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Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, November 09, 1921, Image 2

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The Saloon of Surat.
. (Translation from Greek.)
In the city of Sourat in India, one?
there was a saloon where many trav
elers and strangers were accustomei
to assemble and debate.
One day a Persian theologian call
ed at that saloon; he was a man wh<
had given all his life to the study o:
nature,, theology, reading and th?
writing of books on these subjects
He had studied, read and written s<
much about God, that he lost his rea
son. His mind became confused en
tirely, and he even ceased to believi
in God's existence.
The shah being informed of this
sent him out of Persia in exile.
After he had studied all his life
about the "First Cause," this.pooi
theologian, without being consciou:
of having lost his reason, reached thc
extreme of believing that there is nc
superior ruling the universe.
This man had with him an Africar
slave who followed him everywhere
he went. After the theologian enter
ed the saloon, the slave remained out
side. He sat near the door, upon a
huge rock, und?r the shining sun
'chasing the flies which were buzzing
around him."
After he had settled himself upon
a bench in the saloon, the Persian or
dered a cup of opium. He had drunk
the opium and it began to hasten the
functioning of his mind, and turning
to the slave he spoke to him, through
the open door. "Tell me, poor slave,
do you believe that God exists 01
not?"
"Certainly he does exist," answer
ed the slave and immediately pulled
from under his belt a small wooden
idol. "Here!" he said, "This is thc
.God who has preserved me since the
day of my birth. All the people of
my country worship the holly tree
from which this God is made." This
conversation between the theologian
nad the slave was heard with aston
ishment by the patrons of the saloon.
They wondered at the Master's ques
tion, and much more at the answer
that the slave gave him. One of them
a Brahman, hearing the slave's talk,
turned toward him and said "Silly
and Blind! Is it possible that you be
lieve that God can be carried under
a man's belt? Only one God exists,
Brahma, and he is the greatest in the
world for he created it. Brahma, the
only one, the Almighty God and to
his honor churches have been built
and the banks of the Ganges river,
where his faithful priests, the Brah
mans worship him. They are the only
ones whojmow the tr?e gods. Aft ex
many thousand years, and through
many revolutions and wars, those
priests have preserved their spiritual
power, because Brahma, the only
God, protected them._
Thus spoke the Brahman, thinking
to convince every one. But one, a
Jew broker, who was with the other
patrons, answered him saying "Nay,
the church of the true God is not in
India, nor does God protest the Brah
man's tribe. The true God is not the
god of the Brahmans but the god of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He does
not protect any one else but his
chosen people, the people of Israel.
Since the beginning of the world our
nation and only ours was beloved by
Him. Although we are now scattered
all over the earth, it happened be
cause God wanted to test us, for He
promised that some day He would as
semble His people in Jerusalem. Then
the temple of Solomon "the ancient
world's wonder" will return to its
previous splendor. Israel will become
the commander of all the world."
He wanted to continue, but some
one interrupted him-"What you
have spoken are lies" said he to the
Jew. "You make God unjust! Is it
. possible for him to love your nation
more than the others? It happens to
be otherwise. Nevertheless, God, even
in the ancient times, never loved the
Jews. Nineteen centuries have passed
since they rejected him, and made
him destroy their nation, and scatter
them throughout the earth. And to
day no one is coming to their faith;
a faith which has almost disap
peared."
"God never shows any preference
for any nation. However, he calls
all who wish to be saved to the bosoin,
bf the Roman Catholic church, the
only one, and out of its bounds no
one can be saved."
Thus spoke the Italian. But one
protestant preacher, who was acci
dently present, became pale, and
turning towards the Catholic mis
sionary he spoke as follows:
"How do you dare to. say that sal
vation belongs only to your belief?
The only ones to be saved are they
who are serving God ir; spirit and in :
truth, according to the Gospel as
spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ."
Then a Turk, clerk of Seurat's :
custom house who was sitting near ;
by, smoking his leng pipe, turned '.
his face to both Christians and said !
in a superior manner, "Your faith in :
the Roman religion is in vain. Twelve 1
centuries ago, it gave place to the
true faith of Mohammedanism. No- <
tice how rapidly it is spreading
Europe as well as in Asia and al:
into the celestial land of China. It
said that God has renounced tl
Jews, and in proof it is said that tl
Jews have been humiliated and the
faith expands no more. Then co:
fess the truth about Mohammedi
faith. For its triumphant progress
sovereign everywhere. None will 1
saved except the followers of M
hamet, the last phophet of God. Ar
among them, only Omar's follower
and not the followers of Ali, becaui
the latter were hereticals."
At this point the Persian thei
logian who belonged to the Ali
heresy wanted to answer. But meai
time controversy has been raise
among all the strangers of the di
ferent faith and religions. There wei
Christians, Kopts, Lamas from Th
bet, Jews and Fire worshippers. A
were debating about God's natui
and about the way in which He sha
be worshipped. Each one claimed thz
only in his country was the true Go
known, and only there was worshij
ped properly.
All were bawling and quarrelin
except a Chinaman, a student of Cor
fucius, who- was sitting quietly in
corner of the saloon, and who too
no part in the conversation. He sa
there drinking tea, listening to th
speeches of ?he others, without tali
ing part himWf. The Turk perceive
him and asked his mediation saying
"Can't you affirm my words, dea
Chinaman? You keep silent, but i
you wanted to speak, I am sure yo1
would support my ide?.s. Merchant
of your fellow countrymen who com
to me for some of their hypoth?se
are telling me that although man;
religions have penetrated into China
you Chinese consider Mohammedan
ism as the best of all, and that yoi
are promptly accepting it. Well, con
firm my words, tnd tell us also, you
ideas about the true God, and hi
prophet."
"Certainly, certainly," said th
rest of the crowd, turning toward th?
Chinaman. "Tell us what you thinl
about this subject." The Chinaman
student of Confucius, shut eyes anc
thought a while. Then he opened hi:
eyes again and drew his hands fron
under his wide coat's sleeves, anc
crossing them against his breast witl
sweet and calm voice, spoke as fol
lows: "Gentlemen, it seems to nu
that selfishness prevents men agree
ing among themselves, upon ques
tions of faith. If you are willing t(
hear, I will recite a story and give
an eSample^which .-will ??orplain thif
question.
"On an English steamship whic?
traveled around the world, I arriv?e
here from China. It was necessarj
to stop at some port to procure drink
ing water, and for that reason we
approached the eastern coast of Su
matra Island. It was noon, and some
of us went ashore; under a cocoanul
tree we sat, near the beach, not fai
from a small village. We were a
group of travelers and sailors of dif
ferent nationalities. While sitting, a
blind man approached us, about
whom we afterward learned, that he
lost his sight because he gazed at
the sun for a long time, and was per
sistently trying to discover "what
thing the sun is," so that he might be
able to produce light himself, same
as the sun.
"For a long time he strived to suc
ceed, by looking constantly at the
sun, and the only result of his en
deavor was that he ruined his eyes
and became blind. Then he said to
himself, 'The light of the sun is not
fluid, because if it were it would be
possible to transfer it from one vase
to another and it would be moved
as the water by the wind. Nor is it
fire! Becau?e if it were fire, water
would quench it. Nor is the light a
spirit, for it is visible to the eye.
Nor is it matter, because it can not
be transferred. Therefore, since the
sunlight is not fluid, fire, spirit nor
matter, then it is not anything."
Those syllogisms he made, and the
consequence of his persistence in
looking at the sun and thinking about
it cost him the loss of his sight and
reasoning.
"With this blind man, came a
slave, who after he seated his master
in the shade of a cocoanut tree, took
a cocoanut from the ground and be
[ran to fashion it into a lamp. He
make a wick from the fibres of the
shells and dipped it into the oil.
While the slave was occupied in that
task, his master, the blind man, sigh
2d and said to him, 'Was I not right,
?lave, when I told you that the sun
ioes not exist? Can you not see how
lense is the darkness? And yet men
ire sayinng that the sun exists. But
if it really exists, then what is it?'
" 'I do not know what the sun is,"
>aid the slave. 'It does not concern
ne. But I know what light is. Here
[ have made a lamp and with its as
ristance I am able to serve you, and
it night to find whatever I want in
;he hut. That Is my sun.'
"One who was lame and with
:rutches who was sitting near by, 1
heard the words and laughed. !
seems that you were born blind,' sa
he to the blind man, otherwise it ca
not be explained how you do n
know what the sun is. But $ will t<
you. The sun is a ball of fire, whi<
rises every morning . from the eas
and sets every evening in the mou
tains of our island. We all see tha
and if you had your sight, you mig
see it also.'
"One fisherman who heard the co:
versation said 'If you were not lam
and if you had gone out to sea -..ii
? boat as I, youwould know that tl
sun does not set in the mountain
but as it rises from the ocean evei
morning, thus it sets every evenir
in the ocean. What I am telling ye
is true, because I see it every da
with my own eyes.'
"Then said an Indian, who WJ
our fellow-traveler, interrupted hi:
and said, 'I wonder at hearing a re?
sonable man speak such nonsens<
How is it possible for a ball of fii
to sink into the water without bein
quenched? The sun is not entirely
ball of fire, but it is the goddess cal
ed Deva, who upon a chariot, is drh
ing perpetually around the golde
mountains of Merou. Often th
cursed snakes, Ragu and Ketu a
tack Deva and devour her, and the
the earth is dark. But our sain
priests pray that the goddess may b
liberated, and then Deva gains he
freedom. Only ignorant men lik
you, who have never gone out of th
boundaries of their island can in
agin that the sun shines only fo
their country.'
"Then the captain of an Egyptia:
steamer took the stand and saic
'Nay! you are mistakeni too,. Sun i
not a divinity, and is not movinj
about India and its golden moun
tains. For many long years I hav
traveled on the Black sea, to 'th
shore of Arabia, and sailed as far a
Madagascar, and Philippine Islands
The sun shines throughout the world
not only in India. It does not revolv
about one mountain, but rises in th
far East, beyond the Japanese Is
lands and seut in the far West, be
yond the British Isles. For that rea
son the Japanese call their islam
Nippon, that is Sun's Bed. Of this
am well aware, because I, mysel:
have seen it often, and heard mon
from my grandfather, who sailed t(
the ocean's end.'
"He wanted to continue, but i
British sailor from our vessel inter
rupted him and said. 'The Britisl
people know more about tho. sun'i
movements than^ny other peop??T'?I
everybody in England knows thf
sun does not rise from anywhere, anc
does not set anywhere. It alway!
moves around the earth. We are sur<
of it, because we, ourselves just re
1 cently toured the earth and we nevei
struck the sun anywhere. Wherevei
we went, the sun reappeared in th(
morning and hid at night, as it does
here.' And the Britisher took a small
stick and drew circles upon the sand,
He tried to explain how the sun
moves up in the sky and revolves
about the earth. But his ability was
not sufficient to explain this mattel
plainly, and pointing towards the Pi
lot of the steamer who was present,
he said. "This man knows more about
that matter than I do. He can explain
it to you satisfactorily.'
"The pilot who was a well educated
man kept silent while he neard the
speeches of all, until he was request
ed to talk. And when all turned to
ward him he said, "All of you are
misleading each other, while deceiv
ing your own selves. The sun is not
revolving about the earth, but the
earth revolves around the sun, turn
ing at the same time on its axis, and
turns toward the sun every twenty
four hours, not only in Japan, Phil
ippine Islands and Sumatra, where
we are now, but also in Africa, Eu
rope, America, and in many other
countries. The sun not only lights
some mountain, or some island, or
some sea, or some land only, but also
many other planets with the earth.
And if you will only look upward to
the sky instead of looking down to
the ground under your feel, you
would all be able to understand how
this happens, and then you will not
believe any longer that the sun shines
for you or your country only.' Thus
spoke the wise piiot, who had travel
ed much in all the countries of the
world, and had many a time observed
and studied the heavens above.
"The same happens with the ques
tion of faith, continued the China
man, the student of Confucius. Ego
tism is the cause of men's faults and
discord between themsel/eS As it
happens with the sun, so it happens
with God. Each man wishes to have
a particular God for his island. Each
nation wishes to confine God whom
the whole universe can not contain,
in their own church. Is it possible for
any church to be compared with that
:hurch, which He, God established in
arder to unite all men in one faith
and religion?
"All human churches have been
built according to the model of that
roUNTAlK PLAY? IM
CENTER ?T COURT
1J&ETWXE.M TWO IwriR.MA'Rl?
In one of the most extensive fights
?hat has ever been made by any re
ligious body in America for the eradi
cation of disease, Southern Baptists,
through their Home Mission Board,
have undertaken the task of combat
ing tuberculosis In the 18 states com
prising the territory of the Southern
Baptist Convention. The first step In
this direction was the recent estab
lishment on a tract of 143 acres at El
Paso, Texas, of the Southern Bap
tist Sanatorium, where $500,000 from
the 76 Million Campaign has been In
vested and where $500,000 more will
toe placed by the end of the Campaign
period. The Institution is located at
an altitude of 4,500 feet on the side of
Mt. Franklin and commands an excel
lent view of the mountains of New I
Mexico, Western Texas and Old j
Mexico, whoso border is only six miles !
distant. Dr. H. F. Vermillion is super
intendent.
Included in this plant at present are
the administration building, the newly
completed women's infirmary and
jfe?ty/s infirmary, a heating and re*
^f^eratlhg plant and the superintend?
ent's quarters. Provided for in the
building plans for the future are a
medical and educational building,
nurses' home, children's building,
dormitories for convalescent patients,
an occupational and vocational therapy
building, chapel, laundry and minor
atructures.
150 People Die Daily.
: Indicating the need of additional ef
fort looking to the elimination of tu
berculosis In the South, reliable fig
ures gathered by the public health
agencies 'of the South and the Nation
.how that there are 150 deaths daily
from tuberculosis ID the IS states
e?mprising the territory of the South
eta Baptist Convention, making the
ainual death toll of the white plague
Utfthls uectioa of the country alone
church, which church is God's world.
Every church has its foundations, its
domed ceiling, its lights, its portraits,
its statues, its epigrams, its legal
books, its anthems, its altars and its
ministers. But what church has foun
dations as that of the ocean, with
domed ceiling as the heavens, lights
as thc sun, moon and the stars, por
traits to compare with people loving
and helping each other? What epi
grams can be so easily understood
as those engraved upon nature, on
which God has lavished his blessings
for men's happiness? What book of
law can man more easily understand
than that one engraved upon his
heart? What sacrifices can be com
pared to those sacrifices to which
men and women who really love are
proceeding mutually? And what al
tar can be compared to that of a vir
tuous man's heart upon which God ac
cepts the sacrifice?
"No matter how little a man com
prehends the idea of God, it is much
better for him to know Him. The bet
ter acquainted he is with God, the 1
more he will be attracted to Him, the
more he will imitate His kindness,
and love toward men.
'Hence, he who sees the light shin
ing upon the world, let him abstain
from accusing, or disdaining the su
perstitious man, who, in his partic
ular idol sees only one ray of His
light. Let him not disdain the unbe
liever, who is blind, and entirely un
able to see the sun." Thus spoke the
Chinaman, student of Confucius, and
all who were present in the Saloon of
Surat kept silent and never debated
again whose faith was the best.
G
Translated by D
EVANGELOS SER VETAS. J
mr Jj B or
ROMANS INFIRMARY
BAPTIST SANATORIUM
S.U IUDINQ
57,782. The death rate from tuber
culosis is 14.2% higher in the South
than in the Nation as a whole. One
reason for the exceedingly high death
rate In the South is the great preva
lence of the plague among the negroes
who are especially susceptible to tuber
culosis, the death rate among them
being three and or/e-half times that
among the whites. But inasmuch as
the negroes will doubtless continue to
be intimately associated with the
whites In domestic and other work in
the future, the whites will never be
safe from infection until the negroes,
as well as the whites, have been freed
from the plague.
It has been estimated that the to
tal economic loss from the ravages
of tuberculosis in the South is $175,
000,000 a year, and in projecting their
warfare against the plague the Bap
tists hope to greatly reduce this loss,
as well as to save the life and promote
the health and general efficiency of
the whole people.
Would Educate the People.
IE addition to providing treatment
for persons who have already oem
*T was weak and run-down,"
relates Mrs. Eula Burnett, of
Dalton, Ga. "I was thin and
just felt tired, all the time.
I didn't rest well. I wasn't
over hungry. I knew, by
this, I needed a tonic, and
as there ls none better than
The Woman's Tonic
... I began using Cardui,"
continues Mrs. Burnett.
"After my first bottle, I slept
better and ate better. I took
four bottles. Now I'm well,
feel just fine, eat and sleep,
my skin Is clear and I have
gained and sure feel that
Cardui Is the best tonic ever
made."
Thousands of other women
have found Cardui just as
Mrs. Burnett did. It should
help you.
At all druggists.
UCT
The Best Hot Weather Tonic
ROVE'S TASTELESSchill TONIC enriches the
lcod, builds up the -whole system and will wo.
eriully strengten acid fortify you to wiilis?und
ie depressing effect of the bot summer. 50c.
woiis Warfare
his Section
INVITING
CORNER, or*
yiw's INFIRM ARV '?
trusted tuberculosis, the sanatorium !?
carrying: on an educational work that
seeks to inform the public at largo
through the printed page, as to th?
danger of tuberculosis, how it can be
avoided and how, once it ls con
tracted, Its progress can be arrested
through proper sanitary measures at
home. Other phases of the educa
tional program include the training ;
of workers Inside the sanatorium and
occupational and vocational work for
patients. The extension department !
is widely disseminating literature on ;
how to combat tuberculosis. An en- !
downiest fund that is being created
for the institution will make possible
a much larger circulation of literature?
and will also enable the institution to
take care of indigent patients.
The sanatorium is.at present seek*
lng to devise special plans whereby :
it can serve the negroes of the South !
in combating tuberculosis. It ls .felt',
that the negroes' inability to help ?
i themselves in the matter entitles flem j
to this consideartion and that this;
assistance should be given, further
more, as a means of self-protection on.
the part of the whites.
Other Phases of Baptist Work
in addition to the Tuberculosis
Sanatorium, Southern Baptists hare a
string of seventeen regular hospitals. \
in operation and sevsn others under
course of construction. This hospital
property is valued at approximately !
$7,000,000 and these institutions last !
year treated 46,000 patients many of i
them being charity cases. Southern Bap
tists also operate 19 orphanages in.
which approximately 5,000 orphan boyg
and girls are cared for, educated and j
trained for Christian cltizsnsbip. /
Abbeville-Greenwoori Mu
tual Insurance Asso
ciation.
ORGANIZED. 1892.
Property Insured $17.226,000.
WRITE OR CALL on the under
signed for any information you may
desire about our plan of insurance.
We insure your property against
destruction by
FIRE, WINDSTORM, or LEGET- ,
NLNG
and do so cheaper than any Com
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Remember, we are prepared to
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and cheapest plan of insurance
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Our Association is now licensed
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tanburg, Aiken, Greenville, Pickens,.
Barnwell, Bamberg, Sumter, Lee,
Clarendon, Kershaw, Chesterfield.
The officers are: Gen. J. Fraser
Lyon, President, Columbia, S. C.,.
J. R. Blake, Gen. Agent, Secretary
and Treasurer, Greenwood, S. C.
-DIRECTORS
A. O. Grant, Mt. Carmel, S. C.
J. M. Gambrell, Abbeville, S. C.
J. R. Blake, Greenwood, S. C.
A. W. Youngblood, Dodges, S. C.
R. H. Nicholson, Edgefield, S. C.
J Fraser Lyon, Columbia, S. C.
W. C. Bates, Batesburg, S. C.
W. H. Wharton, Waterloo, S. C.
J. R. BLAKE,
General Agent..
Greenwood, S. C.

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