The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-07-09

We learn from this lesson how far
man may be wrong and yet be sin
cere. Saul of Tarsus was a conscien-
tious man. In his mistaken zeal he
became leading prosecutor, even to
the judicial or ecclesiastic murder of
Christians. He consented to the death
of Stephen, holding the outer gar
ments Of those who stoned him. HE
made havoc Of the church" "And l
both shut up many of the saints in
prisons, having received authority
from the chief priests, and when they
were put to death l gave my vote
against them" This sounds like he
was a member Of the Sanhedrin, the
great Jewish court of seventy mem
bers. He declared, after his conversion
that he did these things ignorantly,
and that he had lived in all good con-
science unto that day. Pauls. case is
fine illustration of the doctrine that
conscience is not reliable guide. Con-
science is controlled by the judgment.
if the judgment has been warped, con-
science will be warped also. Con-
science is a creature of education. 1t
approves when we do what we believe
to be right, and condemns when we do
what we believe to be wrong. Saul
had an intensive nature. He was
man of action What his hand found
to do, he did with his might" He was
as jealous as a Pharisee as he was as
a Christian and vice versa. Christian
ity does not change the constitution
of man. Again Saul's education
helped to make him intensely zeal
GUS. The Pharisees were great stick
lers for the letter of the law If man
neglected even the traditions Of the
elders he was lost This made them
rigidly strict in the observance OF the
law. They had high regard for the
law and in this they were right. In in
sisting upon strict construction OF
the law they were right. AS society
in the Jewish church, they came into
existence about century before
Christ as a protest against the laxity
Of the church in the matter Of the laws
Of God as written in Moses and the
prophets. 1t is easy to see how these
Pharisees would view Christianiy
which taught that since Christ came
even the church was no longer re-
quired to keep the law Of sacrifices
and burnt offerings. How blasphemus
Christians must have appeared in
their eyes. They looked upon Chris
tians as we look upon those In the
church today who are denying the
divinity of Jesus Christ, His virgin
birth His resurrection and ascension,
the atonement, the new birth and mir
acies. They're that the herisy OF
Christianity must be stamped out, and
to do this they undertook to stamp out
the Christians. After Saul was con-
verted he said the Jews had zeal but
it was not according to knowledge" 1t
seems that Saul was not in Jerusalem
during Christs ministry, for he as
good as says he never saw Him till he
appeared to him on his way to DAM
ascus. The wise men think that Saul
and Jesus were near the same age
Saul attended school at Jerusalem be-
fore Christ entered upon his public
ministry, and had, probably, gone
back home to Tarsus before Christ be-
gan to preach.
Christ charged the Pharisees with
hypocrisy, accusing them Of all kinds
of violations Of the moral law. But
while this was, no doubt true, we must
not suppose that there were no distin-
guished exception to the rule. Saul