The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-12-28
CHRISTIANITY AS TAUGHT BY CHRIST
Tenth Of the Delivered by Dr. adey and Published by
The Constitutions Tho fourteenth Monday

seeution,
Text "nlessei are they which
are perseeupsd for righteousness
sake' for theirs Ia the kingdom Of
heaven,"-Matthew v, 10.
In the seven foregoing sayings, Jesus
aas given US the qualities of heart OF The
ideal man He has taugh, us that godll-
ness Is superior To circumstances ana
conditions, and hlessednoss independent
~ what the world calls advantage ar
good fortune The worlds devil Is poverty,
pain and bereavement but Jesus taught
In His words, and illustrated by His life,
that cody character may hc developed in
ths midst of. and even enhanced by, these
very things
The first seven deal with the tunia-
mental and unchanging principles of the
spiritual universe; the eighth concerns
Itself with the attitude of men toward
versions of eodly character II is as if
Jesus had said. az have pictured 10 you
the perfect man. have named his quail
tiles and have told you how he extracts
sweetness. and develops strength from
lies accidents. incidents and necessary
ricissitudes. hut also forewarn you that
YOU shall have 10 learn how to develop
virtue and sweetness from the needless
and senseless anita ronisms Of your fellow
men You need not expect because YOU
lave the high character about which
have been talking. that You are going 10
ave soft and easy lives. that men will
-0va you and try to make you happy.
Men from whom you have a right 20
Expect greatest encouragement and sup
1-f 1@ta r<t,.
Your very goodness will -ubject you to
llate and persecution. tell You this
plainly, but also tell YOU that you
NAY turn their hostility to good account"
These words. blessed arc they which
aye prosecuted for righteousness sake
arc very plain, but they seem to have
been misread ny thousands 0f tho pro-
fesSed followers Of Jesus One would
hink, to read certain chapters Of church
history. that the ecclesiastical rulers had
cad it-"Hlessed are We. religious men.
when ye persecutc revile and say all
manner of evil against those who do not
pronounce the same religious formula as
yourselves. Blessed are We, religious men.
when We burn heretics and witches; when
sc mathematics mon of science, and
write ISLANDERS upon the eravcstones OF
men who are as earnest seekers after
truth as yourselves but who do not sub
scribe TO your Interpretation Of scrip
ture'
The history Of our church IS red with
the blood OF men who were driven TO
death by the bigotry. Intolerance and
cruelty cf those who have been loudest
5u their professions and adherence 10 tho
principles of the gentle and generous
christ
losus took no pleasure IN triumphing
over those who refused 10 believe. and
wen loss did He delight IN their persecu-
non and death. He had no curse for Ills
enemies For even Judas. who betrayed
Him lie said. as II still thinking of what
was best for the sinner at were good
fal that man II no had never heen born"
ard for those who put Him 10 Inc cross
! O. prayed. "Fathor. forgive them: they
l.now not what they do"
But in the Taco Of all ;his the church
n4ada Ills beatitudc read. "Ricssed aro tho
prosecutors" and so reading they hound
rd ta his death and wrote a misleading
fptaph upon tho tombstone ~ Coporn'cus,
whose only crimc was That, N Tho pres
once o. reiSionlsts who believed the earth
ga ho nat and the center of the universe,
9t sH'd th7i me sun WIS the cenfor Of tho
.onY svat"m and the oarth madO an
nnunl tourney around IT,
,Nlessod arc tho rorsccutora,' and
HblN pursued Bruno, who nssertod his
aolios IN the holioccntrIc theory from land
ia land. entrappod him, imprisoned him
.or glN years. burned him alive nnd scat
tered his ashes "a the winds "Rlesscd are
fbe prosecutors" and they subjected
Galleo. who proved with his telescopes
hat Courrnieus was tight TO indienNy
uud imprisonment, ami. when an old man
ut 20 wears wearicd WITH disappointment
fud worn ont with ,ahors. they forced
''om him the following tecauta'ion; u.
Gaiilco. being ia my seventeen wear, he
'ug "a nriaouor and on my knees, before
,olr cmineuces. having before my eyes
.hc holy gospel. which touch with my
aands abjure. curse and dQteNt the error
and the hcresy of the movement ~ tho
earth" blessed nro tho prosecutors,
AMI they hurled az Roger Bacon. the
great chemist and father of experimental
science. the cpilhets magician" and
'tscorccrer" 'Blcssed are the perscHu-
or~. and they declared Nirgilms 10 be
Ii hcretc aud scut him 10 tho flames be
.tuso he said that there were men ON the
othcr side OF the earth. blessed are tue