The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-19
THE WORLD TURNS
TO SIMPLICITY
The Tendency Of Religion and Man
kind in General,
TO TRUTH AND TRUST ALONE.
I.cr. DIR. Caiisch Tells OF the Conclu-
sions to BE Drawn from the
Teachings Of the Found
er,s OF Religions.
TO TRUTH AND TRUST ALONE.

At Beth Ahaba Synagogue last night
Eabli L. n. Calisch delivered the last of
his series of lectures on the Founders
of Religions Last nights discourse was
devoted to the conclusions drawn from
the series of lectures ON The Founders
of Religions" The series had comprised
the lives and teachings Of Zoroaster,
Buddha Confucius, Moses, Jesus and
Moha1nmed Rabbi Calisch said in part:
The lives of the founders and the
growth of these great religions teach us:
1st That nothing is born into this
world without pain and suffering. Tbs
pRugs OF physical parturition are SYM
bolic of mental and spiritual achieve
1nent Anxiety and agony stand sponsor
at the cradle of every step of human
advance The incident OF the expulsion
of our primal parents from Eden is the
first lesson. When Adam and Eve passed
through the portals of Paradise. it was
not their downfall, but their ascending.
il was not the faint of sin That was upon
them. 1t was the pain of progress. They
gave up The irrespoesibility OF ignorance
10 gain the power, and with il, the oblga-
ton of knowledge. Precisely thus does
every human child to-day. when it passes
from The irresponsible Eden OF child
hoods Innocence and ignorance to the
responsibilities Of adoIescent and matu-
resent knowledge Thus, 100, every ben
efaction born unto the world comes with
all The throes of birth unto him who
gives it forth Every benefactor TO hu-
nanity has suffered at the hands Of the
generation 10 whom he came. The
lamented DIR. ]. NJ. Wise, in his Remi-
niscences," wrote the pregnant sentence:
III you want TO be a Christ YOU must be
erucitied.
Paradox, as il may seem, there is wis
dom in this. This pain. this suffering
and martyrdom form the test OF truth,
and of the purity of purpose. even as
fire refines gold. The treatment of men
lay men is the crucible of God-the i'm
pure succulnb and are lost, The pure are
made seven-fold pure. The whole his
tory OF the faith and the people of Israel
is confirmation Of this fact. Had 1t not
possessed the inherent indestructibility
of Gods own truth. Judaism and it's
messengers would long ago have persisted
from The face of the earth by reason of
the century-enduring m2rtyrdom, which
they have been compelled TO undergo.
Let us not murnlur then, when in our
little single lives pain and suffering
come 10 us. They should be the step
pinE> stones to nobler character and
lefticr ideals.
SOUGHT The TRUTH.
"a. This study OF the great religions of
We have noted how men. strong, earnest
unseltistI. heaNen-inspired men, have
sought 10 know the truth, and 10 teach
il To their fellow-men. We nave seen how
in ethics ana morality they have all
reached q high plane and have nobly in
fiuenced The lives of millions of followers
through many generations. ii is habit
with some people TO claim a monopoly
of truth, 10 say that theirs is the only
truth and the only revelation. 1t is a
claim that IS tle outcome of ignorance
Tie chandelier that has never been out
side tile limits of his barn-yard crows
over what TO him IS the entire world
The whole truth OF God is not in the pos
session OF any one man or set of men;
nor is 1t all 10 be found within the COW
ers Of any one book, nor in any one
Bible. Let not him who sees only one
facet deem that the gem OF truth is his
sole possession. The rays of The central
sun of the knowledge Of God iilumiHe all
HE earth. They are refracted into many
shades Of thought and belief in passing
through tile prison of mans varying con-
ceptions- On conception may be nobler
1l.an another, but all are OF the same
divine origin. Lei no one arregate HIM
self 10 believe that al the rest of the
world IS in darkness ana he only has the
light.
TOWARD SIMPLICITY
Sd The religious tendency Of to-day is
toward i ret3irl to the first principles
of simplicity. ana With shat the diver
gent thorght OF 1tae word is drawing
nearer together The progress Of thought
Sc much on This order. simplicity. COM
)plcxiiN., and then q return 10 simplicity;
much as a flower springs from a seed
blooms into Il complex organization Of
root and stem and flower of numerous
petals. stainens. pistils. etc, and then
returns to the simple existence Of the
seed. We can note tins petaodicity Of
growth in The TWO religions win which
we are familiar.
Early Christianity was marked by a