A LITTLE more than a year ago, the Congress of the United States embodied the fourth commandment in its legislative proceedings—the fourth commandment as it stands in the Bible—and then interpreted it as follows: But before I read this, I will state a little more in regard to the situation. An amendment had been offered to an appropriation bill for the World’s Fair. That amendment inserted the proviso that provision should be made by proper authority, for the closing of the Exposition on the Sabbath day, and the fourth commandment was read in the Senate, as giving the reason for that amendment. Then this proceeding followed. Senator Mendelson of Nebraska, spoke thus:—HOMI December 1893, page 239.1

“The language of this amendment is that the Exposition should be closed on the Sabbath day. I submit that, if the Senator from Pennsylvania desires that the Exposition shall be closed upon Sunday, this language will not necessarily meet that idea. The word Sabbath-day simply means that it is a rest day, and it may be Saturday or Sunday, and it would be subject to the discretion of those who will manage this Exposition whether it should close the Exhibition on the last day of the week in conformity with that observance made by the Israelites and Seventh-day Baptists, or should close it on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, or generally known as the Christian Sabbath. It certainly seems to me that this amendment should be adopted (the one proposed by the Senator from Pennsylvania), and if he proposes to close this Exposition, that it should be closed on the first day of the week commonly called Sunday.”HOMI December 1893, page 239.2

Thus the fourth commandment was quoted as containing the reasons why the World’s Fair should be closed on the Sabbath day, but that commandment says the seventh day is the Sabbath. It was plainly to be seen, then, that if it stood that way, the direction of the Fair would have no alternative, if they were going to obey the law as it was, than to close it on the last day of the week. But that is not what is wanted, and therefore the fourth commandment was made to mean the first day of the week commonly called Sunday. Thus by a definite act of the Senate of the United States, the seventh day was interpreted out of God’s commandment when he wrote it, and the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, was interpreted into it, where God never wrote it and never intended it to be. Thus, as far as it lies in the power of the churches and Congress of the United States, because Congress did it, under the authorities of the churches, as far as in their power lies, they have put out of God’s commandment the Sabbath day which he named there, and have put into it one which never can by any right be there.HOMI December 1893, page 239.3

That is true on the face of the record. And it becomes important for every individual in the United States now to decide for himself whether he is competent to find out for himself what God means when he speaks, or whether he is to depend upon Congress to convey to him the meaning of the word of God. Congress, under the threats of the churches, has taken it upon itself to assume the prerogative of the authoritative interpreter of the Scripture, for the people of the United States. And therefore I say again, it becomes important for each one to decide for himself, whether he needs Congress to occupy that place, or whether he is capable of finding out what the Lord says, for himself alone. The Lord’s idea is, and always has been, that when he speaks, he can be understood without any man, or any combination of men, stepping in between man and God, to convey to mankind the true meaning of the words of the Lord. And certainly to any one who has confidence enough in the Lord to think that he can speak for himself, it ought to be that he would have confidence enough in him to think that he can speak so as to be understood by those to whom he speaks. And therefore, neither Congress, nor the churches, nor any other body of men, nor any individual man,—no one of these is competent to stand between any individual and the Lord, to see that the individual finds out the true meaning of what the Lord has said. But Congress has done that. And fruits will grow out of it which neither Congress, nor the churches who required Congress to do it, ever dreamed of when it was done; but the facts are that it has been done, and now it is important for us to inquire what that means, and what is in that which has been done. And that is the study to which we will now apply ourselves. What did Congress do, and the churches with it? What did the churches and Congress of the United States do in putting the Sabbath of the Lord out of his commandment, and putting Sunday into its place as the Sabbath of the Lord?HOMI December 1893, page 240.1

In order to understand this we shall need briefly to notice first, What God’s idea of the Sabbath is, and what he meant by it when he made it and put it in the commandment and spake it from Sinai and wrote it on the tables of stone,—notice this but briefly in order that we may see the more forcibly, not only what Congress did when it put the Sabbath out, but what it did when it put Sunday in. The Lord has said, in Ezekiel 20:20:—HOMI December 1893, page 240.2

“Hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.”HOMI December 1893, page 240.3

Then to go no further than that one explicit statement that the Sabbath is given by the Lord, to be the sign by which men may know that he is the Lord,—not simply a sign that he is the Lord, but that men may know that he is,—it follows that when the churches and Congress of the United States put that Sabbath out of his own law, as far as in them lies, of course, they did all that lies in their power to shut away from men God’s appointed means of their attaining to a knowledge of God. For when he has said that he appointed a certain thing that men might know that he is the Lord, when that thing is put away by anybody, certainly that is putting away the means of attaining to the knowledge of God. Whether the one who does it knows it or not, that is not the question. The fact is, that that is what it means, and that it has been done.HOMI December 1893, page 240.4

Again, Jesus Christ said:—HOMI December 1893, page 240.5

“No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”HOMI December 1893, page 240.6

Thus the knowledge of God is found in Jesus Christ. For Christ is God with us. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. And so no man can know the Father save he to whom Jesus Christ reveals him, it is evident that the knowledge of God is given to men only in Jesus Christ and through him. Then, as the Sabbath of the Lord is appointed by him as the sign by which men may know that he is the Lord, it is evident that it is the sign by which men may know that he in Christ Jesus is the Lord, and therefore the sign that men may know what Jesus Christ is to mankind. And when the churches and Congress of the United States shut out God’s Sabbath from his own commandment, they have done all that lies in their power to shut away from mankind God’s own appointed means by which men may attain to the complete knowledge of what Jesus Christ is to mankind.HOMI December 1893, page 240.7

There are two points upon which the Lord has challenged all the heathen,—one is that the heathen gods, in which the heathen trusted, never created anything, and the other is that none of these heathen gods can save anybody. I will call your attention to these two. Tenth chapter of Jeremiah, and first verse, and briefly sketching the verses to the sixteenth:—HOMI December 1893, page 240.8

“Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”HOMI December 1893, page 240.9

Then he sketches how the heathen will take a stick and make a god out of it and deck it with precious stones, and with gold and jewels:—HOMI December 1893, page 240.10

“Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.... Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things [the former—the maker, the One who gives form to all things]. And Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.”HOMI December 1893, page 241.1

Thus you see that God challenges all the heathen and their gods, upon this point,—that they never created anything, and therefore they are not gods.HOMI December 1893, page 241.2

The other is in the forty-fifth chapter of Isaiah, and the twentieth to the twenty-second verses. We read these words:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.3

“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.”HOMI December 1893, page 241.4

That is the challenge now. The other was that their gods cannot create. Now it is that their gods cannot save. And that shows to all people that the Creator only is the Saviour only, and whosoever has not the Creator for his Saviour, has no salvation and no Saviour. We read on:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.5

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together [that is, these heathen, with their gods], who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”HOMI December 1893, page 241.6

That shows again that God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, is the Saviour; that it is creative power that saves the sinner, and no other power can save sinners, because the salvation of the sinner is simply creation over again. David prayed long ago: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” and the apostle has written:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.7

“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”HOMI December 1893, page 241.8

And again:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.9

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.... And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.... full of grace and truth.HOMI December 1893, page 241.10

What does that say but that Jesus Christ, who was made flesh and dwelt among us is he who created all things, so that the Creator is the Saviour? Thus it is shown all the way through, that it is creative power that saves. And when you and I are taught in the Scriptures to trust in Jesus Christ to save us, the foundation of our confidence is always laid in the fact that he created us and all things beside.HOMI December 1893, page 241.11

Turn to the first chapter of Colossians, and let us read a passage upon this, without going any further. Beginning with the twelfth verse:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.12

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”HOMI December 1893, page 241.13

What is the ground of our confidence in him, that he can redeem us from our sins? Here is the answer:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.14

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For [this is why] by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist [hold together].”HOMI December 1893, page 241.15

I need not read any further on that. All the Scripture shows that the Creator of all things is the Saviour of all men who believe. He gave himself for all men whether they believe or not, and offers to be the Saviour of all, but he cannot save any one who will not let him.HOMI December 1893, page 241.16

Again let us read:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.17

“Hallow my Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord you God.” Ezekiel 20:20. “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:17.HOMI December 1893, page 241.18

The foundation of it as a sign; the reason of its being a sign is that he created all things. And he being the Saviour also, and the Sabbath being the sign that we may know that he is, that he is what he is, and that we may know him as he is,—the Sabbath is therefore the sign, not only that he created all things, but that he saves the sinner. The Sabbath of the Lord is God’s own appointed sign by which men in this world may know him as our Creator and our Saviour.HOMI December 1893, page 241.19

You have seen people, and perhaps you know people now, who confess openly that they do not know whether there is any God at all or not. When you find anybody of that kind hereafter, you just tell him that if he will turn to the twentieth chapter of Ezekiel, and the twentieth verse, he will find out the means of not only knowing that there is a God, but knowing him himself. There is a difference between knowing that a certain person is, and then knowing him for himself as he is. There is a difference between knowing about him, and knowing him. Well, then, there it is written, you can cite him to that verse all the time:—HOMI December 1893, page 241.20

“Hallow my Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.”HOMI December 1893, page 241.21

That is what it is given for. And when God has given it for that purpose, and we conform to it, then he will see that we know him. He will take care of that. He who hallows the Sabbath as God appointed it, will not only know him that created all the worlds, but he will know him that creates a clean heart in him who has a sinful heart; he will know him who creates men new creatures unto good works which God before ordained. He will simply know God as he has revealed himself in Jesus Christ,—“merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” That is the Lord; and the Sabbath he has set to be a sign by which you and I may know, not only that he is, but know him as he is.HOMI December 1893, page 242.1

Now then, there is prophesied in the Scriptures another thing that is worth considering. Turn to 2 Thess., second chapter, beginning with the third verse, and read on to the seventh. The apostle is writing about the coming of the Lord, and he says:—HOMI December 1893, page 242.2

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of the coming of the Lord] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God [the place of worship of God], showing himself that he is God.” [Or, as other translations have it, ‘Showing himself off for God.’] “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”HOMI December 1893, page 242.3

That was written primarily to the Thessalonians, and he says, after telling them what was going to come:—HOMI December 1893, page 242.4

“Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”HOMI December 1893, page 242.5

Turn back to the seventeenth chapter of Acts, and read the first three verses, and we will see what Paul told them when he was there:—HOMI December 1893, page 242.6

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.”HOMI December 1893, page 242.7

He reasoned with them “out of the Scriptures;” yet he says, “When I was there, I told you these things, about the falling away and the man of sin and the mystery of iniquity, the son of perdition who would oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, and put himself in the place of God, showing himself off for God.” But yet all the Scriptures there were then, was just that part which is to us the Old Testament Scripture. None of the New Testament was then written. Consequently, somewhere in the Old Testament Paul preached to the Thessalonians about this man of sin, the son of perdition, and told them from the Scriptures that he was going to come, and what he would do when he did come. Now I will read a passage; I will not tell where it is just at present, but I will read it, and as I read it, I want you to see and decide for yourselves whether from this verse he could preach that which I have read from his letter to the Thessalonians.HOMI December 1893, page 242.8

I will read the letter again before I read this:—HOMI December 1893, page 242.9

“There [shall] come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes.”HOMI December 1893, page 242.10

Now that reads just as though it was connected right with that passage in Thessalonians, doesn’t it? “Magnify himself in his heart.” What did he say in Thessalonians he would do?—Exalt himself; stand up—seek to reign as a king. The expression that is translated “stand up” means to reign as a king, for I read again in the same book a passage from which you will see that it does signify that:—HOMI December 1893, page 242.11

“And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken.”HOMI December 1893, page 242.12

You can see that the meaning of the phrase “stand up” is the reigning of kings. So here is one, then, that stands up against whom?—“Against the Prince of princes.” Who is the Prince of princes?—We all know he is Jesus Christ. Here is one, then, that will stand up against Jesus Christ—reign as king in opposition to Jesus Christ. Another verse in the eighth chapter reads:—HOMI December 1893, page 242.13

“He magnified himself even to the prince of the host.”HOMI December 1893, page 242.14

That is against Jesus Christ again. He will magnify himself against him. In Thessalonians it is written he “opposeth and exalteth himself.” Do not these two passages, then, refer to the very same thing? Then are not those the very verses from which Paul preached to the Thessalonians; that there would come one in the world who would exalt himself above all that is called God, putting himself in the place of God, showing himself off that he is God?—Assuredly. Now that is in the eighth chapter of Daniel.HOMI December 1893, page 242.15

Now, when one puts himself in the place of Jesus Christ, he puts himself in the place of the Saviour. And for any one to supplant the Saviour, is to pretend himself to have the means of salvation, and that his is the way of salvation instead of the way which Jesus Christ has appointed. Now I want you to see whether that scripture has been fulfilled anywhere in the world. I call attention to it again. One would come some time in the world who would exalt himself in opposition to God as he is revealed in Jesus Christ; and would put himself in the place of the worship of God; and would demand that the worship shall be rendered to him, that is due to God; and would show himself that he is God. He shows it to himself simply to satisfy himself that he is God, because it is self all the way through; and he does it in opposition to Jesus Christ, putting himself in the place of Jesus Christ.HOMI December 1893, page 242.16

Now I have a book here written by Cardinal Gibbons. It is entitled “The Faith of Our Fathers.” This copy that I have has printed on it the “two hundred and tenth thousand.” That is, 210,000 of them have been printed and circulated in the English language at least, perhaps some in England, so that you can see that it is quite a well-known book. I read on page 155 these words:—HOMI December 1893, page 243.1

“The Council of Florence (1439), at which also were present the Bishops of the Greek and Latin Churches, declare, ‘We define that the Roman Pontiff is the successor of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the whole Church, the Father and Doctor of all Christians, and we declare that to him, in the person of Blessed Peter, was given, by Jesus Christ our Saviour, full power to feed, rule, and govern the universal Church.’ [Then the Cardinal’s comment upon this decree of the Council of Florence is this:] The Pope is here called the true Vicar or representative of Christ in this lower kingdom of His Church militant, that is, the Pope is the organ of our Saviour, and speaks His sentiments in faith and morals.”HOMI December 1893, page 243.2

Look at that word a little further—“The True Vicar.” What is a vicar? You have heard the word vicarious; vicarious sacrifice; vicarious atonement, etc., signifying a substitute. The definition of the word vicar is “a substitute.” Then what does this say?HOMI December 1893, page 243.3

“We define that the Roman Pontiff is the successor of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and the true substitute of Christ.”HOMI December 1893, page 243.4

Then according to Cardinal Gibbon’s book there is one who stands in this world in the place of Jesus Christ and assumes the place of Christ to the world. The Scripture says that Jesus Christ himself is the head of the church. This says that the pope is the true vicar and the head of the whole church. Then does not that put him in the place of Jesus Christ?HOMI December 1893, page 243.5

I will read another passage from Di Bruno’s “Full Catechism of the Catholic Religion,” approved by Cardinal Wiseman, of England, and Cardinal McCloskey of the United States, when he was alive. Thus says the catechism:—HOMI December 1893, page 243.6

“Every one is obliged under pain of eternal damnation to become a member of the Catholic Church, to believe her doctrine, to use her means of grace, and to submit to her authority. Hence the Catholic Church is justly called the only saving church. To despise her is the same as to despise Christ, namely, his doctrine, his means of grace, and his powers. To separate from her is the same as to separate from Christ, and to forfeit salvation.”HOMI December 1893, page 243.7

That is enough, then, to show that that prophecy has been fulfilled, and that one has appeared in the world, putting himself in the place of the Prince of princes; proposing to reign as a king upon the earth, with kingly power, and kingly authority, in the place of Jesus Christ, and putting himself there as the only way of salvation. That is plain enough.HOMI December 1893, page 243.8

Here is another thing that the scripture says that that one would say in his heart; not necessarily say it openly, but in his heart. You remember I read from Isaiah this passage about the Lord, the true God:—HOMI December 1893, page 243.9

“Tell ye and bring them near [that is, all who trust in other gods beside the Lord], yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time! who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me: a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”HOMI December 1893, page 243.10

That is in the forty-fifth chapter. Now turn right over to the forty-seventh chapter, and read there what another one would say who would appear in the world, and who is called the daughter of Babylon. Turn to the eighteenth chapter of Revelation, and you have the companion description; the two go together. In the eighth verse of the forty-seventh chapter of Isaiah we read:—HOMI December 1893, page 243.11

“Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.”HOMI December 1893, page 243.12

The Lord says, “I am, and there is none else beside me.” But this one stands up and says, “I am, and there is none else beside me.” Could anything more certainly show that this one has put himself in the place of God, showing himself off that he is God, and there is none else beside him? We have found that there would appear in the world the Saviour, the Lord of hosts; and also we have found that another one would appear and put himself in the place of the Saviour as the only way of salvation. The Saviour, the Lord of hosts would appear in the world as the only way of salvation. Thus according to the Scriptures there would appear in the world two ways of salvation. Now let us read what these two ways are; we have found the two parties. One is Jesus Christ; and the other the Cardinal’s book says is the papacy. One is Jesus Christ, and the other, as the catechism says, is the Catholic Church. Now let us endeavor to find out the two ways of salvation; we have found out the two saviours.HOMI December 1893, page 243.13

Let us read again in Isaiah 45, verses 21 and 22:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.1

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.2

There is God’s way of salvation. What did he say to do in order to be saved? What is it?—“Look unto me and be ye saved.” Do what and be saved? “Look.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.3

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.4

And when Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the word was, “Look and live.” And whosoever looked was cured of the poisonous bites of the serpents. So he says to-day:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.5

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.6

If you are blind and cannot see, and therefore unable to look, then he comes to you and says:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.7

“Hear, and your soul shall live.” Isaiah 55:3.HOMI December 1893, page 244.8

If you are both blind and deaf, and can neither see nor hear, then he says:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.9

“Speak ye unto the rock, ... and it shall give forth his water.” “And that rock was Christ.” Numbers 20:8; 1 Corinthians 10:4.HOMI December 1893, page 244.10

If you are blind, and deaf, and dumb, and can neither see, nor hear, nor speak, then he says:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.11

“O taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8.HOMI December 1893, page 244.12

If you are blind, and deaf, and dumb, and have lost all sense of taste, and there is only one single faculty remaining, he says, use that, andHOMI December 1893, page 244.13

“Feel after him, and find him.” Acts 17:27.HOMI December 1893, page 244.14

Thus the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, has brought his glorious salvation, his eternal salvation, within the reach of every individual in this world who can either see, or hear, or speak, or feel. And that is all he asks of you. That is God’s way of salvation.HOMI December 1893, page 244.15

In other words, by faith alone, not faith and something else; but faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Because he who trusts in faith and something else for salvation, will always put his confidence in the something else. Because he has not a kind of faith which has enough virtue in it, or that brings enough power to him to do him any good. Therefore he must help himself out with his own efforts, and so he becomes his own Saviour. But he who trusts in Jesus Christ, to be saved by faith alone, and that the gift of God alone as it is, is saved by Jesus Christ alone.HOMI December 1893, page 244.16

I read in the second chapter of Ephesians and the eighth verse:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.17

“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.18

Being the gift of God, coming from him through Jesus Christ to mankind, it brings to mankind—this faith which is the gift of God—brings to mankind the divine virtue to save him from the sins he has committed, and the divine power to keep him from sinning. So that Jesus Christ is a Saviour from sins, and a Saviour from sinning.HOMI December 1893, page 244.19

This faith which God gives is a faith which brings life to him who receives it, and therefore it is written:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.20

“The gospel is the power of God unto salvation; ... for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.21

No man can live by anything which does not bring and give life to him: No man can live from a thing from which he draws no life. no man can live by that which has no life in it. consequently as we live by faith, that shows on the face of it that the faith which God gives is a living thing, and brings life, even the divine life, “the life of God,” to the man who receives and exercises it.HOMI December 1893, page 244.22

This faith, which is the gift of God, is a faith having the divine energy in it, and therefore it is a “faith which works.” Justification through Jesus Christ is not by faith and works, but by “faith which works.” Galatians 5:6; James 2:22. It is a faith that lives and brings divine power to create man a new creature unto good works, and to keep him in the way of righteousness (1 Peter 1:5); it brings divine energy, and is therefore itself able to work; and it moves him who has it, onward, as the apostle said, with an irresistible force to do the will of God, to work the works of God, in the world everywhere that he is. And so it is written:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.23

“This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29.HOMI December 1893, page 244.24

I read another verse or two upon God’s way of salvation.HOMI December 1893, page 244.25

“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.26

Being works ordained of God, they are the works of God, and nothing can accomplish them but the power of God. Thus the faith of God works with the power of God to accomplish the works of God, in him who yields himself to God. Mark 11:22; Romans 6:12, 13; Galatians 5:6; John 6:29.HOMI December 1893, page 244.27

Again, look at this. Turn to the third chapter of Romans, and begin with the nineteenth verse, and let us read along without any comment; just simply read God’s argument from the Scriptures and see whether it is all straight or not. Beginning with the nineteenth verse:—HOMI December 1893, page 244.28

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 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 hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude [This is the conclusion now of the argument, ad now he draws the conclusion himself; it is God’s own conclusion, and it is therefore absolutely certain, and it will save very man that holds to it] that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”HOMI December 1893, page 244.29

That is the Lord’s way of salvation. And he follows this up with another line of argument:—HOMI December 1893, page 245.1

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:1-5.HOMI December 1893, page 245.2

Thank the Lord!HOMI December 1893, page 245.3

Again, the last verse of the fourteenth chapter of Romans, and the last line of the verse:—HOMI December 1893, page 245.4

“Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”HOMI December 1893, page 245.5

On the other hand, therefore, whatsoever is of faith is righteousness; and the faith being the gift of God, that which is of that faith being righteousness, is inevitably the righteousness of God.HOMI December 1893, page 245.6

Consequently the faith of God—the faith which God gives,—brings salvation unto men as the free gift of God. It is indeed by faith, and Jesus Christ himself is the author of the faith, and the faith is a free gift to man. This is the salvation of Jesus Christ. And the Sabbath of the Lord is how own appointed sign, that men may know this.HOMI December 1893, page 245.7

Now a man need not be a believer of the Bible, to know that that is the Bible way of salvation. All a person needs to be is a reader of the Bible in order to know that that is the way of salvation that God has established in the Bible. In fact, you know that there are people who do not believe the Bible, and who bring against it this very objection, that it proposes to justify men by faith and to save men by faith. They do not know what faith is, nor do they understand that faith is from God and is a living thing, able to work and to save a man itself, because it is of God.HOMI December 1893, page 245.8

This is Christ’s way, the Bible way of salvation; and every reader of the Bible knows that that is the Bible way of salvation. And the Sabbath of the Lord is the definite sign which God has set that you and I—that every man—may know that way of salvation, and that Christ is the One who leads in that way of salvation.HOMI December 1893, page 245.9

Now let us look at the other side and see what that way of salvation is. I will read again the statement from the Catechism, and then follow it up with others. Now mark it, we are finding the other way of salvation, and showing what that is, and where it leads, and how it is accomplished:—HOMI December 1893, page 245.10

I read now from another book entitled, “Catholic Belief,” written by Rev. Joseph Faa Di Bruno, Doctor of Divinity, in Europe, and translated and edited by Dr. Lambert in the United States, who wrote the “Notes on Ingersol.” It also bears the imprimatur, or indorsement, of Cardinal McCloskey in this country, and Henricus Eduardus, Cardinal—Archbishop—of Westminster, England. Here is a passage in this book, in which the church treats on the subject of “justification by faith alone.” I have read from the Bible that that is the Lord’s way of salvation. And now I read from Rome’s word that you may see by her own words whether that way of salvation is hers or not. It speaks first of the Reformation, or what it chooses to call the “so-called Reformation.”HOMI December 1893, page 245.12

“As in revolutions the leaders try to gain the people over by the bait of promised independence, so at the time of the so-called Reformation—which was a revolution against church authority and order in religion—it seems that it was the aim of the Reformers to decoy the people under the pretext of making them independent of the priests, in whose hands our Saviour has placed the administering of the seven Sacraments of pardon and of grace. They began, therefore, by discarding five of these Sacraments, including the Sacrament of Order, in which priests are ordained, and the Sacrament of Penance, in which the forgiveness of sins is granted to the penitent.”HOMI December 1893, page 245.13

How is forgiveness of sins granted to the penitent in Rome’s way of salvation?—Through penance. We shall refer to that more fully presently.HOMI December 1893, page 245.14

“They then reduced, as it appears, to a mere matter of form, the two Sacraments they professed to retain; namely, Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. To make up for this rejection, and enable each individual to prescribe for himself, and procure by himself the pardon of sins and divine grace, independently of the priests and of the Sacraments, they invented an exclusive means, never known in the church of God, and still rejected by all the Eastern Churches, and by the Roman Catholics throughout the world. They framed a new dogma, not to be found in any of the creeds, or in the Canons of any General Council; I means the new dogmas of justification by faith alone, or by faith only.”HOMI December 1893, page 245.15

And that, it declares, never was known to the church of God, and is rejected to this day by the Catholics throughout the world. Very good. Then the Bible way of salvation is not Rome’s way of salvation. That is settled. You can see that plainly enough. It is plain enough that this one who has put himself in the place of Jesus Christ, as the substitute for him, has likewise substituted another way of salvation for his way of salvation. And the church says that by this means “the followers of Luther ventured to declare that each individual can secure pardon and justification for himself independently of priests and Sacraments.” Very good. I am glad they began. But that shows plainly enough that the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone, and that it is the gift of God, bringing divine virtue and divine power and divine energy unto men to save men,—that that is not Rome’s way of salvation. She says so. So be it.HOMI December 1893, page 245.16

Let us follow out a little further now, what is her way of salvation. No man can be saved in his sins. He must be saved from his sins. And it is written:—HOMI December 1893, page 246.1

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.2

And that is true. That is how forgiveness of sins is obtained from the Lord. That is his way of salvation from sins. Now then, how is the forgiveness of sins obtained from Rome? I read again the passage which says the so-called Reformers, these leaders in the so-called Reformation, “discarded the Sacrament of Penance, in which the forgiveness of sins is granted to the penitent.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.3

Then the forgiveness of sins in Rome’s way of salvation is through penance. Here it is again, set forth as such in the book:—HOMI December 1893, page 246.4

“Penance is the means by which the sins that we commit after baptism, are forgiven.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.5

What is this though, about the sins committed “after baptism.” Let us read from the Cardinal’s book, to see how many sins in Catholics are committed after baptism. How many sins in that system of doctrine are committed after baptism? I read from this book “The Faith of Our Fathers,” page 313, from the chapter on “The Sacrament of Baptism:”—HOMI December 1893, page 246.6

“From what has been said, you may well judge how reprehensible is that conduct of Catholic parents who neglect to have their children baptized at the earliest possible moment, thereby risking their own souls, as well as the souls of their innocent offspring.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.7

Then according to that extract, what is the duty of Catholic parents?—To have their children baptized at the earliest possible moment. Then, as the infant is baptized, according to this extract, at the earliest possible moment, it is evident on the fact of it that no Catholic can ever commit any sins before his baptism; but that all the sins that anybody, in that system, can ever possibly commit, are after his baptism, because baptism is to be at the earliest possible moment after his birth. Very good then. Now put these two things together: baptism is to be administered at the earliest possible moment; therefore, all the sins that person can possibly commit are after his baptism; and “penance is the means of obtaining the forgiveness of sins that are committed after baptism.” Then it is evident on the face of it, that penance is Rome’s way of salvation. And any one who ever was a member of the Catholic Church knows that that is the fact.HOMI December 1893, page 246.8

Well, then, it is in order to inquire what penance is; what it is for in its complete purpose; how essential it is to that system of doctrine; and how entirely it is the way of salvation in Rome’s system.HOMI December 1893, page 246.9

I read again from this book on “Catholic Belief,” from the chapter on “Works of Penance“:—HOMI December 1893, page 246.10

“In the case of those who have fallen into mortal sin after baptism [that is virtually after their birth; for baptism must be at the earliest possible moment], when the guilt of such sin and the everlasting punishment due to it are forgiven, there still very often remains a debt of temporal punishment, to be paid by the sinner.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.11

Well, then, when God’s forgiveness of the guilt is given, and when he has forgiven us the everlasting punishment due to the sin, and still I am not saved until I pay a debt myself, then who is my Saviour? When God has exhausted his resources, and still I have a debt to pay myself, in order to be saved, who is my saviour?—Myself; only myself along. So that Rome’s way of salvation is self-salvation, and self’s way of salvation, through penance. I read on:—HOMI December 1893, page 246.12

“This debt remains not from any imperfection in the power of absolution in the Sacrament of Penance, nor from any want of efficacy in the atonement of Jesus Christ, but because, by God’s will, chastisement for past sins helps us to compensate for the imperfection in our repentance, and serves as a correction.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.13

Then according to this precious scheme, the Lord has established a sacrament for the forgiveness of sins, and has established the atonement of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, yet in addition to all that, he has by his own will established something that I have to do myself, after he has exhausted all his resources, in order to save myself. I read this further:—HOMI December 1893, page 246.14

“From this we see that, whilst the God-man, Jesus Christ, has by atoning for our sins, done what we could not possibly do for ourselves, he has not dispensed us from doing, with the help of his grace, what we can to punish ourselves for the offenses and outrages we have offered to God.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.15

So after the Lord’s means are all exhausted, then we are to punish ourselves, to save ourselves from ourselves. And behold,—HOMI December 1893, page 246.16

“Good sense tells us that this is but right and just.”HOMI December 1893, page 246.17

Now I want to give you an illustration which I saw once with my own eyes, and I want to ask you whether it is good sense. I saw a man once try to knock himself down with his own fist because he was mad at himself. I actually saw him. He had let his temper get away with him, and in his intemperance he had done that which he hated himself for after it was done, and then he actually began to beat himself on one side of the head and then on the other, determined to knock himself down. He was “doing what he could to punish himself for the offense and outrage.” In short, he was doing penance. But was it good sense? Was that man acting in good sense? In his intemperate anger he had done what he could not keep himself from doing. And so when he had done that, and hated himself for the doing of it, he would punish himself by himself in order to save himself from himself, and keep himself from doing so again. Was that good sense?—No, no, you all say, no. But that is penance. That is the very doctrine of penance; and that is Rome’s way of salvation.HOMI December 1893, page 246.18

That man was not a professed Catholic. In this practice, however, he was a Catholic; he was following Rome’s way of keeping himself from getting angry again, wasn’t he? Because, see: “Chastisement for past sins helps us to compensate for the imperfection in our repentance, and serves as a correction;” and all to keep us from doing it again. That is what this man wanted,—to stop himself from doing that any more. It would not accomplish this of course; neither does penance accomplish it; but that is Rome’s way of salvation, and this man’s foolish action is a perfect illustration of the doctrine, and also of the foolishness and impotence of the doctrine of penance.HOMI December 1893, page 247.1

Now that you may see how essentially penance is Rome’s way of salvation, I read here her own statement that the dying thief, after Jesus Christ himself had pardoned him on the cross, did penance in order to be saved. So that according to Rome’s system—the pardon which Jesus Christ himself speaks—the pardon which Jesus Christ supplies to a penitent sinner, is insufficient without the penances which she chooses to lay upon him, even hundreds of years after he is dead.HOMI December 1893, page 247.2

“The pardon granted to the penitent thief in the saving words, ‘This day shall thou be with me in Paradise,’ cannot be taken as a proof that we are dispensed by God from doing works of penance. That was a wonderful and special grace under extraordinary circumstances; namely, when the Blood of Redemption was actually being shed upon the cross; moreover, the dying thief, besides bearing testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ, confessed his guilt, and in the spirit of penance suffered the torment of his crucifixion, and the cruel breaking of his limbs, as penalties justly due to his sins; and it may be that it was the first time that he repented and received pardon of his sins.”HOMI December 1893, page 247.3

I need to read no further to show that penance, and penance alone, is Rome’s way of salvation. This self-punishment, this voluntary penance, is for those who voluntarily submit to her control, and to her way of doing things. But there are many people in the world, and always have been, who do not voluntarily go that way; who do not choose her way of salvation. But she, having put herself in the place of Christ as the saviour of men, and penance being her means of salvation, she must see to it that penance shall reach all, that all may be saved. I read in the book, the Cardinal’s book, that the pope is “the head and doctor of all Christians;” and Pope Pius IX wrote to old Emperor William of Germany that “everybody that is baptized in the world belongs to the pope.” Yes, sir. How then shall penance be made to reach these who do not submit voluntarily to Rome’s authority?” Here it is. Here is penance for the rest of us. I read in the same chapter, on penance:—HOMI December 1893, page 247.4

“The fear of temporal punishment often helps to strengthen the resolution of amendment, it acts as a check to prevent us from again falling into sin.”HOMI December 1893, page 247.5

Now note, the fear of temporal punishment acts as a check to prevent us from again falling into sin. The punishment, then, and the fear of it, helps to strengthen the resolution to do better. Everybody resolves to do better sometimes; they want something to help them. Rome prescribes “the fear of temporal punishment,” and says that will help you get right, and will keep you from again falling into your old ways. But, in order that temporal punishment, and the fear of it, may reach those who do not voluntarily recognize her authority, she must have control of temporal power. Therefore, for those who will voluntarily take her course of salvation, voluntary penance—punishment—is prescribed and practiced. But for all others, she takes hold of the temporal power and uses it that they may have the benefit of penance also and be sure to be saved.HOMI December 1893, page 247.6

And to gain control of the temporal power, she has “recourse to the help of the law and State authority.” She gets her doctrines embodied in the “civil” law, with penalties attached, then whoever breaks the law “disregards the government,” and “endangers the State,” and must suffer the penalty, thus these do penance anyhow, and thus they are sure of Rome’s salvation. Anybody who has ever read the doctrine of the Inquisition, knows that such was the sole purpose and the very principle and philosophy of the Inquisition. It was not to punish people because they were heretics, but to save them from the sins in which they were by being heretics; that is all the Inquisition ever was for; that is all its torments were ever applied for. She employed the temporal power to inspire the people with the fear of temporal punishment, which should act as a corrective and prevent their again falling into sin. Of course she claims she never put anybody to death; it was always “the temporal power” that did it. Aye, but she controlled the temporal power. And Leo XIII in our day has announced it in his own words, not longer ago than May, 1891, in his encyclical to all the world on the labor question. I will read that sentence:—HOMI December 1893, page 247.7

“The church uses its authority, not only to enlighten the mind, but to direct by its precepts the life and conduct of men, and acts on the decided view that for this purpose, recourse should be had in due measure and degree to the help of the law and State authority.”HOMI December 1893, page 247.8

Note, he does not say she may, but, she SHOULD have recourse to the help of the law and State authority.HOMI December 1893, page 247.9

And now that you may see that that always has been her course, I will read you a few passages from the time when the papacy was made; when she first had recourse to the help of the law and State authority in the days of Constantine, and see what she got it for, and what she did with it when she got it, and why that was done which was done. I have the words here of a bishop who was there at the time, and one of the chiefest ones who helped to join the Church and the State in the days of Constantine, which made the living, working, papacy in the world from that day to this. He says of Constantine:—HOMI December 1893, page 247.10

“Our emperor, whom Christ loves by bringing those whom he [the emperor] rules on earth to the only begotten word and Saviour, renders them fit subjects of His kingdom.”HOMI December 1893, page 248.1

Thus, according to this view, Constantine’s place and work was to bring the people under his authority in the Roman Empire to the Word and Saviour, and thus render them fit subjects of Christ’s kingdom. It is important, then, to know how Constantine did that. It is well to know how he brought them to the Word and Saviour, and to whom he brought them as to the Word and Saviour. We have the words of Constantine himself in a decree, upon this very subject, and here are the words, issued A.D. 323, immediately after his victory over Licinius, when he became sole ruler over the whole Roman Empire:—HOMI December 1893, page 248.2

“Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus to the heretics: Understand now, by this present statute, ye Novatians, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulins, ye who are called Cataphrygians, and all ye who devise and support heresies by means of your private assemblies, with what a tissue of falsehood and vanity, with what destructive and venomous error, your doctrines are inseparably interwoven; so that through you the healthy soul is stricken with disease, and the living becomes the prey of everlasting death.”HOMI December 1893, page 248.3

Then he is going to save souls from this disease, and from everlasting death. How?HOMI December 1893, page 248.4

“Forasmuch, then, as it is no longer possible to bear with your pernicious errors, we give warning by this present statute, that none henceforth presume to assemble yourselves together. We have directed, accordingly, that you be deprived of all the houses in which you are accustomed to hold your assemblies; and our care in this respect extends so far as to forbid the holding of your superstitious and senseless meetings, not in public merely, but in any private house or place whatsoever. Let those of you therefore [now he is “bringing them to the Saviour,” mark you, and notice how he does it] who are desirous of embracing the true and pure religion, take the far better course of entering the Catholic Church, and uniting with it in holy fellowship, whereby you will be enabled to arrive at the knowledge of the truth.”HOMI December 1893, page 248.5

That is how. This bishop says, he brought them to the Word and Saviour, and rendered them fit subjects of Christ’s kingdom. And in doing this, he brought them to the Catholic Church as the way of salvation. I read on:—HOMI December 1893, page 248.6

“In any case, the delusions of your perverted understandings must cease entirely to mingle with, and mar the felicity of, our present times; I means the impious and wretched doublemindedness of heretics and schismatics. For it is an object worthy of that prosperity which we enjoy through the favor of God, to endeavor to bring back those who in time past were living in the hope of future blessing, from all irregularity and error, to the right path, from darkness to light, from vanity to truth, from death to salvation.”HOMI December 1893, page 248.7

There it is in so many words then. He brought them back from death to salvation, and to do so he brought them to the Catholic Church. That is the way of salvation which she prepared for heretics the first time she ever got the help of the law and State authority; that is the only purpose for which she ever used the help of the law and State authority; and that is the only purpose for which she wants it or will ever use it in the United States, or anywhere else now in our day.HOMI December 1893, page 248.8

Again I read:—HOMI December 1893, page 248.9

“And I order that this remedy may be applied with effectual power, we have commanded (as before said) that you be positively deprived of every gathering point for your superstitious meetings; I mean all the houses of prayer (if such be worthy of the name), which belong to heretics, and that these be made over without delay to the Catholic Church; that any other places be confiscated to the public service, and no facility whatever be left for any future gathering; in order that from this day forward none of your unlawful assemblies may presume to appear in any public or private place. Let this edict be made public.”HOMI December 1893, page 248.10

All right. It has been made public, and I am glad we have it still. But that shows completely the way of salvation provided by Rome. Penance, self-inflicted, for those who voluntarily submit to her authority; and penance inflicted through the help of the law and State authority to those who will not voluntarily submit. Thus it is demonstrated that PENANCE is the only way of salvation provided by Rome.HOMI December 1893, page 248.11

Well, the Sabbath, we have read, is God’s sign, which he set up, that men may know what Jesus Christ is to men, and the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. Here is another one that has appeared in the world and has put himself in the place of the Saviour, as the only way of salvation, and with penance as the only way of that salvation. Here has appeared a substitute for Jesus Christ, substituting herself for him, and her way of salvation in place of his, and likewise she has substituted another sign for his sign. And it is only logical enough that she should do so. As she has put herself in His place as the saviour, and her way instead of his way as the way of salvation, if she is going to have any sign at all of her power to do all this, it must be a rival Sabbath. There is not other way.HOMI December 1893, page 248.12

Think now: As the Sabbath which God appointed was appointed by him as the sign by which men may know him as Creator and Saviour, when another power appears and puts itself in the place of God and of Christ, if that other power, the papacy, the Catholic Church, is to have any sign at all of her authority and her power to act in the place of Christ, in the nature of things she must have her sign to be a rival Sabbath, or it would signify nothing. Consequently this same bishop tells us what they did on this same question in the time—the fourth century—when the papacy was made. This same bishop, who wrote that Constantine brought the people to the Saviour by his edict, forcing them into the Catholic Church, thus rendering them fit subjects of Christ’s kingdom, said also this thing:—HOMI December 1893, page 248.13

“All things whatsoever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord’s day.”HOMI December 1893, page 249.1

Of course they did, and they did it for a purpose, too. They did it to signify their power, and their authority to save people by way of penance and that inflicted by the help of the law and State authority. So all things whatsoever it was men’s duty to do on the Sabbath, these they—the bishops and Constantine—transferred to Sunday. And as her way of salvation is by force only, the first Sunday law that ever was made followed that transfer, and fixed it amongst men. And thus Sunday was set up as her sign, and by men’s submitting to it and wearing that badge, they wore the badge of Rome’s authority and her way of salvation, instead of the badge of the authority of Jesus Christ and of his way of salvation.HOMI December 1893, page 249.2

Nor are these testimonies confined to ancient times either. I have here some that have been written in our day. Here is the Kansas City Catholic of February 9, 1893, replying to some Protestant paper which was arguing strongly for the closing of the World’s Fair on Sunday, because it is “the Sabbath.” The Kansas City Catholic, reviewed the argument of the Protestant paper, and amongst other things said this:—HOMI December 1893, page 249.3

“Our Saviour kept Saturday, the seventh day of the week, during all his life on earth as the Sabbath day, and preached the gospel to the people, and in his divine preaching never spoke of any change of day, but on the direct contrary, his divine example always was to keep Saturday, the seventh and last day of the week, the Sabbath day.”HOMI December 1893, page 249.4

And there appeared in print last year the express statements from the American Sabbath Union, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, the American Sunday-school Union, and others with them, that “there is no command of God for keeping Sunday.” Those people who have taken the lead in the United States in getting Congress to set up Sunday as the Sabbath in the place of the Lord’s Sabbath, know and have said in print over and over, that there is no command of God for it. Well then, they know that this statement is true. Then the Kansas City Catholic goes on:—HOMI December 1893, page 249.5

“The Catholic Church of its own infallible authority created Sunday a holy day.”HOMI December 1893, page 249.6

O, she is able to create, is she? She is, of course, if she is able to save sinners. The Sabbath is the sign that God creates and saves, and he says, “I am God, and there is none else.” But she says, “I am, and there is none beside me. I have created Sunday a holy day.”HOMI December 1893, page 249.7

“The Catholic Church of its own infallible authority created Sunday a holy day, to take the place of the Sabbath of the old law; and as Catholics are bound to obey the commands of the church equally with the commands given on Sinai, Catholics must observe Sunday. But what in the world do Protestants mean by observing Sunday?”HOMI December 1893, page 249.8

Now that is a (world’s) fair question. Those who do observe Sunday can answer it for themselves.HOMI December 1893, page 249.9

Here is the cardinal’s book again, that has something in it worth calling your attention to. Everybody knows that the motto of Protestantism is, “The Bible and the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants.” That for whatsoever there is not a “Thus saith the Lord,” that Protestants reject. Very good. The cardinal is taking of that very doctrine here. Page 111:—HOMI December 1893, page 249.10

The Scriptures themselves say this:—HOMI December 1893, page 249.11

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”HOMI December 1893, page 249.12

Rome says the Bible does not contain all the duties necessary for a man to believe or practice for salvation. Then Rome’s way of salvation is not the Bible way of salvation; that is settled, isn’t it? Let us read on, then:—HOMI December 1893, page 249.13

“Not to mention other examples, is not every Christian obliged to sanctify Sunday!”HOMI December 1893, page 249.14

What do you say? Is he, or is he not? Assuredly those who keep Sunday must think so. It must be that those who keep Sunday think that every Christian is obliged to sanctify Sunday; else why do they keep it? But I read on:—HOMI December 1893, page 249.15

“Is not every Christian obliged to sanctify Sunday, and to abstain on that day from unnecessary servile work? Is not the observance of this law among the most prominent of our sacred duties! But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify. We must therefore conclude that the Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith, because they do not contain all the truths necessary for salvation.”HOMI December 1893, page 249.16

Now that is written to Protestants who keep Sunday, and claim the Bible as the only way of salvation. Rome does not claim the Bible is the only way of salvation. The Bible and Rome, is her platform. The Bible as Rome interprets it, that is her way of salvation. Protestants say the Bible without Rome, that is the way of salvation. Well then, says she, what do you keep Sunday for, when there is no word for it in the Bible? She argues that the great majority of Protestants keep Sunday without Bible authority, and therefore that the Catholic doctrine is true, that the Bible alone is not a complete rule of faith, for Protestants would not keep Sunday if the Bible alone was enough for salvation. And no Protestant who keeps Sunday can answer the argument.HOMI December 1893, page 249.17

I said to the people of this place last year in this tent, that form that time forward, and that means from this time forward, too, the people who keep Sunday would be required to give an account to Rome as to how they keep it, and why they keep it, and to-day I have to read to you Rome’s words in which she sets that forth. I did not have it then, it was not in existence, though I knew that it would certainly be so. And now she herself says it.HOMI December 1893, page 249.18

Before I read it, I wish to ask a few questions. We have found that the true way of salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, and that by man’s own free choice. For Jesus Christ has said: “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not.” If you want to know where it is, turn to the twelfth chapter of John and forty-seventh verse. Jesus Christ says the word: “If any man,”—that covers us all. “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not.” Then I ask, Has anybody any right to judge anybody else for not believing in Jesus Christ? for not believing what he says? or for not doing what he says?—He has not. So if Jesus Christ had positively commanded every man on this earth to keep Sunday sacredly, it would be an infinite sin for anybody to undertake to compel anybody by law, or in any other way, to keep it. Whoever, by whatever means, would compel anybody to keep Sunday, even though it were the Sabbath, sets himself above Jesus Christ, in the place of God, and presumes to do what even God himself will not do until the time, in the judgment. I read it again: “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not.” And I say again that, even though Sunday were the Sabbath, nobody would have the right to try to compel anybody by law, or by any other means, to pay any respect to it whatever.HOMI December 1893, page 250.1

The Lord’s way of salvation is by faith, and that exercised at a man’s own free choice. Rome’s way is by force alone, through penance. God’s way is by love alone, through faith alone. To make the parallel complete, God’s way of salvation is by love alone, through faith alone, at man’s own free choice. Rome’s way of salvation is by force alone, through penance alone, and that by the help of the law and State authority. And therefore when she set up Sunday as the sign of her way of salvation, it was only in accordance with the whole course that she laid out when she employed the law to compel everybody to keep it. The Sabbath is the sign of salvation by love; Sunday is the sign of salvation by force.HOMI December 1893, page 250.2

Now the question I wanted to ask is, Which way have the Protestant churches of these United States taken in the matter of Sunday closing of the World’s Fair? Have they taken Jesus Christ’s way of salvation, leaving every man to believe or not to believe just as he chooses; to observe or not to observe, without being judged by anybody? or, have they taken Rome’s way, which is by force, through the help of the law and State authority? Have they followed the way of faith in Jesus Christ alone, and a faith which works the goodness and the righteousness of God in men’s lives, causing them to do in its fullness what they profess to believe ought to be done? or have they taken Rome’s way, and seized upon the government of the United States, and undertaken to compel men, even at the point of the bayonet, to observe Sunday? Everybody knows that they have taken the way of force. Which way is that? Is that Christ’s way of salvation, or, is that Rome’s way of salvation? Everybody can see from the picture that has been set before us, from the Bible, that that is Rome’s way of salvation,—salvation by force, through the help of the law and State authority.HOMI December 1893, page 250.3

And that you may see how completely that is true, I will read you a few passages from a single paper,—a single copy, of the Christian Statesman, which is the organ of all this national movement to compel everybody to go Rome’s way, and to be saved in Rome’s way. I mean the American Sabbath Union. Wilbur F. Crafts is the editor of it. He prints in this paper of June 2, 1893, a telegram which he and A. H. Plumb,—“Rev” A. H. Plumb, of course,—and Joseph Cook of Boston, sent to President Cleveland. All three signed it. By it they called for the closing of the World’s Fair by force when it was about to be opened:—HOMI December 1893, page 250.4

“Milchrist’s [that is the United States District Attorney in Chicago] suspicious delays and excuses for inaction for fifteen days after the official decision for Sunday opening, if not overruled to-day, will dishonor the nation and administration. When injunction was wanted against railroad men, a judge was obtained by telegraph and a special train. If temporary injunction is impossible to-day, let proclamation and troops hold the gates closed until obtained.”HOMI December 1893, page 250.5

Is it the Christian way to call for troops to compel men to respect Christian institutions, or is it Rome’s way? Everybody knows that it is Rome’s way alone.HOMI December 1893, page 250.6

I said to the people last fall in this place—to the people who keep Sunday—that I would never dispute their right on any point to keep Sunday. They have the right to do that if they choose. But I said to them, what I say again to you: I do not want you to fall into the hands of such men as that, men who are ready to call for armed troops to compel you to keep Sunday their way. I maintain the right of anybody to keep Sunday or not just as he chooses. And if he chooses to keep Sunday, then he has a right to keep it as he chooses. But I do not want the people who keep Sunday to fall into the hands of such men as that, men who, just as soon as they got Congress to recognize Sunday, the very first opportunity that came, called for armed troops with which to enforce it. I ask you who keep Sunday, and who have the right to keep it if you choose, Do you want to commit yourselves in your religious observances, to the hands of such men as that, and they professing to be grand representatives of Christianity, and the conservators of it in the world? If you do not, isn’t it time you began to turn Protestant?HOMI December 1893, page 250.7

Protestants are needed to-day to protest against the papal ways of professed Protestants. Protestants who keep Sunday, and who have a right to if they choose, need to protest against such proceedings as that, if they are still going to remain Protestants, and maintain their own right to keep Sunday or not, as they choose.HOMI December 1893, page 250.8

Here is another statement in the same paper, by the same individual, in a public speech in Boston:—HOMI December 1893, page 251.1

“President Jackson distinguished himself by crushing rebellion in its incipiency. President Cleveland has the same opportunity to distinguish himself. In Wisconsin when the mayor of the capital refused to prohibit a prize fight on Sabbath, the governor ordered the troops to take possession of the stage and grounds, and bayonets prohibited lawlessness. Let President Cleveland order the United States troops to guard the gates of the World’s Fair on Sabbath and keep them closed if need be.”HOMI December 1893, page 251.2

So as the governor of Wisconsin called out men with bayonets, let President Cleveland call out men with bayonets, too, and see that Sunday is observed. Is that Christ’s way of salvation, or is that Rome’s way of salvation?—It is Rome’s alone. Well, then, are you going to follow it? You can if you choose, of course; you have a perfect right to follow that way if you want to, I simply ask you the question. And if you are not going to follow that way, then it is time you were turning Protestants. So come along. Will you? Let us together protest against that kind of Protestantism.HOMI December 1893, page 251.3

Here is a call, another telegram that the Secretary, the leader of the Indiana Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor,—that kind of Christian endeavor, of course, sent to President Cleveland. It reads thus:—HOMI December 1893, page 251.4

“To the Honorable Grover Cleveland,HOMI December 1893, page 251.5

“Washington, D. C.

“DEAR SIR: As God in his providence has given you the highest office in the United States, we appeal to you, in this decisive conflict between the friends of God and good government, on the one hand, and the powers of darkness and the enemies of our Christian American Sabbath, on the other, to use all the power that has been delegated to you in the position you now hold, to keep and to close the gates of the World’s Fair on the Sabbath, not only the buildings, but also Jackson Park.”HOMI December 1893, page 251.6

To use what?—All the power vested in him as President of the United States. He is Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy. Then that called upon him to use all the power of the army and navy of the United States, if need be, to require the observance of Sunday at the World’s Fair, as the Christian Sabbath. But look further:—HOMI December 1893, page 251.7

“We appeal to you, Mr. President, in this decisive conflict between the friends of God and the powers of darkness.”HOMI December 1893, page 251.8

So here are the friends of God, they say, on one hand, and the powers of darkness on the other, and behold they appeal to President Cleveland in this decisive conflict. Why in the world don’t they appeal to the Lord? Have they no confidence in the Lord any more? Have they no faith in God any more, that they can appeal to him in a conflict between his own friends and his enemies?—No, no, no! God is left out, and President Cleveland must step in, in the place of God, and settle the difficulties between the friends of God and the powers of darkness! I ask again, Is that Christian? Is that the Christian way, or is that the Roman way? You know well enough that that is Rome’s way—the way of force, not love. But that was sent in his official capacity as such, by the Indiana Secretary of the Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor. And he was at Washington, also, last January, working for the Sunday legislature by Congress. His name is J. R. Day, D.D. He may have been in this town for ought I know, working a young people’s society of that kind of Christian Endeavor here.HOMI December 1893, page 251.9

Well, then, as the professed Protestant churches of the United States have gone Rome’s way, have employed Rome’s means, and have set up Rome’s sign of her way and her means; then I ask, isn’t it time that the people of the United States were deciding whether they are going to allow themselves to be forced by the professed Protestant churches and the Congress of the United States to go Rome’s way? You have the right to go that way if you choose. You have the right also to deny the right of the churches and Congress to compel you to go that way against your choice, or even by your own choice. Which will you do? So there we are. Rome’s sign has been set up here by the churches and Congress of the United States. The sign of her authority, and the sign of her salvation has been set up in the United States in the place of God’s sign of his authority and of his salvation. And instead of leaving the people of the United States, and of all the world, for that matter, free to choose for themselves God’s way of salvation, as he himself will have them, they have set up Rome’s way of salvation, and propose to compel everybody, at the point of the bayonet, to go Rome’s way. Friends, it is time for you to decide whether you will receive the sign of the living God, and of his salvation, or the sign of Rome and her way of salvation, whether you will wear the badge of Rome, or whether you will bear the sign of the living God; whether you will have the seal of God set upon you, signifying what he is to you, or the mark of the beast set upon you and wear that as the sign of what she is to you.HOMI December 1893, page 251.10

The people of the United States to-day are driven to this decision. We are all shut up to this decision. I say we, for they are going to try to put Rome’s mark upon us all. But thank the Lord, by his grace we, Seventh-day Adventists, are not going to wear it. Jesus Christ is our Saviour, and he has given a sign which he has commanded us to wear, and we are going to truth him to keep us from being forced even to wear that other sign. And so I say we. I put myself with you. It is time that you and I decided, right now, as to whether we will allow ourselves to be forced to wear the badge of Rome. That is where we are.HOMI December 1893, page 251.11

Now I am ready to read that statement I spoke of a little while ago, which shows that what I said a year ago was true, that Rome proposes from this time and forward to demand of you who keep Sunday, why you keep it, and how you keep it. And then, when she has got that settled, she proposes to deal with us. And she names us both, and deals with us both in her argument here in this paper now which I read; but she deals with those who keep Sunday, first; she calls you to account first, and then after that, she is going to take us up. ^{1This matter was printed in the preceding number of the HOME MISSIONARY, and it is not necessary to repeat it here.}HOMI December 1893, page 252.1

Therefore I say to you again, and she says so, that from this day forward she proposes to require of you an account as to why you keep Sunday. How about that? She says so, and she challenges all of the Protestants of the United States, any one of them or all of them, to take up this question and discuss it with her, and she will willingly answer and gladly take part in it. Then she goes on to say that, as the Protestants’ policy is and has been to “lay low,” the probabilities are that nothing will be heard from them on that side of the question. Thus Rome sets herself up as the head of the United States government, and the head of religion here in America, and boasts that the Protestants are afraid to take up the discussion of the Sunday question with her. We shall see whether they are or not.HOMI December 1893, page 252.2

Then when she has that matter settled with them, she proposes to deal with us. And yet she says, “It is none of our funeral.” This is a big question, and it concerns me, and it concerns all the people in the world. It concerns our everlasting salvation. It concerns all Protestants, especially, and particularly all the people. I call upon you to be Protestants indeed. Will you be that? Yet I give you fair warning. Just as certainly as you decide to be a Protestant, no difference how faithfully you keep Sunday,—just as certainly as you decide to become a Protestant, and protest against their un-Protestant and anti-Christian proceedings, they will cast you out of their communities, they will claim you with the Adventists. Yes sir, they will do it. They have done it already. They will do it over again. And when they class you with the Adventists, then they will draw a whole combination, composed to anarchists and saloon-keepers and all the filth and off-scouring of the earth, and they will put us at the headship of all these, and you along with us. So unless you are ready to meet this, don’t undertake to be a Protestant any more, for that is where they will surely put you. But if you are not going to be a Protestant any more, then you will be compelled to stand where Rome says you shall, to surrender to her authority, and to wear her badge.HOMI December 1893, page 252.3

Friends, these things mean something; they mean something to the people of the United States—something?—why, they mean everything. They mean everything. I shall stop right here, and in the next lesson we will go on and see whose funeral it is. A. T. JONES.HOMI December 1893, page 252.4

“Right and Wrong Breathing” The Home Missionary, 5, 11, pp. 258-264.

ATJ

A Talk by Elder A. T. Jones, at the College, Nov. 12, 1893

WE begin this evening the study of health itself. In the previous lesson we studied the Lord’s wishes in regard to it; and something in regard to what health reform is, and what it is for each individual. We might say that in that lesson we studied about it, and from this time forward, we shall endeavor to study it. In that lesson we studied what it is, and what it is for; now we shall study how to live it.HOMI December 1893, page 258.1

The first thing in health reform and in all good health, is right breathing. If there is any one thing about health reform that is more important than another, it is breathing; and yet, that seems to be just about the last thing that nine tenths of the people ever think of. And of the one tenth who do think of it, about half think of it the wrong way.HOMI December 1893, page 258.2

The first thing that anybody does when he comes into the world, is to breathe, and the last thing he does is to stop it; even then he stops it because he cannot do it any more. And this has to be kept up steadily all the way along, from the time a person begins till he finally stops.HOMI December 1893, page 260.1

We can live weeks without eating, and days without drinking, but we cannot live minutes without breathing. That of itself, is enough to show that breathing is the most important part of life. And, although you eat that which God says is good, and of that which is good for you, this will not do you the good that God intended it should, if you do not breathe right.HOMI December 1893, page 260.2

First of all we will find what is right breathing, and next, what is wrong breathing; and having thus found what is certainly right breathing, we shall afterward study how to do it, its benefits, etc., because that is truth. And, by the way, a good thing for us to establish and have fixed in our practice, is to study, and to think only on that which is truth. When we know that a thing is false, that is enough; that is all we want to know about it; we do not need to study that, for this is only to misspend our energies. But when we find a thing that is true, we can put all our energies on it and study it as long as we live.HOMI December 1893, page 260.3

Therefore, the first thing we shall do in this study is to find out what is certainly right breathing. And for this I shall cite you to that which is authority.HOMI December 1893, page 260.4

The first passage I read will be found in the little work lately issued, entitled, “Christian Education.” This was addressed primarily to the students in our schools; yet it is just as good for those who are not actually in school as for those who are. Under the heading, “The Necessity of Doing our Best;” page 125:—HOMI December 1893, page 260.5

“They should perseveringly practice speaking in a low, distinct tone, exercising the abdominal muscles in deep breathing, and making the throat the channel of communication.”HOMI December 1893, page 260.6

That is right, and only right breathing; and only that is right breathing. The abdominal muscles, or muscles of the abdomen, form the structure which God has built that men and woman may breathe for health.HOMI December 1893, page 260.7

Let me say right here that you are never to use your lungs themselves in breathing. I mean, you are not to work them to breathe with. No effort is to be made by the lungs; no strain is to be brought upon them. They are not made for that. Wherever this is done, it is only warring against life. You are not to breathe with your lungs, nor to talk with your throat. The abdominal muscles are to be used to breathe with, and to talk with. The lungs are not to be active but passive; they are not to act but to be acted upon by the machinery which is to be kept in motion by the exercise of the abdominal muscles. So likewise with the throat; it is not to be the organ, but only “the channel of communication.” The exercise of the muscles of the abdomen, causing contraction of the lungs, forces the air through the throat over the vocal chords, and thus creates the tones; then the tongue, teeth, and lips cut the tones into words, and thus speech is formed. Therefore, do not breathe with the lungs; do not talk with the throat. Breathe with the abdominal muscles, and talk with the abdominal muscles and the mouth.HOMI December 1893, page 260.8

“Many speak in a rapid way and in a high, unnatural key; but if they continue such a practice, they will injure the throat and lungs, and as a result of continued abuse, the weak and inflamed organs will become diseased in a serious way, and they will fall into consumption.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 260.9

Don’t you see, then, that it is a serious wrong for any Seventh-day Adventist to be a consumptive? It is wrong for any Seventh-day Adventist to have continued lung trouble of any kind; but it is an awful thing for a Seventh-day Adventist, and above all, a minister, to die of consumption.HOMI December 1893, page 260.10

“Ministers and teachers should give especial attention to the voice, and learn the art of speaking, not in a nervous, hurried manner, but in a slow, clear, distinct manner, preserving the music of the voice.”—Page 126.HOMI December 1893, page 260.11

But you never can do that if you use the throat; much less if you use your throat and lungs both.HOMI December 1893, page 260.12

“Let no one say, ‘There is no use for me to try to pray, for others do not hear me.’ Rather say, ‘I will make earnest efforts to overcome this God-dishonoring habit of speaking in a low, indistinct tone, and I will put myself under discipline until my voice shall be audible, even to those who are hard of hearing.’ Will it not be worth while disciplining yourself to be able to add interest to the service of God, and to edify the children of God?HOMI December 1893, page 260.13

“Let the voices of the followers of Christ be trained so that instead of crowding words together in a thick, indistinct way, their words will be clear, forcible, and edifying. Do not let the voice fall after each word, but keep it up so that every sentence will be full and complete.”—Page 131.HOMI December 1893, page 260.14

“The proper use of the vocal organs will bring benefit to the physical health, and increase your usefulness and influence.”—Page 132.HOMI December 1893, page 260.15

You will see this more fully as we advance. We are simply searching now for the right principles.HOMI December 1893, page 260.16

“They can give attention to the cultivation of the voice, and by judicious exercise may expand the chest and strengthen the muscles.”HOMI December 1893, page 260.17

But it is not enough simply to expand the chest,—it may be and often is expanded entirely wrong,—but you must expand it right. Now let us see how that is done.HOMI December 1893, page 260.18

“Let the abdominal muscles have full play. Do not bind the waist with bands and corsets, but taking in full breath, let the burden of your words come from this foundation, supported by abdominal breathing, and let the throat be the channel for the tone.”—Page 122.HOMI December 1893, page 260.1

The abdominal muscles cannot have any proper play at all, much less can they have full play, when you have them bound about with dress bands and corsets.HOMI December 1893, page 260.2

And, when we come right down to practical health reform, it is going to be a living test with our sisters as to whether they are going to accept God’s way or the devil’s way in this matter—whether they will follow the Lord’s word, or follow fashion’s tyranny. Which will you do? Will you set about this in sacred earnest, and breathe according to the Lord’s directions, or will you bind yourselves tightly about so that you cannot possibly breathe properly and so never have good health? O, let your bodies loose; set yourselves free!HOMI December 1893, page 260.3

“Let the abdominal muscles have full play. Do not bind the waist with bands and corsets, but taking in full breath, let the burden of your words come from this foundation.”HOMI December 1893, page 260.4

In this way you can take in a full breath, even while you are talking or reading, and can keep it up right straight along; breathing not only between sentences, but between clauses, or even between words, if the sentence is long, just as you please, and nobody will notice it. But, if you undertake to use your lungs in breathing, speaking, or reading, you will be constantly on a strain to keep yourself in breath; and if the sentence is long, you will have to actually catch your breath in the very midst of it; the reading or speaking will be all broken up; you will get weary, and also those who hear you will get weary in listening; your lungs will be in pain; your throat will be sore; you will be a living invitation to throat and lung diseases; your work will be crippled, and your efficiency and even your usefulness will be destroyed. O, such a course is only a lingering death. The other way, according to the Lord’s directions, is life, bright, cheery, active, vigorous, healthful, God-given life. Which will you choose? Which will you follow? Therefore, again I read:—HOMI December 1893, page 260.5

“By giving heed to proper instruction, by following health principles in regard to the expansion of the lungs and the culture of the voice, our young men and women may become speakers that can be heard, and the exercise necessary to this accomplishment will prolong life.”—Page 132.HOMI December 1893, page 260.6

This touches the point; yea, it tells the whole story. And again I may say, it is not enough simply to expand the lungs. You can expand the lungs in such a way as to make them only an invitation to consumption; and in the right way, you can also expand the lungs in such a way that it will be impossible for consumption to get hold of you. So, that if you should happen to take cold, and it should even reach and settle upon your lungs, or in your throat, you need not be afraid, it cannot stay, neither can it stop you in your work. The living life and vigor of the whole system will drive it speedily away. O, the Lord wants us to live.HOMI December 1893, page 260.7

“There is need that among our ministers careful attention should be given to the culture of the voice, or many will lie down in untimely graves. The Lord is not glorified by the reflections that are cast upon him, when men attribute to him their sufferings; for the Lord has no pleasure in the suffering and death of his people. He would have them pursue a right course of action, carefully looking after their bodies that they may be in health, and know how to keep the habitation in order.” Page 133.HOMI December 1893, page 260.8

Now, do not get the idea that this is an intricate thing, and hard to understand, and difficult to get hold of, and that you have to have a whole lot of unscientific instruction to get it. It is not that at all. It is all as simple as any other part of the religion of Christ. Listen to this:—HOMI December 1893, page 260.9

“If we neglect to heed the simple laws by which we may preserve health, and fail to cultivate right habits, the Lord will not work a miracle to heal our disorders, while we continue to transgress his laws. Men are sleeping in their graves that the Lord would have had live. They destroyed themselves through lack of knowledge.”—Page 133.HOMI December 1893, page 260.10

What kind of laws are they?—Simply laws. That is just what they are. And do not allow yourself, nor allow anybody else for you, to make them anything else than simple. You will see this more fully as we follow this subject farther:—HOMI December 1893, page 260.11

“Some of our most talented ministers are doing themselves great injury by their defective manner of speaking. While teaching the people their duty to obey God’s moral law, they should not be found violating his physical laws. Ministers should stand erect, and speak slowly, firmly, and distinctly, taking a full inspiration of air at every sentence, and throwing out the words by exercising the abdominal muscles. If they will observe this simple rule, giving attention to the laws of health in other respects, they may preserve their life and usefulness much longer than men in any other profession.”—Gospel Workers, 147.HOMI December 1893, page 260.12

Well, then, is it not almost a disgrace for any Seventh-day Adventist minister, except the oldest, to die, especially of lung or throat troubles? and he professing to be a health reformer, too? If we did not have these things, and set them so plainly before us and so repeatedly, too, it would not be so bad. But with all these things made so plain, and these good wishes of the Lord so fully expressed, it is awful to have our ministers dying, when to take the Lord’s way, the ministers may “preserve their life and usefulness much longer than men in any other profession.” Then let us quit dying. And this expression is not out of place either. For men often think they are all right and not dying, when the truth is they are dying all the time. I read on:—HOMI December 1893, page 260.13

“The chest will become broader.”HOMI December 1893, page 261.1

What! the chest become broader by exercising the abdominal muscles?—Yes, of course. That is the only way the chest can become broader in the right way, in the way to have health. Now there is no contradiction nor inconsistency here. I am not explaining yet, just how this will be. It is all true though. You believe it, and practice it, and you will find it so. However, we are searching now for what is the right way to breathe; how to practice it we shall study afterward.HOMI December 1893, page 261.2

“The chest will become broader, and by educating the voice, the speaker need seldom become hoarse, even by constant speaking.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 261.3

Why no, the throat is the last place in the body to become weary from talking; the lungs never. The abdominal muscles may become tired sometimes, and the back also, and even other parts of the body, with long or strong speaking, but the lungs and throat will be all right. Only use them as God intended them to be used, and they will outlast all the rest of the system.HOMI December 1893, page 261.4

“Instead of becoming consumptives by speaking, our ministers may, by care, overcome all tendency to consumption.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 261.5

Good. Then why should any Seventh-day Adventist minister have even any tendency to consumption, much less have consumption itself? Instead of being delicate, and sunken-chested, and weak-lunged, the Lord wants us to be healthy, full-chested, and strong-lunged, and proof against disease instead of being subject to disease. And why is not this true of all the people as well as of the ministers? Why should our sisters be sunken-chested, stoop-shouldered, and weak-lunged, and subject to lung troubles any more than our brethren or the ministers? They should not. The Lord wants women to have as good health as he wants men to have. And these excellent things that I have been reading, are just as much for women as for men; and are just as true of women as they are of men. Then, sisters, you stand erect and use the abdominal muscles in deep breathing and in expanding the chest, and throw out your words by exercising the abdominal muscles. Then, if you have any tendency to consumption, you will soon be all right,—in more ways than simply your lung troubles, too,—you will “overcome all tendency to consumption.” That is a great deal; it is a blessed promise.HOMI December 1893, page 261.6

“I would say to my ministering brethren, unless you educate yourselves to speak according to physical law, you will sacrifice life, and many will mourn the loss of ‘those martyrs to the cause of truth;’ when the facts in the case are, that by indulging in wrong habits, you did injustice to yourselves, and to the truth which you represented, and robbed God and the world of the service you might have rendered. God would have been pleased to have you live, but you slowly committed suicide.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 261.7

That is to Seventh-day Adventist ministers who die of consumption. It is an awful thing for a person in very desperation to commit suicide by a sudden act. But how much more it is for a person, and of all people a Seventh-day Adventist, too, slowly to commit suicide—to keep it up, and follow it up persistently for years, till it is finally accomplished,—that is terrible. Who, then, will continue to do it? O, rather, who will not cease entirely to do it, by choosing now, and diligently following, the right way?HOMI December 1893, page 261.8

“Speaking from the throat letting the words come out from the upper extremity of the vocal organs, all the time fretting and irritating them, is not the best way to improve health or to increase the efficiency of those organs.”—Gospel Workers, 150; Vol. 2., p. 616.HOMI December 1893, page 261.9

Why, I have known even Seventh-day Adventist workers, who had a great deal of talking to do, who had so nearly ruined the throat that it was somewhat doubtful whether it would ever be well again. The throat was so filled with diseased formations that it had to be cauterized—burnt out. And the sole difficulty was that the throat had been used in talking just as is here stated should not be done. The throat had been used alone, all the time fretting and irritating it, until it was almost destroyed. And all through lack of knowledge of the simple principles which we are now studying.HOMI December 1893, page 261.10

“You should take a full inspiration, and let the action come from the abdominal muscles.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 261.11

Let what come?—Why, the action. From where?—From the abdominal muscles. The action should not come from the lungs or the throat. “Let the action come from the abdominal muscles.”HOMI December 1893, page 261.12

“Let the lungs be only the channel; do not depend upon them to do the work. If you let your words come from deep down, exercising the abdominal muscles, you can speak to thousands with just as much ease as you can speak to ten.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 261.13

Where shall the words come from?—From “deep down,” not from high up; from the base of the vocal organs, not from the top, the action coming from the abdominal muscles. Then you can speak to thousands with just as much ease, so far as the lungs and throat,—the vocal organs,—are concerned, as you can speak to ten. Of course you can. But no man can do that who uses his lungs and throat to speak with; for the more effort that is put upon these the more destructive it is. But, the man who is using his abdominal muscles, any extra exertion of these can be made just as easily as the normal. Of course, if he has to speak to but ten, he will speak as though he were speaking to but ten, and the muscular exertion will not need to be much, if any, more than if speaking to one. But, if he is speaking to ten thousand, this will require more power; yet all he has to do is to bring more pressure on the abdominal muscles, and he can make the people hear. Yet the lungs and throat will be just as safe as in the other case. There is no more danger of injuring the throat in the extra use of the abdominal muscles than in the regular use of them.HOMI December 1893, page 261.14

“Some of our preachers are killing themselves by long, tedious praying and loud speaking, when a lower tone would make a better impression.”—Gospel Workers, 150.HOMI December 1893, page 262.1

You have heart it; you have heard ministers speaking in a small room to only a few people, and they would strike a high key that would make the house fairly ring. To cause all the house to hear, they needed not to have talked any louder than they would in simply talking to a neighbor; yet they actually talked louder than they would have needed to had they been speaking to hundreds. And, when they had stopped talking, they were tired, and you were also tired; and if they should chance to go out into cold or wet weather, they would take cold, and the throat being all irritated and inflamed already, the cold seizes upon that at once, and he is “laid up” for days or perhaps weeks, besides having laid the foundation for serious disease.HOMI December 1893, page 262.2

“A lower tone would make a better impression, and save their own strength. Now, while you go on, regardless of the laws of life and health, and follow the impulse of the moment, do not charge it upon God if you break down.”—Id.HOMI December 1893, page 262.3

Now do not think that these are but imaginations, or mere trifles, meaning but little. They are not; they mean your life. And you can carry out these instructions if you will but persevere, and work with diligence. You can do it alone. There will yet be teachers in all our schools, and among the ministers, who will give this set training. But you need not wait. Until these come your way, you can study these principles and follow a few simple rules, and so breathe and speak right anyhow.HOMI December 1893, page 262.4

I will read a sentence on that:—HOMI December 1893, page 262.5

“Teachers should be employed to educate the youth to speak without wearing the vocal organs.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:274.HOMI December 1893, page 262.6

Thus you see the right way to speak is not to wear the vocal organs. Then don’t allow yourselves to wear your vocal organs when you are talking. That is the way a teacher would train you if he were here; but till he comes, do it for yourself. And that you may see that it can be done easily, I will read even that to you:—HOMI December 1893, page 262.7

“All that was essential was to study and conscientiously follow a few simple rules.... and the exercise of a little common sense.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:605.HOMI December 1893, page 263.1

I might say that this was given as a testimony of reproof of that which was done a number of years ago, when that professor of elocution was employed to come to Battle Creek, and teach elocution. They got up a great stir over the matter, and some were even dropping the work of the ministry to take up the teaching of elocution. This testimony was given to correct this wrong course. I have met some of the brethren who were there, and who took the instruction in elocution, and they have been suffering from the effects of it ever since. They did not know what was the matter with them, until they studied up on the Testimonies in this matter. And then they had to undo that which they had been taught by the professor of elocution.HOMI December 1893, page 263.2

So the testimony says that instead of employing a professor of elocution, all that was essential was to study and conscientiously follow a few simple rules, and educate themselves by the exercise of a little common sense.HOMI December 1893, page 263.3

That was all that was needed then; and it is all that is needed now, at least until a teacher is found who understands the subject himself, and can train people as directed by the Lord.HOMI December 1893, page 263.4

Well, perhaps that is enough on the subject of what is right breathing. Now we shall read what is wrong breathing.HOMI December 1893, page 263.5

“You should not let the labor come upon the upper portion of the vocal organs, for this will constantly wear and irritate them, and will lay the foundation for disease. The action should come upon the abdominal muscles. The lungs and throat should be the channel, but should not do all the work.”—Testimonies for the Church 3:311.HOMI December 1893, page 263.6

There it is written both how to do it, and how not to do it: not to use the upper part of the vocal organs, and not to use the throat and lungs; but use the abdominal muscles.HOMI December 1893, page 263.7

Again in speaking of a certain one it says:—HOMI December 1893, page 263.8

“He uses only the upper part of his lungs. It is seldom that he exercises the abdominal muscles in the act of breathing.—Testimonies for the Church 2:67.HOMI December 1893, page 263.9

Now I will read the next sentence, that you may see how much is involved in right breathing:—HOMI December 1893, page 263.10

“Stomach, liver, lungs, and brain are suffering for the want of deep, full inspirations of air, which would electrify the blood and impart to it a lively color, and which alone can keep it pure, and give tone and vigor to every part of the living machinery.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.11

How much of a person suffers from failing to exercise the abdominal muscles in breathing?—O, think of it, “stomach, liver, lungs, and brain.” Take these things away from a man, and how much is he worth? I will put it in another way: Take away from a man the proper and free use of these organs, and what is he in comparison to what God intended that he should be?—Why, he is as nothing, compared with what God made him to be. And yet the “stomach, liver, lungs, and brain” of thousands of people, and Seventh-day Adventists too, are suffering from the want of knowing how to breathe correctly. O, brethren and sisters, study up on these things. God has given us these organs to be kept in health, and to be used to glorify him. But it is not health to have the stomach, liver, lungs, and brain suffering.HOMI December 1893, page 263.12

Now to sum up:—HOMI December 1893, page 263.13

Question.—What is right breathing?HOMI December 1893, page 263.14

Answer.—“Exercising the abdominal muscles.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.15

Q.—What is wrong breathing?HOMI December 1893, page 263.16

A.—“The use of the top of the lungs.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.17

Q.—What is the right way and manner of speaking?HOMI December 1893, page 263.18

A.—“By using the abdominal muscles.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.19

Q.—What is the wrong way?HOMI December 1893, page 263.20

A.—“To use the tops of the lungs and the throat.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.21

Q.—Where are the words to come from?HOMI December 1893, page 263.22

A.—“Let your words come from deep down.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.23

Q.—Where shall they not come from?HOMI December 1893, page 263.24

A.—“Not from high up. Not from the throat, nor from the upper extremity of the vocal organs.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.25

Q.—What is to do the work?HOMI December 1893, page 263.26

A.—“The abdominal muscles.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.27

Q.—What is not to do the work, not to be worn?HOMI December 1893, page 263.28

A.—“The lungs and throat, the vocal organs.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.29

Now that you may see yet more plainly how important this is, I will read you a statement clipped from the Union Signal, the organ of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. And in this time when it is popular to adopt the pernicious ways of that organization, it is well that we know their foolishness in this matter as well as in others, and avoid it.HOMI December 1893, page 263.30

The heading of this is “Physical Culture for Children.” I have neither the number nor the date of the paper, but only the clipping itself:—HOMI December 1893, page 263.31

“I would begin when a child was two years old and teach her [her, mark it. And you will all see that there is a point in so teaching her rather than him] to stand poised from the hips and slightly forward, chest up, abdomen contracted, toes turned out at an angle of sixty degrees, and neck erect, so that the collar-bone should be horizontal. [Now comes the point.] ... Then I would teach her to breathe slowly, inflating the chest upward and outward, not downward, keeping the abdomen contracted.”HOMI December 1893, page 263.32

Just think of it: “Chest up, abdomen contracted, toes turned out, neck erect, breathe slowly.” Why, to take a grown person who is breathing right, and put him or “her” through that and it would be torture to him or “her.” And a child two years old breathes right; she breathes naturally as God made her to breathe. But lo! this proposes to take her at that age and train her into this absolute perversion and inversion of nature. Why, it is awful. Let not these speak any more against the Flathead Indians, nor against the Chinese binding the feet of their female children.HOMI December 1893, page 264.1

Why, to take a child at that age and train her that way, if she should chance to survive the dreadful ordeal, when she gets her growth she will be shaped directly opposite to what God made us to be,—she will be shaped like an inverted cone, like a common ink bottle upside down, and will be a living invitation to consumption. It is plain to see, though, why this is done. Some devotee of fashion invented this plan so as to have the women wasp waisted as fashion dictates. And they will take the girl at two years old and train, or rather torture, her into this shape, so she will have as small a waist as possible. And these same people will praise the Venus of Mila, and then take their children and train them in exactly an opposite shape, and opposite, too, to the shape which God made us to bear.HOMI December 1893, page 264.2

Now, in the way the Lord made us, the vital organs, the heart and lungs, are in the upper part of the body, and are fenced in strongly with the large, powerful upper ribs, and these further strengthened and braced with the breast-bone; but the breast-bone does not extend all the way down as far as the ribs number. The lower ribs are loose at the front ends, and so are pliable, and therefore are called “floating” ribs. Now which are easier to be moved—the ribs that are so strongly braced as to be almost immovable? or the ribs that are left free and floating purposely to be moved? There is only one possible answer. Therefore, does not nature itself, and common sense, too, teach that breathing should be downward instead of “upward and outward,” as this extract says? Nothing more than this simple consideration is needed to demonstrate that this W.C.T.U. method is contrary to nature. And by every passage which we have read, we know that it is contrary to revelation.HOMI December 1893, page 264.3

The general shape of the thorax, the inside of the chest, and the vital organs contained therein, is that of a cone right side up; that is, the small end up, and the large, broad part down. But the W.C.T.U. method, you see, would develop just the reverse of that. This would put the broad part up and the point down. Don’t you see that this just reverses nature, and makes the shape just the opposite of what God made it?HOMI December 1893, page 264.4

Nothing more is needed to demonstrate that this method of breathing, like the most of the W.C.T.U. methods in other things, is contrary to nature and revelation, to reason and common sense. And there I leave it, and close the present lesson. Study these things carefully, consider them prayerfully, apply them conscientiously, and glorify God by having good health.HOMI December 1893, page 264.5

November 1893