discernment will not fail to realize and appreciate the fact, and we shall receive the credit to which we are entitled. God bids us come to him for wisdom, that we may shed the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit upon others, not the influence of our own high opinion of ourselves. We are to come to God for his grace, that we may magnify and honor him, not praise ourselves, but be able to impart new and noble impulses to those around us. God is taking account of all we do and say in seeking to educate men to lift their hearts to him in gratitude and praise. Let self drop out of sight, and let Jesus appear as the One altogether lovely. We should seek to live for his glory alone, not that men may praise us. We should seek to do the work of God in all humility, in meekness and lowliness of heart, working as Christ worked, and angels will watch over us, and carry the tidings of our faithfulness to God and man, even to the courts of light.

What Have I Left?

By Lillian S. Connerly

LILLIAN S. CONNERLY
HAVE I left aught to follow thee, Dear Lord? have I left aught? The treasures which I yielded up Now seem to me as naught.
The dross of lust, the boast of fame, The bitter shame of sin, Deceit of riches, mock of power, Unrest without, within;
The smiles of men, which for a mite May change to darkest frown; Pleasures which for a moment lure, Then to the depths cast down,—
Dear Lord, I have left all of this That at thy fount of love I might find satisfying peace And comfort from above.
Left aught, when life's one pleasure pure, Dispelling gloom and pain, Is the poor service I might give In Jesus' holy name?
O Lord, one moment at thy feet Is sweeter far to me Than all the pleasures earth can give. No sacrifice I see.
Vain thought, begone! that I have left Aught that's of any worth For thy dear service! O, may I While I remain on earth
Win souls of men to heavenly joy, From sin's delusion flee, And ever know the blessedness Of fellowship with thee!
Ancon, C. Z.

Thou Hast Sold Thyself

By B. E. Connerly

B. E. CONNERLY
Though that most pitiful accusation, “Thou hast sold thyself,” has applied to wrecked manhood throughout the history of the race, the charge was originally made against Ahab, king of Israel.
Ahab was the contemporary of Jehoshaphat of Judah, and of that greatest of Hebrew prophets, Elijah the Tishbite. He was the seventh king of Israel, the second ruler of the third Israelitish dynasty, and reigned twenty-two years, early in the ninth century before Christ. It is no accident that in Scripture there is more said of him than of any other ancient monarch, for all that is recorded in Holy Writ of Ahab, both as a man and as a king, has been written for the learning and profit of men and kings of after generations.
In biography we do not find a more marked evidence of the divine solicitude than in that of Ahab. Both as a man and as a prince he enjoyed more than average opportunities. In his day the two little Hebrew kingdoms of Judah and Israel attained the acme of power and prosperity, and from a civil viewpoint, Ahab was no doubt a successful ruler. Though the time is remote and the data meager, we may infer that Ahab was a clever statesman, a skilled general, and eminently patriotic in all that pertained to his people and country; but he was a moral coward. Where he should have been strongest, he signally failed. The predominating characteristic of his subjects was their devotion to a monotheistic religion and a semitheocratic civil régime; but Ahab wickedly sold himself to the worship of a plurality of heathen deities, and later enforced their worship upon his people. See 1 Kings 16-22.
In his message Elijah boldly charges the king with committing iniquity before the Lord and before all Israel. His words, “sold thyself,” indicate that Ahab did this wickedness presumptuously. He knew Jehovah as God and his worship as the true religion, but he stubbornly chose idolatry, and “did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him,” his wickedness exceeding that of Jeroboam, of whom it is written that he “drave Israel from following the Lord, and made them sin a great sin.”
The first apparent mistake of Ahab was that of entering into an alliance with Ethbaal, his neighbor to the northwest, king of the pagan Zidonians. As a seal to this friendly relationship, he married the daughter of his ally, which union proved to be the most unfortunate and unholy in the annals of history. One of the first acts of Israel’s new pagan queen was to introduce into her adopted country the worship of Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia. Ahab then seems to have forsaken completely the service of Jehovah, to have given himself entirely to idolatry or to religious indifference, and from that time on was a mere puppet in the hands of that unscrupulous Jezebel, who, emboldened by his indifference, persecuted and put to the sword the prophets of the Lord. All Israel was deceived and captivated by the most enchanting yet demoralizing form of sun-worship by which Satan has endeavored to ruin the race, until the dauntless Elijah lamented before the Lord that he alone was left of all Israel who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
The lesson in the history of Ahab’s life must be taught by contrasting what he was with what he might have been. There is no beauty of character to imitate, no splendid maxims to follow; but we may profit by beholding his terrible failures. Jesus says: “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.” It is truly an offense toward God that man, who was made in God’s image and for his glory, should forsake this high privilege, and develop instead the character of God’s adversary. Man was made master of his own destiny, and sovereign of the world. Inspiration alone reveals the exceeding greatness of man’s privilege in bearing the similitude of his Creator; while history, in revealing the degeneracy of the race, tells the measure of his disloyalty and failure. To develop that which it is his duty to develop, man must unite his natural weakness to divine strength, and the result of such a union is perfection of character.
Ahab’s misspent life and inglorious death show how worse than useless it is for man to exchange his loyalty to God and truth for the fleeting bubbles of wealth, worldly pleasure, or social fame. God says of all who do such things, as he did of Ahab, “Thou hast sold thyself.” Isaiah says of those who follow Ahab’s example in this respect, “Ye have sold yourselves for naught.” Men who were sold as chattels brought a stipulated price, but the man who sells himself receives naught for the sale.
Ahab’s time is a type of the thousand years of papal supremacy in Europe; and these two great apostasies, the turning away from truth and seeking to force men to the obedience of religious dogmas (be they true or false), constitute a mighty twofold warning to kings and nations against the enforcement of religion by civil enactments. Jehovah’s message to those who do such things is, “Thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Ancon, C. Z.

T. GODFREY

By T. Godfrey

Faith

T. GODFREY

What Is Faith?

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22. “But without faith it is impossible to please him.” Heb. 11:6.
The questions that will naturally arise in our minds after reading the above texts of Scripture are, What is faith? Where do we find it? How is it imparted to us? These questions must be answered by the Word of God, as it is the only authority upon questions of this character. Faith is a Bible question, and must be decided by the Bible, letting the Bible be its own interpreter.
The apostle Paul tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1. The word of God is the basis of sound faith. It is the foundation or underlying principle of living faith, without whichit is impossible to please God. “For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Heb. 11:6. “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the Friend of God.” James 2:23. By this we see that Abraham possessed righteousness by faith, and was called the father of the faithful. Therefore we are all the children of Abraham by faith, and are blessed with faithful Abraham. Gal. 3:7, 9. The evidence of our faith is in the acceptance of and obedience to the voice of God as manifested in the Scriptures.

Where Do We Get Faith?

Faith is not an inherent principle in man; it is a gift of God. Says the Divine Record, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Eph. 2:8. Through the Holy Spirit the Lord plants this eternal gift in our hearts through the hearing of the words of God. Everything we have in this world is a gift from God. God is the author of our faith, through Jesus Christ, his eternal Son. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom. 10:17. The word of God is the gospel of Christ, which is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Rom. 1:16. Thus a knowledge of the word of God is essential to sound faith, and sound faith is essential unto salvation.
Western, Wash.

God Is Lonely for You

By Meade MacGuire

MEADE MACGUIRE
YESTERDAY I was busy for several hours at work which absorbed my whole attention. As the time passed, I became increasingly conscious of a feeling of loneliness,—an intense longing, which I finally stopped to analyze. At once I knew it was the hunger for God and for prayer. Then a very comforting thought came stealing into my mind. Why do I feel this sense of longing and loneliness for God? Is it not the response of my heart to his own longing for me?
Parents, when one of the little ones goes away to spend the day with a playmate, do you not often find yourself lonely and longing for his return? And even in the midst of play, the thoughtful child will often think of father and mother and home.
God is lonely for you. Let not your heart be overcharged with the cares of this life, but let it respond to his longing with the cry of David, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God,” or the last prayer of the great apostle as he stood at the executioner’s block: “O Lord, thou art my comfort and my portion; when shall I embrace thee; when shall I see thee for myself, without a dimming veil between?”

Nothing Shall Offend Them

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN
The Bible gives this antidote for those who are easily offended: “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Ps. 119:165.
“Nothing shall offend them.” This is what it says. It seems almost too good to be true, yet these are God's own words. This most blessed experience is for every one of us who's following the lowly Christ. The antidote is loving God's law; and loving God's law really means loving God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves.
David had much to say about the law of God. He exalted it in song, he meditated upon its precepts in the night season, and in his life showed that he was above being offended. See him in the cave, with Saul under the power of his hand. It was the love for God's law that kept him from killing his deadly enemy. Once he failed, and broke one of God's precepts, but how earnestly and with what bitterness of soul did he repent of his sin!
Love for God's holy law and hatred for any one, whether within or without the church, can not dwell in the same breast at the same time. Are you easily offended? Then love for the precepts of God is surely lacking. Where offense is easily taken, it is evident that peace can not abide. This we all have proved by experience. It is when we love most that we enjoy the most peace. This is God's way for us to avoid the misery and torture accompanying offenses easily taken. Jesus chose the way of the commandments, the way of peace. Nothing offended him. If we would always follow him, then greater would be our peace amid the trials of every-day life.

The Holy Spirit

By Mrs. M. E. Steward

MRS. M. E. STEWARD

Work of the Holy Spirit. John 16: 8

The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, and also reveals the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. The Spirit withdraws the affections from the things of earth. If one is willing to be molded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the whole being. See “Acts of the Apostles,” pages 50, 51.

Results of Work of the Holy Spirit. 2 Tim. 1: 7

“The Spirit of God, received into the soul, will quicken all its faculties. . . . Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and his disciple that the Christian becomes like him in mind and character. Through a connection with Christ he will have clearer and broader views. His discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment better balanced.”—Desire of Ages, page 251.
“His Spirit will develop in man all that will ennoble the character and dignify the nature.”—Id., page 341. Sin can be resisted and overcome only through the third person of the Godhead. “No amount of education, no advantages, however great, can make one a channel of light without the cooperation of the Spirit of God.”—Id., page 672.

How to Receive the Holy Spirit. Luke 13

“The Holy Spirit is waiting our demand, if we will demand it with that intensity of purpose which is proportionate to the value of the object we seek.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. VI, page 175.
Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperative, transforming power may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness.
“Through the Spirit, God works in his people ‘to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ But many will not submit to this. They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for his guidance and grace, is the Spirit given.”—Desire of Ages, page 672.

Resisting or Neglecting the Holy Spirit. Eph. 4: 30

To reject the Holy Spirit, through whose power we conquer the forces of evil, is the sin that surpasses all others; for it cuts us off from the source of our power, from Christ, and from communion with him.
If Christians do not seek the Holy Spirit, they will be continually falling back into some form of selfish life. They may not return to the practise of their old sins, but they will let in the old self-life under new forms, and even under religious aspects. They will not think so much of serving Christ, as of having Christ serve them. They are mainly worried about getting to heaven, for they want the best chances everywhere.
The Holy Spirit strives to make uppermost the claims of God, but men pay heed only for a moment, and turn their minds to other things. Satan catches away the seeds of truth; the gracious influence of the Spirit is effectually resisted. Thus many are grieving away the Holy Spirit for the last time, and they know it not.

Proof of Presence and Work of Holy Spirit. Phil. 2: 13

Whenever we long for a better life, it is because the Spirit is drawing, and we are yielding to it. Whenever men make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. “Wherever there is an impulse of love and sympathy, wherever the heart reaches out to bless and uplift others, there is revealed the working of God’s Holy Spirit.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, page 385.

What Is the Truth Worth to You?

By A. C. Ames, M. D.

A. C. AMES, M. D.
According to the statistical report published in the Review some months ago, the total amount paid by our people the whole world over in tithes and offerings during the year was $2,223,767. According to the same report the increase of Sabbath-keepers during the year was about four thousand. This means an expenditure of considerable money for every person brought into the truth. Probably, on an average, a like amount has been paid by some one to bring every one of us into the truth.
My brother, do you realize that others loved you enough to be willing to pay something to bring the truth to you? Do you love the truth sufficiently to be willing to pay for it? Do you love your fellow men sufficiently to be willing to give of your means to carry the truth to them? If you had been asked to pay for it in advance, you would never have had it, would you? But now that you have it, do you not feel you are morally bound to give what you can to carry it to others? Perhaps you can not give a large amount, but you know how much you can give.
How much is the truth worth to you? What are you doing to pay for it? Are you paying in proportion to its value to you? If not, do you not think you had better do so?
Mountain Grove, Mo.

The One Who Did His Best

By Walter A. Brooks

THE one who did his best has no occasion to waste time in wishing he had done otherwise.—Walter A. Brooks.

Why Churches Fail

By W. E. Hancock

W. E. HANCOCK
In the September number of Munsey’s Magazine there appeared an article by Joseph H. Odell, author of “Moses Breeze, Doctor of Sick Churches,” which expresses in unmistakable terms the true spirit that actuates the modern movement toward church confederation, or, as this writer expresses it, toward a “religious trust.”
After referring to the religious census of the United States, which shows that in this country there are one hundred eighty-six separate denominations, besides more than a thousand individualistic and independent churches, and that there is invested $1,500,000,000 in church property with annual overhead charges of $200,000,000, he says:—
“In spite of these figures, religion is not a trust, and more’s the pity. Whatever opinion we may hold about commercial combinations, the greatest boon to this country would be an organized ecclesiastical movement in restraint of competition,—a wide-spread, systematic merging of rival church organizations. The immediate need of the Protestant churches in the United States is not a revival of religion, but a renaissance of common sense; less homiletics and more economics.”
This writer evidently views religion not as an individual conviction, not as a personal experience, but as a thing to be regulated on the same principle as a trust runs its business to destroy competition. Those who would not by free choice worship according to the program of the “religious trust” should be driven to the wall, just as an independent commercial enterprise is forced out of business in the commercial world.
This idea is more clearly expressed further on in this same article in the following words:—
“In the first place, the boards of home missions, sustentation, and church extension of various denominations ought not to contribute to any church in an overcrowded region. If a number of rigid sectarians in any given neighborhood have not enough charity to worship with their fellow Christians, they should at least be compelled to pay for the luxury of their differentiating dogmas.”
In other words, if any number of people do not believe and worship with the majority of the community, they ought to be subjected to fines and penalties. This smacks very strongly of Puritanism, when he who dared to worship differently from his “fellow Christians” was put in stocks, flogged at whipping-posts, or put to death as a heretic.
Again he writes, “The ideal is not impossible of attainment if farmers will use the same common sense that they ordinarily give to the establishment of the communal grain elevator, cheese factory, or day-school.” This citation shows the low estimate the writer of this article has of the religion of Jesus Christ. He seems to consider the worship of Jehovah on the same level as the building of the communal elevator, the cheese factory, or the public schoolhouse. Evidently, religion to him is a question of so little importance that should his “fellow Christians” decide public worship to be a non-essential, and therefore bad economy, he would acquiesce and expect “rigid sectarians” to do likewise. In fact, one can account for such a position being taken by a professed Christian only on the basis that he regards Christianity as a mere social and economic element in civilization, to be dealt with and regulated by public opinion and legal enactments in the same way as any public, economic, or social question.
Can it be possible that the writer of this article realizes that Christianity is a personal experience and a thing so sacred and vital that upon one’s individual relation to it depends his eternal destiny? Does he not understand that the religion of Jesus Christ is not a question of economics? that it is a spiritual power which has not as its principal motive the betterment of morality, the extension of civilization, or the amelioration of the conditions of society, but the eternal salvation of the soul? It seems that he does not.
Herein lies the answer to the question of to-day, “Why churches fail,” not only country churches, but all churches. This gifted writer is not alone in his desire to bring all public questions into the church to be dealt with. The larger part of professed Christians of all denominations have become so engrossed in social questions, in things which are only incidentals in the work assigned to the church of Christ, that the temporal welfare of humanity is receiving attention far out of proportion to the proclamation of the vital and purely spiritual truths of the gospel of the early church, of the Reformers, and of a generation or two ago, when men were led to ask, “What must we do to be saved?” Let ministers take hold of their work with the spirit in which Paul exhorted Timothy to “preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.” If this is done, the social and economic phases of a community will take care of themselves.
To the Christian church the commission is given, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16: 15. Social, economic, and political questions have no place in pulpits nor in churches only in so far as they may relate to the work of preaching the gospel. The work of preaching the gospel committed to the church is sufficiently extensive to occupy its attention without stooping to meet popular demands for amusements, which draw into the church an element wholly ignorant and indifferent regarding the divine commission of the Saviour. What churches need today is not more institutional buildings with play-rooms, bowling-alleys, pool-tables, baseball teams, tennis-courts, tournaments, and fairs, but a revival of the faith in the power of the simple gospel, and a new vision of Christ as the crucified and risen Saviour who is soon to “appear . . . without sin unto salvation.”
A religious trust will be the greatest curse, not the greatest boon, that could be introduced into this country. It will result in spiritual stagnation. Persecution of conscientious persons who can not submit their faith to the mandates of such a trust, will be sure to follow. Rome once had a monopoly on religion, and the dark ages followed. The blackest pages of human history are found when religion was held as a commodity under the control of the papal trust. History is sure to repeat itself when the same course is followed in this time.
May true religion abound and increase, and may it influence every phase of human life and human endeavor; but let it do so under the power of personal conviction and free persuasion. Let the church live more fully the religion of Christ and let the ministers preach it more powerfully, but God forbid that the religious convictions and the Christian activities of our Christian communities shall ever be under the domination of “an organized ecclesiastical movement in constraint of competition.”
Falls Church, Va.
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