Show THE OTHER CHEEK ais the bight of impudence or the depth of now cowardice ardice may bo both for a dastardly assailant when chastised for repeated assaults upon au an adversary to whine out that the object of his violence has none of the spirit of turning the other cheek when the first one has been smitten ip this is the complaint about us presented by the mendacious scribe who has made it his daily business to void his venom against the NEWS how many times is any one expected to submit to personal or other assaults from a vindictive and unscrupulous enemy without turning upon him something more corid J than the other cheek Is a believer in the christian creed never to defend himself against an adversary are there no limits to endurance and silent submission Is t contrary to christian principles after both cheeks have been smitten and smeared time and again by a creature who counted on non retal bretal lation to cudgel him with vigor and hold him up to scorn and detestation we think not wedo we do not so understand the precepts of the great teacher we admire both sides of his character and both features of his examples he was the christ just as much when he wielded the scourge of thongs as when he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and his words were quite as much Ju inspired when he advised each of his disciples who hd had not a sword to sell W his coat and buy one as when he propounded the doctrine of turning the other cheek there is an old adage about patience hf ceasing to be a virtue 4 when a coward strikes at a pen peaceable ce person repeatedly expecting that he will bear it without resentment and even turn the other cheek to be buffeted he may be surprised at a change of action but has no reason to complain if he gets a good drubbing A and n d w when h e n a purveyor of f falsehood alse ho od counts on the forbearance of an adversary ver sary because he has kept silent during constant misrepresentation it displays considerable Ic cheek beek to twit the aroused recipient of repeated abuse with a lack of christian spirit for turning upon the li beller instead of continuing to turn the other cheek why dont you turn the other cheek is the cry of of the sneak and the skulking slanderer who from the shelter of the press shoots his inky darts at persons vainly expected to bear insult with pious resignation ignation reg 1 A aa brave man who engages in an encounter expects to give and take and if he gets the worst of it submits with as good grace as he can and rather admires than sneers at the vigor of his opponent the policy of nonresistance non resistance which some people suppose to a part of the christian system was never intended to be carried to the absurd lengths which they imagine the spirit rather than the letter of the masters word should govern circumstances also must be taken into account A rule that would be safe to f ollow follow in some conditions of society would be dangerous even suicidal in others and that which would be proper end and binding among brethren or people influenced luene edby by the same principles would be unsuited and unsafe among enemies endurance of injury without retaliation is essential to the formation and development of christian character it is to be cultivated within the lines of reason and self preserve tion it strengthens ns the soul and defines the spiritual nature it brings peace and calm satisfaction but it is not designed to prevent self defense nor intended to throw personal or national doors open to the uninterrupted assaults of the assassin or the invader whether these terms be of literal or metaphorical ph orical application there are times and CBS i and occasions when the assaults of the vile and the violent may be suffered in silence or treated with th profound contempt there are others that demand different treatment ando duty as well as jus call for active returns of blows administered or attempted we hope to be prepared for and able to discriminate between these dif different conditions when self restraint is the proper course coarse we desire to have grace to pursue it and when it Is necessary for self defense or the aid or of our friends to stand up and strike we trust that we will always find d something more potent to offer than the other cheek |