" Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22 :12. 
VOLUME 9. 
OAKLAND. CALIFORNIA, FIFTH—DAY, AUGUST 30, 1883. 
NUMBER 33. 
S. D. A. MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 
(For Terms, etc., See Last Page.) 
Entered at the Post-Office in Oakland, Cal. 
ROCK OF AG-ES, SAFE IN 'THEE. 
WHILE upon life's heaving ocean, foam-crest billows rise and 
fall, 
Passion's tempests beat around us, lightning shafts our 
hearts befall; 
And before us fiery trials burden o'er life's troubled sea, 
Keep us through the trying ordeal, Rock of Ages, safe 
in Thee. 
Weak I am, but thou art able all my sorrow to assume. 
Thou canst cleanse the blotted sin-drops from life s dark 
and checkered page; 
When I err through folly wandering, thy blest precepts 
may I see, 
Leading me in wisdom's pathway, Rock of Ages, safe to 
Thee. 
Oft our courage fails, and trembling we despair in mazes 
dark, 
And forget that there is succor for the weak in mercy's 
ark; 
But when, Peter-like, we're sinking in the surges of the 
sea, 
Take us by the hand and lead us, Rock of Ages, safe to 
Thee. 
Earth's decaying; moss-grown tombstones fill the vales 
and mountains hoar; 
Nations rise, but soon _they perish, gone like breakers on 
the shore; 
Beauty fades and riches perish, all is fleeting that I see. 
Fix me on a sure foundation, Rock of Ages, safe on Thee. 
Last day perils thicken round us, lust pollutes the 
worldling's heart, 
And the moral air is murky, all of earth is drear and 
dark; 
But beyond earth's deep pollution, realms of purity I see, 
May we there find rest forever, Rock of Ages, rest in 
Thee. �
— Unknown. 
6tittrat ;Nrfirles, 
Luther's Second Answer Before the Diet. 
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE. 
WHEN Luther was again ushered into the pres-
ence of the diet, his countenance bore no trace of 
fear or embarrassment. Humble and peaceful, 
yet grandly brave and noble, he stood as God's 
witness among the great ones of earth. 
The imperial officer now demanded his decision 
concerning the second question,—whether he was 
prepared to defend his books as a whole, or de-
sired to retract any part of them. 
Luther made his answer in a subdued and hum-
ble tone, without violence or passion. His de-
meanor was diffident and respectful, yet he man-
ifested a confidence and joy that surprised the as-
sembly. 
After imploring the indulgence of the diet if 
by reason of his secluded, monastic life he should 
neglect any of the customary proprieties of courtly 
address, he observed that his published works 
were not all of the same character. In some be 
bad treated of faith and good works with such 
plainness and Christian simplicity that even his 
enemies were obliged to confess them not only 
harmless but profitable. To retract these would 
be to condemn truths which all parties confessed. 
The second class of these works were directed 
against popery, exposing those who by their 
teaching and example were corrupting all Chris-
tendom, both in body and soul. No one, said he, 
can deny nor conceal that by the laws and doc-
trines of the popes the consciences of Christians 
are held in bondage, burdened and tormented, and 
that the property and wealth of Christendom, es- 
pecially of the German nation, are devoured by 
the incredible rapacity of Rome. Were I to re- 
voke what I have written on this subject, what 
should I do but strengthen this tyranny, and open 
a wider door to so many and great impieties ? 
The third class of his books were written against 
individuals who undertook the defense of Romish 
tyranny, and the overthrowof the doctrines which 
he had inculcated. Concerning these he said, I 
freely confess that I have been more violent than 
was becoming. I do not think myself a saint; 
but even these books I cannot revoke, because in 
so doing I should sanction the impieties of my op-
ponents, and they would then take occasion to 
crush God's people with still greater cruelty. 
But, he continued, as I am a mere man, and not 
God, I will defend myself as did Christ, who said, 
" If I have spoken evil bear witness against me." 
By the mercy of God, I implore your imperial 
majesty, or any one else who can, whoever he may 
be, to prove to me from the writings of the proph-
ets that I am in error. As soon as I shall be con-
vinced, I will instantly retract all my errors, and 
will be the first to cast my books into the fire. 
What I have just said, I think will clearly show 
that I have well considered and weighed the dan- 
gers to which I am exposing myself; but far from 
being dismayed by them, I rejoice exceedingly to 
see the gospel this day as of old a cause of dis- 
turbance and disagreement. It is the character 
and destiny of God's word. Said Christ, " I came 
not to send peace, but a sword." God is wonder- 
ful and awful in his counsels. Let us have a care 
lest in our endeavors to arrest discords we be 
found to fight against the holy word of God, and 
bring down upon our heads a frightful deluge of 
inextricable dangers, present disaster, and ever-
lasting desolations. Let us have a care lest the 
reign of the young and noble prince, the Emperor 
Charles, on whom, next to God, we build so many 
hopes, should not only commence, but continue 
and terminate its course, under the most fatal au- 
spices. I might cite examples drawn from the 
oracles of God. I might speak of Pharaohs, of 
kings of Babylon or of Israel, who were never 
more contributing to their own ruin than when, 
by measures in appearance most prudent, they 
thought to establish their authority. God re-
moveth the mountains, and they know not. 
In speaking thus, I do not suppose that such 
noble princes have need of my poor judgment; 
but I wish to acquit myself of a duty that Ger- 
many has a right to expect from her children. 
And so, commending myself to your august maj- 
esty, and your most serene highnesses, I beseech 
you, in all humility, not to permit the hatred of 
mine enemies to rain upon me an indignation I 
have not deserved. 
Luther had spoken in German; he was re-
quested to repeat the same words in Latin. The 
German tongue did not please the emperor, nor 
was it readily comprehended by the Spanish and 
Italian courtiers. Though much exhausted by 
the previous effort, Luther complied with the re- 
quest, and repeated his speech in Latin with the 
same clearness and energy as at the first. God 
in his providence directed in this matter. The 
minds of many of the princes were so blinded 
by error and superstition that at the first delivery 
they did not see the force of Luther's reasoning, 
but the repetition enabled them to perceive with 
great clearness the points presented. The Spirit 
of God set home the truth, and a deep and lasting 
impression was made. The Reformation had 
gained a victory which would tell with great 
power against the papacy. 
But those who stubbornly closed their eyes to 
the light, who were determined not to be con- 
vinced of the truth, were enraged at the power of 
Luther's words. Of' this class was the spokesman 
of the diet. As Luther ceased speaking, this offi- 
cial said angrily, " You have not given any an-
swer to the inquiry put to you. You are not to 
question the decision of the councils; you are re-
quired to return a clear and distinct answer. 
Will you, or will you not retract ? " 
Luther answered firmly, " Since your most se-
rene majesty and your high mightiness require of 
me a simple, clear, and direct answer, I will give 
one; and it is this: I cannot submit my faith 
either to the pope or to the councils; because it is 
as clear as day that they have often erred and 
contradicted each other. If, then, I am not con-
vinced by proof from Holy Scripture or by cogent 
reasons; if I am not satisfied by the very texts 
that I have cited; and if my judgment is not in 
this way brought into subjection to God's word, I 
neither can nor will retract anything, for it can-
not be right for a Christian to speak against his 
conscience." Then turning his eyes upon the as-
sembly before which he stood, and which held his 
life in their hands, he said, " Here I stand, I can 
do no other. May God help me! Amen ! " 
So stands this righteous man upon the sure 
foundation, the prophets and apostles, Christ him-
self being the chief corner-stone. Firm and fear-
less at his post of duty is the great Reformer. 
Faithful among the faithless, unheeding the storms 
of malice and revenge, he stands a mighty cedar 
of Lebanon among the trees of the forest. While 
the passions and pollutions of the multitude surge 
around him like waves of the greatdeep, he stands, 
a Heaven-sent beacon, to warn the imperiled mar-
iner of the bidden shoal and the rocky shore. 
Luther knows not what may be his fate; but 
he knows that the cause of truth can never fail, 
and he is ready to die, if need be, knowing that 
by death he may serve the truth better than by 
his life. Light from the throne of God illumina-
ted his countenance. His greatness and purity of 
character, his peace and joy of heart, were mani-
fest to all, as he testified against the power of er-
ror, and witnessed to the superiority of that faith 
that overcomes the world. 
When the Reformer ceased speaking, the whole 
assembly were for a time motionless with amaze-
ment. Several of the princes were charmed with 
his frankness and nobility of soul. The emperor 
himself, deeply impressed, exclaimed, " The monk 
speaks with an intrepid heart and unshaken cour-
age." The Spaniards and Italians were con-
founded, and began to ridicule that moral grand-
eur which their base and unprincipled minds could 
not comprehend. 
The partisans of Rome had been worsted; their 
cause appeared in a most unfavorable light. 
They sought to maintain their power, not by 
appealing to the Scriptures to show Luther the 
error of his course, but by a resort to threats, 
Rome's unfailing argument. Said the spokesman 
of the diet, angrily addressing Luther, " If you do 
not retract, the emperor and the States of the em-
pire will proceed to consider how to deal with an 
obstinate heretic." 
Luther's friends, who had with great joy listened 
to his noble defense, trembled at these words; but 
the doctor himself said firmly, " May God be my 
helper! for I can retract nothing." 
Luther then withdrew, while the princes con-
sulted. When he was called in again, their orator 
thus addressed him, "Martin, you have not spoken 
with that humility which befits your condition. 
The distinction you have drawn as to your works 
was needless; for if you retracted such as contain 
errors, the emperor would not allow the rest to be 
burned. It is absurd to require to be refuted by 
Scripture, when you have been revising heresies 
condemned by the General Council of Constance. 
The emperor therefor() commands you to say sim-
ply, Yes, or No, whether you mean to affirm what 
you have advanced, or whether you desire to re-
tract any part thereof." 
Luther replied calmly, " I have no other an-
swer to give than that I have already given." 
They understood him perfectly. Firm as a 
rock he stood, while the fiercest billows of worldly 
i*ign5 of fly �
rtc5. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, FOR THE 
power beat harmlessly against him. The simple 
energy of his words, his fearless bearing, his calm, 
speaking eye, and the unalterable determination 
expressed in every word and act, made a deep im-
pression upon the assembly. There was no longer 
the slightest hope that he could be induced, either 
by promises or threats, to yield to the mandate of 
Rome. The monk had triumphed over the rulers 
of.this world. 
Charles the Fifth rose from his seat, and the 
whole assembly rose at the same time. " The 
diet will meet again to-morrow morning to hear 
the emperor's decision," announced the chancel-
lor. There were many in that company actuated 
by the same spirit which inspired the Pharisees of 
old. They thirsted for the blood of him whose 
arguments they could not controvert. Yet Lu-
ther, understanding his danger, had spoken to all 
with Christian dignity and calmness. His words 
had been free from pride, passion, and misrepre-
sentation. He lost sight of himself, and of the 
great men surrounding him, and felt only that he 
was in the presence of One infinitely superior to 
popes, prelates, kings, and emperors. And Christ, 
reigning in Luther's heart, spoke through his tes-
timony with a power and grandeur that for the 
time inspired both friends and foes with awe and 
wonder. The converting power of God was in 
that council, impressing the hearts of the chiefs 
of the empire. 
The pope's adherents, feeling that they had 
been defeated, angrily asked why ,the chancellor 
of the diet had not sooner interrupted the guilty 
monk. Several of the princes openly acknowl-
edged the justice of Luther's cause. Many were 
convinced of the truth; but with some the im-
pressions received were not lasting. The seed 
sown had not much deepness of earth, and the 
heat of opposition caused it to wither away. 
There was another class who did not at the time 
express their convictions, but who, having 
searched the Scriptures for themselves, at a fut-
ure time declared with great boldness for the 
Reformation. 
The Elector Frederic had looked forward with 
anxiety to Luther's appearance before the diet, 
and with deep emotion he listened to his speech. 
He rejoiced at the doctor's courage, firmness, and 
self-possession, and was proud of being his pro-
tector. He contrasted the parties in contest; on 
the one hand the world and the church, in all 
their pride and power, and on the other a single 
obscure monk; and he saw the wisdom of popes, 
kings, and prelates brought to naught by the 
power of truth. The papacy had sustained a de-
feat which would be felt among all nations and in 
all ages. 
Man's Primitive Condition. 
REV. J. B. DRURY, D. D., by the appointment 
of the General Synod of the Reformed Church, 
delivered the Vedder course of lectures before 
the faculties and students of the Theological 
Seminary and Rutger's College. His subject, 
" Evolution," was treated with admirable dis-
crimination, and in the light of the best thought 
from many points of view. The following is a 
condensed statement of his fourth lecture on 
" Man's Primitive Condition: "— 
It is essential in any theory of mechanical 
evolution, which makes man only a modification 
of the anthropoid ape, that his original condition 
be a brute-like savagery. 'Hence, much research 
and learning has been expended on the endeavor 
to substantiate this postulate. Man's reason, self-
determining will, and moral sense have marked 
him as so widely separated from the brutes that 
the effort has confessedly failed. This is conceded 
by many who believe in the ability of natural 
selection or uncontrolled evolution to account for 
the previous steps in the process. Notably, 
Alfred R. Wallace maintains it is inapplicable to 
man. His argument from the size of man's brain, 
the loss of such useful peculiarities as the hairy 
covering for the back, and the prehensile char-
acter of the feet, the long undeveloped potential-
ities of the human hand and voice, his intellectual 
and moral attributes, has never been satisfactorily 
met. 
The question is to be settled only by a careful 
examination of facts. Evidence as to original 
condition to be decisive must be looked for in 
man's original home. For evolutionists concede 
�
Ca* 
386 �
TI-I F SIGNS OF Tli �
 TIM �
 !HIS. �VoL. 9 No. 33 
the unity of the race, and ethnologists have fixed 
his original habitat on the plateaux of Central 
Asia. There, if anywhere, the records of his 
primitive state are to be found. Thus far there 
has been produced no proof of a stone age, prior 
to all others, as existing either at the original 
center or in the countries adjacent. The oldest 
remains discovered in the valleys of the Euphra-
tes and the Nile, in India or China, tell of an 
advanced civilization rather than savagery. The 
relics relied upon to demonstrate the condition of 
primitive man are gathered from the scenes of 
his migration, and are confined to western Europe. 
Even there is found nothing to betoken a half= 
man and half-brute condition. The earliest crania, 
as the Engis and Neanderthal skulls, Huxley con-
cedes denote no inferiority of mental capacity. 
The smaller of the two had a brain measurement 
nearly double that of the highest of the apes. 
Existing savages, as well as the oldest remains of 
man, give no shadow of evidence that there has 
ever existed a connecting link between men and 
brutes. 
Man everywhere gives evidence of capacity 
for improvment; possesses all the essential ele-
ments, as speech, reason, and moral sense, of a 
true humanity. Present savage races when 
brought under the influence of civilization and 
religion for only a short time prove this. Sav-
agery expresses the conditions or environment 
under which the struggle for existence is carried 
on, not innate capacity. Man everywhere wages 
successfully the warfare against unpropitious cir-
cumstances and natural enemies. His devices, 
utensils, and weapons, when viewed in the light 
of his surroundings and condition, will be found 
well adapted to his need. They are found, how-
ever, widely separated by distance or time, to be 
substantially alike in principles, form, and even 
ornamentation; showing that men in the same 
circumstances or conditions meet their necessities 
in practically the same way, thus manifesting 
that men are made to differ through circumstan-
ces rather than natural capacity. 
Robinson Crusoe, deprived of his wreck, despite 
his acquaintance with civilization, would have be-
gun and continued life on his island 'in the same 
way as the savage, and it may be doubted if he 
would have waged the struggle for existence as 
successfully. 
There is no particular objection to the division 
of civilization into the Paleolithic and Neolithic 
Stone, Bronze, and Iron ages, as has been pro-
posed as the consequence of the study of pre-
historic remains of western Europe, provided 
they may be considered expressive of condition, 
and not of succession in time. They denote the 
severity of the struggle for existence, degree of 
isolation, and absence of division of labor, and 
give no reliable evidence of antiquity. The evi-
dence increases of large contemporaneousness in 
northern and western Europe, and is almost con-
clusive as to their existence, at the same time as 
a high civilization in the older houses of the race. 
The palolithic and neolithic men of the drift 
and the caves were the crowded or driven out 
members of the older communities, and most 
probably the ancestors of what history calls the 
Iberian and Celtic races. The ages of stone, and 
bronze, and iron passed one into the other just 
as the severity of the struggle for existence re-
laxed, and the barriers of isolation were broken 
down. The bronze age, in the very materials of 
which the metal is composed, and the shape and 
form of its articles, is demonstrably the result of 
commerce with the older seats of civilization. 
The ages were not only frequently contempo-
raneous, but merged rapidly one into the other, 
and the stone often followed as well as preceded 
the bronze. This has been conclusively demon-
strated by Schleimann's excavations on the sites 
of ancient Troy and Mycen. There has been 
degradation as well as progress. Civilizations 
have been lost as well as gained. Indeed, the 
two processes go on side by side. 
Society has its waifs and wrecks as well as its 
successful ventures. When in the severity of 
competition men are crowded out and down, when 
called upon to live away from the appliances of 
civilization, there is ever a reversion to that which 
is simple and unexacting in skill and labor. This 
Dr. Mitchell has well shown in his admirable book 
"The Past in the Present." But more than all 
else the mechanical evolutionist's theory of a 
slow and gradual upward progress of man from 
a brute-like condition is negatived by a true con-
ception of human progress. The advances of 
the past fifty years have fostered the idea that 
as men we are far in advance of all who have 
lived in the past; that we are in the midst of a 
continuous, universal, and unlimited upward prog- 
ress. �• 
But a little reflection will show all this a mis-
take. What we call progress is only an advance 
in particular and narrow lines. It is by discov-
eries—leaps. A new force is applied, a new device 
introduced, and it works a wide-reaching revolu-
tion in certain directions. But in a short time 
the full effects are reached, the potentialities are 
exhausted, and progress ceases. The great ad-
vances of the nineteenth century have been 
largely due to the applications of steam. One or 
at most two generations, sufficed to exhaust its ca-
pabilities, and for twenty-five years nothing new 
has been added. Every labor-saving invention—
the spinning jenny, the sewing machine, the 
reaper and mower, reaches in a generation or 
two relative perfection, and thenceforth the world 
is richer for the devices, but progress ceases. 
We are now busy examining the capabilities 
and applications of electricity. The progress 
has been and is wonderful. But it requires no 
prophet to predict that fifty years will suffice to 
perfect the analysis and reach the limits of its 
potentialities. The most essential and valuable 
of inventions and discovelies are of hoary an-
tiquity, and have had nothing added to them for 
thousands of years, e. g., bread-making, the making 
of pottery, the mechanical powers, etc. Changes 
of condition cause often the loss of valuable prac-
tices and arts. Many a so-called modern discov-
ery is only a re-discovery, and it is often found 
that the ancient artisan was the superior of the 
modern. The true conception of progress shows 
us that condition of civilization is no criterion 
by which to measure the lapse of time or the ca-
pabilities and powers of man as man. 
Civilization is dependent on causes which affect 
the severity of the struggle for existence, and 
the relation of men and communities to each 
other. The civilization which is in the van of all 
that of the past and which is peculiarly modern, 
has its source, it is not difficult to show, in the 
influence of the gospel of Christ on the social 
relations of man. Certain it is that man came 
on the scene of earth in -the plentitude of his 
powers. His primitive condition was not one of 
low, brute-like savagery. Mechanical evolution 
cannot account for or explain his civilization. 
Triumph at His Coming. 
AT the age of seventy-three, Rev. Thomas Raw-
son Birks, professor of moral theology in Cam-
bridge University, England, died July 22, 1883. 
He was an able writer, and an earnest " pre-mil-
lennialist." In a notice of his death in Messiah's 
Herald we find the following extract from his book 
" The Four Prophetic Empires:"— 
" Will it be a smooth and gradual progress by 
which the fallen world shall slide into happiness, 
it knows not how, and, after the storms of six 
thousand years, like a cradled infant, rock itself 
to rest? Is it by the common efforts of Christian 
zeal, so that the church militant of our day may 
be able to take up the boast of the Assyrian, only 
of a nobler • triumph, and say, ' By the strength 
of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom, 
for I am prudent? ' No, such is not the lesson of 
past experience; nor are such hopes confirmed by 
the true sayings of God. A great work is indeed 
allotted to the church, but of the first-fruits, not 
of the harvest; of preparation, not of the full tri-
umph. The redemption will be assuredly com-
plete, but will dawn in righteous judgments. It 
is through a dark cloud that the bow of the cove-
nant will shine forth in its brightness on a fallen 
world. Before the stone shall become a mountain 
and fill the whole earth, 'the iron, the clay, the 
brass, the silver and the gold' must be broken to 
pieces together,' and be driven away like the 
chaff of the summer threshing-floor. The Son of 
man must first appear in the clouds of heaven, and 
his true saints and servants be gathered into his 
presence, to render their account, and then to re-
ceive their kingdom." 
DON'T live your life alone, without forming 
friendships and love; poor nature needs love; you 
were made for it, and other natures need you. 
You are robbing yourself, you are robbing others, 
if you live like a hermit. Therefore go into God's 
world, and live your life for others. 
AUGUST 30, 1883. �THE SIGNS OF THE TIM �
1i S. �
387 
"Private Interpretation." 
AN apostle has affirmed that " no prophecy of 
the Scripture is of any private interpretation; " 
yet many who profess to be guided by the Script-
ures persist in seeking for them some allegorical, 
mystical, or hidden meaning. One of the latter 
instances that has come under my notice is from 
a di:-course on " The Transfer of the Sabbath," by 
Rev. H. A. Duboc, of Tonawanda, N. Y. He 
said:— 
" When the heavens and the earth were fin-
ished and all the host of them,' the 'morning stars 
sang together' and all the sons of God shouted for 
joy; ' and a day was set apart to commemorate 
the completion of the Creator's work. But the 
prophet Isaiah tells us of another creation more 
glorious than the first, and more worthy to be had 
in remembrance: ' Behold I create new heavens 
and a new earth; and the former shall not be re-
membered, nor come into mind; but be ye glad 
and rejoice forever in that which I create; ' Isa. 
65: 17, 18,—alluding to the dawn of the gospel 
dispensation and to the transfer of the Sabbath to 
commemorate the work of redemption rather than 
that of the original creation." 
Mr. Duboc is riot alone in this sort of interpre-
tation. Many years since, Dr. Lord, of Buffalo, 
N. Y., gave a discourse in which he argued in fa-
vor of a change of the Sabbath, and, alluding to 
the outpouring of the Spirit on the celebrated day 
of -pentecost, he said: " We behold the new 
heavens and the new earth, and the New Jerusa-
lem coming down from God out of Heaven upon 
the Christian Sabbath!" 
Now Peter, the writer of our text against pri-
vate interpretation, did not hold with these gen-
tlemen concerning the fulfillment of the promise 
of the new heavens and earth, given through 
Isaiah. Th e apostle wrote about A. D. 66, more 
than thirty years after " the dawn of the gospel 
dispensation." .1 Pet. 3. He says: " There shall 
come in the last days scoffers." The subject of 
their scoffing is the promise of. Christ's coming. 
They see no signs of it. He refers them to the 
fact, which they willingly ignore, that the earth 
was once overflowed with water,—literal water, I 
suppose. He then affirms of the present heavens 
and earth, that they are " reserved unto fire 
against the day of Judgment and perdition of un-
godly men." Is it figurative fire ? He carries us 
forward to the day of Judgment; and though the 
time is so long that men begin to think that such 
a day never will come, he goes on to assure all 
that " the day of the Lord will come," and that in 
that day " the elements shall melt with fervent 
heat, the earth also." Mystical earth, do you 
say ? " All these things shall be dissolved," says 
he. "'Nevertheless," says he, though the present 
earth and elements shall be melted, " we, accord-
ing to his promise, look for new heavens and a 
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 
The promise was recorded by Isaiah the prophet; 
and the apostle, in A. D. 66, was still looking for-
ward for its fulfillment. And what did he see be-
fore its fulfillment ? He saw the scoffers of the 
last days disbelieving the evidences of Christ's 
second coming, which, in the last days, must be 
near. He saw "the day of Judgment," ".the 
coming of the day of God," the dissolution of the 
earth and its elements, and " the perdition of un-
godly men," the execution of the decision of the 
Judgment upon them; and, beyond that, he 
teaches us to look forthefulfillment of the promise 
recorded by Isaiah. 
And did the prophet predict a transfer of the 
Sabbath in the new earth ? If so, men have got 
it transferred too soon. And when the new earth, 
which the apostle looked for on the strength of 
the promise, does come, it will be too late to in-
stitute a memorial of an event which transpired 
nearly two thousand years in the past. 
But the Sabbath will survive and be observed 
in the endless ages of the new earth. God's pur-
pose in creating the earth, though for a season 
seemingly frustrated by sin, will not fail forever. 
The earth, though melted and purified in the fires 
of the last day, shall come forth renewed, and be 
the blessed abode of renewed and redeemed men. 
" Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the 
earth." "For thus saith the Lord that created 
the heavens; God himself that formed the earth 
and made it; he hath established it, he created it 
not in vain, he formed it. to be inhabited." Isa. 
45: 18. 
And the second Adam, "the Lord from Heaven" 
(1 Cor. 15: 45-47), shall receive " the first domin- 
ion " (Micah 4: 8), " the 'uttermost parts of the 
earth," for his possession (Ps. 2: 8); and having 
raised his saints from death, and purified " the 
purchased possession " (Eph. 1: 14) from sin, sin-
ners, 'and the curse, he shall stand at the head of 
the whole earth, as Adam did at the first. The 
Son of David " shall endure forever, and his 
throne as the sun." Ps. 89: 36. 
The Sabbath truly will be there. " For as the 
new heavens and the new earth, which I will 
make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so 
shall your seed and your name remain. And it 
shall come to pass, that from one new moon to 
another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall 
all flesh come to worship before me, saith the 
Lord." Isa. 66: 22, 23. There will be no need of 
a new Sabbath to celebrate the birth of the new 
earth; for the first creation has not been utterly 
lost. Man and his habitation have been redeemed 
and saved. The original Sabbath only can cele- 
brate the Creator's rest at' the close of the first 
week of time. The song of the morning stars and 
the shout of all the sons of God were not in vain, 
when they beheld the work of God in the beauti-
ful creation. That song and that shout will only 
be renewed when they shall see man and his hab-
itation redeemed, and the original purpose of God 
carried out. 
How beautiful, how harmonious, are all the 
words of God! They should be taken at par 
value, and not discounted so largely by private 
interpretations. When will men cease to trifle 
with, and caricature, the words of the Most High ? 
When will they yield to his institutions and ordi- 
nances, plainly taught in his word, and no longer 
make the commandments of God of none effect 
through the traditions, doctrines, and command-
ments of men ? Such unwarrantable liberties 
taken with the sacred word, by men in high 
places in the church, only serve to nourish the 
prevailing and increasing infidelity of our times; 
for infidels are not slow to follow such examples, 
and hide their shameless contradictions of that 
word behind the flimsy fabric of allegorical inter-
pretation. Ye.professed men of God, when will 
you cease to give aid and comfort to the enemies 
of divine revelation ? When will you take the 
word of the living God by which to correct your 
false theories, and no longer force that word, by 
your interpretations, to teach the traditions and 
commandments of men ? This is plain talk; but 
it is meant only for the good of those who revere 
the word of God. 
Truth is sent into the world to save men, not to 
condemn them. Yet, rejected, it will be a savor 
of death unto death. Oh, that I could persuade 
men to choose life, that they may live! 
All flesh have never 'come to worship God from 
Sabbath to Sabbath, since Isaiah wrote. But the 
promise will be fulfilled. When ? After sin has 
been abolished and sinners destroyed. Righteous-
ness only shall dwell in the new earth.. Then 
there will be " no more curse." Glad day! How 
cheering the anticipation! Oh, let me share in 
the fruition. �
R. F. COTTRELL. 
Tribulation. 
" BUT we glory in tribulations also; knowing 
that tribulation worketh patience; and patience 
experience; and experience, hope; and hope mak-
eth not ashamed; because the love of God is shed 
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is 
given unto us." Rom. 5 : 3-5. 
Our tribulation is one of the great influences 
which God, in his providence, uses to fit us for 
the glory that awaits us. We need a course of 
training, and experience to educate the mind and 
heart, before great power is conferred upon us. 
We need, also, to be weaned from the love of this 
present earth. 
The history of David before he became king of 
Israel, abounds in scenes of trials and suffering, 
both in body and mind. After all his long train-
ing in adversity, he was exalted to the throne of 
Israel. But he seems to have forgotten how Saul 
abused his power in persecuting him, for the abuse 
of kingly power was also a weakness of David. 
For his sins while king the Lord punished him 
severely. We are told to " despise not the chas-
tening of the Almighty," and Paul says, " Whom 
the Lord loveth he chastiseth." Job 5 : 17; Heb. 
12 : 6. 
But besides the training, tribulation serves other 
very important purposes. Concerning Job in his 
prosperity, Satan says to the Lord: "Both Job 
fear God for naught ? Hast thou not made a 
hedge about him, and about his house, and about 
all he hath on every side ? Thou hast blessed the 
works of his hands, and his substance is increased 
in the land." If God blessed us with peace, 
plenty, and earthly honor, for being righteous, 
then the world might join in with Satan, and say 
that we were Christians only through worldly 
policy, and selfish considerations. 
Again: Our historic evidence of the reality of 
.the Messiahship of Jesus is firmly built upon the 
tribulation of the Jewish Christians to whom 
Jesus said, " And you shall be witnesses unto me, 
both in Jerusalem and all Judea, and in Samaria, 
and unto the uttermost part of the earth." But 
what would their testimony have been to :us if 
they had not sealed it in great tribulation, and 
with their hearts' blood ? This is strong evidence 
that Jesus rose from death, and ascended into 
Heaven. Would the apostles and Jewish disciples 
have made their lives a continued scene of tribu-
lation, and finally laid down their lives for the 
testimony which they held, if they had not known 
for certain that their testimony was true ? 
"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 
Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!" 
EPSILON. 
" Sabbathismus." 
FROM the Echo de l' Orient of May 23, we glean 
some interesting news of the Sabbatiens of Tran-
sylvania in Europe. Three hundred and fifty 
years ago, one Simon Pechy, a man of influence, 
became a zealous Roman Catholic persecutor of 
Unitarian Christians. Subsequently he became a 
convert to the doctrine that the ten command-
ments, including the original Sabbath, are obliga-
tory upon all mankind. He also accepted certain 
views of the Levitical law which are unpopular. 
with Christians. In his turn he was violently 
persecuted and fled into Turkey, and died in 
exile at Constantinople. But he left a people in 
his native Transylvania, who, in secluded places, 
maintained .a conscientious worship and the ob-
servation of the Sabbath. In the judgment of 
their persecutors it was a grievous sin to profess 
Christianity while keeping the Sabbath! How-
ever, the sect has lived on to the present time. 
When freedom of worship was revived in Hun-
gary in 1867, the Sabbatiens applied for the pro-
tection of the Government; but they found they 
had counted without their host.' It was " all for 
us and none for you." The wrath of the Chris-
tian priesthood was aroused, and peremptory 
terms were offered, in effect as follows: If you 
persist in keeping the Sabbath and the laws of 
purification, you must register yourselves as Jews! 
You cannot be recognized as a religious body 
outside of Judaism, so long as you keep the Sab-
bath! Being hard pressed, a portion of them—
perhaps all—rather than give up the Sabbath, 
consented to be registered as Jews. We confess 
to a great anxiety to hear their own story, and 
shall not be disappointed to hear of wrongs, in-
sults, and sufferings, endured because of their love 
for the law of God. To drive men from Christ 
because they keep the Sabbath, is this the Chris-
tianity that is going to save the world ? We do 
not believe it.—Sabbath Memorial. 
AN Irish clergyman has published a work on 
" infant Baptism." This is claimed as his im-
proved patent:—• 
" Mr. Robinson makes overpoweringuse of the 
principle that what was sanctioned or commanded 
in the Old Testament is still in force in the Chris-
tian Church, unless it is repealed in the New Tes-
tament or shown by the example of our Lord or his 
apostles that it is no longer to be used." 
That looks sensible, and if he could only find 
that " infant baptism" was "sanctioned or com-
manded" in the Old Testament it would be almost 
" overpowering." But this is just where his prin-
ciple cannot be applied, for infant baptism is not 
in the Old Testament any more than in the New. 
—Baptist Weekly. 
THERE are many persons who think they are 
Christians because they have had experience; but 
they do not feel it to be their Christian duty to 
use their tongues according to the laws of kind-
ness. Nor do they think, in the confession of 
their sins, to confess that day in and day out they 
are making somebody unhappy by the manner 
in which they use that member. 
388 �
TII El; SIGNS OF THE TIMES. �
VoL. 9, No. 33. 
An Atonement Consistent with Reason. 
THE MORAL SYSTEM. 
(Continued.) 
PERHAPS there never was a time when the idea 
expressed by Pope, " Whatever is, is right," was 
so distorted and carried to an absurd extreme, 
as it is at the present. Some say that every 
action, whatever its nature, is acceptable to God, 
because it is performed under his overruling hand. 
One well-known "reformer " says that such a 
thing as " sin, in the common acceptation of the 
term, does not exist." It is affirmed that sin 
cannot exist; that "there is no room in the uni-
verse for wrong to exist." We heard a some-
what popular speaker declare that " what men 
call crimes are most valuable experiences in the 
march of human progress." And these state-
ments are riot made by wild fanatics alone; they 
are argued in their most plausible forms by men, 
and women, also, who pass in their communities 
for staid and sober people. But on examination 
we find that the propagators of these theories 
get them up to relieve the mind of a sense of re-
sponsibility. This class of moral philosophers 
always frame their theories to throw the blame 
of wrong, if any wrong exists, upon God, the 
Creator, and never to leave it upon themselves! 
We trust the reader will pardon the relation of 
" a true story " which contains an argument in 
itself worthy of consideration. Two men, ma-
chinists, working in a railroad shop, were con-
versing on this subject. One contended that if 
he did wrong he was not responsible for the 
wrong, for, said he, "1 act out the disposition 
that was given me. If I make a locomotive and 
it will not work, you do not blame the locomotive, 
you blame me for my faulty workmanship. Even 
so, if I do not answer the end of my being, it is 
not my fault. The blame attaches to my Maker, 
who made me what I am." His friend replied: 
" Your illustration is just and forcible, provided 
you insist that your Maker gave you no more 
brains than you put into a locomotive!" 
The truth is that the possession of brains and 
will-power brings responsibility.; and this respon-
sibility necessarily attaches to creatures on our 
plane of being. If they who deny the existence 
of moral wrong would reflect a moment, they 
could not fail to perceive that -their theory is 
really degrading to themselves. They are irre-
sponsible if they are mere machines or unrea-
soning animals. But if they have the power to 
reason, to will, to choose, and have moral con-
sciousness, a sense of right and wrong, respon-
sibility must necessarily attend the use of these 
powers. And every one feels this responsibility; 
his conscience will not permit him to deny it, 
until he has seared his conscience, and blunted 
his moral sensibilities; that is to say, he has, in 
a greater or less degree, brutalized himself, and 
degraded his manhood, either by pernicious and 
false reasoning, or by an immoral life. 
And now, looking over the whole field of argu-
ment on this subject, we ask: Is it not a humili-
ating thought that a word is necessary to proire 
to any one that moral wrong exists? Must I stop 
to reason with a man, a human being, with all 
his faculties in exercise, to prove to him that it 
is wrong to steal, to murder, or to commit adul-
tery? To argue the subject, nay, to admit that 
it is a debatable question, is an insult to the sense 
of mankind. The real question at issue is, How 
shall we dispose of the evil which exists? or, 
How shall criminals be. rescued from the awful 
consequences of their violations of the law of 
Him who is infinitely just? We do not ask the 
reader, or our doubting friend, to consider the 
question as to whether the guilty might not be 
suffered to escape by overruling or suspending 
justice, or how they might stand before a finite 
being, or a judge who is comparatively just. The 
real question is, How shall they stand before the 
judgment seat where justice is maintained and 
vindicated on the scale of infinity? where every 
evil thought and intention is counted as an overt 
act of iniquity and rebellion against a righteous 
Government? This, and nothing less, is involved 
in the very idea of a Supreme Being, an Infinite 
One who is a moral Governor, whose perfections 
demand that He shall take cognizance of every 
offense against His authority; every invasion of 
the rights of His subjects. 
These are solemn questions, and demand our 
candid consideration. If God is infinitely just—
and can he be otherwise?—if he will bring every 
work into judgment, and we shall have to meet 
our life records there, how shall we stand in His 
presence? It certainly becomes us to deal can-
didly with ourselves, and to understand, if pos-
sible, those principles of justice which must pre-
vail in a wise and righteous government. Sin is 
everywhere, and in our own hearts. What shall 
be done in regard to it ? 
We may indeed flatter ourselves that our sins 
have not been very great; we may persuade our-
selves to believe that, compared to those of others, 
our lives have been quite creditable. But we must 
remember that wrong never appears odious to the 
habitual wrong-doer; therefore no one is compe-
tent to judge in his own case. The decision will 
not be made upon our actions as they look to us, 
but as they look to the Infinite Lawgiver and 
Judge. We will not be compared with our neigh-
bor, in the Judgment, but with the law which is 
holy, and just, and good. The spirituality of that 
law we cannot comprehend, even as we cannot 
fathom the mind of its Author. We must stand 
in the light of Heaven's purity and glory. 
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MORAL SYSTEM. 
THE administration of government is a simple, 
easy, yes, a pleasant matter, where all the subjects 
are perfectly obedient. No such Government now 
exists on this earth; but every one can picture 
to himself how happy the State would be where 
there was no sin; no violation of the law; no 
invasion of rights; no denial or • disregard of au-
thority; no discord, but each seeking the peace 
and happiness of the other. Who would not 
pray, " Thy kingdom come," if its coming will 
introduce such a state of things? 
But when sin enters, everything is changed. 
New and strange relations are introduced. New 
interests spring up. New duties devolve upon 
both the Government and the criminal. The gov-
ernor must then take steps to maintain the in-
tegrity of the law, the honor of the State, and 
thereby to protect the subjects from the con-
sequences of wrong-doing. For every violation 
of the law is an invasion upon the rights and 
liberties of the citizens. As we shall notice more 
particularly hereafter, two parties then arise; one, 
pitying the criminal, pleading for mercy; the 
other, fearing for the safety of the State and the 
welfare of its subjects, pleading for justice. And 
such are the realities now before us. With such 
an unfortunate state of things we have to deal. 
Such difficulties and diverse interests are found 
everywhere upon the face of the earth. 
While we consider the requirements of a moral 
system in such a state of things, we must bear 
in mind that there is no moral Government on earth. 
That is to say, there is no Government on earth 
entirely of moral principles, or administered solely 
upon a moral basis. And, from the very nature 
of things, it is impossible that there shall be in 
the present state. No human Government is 
administered with regard to the intentions of the 
subjects aside from their actions. No governor, 
no judge, no jury, has been able to " discern the 
thoughts and intents of the heart." Secret things 
are not, and cannot here, be brought into judg-
ment. A moral system, or a moral Government, 
can be administered by God alone. All that we 
have said or shall say respecting a moral system, 
we say in reference to the rule and authority of 
God, who only can defend moral principles, and 
bring into judgment the violators of the spirit 
of law as well as the violators of its letter. 
But the principles of justice and of government 
we may understand, and are able to discern in 
regard to their requirements under various cir-
cumstances. According to the measure of our 
ability, we are under obligation to maintain these 
principles; and though we cannot discern the in-
tents of the hearts of others, we are required to 
guard our own hearts, and to respect these prin-
ciples in our lives. And however much we might, 
shrink from the strict enforcement of these prin-
ciples, we must bear in mind that law not only 
binds us, but it protects us; and we would have 
every reason to dread the results of a failure to 
uphold and enforce law. We deprecate tyranny, 
but it is seldom as blindly cruel as anarchy. 
We will now proceed, as briefly as possible, to 
examine some of the well-known and well-accepted 
claims and requirements of government. 
§ I. 
SIN OUGHT TO BE PUNISHED. 
Penalty gives force to the law, and without it, 
law is a nullity. And no matter what conse-
quences may result from the violation of law, 
the criminal is not punished till the penalty is 
inflicted. We might find many eases in our courts 
where the accused has suffered consequences more 
severe than the punishment which the law inflicts; 
but the judge cannot regard these—his otlire is 
to see that the penalty prescribed by the law be 
inflicted. He who violates the law risks the pen-
alty and the intermediate consequences. In be-
half of the affirmation that the transgression of 
the law ought to be punished, the following rea-
sons are offered: 
It injures the subjects of the Government. One 
great object of government is the good of its 
subjects. The imprisonment of the thief; the 
robber, and the murderer, answers a double pur-
pose, punishing the crimes, and preventing their 
further preying upon our property and our lives. 
The same law that restrains the evil-doer, secures 
the rights of the well-doer. Hence, every viola-
tion of the law of a Government is an invasion 
of the rights of the subjects thereof. Its ten-
dency will be more clearly seen if we imagine for 
a moment that the law be disregarded by not one 
only, but by many, or by all. Then all rights, all 
safeguards, would be trampled down, and the ob-
jects of government entirely defeated. This, of 
course, is the tendency of every transgression. 
It brings contempt upon the Government. In 
case of war we have seen thousands offer their 
lives as a sacrifice to uphold the Government and 
maintain its honor. If' it cannot secure respect, 
it cannot maintain its authority. And if au-
thority be despised, no rights and privileges are 
safe. All the evils noticed in the preceding para-
graph are involved in this. 
It insults and abuses the Creator and Gov-
ernor. So blinding is the influence of sin that 
men despise the authority of God, and insult him 
daily, without any apparent compunction. All 
violations of law are insults to, and abuse of, au-
thority. Every individual has rights in his own 
sphere, and there is no right more sacred than 
that of the Supreme authority to claim the re-
spect and reverence of the subjects. And if the 
Governor be not respected, his Government can-
not be; and if that be not respected, of course 
the rights of the subjects under it will not be. 
Consider again, if this example were followed by 
all—by all the intelligences ,of the universe; if' 
all the men on earth and all the angels in Heaven 
should unite in. abusing and insulting the God of 
Heaven, his Government would be turned into 
one vast field of anarchy, and individual rights 
would no longer be recognized. No one could 
consent that God should suffer such a state of 
things to continue without making an effort to 
reclaim the Government, and to maintain and 
vindicate right laws. Of course all must agree 
that sin ought to be punished. 
§ IL CAN THE SINNER BE CLEARED? 
This question is of the greatest importance, 
and no one should pass it lightly. All would say 
at once that the sinner can be cleared; but of 
necessity something must be involved in securing 
his acquittal. It must appear to all that he can-
not possibly be cleared unless one of the following 
things takes place:- 
The law be suffered to be trampled upon with 
impunity. This, of course, should not be permit-
ted, for reasons given above; and we may say, 
will not be permitted, if the executive has a 
proper sense of right and justice to himself' and 
to his subjects, and requisite power to enforce his 
authority. But the divine, attributes must be a 
sufficient guarantee to guard this point. 
The law be abolished. But this would be an 
acknowledgment of weakness or error on the part 
of the Government rather than evidence of wrong 
on the part of the transgressor. Or if the law 
were not acknowledged to be wrong, nor the Gov-
ernment in error, the case would be equally bad, 
presenting the pitiable spectacle of a Government 
abolishing a good law to accommodate a bad sub-
ject—one of rebellious tendencies. This would 
not be restraining sin; it would be rather favoring 
or licensing sin, and justifying the sinner in his 
evil course. And it would have a tendency to 
bring in all the evils of anarchy and ruin that 
we have considered as the unavoidable results of 
destroying governmental authority. To suppose 
that God would act thus is a libel on the wisdom 
and justice of the King of Heaven which we 
would not dare to utter. These suppositions are 
inadmissible. 
The Governor pardon. This is a prerogative 
AUGUST 30, 1883. �THE SIGNS OF THE, TIMES. �
389 
that may, under proper restrictions and condi-
tions, be safely exercised. Therefore we must 
accept this as the only alternative; as the only 
means whereby the sinner may escape the pun- 
ishment of his crimes. �
EDITOR. 
(To be Continued.) 
Save the Boys. 
FROM a recent report, issued by the Young 
Men's Christian Association of Brooklyn, the an-
nouncement is quoted: " Less than one-tenth of 
our young men are in the churches and Sunday-
schools; this statement is made after the most 
careful investigation." Where are the young 
men ? The report answers: " In the city there 
are two thousand five hundred and sixty-seven 
licensed liquor saloons, and four hundred and 
ninety-one licensed billiard and pool-tables, be-
sides hundreds of places where gambling and 
other vices are indulged in; the vast majority of 
the patrons are young men." The result of such 
a condition of things has only to be added to 
make the report complete: " 1p one of our largest 
State prisons two-thirds of the inmates are men, 
and two-thirds of these are under twenty-six 
years of age." 
the ,abbath-c*chaol. 
Lesson for Pacific Coast.—Sept. 8. 
Acts 15: 1-32. 
NOTES ON THE LESSON. 
IT is doubtful if there is any chapter in the 
Bible that has been the subject of more contro-
versy, among a certain class, than the 15th chap-
ter of Acts. By many it is considered as proving 
conclusively that the Sabbath of the fourth com-
mandment is not binding on Christians. Some 
may • ask in surprise what warrant this chapter 
gives for such a conclusion, since the subject of 
the Sabbath is not discussed, and is only mentioned 
incidentally. The reply is that four things were 
enjoined upon the new converts as " necessary," 
verse 28, and the Sabbath not being one of them, 
it is therefore not to be observed. W e have 
stated the case fairly, that all may judge of its 
soundness when contrasted with the truth on the 
matter. 
AND first, we ask, Who are they that bring this 
objection against the seventh-day Sabbath? Are 
they infidels, or those who do not believe that 
men should observe any day as a rest-day ? Not 
as a rule. They are usually those who keep the 
first day of the week, a large part of whom claim 
Scripture authority for such a practice. Why, 
then, can they not see that if the seventh-day 
Sabbath is not binding, because of the silence of 
this council in regard to it, the Sunday is in an 
equally bad plight, for it is not hinted at as one 
of those " necessary things " ? We have never 
been able to explain this inconsistency except on 
the ground that Sunday advocates seem to realize 
that consistency is incompatible with an active 
warfare against the Sabbath of the Lord., We 
conclude, therefore, that people do not really 
believe that this hapter affords any evidence 
against Sabbath-keeping. " Anything to beat" 
the "Saturday-Sabbath," is the idea; for having 
once put that out of sight, habit, early training, 
and public opinion, will lead people naturally 
enough to keep Sunday, in form, at least. 
ANOTHER point may be noticed here, which will 
show the short-sightedness of those who urge the 
decision of this council as a reason for not keep-
ing the Lord's Sabbath. The apostolic letter to 
the converts from among the Gentiles closes thus:* 
" For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to 
us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these 
necessary things; that ye abstain from meats 
offered to idols, and from blood, and from things 
strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye 
keep yourselves, ye shall do well." It will be 
seen that no mention is here made of idolatry, of 
profanity, of disobedience to parents, of murder, 
nor of theft. Must we therefore conclude that 
these converts were granted license to commit all 
these sins? Is this the liberty of the gospel, to 
which they were admitted ? However much any 
one despises the law of God, he cannot admit for 
a moment that the apostles would sanction the 
commission of-any of the sins above enumerated. 
Then may we not also conclude that they would 
not sanction the violation of any part of the law, 
since it all is of equal authority ? See Matt. 5:17 
—20; James 2: 8-12. 
OUR readers have doubtless by this time con-
cluded that the law of God—the ten command-
ments—could not have been the subject of discus-
sion; and that is exactly -the truth. From verses 
1 and 5 we learn that certain Jews troubled the 
churches that had been raised up among the 
Gentiles, teaching the members that they must be 
circumcised and keep "the law of Moses," if they 
would be saved. It was to settle this matter that 
this council was called. Both Scott and Barnes 
plainly state that the "Jewish ceremonies," or 
the "ceremonial law" was the subject of contro-
versy. 
THE speech of Peter proves that the perpetuity 
of the moral law was not called in question. He 
said that God "put no difference between us and 
them, purifying their hearts by faith." Purifying 
their hearts from what? From sin, of course. 
And what is sin? "Sin is the transgression of the 
law." 1 John 3: 4. But from what sins were 
they purified by this faith ? Paul answers, in 
Rom. 3 : 23-25 : "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; whom God bath set forth to be 
a propitiation through faith in his blood, to de-
clare his righteousness for the remission of sins 
that are past, through the forbearance of God." 
Christ's blood purifies from past sins, but does not 
grant indulgence for future sin. Peter, whose 
speech we are considering, spoke in another place on 
this wise: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in 
obeying the truth through the Spirit unto un-
feigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one 
another with a pure heart fervently." 1 Peterl : 22. 
Thelaw of God is the truth, Ps. 119: 142 ; Jno. 17 :17, 
We learn, then, that having been purged from 
past sins by the blood of Christ, we are, by the 
aid of the Spirit, to keep ourselves pure for the 
future by obeying the law of God. This is the 
testimony of those apostles who took part in this 
famous council. And further, the very fact that 
we are purified by faith, proves the perpetuity of 
the law of God; as Paul says, "Do we then make 
void the law through faith ? God forbid; yea, we 
establish the law." Rom. 3 : 31. That is, the fact 
that we can get rid of sin in no other way but by 
the death of Christ, shows that the claims of the 
law of God cannot be abated in the least; for if it 
were possible to remit the claims of that law, that 
act would free mankind from sin, and make it 
unnecessary for Christ to die. 
" Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a 
yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither 
our fathers nor we were able to bear ?" Verse 
10. �
What was this yoke ? The ceremonial law. 
The testimony of learned men has much weight 
with some, so we quote two comments on this 
verse:— 
" This did not relate merely to circumcision, but to 
the whole ceremonial law; which, though proper and 
useful for the time, required so many distinctions, bur-
densome purifications, expensive sacrifices, long journeys, 
and other things of a similar nature, that it was a very 
uneasy yoke, in every age, even to the inhabitants of 
the promised land, and still more to those Jews who 
resided in other countries."—Scott. 
" This does not refer to the moral law; that was of 
eternal obligation; but to the ritual law, which, through 
the multitude of its sacrifices, ordinances, etc., was ex-
ceedingly burdensome to the Jewish people."—Clarke. 
But we have the testimony of those apostles 
who took part in this discussion, that by this 
" yoke" they did not mean the moral law. Thus 
John says, " For this is the love of God, that we 
keep his commandments; and his commandments 
are not grievous." 1 John 5 : 3. James says, " But 
whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, 
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed 
in his deed." Jas. 1 : 25. See also chap. 2: 8-12. 
A " law of liberty " is very different from a yoke 
of bondage. And Paul says, " Wherefore the 
law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, 
and good. " For 1 delight in the law of God alter 
the inward man." Rom. 7 :12,22. These tes-
timonies should be sufficient to settle this matter. 
IT is asked " Why was a positive sin, the viola-
tion of the seventh commandment, j,included 
among the prohibited things, and no other sin ? 
We reply that none of the things prohibited per-
tained to the ceremonial law. They were all 
" necessary things," but the ceremonial law was 
not necessary. The partaking of meats offered 
to idols, if not in itself an evil, had the appear-
ance of evil, which is always to be avoided. It 
would be a cause of stumbling to many, and 
more than all would, on account of associations, 
be a stepping-stone to idolatry. The eating of 
blood was forbidden to Noah, for both physical 
and moral reasons, and is as much wrong now 
as it ever was. Dr. Clarke enters into an ex-
tended argument to prove this point, but we 
have not the space. The same argument would 
exclude things strangled. As to fornication, 
so far was it from being accounted wrong by 
the Gentiles that it formed a part of their 
heathen worship, and was considered a virtue 
rather than a crime. So common was it that 
the converts from the Gentiles would not be 
apt to think of it as a violation of the law of 
God ; hence they needed special warning on 
this point. Abstinence from these things which 
were so common among the Gentiles would sep-
arate them in a great measure from their old 
associations, and prevent their lapsing into idol-
atry. The law of God, in general, they would 
keep as a matter of course, as a necessary part 
of their Christian profession. 
"Foil, Moses of old time hath in every city them 
that preach him, being read in the synagogues 
every Sabbath-day." Verse 21. This mention of 
the Sabbath by James, although incidental, is 
conclusive as showing which day was regarded 
by him as the true Sabbath. The day on which 
the Jews read the law in the synagogues is 
spoken of as the Sabbath. That day, as every 
one admits, was what is now called Saturday. 
But James further says that the law was read 
every Sabbath-day; and since the Jews had only 
one regular day—the seventh-day—for worship 
and the reading of the law, it necessarily follows 
that James knew of no other Sabbath than the 
seventh-day of the week. And this statement, 
let it be remembered, was made in a Christian 
assembly, composed of apostles and elders, twenty 
years after the ascension of Christ. If the first 
day of the week is the Sabbath of the Christian 
dispensation, is it not strange that none of this as-
sembly had learned of it during those twenty 
years? �
E. J. W. 
Result of the Prize System. 
WE clip the following little story from an ex-
change. It is quite appropriate in this time of 
" strike"s, and we recommend it to the consider-
ation of those teachers and superintendents who 
depend on prizes to enable them to get up an in- 
terest. There is a moral to it:— 
A teacher, finding it difficult to obtain the 
prompt attendance of the boys in her class, re-
solved to adopt a plan which she felt sure would 
be successful. She said to the boys:— 
" Now I will give a bright penny to each one 
who will be in their places every Sunday." 
The plan seemed to work well until one Sunday 
not a boy appeared in his place. The teacher was 
surprised and somewhat discouraged that her plan 
had not succeeded. But the next day, while walk-
ing down street. and thinking what to do next, 
she met one of the boys and said to him:— 
" Well, Johnnie, where were you yesterday ?" 
" At home, mum." 
" But why did you and the other boys not come 
to Sunday-school, and get your pennies ? " • 
" Oh, teacher, 'cause we've struck; we won't 
come for less than two cents now." 
We were not informed as to how long the strik-
ers held out, or whether the advance was granted. 
IF there is,a species of punishment more exe-
crable than another, it is that of making children 
learn Scripture as a penalty for their offenses. 
Rev. Charles Garrett, the President of the Wes-
leyan Conference, says he lately found in a school 
a boy who for some offense was ordered to learn 
a portion of Scripture, and above all chapters the 
fourteenth of John. And there the poor little 
fellow stood sobbing and murmuring as best he 
could, " Let not your he-irt be troubled." How 
can boys so treated love the Bible ?—Baptist 
Weekly. 
4e *iglu of Oe 
" Can ye not discern the signs of the times ?" 
J. H. WAGGONER, 
E. J. WAGGONER, 
J. N. ANDREWS, 
URIAH SMITH, 
 
-- �
- - EDITOR. 
ASSISTANT EDITOR. 
 
CORRESPONDING EDITORS. 
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, AUGUST 30, 1883. 
Whom Will Ye Serve? 
IN our article on the compromise of diverse interests 
by which the image to the beast will be' made, we spoke 
of the two methods revealed in the prophecy of Rev. 13, 
in which the mark or sign of the beast will be received 
by two classes of people. One class receive it in the 
forehead, that is, intellectually, as an article of religious 
faith and duty. The other, in the hand, or in obedience 
to the civil authority, as the hand is always used as an 
emblem or symbol of power. The terrible curse threat-
ened in Rev. 14: 9-12, is to fall upon both classes, and 
we are not willing to be numbered with either. There 
is a way to escape that awful " wrath of God; " it is 
found in keeping " the commandments of God, and the 
faith of Jesus." Now we do not know how a person can 
break the fourth commandment and yet claim to keep 
the commandments of God; with any more reason and 
propriety than one can break the third or the eighth 
commandment and still claim to be a commandment-
keeper. We present a' few thoughts on this subject in 
the following paragraph to which we call especial atten-
tion. 
It is conceded that the Sabbath is a very important 
institution; the Lord himself declared its great impor-
tance by giving it as a sign whereby we may know that 
he is God. Ex. 31:13, 17; Eze. 20:12, 20.. Of .course 
the fourth commandment, which guards the institution 
and enforces its observance, is an important part of the 
law of God. But the Sabbath can be a sign of God as 
the Creator of the heavens and the earth only in its 
character of a commemorative institution. Now it 
Must be confessed that its value as a memorial depends 
upon the identity of the day to be celebrated. The 
Lord carefully guarded this point by blessing and sanc-
tifying the day on which he rested from all his work 
which he created and made. The commandment for its 
observance was placed in the very heart of the deca-
logue, and to preclude all possibility of doubt or mis-
take, he withheld manna on that day for the space of 
forty years, and wrought constantly recurring miracles 
for the same length of time, to guard the day from any 
necessity of being desecrated, and to teach his people 
the high esteem in which he held the day—the holy 
day—of his rest. But, to change the day is to destroy 
its commemorative character; to turn it aside from the 
use for which Jehovah gave it. This also must be con-
ceded. Practically it is always acknowledged; for, when 
another day is chosen as a substitute for the Lord's rest, 
or Sabbath, it is always spoken of as commemorating 
another event, to which the commandment has no refer-
ence. That other day is not a sign whereby we may 
know Jehovah,. the Creator of the heavens and the 
earth. 
We stand upon a great moral principle, from which 
we cannot afford to be removed. We plead for the in-
tegrity of the word of God. When we ask for authority 
for changing or destroying the memorial of Jehovah, the 
Creator of all, we are referred to " the Fathers," to " the 
history of the early church," or are met with infer- 
ences and reasonings of which the authors would be 
ashamed were it not that the object for which they 
reason is popular. They confess that they have no ex- 
plicit warrant, no law, for their practice. We might 
readily fill this page with confessions to this effect from 
representative men of various denominations. But if 
they have no law for its observance, they are not keep- 
ing the commandment of God in its observance. Can 
this be denied ? Richard Baxter once asked, " Is that 
obedience to God for which there is no commandment? " 
We repeat the question, and call upon Sunday-keepers 
to answer. 
390 �
THE SIGNS �TH TIMES. �
VoL. 9, No. 33. 
We believe we are in the last days; the message of 
Rev. 14:9-12 is going to the ends of the earth; all na-
tions, and kindreds, and tongues, and peoples, are fast 
receiving the warning. We cannot turn away from it; 
we must keep the commandment of God. Let those 
make void the commandment through their traditions 
who dare to; we dare not. 
But it is continually pressed upon us by those whc 
are laboring to procure a religious amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States in order to the uni-
versal enforcement of Sunday, that it will at most be 
an inconvenience to those who keep the seventh day, 
but it will work no hardship religiously; as they will 
not interfere with our keeping the seventh day; they 
only ask us to keep Sunday also. Very kind, indeed, of 
them! Suppose they were in China and there encoun-
tered a local law, which compelled every resident of the 
district to go to the temple and do homage to their par-
ticular Joss. They would, of course, say that was con-
trary to their religion, as the Bible commanded them to 
worship Jehovah. But the intelligent official politely 
informs them that this law does not interfere with their 
religion; it left them at perfect liberty to worship Jeho-
vah, or any other God they saw fit; but this was a "law 
of the land "—a "police regulation "—merely requiring 
them to do homage to that Joss, and they must comply. 
It was not intended at all to interfere with their wor-
ship, but they must obey the law of the land or return 
to their own country. Would they be convinced ? 
Would they think it any interference with their religion ? 
There is a principle set forth in the Scriptures, aside 
from the plain reading of the fourth commandment, 
which forbids our listening to their proposals that we 
keep the Sunday with the permission to keep the Sabbath 
also. In the first place we do not ask permission of any 
power on earth to keep the seventh day. We are com-
manded from Heaven to keep it. Nor do we ask per-
mission to work on the first day. The Lord of Heaven 
has also given us that. To the claim that it will not in-
jure us to rest on Sunday also, we reply that it is no 
physical injury to a person to rest on any day of the 
week, provided he does not rest too much, so as to neg-
lect his labor or injure his health. Nor will it ordi- 
narily injure a person spiritually to cease from rest on 
any day of the week. So far, apparently, our friends 
are correct. But when we are told that we must rest on 
Sunday because it is'the Christian Sabbath, and that it 
is established as a substitute for the seventh day, the 
day which is placed in God's commandment, then " we 
are not careful to answer " in the matter; we will not 
keep Sunday for any such reasons. We . deny the 
statement that it is the Christian's Sabbath. We know 
it is substituted for the Lord's day, but it is of human 
origin—a human institution—doing violence to the 
commandment of God; and we must refuse to do hom-
age to the power which gave it its Sabbatic character. 
Paul has distinctly laid down this principle for us. 
He gave the brethren liberty to eat what was set before 
them, asking no questions. But if it was distinctly said 
that it was an offering to idols of which they were in-
vited to partake, then they should not touch it. Now 
we know that the Sunday first derived its character as 
a rest-day from the respect paid to Apollo, the sun-god, 
a heathen deity, while its professedly Christian charac-
ter was given to it by " the man of sin." Presented to 
us as a religious institution, as a substitute for the sev-
enth day, the Sabbath of the Lord God, we refuse to ac-
cept it, or to have anything to do with it. To recognize 
it in that character is an insult to the God of the Sab-
bath. It is setting aside his own memorial and exalting 
a religious innovation above it. We cannot, we dare 
not, unite even " with a multitude " to do such a thing. 
We must respect the authority of God, and keep his 
commandments, and reject everything which comes in 
conflict with them. 
Again, our Saviour says, " Ye cannot serve two mas-
ters." We cannot obey the law of God and obey a law 
which stands in direct opposition to his law. We know 
that worldly powers will accept such obedience as that, 
as the beast will be content if we receive his mark in 
the hand. A nominal observance of Sunday, such ob-
servance as an atheist can render, will answer the de-
mands of these " National Reformers." But not so with 
God. He will not accept a division of worship. He 
must be worshiped " in spirit and in truth." He will 
not be mocked with professed obedience to his com-
mandment while we change its terms to suit our con-
venience, or add something which neutralizes it. It 
would be well for the people of this generation if they 
would remember his words: " I the Lord thy God am a 
jealous God; " and " My glory will I not give to an-
other." 
Now it appears to us that if the Sunday-enforcement 
advocates had proper regard for just reasoning, for the 
principles of Protestantism, and for the plain reading of 
the word of God, they would at once concede the reason-
ableness of our position, and the injustice of trying by 
law to compel us to a course of action which we so firmly 
believe will be doing homage to the image of the beast, 
against which the Lord has denounced such terrible 
wrath. 
Above all is their inconsistency—we might say their 
effrontery—shown in their denouncing us as siding with 
infidels because we will not aid them in enforcing their 
Sunday-Sabbath laws. Is it possible that they think 
we can be guilty of such hypocrisy, such treachery to 
the cause of God, as to believe that the seventh day is 
the Sabbath, and the only Sabbath of the Lord, and yet 
join them in exalting a human institution, an opposition 
Sabbath, above it ? We read in the Scriptures of those 
who " feared the Lord and served their own gods," but 
we have no intention to be counted with them. But 
perhaps we ought not greatly to wonder that they ask 
us to act contrary to our profession, for they who profess 
so great esteem for the commandment of God while they 
practically make it void by their tradition, doing that 
which the commandment forbids and trampling upon 
that which the commandment requires, cannot be ex-
pected to appreciate consistency of faith , and practice 
in others. 
God's service is a work of faith. Many have said that 
our position appears plausible and may be right, but 
they will wait and see if these things take place as we 
think the prophecy teaches. If they do come as pre-
dicted, then they will believe. But there will then be 
no call for belief. Paul says faith comes by the word of 
God, and is the evidence of things not seen. Rom. 10: 
17; Heb. 11:1. The people in Noah's time no longer 
doubted the truthfulness of his preaching when the flood 
came; but they had not faith. They saw; they knew; 
but knowledge thus gained could not benefit them. 
" Without faith it is impossible to please God." " What 
saith the Scriptures ? " We beseech you, reader, not to 
turn away from the " sure word of prophecy " until it is 
too late. We shall speak again of the danger of putting 
away faith, and waiting to see before daring to trust 
the word of God. And we shall soon have something 
to say of the coming compromise in Europe. 
Our Works in the Judgment. 
"FoR God shall bring every work into judgment, with 
every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be 
evil." Eccl. 12:14. " For the Son of man shall come 
in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he 
shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 
16:27. " For we must all appear before the judgment 
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things 
done in his body, according to that he hath done, 
whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10. " And I saw 
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the 
books were opened; and another book was opened, which 
is the book of life; and the dead were judged out Of 
those things which were written in the books, according 
to their works." Rev. 20: 12. 
We have in these passages a distinct idea of the nat-
ure of the Judgment of the great day. That Ji.dgment 
will make an investigation of our conduct, and the de-
cision will be in accordance with the facts of our his-
tory. We learn that our works are written in the books 
of God, and that all these works, whether good or bad, 
whether open or secret, will be brought into the Judg-
ment, and that the decision will be according to the 
things.written in the books. These facts ought to make 
us walk circumspectly before God. 
But it is generally thought that we may be saved by 
faith without works, and by grace without obedience. 
Thus when we urge men to obey God they often taunt 
us by saying: You expect to be saved by your good 
works, but we are saved by grace. But these persons 
seem never to ask, How do I know that the grace of 
God saves me ? They conclude that grace saves them 
because they profess faith in Christ. Yet they are not 
careful to obey God. They are as likely to 'sell a poor 
article as though it were a good one as are their neigh-
bors who do not pretend to be Christians. They are as 
likely to neglect the poor, and even to oppress them, as 
are many who do not profess the religion of Christ. In 
their lives may be seen anger, impatience, envy, jeal-
ousy, and covetousness. Yet these persons are saved by 
grace, and they think they should dishonor the grace of 
God if they attempted to obey God, because it would 
AUGUSP 30, 1883. �
SIGNS Oki' TI---LE TIMES. �
391 
THE question sometimes arises, " Who should pay 
tithes and make offerings ? " As to the first part, the 
answer is simple: Every one should pay tithe who has 
any tithe to pay. If a person's income is small, of 
course his tithe will be correspondingly small; and 
should there be a person with absolutely no income, 
dependent entirely upon charity for subsistence, of 
course he would have no tithe to pay. But that would 
not be the case with any one having a. reasonable de-
gree of health. We are not speaking now of professed 
Christians merely; every man is under obligation to 
pay tithe, whether he makes a profession of religion or 
not. " The tithe is the Lord's," and should invariably 
be returned to him, no matter in whose hands it may 
be found. This distinction may be made, however: 
Worldlings have never confessed their obligation to 
God, nor agreed 'to honor him in the matter of tithes, 
or otherwise; but Christians profess to honor God, 
which includes the payment of tithes; and therefore 
while woridlings are guilty of .robbery (Mal. 3 : 8), 
Christians who fail to meet their obligations, add to 
robbery the additional crime of falsehood. 
The matter of offerings is of course left largely to 
the individual. For some, an offering of a few cents 
would involve more sacrifice than the gift of a thousand 
dollars would for another. Should the man with am-
ple wealth give a hUndred dollars without having to 
make any sacrifice, it would not be so acceptable in 
the sight of Heaven as would a few dimes from one 
who had to deprive himself of some necessity in con-
sequence of his gift. " For if there be first a willing 
mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and 
not according to that he hath not." 2 Cor. 8 : 12. 
But while each individual must be his own judge as 
to how much he will give, the obligation to make offer-
ings rests upon all; for the Lord, through the prophet 
Malachi, accuses his people of robbing him in the mat- 
show that they do not trust in the grace of God for sal-
vation, but are trying to add to that grace the merit of 
their good works. 
The capital error of these persons consists in the idea 
that the grace of God can dwell in the heart without 
manifesting itself in our acts. In their estimation the 
difference between a saint and a sinner is that one pro-
fesses to be a Christian and the other frankly acknowl-
edges that he is not such. But of what value is the 
grace of God if it does not change our character ? And 
how can it change our character without changing our 
conduct ? If grace has saved us, will not our neighbors 
be able to see that we are new creatures in Christ ? If 
we have put off the old man, and put on the new man, 
will not our conduct be entirely changed ? 
But these persons say: " God accepts us because we 
have faith in Christ." But does this faith produce good 
works ? Does it cause you to obey God ? Do you read 
his word to learn your duty, and then hasten to obey ? 
Do you study the life of Christ to learn his example, 
and then do you follow carefully in his steps ? 1 Pet. 
2:21. To this they always answer: We do not expect 
to be saved by our good works; Christ has done all for 
us, and we are saved by him. 
Alas! what words can ever awaken . these persons 
from the deception of Satan, and from the sleep of sin ? 
Christ says to this very class: " And why call ye me 
Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ? " Luke 
6:46-49. St. Paul says of Christ: " And being made 
perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto 
all them that obey him." Heb. 5: 9. And St. James 
says to those who excuse their disobedience under pre-
tense of faith in Christ: " But wilt thou know, 0 vain 
man, that faith without works is dead? " James 2: 20. 
If such passages fail to alarm these sinners in Zion, 
we call their attention to the following impressive fact: 
Faith will cease when we behold the Son of God coming 
to the Judgment, for it will then be changed to sight. 
And it is of special importance to notice that in the 
Judgment our works are to be examined, but not our 
faith. In every passage it is said that we shall be judged 
according to our works, and never in one is it said that 
we shall be judged according to our faith. 
But when the Judge shall ask these persons what 
were their works as Christians, their answer must be: 
We believed in Christ. When he shall further demand, 
Did you obey the Saviour in whom you professed to be-
lieve ? they can only answer so far as to say: We made 
profession that we were his disciples. But, says the 
Judge: Did you obey his precepts ? Have you repented 
of your sins ? Have you been careful to restore to oth-
ers what you have taken from them by fraud or false-
hood ? Have you denied yourself of ungodliness and 
worldly lusts ? Have you really sought to imitate the 
life of Christ ? Have you possessed your soul in pa-. 
tience ? Have you walked humbly with God in keep-
ing his commandments ? 
And the answer must be: We have never thought 
these disagreeable things to be necessary. We were 
saved by grace, and 
you 
that was enough. But, 
says the Judge: If you had been saved by grace that 
grace would have manifested itself in all the things 
which I have enumerated. This inquiry into your con-
duct is simply that it may appear whether it was grace 
or sin that reigned in you during your life. Though 
you were a mortal man exposed to temptation, and al-
ways in danger of falling. into sin, it was your privilege 
always to repent and to find pardon through the blood 
of Christ. And it was always your privilege to advance 
in the grace of Christ and in the love of God. Alas! 
that you had a name to live and were dead. . 
Let us bring this subject home to ourselves. Two 
questions will test us most severely: 1. What have you 
done ? 2. Why did you do it ? Let us suppose that in 
answer to the first question the history of our lives shall 
show that we have apparently led lives of obedience to 
God. Thus we have manifested much zeal for Christ; 
we have given much money to sustain his work; we 
have given much to relieve the poor; we have endured 
much suffering in his cause, and said much to induce 
others to become Christians. This will be a noble 
record if it shall appear that we did it to glorify God 
and to save men. But the Judge will ask, Why have 
you done these things ? And if it shall appear that our 
real motive was to glorify ourselves and to be counted 
of men persons of good piety, the Judge will say, You 
have had your reward. 
We need every day of our lives to seek God in the 
most solemn manner. He will convert our inmost souls 
if we really desire that he should do it. �
J. N. A. 
ter of offerings; but the withholding of offerings could 
not be called robbery if the Lord had no claim on us 
beyond our tithe. There can be no exceptions to the 
general rule that all should make offerings, for it would 
seem to be impossible to find a person in more reduced 
circumstances than was the poor widow mentioned in 
Mark 12 : 42. She had only two mites (less than half 
a cent) in the world, yet she gave, not one-tenth merely, 
but the whole of it; and we do not read that the Lord 
condemned her in the least for this act. 
A common idea is that if a man gives freely he will 
impoverish himself. The trouble is that men leave 
God out of their calculations. Dr. Clarke, in his com-
ment on Acts 15 : 10, includes the payment of tithes, 
etc., in the ceremonial law—the "yoke of bondage "—
and artlessly says: "Had not God, by an especial prov-
idence, rendered both their fields and' their flocks very 
fruitful, they could not have borne so painful a ritual." 
Well, that is just what the Lord promises to do for 
those who render to him his due. Honor the Lord 
with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine 
increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and 
thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Prov. 3 : 
9,10. Again he says:— 
" Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that 
there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now 
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open 
you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, 
that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And 
I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall 
not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall 
your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, 
saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3 : 10,11. It is "the 
Lord of hosts" that makes this promise; certainly he 
has the power to fulfill it; and who dares say that he 
will not keep his word ? 
The wise man said, " There is that scattereth, and 
yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more 
than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." Prov. 11 :24. 
There can be no doubt but that many who bewail their 
(in most cases imaginary) inability to assist in the 
cause of God, owe their pecuniary embarrassment to 
the fact that they are not willing to make a sacrifice 
and help with what they have. A notable instance of 
this is described in the Bible. 
We learn from the book of Ezra that the people who, 
at the command of Cyrus, went up from Babylon to 
Jerusalem to build the temple, became discouraged on 
account of the opposition brought to bear against them, 
and abandoned the work for several years. Added to 
this opposition was a severe drought, which cut off their 
crops, depriving them of even the necessaries of life. 
Of course under these circumstances they could not be 
expected to give time and means for the building of 
the temple, and they very naturally concluded that 
the time had not come for the Lord's house to be built, 
Haggai 1 :2; " for," they doubtless reasoned, " if the 
Lord wanted his house built now, he would give us the 
means with which to do it." 
" Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the 
prophet, saying, Is it time for you, 0 ye, to dwell in your 
ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore 
thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye 
have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye 
have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with 
drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he 
that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag 
with holes." Haggai 1 :3-6. 
Then the Lord gives the cause of this terrible want: 
" Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and 
when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why ? 
saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that 
is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 
Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, 
and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called 
for a drought upon the land," etc. Verses 9-11. Read 
also chapter 2 :11-19. 
In this instance the people thought that the hard 
times was a sufficient reason for not building the tem- 
ple, when the hard times came solely because they had 
not gone ahead with the work of building. The Lord 
now promised them that from this time he would bless 
them, if they would take hold of the work; and to 
assure them of his ability to give and to withhold 
prosperity, and also of his right to receive homage, he 
said, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith 
the Lord of hosts." 
The apostle Paul said in regard to the subject of giv-
ing, " But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall 
This Generation. 
IT is not strange that the words of Christ, " This 
generation shall not pass, till all these things be ful-
filled," should arrest the attention of students of proph-
ecy; but it has seemed to us strange that any one should 
adopt, by way of explanation, the long-drawn-out and 
illimitable idea that the generation means the genera-
tion, or race, of the Jews. 
That portion of the Saviour's discourse in which this 
statement occurs, consists of a series of propositions de-
signed to lead the mind to the great fact of his second 
coming, and to show especially the proximity of that 
event. The sun and moon were to be darkened, the 
stars to fall, the powers of heaven to be shaken, the 
tribes of the earth to mourn, and the Son of man to 
appear in heaven. Now when ye see these things (not 
the coming of Christ itself, but these things named 
before, which were to constitute signs of that coming), 
know that his coming is very near. How near ? Why, 
this generation is not to pass till all is fulfilled. Thus 
this statement becomes the climax of those declarations 
which are to show the nearness of Christ's coming. 
But let us attach to it this idea that it refers to the 
race of the Jews, and what does it become ? Let us 
see. When certain things come to pass, kriow that 
Christ is near. How near ? Why so near that the 
Jews as a race will not have ceased to exist before he 
comes. But how long have they existed already? 
About thirty-four hundred years. May they exist as 
much longer ? Yes, for aught that appears in their 
own history to the contrary. Then where is the force 
of this statement as showing the nearness of his com-
ing ? It is worse than lost. Our Lord was not such a 
reasoner. This looks to us about as it would be for a 
man to try to tell another concerning his approach to 
Chicago, and after giving him the last station, he tells 
him he is then about entering Chicago. How near ? 
says the man. Oh ! replies the first, this railroad, 
which extends from Boston to San Francisco, will not 
have ended before you reach Chicago ! 
How easy, consistent, and forcible to come down with 
the discourse to the time when the signs appear, to the 
generation before whom they are set forth as signs, 
which is the present generation, and understand this to 
be the generation meant; then the declaration falls 
upon our ears with startling emphasis: This generation 
shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled. 
U. s. 
The Honor Due to God. No. 5. 
392 �
TI-11-1, SIGNS OF TI-I 1 TIMES. �VoL. 9. No. 33. 
reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully 
shall reap also bountifully." 2 Cor. 9 :6. There are 
many who have proved the truth of this, and who 
know that it pays to take God into all their calcu-
lations, and in all their ways to acknowledge him; for, 
as Paul' continues, " God is able to make all grace 
abound toward you; that ye, always having all suf-
ficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." 
E. J. W. 
Trip to Nevada.' 
ACCORDING to appointment we visited Nevada Aug. 
9-22. Spent a Sabbath and Sunday at Reno, and 
also at St. Clair. The friends at Reno had secured the 
Congregationalist church in which to hold our meetings. 
There are but few here who observe the Sabbath, but 
some interest was manifested from the outside, especially 
on Sunday. Could there be a series of meetings held at 
this place we see no reason why quite a number might 
not be gathered in. Two, who had been reading our 
publications, fully decided to cast their lot with us. 
One brother subscribed for eight copies of the SIGNS to 
be sent to his friends, for one year. Most of these are 
living in Arkansas. He also had a set of charts sent to 
him, as he designed to arrange his business so that he 
can return to his friends and do missionary work. We 
hope that the blessing of God will go with him. 
At St. Clair there are quite a number who meet reg-
ularly every Sabbath; and although some live several 
miles from the place, they attended nearly all of our 
meetings. Like many other destitute fields we can say 
they need labor. 
Nevada being a mining State it would not be as favor-
able a field to labor in as some others; but we know of 
no place where the prospect for a series of meetings 
would be better than in the above-mentioned places. 
They have been unfortunate in securing laborers. El-
der Healey spent some weeks with them a few years ago 
which greatly encouraged them, but on account of poor 
health be could labor but little. Eld. Farnsworth's la-
bors were also blessed when lie was there. Some twelve 
or fifteen made a start to serve God. But when the in-
terest was best he was obliged to start East on account 
of his wife's health, and they have had no labor since 
that time. 
Quite a number are preparing to attend the Healds-
burg College the next term. One brother is already at 
the school. He is not able to pay all his expenses 
through this term, but the brethren considered it a priv-
ilege to assist him. Some who have families and others 
who have not are endeavoring to arrange their business 
so as to spend a few months at the school, in order to 
become better acquainted with Bible truth, and qualify 
themselves to go from house to house, and hold Bible 
readings in families, and thus, by personal labor, bring 
souls to Christ and his truth. There are scores of men 
and women who could be of service in the cause of 
Christ, should they leave their farms, their merchandise, 
and other pursuits, and take a few months' drill at the 
College in the study of the Holy Scriptures. This would 
bring their minds where God could operate upon them 
by his Holy Spirit, and they be a channel through 
which light could be brought to others. It is not the 
flowery sermons which are needed, but men of sanctified 
common sense, men of integrity and moral worth, those 
who have acquired a competency in this life and feel the 
worth of the soul. There will be a special course of in-
struction given to such after the camp-meeting, which 
will be of great benefit to those men and women who 
wish to go out as colporteurs in their neighborhoods and 
towns, and to do other missionary work. Already the 
school has accomplished much in this direction, but we 
hope to see it increase in usefulness until missionary 
workers will be sent, not only to all parts of the Pacific 
slope, but to the islands of the sea and distant nations. 
May God hasten this time. 
During the proclamation of the First Angel's Message 
farmers disposed of their farms and other trades, and 
turned their attention to proclaiming that message. 
Shall we not see a greater move as the last message of 
mercy to a dying world is closing ? It certainly will 
come, and may God help us to prepare for that event. 
The brethren in Nevada expect to be represented at 
the camp-meeting, where tliey hope that arrangements 
may be made for future labor in that field. 
S. N. HASKELL. 
" IF we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves 
and the truth is not in us." 
LUte ati5sionarn. 
Virginia Camp-Meeting. 
THE first camp-meeting of this new Conference 
was held at the time and place appointed. There 
was a much larger meeting of the friends of the 
cause, and of the outside people of the surround-
ing country than was expected. Full one hun-
dred and fifty camped on the ground. On the 
Sabbath there were about two hundred and 
fifty beside our own people in attendance all day. 
On Sunday there were from a thousand to fifteen 
hundred on the ground. Much prejudice existed 
against our holding a camp-meeting in the vicinity 
of New Market, so much that it was difficult to 
obtain ground on which to hold it. But we are 
happy to state that this prejudice gave way, and 
several invitations were made for us at our next 
camp-meeting to occupy ground on their land free 
of charge. 
When we consider that the -United Brethren 
were holiling a camp-meeting within seven miles 
of our camp, and in an established place for meet-
ing for years, and that for all this our meeting 
was larger than theirs, we had great reason to 
praise God. 
The brethren and sisters responded readily to 
the plain, pointed truths and instructions given 
in the sermons preached, and the testimonies 
borne at other meetings. We can say, They did 
well, when we consider the customs of the coun-
try, and that this was their first experience in 
holding a camp-meeting. The sweet, melting 
Spirit of the Lord was so manifested at times that 
we all felt that he approved of our effort. 
There was life and interest in all our social 
meetings, and especial, interest was :taken in the 
children's meetings. The brethren seemed to 
take hold better in the direction of speaking and 
praying in meeting than in giving of their means 
to support the cause. But we feel assured that 
they will soon learn this part of the work too, 
and will become as ready to make sacrifices as in 
other Conferences. May God help them in this 
important duty that his precious cause may not 
suffer for want of means. 
As the Conference had been organized but about 
four months there was no business connected with 
our camp-meeting. However, seeing the wants 
of the Tract and Missionary Society and the .need 
of a Reserve Fund, an effort was made to raise one, 
and pledges were secured to the amount of $350. 
The camp-meeting expenses to the amount of a 
little more than $100 were promptly raised and 
paid. 
The efforts made for sinners and backsliders 
were successful, as between thirty and forty re-
sponded by coming forward. The tears that 
flowed freely and the testimonies borne by these 
showed that the Spirit of God was at work on 
their hearts. On Monday, the last day of .the 
meeting, the ordinance of baptism was adminis-
tered by Brother Corliss to seven willing can-
didates. It - was a very solemn scene and many 
were moved to tears. 
On the whole this camp-meeting was a success, 
and all the friends of the cause were much en-
couraged. We left them satisfied that the Third 
Angel's Message is the same in the South as in 
the North, and the same everywhere. 
Galion, 0., August 16, 1883. 1. D. VANHOR,N. 
The Waldenses and the Reformation. 
AFTER the terrible persecution that came upon 
the Waldenses at the close of the fifteenth cent-
ury, and the defeat that the Piedmontese army 
received, by God's interposing in behalf of these 
Christians, there came a respite. Says Leger, 
the historian, " God turned the heart of their 
prince towards this poor people." He sent an 
embassador to their valleys to assure them of his 
good will, and to secure their's; and to intimate 
to them a wish to receive their deputies. They 
chose twelve men who were venerable with age 
and noted for piety, to visit Turin. They were 
admitted into the duke's presence, and gave such 
an account of their faith that he testified that he 
had been misled, and had done them wrong. He 
assured them that he would not again suffer such 
wrongs to be inflicted upon them, and several 
times he said that he had not so virtuous, so faith-
ful, and so obedient subjects as the Vaudois. He 
manifested a desire to see their children, where- 
upon twelve mothers with their infants were 
straightway sent to visit the prince, and they 
presented themselves before him. He examined 
them narrowly. The historian says: " He found 
them well formed, and testified his admiration of 
their healthy faces, clear eyes, and lively prattle. 
He had been told, he said, that the ' Vaudois chil-
dren were monsters, with only one eye placed in 
the middle of the forehead, four rows of black 
teeth, and other similar deformities.' " The young 
prince, Charles II., confirmed the privileges and 
immunities of the Vaudois, and dismissed them 
with his promise that they should be unmolested 
in the future. 
But still in the absence of the armed crusader, 
the Catholic missionary and inquisitor assailed 
them. Some were seduced, others were kid-
napped and carried off to the holy office; but this 
in a more private manner. These annoyances, 
while outwardly peace was offered them, and no 
war declared against them, were unfavorable for 
their integrity and piety. A desire for repose 
made many conform outwardly to the Romish 
Church. Says Monastier, in his history of the 
Vaudois: " In order to be shielded from all inter-
ruption in their journeys, on business, they ob-
tained from the priests, who were settled in the 
valleys, certificates or testimonials of their being 
Papists." To obtain this it was necessary for 
them outwardly to attend the Romish chapel, to 
confess, and go to mass, and have their children 
baptized by the priests. This dissimulation on 
their part was the entering wedge to lead them 
to renounce their purity of faith, and to receive 
into their hearts a worse foe than the sword and 
the bow. The old true vine of piety seemed to 
be dying. 
It was about this time that the Reformation 
broke out, although up to this time they had 
heard nothing of it in their secluded spot. The 
policy of conforming in their habits and in their 
customs to secure favors of the world, brought 
upon themselves a weakness from which, as a 
people, they were never able to recover. The 
Reformation was making progress at this time, 
and when the intelligence was announced, the 
Vaudois " were as men who dreamed." In 1526 
they sent forth Pastor Martin, of the valley of 
Lucerna, on a mission of inquiry. He found 
churches of Reformers in Switzerland, Germany, 
and France. He received books from the Reform-
ers in Germany, containing their views. In 1530 
George Morel was commissioned to visit the Re-
formers of Switzerland and Germany, and bring 
them word touching their doctrine and manner 
of life. At that time there were Protestants in 
Neuchatel, Morat, and Bern. They had inter-
views with Berthold Haller and William Farel. 
They visited Basle, and presented to CEcolampa-
dins a document in Latin containing a complete 
account of their ecclesiastical discipline, worship, 
doctrine, and manners. They were anxious to 
learn if these reformed churches would accept 
them, and if not to inform them where the de-
fect was, and to specify in what points of faith 
they were not sound, and to what an extent. 
This gave unspeakable joy to the Reformer of 
Basle. For years these churches of the Walden-
ses had been in the fire, and yet had not been 
consumed, and now the seed which they had 
sown was bearing fruit; and they presented them-
selves before this great Reformation as suppliants 
to ask them to correct their faith and give them 
the true light wherein they had erred. " We 
render thanks," said Ecolampadius in his letter, 
Oct. 13, 1530, to the churches of Province, " to 
our most gracious Father that he has called you 
into such marvelous light, during ages in which 
such thick darkness has covered almost the whole 
world under the empire of antichrist. We love 
you as brethren." 
The Reformers saw that they had already be-
gun to decline, from their original faith, and thus 
they wrote, "As we approve of many things 
among you, so there are several which we wish 
to see amende
d. We are informed that the fear 
of persecution has caused you to dissemble and 
to conceal your faith. . . . There is no con-
cord between Christ and Belial. You commune 
with unbelievers; you take part in their abom-
inable masses, in which the death and passion of 
Christ are blasphemed. . . . I know your 
weakness, but it becomes those who have been 
redeemed by the blood of Christ to be more cour-
ageous. It is better for us to die than to be over-
come by temptation." Thus was the Reformation 
a source of strength, by giving a sharp, faithful, 
gtmEitranu. 
Cruelty of the Liquor Traffic. 
THE liquor traffic is cruelty of the most diabol-
ical character, Nothing can exceed it, for it pro-
cepds upon the principle that "perish who may it 
must and shall be maintained." 
Government is a partner in the business, and 
its share"of the profit is called revenue. Govern-
ment grants the licenses, receiving therefor a cer-
tain price which the manufacturer and vender 
pay for the privilege of making and selling. 
But Government, while it sets the wheel in 
motion, discountenances the work of the traffic—
in fact, punishes the man who drinks and gets 
drunk. 
Government says: " If any one will pay' into 
my treasury $50 he may sell alcoholic spirits to 
any who will buy;" but if a man drinks to drunk-
enness, and becomes boistrous on the streets, Gov-
ernment punishes him for it; locks him up in a 
guard-house and makes him pay a fine. And 
should he, while drunk, steal or commit high- 
36 
30 
17 
115 
67 
12 
36 
362 
40 
29 
19 
60 
198 148 
477 
1 
1 
4 1 
• 3 
2 5 
6 15 
11 
14 
8 
29 
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Tipper Columbia Tract Society. 
REPORT FOR QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30, 1883. 
}2-• 
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New Subscribers. 
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Totals 
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8 05 
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$25 60 $135 78 
$ 49 41 
31 30 
115 91 
178 98 
$375 60 
$ 11 91 
17 50 
32 81 
35 00 
$97 22 
$ 32 00 
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$117 00 
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261 
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Agents.. 
was the result of their counsels in this first great 
ecclesiastical assembly of modern times. 
The church of the Alps now had peace for 
twenty-eight years, and it was a time of great 
prosperity. Victory attended their efforts to 
spread the truth. George Morel states that at 
this time there were more 'than eight hundred 
thousand persons of the religion of the Vaudois. 
Their exemption from persecution, however, was 
not absolute, but comparative. The luke-warm 
were seldom molested, but the zealous and de-
voted brought with their quickened zeal a revival 
of the persecutor's malignity, though it did not 
find vent in violences so dreadful as the tempests 
that had lately smitten them. 
S. N. HASKELL. 
Mondovi, Wisconsin. 
FoR about five weeks our meetings have been 
in progress in this place. Circumstances have 
been favorable, except that it is the most busy 
season of the year. We have had considerable 
rainy weather, but have not lost a single service 
on this account. 
The interest, which was good at first, is now 
better and deeper still. Few have as yet decided 
in favor of the truth, but many are in the valley 
of decision. 
The opposition are girding on the armor, and 
the battle was opened by their forces yesterday. 
Two discourses were given against our position. 
The weakness of the Sunday cause was made 
quite apparent by an effort to sustain the falling 
fabric, which consisted of a curious combination of 
erroneous and. contradictory positions. We shall 
review both discourses. It is a cause of thuch 
gratitude that the Lord has given us a consistent 
and harmonious truth. We feel our need of God's 
grace to help us to live it, and place it properly 
before the people that they may accept it in the 
love of it. �
We shall continue here for somb 
time, and are hoping and praying for fruits of 
our ab
or. �
G. C. TENNEY, 
August 13. �
C. F. STILLWELL. 
AUGUST 30, 1883. �
TI-I �
N. SIGNS OF TI--I I-I: TIM �
IH.S. �
393 
and brotherly rebuke to those who had sought 
to conform to the Papists, that they might save 
themselves from so much inconvenience. 
The commi.-sioners visiti'd other Reformers at 
Strasburg, Germany. They were received with 
congratulations wherever they went. The Re-
formers willingly permitted their elder sister the 
benefit of their own wider views. Says a writer, 
" If the men of the sixteenth century recognized 
the v, ,ice of primitive Christianity speaking in the 
Vaudois, the latter heard the voice of the Bible, 
or rather of God .himself, speaking in the Reform-
ers, and submitted themselves with modesty and 
docilty to their reproofs. The last had become 
first." In many respects these two churches 
found their creeds not to be twain, but one. They 
find that they have both of them drawn their 
doctrine from the word of God; they are not 
two churches, they are one. They were the 
elder and younger members of the same glorious 
family; the children of the same Father. 
One of the deputies. on his return, was thrown 
into prison, and ultimately condemned and burned; 
but his fellow deputy, George Morel, bearing the 
letters of the Reformers, happily arrived in safety 
to Province. Imagine the feelings of this ancient 
church when the contents of the letters were read. 
The news touching numerous bodies of Christians 
now appearing in many lands, so full of knowl-
edge, and faith, and courage, was literally astound-
ing. They thought that they were alone in the 
world; but, like one anciently, they found 7,000 
who had not bowed the knee to Baal, or yielded 
to his requirements. They who had fought the 
battle were not to have the honor of the victory. 
There were others who came into the field ready 
to assist them and hold up their hands. 
A great majority of the Vaudois were of the 
opinion that they ought to listen to other Reform-
ers, but a small minority, as at the present day, 
were opposed to being taught by the new disci-
ples, and allowing them to dictate to those who 
were older. They went back to the Reformers 
for advice, and after repeated interchange of 
views it was finally resolved to convene a synod 
in the valleys, at which all the questions of dif-
ferences between the two churches might be de-
bated, and the relations which they were to sus-
tain towards each other determined. The rep-
resentatives from all parts of Europe met on the 
12th of October, 1532. Two years earlier was 
the Augsburg Confession. A year before, Zwin-
gle bad died on the field of Cappel. The Refor-
mation was beginning to be illustrated by the 
heroic deaths of its children. Calvin had not at 
this time become prominent, but he was alrep,dy 
under the Protestant banner. This synod sat 
for six consecutive days. They drew up seven-
teen articles of faith, called a " Short Confession 
of Faith," made by the pastors and heads of 
the families of the valleys of the Piedmont, the 
chief of which, says Wylie, are the " Moral ina-
bility of man;" "Election to eternal life; " " The 
will of God, as made known in the Bible, the only 
rule of duty;" and "The doctrine of two sacra-
ments only, baptism and the Lord's Supper." 
This revived the old spirit of the Waldenses. 
They ceased to practice those dissimulations; 
and yet they had lowered and compromised some 
of the faith that had characterized them years 
before this. Their meeting-houses had been de 
stroyed, and the Waldenses had feared to rebuild 
them lest they should bring down upon them-
selves a new storm of violence and blood. Caves 
were selected as places of meeting; and when 
the weather was fine, they would assemble on 
the mountain-side under the great boughs of 
their ancestral trees. But in a short time, 
strengthened by the fellowship and counsels of 
their Protestant brethren, churches arose, and 
the worship of God was reinstituted. Crowds 
flocked to the preaching, and not a few came 
from the plains of Piedmont, and other remote 
parts of their valleys, to drink of these living 
waters, again flowing in their land. 
There was a new translation of the Scriptures 
into the French tongue about this time. The 
Vaudois .wished the privilege of having it done 
at their sole expense, and it was considered as 
their gift to the churches of the Reformation. 
What a noble gift ! The Bible had been their 
study for years and years, and now they give it 
to the churches of the Reformation. It was 
printed in folio, in black letter, at Neuchitel in 
the year 1535. The entire expense was paid by 
the Waldenses, and the cost of it was 1 500 crowns 
of gold, a large sum for a people so poor. This 
way robbery, Government will lock him up in 
the State prison • and should he commit murder, 
Government will put him to an ignominious 
death. 
One might suppose that, inasmuch as the drunk-
ard is helping the Government to raise revenue 
when he drinks, he would be treated like a gentle-
man when he drank a great deal and became 
drunk. But not so. The same Government that 
encourages drunkenness by the sale of licenses, 
keeps its officers and courts to arrest, try, and 
punish the drunkard. 
And not only so, but how wide-spread is the 
sorrow which this traffic inflicts! If the drink-
ing raanthe drunkard--was the only sufferer, 
the case would not be such a hard one. But see 
how it is. The poor man addicted to drink has a 
family who are dependent upon him, and instead 
of spending his wages for food and raiment for 
those dependent upon him, he goes to a grog shop 
—a Government grog shop—and spends the last 
cent of his week's wages in a drunken carousal. 
By midnight he is beastly drunk and, having 
no more money to spend, the Government agent 
—the bar keeper—kicks him out upon the street 
and there the policemen—Government officers—
find him and hurry him off to the guard-house 
to spend the night. 
To-morrow is Sunday, and yet the wife and 
children are at home without a morsel to eat and 
perhaps without fuel. Cold and, hungry they 
huddle together and await in terrible suspense 
for the coming of husband and father. But he 
comes not! for 'Government, having made him 
drunk, has locked him up as a punishment for 
being drunk. Ah! what suffering in that drunk-
ard's family. Sunday morning dawns and the 
Sunday-school bells ring, and the well-dressed 
children of sober parents are hurrying along, 
with bright faces to the Sunday-schools. The 
drunkard's children, in rags, and suffering with 
hunger, look out from their dirty hiding-place 
and compare their own misery with the bright-
ness and cheerfulness they see upon the street, 
and oh, how, their tender hearts bleed! 
Monday morning comes and the drunken father 
is summoned before the mayor. He is charged 
with drunkenness and disorderly conduct. What 
does Government do? Does the mayor say to 
him, " You are a patriotic citizen because you 
spend your money freely to help support the 
liquor traffic and raise revenue for the State ? " 
No. But Government says you must pay a fine 
of five dollars. 
The poor man says: " I can't do it. I have no 
money. Besides,. my wife and children are at 
home cold and hungry, and surely you will not be 
so cruel as to tax me again, seeing that I spent 
my whole week's wages Saturday night helping 
to support the traffic and the Government." 
But Government says: " It is no concern of 
ours if your wife and children are suffering; we 
must have five dollars or you must remain in 
prison five days." 
Will not God take vengeance upon such a sys-
tem of cruelty and oppression ? Aye! " Vengeance 
is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord!,"—Spirit of 
the Age. 
NOT long since a citizen of Chicago, while on 
his way home from business, was attacked by two 
savage bulldogs and severely injured. The neigh-
bors were so incensed that they turned out and 
shot one of the dogs and hung the other, regard-
less of the opinions or rights of the owner. There 
are somewhere about six thousand men in Chi-
cago who are the owners of an animal as much 
more savage and terrible than these bulldogs as 
imagination can paint, and they are sending him 
out to destroy men and women, boys and girls, all 
over the city. Yet they are protected by license, 
and the kind-hearted neighbors who would inter-
fere and stop the destruction are denounced as 
fanatics and cranks. An equal number of bull-
dogs would not do one-half the damage done by 
the saloons, for the bulldog is honest and shows 
his teeth. People would avoid until they could 
destroy him. The saloon destroys under the 
guise of friendship. It is more hypocritical, more 
savage and meaner in every way than the bull-
dog.—The Lever. 
HE who is rich when he comes to die, but is still 
without Christ, is like the Arab in the desert, with 
his bag full of pearls, but perishing for want of 
bread. 
394 �
TIlE SIGNS OF TITE TIM ES. 
 
VoL. 9, No. 33. 
Zht Ainte circle. 
THE �
PRAYER. 
 
ELOQUENT the children's faces— 
Poverty's lean look which saith: 
Save us ! save us ! Woe surrounds us. 
Little knowledge sore confounds us. 
Life is but a lingering death ! 
Give us light amid our darkness; 
Let us know the good from ill; 
Hate us not for all our blindness; 
Love us; lead us; show us kindness; 
You can make us what you will. 
We are willing; we are ready; 
We will learn if you will teach; 
We have hearts that yearn toward duty; 
We have minds alive to beauty; 
Souls that any heights can reach. 
Raise us by your Christian knowledge; 
Consecrate to man our powers; 
Let us take our proper station; 
We, the rising generation; 
Let us stamp the stage as ours. 
Look into our childish faces, 
See ye not our willing hearts ? 
Only love us; only lead us; 
Only let us know you need us, 
And we all will do our parts. 
Train us ! try us ! days slide onward, 
They can ne'er be ours again. 
Save us ! save from our undoing; 
Save from ignorance and ruin; 
Make us worthy to be MEN ! 
Send us out the world to better ! 
Send us forth good seed to sow ! 
We may be our fathers' teachers; 
We may be the mightiest preachers 
In the day that dawneth now ! 
Such the children's mute appealing ! 
Who will answer ? Who will hear ? 
Who will hear this cry of sadness ? 
Who will answer it in gladness ? 
Helping those to Christ so dear ! 
—Mary Howitt, in Baptist Flag. 
The Stranger's Mission. 
"WHAT! has he gone ?" exclaimed Mrs. Tucker, 
entering the breakfast room, from the kitchen, 
bringing a small deep pan of hot water, and find-
ing only Aunt Sylvia, where but three minutes 
before she had left a trio. 
" He has just stepped out on the porch with 
Mr. Tucker," replied Aunt Sylvia, proceeding to 
wash the soiled silver she bad gathered from the 
dismantled table, in the pan of water her niece had 
placed on the side-board. " Of course he will not 
go without at least bidding us good morning." 
" He has, however," said Mrs. Tucker. " See 
what long strides he is taking down hill toward 
the station. He cut short his adieus to you, also, 
did he not, Mr. Tucker ?" she said, as her husband 
entered the room with a broad smile overspread-
ing his rugged face. 
" Well, I must say he beats all," said Mr. Tucker, 
speaking slowly, and from the open window watch-
ing out of sight the retreating figure of his guest. 
" An entire stranger, bearing the same name as 
my first wife, but no relation to her whatever as 
I can make out, fastens himself upon us for six 
meals and two nights' lodgings, breaks up a day 
and a half for me, drives my horse ten miles or 
more, routs us up at four o'clock of a summer 
morning to get him a hot breakfast, that he may 
take an early train, and goes off without as much 
as saying, Thank you, sir,' or, I am obliged 
to you,' or, ' Give me a call should you ever 
come my way.' " 
I hope he will enjoy the lunch I put up for 
him," said Aunt Sylvia, joining in the laugh, and 
Mrs. Tucker added:—" I wonder how long it will 
take to get the smell of tobacco smoke out of the 
sitting-room. The idea of his filling his pipe, 
lighting it, and puffing away after I had hinted 
to him that tobacco was offensive to me." 
" He was dressed like a gentleman," said Mr. 
Tucker, " but for all that I should class him as a 
full-grown pig." 
" He seemed to be possessed of average intelli-
gence," said Aunt Sylvia as she began to wash 
the coffee cups, " and I suppose he has treated us 
quite as well as he treats his mother. He has 
lived on this beautiful earth nearly fifty years, 
been fed, and clothed, and sheltered, and, accord-
ing to his own story, has never recognized the 
Lord's kindness in any way. If the Lord does 
not resent his want of appreciation, I suppose we 
ought not to do so." �
• 
Mr. Tucker said nothing as he went out about 
his daily work as a farmer. 
This Aunt Sylvia of his wife's was a very de-
vout woman, with the right word for the uncon-
verted always at her tongue's end," but she never 
meddles with me," the sturdy farmer was wont to 
say. 
The perfect freshness and beauty of the June 
morning appealed to his heart in an unwonted 
manner. He was a true lover of nature, and all 
the rural charms of verdure, and foliage, and 
witching scenery about this, his ancestral home, 
were a part of his life, yet it seemed to him that 
he had never breathed in the marvelous fullness 
and perfection of the June bounteousness as on 
this morning, when the ascending sun cast over 
the dew-laden window its own peculiar rose-tint. 
"I am fifty-five," said the farmer to himself', 
" for a half century I have stood on this hill-top 
at all seasons, and at all times, and enjoyed my 
surroundings. I have had good health, an abun-
dance .of this world's goods, and but few sorrows. 
The Lord has been very good to me, but I have 
never fully appreciated it, and have never ex-
pressed myself to the All-Giver as being thankful. 
Oh! what a wretch I have been!" 
For a week Mr. Tucker turned this matter over 
and over in his mind. One thought made way 
for another. He no sooner tried to find an ex-
cuse for one short-coming than a worse one came 
to take its place. 
" I don't know what ails Mr. Tucker," said his 
wife, " he neither eats nor sleeps, he tae
s no in-. 
terest in anything you or I say or do, he don't 
even read the daily paper." 
" I have noticed it," said. Aunt Sylvia. " His 
work don't seem to be getting on, either, and there 
is a• good reason why; he just wanders around 
the farm without staying long enough in one place 
to accomplish anything,' and he stands for a half 
hour at a time looking off into the distance in one 
direction or another, as if he were taking in all 
the features of a view quite new to him. It is 
not like Mr. Tucker at all." 
" I can't understand it," said Mrs. Tucker. 
" Ile may be bilious. I will go right away and 
make him a spring syrup." 
The next morning a small glass of the decoc-
tion was handed him by his anxious wife as he 
stood in the dining-room doorway, looking pale 
and worn, gazing far off upon the distant hills. 
He shook his head and said with an apparent 
effort:— 
" No wonder you are anxious about me. I am 
anxious al5out myself', but the remedy is not thor-
oughwort nor yellow dock. Aunt Sylvia, how 
does a person atone for fifty years of willful neg-
lect of God's goodness ?" 
" So that is it!" exclaimed the good woman. 
" The Lord be praised. The stranger had a mis-
sion here after all. It was to show Abraham 
Tucker to Abraham Tucker. Let us take your 
query to the Lord." 
The change was not an instantaneous one, but 
it came at last after real repentance and much 
prayer, and it brought a marvelous joy and 
peace. 
Mr. Tucker tries to make his present daily life 
atone for the years of neglect, but he charges .all 
his young friends to start early in the right way, 
that they may enjoy the fullness of life which 
only comes to those who love and serve the Lord. 
—Mrs. Annie A. Preston, in Christian at Work. 
Cured by Kindness. 
"You oughtn't to do so," shouted Willie, as the 
butcher dashed past in his wagon, giving the whip 
unmercifully to his half-starved horse. Another 
moment, in turning the corner, the wagon- was 
upset, and the horse broke into a run. He ian 
for a mile or more. The wagon was broken to 
pieces, and the man thrown out and badly bruised. 
Next day " the vicious beast" was offered for sale. 
Willie's father bought him for a low price, for use 
on the farm. It was a foolish bargain, people said, 
for the horse was quite uncontrollable. Even his 
owner said he would bite, kick, and run away. 
But Mr. Ely bought it to' please Willie whose 
tender little heart was full of pity for the poor 
animal. " We will be so kind to him that he 
won't want to be bad, papa." So they agreed to 
follow Willie's plan. 
Before long, Mr. Ely and Willie began to drive 
the horse. People were surprised at the change 
in him. " He would go as slow as desired," said 
the gentleman who told the story, " stop instantly 
at 'whoa', follow his master, come at his call, and 
rub his head on his shoulder." What had made 
the change ? Not force! The poor horse had 
been beaten, kicked, and starved before, and grew 
more and more stubborn. Now he was well fed, 
well bedded, well watered; not over-driven or 
over-loaded; never whipped, kicked, or scolded. 
Kind words were given him, and now and then 
an apple or a piece of sugar. No gentler, safer, 
or more faithful horse went on the road. Willie's 
plan had succeeded. The little fellow fairly lived 
with the horse, and the horse seemed to know he 
was his best friend. Ben was a favorite with all 
the family. One night Mr. Ely was away from 
home. He had taken Ben early in the afternoon, 
but when bed-time came he had not returned. 
Thinking he would not be at home that night, the 
family closed the house and retired. 
About midnight Willie heard Ben's neigh. 
Jumping out of bed he ran to the window, and 
there was Ben at the door without his father. 
In a few moments the family were aroused, and 
Willie's brother hurriedly opened the door. No 
sooner bad he done so than Ben turned around 
and trotted off .toward the road. He followed 
him quickly. Ben led him a quarter of a mile and 
then stopped. There Mr. Ely lay on the ground 
in a swoon. When he was taken home he soon re-
covered, and told them that as he was riding 
through the woods he struck his head against the 
overhanging branch of a tree and fell from the 
horse. He was stunned by the blow, and did not 
remember anything more. After that night Ben 
was the hero of the village. But there was one 
strange thing about him,—he never forgot either a 
benefit or an injury. Sometimes when in harness 
he would see his former master. Then all his old 
fire would return; his eyes would roll, he would 
champ his bit fiercely and show an intense desire 
to get at his enemy. Only Willie or his father 
could quiet him then. Ben taught the people of 
that village more than they ever knew before of 
the power of kindness. And a good many of 
Willie's little friends began to practice his way of 
treating their dogs and ponies. They found that 
the surest way to manage them was by kindness. 
This, you know, was Mr. Rarey's way. It was 
his secret in training horses. lf any of our boys 
have any doubt on the subject, suppose they try 
it for themselves, for this story of Ben is a true 
one.—Parish Visitor. 
Intelligence of Dogs. 
THE subject of the intelligence of brutes is one 
of endless study and erest. The San Francisco 
correspondent of the Mendocino Beacon tells the 
following of the dogs in that city:— 
"One of the features of our every-day life is the 
pound man. Each day he rides about the streets 
upon his coops, with several assistants, all armed 
with lassoes. As the • monthly average numbers 
some 400, it shows where we should be if some 
such steps were not taken to get rid of the va-
grants. Dogs licensed are of course exempt, and 
their instinct in this matter is remarkable. A 
dog without a collar seems to have a mortal ter-
ror of the wagon and apparently scents the dan-
ger at once. It is said some dogs know the day 
the pound man is due and will not go out of the 
yard. Walking down Mission Street this week I 
saw him catch four dogs within a dozen blocks. 
One saw the wagon nearly half a block away, 
and in terror ran into a place. Of course he was 
cornered at once, lassoed, and deftly swung into 
the coop. If ever there was a frightened dog it 
was that poor pup. Another was lassoed while 
walking by his owner. The dog cried pitifully. 
There can be no denying they know the danger. 
The owner was a mad man. If' you want to see 
a real mad man or woman just see the pound man 
rope in their dog. To hear them threaten and rave 
you would think the entire United States army 
was at their disposal. The only way to get your 
dog back is to pay $2.50 for him besides the license 
fee. No tears or threats will do. The pound man 
is used to that. And all this while a good look-
ing dog with a collar looked idly on, sniffed about, 
and appeared quite unconcerned, and I saw sev-
eral blessed with license tags run after the cart and 
give a little contemptuous bark. But a collarless 
dog would skip every time." 
IF I have made an appointment with you, I 
owe you punctuality; I have no right to throw 
away your time if I do my own.—Cecil.. 
It is estimated that three-fourths of the South 
Carolina cotton crop will be lost on account of drought. 
—The Western Union Telegraph Office at Chicago 
was burned Aug. 21. The fire originated from a gas 
jet. Loss, $100,000. 
—Since the passage of the Chinese Restriction Act, 
the Chinese population of San Francisco is said to have 
decreased 25 per cent. 
Mt. Vesuvius is still in a state of activity. The 
continuous trembling has resulted in considerable dam-
age to buildings in the vicinity. 
The steamer Ludwig, with fifty-six people on 
board, from Antwerp to Montreal, is two weeks over-
due, and has been given up for lost. 
Three mills of the Acadia Powder Company, at 
Waverly, near Halifax, N. S., were destroyed by an 
exploion, on the 20th. Several employs lost their lives. 
Both ends of the Northern Pacific Railroad were 
connected on the 22d, near Helena, M. T. The golden 
spike will be set on Sept. 8, by President Villard and 
Jay Cooke. 
—Emigration to Oregon and Washington has been 
a little overdone. The Portland Standard advises 
laborers to keep away, as there are many there vainly 
seeking employment. 
The Alexandria correspondent of the London Times 
says: " If the British troops should be withdrawn from 
Egypt, no European family would remain in that coun-
try a week after their departure." 
—Reports from twenty-five of the larger post-offices 
show the increase in the sale of postage stamps for the 
quarter ending June 30, 1883, over the corresponding 
quarter of last year, to be $232,457. 
—The notorious Frank James is now on trial for his 
life, at Gallatin, Mo. His friends have sent letters to 
two prominent witnesses for the prosecution, threat-
ening them should their testimony be adverse. 
—A terrific rain-storm, accompanied by thunder and 
lightning, visited the northwest part of Ontario, on the 
19th. At Listowel the water was two feet deep in the 
streets, and many buildings and bridges were carried 
away. 
—The war 
Chinese, has 
French m 4de 
loss. On the 
victory. 
It is said that the hardest thing the faculties of the 
large colleges have to contend against is the dead indif-
ference of the bulk of the students. The majority look 
on all enthusiasm for study as a sort of silliness which 
makes its possessor a target for ridicule. 
A fire in the still depot of the Eclipse Lubricating 
Refinery, at Franklin, Pa., Aug. 19, destroyed nine 
tanks. containing several thousand barrels of oil, and 
a large amount of machinery. The Eclipse was the 
largest lubricating refinery in the world. 
—There was . a cloud-burst at Silver King, A. T., 
Aug. 20, which did much damage to mining interests. 
The report says that great bowlders weighing many 
tons were washed from the mountain-sides and hurled 
into the road beneath as if they had been pebbles. 
in Tonquin, between the French and 
commenced at last. On the 17th the 
an attack, but were repulsed with some 
next day, however, they gained a signal 
AUGUST 30, 1883. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
395 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Behind the Times. 
THE Christian Statesman has an article in a recent 
issue, entitled, " Gradual Decrease of Crime." It must 
be that the Statesman does not receive the daily papers, 
or has not read them for the past year or two. At the 
close of the article it says:— 
We insist constantly on this steady march of the 
world toward a better state, because it is a fact to which 
so many eyes are blind, a fact which illustrates and 
proves the healing power of the Christian religion, and 
a fact the recognition of which has much to do with the 
zeal, persistency and self-sacrifice of Christian philan-
thropists." 
From this we conclude also that the Statesman has 
not read lately 2 Tim. 3, especially verses 1-5 and 13. 
The apostle Paul, it seems, did not believe in " this 
steady march of the world toward a better state," and 
yet he was a model of zeal, persistency, and self-sacri- 
fice. The natural tendency of the world toward evil is 
a most powerful incentive to activity in Christian work. 
Religious Notes. 
—Nearly one-fourth of the population of Wisconsin 
are said to be Catholics. 
—The Jews in London number about 100,000. They 
have three weekly newspapers, fifteen synagogues, and a 
rabbinical college, with the finest Jewish library in 
the world. 
—An Episcopal paper thinks that " one reason why 
the world is so unwilling to join the church, is because 
the church is so very willing to join the world." A 
very fair statement of the case. 
—The Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions ex-
pended last year in its Mission for the Indians, $31,360. 
It has ten missions, sixteen missionaries, nine native 
ministers, seventeen licentiates, and 1,240 commu-
nicants. 
—A London clergyman has started a dancing school 
in connection with his church. " His idea is to wean 
the young from the more demoralizing places which 
exist in such large numbers in the English metropolis." 
A parallel to this came under our own observation, in 
the case of a church member who, in order to keep his 
sons at home, started a saloon in his own house. We 
have not been able to learn the particulars of the result, 
but there is no doubt but that such a plan would be 
successful as long as the supply of liquor held out. 
—Four Reading Railroad laborers were arrested in 
Philadelphia, on Sunday the 12th inst., upon the charge 
of illegally performing worldly labor on that day. 
Testimony was offered to show that the work could not 
be accomplished on any other day of the week, in con-
sequence of the frequent passage of trains, and the 
magistrate, taking that view, decided that the work 
was a necessity and discharged the defendents. From 
this it appears that even in Pennsylvania a man may 
work on Sunday, provided he is not an observer of the 
Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day of the week. 
—The Pacific prints a sermon on " The Gospel and 
the Age," preached by Rev. J. W. Hough, in the First 
Congregational Church, Oakland, in which the follow-
ing sentence occurs • "If science shall succeed in prov-
ing its theory of evolution to be true, it will have done 
a hundred-fold more to interpret the ways of God to 
man than did the discovery of the Moabite stone, or 
the framing of the Andover creed." Yes, if science 
shall prove evolution to be true, there is nothing that 
can be compared with it. And this it may do just as 
soon as it sucebeds in proving the Bible to be false. 
—The following from " Rusticus," a writer for the 
Occident, has th right ring: " I have heard of a 
preacher who boasts that he can fill any place of wor-
ship. He has unbounded confidence in his powers of 
attraction. And he does draw crowds. But there are 
no conversions under his preaching. The people go as 
they would go to a theater. They admire the messenger, 
but pay no attention to the message. It is the man-
ner that interests them, and not the matter. Now 
I don't believe there is anything gained by getting 
people to go to church if the church has to be turned 
into an opera house, or a lecture hall, in order to secure 
their attendance. I would try by all means to bring 
men to hear the gospel. But if they will not come to 
the wells of salvation to draw water out of them, I 
would not fill those wells with rum, or even with 
lemonade, and then stand and cry: Ho, every one that 
thirsteth, come ye to the waters.' It is sad and humil-
iating to see men with the vows of God upon them, 
resorting to stage tricks in order to fill their houses. 
And it is equally sad to see good people turn the cold 
shoulder to earnest and faithful preachers, because they 
will not preach themselves, but Jesus Christ, the Lord." 
 
News and Notes. 
—Immense damage has been done to the island of 
Porto Rico by a flood. 
—Forest fires in Maine are now raging to a greater 
extent than for many years. 
—Considerable damage was done in the vicinity of 
Duluth, Minn., Aug. 20, by a hurricane. 
—Count De Chamberd, the last of the elder branch 
of the French Bourbon, died at Frohsdorf, Aug. 24. 
—The Chilean chief at Huanuco was informed that 
a large body of Indians intended to sack the city, and 
rout the party in favor of peace, and occasion an evac-
uation. Whereupon the Chileans surprised 3,000 In-
dians, on the 22d, killing 400, and wounding 400 others. 
—Since the telegraph strike has ended, it is announced 
that John W. Mackay and 'friends have bought a con- 
trolling interest in the Postal Telegraph Company, and 
intend to organize a gigantic opposition to the Western 
Union Company. The probability is that telegraph 
rates will soon be greatly reduced. 
—It is stated that nihilism is as active and implacable 
as ever in Rus,ia. An endless procession of manacled 
prisoners passes from Eastern Russia to Siberia. The 
prosecutions are conducted with such secrecy, and the 
suppression of news is so great, that but little can be 
learned of the actual state of things. 
—An express train on the Rochester and Northern 
Division of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, 
was caught in a severe wind and hail-storm, near Zum-
brota, Minn., Aug. 22, and lifted from the track, while 
running at high speed. Every car in the train was 
completely wrecked, the passengers being buried be-
neath the debris. Nearly every person was injured, 
and the loss of life was very great. 
—The storm that raged so fearfully in southeastern 
Minnesota, Aug. 22, was strongest in Olmstead County. 
At Rochester 135 houses were demolished, and their 
contents destroyed. Thirty-four persons were killed, 
and eighty-two injured, nine of them fatally. An ap-
peal has been made for aid for the suffering and desti-
tute. It is estimated that 500 persons will have to be 
supported almost entirely by charity, for several days 
or weeks. 
—A special dispatch from Cettinge (Montenegro) 
says: "A reign of terror exists in the village of Kassovo 
in Albania. The Arnauts are murdering Christians, 
and all the latter who can get away are fleeing from 
the country. The Turkish officials connive at outrages 
on Christians, and have arrested and exiled a number 
of priests. In the Apex district ninety-two persons 
have been murdered, and twenty-three villages have 
been abandoned. 
3ppnintintita 
California Camp-Meeting. 
Northern Wisconsin Camp-Meeting. 
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you, and you will be supplied. 
GENERAL AGENTS. 
For New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, 
New England Tract Society, South Lancaster, Mass. 
For Middle, Southern, and Western States, 
REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich. 
For Pacific Coast States and Territories, �
PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal. 
JUST ISSUED. 
A. BOOK FOR OLD AND YOUNG. 
SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF PAUL. 
BY Mae. E. G. WHITE. 
In this book the history of Paul's life, from the time when he " made 
havoc" of the church until he was " offered up " as its chief representa—
tive, is traced in a clear and connected manner. Paul's allusions to 
himself in his epistles are connected with the record in the book of Acts 
in such a manner as to throw great light both on the epistles and the 
"Acts." But that which gives the book even greater value than its his-
torical accuracy, is the lessons that are drawn from Paul's words, and the 
hardships which he endured, and their practical application to our own 
times. This is a marked feature of this work, and the instruction given 
in this way cannot be estimated in dollars and cents. 234 pp., neatly 
bound in cloth, $.80. Address SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal., 
or REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek. Mich. 
STORY OF THE BIBLE. 
FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION. 
ADAPTED TO THE YOUNG, BUT INTEREST-
ING TO THE OLD. 
In this book the stories of the Bible are re-written in simple language, 
and at the same time are oonnected together by a plain 
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY, 
extending throughout the Bible. As far as possible, the language of the 
Bible is used, and great care has been taken 
NOT TO IMPART ANY DENOMINATIONAL BIAS; - 
and in this the author has done well. This book will do much to fester in 
the young a taste for the study of the word of God. 700 pp., 274 illustra. 
time. Price $1.00. 
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal. 
IT has now been decided to hold the camp-meeting 
for northern California at San Jose, Sept. 6-18. It will 
be held upon the fair-ground, near the depot of the 
Narrow-Gauge Railroad. The horse-cars which pass 
the railroad station also pass the camp-ground. The 
ground is level and covered with shade trees, presenting 
a beautiful grove in which to pitch family tents. Only 
one spot is large enough for the tent 60x100 ft. Had 
the ground been designed on purpose for the camp-
meeting, it could scarcely have been improved. The 
committee will do everything possible to make it com-
fortable and to accommodate all that come. 
We hope this will be the largest camp-meeting ever 
held in the State of California; and in many respects 
it certainly will be the most important. Provision will 
be made for man and beast. 
CAMP-MEETING COMMITTEE. 
A CAMP-MEETING will be held at Merrillon Junction' 
Wis., the crossing of the G. B. & M. and C. P. M. & 0. 
railroads, Sept. 12-18. The special reasons for this 
meeting are to give to our people in the northern part 
of the State the opportunity of such a meeting, to form 
an acquaintance between the churches newly admitted 
to the Conference and the older ones, and to forward 
the work of God in our midst. We appeal to all to 
come to the meeting. Reduced fare will be secured on 
the railroads. Bring plenty of bedding and extra cloth-
ing, and you will be well cared for. There will be 
tents to rent at very reasonable rates. One day of the 
meeting will be devoted to Sabbath-school work. 
We confidently expect the blessing of God, and hope 
that very many will be there to share it. 
COMMITTEE. 
Now READY FOR DELIVERY. 
THE NEW STEEL PLATE ENGRAVING, 
ENTITLED 
CHRIST THE WAY OF LIFE 
FROM 
PARADISE LOST TO PARADISE RESTORED. 
Drawn by Henry Sartain. Engraved and printed by W. Wellstood. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 
PUBLISHED IVEERLY, AT OAKLAND f.,AL , �
'TUE 
396 �
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. �
VoL. 9, No. 33. 
Battle Creek College. 
Railroad Fares to San Jose! 
SAN FRANCISCO AND NORTH PACIFIC. 
Round-trip tickets from Healdsburg to San Fran-
cisco, $4.00, Santa Rosa to S. F., $3.00; Petaluma to 
S. F., $1.75. Good from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30. 
Vainglorying. 
ever held in this State ? We may, if we work for it. 
Let none have any excuse for staying away; and lastly, 
let us all go determined not only to get good but to do 
good from the very start. 
THE " Eighth Annual Announcement " of Battle 
Creek (Mich.) College, is received. After being closed 
some time it will be re-opened on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 
1883. 
Eld. Wolcott H. Littlejohn has been elected Presi-
dent, and we feel assured, from our long personal knowl-
edge of Eld. Littlejohn, that he will do honor to the po- 
sition. Prof. Veysey, who has been a successful teacher 
in England, takes the " Biblical Department and His- 
tory," Prof. U. Smith, however, retaining his position as 
lecturer on " Biblical Exegesis and Ecclesiastical His-
tory." Other teachers, well known to the friends of the 
College, are retained. We feel very hopeful for the fut-
ure of this institution. 
We hope and expect that all the former friends of 
this excellent school will rally t o its support. Many of 
them feared that the Board of Trustees acted hastily or 
unadvisedly in closing it as they did. But recent events 
prove that it was a discreet move; and we know of some 
who stood in doubt who now heartily indorse the action 
of the Board. 
We hope this may prove beneficial as a lesson, show-
ing to all the necessity of not condemning the action of 
a body until they have sufficient opportunity to know 
the facts and reasons which induce its action. Time 
often proves an effectual teacher in these matters. We 
think all have reason now to take courage. Pray and 
work for Battle Creek College. 
WE have seen flyers scattered around the streets, 
announcing religious meetings to be conducted by one 
Ben Hogan, " The Reformed Pugilist and Gambler." 
We are glad that Mr. Hogan has reformed, and hope that 
his reformation is sincere; if it be so, we see no earthly 
objection to his becoming a preacher. But we would 
suggest an improvement in his methods, namely, to stop 
advertising himself as a reformed pugilist and gambler. 
We do not believe in one parading his former wicked-
ness, even in the interest of religion. The cause of 
God has no need of such clap-trap. Imagine, if you 
can, the apostle Paul seeking to. gain notoriety among 
the Corinthians by advertising himself as " The Re-
formed Persecutor," or " The man who assisted in the 
murder of Stephen." The apostle did at times refer 
with shame to his career as a persecutor, but he 
was not proud of it; an,1 when any professing Chris-
tian can recall the wickedness of his former life with 
any other feelings than those of the deepest shame and 
sorrow, it is good evidence that the grace of G,,d has 
tian people will give their influence to such methods of 
CENTRAL PACIFIC. 
From Woodland, per car, $250.00; each fare, $5.00 
St. Helena, �
6' �
215.00; �
it �
4.30 
Lemoore, �475.00; �
64 �
9.50 
Oakland, or 
San Francisco," �
87.50; �
46 �
1.75 
Children from five to twelve years, half fare; baggage, 
100 lbs. to each ticket. 
Less than fifty tickets will.not be sold at any one 
place on the Central Road at these rates. 
Woodland will fill a car, five dollars for the round 
trip being very cheap. Cannot the friends in Napa and 
St. Helena unite and take a car? They may make it 
an object to do so. 
SOUTH PACIFIC COAST R. R.—NARROW-GAUGE. 
WE have received the following rates on this road to 
our camp-meeting:— 
Round-trip tickets from Oakland or San Francisco, 
$1.65. Good to San Jose, Sept. 5, 6, 7, and 14; return 
at any time until Sept. 20. 
Baggage, ordinary, 100 pounds, and 100 pounds camp 
equippage, free of charge. 
Trains leave San Francisco 8.30 A. M., 2.30 anti 4.30 
P. M. Leave Oakland fifteen minutes later, 12th and 
Webster Streets. 
Leaving point in San Francisco, Market Street wharf. 
#7Pt Jigits of tie Chum 
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, AUGUST 30, 1883. 
NOTICE.—We send no papers from this Office without pay in advance, 
unless by special arrangement. When persons receive copies without 
ordering them they are sent by other parties, and we can give no infor- 
mation in regard to them. Persons thus receiving them are not indebted 
to the Office. 
Time of Camp-Meetings. 
66 
THE P. 0. address of Geo. R. Drew is 16 Rodney 
Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. 
SOME notices and appointments which have been al-
ready published are omitted this week for want of room. 
See page 395. 
A Request. 
THE Camp-meeting Committee requests some able-
bodied, willing men, young or middle aged, to be in San 
Jose by Sept. 2 or 3, to assist in making the grounds 
ready for the camp-meeting. You who can, go and help. 
Sister White's Journey East. 
THE readers of the SIGNS will be pleased to hear of 
Sister White's safe arrival at Battle Creek, Friday, 
Aug. 17. She took some cold the last day of her jour-
ney, but was in good spirits and enjoyed liberty in 
speaking in the Tabernacle on the Sabbath. Sunday 
morning she spoke with freedom to the office hands for 
one hour. She was waited upon by the officers of the 
Women's Christian Temperance Union, and invited to 
speak in the park that afternoon on the subject of Tem-
perance, which she did. In the evening she addressed 
a large audience at the Sanitarium, the spacious par-
lors, sitting-room, hall, and piazza being crowded. Dr. 
Kellogg has just returned from his trip to Europe, and 
the Sanitarium was never in a more prosperous condi-
tion, there being over two hundred patients there at 
present. The first of the week Sister White left for 
the Eastern camp-meetings. 
Camp-Meeting Preparations. 
A FULL attendance at our camp-meeting is what we 
greatly desire to see. To secure this will require some 
labor and some planning on the part of all. And now 
one word to our brethren: Don't forget to include some-
body else besides yourself and family in your plans. 
The leaders of the Oakland Church have resolved to 
carry out the following plan, which we recommend to 
our brethren everywhere:— 
First, canvass the church and find out who intend 
to go. If any seem indifferent, help them to see the 
importance of this meeting. and the necessity for all 
to attend it, until they resolve to be present. 
Second, ascertain what persons would like to attend, 
but are unable on account of lack of means. If this 
is all that stands in their way, and they are worthy 
persons, be responsible for their attendance. 
Third, raise a church camp-meeting fund, to be used 
(1) in assisting those to attend who need help, and (2) 
in providing tent room on the ground for those who are 
not in families and cannot hire a tent. 
Fourth, hire an extra tent, or two if need be, to be 
used in the way above indicated; and whether there 
are any poor among us or not, have sufficient extra 
tent room so that we can invite our neighbors to come 
and camp on the ground during the meetings. Many 
who design to spend a little season in camp, might thus 
be induced to join us. 
Brethren, shall we have the largest camp-meeting 
Binders for the "Signs." 
ALTHOUGH the SIGNS is used very extensively as a 
missionary paper, persons sending their own papers to 
friends, there are many who desire, and many more 
who ought, to keep it on file for future reference. To 
such the office can furnish a binder that will preserve 
the papers as neatly as when first received. The name 
" Signs of the Times," is in gilt letters on the outside. 
The binder is so arranged as to form as firm and sub-
stantial a book with only half a dozen papers inclosed, 
as when it contains the entire volume. We have used 
it for some time, and feel that it cannot be too highly 
ecommended. Send for one. Price, post-paid, $1.50. 
Christ the Way of Life from Paradise Lost 
to Paradise Restored. 
DRAWN BY HENRY SARTAIN; ENGRAVED AND PRINTED 
BY W. WELL STOOD. 
THE publishers take pleasure in announcing that this 
work is completed and is now ready for delivery. 
The design of this engraving is to present at one view 
the leading events in the history of man as related to 
the divine plan of Redemption, from the time of the 
first sin and the fall, to the final restoration of the race, 
to the Paradise of God. 
Its central figure is that of Christ hanging upon the 
cruel cross. By taking our position at the foot of the 
cross, we look backward in the history of man, and 
trace the steps which have led to the scenes of Calvary. 
The scenes which suggest the provisions of the gospel 
are enacted in the shadow of the cross, which is cast far 
back over the history of the race, reaching even to the 
gates of Eden. 
In the middle distance of the picture are seen the 
ruins of pagan temples and the relics of heathenism, 
showing the decline of false religions before the true, 
which is yet to triumph over every form of error, and 
bear sway over all the universe. 
At the right of the cross the scenes change. In the 
foreground we have the memorials of the o-ospel, bap- 
tism and the Lord's Supper, while in the distance ap-
pears Paradise Regained, the Many Mansions glistening 
in the light of heavenly glory. 
The Way of Life as a work of art, commends itself to, 
all lovers of the beautiful. Unlike many religious or 
allegorical pictures, this not only presents a sacred 
theme, but by its skillful grouping and its harmonious 
combination of light and shade, it delights the cultiva-
ted taste, and suggests abundant food for thought. 
THE KEY. 
An elegant 12 mo. pamphlet of 48 pages accompanies 
each engraving. This pamphlet contains a description 
of every part of the picture, and a most impressive arti-
cle by Mrs. E. G. White, descriptive of the sufferings, 
betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord. 
Sold by subscription. Price, printed in first-class 
style on heavy plate paper, size 22x28 inches, $1.50. 
India Proofs, size 24x32 inches, $2.50. 
Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation. 
WE have just completed the printing and binding of 
a second edition of one thousand copies of this popular 
book. Our agents had orders for one-third of the edi-
tion when it was completed. We hope that all persons 
who think of selling this work this fall and winter will 
come to the San Jose camp-meeting, prepared to receive 
any necessary instruction, and to arrange for their work, 
which should begin as soon after the meeting as possi-
ble. 
REVISED NEW TESTAMENTS. 
Missionary Society of Seventh-day Adventists.. 
 
A twelie-page Religious Family Paper, devoted to a discussion of the 
Prophecies, Signs the Times, Second Coming of Christ, Harmony of the 
Law and Gospel, with Departments devoted to Temperance, The Home 
Circle, the Missionary Work, and the Sabbath-school. 
�
Price Per Year, �
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$2.00 
In Clubs of fire or more copies to one address, to be used in Mis- 
�
sionary Work, �
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- • - �
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1.50 • 
Sept. 25 to Oct. 2 
Sept. 19 to Oct. 1 
Sept. 5-11 
Sept. 6-11 
" 6-18 
12-18 
12-18 
18-25 
19-26 
" 20-30 
Oct. 
TENNESSEE, Leach, �
Sept. 27 to Oct. 
11-21 
 
2 
MISSOURI, �
Oct. 11-16 
INDIANA, (Southern,) Farmersburg, �
Sept. 12-18 
" �
Bunker Hill, Miami Co., �
Oct. 1-10 
ALABAMA, Choctaw Co. �
" 4-9 
MICHIGAN, (State Meeting,) 
NEBRASKA, Crete, 
IOWA, Algona, 
MAINE, Waterville, 
CALIFORNIA, San Jose, 
NEW YORK, Union Square, 
NORTHERN WISCONSIN, Merillon, 
ILLINOIS, Sheridan, 
KENTUCKY, Glasgow, 
KANSAS, Southeastern, Fort Scott, 
Eldorado, Butler Co. 
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BREVIER, 16mo �
 
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LONG PRIMER, 8vo. 
Cloth, post paid �
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Also numerous other styles. 
THE COMPARATIVE EDITION of the New Testa- 
ment, embra..ing the Revised and the Old or King James' ver-
sion, on opposite and corresponding paper, 8vo, Long Primer, 
price, post paid �
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Address, " SIGNS OF THE TIMES," Oakland, Cal. 
NONPAREIL, 32mo. 
Cloth, limp, red edges �
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advertising. 
S. E. WHIMS, Seca Nebraska T. and M. Society, Fremont, Neb. 
Address, �SIGNS 02 THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal. 
—OR— 
yet more to do on his heart. It is too bad that Chris- REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, 
ELD. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, RAVENS. 
Michk;an. �
wood, Shirley Road, Southamp- 
%IRS. P.7,17.1 PALmmt, Sec: N. E. Tract �
ton, England. 
v, South Lancaster, Mass. Has. C. 1.. RoVD, Salem, Oregon.