The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-01

nchfeu, anu WIOSe lOOtStOol 10 tho vow"
We know no more Of the divine nature
than Moses and the prophets revealed; all
speculations Of all ages reached not an
iota beyond the JEHOVAH, the ineffable, in
expressible, and incomprehensible cause
Of all causes-Life, Existence, Power, and
Understanding, absolute, eternal, and un-
limited.
Therefore those who maintain that
religion signifies to worship God, to serve
Him in order to please Him, should, Of
necessity, in the first place, define pre-.
cisely the divine nature of God in order to
arrive at fixed principles how to please
him. Incapable as man is to do this,
speculations, vague and absurd, must be
resorted tO-speculations based at best
upon probabilities, in most cases upon
mere words. These speculatious are be-
fore us in the various systems of Pagan
ism they are before us in a more system
attic form only in the dogmatics of all
creeds and sects, and we know the Baby
lonian confusion and the Egyptian dark
ness into which they have led"
Speaking of religion as q dangerous in
strument in the hands of fanatics, he al
luded to the heather practices Of sacrifice,
and said
"This is only the beginning of the dread.
full consequences of one radical error.
Therefore, ten thousand martyrs were
killed, a hundred thousand heretics, schis-
matics, infdels and 'free-thinkers, witches,
and necromancers were tortured, slaugh-
tered, burnt, and their families prosecuted
and exterminated. Therefore the cru
sades, the inquisition, the duto-da, feS, the
persecution Of Jews, Moors, Protestants,
and-but no, we will say no more. There.
fore religion became a curse in the hands
of fanatics, and is that still in numerous in
stances, because it left its legitimate basis,
the elevation of human nature, and resorted
to vague and absurd speculations."
The Doctor next alluded to the new form
of worship which the branch he represent
ed have adopted, and as this portion of his
sermon is interesting, we quote literally {:
"It cannot be denied that some Of our
Jewish brethren, in the simplicity of their
hearts, also are led by the belief that they
worship p God in certain form in order to
please him, and that this is the main OBJ
ject of religion. Therefore they cling te-
naciously to any old form Of worship be-
cause it is old, and nobody can maintain
with certainty that this is not exactly the
form in which the Lord deigns to be pleased.
Therefore they pray to be led back home to
Palestine when their hearts do not think
of leaving this our beloved country they
pray to God to give them king, son of
David, Messiah land Messiah means
king, when honestly and openly they pro.
fess to be free-born republican citizens,
who would not submit to any royal yoke.
/ Therefore they address prayers to the
Most High to rebuild the altar of Jerusa.
lem and reinstate the bloody sacrifices,
although they are well aware that
bloody sacrifices were mere concession
to the age in the time of Moses, and that
none would worship God to-day with bull
locks, goats, and sheep. Therefore they
cling to forms and observances, however
useless and misunderstood they may be
now; however contrary to our views,
wants, and conceptions.
"Judaism, the system taught by Moses
and the prophets, the bards and sages Of
Israel, the religion for which our fathers
lived and died enthusiastically Judaism,
the mother of all revealed religions, is not
responsible for these phenomena in the his
tory of religion. Judaism teaches the
great and good principle that God must be
worshipped by the elevation of human ma
ture. We know this to be the will Of our
Maker, ITO do all the words of this law , :;
and more we do not know; 'the myste-
ries belong to the Lord our God Juda-
ism is the voice which crieth through its
sanctuaries to level path in the desert, a
road in the wilderness to remove the
misery, the tears, the atiliction, the woe
from the human family; it cries against
despotism and tyranny in any and every
form, against violence and injustice, against
crime and cruelty, against all vices and
corruptions it cries to straighten the in
curvations and level the precipices, that
the glory of the Lord may appear in the
goodness and happiness Of his children.
"Our sanctuaries are destined for the
worship of God by the elevation Of human
nature. Here the worshipper must be i'm
proved, enlightened, and elevated; he
must become better man or better
woman, with a nobler heart, a more gene
rous soul, with more confidence in Gods
goodness, wisdom, justice, and power,
more trust in His paternal love, and more
conviction Of all that is good, great, and
} divine. Here the wOrshipper must gain
new strength, not only for himself, but
also for his humane mission, to go forth
from the Lords altar an apostle of truth,
harbinger Of light, a standard-bearer OF
} justice and virtue, an angel Of consolation
to those who mourn, a pillar Of light to
those who walk in darkness, rock OF
strength to the feeble and sinkiDg-this il
divine worship, and this only can claim
such a distinguished name. We know this
to be the will Of God; we know that the
. Father is pleased with the happiness o
His children. Whatever means and forms
serve this purpose, those are the right
means and the best forms; whatever
prayers, petitions, hymns, psalms, obser
vances, ceremonies, or forms in any form
are not subseryient to this end, are uSeles!
and absurd.
Therefore, We brethren Of the Congre'
CATION House of Israel, as you have at
tached yourselves to the side Of MinhdI
america in the camp Of Israel, to the side
of progress and enlightenment within the
pale of Judaism, therefore this temple viii
} be dedicated TO the worship of the Mos
High by the elevation of human nature
: SO the glory of the Lord will appear in thi
r house, and all flesh together will see tina
. the mouth of the Lord hath spoken TIL,
3 names of Israeps prophets and martyrs, th'
/, souls of our departed fathers and mothers
testify in this solemn hour that the hous
Of the Lord shall be the house for the ele
q yation of humanity"
= The speaker then enlarged at considera
q BILE length upon "Truth as the most pre-
5 cious gem of humanity, in the progress o