Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-24
\ NEW WALK IN TIE NEW WAY
The International Sunday School Les
son for June II is temperance
lesson. Romans 10: ala.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAsr T. ELLIS.
A few weeks ago New York col
}ege graduate was carried off 10 an
insane asylum because he had become
leranged BY one OF the dew Oriental
cults that are invading America in
such profusion. The episode was a
reminder of the variety and strange
ness of the new-fashioned religions
whieh are claiming the interest of The
Aestern world. Yet how few OF them
are really making any Impression up
IN the great body of people. The
busy, everyday men and women do
rot even guess the existence of these
so-called n1ahatmas and transcanden-
salists. and new old-thought Oriental
sts, whose picturesque garb and nebu-
Gus. mystical speech wins the atten-
Non of few idle and jaded spirits.
It is no slight matter TO establish
\ new religion. There never has been
y time when il has been easy to get
A. hearing from the busy world for the
claims of different faith. The iner-
Ma OF things as they ars must always
he overcome. The triumphs of Chris
+ianity have been tremendous. and
srgue that this gospel must have Of
fered content OF truth which man
kind needed and which appealed to the
human Judgment,
In this year 1909 it is rather dificult
TO realize how fresh ann different and
radical were the teachings of Jesus
gathered into the New Testament
60 al, r1I
pagan PHILOSOPHERS, and ran counter
to many of the fundamental doctrines
OF the latter They superseded the
Levitical law of the Hebrews and We're
marked advance upon the teachings
pt Moses.
A Study in Contrasts.
The novels of Farrar, Kingsley and
Sjenckiwiez show the sharp contrast
between the new life of the Christians
and the old times into which it vas
projected The life of the early church
against pagan background is as a
shaft of sunrise across The nights
uarkness The icentio-sness, selfish
ness and general immortality of the
Eorld that enyironet. the apostolic
church makes lis shuddeI as We View
It from our present standpoint. The
times in which the gcsnel first showed
It's power seem to have exhibited the
same characteristics which We may
Snd In the nonsChristiar lands today.
The reason contemporaueous Chris
tianity is not more conspicuous in the
world-tfat is 10 say, the reason why
there is not a greater difference be-
tween Christians and nonChristians
In civilized lapds--is that We see the
latter on reflected Christian back.
ground. The leaven Ut Christianity
has Influenced the entire body Of So
ciety. We do not see Christianity
IN contrast with shoe paganistn, but
Its own radiance has illurnineI it's sur
roundings so that the light merges
into lesser light. 1t is d real triumph
for Christianity that the contrast is
not greater The indirect benefits OF
the gospel must be accounted to lis
credit We cannot hope for the sharp
distinction that Paul presented as he
wrote from corrupt Corinth to the
church in the Roman capital at the
time Of. Nero.
The Law OF the Golden Age.
The fragment of Paul's letter which
ls studied this week is All exhortatior
10 some OF the characteristics which
differentiated the Christians from the
pon-Christians. 1t will be noticed thai
Paul confines himself largely tc
stressing principles rather than rules
The Jews weer accustomed to a re
ligion of definite prescriptions an6
prescriptions. Now these old regu'a
lions were being superseded BY the
dominion OF the love of Christ in The
hearts OF his disciples. The law o.
love had been written as a gloss ovel
fhe Mosaic tables.
Somewhat the same truth is illus
trated by the fact that in the United
States today the prohibition party is
weaker than 1t was fifteen years ago
yet the principles for which ii stood
are stronger than ever. The lesser
has been swallowed up i'll the great
err The program has been outdis
tanced by the progress of the prin
cipie. Paul was exhortirg his friends
TO wake up to their Obligation to love
He said that all that Moses llat
taught was comprehenued in the sin
gle word, Thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor as myself
The Christian may do much tina
+ The ancient law said he might not do
but upon one point it is memorable
ne must love. Now this new law o
the better day cannot be a formal ritz
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