The Washington herald., 1917-06-10
Faith.

why seek ye 10 XIII me! were the
saddest and most plaintive words that
who were encompassing his death.
There were conflicting opinions con-
corning Him; there was much mur-
muring among the multitude about
Him. Some said: He is a good man.
And others said: No, but He seduceth
the people. or all His pains and sor-
rows and persecution He endured, the
most acute came, / think, from the
mistrust in Him and his intentions;
from the doubts that arose about
Him, from the unwillingness or fall
ure to believe in Him.
He was animated with the best dis
positions toward the nation and peo-
self and to God in bonds Of sincerest
love. How often would ! not have
gathered thee and thy children within
thee" said He weeping over Jeru-
salem, "but thou would'st not"
He would confer upon them price
kings and prophets have desired to
see the things which you see and have
not seen them, and to hear the things
which you hear and have not heard
them" He would teach them divinest
wisdom. truth serene; Il have spoken
dict-He seduceth the people. And
SO they prosecuted Him and put Him
to death.
Faith on Believers Conditions.
In the treatment meted out to
Christ, I find a picture Of the threat
that faith has received. Ridicule, con-
tempt, persecution. doubt. denial, mis-:
representation, have been the lot OF
faith to endure just as II was Christ'S
lot. The opposition and destructive
tendencies Of the world toward faith
are truly inexplicable, save on the
understanding that, though men cry
for truth like PLATE, they win have
it only on their own conditions ana
in their own terms. Like Christ, faith
presents itself in the light and atti-
tude of a benefactor. 1t would lead
the world TO rest and peace, to truth
and wisdom. Its adversaries II can
address; why seek you to kill Me? ]
aim only to tell you the truth. ! have
spoken openly TO the world. I have
always taught in the synagogue and
in the temple. II have spoken i'll.
give testimony of the evil. But II
well, why strike Ne?
But the world has got 1t into its
head that faith seduceth the people,
impedes the exercise OF mind. COM
pletely destroys liberty Of eXamina-
ton and makes US incapable of en-
braCing an elevated and Independent
philosophy. 1t is proclaimed that faith
IedCneS DuI anu %
morbid sentiments and unhealthy emo
tions; that 1t weaves around a man
a web OF merely ideal and impalpabIe
aims and obligations, robs him OF
God-given rights and privileges, sub
stituting slavery for Hberty. chains
for emancipation. demanding mans
acquiescence without certainty and
promoting an intangible spiritual GER
tainty without scientific demonstra-
ton. Away with it; it seduces tho
people. 1t is a traitor to human in
tellisence. Strangle it; or deny 1t and
doubt it.
Light for the willing.
st. Paul expresses it as his convic-
tion that IL the princes OF this world
had known the wisdom of God as re-
vealed through Christ they would
never have crucified the Lord Of
Glory. Similarly, il the world could
be brought to even a faint glimpse of
the radiant light OF faith, men would
not be so hasty in their opposition, so
cruel in their persecution, so unrea-
sonable in their doubts. The causes
whence springs their antagonism lie
within themselves, and do not origi-
nate in any radical defect on the part