The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-03-04
) PLEASANT FIELDS
) OF HOLY WRIT
Save for my daily range
Amongt the pleasant fields
of Holly Writ,
Knight despair. -Tennyson.
International Sundau-SchOOI Lesson
FIRST Quarter: Lesson X: Acts VII Sd
VIII Is: Ma CHI S, 1916.

VIII 1"os Wa en-
The Death of Stephen.
The synagogue was a bridge con-
veying the Hebrews from the altar
to the law-from ceremonialism to
scholasticism. In it the teacher
eclipsed the priest. 1t had it's rise
in the renaissance of the Bible under
Ezra. The multitude Of Synagogues
can be accounted for by the fact that
the rule alphabetically required one
for every ten Jews. 1t is true, there
was an order of worship largely con
gregationaD, but chief stress was
placed upon an exposition Of the law
and the prophets. There was almost
the freedom of modern Bible class.
Each synagogue had it's rulers,
minister, and aims collectors. 1t had
disciplinary powers also, could
scourge, suspend, eXcommunicate.
The apostle, obedient to their Lords
command to preach to the Jew first,
availed themselves of the synagogues
of Palestine and the Dispersion for
this purpose. AS 1t was said of Paul
in Damascus, so it might be said OF
the apostles everywhere. And
straightway he preached Christ in
the synagogue that he Is the Son of
God" For this they suffered all the
pains and penalties the synagogue
could inf1ict. Stephen-as his name
signifies, 1.-The CROWN" the shining
ornament of the d1aconate as well
as Of the martyrology-found time
to preach after he had served tables
in his administrative function. He
was full of faith and power. He
spoke with wisdom and spirit. There
were miracles attendant. Disciples
multiplied greatly. A gap was made
in the ranks of ecclesiasticism by the
great company of priests who became
obedient to the faith. Something
must be done to shore up the imper-
lied establishment. The master
wranglers of five synagogues con-
spire against this fearless antagonist.
They set dialectical gin for him.
They chuckle over their fancied VIC
tory. They will spoil his popularity
by forcing him to speak some word
against Moses or the law. They have
a dilemma ready-made for him. But
they have counted without their
host. He bears them down with an
invincible logic that they are not able
to resist. Theirs is the recourse of
arrant towards. If they cannot
matchh Is brains, they can at least
mash them. This they accomplish
by the same foul means they employ
ed against his Master-the instru-
ment still to be found in the lobby of
the Oriental court, the hired witness.
Stephens defense affords sample Of
his style. He epitomizes Hebrew his
tory. He shows it series of evolu-
tions: from Chaldea to Canaan I'M
der Joseph, from Egypt to Canaan
under Moses, from the tabernacle to
the temple under Solomon. He was
not allowed to announce his conclu-
sion, but the trend of his logic is
unmistakable. The next transition to
be affirmed was that from the tenn
pie to the church under Jesus. Like
his Master, his judgment (fair trial)
Is taken from him. The court be-
comes a mob. There is an onset,
with crashing of teeth. One beati-
flc vision is granted to hearten the
doomed confessor, az
The sky
Flew open to his fainting eye.
Which, like a fading lamp, flashed
high,
Seeing what death conceals.
The Teachers Lantern.
A cool conservatism may calculate
that If Stephen had been more pru-
dent. he might have lived longer. In
a sense, he never died. His influence
Is immortal. He survives as an in
spirational force to this day. He
unconsciously, but none the less real
ly projected himself into the charac-
ter and career of young man stand
ing near as an official witness of his
execution. Had Stephen not pray
ed, Paul had not preached" The
irrationality and moral ugliness of
religious intolerance finds its hide
Gus portraiture in the martyrdom OF
Stephen. Receive my spirit" lit
orally, Take my spirit by the hand"
Stephen expected an immediate and
personal greeting from the Lord Je-
sus after death. God Is not the God
of the annthilated, but of the living.
Jesus rises to meet the emergencies
of his disciples. Stephen saw the
Son Of man standing" The syna-
gogue in the time of Stephen was
very like religious debating club,
given over to inquiry and discussion.
AS in our modern bible classes the
points most holly argued were some
times of trivial significance, while
weightier matters were ignored. An
extremely ugly spirit wholly un-
worthy of place and hour was often
engendered. A religious war wheth-
er with words or bullets is always
the worst of history leaving a long
trail of bitterness and prejudice be-
hind it. Stephen has been called
Jew with Greek culture, the proto-
martyr, greatest figure in some re-
|spects in primitive Christianity prior
to st. Paul. Stephen was not blinss-
ed by undue veneration for the tn
pie and the Mosaic ritual. He mad
vision to discern that these were on
ly relatively important, a means to