The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-05-23
In the Religious World
LIssRALlsM's GREAT VICTORY

oers, This group OF men and women
who were eager to follow the fullest
truth they knew. whether the cost
TO themselves, are a noble spectacle.
The world cannot do without this
leayen OF conscientious folk who are
ready to follow truth anywhere
Christians are often called narrow
minded, but II is really the open.
mindedness of the disciples OF Christ
which makes possible all the new
sects and schisms and cults, which
build on the established foundation
o. Christian loyalty to truth.
Down in Antioch the church had
wise shepherds who were not will.
ing TO let their flock be continually
worried by the new issues raised.
They decided to appeal TO the moth.
er church at Jerusalem. They knew
the wisdom of getting a decision.
Why wrangle and squabble forever
over a point that should be decided
once and for all? So Paul and Bar
nabas were sent u Jerusalem to con.
fer with the apostles and the elders
and the home church.
A Journey Over the Land
There are few persons Of any i'm
agination who have not at some time
or other desired to take this trip
which was made by Paul and Barna-
bas. Every newspaper correspondent
In the world would rather 60 over
their route today than go anywhere
else on the map. What light II
would shed on the present world
war, In the strategic centers OF Tur.
key, could one follow the Paul and
Barnabas route, down from Antioch
past the mountain where the four
thousand Christian Armenians sue
cessfully withstood the Turks: down
past Tripoli, in Syria: through Bel
rut. where an American warship
rides at anchor; and through ro-
mantle old Sidon, with its vaulted
streets; and to Haifa, at the upper
end OF Mt. Carmel. where the Ger
man colony is, and where the rail.
road strikes inland through Galilee.
There we could learn all about the
new railway system, and We could
even take train for Damascus and
Aleppo. there TO gather war news
for which any newspaper in the land
would pay high prices. At Nablus
We would find the headquarters Of
the Turkish army, and a new rail-
way center; for now the very route
that Paul and Barnabas took we
may follow by rail to the city Of
Jerusalem. The first man in after
Turkeys gates are open will write
a story that will have the ears Of
the whole world.
1t was not by rail, but aboard pa
tient donkey. or else afoot, that Paul
and Barnabas made their way down
through Phoenicia and Samaria,
preaching as they went. Catch that
point? The great missionaries had
not been diverted from their main
work by the church controversy.
When doctrinal or administrative
hinder the work Of
the church. then may God pity us
The denomination that turns aside
from its first work in order TO de-
bate and discuss. has been sorely
Paul and Barnabas were
first OF all and last of all preachers,
and only incidentally controversial.
lists. A good plumbline to apply to
every man who thinks himself. a con-
tender for the faith is this Is he
to be found in the forefront OF evan.
gelism, and In the rescue missions,
and in the teaching work OF the
The men from Antioch were well
coined by the church at Jerusalem.
The differences of opinion did not
disturb their cordial relationships.
And those Jerusalem Christians
were more eager to hear OF the COS.
pers triumphs In Syria and in Asia
Minor than they were TO talk about
the controversy that had brought
Paul and Barnabes to Jerusalem.
The Great Debate
l talked the other day with a man
who had heard the famous Lincoln
Douglas debates. and do not won
der that this privilege had been with
him a lifetime pride. Wise persons
go far to attend the great debates in
congress and parliament and eccle.
siastical assemblies. II Is pathetic
when these lofty discussions are
by petty partianship and
strife for political advantage. have
heard strong men struggling over
great principles at church meetings,
and thank God that there are still
mighty men to contend for the truth
AZ they see It.
The last mention In the inspired
history that we have OF Peter occurs
In this discussion at the first church
council. when he stood UP as the
champion OF Christian liberty. Three
points he made. The first was that
the Spirit had borne witness to the
validity OF the GENTLE converts. This
was the argument that had prevailed
when he himself was answering 10
the church for his experience with