The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-13
MT. Depu then spoke as follows:
 Rev. John DePeu's Address.


 Rev. John DePeu's Address. MT. President Ladies and Gentle | men: Two hundred and sixteen yeare ago, the independent life and history of what is now Bridgeport began not far from where we are now assem- bled. This avenue, early known as Division street. marked the then boundary between Stratford and Fair field. In 1895 the residents of the two towns living on rhe hill above us and along the Kings Highway east and west were set apart as Stratf1eld parish and built their first church on this street. From that parish, mod ern Bridgeport has grown. AS pastor of that First church, bring their greetings and felicitations to the Con- gregation of B'Nai Israel, the firss Could these early fathers in-any hour of prophetic vision have forecast the gathering and services of this after noon when Christian pastors assisted in the dedication of this temple, they would have said: We have seen invitation and the prompt and cordial response with which 1t was received are significant and supremely auspi- cious. It was not ever thus.
 We read in the sacred scriptures of how it came to pass in the days of Saul, king of Israel, and of Achish, king of Gath, that the heart of Saul was turned against David the son of Jesse, and Saul hated David and sought his life. Then David and his followers to the number of 600 with their households fled to Achish, king of Gath. And Achish dealt kindly with David and gave him a place of of David were numbered with the hosts of Achish. Then there arose certain of the princes of the Philis- tines and cried unto AchiSh: What do these Hebrews here? for the princes of the Philistines feared the subtlety might do unto them. Lo. is it not written in the First Book of Samuel, which Is the First Book of the King doms?
 How Shall We Answer?
 What do these Hebrews here? The Achish, nor was it heard only in question was not new in the days of Philistia. It has echosed from age to age and from land to land, from his tents in Canaan and when Joseph was lord of the treasury in Egypt, unto the present hour and within the circuit of our own hearing. They were not fools, those princes of the Philistines, when they stood before Achish with their insistent question: far otherwise. Some questions may safely be left unasked or unanswered. Some may be answered once for ah. But this question must ever be kept in type, ever vocal: What do these He- brews here? The Hebrew is never nigligible quantity He is a subtle. patient, and portentious force to be reckoned with whenever and where ever he appears. The lords of the Philfstines did well to press. their question in Gath of old. We do well, Gentiles and Hebrews alike, to press the same question to-day And how shall we answer 1t?
 The life of man is two fold. It IS divided between visions and deeds. And often these twain are contrary, one to the other. Some dream only. like Shakespeare's Hamlet. And some toll in close-pent darkness. like blind Samson at the mill. But the true Hebrew, like Israel of old. stretched forth both hands with equal and mighty strength, taking toll of that which is and of that which is to be. He is both a dreamer and a doer. For this is what made Jacob prince of God-he could dream dream and then wrestle nightly to realize it.
 But what of the dreams, and what of the deeds? Mems dreams and deeds alike run along two broad ave- ,nues, as they themselves are fashioned of both flesh and spirit One of these avenues is the scene of continual war fare, where, as in the old Italian towns, the houses of the great are knife his neighbor. And the other avenue is known as the way of peace where every man helps his neighbor. Let us even be at some pains to un- derstand this.
 Two Realms.
 There is a realm in which posses sion is exclusive, and gain involves loss. That is the realm of material things, the realm of houses and lands, of stocks and bonds. of fine raiment and of cold, hard cash. In that realm possession means exclusion, and gain means loss. If I have any of these things, by just so much you do not, and cannot, have them. My posses sion excludes yours. And if I give you these things, my house. my land, my stock, my cash, by so far I suffer ing it. And just so far as a man lives and strives for these things his hand is against every man, and every mans hand is against him.
 There is another realm, in which possession is not exclusive, and in which gain does not involve loss. It is the realm of the Spiritual. If I have a vision, a thought, a high and noble feeling, I have no exclusive pro- prietor ship in them. My possession does not diminish or limit yours in these things. And f I communicate to you the vision, the thought, the uplift, I have lost nothing through l your gain. And just so far as a man lives and strives for these things he is true brother and yokefellow with every man who is like-minded.
 Success Brings Hatred.
 Bearing in mind this simple dis t notion, we have in clear view the | cause of the alieniations and antag- onisms between men, and know where | to look for the base and bonds of hu- l man fellowship. What do these He brews here? men are asking to-day as they have been asking all the way back. And according as that question | Is answered hands will be stretched | with open palm of fellowship. The | by what the Hebrews are doing. The l measure by the choice the questioner will particularly focus theiE eyes on, and make the basis of their answer; for we are all doing many things Of various signification and influence. The prosecutions which have left a broad smear of Hebrew blood and | tears through the volume of history | have been for the most part of. com merciaI origin. The Jew had money to lend. Men and nations were eager to borrow, but 10th to pay their debts, and hated the lender for his thrif,