Archaebibliophilia
Occasional Postings of a Lover of Archaic Books
"a book... I have found" II Chron. 34:14,15
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December 2, 2011

Franklin Roosevelt's Fireside Chat on War with Japan

Our President's chat with the nation right after Pearl Harbor:

FDR_Fireside_Chat_on_War_with_Japan_1941-12-09.pdf




September 24, 2011

Hadn't realized this was changed long long ago...

Who changed Toplady's words in Rock of Ages?

The original lyric was actually "Cleanse me from its guilt and power", "save from wrath and make me pure." was a later alteration. Your modern hymnal is therefore actually "original".

The original words to "Rock of Ages" were as follows:

Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flow'd
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and pow'r.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and Thou alone!

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!

Whilst I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyestrings break in death;
When I soar through tracts unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!

I believe that it was Thomas Cotterill who in his 1815 "Selection of Psalms and Hymns" that replaced the original final line of the first verse with "Save from wrath, and make me pure"

Samuel Rogal in his 2003 work "An analysis of various versions of A.M. Toplady's Rock of Ages, cleft for me (1774-2001) (which I am sad enough to own) suggests two reasons at page 12, namely:

a) The pronounciation of practice changed so that "-ure" ceased to rhyme with "-our".

b) Cotterill found Toplady's calvinistic imagery unpalatable, being more interested with the end result of salvation rather than the process leading to it.

Interestingly the song was first published in the March 1776 edition of the Gospel Magazine in an article that read:

A remarkable Calculation: Introduced here, for the sake of the spiritual Improvement subjoined. Questions and Answers, relative to the National Debt. The object and end of this " Calculation " will be gathered from the closing questions and answers:
Q. 8. How doth the government raise this interest yearly ?
A. By taxing those who lent the principal, and others.
Q. 9. When will the government be able to pay the principal ?
A. When there is more money in England's treasury alone, than there is at present in all Europe.
Q. 10. And when will that be ?
A. Never.

This article is signed " J. F." Immediately underneath, the subject is continued as a Spiritual Improvement of the foregoing: By another Hand.

The aim of this " Improvement " is to ascertain how many sins " each of the human race" is guilty of "supposing a person was to break the law (1) but once in 24 hours "; (2) twice in the same time; (3) once in every hour; (4) once in every minute; (5) once in every second. As this last is the climax, we will give the question and the answer.
Q. May we not proceed abundantly further yet? Sixty seconds go to a minute. Now, as we never, in the present life, rise to the mark of legal sanctity, is it not fairly inferrible, that our Sins multiply with every second of our sublunary durations ?
A. Tis too true. And in this view of the matter, our dreadfull account stands as follows.—At ten years old, each of us is chargable with 315 millions, and 36 thousand sins.—At twenty, with 630 millions, and 720 thousand.—At thirty, with 946 millions, and 80 thousand.— At forty, with 1261 millions, 440 thousand.—At fifty, with 1576 millions, and 800 thousand.—At sixty, with 1892 millions, and 160 thousand.—At seventy, with 2207 millions, and 520 thousand.—At eighty with 2522 millions, 880 thousand.
Q. When shall we be able to pay off this immense debt?
A. Never.....
Q. Will not divine goodness compound for the debt, by accepting less than we owe ?
A. Impossible.....
Notwithstanding this frightful helplessness, there is hope, as the answer, a little further on, makes clear :—
A. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law; being made a curse for us." Gal. iii. 13.—This, This, will not only cownter-balance, but infinitely overbalance, all the sins of the whole believing world.

Questions and Answers follow, The last answer is :

ROCK OF AGES
A. " We can only admire and bless the Father, for electing us in Christ, and for laying on Him the iniquities of us all:—the Son, for taking our nature and our debts upon Himself, and for that complete righteousness and sacrifice, whereby he redeemed his mystical Israel from all their sins:—and the co-equal Spirit, for causing us (in conversion) to feel our need of Christ, for inspiring us with faith to embrace him, for visiting us with his sweet consolations by shedding abroad his love in our hearts, for sealing us to the day of Christ, and for making us to walk in the path of his commandments.
"A living and dying Prayer for the Holiest Believer in the World"

The text for "Rock of Ages" then followed.

I would love to sing the original "When my eyestrings break in death" lyric, this mirrored the belief at the time that in death the optic nerves snapped. It is a shame that it was changed to "when my eyelids close in death" just to keep medical students happy.

Last edited by Hippo; 03-14-2008 at 03:15 PM.
http://www.puritanboard.com/f67/who-changed-topladys-words-rock-ages-30398/

August 11, 2011

Another good old book to add to your digital library, William Secker's "The Consistent Christian":

We have finally published William Secker's superb book in print, "The Consistent Christian". Many of you have been asking for this book. This is the richest book we have ever read on practical Christian living.

Direct download here:
http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_71/11019000/11019206/1/print/11019206.pdf

May 9, 2011

Origin of the "Darwin" species

Interesting on the influence of Charles Darwin's grandfather:
http://books.google.com/books?id=NA4DUxL5_YQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PR9#v=onepage&q&f=false


May 6, 2011

We thought this was good and this one, too, and wanted you all to read them. Shiro Nakayama put those and a number of others into Japanese quite a while ago.

http://www.gracegems.org/Pink/Pink.htm

http://www.gracegems.org/Pink2/present_day_evangelism.htm
http://gracegems.org/Pink2/another_gospel.htm

Present Day Evangelism

Arthur Pink

"The glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me." 1 Timothy 1:11

Most of the so-called evangelism of our day is a grief to genuine Christians, for they feel that it lacks any scriptural warrant, that it is dishonoring unto God, and that it is filling the churches with empty professors! They are shocked that so much frothy superficiality, fleshly excitement and worldly allurement should be associated with the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They deplore the cheapening of the Gospel, the beguiling of unwary souls, and the carnalizing and commercializing of what is to them, ineffably sacred. It requires little spiritual discernment to perceive that the evangelistic activities of Christendom during the last century have steadily deteriorated from bad to worse—yet few appear to realize the root from which this evil has sprung. It will now be our endeavor to expose the same. Its aim was wrong, and therefore its fruit faulty.

The grand design of God, from which He never has and never will swerve, is to glorify Himself—to make manifest before His creatures what an infinitely glorious Being He is. That is the great aim and end He has—in all that He does and says. For that, He allowed sin to enter the world. For that, He willed His beloved Son to become incarnate, render perfect obedience to the divine law, suffer and die. For that, He is now taking out of the world a people for Himself, a people which shall eternally show forth His praises. For that, everything is ordered by His providential dealings. Unto that, everything on earth is now being directed, and shall actually affect the same. Nothing other than that, is what regulates God in all His actings: "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:36).

This grand and basic truth is written right across the Scriptures with the plainness of a sunbeam, and he who sees it not is blind. All things are appointed by God—for His glory. His saving of sinners is not an end in itself, for God would have been no loser had every one of them eternally perished. No, His saving of sinners is but a means unto an end—"to the praise of the glory of His grace!" (Eph. 1:6).

Now from that fundamental fact, it necessarily follows that we should make the same our aim and end: that God may be magnified by us—"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). In like manner, it also follows that such must be the preacher's aim, and that everything must be subordinated thereto, for everything else is of secondary importance and value. But, is it so?

If the evangelist fails to make the glory of God his paramount and constant aim, he is certain to go wrong, and all his efforts will be more or less a beating of the air. When he makes an end of anything less than that, he is sure to fall into error, for he no longer gives God His proper place. Once we fix on ends of our own, we are ready to adopt means of our own. It was at this very point, that evangelism failed two or three generations ago, and from that point it has farther and farther departed. Evangelism made "the winning of souls" its goal, its summum bonum, and everything else was made to serve and pay tribute to the same. Though the glory of God was not actually denied, yet it was lost sight of, crowded out, and made secondary. Further, let it be remembered that God is honored in exact proportion as the preacher cleaves to His Word, and faithfully proclaims "all His counsel," and not merely those portions which appeal to him.

To say nothing here about those cheap-jack evangelists who aim no higher than rushing people into making a formal profession of faith, in order that the membership of the churches may be swelled. Take those who are inspired by a genuine compassion and deep concern for the perishing, who earnestly long and zealously endeavor to deliver souls from the wrath to come—yet unless they be much on their guard, they too will inevitably err. Unless they steadily view conversion in the way God does—as the way in which He is to he glorified—they will quickly begin to compromise in the means they employ. The feverish urge of modern evangelism is not how to promote the glory of the triune Jehovah—but how to multiply conversions. The whole current of evangelical activity during the past fifty years has taken that direction. Losing sight of God's end, the churches have devised means of their own!

Bent on attaining a certain desired object, the energy of the flesh has been given free reign, and supposing that the object was right, evangelists have concluded that nothing could be wrong which contributed unto the securing of that end; and since their efforts appear to be eminently successful, only too many churches silently acquiesed, telling themselves "the end justifies the means." Instead of examining the plans proposed and the methods adopted by the light of Scripture, they were tacitly accepted on the ground of expediency. The evangelist was esteemed not for the soundness of his message—but by the visible "results" he secured. He was valued, not according to how his preaching honored God—but by how many souls were supposedly converted under it.

Once a man makes the conversion of sinners his prime design and all-consuming end, he is exceedingly apt to adopt a wrong course. Instead of striving to preach the Truth in all its purity—he will tone it down so as to make it more palatable to the unregenerate. Impelled by a single force, moving in one fixed direction, his object is to make conversion easy, and therefore favorite passages (like John 3:16) are dwelt upon incessantly, while others are ignored or pared away. It inevitably reacts upon his own theology, and various verses in the Word are shunned, if not repudiated. What place will he give in his thought to such declarations as: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin—or the leopard his spots?" (Jer. 13:23); "No man can come unto Me, except the Father who has sent Me draws him" (John 6:44); "You have not chosen Me—but I have chosen you" (John 15:14)?

He will be sorely tempted to modify the truth of God's sovereign election, of Christ's particular redemption, of the imperative necessity for the supernatural operations of the Holy Spirit.

In twentieth-century evangelism, there has been a woeful ignoring of the solemn truth of the total depravity of man. There has been a complete underrating of the desperate case and condition of the sinner. Very few indeed have faced the unpalatable fact—that every man is thoroughly corrupt by nature, that he is completely unaware of his own wretchedness, blind and helpless, dead in trespasses and sins! Because such is his case, because his heart is filled with enmity against God, it follows that no man can be saved without the special and supernatural intervention of God. According to our view here, so will it be elsewhere. To qualify and modify the truth of man's total depravity will inevitably lead to the diluting of collateral truths. The teaching of Holy Writ on this point is unmistakable: man's plight is such that his salvation is impossible, unless God puts forth His mighty power. No stirring of the emotions by anecdotes, no regaling of the senses by music, no oratory of the preacher, no persuasive appeals—are of the slightest avail.

In connection with the old creation, God did all without any assistants. But in the far more stupendous work of the new creation, it is intimated by the Arminian evangelism of our day that He needs the sinner's cooperation. Really, it comes to this—God is represented as helping man to save himself: the sinner must begin the work by becoming willing, and then God will complete the business. Whereas, none but the Spirit can make him willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3). He alone can produce godly sorrow for sin, and saving faith in the Gospel. He alone can make us not love ourselves first and foremost, and bring us into subjection to the Lordship of Christ. Instead of seeking the aid of outside evangelists, let the churches get on their faces before God, confess their sins, seek His glory, and cry for His miracle-working operations. "Not by might [of the preacher], nor by power [of the sinner's will]—but by my Spirit, says the Lord."

It is generally recognized that spirituality is at a low ebb in Christendom, and not a few perceive that sound doctrine is rapidly on the wane—yet many of the Lord's people take comfort from supposing that the Gospel is still being widely preached and that large numbers are being saved thereby. Alas, their optimistic supposition is ill-founded and sandily grounded. If the "message" now being delivered in Mission Halls be examined, if the "tracts" which are being scattered among the unchurched masses be scrutinized, if the "open air" speakers be carefully listened to, if the "sermons" or "addresses" of a "soul-winning campaign" be analyzed; in short, if "modern evangelism" is weighed in the balances of Holy Writ, it will be found lacking, lacking that which is vital to genuine conversion, lacking what is essential if sinners are to be shown their need of a Savior, lacking that which will produce the transformed lives of new creatures in Christ Jesus.

It is in no captious spirit that we write, seeking to make a man an offender for a word. It is not that we are looking for perfection, and complain because we cannot find it; nor that we criticize others because they are not doing things as we think they should be done. No, it is a matter far more serious than that, the "evangelism" of the day is not only superficial to the last degree—but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than His holiness, His love than His wrath)—but there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only a reprehensible introducing of "bright singing," humorous witticisms and entertaining anecdotes—but there is a studied omission of dark background upon which alone the Gospel can effectively shine forth.

But serious indeed as is the above indictment, it is only half of it—the negative side, that which is lacking. Worse still is that which is being retailed by the cheap-jack evangelists of the day. The positive content of their message is nothing but a throwing of dust in the eyes of the sinner. His soul is put to sleep by the devil's opiate, ministered in a most unsuspecting form. Those who really receive the "message" which is now being given out from most of the "orthodox" pulpits and platforms today, are being fatally deceived. It is a way which seems right unto a man—but unless God sovereignly intervenes by a miracle of grace, all who follow it will surely find that the ends thereof are the ways of death. Tens of thousands who confidently imagine that they are bound for heaven—will get a terrible disillusionment, when they awake in hell!

What is the Gospel? Is the Gospel a message of glad tidings from heaven to make God-defying rebels at ease in their wickedness? Is it given for the purpose of assuring the pleasure-crazy young people that, providing they only "believe," there is nothing for them to fear in the future? One would certainly think so from the way in which the Gospel is presented—or rather perverted, by most of the 'evangelists'! And the more so when we look at the lives of their 'converts'! Surely those with any degree of spiritual discernment, must perceive that to assure such 'converts' that God loves them and His Son died for them, and that a full pardon for all their sins (past, present and future) can be obtained by simply 'accepting Christ as their personal Savior'—is but a casting of pearls before swine!

The gospel is not a thing apart. It is not something independent of the prior revelation of God's Law. It is not an announcement that God has relaxed His justice or lowered His standard of holiness. So far from that, when Scripturally expounded, the Gospel presents the clearest demonstration and the climacteric proof of the inexorableness of God's justice, and of His infinite abhorrence of sin! But for Scripturally expounding the Gospel, beardless youths and business men who devote their spare time to "evangelistic effort" are quite unqualified. Alas, that the pride of the flesh allows so many incompetent ones to rush in where those much wiser fear to tread. It is this multiplying of novices that is largely responsible for the woeful situation now confronting us, and because the "churches" and "assemblies" are so largely filled with their "converts" explains why they are so unspiritual and worldly.

No, my reader, the Gospel is very, very far from making light of sin. The Gospel shows us how unsparingly God deals with sin. It reveals to us the terrible sword of His justice smiting His beloved Son in order that atonement might be made for the transgressions of His people. So far from the Gospel setting aside the law, it exhibits the Savior enduring the curse of it. Calvary supplied the most solemn and awe-inspiring display of God's hatred of sin that time or eternity will ever furnish! And do you imagine that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified—by going to worldlings and telling them that they "may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their personal Savior" while they are wedded to their idols and their hearts are still in love with sin? If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into a license for sin.

No doubt some readers are ready to object to our "harsh" and "sarcastic" statements above by asking: "When the question was put, 'What must I do to be saved?' (Acts 16:31), did not an inspired apostle expressly say, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ—and you shall be saved?'" Can we err, then, if we tell sinners the same thing today? Have we not divine warrant for so doing? True, those words are found in Holy Writ, and because they are, many superficial and untrained people conclude that they are justified in repeating them to all and sundry. But let it be pointed out, that Acts 16:31 was not addressed to a promiscuous multitude—but to a particular individual, which at once intimates that it is not a message to be indiscriminately sounded forth—but rather, a special word to those whose characters correspond to the one to whom it was first spoken.

Verses of Scripture must not be wrenched from their setting—but weighed, interpreted, and applied in accord with their context; and that calls for prayerful consideration, careful meditation, and prolonged study; and it is failure at this point which accounts for these shoddy and worthless "messages" of this rush-ahead age. Look at the context of Acts 16:31, and what do we find? What was the occasion, and to whom was it that the apostle and his companion said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" A sevenfold answer is there furnished, which supplies a striking and complete delineation of the character of those to whom we are warranted in giving this truly evangelistic word. As we briefly name these seven details, let the reader carefully ponder them.

First, the man to whom these words were spoken had just witnessed the miracle-working power of God. "Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!" (Acts 16:26).

Second, in consequence thereof the man was deeply stirred, even to the point of self-despair: "He drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled" (v.27).

Third, he felt the need of illumination: "Then he called for a light" (v.29).

Fourth, his self-complaceny was utterly shattered, for he "came trembling" (v.29).

Fifth, he took his proper place before God—in the dust —for "he fell down before Paul and Silas" (v. 29).

Sixth, he showed respect and consideration for God's servants, for he "brought them out" (v. 30).

Seventh, then, with a deep concern for his soul, he asked, "What must I do to be saved?"

Here then, is something definite for our guidance, if we are willing to be guided. It was no giddy, careless, unconcerned person who was exhorted to "simply" believe; but instead, one who gave clear evidence that a mighty work of God had already been wrought within him. He was an awakened soul (v.27). In his case there was no need to press upon him his lost condition, for he obviously felt it; nor were the apostles required to urge upon him the duty of repentance, for his entire demeanor betokened his contrition. But to apply the words spoken to him—unto those who are totally blind to their depraved state and completely dead toward God—would be more foolish than placing a bottle of smelling salts to the nose of one just dragged dead from the water. Let the critic of this article read through Acts and see if he can find a single instance of the apostles addressing a promiscuous audience, or a company of idolatrous heathen, and "simply telling them" to believe in Christ!

Just as the world was not ready for the New Testament, before it received the Old; just as the Jews were not prepared for the ministry of Christ until John the Baptist had gone before Him with his clamant call to repentance—so the unsaved are in no condition today for the Gospel, until the law is applied to their hearts, for "by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). It is a waste of time to sow seed on ground which has never been ploughed or broken up! To present the vicarious sacrifice of Christ to those whose dominant passion is to take their fill of sin—is to give that which is holy unto the dogs! What the unconverted need to hear about, is the character of Him with whom they have to do, His claims upon them, His righteous demands, and the infinite enormity of disregarding Him and going their own way.

The NATURE of Christ's salvation, is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell—rather than a Savior from sin! And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire—who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness! The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is—"You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people...[not "from the wrath to come," but] from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, and who long to be freed from its terrible dominion. And He is a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing with which to charge the Holy One!

Should the reader exclaim, "I was not conscious of the heinousness of sin nor bowed down with a sense of my guilt when Christ saved me." Then we unhesitating reply—Either you have never been saved at all—or you were not saved as early as you supposed. True, as the Christian grows in grace, he has a clearer realization of what sin is—rebellion against God—and a deeper hatred of and sorrow for it; but to think that one may be saved by Christ whose conscience has never been smitten by the Spirit, and whose heart has not been made contrite before God, is to imagine something which has no existence in the realm of fact. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor—but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). The only ones who really seek relief from the great Physician, are those who are sick of sin—who long to be delivered from its God-dishonoring works, and its soul-defiling pollutions.

Inasmuch then, as Christ's salvation is a salvation from sin—from the love of it, from its dominion, from its guilt and penalty—then it necessarily follows, that the first great task and the chief work of the evangelist, is to preach upon SIN: to define what sin (as distinct from crime) really is, to show wherein its infinite enormity consists, to trace out its manifold workings in the heart, to indicate that nothing less than eternal punishment is its desert. Ah, and preaching upon sin—not merely uttering a few platitudes concerning it—but devoting sermon after sermon to explaining what sin is in the sight of God—will not make him popular nor draw the crowds, will it? No, it will not, and knowing this, those who love the praise of men more than the approbation of God, and who value their salary above immortal souls, trim their sales accordingly. "But such preaching will drive the people away!" We answer, far better drive the people away by faithful preaching, than to the Holy Spirit away by unfaithfully pandering to the flesh!

The TERMS of Christ's salvation are erroneously stated by the present-day evangelist. With very rare exceptions, he tells his hearers that salvation is by grace and is received as a free gift, that Christ has done everything for the sinner, and that nothing remains but for him to "believe," to trust in the infinite merits of His blood. And so widely does this conception now prevail in "orthodox" circles, so frequently has it been dinned in their ears, so deeply has it taken root in their minds—that for one to now challenge it and denounce it as being so inadequate and one-sided as to be deceptive and erroneous, is for him to instantly court the stigma of being a heretic, and to be charged with dishonoring the finished work of Christ by inculcating salvation by works! Yet, notwithstanding, the writer is quite prepared to run that risk.

Salvation is by grace, by grace alone—for a fallen creature cannot possibly do anything to merit God's approval or earn His favor. Nevertheless, divine grace is not exercised at the expense of holiness, for it never compromises with sin. It is also true that salvation is a free gift—but an empty hand must receive it, and not a hand which still tightly grasps the world! But it is not true that "Christ has done everything for the sinner." He did not fill His belly with the husks which the swine eat and find them unable to satisfy. He has not turned His back on the far country, arisen, gone to the Father, and acknowledged his sins—those are acts which the sinner himself must perform. True, he will not be saved for the performance of them, any more than the prodigal could receive the Father's kiss and ring, while he remained at a guilty distance from him!

Something more than "believing" is necessary to salvation. A heart that is steeled in rebellion against God cannot savingly believe—it must first be broken. It is written: "Unless you repent—you shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Repentance is just as essential as faith; yes, the latter cannot be without the former: "You... repented not afterward, that you might believe" (Matthew 21:32). The order is clearly enough laid down by Christ: "Repent—and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Repentance is a heart-repudiation of sin. Repentance is a heart-determination to forsake sin. And where there is true repentance, grace is free to act, for the requirements of holiness are conserved, when sin is renounced. Thus, it is the duty of the evangelist to cry, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him" (Isaiah 55:7). His task is to call on his hearers to lay down the weapons of their warfare against God, and then to sue for mercy through Christ.

The of WAY salvation is falsely defined. In most instances the modern "evangelist" assures his congregation that all any sinner has to do in order to escape hell and make sure of heaven—is to "receive Christ as his personal Savior." But such teaching is utterly misleading. No one can receive Christ as his Savior—while he rejects Him as Lord! It is true, the preacher adds, that the one who accepts Christ should also surrender to Him as Lord—but he at once spoils it by asserting that though the convert fails to do so, nevertheless heaven is sure to him. That is one of the devil's lies! Only those who are spiritually blind, would declare that Christ will save any who despise His authority and refuse His yoke! Why, my reader—that would not be grace—but a disgrace—charging Christ with placing a premium on lawlessness!

It is in His office of LORD, that Christ maintains God's honor, subserves His government, enforces His Law. If the reader will turn to those passages (Luke 1:46-47; Acts 5:31; 2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:1) where the two titles occur, he will find that the order is always "Lord and Savior," and not "Savior and Lord." Therefore, those who have not bowed to Christ's scepter and enthroned Him in their hearts and lives, and yet imagine they are trusting in Him as their Savior—are deceived! Unless God disillusions them—they will go down to the everlasting burnings with a lie in their right hand! (Isaiah 44:20). Christ is "the Author of eternal salvation, unto all those who obey him" (Heb. 5:9). But the attitude of those who submit not to His Lordship is, "We will not have this Man to rule over us!" (Luke 19:14). Pause then, my reader and honestly face the question: Am I subject to His will? Am I sincerely endeavoring to keep His commandments?

Alas, alas, God's way of salvation is almost entirely unknown today, the nature of Christ's salvation is almost universally misunderstood, and the terms of His salvation misrepresented on every hand. The "Gospel" which is now being proclaimed is, in nine cases out of every ten—but a perversion of the Truth! Tens of thousands, assured they are bound for heaven—are now hastening to hell as fast as time can take them!

Things are far, far worse in Christendom than even the "pessimist" and the "alarmist" suppose. We are not a prophet, nor shall we indulge in any speculation of what the Biblical prophecy forecasts. Wiser men than the writer have often made fools of themselves by so doing. We are frank to say that we know not what God is about to do. Religious conditions were much worse, even in England, one hundred and fifty years ago. But this we greatly fear: Unless God is pleased to grant a real revival, it will not be long before "the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people" (Isaiah 60:2), for the light of the true Gospel is rapidly disappearing. Modern "evangelism" constitutes, in our judgment, the most solemn of all the "signs of the times."

What must the people of God do, in view of the existing situation? Eph. 5:11 supplies the divine answer: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness—but rather reprove them;" and everything opposed to the light of the Word is "darkness." It is the bounden duty of every Christian, to have no dealings with the "evangelistic" monstrosity of the day, to withhold all moral and financial support of the same, to attend none of their meetings, to circulate none of their tracts. Those preachers who tell sinners that they may be saved without forsaking their idols, without repenting, without surrendering to the Lordship of Christ—are as erroneous and dangerous as others who insist that salvation is by works, and that heaven must be earned by our own efforts!


Another Gospel

Arthur Pink

Satan is not an initiator—but an imitator. God has an only begotten Son—the Lord Jesus; so has Satan—the son of Perdition" (2 Thess 2:3). There is a Holy Trinity; and there is likewise a Trinity of Evil (Rev 20:10). Do we read of the "children of God;" so also we read of "the children of the wicked one" (Matt 13:38). Does God work in His children, both to will and to do of His good pleasure; then we are told that Satan is "the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience" (Eph 2:2). Is there a "mystery of godliness" (1 Tim 3:16); so also is there a "mystery of iniquity" (2 Thess 2:7). Are we told that God by His angels "seals" His servants in their foreheads (Rev 7:3); so also we learn that Satan by his agents sets a mark in the foreheads of his devotees (Rev 13:16). Are we told that "the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:10); then Satan also provides his "deep things" (Rev 2:24). Did Christ perform miracles; so also can Satan (2 Thess 2:9). Is Christ seated upon a throne; so is Satan (Rev 2:13). Has Christ a Church; then Satan has his "synagogue" (Rev 2:9). Is Christ the Light of the world; then so is Satan himself "transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14). Did Christ appoint "apostles;" then Satan has his apostles, too (2 Cor 11:13). And this leads us to consider: "The Gospel of Satan."

Satan is the arch-counterfeiter. The Devil is now busy at work in the same field in which the Lord sowed the good seed. He is seeking to prevent the growth of the wheat by another plant, the tares, which closely resemble the wheat in appearance. In a word, by a process of imitation he is aiming to neutralize the Work of Christ. Therefore, as Christ has a Gospel, Satan has a gospel too; the latter being a counterfeit of the former. So closely does the gospel of Satan resemble that which it parodies, that multitudes of the unsaved are deceived by it.

It is to this gospel of Satan the apostle refers when he says to the Galatians, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. " (Gal 1:6,7). This false gospel was being heralded even in the days of the apostle, and a most awful curse was called down upon those who preached it. The apostle continues, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" By the help of God we shall now endeavor to expound—or rather, expose this false gospel.

The gospel of Satan is not a system of revolutionary principles, nor even a program of anarchy. It does not promote strife and war—but aims at peace and unity. It seeks not to set the mother against her daughter nor the father against his son—but fosters the fraternal spirit whereby the human race is regarded as one great "brotherhood." It does not seek to drag down the natural man—but to improve and uplift him. It advocates education and cultivation, and appeals to the "best that is within us." It aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat, that Christ's absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed. It endeavors to occupy man so much with this world—that he has no time or inclination to think of the world to come. It propagates the principles of self-sacrifice, charity and benevolence, and teaches us to live for the good of others, and to be kind to all. It appeals strongly to the carnal mind and is popular with the masses, because it ignores the solemn facts that by nature man is a fallen creature, alienated from the life of God, and dead in trespasses and sins, and that his only hope lies in being born again.

In contradistinction to the Gospel of Christ, the gospel of Satan teaches salvation by works. It inculcates justification before God on the ground of human merits. Its sacramental phrase is "Be good and do good"; but it fails to recognize that in the flesh there dwells no good thing. It announces salvation character, which reverses the order of God's Word—character by, as the fruit of, salvation. Its various ramifications and organizations are manifold. Temperance, Reform Movements, "Christian Socialist Leagues," Ethical Culture Societies, "Peace Congresses" are all employed (perhaps unconsciously) in proclaiming this gospel of Satan—salvation by works. The pledge-card is substituted for Christ; social purity for individual regeneration, and politics and philosophy, for doctrine and godliness. The cultivation of the old man is considered more practical than the creation of a new man in Christ Jesus; while universal peace is looked for apart from the interposition and return of the Prince of Peace.

The apostles of Satan are not saloon-keepers and white-slave traffickers—but are for the most part ordained ministers. Thousands of those who occupy our modern pulpits are no longer engaged in presenting the fundamentals of the Christian Faith—but have turned aside from the Truth and have given heed unto fables. Instead of magnifying the enormity of sin and setting forth its eternal consequences, they minimize it by declaring that sin is merely ignorance or the absence of good. Instead of warning their hearers to "flee from the wrath to come" they make God a liar by declaring that He is too loving and merciful to send any of His own creatures to eternal torment. Instead of declaring that "without shedding of blood is no remission of sin," they merely hold up Christ as the great Exemplar and exhort their hearers to "follow in His steps." Of them it must be said, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom 10:3).

Their message may sound very plausible and their aim appear very praiseworthy—yet we read of them, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

In addition to the fact that today hundreds of churches are without a leader who faithfully declares the whole counsel of God and presents His way of salvation, we also have to face the additional fact that the majority of people in these churches are very unlikely to learn the Truth themselves. The family altar, where a portion of God's Word was accustomed to be read daily is now, even in the homes of nominal Christians, largely a thing of the past. The Bible is not expounded in the pulpit—and it is not read in the pew. The demands of this rushing age are so numerous, that multitudes have little time and still less inclination to make preparation for the meeting with God. Hence the majority who are too indolent to search for themselves, are left at the mercy of those whom they pay to search for them; rather than studying the oracles of God.

In Proverbs 14:12 we read, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." This "way" which ends in "death" is the Devil's Delusion—the gospel of Satan—a way of salvation by human attainment. It is a way which "seems right," that is to say, it is presented in such a plausible way that it appeals to the natural man: it is set forth in such a subtle and attractive manner, that it commends itself to the intelligence of its hearers. By virtue of the fact that it appropriates to itself religious terminology, sometimes appeals to the Bible for its support (whenever this suits its purpose), holds up before men lofty ideals, and is proclaimed by those who have graduated from our theological institutions, countless multitudes are decoyed and deceived by it.

The success of an illegitimate coiner depends largely upon how closely the counterfeit resembles the genuine article. Heresy is not so much the total denial of the truth—as a perversion of it. That is why half a lie is is always more dangerous than a complete repudiation. Hence when the Father of Lies enters the pulpit—it is not his custom to flatly deny the fundamental truths of Christianity, rather does he tacitly acknowledge them, and then proceed to give an erroneous interpretation and a false application.

For example: he would not be so foolish as to boldly announce his disbelief in a personal God; he takes His existence for granted and then gives a false description of His character. He announces that God is the spiritual Father of all men, when the Scriptures plainly tell us that we are "the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26), and that "as many as received him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). Further, he declares that God is far too merciful to ever send any member of the human race to Hell, when God Himself has said, "Whoever was not found written in the book of life—was cast into the Lake of Fire!" (Rev 20:15). Again; Satan would not be so foolish as to ignore the central figure of human history—the Lord Jesus Christ; on the contrary, his gospel acknowledges Him to be the best man that ever lived. Attention is drawn to His deeds of compassion and works of mercy, the beauty of His character and the sublimity of His teaching. His life is eulogized—but His vicarious death is ignored, the all-important atoning work of the cross is never mentioned, while His triumphant and bodily resurrection from the grave is regarded as one of the credulities of a superstitious age. It is a bloodless gospel, and presents a crossless Christ, who is received not as God manifest in the flesh—but merely as the Ideal Man.

In 2 Corinthians 4:3 we have a scripture which sheds much light upon our present theme. There we are told, "If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." He blinds the minds of unbelievers through hiding the light of the Gospel of Christ, and he does this by substituting his own gospel. Appropriately he designated "The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" (Rev 12:9). In merely appealing to "the best that is within man," and in simply exhorting him to "lead a nobler life" there is afforded a general platform upon which those of every shade of opinion can unite and proclaim this common message.

Again we quote Proverbs 14:12—"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." It as been said with considerable truth, that the way to Hell is paved with good intentions. There will be many in the Lake of Fire who lived with good intentions, honest resolutions and exalted ideals—those who were just in their dealings, fair in their transactions and charitable in all their ways; men who prided themselves in their integrity—but who sought to justify themselves before God by their own righteousness; men who were moral and merciful—but who never saw themselves as guilty, lost, hell-deserving sinners needing a Savior. Such is the way which "seems right." Such is the way that commends itself to the carnal mind and recommends itself to multitudes of deluded ones today. The Devil's Delusion is that we can be saved by our own works, and justified by our own deeds; whereas, God tells us in His Word—"By grace are you saved through faith...not of works lest any man should boast." And again, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done—but according to His mercy He saved us."

A few years ago the writer became acquainted With one who was a lay preacher and an enthusiastic "Christian worker." For over seven years this friend had been engaged in public preaching and religious activities—but from certain expressions and phrases he used, the writer doubted whether is friend was a "born again" man. When we began to question him, it was found that he was very imperfectly acquainted with the Scriptures, and had only the vaguest conception of Christ's Work for sinners. For a time we sought to present the way of salvation in a simple and impersonal manner and to encourage our friend to study the Word for himself, in the hope that if he were still unsaved, that God would be pleased to reveal the Savior he needed.

One night to our joy, the one who had been preaching the Gospel (?) for several years, confessed that he had found Christ only the previous night. He acknowledged (to use his own words) that he had been presenting "the Christ ideal" but not the Christ of the Cross. The writer believes there are thousands like this preacher who, perhaps, have been brought up in Sunday School, taught about the birth, life, and teachings of Jesus Christ, who believe in the historicity of His person, who spasmodically endeavor to practice His precepts—and who think that that is all that is necessary for their salvation.

Frequently, this class when they reach manhood—go out into the world, encounter the attacks of atheists and infidels and are told that such a person as Jesus of Nazareth never lived. But the impressions of early days cannot be easily erased, and they remain steadfast in their declaration that they "believe in Jesus Christ." Yet, when their faith is examined, only too often it is found that though they believe many things about Jesus Christ—that they do not really believe in him. They believe with the head that such a person lived (and, because they believe this, they imagine that therefore they are saved)—but they have never thrown down the weapons of their warfare against Him, yielded themselves to Him, nor truly believed with their heart in Him.

The bare acceptance of an orthodox doctrine about the person of Christ, without the heart being won by Him and the life devoted to Him—is another phase of that way "which seems right unto a man" but the end thereof are "the ways of death." A mere intellectual assent to the reality of Christ's person, and which goes no further, is another phase of the way that seems right unto a man" but of which the end thereof "are the ways of death," or, in other words, is another aspect of the gospel of Satan.

And now, where do you stand? Are you in the way which "seems right," but which ends in death? Or, are you in the Narrow Way which leads unto life? Have you truly forsaken the Broad Road which leads to death? Has the love of Christ created in your heart a hatred and horror of all that is displeasing to Him? Are you desirous that he should "reign over" you? (Luke 19:14). Are you relying wholly on His righteousness and blood for your acceptance with God?

Those who are trusting to an outward form of godliness, such as baptism or "confirmation!" those who are religious, because it is considered a mark of respectability; those who attend some Church or Chapel because it is the fashion to do so; and, those who unite with some Denomination because they suppose that such a step will enable them to become Christians—are in the way which "ends in death"— spiritual and eternal death. However pure our motives, however noble our intentions, however well-meaning our purposes, however sincere our endeavors, God will not acknowledge us as His sons, until we accept His Son.

A yet more specious form of Satan's gospel—is to move preachers to present the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and then tell their hearers that all God requires from them is to "believe" in His Son. Thereby thousands of impenitent souls are deluded into thinking they have been saved. But Christ said, "Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). To "repent" is to hate sin, to sorrow over it, to turn from it. It is the result of the Spirit's making the heart contrite before God. None except a broken heart can savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, thousands are deceived into supposing that they have "accepted Christ" as their "personal Savior," who have not first received Him as their Lord. The Son of God did not come here to save His people in their sin—but "from their sins" (Matt 1:21). To be saved from sins—is to be saved from ignoring and despising the authority of God; it is to abandon the course of self-will and self-pleasing; it is to "forsake our way (Isa 55:7). It is to surrender to God's authority, to yield to His dominion, to give ourselves over to be ruled by Him. The one has never taken Christ's "yoke" upon him, who is not truly and diligently seeking to please Him in all the details of life, and yet supposes that he is resting on the "Finished Work of Christ" is deluded by the Devil!

In the seventh chapter of Matthew, there are two Scriptures which give us approximate results of Christ's Gospel and Satan's counterfeit. First, in verses 13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Second; in verses 22-23, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

Yes, my reader, it is possible to work in the name of Christ, and even to preach in his name, and though the world knows us, and the Church knows us—yet to be unknown to the Lord! How necessary is it then—to find out where we really are; to examine ourselves and see whether we are in the faith; to measure ourselves by the Word of God and see if we are being deceived by our subtle Enemy; to find out whether we are building our house upon the sand—or whether it is erected on the Rock, who is Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit search our hearts, break our wills, slay our enmity against God, work in us a deep and true repentance, and direct our gaze to the Lamb of God—which takes away the sin of the world.



April 9, 2011

Published a century before Spurgeon's Morning & Evening:

A spiritual treasury for the children of God by William Mason

Morning
http://books.google.com/books?id=bzYPAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Evening
http://books.google.com/books?id=6TYPAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false


April 2, 2011

I've been reading a little about Johann Semler, a German rationalist who got things rolling back in the 18th century with his "neology," esp. systematic textual criticism, having been influenced by a Roman Catholic priest of the 17th century as well as Dutch Arminians. Basically his teaching caused people to doubt all orthodoxy and establish a personal basis for judging the Scriptures, so that religion was possible even without a definite set of doctrines. In short, it was "lawless subjectivism." Sounds like nothing new under the sun.


March 15, 2011

Earthquakes in the 1800's in Japan

Some old history to look at...

Besides the Great Tokyo Quake of 1923 (nearly 600,000 homes destroyed), they've had some big earthquakes in the past, including a huge one in Kumamoto:
http://books.google.com/books?id=LEYoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA11#v=onepage&q&f=false

Earthquake in same area as the recent one in Tohoku recorded in National Geographic, 1896:
http://books.google.com/books?id=MRISAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA285#v=onepage&q&f=false

Big one in Osaka in Oct. 1891 (over 220,000 homes destroyed), with drawings:
http://books.google.com/books?id=7MdDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP7#v=onepage&q&f=false

Another depiction, with photos:
http://books.google.com/books?id=8_MNKSqh4bkC&pg=PA166#v=onepage&q&f=false


December 24, 2010

Good words from Newton... so many today are taught to think highly of themselves, that the lack of self-esteem is evil...

Letters of John Newton

My dear sir,

I could write a long note indeed, upon your very great mistake in considering me as a great man. If we could have a personal interview -- I think you would be quickly undeceived! Ah! how different I am -- from what perhaps I appear to be to others when in the pulpit.

Your mistake, however, has done me good. A whole quire of invective from an enemy could hardly have given me so keen a sense of shame. The Scripture assures us that our hearts by nature, like coins from the same mint -- are all alike. I hear my fellow-Christians complain of evils similar to what I feel. Otherwise I would have reason to conclude that there could not be one believer upon earth -- so inconsistent, so evil, so vile beyond expression -- as myself!

Ah, dear sir! what would you have thought of me -- had you seen me when I lived among the slaves? The sight of me would have been offensive to your eyes, and my vile speech would have struck you with horror! I was miserable and despicable in every view -- the common mark of scorn and insult! My whole wretched amusement and pleasure seemed to lie in blaspheming the name and person of Jesus, and in feeding my imagination with schemes of wickedness!

Some of my unhappy companions have perished in their sins -- who have just cause to charge the ruin of their souls to my account! For Satan himself, had he been upon earth in a bodily shape -- could hardly have been more industrious in tempting to infidelity and profligacy than I was!

There is seldom a day of my life, in which my thoughts are not led back to my former state of estrangement from Him, and that pre-eminence of wretchedness into which my sins plunged me!

Yet, it is of grace that my poor story is not much worse. The Lord is my keeper -- therefore I am still preserved. "By the grace of God -- I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10

I am, dear sir, your affectionate friend and servant,

John Newton, 1778


Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine!
--John Newton


Dear friend,

In preferring a warm heart to a full head -- you certainly judge by the rule of Scripture. The Lord looks to the heart -- not to the stature, the popularity, the intellect, the rank or wealth of a person. These are to the man -- no more than ornamental trappings to a horse!

"All men are like grass, and all their goodness is like the flower of the field!" Isaiah 40:6. The mass of mankind may be compared to grass. And those who are distinguished by intellectual or external accomplishments of any kind -- may be compared to the flowers which look more gaudy and are perhaps a little taller than the grass. But when the mower comes -- the scythe finds no difference! Both fall by the same stroke, and wither with equal speed!

Indeed I believe that the most lively grace and the most solid comfort -- are known among the Lord's poor and insignificant people. Every outward advantage, has a tendency to nourish the pride of the human heart; and requires a proportionable knowledge of the deceitful SELF and the evil of sin -- to counterbalance them.

If I were qualified to search out the best Christian in the country, I would not expect to find him either in a professor's chair, or in a pulpit. I would give the trophy to that person who had the lowest thoughts of himself -- and the most admiring and loving thoughts of the Savior. And perhaps this person may be some bedridden old man or woman, or a pauper in a workhouse.

Love to Jesus is not to be measured by the amount of knowledge we have, or how well we talk -- but rather by the simplicity of our dependence upon Him, and the uniform tenor of our obedience to His will.

Your affectionate friend and servant,

John Newton


October 16, 2010

Here is an excerpt from a series of articles published in 1921, which I have been transcribing, that gives some good insight into the background of Japanese-American relations which were in much discussion re the "Japanese problem" in the early 1900's. Note especially the sections on Shintoism and Christianity, namely the importance of a clear break from Japanese ideology for Japanese Christians. Many of the statements below are quite alarming, and a few would be immediately labeled as "racist" by most in our cultural climate today.

Gulick, by the way, was a "missionary kid" who returned to Japan as a missionary in the late 1800's and was professor at Doshisha as well as lecturer at Kyoto Imperial Univ. He returned to the US in 1913 and founded the "League for Constructive Immigration Legislation" and was its secretary, financed partly by Andrew Carnegie, even though he was employed on salary by the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ of America to promote his “new oriental policy.” Why? The article says, "probably in the belief that an adjustment of international and race relationship along lines satisfactory to Japan would render more easy the promotion of the Christian Gospel among the Japanese." It goes on to say:

"It is unlikely that the ministers of the 100,000 American churches who have been committed thus to this movement have much knowledge of the facts which appear in these articles; it is certain that they do not realize the gravity of the situation. The 17,000,000 church members, with few exceptions, probably have little knowledge of the matter..."


THE JAPANESE AS CITIZENS.

A DANGEROUS EXPERIMENT -- THE JAPANESE ARE NONASSIMILABLE -- THEY CAN NOT, MAY NOT AND WILL NOT MAKE GOOD AMERICAN CITIZENS -- CONCLUSIVE PROOFS PROM JAPANESE AUTHORITIES -- THE MISSIONARY DELUSION THAT CHRISTIANIZATION WILL TRANSFORM THEM -- JAPANESE CLAIMS ALL AMERICAN-BORN JAPANESE AND TRAINS THEM FOR JAPAN'S SERVICE.

There are three principal elements in the menace threatened by Japanese immigration. They are:
First. The nonassimilability of the Japanese race; the practical impossibility of making out of such material valuable and loyal American citizens.

Second. Their unusually large birth rate per thousand population, already shown in California to be three times that of the whites, notwithstanding that the estimated proportion of adult females to males among the Japanese is only 1 to 4, while among the whites it is, say, 1 to 1.

Third. The great advantages which they possess in economic competition, partly due to racial characteristics, and partly to standards of living, organization, direction, and aid from their Government. These advantages make it hopeless for American whites to compete with them.
It should be evident that we can not encourage or permit in our midst the development of an alien element possessing these characteristics without inviting certain disaster to our institutions and to the Nation itself. The evidence which will be presented on each of these points is incontrovertible, and the conclusions inevitable.

NONASSIMILABILITY OF JAPANESE.

As to nonassimilability, the first element mentioned in the Japanese menace, there are three main reasons why it is useless to attempt the making of good American citizens out of Japanese material, save of course in exceptional individual instances. The Japanese can not, may not, and will not provide desirable material for our citizenship:
First, the Japanese can not assimilate and make good citizens, because their racial characteristics, heredity, and religion prevent.

Second, the Japanese may not assimilate and make good citizens, because their Government, claiming all Japanese, no matter where born, as its citizens, does not permit.

Third, the Japanese will not assimilate and make good citizens. In the mass, with opportunity offered, and even when born here, they have shown not only no disposition to do so, but pronounced antagonism.
JAPANESE MAINTAIN RACIAL PURITY.

There can be no effective assimilation of Japanese without intermarriage. It is perhaps not desirable for the good of either race that there should be intermarriage between whites and Japanese. The laws of some States forbid such marriages but even where such marriages are permitted and encouraged, the Japanese themselves will not take advantage thereof. That is best demonstrated in Hawaii, where there is a great commingling of races; but the Japanese, comprising nearly half of the entire population of the Territory, and steadily increasing in number, maintain in wonderful degree their racial purity. With a population of 112,000 or more the Japanese in Hawaii in five years have contracted marriages with other races, according to the report made this year by the Survey Commission -- at the request of the Commissioner of Education, at Washington -- Bulletin No. 16,1920 -- as follows:
Thirty-two Japanese men and four women were married to Hawaiians, a few Japanese men to Portuguese women, one Japanese man to an American woman, and a few Japanese women to Chinese and Koreans.
THE MIKADO -- THE JAPANESE GOD.

The Japanese hold that their Mikado [emperor of Japan] is the one living god to whom they owe their very existence, and therefore all obedience. It is not possible to make of an individual in whom that belief is deeply and firmly grounded an American citizen who can be relied upon in a crisis. This worship of the Mikado (Mikadoism, or Shintoism) is a part of the education of each child in Japan, and school children are by Government decree forced to worship at the Shinto shrines.

Buddhism, which is tolerated in Japan, has Shintoism grafted onto it. Baron Goto, a prominent Japanese statesman, at a gathering of Foreign Board Mission secretaries, at New York, in June, 1919, said he was almost persuaded to embrace Christianity; that with slight modifications he could do so.

It is upon such suggestions as this American missionaries hang their hopes that by placating the Japanese in various ways, and more particularly as to their demands for free immigration and citizenship privileges in the United States, the evangelization of the Japanese both in Japan and in this country, will be made very much easier through Japanese Government suggestion or influence.

The modification necessary or desirable in Christianity before Baron Goto would embrace it is probably a modification similar to that which has been made in Buddhism; that is to say, the incorporation therein of Mikadoism, or Shintoism, which recognizes the god character of the Mikado, and insures thereby the loyalty of the individual Japanese to the Japanese Empire, through the Mikado.

Prof. Kunitake Kume, in "Fifty Years of New Japan," the English version of which was revised and authorized for publication by Marquis Shigenobu Okuma, "the grand old man of Japan," said:
"He (the Mikado) is regarded as a living Kami (god), loved and revered by the nation above all things on earth, and himself loving and protecting the nation, who are deemed sons of Kami Nagara, and are intrusted to his care by the Kami. This mutual understanding obtains between every individual Japanese and the Emperor."
WHY JAPANESE SHOULD RULE THE EARTH.

It is declared in the book, "The Political Development of Japan," written by Etsujiro Uyehara, member of the Imperial Japanese Parliament, and head of one of the war commissions from Japan to the United States in 1917, that,
"The Emperor of Japan can say without hesitation, 'L'etat c'est moi,' 'I am the State,' more effectively than Louis XIV, not because he can subject the people to his will, but because he is morally so recognized. Theoretically, he is the center of the State, as well as the State itself. He is to the Japanese mind the Supreme Being in the cosmos of Japan, as God is in the universe to the pantheistic philosopher."
In the Japan "Advertiser" of May 9, 1919, there appeared a translation of an editorial in the "Niroku Shimbun" of Tokio, from which the following quotation is made:
"The Imperial Family of Japan is as worthy of respect as is God. The Imperial Family of Japan is the parent not only of her sixty millions, but of all mankind on earth. In the eyes of the Imperial Family all races are one and the same. It is above all racial considerations. All human disputes therefore may be settled in accordance with its immaculate justice. The League of Nations, proposed to save mankind from the horrors of war, can only attain its real object by placing the Imperial Family of Japan at its head, for to attain its object the League must have a strong punitive force of supernational and superracial character, and this force can only be found in the Imperial Family of Japan."
From a writer long resident in Japan, and fully conversant with its language, its religion, and its people, is quoted the following statement on this matter:
"Mikadoism, or Emperor worship, is the sheet anchor of patriotic fervor in Japan -- the soul of the body politic. The vast majority of the people have no other religion. It is not a relic of bygone days, but the very heart of present-day Japan."
In the Los Angeles Examiner of June 1, 1920, appeared a series of resolutions adopted the preceding day at a picnic held in Flyman Park by the Japanese Christian laymen, at which Seimatsu Kimena, the Japanese "Billy Sunday" was present. These resolutions recite the belief of these Christianized Japanese that Japanese can not make good American citizens unless they become Christians. While the reason for this statement is not given, it is clearly to be found in the Japanese worship of the Mikado. They also declared their intention of giving their children only an American education, and their willingness to be regarded in consequence by their fellow countrymen as a forsaken band.

A DANGEROUS EVANGELICAL EXPERIMENT.

The plea of Sidney Gulick, and a number of his Christian friends, that we make citizens of the Japanese and then trust to making good citizens of them by Christianizing them, advocates an experiment dangerous in the extreme, doubtful even as to a superficial change in religion, and certain to end in disaster. There are 150,000 Japanese in continental United States, and it is estimated that but 4,000 of them have embraced Christianity, although between 30,000 and 40,000 of those now living were born in this country, and although 70,000 of them have been here from 10 to 20 years. It may be assumed that if any large body of Japanese become Christians, their brand of Christianity will have been modified by Shintoism, as is their brand of Buddhism.

In addition, it may be remembered that a few years ago Japan sent a commission over to this country for the express purpose of ascertaining the benefits conferred upon us by Christianity: for Japan, if she sees a good thing in other nations, is quite willing to adopt it herself. The report of the mission was to the effect that, judging by the effects of Christianity on our people, it would not be a desirable belief for Japan to embrace.

The principal opponents, in this country, to Japanese exclusion are the American missionaries and church organizations interested in the evangelization of the Japanese. Apparently, they assume, aside from their claim that a Japanese can be made a good American by Christianization, that if this country will yield to the demands now made by Japan for the same privileges as immigrants and citizens for their people as are extended to Europeans, the work of the missionaries in Christianizing Japanese, both in this country and in Japan, will be materially promoted through Japan's friendly offices.

JAPAN REALLY UNFRIENDLY TO CHRISTIANITY.

The attitude of Japan as to Christianization of her people has been sufficiently indicated within the past year through her action in Korea, where the Korean Christians were subjected to the greatest persecution and torture, the evident attempt being made, as claimed by some writers, to exterminate the Korean Christians, on the theory that their Christianity imbued them with liberal ideas more or less dangerous to the maintenance of Japan's power.

The attitude of the Japanese Government toward practical evangelization in Japan itself is well illustrated by the manner in which the institutions established by various missionary organizations have been confiscated for Government use, either directly or through enforced incorporation as Japanese institutions. The following extract from a letter from Guy M. Walker, to the New York Evening Sun, dated July 27, 1920, gives detailed information as to Japan's act in connection with this policy:
"There is another thing concerning what has happened in Japan in the last few years on which our people should be enlightened, and that is the confiscation by the Japanese of all mission property created by the millions of money sent by our religious people to Japan for the Christianization of the Japanese. In order to prevent the confiscation of all of the mission property, there was a few years ago a feverish and hurried effort on the part of many denominations to organize Japanese churches such as the Methodist-Japanese, the Japanese Presbyterian Church and the Japanese Baptist Church, and a hurried transfer by the American missionary societies to these Japanese churches of the missions schools and properties, in order to prevent them from being seized and confiscated by the Japanese Government, or of being appropriated by the Japanese trustees, in whose name they stood. Many of these properties have since been converted into secular or pagan institutions, and the Japanese have cut out everything connected with the Christian propaganda, although they were created by Christian money from America. If these facts were known, as they should be, I am quite sure that no sensible American would ever give one penny further for the education or civilization of the Japanese."
In the Japan Advertiser (Tokyo) of June 20, 1920, is a lengthy article by Charles A. Perry, calling attention to the little interest shown by Japanese in the matter of Christianization as indicated by the small number of Christian converts in Hamamatsu, a manufacturing town in Japan, of about 19,000 inhabitants, and the high cost of their conversion. He gives statistics and experiences from the various missionaries and missions, and quotes Rev. W. A. Richards, one of the resident missionaries, to the effect that the baptized converts of all sects by the various missions on an average cost Y200 per head (a yen is worth 50 cents). Mr. Perry adds:
"I am inclined, though without precise figures, to think that this is an underestimate, for Mr. Richards's own three converts (secured in four years) work out at Y4,000 per head."
The inherent incapacity of the Japanese for assimilation, their religious belief and ideals, bred in them for generations and taught to them the world over, which foreign birth and foreign residence does not modify, create a permanent and insurmountable barrier between them and that real American citizenship which would be of value, and not a grave menace, to this Nation. They can not be transmuted into good American citizens.

JAPAN OPPOSES EXPATRIATION OF HER CITIZENS.

The second point made by me against the possibility of making American citizens out of Japanese is based upon my statement that Japan does not permit it. We come now to the curious and inconsistent policy of our Government as to dual citizenship, the full viciousness of which is most apparent in the case of the Japanese. We recognize as an American citizen and extend all rights and privileges as such to anyone born under the American flag, including of course, the Japanese. Japan, on the other hand, rigidly insists that every Japanese, no matter where his parents were born, and no matter what nation may have conferred citizenship on him, with or without his request, is a Japanese citizen, and must perform all the obligations as such.

Every Japanese born here, even if his forbears for generations were born here, but had not been permitted to expatriate, is subject to orders from Japan; is kept track of through the Japanese consulate, and other organizations, and is subject to call for military duty. Authorities on international law agree that, since the United States confers its citizenship on the Japanese born here, unasked and with full knowledge of Japan's claims, we must, in the event of war, recognize those Japanese as the citizens of Japan.

We are thus conferring upon the Japanese born here all the rights and privileges of citizenship, without any of the obligations, and we are certainly breeding in our midst a class of American citizens whose hand, we know in advance, must be against us in possible case of war.

The Japan Parliament passed, some years ago, and the Emperor afterwards promulgated, what is known as the "nationality option law," which is supposed to permit a Japanese born on foreign soil to expatriate himself. Examination of its terms and operation shows it does nothing of the kind. Under it, a Japanese born on foreign soil may, between the ages of 15 and 17, and with the consent of his guardians, apply to the Japanese Government for permission to renounce his allegiance. Under the circumstances, that application is not often made, but, if made, it has no effect unless permission be granted by the Japanese Government. The board of control report quoted the Japanese Vice Consul Ishii, at San Francisco, to the effect that not to exceed a dozen American-born children have signed the "Declaration of Losing Nationality," and that, so far as learned, permit has not been granted by the Japanese Government in any of these cases.

HOW JAPAN TRAINS HER AMERICAN-BORN.

Japan not only claims as her citizens all Japanese born on American soil, but she takes great care that they grow up really as Japanese citizens, with all the ideals and loyalty of the race, untouched by the notions prevalent in this country, which would weaken that loyalty.

The Japanese children born under the American flag are compelled to attend Japanese schools, usually after the public-school hours, where they are taught the language, the ideals, and the religion of Japan, with its basis of Mikado worship. Here they are taught by Japanese teachers, usually Buddhist priests, who frequently speak no English, and who almost invariably know nothing of American citizenship. The textbooks used are the Mombusho series, issued under the authority of the department of education at Tokyo. These schools are located wherever there are Japanese communities, and teachers in the American public schools testify that the Japanese children frequently are studying their Japanese lessons in their public-school hours.

In Hawaii this system of Japanese schools and its effect in preventing any chance of inculcating the principles of American citizenship in the Japanese upon whom we confer such citizenship, caused such widespread comment that the Hawaiian Legislature in 1919 attempted to pass a law providing that teachers in foreign-language schools must know sufficient English and enough American history and civics to ground the pupils in the principles of American citizenship. That bill was defeated on the demand and through the influence of the Japanese, who said its effect would be to destroy their schools.

Now, the survey commission appointed by the Commissioner of Education of the United States, reports in Bulletin No. 16, of 1920, that these Hawaiian-Japanese schools, if not anti-American, are at least not pro-American, and recommends that all foreign language schools in the Hawaiian Islands should be abolished, except for foreign children who can never become American citizens.

NOT DISPOSED TO BECOME REAL AMERICANS.

It has been shown already why the Japanese can not make good citizens, because of their religion and heredity and nonassimilability; it has been shown also why they may not make good citizens, because the laws of Japan, efficiently and rigorously administered in the United States, as well as in Japan, do not permit them; it is equally true that they will not make good citizens and that the evidence of the acts of those who have resided under the American flag for many years is conclusive on this point.

In Hawaii, where their numbers make them independent, and where they are now in a position to practically control the territory, the Japanese form a separate, alien community, observing the laws, customs, and the ideals of Japan, using the Japanese language, both in their business and in their schools, and bringing up their children to be, not American but Japanese citizens, with all that loyalty to the Mikado which is a part of the Japanese religion.

The statement made as to Japanese policy in Hawaii is equally true of the Japanese in California, though, because of differences in conditions, the evidence has not forced itself as yet so strongly on public attention. The Japanese schools are found in every Japanese community in California where there are enough children to support them.

The Japanese, however, are not content to depend upon education of their American-born children in this country in order to make them loyal subjects of the Mikado. In the report of the Japanese Association of America, concerning its California census, as quoted by the State board of control, appears the statement that there are in Japan at this time about 5,000 California-born Japanese. That statement carries little significance to most people. It means, however, that there are at this time 5,000 of the Japanese born in California -- that is to say, 20 per cent of California's Japanese minors -- upon whom the United States conferred citizenship, who are now back in Japan being thoroughly instructed in the religion and ideals of Japan; so that when they return here they may serve not as American citizens, but as loyal subjects of the Mikado, to do his will and serve his interests.

The immigration commissioners of San Francisco and Seattle testify to this custom of many California Japanese to send their children back to Japan when between [missing figure] and 10 years old and bring them back when they are 17 to 19.

The Japanese writer, C. Kondo, chief secretary of the Central Japanese Association of Southern California, in a very able article published in Nichi Bei of January 8 and 9 of this year, frankly acknowledges that the Japanese of California show no disposition to Americanize themselves, and that to this fact largely is due the antagonism which they have created. He warns them that this antagonism will increase rather than disappear, and suggests that they should move to the Southern States, where their characteristics are as yet unknown. He adds, however, that if they pursue the same methods there that they have in California they will encounter the same bitter experience that they are now undergoing here.

CONSIDER THEMSELVES A SUPERIOR RACE.

One reason why the Japanese show no disposition to Americanize themselves lies in their belief, passed down through generations, grounded into them in their schools, and a part of their religion (for is not their nation the only one on earth whose ruler is the living god?), that they are superior to any race on earth. Why, then, should they be willing to expatriate themselves and become citizens of an inferior Nation?

The cockiness which many have noticed in the Japanese under certain conditions and on certain occasions, their pride and sensitiveness, their intolerance of criticism or opposition, are all due to this inbred and firmly established belief in their superiority. In Exhibit AA appears an article from the issue of June 10, 1920, of The Northman, a Swedish publication printed at Portland, Oreg., in which Miss Frances Hewitt, who spent six years in Japan teaching English to Japanese school children in the public schools there, says:
"Neither do the tourists learn that these children are taught that they, being children of the Son of Heaven, are superior to all foreigners, and that their natural destiny is to bring all other peoples to subjection."
Under such conditions, it is not only probable but practically certain that the majority of Japanese who are now endeavoring to secure for themselves the privileges of American citizenship are doing it not from any desire to help the American Nation, or to become an integral part of it, but that they may better serve Japan and the Mikado. A striking evidence of this is found in an article which appeared in the Sacramento Daily News, a Japanese newspaper, February 4, 1920, a translation of which appears in Exhibit K herewith. This article calls the attention of the Japanese to the dual citizenship situation, and suggests that for the present they cease registering births with the Japanese authorities, but register only with the American authorities. They are advised that they need not fear thereby to lose Japanese citizenship, because at any time they can make good their claim to it by proof of birth, etc. The article closes with the statement that the American citizenship can be used for furthering the purposes of Japan in this country. Following is part of the article:
"It is urged then when as American citizens (by birth) the opportunity comes for them to reinforce the Japanese residents in America who have no citizenship rights, they must, on behalf of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan, become the loyal protectors of the race."
The following is a portion of a statement made on his return to San Francisco from Japan by Dr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president emeritus of the University of California, and republished in the Japan Advertiser of Tokyo on May 22, 1920. Dr. Wheeler had gone to Japan as a member of an unofficial mission headed by Mr. Wallace M. Alexander, of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, to discuss with leading Japanese the feasibility of a friendly understanding between the two countries.
"The two civilizations can not mingle, and the leaders in Japan agree that it is not well to attempt to amalgamate them. They can not and will not understand our civilization, and no matter in what part of the world he is, a Japanese always feels himself a subject of the Emperor, with the Imperial Government backing him, much as a feudal retainer had the support of his overlord in exchange for an undivided loyalty."
ARGUMENTS FOR IMMIGRATION.

I have heard but three arguments in favor of Japanese immigration -- or rather all pleas may be reduced to these three:

First. The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man plea. The Japanese want to come here because this is a better place than Japan for them, and we ought to welcome them.

That plea is a legitimate one within limits. It ceases to have force when you invite destruction for yourself and your posterity and your Nation in order to give someone something which he does not need, but which he wants. A nation has no right to disregard the first principles of self-preservation.

Second. It is declared we can not do without Japanese labor; that with exclusion enforced, lands will lie idle, and productivity decline.

So far as our small farmers are concerned, the evidence is that they get no benefit from Japanese labor. The Japanese work lands on lease, and those who work for wages work for their countrymen, usually on the cooperative plan, and not for whites. The board of control says in California there are fewer Japanese working for white men than white men working for Japanese.

It is the absentee landlord, the large landholder, who wishes to reside in the city, who profits through the presence of Japanese, by leasing to them.

We can afford to have less profit made by these landowners -- we can even afford, if necessary, to see our total production decrease, rather than promote the control of this country by Japanese. Besides, the future exclusion of Japanese will not decrease their number here. Their birth rate will prevent that.

There are many experienced California farmers, agriculturists, and orchardists who insist that activities in the agricultural sections of the State can be continued successfully without Japanese labor, and who themselves furnish proof thereof in the management of their own properties. They do it usually by providing conditions which will offer attractions to help of this character to remain, particularly where they have families. For the picking of fruit a number report that they find no difficulty in securing families and girls, providing the necessary conditions are furnished. Some use Mexican labor, which has to be handled courteously and fairly, but is declared to be excellent labor if so handled, particularly if the laborers have their families with them, and a small house with an adjacent piece of ground is provided for each.

As indicating the sentiment of California farmers on this subject, it is sufficient to say that the California Farm Bureau Federation, representing an affiliation of 33 county farm bureaus, covering 85 per cent of the agricultural area of the State, with a membership of 20,000, voted by referendum in July, 1920, on a long list of topics of importance to the California farmer. The result as to matters connected with Japanese was as follows:
Against Japanese immigration, 12 to 1; against leasing land to Japanese, 12 to 1; against ownership of land by Japanese, 40 to 1; against Japanese as bonded laborers, 7 to 1; against importation of "picture brides," 27 to 1.
Third. It is urged that to enforce exclusion against the Japanese may produce friction and international complications.

That is not the plea of a good, red-blooded American. The question is, Are we right in this matter, and is Japan wrong? Canada and Australia and New Zealand say we are right, and Japan has tacitly acquiesced in the protective measures which those countries maintain. Our own experience with Japanese immigration under presumed restriction proves conclusively that the interests of the Nation demand exclusion. That being so, the true American will say frankly to Japan: "You see the facts; our people can not assimilate. Continuation of existing conditions will make us enemies where we are now friends. Let us adopt the only possible means which will prevent such an unfortunate result."

If Japan insists on finding cause for friction in such a frank statement, why, this is a good time to learn that fact. Certainly it is the time to act in our own protection.

Prof. Albert Bushnell Hart, of Harvard University, who returned recently from a visit to the Hawaiian Islands, where he had investigated the problem of Japanese immigration, said in a talk before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco:
"Put the boot on the other foot. Suppose 100,000 American laborers settled on one of Japan's small islands. Suppose they brought with them American customs, traditions, habits, and means of permanent establishment through propagation. Would this be tolerated by the Japanese Government? The Japanese themselves admit that it would not."


August 21, 2010

God's jewels are often found buried in the worst filth!

(James Smith, "Exhortation and Encouragement" 1859)

"I have many people in this city!" Acts 18:10

What kind of a city was it?
Corinth was one of the most worldly and immoral cities of the east. Here was the temple of Venus, with its degrading and disgraceful services.

What kind of people were they?
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God!" 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. This is the apostle's own reply to the question.

Observe:

1. The Lord's people are often found in the most unlikely places! Who would have expected to find God's chosen people--a multitude of them--in a place so foul, so polluted, so degraded--as Corinth?

God's jewels are often found buried in the worst filth!

2. The Lord chooses the most unlikely people! Who would ever have thought that the Lord would have chosen: the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers--to be saved? But He did!

God's people are picked off the foulest dunghills!

O the wonders of sovereign grace!

August 15, 2010

C. S. Lewis


In case you ever wondered about this writer, from Way of Life org:

Consider the popular author C.S. LEWIS. He (1) Promoted ecumenism. (In the book Mere Christianity he said that Christianity is a large house with many different acceptable rooms, such as Catholicism, Protestantism, etc.) (2) He denied the substitutionary atonement of Christ. (3) He believed in theistic evolution. (5) He rejected the Bible as the infallible Word of God. (5) He denied the doctrine of an eternal fiery hell. (5) He believed in prayers for dead and confessed his sins to a priest. (6) He claimed that followers of pagan religions can be saved without faith in Jesus Christ: “There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence ... Many of the good Pagans long before Christ’s birth may have been in this position” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Harper,SanFrancisco edition, 2001, pp. 64, 208, 209).

Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia intertwines a few vague biblical themes with pagan mythology: nymphs, fauns (part man and part goat), dwarfs, centaurs (part man and part horse), Dryads (tree-women), and Naiads (well-women). All of these creatures are depicted as serving Aslan, the alleged Christ figure. Lewis presents the deeply heretical idea of good magic. He calls Aslan’s power “Deep Magic” and Aslan’s father’s power as “Emperor’s Magic.” He introduces the pagan god Bacchus and his orgies as a desirable thing. He presents the myth of “Father Christmas.” He teaches that Adam’s first wife was not Eve but rather a woman named Lilith and that she was a witch.


July 1, 2010

Nothing new under the sun... Socialism and communism are old ideas:

Morelly, Code of Nature (1755)

The obscure tutor named Morelly, lived in the town of Vitry-le-François, in northwestern France. His first name, the dates of his birth and earth, where he was born, and other biographical details, are not known. All that is certain is that he was the author of several philosophical works as well as an epic poem, Basiliad, which told of a communist utopia in a far-away land. This work was sharply criticized, and Morelly wrote Code of Nature in an attempt to provide a systematic philosophical justification of his communist ideas.


June 27, 2010

Interesting section from this 1887 history:



And also of note:

ROMANISM VERSUS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM by DANIEL DORCHESTER, D.O., 1888.


June 26, 2010

What they used to do long ago in Japan on December 25th



And some problems back then, too -- some old cars stolen by Allied soldiers during the Occupation:



June 20, 2010

Olney hymns & Gadby's hymns

Good old hymn books to download:

Olney hymns: in three books (Newton)
http://books.google.com/books?id=ph03AAAAMAAJ&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false

Gadsby's Hymns:
http://books.google.com/books?id=lFgEAAAAQAAJ&dq=gadsby%20hymns&pg=PP7#v=onepage&q&f=false
Companion to Gadsby's Hymns:
http://books.google.com/books?id=YQsDAAAAQAAJ&dq=gadsby%20hymns&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false


June 10, 2010

See this old email below for stats on the Koryu midget sub -- 115 were built and 500 more being built. There were 215 similar ones, the Kairyu, and 207 more under construction in 11 different shipyards. Then there were the Kaiten, human torpedoes -- 419 of those. And the Fukuryu, suicide frogmen -- 4,000 of those guys.

The Army and Navy had 4,000 suicide boats.

They also had 5,651 Army and 7,074 Navy aircraft. Around 100 new underground aircraft plants were under construction. They were building baka buzz bombs and who knows how many of those were near completion by the end of the war.

Problems: Fuel for all this, and pilots. But they were good at fuel conservation, and producing it out of a variety of things. Hard to train someone how to fly a plane, but as long as they can get off the ground and aim it right, no problem. I have read there were many kids ready to fly those off to "glory."

900,000 troops were fortifying Kyushu.

Lots of underground plants, and tunnel systems, and civilian guerillas and bombers... would have been tough to fight that.


From: REPORT OF RECONNAISSANCE OF SOUTHERN KYUSHU, Dec. 1945

Subject:     WW2DB: Type D-class Midget Submarine
Date:     Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:09:08 -0800

We would have met a bunch of these if we had invaded Japan...

http://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=320


Type D-class Midget Submarine

Country Japan
Launched 1 January 1945
Displacement 60 tons full
Length 86 feet
Beam 9 feet
Draft 7 feet
Machinery 500hp electric motor, 150hp diesel engine
Power Output 500 SHP
Speed 8 knots
Range 1,000nm at 8 knots surfaced, 125nm at 16 knots submerged
Crew 5
Armament 2x457mm muzzle-loaded torpedoes
Submerged Speed 16 knots
Number Built 115

Contributor: David Stubblebine

This article refers to the entire Type D-class; it is not about an individual vessel.

In mid-1944, with coastal defense requirements becoming urgent, the Japanese Navy developed the Koryu Tei Gata Type D midget submarines. More than just another improved version of the Type A, this was a new design. They were the largest of Japan's midgets, displacing about 60 tons, 86 feet in length, with a five-man crew, featuring a more powerful diesel engine, and had improved operating endurance. Koryu's had the same armament as the Ko-hyoteki Type A's: two muzzle-loaded 17.7-inch torpedoes. As with the earlier types, individual boats had alpha-numeric names in the "Ha" series beginning with Ha-101. Some 115 units had been completed when Japan capitulated in August 1945. Nearly 500 more were under construction. Some of these submarines intended for training pilots for Kaiten type manned torpedoes, had an enlarged conning tower and two periscopes.

Type D boats were employed off Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands in 1942-43, where they achieved modest success against U.S. shipping. They were deployed around Midway, the Aleutians, the Bismarck Islands, the Philippines, the Marianas, and Okinawa as shore-based defensive units, but their overall effectiveness was negligible at best.

Sources: Wikipedia; Naval History & Heritage Command; Combined Fleet; Japan-101.

Photographs

See all 18 photographs of Type D-class Midget Submarine



May 6, 2010

Boys' Life, Japanese mission, Japanese secret code


Did you use to read Boys' Life? These old issues go back to 1911:
http://books.google.com/books/serial/ISSN:00068608?rview=1&lr=&sa=N&start=930

Interesting article on first Japanese mission to the US:
http://books.google.com/books?id=L04EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q&f=false

And Japanese language as a national secret code!
http://books.google.com/books?id=rU4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58#v=onepage&q&f=false


May 2, 2010

Old English versions before Wycliffe

http://wordhord.org/nasb/toc.html

E.g. from John 1:

1 On frymðe wæs Word, and þæt Word wæs mid Gode, and God wæs þæt Word. 2 Þæt wæs on fruman mid Gode. 3 Ealle þing wæron geworhte ðurh hyne; and nan þing næs geworht butan him. 4 Þæt wæs lif þe on him geworht wæs; and þæt lif wæs manna leoht. 5 And þæt leoht lyht on ðystrum; and þystro þæt ne genamon.

6 Mann wæs fram Gode asend, þæs nama wæs Iohannes. 7 Ðes com to gewitnesse, þæt he gewitnesse cyðde be ðam leohte, þæt ealle menn þurh hyne gelyfdon. 8 Næs he leoht, ac þæt he gewitnesse forð bære be þam leohte. 9 Soð leoht wæs þæt onlyht ælcne cumendne man on þisne middaneard.

10 He wæs on middanearde, and middaneard wæs geworht þurh hine, and middaneard hine ne gecneow. 11 To his agenum he com, and hig hyne ne underfengon. 12 Soðlice swa hwylce swa hyne underfengon, he sealde him anweald þæt hi wæron Godes bearn, þam ðe gelyfað on his naman: 13 ða ne synt acennede of blodum, ne of flæsces willan, ne of weres willan, ac hig synt of Gode acennede. 14 And þæt Word wæs flæsc geworden, and eardode on us, and we gesawon hys wuldor, swylce acennedes wuldor of Fæder, þæt wæs ful mid gyfe and soðfæstnysse.

15 Iohannes cyþ gewitnesse be him, and clypaþ þus cweðende, ‘Þes wæs þe ic sæde, “Se ðe to cumenne is æfter me wæs geworden beforan me, for þam he wæs ær þonne ic.”’. 16 And of his gefyllednesse we ealle onfengon gyfe for gyfe. 17 For þam þe æ wæs geseald þurh Moysen; and gyfu and soþfæstnes is geworden þurh Hælend Crist. 18 Ne geseah næfre nan mann God, butan se ancenneda Sunu hit cyðde, se is on his Fæder bearme.


April 25, 2010

Kashikoi mono gozaru

This is quite interesting re translation of biblical terms into Japanese. Hadn't realized there were so many words for God that early translators had to deal with.

I've always been fascinated with John 1:1 in Gutzlaff's translation, literally, ""In the beginning is the Wise One, and this Wise One is with Paradise, and this Wise One is Paradise." I had often wondered what religious ideas those Japanese fishermen had and how they conveyed that to Gutzlaff.

Pioneers of Japanese Bible Translation


February 10, 2010

MacArthur on exemption of the Emperor from War Criminals, January 25, 1946

http://www.ndl.go.jp/constitution/e/shiryo/03/064shoshi.html

Documents with Commentaries Part 3 Formulation of the GHQ Draft and Response of the Japanese Government
3-3 Telegram, MacArthur to Eisenhower, Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Forces, Pacific, concerning exemption of the Emperor from War Criminals, January 25, 1946

The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, on November 29, 1945, ordered MacArthur to gather information regarding whether the Emperor had committed any war crimes. In response to this, MacArthur sent a telegram dated January 25, 1946 reporting that there was no evidence of the Emperor having committed any war crimes. In addition to this, MacArthur stated that charging the Emperor would cause confusion in the situation in Japan thus requiring a longer occupation with increased military and civilian personnel. He made it clear that he would prefer not to charge the Emperor in consideration of the burden such action would create for the United States.

Actual Title of Source Incoming Classified Message From: CINCAFPAC Adv Tokyo, Japan To: War Department
Date 25 January, 1946
Document Number State Department Records Decimal File, 1945-1949"894.001 HIROHITO/1-2546"<Sheet No. SDDF (B)00065>
Repository (reproduction) National Diet Library
Repository U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (RG59)
Note Microfiche

  • Preview[Incoming Classified Message From: CINCAFPAC Adv Tokyo, Japan To: War Department]
  • Larger[Incoming Classified Message From: CINCAFPAC Adv Tokyo, Japan To: War Department]

September 22, 2009

On "A sad anniversary for Native Americans in Mass.", Aug. 30, 1675

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1649638552/A-sad-anniversary-for-Native-Americans-in-Mass

What is really sad is that this is typical revisionist history. The real issue is the British, and Metacom (King Philip), chief of the Narraganset tribe, who was fighting against British encroachment on his land. Metacom was also a very anti-Christian Indian, and was jealous of the prosperity of the praying Indians, who were EDUCATED by John Eliot, early American missionary who translated the first Bible into their language along with many other books. Metacom tried to get these praying Indians to help fight against the British -- some did, and others helped the British. A complex issue.That they were sent to Natick is a good example of preserving a people, as was the case for the Japanese nationals and their children living in the US during WWII.

For one such source out of many, see The Life of John Eliot, the Apostle of the Indians (1828)


Eliot preaching to the Indians

July 7, 2009

C. H. Spurgeon: Sword & Trowel articles

http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/?page=articles

The Merger of Calvinism with Worldliness
from Sword & Trowel 2009, No. 1 by Dr Peter Masters

Sincerity First and Foremost - In the Christian Armour of Ephesians 6.14
from Sword & Trowel 2007, issue 2 by Dr Peter Masters

The Holy War - Do we dodge enlistment?
from Sword & Trowel 2007, issue 3 by by Peter Masters

Infant Salvation
from Sword & Trowel 2007, issue 3 by by C H Spurgeon

Steps for Guidance in the Journey of Life - Chapter 2: Six Biblical Steps for Guidance
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 2, chapter from accompanying book by Dr Peter Masters

How God Uses His People in Soulwinning
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 1 by C H Spurgeon

Steps for Guidance in the Journey of Life - Chapter 1: Does the Lord Really Guide?
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 2, chapter from accompanying book by Dr Peter Masters

Taking Care of Others - The Innkeeper in the parable of the Good Samaritan
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 1 by C H Spurgeon

A Spiritual Growth Check
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 2 by Dr Peter Masters

The Cycle of Grace - Pressures - Prayer - Encouragement - Thanksgiving
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 1 by Dr Peter Masters

The Companions of Paul
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 1 by Dr Peter Masters

Comfort for Tried Believers
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 2 by C H Spurgeon

The Necessity and Justification for the Free Offer of the Gospel
from Sword & Trowel 2009, issue 1 by Rev Malcolm Watts

C H Spurgeon on the Present Financial Crisis - From a sermon given on the morning of January 10th, 1869, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle
from Sword & Trowel 2008, issue 2 by CHS

Remember the Lord's Day - Is there a "Christian sabbath"?
from Sword & Trowel 2009, issue 1, accompanying booklet by Dr Peter Masters

The Clothing of Humility - Putting on the Garments
from Sword & Trowel 2007, issue 2 by Peter Masters

The Seven Pillars of Counselling
from Sword & Trowel 2009, issue 1 by Peter Masters

Exercising a True Deliverance Ministry - A pastoral guide to helping believers who have left charismatic circles
from Sword & Trowel 2007, issue 3 by Peter Masters

Worship in the Melting Pot - Chapter 1
from Sword & Trowel 1998 (revised and expanded) by Peter Masters

Worship in the Melting Pot - Chapter 2: THREE BROKEN PRINCIPLES, I – Spiritual or Aesthetic Worship?
from Sword & Trowel 1998 (revised and expanded) by Peter Masters

Worship in the Melting Pot - Chapter 3: THREE BROKEN PRINCIPLES, II – Rational or Ecstatic Worship?
from Sword & Trowel 1998 (revised and expanded) by Peter Masters

Worship in the Melting Pot - Chapter 4: THREE BROKEN PRINCIPLES, III – Sacred or Profane Worship?
from Sword & Trowel 1998 (revised and expanded) by Peter Masters


May 5, 2009

Do you know the Preamble for your state?

Alabama 1901, Preamble
We the people of the State of Alabama , invoking the favor and
guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following
Constitution..

Alaska 1956, Preamble
We, the people of Alaska , grateful to God and
to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.

Arizona 1911, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Arizona ,
grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this
Constitution...

Arkansas 1874, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Arkansas ,
grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of
government...

California 1879, Preamble
We, the People of the State of California ,
grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...

Colorado 1876, Preamble
We, the people of Colorado , with profound
reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe...

Connecticut 1818, Preamble
The People of Connecticut, acknowledging
with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to
enjoy.

Delaware 1897, Preamble
Through Divine Goodness all men have, by
nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according
to the dictates of their consciences...

Florida 1885, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Florida ,
grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish
this Constitution...

Georgia 1777, Preamble
We, the people of Georgia , relying upon
protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this
Constitution...

Hawaii 1959, Preamble
We , the people of Hawaii , Grateful for Divine
Guidance ... Establish this Constitution.

Idaho 1889, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful
to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.

Illinois 1870, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Illinois,
grateful to Almighty God for the civil , political and religious
liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him
for a blessing on our endeavors.

Indiana 1851, Preamble
We, the People of the State of Indiana ,
grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose
our form of government.

Iowa 1857, Preamble
We, the People of the St ate of Iowa , grateful to
the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our
dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish
this Constitution.

Kansas 1859, Preamble
We, the people of Kansas , grateful to Almighty
God for our civil and religious privileges establish this
Constitution.

Kentucky 1891, Preamble
We, the people of the Commonwealth are
grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious
liberties..

Louisiana 1921, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Louisiana ,
grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious
liberties we enjoy.

Maine 1820, Preamble
We the People of Maine acknowledging with
grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in
affording us an opportunity .. And imploring His aid and direction.

Maryland 1776, Preamble
We, the people of the state of Maryland ,
grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty...

Massachusetts 1780, Preamble
We...the people of Massachusetts,
acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great
Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an
opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction

Michigan 1908, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Michigan ,
grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, establish this
Constitution.

Minnesota, 1857, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Minnesota,
grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to
perpetuate its blessings:

Mississippi 1890, Preamble
We, the people of Mississippi in convention
assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our
work.

Missouri 1845, Preamble
We, the people of Missouri , with profound
reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His
goodness . Establish this Constitution...

Montana 1889, Preamble
We, the people of Montana , grateful to
Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution.

Nebraska 1875, Preamble
We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for
our freedom . Establish this Constitution.

Nevada 1864, Preamble
We the people of the State of Nevada , grateful
to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution...

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V
Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates
of his own conscience.

New Jersey 1844, Preamble
We, the people of the State of New Jersey,
grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath
so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on
our endeavors.

New Mexico 1911, Preamble
We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to
Almighty God for the blessings of liberty..
New York 1846, Preamble We, the people of the State of New York ,
grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its
blessings.

North Carolina 1868, Preamble
We the people of the State of North
Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations,
for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging
our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those...

North Dakota 1889, Preamble
We , the people of North Dakota , grateful
to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do
ordain...

Ohio 1852, Preamble
We the people of the state of Ohio , grateful to
Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote
our common.

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble
Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in
order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish
this

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2
All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the
dictates of their consciences

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble
We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful
to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and
humbly invoking His guidance....

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble
We the People of the State of Rhode
Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty
which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a
blessing...

South Carolina , 1778, Preamble
We, the people of he State of South
Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish
this Constitution.

South Dakota 1889, Preamble We, the people of South Dakota , grateful
to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties ...

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI..III
That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates
of their conscience...

Texas 1845, Preamble
We the People of the Republic of Texas ,
acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.

Utah 1896, Preamble
Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.

Vermont 1777, Preamble
Whereas all government ought to enable the
individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other
blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ..

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI
Religion, or the Duty which we owe
our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual
duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity
towards each other

Washington 1889, Preamble
We the People of the State of Washington,
grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do
ordain this Constitution

West Virginia 1872, Preamble
Since through Divine Providence we enjoy
the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the
people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance
upon God ...

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble
We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to
Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility...

Wyoming 1890, Preamble
We, the people of the State of Wyoming ,
grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties,
establish this Constitution...

Source: ???


March 4, 2009

Interesting 1946 intelligence article on Islam

Maybe the US is now the new "protector of Islam"?? See from p. 26: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/army/intelreview1.pdf


February 18, 2009

The First Japanese-English Dictionary

I write a lot about Japanese history because it's an interesting way to get a feel for how unique the country is. I'm particularly interested in the "firsts," like my recent post about the first beer brewed in Japan, which formed the foundation for the Kirin Brewery Company. The other day I wrote about how Japan had enjoyed a special relationship with The Netherlands throughout the Edo Period, and in fact referred to the study of all Western language, medicine and technology as Rangaku, literally meaning Dutch Studies. But fifty years before Admiral Perry would force Japan to open its doors to trade with the rest of the world, a Dutch translator in Nagasaki named Shosaemon borrowed a Dutch-English dictionary from a trader and created the first Japanese-English dictionary, which was completed in 1810. It was called the Angelia Gorin Taisei, or Great English Vocabulary Book, and it was used by Yukichi Fukuzawa, one of the fore-fathers of modern day Japan and the guy on the 10,000 yen note, when he made his historic fact-finding missions to America and Europe to explore how Japan should approach modernization. (Source: ???)


November 17, 2008

Helen Keller in Japan

http://www.geocities.jp/torikai007/helen.html

"Macy, a socialist, introduced Keller to radical books by authors such as Henry David Thoreau, William James, HG Wells and Karl Marx. Following her success in the Ladies' Home Journal, Keller became a campaigning journalist. She wrote about childhood blindness and its associations with poverty and venereal disease – a taboo subject. She spoke in favour of contraception; Margaret Sanger, founder of the Planned Parenthood movement, was a personal friend. Keller was a founder member of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920; in 1916 she sent a donation to the recently founded National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a bold act for a white Southern lady. She also studied Swedenborg and joined the Swedenborgian New Church."
AFB 写真
"Photo ID: HK10057;Photograph of Miss Keller with a dog named Sieglinde. They are outside and Miss Keller is touching an evergreen tree, circa 1935."

Trip to Japan:
http://www.geocities.jp/torikai007/helen1937.html

It just mentions the visit to Fukuoka Jogakuin in 1937:

福岡女学院に来校
本 学院は1885(明治18)年イエスを信じる人々により、当時最も立ち遅れていた「女子教育」を行うことを目的に設立さ れ、118年を積み重ねてきました。 中学校・高等学校を通じて、イエス・キリストの教えを根幹とした全人教育を行っています。それにより、地域社会に生きるものとして、時代の持つ苦悩を他の 人々と共に負うことのできるような勇気と知性と愛に富む女性を育てたいという熱い願いと祈りを持っています。ミス・ギールは米国メソジストキリスト教会の 若い宣教師で、「日本の少女が新しい生き方を見つけるための学校」として本校を創立しました。⇒動画:日本訪問 ;東京での歓 迎,原爆爆心地訪問,顕花の映像。ヘレン招待に大きな役割を果たした日本ライトハウスの岩崎武夫も映っている。

September 28, 2008

Spurgeon's sermon mentions revival in the US, June 20, 1858

I wonder if Spurgeon is referring to this revival in the US (I had never heard of Lamphier):
http://www.revival-library.org/index.html?http://www.revival-library.org/catalogues/world4/prime/02.htm

"Now, it is to the work of the Holy Spirit that I shall this morning specially direct your attention; and I may as well mention the reason why I do so. It is this. We have received continually fresh confirmations of the good news from a far country, which has already made glad the hearts of many of God's people. In the United States of America there is certainly a great awakening. No sane man living there could think of denying it. There may be something of spurious excitement mixed up with it, but that good, lasting good, has been accomplished, no rational man can deny.

Two hundred and fifty thousand persons—that is a quarter of a million—profess to have been regenerated since December last, have made a profession of their faith, and have united themselves with different sections of God's church. The work still progresses, if anything, at a more rapid rate than before, and that which makes me believe the work to be genuine is just this—that the enemies of Christ's holy gospel are exceedingly wroth at it. When the devil roars at anything, you may rest assured there is some good in it. The devil is not like some dogs we know of; he never barks unless there is something to bark at. When Satan howls we may rest assured he is afraid his kingdom is in danger.

Now this great work in America has been manifestly caused by the outpouring of the Spirit, for no one minister has been a leader in it. All the ministers of the gospel have co-operated in it, but none of them have stood in the van. God himself has been the leader of his own hosts. It began with a desire for prayer. God's people began to pray; the prayer-meetings were better attended than before. it was then proposed to hold meetings at times that had never been set apart for prayer; these also were well attended; and now, in the city of Philadelphia, at the hour of noon, every day in the week, three thousand persons can always be seen assembled together for prayer in one place. Men of business, in the midst of their toil and labor, find an opportunity of running in there and offering a word of prayer, and then return to their occupations. And so, throughout all the States, prayer-meetings, larger or smaller in number, have been convened.

And there has been real prayer. Sinners beyond all count, have risen up in the prayer-meeting, and have requested the people of God to pray for them; thus making public to the world that they had a desire after Christ; they have been prayed for, and the church has seen that God verily doth hear and answer prayer. I find that the Unitarian ministers for a little while took no notice of it. Theodore Parker snarls and raves tremendously at it, but he is evidently in a maze; he does not understand the mystery, and acts with regard to it as swine are said to do with pearls.

While the church was found asleep, and doing very little, the Socinian could afford to stand in his pulpit and sneer at anything like evangelical religion, but now that there has been an awakening, he looks like a man that has just awakened out of sleep. He sees something; he does not know what it is. The power of religion is just that which will always puzzle the Unitarian, for he knows but little about that. At the form of religion he is not much amazed, for he can to an extent endorse that himself, but the supernaturalism of the gospel—the mystery—the miracle—the power—the demonstration of the Spirit that comes with the preaching, is what such men cannot comprehend, and they gaze and wonder, and then become filled with wrath, but still they have to confess there is something there they cannot understand, a mental phenomenon that is far beyond their philosophy—a thing which they cannot reach by all their science nor understand by all their reason."



August 10, 2008

Spurgeon mentions evolution

I think this is the first sermon I've heard by Spurgeon where he mentions evolution. From his sermon entitled "Manasseh":

The second aspect in which we are to regard Manasseh is as an UNBELIEVER; for it appears that Manasseh did not believe that Jehovah was God alone; he was, therefore, a believer in false gods, but an unbeliever, so far as the truth is concerned. Now, does it not strike you at the outset, that while Manasseh was an unbeliever in the truth, he must have been a very credulous person to believe in the all imaginary deities of the heathen? In fact, the most credulous persons in the world are unbelievers. It takes ten thousand times more faith to be an unbeliever than to be a believer in revelation.

One man comes to me and tells me I am credulous, because I believe in a great First Cause who created the heavens and the earth, and that God became man and died for sin. I tell him I may be, and no doubt am very credulous, as he conceives credulity, but I conceive that which I believe is in perfect consistency with my reason, and I therefore receive it. "But," saith he, "I am not credulous—not at all." Sir, I say, I should like to ask you one thing. You do not believe the world was created by God? "No." You must be amazingly credulous, then, I am sure. Do you think this Bible exists without being made? If you should say I am credulous because I believe it had a printer and a binder, I should say you were infinitely more credulous, if you assured me that it was made at all.

And should you begin to tell me one of your theories about creation—that atoms floated through space, and came to a certain shape, I should resign the palm of credulity to you. You believe, perhaps, moreover, that man came to be in this world through the improvement of certain creatures. I have read, you say, that there were certain monads—that these monads improved themselves until they came to be small animalculae—that afterward they grew into fishes—that these fishes wanted to fly, and then wings grow—that by-and-by they wanted to crawl, and then legs came, and they became lizards, and by divers steps they then became monkeys, and then the monkeys became men, and you believe yourself to be cousin-german to an ourang-outang.

Now, I may be very credulous, but really not so credulous as you are. I may believe very strange things; I may believe that, with the jaw-bone of an ass, Samson slew a thousand men; I may believe that that the earth was drowned with water, and many other strange things, as you call them; but as for your creed, your non-creed, "'tis strange, 'tis passing strange, 'tis wonderful," and it as much outvies mine in credulity, if I be credulous, as an ocean outvies a drop.

It requires the hardest faith in the world to deny the Scriptures, because the man, in his secret heart, knows they are true, and, go where he will, something whispers to him, "You may be wrong—perhaps you are," and it is as much as he can do, to say, "Lie down, conscience! down with you; I must not let you speak, or I could not deliver my lecture to-morrow, I could not go among my friends, I could not go to such-and-such a club; for I can not afford to keep a conscience, if I can not afford to keep a God."


January 9, 2008

Here's an interesting find -- a good description of early Protestant work in Japan:

An American Missionary in Japan - 1892
http://books.google.com/books?id=tuHU-IBrNewC




December 30, 2007

Amazing resource Google has in its GoogleBooks where we can download scans of old books from the great libraries in the US -- a great blessing of God's providence and a great help to the study of the Bible and history of Christianity. Some of my first downloads:

Philip Schaff - The Creeds of Christendom
Various authors - The Christian Sabbath Considered in Its Various Aspects
Muston - The Israel of the Alps: A History of the Persecutions of the Waldenses

Many many more works are available there on the Albigenses and Waldenses, one of my favorite areas of study, showing how God preserved His people AND His Word from the onslaught of popery and paganism.