The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-04

The Bases of True Religion-Justice, Love
md NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. by the Rev. DIR.
Guthcim.
In the Temple Emanuel, Filth avenue and Forty
third street, yesterday, the Rev. DIR. Gutheim
preached to the congregation ON the passes Of true
Religion Dasng his remarks upon Micah W., g.
"Tnou hast been told, o man. what Is good; ana
what doth the Lord require OF thee but to DO JUS
tice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with thy
GodT The Talmud, he said, enumerates Micah as
one OF the inspired prophets who condensed the els
precepts Of the law into q narrow compass
and as laying down the three virtues
above named as the cardinal principles OF reli-
gon-tne quintessence and rlpened fruit OF Judaism
Not the mere inquiry after and acknowledgment
OF them, but the casting Of truth IN the mould OF
justice and love, the incarnation of life in modest
walk and tender communion with G0d-the moral
aspiration the moral seed and the contamination OF
the good-that Is what God requires of men. Thus
the ancient teachers taught that God was not a
mere object OF inquiry, but an Ideal of uncOm-
promising justice and truth.
JUSTICE Is THE FIRST REQUIREMENT.
In answering the inquiry "What Is justice ?" the
Doctor said 1t was conformity to the laws OF recu-
tude In oil our dealings with men; answering
honesty and integrity commerce and IN our mutual
Intercourse with one another; promptly and fearless
whether for our own profit or loss, leaving to
every man what IL his and giving to
every one his due-Keeping q conscience
void OF offence toward God and toward
men-this Ii JUSTICE Loving kindness, the second
simple justice :Love thy neighDor as thyse il IS
the highest moral precept which the Divine Legisa.
TOR has given u.s. rms phrase was explained to
include warm interest Tor all that ennObles man.
kind ana sincere s0llcitude their welfare. This
feeling Is the most powerful that God has implanted
am Anrv a xl.A nat
consist IN mere professions and promises, in a
specious zeal and empty snow. but IN practical
works OF Kindness and anectlOn for Others, ire
spective Of station, creed or nationality
TO WALK MODESrLY WITH GOD
Is the third and highest demand OF our Maker upon
His children TINS means TO be free from presump.
ton and arrogance; to see In virtuous life, In the
practice OF justice ana love nothing more than
and unostentatiously perform our part IN life,
relying solely upon God. A glance at the CON.
sssk s 70 walk WI" humSy wi.a ' God inc
different classes ana conditions O1 society were
then enumerated and depicted-the rich and the
poor, the high and the low the handsome and the
hOmely the good ana tine bad, the learned and the
illterate-all striving to initiate ana Oulshlne one
| Is not In the mlust OF such q society 10 walk
humby with God Is the very toucnstOne OF true re-
Their practice, which the Prophet urges, Is ike .
| tree without roots. This proposition was Illus
trated by the history OF Balaam who possessed the
| knowledge OF true religion, but In practce was
divner ana O s0Othsayer, and used his knowledge
Tor base purposes. He knew Goa, yet glOrfeI Him
not as God. He only knows God Alright whose VII
and affections are sch0Oed in justice love and hu
milty. he whose knowledge OF God Is merely
| theoretical
RESEMBLES OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IMAGE,
whose head was OF fine gold, but whose feet were
part OF iron and part clay" And yet, said the Doc
tor, strange as Baaam's character may seem To US,
we may go into the street and find BALKAN In
every third man we meet. they are theoretical be.
the righteous, but they are unwilling to live a
righteous aud cody life. And yet, perhaps, the
for share in the mercies and blessings In lie and
In death OF the righteous. 1t Is q fearful thought
that q man may have mis- eyes opened and see
the Vision Of the Almighty as distinctly as Balaam
and yet perish in practical unbeef. The Balaam
OF the Bible Is a representative OF class whose
crafty devices are At work IN our own day and III
our own country, even at this moment while am
| speaking. Upon the heights situated near The
altar 10 Jehovah, and are agltating o movement
which, II successful, must cuminate In the destruc
~ OF Se Baasms OF tns East
| West and North have joined hands In an unholy
concave to remodel the national constitution L
suit their dOctrina notions and sectarian predie
| lions. They have met TO curse the people who ar
truly blessed OF God. Some OF the principal actor
GOVERNORS OF STATES AND JUDGES OF THE LAND
whose judgments, like Bahamas, are warped D.
inane whose s missions 10 81 not TO-
| udice and destroy prlestcraft out to plant an
| noursh both. But the good sense OF the American
people, and their love OF liberty and justice 10 all
looks with dlsfav0r upon any invldIOus dscrlmina
tons, especially In matters OF conscience faItl
And II the issue should assume u tangible form tn
Jews Will not sand alone as tie champions OF reli
gious liberty. The only guarantee for national re
| generation Is not to be FOUND IN religious amend
mens to federal constitution, but III coniormILy
| TO the principles declared IN the text alike by Jew
! ana Gene-"IhOu hast been told, man, what Il
good, and what doth the Lord require oil thee
| do Justly, to love mercy and to walk humby Will
| Godr And when these three are established In tnt
| land then may we devoutly exclalm, Happy arr
The people that In sucn case yea blessed Is TIT
! people whose GOD Is The Lord.n