National Republican., 1888-01-03
DEPENDING TIE jews.
REV. DIR. LOUIS STERN MAKES ANsw Err
FOR HIS PEOPLE.
Statements That should Cause Chris
tian Minister TO Biush-A Belief
Based Wholly on Miracies-The Is-
raeIites Healthy, Happy, and Con-
a.-...s

hDl6 sermon III uelcuSo OF MS people,
from which the following synopsis is taken.
He said that "a sermon was delivered at the
Metropolitan NJ. E, Church on Sunday
evening, Dec 20, by the Rev, Mr.. Kelley, |
and published through the press on the |
following day, in which the speaker, In |
order to show the folly OF unbelief, points
to the Jews, their rejection OF Jesus, and |
their misfortunes as warning example for |
others. Says he, among other things: THE |
Jews had no sound reason for rejecting |
Christ. They believed in a divine revela.
tion they believed in Moses and the |
prophets; they believed In miracles; Christ |
attested his Messlahship by all these. |
Still the Sews remained hostile TO the truth. |
and are as hostile to-day as when II was
first proclaimed. The present condition Of
the Jews, scattered all over the world,
without land OF their own, was the direct
reward OF theft unbelief In and persecution
Of the Saviour. They were scattered be-
cause Of their unbelief, and to-day they are
living monuments OF the wrath and good
ness Of an offended Christ. The Jews to-
day cherish the spirit Of their Christ-killing
forefatbers. Iniidelity brings its punish
ment, and they must accept the .couse-
quenees of their uubelief.' Iwondcr in
| our days, in our country, almost under the
| shadow Of the capitol, crowned with the
statue OF liberty, and In the face OF an intel
| ligent audience, a preacher Of Christianity
| did not blush to give utterance to sentt.
| ments, some OF whieh In days happily passed
| would have inclted mob to deeds Of vic.
lence and bloodshed, while to day In the
| ratioral, unbiased mind they can only
| awaken ridicule or disgust. Hear ye de-
| sctndants OF your Chrflst'killisg fore
| fathers, ye who heretofore thought your
selves in the possession of happiness,
/ lt,n, all
all the Blessings which life of usefulness,
Industry, and honesty affords Your hap
| plpess is not real, your couten!ment is
| imaginary Nay, you are the pilibe OBJ
| jects OF the divine wrath You are very
unhappy: you must be so else wise and
wonderful argument falls 10 the ground.
Hesr ye, who hitherto clung with living
| patriotism to the country Of your birth or
adoption Ye who dreamt OF the blessings
and privileges of American citizenship
you are TO day without country OF your
OVID. Wall, oh, wall, over your present
lame entable condition; weep and wall to
save the soundness Of the argument Of
retributlop. IT'S pity, indeed that there
are living to-day millions OF Jews as happy
in the light Of our blessed civilization as
any OF their neighbors; so well satisfied,
indeed, with their present conditions as to
entertain not even the faintest wish for a
restoration of Jewish commonwealth. Mr..
| ituS1 hlEub udN6 luhtu luc JlUuDID
to inquire into the social condition of his
own Jewish fellow.cltlzens OF Washington,
to him also genuine descendants OF 'their
Cbrst.killing forefatheIs'-and he would
have become convinced that their condition
Is in no wise any more aeplorable than
that of their neighbors. True that in some
foreign lands, like Russia, prosecutions
against the poor Jews are still raging, to
the delight Of her Jew-hatipg fanatics, but
where is the sane man who could Justify
such cruelty by the plea OF just retribution
for crime supposed to have been com
mitted l,sO0, years agoH It appears de-
cldedly unchristlan, yea, blasphemous, to
petrated by Christian hands during the last
eighteen centuries against the people Of our
race to the wrath Of an offended Christ,
while Christianity, in keeping with the spirit
OF Judaism, eDjoined love and kindness
sps spsn .G%pIas ones enfmlSi lhImSsrs Sa
tic % religious I viHSs views Of Of
mankind gradually became broadened aud
purified, ard In the same degree as the
essence Of true rellgion-love of humanity
was duly recognized the dark shadows OF
religious persecution vanished more and
more. Now, does not this fact point plainly
and unmistakably to hatred and supersti-
tion, nurtured by grossest ignorance, as the
sole and only cause Of all religious persecu.
tionsg In the fact that our fathers, who
once lived happily in the land where milk
aGd honey flowed. were scattered all over
the earth, we as Jews fail TO see either a
re,ribution or u misfortune. If we consider
that centuries before the birth of Jesus
| commenced the dissolution and general
decline OF the Jewish state that many, many
years before the final catastrophe Jewish
colonies eXistal In various parts of the
world, the dispersion Of the Jews cannot
well be considered a direct reward of their
unhellef ir Jesus"
Mr.. Stern, continuing, said that the Jews
recognized as their mission among the ma.
tions of the earth their duty to disseminate
the truth OF Gods unity, and, MS its
standard.bearefs, they ore still protesting
against any doctrine teaching a plurality
OF Godhcads in any shape or form. It
was on that ground that their ancestors re-
iected the teachings of tho apostles. "We
believe he sai] "iu the divine revelation,
am the Lord thy God Thou shall have
no other gods besides Me-" As to the
miracles that Jesus is said to have per-
formed, the minister said ,thst the Jews OF
his day could not see In them anything new
or startling. In fact, Judaism did not at.
tribute very much importance to the belief
in miracles generally and certainly very
many Jews OF the present day boldly assert
their disbelief in the literal truth OF the
wonders as recorded In the books Of our
Bible, and yet do not forfeit their claims as
| faith1ul followers OF Judaism.
On the other hand, he contended that
Christianity was based wholly on the belief
in miracles. Take this away ana nothing
more remained than code OF ethics sex
pressed or implied In the twcnty.four books
OF our Bible and the sayings Of our rabbis,"
: Mr.. stern in closing said: "We do not
claim the prestige Of standing nearest to the
l throne of grace, but hold that the good and
, righteous Of all creeds are capable Of attain
, ing happiness here and hereafter. What
:, reason, then has Mr.. Kelley to speak Of @
= spirit of hostility to the teaching OF Chris.
, tiahity, and what right has he, as gentle
man, a scholar, and q minister of the gospel
OF love, to say-in the sense In which he
dld-that the Jews of to-day cherish
the spirst of their Christ. killing
fQrefathers? / would consider it an
, insult to the good sense and culture OF his
\ audience TO suppose that such an express.
! sion, such sentiment, should not have
grated on their ears and awakened in their
. hearts at least sense Of decided disap-
, | proval, As Christian minister and gen
tlemGn he should have refrained from
waving the "bloody shirt' Of religious IN.
naticism in this new aud blessed era OF
, | peace, good will, aud reconciliation. As a
, scholar be should have borne In mind that
the theory Of the killing OF Jesus by the
/ Jews has long been exploded through the
acknowledgment Of the historical fact that
Roman authorities directed and Rom IN
: soldiers carried out tho execution, fact
which received itS sanction by no less dis
tingulshed body than the Academy OF
| FIGnce.h