The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-14
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle


New York. October 9.-Pastor Russell
of the Brooklyn Tabernacle today ad-
dressed Jewish Mass Meeting. in re-
Spouse 10 request sent to him by a
Jewish Mass Meeting Invitation Com
mittee. The invitation was signed by
many prominent Hebrews OF New
York City. The invitation and Pastor
Russell's response to the same fellow
New York. September 20. 1910.
Pastor c. T. Russell Brooklyn, \. Y.
Dear Sir-Your sympathetic interest In
the Jewish people for gears past has
not escaped our notice. Your denuncia-
tons of the atrocities perpetrated against
our race in the name OF Christianity has
added 10 our conviction that you are 4
sincere friend. Your discourse on "Jeru-
salem and Jewish Hopes has struck 4 re-
spousive cord in the hearts of many OF our
people. Still we doubted for time il any
Christian minister could really be interest
I'd in Jew rs Jew and not merely from
q hope OF proselyting him. IT is because or
this feeling that some OF us request you
TO make public statement respecting the
nature of your interest in our people and
we desire you TO know that the statement
you did make was very satisfactory. In
it you assured us that you are not urging
Jews to become Christians and join any
OF the sects or parties of Protestants or
Catholics. That statement. Pastor Rus
sell, has been widely published in the
Jewish journals. We feel. therefore that
we have nothing to fear from you as a
race. On the contrary. in that statement
you mentioned that the foundation OF
your interest in our people is built upon
your faith in the testimonies OF our Law
and the messages of our Prophets. You
may well understand how surprised we
are to find a Christian minister acknowl-
edging that there are prophecies OF the
Bible still unfulfilled. which belong to the
Jew and not to the Christian, and that
these prophecies, according to your
studies. are nearing a fulfllment Of mo-
mentous interest to our Jewish race and.
through us as people. to the nations Of
the world.
These things. Pastor Russell. have led
to the formation of a Jewish Mass Meet
ing Committee. which. by this letter re-
quests you 10 give public discourse, es-
pecially TO our people. If you will kindly
accept this invitation. will you permit us
to suggest topic for your address, which.
We believe. win be very interesting to the
public and especially to the Jews, namely.
'.Zlonism In Prophecy"
AS for the meeting: We suggest Sunday
afternoon at three O'Clock. October eth.
We have secured an option on the Hip
podrome. New Yorll's largest and finest
Auditorium. for that. date. and we hope
that this. date and the place will be agree
able to your convenience. We assure you
also Of a large audience of deeply inter-
ested Hebrews. besides whoever may come
OF the general public.
Trusting to hear from you soon. we SUBJ
scribe ourselves.
Yours respectfully.
JEWISH MASS MEETING COMMITTEE.
Brooklyn. ~ Y. Sept. q. 1910.
Jewish Mass Meeting Committee. New
York City.
Gentlemen:-Your kind invitation to ad-
dress the Jewish Mass Meeting In the
New York Hippodrome Sunday. October
9Th, at p. NJ. came duly.
/ thank you for the confidence which
this invitation implies. The date you
have selected Is not only appropriate in
its relationship TO the Jewish New Year
but IL is very suitable to my own ar
engagements. as l leave on October 18th for
appointments in London and elsewhere in
Great Britain.
Amongst the several prominent MEM
bers OF your race suggested for Chairman
u tiS MASS MELTING, SeieCt MT. JOIN
Barrondess, because have had the pleas
IRE personally Of conference with him
and because l know him to be Very loyal
TO the interests OF your people and be-
cause ! believe him to be very highly es-
teemed as such in the counsels OF your
race.
Faithfully and respectfully yours.
G. II. RUSSELL.
The H:ppodrome is really an i'm
mense and elegant Opera House with
a capacity of about FIVE thousand II
was crowded today and many failed
TO gain access. The Jewish people OF
this City. who number more than a
million. have become deeply impressed
by various discourses which Pastor
Russell has recently delivered and were
alert for today's meeting-to hear his
presentation Of ZIonism as foretold by
the prophets. The speaker held his
immense audience spellbound for near.
~ two hours. all apparently as uncon-
scious Of the flight Of time as was the
speaker himself. After the service the
Hebrews could be seen in little knots
and groups here and there in the CORR
doris and in the streets discussing the
subject. The speakers views were evi
IDENTITY shared by the majority. Alto
gether the meeting was something
unique. Never before did Jews give
such attention to the message Of a
Christian minister. And never before
did Christian minister give such a
message to the Jews.
What Pastor Russell Said.
The speaker read to his audience
many quotations from the prophecies
OF the Bible relating to Zionism. the
first one of which was Psalm eli. 1915
Thou shalt arise and have mercy
upon Zion; for the time to favor her
yea. the set time. is come. Fer thy
servants take pleasure in her stones
and favor the dust thereof. Then shall
the Gentiles fear the name of Jehovah
and all the kings Of the earth thy
glory. WheE the Lord shall build up
Zion. he shall appear in his glory
Pastor Russell declared that while
once he had been inclined to discard
the Bible as unreliable along the lines
of Higher Criticism. he had subse-
quently given 1t very earnest study
entirely apart from all creeds and theo.
ries of men. This study had greatly
enlightened his mind and had given
him very different view Of the sacred
Book He now has absolute conf
depce In It. He now realizes not only
THAT there Is u great Creator but thai
be is definite. orderly. in his dealings
with humanity In hic chnninO of