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About Pacific Christian messenger. (Monmouth, Or.) 1877-1881 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1880)
t » ’ P acific MESSENGER. “OO YE, THEREFORE, TEACH ALL NATION8.” MONMOUTH, OREGON; FRIDAY, FEB. 20, 1880. VOL X. Paciflo C hristian M è S senger , Devoted to the cense of Primitive Christi anity, and the diffusion of general in formation. Price Per Tear, in Advance, 92.50 All business letters shonld be addressed to T. F. Campbell,(I Editor, or Mary Stump, Publisher, Monmouth, Oregon. Advertisers will find this one of the best mediums on the Pacific Coast for making their business known. RATES OF ADVERTISING 1 Inch........... H Col.......... H Col.......... «6 Col.......... 1 Col............ $1 2 4 7 12 00 $2 50 4 OO 50 00 7 00 oe 12 00 00 20 00 #4 7 12 20 35 00 #f 00 00 12 00 00 20 00 00 35 00 00 65 00 #12 20 35 65 120 00 00 00 00 00 Notice« in local column« 10 cent« per line for each insertion. Yearly advertisement« on liberal terms. Professional Card« (1 square) #12 per annum. Biblical Interpretation. Editor P. C. Messenger: A correct understanding of the word of God gives light and knowledge to the intelligent and appreciative mind. So that " The entrance of the word giveth light, making wise the simple.” That all such promises, are upon the condition that His word is understood, requires no argument. '• He that heareth the word and understandeth. it,” is the man that is made wiser and better. Philip said to the Ethiopian, " un- derstandest thou what thou readest ?” He did not, but he was sensible and honest enough to confess his ignorance and to ask for knowledge upon the figurative language of the prophet. A , certain interpreter of the Scripture, conceived the idea that the “ austere man ” of Luke xix. 21, was an “ oyster man,” and he found no difficulty in showing the wonderful similarity be tween our Lord and an " oyster man.” Another interpreter of the same sort could see clearly that the “ untow-ered generation ” of Acts ii., 40, were per fectly defenceless, as they had no tower of refuge in the hour of danger. Another class " who know not the Scriptures, not the power of God ” make themselvest ridiculous, and do much harm by claiming that every Hebrew and Greek word has a corres ponding English word, and that in our Bible, we have such corresponding word in every case; and that every such word means just what it says, and says just what it means.” No al lowance whatever, can be made, eith er for the figurative or secondary meaning, and use of wores. As a result of such false understand ing of the Scrigtures, or of its words, it was actually believed a few years ago, that unconverted man had a heart of stone. Literal, real stones. It eras this false principle of interpretation, founded in ignorance, that brought about the silly imposture of transsub stantiation. The priest knows well enough, that the “ loaf ” is nothing but bread; fl^because Christ said, “ this is my body,” they find it necessary to transform the " bread ” into the actual " body ” and “ presence ” of Christ by the magic of the priest. To what other conclusion could such a false interpretation of the Scrip tures lead ? In the simplicity of unconscious and dogmatic ignorance they would say, " Christ said to the assembled disci ple^ at Jerusalem, in the language they understood, 'this is my ,* and ' this is my blood.* Now the phrase ‘ body ’ and ' blood ’ had a definite meaning to the disciples, and if Christ used them in a different sense from that which they under- ctood, then he deceived them, unless NO. 8. he made an explanation; and we have both for the Bible and for humanity, be as effectually dreaned of its cash place for nearly five years, and one’s no evidence that he did this!!” that we were all “searchers after as the Roman Catholic country now hearers protest if I suggest that it Now I would ask any person of truth” both in Nature and Revelation, is, but thank God there is not quite, must be getting monotonous and must ordinary intelligence, if such interpre and between them there is no conflict. all the opposing power yet dead. be largely a repetition, and that we tations of Scripture are not even As we obtain more knoweledge our Hope this will be published at an should have a change. Well, just as worse than azoic nonsense. But says ignorance and our foolish interpreta early day, and if there is any one Providence leads. If he opens the the credulous interpreter, “ Christ tions of Scripture vanish away. But that thinks proper to reply, I respect way elsewhere, and seem to say says in Matt, xxvi, 26, 28,' this is my in all our search after truth, let us fully request it. “ walk you in it,” I will; but if he body,’ and‘this is my blood.’ Now not ignore either science or Respectfully your brother in indicates that! I should stay in this who under the sun would have ever C ommon S ense . part of the field, here, contentedly, I Christ, thought of making that statement of will stay. It is a good community A aron P ayne . From Bro. Aaron Payne. Christ mean bread and wine, had it and climate, and enjoys many advan From Bro. James W. Webb. not been that Protestant skepticism tages. Should I, at any time, be N orth Y amhill , O r ., and science is said to teach different called elsewhere, Bro. Skene is abun Feb. 9,1880. L ompoc T emperance C olony , ly.” Now just think of it; they say dantly able to feed the brethren with Edi tor Christian Messenger: **' S outhern C al ., Feb. 4, 1880. Christ says “ this is my body,” and the bread of life. I have seen some communications in Dear Bro. Campbell: Christ’s real body it is, and must be. My good wife and I often laugh the M essenger of late that I think I I read with deep interest the items Hence, the necessity of the “ real pres becatise we left Australia to escape ought to reply to. , of church news on the Pacific Coast, ence," or transubstantiation. the great heat, and intended, if Cali The first communication I wish to through the columns of the M essen Again, God said to Adam “ i/i the reply to is from S. C. Adams, my fornia were not cold enough, to go to ger , and as often blame? myself that I OregonCalifornia brethren .this day that thou eatest thereof, thou she It junior brother in the ministry, and have never reported the results of our winter can appreciate the joke, for surely die,”—and yet “ Adam lived the high respect that I have for him protracted meeting, last fall. snow lay even in Los Angeles, the 930 years and begat sons and daugh causes me to make the reply. He Bro. B. W. Skene and myself have ters.” From this statement of Scrip speaks in his piece that was published been laboring for some time to build city of orange grovesKjn the door yard ture, some “ selfwilled ” skeptics, who of members of the church who will up a congregation in town, here, and for several hours. Nevertheless, I hope, some day, to pay Oregon a • " speak evil of the things that they not hire the clergy, as dead limbs- have succeeded, we believe, well, un understand not,” reject the statement : that ought to be sawed off that the der all the adverse circumstances of a visit, renew my pleasant acquaintance as false, because in this case “the day” tree might take a more vigorous new place, want of a meeting house of with Bros. P. .R. Burnett, E. W. Barnes, S. C. Adams, J. P. McCorkle, is lengthened out to 930 years. And growth. If they were cut off perhaps our own, &c. and others, and get acquainted with according to the infallible formula they would be more in the way than We had the pleasure of having Bro.: above quoted, they say, “ Now the they are now for I am satisfied that H. D. Connell’s efficient aid in a pro Bro. Campbell and many of whose word day had a definite meaning both my junior brother would not desire tracted meeting, lasting over two names and labors I have learned to Adam and to the Israelites, and if the inquisition fires again kindled to Sundays. He drew out large and through the M essenger . But I must God (or Moses) used it in a different bum them up ; and more than .that very attentive audiences of all classes, close. I have hurriedly scribbled (as sense from that which they under he would- have to use hie own law from first to last, increasing; indeed, your compositor will readily allow) stood, then he deceived them, unless chisel an<| pruning knife, for the all the while. • He not only instructed, this while eating my dinner. The he made an explanation, and we have Scripture of the New Testament fur comforted and strengthened the meal is ended, time up, and paper filled. no evidence that he did.” nishes no pruning tools for that pur brethren, but added some twenty-five, Truly your brother, The ignorant man begins to turn pose. An 1 now 1 will furnish my mostly by confession. I did the im-| J ames W. W ebb . and twist the old book inside out, but brother with a much better plan than mersing in the river, with great Two Kinds of Discontent. he only involves himself in wild and he proposes, viz.: to dig about it and satisfaction, as my eldest daughter, fanciful theories, and in hopeless dark fertilize it, and it bears silver leaves Lizzie, aged 15, was among the num There are few men who look at ness ; for he • is tied hand and foot by and gold berries to suit, all right; and ber. Bro. Frank Aldridge, óf Wat life with such sturdy common sense, his own senseless formula, and he can if it does not, leave it to his Master sonville, and wife, assisted greatly and who have so keen a sympathy for not explain it. and mine to cut it down; dead limbs in singing. Bro. A. preached and ex-1 all that life implies and includes, as Again, the man of understanding on a tree always indicate a decayed horted at times, too. Ii :•> the wish Rev. Robert Collyer. In his lecture (or science) knows that the terms root or hollow trunk. Remember that. of all the church and all of those who on “ Clear Grit,” he thus speaks: “morning” and “ evening,” mean noth The second piece that I wish to attended Bro. Connell’s preaching, It is the curse and blessing of our ing more or less, than “ the beginning’’ reply to is where a writer says that that he should return, if possible, and American life that we are never quite and “the ending,” or, the first past the reformation at one time nearly all follow up the good work, this spring. content. We all expect to go some- and the last past. This is not only opposed a hired ministry ; he ought The Methodists are just completing ! ' where before we die, and have a better true of the Hebrew and Greek, but to have said that it universally op a church house, and very many non-1 ’ time when we get theie than we can also of its English meaning. The posed it. What I term the reforma church members volunteer substantial ! have at home. The bane of our life morning of life refers to the time of tion is the rejection of all creeds and help whenever we make a move to is discontent. We say we will work youth, or the early past life ; and the confessions of faith made by man, and build But times are too hard, at so long and then enjoy ourselves. But evening, to the end of life. In its ap take the Scripture for our rule and least till after harvest. we find it just as Thackeray has ex propriated meaning now it is used practice. This reformation sook place Our Sunday school is doing ex pressed it. “ When I was a boy,” he with reference to the beginning and in eighteen hundred; this threw cellently. Bro. Skene is a fine worker said, “I wanted some taffy—it was a the ending of the solar day; ranging them off of the broad guage that leads in that department, and has large ex shilling—I hadn’t one.—When I was a as it does, in different latitudes, from to and from Rome, and they ran upon perience. He divides the time with man I had the shilling, but I didn't six hours to three months in length. this narrow track until sighteen hun me in preaching and presiding at the want any taffy.” Now if the cntic who " is wiser in dred and twenty-seven; up to this Lord’s table. Bro. Connell and my But I say not a word against that his own conceit, than seven men that time the reformation opposed the self ordained him an elder. He is a splendid discontent that all the time can render a reason;’’ and who infers educating and hiring the clergy to very earnest, practical and instructive makes a man strike for something bet that the " evening and the morning of preach, and this opposition to hiring preacher, holding close to the " Word,” ter. I like this idea that every boy the first day,” and so on, necessarily the clergy was universal; but unfor yet calling many useful and apt out bom in America dreams of being means the rising and the setting of the tunately, as I think, they were again side illustrations. He has an abun President. , No man has any right to sun, (because the words morning and switched off into the bread track ; and dance of the fortiter in re, and is suc be his best and not to do better te evening had a definite meaning to the those that are in favor of*hiring men cessfully cultivating an equilibrium of morrow than he is doing to-day. But Israelites, and if Moses used it in a to preach claim this the start of the the suaviter in modo. It grieves and all that will come by keeping close to a manly and dutiful life. While we different sence from that which they reformation. This took place in hampers me that I can’t give my are going steadily along to whatever understood then he decieved them, north western Virginia ; and although whole time to the Gospel work. I future awaits us, the grandest thing unless he made an explanation, and we have no written creed or confession gave up school teaching to 'invest we can do is to feel sure that what we have no evidence that he did.) I of faith yet made, and profess to take some money and time in a small store, we are doing for a day’s work, with say if the terms mean sunrise and the Scripture for our rule and practice i thinking simply to make my own I all that we can do besides, is just the most blessed thing, so far as we can sunset can he tell the exact length of (or at least so represent it), there are living, and so to be able to give do, and that we are very likely hav those primordial days, seeing that the manV things taught and practiced gratuitous preaching aqd temperance ing the l>est time that can ever come sun and moon were not made .until c&nteary to the Scripture ; and I here work. But alas for my calculations, to our life; that this-work and wife, * call for a return to the first principles, j the small store has grown into a large and home and children, all they are during the “ fourth day ?” and all thev mean, beats the world. To say that the “ morning ” and to teach what the Scripture teaches, one, and the two branches of work The saddest thing in our life, is our •’evening” of the first four days, (at nothing more, nothing less, and those spoken of keep growing on my hands. discontent when we ought to be the least) meant the time of sunrise and that contend for those first principles The store is like the bear the man most contented. It is our birthright sunset, because “ it had a definite are termed old fogies. I believe that had; I can’t let go unless somebody to get the good of life as we go along, meaning to to the Israelites, and if word has become patent in the will help ufé, by buying me out, a in these simple and pure things that Mooes used it in a different sense-—he mouths of some people; but the writer thing I am asking the Lord, should be to all true man and womanhood are like sunshine and rain to an apple deceived them; when there was no is very thankful that those that oppose see fit to aid me to. The other work tree. But when we will not believa sun to either rise or set until the the hiring of the clergy, for the good the people in and out of the church,1 thia, and dream that the best of our fourth day, is simply worse than azoic of the church and the world, are and my conscience wouldn't let me life is to comd when we have made our fortune, then we sell our birth and silurian nonsense, and the " six nearly all dead, and gone to heaven. quit if I wished to*. In reply I will say that if the demand ^Indeed it must be something of a right for a mess of pottage; but worse days of Genesis combined. than .Esau, the pottage gives us the Science is knowledge, and knowl of the clergy was complied with pro compliment to preach, with but very dyspepsia, and then we lose the good * edge is truth, and well would it be testant, Europe and America would slight preparation, regularly m one I ot birthright and pottage together. a X » F