The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-12-02


gion to its first beginning We find it free
from many Of the blemishes that offend
US in its later phases.
1.-THE founders of the ancient reii-
gions of the world, as far as we can
judge, were minds Of high stamp, full
Of noble aspirations, yearning for truth,
devoted to the welfare Of their neigh
bors, examples of purity and unselfish-
ness.
What they desired to found upon
earth was but seldom realized, and their
sayings, If preserved in their original
form, offered strange contrast to the
practice of those who profess to be its
disciples. As soon as a religion is es-
tablished, and more particularly where
it has become the religion of power
full state. the foreign and worldly ele-
ments encroach more and more upon
the original foundation, and human in
terests mar the simplicity and purity Of
the plan which the founder had con-
ceived in his own heart and matured in
his communions with God"
ReligiOn-the instinct to worship
higher powers-history has proved to
be nearly universal; religion, therefore,
unites.
Theology, or the statement Of the
form of worship, divides the human
family very often into hostile factions.
Ignorance, error, misunderstanding,
misinterpretation and perversity have
throughout the worlds history proved
most hideous disintegrating factors.
Arraying man against man in bloody
battle, firing his soul with desire to hew
down, to burn, to destroy by every con-
ceiyable means of barbarous cruelty his
fellow whose relations, beliefs and prac-
tees he would not, nor could not, ap-
prehend.
Truth, once pure and simple, is de-
filed and distorted by generations of
INSCRIPTIONS handling. No pernicious
half truth nor semblance of truth, how
ever; no ecclesiastical Interpolation or
adulteration can pass for real truth
which alone has the power to unite the
human family which theology so mer-
cilessly divides against itself.
What we both need to-day, both Jew
and non-Jew, is not a new body of doc
trine, not more of other theological for
mulas, but larger and clearer out
looki
A freer receptivity. nobler willing
ness and greater earnestness to read
Alright, If you please, such doctrines or
dogmas as we already have.
For after all, no amount of priestly
elaboration of setting no spurious orna-
mentation can permanently hide the
pearl without price, from the eager,
sincere, goodly-intentioned, truth-lov-
ing soul of man.
The crying need of to-day, as 1t was
two thousand years ago, is for a renew
al of the heart, a revival Of the life of
the spirit, a belief in the reality of
goodness and Of truth, Of Righteousness.
In word. an awakening Of the divine
element in our being, a more rational
exercise of conscience which would not
admit Of MANS inhumanity to man.
| What the world needs to-day, despite
the rapid amassing Of fortunes, the
multiplication of mechanical inventions,
the marvellous scientific discoveries, is a
richer inwardness," to use the express
sion of Matthew Arnold. "sweeter and a
holier reasona bleness." "A readiness to
not merely acknowledge verbally the
brotherhood of man, but to actually,
practically, alphabetically and re-
spectfully accept the whole human fam
| ly as the legitimate offspring Of one AL
mighty Supreme Being in God!
What we need is practical explica-
ton of the Golden Rule, which at this
very hour Is made a reproach to our
much Wanted twentieth century civili-
cation. Woe indeed that the thorn of
alarm the sound of terror to the Jews
! in the past, should have been sounded
in this day, at this hour, and the horri-
BILE blow struck, sending up such a pit
liable Shrek of agony that the heart of
every undetermined Christian and Pa
gan as we'll as Jew was touched! Woe
indeed that this rending Of hearts and
torturing of souls should have come
from a country who disgraces the name
of Christ by calling herself Christian!
Fierce, barbarous Russia has slipped
out of the light of the twentieth centu-
ry into the thfckest darkness Of the
middle ages. Listen to the unhesita-
ting condemnation of her greatest son,
olstoi, in answer to a dispatch asking
him If Russia could be held accountable
for the massacre of the Jews at Kishi-
tneff, answered.: Guilty is government.
First, in excluding the Jews from COM
mon rights, making them q separate
caste; secondly, in intoxicating by force
in Russia an idolatrous faith instead of
Christianity"
I 1t Is only through loftier motives,
purer desires and more human inclina-
tons and tendencies that a new world
order can be established by more feel
ing-full attitide toward others and a
more cordial acceptance of their beliefs
and disbeliefs.
Thus and thus only shall be cleared
away the deadwood, the thorny brush
and bramble that has throughout all
time INSTRUCTED the passage that leads
from creed to deed.
! For religion consists, not in the creed,
but the deed, the life. And life belongs
not to theology, but to humanity, and
humanity is, was and always will be,
before any religious dispensation.
Therefore before we discharge the fa-
tai volleys of prejudice and hate, before
we allow the sitting fumes of intoler-
ance to escape, let us remember, first,
that in injuring or destroying the de-
tested religious opponent we are also In
juring or destroying a life, the gift of
God. Second, that we are ruthlessly
cutting down our own flesh and blood,
if we believe that one Cause created US,