Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 268, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1914 — Page 2

Back to the Bible

Application of the Script area to the WerU Today as Seen by End* neat Nan in Various Walks ot Lite

fCopjrnght, 1314. by Joseph B. Bowlool

A NEW GOLDEN AGE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD. I <Bjr MKLVTN a ROVE KYLE, D. D„ LL. D., Egyptologist; Lecturer on Biblical Archaeology In Xenia Theological Seminary; author of “The Deciding Voice of the Monument* In Biblical Critlel >K i 00 vsm. It was not amid the sands of Egypt, the swamps of Babylonia nor the moon-

Print that he had great things to give oui to the world. Thitf is what he told me: Boosing himself for a moment, he ■wept his hand around the ranges of •helves that lined the walls of the •tody, saying: "All these shelves are filled with tablets of the profound metaphysical, theological and liturgical developments represented in this collection from the Nippur library, the work of the greatest school of the scholars of that period, the last temple school, which represents the very best scholarship of old Babylonia, 3500*SOO B. C.”

Here was a Golden Age more than two millenniums before the Golden Age of Greece and Rome. Here metaphysical thought had mounted to the highest point reached by Plato in his doctrine of ‘ldeas, ’’ which constituted the reality of things. Moreover, with theee old Babylonians, or Sumerians, as the scholars call them, the reality of things was not In the “Idea” In the mind of man, but in the mind of God, God with a capital letter, though they were not, In all things, wholly monotheists.

Then these little clay tablets give us the liturgy of the worship of the world 6,000 years ago. And the startling thing about liturgy among them Is, that they had all of It. “The liturgies of the Sumerians are the source of the liturgies of the Babylonian and Assyrian temple service.” All the world of worshipers has added nothing to it since. All the other liturgies, except, perhaps, the Egyptian, ,show the influence of this. Also, a Sabbath is here, though apparently not the Sabbath. There was a seventh day service in the temple, though no evidence of a general day of rest for the people. * i The wonder increases as we draw nearer the central teaching of their theology. “One thing particularly marked these liturgies—human consciousness of sin with a search to be better, to right one’s self.” .Then there is recognition of failure to “right one’s self,” with recourse to another, “one of the gods bearing the sins of the nation, one of the deities taking upon himself the sorrows of. the world and the troubles of mankind. It is still far from the Christian notion, but It is inherent, in the embryo. More often it is the mother goddess, sometimes her son, who suffers.”

Is this the hint of a Bible before the Bible? No, but the constant representation of the Bible is that the hope of a mediator, “the seed of the woman,” was in the %?orld from the beginning, and the revelation of hope was first to all the world, and after that to a chosen people. That first message would go along all lineß of world migration and we may expect to find faint echoes of it everywhere, mingled. Indeed, with the weird teachings of myths and idolatrous worship, yet still echoes. And the farther back we get, the clearer should be the echo. This is. as yet, the farthest back, a new Golden Age. Who shall say it was the first?”

AHIJAH AND THE DIVIDED KINGDOM. * • (By HERBERT L. WILLETT. LL. D.. Dean DUclple*’ Divinity House, University of Chicago.) There are times when patriotism is shown by a quick sensitiveness to national honor and the sacrifice of' all Interests to the politicalj prosperity of a country. There are other times in which patriotism can best be proved l by devotion to the moral and religious life of a people, even at the sacrl floe of Its material prosperity. One of ttye best historic Illustrations of this principle, is to be seen In the story of Ahljah of Shiloh and his prophetlo friends. The reign of Solomon, King of Israel, came to its dose in M 7 B. C. with the halo of soecesa. A great nation bad been built up in a brief period. The of the older

tain gorges of Asia Minor, but In the quiet of the museum study at the University of Pennsylvania that the new Golden Age was found. The distinguished Oxford professor sat wearily back in his arm-chair and closed his eyes and said: “I am very weary; I will talk while you write." Dr. Gordon, the ■ curator, had Introduced me to Professor Langdon with the

Ufa of Israel had been abandoned for a centralised, autocratic, despotic power. Yet the nation was proud of its king and did not greatly resent the price It was oompelled to pay for political success. But the prophets were of another mind. They had seen the older sanotitles of Samuel's age gradually obscured by Solomon's secular splendor. Even the building of the temple was of questionable value to religion. Another period of similar military, commercial and political success might place the religion of Jehovah at so serious a disadvantage as to threaten Its complete overthrow. To meet ( this , emergency, Ahljah and his colleagues determined to intercede with the new king, Rehoboam, the son of . Solomon, In behalf of a return to this simpler and more normal life of the past. At a national convocation held In the old sanctuary city of Shechem, away from the distractions of Jerusalem, they presented their petition to him, only to meet his refusal. He would become even more autocratic than his father. In the emergency they sacrificed their political hopes, and those of the nation, by deliberately rending the kingdom asunder. But In that act, which forever doomed Israel to a divided and weakened political life, they saved the religion of Jehovah. From the standpoint of political expediency and superficial patriotism it is difficult to forgive -these men the deadly Injury they brought the growing state. But their interests were deeper. They were prepared to sacrifice a national glory that was perhapß as dear to them as to their fellow citizens, In order to preserve a more precious possession.

THE FORCE OF FAITH IN GOD AS ALMIGHTY.

Oy WARREN A. CANDLER, D. D., LL. D., Bishop of th« Methodist Episcopal Church, South.) Creeds look to many like snowcapped peaks in a mountain range,

If a man- really cherishes belief of such transcendent meaning his character must be greatly affected by it. Moral perfection is impossible without such faith. The commonest virtues require a certain sort of heroism to maintain them. What is right often quite impracticable, and if one does not believe in a God of righteousness, who will not forsake him who walks the way of virtue uncalculatingly, he will depart from the path of rectitude. Wherefore it is said, “Without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is'the rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6). If any man believes that he can do right in every day life without such faith, let him try it. A faithless soul does .not pursue virtue very far until it turns back in despair saying, “I can not afford it.” To an agnostic mind “the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mbunt are iridescent dreams.” 1

Enduring morality is the fruit of faith. If we extirpate religion moral life will wither away and die; for we can not have the fruit when we have dug up the root of the tree that bears it. In the light of the vision of God by the soul the sturdiest virtue lives and grows. God must be seen as the Almighty before a man will dare the bravest and purest endeavors .after goodness. This faith is the force of life.

Capitalizing Courtesy.

“A nursed grudge growing out of a surly answer has been responsible for many of the troubles of the railroads,” says the president of the Southern railway in a letter to the road’s employes. “Let us then all try to please the public." Railroads have many troubles, some of which the average intelligent person believes are imaginary. But here is a railroad president who believes that discourtesy on the part of employes toward the public is responsible for some of these troubles. And one may easily agree that his theory Is. plausible. Courtesy Is not ordinarily considered to have any commercial value. One should be courteous because courtesy Is a sign of good breeding and tends to promote social peace and order. Here it Is seriously proposed td capitalize it; to make the social grace pay dividends. —Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Wealth of Nations

The United States is richer than say other two nations. The two richest nations after our own are Great Britain and France, rated as follows: Orest Britain, $76,Cp,000,000; France, $60,000,000,000, making, together, $126/ 400,000,000. The wealth of the United States is $136,000,000,000; giving It s considerable excess over Orest Britain and France combined- The wealth ol Germany is very near that of France ■< $43,000,000,000.

cold, remote, and utterly unrelated to life; but like those white heights, there flow down from them refreshing streams which redeem desert wastes from desolation and sterility. The first article in the creed com* monly called the Apostles Creed declares, “I be- • lieve in God the Father Almighty.”

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

FRIGHT KILLS AS GREAT GUNS ROAR

Night, of Terror in Antwerp Is Described byJJewspaper Correspondent. • r MANY LOSE THEIR MINDS A \ Psychological Ravage a Greater Calamity Than the Material Havoc, —Germans Fight Fires and Put City in Order at Once.

By JACQUES OBELS.

Antwerp, Belgium. —On arriving in Antwerp I found the city gates guarded by strong detachments- of marines. The encircling forts flew German flags, white with a black cross and crown on the corner. ,A German flag also fluttered in the wind on top of the cathedral spire, 500 feet up. My military pass, given me In Brussels, readily admitted me to the city, one area of which had suffered terribly from the bombardment. Apparently, the Germans had concentrated their fire on this section and seldom altered the range. ,

The principal damage, however, was the result of fires, the origin of some of which is doubtful. Numerous ires broke out after the Germans entered and it was difficult to control the flames, as the water supply was interrupted, owing", to the destruction of the pipe lines from the reservoirs near Fort Waelhem through an explosion.

Germans Fight City's Fires. The Germans fought the fires with energy and courage. They formed bucket brigades to bring water from all available sources. They also aided the inhabitants to save their goods and chattels. When these were piled in the streets they placed guards oVer them and mounted patrols were scattered throughout the city to protect property. Of course, the people generally had fled, but adventurous and dangerous characters • remained and prowled through the streets after nightfall. I saw no looting by Germans in Antwerp. ’ ,

Some of the people died of fright during the bombardment and others lost their reason. Few families passed through the ordeal without one or more of their members suffering mental disturbance. Probably, on the whole, the psychological ravage was a greater calamity than the material ravage. Persons on every hand still are so upset and so strangely changed that they seem like different individuals. Watching men and women at dinner or luncheon, the observer notices how their hands tremble as they lift the food from the plates to their mouths.

Tells of Night of Terror. The first night of the bombardment produced harrowing scenes. Women and children, rudely awakened in the middle of the night, left home half clad and rushed along the pitch dark streets, panic stricken by the continual bursting of shells above and around them. Before long 'the sky was red with the reflection of burning buildings. I was told by eyewitnesses that the spectacle thfen revealed in the streets was like an awful nightmare. Confused masses of terror mad people rushed this way and that. Old men and women were carried out of the houses and the sick were brought out into the streets and borne along in the arms of the well. Mothers were seen hurrying on and distractedly calling for their children. It is alleged that there was a headlong race for the city gates, which were found securely locked. Those in authority had escaped before the shelling began. No police could be seen and every soldier was at the front. Nobody appeared and there was no natural leader to effect a semblance of order. The confusion and despair reigned unabated until dawn, when the crowds escaped. Wish Refugees to Return.

The riverside is eloquent of the destruction of war. . The floating bridge blown up by the retreating Belgians and the wrecks of the boats that supported the bridge can still be seen half submerged. The German steamers held as prizes were rendered useless by damage to the engines. Detachments of soldiers were busy at the docks loading confiscated goods and an unbroken stream of wagons moved toward Brussels carrying merchandise, ammunition and food, with all of which Antwerp wa's stocked to overflowing.' The German government Is making extraordinary efforts to induce refugees to return to their homes. Bills have been posted guaranteeing-public safety and some of these bills have been seflt to Holland for distribution. The fugitives are returning In increasing numbers, though the town is still dead.

ft should be remembered that the bulk of, the population &caped before the bombardment began and the terrors described happened to those who remained in their homes In spite of the warnings of the authorities! They had no' idea of what a bombardment would be like, and no notion of the terrifying ants disastrous effects of the German shells. \ ./.. All the stores are* selling foodstuffs. They were ordered"to be v C; ,V

GERMAN OFFICERS IN DUGOUT

Along the intrenchments of both armies such underground shelters as these are frequent, and in them the officers make themselves as comfortable as possible. %

opened by Tuesday or they would be forced to open. streets are full of soldiers, to know their way about. They* make free use of the Belgian motor car left behind when the beaten army, shielded by fine rear guard fighting, effected its escape.

I was surprised to see a big London motor bus driven by German soldiers transporting stores. I hear that several of these vehicles were here and that they were employed successfully in assisting the Anglo-Belgian retreat. Every public business has been searched thoroughly and is carefully guarded. The headquarters of the general staff are in the building recently vacated by the British and Russian ambassador. The king’s palace has been left severely alone. Temporarily Belgium is at a low ebb financially. To pay the levy on Brussels of £10,000,000 ($50,000,000) the municipal authorities were compelled to resort to the issuq of paper money of various values. Silver is unobtainable and on top of it all the Germans are issuing one mark (25 cents) notes which are legal tender in Belgium, but worthless in Germany. Millions of these are in “circulation and more are being printed. Questions are being raised as to the validity of the recently issued 5 franc and 20 franc ($1 and $4) notes and consequently the public is bewildered. t Not a Shot Misses Fort.

Any one imagining that German marksmanship is defective is deceived. I interviewed the Belgian officer who commanded Fort Lierre and wlio, with his family and garrison, was driven across the Dutch border. He said that not a single shell aimed at his fort missed and observers put out on the observation tower rarely escaped, so quickly did the opposing artillery find the range. The fighting spirit of the German officers and men cannot be excelled. They are eager and willing to die for the fatherland. If any one on the allies’ side, doubt this,'he would .better purge his mind of such doubt promptly. Social democrats in the ranks are full of the same spirit. I spoke to several of them about the heavy German armaments, and every man replied that while they had objected to the armaments and deplored the taxation, they now realized that both were necessary for the existence of Germany. Praise for Brand Whitlock.

The work of Brand Whitlock, 'the American minister at Brussels, is endless, and his success in meeting the demands upon his time and strength by persons in trouble will be one .of the fine memories of this war. Belgians of all sorts and conditions Call on him for counsel and protection and they never go away empty handed, if Mr. Whitlock can help it. He is, indeed, looked upon as the natural guardian of the oppressed Belgian nation. Oftener than the world is ever likely to know Mr. Whitlock has stood between weakness and innocence and the merciless impact of the mailed fist. Not that he has acted In any way Inftnical to Germany. He has- merely placed himself firmly on the side of justice in cases where without his intervention crying injustice would have triumphed. So definitely does he symbolize justice to the Belgian mind that the people touchingly cherish the hope that somehow America, whence this minister springs, will take some step to alleviate the unspeakable disaster and miseries of Belgium.-

DANES KEEP THEIR HORSES

No Animal Under Five Year* Is Allowed to Be Exported to Germany. Copenhagen. —The restriction that no horse -under the age of five years must be exported from Denmark has greatly limited the supply Germany can draw on for military purposes. German horse dealers are pulling the teeth of horses to make them appear older before the veterinary Inspection which they are compelled to go through before permission to export can be obtained. The ruse has been discovered aqd many horses Intended for the war have been stopped at the frontier, 1 k ‘ ‘ -’ - •. s ■ , .L. ■ ~

CALLS BISHOP “OLD BOY”

Methodist Says Episcopalian Treats Him as If He Were an Old Pal. London. —One of the papers prints a letter from. a Methodist chaplain now in camp. “The men greeted me kindly in the mess,” he writes, “but I am not used to being saluted by men when I walk from my tent or lift up my head. I can not walk a foot without being honored as if I were a king. But as a balance I in turn must salute the general and colonel, which my Independent spirit does not welcome, though they are very. nice to me. Neither do I like the circumscribed area in which I move.” >

The bishop of London is in the same camp, occupying a wooden building On the door of which is painted “Ladies’ Club Room.” His rjelations with his nonconformist colleague seem to be very cordial, from the following: “The bishop I found exceedingly nice. He will call me ‘old boy,’ as if I were a pal and an old u pal of his. He asked me to read the lesson at his service last night, and to give the address next Sunday night, and to read prayers for him at the parade service next Sunday, which I shall do. I cannot exaggerate his graciousness and brotherliness, though that word is not sufficient.”

USE POTATOES FOR WIRELESS

Italian Priest Discovers A Unique Method to Intercept Message Without Use of Batteries. Florence. —Father Alfani, director of the Florence observatory, said recently he thought that the invehtion of the priest Domenico Argentieri of the system to receive wireless messages without the use of poles or batteries was scientifically sound. Father Alfani related that after the declaration of war the Italian government forced all private wireless stations, including that of the Florence observatory, to discontinue operations. The next day Father Alfani obtained from Father Argentieri copies of official wireless messages which the priest had been able to intercept without a wireless installation. There are many ways to do this, Father Alfani explained. One of the most simple was the very elemental expedient of sticking two steel needles into a potato. < -

DIED FOR THE FATHERLAND

Germans Fear God and Nothing Else, ■' Is Epitaph on Trench of Dead. v New York.—“ Germans fear God and nothing else.” This was the epitaph printed and tacked on a board at the head of a long trench of German dead, which was read on the battlefield at Saarburg by Gustav Voelker of Brooklyn. Voelker, who Is an American citizen, and who was visiting relatives In Alsace-Lorraine at the outbreak of the war, was a passenger aboard the Holland America line steamship Ryndam, in port today from Rotterdam. “Many of those killed In battle were unburled when my cousin, Lieutenant Oscar Jung of the flying corps, took me over the battlefield In an auto,” said Voelker. "The Germans had fought the French under overwhelming odds and had beaten them. Those of the fatherland who fell —and they were many— only this stem epitaph to mark their grave.**

FINDS BEETHOVEN A BELGIAN

Paris Figaro Says Great Composer Came From Louvain—Suggests Reclassifying His Music. - , Paritf.—The Figaro has discovered that Beethoven was a Belgian and that he came from Louvain.' The family later lived at Antwerp and Ghent The composer’s grandfather was buried in a Louvain church, which was burned by the The Figaro suggests heading all future Parisian concerts of exclusively Belgian mult by Beethoven's symphonies.

Excuses For Not Becoming A Christian

Bf REV. HOWARD POPE

Sop«faitaiclait of M«a, Moody Bible Inuitut* j. v Chicago

TEXT—They all with one consent be gran to make excuse.—Luke 14:18.

doubtless cost Peter many a sleepless night. He was rash and impulsive, Always saying the wrong thing. Even after he had been with the Master fpr three whole years, he was guilty of falsehood and profanity. Yet Peter, by the grace of God, overcame his ba!f record, and so gained the victory over his besetting sins that later his testimony is “Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” There was Mark, the backslider, who, not discouraged by his signal failure, made a fresh start and became so steadfast and reliable that the Holy Spirit selected him to write a history of the Master’s life. Today millions of people are prayerfully studying the Gospel of Mark, and are thanking God for it. Little did he expect such a career after deserting Paul and Barnabas at Pamphylia, but God knows how to use even a backslider to fyis glory.

11. Remember that Christ did not ©ome to select here and there a perfect man and thus make up a church; he came to seek and to save the lost. He is not looking for righteous men at all, but for Binners. He came expressly to lead such to repentance, and the encouragement which he offers is that he bore the penalty of their sins on the cross and whosoever will may be saved. The strange thing about the Gospel is. that it reveals God’s love for those who have made a bad record, and his desire to blot it out and give them a chance to make a new record.

Notice the great variety of ways in which God describes the putting away of the believer’s sins. In Isaiah 38:17 we read, “Thou hast cast all my sins behind f thy back.” “But,” someone says, “God might turn around and all my sins would be in full sight.’’ Sure enough. And so we read in Mlcah. 7:19, “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” That Is better, but they might wash ashore? Very true, and so God says in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Now, why should you so persistently remember what God so graciously forgets? Why should you keep in tbe foreground what God is willing to put behind his back? Just throw that bad record in with the rest of your sins and have them all disposed of at once, and then you can have the sweet conthat though you hiay remember your sins, God has entirely forgotten them. Remember also that the longer you wait the worse your record will be. 111. While your bad record will hinder you somewhat, it also will help you. It will tend to keep you humble for one thing, and that will be no small gain. It will enable you to sympathize with others who have made a bad record, and to encourage them to hope for better things. Indeed, your bad record In onq sense will become your strongest weapon of warfare.

IV. Consider also that If you have a particularly bad record your conversion will be a greater triumph of grace than if you were only an ordinary sinner. Jesus Christ claims that he can save the worst of sinners and so change them, by the power of his grace that he will actually be proud of them in heaven. He Is searching the world for hard cases on which to demonstrate hls power. * V. And may It not be that In heaven' those who have been the greatest sinners will be the loudest pralsers of the Redeemer’s name? When the Pharisee Jesus for allowing the outcast woman to weep at hls feet the 1 master said, “Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. A certain man had two debtors, the one ovyed five hundred pence and the other fifty. When they could not pay he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?” Simon answered, "He, I suppose, .to whom he forgave the most” Jesus replied, “Thou hast rightly judged,” and then he drew a contrast between the proud, self-righteous hoßt and the sinful, sorrowing woman who was weeping out her penitence and bathing hls feet with her tears. Even bo our theme In heaven will not he the good deeds we have wrought on earth, but the matchless grace that redeemed us, and the greater the sins from which we have been redeemed, the greater triumph of grace shall we have tq proclaim. • . ... t

Quite often we meet this excuse, "I did something once which gave me a bad record.” I. Very likely. But remember that all who have ever been saved had made a bad record of some kind. Peter had good qualities, but he also had bad habits wffich called forth sharp rebuke ' from the Master, and which