The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-18

Religion Branching Out.
| The International Sunday School Les
son for September 10 is a Quarterly
Review. Acts 1891.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS
"Religion is a commodity the Pc
| culiar nature of which is that the more
| we expect the more we have" quaint
| ly declared a Massachusetts, minister
when the organization of the American
Board was objected to by man who
| thought that the churches should
look out first for the heather at
| home. That saying was illustrated by
| the Apostolic Church, which we now
pass In review, and, in a lesser but
somewhat analogous degree, by the
| situation in this western world to-
| day.
An exported gospel means an ex-
| banded life. The very act of giving
| enlarges. The widened horizon and in
creased power are not the only con-
eomitants Of missionary effort. The
very vitality of Christianity at home
| is being quick ened by the new stress
| that is being put upon its broader,
| faster proclamation at the ends or
| the earth, The Laymen'S Missionary
Movement was quickly followed by
| the formation in the United States by
the Council Of Home Missions; and in
both Canada and the States the pa
| tFietig1n of the men interested in the
Laymen's Movement has been mani
| feStly intensified.
May we not again see something
akin to the experience OF the first
| conception of her mission underwent
a Transformation because of her mis-
sion work? She entered upon that as
a sort of Christianized Judaism;
she speedily found that her true char
| acter was to be that of a universal
body, wherein Jew and Gentle. Ro-
man and barbarian, bond and tree,
were all one in Christ Jesus. 1t Is in
| dow {T1n a
Of native Christians In mission lands.
| with such marvellous seals of divine
approval upon them as the Korean
and Indian and Chinese revivals, and
| ize into self-supporting. self-govern-
! ing and self-propagating bodies
should not greatly affect the char
acter and thinking of the church un-
| tversal.
Fighting Pioneers.
A doughty little Jew, trained as
| scholar, and yet called to a life of
active affairs, is the center of the
| Sunday school lessons studied for
three months past, the main theme of
which has been his second and third
missionary journeys. A fascinating
figure is Paul, one Of the most dis
tinct and potent personalities of all
, history. Wrapped up in his shabpy
cloak was a character which meant
more to Europe than did Alexander
or any of the Caesars. For the great
deed God prepares the great man. NO
instrument less than Paul could have
served for this tremendous bursting of
Jewish bonds by the early church, ana
the accompanying invasion of the cit
adel of paganism.
The supremacy of Paul was not rec
ognized then as now; it takes time to
reveal greatness. So his imperial de-
crees did not work out without OPP
position. He had to do even more
fighting than falls to the lot OF the
| Of &C n III
ish monk, but as a man In world
of men that this great apostle did his
work, fighting for every step or prog
ress he made.
conflicts which have come up in the
studies of recent weeks. There was
that dramatic fracas with evil spirits
in the fortune telling made, and with
her masters, who represented the IN
evitable conflict of vested interests
with free truth. Then there were the
seven sons of Sceva, soothsayers, who
were overcome in way that set the
with Demetrius and the Ephesian sill
versmiths, supported by throaty
mob is a classic of literature. The
philosophic struggle with the wise
men of Athens was IN contrast with
the victory over the Ephesian magf-
clans and the subsequent bonfire, but
it was all of a piece with the general
war in which Paul was leader. The
mad unreaSOn OF the J0WlSn-1HSplTOd
mobs which were met all along the
way might almost be characterized as
constant factor in the apostles
work. The lesson is that all Christian
pioneering means opposition. and the
modern missionary crusade has no
more right to expect freedom from |
danger and difficulties than had the
itinerating propaganda Of Paul and
his friends. There will be martyrdoms
and riots and lawsuits and interna- |
tiona1 complications before the |
church's mission work is done.
The Other Cheek. |
An intimate study Of public men |
will show that most of them have
These conflicts show up in sharp re- |
lief, both in the history that is written |
in books, and in that which is being
In the newspapers. Remarkably |
enough, Paul seemed to have none of |
this Not tIls-t he was flabby or force |
less. The manner in which he made |
the Philippian officials who had beat |
en- him and Silas without cause come |
to their knees revealed the spirit of 1
the man. So likewise his refusal to /
take Mark along on the second mis- |
sionary journey.
But he cherished no animosities, |
held no grudges. He was great enough |
for forgiveness. The jailer who had |
held him prisoner he could save and |
serve, and Mark he could later re-
ceive as a cherished friend. This buff
feted and prosecuted apostle grew
mellower and more loving to the end |
of his days. because he would not
make room in his heart for hate. Like
his Master, he turned the other
cheek.
More sublime maenanimity then