The record-union., 1897-07-18

| Ic1rAcA uSSlIS Ol pIOICClAi5 Liz PeAoAAe
from moral injury, or creeds from pos
sible contamination.
From the attacks made by this
spirit, none of US is safe, neither rabbi
nor congregation Here you will find
the reform preacher called an atheist,
althoughs he believes in a God, prays
to Him, praises Him, and humbly fol-
lows Him as his ideal as devoutly as
does the most orthodox. There you will
find him called a down-tearer, a down.
puller of Judaism, because, forsooth, he
can SOW, and clear away debris and
ruins before he can renovate the beau
teous structure Of his ancient faith.
Here he is called he that troubleth
Israel" because he has quickened the
fast dropping and tagging energies of
| his people; and there he is termed SEN
sation monger, because he is able to
bring a vast concourse of Worshippers
to kneel before the shrine of the living
God
THE climax is, however, reached
when you hear such a congregation as
this attacked because of Christian pro-
/ clivities, and it's members accused of
becoming Christians. Thus far the
Jew
nothing but praise. The liberal church
accords US a hearty welcome, because
it finds in pure Judaism a powerful
support to its own doctrines. The broad
church warmly praises this movement.
The cause of the distinguished place we
give to those basic principles of Juda
ism that are the fundamental elements
of a universal religion-the fatherhood
| Of Lo Of
The conservative church, however, ap
proves of our stand for the very rea-
son that the conservative Jew objects
to it. The conservative church sees
in our remuneration of ceremonial and
| our return to the erstWhile simple form
of Judaism an approximation to Chris
tianity. In both cases the charge is
the same, that we are becoming Chris
| tians.
Let me here digress for a moment.
Against Christians, as men and women,
as fellow citizens as children of the
same God and father, l have not one
word to say. Some of the dearest
friends I have are devout Christians.
My boyhood days were passed in the
society of members of the dominant
faith. and at the University College of
| knowledge at the feet of Christian pro-
fessors. In all that may tend to elevate
our common humanity, in all that may
aid the cause of righteousness, in all
works of true charity, in all that may
help to raise higher type of citizen
ship, you and 1 are only too willing to
cooperate with our brethren of other
faiths. Nor am 1 insensible to the vast
/ mower of good that Cbrictior1itu ha
been. Both the Catholic and Protestant
churches have gone out into the world
and tanned the ferocity and brutality
of men who would otherwise have
eaten human flesh like South Sea can
nibals, or who would have cut off the
head of their enemies and tanned their
skins like the monsters of the reign
of terror. Where moral illness was,
there came these churches to purify
and elevate; where physical sickness
prevailed, there went their votaries,
like ministering angels, to allay pain
and torment. Where famine for the
word of God existed, there these
churches have gone to fill the people
with spiritual food, and where want
and destitution have been felt, there
have they supplied the people with
physical nourishment In behalf of
every good and righteous cause they
have almost invariably had a word to
say, and in condemnation of every
rank injustice, and criminal offense
they have been vehement and uncom-
promising.
IF there can be found to-day a spot
on earth, coverisg a few square miles,
where man may raise his family in
decency, where old age is reverenced,
where manhood is respected, where
womanhood is honored, where child
hood is protected, it is in a great meas
ure due to the propag cation by the he
roes of these churches of the Bible we
! gave to man. To the masses they
have brought the beautiful law of life
that our martyred fathers framed for
them. The debt of art to these churches
is beyond telling. Take away from
! the world the architecture that is pure
ly Christian, the paintings that these
| churches have suggested, the music
that they have inspired take away the
purely Christian literature, and much
of the refinement, the culture, the dig
nified repose that lends the truest
grace to society would pass away But
it must likewise be remembered that
should we eliminate what Christianity
| owes to Judaism, society itself would
topple and fall, as does a card house
when you blow upon it,
The charge that he is tending toward
Christianity has evidently ranked in
his mind, as it has in the mind of all
the notable reformed rabbis in this
country, for he says in another place:
The reformed Jew not only does not
accept the doctrines specifically Chris
tian, but his own doctrines abundantly
satisfy even the most refined spiritual
nature. Not only he is not becoming
Christian, but he has no reason to-
| Why then have attacks been made on
! him? Because he has dared to think
for himself. Once let man think for
himself, and though you put a hoop
around his head and encircle his brains
with a clamp, you cannot make him
subscribe to effete dogmas They have
attacked the reformed Jew because he
has called a spade a spade; because he
has not the du.V icity of the man who
said: I eat what I like out of the
house, but at home I eat only kosher
Good prepared according to the eccle-
siastical law, for the sake of my sons;'
nor of those sons who said: We eat
what we like out of the house, but at
home we eat kosher to please the old
man. The crime of the reformed Jew
is that he has dared to change, alter
improve. He has adapted certain nom
essentials in conformity with occidental
surroundings and modern culture By
5x-;,o .ierLf of h.