The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-04-20

OF IL. ' "o'e
The World of Friday contained short SC
count OF the new missionary efforts now
making TO convert the Jews To Christianity.
The latest mission established is that in
connection with the Protestant Episcopsl
Church of Our Lord. This church ,Sas
started some ten years ago bv the Rev. Mr.
Stuart al Thirty-seventh street and Eighth
Avenue. In 1872 the Rev. Walter Stirring
took charge of IL and il moved to $50 West
Thlrty-ntth street. 4 few weeks ago Mr.
Stirling issued circular, announcing that
IN this church special effort will be made
to restore the ancient Israelites to the tr,,e
faith, and the children of Israel seeking the
true light are especially invited To attend
these services, aud began TO take an active
interest IN the work OF conversion. Mr..
Stirling was found yesterday in his room
surrounded by Bibles, hymn books, reports
of conversion societies and tracts, addressed
to the Jews in Hebrew, English and Ger
man. When asked if he knew of any Jews
converted TO his sect or to the Baptist de-
nomination, Mr.. Stirling said:
mo. There are not many conversions
made by the Protestant Episcopalians or by
the Baptist, nor in fact by any church; but
the Jews, l am satisfied, are converting
themselves by adopting Christian practices
and doctrines. The ancient practices of the
Jewish race are becoming more and more
obsolete every day. think this is the way
the conversion of the Jews will eventually
come about"
''Are any Jewish children converted
through the agency of the mission schools9"
mo, think not. More is effected in
that direction by the common schools,
where the general influence makes itself
left"
DO you know of any Jew who has been
converted to Christianity through your
church2" 'a '.1,
mo, do not"
''Do you know of any Jew who has been
converted TO Christianity through any
church in the city, and is now a member OF
Christian church2"
''No. 1 cannot say do. believe, ac-
cording to the prophecy in John, that the
Jews will be converted to the true faith and
return to Jerusalem. u n--------
lis there any truth In the statement Of
the Jewish papers and Jewish clergy that
the mission schools are opened for purposes
of propagandisml"
mo. The mission schools we're not
started to conveit but to instruct poor
Jewish children. Among the Christians
the call is always to the jew first, and, if he
refuses, to the Gentle next. In this case
the Jews have accepted"
At parting Mr.. Stirling handed the writer
| the. last annual report of the society for
promoting Christianity among the Jews.
A few extracts from this may be interesting.
The report says: 'flt is a mournful fact
that some OF the Jews baptized in Europe,
Oh their arrival in this country have been
| unfHthtul to their solemn vows and have
returned to Judaism" In regard To the
| work done last year. the pamphlet says that
the society distributed gratis l52, 600 pages
of tracts in the German, English and
Hebrew languages, thirty-ejght German
Bibles, forty-one English Bibles, twenty
eight German New Testaments and three
Hebrew New Testaments, and adds, "dur-
ing the past year few Israeites were bap-
tized in New York city. 1t is a very diff
fcult matter to tell the number correctly.
We know of six adults and two children
one of these baptized was formerly jew
! ish rabbi"
Rev. DIR. Gottheil, rabbi of the Temple
Emmanuel, says the statement that the
Jews are adopting Christian practices and
| doctrines tending to Christianize them is
| just one of those Wild assumptions in which
| Christian clergymen indulge, without hav-
| ing taken the slightest trouble to ascertain
the truth. The Jews have not adopted
Christian usage and are certainly as far as
ever removed from Christian doctrines.
''if the reverend gentleman" continued
DIR. Gottheil, knew anything about Ju
daism, be would be less surprised, perhaps
to hear that there Is far greater affinity be
tween the ancient ritual of the Synagogue
and Christian orthodoxy than between il
and the modern forms of Jewish worship
| 1t is a fact that the German Christian con
| versionIsts have ever been the bitterest
enemies of the reform movement and have
not been ashamed to invoke the secular
power 20 put an emf to it. At no time of
our history have the peculiar character and
force of Jewish doctrine been more brill
lantly vindicated than IN our days.
You have been examining the working
of the mission schools established for Jew.
ish children, have you notG" asked the re
porter.
Eyes, SIR" Hf
''Is it your opinion that they are made {
\ means of propagandismP
"What else can be their motive, seeing
that the children are taught Christian
hymns and catt chisms and receive tract.
and are assembled to celebrate Christmas
eve. The Kindness, which is specially
shown by ladies, TO the children of our poor
we cannot ignore, nor can we shut cur eyes
to the ulteriOr object they have in view
But efforts are being made now to provide
sufficient school accommodations for all tn,
poor Jewish children in our city, and thu!
we shall set the missionaries free to pIN
their trade among those nominally of thei
own faith, who stand in much more need o
it than the Jews"
''Are there more conversions from Juda
ism to Christianity now than formerlyl"
II am positively not aware that any TAX
place, except for the sake of marriage and
trade, when all others failed. | myself, il
conjunction with two other rabbis of tn
highest standing, very recently received
most contrite renunciation of Christisnit,
by one who had been petted for nine year
by Christians in high circles of society,""
''Have you any knowledge of the rabb
claimed by the conversionists as conver
to Christisnityf'
MY dear sir, every Jew with lon
beard and dirty linen and who talks gibbel
ish is paraded before the world as Il rabbi
You may tell MIR. Stirling, with my compli
ments, that I will give my check for So
to any Christian charity il he publicly vii
give me the name of the converted man
and he can satisfy any competent man tha
be Is a rabbi; doubt whether Mr. Stirling
himself, knows what a raGbi is"