Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-04-13
A Closer Look.

the Uealnen dlldTS l. luluh not. WOoie
you have liked to eat 1t? No; you
would no more have desired to eat that
meat than you would like to eat the
flesh of some animals killed In Span
ish bullfght. had dear friend who
some years ago went to the Mexican
capital and saw some Of these poor
helpless animals slain by the mata-
dores. He said that it was the most
sickening sight of his life. For days
and nights he could see the poor
wounded beasts, some OF them with
their entrails dragging upon the
ground, and he could hear the screams
Of the frightened horses ripped open
by the merciess horns. Just outside of
that arena he saw the butcher wagons
standing On his way back to the city
hotel he saw these wagons rumbling
past filed with the carcasses Of tho
slain bulls. When he saw those wagons
he said that he felt he was looking at
the dead carts carrying away the de-
capitated cOrpses from the French gull
lotine during the tragic ascendency or
q Robesperre, q Marat and a Danton.
"Why, so sickening was the sight" said
he, that during all my stay in the
Mexican capital l refused to eat beef
for fear l would eat some Of those
poor creatures slain at that awful bull
fight" That was the way, | think.
Paul felt when he looked upon the
meat which was taken off the heather
affairs. | do not believe he could d.
vorce that meat from its vile associa-
tions. Neither could you.
When Paul saw that meat, there
loomed up before him the beautiful
Greek temple dedicated to the worship
of Venus. That worship was the most
bestial and loathsome and immorally
corrupt of any temple in the east, par
allolng the worship Of ancient Baal.
So corrupt was this worship that for
centuries the name Of Corlnthian was
a synonym for debauchery. But,
though every refined sensibllity Of Paul
revolted from touching that idol meat,
think hear Paul say as he looks at
1t: paul, you do not want that meat,
but remember 1t Is not tainted. 1t Will
give strength of muscle and OF brain.
Remember Paul. II you buy this food
cheaper there will be less need for
YOUR long hours now devoted to tent
making. and then you will have longer
time to preach Jesus Christ" So Paul
| bought that meat. SO Paul stined
every personal repulsion which he
might have in order to be able to
spread the gospel further and preach
Jesus Christ to the people of Corlntn.
Even In his food he economical In or
der that he might become a flaming
| evangelist. Oh, my brother, are we
consecrating our pocketbooks, our
| whole lives. our every desire, to bring
| the message of the cross nearer to the
| hearts of men, as Paul did In the
market place of Corinth?
| Rut. though Paul was not like spir-
Itual weathercock, easily turned this
way and that by every popular wlnd'
| my text proves that he would change
when there was sufficient reason. Paul
was ready and willing to yield about
nonessentials IL thereby he could win
the good will Of his fellow men and
bv that good will make men more Will
ING to heed his message. He was not
one of those ecclesiastical sticklers VINO
want TO nut the whole world into re-
ligious straitjacket and compel others
TO think as he thought and do as he
did You know there are some people
horn in this world who never have any
respect for the individuality OF other
people.
They are so convinced that theirs Is
the right way to worship God that they
demand that their fellow men worship
him in the same way, with the same
liturgy and using the same hymn book
and with the same rites. They say,
"If Won do not do as l do and wear
nv ecclesiastical gown and my surpllce'
hood. cassock and stole, then you are
not true Christians" Now, 1t was men
of this kind who were worrying Paul
obout this trhe Of the meat that hao
been offered to idols. AS he told them
nm idol was nothing In the world
and the meat offered to it was mol
harmed by being offered. But he saw
that opposition to them diverted tneli
thoughts from the higher questions ol
faith and holiness, so he yielded tc
them. that they might be free to thlnE
Of the essential things. Some OF the
questions of ritual that men dispute
about now are of the same character
as this Of the sacrlfcial meat. We may
we'll be as charitable about them as
the apostle was.
Nonessentials.
What is the good Of you and fight
ing about the apostolic succession o.
the Episcopalian church? What Is th'
J GOOD of our fighting about whether
priest should or should not wear
gown in the pulpit? What is the goot
of entering into an eternal dispute O.
whether we should have liturgy II
the Presbyterian church or no! l tei
YOU these things are all nones
sentials. They are nonessentlals al
-, 800 other facts over which the eccle
siastical world is fighting today ar
nonessentials. The longer l stay II
,, the ministry the more believe tina
, what Richard Baxter wrote over ~
years ago Is true. Listen while rea'
, it: "The older I grow the smaller stres
I lay on those controversies and curl
osities of the Bible as finding create
uncertainties In them than l first dis
= covered and finding less usefulnes
: where there Is the greater certaint
The Greed, the Lords Prayer and u
: Ten Commandments are now to me