The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-21

feet the child? Parroters of progress
sive" thought. who have no place for
Jesus, ignore the tremendous truth
that he who had no child of his own
has been history's one great friend and
helper of childhood.
We reverence as saints and martyrs
the apostles of the early Church; but
during their lives they were a blum
dering lot of humans, who received
many a rebuke from their Master. In
this compact lesson of today we have
a timely teaching upon religious toll
erance. John had come to the Leader
exulting in his orthodoxy in forbid
ding one not a member of their COM
pany to use the name of Jesus in cast
ing out demons. This youngest of the
apostles was early a zealot and a sec
tartan We would not endure un-
group there was no regularity" 1t
was the same spirit that wanted to
call down fire upon the inhospitable
Samaritans.
OF modern parallels every neighbor-
hood has plenty. Here is a minister
who flatly avowS that he would rath-
er have half a, hundred perfunctory
attendants upon his own church meet
ing than to have a thousand in a COM
munity service. Less candid is the
view that it is better for good work to
go undone if not done by a particular
organization. A city minister openly
objected to a publicity campaign in
the newspapers because he was not
interested in getting people to go to
church generally; he would support
only those measures which brought
attendants to his own services. There
is plenty of the stupid narrowness of
young John still in the church
Where is no mistaking the clear at
titude of Jesus himself. DO not for
bid him." said Jesus, for he who is
not against you is on your side" He
was an inclusionist, and not an ex-
clusionist. He sought reasons for
standing with other men, rather than
against them. In his spirit are the
league, offensive and defensive, with
every servant of Jesus Christ"
A League of Hospitality.
This war with it's emancipations,
has been provocative of tolerance and
wide horizons. The two million and
half boys from the United States
and Canada who were in France have
lost their provincialism. When the
chaplains general of the A. e. F. were
learn the religious affiliations of the
men, the returns showed 100 per cent
Catholic. This was puzzlng, because
almost half the men were known to
be of Protestant origin. Inquiry de-
veloped that the soldiers were afraid
lLey HlISnl lose their popular
chaplain, and they valued his real
Christian character and service above
any denominational affiliation; so, just
to be on the safe side, they all en-
rolled as Catholics.
In the Y. NJ. C. A. huts in France
it was not uncommon to have Luth-
eran, Episcopal, Presbyterian Metho-
dist, Baptist and Disciple cIergymen
officiating in the same service. Regu-
larly, the huts were used for Catholic
masses and Protestant preaching serv-
Ices, and sometimes also for Jewish
worship. Protestant heroes were burie d
in the consecurated ground of Cath
olic cemeteries in France; and 1 have
shared in funerals where Protestant
and Catholic clergymen officiated
jointly. Thousands of Protestant boys
have worshipped God in ancient
French churches.
More striking yet are other modern
, illustrations that the tolerant spirit of
Jesus is abroad in the world. Without
touching upon the federated religious
and benevolent movements in this
country, one looks aboard and sees
| Christians and Moslems in Egypt and
Syria in a new truce of Cod" and
Moslems, Hindus and Christians in In
dia working together in nationalist
movements.
The hour has struck for a league of
| liberaity. in the spirit of Jesus, where
| in all friends of man and followers OF
truth may cooperate in human serv-
| ice, each the while holding steadfastly
to his own convictions. Fidelity to
principle and libera1ity in outlook both
are Christian virtues.