The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-05

Rev. DIR. L. p. Mendes' Lecture on the
Past and Present Centuries.

Rev. I. P. Mendes renewed his Friday
lectures at the Temple Mickva Israel last
night.
Under the title "A Hundred Years
Ago" DR.. Mendes told of the conditions,
principally religious and political. that OBJ
tanned at the beginning of the last CEN
fury, and compared them with present
conditions. He spoke of the recent cele-
bration of the new year, when the civ
ilized world was filled with music. rev.
elry and happiness, the well-known and
time-honored custom of announcing the
advent of a new year. From Christian
pulpits were sent forth by the clonsecrated
ministers the message. peace on Earth,
good will to men, the message received
from their master of Nazareth. The chill
dren shout with joy and happiness upon
receiving the, to them, visible proof of
the visit of the legendary Santa Claus,
and even the servants forget for awhile
In the general joy of the occasion. the
milestone of drudgery. There seems to be
no cloud caused by the death of the old
year, or If there is, it is swallowed up in
the general pleasure of greeting the new.
In spite of all this superb bundance of
enjoyment and pleasure, however, there
isl said DR.. Mendes, "a solemn side to
this festival. 1t is a solemnity that APP
peals not only to Christians but to every
civilized person in the world, no matter
what his religion. For the new year of
the world belongs to the world, and it's
lessons and admondtions are equally the
property of all. A hundred years ago
such an assertion could not have been
made for their was a gulf separating
every religion from tha other
The change from such a condition of
affairs as that at the beginning of the
last century to that now obtained, was
brought about, the speaker said by the
slow, but steady march of education and
intelligence, the broadening of the human
mind and growing realization of the
universal brotherhood of man. 1t was
not made however, without some dark
scenes, scenes that began and ended in
BLOOD and even yet there are
remnants of barbarism; but they
are fading and vanishing before the
advance of education. Curiously enough,
these felicts are being helped to their end
by the descendants of those very men
that fought for them so strongly a hun
bred years ago. Could these men of
the old-time arise now they would doubt
less marvel at what to them would seem
a miracle in the wonderful expansion of
the human mind. They would find the
majority of the churches UNFOLDING the
same teachings that they did during their
time, but reading into4othsm e., deeper
meaning and a broader sympathy than
they did a hundred years go. A sympa-
thy and meaning that makes lit possible
to keep to their teachings and nyet at
the same time work with each other for
the betterment and uplifting of mankind.
1t is such a condition as this that made
it possible a short time ago for a Roman
Catholic priest. a Jewish rabbi and a
Baptist preacher TO meet together for the
purpose of organizing a charitable insti-
tuition that should be non-sectarian. This
Il was not possible a hundred years ago.
+ Speaking of the present century, yet so
young, DR.. Mendes asked his hearers
what were they going to contribute 20 the
unwritten pages of an as yet unwritten
history.
care We" he asked, going back TO that
pure and simple love of God that passeth
the understanding Of man? Are we as
religious Jews going to continue the work
of our fathers. begun so well hundred
years ago? Let our future actions and
conduct be the best answers to these
questions