The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-09-25
Progress i'm the Jewish Chuvch

Progress i'm the Jewish Church,
The Jewish church and nation, which
are one, are universally regarded as
the one unchanged relic Of the ancient
world, solitary, exclusive and complete,
in stable symetry. So much is this the
case that most people will be surprised
to learn that it is emphatically a church
OF growth and progress. But any care
full reader of the Mosaic law must per-
ceive that many of its requirements are
necess arily modified in marked degree
by the circumstances which surround
the church in various countries and ages.
Accordingly it molds its ancient ritual
to modern usages ia appurtenant details,
though leaving untouched the inherent
stability of its fundamental idea, which
binds it in unity marvellous and ex-
ceptional,-the sole personality of Je-
hovah and his especial guardianship Of
the race of Israel
Nor is this spirit of progress of mod
ern origin. Moses originally prescribed
for public worship little more than
system of sacrifices Solomon introduced
vocal music Ezra, at the building of
the second temple, abolished sacrifice,
and constructed a liturgy of which por-
tions are used even now. The Mishua
and Gemara, that is to say the tradi-
tional supplements to the ceremonial
law, in numberless points introduced va
riations and additions to the observances
of worship. In the year HOO, contem-
poraneous religious poetry was first in.
troduced, in company with the Psalms
made sacred by the use of so many gen.
erations. Later still came the great in
novation of organ music and trained
choirs. But the Jews resident in Amer
lea have made the most notable surren.
ders to custom. Oriental peculiarities
are being one by one abandoned. Wo-
men have always been reverenced and
honored in the Hebrew nation, and no
race Of modern times excel them 10
this respect, yet the eastern habit of
separation Of the sexes in the synagogues
has obtained in all Jewish congregations
until very lately. But this obedience to
costom out Ct consonance with Amer
ica is now dropped, and family pews are
now constructed in synagogues as in
Christian churches.
Still greater advance is marked in the
rapidly increasing use Of the vernacular
language in their solemn services. The
1sraelites have habitually taught their
children 10 read Hebrew, that no part of
their worship should be unintelligible
to the participants therein. Now. how
ever, ritual in the English tongue,
made up by DIR. Einhorn Of St. Louis,
partly from translations, partly from his
own compositions, is being introduced
extensively. OF this ritual the Jewish
Times of that city remarks: "The OBJ
solete idea of political body, the re-
building OF the temple as place where
animal sacrifices ars to be offered again,
the prayer for the resurrection of the
human body. illusions to the spirit OF
retribution, tbs result Of the dire perse-
cution of the Jews-all these are bodily
discarded therein. They are replaced
by those higher, prophetic and humani-
tartan hopes, wherein allhuman beings
share; wherein the wonderful progress
of humanity from night to light, from
superstition TO faith, from abject slavery |
of the mind to the realization Of mans |
dignity as God-created being, endowed
with divine spirit, are recognized and
expressed. All that is beautiful and
sublime in the old agenda is retained
all that has outlived itself is abolished.
And so with miraculous vitality this
wonder among nations and religion sur
wives, retaining its integral. unblsnding |
character and strength; a monument Of
fulfilled prophecy, pledge Of prohecy |
to be fulflled.-Sp,,ngfeld Republican
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