The New York herald., 1872-11-24
FORTY.FOURTH STREET SYNAGOGUE.
Rev. s. NJ. Isaacs On Un-Jewish Matri-
nonial Allia ances-Tcrrible Detection
in the House OF Israel.

monial Allia ances-Tcrrible Detection
In the House OF Israel.
Rev. Mr.. Isaacs has been for few Sabbaths past
ecturing in Forty-fourth Street synagogue on the
life and character and important events In the his
tory Of Abraham. lie came yesterday to the death
OF Sarah, the wife OF Abraham, and her burial in
the cave of Machpelah, In Mamre, where also Isaac
and Rebekah were buried and where Jacob depos-
tied the remains OF Rachel Tradition also makes
1t the burial place OF Adam and Eve and 1t Is q
place honored and reverenccd to this day by the
Mussulmans and Hndoos of the East. This should
teach modern Israetes to venerate the Old Testa-
ment much more than the New. But, passing
from this event, Mr.. Isaacs called attention
to the degree OF Importance In which marriage was
held by Abraham After the death OF Sarah he
called unto him the Oldest servant OF His house,
that ruled over all that He had, and said unto
m:-"Put, pray thee, thy hand under my thigh
and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God OF
heaven and the God OF the earth, that thou wilt
not take wife unto my son OF the Canaanites,
among whom dwell; but thou shalt go to my
country and TO my kindred and take u wife unto
might 2 I have found wife in Canaan for his son,
Many there were, no doubt, who would have been
glad to have had Isaac for a husband and Abraham
for fathernaw. But he would not make such
UNHALLOwED MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES.
He would not have for his son wife save from
his own people and his own religion. Is 1t SO now9
Alas it Is not. Israeites marry whom they will,
without reference to religion or nationality.
There Were were =, in ,d. old times s four classes classes
on social distinction and position or caste
and religion. Mr. Isaacs dwelt briefly on the evils
resulting nom some OF these marriages. The
ground OF Isaac's marriage, he said, was Abra-
hams belief tnat marriages are made in heaven.
This Is , shown BY the language which b he uses to.
wife for his son. heather lady, the owner OF a
great many slaves, once asked a rabbi what God
did In heaven to occupy His time. The minister
was offended at first, at the apparent basphemy
OF the question bnt ne promptly answered rs .Ar; A,
the dae can do Jas mach here" and ealing
together number OF her slaves OF both sexes she
set them on in pairs as husband and wife. In
few days complaints came thick and fast from all
sides. Innumerable chickering's and quarrels were
the result OF the arrangement, and the lady
was was needed than her arbitrary selection Of
couples for marriage. This, Mr. Isaacs said,
was confirmed by his own experieoce as min
lister. The servant OF Abraham considered his er.
rand so important that at every haltng place on
his journey he offered up prayer to God for direc
tion and prosperity on his way. And when no
came to the country and
KINDRED OF ABRAHAM
he prayed more earnestly and fixed sign whereby
he should know the damsel that the Lord had
chosen to be the wife OF Isaac. Isaac too spent
much Of his time at home In meditation and prayer.
marry out Of their III own ats II Goa our s.e
marriages what shall be said OF theseS God only
sanctions marriages In one faith Other arrange
ments are only for sefgratifcaton. We are now
in crisis This is o liberal age and we are too
easily led away by this liberalism. Here is DR..
Lienthal dedicatinga synagogue in Wisconsin and
taxing Christian minister into the pulpit. That
minister prayed to the Saviour to let his bless
ing rest upon the house. Think OF Jewish syna-
goguc dedicated by prayer to the Christians Sa-
vlourl We are one and must stand upon our reli-
gon. We live In liberal age, but II the number
OF liberals were more we are conservatives, and
God will not smile upon marriages or intermar-
riages, save with those OF our own faith and ku-
dred, said the preacher; and as God said to Abra-
ham lie says to every one OF us, "Ihou shalt not
take wife from the Canaanites among whom we
dwcll.u
Mr.. Isaacs closed with
CAUTION TO HIS CONGREGATION
not to fall into the liberalism OF this age nor to en-
ter into mixed matrimonial alliances, and followed
his remarks with PRAYER In the same behalf But
against prayers and arguments and lectures liber-
asm Ia maniiesily making Its way into the ranks
OF Israel. so that the party OF reform Israetes in
the United States is to-day nearly as large and ia
Jar more lndnentiA than The conservatives