The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 78

February 26, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The First Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 9, p. 136.

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.1

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2, 3. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.2

We have seen that, for any one to have this world, or anything that is of this world, is to have another god before the Lord. And this other god is “the god of this world,” the “spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,” which is Satan. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.3

But Christ came to “bring us to God.” And this is the whole work of the preaching of the gospel; for it is written: “Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:17, 18. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.4

Now “the world” is divided into three parts—“the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” And under one or all of these three heads is idolatry manifested. We shall study them one by one as they are written. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.5

First: “the lust of the flesh”—appetite, or intemperance. This is specifically defined as a god; for it is written: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” Philippians 3:18, 19. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.6

Temperance is self-control,—not merely the control of one particular part of the man, self-control in one particular thing,—it is the control of self, the very being, the whole man. But this can never be done by the man himself; for the man himself is already subject to the control of “the god of this world,” the evil one. This control was gained by the evil one, in the garden, and through appetite, this very “lust of the flesh.” Since man is thus the subject of “the god of this world,” a slave, “sold under sin,” it is impossible for him of himself to clear himself of that power to which he surrendered himself. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.7

But there is deliverance by the power of God, the true God, the living God, the rightful God of man. God can set free every man, from all the power of “the god of this world;” and it is only thus that any man can ever gain control of himself. It is only thus that any man can attain to true self-control, to true temperance. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.8

The heart of man is the place of the seat of God in things pertaining to the man; for “the kingdom of God is within you.” The kingdom of the heart and life of man belongs to God: it is alone His dominion. Through the deception of man this kingdom has been usurped by “the god of this world.” This was done at the choice of man. At the choice of man, God, the true God, will return to His kingdom, and will take His place upon His throne in that kingdom, and will there rule and reign in righteousness, “even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.” Romans 3:22. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.9

Therefore the whole question of having other gods, or the true God alone, turns simply upon the one question: Who has the heart? Therefore it is written: “Keep thy heart above all keeping; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23, margin. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.10

Since, then, it is only by the power of God that any man can ever truly have control of himself, can be truly master of himself, it follows, inevitably, that the use of anything which has a tendency to take control of the man, to deprive the man of the control of himself; anything the use of which creates a habit which must be satisfied, and demands that it shall be served,—that is the having of another god. The man who has thus surrendered himself, and is thus controlled, is of those whom the scripture describes, “whose god is their belly.” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.11

This principle is expressed in the scripture: “All things are lawful unto me, ... but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12. Anything, therefore, which has a tendency to bring man under its power is the indulgence of idolatry: it is to have another god before the Lord. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.12

Now not only the tendency, but the positive effect of all stimulants and narcotics, is to take control of the man who uses them. The only effect of any of these things is to create an appetite for itself,—an appetite that must be served at whatever cost,—and thus to rob the individual of all control of himself. Also it makes him not only a slave to that particular habit, but so weakens him that in other things he can not control himself. And “from tear to hasheesh we have, through hops, alcohol, tobacco, and opium, a sort of graduated scale of intoxicants, which stimulate in small doses, and narcotize in larger. The physiological action of all these agents gradually shades into each other; all producing, or being capable of producing, consecutive paralysis of the various parts of the nervous system”.—Encyclopedia Britannica, Art., “Drunkenness.” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.13

Thus the First Commandment is the basis of all true temperance; and the keeping of that commandment and the faith of Jesus, is the only way to true temperance. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.14

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” “Out of Egypt have I called my Son.” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.15

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.16

“Build Firmly the Foundation” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 9, pp. 136, 137.

IN the Chicago Times-Herald of February 12 there was an editorial entitled, “School Reforms Must Being at the Bottom,” in which it was said that the speeches made at the banquet of the Merchants’ Club, held a short time before, were, in fact, “an indictment of the entire public school system in this city. It is true that the addresses were intended as strictures upon the scope and quality of the high school work. It was pointed out that our high school graduates seemed to be utterly lacking in the training necessary to fit them for any kind of a business career. Mr. Shedd deplored the manifest ‘professional’ tendency of the high school instruction, which seemed to imbue the student with the idea that only the ‘professions’ were worth striving for, while Mr. Farwell frankly stated that the best employees secured by his firm were ‘graduates of country high schools. They get outside training in ability to construct and to accomplish, which the city high school boys do not have.’ ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.1

“But to discover the sources of the acknowledged deficiencies of our high schools graduates one must go further back than the high schools.... If a young man is not fitted for the ordinary requirements of business when he gets through the highest grammar grade, the common school system is a failure. The higher school, with its courses in Latin and rhetoric and chemistry and geometry, can not be expected to supply the essential elements of a business training unless it is to be converted into a ‘commercial school.’ The truth of the matter is, There is no thoroughness in most of the work done in the lower grades of the Chicago public school system. Incompetency, shiftlessness, indifference, and incapacity are discernible on every hand.... The unfitness of hundreds of the teachers is a matter of such common knowledge and comment as to constitute a scandal and a reproach to the city.... No use beginning at the top while the foundations are crumbling.” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.2

A correspondent wrote to the editor (issue of February 15), describing his experience in a school, thus: “I took about a dozen of the older boys and gave them pens and paper, and dictated a letter which I had written. I then pinned my letter upon the wall, and had the boys each go to the copy and mark the errors upon his written sheet. It was a short letter. This test revealed the fact of the total failure of these letter writers to follow me. The essentials named were atrociously inaccurate. Some of the letters were out of form, and contained as high as sixteen errors! How do you account for it?” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.3

And to this the editor of the Times-Herald replies, in the following forceful and sensible sentences: “How account for it? Our correspondent has only to visit any one of the grade schools in Chicago to find the solution of his conundrum. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.4

“Or if he can get hold of a programme of the meeting of the National Educational Association to be held here February 26, 27 and 28 next, he will perceive the wherefore of the phenomenon of inaccuracy of our present school system in the essentials of education. This is to be a gathering of school superintendents from all over the country, and the list of subjects for discussion proves that instead of a prayerful consideration of the ways and means of saving the children of the republic from ignorance of reading, writing, spelling, and ciphering, its members will devote themselves principally to psychology, physiology, and manual training. Not until the afternoon of Thursday, February 28, when the meeting is in the throes of dissolution, do the members get down to a discussion of “A Standard Course of Study for Elementary Schools in Cities,’ and ‘Some Aspects of Public Study Training.’ ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.5

“Instead of setting an example of accuracy in its ‘Programme,’ the National Educational Association starts out by spelling that word after the bob-tailed fashion of the Amalgamated Society of Faddists. A few years ago there was quite a rage for such a spelling. But the common sense of the English-speaking race asserted itself in favor of etymological accuracy. According to Skeats, a great authority with the philologists, the word found its way into English from the French, although the Latin form ‘programma’ appeared in Philips’s New World of Words’ as early as 1706. It came originally from Greek ‘programma,’ a public notice in writing. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.6

“The programme also spells through ‘thru,’ although this word is merely a variation of thorough, which the spelling reformers with delightful inconsistency spell ‘thoro,’ as if;the two words were not of common origin. Etymological inconsistency is a jewel they spit upon. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.7

“Of course this gathering of experts will discuss the following proposition:— ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.8

“Would these young people (prospective teachers) catch the spirit of teaching and gain valuable APPERCEPTIVE material for their broader training-school course? ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.9

“No discussion of modern pedagogy is genuine without the word ‘apperceptive’ blown into it with all the self-consciousness of psychological superiority. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.10

“In the meantime the children of the republic are being robbed of the alphabet, multiplication table, and the commonest rules of syntax. The course of study in the elementary schools is so top-lofty that it is bound to come down with a crash.” ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.11

Any one who himself understands the fundamentals of schooling can verify for himself the truth thus stated by the Times-Herald, by merely asking the pupils, or the teachers, in any school, and especially in the high schools and colleges, to spell some common words; to read a page of matter; or to write a common letter, an item, or a short article. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.12

That reform in education will be the most successful, and the most quickly successful, that recognizes this truth so emphasized by the Times-Herald; and that, in recognition of this truth, begins at the foundations, and builds only by a thorough teaching in the fundamentals. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 136.13

“Editorial” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 9, p. 137.

IN order to get rid of the friar incubus in the Philippines the President’s commission has recommended that the government of the Philippine Islands borrow money on the Philippine customs, and pay the friars the enormous demand for their holdings. And to the question as to “why the President delayed so long to publish the report of the Philippine Commission,” the Independent makes the following suggestive answer:— ARSH February 26, 1901, page 137.1

Is it not conceivable that during that time he had quite another object than that of persuading Congress to pass the military bill, and that the Catholic authorities in this country were quietly consulted as to whether the proposal of the Taft Commission would be satisfactory, and that it was found to be acceptable? ARSH February 26, 1901, page 137.2

And does anybody notice now that this last week or two the leading Catholic papers are quite changing their tone, and are speaking favorably of the report of the Taft Commission and the proposition for the purchase of the friars’ property and their withdrawal from the islands? ARSH February 26, 1901, page 137.3

People should keep their eyes and ears open. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 137.4

From the very beginning of this new “world-career” of the United States, the Catholic authorities have been quietly consulted by the President of the United States. And now it has become a regular thing. And if the United States ever gets out of the papal meshes thus already woven, it will do more than the papacy intends, and more than those expect who really keep their eyes and ears open. Leo’s statement of 1892, that what the papacy has done for other nations she will do for the United States, is fast coming true. ARSH February 26, 1901, page 137.5