Year: 1871

great advantage to the future of Catholicity.


But these differences Of opinion, so far from


weakening religion, should rather contribute to
strengthen its power by disclosing more and
more the sublime Christian fact, of which the
New YORK HERALD is the gospel, that tolera-
ton is the tribute which religion is bound to
pay to individual liberty, and that diversity of
opinion in small points is not Inconsistent with
grand catholicity Of sentiment and thought,
and may prevail without poisoning the great
fountain Of universal love and charity
from which all men and women of
all sects draw their inspiration. Espe-
cially since the New YORK HERALD bes an
to publish tho sermons of pastors Of all de-
nominations has the conviction sunk into the
public mind that differences of religion repre-
sent only the various idiosyncracies Of human
character, and do not exclude the existence of
the most perfect harmony as regards the most
salient and essential truths of religion. This
conviction will appeal, we trust, with the same
eloquence to the conflicting synagogues as it
did to the divergent churches. This is the
more desirable as sectarianism is sure to
increase in proportion to the increase of their
power and the intellectual vitality of their
congregations. This growth Of sects has been
the invincibe result of the direction which
civilization has taken in the last three CEN
turies. AT one time Christendom was re-
ligiously controlled by but three great religious
powers-the Roman Catholic, the Eastern
orthodox and the Protestant. At the present
day, while the two first alone maintain their
unity Of discipline and organization, the last
is divided and subdivided into hundred diver
gent denominations. The synagogues are now,
In their turn, in the throes of that strife which,
until the New YORK HERALD stepped in as
mediator, did so much to engender bitterness
in evangelical bosoms, where love and charity
alone should dwell. This division into orthodox
and heterodox synagogues is, in our opinion,
but the prelude to other even greater divi-
sions and subdivisions. As there are High and
Low Episcopalians, Old School and New School
Presbyterians, and Book-concerned and book
unconcerned Methodists, and, in fact, in the
Protestant Churches almost as many denomi-
nations as there are phases of human charac-
ter, the synagogues cannot escape from the
same multiplicity of sects. No doubt there
are not few of the followers of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob in this city, for instance,
who differ in their respective estimates of
Aaron and Joshua, Solomon and David and
Saul; who held conflicting opinions with regard
to the feelings of Jonah while boarding in the
belly of the whale, or of Daniel while occupy
ing temporary lodgings in the den of lions.
With the progress Of mental fermentation new
sects must arise from this seething caldron
Of conflicting opinions. Nor can the culinary
aspect of the existing theological discord be
expected to end in anything but further subdi-
visions. In Chicago and Cincinnati-where
pork has acquired such hold on the public
affection that the honor of calling either of
those cities Porkopolis is frequently conferred
as tribute of gratitude, not so much to that
distinguished member Of zoology, the pig, as
to the benefcent influence his packing has on
the prosperity Of these places-the elements
Of division are strong; for some of the West
ern synagogues may hold that pork killed
by an orthodox butcher is good food, and
others hold not.


The social question is equally beset with
antagonistic elements; but as Catholics and
Protestants intermarry without interfering
with each others faith, orthodox and hetero-
dox synagogues will probably, after a time,
unite on the basis that mixed marriage is
not necessarily a breach Of faith. But amid
whatever conscientious differences or varying
social practices may arise to animate existing
sects or lead to the establishment of new
ones, all will be well if the synagogues, like
the churches, will follow the gospel Of the
NEW YORK HERALD and cultivate the virtues
Of amenity and love. In the differences be-
tween conflicting synagogues we will play the
part of the prophets of old in the antagenism
between Joshua and Moses. Let them come
to us like little children, and in our soothing
teachings they will find balsam for all their
! wounds.


4