Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-25
MONEY AND RELIGION.
The international Sunday School Les
son for February % is, 1.-THE Gospel
in Samaria." Acts, e:4-25.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

VI dlku, hOTGd, are the fTenCl CaIl-
clio church and the Presbyterian mis-
sion compound When the Protestant
missionaries arrived, the Catholic
priest, whose diversion was his gar
den, generously shared his strawberry
plants with his neighbors. These had
been imported and reared at great la
Dor, and the sift; was an appreciated
one. The very next season the priests
own crop of Strawberries entirely TAIL
ed. Then his neighbors were able to
restore to him what otherwise he
would have utterly lost Thus it is
with all things. The principle of pres
ervation by propagation runs through
out life. What we give, we have. The
IDEAS that are shared are most truly
possessed. Religion that is carried
abroad is saved at home
This present Sunday school lesson
concerning the bearing of the gospel
to Samaria the first step over the
borders of Judaism by the infant
church was the salvation of the
church itself. For today Judea is a
mission land. Christian missionaries
from America and Europe are now at
work in Jerusalem, bearing back the
gospel which they possess because OF
the missionary activity Of the early
church.
1t was great dream which that lit
tie band Of humble folk in old Jeru-
salem cherished: the dream of a
world-conquering faith Other religions
have held it, too, but now the vision is
fading from every other faith, and
meanwhile Is gripping Christianity
l1,,sth Vat
existence was unguessed by the early
church are today turning toward the
light of the cross, while others, like
North America, then undiscovered
confess supreme allegiance to the cru
cited, and give richly of their treas
ures Of life and wealth for the wide
dissemination Of the message which
Philip carried to Samaria.
The Scattered Embers.
The rod of persecution sent the
| first embers Of Christianity flying in
many directions After the martyrdom
of Stephen, the fury of Jewish bigotry
broke. and before it Christians were
scattered everywhere. But every flee
| ing Christian meant progressing
evangel. Truth thrives under prosecu-
ton. BY last evenings mail I had a
letter from friend in Japan, point
ing out that in the early DAYS, when
passport restrictions made it impos-
sible for missionaries to go far into
| that country, the latter were aflame
with Impotence to carry the gospel to
the remotest interior. Now, however,
that all obstacles have been removed.
strange lassitude seems to have be-
set the church, and there are yet mil
| lions of Japanese who have never
heard a single presentation of the
gospel in their own villages and towns.
! 1t does seem as if external difficulties
promote the gospel, while east creates
difficulties within.
In Korea the native Christians have
a practice that is commendable.
Whenever one Is Obliged to remove his
counts it as q providential sending
upon mission. that he NAV be an
evangelist to the new neighborhood
Even farther than that many Chris
tians go, since it is not uncommon for
a Korean convert to remove his home
voluntarily to village where there
are no Christians. simply for the pur-
pose of affo1ding center for the ex-
| tension Of the gospel. More of that
spirit in church work at home would
wondrously sweeten the church, as
well as the world IT there were more
swarming among churches there
would be fewer church quarrels.
An Earthquake Incident.
At this distance it is hard to catch
the significance of the advance of the
Jewish Christians into Samaria 1t is
to be remembered that "the Jews
have no dealings with the Samari
/ tans." Yet such is the liberaliZing pow
er of the gospel Of Jesus that 1t made
these, Jewish Christians willing and
eager to share their best with the Sa
i martens, and to take the latter into
their great family. Any vital expert
ence has this tendency to broaden.
Up until the time Of the Italian
earthquake there was open antago
| nism between the Vatican and the
italian Jew who is mayor of Rome
The latter is not only non-Catholic
but he is prominent Mason as well
Yet when the victims of the earth
quake were carried to Rome and pIac
ed in the Vatican hospital, the mayor
of the city, on his round of ministry
and sympathy, was welcomed to the
very Vatican precincts by the papa
secretary Of state. The great common
sorrow had banished the old antago
nism and made the two parties simply
men and brethren.
When Dowle Invaded New York.
A careful reading of the narrative
shows that the missionary movement
Of the Christians made general i'm
preston upon both Jerusalem and Sa
maria. Possibly it may be likened t.
John Alexander Dowie's invasion o
New York few years ago by hi!
"Iestoration Host" Then Dowieisn
was the most talked of topic of thu
day 1t created a sensation. So did thu
Christian movement into Samaria
: There Is justification in this New Tes
, lament history for the modern meth
| cd of city religious campaigns. Thu
present tendency to do things in thu
large, and to create a general commo
ton in a community, is good Christian
strategy.
, Up in Samaria people straightwa.
Ibelieyed. An immediate impression wa