Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-19
SERMON ON WARFARE
RABBIT CkLIsCH breaches. ny RE-
QUEST, on THIS THEME.
lie Bnses His Discourse ON n Pam
INLET which lie crittciscs Quttc
FrceIy-Jcwish Teachings Are
Against War.
Against War.

Rabbi T.. y. Calsch preached a special
sermon AT Beth Ahaba Synagogue last
night on tho interesting subject Of War
fare" The congregation was large. Dr'
Calisoh opened his discourse with Few
words OF explanation He said he had
received a request from the secretary OF
the Central Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union to preach on that subject
on the third Sabbath OF the month.
pamphlet on the subject having been sent
by the secretary. The speaker said that
on reading the pamphlet he had been
reused TO speak not so much on the SUD
iect itself. as upon certain allegations
that were made therein. The pamphlet
was called AN Inquiry Into the Ac-
cordancv cf War with Christian Prin-
ciples." and the author tries to show that
war is prohibited by the Christian re-
ngion. with this effort i should nave
nothing 10 do" continued the speaker
were II not that in his arguments TO up
hold Christianity he goes out oil MS way
10 cast reflections upon Judaism ana 10
lower Jewish doctrines In the eyes OF ms
readers. He has tried in different para
pense OF Judaism. 1 have no objection IN
The world to his exaltatiOn OF his own
faith-his loyalty Is rather to be admired
but | do most seriously ana strehuousN
object 10 his attacks upon Judaism, espe-
cially as conditions in many instances are
lust the contrary Of what he essays 10
prove
SOME QUOTATIONS. ANSWERED.
The speaker then cited several quota
lions from the pamphlet, wherein uie
writer had aspersed Jewish teachings pS
saving that the Mosaic dispensatoh WIS
confessedlv imperfect; that 1t was
"a 49, nure and less peaceable sys-
tenn Of morality" and eXcusing the apos-
Ties when they had provided themselves
with swords by saying that these des-
tined teachers of Christianity were linper-
fec,lr ACQUAINTED with their Masters re-
l,eion that their conceptions were gross
and Jewish" THE GROWING oHence'
said the speaker lis that he then taxes q
sentiment concerning war from the piu
Teefan,.tt nd saws that this Is Ch'lst-
,;oritv After eratuitously dcpreciaung
and maligning Judaism, ne gees paVh ~
Jewish fields. plucks from the garden oil
its ethics a fair flower. and says TINS i
NOT Judaism. but Christianity. he II
coupelled to acknowledge that nowhere
in CHRISTIAN teachings is there specllc
Inhibition Of the profession OF arms ilo.
maintains that the spirit or Chflstiaiil'S
is opposed TO It, then quotes me lhcoHl
norable massage from Isaiah H.. !, anu
ssvs mat II is not disputed that this
rofe-s TO the prevalence OF the Chfls'l@i'
religion = g.. nor
"Bv whom is 1t not disputed? Is II no.
disputed by the very people to whom We 10,
message was given? is it not disputed ps
tho impreguable fact that To-Day WIN
the record back Of them OF the mos
heroic endurance the world mas W
known there are 100000 Of beings
whose very existence is pIo.es'
against the presumptons or the rum
ment of messianic prophecies Is II no'
disputed by history itself Where lle Pr
valence Of the Christian religion for 'he
last 1eoo wears has been by no means
SYNONYMOUS with peace. with the turhlhs
Il swords into ploughshares' ana u sPN'''0
into pruning knives
THE WARS OF EUROPE.
Tho smoker then said that Christianity
had been practically the dominant faith
In Furope since me beginning OF inc
fourth century. when constantine es-
poused il. vet there was not generation
mat had PASSED without war. LeaNihs
ont all wars that were waged for other
purposes. those that have been carried on
i'm the very name Of Christianity nav
tsen the most sanguinary and bitter that
nave stained the pages Of history. Here
The sneaker touched upon the 'IuS""09
the Thirty Years War. the expulsion VI
the Huguenots. the Puritans' ana the J'"9
from France. England. and SPAN. NJ NJ
we're the Accomplishments Of Christian
-',oeraes and the deeds OF Christian war
riors done in the name or thelr I"l'h
To-day civilized and Christian Europe Il
ono armed camp. and the tread OF SOL
dierv and the clank Of weapons are never
silenced Shall a man then say uilCoi'i"
dicted that the ideals Of Judaism are
realized In the Christian religion. anc
mat Jewish doctrines are gross, carnal
impure. unpeaceable. and imperfect!
THEIR TEACHINGS AGAINST WAX
The sneaker then showed that jewish
teachings were against the thout't u
var The sixth commandment Is lhhlDl-
ton enough. We find. further. that Da'lu
was not permitted to build the house OF
God because his hands were sta. WI
blood In Psalm XVI, 9. AIN IDEAL OF pedC1
Sc given when God viii cause wars to
cease will break the bow and cut the
snears in pieces. In Isaiah and Micah we
$50 the sublime ideal already quoted
that the messianic era VIII come "hvn
Dattor.s shall beat their swords INTO
ploughshares and their spears INTO pru-
ninq-knives. In the rabbinical writings
in the Sayings Of the Fathers II Is en-
iotned that we should be Of the as
clples OF Aaron, loving peace and pur-
suing peace.
Continuing. the speaker said that he pc
ueved that war was an institution tha'
existed only in the weaknesses OF men
ord that a dov will come when the ap-
neal to arms viii be heard no more, Men
are learning. are growing in morals ana
mind. They are beginning to see thd'
might is not right and that eternal JUS
go ~ which God Himself is tho pertec-
lion. shah rule in the affairs Of men as II
does in the far-reaching courses OF uni
versal life. Or. Calisch spoke OF the uu-
ties OF the citizen toward the STATE, sal'
no government could go to war whose
citizens were opposed 10 II. and cio.ea
with an appeal for a peaceable solution
for all individual civil, and national uiin-
culties.