The Detroit times., 1916-02-02
In the Religious World
The Men Who Dared to BE Bold.


And they, when they had further
threatened them, let them go, find
ing nothing how they might punish
them, because of the people; for all
men glorified God for that which
was done"
The Preacher and the Prelates.
Reckless" conservatism cries OF
Peter, and all who inherit his quail
ity Alas, the same charge OF reck.
lessness does not lie at the door OF
most OF us. This dauntless daring
is Just the quality which the church
today lacks. We are conventional
A new baptism OF the Holy Spirit
OF boldness. with a passion for right
in scorn OF consequence" Is what
Christianity today needs. For we
are more prone to take counsel OF
our prudent prelates than OF
our prophets.
Like the elders OF the sanhedrin,
the leaders OF church affairs are
prone 10 follow the worldly fashion
of getting aside In secret and so
phlsticated counsels. whore they dis
cuss what is safe" TO do II Is an
open scandal that some high eccles.
iastical assemblies contain more poll.
tics and scheming and trading and
chicanery than many an ayowedly
political convention. So ingrained
has this thoroughly worldly prac-
tice become that many ecclesiastics
seem unable TO comprehend any
other way OF doing the Lords busi-
ness. They are emeshed in their
own net of policy and prudence.
Often ley seek by subtle means to
silence the Peters who dare speak
forth for the present-day 'oings of
God who Is contemporaneous be-
cause eternal.
Worldly wisdom Is what the
church needs least OF all. An emf
nent layman OF one of the great de.
nominations told me recently that
the church board OF which he Is
member received two hundred thou.
sand year from one wealthy giver.
This vast sum seemed all import
ant TO the body. Yet il was the
only board in the country that
failed to secure enough money for
its work, and was Obliged TO re-
trench sinfully. Other boards, with
more faith In the loyalty of Chris
tian people, we're making advances
in their work while this one was
going backward. Caution, rather
than courage. marked It's actions.
Simple trust and simple fearless
ness carry the church farther than
worldly sophisticatiou. Those two
lone fishermen. Peter and John,
meant more to the kingdom of God.
and to the welfare of the world
than the eminent prelatical tribunal
before which they stood
The Book OF 5oidness.
A phrase which has become stere-
otyped, and has been heard In ten
thousand prayer meetings, occurs
in this incident: "They took knowl.
edge of them that they had been
with Jesus" How often Christians
have prayed and hoped that this
might be true of them,
This is another instance OF vicious
misquotation, or. rather. OF half
quotation Just as nowadays men
are quoting the line of Bulwer Lyt-
ton. "The pen is mightier than the
sword" whereas the author. wiser
than his readers, qualified that line,
the whole quotation being
Beneath the rule of men entirely
great.
The pen is mightier than the
sword"
In ignoble times the sword Is still
mightier than the pen. Similarly,
in our lesson. the whole truth is
when they beheld the boldness of
Peter apd John they took
knowledge of them that they had
been with Jesus" No weal1-kneed
timorous, time-serving Christians