526
OUR SCRAP-BOOK
PROTESTANT PRINCIPLES
“THE powers that be are ordained of God,”
said the clerk of court to John Bunyan, who
was on trial for disobeying the law of the land
in holding private meetings. Bunyan an-
swered, “ Paul owned the powers that were in
his day to be of God, and yet he was often in
prison under them for all that. And also,
though Jesus Christ told Pilate that he had
no power against him but of God, yet he died
under that same Pilate: and vet I hope you
will not say that either Paul or Christ did deny
wmagistracy, and so sinned against God in slight-
ing the ordinance.”— Life and Times of John
Bunyan.
“Can you refute by sound reasons the Con-
fession [during the Reformation] made by the
elector and his allies?” said the duke of Ba-
varia to Doctor Eck, a papal legate. “ With
the writings of the apostles and prophets, No,”
replied Eck; “but with those of the fathers
and of the councils, Yes.” “1 understand,”
quickly replied the duke, “I understand. The
Lutherans, according to you, are in Scripture;
and we are outside.” — History of the Refor-
mation (D’Aubigne), vol. 4, chap. 8.
“Let us beware of those by-paths of human
tradition, full of stones, brambles, and uprooted
trees. Let us follow the straight road of the
word. It does not concern us what the fath-
ers have done, but rather what they ought to
have done.” — Bishop Latimer.
“Render to Cesar the things which are
Casar’s is a maxim of Jesus Christ; but when
Caesar arrogates to himself the things that are
the Lord's, then, and in such cases, his au-
thority is to be resisted.” — Dr. Adam Clarke
(Methodist).
“The keeping of the Sabbath is eminently
a moral duty, and hence it must be a volun-
tary service rendered under the pressure of
moral suasives only.” — Binney’s Theological
Compend., p. 173 (Methodist).
“No law of any commonwealth should in-
terfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise
thercof among the voluntary members of any
denomination of Christians, according to their
own profession and belief.” — Presbyterian
Confession of Faith, p. 36.
“I believe legislation to enforce Sunday ob-
servance 1s not only detrimental to the best in-
terests of society, but is an improper and un-
warranted interference with the great Protest-
ant right of private judgment in all matters
pertaining to religion. . .. The proper func-
tions of the state do not include the assertain-
ment and declaration of theological truth and
its enforcement upon the people. Religion is
a matter for the individual conscience.”— Hom,
John S. Ewart, K. C., Winnipeg, Manitoba.
“Everybody should enjoy complete liberty,
provided that liberty does not interfere with
the liberty and civil rights of others. To force
people to observe Sunday is not protection of
civil rights; it is interference with civil rights
in obedience to religious sentiment. . . . I be-
lieve it is not our duty here [Ottawa] to oc-
THE WATCHMAN
cupy ourselves with religion. Each individual
has the right to worship God as he thinks
proper, provided he does not interfere with the
liberty of any one else” — Hon. G. Amyoti,
M. P., Ottawa, Canada.
I
RAILWAY TRAVEL A CENTURY AGO
“As an illustration of what was thought by
prominent men of the feasibility of running
an engine on wheels, we reprint the following
letter, addressed to Robert Fulton, the hero
of the steamboat Clermont, on the Hudson
River in 1807 :— .
“Albany, March 11, 1807.
“¢‘DEAR SIR, —
“¢I did not until yesterday receive
yours of the twenty-fifth of February.
Whether it has loitered on the way I am at a
loss to say. I had before read your very in-
genious propositions as to the railway com-
munication. I fear, however, upon mature
reflection, that they will be liable to objec-
tions, and ultimately more expensive than a
canal. They must be doubled, so as to pre-
vent the danger of two such heavy bodies
meeting. The walls upon which they are
placed must be at least four feet below the
surface and three feet above, and must be
clamped with iron, and, even then, they would
hardly sustain so heavy a weight as you pro-
pose, running at four miles an hour on wheels.
As to wood, it would not last a week; they
must be covered with iron, and that, too, very
thick and strong. The means of stopping these
carriages without a heavy shock, and of pre-
venting them from running into each other
(for there would be so many on the road at
once) would be very difficult, and in case of
accidental or necessary stops to take wood,
water, and the like, many accidents would
happen. The carriage for condensing water
would be very troublesome. Upon the whole,
I fear the expense would be much greater
than that of a canal without being so con-
venient.
1»
“¢ CHANCELLOR LIVINGSTONE.
THINGS HERE AND THERE
TREACHEROUS RIVER BEDS
Tur “mover’s’” wagon, canvas covered and
travel worn, is always picturesque. The trav-
eling home for a family and all their worldly
goods, from furniture to poultry, is still a fa-
miliar sight on Western roads. The spirit of
dissatisfaction and longing for newer fields that
lurks under that broad-brimmed hat is a spark
of the same fire that has been the theme of our
history. By some stream under the cotton-
woods of an evening you may sometimes see
this half gypsy, and the fire, with its accom-
panying smell of bacon and beans or the song
and accordion, will suggest, as you drive by,
why the roving has always its fascinations.
There are, however, the long dusty days of
travel and sore-backed horses, the occasional
swollen fords, and always present, though sel-
dom encountered, are the quick-sands of the
dry-bottom streams. They are indistinguish-
/
able and silent. The shallow ribbons of water
flow over them as over all the rest of the river
bed, but once fairly in their grasp there is a
remorseless, certain settling, which a struggle
/ only hastens and which ends in an everlasting
disappearance. Cattle and horses are caught
in it oftenest, and, if seen in time, can be
pulled out with a rope and horse, but into
its hungry maw have gone horses, wagons, and
men, and even a locomotive, going through a
bridge, has been known to disappear in this
bottomless mystery.— Allen True, in Outing.
EE
THE POWER OF SELF-SACRIFICE
READERS of the biography of Robert Moffat
will remember the story of the South African
chief who, with a dozen followers, once threat-
ened the noble missionary’s life with poised
spears, ready on the spot to pierce his body.
Moffat was at the time engaged in repairing
his wagon, and his dear wife, babe in arms,
stood near, watching the movements of their
foes. She heard her heroic husband, in a
singular tone, defy them to do their worst,
actually dropping his tools and baring his
breast to their blows! With undaunted calm-
ness he said: “Your threats are vain. We
are come to bless you, and here we stay. If
you are bound to be rid of us, do what you
will. But our hearts are with you, and we
shall stay with you till we are killed. Now
spear me, if you will, and when you have
slain me, others like me will come to take
up the work.” Down dropped the spears, and
the chief said to his attendants, “These mis-
sionaries are so fearless of death, they must
have ten lives: there must be another life be-
yond!” From that time opposition was turned
into co-operation. There is but one way to
“ overcome "— it is “as He overcame” who is
set down with his Father upon his throne.—
The Missionary Review.
2
THE WORK OF THE LARGEST BIBLE SOCIETY
Tue British and Foreign Bible Society has
on its list versions in over 400 languages.
These have a circulation of nearly 6,000,000
copies per year and are priced according to
the purchasing power of the poorest laborers
in the various fields. In England a Bible can
be bought for 6d. (On the penny Testament,
the Society has already lost over £25,000.)
In France, Italy, and Germany the very cheap-
est Bible is sold for some 25 cents, and copies
may be had in each of the great languages
of India for about the same price. In China,
Korea, and Japan, a Bible costs the Society
so cents (not including wages of employees),
and is sold for sixpence. Expenses of dis-
tribution are often heavy, as it has cost $300
for freight to send out $3500 worth of Bibles
to some distant missions. Large supplies are
sent to the American Bible Society, chiefly for
the use of European immigrants. The two
societies supply each other with books at the
actual cost of production. The British and
Foreign Society spends some $1,000,000 per
year, and receives $500,000 for Scriptures sold;
$750,000 comes from subscriptions and
churches.— Missionary Review.