The record-union., 1899-06-11

was the son of God made them eligible
| for membership.
| That the movement of Paul was con-
trary to the spirit of Jesus is not diff
cult of proof. Jesus said:
| Think not that l have come to de-
stroy the law of the prophets; I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
1 For verify say unto you till heav-
! en- and earth pass, one jot or one little
shall in. no. wise pass from the law till
all be fulfilled.
4 whatsoever, therefore, shall break one
of these same comma ndments, and shall
teach men SO, he shall be called the
least in the kingdom of heaven; but
| whatsoever shall do and teach them,
the same shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven.
II am not sent but unto the lost
sheep of the house of Israel.
go not unto the way of the Gentiles,
| and into any city of the Samaritans
enter we not, but go rather to the lost
sheep of Israeli
Despite these utterances on the part
of Jesus, who himself observed all the
| Jewish forms and ceremonies, Paul, in
his enthusiasm to proselyte and TO
spread the belief in the Jewish God
| and in the Jewish teachings, did not
hesitate to assume the~right to abro-
gate and to modify many of the Jew
| ish forms. rites and ceremonies.
Judaism never went out to proselyte
among strangers. Its followers had so
much faith in the truth which it taught
that they patiently waited for stran-
| inti
come of their own accord and knock
! for admission at the doors of Judaism.
| Not so with Paul; his idea was to unite
| the whole human race under one be-
lief. He soon realized, however how
hopeless the task, should he insist upon
| the observance on the part of the
| heather of the severe and rigid cere-
monialism of the Jew. To Paul the
spirit was all in all :; the form nothing.
Thus, from the very beginning, DO
we find that much which was done
by Paul and others in the name OF
Jesus was done of their own volition.
against the manifest spirit and teach
ings of Jesus, and for which He should
not be held responsible.
AS the Jewish Christian movement
grew in numbers under the wonderful
leadership of Paul, it also grew IN
power until 1t attained such proper
lions in Rome-the very heart OF
heathendom-that it greatly alarmed
the authorities. One Of the paStimes
of Nero, the Roman Emperor, was the
| burning at tha stake of numberless
innocent Christians, simply because
they were unwilling to forsake their
faith.
| Thus has Christian, in common with
Jew, had his fullest share of religious
persecution. No sooner, however. did
Constantine of Rome adopt Christian
ity and incorporate therein many
heathenish customs and practices, and
make it the State religion of the Ro-
man world, when the Christians in turn
became the prosecutors, and during the
long vista of centuries which has since
| passed they have sacrificed, in the
name of Jesus. untold generations OF
innocent men, women and children.
How Jesus can be held responsible for
such conduct ON the part of His mis-
guided followers seems inconceivable.
| The Jew of to-day resents the idea
| of being held responsible for the cruel
fixion of Jesus. The Jew of to-day
must not therefore, hold the memory OF
Jesus responsible for acts committed
by His blinded followers after His
death and in violence to His teachings
of non-reSiStance.
Imagine if you can, this gentle teach
er in Israel coming back to life and
seeing His Catholic follower burning
at the stake His Protestant follower
all in the name of Jesus. Or, imagine
Him returned to earth and finding both
His Catholic and Protestant worshipers
prosecuting in His name the members
of the faith in which He was born and
lived and died. What think you
would be His feelings? Unless His
spirit was very different from the one
given Him by His disciples, such scenes
would rack and distract Him. To fee
himself the innocent cause for the
shedding of innocent blood would make
Him cry out in the agony of His SOU
and to stretch out his hands in the at
tempt to stop the murderous work go
ing on in His name. If He could come
to life again and learn of the myriads
of helpless men and women who, in
His name have been racked and tor
tured and put to horrible deaths, He
would bemoan the hour that first gave
Him birth. and feel himself to have
been a blighting curse where He had
hoped to be a blessing. If, restored to
life. He were to learn of the endless
and bloodthirsty religious wars which
for decades were waged among them
selves by His misguided followers; ii
He were to learn of the carnage ano
desolation, of the endless sorrow anc
suffering, of the countless generations
of misery caused by His misinterpreted
teachings, He would sit in sackcloth
and ashes and yield himself to the an
guish of a breaking heart.
God in His wisdom has ordained thai
ioy shall come from sorrow, that gair
shall come from pain, that progress
shall come from adversely, that pros
i perity shall come from misfortune. thai
tolerance shall come from persecution
that enlightenment shall come from ig'
norance and that love shall come from
hatred.
That God is all-wise and all-knowins
is made manifest on all sides. That His
ways, which seem to us so mysterious
are the ways of goodness and wisdom
is proven every day of our lives. Thai
things which seem Gods curses turn
into blessing, is shown us time anc
again.
1t has been truly said that God otter
communes with His children, and thai
when He has a message to convey He
chooses His messenger and sends Us
His word in is own inscrutable way
| When God felt the hour had come tc
reveal Himself to man. He chose fol