The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-27

Restoration Host" Then Dowieism
was the most talked of topic OF the
| the Christian movement into Samaria
| There is justification in this New
Testament history for the modern
method of city religious campaigns
The present tendency to do things in
the large, and to create a general
| commotion in a community, is good
| Christian strategy.
| Up in Samaria people straightway
| believed. An immediate impression
was made, with direct results. 1t is an
/ unaccountable fact concerning Chris
| tianity, that wherever the Gospel story
is told. there things happen. Even
/ one telling to a pagan has been known
| to win him to allegiance to Christ. Us
ually, of course, successful evangel-
! ism is also educational and cumulative.
| Always, though, it must be fundamen-
tallf what went to Samaria-the rep
| etition of the story of the Life.
A ''Star" EcIipsed.
Deacon Philip found up in Samaria
one Simon, a sorcerer, who was quite
the vogue; or, as our present colo
quialism has it, he was 'all the rage"
| There was abroad at the time a gen.
eral expectation of a coming Messiah.
These people satisfied themselves with
a lesser one. in the person of Simon.
They were not discerning enough to
perceive that Simon invalidated his
high claims by the very fact that he
lauded himself He was a forerunner
of the modern evangelist who employs
press agents to fill the newspapers
with tales OF his own greatness. Dis
Greet men and women wisely enough
look askance at the preacher with a
personal press agent A worthy bear
er of the Message aliases himself, but
exaltS his News and his saviour. He
cries with Paul, mot I, but Christ"
When Philip came working won
ders. Simon gave up. He knew he was
eclipsed. So he Joined the popular
movement. No one understood better
than he the genuineness of Philips
work. The unthfnking crowd might
compare his achievements with Phil
fp's, but he himself realized which
was true and which was false. Presi-
dent G.. Stanley Hall recently said in a
magazine article that the genuinenesS
of the claims of all psychic medium
must be tested by men who are famil-
lar with all the arts of sleight of hand
and with the tricks of the professions
of clairVoyance. President Hall him
self possesses this knowledge, and he
declares that this Is the reason why
he has not been impressed or convinc-
ed by much that moves other men.
From this standpoint, the value of
Simon's testimony to the miracles
wrought by Philip is doubly signifi-
cant. Simon was so deeply convinced
as to give intellectual assent to Phil
fp's propaganda.
Religion Not for Sale.
The Jerusalem leaders had gone
down to Samaria to aid Philip in his
new propaganda. The strong were
interested in the weak. The apostles
were not SO engrOsSed in the Jerusa-
lem parish that they lost their vision
or sense of responsibility for the whole
cause. We look in vain for any mar
row parOchtaliSm in that early church.
Peter and John went to Samaria and
laid their hands upon the new believ-
ers, who then received the Holy Spirit.
Simon saw this performance. He
mad the business mans intuitive dis
cernment of distant dollar. Perceiv-
ing the profit that could be made of
this gift of laying on of hands for the
OF the wonderful Spirit
he covted the same power. He saw
an example of the not unfamiliar type
of the man who ever has his eve open
convenient opportunity, he sought an
with Peter and John and
offered them money If they would
teach him this gift.
Peters answer, as rendered in the
Twentieth Century New Testament, in
dicates that there is sometimes justi-
hcation for very strong speech: "Take
your money to perdition with you"
the language. 1t was a great wicked
ness that Simon the sorcerer attempt
ed; and equally great, as it rears its
head in our modern church life Who |
ever attempts TO inject mercenarY
methods into spiritual religion is guilty |
of that sin which has come to be |
labeled with Simon's name: the sin of |
simony.
The modern tendency to exalt the |
rich layman, simply because he is rich |
Is nothing less than sheer simony. |
When shall we learn the obvious les |
son that it is not by her wealth, but |
by her spirit that the church triumphs |
in her mission? Simon was terror |
stricken by Peters adjuration, when
the latter declared that he had no part |
Or lot in the Message because his |
heart was not right with God. The |
only place that money has in the |
kingdom of Heaven is as a form and |
token of service and allegiance. A |
man may honor God with his sub |
stance, but 1T is always possible to |
honor him more with the heart The |
former is not possible without the lat |
ter The rich man in religious work |
enjoys no handicap over his poorer |
brother who has only the devotion of |
his heart and the labor of his life to |
give to his Master. To every one who |
thinks that place or power in the |
kingdom of Heaven can be bought |
with riches, come Simon Peters words |
Take your money to perdition with |
you"