The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-11-29

Inc attempt 10 1aEten the author
ity OF Jesus to every social, political
and Industrial reform is made in
each generation. And It Just as fu-
tile as would be an attempt on the
part of any one to bind a girdle OF
exclusive ownership about the sun or
atmosphere. Not that His attitude
is one Of Indifference to any or to all
OF the real reforms that have eve.
been undertaken, but that He is
greater than any specific movement
for human betterment, or than all OF
them put together. The sum total OF
His influence, that is, His example,
His work, His teachings, was the
creation Of spirit among men that
would make the removal Of all
wrongs possible and the establish
ment of justice sure.
He Aimed to Change Men.
He did not plant particular tree,
but He aimed to so cnange the soil
and climate OF the earth-the aspir-
atoms OF men-that all the trees of
the Lord might grow. This was His
real mission and from this mission
He must not be diverted. He was
not in any sense, partisan. / want
to make this point absolutely clear.
To use the words of vedder, "the
social reformer is always mainly
concerned with observation-disclosures
was chiefly concerned with men. His
mission was not to be a reformer.
but revealer-to make God known
to men, and so to bring them into
right relations with God, as a condi-
ton precedent to right relations with
one another. He was not an agitator
but prophet He sought the better
ment of society, indeed, but only
through the spiritual uplifting of the
individual man."
His Personal Attitude.
What was the personal attitude of
Jesus to the social and political con-
ditions of his own time? Let us make
a first hand study of the records
First, what have these records to say
about his attitude toward slavery, in
temperance, class oppression and
other evil conditions that we find in
the society of that time?
In His day, the worst forms Of
slavery were imposed upon human
beings. under the dominion of Rome.
He knew it. He realized the horror
of 1t, the wickedness of It; but there
is not one word on record that He
ever hurled directly at that fnstitu-
ton. One single sentence of three
words-"Slavery is wrong" would
have been of inestimable value to the
anti-slayery leaders of the United
States in their great struggle; but 1t
could not be found. And yet 1t would
be simply infamous to say that Jesus
sanctioned slavery, or to believe
that he did not hold it with all the
intensity Of a divine indignation.
Corruption In His Time
In His day, the officers of Rome
were corrupt and despicable, the en-
peror himself a tyrant OF oppression.
Yet he launched no lightnings against
a power that kept them in the dust.
He discouraged violence and warned
them that whoever took the sword
should perish by it. Are we then to
suppose that He looked complacently
on the wheels of that huge machine
which ground the life OF his bretn-
rtn. do not think so.
The system Of taxation in His day
beggared whole provinces; but He
suggested no reform apd paid the de-
manded tribute for Himself and His
disciples. Render unto Caesar the
things which are Caesars; unto God
the things which are Gods" That
would have been the time to have an
tfcipated the single tax or the inher-
itance tax or the income tax, but He
did not
Did Not Touch ON Drunkenness.
There was drunkenness in His day,
but Jesus was as far from directly