The Evening critic., 1882-12-02

Hebrew Leader.
The question OF Divine revelation is not to
be regarded merely as ono involving the truth
Of certain doctrines. IL such n revelation has
ever been made, IL stands as n fact, history,
and It's marks arc TO DO treasured not simply
I'm the words or letters of n book, but they must
havo left their Impress upon tho customs, the
Institutions and tho structures OF the past.
Along the pathway OF ages we may expect %
md visible traces OF Gods Interference, and
imperiehablo monuments which show that he
once walked the road
Judaism is fnct, a history; II It was mracu-
lous In ita beginning, II would seem 70 DO
hardly less so as IL stands before us to-day.
Its position In this nineteenth century Is alto
gether peculiar, unique and, Judged by ordi.
nary principles, unaccountnble. subjected
os they have been 10 countless prosecutions
for moro than twenty centuries, scattered aud
homeless, without temple, priesthood ana
sacrifice, tho Jews remain undlmlnished In
numbers, retaining their ancient worship I'M
changed, recognizing as OF divine authority
tho same books, mover absorbed by
ing TO other religious rtes-Jerusalom
in the hands Of tho Moslem, tho site OF the
temple detled by tho mosque OF the lnndel,
The name OF Mohammed shouted morning and
evening on that consccratod height where the
aw OF Moses was once proclaimed and the songs
OF David sung-tho jew still turns his face
eastward and prays for tho rebuilding OF the
altars that were trodden down by tho heathon.
Judaism is not only n fact In history, but In
Is leading features IL Is anomalous and OK
ceptional.
'fhe world Is obliged to account for the OK
istence of people from the very beginning
unlike all other nntions-monotheistic In
their creed, peculiar I'm their rites, elevated
immeasurably above all other nations In their
notions OF law, the fountain.source OF all the
religious literature which has had vitality
enough to escape the mutations OF agos, and
become Incorporated with the thought and
modes OF modern llfe- distinct and peculiar
to-day as thirty.nve hundred years ago.
No solution OF this problem has ever been
given, by those who deny the validity OF the
Scriptures, that is worthy OF consideration.
After reading through all they have wrltton to
show Inaccuracies and improbabilitics In tho
sacred books OF the Hebrew revelation, they
ind themselves still standing in tho presence
OF q great fact which all their criticisms have
untouched and unexplained. They must &C.
count, not only for the existence OF an oxtraor-
binary book, but also OF n monumental in-
stitution, covered over with Inscriptions
which are legible still, although the
winds and storms OF moro than thirty
centuries have beat against the pile: within
Its walls ceremonies are performed and psalms
are chanted which were old whom European
civilization was thing OF tho future; this
structure stands Just where 1t stood when the
world was young; as In tho beginning, so now
the name OF God is on every stone. Who laid tho
foundation OF this ancient edince2 Who pre-.
served Judaism from the ravages OF time, and
has made II answer ever since the purposes
for which II was originally Intended Let
the great Leader of Israel speak. ''rhe Lord
OF Hosts is with us; tho God of Israel ia His
name"