The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-03
by wILLIAM r. ELLIS.

| Lesssn IL Absuf Peter
And Cornelius.
! ny WILLIAM r. ELLIS.
The race question in its .acutest and
gravest form is not to be found In the
Southern States. or In San Francisco
or Vancouver; but on the other side
OF the world, where the Oriental and
the African come into contact with the
white man. Especially serious and
ominous 10 1t In China. because the
European and American there have on
the whole. insisted upon acting toward
the natives Of the country as IL the
latter were inferior beings. The en-
tire anti-foreign sentiment In China
may be traced to the simple lack OF
brotherliness In the conduct OF the
white men In China. The case In India
Is similar. The Justice of Britain's
rule can scarcely be questioned, but
the Indian has been irritated and made
rebellious by the refusal Of many white
men to treat him as q brother man.
The attitude to the average "sahib" to-
ward the native has exasperated the
proud indian to the point OF open re-
| beilion.
| Nor Is the race question a modern Is
sue. It existed In the FIRST Christian
century with an Intensity equal to any
thing known at the present time. The
Greeks and Romans looked upon the
whole outer world as "barbarians."
The Jew regarded all Gentiies con-
temptuously. They were beyond the
pale. The caste system. at which we
shudder in India, was Just as strong
and bitter and unbrotherly on the part
OF the Jews OF old.
A Levelling Gospel.
Christianity undertook to draw Just
one line Of division between men, and
that not q horizontal line. but q YER
teal. All other social and religious
systems had apportioned men into up
per classes, middle classes. and lower
classes. Christ drew q vertical line.
on one side Of which were the good.
and on the other side the bad. Into
the intense class consciousness of the
day. and In spite OF natural disposition
of Jewish Christians, the religion of
Jesus projected q conception OF
brotherhood II judged men only on
the basis OF their attitude toward
Christ. AS the appeal to the Gentiies
later expressed Il: There cannot be
circumcision, barbarian. Scythian,
bondman and freeman; but Christ IL
all and in ALL
Serious controversies agitated the
early Church over this question. Paul
had to Withstand Peter to his face.
The Jewish Church had its faith and
vision soreiy tested in the effort to adj
init Gentle Christians on an equal
footing. Yet this was the triumph of
the early church. 1t abolished all
social lines. Rich and poor. slave and
freeman. Jew and GENTLE. became
brothers in the one common Lori.
The Heathen's Vision.
On the outskirts OF the Jewish faith
there dweit a large company Of men
and women who were not strictly pro-
selytes. yet who believed In the one
God. Among these was certain
Roman military man, Captain Cornelius.
He was not churchman In full stand
ing. But the record runs that he was
" devout man. and one that feared
God with all his house, who gave much
aims to the people. and prayed to God
always" Cornelius was an advanced
type of the men who are to be found
in every nation who reach out blind
hands to the Father of us all He Is
an early monition to Christians every
where that they should interpret most
literally all the groupings and strivings
OF the ancient faiths after a spiritual
life as an aspiration towards the true
and living God.
To Cornelius came a vision, bidding
him summon Simon Peter, who would
instruct him more fully in the things
Of the spirit. The picture Is worth
meditating upon. 1t was not mystic
nor seer nor holy man 70 wnom
the vision came. but to a practical man
OF affairs, a soldier. The power OF
vision is not denied to any man in any
sphere. The sad truth Is that men shut
their eyes to visions which are all
around them. How few Of the hurry
ing merchandizers who throng New
York's public ways take time Tor
moments thought Of the vast social.
political, and spiritual problems that
are incarnated on every side of them!
It is by the man of vision that these
perplexities are to be solved. And
only as a powerful proportion OF the
people are possessed of the gift OF
vision to which they are obedient can
we hope for a solution OF the teeming
problems of our time. Tennyson's ex-
hortation Is still widely applicable:
o young Mariner,
Down to the haven,
Call your companions.
Launch your vessel,
Crowd your canvas,
And, ERE II vanishes
over the margin.
After II. follow It.
Follow The CLEAN.
some Curious Coincidences.
While Cornelius was being given bis
vision in Caesarea. Peter was receive
ing another vision In Joppa. These CO.
incidences OF the spiritual and physical
world are profoundly suggestive. They
hus into reverence every thoughtful
mind. Only the Grass and the ignorant
disregard them or treat them lightly.
Gods bells all chime In tune. There
is such a thing as a divine concatena-
ton of events. God was working In
Caesarea and in Joppa. The same
omniscient and omnipresent Spirit was
moving upon the hearts OF two men
whose lives had never before impigned.
The miracle Is as common as life.
why Is 1t that one spark OF love lights
the heart of any two persons whose
lives have been lived in different
spheres? Why is II that men with the
same purpose. working for apart. are
ultimately brought together? 1t is diff
fioult for a reverent spirit to escape