Did God Raise Jesus From the Dead Or Did He Raise Himself?

Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”
 

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
 

Ephesians 1:19-20 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”
 

2 Corinthians 4:14 “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.”
 

Romans 4:24 “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
 

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
 

1 Corinthians 15:15-16 “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised.”

Colossians 2:12 “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
 

1 Peter 1:21 “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
 

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
 

Acts 2:32 “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
 

Acts 3:15 “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.”
 

Acts 4:10 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”
 

Acts 13:29-30 “And when they had fulOilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead.” 

Acts 13:34 “And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.” 

Acts 13:37 “But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.”
 

Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

The Omega of Deadly Heresy is Here

About the time that Living Temple was published, there passed before me in the night season, representations indicating that some danger was approaching, and that I must prepare for it by writing out the things God had revealed to me regarding the foundation principles of our faith....

Living Temple contains the alpha of these theories. I knew that the omega would follow in a little while; and I trembled for our people. I knew that I must warn our brethren and sisters not to enter into controversy over the presence and personality of God...

I was shown a platform, braced by solid timbers—the truths of the Word of God. Someone high in responsibility in the medical work was directing this man and that man to loosen the timbers supporting this platform. Then I heard a voice saying, “Where are the watchmen that ought to be standing on the walls of Zion? Are they asleep? This foundation was built by the Master Worker, and will stand storm and tempest. Will they permit this man to present doctrines that deny the past experience of the people of God? The time has come to take decided action.” 

 The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.  

Who has authority to begin such a movement? We have our Bibles. We have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in harmony with this truth?              1 SM 202-205

Children of God

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  
2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  
3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.     1 John 3:1-3

Happy Sabbath!

What Did Arius Really Believe?

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

4Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.          Hosea 4

Spiritualist teachers refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God

Modern spiritualism, resting upon the same foundation, is but a revival in a new form of the witchcraft and demon worship that God condemned and prohibited of old. It is foretold in the Scriptures, which declare that "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Timothy 4:1. Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, points to the special working of Satan in spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the second advent of Christ. Speaking of Christ's second coming, he declares that it is "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2 Thessalonians 2:9. And Peter, describing the dangers to which the church was to be exposed in the last days, says that as there were false prophets who led Israel into sin, so there will be false teachers, "who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. . . . And many shall follow their pernicious ways." 2 Peter 2:1, 2. Here the apostle has pointed out one of the marked characteristics of spiritualist teachers. They refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." 1 John 2:22, 23. Spiritualism, by denying Christ, denies both the Father and the Son, and the Bible pronounces it the manifestation of antichrist.        Patriarchs and Prophets pp. 686

Washington in the Lap of Rome

James Japan

Trump defends Pope Francis’s handling of the abuse crisis

Catholic Herald 

The President told the Daily Caller: 'The Pope is handling it, I guess, the best anyone can handle it'

Donald Trump has defended Pope Francis’s handling of the abuse crisis, saying that the Pontiff is handling the situation “the best anyone can handle it”.

World Evangelical Alliance head has met with United Nations Secretary General

Ecumenical News  September 11 2018
World Evangelical Alliance head Bishop Efraim Tendero has met with United Nations Secretary General António Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York to share concerns for human rights, religious liberty and social issues such as refugees and migrants.

The meeting points to a growing tendency for the United Nations and international organizations to engage church and faith groups to help in shaping intricate global problems and issued.

Only a week earlier the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby had addressed the UN Security Council in New York.

Serving some 600 million evangelicals in more than 120 countries and holding Special Consultative Status in the Economic and Social Council of the UN, the WEA has been engaged with a number of UN bodies and agencies for many years.

Pelosi: ‘We Are, In Our View, the Eucharist, the Body of Christ’

CNS  September 17, 2018

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told the nation at her press briefing on Thursday that she is a “practicing Catholic” and that Catholics understand the church to be “the body of Christ.” 

Pelosi, who (contrary to Catholic teaching) supports abortion on demand and same-sex marriage, made the remarks while responding to questions about the clergy sex scandal.

“Well, as a practicing Catholic, I feel great sadness for what has happened in the church,” Pelosi said. “I feel sadness for what it means to the church writ large, but more sad about what it means to the individuals who have been abused, and that they should be respected, protected, and that we have to get to the bottom of it.”

Global marches seek urgent action on climate change

Washington Post September 8

PARIS — More than 18,000 people marched Saturday in Paris as part of an international mobilization to show popular support for urgent measures to combat climate change in advance of a San Francisco summit.

Crowds overflowed a plaza in front of City Hall before marching east to the Place de la Republique, carrying an urgent message that it’s up to the public to put global warming at the top of the political agenda.

“Planet in Danger,” read some banners.

Activists around the world encouraged “Rise for Climate” protests before the summit taking place Sept.12-Sept. 14. California’s governor proposed the event after President Donald Trump vowed to pull the U.S. out of a landmark 2015 climate accord.

The international agreement was negotiated in France, and the French capital’s march was more successful than ones held Saturday in other French cities or elsewhere in Europe.

Environmental groups said the organized hundreds of events around the globe Saturday to highlight the issue.

Thousands of people took to the streets of San Francisco, marching about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the city’s piers to City Hall. Demonstrators banged drums, sang and hoisted signs that said “Rise for climate justice” and “Not a penny more for dirty energy.” They called for politicians to spearhead a transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on the fight against terrorist groups

Sputnik 17.09.2018
ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on the fight against terrorist groups in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If the situation in Idlib continues as is, the results will be heavy. We have to find a solution with Russia and the coalition forces without letting this happen. As you know, the US has a different position, however, we have previously held meetings with Germany and France. We are already in it together with Russia," Erdogan said on Sunday, as quoted by Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper.

Erdogan stated that he had noticed Putin's positive approach toward the resolution of the conflict during the trilateral summit held between the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey in the Iranian capital of Tehran on September 7.

"I hope he [Putin] will continue the positive stance also going forward," Erdogan stressed, adding that he considered it necessary to eliminate terrorists, but not the moderate opposition, which is also operating in Idlib.

Google has admitted to changing Android phone settings remotely without user permission

Breitbart 18 Sep 2018

The BBC reports that Silicon Valley Master of the Universe Google has admitted to remotely activating the “battery saver” function on many users’ Android phones. The battery saver function is designed to allow the phone to operate at a lower performance while preserving battery life and in some cases is automatically enabled when a phone goes below a certain battery level. According to multiple people describing the incident, the battery saver was enabled with a full or nearly full battery.

In a post to Reddit, a Google spokesperson explained that the sudden enabling of the feature was part of an internal test update to the Android operating system which was accidentally rolled out publicly.

“This was an internal experiment to test battery-saving features that was mistakenly rolled out to more users than intended,” the company said in a Reddit comment. “We have now rolled battery saver settings back to default. Please configure to your liking. Sorry for the confusion.”

The majority of phones affected were reported to be Google Pixel devices, but there were reports of other brands of phones having the battery saver feature suddenly enabled. Kate Bevan, the editor of Which? Computing magazine, commented on Google’s ability to roll out these changes saying:

“I noticed the other day that suddenly my battery saver was on and I was a bit puzzled by it. I don’t want any app or operating system reversing decisions I’ve made — unless I know why they are doing it,” said Bevan. “It’s about transparency and consent — it may well be a good idea that a change is being made but I still want to know why.”

80 Years Later, Cosmetics Chemicals Still Unregulated

EWG  June 25, 2018

It’s been 80 years since Congress last voted to regulate cosmetics.

And a lot has changed since June 25, 1938 – the day Congress passed the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938. These days cosmetics are a $60 billion-a-year business, and the average woman uses 12 products with 168 different ingredients every day.

The 1938 law only prohibited the sale of cosmetics with any “poisonous or deleterious substance,” or any “filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance,” so the Food and Drug Administration has so far only banned nine cosmetics ingredients for safety reasons. Members of Congress made other efforts to modernize cosmetics law, starting in the 1950s, but all of these attempts were defeated by the cosmetics industry.

Vegan GMO Burger That “Bleeds” Hits Hundreds of Fast Food Locations Including 'Organic' Ones

Greenmedinfo  September 20th 2018

From White Castle to 'Organic' Burger Joints like Bareburger, a bloody GMO burger is quickly gaining mass adoption. But is it as safe, healthy, and good for the planet as they claim? 

It’s no surprise that after $400 million dollars of funding, including contributions by notoriously pro-GMO power brokers like Bill Gates,¹ that Silicon valley startup Impossible Foods genetically modified ‘ground beef analogue product’ has gained mainstream market penetrance in over 400 White Castle burger joints throughout the U.S this month.² This is in addition to its already successful placement in Applebee’s, Bareburger, and Whalburgers, and other independent restaurants throughout the country.

Americans consuming more fake meat & dairy than ever

RT  16 Sep, 2018
A new study by the Good Food Institute (GFI), which represents the plant-based foods industry, found that sales of substitutes for animal products have exceeded $3.7 billion.

While total US retail food sales grew just two percent over the last 12 months, retail sales of plant-based foods grew 17 percent during the same time period.

“The plant-based foods industry has gone from being a relatively niche market to fully mainstream,” said Michele Simon, Executive Director of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).

Plastic products that boast of being “BPA-free” aren’t necessarily any safer for us

Gizmodo   9/13/18

Plastic products that boast of being “BPA-free” aren’t necessarily any safer for us, suggests a new mouse study published Thursday in Current Biology. The chemicals used to replace BPA in these plastics can still leak out and affect the sperm and eggs of both male and female mice, it found. And these same effects could be happening in people.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a chemical commonly used to create polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. These clear white plastics are themselves used in food and drink packaging, as well as consumer products and medical devices, while resins are used to coat metal products like canned foods. When these products degrade or are otherwise damaged (from being repeatedly heated in a microwave, for example), they can leach out BPA, exposing us to it. As a result, it’s estimated that 93 percent of Americans have some level of BPA in their system.

That’s troubling, because there’s growing research showing BPA exposure can have subtle but real effects on our health. It’s one of many chemicals thought to interfere with our endocrine system, which regulates how hormones affect everything from our fertility to brain development. BPA in particular has been implicated as a possible cause of genital deformities in men, early puberty in women, and developmental problems in the very young; it might also contribute to metabolic disorders like obesity as well as certain cancers.

Study blames Roundup herbicide for gluten intolerance and celiac disease epidemic

Returntonow September 4, 2018  

“Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it,” researchers wrote in a meta-analysis of nearly 300 studies.

“Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup^®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic,” they add.

The study, published in the journal Interdisciplinary Toxicology in 2013, was completely ignored by the media except for Mother Earth News and The Healthy Home Economist.

Now that glyphosate is getting the attention it deserves, being named as the culprit in a $280 million cancer lawsuit and labeled as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the state of California, it may be time to look at the chemical’s role in a related disease:

The symptoms of so-called “gluten intolerance” and celiac disease in are shockingly similar to the symptoms in lab animals exposed to glyphosate, argue the study’s authors Anthony Samsel, an independent scientist who’s served as a consultant to the EPA on arsenic pollution and to the U.S. Coast Guard on chemical hazard response, and Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at MIT.

No amount of alcohol is safe, health study warns

RT  25 Aug, 2018

Any and all alcohol consumption is bad for your health, according to a new global report from health experts, who are attempting to settle the drinking debate once and for all.

The report, published in The Lancet medical journal, claims to be the most comprehensive of its kind and goes against previous studies which have suggested a glass of red wine is equal to going to the gym, or that drinking alcohol makes you live longer.

Skipping an Evening Meal Improves Metabolic Flexibility

Mercola  September 03, 2018

• Eating your main meal at 2 p.m., and skipping an evening meal altogether and fasting until the next morning, combats weight gain by reducing hunger, increasing fat burning and improving metabolic flexibility to burn both fat and carbs
• People who eat dinner (evening meal) at least two hours before bedtime have a 20 percent reduction in cancer risk for breast and prostate cancer combined
• Men and women who eat dinner two or more hours before bedtime have a 26 percent and 16 percent lower risk of prostate and breast cancer respectively than those who eat dinner closer to bedtime
• “Morning people” who have a natural affinity for getting up early in the morning are at particularly high risk for cancer when eating dinner too close to bedtime, compared to “night owls”
• Avoiding food at least two or three hours before bedtime will help you optimize your mitochondrial function, which is key for optimal health and chronic disease prevention

Cancer Link Confirmed in Largest Ever Cell Tower Radiation Study

Walking Times August 21, 2018

As the rollout of the nationwide 5G cell network moves forward, many concerned scientists and public health experts are raising the alarm about the potential harms of bathing the environment in high frequency electromagnetic energy. This new technology would add another layer of electromagnetic radiation to an already dangerously inundated environment.

Cell phone manufacturers downplay the potential risks as well as studies that link them to the formation of brain cancer, and in 2017, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidelines aiming to help people reduce their exposure to the risks involved in using cell phones.

5G is already known to cause unused health disturbances and while many are working to derail this massive project, new research gives us extraordinary insight into the effects that cell tower radiation is already having on our health. This technology is far from benign, and while scientists from both sides debate the potential for harm, more evidence continues to mount, suggesting we would be wise to reconsider our dependence on cell technology and upcoming 5G.

Frankincense Oil: The 'King' of Oils

Mercola  June 02, 2016
Frankincense has a significant meaning in Christianity being one of the gifts offered by the three wise men to the newborn Jesus. However, did you know that t his fragrant resin can be transformed into an essential oil that's valued not only in religious practice, but in aromatherapy and natural health too? Continue reading to gain more knowledge about frankincense oil and the health benefits you may derive from it.

What Is Frankincense Oil?

Frankincense, also called olibanum,¹ is derived from two types of Boswellia trees: Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carteri.² The process starts with extracting the milky white sap from the tree bark and hardened into a gum resin in around 10 days,³ and scraped off as tear-shaped droplets.⁴ The resulting oil is pale yellow-green and has a woody, earthy and spicy aroma.⁵
Boswellia trees grow in African and Arabian regions, including Yemen, Oman, Somalia and Ethiopia. In particular, Oman is well-known for producing and trading frankincense to India, China and other countries in the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Live Science highlights that Oman is considered the most ancient source of frankincense.⁶
Frankincense trees can produce different colored resins. Brown-yellow and muddy frankincense is touted as the cheapest and most readily accessible, while silver and clear frankincense is considered high-quality. If you’re in Oman, the latter is usually reserved for the sultan  and rarely shipped out of the country – it’ s hard to acquire if you live in Western parts of the world.^7,8

The Origin of Nations

The Holy Spirit is Christ

Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.      14 MR 23

The nonsense Trinity

BRO. WHITE : The following questions I would like to have you give or send, to Bro. Loughborouh for, explanation.
W. W. GILES.
Toted, Ohio.

QUESTION 1.
What serious objection is there to the doctrine of the Trinity?

ANSWER.   There are many objections which we might urge, but on account of our limited space we shall reduce them to the three following :

1. It is contrary to common sense.
2. It is contrary to scripture.
3., Its origin is Pagan and fabulous,.

These positions we will remark upon briefly in their order.
 

1. It is not very consonant with common sense to talk of three being one, and one being three. Or as some express it, calling God "the Triune God," or "the three-one-God." If Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are each God, it would be three Gods ; for three times one is not one, but three. There is a sense in which they are one, but not on person, as claimed by Trinitarians.

2. It is contrary to Scripture.    Almost any portion of the New Testament we may open which has occasion to speak of the Father and Son, represents them as two distinct persons. The seventeenth chapter of John is alone sufficient to refute the doctrine of the Trinity.  Over forty times in that one chapter Christ speaks of his Father as a person distinct from himself.  His Father was in heaven and he upon earth.  The  Father had sent him.  Given to him those that believed.  He was then to go to the Father.  And in this very testimony he shows us in what consists the oneness of the Father and Son.  It is the same as the oneness of the members of Christ's church.  "That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us ; that the world may believe that thou halt sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one."   Of one heart and one mind.  Of one purpose in all the plan devised for man's salvation.  Read the seventeenth chapter of John, and see if it does not completely upset the doctrine of the Trinity.

To believe that doctrine, when reading the scripture we must believe that God sent himself into the world, died to reconcile the world to himself, raised himself from the dead, ascended to himself in heaven, pleads before himself in heaven to reconcile the world to himself, and is the only mediator between man and himself.  It will not do to substitute the human nature of  Christ (according to Trinitarians) as the Mediator; for Clarke says,  "Human blood can no more appease God than swine's blood."  Com. on 2 Sam. xxi, 10. We must believe that in the garden God prayed to himself, if it were possible, to let the cup pass from himself, and a thousand other such absurdities.

Read carefully the following texts, comparing them with the idea that Christ is the Omnipotent, Omnipres-
ant, Supreme, and only self-existent God: John xiv, 28; xvii, 3; iii, 16; v, 19, 26; xi, 15; xx, 19; viii,  50; vi, 38; Mark xiii, 32; Luke vi, 12; xxii,  69; xxiv, 29 ; Matt. iii, 17; xxvii, 46; Gal. iii, 20 ; 1 John. ii, 1 ; Rev. v, 7;  Acts xvii, 31.  Also see Matt. xi, 25, 27; Luke i, 32; xxii, 42 ; John iii, 35, 36;  v,  19, 21, 22, 28, 25, 26;
vi, 40; viii, 35, 36;  xiv, 13; 1 Cor. xv, 28, &c.

The word Trinity nowhere occurs in the Scriptures.  The principal text supposed to teach it is 1 John i, 7, which is an interpolation. Clarke says, " Out of one hundred and thirteen manuscripts, the text is wanting in one hundred and twelve.  It occurs in no MS. before the tenth century.  And the first place the text occurs in Greek, is in the Greek translation of the acts of the Council of Lateran, held A. D. 1215."—Com. on John i, and remarks at close of chap.

3. Its origin is pagan and fabulous.  Instead of pointing us to scripture for proof of the trinity, we are pointed to the trident of the Persians, with the assertion that "by this they designed to teach the idea of a trinity,  and if they had the doctrine of the trinity,  they must have received it by tradition from the people of God.  But this is all assumed, for it is certain that the Jewish church held to no such doctrine. Says Mr. Summerbell,  "A friend of mine who was present in a New York synagogue, asked the Rabbi for an explanation of the word 'elokim.'  A Trinitarian clergygyman who stood by, replied, ' Why, that has reference to the three persons in the Trinity,'-  when a Jew stepped forward and said he must not mention that word again, or they would have to compel him to leave the house; for it was not permitted to mention the name of any strange god in the synagogue."* Milman says the idea of the Trident is fabulous.

This doctrine of the trinity was brought into the church about the same time with image worship, and  keeping the day of the sun, and is but Persian doctrine remodled.  It occupied about three hundred years from its introduction to bring the doctrine to what it is now.  It was commenced about 325 A. D., and was not completed till 681.  See Milman's Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv, p, 422.  It was adopted in Spain in 589, in England in 596, in Africa in 534.—Gib. vol. iv, pp. 114, 345; Milner, vol. i, p. 519.

*Discussion between Summerbell and Flood on Trinity, p. 38. Hist. Christianity, p. 34.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH     J.N. Loughborouh, Review & Herald, November 5, 1861.

The intoxicated doctrines of Babylon

The cause of the fall of Babylon is thus stated: "she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Her fornication was her unlawful union with the kings of the earth. The wine of this, is that with which the church has intoxicated the nations of the earth. There is but one thing that this can refer to; viz., false doctrine. This harlot, in consequence of her unlawful union with the powers of earth, has corrupted the pure truths of the Bible, and with the wine of her false doctrine, has intoxicated the nations. A few instances of her corruption of the truths of the Bible must suffice:

1. The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. This was derived from the Pagan mythology, and was introduced into the church by means of distinguished converts from Paganism, who became

"fathers of the church." This doctrine makes man's last foe, death, the gate to endless joy, and leaves the resurrection as a thing of minor importance. It is the foundation of modern spiritualism.

2. The doctrine of the Trinity which was established in the church by the council of Nice, A. D. 325. This doctrine destroys the personality of God, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The infamous, measures by which it was forced upon the church which appear upon the pages of ecclesiastical history might well cause every believer in that doctrine to blush.        J.N. Andrews, Review & Herald, March 6, 1855

Protestants not guided by scripture.

[" Doctrinal Catechism"—pp. 101, 174, 251-355.]

"Q. HAVE you any other proofs that they (Protestants) are not guided by the Scriptures?

A. Yes; so many, that we cannot admit more than a mere specimen into this small work. They reject much that is clearly contained in Scripture, and profess more that is nowhere discoverable in that Divine Book.

Q. Give some examples of both?

A. They should, if the Scripture were their only rule, wash the feet of one another, according to the command of Christ, in the 13th chap. of St. John;—they should keep, not the Sunday, but the Saturday, according to the commandment, 'Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath-day ;' for this commandment has not, in Scripture, been changed or abrogated."

" Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?

A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."

" Q. Do you observe other necessary truths as taught by the Church, not clearly laid down in Scripture?

A. The doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine the knowledge of which is certainly necessary to salvation, is not explicitly and evidently laid down in Scripture, in the Protestant sense of private interpretation.      Review & Herald, August 22, 1854.

Is the Holy Spirit a person?

IS THE HOLY GHOST A PERSON ?
 

J. W. W. asks : " Are we to understand that the Holy Ghost is a person, the same as the Father and
the Son ? Some claim that it is, others that it is not."
 

ANSWER.

—The terms " Holy Ghost," are a harsh and repulsive translation. It should be " Holy Spirit " (hagionpneuma) in every instance. This Spirit is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ ; the Spirit being the same whether it is spoken of as pertaining to God or Christ. But respecting this Spirit, the Bible uses expressions which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the the Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally present. Christ is a person, now officiating as priest in the sanctuary in heaven; and yet he says that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst. Matt. 18 : 20. How? —Not personally, but by his Spirit.  In one of Christ's discourses (John, chapters 14, 15, and 16) this Spirit is personified as " the Comforter," and as such has the personal and relative pronouns, " he," " him," and " whom," applied to it. But usually it is spoken of in a way to show that it cannot be a person, like the Father and the Son. For instance, it is often said to be " poured out " and " shed abroad. " But we never read about God or Christ being poured out or shed abroad. If it was a person, it would be nothing strange for it to appear in bodily shape ; and yet when it has so appeared, that fact has been noted as peculiar. Thus Luke 3 : 22 says : " And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him." But the shape is not always the same ; for on the day of Pentecost it assumed the form of " cloven tongues like as of fire." Acts 2 : 3, 4. Again we read of the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Rev. 1:4 ; 3:1 ; 4:5 ; 5:6.  This is unquestionably simply a designation of the Holy Spirit, put in this form to signify its perfection and completeness. But it could hardly be so described if it was a person. We never read of the seven Gods or the seven Christs.        Uriah Smith, Review and Herald, October 28, 1890.

Understand and know the Lord

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.    Jeremiah 9:23-24