The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-11-07
MOB RULE HISTORY
IT. bible TIMES

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Pages Show Spirit Of ]
Acteristic Of Cent
, While wild assertions and haselesa
charges of mob rule and lawlessRess
are being placed at the door Of the
Knights Of the Ku Nux Klan it is
interesting to look back through the
pages of history. In the last issue
of the Christian Endeayor World, or
gan Of the Christian Endeayor So
ciety, appears an article headed, "Mob
Rule in the Bible"
Bearing in mind the mobs that
killed a Kansman in Pennsylvania,
beat up minister who favored the
Khan, and broke up meetings and
severely injured scores Of members
Of the order with showers of bricks
and stones, it is interesting to read
what Bible history tells Of mob vio-
lence. After reading with an i'm
partial mind the facts is brought to
mind that though the Bible mob vio-
lence has not attached itself to the
Gentle or the Christian. The in
stincts of mob attack on unfavorable
persons shows itself as being part Of
the nature Of persons who are known
to be without the portal Of the In
visible Empire. The Christian En-
deavor World article states; ~
Mobs are a very ancient institu-
ton. They are the herd run wild,
and when it runs wild it Is capable
of very terrible things-things which
individuals. members Of the herd
would not dare to do single-handed.
The evil passions of a mass Of people
are united into a overwhelming force
that, drives the mob onward in its
work of destruction.
Probably the most famous Bible in
stance of mob rule is given in Acts
10, describing the riot at Ephesus
which Demetrius the silversmith in
stigated. This man cunningly ap-
pealed to the cupidity of the people.
Paul was destroying their business.
If he were allowed to continue to
preach, Diana would cease to draw
pilgrims from the ends of the earth,
and the walls of the city would fall
to pieces. So we read that when the
people heard this they were filed with
wrath; the city was thrown into con-
fusion, and they rushed to the theatre,
having captured two of Paul's COM
panions.
Nowhere in literature do we find a
more accurate description Of the mind
of the crowd. "Some cried one thing,
and some another" "'The assembly
was in confusion" 1.-THE more part
knew not wherefore they were come
together" Behind all this, however,
we see lurking the sinister figures of
some Jews who brought forward
Alexander. They knew that the mob
must have a victim. Alexander
should be the victim. He tried to
speak, but all things on earth mob
is the most unreasonable. They
drowned his voice, in shouts: "Great
is Diana of the Ephesians." Noble
patriots! \
The town clerk, who kept his head,
brought the multitude to its senses
by reminding the people that they
were in danger of being accused of
rioting. Painting the beast skunk
home.
Centuries before this, of course,
rioting was common enough. There
is the case of Lot in Sodom. The two
angels that had visited Abraham en-
tered the city of Sodom and were
made guests of Lot. We do not know
why the Sodomites wished to do them
harm, but it is certain that they
gathered around the house and de.
manded their victims. They were
thwarted in their purpose, as we
know, and the city was destroyed.
The riot that broke around Paul ir
the temple in Jerusalem (Acts FL
27) is a good sample of religious
riots, and shows how an appeal tt
bigotry usually finds response. The
Jews 'stirred up the people," we are
told, and in few minutes the tenn.
pie court was filed with a surging
bowling mob clamoring for the life
of Paul. These noise spread to thu
city, and the streets were filed will
people running in the direction o.
the trouble. The whole city was il
confusion, and it was only the deter
mined attitude of the captain of til,
band that saved the apostles life.
We have no details of the stoninl
of Paul at Lystra (Acts ID: 1917, bu
enough is said to show that cunning
men played upon the passions of TIT
people and drove them somehow t,
frenzy. It is possible for a groul
of people to lash themselves into mad
ness. The more one reasons will
them, the madden they become. TIL,
more right you are, the more the.
want to crush you. When they can
not answer argument, they can EN-
lploy force. This is what happene,