The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-21
A Jewish View Of Christianity.

Those OF THE SUNS readers who profess
to believe in the Christianity of these
times must have studied with no little in
terest the sermon published by us OH Sum
day last. which was delivered in this city
by a jewish scholar, DR. ADLER, son of the
well-known aud learned rabbi formerly
OF the Temple Emanuel. He himself had
entitled It the Founding OF Christianity"
and II was sketch of the times OF JESUS OF
Nazareth, an attempt to delineate his
character, and a brief account OF what the
speaker regarded AZ the chief features Of
his teaching.
There are not few Gentiles who i'm
agine that the entire Jewish race are filled
with feelings of bitter hatred to the Found
err Of Christianity; that they regard him
as an impostor; that they despse all his
words and deeds; and that they rejoice
over the fact OF his crucifxion. We need
not say that this notion is erroneous; that
there are many Jews who, while refusing
to admit CHRIsr's Divinity or Messiahship,
or 10 accept the other chief doctrines of
established Christianity, yet concede the
wisdom of many of his utterances and adj
mire the purity and charity of his life. Dr.
ADLER is OF this school; and his discourse,
among its other merits, has a special value
IN correcting n misconception under which
many adherents OF Christianity labor.
DIR. ADLER holds that the Founder OF
Christianity originated no new religious
law, aud that his fundamental doctrines
were but a reiterated assertion of what
other and older prophets OF the Hebrews
had so often and so fervently preached and
promulgated. He shows that many of the
passages of the New Testament had previ-
ously been received in the Jewish Church.
and that CHRIST himself taught that the
law was to continue intact-that Is, the
spiritual law, the deeper law OF conscience,
underlying the forms and the symbols of
external worship. How, then. Is the extra
ordinary influence of the Carpenter Of
Nazareth to be accounted for, and what is
the ground OF the devotion aud love which
he has commanded from so large portion
of the human race? DIR. ADLER deals with
tins matter in these terms:
The great secret Of his power Law m sinly In
his sympathy with the neglected classes OF
society; his gospel was prominently the gospel
OF the poor; he SIT down with the despised
puuncans he did not shun the contamination
of lepers-nay, nor u the moral le rosy OF ein.
He visited the novels II paupers, ana taught his
Disciples TO prefer the poor TO the fortunate.
lie applied himself with peculiar fervor to
those dumb, ilterate masses OF Galilee, who
knew not what they desired or to what they
might cling. lie brought them nelp; he gave
them hope ana SO IL came about that In the
earV Christian communities that were still
fresh from the presence Of the master. the
appeal to conscience which he had instituted
resulted In solid hel, fllnes-; 50 IL came about,
too, that Ia those pristine DAYS the church was
a real instrument OF good. with few forms and
litile y .rade, but with love feasts ana the com
muniOn taUle sprs al with repasts Tor the needy.
IL was from such . rticulsrs tn there was
drawn tnat iscin itin1 image which has capt.
waited the fancy, and attracted the worship OF
mankind-the I'm &c Of the pale man. with deep,
earnest ewes, arou-ing men TO new exertions for
the good VINO gave hope t. the down-trod-
den; ann whose brief career was hallOwed oil
the more IN memory because OF the mournful
tragedy With which IL closed. II was the human
NY ana not the dogma OF JESUS by which Chris
tiint triumphed. That We -unuId care for the
poor; why, do not all the ch rcnes ring with
exhortatilns to charity while they are them
selves absorbing the meaps, with their gtldrd
spendor. which society might expend upon her
~. ryinR, ianishng Insssesf How long will II
be before that is Understood aud taken " hearth
This view of JESUS Of Nazareth may not
be satisfactory to all those people who call
themselves Christians in our day, but II
must be at least curious TO them, rs coming
from thinker OF the jewish race.