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August 7, 1912] THE
inxi r ?iU?iAA1i rnuUKAM.
The Federal Council of Churches in America,
with which our church became organically identitiel
by the action of our last last assembly,
has placed on its social program "the abolition
of child labor, old age pensions, a minimum
wage, a free Sunday, and reduction of labor
hours." The influence of the church, so far
as it is truly Christian, is uniformly favorable
to every righteous cause, every legitimate human
interest. The Church realizes this, values
-m avuuuauii ituiis ux us lesumony in every
department of life, and emphasizes the inspired
insurance that "godliness is profitable for all
things, having promise of the life which
now is." ,
The several interests announced above as recently
placed on the programme of the Federal
Council of Churches, are distinctly subjects of
civil legislation whtioh are attracting special
attention in Europe and America. The Church
should pray and exert its spiritual influence
(these are its true spheres of power) to the
end that justice and righteousness shall prevail
in these and many more*important departments
of civil legislation and administration of law.
If such be the aim of the council in this behalf,
may its hopes be realized and its endeavors be
fully crowned with success. But if reforms in
these particulars are to be secured by official
intermeddling, on the part of the Church's
representatives, with legislation by state and
national governments, we may ask, Where will
the thing end; what legislation on moral and
humanitarian interests may not be officially de
3 ?l - x? ii- - ? ? ^
uiiiuueu ot me oiaie Dy tne unurch and what
answer have we to make to the claim of Rome
that the Church must require that the intermits
of religion shall be promoted by the State?
The churches may declare themselves in
their several courts or legislative bodies as favorable
to legislation by the civil power which
will promote public morals and social purity
and happiness; but when the Church through
authorities deliverances, or through accredited
representatives attempts to shape specific acts
of civil legislation, it is on dangerous ground.
For cases extraordinary which seriously involve
the interests of religion, we have precedents
in both inspired and uninspired history,
Of humble Detition t.O thA Aivil nnwar Tt.if
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trend of our day is to promote the cause of
righteousness by conventional devices rather
than by the gracious resources provided by him
who said, "My kingdom is not of this world."
The free hand of modern experiments may be
pointing backward to an earlier age of spiritual
bondage. For when the Church as such uses
its opportunity to frame and direct the policies
of the State, then may the State in turn claim
me right to use opportunities for dictating the
policies of the Church.
CALENDAR REVISION.
Information comes through the American
consular service in several European capitols
that an executive committee appointed by the
Swiss Republic, co-operating with the International
Chambers of Commerce is preparing to
invite the national governments to- unite in
holding a World's Calendar Revision Congress
at Geneva, Switzerland. Detailed schemes of
calendar revision have from time to time been
proposed, and if the congress becomes a reality
tthese schemes are likely to he submitted for
consideration and comparison. One of the most
Popular of these proposes an eight-day week.
Such a Calendar revision by authority of the
world powers would constitute a world-wide1
repudiation of the fourth commandment.
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE S
Christian sentiment and conviction are appealed
to in behalf of perpetuating through all
time the recognition of the great moral principle
which inheres in the inspired law requir:
4-L. -
lug me uoservance oi one day in seven as a day
which the Qod of nature and of revelation has
hallowed and set apart as a day of rest.
The plan of revision which most commends
itself to practical use and at the same time to
Christian standards is The Perpetual Calendar
for which a copyright certificate has been issued
by the librarian of Congress, U. S. A. It is
outlined in a descriptive tract published by
Mr. L. J. Heatwole, as follows:
"It preserves the natural order of succession
for Sunday by making the week the unit
of balance. In this the year is divided intn
thirteen months of twenty-eight days each. The
extra month which is styled "Evember," appears
between August and September, by which
means the year, the seasons and the days of the
week are kept in such even balance, that every
year and every month begins on Sunday,
for all time to come.
Another dfisirshl*? nt *? --
ui buia o^aicui IS
found where the old column of dates appearing
in The Gregorian Calendar, are allowed
to stand parallel with the column containing
the new dates. In this way all dates, preserving
their memorial of record for the past, are
left undisturbed?while the new dates in improved
form, stand for all world events of the
future."
FORBIDDING THE BIBLE.
Just now a bright young woman, for several
years in a clerical position in a professional office,
picked up our paper, as she stood waiting on
a 'phone ring. She spied the article, "The Bible
in the Schools," in one of our recent issues.
Quickly she asked, "Do you really think the
Bible ought to be read in the schools!" "Of
course," we replied. "Don not you!" ""Why
no!" she answered. "Do you read the Bible!"
we asked. "Certainly not," she replied. "I'm
a Catholic. I am not allowed to read it. I never
read it."
This is a specimen of the testimony which
could be duplicated millions of times. The
Romanists, through their publications and otherwise,
claim that they encourage Bible reading,
but ask the masses of them, and they will tell a
different story. "We have met some of their
members who have said to us, most frankly, that
they are afraid to read the Bible, that in doing
so they will incur the wrath of the priest, and
that it would be a sin which they would have to
acknowledge in the confessional! They are
popularly taught, whatever the academic teaching
may be, that the Bible is not for the common
people, that it is not to be read except with the
priestly annotations, and that it is to be thrown
out of the house or used as kindling wood. "Ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free." It is the knowledge of the fact that
the open Bible will reveal the errors of their
teachings that makes the hierarchy, in whose
hands all the laity are only so many dummies,
strive to keep the book out of the people's hands.
A Chicago pastor tells of the results that he
has found from the use of religious advertising
he has placed in the daily press of that city. He
has found that at least two men have been influenced
by it to come to his church. He thereupon
calculates that as the advertisement cost
him one hundred dollars the actual cost of the
"saving of a soul" is fifty dollars, which he
regards as a lower cost than that which obtains
on the mission field or by ordinary methods!
There's religious arithmetic for you!
I
OCTH (921) 11
DEVOTION IN CHURCH criTTRTH
It has often been suggested in recent years
that ecclesiastical meetings should be made more
popular and more devotional. The importance
of it has long been realized and we may cordially
wplcnmo ?nw rvrvn f -a
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Covenanter Synod which met this year in Iowa,
adopted a program of exercises which might
point the way for some large ecclesiastical organizations.
As reported in the [Herald and
Presbyter, in addition to the regular order of
business a series of topics pertaining to Christian
experience were discussed. The topics with
the names of leaders were published in advance.
The following was the order of these devotional
meetings:
Thursday?Union with Christ. Prayer that
the ministry and membership of the entire
Church shall come to have an ever deeper and
richer experience of that vital abiding union
with Christ which is the source of all efficiency
and blessedness. "Your life is hid with Christ
in God" (Col. 3:3).
Friday?Separation from sin. Prayer that
the ministry and membership of the entire
Church shall be led more and more vividly to
perceive how impossible it is to stand in vital
abiding union with Christ, the immaculate Son
of God, without aiming and agonizing to live
lives nt c/imnlotii i:
ovpaianuu Lrum sin*
"Thou lovest rignteousness and hatest wickedness
; thereiore, God, thy God, hath anointed
tuee witn tne oil of gladness above thy fellows"
(Psa. 45:7).
Saturday?Working with God. Prayer that
the miiuatry and membership of the entire
Church shall be incited and enabled, by diligent
searching of the Scriptures and a careful study
of divine providence, so to enter into the mind
of Christ as to utilize to the best advantage the
mamfoid opportunities which the upheavals of
society, uie crumbling of empires and the disasters
on land and sea are now affording the
Ciiurch tor the spread of the Gospel, and for the
inculcation of tiiose immutable moral principles
wiucii, as the logic of events is steadily proving,
are tne orny hope of tbe human race.
*'i toliow alter, if that 1 may apprehend that
for wmcii aiso 1 am apprehended of Christ
besus" (.PhiL 3:12).
"Por we are laborers together with God" (1
Cor. 3 9). Lg^
.Monday?Pleading for Victory. Prayer that
Christ in union witn whom we aim to stand, in
obedience to whom we purpose to cultivate an
UUUUxicuv;c ui every lorui oi unrighteousness, in
co-operation with whom we are resolved to labor,
shall strike through the arrogant worldly
powers, the materialistic tendencies and the detestable
poncies oi the present day with his naked
hand, and drive the spiritual hosts of wickedness
iroin their high places in every realm oi
liie and activity, and usher in the era oi right
eousiitss, mat ail nations and every inhabitant of
tne eartu may Hasten to acknowledge him as the
propuet oi tiie ALost High Uod, me iSaviour of
men, and the Prince of me kings of the earth.
"Prayer also shall be made for him continually"
(Psa. 72:15).
'luesday?Looking to the End. Prayer that
the lioiy Spirit may so Deautity and adorn me
lives, and round out the labors of the ministry
ana membership of me Church, mat each in his
own appointed time may be entitled to quit his
held oi service with a consciousness of having
been laithful unto death, and with a full, clear,
cairn assurance of having obtained a right to the
tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise
of God. t
"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life" (Rev. 22:10).
Wednesday?A Ory for Help. Prayer that
the present meeting of Synod may prove to be a
source of blessing and inspiration to the Chris
nau pcupm m me neighborhood of this church
and to the entire Church, and that the work in
every department of the Church's activity may
move forward during the coming year in such a
way as to meet with the approval of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
"Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity
within thy palaces" (Psa. 122:7).