Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-12
THE BACKGROUND OF A GREAT
NOVEL,.
The international Sunday School Les
son for February IS, 1914 is "Christ's
Hatred of Shams," Luke 11:37-54.
BY William T. Ellis.

The most popular novel of the pre-
sent season is Winston Churchilrs
The Inside Of The Cup" The title
is taken from words of Jesus which
ale part of the present Sunday school
lesson. The entire story is designed
to be an exposition, in modern form, OF
the teachings Of the Master as here set
forth. Whatever the defects of THE
Inside of the Cup" it is certainly in
tended to teach one Of Christ's own les
parable That such discussion should
be the favorite book of the hour ar
CUES well for the serious-mindedness
of our day. Also 1t Is a reminder that
people are getting a great deal of their
religious instruction from other than
the conventional religious sources.
The background of the utterance
and the lesson story, was dinner
party. Then, as now, the social lead
ers were fond of capturing every lion
that came along, be he a religious icon.
oclast. a picturesque socialist, Famous
writer, or what-not Anything to re-
lieve the ennui of jaded folk tired OF
their own company and at the end OF
their own resources. There was a dis
tant similarity between the motives
which led the condescending pharisee
to invite Jesus to his table, as enter
tainer for his guests, and that which
once prompted vacant-minded society
folk to give monkey dinner"
Many "lion'' has lost both his roar
and his teeth beneath these smother
ing attentions One Of the commonest
tragedies Of the pulpit. of literature,
and Of public life, is the attainment OF
social acceptability 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 than for the favor OF any arts,
tocracy. While not lacking in most
real courtesy, he would not let 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 mere mat
ter of ceremony. There have been at
tempts to fix upon certain practices
as card-playing, dancing, theater-going:
for instance-as the sign. and test OF
goodness. This has failed, because
Christianity is a religion of the spirit,
and the. wholesome sanity OF the
church has recoiled from these at
tempts to label outward forms and OBJ
servances, how ever good in them
selves 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. It is altogether
possible for one to obey all these pro
scriptions and yet be too mean to live
with human beings. I'll
This sort of thing is the essence
of pharisaism. Conformity to outward
ceremonies, as distinguished from a re-
ligion of the spirit, begets insincerity.
The old Jews had added to the forms
of the Mosaic law bewildering array
of detailed requirements. Then, as
now. the east loved religion Of cere-
monial. The Koran is full of it. Even
as a Moslem may observe the intricate
ritual of, motions and washings and
prayings and HASTINGS and pilgrimage,
and still remain a cruel, blood thirsty
lecherous oppressor of his fellow men,
so the pharisee could keep the cere-
monial law. even down to giving a
1.-THE out of the mint patch in his ba TX
yard, and yet remain moral monster.
And to be wholly frank, we are not I'M
acquainted with the type Of church Of
ficer who has incarnated in himself
the criminal practices of "big business,
who has been in unholy alliance with
corrupt politicians, who has rented
property at high rates for evil pur-
poses, who has underpaid his employees
and kept child laborers under the yoke
That is the sort of man whom this
rugged, truth-telling Carpenter arraign-
ed openly thereby causing social con.
sternation. Every active church work
er should examine himself carefully,
in the light of this tremendous pas
sage Of Scripture, remembering that
the blistering "Woe unto you" was adj
dressed to the professionally religious
and not to the outcast and disreputable
The Sensational Speech.
No comments upon it can have the