New-York tribune., 1880-01-11
ETHICAL RELIGION.
-, AMER AND HIS SOCIETY.

r,,vSrn MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF MAN
.s.YxsI,G WITH THE FORMS OF RELIGION boi
o,ntyG on TO IT'S sUBsTANCE-Ihf sohoolo
,,n THE PRACTICAL CHARITY OF THE soCihIi'
,.is nearly IL o'clock on Sunday morhihe' we
-. handsome hall in Fifth-ave., at the doors Oh
n,ah Il modest tablet Announcing that 1t is the
- of meeting of the Society for Ethcai Nui-
- People are pouring into the hall, weii-dressed
,~..Iliceut looking people. who wear Suhuay races
- ,,eIl rs Sunday clothes aud might be taken loi
% ,reoat an of fashionable uptown church.
,ided by numerous ushers they find seats quietly
"a vLen seated behave in the subdued manner
gu" t. o,storn urescribes for religious assemblies.
Y;b oountenapces predoninate, but there is large
l,xt,re of the Gentle elem ent. The BODY OF he
hou il soon filed aud by eev uo'clOck the galiery
- also crowded. On the broad stage stands a httle
,eadinp desk decked with fresh flowers, and at the
aide in front Of large organ, choir OF perhaps
.arontv nersons are partially hidden by ma
,oon screen The choir sing long concerted
niece You do not catch the words whcn
seem to be in foreign language put
the music is evdentlSOf sacred character. WINE
tho singing is in progress gentleman of medium
height. clad in black dress suit. comes in ana
takes a seat upon the platform. He has high
forehead fun lips dreamy blue eyes, full beard
rather scanty light brown hair, and face express
ING both intellect and spirituality. This is Irofes-
n Felix Adler who is mOdestly announced as the
lecturer of the society. He IS In reality
its organizer. its director, aud one mght
say its priest, if the word priest We're
admissible in connection with q society which pro-
fesses no religious faith. When the music IS ended
he comes forward, and paying no attention TO the
reading desk places himself in front of 1t and be-
gins a discourse which lasts an hour. The language
is faulloss the argument compact and logical. The
.l nd In
oped and carried systematically forward to the in
tended conclusion Yet the orator bas not sheet
OF paper to refer to.
His subject is the Ethics of Christianity. lie de-
uies that Christian ethics contain the last word
Of the moral law, and that no higher ana better
code is possible than that contained in the Sermon
on the Mount He declares that the ethics OF Jesus
are faulty in two respects first, in making doubt,
which is the parent of truth, sinful and iath With
out intellectual assent meritorous; aud second III
holding out n scheme Of rewards and punishments
in a future life as incentive to righteousness.
"We should do right" he saws, because it is
right. and not because we expect our Father in
Geayen will reward u.s. At the close OF the dis
course the orator gives account of the dOngs OF
the socety's charitable association, ana appeals ior
money to carry on the work during the coming
year. He draws tears to the eyes of many persons
in the audience by his description of the cases OF
distress relieved by the district nurses employed by
The society to visit the poor who are suffering from
illness accidents.
meeting of those interested in the various be-
nevolent labors of the society is announced. and
also meeting of ladies to for the poor. All
this sounds very much like what one hears in
the churches; but after the choir sings the congre-
cation disperses without prayer or benedtction,
and then you revert to the theme of the discourse,
and realize that there is a wide gulf between this
Cmckering Hall assembly and all the churches,
whether they be Christian. Jewish or even Pagan.
The lecture and the after-talk have given you
clew to the belief unbeef of Professor AdleTs
followers They hold that il is possible to establish
q code of ethics resting solely on the enlightened
moral CONSCIOUSNESS of man, without any reference
to Divine Providence revelation or future life.
They neither deny nor affirm the existence of God
or future state but seek 10 attain 10 the beauty
of holiness without expecting the aid or approval
of Supreme Being. II you have been frequent
attendant at these meetings you will remember
that you have heard reference to Divine guidance
of human affairs and that when Immortality has
been spoken of 1t has been though it were pleas
ing hope so uncertain of realization that the con-
duct of earthly life should be ordered without refer
ence pit.
We should pause however, before calling these
people Atheists. The Materialists defy physical
law the Pantheists adore the Soul Of the Universe
and the Postiyists worship their Ideal of Human
ity Do not these worthy followers OF Professor
Adler in reality paw homage to the Divine Beng
under the name of what they call the Moral Law
II demands of them, they say, elia5negatoil, pu-
rty of thought and life elevation of character and
works of actual benevolence toward their fellow
beings While dispensing with the form OF religion
they seem to be holding Oh 10 good ueai VI It's
substance
The Society for Ethical Culture has grown up
around the personality of Felix Adler, and from a
small beginning has become one of the largest con-
gregatons in the city. 1t occupied small hall IN
the upper part of Broadway for three years, but
was obliged TO migrate TO more spacious quarters
last October because the old place would not hold
the audiences which assembled every Sunday.
Professor Adler is the son of a Hebrew
rabbi distinguished for learning and piety, who
retired from the ministry recently after presiding
for many years over the Jewish synagogue on
Fifth-ave. The son was educated in Germany, with
view TO fitting him to occupy the fathers place.
but he imbbed the liberal ideas current at the Ger
man universities and emapcipated himself from all
allegiance to Hebrew theology. After his return
From Europe he offered his fathers position
but declined, and accepted professorshp Ill Cor
nell University, which he held for three years
During this time movement was steadily crystal
lizing among young Jews of liberal tendencies toi
the formation OF an independent religious soclet9
under Professor Adlers leadership. so that when he
left Ithaca the field prepared for the immediate
organization of the Society foi Ethical Culture lt'
first membership was almost entirely jewish and
was manly composed of young married people, who
had high ideas of life. and wanted their children tc
have Sunday-school training in morals, iDdepend
ent of theology. As the society grew, 1t drew IN
large non-Jewlsh element. consisting OF intellectual
people of great variety of beliefs and OF no belief
at all and this element now furnishes nearly hall