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THE KING’S BUSINESS
“He answered that although this was true, yet everyone ought to contribute towards the maintenance of pastors. “I returned that each should give volun tarily what he wished, but that this money had nothing to do with the salvation of the soul. “ ‘But,’ he retorted, ‘if we have not one of these documents of pardon bought from an accredited agent or minister of the Pope, vice-regent of Christ and successor of St. Peter, we cannot be saved.’ “ ‘And .has the Pope really given you per mission to sell this pardon?’ ‘“ Of course; Because His Holiness the Pope observes and teaches according to St. Peter, and I, as his servant, carry out his teachings.’ “ ‘Then you believe and practice all that St. Peter taught his disciples?’ “ ‘Of course. Otherwise 1 couid not be a true minister.’ “Drawing a Testament from my pocket I began to prove to all present that neither the Pope nor this priest was following the teachings of St. Peter, but was really gain ing money on false pretenses. I then read words of Peter to prove that one could not buy the pardon of his sins with money: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation re ceived by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ’ (1 Peter 1-18). Turning to Friar Gregorio I asked him to explain these words of his first Pope. “His only reply was to snatch the wreath from his head and to ask; “ ‘Are you a missionary ?’ “ ‘No,’ -I . said. ‘I am only a seller of Bibles.’ “A man then stepped up and bought the Testament I was reading from, and as the priest, and I were having dinner, I noticed that the people were intensely interested in listening to one of their number reading it. “After dinner the priest called me aside, asking: ‘Are you a Protestant?’ ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I protest against all these abuses of yours, but I am really a Bible Christian.’
“ ‘Well,’ said he, ‘let us not quarrel, but rather unite forces, for I am very poor.’ “I said: ‘NO! I am selling Bibles and not deceiving poor people as you are.’ “I then left him in the passage and once more entered the dining. room where all were busily •engrossed in the Testament. They at onde requested me to read it to them, which I did with great pleasure, After a silent prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit, I urged them all to join with me in prayer. This they gladly did, and thus a dance was changed into a Christian prayer meeting. “The priest was not able to sell any more of his documents of pardon, but I sold many Testaments and Gospels. To God be all the glory !”—The Record of Christian Work. The Central China Post prints this com position of a Chinese pupil of a London Mis sion school : “Now there is a great battle in Europe. This began because the prince of Austria went to Servia with his wife. One man of Servia killed them. Austria was angry and so fight Servia. Germany write a letter to Austria,. I will help you. Russia write a letter to Servia, I will help you. France did not want to fight, but they got ready their soldiers. Germany write a letter to France, You don’t get ready or I will fight you in nine hours. Germany to fight them, pass Belgium. Belgium say, I am a country, I am not a road, and Belgium write a letter to England about Germany to them. So England fight for Belgium.” While American missionaries in Turkey have been treated well, the awful destitu tion due to the war is almost unbearable, even the brave veteran, Dr..Shepard of Ain- tab, being disposed to return to America, if no help for the starving people is to be forthcoming. In Syria the wonderful Beirut Press is obliged to discharge its trained men, a loss which they say cannot be made good for years to come. The missionaries are helping multitudes on the brink of starva tion, the conditions of the wretched Syrians daily becoming more desperate.
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