The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-05
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

son for June is. '"The Power of
the Tongue" James 8: 1-12.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
The peace societies are campaign
ing against the building of more bat
tleships of the "Dreadnaught" type,
which has so aroused Europe. All the
international politics of our time is
being powerfully affected by the Gre
alton of this new and monstrous en-
CINE of death. Worse than the
"Dreadnaught'' is the peril against
which James wrote in his practical
and outspoken letter to the early
Christian Church. He reached out
for all the strongest images he could
imagine to express the hurtfulness of
this evil, and had "Dreadnaughts'' ex-
listed in his time, doubtless they, too,
would have been utilized as a figure
member, the human tongue, has
wrought more harm to humanity than
all the swords and guns and warships
that have ever been manufactured.
The truth seems too obvious to be
dWeit upon, yet nothing needs more
emphasis in our own time. We could
afford to go without, for a generation
to come some of the new discoveries
of our wizard-like scientists, if only
instead we could devise a way of brid-
ling peoples tongues.
James came to the subject by way
of the tendency of the new Christians
to assume places of instruction. The
gift of teaching attracted them, and
they were prone to allow their words
to outrun their knowledge fashion
which did not cease with James,
time. The danger of becoming a bab-
bier instead of a profitable teacher
led up to this famous passage upon
the tongue. One is sometimes tempted
- nd n this latter
by James to some of our present-day
distinguished college professors, who
are as prone as the early Christian
converts to speak unadVisedly with
their lips.
The Tameless Member.
The bride, the ships rudder, the
fire. the vial of deadly poison-all
were employed as figures by James
to indicate the potentiality of the
tongue. He gives his pen full license
to depict the seriousness of the
tongues offending. There is not a
of human endeavor that may not
spring from the unbridled tongue.
Anaeharsis said that the tongue is,
at the same time, the best part Of
man and his worst; with good govern
ment, none is more useful, and with
out it, none is more mischievous."
Justin carried the thought farther
when he said: by examining the
tongue Of a patient. the physicians
find out the disease of the body, and
philosophers the disease OF the
mind"
A simple method of getting at pres
emit day social conditions-much sim
pier than to read the numerous vol
umes on sociology that are stream
ing from the presS-is to take ones
ears to any place where men and wo-
men foregather, and simply listen. On
the highways, in public conveyances,
where persons are gathered socially,
listen to the nature of the snatches|
of conversation that come unattended
to your ears SO much of the talk
is frivolous and empty and slangy and
thoughtless and gosslpy that per-
son wonders where to look for words
of soberness and discretion. II the
common talk that one OVerhearS is
a. fair indication of the thinking or
the time, there is need for printing
this paragraph from James's ancient
letter in display type upon the front
mage of every newspaper of the land.
For the evils which James saw in old
Jerusalem are affecting modern
Americans to even an exaggerated de-
gree.
The Good Persons Failing.
The highly correct person, who
would be Mortified at the thought Of
hurting a stone through plate glass
window, often does not hesitate 10
send a ruinous sentence smashing into
a neighbor's reputation. There is the
gravest danger that Christians who
stand appalled, at the groSser sins, viii
vet give full play to the more injur-
ious offences of the tongue. 1t is a
much less serious matter to get into
a fist fight than to stab persons
fair name.
The habit of censorious speech is
particular peril of good people. The
Pharisees fell deeply into this sin In
the time of Jesus. They assumed that,
somehow, their own probity and out
ward conformity to matters of the
law gave them the privilege of sit
ting in judgment upon all the rest of
the world. Everybody who has ming
led with various types of Christian
gatherings can relate experiences of
almost unthinkabte uncharitableness
on the part of sincerely pious persons.
The tongue of the Christian and not
of the wording. letit be remembered,
is the particular object of James's let
ter. He is moved to write so strongly
as he does because of the offences of
Christians themselves.
The New Gift of Tongues.
Certain psychic manifestations in
India, Los Angeles, and elsewhere,
have attracted widespread attention
because they profess to be a recur-
renee of the APOSTLE gift of
tongues" One thing is clear,
however, and that is that the
gift of the ability to speak in
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