The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-08
For September 10 is. THE Arrest of
Paui"-Acts 21:17-40
Rome NV the Riot R0ufe

ison Square, New York. This spot has
come to be a forum for the discussion
of issues which the workingmen deem
most alive and important. There were
four meetings under way at the same
time What was my surprise to find
that none was upon socialism or single
tax or woman suffrage or the garment
makers strike but that all four were
dealing with some aspect of religion!
One was discussion, rather tumultu-
Gus, among Jews. over the Ten Com
mandments One was a straightout
evangelistic service, conducted by the
churches. Another was a rather in
cohate presentation of the social i'm
plications of Christianity. while the
fourth, and largest, was a joint debate
on the historicity of Jesus.
1t would have been well if every
newspaper editor. every preacher, ev-
cry law-maker and every teacher in
North America could have studied that
dramatic evidence of the present pop
ular interest in religion. Those hum
dreds, or thousands, of toilers spent
the greater part of their lunch hour
il. standing in the boiling SUM- list en-
ing to amateurish talk about religion.
The war bulletins had no such
crowds. There was no self-interest
and no partisanship in the throng. I
estimated the number of men who
seemed like conventional church-
members as entirely negligible. The
W Whole demonstration illustrated the
ancient and ineradicable interest of
mankind in the things beyond sense
and time. AS says the old proverb,
Man is an incurably religious ami
NAL" One of several phases of a
Billy Sunday campaign more remarks
able than the evangelists preaching is
the vast outpouring of people, church
goers and non-church-goers, who are
frankly interested in vital religion
The scenes on Madison square, in
| the Sunday tabernacle, at the great
| Christian camp meetings and confer
| eneeS and conventions are linked his
| torically by a fundamental tie, with
| the riot at Jerusalem which resulted
! in the arrest of Paul. For they all
| spell mans supreme interest in reli-
! gion. No other question ever arouses
! so earnest discussion as religion. Be-
| cause everybody has within his own
| heart what Wordsworth beautifully
| calls 'Intimations of Immortality" he
is concerned with the question of an
! other life and another world. The
| preacher who thinks he must preach
/ upon sensational topics. and-to use
! the words of the editor of a famous
| religious weekly concerning a 'popu-
lar minister of his cfty.-"compete
| successfully with the other amusement
| enterprises of the neighborhood,'
shows himself a poor student of hui
| man nature. Religion, in every fresh
genuine, vital expression, is the most
| interesting subject in the world Thai
proposition can be. proved by a great
| array of present-day evidence.
An II Am Ready Man.
It was a question of religion that
| set the city of Jerusalem by the ears
as it attempted to mob the apostle
Paul; even as it had been a question
of religion that had crowded the great
theatre at Ephesus with a noisy mob
Before we get to the riot that led
to Rome, we should recall the circum-
stances. Paul had journeyed stead
fastly(to Jerusalem, tho warned by
loving friends, some of whom had the
prophet-gift, that bonds and impris-
onment and death awaited him. Hi,
answer to the friends in the house
of Philip of Caesarea revealed the
man. What can you mean by thus
breaking my heart with your grief
Why, as for me, 1 am ready not only
to go to Jerusalem and be put il
chains but even to die there for the
sake of the Lord Jesus
There you have Pauls great begues
to this day, a message that is echoed
from every battlefield of the grea
war. 1t is an easy and noble thing tt
die for a great cause. The dad are
not to be pitied, but the slackers and
the shirkers. the miserable creature,
who have purchased personal safet,
and comfort at the price of honor
Pity the person who has no conviction
and no cause for which he would
gladly give up his life. Envy, if YOU
will, those great souls who, like Pau
rejoice to burn out for God and thei
fellow men. The clarion call of tn,
great apostle comes ringing down tn
ages, bidding US to live greatly and t
| dare greatly and to suffer greatly in
great time like the present.
A beautiful picture is painted b,
Luke of the tender ties that strongl.
bound those early Christians together
: PauFs journey to Jerusalem was on
prolonged sacrament of friendship. A
| Jerusalem. James and the brethren
greeted the missionary lovingly. an,
assembled to hear his story. What
| privilege was theirs-to hear hot from
the lips of Paul himself the narrativ
. of the great experiences which tn
Sunday schools have been studyin
for months past.
,, The concilatory spirit of the fer
apostle is shown by his sharing tn
ceremonial vow of four fellow Chris
tan Jews, to prove that he had no
repudiated the law of Moses.
Even this precaution did not avail
to satisfy the enemies of the Gospe
for these. having seen him on tn
!, street with Trophimus, the Ephesiar
= assumed that he had taken the Gree
: TITO the temple. That story had tn
So me foundation as most scandals con
corning public men. They say
nc warrant for believing i'll of any
body. And to repeat a SANDER con
, corning a person. unless we have first
u hand, law-proof evidence. Is not onl
sinful, but criminal. The point is on
t to be borne in mind during poIitics
campaign.
o When the City Turned Out.
= Like a good reporter, DIR. LUX
n knew how to write a vivid picture c
e a mob. We see the Jews from Asi
raising the false charge that woul
h create a religious issue We hear tn
r clanor of their voices. We follo'
the mob cry as it runs from narro'
. street to narrow street. thru the oil
!. city. Out of bazaars and homes streaI
the people towards the temple. Mo:
& of them do not know what IT Il a
s about: in that respect they were