Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-31
THE TWO NEW YEARS.
DIR. CALrscH COMPARES THE sECU-
LAR WITH THE JEWISH.
PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.
- Mans Deeds His Accusers and
His Defenders, No Mediator, No VI
OF His Sins"

1
Ahaba last night on the subject of Per
sonal Righteousness" He began by COM
| pairing the two new years, the secular
new year on January LIST and the Jewish
new year, which occurs on tho LIST day Of
the month of Tishrl.
January LIST Is a commercial new year.
! Books. ledgers accounts. and transac-
tons are gone over. profit and loss estI-
mated. dividends declared. meetings held.
etc There is suspension of business.
but Il is only that the commercial world
may draw breath in anticipation of the
coming conflict The new year of January
LIST is holiday, but not a holy day
The new year OF the lst of Tishri is a
religiOusly-observed holy day Shops.
stores. offices etc. are closed by its de-
voices. and their closing means an abso-
lutte putting aside of all business cares
The house of worship claims the atten-
ton of The devotees and receives full
measure Of II.
RELIGIOUS GENIUS OF THE JEWS.
This distinction is carried on to very
great degree, said the speaker. and he
made the claim that there IS no people
that, as a people possess tho religious
genius that the Jews do. There IS a vast
amount of zeal and enthusiasm displayed
in other religious organizations. but II
does not partake Of the steady, unremit-
ting, aud universal character that marks
The loyalty Of the devOtees of Judaism.
There are intense fervor and self-sacri-
hcing zeal and self-denying devotion in
every church, blt they are sporadic and
not continuous, specific and not generic
in their character. The speaker touched
upon the Crusades, the Reformation the |
religious brotherhoods Of the medieval
church. the pllgrimages Of the Moham- |
medanS. and the other eastern religions.
and said that they were the acts of what !
might DO called religious specialists" |
but mat the vast masses OF the people /
remained In the craSsest of religious igno- |
rance and the very lowest depths Of I'M /
spirituality.
JUDAISM WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.
In contrast TO this it is to be noted
that at no time since the destruction of
the temple, the priesthood, and the ma
uonal existence of the Jews Din the year
I'D, has The religious strength of Juda-
ism ever been concentrated in any one
person, or sect, or brotherhood 1t has
been distributed widely and evenly
among all rs followers. To paraphase
Lncoln's memorable sentence. it has
been religion "of the people. for the
people. and by the people" The indf-
ylduais among the people may have diff
-ered In degrees of piety or learning. or
ferVor, but there was no representative
body to which the people left the care.
the conduct or the destiny of the faith
I me speaker said that the underlying
Inference between the Synagogue and the
church lay i'm the differing teachings of
personal righteousness, or personal re-
and vicarious atonement. It
was the prophets who prepared the peo-
Die For this tremendous revolution I'm re-
lgious thought Before the final catas-
lQphe of the destruction Of Jerusalem !
hey bad Numbered against the inutility
ind the utter inadequacy Of the sacrin-
lal junction They taught personal re-
possibility, personal obligation. personal
righteousness. and when tie hour struck !
or lsra6fs dispersion among the nations
# the world they had been made ready
or the changed conditions and REQUIRE
nents. ,
HIS DEEDS HIS ACCUSERs.
The synagogue developed under this d.
ecuon so that each individual hereof
cit that he vas in himself a mlcrocosm:
10 was responsible before men for his
orouot and character, and when he
assed from the vision OF men to the trl-
unal OF the Most High, there was no
ne TO plead for him, save his own deeds I
hese are his accusers and his defenders. !,
mere Is no mediator, no vicarious sufferer
D bear the burden Of his sins \
III is 10 this thought that the world is n
oW coming, Dr.. Calish continued. The /.
hrlshan Church is tending toward c
The beautiful blame J
IS ire OF the Na2arene teacher is look !
upon as a human life. an ex- =
nple 10 toiDng, suffering humanity :
no protest which the Jew has made for z
yer l'oV years is beginning to be heard
ha the Ideals for which he has lived and
lnered and died are heginning 70 bn GO
nowledged. The world is burning for its
SEPARATION 20 the all glorious truth which I
IS been his possession in the ages past -
the light of this new awakeling the ;,
abbi admonished his hearers 10 bs i'm h
thelr faith's tenets, TO make the nov,
'ar one OF righteousness, to bring tboir W
Hsious teachings into their daily live ! p
at truth, integrity and probity be tbeir u