Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-27

IlOyu george, the bTlllSn premier,
recently stirred up a hornets nest by
scolding the preachers for meddling
with public affairs. They should,
pei" and leave political and indus
trial questions to public men. The
prime minister was doubtless speed
lily sorry hat he ever so spoke, for
from every quarter of British press
and pulpit came straight, strong
words, reminding him of his cwn
past utterances to the contrary; and
OF the Christian church's plain duty
to call officeholders to account when
they depart from the standard OF
Christian integrity in national affairs,
ana of the simple truth hat the gos-
pei is concerned with all of life, so
that wherever wrong is done. there
should De heard the swift. clear. on
demnatory word of the preacher,
crying. THUS saith the Lord"
This episode has a contemporary
parallel in the United States. as well
as in the New Testament story
which is this weeks Sunday school
lesson. Following the precedent of
the business men who threatened to
withdraw support from the Young
Women's Christian Association be-
cause 1t adopted a social service
platform committing the organiza-
ton to a program of political, indus
trial and social righteousness, a
group of Pittsburgh leaders criticised
the ministers of the city for likewise
"meddling" with matters outside of
their sphere. The ringing reply of
the clergy sounded like a page from
the Old Testament prophets or from
the Apostle Paul. 1t is manifest that
the Christian pulpit of Pittsburgh
may not be dictated to by business.
In like manner, when representa-
tives of large financial interests at
tempted to rebuke the Federal
Council of Churches for it's actions
and utterances upon the theme of
iustrial relations, the leading pull
its of New York cried out in fear
less tones of independence. DR..
Harry Emerson Fosdick's rmo
with his clarion assertion that the
pulpit of America is mot for sale,
gentlemen! Not for sale!" is hav-
ing q quick, wide circulation.
This entire group of recent expert
ences. IN both sides of the Atlantic,
is one of the significant developments
of Dur day. 1t is acting as a tonic
upon week kneed and wobbling
Christians everywhere. A new de-
claration of independence for the
ministry of the gospel is being writ
ten. The pulpit's championship of
the wronged in every sphere of life is
being indicated. The dauntless
proclamation of righteousness as the
n and only standard for all classes
and callings of mankind is seen as
the present duty of every person who
teaches in the name of Christ. Should
there be a proportion of timid, truck
ling, time-serving ministers in the
sacred calling, they will find them
selves carried forward to the ad-
vanced position of the entire church
militant. The threadbare sheer that
the church fawns upon the rich and
defends property rights above human
rights is being disproved by current
events. The present lesson is peril
nent.
A Great "News Story
History's "star reporter" is DR..
Luke, who was special correspondent
attached to the staff of Major Cen
eral Paul, who led the victorious
Christian invasion of Europe. Every
line that Luke wrote throbs with
life. He had the news sense for hui
man interest. His narrative of the
first events following the crossing
over from Asia is a story passing the
power of modern journalists. In a
wonderful feat of compression. he
portrays, in living colors, a business
woman'S conversation and hospital
ity: a fakir's undoing; a ferocious
attack of vested interests upon the
preachers of truth; an incident of
shrewd Indictment to mob passion
and action. with consequent miscar-
riage of Justice; a midnight scene in
an oriental dungeon: a dramatic in
terposition of Divine justice; a Ro-
man official living up to his code; the
magnanimity of his prosecuted her
oes; the quick conversation of the
calloused keeper of the prison. and
his gracious hospitality and social
service; his manful assertion of citi-
zenship rights by the two preacher
prisoners; the confusion of the cow
ardly politicians and the triumph of
the undismayed missionaries. For
sheer interest, from a journalistic
standpoint, this Philippian expert
enc of Paul, which the Sunday
Schools are studying, is unsurpassed.
Only those persons who read the
Bible as an unreal book, without
respect to time, place, personalities
or sequence, can fail to catch the
III oiilahA ioaliNy VI hioI SN1litP
in the history of Christianity in Eu-
rope. The third great experience in
Paul's experiences is told here. First
came his conversion from Judaism
to Christianity; then the momentous
decision that the gospel was for the
Gentle as well as for the Jew; and
now the proof that it belonged to
Europe as well as to Asia. We may
easily imagine the enthusiasm of
Paul's party. as they gathered about
their leader in conference at the
close of the day. in the home of that
successful business woman, Lydia
of Thyatira, - Christianity's first
convert in Europe. Their vision and
faith were being ~vindicated. The
first fruits of victory in Philippi were
the same as the gospel had borne in
the cities of Syria and Cilicia and
Asia Minor.
This is the time to forge a link
between the region of Thrace and
the Apostle Paul. We are reading
occasionally in the cablegrams and
reviews of the Thracian question:"
and of the rival claims of Greeks,
Bulgarians. Macedonians and Turks
to Thrace. AS experts" enlighten
us on this question. they writ. learn
eddy of Alexander the Great, and of
his father. Philip of Macedon-after
whom the city of Philippi was nam
ed-but it is to be remembered hat
the most important fact about this