Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-26
FIRST COUNCIL
HELD IN YEAR so
Striking Parallel Between Pres
ent Ecclesiastical Con-
Ventions
The International Sunday School Les
son For May 2S Is "The Council at
Jerusalem. Acts 15:1-35.
(By William T. Ellis)

May is the month of ecclesiastical
conventions, and by the time these
words are read most of them will be
in full swing or already adjourned.
Among ministers and church workers
these gatherings are a principal sub
ject of present interest. A striking
parallel may be found between most
of them and the first council of the
Christian church. which was held in
Jerusalem about the year so. and
which is the theme of the present
International Lesson.
1t was the first of the great church
councils-themselve an illuminating
line of study to pursue, In this con-
nection. 1t would be interesting to
compare the greatness or the topics
debated in the early church councils
with the littleness of some of the
themes that have engrossed the meet
lngs this month. A broad, sweeping
and serious indictmen to be brought
against the ecclesiastical assemblies of
May of the present year is that there
mas been apparent in their delibera-
uons less of the spiritual crisis created
by the world cataclysm, than there has
been of ecclesiastical politics and MI
nor matters of administration.
- ieSl SCI dSptGls There Is lne same
struggle under way this month as was
witnessed in the first church council
the endless strife between formal
ism, tradition, prescription and pro-
scrlption on the one hand, and on the
other the growing, expanding life of
the Church. The literalists are still
with us, caring more for precedent
than for principle. The struggle for
adherence to formal practices is per-
haps best illustrated by the debate
over amusements. The world is used
to discussion of whether Christians
may smoke, or go to the theater or
ride in omobiles-which was actu-
ally the subject of legislation at a re-
cent convention of one of the minor
denomlnations-or wear hooks and
eyes instead of buttons, or ride in
street cars on Sunday, or belong to
social organizations which do not con-
form TO the usages and convictions of
certain bodies of Christians. Here we
nave the temperance of the Juda-
lzlng Christians of the apostolic
church, who insisted that all believers
should conform to the practices which
they themselves favored.
IL is not generally known that one
or the great problems of foreign mis-
slons is the frequent appearance on
the field of emissarieS who want TO
win the converts to their special views
or Christian practice. Many a mis-
stonary could tell of his heartburning
experiences with these holiness" and
other representatives. who shun the
work of winning converts to Christ
from heathendom, but give ther selves
10 converting native Christians to
their particular tenets.
The struggle between Christian lib
erty and Church restrictions is old
and continuous. What is the liberty
of to-day may be the restraint of to-
morrow. Probably it is inevitable
that the issue first Joined in the Jeru-
salem Council should continue
through all other ecclesiastical gath
erings to the end of time. At least
1t is steadying to read the reports of
present-day ecclesiastical meetings in
the light of st. Luke's narratiye Of
this first Church Council. and PeuI's
own comment upon it, as found in the
second Chapter of Galatians. Some
OF us extract comfort from the obser-
walton that even in the apostolic
Church the Christians were not
angels.
Observation-Disclosures in Antioch
Some Christians from Judea-the
historian does not think them worth
algnifylng by name-had gone down
10 Antioch and had troubled the new
church there by trying to correct its
procedure. They accused the Antioch
Cnrlstlans or not being thoroughly
orthodoN Imagine it! These mo-
podys' VINO had themselves not been
on the firing line of missionary work
were taking to task that great tbrob'
oing, outreaching, vital Church AZ
Antloch! The capacity of petty ner-
sons for making trouble in a conora-
cation has been noted by all observers
OF church life. Men and women who
carry NOT straw's weight in business,
OF social or community life, are can.
aple an. OF disturbing the peace of an en-
harmony of congregations marred hv
some poor little mischief-makers who
IN all other spheres are entirely in
considerable. Still, thev give tba
church a chance to prove it's religion
Such were the meddlesome saints
t no Went down to Antioch, and
tLoupIed the serenity and unity of
that great company of disciples: for
these Antioch Christians wanted to
DO right. The most conscientione
persons on earth are church ,,,ano0
pSrs' rms group of men and women
VINO We're eager to follow the fullest
truth they knew, whatever the cost
70, 10 themselves are a noble spectacle
The world cannot do without tbis
leaven of conscientious folk wbo ti.s are
READY to follow truth anywhere
Christians are often called narrow,
minded, but il is really the OMEN
mindedness of the disciples of Christ
which makes \ possible all the new
Sects and schemes and cults. which
pelld Ia on the established foundation
Of Christian loyalty to truth.
Down in Antioch the church had
WISE snepherds who were not willing
TO let their flock be continually wore
RED by the new issues raised The,
oecided to appeal to the mother