The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-02
in THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.
What the Church Folks Are Thinking About and Doing
Religious News From Everywhere.

her unless she should reveal the slayer
| Of his father.
The woman, who had kept the secret
from her son, out OF dread for the
bloody feud. was forced to name the
| murderer, a prominent citizen of the
| next village The boy went to the vii
lage, having first borrowed a neigh
boris gun, and having found the man
he sought sitting among the village
elders, he approached him with the
words, You killed my father; am go
Ing to kill YOU This he did straight
way. Thereupon the elders held a CON-
ference and decided that the blood debt
was due, and that the boy had done
right. Thus a continuance of the feud.
which might have resulted in the deci-
nation of the neighboring villages, was
averted.
The Cities of Refuge.
From prehistoric times this custom
has been practiced in the east. 1t was
custom attended by grave dangers
the danger of making the blood-aver-
ger, or "goel," as the Hebrew has 1t.
an instrument of private revenge; the
danger of creating long, bloody feuds,
with the determination Of the commun-
ity's best life; the danger of visiting
has accidentally caused death; the daE-
ger of the perversion of justice by the
rich and powerful, through the pay
ment of blood money
In the construction Of an organized
social life, the Hebrews were bound to
have some better method of Justice
than this. with the advance of
civilization and the gradual evolution
the rights of the community passes to
the state" So Joshua was instructed,
after the law given to Moses, to ap-
point ''cities of refuge" in the new
land now being settled. Six of these
were named at the six most favorably
q I'm al re in tn -6or
the highways were to be made and
kept free, so that naught might hinder
the man seeking asylum from the
blood-avenger. Along the way were
Refuge!" to guide the unhappy fugi-
tive. If any one refused to flee to
these cities of refuge, his blood was
upon his own head.
This principle of an inviolable
asylum was not designed to make
murder safe. The cities of refuge
were for those who had taken life I'M
Willingly or without criminal intent.
The murderer yielded himself to the
elders of the city of refuge. declaring
his case fully to them; in other words,
standing open and fair trial for his
deed. If guilty, he died at the hands
Of the avenger. If not found guilty of
wilful murder. the man was safe so
long as he remained in the city of
refuge. This detention from home,
and virtual exile, until the death of
the high priest, was in itself in the
nature of punishment; for men must
suffer for their mistakes as well as
for their crimes.
Where Shall We Now Flee?
This right of sanctuary is an old
one: England's famous churches were,
prior to the Reformation, sanctuaries
for fugitives. Greeks and Romans
had similar provisions in connection
with their temples. The principle is
one that runs through all of life; the
threatened, fleeing heart of man seeks
an asylum of safety. In all ages, re-
ligion has been regarded as the great
refuge of mankind. This Is a func-
bear in mind.
A present day aspect Of this truth
is indicated in a recent extraordinary
editorial in the Wall Street Journal:
"What America needs more than rail-
way extension, and western irrigation,
and a low tariff. and a bigger wheat
crop, and a merchant marine, and a
new navy, is a revival of piety. the kind
that counted 1t good business to stop
for daily family prayers before break
fast, right in the middle of the har-
vest; that quit work half hour earlier
Thursday night, SO as to get the chores
done and go to prayer meeting; that
borrowed money to pay the preachers
salary and prayed fervently in secret
for the salvation of the rich man who
looked with scorn on such unDuSineSs-
like behavior. That's what we need
now to clean this country of the filth
Of graft, and of greed, petty and big;
Of worship of fine houses and big lands
and high office and grand social func-
tons. What is this thing which we
are worshipping but a vain repetition of
what decayed nations fell down and
just before their light went
out? Read the history of Rome in de-
cay and you'll find luxury there that
could lay a big dollar over our little
doughnut that looks SO large to us.
Great wealth never made a nation
nor honorable. There is
nothing on earth that looks good that
10 80 dangerous for a man or a nation
to handle as quick, easy big money. If
you do resist it's deadly influence the
chances are that 1t will get your son. |
It takes greater and finer heroism to |
dare to be poor in America than to |
charge an earthworks in Manchuria-"
Pushed a step farther the commonest |
application of this whole story of the |
Cities of Refuge is that mans refuge |
from the avenger Of sin-and sin Inc
7itably has an avengers Jesus Christ.
Tt Is not the church, 1t is not the al
ar; it is Christ himself who is the one
and only sacrifice for sin, and there
'ore the one and only hiding-place to
which the sinner can repair"