The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-10-23

only few weeks
The Sanhedrin DR.. Foreman
was a combination Of Pope, SUI
preme Court and Cabinet. They
were the supreme authority in the
land. They could get people killed.
Nobody would think Of "bucking"
them. Yet Peter and John did ex-
actly that
There 10 One Higher
One special feature Of Christian
courage is that 1t is not frightened
by high authority. When asked
how he managed to have the nerve
to defy Hitler, Martin Niemoeller
7(who had been a naval officer I'M
der Hitler said, 1T was simple. ]
had a higher Fuehrer, a higher.
Leader" Christians always know
that above every human, earthly
authority they have an allegiance
to the All-Highest They may real
lie that human authorities can
make it very unpleasant for them;
but that makes no difference.
Take the case Of Ambrose, a
bishop Of Milan nearly seventeen
centuries ago. Emperor Theodosius
appeared one morning at the
bishops church, expecting the red
carpet treatment as usual. But not
this time. For Ambrose was at the
door and would not let the emperor
in. Theodosius as emperor had just
been in a war. Ambrose was not
pacifist. but he knew that his royal
highness Theodosius had slaugh-
tered over 1000 people in the city
Of Thessalonica, - most of whom
were non-combatants. That was q
war-crime. Bishop Ambrose
pointed out 1t was like the slaugh-
tiers Of old King David. And you
must do penance as David did" he
said, "or will never admit you to
my church" The emperor could
have killed Ambrose he had killed
many for less: but Ambroses cour-
age conquered him. He actually did
public penance, too, and there were
no more slaughters of the innocent.
Two Thousand TumuIts
Il have put down two thousand
tumults," said another Christian
preacher, at the close OF his life
which had been packed with mar
row escapes. His name was John
Calvin. Starting out as a student
and writer. q shy sort Of scholar,
he had been drafted into becoming
a virtual dictator Of a city that
needed a dictator II one ever did
The city threw him out, but before
long they discovered they could
not get along without him, and
persuaded him to return. He had a
different kind Of courage, the cour-
age needed by a man in authority,
in high position.
Against Madness
II one kind Of Christian courage
is to stand up against higher au-
thority in the name Of the Highest,
If another kind Is to stand against
the crowd for what a man knows
to be right, there Is : third kind
Of Christian courage which 10
needed sometimes. It is often a
losing kind, at the time, but it is
thrilling all the same. A roaring
Chinese mob, one day at the begin
ming Of this century, all with muir
der in their hearts and knives in
their hands, surrounded mission
airy named Horace Pitkin. Have
you anything to say before we kill
you?" they screamed. YES" said
he. Tell my son to come out to
China and take my place" Now
emperors can be persuaded, and
crowds can be controlled; but a
mob with the taste Of blood is
simply mad; and with madness
there Is no argument. So they cut
Pitkin to pieces. Yet even this
seemingly hopeless courage had its
reward. When Horace Pitkin's son
went out to take his fathers place,
as he did, he found, as one Of his
first converts, a man who as a boy
had watched that missionary die.
From that moment" this Chinese
said, II wanted to know more
about the religion Of q man who
would not be afraid"
tBased on outlines copyrighted BY
the Division Of Christian Education,
National Council Of the Churches Of
Christ In the .. s. A. Released by
Community Press Sevics.)