Territorials and the Sabbath.
In a note under heading we have referred to Pastor Primmer’s triumph in the matter of the precedence assigned to the Roman Catholic Bishops at the Royal Reception in Edinburgh. He has also directed the attention of the War Office to the movements of the Territorials on the Lord’s Day. That thick-skinned institution has deigned to argue with the Pastor, and in doing so, we think they have made out a very bad case for the practices which they allow. In the time of peace there is no reason why the Territorials should thus be transported from place to place. Mr. Primmer has done good service in this matter, and it is to be hoped that he will keep the conscience of the War Minister face to face with a matter that would not be tolerated by his godly forbears—the Haldanes.
Labour Unrest.
For some weeks past these words have had an ominous significance. The extraordinary upheaval in the industrial world came as a shock to the nation. At the time of writing the Railway Strike which was assuming formidable dimensions has for the time subsided owing to the Government’s intervention. The rioting in connection with many of these strikes has been a very lamentable feature. The working classes are evidently in a state of feverish discontent and whatever is to be the outcome of these troubles one cannot shut one’s eyes to the vast amount of suffering that has been inflicted upon innocent people. Many reasons have been advanced for the present outburst. Some affirm that the great increase in the cost of living is out of proportion to any betterment there has been in the wages of the working classes. Whatever may be the cause, it is to be hoped that some outlet to the present serious situation will be found in which all parties concerned will be dealt with righteously.
Cunning Craftiness.
Satan has many methods of deceiving men, but when he goes forth as an angel of light we have special need of being on our guard. Recently our attention has been called to a subtle attempt made for disseminating the views of that strange mixture of American religion designated Millenial Dawnism. The gentlemen behind this movement have a zeal in propagating their opinions that would put to the blush the Pharisees of old. They have not hesitated to employ the terms familiar to readers of scriptural books, and without shame they have called their system “The Old Theology.” This is not the place to enter into a discussion of the crude views of this sect. Our purpose at present is to point out that newspapers circulating in the north of Scotland have opened their columns to the dissemination of these views. The People’s Journal has a weekly column from the pen of Pastor Russell, and we have also noticed stereotyped columns in the North Star (Dingwall) and Northern Times (Golspie). A recent article dealt with “Lazarus and the Rich Man,” with the intention of robbing that solemn parable of its teaching on the fate of the wicked. We wish to put our readers on their guard against the unscriptural teaching of Pastor Russell and his sect.
Bazaars and Sales of Work.
Those who adopt these modern worldly devices for collecting money in connection with the cause of Christ are at times sore pressed for arguments to justify them in countenancing such carnal methods. One of the weakest of these arguments is the appeal made to Exodus xxxv. 4-19, where Moses announces to the children of Israel the Lord’s command that they make an offering of the articles required for the Tabernacle. It, perhaps, has never occurred to those who used this argument that there was no merchandise here. The offering was to consist of the different articles in kind, required for the Tabernacle and its service, and there was no buying and selling. We have no objection to members of a congregation quarrying stones, carting them, and some of their number who are tradesmen giving their labour in the mason and wood work of a church building. In this, and not in bazaars and sales of work, we have the modern counterpart of what took place at the furnishing of the Tabernacle. Besides, there is the other feature of the Tabernacle service to be taken into consideration, viz., its temporary nature, and, so far as it was so, it is not a rule to Christians under the New Dispensation.