The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-14
CBY WILLIAM T. ELLISD

CBY WILLIAM T. ELLISO
4 feud among gamblers and police
officials has given New York CITY ~
greatest sensation for years The feuds
among the mountain fold of Tennessee
and Kentucky have long commanded a
nationwide interest These are not
greatly different from the tribal 1euos
of the Bedouins of Arabia IheS
represent the persistence Of a prifnltiNe
passion in q civilization which preSun-
ably has got beyond the usages OF
savagery. The cheerful aspect OF the
situation IS that these feuds are now
notable. They deserve mention because
they are not normal: they are news
The world knows better. 1t IS facing
toward a higher ideal. Theoretically
at least, civilization accepts the laws
of Jesus as supreme.
\ Modern Saint
Ono of the distinctiYe teachings or
Jesus is the doctrine of forglNenesS-
Into the daily prayer of all His dlsclples
He has written this conditional petition
FORGIVE US our debts as we forgive our
debtors" The primary place of the oIu
law of forgiveness in the Christian NE
IS even vet not fully grasped py NO.
of us. We can only admire from %l aI
such conduct as that of the good DISllop
toward Jean Vatican in Les Mlsel
ables-" i'm
High and hard it may be. but not M
possible is the teaching OF Jesus SoLl-
cerufua, forgiveness. 1t was oihy ~
other dav that a woman, huLIIOlS
eol,,.+-e- but a devoted Christian,
vas attacked on the highway Dy d
human brute While officers ana cI .
zens sought for the criminal the -
TINS words were, i am 50 Solly
that poor man. He had notnlns a sans
mo persOnaIIv 1t is only that ms oM l.
life is out of relationship with Iou-
such an incident as this reVealS tnS
eternal vitality and present practlcaUn-
ftv of the life lived by the law OF christ
shall Christians Go to Law?
The supreme court for Chrlstlan
* not that which sits in robed state
- IT, bench erected by the civil gov
eminent. Here in this lesson from llIe
In OF Jes11s we see erected new
tribunal If Christian SIN asaIA91
Christian, says Jesus. the flrst slep -
TO go apart with him alone as ma
~ man. and in frankness and conn
de,,co talk over the fault. In counsel-
linz this Jesus showed His deep pene-
+rsfion of human nature. y man VIII
be reader to own his fault Wheh aio1iS
than before a company
There is nowhere in the Bible or IN an
the books of human wisdom a couhseL
that when a brother is found IN 1aul1
1,is offense shall be told to the COM
,,,1,ritv. The scandal-monger and the
Gossip cannot justify their existence "
any teaching found within the covers Vi
the Christian would make reply -
that so? Then let US go and tax VIII
Nm about it, the vogue OF unklnoly
comment would quickly cease 80 49, !
,,,,rvevors of scandal are willing TO Iace
~ object of their accusing comments
V(t,S1 a man to man conference
coils then the way laid down py Jesus |
is for one or two brethren 10 pe @aI,I+
into conference to conslueI 1Ao - he |
1f tris fail then the subject Is 70 -
oh n.
ter and conduct of Christians - o
he regulated not by lower meas u -
the law of the land, ouI L " cTnrch- |
S+sndards of Christ and his cnuIC
- punishment of the churcn Is I I |
IL withdrawal of fellowship III
MAJ, or woman who is not ans -Ile
to discipline is to be regal ue infect of
s5o1icifnde and Christian effort, put ho'
one of the family, enjoying Ine PA1'
Iegas of the church relationship
As IL 70 stress the solemn1ly o. ~
-, =. ton of the church met for as
cinIine as we'll as for worship, JESUS
saws. For where two OF ln1 800
yofhared together in my name, tlet
am in the mldsC Oh irs,n,,Iy quoted |
one of the most commons 90
passages in the Bible rev Wno
+ realize that it is employed IN a..
ecclesiastical and Judlclal CON = 80
church to be present with HIS 1oIIoM-
ers when on their knees they are
about the church's business
seven or Seventy Times?
That Virtue should lead to greater
,-ir+IIe and not become an excuse Tor
sin. is hard for immature minus "
understand. Having done goou up "
a certain point, reasons the
man, is he not thenceIoIIh II q 80. - ,
+he obIieation to continue to do Sooo
~ to mt it in the familiar question
of perpIexed Peter. who had Deen
5o,IbtIess subject to sharp crIIlciSIh
DuIsive ways, Lord, how oft snaIl my
brother sin against me and forgive
him? Until seven times
Peter reasoned udely but natural
" that if he had done the Jesus way
for seven times he should be free TO
40 the old Peter way for the elSntn
lime Having been a saint. he should
thereby be justified in becoming
Drofound truth that one duty but
leads TO another; one step in the way |
of saintliness but makes possible otneF
steps and each succeeding stage OF the
tourney makes the whole way the
more inevitable. So Jesus denied 70 !
PETER the luxury of lapsins into mt
of bad temper and into. deed OF /
vengeance. Forgiveness was TO De |
seven times, but seventy times seven
or as often as might be necessary, a !
brother is to be forgiven
4 real social problem was this OF
Peters Life is intricate, and We must
live with people. In order to help /
the world to its best, the individual
must be his best. All social rela-
lions are at basis personal They are
questions of human relationship. Jesus
lifted these up into the high plane OF
a constant spirit of forgiveness, ike
unto that of God Himself. The at
mosphere here is rare, but the horizon |
is wide. Human problems are to be
solved bV q divine attitude