"Sailing with Paul"

Request has been made that the articles under this title, Sailing with Paul, should be reproduced in pamphlet form for wider distribution. This accords with our own mind.

God willing, they will therefore form the last number of Treasury of Truth for this year, whose price, paper-bound, will be 15 cents. One chapter-on the second coming of the Lord-will appear in that pamphlet which, for want of room, was not published in help and food. We trust a good widespread distribution will be given to the publication of these articles, which have been a blessing to not a few.

We have now in hand from the same author two articles, on "Apostolic Faith Missions and the so-called Second Pentecost," which will appear (D.V.) in the earlier months of Help and Food for the coming year, in a narrative form, telling what the author himself has been witness to. We believe they will be very helpful to such as may be in danger of that snare. He is also to furnish during the year a series of articles on Romanism. The fangs of that idolatrous system are taking hold everywhere throughout this land. Some are fighting it on political grounds -for, like Mormonism, it is quite as much a political machine as a religious one. Whilst thanking God for the liberty of conscience we have enjoyed under the government of the United States ever since we were brought under it, and earnestly praying that it may be preserved from the wiles of its enemies, we realize that our path as Christians is not in the field of politics, but of spiritual things. We rejoice therefore that our beloved fellow-worker, Mr. Ironside, is to expose Romanism, in the light of the word of God. She has tormented God's servants and children, and they who do such things cannot escape His judgments. So His Word warns all to escape its approaching end (Rev. 18 :4).

Church Unions, etc.

We have received several marked etc. newspapers and newspaper-clippings from different persons, who desire us to say something on what is going on in the line of our subject. That the divisions of Christendom are a reproach to Christianity, nobody questions; every true and sincere Christian feels their shame. If one is truly exercised about them before God, he mourns and seeks God's way in the midst of the conditions which they produce. If we are more ashamed before men than before God, we will be more anxious to have things suited to man's taste than to God's; and here, we judge, lies the snare into which many are falling.

When faithful men, such as Luther, Calvin, and a host of others, had their eyes anointed to see the frightful corruption and idolatry of the Church of Rome, there was only one path open to them by the word of God, " Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity " (2 Tim. 2:19). This, of course, made division. The faithful men were not the ones responsible for it, but the iniquity of the Church of Rome. She figures prominently in the efforts made toward church union. Has she repented of her iniquities, or are there no more faithful men to stand against them ?
The Unitarians figure in this too. According to the word of God they have no claim to the name Christian:"He that hath not the Son of God hath not life " (i Jno. 5:12). A man who has not life is yet a lost sinner. Do such have a place in Church fellowship ? When such features mark a return together of the divided people of God, we unhesitatingly say such a return is not of God. Its success could only produce a proud, self-righteous, corrupt, idolatrous church, much worse in the sight of God than before, though praised by man who loves big and powerful things.

We have strong illustrations in the word of God concerning such things. Because of its iniquities, the nation of Israel broke in two; ten tribes on one side, two on the other. Rehoboam tried to mend the mischief- God opposed it; for an unrepentant condition in the nation would have made them only worse by their return together. Nor have they been fit to return together ever since. It will be only when that "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matt. 24:21) comes upon them that they will judge their evil course and repent of it. Then God will bring them together by the attractive power and grace of their coming Messiah. What light this sheds upon us in like circumstances! Let any Christian people who were once united, and have become divided, attempt to re-unite without genuine repentance, their coming together will only be for the worse, though it may gratify their desire, and bring upon them the praise of men.

One of the papers sent us gives a report of the speeches made at the dedication of a Roman Catholic college for girls in New Jersey. The burden of the speeches is that the Roman Catholics are very fond of education. Query:Why is it then that the people are so frightfully ignorant (a large majority of them being unable to read or write) in the countries where she has sway ? Another feature in them is,, that the Roman Catholic church should have schools of its own, because the public schools are irreligious. Who has made them so ? Who has labored assiduously to drive from the schools the only book that gives a true religion ? Is it not the Roman Catholics ? No doubt some little figure of Mary put in a niche of the school-house wall would be far more pleasing to them than a Bible on the desk. That little figure does not accuse the Church of Rome:the Bible does-in no mistakable terms. Let the reader carefully peruse chapters 17, 18, and the first part of 19, of the book of Revelation and he will find her there well described and suitably named. In the face of such facts, it takes no little nerve for the Bishop of Trenton and his fellow-preachers to accuse the public schools of being irreligious.

Oh, that the people of this beloved land would cling to the Bible and refuse to let its enemies drive it out of their schools!