The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-30
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

HWW with one who has done MIN
H an injury? Is the primal
right of man to hit back de-
KN vi MED by the Christian rel-
- gion? Peter was not the |
first nor the last to ask that perplex-
ing question in ethics. He hao ao-
vanced somewhat beyond the prlnltlVe
sseye for an eye" attitude, and he even
went further than the rabbinlcaI pre-
cent to forgive three times, Tor ne sus-
gested seven times as the limit Oh en-
DURANGO and forbearance
The form OF the question showed tnat
quick, bald retaliation was beyond the
plane on which Peter stood. None So
ready with a word or dow as ne
and of all the group OF strong men
who followed the Nazareth Carpehtea
he was least likely to be termed a
weaklinR. yet even Peter realized
that to "get square" and TO pay
back for an injury belongs 20 VIVA
is most primitive and puerlle IN man. man:
Wenpeance is bitterest in the most
backward people. 1t is the crude un-
tanned fellow whose animal Instincts
have never worn the bit ana priule VI
the spirit who boasts that ne never
forgives an enemy. C1Vlllza'ion -io1
got beyond that stage.
.sTThe Brave Days of Old"
More interesting to read about than
to exnerience were those brave DAYS
of old when mems pecu1laL soa
honor kept them engaged in continu
nIIC vendetta. "A
todav II has no place for Rob Roys
end Robin Hoods Men face more
truly the real obligations ana outiSs
of life: the needless making oI W.
ows and orphans is no lonser ,s .to s1,h-
nnon lightly. The individual must SUD
ordinate his personal fueds and 1eei-
fngs TO the general welfare SO much
has the leaven of Christianity accom-
pIished in delivering US Aroih '
head hunting stage. ,
The laurels of today go to the men me-
who nromote the cause or peace, raSn.
or than to those who incite the nattie,
70 the scientist who risks MS me ~
che search of an anti-tonn; 10 thS
Iieoo,,erer Of new arts of healing ana
service. to the men and women Wno
promote the cause of charity ana s oOo
viii The nobler mind, winch is pray
enough to forgive, is held IN nlgnenr
stea91 than the quick temper when
6ravs sword or pistol on the lnstan T. !:
sTha outlawry of the frontier has ltselr
been outlawed everywhere
The Deadly Bee Sting.
r-nforgiveness, we now see, is
worse than malaria, or lnIeee!,IS ~
hers It diseases the soul, SO tnat tne
tboia being is contaminated. some
b.,dv has nkened vengeance 70 tn1
nee sting: it hurts the person attacAeuI
Int it kills the bee. L nave rsco o % 81
llonI ,1eant death to the bee itself. Il
Ss less hurtful to suffer wrongs thar
--ax-o +heu No injury InaL al
enemy can infiict can be nan 50 nui
Ell az the spirit of unforglVeness:
There is a better reason than TINS
Lowever for showing forgiveness
The parable related by Jesus in answer
70 peter brings it out. me ssrVd a !
S1bo was forgiven a great debt by nj
to vet refused to forgive a feliow
arSant a small debt. Wherefore
swift and severe punishment was 49,, 49,
ed ont to him. Because ne 10 Wnoil
much is forgiven should hlihsell slso'
ly forgive.
The Highest Motive.
,r.4 ;s tho principal consideration
~ this lofty lesson-the bringing o
the highest truth to bear upon Tn
Sowliest of conditions. The motlVe
which move God are not TOO greae I
anply to his servants. The pr1nclpie
which are an essential part OF the ma
fnre of God should be the rule OF Tn
life of his servants. because Gou
merciful and forgives the penltent Of
vond all calculations, so men snouI
forgive. not merely seventy times: OF
seventy times seven, or inoennItel:
Thus do the sons take on the tatner
character. ,,
o,,t for more practical teaching
the man who cannot see Deyono pG
ter sewers, improved tenements, Pul
lie Fairgrounds, tuberculoslS camp
1aetfer labor laws, and multltuue
other desirable and near obJectiVes'
oLHS ~. ia novver- His craze for "pra
ficalp reforms is seriously IN DANGER
afflicting him with that form OF plln'
meas of which the apostle speaks
ability to see only that which is nea
We need all these reforms, ana hul
dred others, but far more do we net
new natures in the breasts OF ma
Kind. This sthe fundamental ser
&c which can be rendered to ma
htind-the imparting of new ldeals
the race. Thus it comes about Tn
Jesus is the one supremacy "practlca
reformer Of the ages.
Religions Hardest Test.
In all this man making business
which the Gospel is engaged, perha
6ta most difficult feat is to teach m
10 forgive. That goes most sore
erainst the old nature, even as 1t pa
taxes most sublimely of the essence
cod For that very reason, apparer
" Jesus laid down the stupendous {
relatives, ''as-so," conditioning I
divine forgiveness upon mans ft
piveness of his fellows. Thus he +
s1+o the model prayer that diffic
clause, forgive US our debts as we Il
give our debtors" One may not pr
that while in his heart turks des
for vengeance against his brother, l.
he invoke the like treatment from
Almighty.
pent's temptation to the hrst paren
and Eden's temptation has become
Browning glory of grace. Nothing
than God-likeness is promised
Tesus to his disciples. They are to
forriving, because forgiveness is Go
way. The supreme argument for t
virtue is that 1t is Gods virtue. Sill
the rather forgives, the children m
forgive.
The Practicability INDICATED.
have a Chinese acquaintance,
pastor Of the Congregational chu
at Pao-ting-fu, China, whose chur
ward is adorned with row OF m
Tvr monuments. His teachers
frjends and his own brother fell in
Roxer fury of nineteen hundred.
today he is ministering to these m
1erers. BY Chinese traditions he
1.nrnd To execute vengeance u