The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-14
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
G=-@I T CAME as a surprise recent
IEA k ly to a certain reader of the
daily dispatches, to learn
that the most conspicuous
and derided politician IN
Washington is close and
constant reader of the religious stores
of a famous Canadian author He dld
not know that this politician had any
such side to his nature at all. me
common people are often thus sur
prised to discover by fuller knowledge,
that public officials are not the mon
stors that partisan opponents nave
represented them as being. Likewise,
they learn that reformers are not
necessarily wild-eyed fanatics. For 1t
Is the bad habit of the world to speak
i'll of the good.
That fact underlies the present Sun
day school lesson. Jesus had healed
man who was blind and dumb, so that
he both saw and talked Surely every
body should rejoice over such a merci-
full action. Not so. Even as 1t mas
often been true in China that the mis-
sion hospitals are accused OF stealing
little children; or as in Baltimore To-
day many coiored persons refuse to
pass the Johns Hopkins hospital lest 1t
should put the black drop" on them;
so this kindly ministry OF the beneh-
cent Teacher was attributed to the
devil. The Pharisees so charged open
ly. They could not understand the
miracle, but fiouting all reason they de-
clared, This man doth not cast out
devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince OF
devils" So there is precedent for
everybody whose good is evil spoken of
to take to heart as comfort: Jesus all
along had to endure this sort OF mis-
representation and SANDER.
The Common People See Straight.
The curious fact which has many
modern analogies was that the plain,
,fg dnT
meaning of the ministry of Jesus bet
ter than did their ecclesiastical leaders.
They cried, rs this the son Of David p
Simple hearts can sometimes see
Gated minds. The views which men
ION the inside" at Washington enter
tain concerning the most talked about
American of the day are radically diff
ferent from those of the masses of the
people. Yet the latter are probably
right. They have a genius for getting
at the heart of a mans purposes.
Books and articles, which the masses
never read, are written in criticism of
Jesus: but the multitudes, undisturbed
by details and difficulties, understand
Christ. They know him for his life
and his love. They catch the CLINT of
his kindly eye, while the scholastics
are studying the color of his hair. They
feel the uplift of his helpful hand,
while the critics are concerned only
with its callouses. They are inspired
by the sympathetic throb of his loving
heart, while the schoolmen bubble
over his scholarship. In broad. gen.
eral fashion, God had given the com
mon people an affinity for the noblest-
They have a charity and an under
standing which are greater than
pedantry's boosted skill.
Fighting the Best.
A good man on the wrong side is a
pitiable and tragic spectacle. There is
nT1ofhfT1c about the affifHHn nf the
old Pharisees of Christ's time that
even exciteS our compassion. They
were so sure that they had the last
word of truth, and that their ecclesi-
astical organization was the most i'm
portant thing on earth, that they SIM
ply could not conceive of the possibil-
fly of this revolutionist's being right.
In like manner there are many sin
cerely pious men connected with the
religious boards and societies of our
time who really believe that the King
dom of Heaven is incorporated in the
organization which they serve; and so
they go to amazing lengths to conserve
this institution. This is one reason why
we have in this month of May, 1910,
so much despicable ecclesiastical pol
itics, and so much contemplate eff
fort to stay the progress of new meth
DDS. bigger ideas, broader purposes.
There are many reasons why one
should strive for humble open minded
ness: and the most important. perhaps,
is the fear of being found in opposi-
ton to the truth. No allegiance is i'm
his truth. What matter if old notions
must be given up. The truth is all
important. The wise rabbits advice to
beware lest one should be found fight
ing God, is ever applicable. History
has frequently repeated the expert
ence of the Pharisees- who arrayed
themselves against the best leader of
their day, who was indeed Incarnate
Truth.
The Patience of the Strong.
The weak and the wicked and the
unwise are fussy. hurried, and excited.
The strong and the true may be pa
fient, because they have the eternal
years. The calmness with which Jesus
answered the charge that he cast out
devils by the prince of devils is in
sharp contrast to the hysteria of his
foes. He pointed out, in simplest,
clearest reasoning, that house di-
vided against itself cannot stand. 1t
was as if he were making a lesson
plain to little children.
Then he defined the eternal align
ment OF the forces of life. 1t is like
a picture of a great athletic contest
between two teams; or a mighty bat
of error. Everybody is on one side or
another. HE that is not With me is
against me-" In this supreme con-
flict there are no neutrals. God
counts US all on MS SlQe, or against
him. To live for God here is to live
with God forever. Edith H. Davis has
said:
at matters not
What men may think of u.s. Today
they praise
Tomorrow, blame-and so through all
our days
We lift our eyes to catch the smile
of one
For something said or done,
onafhnrfo frnVEn
"But let it be our chief concern to see,
Whatever we are called to do or be,
That all our lives may bear the pure
high light
Which shines from yonder Throne,
that from His sight
No coward thought need shrink, in