, 1881-03-13

A new and very interesting question has
been suddenly sprung upon the religious
world by DR.. Sonneschein, the rabbi Of a
Reformed synagog in St, Louis, which is
nothing more nor less than the possibility OF
4 union between the Unitarlans and the
Jews. From a religious point Of view, he
sees few obstacles in the way, and these are
principally confined to the recognition OF
Christ or Moses as leader and the Sunday
question. As to the first, he SAYS: whether
diffuscd from the halo Of legend and tra-
dition or sequent to the real life Of the man
Jesus there is about Ills character softened
light, tender radiance, q soul sweetness
that Moses does not possess" And again:
"If it be required that man shall beat out
his own fortune on the anvil of life, then you
cannot help but admire the stern lawgiyer.
whose kingdom is of this world, and who ap-
peals so strongly to the senses Of all active
energies in men and Women" AS to the
Sunday question, DR.. Sonnescfeln very con-
clseiy says: "Does not the Unitarian well
know that the Christian Church observes the
first day as day Of rest. as the Lord's Day,
because it is taken for granted that on this
first day the Founder OF the Church rose from
the dcad,-a dogma which no Unitarian be-
lieyes ?"
That DR.. Sonneschein sees other difficulties
superable, is evident from his definition OF
consolidation. He says:
Consolidation would simply mean that the bar
riers should be feveled and that the merging OF
the rzces be made easy by concession on either
side. Thus 1t takes no special ceremony Or rite
to admit Jew into the Unitarian Church: ne
particular confession Ut faith. 1t Is easy Tor q
Jew or jcwess to become Unitarian, and It Is
Just as easy for Unitarian to become a he. M
rites and ceremonies which make him Jew in
the ritual sense And STILL with all these posi-
bilites and ihere Is one fact stao
Of race. Here tho Jew Is simply on the defen-
siye-
Aud again he says even more pofntedly:
tartan Church, would the second Tor the first
generation evenl after us be ready as we are to-
day to step With one accord INTO The breach and
oe1ena WIN ne e o s 1eE anu at vnt
even in the heart OF hearts of many Unitarian
Christian, linger remnant OF prejudice against
the Jew? know it is fAdnE rapidly away; but
the last shreds of that doubt and OF that mis-
trust are not ret entirely removed Ia the heart
Of many Unitarian friend. Such things as the
ton are not achieved Ut once it takes muny a
hard blow before the tree Of prejudice and mis-
trust can be fcted and the roots destroyed so
that the poison plant will never grow or bear its
deadly fruit again. We are not yet ripe for CON
is dream which will not vanish
after awakening, dream which vii! one future
day be q realized fuct. But to-day. and for
many year to come. it will be nothing but
dream.
We are not aware what brought out the
sermon of DR.. Sonneschein, or that any sus-
sestion has been made from either side Of a
consequently it is not easy to
take part in the discussion. In the absence
of any information on the subject from the
Unitarian side, such discussion might also
be premature in the public press. Unitarian
,lergymen and Jewish rabbis are better able
70 settle the relations and atfinities Of their
,reeds than secular newspapers. From the
worldly point of view, however, the news
paper is qualified to express an opinion, and
hat opinion will certainly correspond with
Dr.. Sonnescheln's-na that the question
If race is the most serious one that stands in
he way Of such q consolidation without iii
my way considering the rights Of that ques-
ion. The suggestion, or more properly the
Of consolidation by the Doctor,
IS none the less an Interesting one, and will
,e likely to bring out arguments and state
nents Oh both sides, after which canvass
# the question can be conducted more in
than now. The occasion is
imely one for an expression Of views by our
Unitarian friends.