The Present Truth, vol. 10

July 5, 1894

“The Lord’s Treasury” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Cutting off the Income.-A notice has been posted on the doors of one of the fashionable West-end churches, to the effect that the stewards who go round with the offertory plates have received peremptory instructions not to receive any coppers in the future. It is a great pity, for, according to the words of the Saviour, the church officers are by this means cutting off the largest gifts. When He sat over against the Treasury, and saw the rich man casting in large sums, and a poor widow casting in two mites, which make a farthing, He said, “Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all; for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God; but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” Luke 21:3, 4. No church can ever recover from the blow inflicted on it by the rejection of the offerings of the poor. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 417.1

Patronising the Poor.-But it must not be supposed that the notice above referred to means that the poor are not wanted in that church. By no means. The following statement appears in the notice. “Those who cannot afford a three-penny piece are welcome to worship here free.” This statement, which is doubtless meant in kindness, it is the worst feature of the whole affair, for it shows that the idea prevails that gifts to the church are not really freewill offerings, but are payments for the privilege of worshipping there; and so the poor are put on the basis of objects of charity, dependent on the bounty of the men who have the Gospel in charge, and who will dole out a little portion to them free. This is not the basis on which the Lord puts it, for He says, “Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20. No exclusive rich men can shut them out, and no patronising ones can offer them any share in it, for it is theirs already. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 417.2

Buying the Gospel.-The statement that the poor are welcome to worship free, gives expression to an unspoken idea that is altogether too prevalent. It is that the privileges of the Gospel are regulated on a money basis. One side of it is that money contributed is in payment for benefits received. The other side is that a man must have privileges in the church, and attention from the ministers of the Gospel, in proportion to his contributions. The church is thus considered as a sort of stock company, from which each one is to receive dividends in proportion to his cash investment. This feeling often manifests itself in a threat to cease contributing, because one has not had as much attention as he thinks is due to him in consideration of what he has “done for the church.” Such need to learn the first principles of the Gospel. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 417.3

The Gospel is Free.—“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. “They which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23, 24. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely,” that is, “as a gift.” Revelation 22:17. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, and buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1. “By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Romans 5:18. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19. All the wealth of the Rothschilds multiplied by that of the Astors and Vanderbilts, and that multiplied by the wealth of the Czar of Russia, would not be sufficient to pay for the smallest of the favours of God. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 417.4

The Gospel to the Poor.-When Christ announced His mission in the synagogue at Nazareth, He did it in the words written by the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor.” Luke 4:18. When John the Baptist sent to know if He was indeed the Messiah, Jesus gave as the crowning proof of His Messiahship the fact that “to the poor the Gospel is preached.” Luke 7:22. And so the Apostle James wrote by inspiration: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?” James 2:5. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 417.5

Purchasing the Gift of God.-This is a thing that cannot be done. One Simon tried it once, and grievously failed. Seeing the people receive the Holy Ghost as the result of the laying on of hands by the apostles, he offered them money, asking them to give him the like power. “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.... For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” Acts 8:21, 22, 23. It was not his act, so much as his thought, that was so distasteful to God. What then must be the condition of men who think that they are entitled to peculiar Gospel privileges and to the favour of God, because of their great gifts? “It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.” Job 28:15-19. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.1

The Purchase of God.-God has paid the price of man’s redemption, and in so doing has bought man himself. “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. “Feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28. Money cannot repay Him, and if it could, no one could make payment, for “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1. “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:8. We are to make offerings to the Lord, but not with the thought that we are enriching Him. Our gifts, if they are real offerings to the Lord, are merely expressions of thanksgiving, and our confidence that He in whose hand are all things can care for us even though we spend all in His service. “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14. Since we are the purchase of God, it is evident that all that we have is His also. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.2

Tithes and Offerings.-Although everything belongs to the Lord, He has placed the treasures of earth in men’s possession, for him to use as he will, in order to test him. But He has told us that a certain definite portion is His own in a peculiar sense. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy unto the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30. It is the Lord’s in such a sense that for one to appropriate it to his own use is to rob God. “Will a man rob God?” The natural answer would be that no one would dare do such a thing; but the Lord says, “Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee?—In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” Malachi 3:8, 9. The fact that God puts the property into man’s hands, leaving it wholly to him to decide how he will use it, only increases the guilt; for he who embezzles money left to him in trust, increases the dishonour of the theft. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.3

The Sabbath and the Tithe.-Notice that the same expression is used for both the Sabbath and the tithe. “The tithe is the Lord’s;” “it is holy unto the Lord.” God has reserved as absolutely His own the seventh day of the week, and the tenth part of man’s income; and no one can appropriate either to his own use without being guilty of robbery. Notice that neither the Sabbath nor the tithe are mere Levitical regulations. The Scriptures state emphatically, “The tithe is the Lord’s;” “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” These are statements of everlasting facts. The seventh day and the tithe are both the Lord’s, and He has never surrendered His claim to either one. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.4

Tithe not a Gift.-The tithe is the Lord’s; therefore it is evident that in returning it to Him we are not conferring any favour upon Him. We are not giving Him anything. It is entirely distinct from offerings. But even offerings belong to the Lord, as is shown by the fact that in withholding them we rob Him. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.5

Not the Payment of a Debt.-Neither can we regard the payment of tithes and offerings as in any sense the payment of a debt. It is not something that we give to God in return for something that He has bestowed on us. It belongs to Him, and we are entitled to no more credit for returning it to Him, than we should before returning to a man a sum of money with which he had trusted us. The only way in which we can pay God for His gifts to us is by receiving them as freely as He gives them. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalm 116:12, 13. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.6

Use of the Tithe.-The tithe is God’s appointed way for the support of the Gospel. He says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house.” Malachi 3:10. It is a Gospel measure, instituted and sanctioned by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. To the hypocritical Jews he said: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Matthew 23:23. He did not reprove them for being particular in paying tithe, but for neglecting other duties. He declared that they ought to have done both. God has ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14), and the tithe is that from which they should live. If all professed Christians were honest in this matter, there would be no empty missionary treasuries, neither would there be such things as bazaars, fairs, etc., by which people dishonour the cause of God, professing to atone for the results of their robbery of God by buying themselves a supper, or some article to minister to their selfish pride. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.7

Neither Gifts nor Wages.-The true church of God is not a pauper. It is supported by the Lord who is its head. The means necessary to the existence of the minister comes from the Lord’s own money, when His people are all honest. The true shepherd of the flock is not an hireling. He does not receive wages in money for what he does. The people who think that he does, show that they do not have a true sense of the value of the Gospel. God could support His cause without tithes and offerings from men; but He allows men to be His stewards, in order that they may share with Him the blessedness of the work. So He says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” And remember that even the great God does not despise the day of small things; but that “if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 418.8

“No Immortal Sinner” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

An immortal sinner is one of the myths of theology. The Bible nowhere states that any sinner has immortality or will live for ever, but declares that God only hath immortality, and that “the soul that sinneth it shall die.” 1 Timothy 6:16; Ezekiel 18:4. Theology teaches that the soul of the sinner lives on for ever in the torment of hell; and, unfortunately, most people believe the teachings of theology and pay but little attention to the declarations of Scripture; or rather, they put theology in the place of the Bible, accepting its profession of being in harmony with and explanatory of the Bible, and trusting in those who “sit in Moses’ seat” to make the teachings of both agree. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.1

The Scriptures declare that “the wages of sin is death;” and that eternal life is “the gift of God” through Jesus Christ, to be given only to those who by patient continuance in the well-doing, seek for glory, honour, and immortality. Romans 6:23; 2:7. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.2

But theologians, in order to harmonise the Bible with theology, have invented a definition of death which makes it mean eternal conscious existence in hell; and accordingly they affirm that it is this, and not non-existence, that is meant by the many Scripture references to the death of the sinner. But the Scriptures themselves leave no room for belief in such a theory. If we accept what they declare, we shall see that death has no special and peculiar meaning in the language of inspiration, but that it means cessation of life, and passing away into non-existence. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.3

This is clearly shown in the record of man’s fall and the consequences which attended his transgression. In the narrative in Genesis we read that “the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22-24. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.4

This testimony is emphatic and unmistakable. God did not intend that a sinner should live for ever. That was what the devil wanted, but it was the very thing that the Lord especially guarded against. The devil wished to perpetuate sin, and thus put an eternal stain upon God’s universe. But God, while allowing them free access to the tree of life before his fall, immediately took special precautions to shut him away from it as soon as he transgressed, lest, as a sinner, he should put forth his hand to the tree, and eat, and live for ever. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.5

Thus has God testified that there will be no such thing in His universe as an immortal sinner. Not one of the sinful descendants of Adam has ever passed the fiery guard of cherubim and put forth his hand to the tree of life. And therefore not one of those descendants has ever had any power in himself which would enable him to live for ever. “Eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” It comes in no other way. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.6

“Romanism at Home” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Romanism at Home.-In such countries as Italy and Spain Romanism is dominant, and its true nature is not veiled as we see it in lands where the open Bible has had to be reckoned with by the authorities of the Papacy. In the report of the Italian Evangelical Church, Pastor Conti says of religion in Rome:— PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.7

As on the one hand Popery dazzles with its ceremonies and the pomp of its external magnificence, on the other hand, without any mask, it here shows all the ambitious designs, all its greediness of dominion and of riches, and, together with the evil doings of its clergy and prelates, manifests its reactionary spirit, and the materialism of its worship and its traffic of religious things. All this in the popular mind has produced a disgust of religion, and incredulity and indifference. Another fatal consequence of the system is the general ignorance of everything pertaining to religion. If even the priests do not know anything of the Gospel and of the Bible, which most of them have not even read, it is natural that the people do not know anything of it, and therefore no difference is made in general between Christ and the Pope, His vicar, between the Gospel and the Syllabus, between the word of God and the decrees of councils. Many leading thinkers, of whom some are members of Parliament, believe that the only remedy for the many rampant evils is the pure religion of Jesus Christ. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.8

“Blasphemy” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The Jews condemned Christ to death on the charge of blasphemy. They said to Pontius Pilate, “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” John 19:7. And when at His trial the Saviour had avowed His Sonship in answer to the question of the high priest, the latter said, “He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy.” Matthew 26:65. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.9

The same charge that was brought against Christ, has been brought against His followers. To speak the truth in Christ always leads sooner or later to a charge of blasphemy from the synagogue of Satan. What the Saviour spoke was not blasphemy, because He was in reality what He declared Himself to be. And not only was He the Son of God, but His disciples were also sons of God, as John declares; “Beloved, now are we the sons of God;” so that one of His followers could without blasphemy have declared before the Jewish tribunal that he was a son of God. And this relationship they can and do declare to-day; and for it they are charged and will be charged, as He was, with blasphemy. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.10

It was “blasphemy” for the early Christians to affirm that there was but one God, thus speaking against the gods of Rome. It was “blasphemy” for the Reformers to speak against the idolatrous worship of the papist, by preaching justification by faith. And it is “blasphemy” now for Christians to speak in any manner derogatory to the established worship of the nation, whether that worship be Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, or Church of England. But this no one who is a son of God can avoid doing, for the very announcement of that relation to and dependence upon God which the Saviour as a man sustained here upon the earth, is a testimony against any connection with or dependence upon the power of the State. Connection with God as a son it is utterly incompatible with dependence upon the sustaining power of the civil arm. For the church to ally itself in any way with a power of the world, is nothing less than a denial of Him who has said, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth;” and “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 419.11

Blasphemy is speaking against the honour and glory of God; and only those who know God can know when this sin is committed. And only those can know God who know His word, for this is the only revelation of Himself that He has given to men. Those who know not His word are the ones who charge the sons of God with blasphemy, while being themselves guilty of the sin they try to fasten upon others. Had the Jews known the word of God, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” They would not have brought against Him the charge of blasphemy. And it is for lack of the knowledge of the word to-day that those who stand in the place of the scribes and Pharisees of old will charge the children of God with blasphemy, and with being anarchists and conspirators against good government. While “critics” and infidels both in the pulpit and out of it are working to throw discredit upon the word, it is for the lack of that very word that they themselves, with the masses who look to them, are perishing in their sins. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.1

“A Jesuit’s Training” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

About a year ago, as many will remember, considerable interest was excited by the withdrawal of a German Count from the Jesuit order. He published a book giving his reasons, and from a review of the work we gather some samples of the regulations and methods by which the order destroys individuality and independence of character, which the Gospel encourages and strengthens, and guides into right channels. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.2

Most of the recruits are very young-between sixteen and twenty years of age. The mental strait-waistcoat which is to hinder all development of individuality is put on the novice for two years, and never relaxed for a moment. His tasks are frequently and abruptly changed, so that no one of them has time to make any fixed impression on his mind. He never knows what he is to do next. It is five minutes here, ten minutes there. If he is thirsty he must ask leave to drink; does he need a paper, pencil, or a book, he must ask permission to get it. He is told us how to do even the simplest task, and not allowed to think it out himself, or do it in his own way. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.3

Such slavery is the discipline by which the order is prepared for the enslavement of human souls. There is no tyrant like a slave who has the authority given him. The very essence of the Gospel is liberty, and every man is set free to exercise his own way. “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God,” wrote the apostle. Romans 14:22. The Jesuit system, like every Papal abomination, is just the opposite of the truth. Men are taught to judge one another, and to give more attention to repressing faults in their fellows than to discovering their own. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.4

In the early part of his novitiate he is given a “guardian angel,” who daily at a given hour tells him of his faults. Several times a year a so-called “stoning” takes place, when each novice steps out before his associates and superiors, and he is criticised. He may walk too fast, or too slowly; he looks to one side, or straight ahead; speaks too loudly, or too softly, etc. He is told what to eat and drink, how to walk, sleep, dress, and with all this the very expression of the countenance is prescribed. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.5

Thus men are trained to pitilessness, exacting preciseness, and consciousless obedience to the commands of the head centre of the wicked combination. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.6

“One Side” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

One Side.-The sayings of the emperor Marcus Aurelius are much prized by many Christians. He was the great moral philosopher of his day; and although some see such light in his writings that they feel sure he would have been a Christian if he had lived in the days of Christ, the fact remains that there were thousands of Christ’s representatives living in his day, and that instead of listening to them he persecuted them to death. Here is a bit of his “moral” philosophy:— PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.7

Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.8

“The Other Side” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The Other Side.-Christ said, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:20-23. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.9

That is just the difference between the teaching of heathen philosophy at its best, and the teaching of Christ and the Gospel. They are as different as earth and heaven. One could climb to the stars by burrowing in the earth, as well as he could find the truth by studying the writings of heathen philosophers. But the source whence they expected to receive light and goodness was itself darkness and corruption, what but wickedness could result. Human religion says, “Look within;” the Gospel of God says, “Looking unto Jesus.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.10

“A Lesson from Germany” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

For twenty years there has been waged in Germany a parliamentary war between Government and the Catholic party. The Culturkampf, as the Germans call it, has practically ceased, the Catholic party having won all the victories. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.11

German Rationalism, with its rejection of the word of God, has fostered the superstitions of Romanism. And the Protestant Church, relying on its State establishment and patronage, has ceased long since to be truly Protestant; so that it could not resist Rome as the Reformers did, by the simple and powerful preaching of the word. When the battle field is the political arena, and the weapons intrigue for legislative power, and parliamentary tactics, the astute Church of Rome can more than hold her own in any land. The Culturkampf has left the situation as follows, according to a writer in the Sunday at Home:— PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.12

There is no doubt that Romanism is at the present time more active and determined than ever, and in this sense puts Protestantism to shame. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.13

The Culturkampf has done good service to Rome. The former position of favour and influence has not only been retained, but also strengthened; and so the hearts of the Romish section of the people are full of hope and expectancy. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.14

Rome is winning all along the line in this country also, and many professed Protestants who think they are fighting Romanism loyally are helping her instead, by the methods they employ, and by the rejection of the old battle cry of the Reformers, “The Bible and the Bible only.” Rome always excels in wielding her own weapons. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.15

“Political and Spiritual Power” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Political and Spiritual Power.—A clergyman of the Church of England, who says that he has a great deal of practical knowledge of dissenters, especially of “political dissenters,” stated in an address on the Welsh Disestablishment Bill, that “they were bound to see that the spirituality of Non-conformists was rapidly decreasing as their political interests grew stronger.” Although some dissenting journals strongly dissent from this statement, it is none the less a fact. The early church lost all spiritual power when it went into politics. The Reformation was a spiritual power only when its leaders confined themselves to the Bible. When politicians took hold of it, and ministers became politicians, it became only a name. That is the trouble with the Church of England. It depends for its existence upon the votes of politicians, and so, as a church, it is spiritually dead. But there are scores and hundreds of men in it who ignore politics, desiring to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and in them is centred the spirituality of the church. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 420.16

“The Garden of God’s Word” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

It is painful to see men going to the writings of the Fathers and the decisions of councils to learn the truth. Whatever truth these saw, they learned simply by believing what God says, and anyone can find the same in the Scriptures to-day. And as the Fathers and the councils interpreted the Bible rather than believed it, their writings and decrees are so full of pagan philosophy that the humblest reader of the Bible who believes what he reads, knows more of the truth than they did. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.1

In the days of Christ, the Church interpreted the Scriptures, and followed the traditions of the elders, and the customs of their fathers, instead of the precepts of God. They made void the word of God by their traditions. Reproving them, Jesus said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Matthew 15:13. Then why need we spend time searching about in the tangled maze of the words and teachings of fallible men? We may go ourselves direct to the garden of God’s word. There we shall find every plant that God has planted. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.2

The word of God is His great garden, in which he planted His promises and precepts for the children of men. Abraham plucked blossoms from it, but they still bloom for those who are the children of Abraham by faith. All the promises of God are in Christ, and by the power of the endless life, always springing up from Christ the root, the fruit of the word is always there, no matter how many have appropriated it. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.3

Then let no one go outside into the tangle and the bramble to find the truth. Walk in the garden itself. Just as in Christ’s day, so now there is a great overgrowth of tradition that seeks to obscure the truth. Go to the garden direct, no matter how luxuriant or how aged the growth, unless you can find it for yourself rooted in the garden of God, and can there pluck it and find life in it as you take it, be assured that it is not of God’s planting, and has in it the seeds of sin and death. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.4

The word of God is a garden of delights. It is a living word, and we live by it; it is the water of life springing up, and we may drink of it. Who would forsake such a paradise as this for the confused tangle of human tradition? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.5

“Human and Divine Prohibitions” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

There is a difference between human and Divine prohibitions, as marked as that between the natures of man and of God. Man says, Refrain from this or that, for my benefit. God says, Refrain from this, for thy benefit. It is a great mistake to look at God’s commandments as we would at those of men. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.6

“Studies in Romans. The Righteousness of God. Romans 1:16, 17” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The two lessons we have already had, have covered the introduction to the main body of the epistle. The first seven verses are the salutation; the next eight treat of personal matters concerning the apostle and the brethren in Rome, the fifteenth verse being the link which unites the introduction to the directly doctrinal portion of the epistle. Let the reader note carefully the verses referred to, and he will readily see that this is not an arbitrary division, but that it plainly appears. If in reading any chapter, one will note the different topics touched upon, and the change from one subject to another, he will be surprised to find how much easier it is to grasp the contents of the chapter, and to hold them in mind. The reason why so many people find it difficult to recall what they read in the Bible, is that they try to remember it in bulk, without giving special thought to the details. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.7

In expressing his desire to meet with the Roman brethren, the apostle declared himself to be debtor to both Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise, and therefore ready to preach the Gospel even in Rome, the capital of the world. The fifteenth verse, and the expression, “preach the Gospel,” give the keynote to the whole of the epistle, for the apostle glides from this naturally into his theme. Accordingly, we have next PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.8

THE GOSPEL DEFINED. Romans 1:16, 17

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.9

QUESTIONING THE TEXT

What had the apostle declared himself ready to do? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.10

“I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are in Rome.” Verse 15. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.11

Of what was he not ashamed? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.12

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.13

Why was he not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.14

“Because it is the power of God.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.15

In what respect is it the power of God applied? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.16

“It is the power of God unto salvation?” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.17

To whom is the Gospel the power of God unto salvation? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.18

“To every one that believeth.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.19

In what order? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.20

“To the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.21

What is revealed in the Gospel? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.22

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.23

How is it revealed? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.24

“From faith to faith.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.25

Of what is this an illustration? PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.26

“As it is written, The just shall live by faith.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.27

“Not Ashamed.”—“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” There is no reason why any man should be ashamed of the Gospel; nevertheless, many men have been and are ashamed of it. Many people are so ashamed of it that they could not think of lowering themselves so much as to make a profession of it; and many who do make a profession of it are ashamed to let it be known. What is the cause of all this shame? It is that they do not know what the Gospel is. No man who really knows what the Gospel is. No man who really knows what the Gospel is, will be ashamed of it, or of any part of it. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.28

Desire for Power.-There is nothing that men desire so much as power. It is a desire that God Himself has planted in man. Unfortunately, the devil has deceived the most of mankind, so that they seek for power in the wrong way. They think that it can be found in the possession of wealth or political position, and so they rush to secure those things. But these do not supply the power for which God has created the desire. This is shown by the fact that they do not satisfy. No man was ever yet satisfied with the power that he obtained by wealth or position. However much they have, they desire more. No man finds in them just what he thought he would; and so he grasps after more, thinking that he will find his heart’s desire farther on; but all in vain. Christ is “the Desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7), the only Source of complete satisfaction, because He is the embodiment of all the real power there is in the universe the power of God “Christ the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:24. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 421.29

Power and Knowledge.-It is commonly said that knowledge is power. That depends. If we take the statement of the poet, that “The proper study of mankind is man,” then certainly knowledge is anything but power. Man is nothing but weakness and sin. All men know that they are sinners, that they do things that are not right, but that knowledge gives them no power to change their course. You may tell a man all his faults, and if you tell him nothing more, you have weakened rather that strengthened him. But he who with the Apostle Paul determines to know nothing “save Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” has knowledge that is power. “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3. To know Christ is to know the power of His endless life. It is for lack of this knowledge that men are destroyed. Hosea 4:6. But since Christ is the power of God, it is quite correct to say that power is the one thing that men need; and the only real power, the power of God, is revealed in the Gospel. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.1

The Glory of Power.-All men honour power. Wherever power is manifested, there will always be found men to admire. There is no one who does not admire and applaud power in some form. Powerful muscles are admired and boasted of, whether they be those of man or of beast. A mighty engine that moves vast weights with ease always attracts attention, and men honour the one who constructed it. The man of wealth, whose money can command the service of thousands, always has admirers, no matter how his money is obtained. The man of noble birth and position, or the monarch of a great nation, has multitudes of followers who applaud his power. Men desire to be connected with such an one, because they derive a certain dignity from the connection, although the power is not transferable. But all the power of earth is frail and but for a moment, while the power of God is eternal. The Gospel is the power, and if men would but recognise it for what it is, there would not be any who would be ashamed of it. Paul said, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6:14. The reason for this was that the cross is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18. The power of God, in whatever form manifested, is glory, and not for shame. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.2

Christ not Ashamed.-Concerning Christ we read, “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Hebrews 2:11. “God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16. Surely if the Lord is not ashamed to be called the brother of poor, weak, sinful mortals, man has no reason to be ashamed of Him. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” 1 John 3:1. Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! Could there possibly be a worse case of the exaltation of self above God? For to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God, is an evidence that the man who feels thus ashamed really thinks himself superior to God, and that it is a lowering of his dignity to be associated with the Lord. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.3

“Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star;
He sheds the beams of light divine
O’er this benighted soul of mine. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.4

“Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon;
’Twas midnight with my soul till he,
Bright Morning Star, bade darkness flee.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.5

Saved by Faith.-The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Mark 16:16. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12. “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” Romans 10:10. “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29. Faith works. Time would fail to tell of those “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, ... out of weakness were made strong,” etc. Hebrews 11:33, 34. Men may say, “I can not see how it is possible for one to be made righteous simply by believing.” It makes no difference what you can see; you are not saved by sight, but by faith. You do not need to see how it is done, because it is the Lord who does the work of saving. Christ dwells in the heart by faith (Ephesians 3:17), and because He is our righteousness, “He also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). We shall have salvation by faith illustrated more fully as we proceed in our study, because the book of Romans is devoted wholly to this one thing. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.6

“To the Jew First.”-When Peter, at the request of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, and the command of the Lord, went to C?sarea to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, his first words when he heard the story of Cornelius were, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.” Acts 10:34, 35. This was the first time that Peter had ever perceived that truth, but it was not the first time that that thing was true. It had been a truth as long as God had existed. God never chose anybody to the exclusion of anybody else. The wisdom that comes from above is “without partiality.” James 3:17. It is true that the Jews as a nation were wonderfully favoured by the Lord; but they lost all their privileges simply because they assumed that God loved them better than He did anybody else, and were exclusive. All through their history God was trying to make them see that what He offered them was for the whole world, and that they were to pass on to others the light and privileges which they shared. The cases of Naaman, the Syrian, and of the Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent, are among the many instances by which God sought to show the Jews that He was no respecter of persons. Then why was the Gospel preached “to the Jew first”? Simply because the Jews were nearest. Christ was crucified at Jerusalem. It was from there that He commissioned His disciples to preach the Gospel. At His ascension He said, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8. It was most natural that they should begin to preach the Gospel in the place and to the people nearest them. This is the secret of all missionary work. He who does not labour in the Gospel in his home, will not do any Gospel work although he goes to a foreign country. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 422.7

The Righteousness of God.-The Lord says: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be forever and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law.” Isaiah 51:6, 7. “My tongue shall speak of Thy work; for all Thy commandments are righteousness.” Psalm 119:172. The righteousness of God, therefore, is His law. Let this not be forgotten. The term “the righteousness of God” occurs frequently in the book of Romans, and much confusion has resulted from giving it arbitrary and varying definitions. If we accept the definition given in the Bible, and do not abandon it in any instance, it will simplify matters very much. The righteousness of God is His perfect law. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.1

Righteousness and Life.-But the ten commandments, whether engraved on tables of stone or written in a book, are only the statement of the righteousness of God. Righteousness means right doing. It is active. The righteousness of God is God’s right doing, His way. And since all His ways are right, it follows that the righteousness of God is nothing less than the life of God. The written law is not action, but is only a description of the action, but is only a description of the action. It is a picture of the character of God. The very life and character of God are seen in Jesus Christ, in whose heart was the law of God. There can be no righteousness without action. And as there is none good but God, it follows that there is no righteousness except in the life of God. Righteousness and the life of God are one and the same thing. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.2

Righteousness in the Gospel.—“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” Wherein? In the Gospel. Bear in mind that the righteousness of God is His perfect law, a statement of which is found in the ten commandments. There is no such thing as a conflict between the law and the Gospel. Indeed, there are not in reality two such things as the law and the Gospel. The true law of God is the Gospel; for the law is the life of God, and we are “saved by His life.” The Gospel reveals the righteous law of God, because the Gospel has the law in itself. There can be no Gospel without law. Whoever ignores or rejects the law of God, has no knowledge whatever of the Gospel. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.3

The First View.-Jesus said that the Holy Spirit should convince the world of sin and of righteousness. John 16:8. This is the revelation of the righteousness of God in the Gospel. “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15. Sin can not be known except by the law. Romans 7:7. Therefore it follows that the Spirit convicts of sin by making known the law of God. The first view of the righteousness of God has the effect of making a man feel his sinfulness, just as we feel our littleness when gazing upon a lofty mountain. And as the grandeur of the great mountains grows upon us, so God’s righteousness which is “like the great mountains” (Psalm 36:6) appears greater the more we look at it. Therefore he who looks continually at the righteousness of God, must continually acknowledge his own sinfulness. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.4

The Deeper View.-Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God. And “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17. God does not reveal His righteousness in the Gospel in order to cause us to cower before Him because of our unrighteousness, but that we may take it and live by it. We are unrighteous, and God wishes us to realise it, in order that we may be willing to receive His perfect righteousness. It is a revelation of love; for His righteousness is His law, and His law is love. 1 John 5:3. So “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. If when the preaching of the Gospel reveals to us the law of God, we reject it and find fault with it because it condemns our course, we are simply saying that we do not desire that God should put His own righteousness upon us. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.5

Living by Faith.—“As it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Christ is “our life.” Colossians 3:4. We are “saved by His life.” Romans 5:10. It is by faith that we receive Christ Jesus, for He dwells in our hearts by faith. Ephesians 3:17. Dwelling in our hearts, He is life, for out of the heart are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23. Now the word comes, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith.” Colossians 2:6, 7. As we receive Him by faith, and we walk in Him as we have received Him, we shall “walk by faith, and not by sight.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.6

“From Faith to Faith.”-This seemingly difficult expression, which has been the subject of so much controversy, is very simple when we allow the Scripture to explain itself. In the Gospel “the righteousness of God” is “revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Note that “from faith to faith” is said to be parallel with “the just shall live by faith.” Just means righteous. The reader has noticed that some versions have “righteous” in 1 John 1:9 where the KJV has “just.” Both are the same. God’s life is righteousness; He desires that our lives shall be righteousness also, and therefore He offers to us His own life. This life becomes ours by faith. That is, just as we live naturally by breathing, so we are to live spiritually by faith, and our whole life is to be spiritual. Faith is the breath of life to the Christian. So just as we naturally live from breath to breath, we are to live spiritually from faith to faith. We can live but one breath at a time; so we cannot live spiritually except by present faith. If we live a life of conscious dependence upon God, His righteousness will be ours, for we shall breathe it in continually. Faith gives us strength, for those who have exercised it “out of weakness were made strong.” Hebrews 11:34. So of those who accept the revelation of God’s righteousness “from faith to faith,” it is said, “They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” Psalm 84:7. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 423.7

“For Diphteria” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

It is very hazardous to speak of sovereign remedies for disease. If all the “sure cures” that are advertised were as potent as represented, mortality would certainly be greatly reduced. But a writer in the Humanitarian speaks very confidently of pine-apple juice as a remedy for diphtheria; and as the remedy is a pleasant one, which cannot well injure, while it might relieve the symptoms in some cases, even if it did not of itself effect a cure, we quote what is said of it:— PTUK July 5, 1894, page 428.1

“Medical science has long sought for a sovereign remedy for that scourge of childhood, diphtheria, yet the coloured people of Louisiana, and, perhaps, of other localities, have for years known and used a cure which is remarkable for its simplicity. It is nothing more nor less than the pure juice of the pine-apple. ‘The remedy is not mine,’ said a gentleman, when interviewed, ‘it has been used by negroes in the swamps down South for years. One of my children was down with diphtheria and was in a critical condition. An old coloured man who heard of the case asked if we had tried pine-apple juice. We tried it, and the child got well. I have known it tried in hundreds of cases. I have told my friends about it whenever I heard of a case, and never knew it to fail. You get a ripe pine-apple, squeeze out the juice, and let the patient swallow it. the juice is of so corrosive a nature that it will cut out diphtheritic mucous, and if you will take the fruit before it is ripe and give the juice to a person whose throat is well it makes the mucous membrane of his throat sore.’” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 428.2

“News of the Week” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

-Englishmen have ?100,000,000 invested in American railways. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.1

-A son was born to the Duchess of York on Saturday morning, June 23. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.2

-A Chinese fleet under the command of Admiral Ting, has been sent to Corea. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.3

-A plough is the only agricultural implement shown on the monuments of Nineveh. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.4

-The Imperial Library at Paris has 72,000 treating of the French Revolution. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.5

-A strike of 66,000 miners was begun, June 26, in Scotland, to resist a proposed reduction in wages. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.6

-Within the Antarctic circle the temperature is at or near 32 degrees in the warmest part of the year. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.7

-The American Vice-Consul at Maragan, who has arrived Tangier, reports that all the Kables are in revolt, and that the roads are impassable. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.8

-The largest oil-painting in the world is one by Tintoretto, entitled Paradise. It is thirty-three and a half feet in height, and eighty-four feet in width. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.9

-A youthful anarchist, only twelve years of age, threw a bomb at a crowd in Corunna, but it fell short, or the loss of life would have been very great. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.10

-The torpedo boat “Daring,” recently built for the British Government, on her trial trip attained a speed of over twenty-nine knots per hour, and is said to be the swiftest vessel afloat. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.11

-Since June 18 twenty-two deaths have occurred at Tilleur, near Liege, from choleraic disease. At Jemmieppe, in the same district, nine persons have died since June 23. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.12

-Some Americans are said to be erecting a gigantic hotel in the ocean. It will be called “Atlantis.” It will be eighteen miles off Sandy Hook, and is being built on cylinders. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.13

-Thirteen persons are reported to have lost their lives through the sinking of a fishing tug in the neighbourhood of New York, and many other members of a party of seventy-five are missing. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.14

-A French surgeon has supplied a female patient with a splendid new lip in place of one which was destroyed. The loss was made good with a piece of flesh out from the patient’s arm. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.15

-A carpet which has been woven for the Queen in Agra Prison, and upon which nearly thirty of the deftest convicts were employed, measures 77ft. by 40ft., and contains fifty-nine million stitches. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.16

-A plot is reported to have been made to destroy the life of the Czar on his recent visit to Borkl. An infernal machine is also said to have been found at the Imperial Palace at St. Petersburg. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.17

-The Forth Bridge is being painted. The bridge is painted once in three years, the amount of paint required being, while still unmixed, about fifty tons, and the area to be covered about 120 acres. The bridge, since its opening, has been crossed by some 825,000 trains-about 900 a day-yet the wear and tear is said to be inappreciable. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.18

-At a meeting of the Midlothian Liberal Association, held in Edinburgh, it was announced that Mr. Gladstone would not again return to Parliament for Midlothian or elsewhere. A meeting has been called to adopt a successor. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.19

-It is said that the Queen’s status at Madras has been, for some time past, an object of worship by certain of the native population. It was found recently adorned with the marks usually made on forehead, neck, and breast of Hindo deities. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.20

-At Reichenberg, Bohemia, June 28, a building in course of construction suddenly collapsed, burying most of the workmen engaged upon it. within a short time eleven dead men and twenty severely injured had been extricated from the debris. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.21

-The insurrection in Brazil seems not yet to be quite at an end. Intelligence recently received from Rio Grande reports fighting between the Government troops and the insurgents, under General Pina, in which the latter were defeated. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.22

-In the French National Assembly, which met at Versailles, M. Casimir-Perior, ex-Premier and president of the Chamber of Deputies, was elected President of the Republic in succession to the late M. Carnot by 451 votes out of a total of 853. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.23

-Queen Victoria’s descendants, which number about a hundred, either now occupy, or in the natural course of events bid fair to sit upon seven thrones, those of the British, German, and Russian Empires, the Kingdom of Greece, and the Duchies of Hesse, Saxe-Coburg, and Sax-Meinigen. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.24

-On the afternoon of Saturday, June 28, a terrible explosion took place at the Albion Colliery. Clifyndd, near Pontypridd, Wales. Out of more than three hundred men who were in the mine when the disaster happened, only about a dozen were rescued alive, and several of those have since died from its effects. The mine was completely wrecked. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.25

-Before issuing his recent Encyclical, the Pope, it is said, received assurances from the dissenters in several Greek communities that they would be willing to return to the Roman Catholic Church under certain conditions. Similar letters were also received from a number of Anglican clergymen, expressing the desires of English “Protestants” for unity. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.26

-The French authorities have decided to proceed against the devil-worshippers, the “Satanists,” and “Luciferians” as they call themselves. They not only steal communion plate from lonely churches to carry on their mock services, but actually inveigle young children preparing for their first communion into buildings where their blasphemous ceremonies are performed. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.27

-War is threatened between China and Japan. A telegram from Shanghai says, “It is confidently anticipated in foreign circles here that the presence of a large number of Japanese troops in the Corean capital, and the recent dispatch of a Chinese force to Corea, will result in an armed conflict between native circles which may reasonably be supposed to be well informed, it is declared that war between the two Powers is imminent.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.28

-A strike of railway men who handle Pullman cars has been begun in America, pending the settlement of the wages dispute in the Pullman works, and many Western lines are now involved. Dispatches from various parts of the country indicate that the entire traffic in the West is paralysed, and that perishable freight, which has been placed in sidings, is being ruined. The passenger traffic from the Pacific has ceased, and all traffic westward of Chicago is greatly hampered. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.29

-M. Sadi-Carnot, President of the French Republic, was assassinated at Lyons in his carriage on Sunday evening, June 24, by an Italian anarchist armed with a dagger. The news has profoundly shocked the whole civilised world, and called forth telegrams of sympathy for Madame Carnot and France from the governments of all civilised lands. The immediate consequence of the terrible event was an uprising among the citizens of Lyons against the Italian residents, and in the rioting which followed many houses were wrecked and a number of persons injured, and only with the greatest difficulty were the police and military forces able to quell the disturbance, after making several hundred arrests. It is stated that three thousand Italians have left France on account of the attacks made upon them in several towns by the enraged populace. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 430.30

“Back Page” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

It is stated that the names of three Bishops of the Church of England were signed to the letter sent by the Anglican clergymen to the Pope, begging for closer union with Rome. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.1

The annual report of the Bible Society shows that the Bible, in whole or in part, is now sent out in 320 languages. The total circulation from the Society’s depots last year was 3,664,456 volumes. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.2

The Roman Catholic Church in Stavanger, Norway, consists of two persons, yet a costly building is to be errected there this summer, and a priest located there. This is according to historical precedent, for in the formation of the Catholic Church Constantine built places of worship in cities where there were no professed Christians, and then hired people to join. So says Eusebius, his eulogist. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.3

A member of the German Parliament, Dr. Otto Arendt, has issued a pamphlet in which he says that when the new recruiting laws have come into full force, there will be no fewer than twenty-two and a half millions of healthy men ready to fly at one another’s throats at the word of command. In case of war, the cost would be ?600,000 a day for France, ?526,906 for Germany, and ?314,974 for Italy. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.4

The Catholic Times, on the Pope’s recent “appeal for Christian unity,” says that “there can be no doubt that in the East there has been for some years a constant though gradual approach to Roman doctrines and practices,” and feels convinced that the Pope “is by no means too sanguine when he declares that we may expect to see at no distant day the return of a large number of the Eastern Christians to the Unity of the true fold.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.5

The Church Times of June 29 contains an extract from a speech by a clergyman, which shows what the design of the “Catholic” portion, at least, of the Church of England, is in regard to the Board Schools. Having described the plan of a “School of Religion” which he had conducted, he asks for the establishment of such a school in every parish where a Board School exists, “until an alteration in the law makes it possible to teach the Church Catechism in Board Schools by the mouths of Church teachers.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.6

People talk about different theories of inspiration; but nobody has any right to have any theories on the subject. It is not a matter for speculation, but for simple belief. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.” “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” That is the whole of it. “But how was it inspired?”—Nobody knows except God; and as man is not expected to make the Bible, it is not necessary that men should know. If a man could understand how the Scriptures were inspired, he could understand how God made the world. Then he would be as great as the Creator. Men who try to explain inspiration, creation, and other miracles, are really assuming that they are on a level with God. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.7

The assassination of President Carnot by an anarchist shows that no European ruler, and, in fact, no ruler in the world, is safe. There was no special political crisis in France, to excite passions, and President Carnot was politically and personally above reproach. No person or party had any grievance against him. He was struck down simply because he represented government and law. Anarchy is opposed not merely to tyrants, but to government of any kind. It is simply wild lawlessness, the prevalence of which is not surprising when we consider how freely the law of God is dispensed with, and treated as a trifling thing by professed Christians who would be shocked at the suggestion that there is anything anarchistic about them. The spirit of the Papacy, which thinks itself able to change times and laws, or to ignore them as convenience may dictate, is the spring of all anarchy. It is the spirit of the kings and judges of the earth, who, by their persecuting laws against those who keep the commandments of God, say of the Lord and His Christ, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.8

“Answering Prayers” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Answering Prayers.-Most people make the mistake of considering the answering of a prayer as identical with the petition. If a man prays for a thing, and does not receive it, they say that his prayer was not answered. The Apostle Paul prayed three times for a certain thing, and did not receive it; but he did not charge God with neglecting his petition. On the contrary, he tells us that he received the answer, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” When the child makes a request of its mother, and the mother kindly but firmly says “No” the child has no reason to say that the prayer has not been answered. The trouble is that people are usually so unconsciously bent on having their own way that they do not recognise the right of the Lord to say “No,” even though He adds, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.9

“The Positiveness of Ignorance” The Present Truth 10, 27.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The Positiveness of Ignorance.-The Bible is the only book concerning which all people feel free to express decided opinions without any knowledge. On other matters people are generally silent until they study them, but everybody feels himself competent to discuss the Almighty and His works, without having any real knowledge of them. Almost any man will give you his views upon the Bible and the Gospel, although he might fumble through the Old Testament for half an hour looking for the book of Revelation, or might turn the leaves of the New Testament in the vain hope of finding the book of Isaiah or Daniel. Why is it that the Bible has to be treated so differently from other books? We do not say that people who do not know the Bible should take the opinions of those who do, but that they should become acquainted with it for themselves, and not talk positively about that which they do not understand. PTUK July 5, 1894, page 432.10