Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-04-15
\ REPLY TO BISHOP WHITTLE.

Will YOU allow me the use of your column:
to say q few words on the pastoral Of Bishop
Whittle published in to.day's paper? In
this pastoral the worthy and esteemed
Bishop says: ''Perhaps one reason why
our efforts 10 spread the gospel are not more
largely blessed Of God may be the TACT that
we have done so little for the conversion Of
His ancient people, 10 whom we are in
dchted, and in whom we ought TO feel more
interested than in any people in the world y
/ would respectfully invite the worthy
Bishop TO try personally what ne can do in
Richmond towards converting the lsr&citcS.
| | will bespeai, him q courteous reception
Wherever he may fee! inclined 10 90, and
then lei him report to the public the result
OF his iaborS.
surely this will be = case Of ''ex uno disco
omncs,@ and from his success i'll this city
we may draw & fair inference a. TO what
other energetic. whole -souled conversionistS
may bo able 10 elect il other cities.
! know full we'll that the learned Bishop
inay quote passages from the Bible and give
them u meaning different from what Israel
| ties attach 10 them know full well that
in argument he will by bis learning be much
superior to many with whom ho will come
! in contact, but that is not here the question.
| The question we have now to deal with is
simply how many will he succeed in con-
vcrting 10 Christianity.
The Israeiite is taught from his Infancy 10
believe that God Is a pure unity not COM
posed Of persons or parts; that He IS a
purely spiritual being, and that it IS i'm
possible FOR Him Ur any part Of Him ever to
| assume human form or likeness.
The Israelte is taught 10 believe that
| every human being is created in the image
| of God n far as His spiritual nature is con-
! ccined that God is his loving Father, aud
t'lat be does mot need mediator in order
| t. approach mat Father.
Tie israelrc is taught 10 believe in Il
| kaGeemer. but in an everything Redeemer.
The Israelite does not believe that man Is
| born III sin because nearly six thousand
wears AGO Adam and Eve did al act which
! he condemns, nor does he believe that he Is
culpablc because nearly two thousand years
ago the ignorant and unenlightencu portion
Ci his ancestors cIamored for the death of
Jesus. an act which he likewise denuuuces
aad strongly condemns. The educated Is.
raeiite does not ignore the world wide i'll
iiu.ncc of Christianity; he feels proud Of
| belonging TO Il race whose tcsiglon was the
mother OF Christianity and whose sublime
moral code Christianity reproduced.
\ few years ago 4 great sensation was
caused in Eagland by an article ca the
| Talmud from the pen CT Dr. Dentsch. The
a4thor showed therein that the advanced
mora! ideas Of the. Nc" Testament are 10 be
found in the pustBibiica! writings Of the
Hebrews The Christian believes thou shalt
| love the Eternal thy God with all thy heart
with all thy soul. and thy fellow-man as thy
r. Il. 'i,,S 'j,rI..-
tan believes in reward and punishment
here aud hereafter, ani so does the Is-aclitc;
but the Israeitc does not attempt to define
| theJn He leaves them as things hidden
| ON us. in the hands Of an ALLOWING
Father.
The Christian believes God is love, and SO
does the Israoite. The I5raeiitc does not
believe in eternal punishment, nor does he
believe IN a hell To his mind God ofiove
and hell are incompatible ideas. The Israel
ite believes that the good, and virtuous,
and pious ol all creeCs, are heirs OF eternal
life. Six centuries ago, Maemonides, in his
great work on the teachings Of Judaism,
used the following words:
every man whom reason and knowledge
bring near 10 God, no matter under what
name he serve him, 50 that only he rever-
encc and worship Him, 80 that only he regu-
|
he knows how, is holy in the highest sense
of the word God is his portion and inheri
tance throughout all eternity.
Christianity teaches love thine enemy
Judaism teaches iii thine enemy be hungry
give him bread to eat if thirsty give him
water 10 drink" When David spared his
mortal enemy Saul he acted in the true spir-
il OF Judaism
The Israelite believes in every grand NOR
al truth that Christianity teaches. because
Judaism taught it before the birth of Chris
tiauty: but the Israelie must differ from
his Christian brother on the question Of the
number Of persons in the Godhead and as to
who is the Redeemer.
With the deepest reverence for the honest
convictions OF others the good lsraelite be-
gins his daily prayers with the words !:
Hear O Israel, the Eternal, our God is
one, pure spiritual unity He is my God
and my living Redeemer-the Rock of my
support in time Of trouble. Into His hand
I commit my spirit when sleep and When
am awake, and with my spirit likewise
NV body if the Eternal God is with me
fear nothing"
| believe that ''n my Fathers house there
| are many manslons'-a mansion Tor the
Good Catholic: mansion for the good Prot
j., estant, no matter what his sect = mansion
: for the good heather who groped after li@h
as best he knew how; q mansion for lht
good Israelite, even if unconvertsd. ! be
| lieve in shy their fruits ye snail NoN
: them" Man must be known and apprecl
ated here below, as he will be hereafter, b.
the fruits of his life.
: am, yours obediently,
- Dahl at