The Present Truth, vol. 10
June 28, 1894
“Front Page” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.1
The name of Jesus is all-powerful. He has by inheritance a better name than the angels. Hebrews 1:4. God has given Him “a name that is above every name.” Philippians 2:9. “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. But it is not to be used as a mere charm. The seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out evil spirits by the name of Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.” Acts 19:13. The only result was that the evil spirit cast them out. Why was this?—Because they did not know the name that they used. It is something more than a sound; it is a life. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.2
Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” “And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was there place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” Revelation 12:7-9. Satan has been conquered again and again by the power of heaven. He was defeated and cast out of heaven in the beginning, and when Christ came to this earth, He “spoiled principalities and powers,” triumphing over them in Himself.” Colossians 2:15. Therefore whoever meets the devils with the power of heaven, is sure to triumph over them. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.3
Satan fell as lightning from heaven. He is still an angel, though fallen. Sin has robbed him of his original glory, yet the brightness which he still retains far surpasses all human conception of glory. “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14. What wonder, then, that he deceives men who trust in appearances? By reason of the brightness which he still retains, he will be able to cause many to believe that he is the Christ. The life of Christ cherished in the heart will alone enable us to detect his devices, and to quench his fiery darts. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.4
Great power is given by Christ to His disciples. It is a wonderful thing to have power over that old Serpent, and all of his kind. “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” It is very natural for man to rejoice in that which they can see. Wonderful phenomena dazzle the senses. Christian workers are apt to place their rejoicing in what the Lord has wrought through them. This is their danger. When they begin to glory in the works accomplished, the power by which they were wrought departs. Our connection with Christ, who is our life, is to be our only rejoicing. We are not to look at the things which are seen, but that the things which are unseen; “for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen our eternal.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.5
“What Is that to Thee?” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
This is the question put by the Lord to sinful man when the latter manifests a disposition to supervise the religious conduct of his fellows. Jesus and His disciples were alone at the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection, and when they had eaten and Jesus had talked with them, He said to Peter, “Follow Me.” “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; ... Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto them, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me.” John 21:20-22. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.6
This brief dialogue reveals very plainly the mind of the Lord in regard to the exercise of ecclesiastical authority among men. There was Peter, who held as high a position as any in the church, and to whom many people believe to have held the highest place, meeting with a pointed rebuke from the Lord for presuming to demand even a knowledge of the obligations which the Saviour had laid or would lay upon John. Yet how many since that time who have neither held the station nor possessed the virtues of an apostle, have assumed the authority to dictate to their fellow-men what they must do to discharge their obligations to God, and even to punish them if they refused to obey! PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.7
This is the spirit that is embodied in all those laws which men have presumed to enact for the punishment of “offences against God and religion.” Men have become so ostensibly zealous for the Lord that they have taken it upon themselves not only to know just what everybody else must do in order to meet the mind of God, but to execute upon them the penalty for transgression, as if the Lord were not able or competent to uphold the honour of His own law! It is the zeal which Saul of Tarsus had, which was “not according to knowledge.” The zeal of Paul the apostle, and of every converted person, is to feed the flock with the living word, which is the bread and water of life. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 401.8
Would you enquire, Lord, and what shall this man do, who keepeth not Thy commandments? or, Lord, here is one that worshippeth not Thee according to the way that I conceive to be right; what shall be done with him? The answer is, “What is that to thee? follow thou Me.” Give your attention to your own course, and leave all others free to do the same. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.1
“Feed My sheep;” and “Follow thou Me.” Thus did the Lord mark out the duty of Peter; and thus He has marked out the whole duty of all His followers, whether high or low. He who will obey his Lord’s words will find ample scope for the exercise of all his energies, without giving any attention to enforcing religious duties upon his neighbours. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.2
“The Greatness of Service” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
The Greatness of Service.-Service is not a mark of degradation, but of greatness. We are accustomed to think of the position of a servant as a menial one, because it has been made so in the majority of cases by the customs and traditions of men; but considered from the standpoint of Gospel truth, it is not so. To His disciples the Saviour said, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth service. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.” Luke 22:25-27. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.3
From the world’s standpoint, he that sitteth at meat is greater than He that serves; yet Christ, the only begotten Son of the eternal God, came and took on earth a place of a servant; and in this He did not degrade Himself, but invested with His own glory and greatness all service for the benefit of our fellow-men. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.4
And is not God Himself the greatest servant in the universe? Who does so much to minister to the comfort and happiness of all creatures as He? Not only does He minister in things that are great and exalted, but in all the little things that pertain to daily existence, whether of high or low, rich or poor. The veriest vagabond of the street is not passed by. To him, equally with the prince, it is granted to live and move and have his being in the Lord. Acts 17:28. He gives to him “life, and breath, and all things,” as freely as to anyone else. “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45. The path that leads to greatness is the path of service; and in proportion to the service we have rendered to our fellows here, and to the capacity we have developed for being a blessing to others, will be the height of the station assigned us in the world hereafter. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.5
“‘This Is Elias’” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
It is a natural tendency of the human mind to give more heed to personalities than to principles-to look more to men engaged in some great work, than to the point and principle of the work itself. This caused the scribes and Pharisees to make a great mistake in the days of John the Baptist, and has caused great mistakes in all ages since that time. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.6
The prophet Malachi had prophesied of the coming of Elias before the day of the Lord, to prepare the world for His appearance. But this prophecy was fulfilled, so far as it related to the first advent of Christ, in the coming of John the Baptist; for the Saviour said of him, “If ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” Matthew 11:14. John himself had testified that he was not Elias, and he gave a true answer to the question asked him, for he was not the person who had prophesied before Ahab, and called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel. The nature of his identity with Elias is explained in the first chapter of Luke, in the words of the angel who talked with Zacharias: “He [John] shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.7
It is not the man as a person, but the spirit and power which actuates him in his work, that is important for us to consider. We should not be fascinated by a striking personality, so as to lose sight of the principle that is embodied within him. John would do nothing to call attention to himself as an individual, but merely declared himself to be “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” The important question to be considered in connection with any work is not, Who is the mouthpiece? but, Whose is the voice that is speaking? The important thing about Elias was not his physical self, but the voice that spoke through him; and when that voice, with the same spirit and power, spoke through John, John became Elias. And whosoever now is sent forth in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare the way of the Lord and make ready a people for His coming, fulfils the prophecy as did John. But we must bear in mind the truth, of which this instance affords a striking evidence, that any man, in himself, is nothing; and that whatever prominence and importance attached to his name is due only to what he receives from God. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.8
“Studies in Romans. Debtor to All. Romans 1:8-15” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
The first seven verses of the first chapter of Romans are the salutation. No uninspired letter ever embraced so much in its greeting as this one. The apostle was so overflowing with the love of God that he could not write a letter without covering almost the whole Gospel in the salutation. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.9
The next eight verses may well be summarised in the words “Debtor to All,” for they show the completeness of the apostle’s devotedness to others. Let us read them carefully, and not be content with one reading: PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.10
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 402.11
QUESTIONING THE TEXT
For whom did the apostle give thanks to God? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.1
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.2
What does he say is the chief characteristics of the Romans? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.3
“Your faith.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.4
How prominent was their faith? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.5
“Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.6
What did the apostle always do for them? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.7
“Make mention of you always in my prayers.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.8
How often did he pray for them? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.9
“Without ceasing.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.10
How emphatically does he make this statement? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.11
“God is my witness.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.12
How did he say that he himself served God? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.13
“Whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His Son.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.14
For what did the apostle pray concerning the Romans? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.15
“Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.16
Why was he so anxious to see them? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.17
“I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.18
Why did he wish to impart a spiritual gift to them? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.19
“To the end ye may be established.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.20
What had he often purposed? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.21
“Oftentimes I purposed to come unto you.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.22
Why had he not gone? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.23
“But was let [hindered] hitherto.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.24
Why had he purposed to go to them? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.25
“That I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.26
How did Paul hold himself as related to men? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.27
“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.28
What was he therefore willing to do? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.29
“So, as much as in me be, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.30
A Great Contrast.-In the days of the apostle Paul the faith of the church in Rome was spoken of throughout all the world. Faith means obedience; for faith is counted for righteousness, and God never counts a thing so unless it is so. Faith “worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6. And this work is a “work of faith.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3. Faith also means humility, as is shown by the words of the prophet, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4. The upright man is the just man; the man whose soul is lifted up is not upright or just; but the just man is such because of his faith; therefore only the man whose soul is not lifted up has faith. The Roman brethren, therefore, in the days of Paul, were humble. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.31
But it is far different now. An instance is given by the Catholic Times of June 15, 1894. The pope had said, “We gave authority to the bishops of the Syrian rite to meet in synod at Mossul,” and had commended the “very faithful submission” of those bishops and had ratified the election of the patriarch by “Our Apostolic authority.” An Anglican paper had expressed surprise, saying, “Is this a free union of equal churches, or is it submission to one supreme and monarchical head?” To which the Catholic Times replies: “It is not a free union of equal churches, but it is submission to one supreme and monarchical head.... To our Anglican pleader we say, You are not really surprised. You know well what Rome claims and always will claim, obedience. That claim is now, if it ever was, before the world.” But that claim was not before the world in the days of Paul. In those days it was the church in Rome; now it is the Church of Rome. The church in Rome was famous for its humility, and its obedience to God. The Church of Rome is famous for its haughty assumption of the power of God, and for its demand for obedience to itself. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.32
Praying without Ceasing.-The apostle exhorted the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. He did not exhort others to do that which he did not do himself, for he told the Romans that without ceasing he made mention of them always in his prayers. It is not to be supposed that the apostle had the brethren at Rome on his mind every waking hour of the day, for in that case he could not have thought of anything else. No man can be consciously in prayer every moment, but all can continue “instant in prayer,” or, as Young translates it, “in the prayer persevering.” Romans 12:12. This is in harmony with what the Saviour said, that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint,” or grow weary. Luke 18:1. In the parable that follows, the unjust judge complains of the “continual coming” of the poor widow. That is an illustration of praying without ceasing. It is not that we are to be every moment in conscious prayer, for then important duties would be neglected, but it is that we should not grow weary of praying. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.33
A Man of Prayer.-This is what Paul was. He made mention of the Romans in all his prayers. To the Corinthians he wrote, “I thank my God always on your behalf.” 1 Corinthians 1:4. To the Colossians, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” Colossians 1:3. Still more emphatically he wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” Philippians 1:3, 4. Again to the Thessalonians, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith,” etc., 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3. And further, “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.” 1 Thessalonians 3:10. To his beloved son in the faith he wrote, “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.” 2 Timothy 1:3. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.34
“Rejoice Evermore.”-The secret of this is to “pray without ceasing.” See 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17. The apostle Paul prayed for others so much that he had no time to worry about himself. He had never seen the Romans, yet he prayed for them as earnestly as for the churches that he had raised up. Recounting his labors and sufferings, he adds that they are “beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:28. “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” He fulfilled the law of Christ by bearing the burdens of others. Thus it was that he was able to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ suffered on the cross for others, but it was “for the joy that was set before him.” They who are wholly devoted to others, share the joy of their Lord, and can rejoice in Him. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.35
“A Prosperous Journey.”-Paul prayed earnestly that he might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to visit Rome. Read the twenty-seventh chapter of Acts, and you will learn just what kind of journey he had. Most people would say that it was not a prosperous journey. Yet we do not hear any complaint from Paul; and who can say that he did not have a prosperous trip? “All things work together for good to them that love God.” Therefore it must have been prosperous. It is well for us to consider these things. We are apt to look at matters from a wrong side. When we learn to look at them as God looks at them, we shall find that things that we regard as disastrous are prosperous. How much mourning we might save if we always remembered that God knows much better than we do how our prayers should be answered! PTUK June 28, 1894, page 403.36
Spiritual Gifts.-When Christ “ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Ephesians 4:8. These gifts were the gifts of the Spirit, for he said, “It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” John 16:7. And Peter said on the day of Pentecost: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Acts 2:32. These gifts are thus described: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 404.1
Established by Spiritual Gifts.—“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” What is the profit? “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12, 13. The gifts of the Spirit must accompany the Spirit. As soon as the early disciples received the Spirit in accordance with the promise, they received the gifts. One of the gifts, speaking with new tongues, was manifested that very day. It follows, therefore, that the absence of the gifts of the Spirit in any marked degree in the church, is evidence of the absence of the Spirit, not entirely, of course, but to the extent that God has promised it. The Spirit was to abide with the disciples forever, and therefore the gifts of the Spirit must be manifest in the true church until the second coming of the Lord. As before stated, the absence of any very marked manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit is evidence of the absence of the fulness of the Spirit; and that is the secret of the weakness of the church, and the great divisions that exist. Spiritual gifts establish the church; therefore the church that does not have those gifts cannot be established. Who may have the Spirit? Whoever asks for it with earnest desire. See Luke 11:13. The Spirit has already been poured out, and God has never withdrawn the gift; it only needs that Christians should ask and accept. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 404.2
“I Am Debtor.”-That was the keynote of Paul’s life, and it was the secret of his success. Nowadays we hear of men saying, “The world owes me a living.” But Paul considered that he owed himself to the world. And yet he received nothing from the world but stripes and abuse. Even that which he had received before Christ found him was a total loss. But Christ had found him, and given Himself to him, so that he could say, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. As Christ’s life was his life, and Christ gave himself for the world, Paul necessarily became a debtor to the whole world. This has been the case of every man who has been a servant of the Lord. “David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep.” Acts 13:36. “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 404.3
Personal Labour.-There is a foolish notion prevalent that ordinary labor is degrading, especially to a minister of the Gospel. It is not all the fault of the ministers themselves, but largely the fault of the foolish people about them. They think that a minister must always be faultlessly attired, and that he must never soil his hands with ordinary manual labor. Such ideas were never gained from the Bible. Christ himself was a carpenter, yet many professed followers of him would be shocked if they should see their minister sawing and planing boards, or digging in the ground, or carrying parcels. There is a false dignity altogether too prevalent, which is utterly opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. Paul was not ashamed nor afraid to labour. And this he did not merely occasionally, but day after day while he was engaged in preaching. See Acts 18:3, 4. He said, “These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.” Acts 20:34. He was speaking to the leaders of the church when he said, “I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Verse 35. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 404.4
Slandering Paul-At the second international convention of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, the main address for one evening was on the subject of “Paul, the Great Missionary.” The speaker said that “Paul had a faculty for dividing up the work so that he undertook very little of it himself.” It was a foolish and wicked idea to present before young volunteers for missionary service, because it was an utter falsehood, and it was anything but a compliment to the apostle. In addition to what has been cited above, read the following: “Neither did we eat any man’s bread for naught; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:8. “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.” 2 Corinthians 12:15. “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent.” 2 Corinthians 11:23. “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10. The grace of God is manifest in service for others. The grace of Christ led him to give himself for us, and to take upon himself the form and condition of a servant. Therefore he who has the most of the grace of Christ will labour the most. He will not shun work, even though it be the most menial service. Christ went to the lowest depths for the sake of man; therefore he who thinks that any service is beneath him, is altogether too high for association with Christ. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 404.5
Gospel Liberty.-Gospel liberty is the liberty that God gives men through the Gospel. It expresses His idea of freedom. It is the freedom seen in nature and in all the works of His hands. It is the freedom of the winds, blowing where they list; it is the freedom of the flowers, scattered everywhere through wood and meadow; it is the freedom of the birds, soaring unrestrained through the heavens; the freedom of the sunbeam, shooting from its parent orb and playing on cloud and mountain top; the freedom of the celestial orbs, sweeping ceaselessly on through infinite space. This is the freedom which flows out from the great Creator through all His works. It is sin that has produced what is narrow and contracted and circumscribed,—that has erected boundary lines, and made men stingy and niggardly. But sin is to be removed, and then perfect liberty will be realised once more in every part of creation. Even now this freedom may be tasted, by having sin removed from the heart. To enjoy this freedom through eternity is the glorious privilege now offered in the Gospel to all men. Who that claims to love liberty can let this opportunity pass unimproved? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 404.6
“In Siberian Exile” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
The railway being constructed across Siberia will open up the great mining and agricultural resources of the country, besides diverting some of the trade of Japan and China into Russian channels. The Russian Government is sparing no effort to change the Siberian wilderness into an enterprising and prosperous country. Farming communities are being encouraged to emigrate to the country, and the criminal exiles are no longer to be located in the Siberian colonies. Siberia is to be reserved for political exiles, and heretics. Speaking of these latter offenders, the Russian correspondent of a foreign journal says:— PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.1
The “politicals,” however, do not seem to call out our sympathies as the heretics do. These latter are men of the noblest principle as a rule, suffering the most cruel hardships with supreme fortitude. A good many of them lately have been sent to Siberia, but somehow they generally manage to fall on their feet, to get hold of a little farm somewhere, or a windmill, or a house near a stream abounding in fish, or a rich farmer in want of a reliable steward. And then they write home to their friends in Russia long letters of consolation and encouragement, and the letters circulate about from hand to hand and do almost as much for the cause as the spoken word of the preacher. A Stundist told a friend of mine the other day that in his village there is a shoemaker who receives a letter from Siberia about once in two months. The writer is a man who was sentenced to banishment for life for uttering expressions in ridicule of the usages of the orthodox church. My friend assured me that the banished Stundist’s letters were read by a circle of quite two hundred people, and have a far more potent effect in bracing up the brethren than the most eloquent sermons preached by the local preachers. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.2
Does it ever strike the authorities in Russia that this settling of banished Stundists, Baptists, and others all over the country where the population is sparsest is the best plan they could devise for the future Protestantising of the country? It was the little settlements of German Protestants in the southern provinces that brought about the great Stundist movement. The Germans are now settling in the eastern provinces of Orenburg, Samara, Sarateoff, and Ufa. May we not reasonably expect a similar movement in the east? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.3
“Custom Against Precept” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.4
Thus reads the fourth commandment. In thousands of churches it is read every Sunday, and all the congregation unite in saying at its close, “O Lord, incline our hearts to keep this law.” And yet it is not kept, because the day which the commandment says must be observed is the seventh day, while people in general keep the first day of the week, a day not mentioned in the commandment, except as included in the “six days” in which work may be done. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.5
It is a fact that the seventh day of the week is the day commonly called Saturday. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.6
It is a fact that the people who heard the words of the law spoken directly to them from Mount Sinai, did observe the seventh day of the week in obedience to the commandment, and to this day still hold that it is the Sabbath, whether they keep it or not. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.7
It is a fact that the Jews in the wilderness, and for centuries thereafter, were under the direct leadership of the Lord Himself, the Lord manifesting Himself to them, and talking with them and their leaders as He has never done with any other people. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.8
It is also a fact that when they were the most closely connected with the Lord, and His presence among them was the most marked, they were the most faithful in their observance of the seventh day. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.9
The fact that the Jews kept the seventh day of the week while the Lord who spoke the fourth commandment was personally conducting them, shows that God meant just what He said, and that the fourth commandment does require the observance of the seventh day of the week, which alone is the true Sabbath of the Lord. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.10
Further, it is a fact that the commandment cannot mean two different things. The words, “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work,” cannot mean both the seventh day and the first. Neither can they refer to either one of them indifferently. Neither can they mean anything different now from what they did when first spoken and written. If they apply to the first day of the week now, then they must always have meant the same day, and in that case the ancient Jews must have been wrong in their practice, and the Lord must have encouraged them in that wrong. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.11
But such a supposition is impossible. The fact that God specified by daily miracles for forty years, just which day they should observe, shows, as before stated, that the seventh day of the week-Saturday-and that only, is the day which the commandment enjoins. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.12
This being the case, those who hear the commandment read every Sunday should either cease responding, “O Lord, incline our ears to keep this law,” or else should begin to keep it; for it is certain that the fourth commandment can no more be obeyed by resting on Sunday, than the first commandment can be kept by worshipping Jupiter. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.13
But some one will ask, “Has not the commandment been changed?” We do not find in the Bible any record of a change. If the commandment has been changed, so as to warrant Sunday observance, why is it that the revised edition is not read in any of the churches? If people really thought that the commandment had been changed, it would be very strange for them to keep on for years reading the old commandment, which enjoins another day from that which they keep. No; the commandment has not been changed, and nobody really thinks that it has been. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 305.14
“But surely the day has been changed.” Nothing can show the weakness of this position any better than the statements of those who hold to it. Read what the Vicar of Burgh, Lincolnshire, in a tract intended to show the necessity of Sunday observance, says about the matter:— PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.1
When Christ’s life on earth was ended, and He had ascended to heaven, a change was made as to the day which was to be kept holy.... Before Christ’s coming, the seventh day was kept holy in remembrance of the finished work of creation. After His ascension, the first day was sanctified in remembrance of the completed work of redemption. This change was made by the apostles in obedience to the will of Christ. We are not told of any words of His in which He gave this direction. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.2
Just think of it. It is said that the apostles made the change in obedience to the will of Christ, and yet we nowhere find the words in which He gave the direction, nor even any words of the apostles, in which they intimate that such a direction ever was given! How then do men know that it was given? They do not, and never can know that it was. For no one can know that a thing is so when it is not so; and the fact that there is no record of any such change, is evidence that no such change was ever made. Christ ascended to heaven without saying anything about a change in the day. The apostles all died without ever saying anything about it, or even intimating that Christ ever said a word about it. But some men say that the change was made by the disciples in obedience to the will of the Lord. Let them produce the inspired record before they try to make people believe it. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.3
No; the day remains the same, and will remain unchanged throughout eternity. But the people have changed. The great apostasy began, and the people insensibly drifted away from the standard of Christ and His apostles, under the influence of surrounding Paganism. Then the apostasy culminated in the Papacy, which thought to change the times and the laws, so that the customs of the people were taken as the standard of right, instead of the Bible. And this is how people now keep Sunday instead of the Sabbath. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.4
But custom cannot make a thing any different from what God has established it. “The customs of the people are vain.” Jeremiah 10:3. The traditions of men are the transgression of the commandments of God. This matter of custom against the word of the Lord is strikingly set forth in the following from John Bunyan’s famous “dream.” Christian was on his journey, when PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.5
He espied two men come tumbling over the wall on the left hand of the narrow way; and they made up apace to him. The name of one was Formalist, and the name of the other was Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up to him, who thus entered with them into discourse. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.6
Chris. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither go you? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.7
Form. and Hyp. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and we are going for praise to Mount Zion. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.8
Chris. Why came you not in at the gate which standeth at the beginning of the way? Know ye not that it is written, “He that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber”? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.9
F. and H. They said that to go to the gate for entrance was, by all their countrymen, counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.10
Chris. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city whither we are bound, thus to violate His revealed will? PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.11
F. and H. They told him that as for that he need not trouble his head thereabout; for what they did they had custom for, and could produce, if need were, testimony that could witness it for more than a thousand years. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.12
Chris. “But,” said Christian, “will it stand a trial of law?” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.13
F. and H. They told him that custom, being of so long standing as above a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal by an impartial judge. “And besides,” said they, “if we get into the way, what matter is it which way we may get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who, as we perceive came in at the gate; and we are also in the way, that came tumbling over the wall; wherein now is thy condition better than ours?” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.14
Chris. I walk by the rule of my Master; you walk by the rude working of your own fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way. You came in by yourselves without His direction, and shall go out by yourselves without His mercy. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.15
To those who plead “custom” as a sufficient reason for keeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath, let me ask, “Will it stand a trial at law?” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.16
“The Plane of the Gospel” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
The Plane of the Gospel.-When Christ descended from heaven and took upon Himself the nature of sinful flesh, He did not stop when He touched the topmost rim of humanity, but descended to the level of the poorest and most humble of birth. Born in a manger, and reared in an obscure village, He possessed not a single mark of worldly distinction. He was the son of Joseph the carpenter. His foremost followers were fishermen; His food was loaves and fishes, and He testified that He had not where to lay His head. He was among His disciples as a servant. Yet in it all He was the Son of God. He stood on the level of the sons of God, and angels did His bidding. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.17
The plane of His life is the plane of the Gospel, and to that plane the poorest and humblest have access. The mysteries of salvation and heirship with Christ are not revealed to the wise and prudent, but unto babes. Jesus Christ identified Himself with poverty, with humility, with reproach, and with suffering in their keenest forms, but in all He was without sin. He did not make a low level of His followers, but an exalted one, for it was the level of the sons of the eternal God. It is sin that degrades, and not poverty, humility, and suffering. The plane of sin, though it is covered with men of wealth and power and honour, is infinitely below the plane of the Gospel, with its poor and lowly and outcast saints. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.18
“Christ All and in All” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.19
It might seem that in this Paul became narrow in his views, and repudiated all science, learning, and education. But such was not the case. He simply determined to begin at the beginning, to commence with first principles, and start the building upon a solid foundation. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.20
What is Christ? “Other foundation can no man lay,” says Paul, “than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11. He is the true foundation, the chief corner-stone. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.21
Christ Himself says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” Revelation 1:8. He is all, from first to last. He is the A, B, C, and the X, Y, Z,—the entire alphabet. All that can be learned from written language depends upon a knowledge of the alphabet. No one can read without knowing his letters, and no one who reads ever gets beyond or above the use and the usefulness of the alphabet. From this are formed all the two hundred thousand words in our language. By the use of these twenty-six letters are printed all the thousands and hundreds of thousands of books in the English language. In the simple alphabet, therefore, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are contained in all the books of any language. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 406.22
“Good Things from God” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” Do you know it? Of course it is so; because it is the word of God who can make all things work for good. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.1
Then there need be no complaining and sulking when you cannot have your own way. Our own way is not always as nice as we thought it would be. So the Lord tells us to give up our way, and take His way, and though His way is often strange it is always best. Therefore we can be cheerful and happy even when trouble comes, and when things do not come to pass just as we might wish. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.2
The Lord is so good and so great that He can bring good to us out of the strangest ways. The patriarch Jacob once said, “All these things are against me,” when his sons wanted to take their younger brother to Egypt, where they went to buy corn because of the famine in the land. Jacob thought of his long-lost son Joseph, and now he feared that Benjamin would be taken from him. He did not know that the young ruler who sold the corn was his own boy, Joseph, whom he had given up as dead. Things were working for him and not against him. God could see it when Jacob could not. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.3
You remember the story of Joseph. When he was sold as a slave into Egypt by his brothers, he did not spend his time murmuring and grieving and sulking because he had been badly treated. He knew the Lord was caring for him even though everything seemed to go wrong. And even when cast in the prison for doing right, he was so cheerful and kind that the keeper let him help to take care of the prisoners, and so he was able to do good to others. How easy it would have been for him to have said, “If this is the way I am to be used I will not try to do right.” But he believed that everything would work together for good, because he knew that he loved God, and that God loved him. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.4
God is good to everybody. He loves every one. And when there was going to be seven years of famine in the land of Egypt, He gave the king a dream so that he might prepare for the famine by storing up food. None of the wise men of Egypt could tell the meaning of the dream, and, as you know, Joseph was at last called out from prison to tell the king the word of the Lord, and was made the ruler of the land. Read the story in Genesis 41. So all Egypt learned about the true God from this young slave and prisoner. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.5
Joseph’s brothers only wanted to get rid of him, but the Lord made good come out of their wicked deed. When they went to buy corn of him, and he had told them who he was, he said, “Be not grieved nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life.” “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Genesis 45:5, 7. Even when we are used unkindly, and do not deserve the ill we receive, the Lord can look beyond and make it all come out for our good, and the good perhaps of others as well. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.6
God was with Joseph when his feet were in iron chains in prison just the same as when he stood before Pharaoh, the great king, and told him the word of the Lord. Joseph knew it, and so he did not grumble when in prison, but served God with a happy heart. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.7
You remember how Paul and Silas sang songs of praise in prison, and the Lord brought good out of their affliction. Daniel was put in the lions’ den, but an angel went in with him and shut the mouth of the lions. The three Hebrew children were cast into a burning furnace, and the Lord walked with them in the flames and they were not harmed. Those who punished them learned about God’s power. The Lord always cares for His servants when they are in danger and distress, and teaches men good lessons. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.8
Then when tempted to complain because it rains when you want the sun to shine, or because you have to work when you planned to play, or because your parents cannot give you all the things that you would like or that some of your playmates get, and even when ill or in any trouble, just think about the text, “All things work together for good to them that love God.” Think of Joseph in prison and Joseph before Pharaoh and the great men of Egypt. If you learn the text by heart, and believe it every day, it will save you many unhappy hours. It is because many grown-up people have not believed this word of the Lord that they have been unhappy when things have not gone with them as they thought they should. Believe it all the time, even when trouble comes. You know good will in some way come out of it; for God promises to make all things work for good. He is good. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 413.9
“News of the Week” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
-The plague at Hong Kong is diminishing in virulence. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.1
-In twelve months 404 persons were killed by vehicles in the streets of London. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.2
-A fire in the vicinity of Moorgate St., June 21, destroyed property valued at ?150,000. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.3
-The total number of deaths from the terrible mining disaster in Silesia is stated to be 232. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.4
-An Austrian is said to have invented a motor bicycle which will travel from twenty-five to fifty miles an hour. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.5
-London has now an estimated population of 5,948,000, which is 100,000 more than at the beginning of the year. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.6
-Five thousand sheep were burned and 760,000 dollars lost by a fire in the central stockyards at Jersey City, U.S.A. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.7
-During the past year applications, were made in this country for 25,000 patents, 19,400 designs, and 8,625 trade marks. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.8
-The Spanish war indemnity has not been paid by the Moorish officials, and an appeal is to be made to the Sultan. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.9
-A sunfish recently caught by boatmen near Melbourne harbour measured eleven feet in circumference, and weighed twenty-eight cwt. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.10
-War is still in progress in Samoa between the “insurgents” and the forces of King Malistoa, who is supported by the English and Germans. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.11
-Steps are being taken in America to put an end to the sale to children of sweetmeats containing alcohol, which hitherto has gone on unchecked. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.12
-It is probable that a conference of represents fives of the Australian provinces will be called ere long to consider a scheme for their federation. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.13
-The Powers have decided to recognise Abdul Aziz as Sultan of Morocco. The Kabyles in the neighbourhood of Tetuan are reported to be in a state of revolt. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.14
-The latest advises from Corea state that no further troubles are apprehended, and that the Japanese troops who were recently landed are now re-embarking. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.15
-A ferryboat with young people, returning from a f?te, capsised while crossing the River Isk, in the Russian province of Samara, forty-five persons being drowned. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.16
-At an International Athletic Congress held in Paris, a committee was appointed to report on the possibility of reconstituting the Olympian games on the modern basis. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.17
-Anarchists continue to give trouble to municipal authorities in various places by the use of explosives, the latest beings terrific explosion in a house in the Rue Royale at Brussels. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.18
-The population of India numbered in 1891, the date of the last census, 287,000,000. In 1881 it was 250,000,000. The population now is considered to be something like 400,000,000. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.19
-A dinner entirely cooked by electricity was recently given in London. The cost per guest was a fraction of a penny per course, the viands, it was explained, being unadulterated by gases. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.20
-Mr. G. M. Lawson, a missionary recently returned from German East Africa, reports a terrible famine in that country, due to the ravages of locusts. The disaster affects a population of about 90,000. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.21
-The Hungarian Civil Marriage Bill was carried in the House of Magnates by a majority of four. The victory of Dr. Wekerle and the Liberal Cabinet has been received with great rejoicing throughout Hungary. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.22
-A “better understanding” has been brought about between Russia and the Vatican, so that the order prohibiting the Russian Bishops from visiting Rome has been revoked, and the Russian papers are also allowed to publish the Encyclical to the Poles and other documents emanating from the Roman Curia. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.23
-It is said that the gold contained in the medals, vessels, chains, and other objects preserved in the Vatican would make mere gold coins than the whole of the persent European circulation. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.24
-A tramcar was successfully driven by compressed gas at Croydon. The cost of gas was a penny a mile for a full load of passengers. The gas was carried in cylinders at the pressure of 130lbs. to the square inch. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.25
-The science of medicine seems to have attained quite a considerable stage of development in Japan. A Japanese physician now claims to have discovered the “bacillus” which is supposed to be the cause of the plague in Hong Kong. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.26
-The Pope has issued another of his encyclicals, in which he addresses the Protestant world and informs them that they have no certain rule of faith, and invites them accordingly to come back into the “true Church.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.27
-A severe shock of earthquake was experienced at Oran, Algeria, on the morning of June 20. It lasted four seconds, and caused such alarm that the, residents of the most populous quarters forsook their houses, and passed the remainder of the night in the open air. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.28
-A cablegram received at the Church Missions House, at New York, states that a severe earthquake has (recurred at Tokio, the capital of Japan. The missionaries report that they themselves are safe, and it is hence concluded that there must have been loss of life. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.29
-Lord Dunmore, it is reported, is planning a journey by “land” from New York to Paris. He has gone to Montreal to arrange with the Hudson’s Bay Company for the equipment of an expedition which will go to Alaska, cross to Siberia at a season when the Behring Strait is frozen, and then travel through Siberia to Europe. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.30
-The barque Silicon, which has just arrived at Philadelphia, brings the first news from the Arctic regions since the departure of the Peary expedition. Last winter, it appears, was unusually severe in Greenland. The Esquimaux made frequent trips up the coast, but heard nothing of Lieutenant Peary and his companions. The captain of the vessel believes that any attempt to reach the Polo this year will result in the loss of all those who make the attempt. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.31
-According to a letter from St. Petersburg, the Czar has presented his subjects with an “aerial” flag. Since there is already in Russia one flag for the land and another for the sea. It seems quite natural that with the development of ballooning there should be a third one for the firmament. The new flag will fly over the “park” of balloons of St. Petersburg, a military storehouse for these air-ships. The new flag, which has been designed by the Czar himself, is white, with a red cross on the left, and a winged anchor on the right. It will be dressed with great solemnity in the course of this month. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.32
-Disastrous floods, accompanied by the loss of many Iives, are reported from Hungary, Galicia, and Silesia. The rivers Waag, Vistula, and Oder and the contributory streams having overflowed, thousands of miles of fertile land are inundated. The railway and other traffic is mostly interrupted, the Hungarian and Galician plains being like vast lakes. The damage to property is enormous, numerous bridges and dykes having been destroyed by the torrents. Upwards of a hundred towns and villages are under water, the alarm bell being rung continuously. Among them are the well-known watering places Trenesin, Teplitz, and Pietyan. A great number of houses have collapsed there, and the bodies of men and cattle have been swept away by the torrents. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.33
-At the village of Ashlyka, in the province of Tobolsk, Siberia, there exists a Russian temperance society, which observes the following regulations: Every year, in the month of September, the members of the society meet in the church to sing a Te Deum, and afterwards make one to the other a solemn promise to abstain for a whole year from wine and spirits. They also sign an agreement that any person who breaks this pledge shall pay a fine of 25 roubles to the Church, and that all the members of the association shall spit in the face of the erring brother. Once a year only-viz., on the day that the period of abstinence expires-the members are permitted to take wine and brandy, but this species of armistice lasts only for the few hours which precede the renewal of the pledge. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 414.34
“Back Page” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
It is stated upon documentary testimony, that during the forty-four years from 1850 to 1894 the “higher critics” have set forth not less than seven hundred and forty-seven different theories in regard to the origin of the Bible. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.1
A lawsuit in the New York City courts, over the ownership of a dog valued at 75 cents (8s.), has already cost the litigants 2,000 dollars (?400). So long as such foolish strife is common to men, there will be worse in spite of all arbitration treaties. There can be no hope of seeing nations at peace while individuals composing the nation have their hearts full of war and strife. And the Gospel of peace is the only thing that can make peace. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.2
If it were a fact that governments ought to patronise the religion of majorities, as some say, it would be difficult to resist the plea made at a Mohammedan meeting in London. The Queen reigns over more Mohammedans than Protestants and Catholics combined, and so a speaker for Islam declared that the Government should build them a mosque in London. There are 80,000,000 Mohammedans in the British Empire. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.3
Nothing could have contributed more to the popularity of Signor Crispi, the Italian Prime Minister, than the recent attempt upon his life by an anarchist. Strange as it may seem, some newspapers that were before opposed to his policy have now come over to his side. The indignation felt against the attempted assassination has greatly strengthened his position. There is no question but that Italy is suffering greatly from its war burden, yet this outrage will cause many to forget their grievous taxation. So true is it that any cause, whether right or wrong, is always helped by persecution and unjust and unlawful methods of opposition. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.4
“Out of Place” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
Out of Place.-The sad position of a church subject to the management of politicians is illustrated just now. The Bishop of Bath and Wells having died, the newspaper press is watching with interest to see who will succeed the late Bishop. The Premier, who has lately received such a castigation in the religious press for his connection with the turf, now has the exercise of bishop-making powers in connection with the Church. The Record alludes to the political papers which seem to feel “that the highest offices in the Church should be prostituted to the purpose of mere political rewards,” and adds, “It is, no doubt, a better way of bringing home to us the unhappy side of the union between Church and State.” PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.5
“Fines, Imprisonment, and Stocks, for Sunday Labour” The Present Truth 10, 26.
E. J. Waggoner
The Melbourne Age, of May 8, contains the following despatch from Sidney, Australia:— PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.6
At the Parramatta police court to-day, Wm. and Henry Firth, Seventh-day Adventists, of Kellyville, were charged with exercising their worldly labours on the Sabbath day. The defendants pleaded justification, owing to their religious convictions. They were fined under Statute 20 of the reign of Charles II., and were ordered to forfeit the sum of 5s., levy and distress; in default, to be set publicly in the stocks for two hours. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.7
It is stated that the trial was very short and arbitrary. “Guilty or not guilty,” was the demand of the magistrate. They readily admitted that they had laboured on Sunday, although of course they could not admit that they were guilty in any sense of the word. No explanations, however, were allowed, and the sentence promptly followed. They absolutely refused to pay the fines. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.8
Why could they not plead “guilty”?—Because they had done no wrong. God has said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work.” No guilt can attach to obedience to the commandment of God. What God permits is right, and He permits all men to labour on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the first six days of the week. For a man to admit that he is “guilty” because he works on Sunday, would be to contradict the Lord. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.9
“But why should this man be so stubborn as to refuse to pay their fines?” They were not stubborn, but were acting on high principle. God is supreme. He has given to all men the right to work on “the six working days” (Ezekiel 46:1), which include Sunday. Men, following the lead of the Papacy, which has exalted itself against God in thinking to change times and laws (Daniel 7:25), have enacted laws and penalties against Sunday labour. When a man pays a fine for working on Sunday, he consents to buy from men the privilege of doing what the Lord has told him to do, thus tacitly admitting that men have authority above God. He may not resist imprisonment, but he must not voluntarily do anything that would be acquiescing in the preposterous claim set up by men, that it is wrong to do what God permits and commands. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.10
We learn also that another Seventh-day Adventist, W. C. Capps, of the State of Tennessee, U.S.A., has been convicted of Sunday labour, and sentenced to fines which will command about two months’ imprisonment. Lest anyone should get the idea that these men were prosecuted for disorderly conduct, it should be stated that they are peaceable, hard-working farmers, who were quietly about their ordinary work. And that it may be clearly seen that the object of Sunday laws is really to prohibit Sabbath rest,—rest upon the seventh day of the week,—it is sufficient to state that these men laboured more quietly than did their neighbours who are not Sabbath-keepers, who also worked on Sunday, but against whom no complaint is made. This fact does not always appear, nevertheless it is a fact that Sunday legislation originated with Rome for the purpose of crushing out Sabbath observance. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.11
We have also to record the fact that the Seventh-day Adventist publishing house in Basel, Switzerland, has been levied on for the purpose of collecting fines imposed for Sunday labour. Thus we find three governments, all professedly Protestant, doing the work of Pagan and Papal Rome, in persecuting those who are determined to keep the commandments of God. PTUK June 28, 1894, page 416.12