The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-20
Fronl z e I-orl. 81.

The number OF CHRISTIANS lnIeresbeQ IN
Dr. GotthelI's series Of lectures on the sub
iecs did the Jews Reject Jesas:n is in
creasing, if one may judge by the attend
auce at the doctors church, Temple Emanu-
T., F0rty-third street and Fifth avenue.
The ushers find the number of strangers
coming to the church very much increased
the last two Sundays.
I'm a court where common sense presides,n
said the doctor yesterday, "the plainest
language is the fittest, and hence l have
chosen as the starting point the phrase,
Wanted, Bad People, Wanted, by
whoml The Christian Church. Who that
people is | need not tell you 1t seems as
though the church could not do without
1t. But for what purpose is it wantedl
1t is a sorry business for any one to
fasten his eye on the black spot in his
neighbours character and forever call atten-
ton to 1t. We do not wonder when a law
yer by painting an opponents witness black
wins case for n desperate client, but in u
teacher of religion we expect a different
spirit. Love covers multitude Of SINS
We are tod to Judge not that we be not
Judged, while in that beautiful hymn in the
Epstle to the Corinthians it SAYS that love
su1fereth long ard is kind, thinketh no evil,
rejOiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in
truth, heareth all things, telieveth all
things. hopeth all things, endureth all
things
''Shall we believe that what is he duty of
the individual is not he duty Of the church?
Wanted, bad people For whatl Caa it be
to better set out the glory OF one person
ahtys a truly great man rises in his own
strength and reeds not pedestal made out
of ba IF
proceedir rs as the declaiming against the
people belittle The man. Would il add, do
you think, to the glory of either Washing
ton or Lincoln, to dlshonor the American
nation! Does it add to the honor of tbs
Gali!ean to teach that his people were so far
beneath him that he is not to be explained
or understood by his Surroundings?
But hiss not the Galilean teacher used
bitter words against his own people? Did
he not call them a generation of vipers, an
adulterous and wicked generations Ny
friends, there is a great difference between
what teacher says to his own and what he
will allow a stranger to say to them. Over
in Hudson county the other day did not
preacher of the Gospel say that he had been
reared in heather lands and had seen all
manner of human depravity, but must con-
fess that such depravity as he had found
III the county Of Hudson he had never
seen befores But let foreigner say to DR..
Scudder that the American people, or even
the people of Hudson county, were more
debased and degraded than the heather,
ard know, if the doctor have any muscular
christianity about him, where the foreigner
would find himself. Here is the reasoning
of one christian commentator: The Jews
are called in the Gospels nation of vipers;
vipers are serpents; it was a serpent that
tempted Adam and Eve; the devil was the
serpent; therefore the Jews are the children
of the devil.
The Galilean lived in an Oriental atmos-
phere aud talked in metaphor, and is so I'M
derstood by his followers unless he is speak
ing of the Jews. Then everything is taken
as real. In one so-called life of Christ
which | examined last week-it should
really be called the death of Jesus-I tried
to find one attempt to look upon the Jews,
not with an eye of pity, but with plain
common justice. l could not find one, but
IN one paragraph there were no less than
twelve terms of opprobFium.
Should not those who would write the
history of the Galilean at least ask the
question whether his people may not have
acted in good faith though bad iudg-
lnentz Maysnot even the scribes have been
men who were responsible for the peace and
quiet Of the city over which the Romans
We're ever on guard ready to strike down
any symptom of rebellion? May they not
nave OS5n ONtlLSdlOuo TdOD6T UIlHu over
wickedl Do we know all the circumstances
under which the events told of took placed
DO we know all the motives of those
rulers of the Jews! | say do not ask this
but would not an unprejudiced historian
ask it?
Wanted, a bad people. But that people
is not to be found III the New TeStatament
When the curtain rises on the drama of the
life of the Galilean we see a man on the
haDHs of tho Jordan of
tive appearance, clothed in rainment of
camel's hair and leather girdle about his
loins, and his cry was, Repent we, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand The Jews
are accused of being a carnal people, unable
TO appreciate a spiritual kingdom But
here was a man of the greatest poverty.
and who, withal, never worked a miracle.
What answer did the Jews make to his calle
The christian record SAYS: And all Jeru-
salem, and all Judea, and all the lands
around Jordan went out and confessed their
sins, and were baptized Do not make the
mistake of surprising that that baptism
made them cease to be Jews to become
christians. 1t meant the opposite. 1t was
a ceremony instituted to make a Jew of a
Gentle. The baptism Of John made Jew
doubly Jew.
Among the crowds on the Jordan came
Jesus. Would the christian teach that he
would have mingled thus with them had
they been hypocritess Did not John discern
those who were hypocrites among the
throng and denounce them? When John
told them to bring forth fruits meet for re-
pentance did they not ask what they should
do? And when John Told him who had two
coats to give one to him who had none. and
the publican to exact no more than was due
and the soldier to cease from violence. was
not John obeyed? Whence came this great
multitude of peoples From Jerusalem and
Judea, the very stronghold of Jewish feeling
and prejudice.
"You have heard of the Sermon on the
Mount. We are told that it contains the
very acme of ethical thought. / will not
dispute or criticise, but take the New Testa-
nlent as it stands. There are things in that
sermon that must have been shocking to
Jewish feeling There were teachings con-
trary to Moses, for instance. The Pharisees
We're bitterly attacked, and The Pbarisees
We're the fathers of the Jewish synagogue
Why was that sermon preached on a mount?
1t was because the multitude was SO great
that be was obliged to get on an elevation
III order that all might hear. When he had
done, what did that multitude Of Jews do?
They followed him. l should like to see in
our day such grand reception of new
gospel.
From that day on he was followed by
multitudes. The fact that he was so sur
rounded is repeated twenty times in Mat
thew's record. We're not the Jews so
H.. AZ Al.