Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-18

4h0cc lew LusttnCSb Will bu4llCe
Of show with what success the " Doctor
aas gwen the ar bbip lessons
Hebrew. If space permitted, / wouI
e1deavor to give a few lessons in return
= But this would De supeTfiuous. l woul
!" only add, in this connection, that wei
[ and my co r~eligionists to interpret ou
Hebrew Scriptures as DR.. Ford undel
stands them, WI would have 70 abando
Judaism and embrace his faith. For
have no doubt that nom the very hrs
r chapter of the Bible he would prove (t
e his satisfactorily that the fundsmenTa
doctrine peculiar 10 orthodox Chris
tianity-the TriRity-is taught in tn
{" Greed Of Israel" He has csrtsinl,
astonished the " Israelites Of Memphis,
whose special attention he ~soIicits, b,
the very ~grstuitous affirmation, at thu
E clsse Of his article, that " the gEsat BODY
: Of Israel agree" with him that "Ckris
r Is the only hope Of q ruined World"
REV. DR. wIsE-HIs ESSENCE OF JUDA.
ISM.
, Before closing, allow me, Mr.. Eiitor
, to refer to q statement OF DR.. Ford,
which, though il does not materially
affect the SUBJECT under consideration
deserves special attention, SIS II IL calcu-
lated to prejudice the community here
against q man whose views On religion
seem to be wholly misunderstood, and
against q large class Of society whose
svowed leader and champion be Isl
mean the Rev. Dr.. Wise, OF Cincinnati.
| mad occasion, IL my last, to refer to q
little book of his-the Essence of Ju-
daism "-not for the purpose Of pr0vjHg
any article in Z creed, but simply, as L
expressly stated, for an explanation anu
Illustration of the ssms. To this DR.. +.
takes exception, saying that Dr. Wiss
cannot be considered L" an exponent OF
israel's creed" he being o sort Of Jewish
4" V0itsire," whose "infideiity" is
taught, only in = different drsss, in the
very book L refsrrd to. Now, l think
DIR. z. must know very little Of DR..
WIS character, writings and practice, OF
be would not have INDUCED Ia such ian
guage. Voltaire was s sco6sT of all re-
vealed religion, as well as an fnfdsl.
DE-. Wise IL Al ardent defender of Raii-
gion, both in the pulpit and tbs press
He has been for the last fifteen years the
Spiritual Guide Of the most prominent
and influential Congregation in the
" great West" and the Editor OF two
Jewish psriodicaIs-the Isrdekits aud
Ds60rdh-whoss circulation Is greater
than that OF all the other Jewish papers
in this country combined, which are
read by hundreds and thousands Of the
Jewish persuasion in every State sld
territory of this land. Such Is his popu-
larity, that he has been invited to dsdi-
cate to the service OF God more SynR-
gogues than ali the other Jewish minis
ters put together-not only 10 the West,
out ia the East and South. Even strictly
" orthodox congregations are esger to
have his services, SIS was Illustrated Ia
this very city ten years ago. Strange
that they did not know they were ASK
ing 8 I" Voltaire," to scott at their re-
Iigion and teach them iafidelity ! As
for his Essence of Judaism" 1 and
many other ministers have been using il
az = textbook to instruct the Jewish
youth ever since It's publication tl86l),
but @ - Of US have IS yet been
able to discover what DR.. +. found
therein-"the infidelity OF Voltsire and
HUNS re-robed in the vestments OF Pan
theism !"-I verify believe that Df. +.
never read the book, else he would not
be guilty Of such downright condemns
ton. He appears to have got his iDfJr-
nation on the subject OF both Dr.. Wise
and his work from q very distorted rep
resentatiOn perhaps, c~drT5cGture, Of the
same. II to divest the Greed OF Israel OF
all the errors agd supsrstitiOns that
gathered around il in the long march
through ages of bigotry and fsnstieism 4;
IL 10 restore it to It's original purity q
simplicity as based upon q rational inter-
probation OF Scripture; uneneumberd by
tradition and prejudics-if to do &C IS 10
be q NOltSire, an apostle Of intdelity,
then IS DR.. Wise, then am 1 myself, then |
are thousands of my brethreR-in-faith al
this moment infidels and sufferers like
Voltsire! II for 8 sincere, conscientious
confession of cur convictions We are to
be branded a. skeptics and Deists, then
are we proud Of the sppellation!
Finally, one word with reference TO
the fear expressed at the outset by Dr..
Z. lest the foundation OF all revealed re-
ligion be undermined, il we "ignors or
deny g principle underlying both Juda-
ism and Christianity" He does not ex-
pressiy state what that principle is
but from the fact that he devotes
the greater part OF his article to q dis
cussiOu on the miracles, | presume be
refers to the principle prevalent in the
Church, that the working of miracles by
the founders Of Christianity was an ali
sufficient st~teststion of the truth Of the
peculiar dogmEs OF the Church. But this
principle does not affect the Jewish creed.
The Israeiite does not, and indeed need
uOtj aPpSa 70 miracles 70 attest toe |
truth Of his creed The doctrines Of Ju-
dsism are by no means 30 weak as to
the aid OF external, artificial props
to uphold them. They can stand erect
by viftue of their internal strength, their
intrinsic rationalness. Whatever cannot
stand the test Of reason will and must
fall, no matter whether Il be religiousiy
pslieTed by Jew or GENTLE. 10 amount
OF miracles, even II they we're super
and continually repeated, can
guarantee the parpetuation OF what is
nationally false. II iuidelity and relig-
ious Indifference are rapidly spreading ;
if, as the Episcopal Minister OF Christ
Church FeGently said Professionalism is
a signal failure, abandoned by large
masses Of thinking and good menp-it is
to be attributed, not to rational progress
and reform, but to inert orthodoxy and
stability. Lst ministers of whatever
creed, stop ~wrsrgliDg about differences in
Of faith, and unite In intoxicating
the grand object Of religion-the moral
precept OF the first Prophet: "Love thy
neighbor ss myself" and SO realize the
beautiful edmonton of the last Prophet
6 Have we net sill one Pather2 Hath
not one God created us2 Why, then,
we deal treacheroQsly n against
the other?" SIMON TUsKA.
Gents good Calf Boots. 81 so
good Suits (cOat, pants and Vest,