The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-11
MIRACLES; A JEWS VIEW.
DIR. L. G. HIRSCH Explains THEM
As HYPNOTISM.

Says He Prefers ut Any Rate the
POeticaI to the Prose side of the
Bible Stories-Dowie and Christian
Science CIassed with Christ in the
Healing of the Sick-Rabbi to De-
liver a Series of Lectures at Johns
Hopkins.
From the Chicago Tribune.
How Christ may have walked upon
the sea, and what is meant by the mir
acle of Moses striking the rock and
drawing forth water were explained
by DR.. Emil G. Hirsch last night to
the congregation in Temple Israel. How
Christ may have performed his cures
also was explained, the lecturer an
nouncing his belief in them and even
in methods by which Dowie and the
Christian Scientists work.
Hypnotism was the suggestion given
by DR.. Hirsch for the miraculous
cures accomplished by Jesus. The use
of a mechanism might explain how
Christ was able to appear to his dis
ciples in the midst of the storm on
Lake Galilee--or it might have been
an illusion.
The resurrection of Christ was more
than fact, he said. 1t was so much
more than a fact that it did not make
any difference whether. it was a fact
or not. 1t was a truth, DR.. Hirsch de-
clared.
"Rationalism would say" continued
the speaker, that when Christ appear
ed walking on water it might have
!. been an illusion. l want to appear
most reverent in handling these New
Testament miracles lest 1 should seem
to be speaking from prejudice. RAJ
tionalism would say that Christ in
this miracle might have used some
mechanism. He might have had lit
tie boats on his feet or he might have
been floating"
The miracles, he asserted, were truer
than they would have been had they
been facts.
"They represent forces and not
facts" he said.
Of the miracle of Moses drawing wa
ter from the rock he said it illustrated
a situation which was known to every
man.
I'VE have all been in the desert"
he said, land the Lord has provided
for u.s."
If he were forced to choose between
the prose and the poetry of these mir
acles, DR.. Hirsch declared, he would
choose the poetry, not caring whether
it told of visible facts or not.
"If l had to choose between Moses,
the mountebank, and Moses, the in
spired leader, l should choose the lat
ter without hesitation" he said.
II believe Christ cured. 1 believe
Dowie cures. / believe Christian Sci
ence cures. But don't think they are
miracles. There is a great power call
ed hypnotism. 1t is able to make peo-
pie sick. and thing that is able to
make people sick should be able to
cure them also.
"I have made myself sick by think
ing l had a disease. Young medical
students, in the fervor of their study
frequently get the symptoms of the
diseases they are studying. You can
be hypnotiZed by any one of stronger
will than yourself"
DR.. Hirsch said that few scholars had
earned the right to discuss the Bible at
all, as it required almost a lifetime of
preparation and study to fit one to
center the vestibule to the Bible" For
this reason, he said, the comment of
most people on the Bible was worse
than useless.
In discussing the miracles he remind
ed his auditors that the report of none
of them had been written by eye-wit-
nesses, ana that in the main they rep
resented traditions which had been
handed down for generations from
father to son before they had been
written. And in the beginning, he
said, they had not originated with the
Jews but were transplantations, being
notifications of the myths of older ma
tons
At the conclusion of the sermon the
announcement was made that DR..
Hirsch has been chosen to deliver a
course of lectures at Johns Hopkins
University.
81 thought it might tickle the pride
of the members of Temple Isreal," DIR.
Hirsch said, ito know that the rabbi
of their church has been selected to de-
liver course of lectures for which the
university usually sends abroad for
some lecturer. lie is the first Jew
ever to be so honored."
The course will include eight lee
lures and will be begun next week.