The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-04
Pastor RuSSell's Sermon

Apostles. and denounce their persecu-
tors, while they similarly persecute.
The climax OF ST. Paul's perils. the
severest OF them all, was from false
brethren. How strange that seems!
One would think that however much
the heather or the Jews might have
prosecuted him. at least all protested
followers OF Jesus would have thanked
God for his example and ministry, and
have esteemed him. But this Gas not
so: and as We look back to the Master
before him. we see the same TO be
true. As He declared "A mans foes
shall be they Of his own household"
| The Master was lew. The Jews
were His brethren according TO the
flesh; and it was they that hated Him
without cause they that prosecuted
Him-they that said. He hath d devil
and is mad"-they that took up stones
TO stone Him"--rhey that finally cruel
| fled Him. He came unto His own,
and His own received Him not" except
few sanity, elect ones.
| st. Paul also had persecution from
the Jews, who repeatedly sought his
life. He lived after the establishment
OF the Church. He had also Christian
brethren, begotten Of the Holy Spirit
and fellOw-members of the Body Of
Christ. Jesus had none such. ',Of the
people there Were none with Him.
! The Holy Spirit was not given until
Pentecost: hence Jesus could not re.
ce1ve Christian persecution. The near
est approximation was the case OF
Judas. But if st. Paul enjoyed the
sweetness of Christian fellowship in
his study, laborS and tolls, he also
knew the bitterness Of opposition and
prosecutions from false brethren-the
climax of his perils. We may be sure
that such experiences were more diff
cult for him to bear than any others,
because they came closer home. They
came from brethren of the closest i'm
aginable relationship--fellow members
of the Body Of Christ.
Tho Cody Suffer Persecution.
AS we glance down through this Cos
pei Age. from ST. Pauls day to the
present, we find that all followers OF
Jesus have had experiences such as He
foretold for Misrepresentation. We
find that these prosecutions have come
from every quarter, but none, appar-
emily. more severe, more cruel, more
perilous. than those which have come
from Christian brethren. 1t Is scarcely
! ~ pnfap IN hiSfnrV fn
demonstrate this fact. Disputes be-
tween Christians have been very bit
ter Thousands have lost their lives at
each others hands. The word hereto
became more obnoxious than any other
term in the dictionary.
Neither Catholic nor, Protestant can
deny the terrible story of the pages
of history. All. true men are ashamed
of the record. All are ready to say,
"We would not SO have done" Monu-
ments stand in various parts of the
world, marking places where sectarian
strife has manifested itself In atrocious,
barbarous acts. Our Catholic friends
blush at the story Of the Huguenots.
Our Church Of England friends blush
at the story of the Coyenanters and
other non-conforlnists. Our Presby-
terrain friends, in turn, blush for afro
ctous acts, injustice, etc, done in the
name Of Calvinism.
We might almost say that each de-
nomination In its turn has been a sub
| ject Of persecution from one and an
other. Baptists were publicly whip
ped sometimes driven from their
homes to exile. So were the Puritans.
who afterwards became prosecutors
themselves. The Methodists also suf-
fered from sectarian spite and jeal-
pussy, ignorance and superstition. In
deed, who will dispute that Christen-
dom has good cause to be ashamed OF
her own record. no matter what her
standpoint may be?
! Thank God for the advancement
made along the line OF human sym
pathy! No longer can civilized peo-
pie take pleasure in public executions.
fortunes. burning at the stake, as in
former times. Whatever competition
may remain between Christian breth-
rem, the peril is not that of open per-
secutiOn; for general sentiment has ad-
vanced beyond the point where physi-
cal torture could be tolerated.
We have come to the time when
iCalvinists erect monument to Serve
itus. expressing dissent from their great
leaders mistake in causing Christian
brother to be burned We have come
TO the place where the "perils amongst
false brethren are of different kind.
Now whatever iealousies or rivalrfes
there may be, either at home or in the
mission fields, are recognized as i'm
proper and suppressed. so far as breth-
rem connected with popular and infuen-
Itial bodies of Christians are concerned.
But Is it not true today that the
Truth is unpopular? Has this not al
ways been the fact? Is it not true that
in proportion as the denominations
have become popular they have escap-
ed persecution? But woe be to those
who, as were Jesus and the Apostles,
are unpopular! Ii they indeed escape
the cross, the guillotine, the rack. and
the fagot, they are amenable to other
means Of torture. Something can be
Ftrumped up against their personality.
lnsinuati0ns can be given by word and
look, and shrug of shoulder. More
damage can be accomplished in this
way than in outward attack.