Los Angeles daily herald., 1885-12-27
The struggle and victory OF Pro-
.~assfva Ndeas tu uNiafOrV.

gressfve Ideas tn History.
Rev. DIR. Schneider lectured last night
on this subject in presence of large
audience, composed of Israelites aud
Christians, in the Synagogue. Taking
his text from Numbers, xiv, 81: "But
your children. your little ones, Of which
you said They would become a prey,
them will bring in 1.-THE promised landl
and they shall know the promised land
which ye have despised." The Doctor
compared the promised land to the era
Of mental, religious and moral freedom;
the spies to the enemies OF enlightenment
and progress; Joshua and Caleb to the
enthusiastic teachers of mankind who in
all ages and climes have fearesslY strug
gled in the cause Of liberty OF conscience
and not needing the caiumnies OF base
slanderers and the prejudices OF blind
unthinking masses, have boldly exposed
superstition and hypocricy, and have at
last conquered. The Doctor confirmed
his views by drastic instances from
ancient and modern history in general,
and Jewish history. He dwelt at length
on the struggles of Reform-Judaism in
particular. He demonstrated how at
all times the fierce opposition to the
realization of progressive ideas had
mostly its origin in selfinterest, be-
cause since times immemorial every
new departure from beaten tracks
dealt a death blow to GER
tain privileges and prerogatives
of interested parties. At all peri
obs of such struggles in the service
of mankind the fanaticism Of the masses
was excited and their best friends, like
Cable and Joshua, hardly escaped from
being stoned to death. And history re-
peats itself. OF course, with the ad-
vance of culture it is no taore feasible to
throw veritable stones at the friends OF
liberty. but the stones Of slander and
calumny are hurled at them by the
obscurants and enemies of light and
truth.
But truth triumpbs after all, and
fanaticism never carried the day In the
end. Persecution has at all times only
strengthened the cause Of liberty Of
conscience. II is not O mere chance,
that the great heroes, martyrs and
teachers of mankind, although knowing
that instead OF rewards aud apprecia-
ton, the greatest cruelties, yea, impris-
onment and death, awaited them. 1t
is not mere chance, that men living In
different centuries, in different climes,
thousands Of miles distant from one an
other, men who never saw each other,
proclaim the same ideas, struggle for
the same cause of justice, Righteousness
and freedom, although they are con-
vinced that they would meet with
disfavor and opposition, and would |
do more harm than good to
their own individual interests.
But it ia because. as the prophets call it,
"the spirit of Cod that moves them.
1t is what the prophet Jeremiah answer
ed to the priest Pashchor, who attempt
ed to prohibit his strong and alarming |
speeches against tyranny and priestcraft,
against the despotism of the kings and
the hypocrisy OF the priests and false
prophets. Jeremiah answered: "lt be-
came in my heart like burning fire aud
| was tired to bear ii and could not
restrain myself" 1t Is what Socrates
said after having been sentenced to take
the poisoned chalice on account OF his
belief in one God only, instead of wor-
Shipping the many gods of Hellas, al.
though a recall OF his doctrines would
have OF ened the gates OF his prison;
II am a soldier, and soldier must not
throw away his weapons. and my con-
victions are my weapons. 1t is that
which Martin Luther said at the Reich
stag in Worms: "Here stand, can
not otherwise, God help me. Amen."
1t is that which impelled Calico to ex.
claim on the threshold Of the scaffold;
" Il si morere," land the earth is yet
moving), although these words meant
death for him. 1t is that spirit which
induced Spinoza, after the great ex-
communication in the synagogue OF
Amsterdam: ''They compel me to do
nothing, which / was not previously
resolved upon.
Let US therefore emulate the examples
of the Calebs and Joshuas. Let us ad.
mire and venerate them and try to be-
come like them. Let US catch fire from
their fire and sparks from the ancient
rocks; and, though history does not
Jump. and every inch Of mental, moral,
political and religious progress must be
conquered by hard struggles, let us not
despair of the fnal victory of death and
liberty. And even il we ourselves
should not enjoy the fruits Of our labors
and exertions, let us bear in mind the
words: 'But your little ones, OF which
you said. They will be prey, they will
conquer the promised land. " II took
forty years in the wilderness before those
words were fulfilled, and 1t takes often
centuries in history before the ideas of
justice, humanity and true liberty take
full possession Of the nations; but the
earth is moving anyhow.