The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-02-10
II BACKGROUND OF A GREAT
NOVEL.
The International Sunday School
Lesson for February Is, 1914, is
s.Christ's Hatred of Shams," Luke
if:37-54.
rBy WILLIAM T.. ELLIS.)

The most pOpuldT HONel u LIZ
nresent season is Winston ChurchilI's
"The Inside of The Cup" The title
- taken from words of Jesus which
are a part of the present Sunday
echoo! lesson. The entire story is
designed to be an exposition, In mod
ern form, of the teachings OF the
Master as here set forth. Whatever
the defects Of 1.-The Inside of the
Cup." it is certainly intended to
Zach one of Christ's own lessons, and
IN his favorite form Of a parable.
THAT such a discussion should be the
~favorite book of the house argues we'll
for the serious-mindedneSs OF our
dav- Also it is a reminder that peo-
Mo are getting a great deal of their
religious instruction from other than
the conventional religious sources. II
The background Of the utterance,
and the lesson story, was a dlnner
party. Then, as now, the sOclai lead
ers were fond of capturing every
zion" that came along, be he a re-
ligious iconoclast, a picturesque SOC
ialist, famous writer, or What-not.
ANYTHING to relieve the ennul OF
faded folk tired Of their own com
pany and at the end OF their w
resources. There was a distant SIM
ilarity W the motives whlcn
led the understanding pharisee to
invite Jesus to his table. as enter
tainer for his guests. and that which
once prompted vacant-minded society
folk to give a monkey dinner"
Many a "lion' has lost both his
roar and his teeth beneath these
smothering attentions One of the
commcnest tragedies OF the PUPPY,
of literature. and of public life, Isl
the attainment Of social acceptable.
ity and popularity, at the cost Of
the loss of ones message Jesus,
however, was not of this class. He
cared more for his own intellectual
integrity thar for the favor of any
aristocracy. While not lacking in
his courage and message be obscured
BY any mistaken sense of pOliteneSS-
In the CeremOniOus East.
This fresh spirited western world
has had the vigorous good sense not
to let it's religion become a mere
matter OF ceremony. There have
been attempts to fix upon certain
theatre-going. for instance-as the
sign and test Of goodness. This has
failed, because Christianity is a re-
ligion of the spirit, and h whole
some sanity Of the church has re
coiled from these attempts to label
outward forms and o~bservances, how
ever good in themselves as vital
Christianity. We have all seen too
many instances Of men who do nOne
OF the doubtful things, such as
smoking, card-playing. etc. who
nevertheless show none Of the spirit
OF the gospel. 1t is altogether pos
sible for one to obey all these pro
scriptions and yet be too mean tt
live with human beings.
This sort OF thing is the essence
OF pharisaism. Conformity to out
ward ceremonies. as d~istinguishe'
from a religion Of the spirit, beget
insincerity. The old Jews had add
ed to the forms Of the Mosaic lav
a oewildering array Of detailed re
quirements. Then. rs now, the Eas
loved a religion Of ceremonial. TIL
Koran is full OF it. Even as a Mos
lem may observe the intricate ritua
OF motions Int washings and pray
ings and HASTINGS and pilgrimage
and still remain a cruel, blood
thirsty, lecherous opIressor of hi
fellow men, so the pharisee coul
to giving a 1.-THE out of the min
patch in his back yard, and yet re
main a moral monster. And to b
wholly frank, we are not unac
Guain.ed with the type of church OF
ficer Who has in~carnated in himsel
the criminal practices Of big bus
ness who has been in unhOly a
lance with corrupt politicians. VIII
mas rented property at high rate
Tor evil h has under
paid his employees and kept chill
laborers under the yoke.
That is the sort OF man whom tn
rugged. truth-telling Carpenter al
raiSned openly. thereby causing So
Ial CONSERVATION. Every actiN
church worker shoIld examine him
self carefully, in the light of tn
tremendous passage OF Scripture. r.
membering that the clustering wv
unto you" was addressed to the pr
reasonably religious. and not to tt
outcast and ~disreputable.
The Sensational Speech.
No onments upon it can ha'
the force and pertinency Of this u
teratfcc of Jesus itself. The passa:
"hl at least interpret to some rea'
/erS the origin OF the phrase, "Tl
in"ide ef the Cup