The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-13

"lSS1OIldTy
and Berea.' Acts IL: lis.
BY WILLIAM T. ILLS
World wide interest centers this
week in the second city of European
Turkey tor two reasons: one is that
Salonica is the place of Imprisonment
OF the deposed Sultan of Turkey, Abdu
Hamid, and the center of the Young
Turk movement: and the other is that
under it's ancient name of Thessalonl-
ca, the city is the scene Of an incident
that is being studied by mi of
the Sunday schools Of the whole
world. 1t is a coincidence Of striking
interest thai Just now these world
affecting events should be located in
the one place.
This historic city, named by Philip
of Macedon after his daughter, a
sister of Alexander the Great. because
on the day he received news of her
birth Philip gained a victory over
ThessaIy. 1t was at T~hessalonica that
Xerxes rested his army before at
tempting the invasion Of Greece.
Cicero, in his exile, came thitner from
Rome, a century before the visit of
dul LII TIE HllOd1c dyes, IlSSod-
lonica was the outward of Christen-
dom in the last. 1t was captured by
the Saracens in 9O4 A. D.. taken by
the Crusaders 1884, and finally by the
Turks in 1890. Now it has become
the head center Of the reform Turk
ish party, which promises a new day
of religious tolerance and of civil lib
erty for the Ottoman empire.
OF all the personalities associated
with this historic spot, the Apostle
Paul is the greatest. Yet none of the
great names linked with ThessalOnica
ever came to it more inconspicuOusly
than did Paul and his friends. We
picture the great apostles advent as
an important event, and it was. Yet,
could we nave witnessed the reality,
we would have seen the little COM
pany Of traVel-wOrn and weary pill
grims enter the town as quietly as
humble strangers could do. Nobody
paid particular attention to them, eX-
cept the town dogs. They sought a
quiet lodging, and then went from
door to door of the tent-making homes
seeking for employment. All was as
commonplace as could be imagined.
The inconspicuous little Jew, whose
character was revealed only by a
second look at his face, searching for
work from his fellow countryrnen, did
not fiji the role Of a NerXes or an
Alexander in the common eye. Never
theless, beneath his cloak was wrap
ped up more of portent for Thessa-
lonica and for Europe than ever came
in the train of Alexander the Great.
When the Best Side With the Worst.
The butler may look more imposing
than the head of the house. but when
he opens his lips to speak we know
him for the butler. even as by the
same token we know the head of the
house. Broadway can change q
tr1mD over night into q mirror of
fashion, but when he speaks his true
worth is revealed. Sabbath came,
and these pilgrims entered the syna-
Ogu and began to reason about the
great things Of the other world. They
at once became marked men. No
longer were they commonplace pill
grims seeking work: the city soon
knew that great teachers had come to
it in humble guise.
Often the best unites with the worst
in opposing a better. The Jews Of
Thessalonica were morally the clean
est element in the community; yet,
because they disagreed with PauTs
teaching, they joined hands with the
rabble to drive out the little band of
missionaries. They did not hesitate
to appea to the lowest mob passion
in order to accomplish their
The Jews were Jealous, and they also
were r%esentful of Pauls teaching of a
crucified Christ.
The last virtue men display in con-
nection with religion is the virtue OF
tolerance. Even the mar whose creed
is a protest against religious conserva-
tism is intolerant of all who differ with
him. We cannot deny that even in
this liberal day men who do not like
to hear of the Sufferings of Christ, and
whose fas~tidiousness would Danish the
sight of blood from all theological
teachings, and who would eliminate
the cross. profess their advanced po-
sition with heat and Intolerance.
A HcrO'S HaIdShiDs.
The fact belongs to the A B G. of
all religious teaching that controversy
upOn religious themes has q. tendency