The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-06
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS. ;.
1t is passing strange that in this
western world, which theoret,ca. y
cares most for ideals of human lib
erty, there is SO little interest dis
played in the Russian martyrs to lib
erty, who are suffering ~unspeakable
~perecutiOn becaueS OF their devotion
to the very principles which we now
possess Withou dispute or question.
Russia is about the only spot on the
map nowadays where men so to prison
for their intellectual beliefs. The
heroisIn of history are a precious
heritage Of the race. Seen through
the golden glow OF ears such Id
as is now being practiced in Russia
is The materia. for the inspiration of
our own time. 1t would not be amiss
il this present Sunday School Lesson,
upon The Imprisonment of the apostle
Peter. were linked up to the present.
day im~priSonnnentS of men and wo-
men who. in a S~o-called civilized land,
are in our own day suffering because
they are apostles of liberty and truth.
This u sson will nave achieved it's first
purpose if it make vivid the truth
that there arr, still. as there always
have been. beliefs worth suffering for
ana ever dying FOR.
The Bible has put that iron into the
blood Of the twentieth century. Its
characters have exhibited the great
ness and glory of enduring hardness
for the truths sa Ike. Jesus cnunciated
the dogma that persecution for right
eOuSuCSS' sake is blessed. and he illus
trated his teaching in his life. His
Immediate disciples, and multitudes
since, have followed in his train. n
marks of the Lord Jesus through all
the ages haEe come to be the marks
of suffering and persecution. In the
present episode We fnd one OF his ia
Norite three friends b~eheaded. Anoth-
CT, Simon Peter. is languishing in jail.
chained to a soldier on either side,
because a trucking. demagogic poll
tician wanted the Jewish vote.
Soft Times and Their Peril.
Great and shining as are many Of
the characteristics of the ~present-day
Christian church, it can scarcely DC
denie0 that the church was harder
in earlier days. n soil of the tWeI-
tieth century has seemed to be too
soft and rich for the cultivation of
the sturdiest OF Christian virtues.
Thoughtful observers must hay a
concern for our own time in this par
ocular. such a multiplicity of pleas
ures and diversions and petty interests
environ the average life that there
is no time left for q calm cOntempla-
ton Of the ancient ideals which have
ever made existence most glorious.
Men and women are so enSrOSSed in
the Whiri Of the days complicated So
cia1 machinery that they cannOt pause
to consider the great dreams which
have ever uplifted the individual spirit
and the race The newspaper cad
ers of today-for most Of lis read
instead of the big
seldom sit down to mediate apo the
changc}eSS veritieS which alone make
life worth while. Our times have n
ervated the people.
All the while it abides rs a truth
that the great goals still exist in all
their brightness n beauty and worth.
Love is still love. duty is still duty,
honor is still honor, faith is still faith,
friendship is still friendship. patriot!
ism still patriotism, se~lf-sacrifice for
human service is still as noble>as ever
it was in the stored days Of old. All
the ma gic words Of romance retain
their power to transform existence.
The goals Of the Golden Age still
shine in front of the present day.
There never was a time more favor
able for chivalrOus, romantic, and
knightIy living than this time in
which We live. True, we give hero
medals nowadays to everybody n
may come under the eye Of the right
observer; u a race of heroes are not
made by the distribution Of hero
medals. Only the incubation Of he
role ideals as the basic truths OF char
acter can elevate the race up to the
plane of brave. living. Simon Peter,
and all the host of heroes of whom
he was one, are still better
Of the aims OF chivalry thar all our
modern pri~ze-package methods.
An Underground Religious Refuge.
Before this scene in the New Tesla
ment story opens. the Church had
been at peace. Harried and hunted
Tor q time. it had been given a respite
ana IN this period Of calm and sun
shine it still and grew Put
mere is a. deeper strength and growth
I,ossaote TO a spiritual organization
-SIdn can come under foy.0r;rr 80.