8
WAR IS BREAKING
DOWN PREJUDICES
Sunday School Lesson Upon
Tolerance and Brolher
liness
Tlie International Sunday School I/es
mg for April HJ is "Peter and Cor
nelius."—Aets 10:1-23.
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS
A proud Roman and a prouder Jew
one day lost their historic prejudices
and became not only tolerant of what
was on the other side of the high wall
which divided them from their other
p«ople, but actually crossed the wall
themselves. This lesson tells the
story. Crowded with incident. It re
veals an angel talking to a heathen;
a pork-abhoring Jew who learned that
all meats are clean; and a strict fol
lower of the law of Moses visiting in
the home of a Gentile Roman, and
telling him a story that brought a sec
ond Pentecost.
Such a great experience is well
worth studying, especially when the,
blasts of war are breaking down old
aversions and divisions and prejudices
and at the same time creating new
ones. Never was a lesson upon toler
ance and brotherliness timelier than
now. The Christian Church has not j
always been tolerant of tolerance. It i
is only of recent years that we have
understood the Christian virtue of j
bearing with another's beliefs which
are different from ours. Now our
horizons have been pushed out, and
we know that we "are all members
one of another" and we sing:
"For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of man's mind;
And the heart of tlie Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind."
If we want another "Pentecost like
unto the Gentiles" as the old church
lathers called the experience in the
house of Cornelius, it will come only
after a fresh awakening to the truth
that God has present-day messages
for us; and after a new vision of the
inclusiveness of the Gospel.
The present popularity of the
preaching of the Gospel for all the
world may have consequences that
will extend far beyond our conven
tional understanding of a foreign mis
sion revival. Our petty regulations
and codes and insularities and pre
judices will have to give way to a
broader understanding of the world
of God.
A Seeking Soldier
Travel, observation, reading and
maturity of thought all play havoc
with petty prejudices. There is no
class or calling or race or nation that
a wise man is willing to condemn. It
will co hard with some students of this
lesson, so strong is a certain antipathy
to militarism, to realize that God sent
his angel to a soldier. Captain Cor
nelius was a military man. stationed
at Caesarea. a town on the Mediter
ranean coast some thirty miles above
.loppa. His duties were altogether
those of a soldier, and outwardly his
life was controlled by the profession
of arms. Withal, beneath his breast
plate he concealed a heart hungry for
God. Spirituality belongs to no sect
or group or condition of mankind.
Our contact with Cornelius should
teach us that Godliness is a universal
aspiration.
This seeking soldier did more than
aspire. He prayed and he served.
Both his charities and his prayers
came up before God; for to such a
soul God would not deny himself. He
followed the light he had —and it is
to be recalled that although reared
among Roman polytheism. Cornelius
believed in one God, and so was given
more light.
To him an angel appeared and bade
him go to Joppa for Peter. Little as
It may accord with our notion* of h
unturlca, viiis soiaier v.'a.-s of
sort to whom angels appear, and
he could look unabashed into the face
of a heavenly visitant.
A Jew Who Broke Caste
Nobody discards ancient prejudices
t»r convictions in a minute. Peter liad
been slowly prepared for A-hat was
( oming to him. Pentecost had broad
ened his horizon, so that at Joppa he
sojourned with a tanner, whose catl
ing was prescribed to the Jew. The
naturalness of the vision that came to
Peter Is apparent, lie was hungry.
He went to the common oriental
lounging place, the housetop, to wait
until dinner should be ready. There
he fell into a trance and had a vision
af food—a great sheet let down from
heaven containing all manner of
beasts and reptiles and birds. A voice
bade him "Rise Peter, kill and eat."
As man is prone to do, Peter remon
strated with God: for "I have never
vet eaten anything unholy or impure."
Foolish braggart, hurling his Pharisai
cal righteousness into the teeth of
God. The voice answered again,
"What God has purified you must not
regard as unholy." Three times this
was said, and then the vision was
withdrawn.
A twentieth century fault was that
of Peter's. He was over-fastidious.
We are in danger of being refined into
inefficiency. The church is so inter
ested nowadays in her grammar and
in her manners that she is alienated
from the toiling, dusty, sweaty crowd.
That, if anything, is proved by "Billy"
Sunday's successes. Tt is less import
ant that the Church be correct in bet
outward forms than that she be close
to people.
Clearly, though, our day is learning
the lesson that the program of God Is
broader than the prescriptions of our
creeds, and books of church govern
ment. We And non-Kpiscopalians in
Episcopal pulpits: unimmersed Chris
tians at Baptist communion tables,
*nd women in Presbyterian pulpits,
and Unitarian hymns In orthodox
hymnals. On the whole, our time is
'.earning with Peter the lesson of
iolerance.
Coincidences That Arc Providences
A certain man was accustomed to
9ray, "O, Lord, prepare me for what
:hou art preparing for me." God
vorks both upon the field and the
orce. It exalts our thinking to recall
ihe universality and the Immanence
I Rheumatism!;
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I Sloan's 5
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KILLS PAIN
■ "Keep a bottle in your home." M
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ixmuuiuuuujuuLMHa
FRIDAY EVENING, HARRISRI7RG (Ajjfts TELEGRAPH 'APRIL I I, 101(1
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of on all-knowing God, who makes
ready the man for tbe work and the
work for the man. He speaks at one
and the same time to Cornelius and
to Peter.
Cornelius' messengers were wel
comed by Peter. He went with them
the next day. He took a chance of
being unconventional. He dared to
be different. To him it had been
taught that the open-minded teacher
was perhaps being prepared for an
open-minded seeker. God had been
busy both in Caes and Joppa that
day.
Most coincidences are provinces.
Usually we do not see the meaning of
events until afterwards. We are con
fident that history will reveal why
America has been set apart in a unique
place during this world turmoil. It is
in no particular allusion to ourselves
but to all the peoples of earth that
we say with the poet:
"Still behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow.
Keeping watch above his own."
A Task Too Big For Angels
Someone asks "Why didn't the
angels tell Cornelius what he needed
to know?" Ah. that task is too big
for an angel. The story has never
been told by them. The Good Xews
must be man borne. Only redeemed
men and women can carry the tidings.
The gospel tarvels only on human feet
and by human lips. The world will
never be saved by angels. That high
est of all honors is reserved in tribute
to human personality.
Peter could do more for Cornelius
than the angel could. As the late Dr.
Arthur T. Pierson once said, "How
ever poor a preacher, I can preach
the gospel better than Gabriel can,
because Gabriel cannot say what I
can aay, 'I am a sinner saved by
grace'."
After little more than a day'si
i I journey Peter reached Caesarea. A
' long journey, you say? No. At this
L very day men are traveling far to
serve their fellowmen's spiritual needs
■ or to seek an answer to their per
plexities. They will cross continents
,to hear certain preachers and teach
ers in hope of spiritual rest. There
is no consideration impelling to travel
1 like that of spiritual unrest. Suppose
we give right of way to spiritual con
cerns, remembering the tragedy of
the men who are "too busy" to culti
vate their own souls; "too busy" to
fellowship with their own families:
"too busy" to serve the kingdom of
God. Peter was busy: but he had
time to make this long journey for
the sake of an inquiring woman.
What barriers religion levels! Proud
I Cornelius threw himself at Peter's
| feet. He was quickly raised again,
I with the remark, "I am but a man!
God has taught me to call no one un
j holy or unclean." Gone was the an
j clent Jewish sense of superiority.
Within the house of the soldier
! Peter found a large company, com
j prising the relatives and friends of
the host. So to them he preached the
old, old story—and 10. the Holy Spirit j
' fell on all who were listening to the i
' message, to the amazement of Peter's j
1 Jewish companions.
Once move the great Apostle showed !
his greatness and his grace: for he did |
not. balk at the final step of baptism. !
No "proslyte of the Gate" or outer
court converts for the new church.
1 Those upon whom the Spirit had come
were baptized and made members of
' the Christian community. Criticism
followed, but Peter had followed tne
Light. The Spirit had bourne witness
i and there was no gainsaying that testl
i mony. So was passed a crisis In
Christian history, and the church
' for all time that in Christ
Jesus there Is neither Jew nor Gentile,
ibond or free.
Bartenders Four Liquor
in Armless Man's Throat
Elizabeth. N*. J„ April 14.—"What
, are you here for?" Judge Owen Ma
j hon asked William Parker, an armless
j man who said his home was In Pttts-
I burgh, Pa., in police court to-day.
"They say I tipped my elbow too
| mucn last night," replied Parker, and
he added, "I guess they are right about
' it."
"The complaint states you were In
a state of intoxication," continued
1 Judge Mahon. "Explain to me how an
armless stranger in Elizabeth can get
| in that condition."
"Easiest place I have struck since I
[ left Pittsburgh, Judge," declared
Parker. "Every place I visited the
barkeep served me by pouring the
drink down my throat."
"Altogether too much service," said
the Judge. "After you give me the
i names of your willing assistants that
I may prosecute them I will order
1 your release. T serve notice that any
j one I get evidence against as pouring
booze down a customer's throat will
: get sixty days—all the statutes allow
this court to impose."
CASTORIA
For Infants and Children
In Use For Over 30 Years
Always bears _
Signature of
•JEWKI.KY BUSINESS SOLD
Special to the Telegraph
Lykens, Pa., April 14. Charles
Wiggens, a jeweler of Lykens, has sold
out his business to a jeweler from Vir
ginia Mr. Wiggens expects to go into
business in the South.
Pretty Teeth A dd to the Natural
Beauty of All Faces
tt '4 f '"" l "^ lhw^h, *«^REß , o"p'CHAßGE"' """ " ,,d l " T *
m*mmw£w
9fc" r etory work. Ido my work absolutely pa!nlea» u,
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- ' «Sr _J\" therefore are able to render the very best of arrvlrra
7^"' "" '■» or tier to
' . Th^r^T Cnj - E " al " e AII C *" , *'^ b
.C/ijSiiHonra, 8:30 A. M. to »l P. M. Cloned on Mundaya
f, : > ~■, 7| »»« Man., Wed, aad Sat, Evening* tntll OP. HI.
DR. PHILLIPS, Painless Dentist
W'-' : WF R M MARKET ST.
«Sa2fiS»' 4 * OVER HUB. Bell Pheae.
Branek Offlceat Philadelphia and Rending. Gtraan Spoken
LADY ASSISTANT.
TAKES A XKW WIFK AT HI
First I)rad Three Wwks, Would Xol
Spend I'ussovcr Unwed
Special to the Telegraph
St. Louis, April 14. Yuddle
Schwartz, 84 years old, and Mrs. Sarali
Genfiont, 58, obtained a marriage li
cense to-day. When they applied at
the license office Schwartz said it cost
liim s.*>o to find his bride. His first
wife died throe weeks ago. Accord
ins? to his religious beliefs, he said,
lie must not spend Passover as a single)
man. So lie put in a hurrvup call
with a "schatzen" or marrying agent
the couple were married this after
neon by a rabbi at the bridegroom"*'
home.