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第41章

over the teacups-第41章

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philosophers; the musicians; the financiers; the statesmen; of the

last centuries forced the world to recognize and accept them。

Benjamin; the son of Isaac; a son of Israel; as his family name makes

obvious; has shown how largely Jewish blood has been represented in

the great men and women of modern days。



There are two virtues which Christians have found it very hard to


exemplify in practice。  These are modesty and civility。  The Founder

of the Christian religion appeared among a people accustomed to look

for a Messiah; a special ambassador from heaven; with an

authoritative message。  They were intimately acquainted with every

expression having reference to this divine messenger。  They had a

religion of their own; about which Christianity agrees with Judaism

in asserting that it was of divine origin。  It is a serious fact; to

which we do not give all the attention it deserves; that this

divinely instructed people were not satisfied with the evidence that

the young Rabbi who came to overthrow their ancient church and found

a new one was a supernatural being。  〃We think he was a great

Doctor;〃 said a Jewish companion with whom I was conversing。  He

meant a great Teacher; I presume; though healing the sick was one of

his special offices。  Instead of remembering that they were entitled

to form their own judgment of the new Teacher; as they had judged of

Hillel and other great instructors; Christians; as they called

themselves; have insulted; calumniated; oppressed; abased; outraged;

〃the chosen race〃 during the long succession of centuries since the

Jewish contemporaries of the Founder of Christianity made up their

minds that he did not meet the conditions required by the subject of

the predictions of their Scriptures。  The course of the argument

against them is very briefly and effectively stated by Mr。 Emerson:



〃This was Jehovah come down out of heaven。  I will kill you if you

say he was a man。〃



It seems as if there should be certain laws of etiquette regulating

the relation of different religions to each other。  It is not civil

for a follower of Mahomet to call his neighbor of another creed a

〃Christian dog。〃  Still more; there should be something like

politeness in the bearing of Christian sects toward each other; and

of believers in the new dispensation toward those who still adhere to

the old。  We are in the habit of allowing a certain arrogant

assumption to our Roman Catholic brethren。  We have got used to their

pretensions。  They may call us 〃heretics;〃 if they like。  They may

speak of us as 〃infidels;〃 if they choose; especially if they say it

in Latin。  So long as there is no inquisition; so long as there is no

auto da fe; we do not mind the hard words much; and we have as good

phrases to give them back: the Man of Sin and the Scarlet Woman will

serve for examples。  But it is better to be civil to each other all

round。  I doubt if a convert to the religion of Mahomet was ever made

by calling a man a Christian dog。  I doubt if a Hebrew ever became a

good Christian if the baptismal rite was performed by spitting on his

Jewish gabardine。  I have often thought of the advance in comity and

true charity shown in the title of my late honored friend James

Freeman Clarke's book; 〃The Ten Great Religions。〃  If the creeds of

mankind try to understand each other before attempting mutual

extermination; they will be sure to find a meaning in beliefs which

are different from their own。  The old Calvinistic spirit was almost

savagely exclusive。  While the author of the 〃Ten Great Religions〃

was growing up in Boston under the benignant; large…minded teachings

of the Rev。 James Freeman; the famous Dr。 John M。  Mason; at New

York; was fiercely attacking the noble humanity of 〃The Universal

Prayer。〃  〃In preaching;〃 says his biographer; 〃he once quoted Pope's

lines as to God's being adored alike 'by saint; by savage; and by

sage;' and pronounced it (in his deepest guttural) 'the most damnable

lie。'〃



What could the Hebrew expect when a Christian preacher could use such

language about a petition breathing the very soul of humanity?

Happily; the true human spirit is encroaching on that arrogant and

narrow…minded form of selfishness which called itself Christianity。



The golden rule should govern us in dealing with those whom we call

unbelievers; with heathen; and with all who do not accept our

religious views。  The Jews are with us as a perpetual lesson to teach

us modesty and civility。  The religion we profess is not self…

evident。  It did not convince the people to whom it was sent。  We

have no claim to take it for granted that we are all right; and they

are all wrong。  And; therefore; in the midst of all the triumphs of

Christianity; it is well that the stately synagogue should lift its

walls by the side of the aspiring cathedral; a perpetual reminder

that there are many mansions in the Father's earthly house as well as

in the heavenly one; that civilized humanity; longer in time and

broader in space than any historical form of belief; is mightier than

any one institution or organization it includes。



Many years ago I argued with myself the proposition which my Hebrew

correspondent has suggested。  Recognizing the fact that I was born to

a birthright of national and social prejudices against 〃the chosen

people;〃chosen as the object of contumely and abuse by the rest of

the world;I pictured my own inherited feelings of aversion in all

their intensity; and the strain of thought under the influence of

which those prejudices gave way to a more human; a more truly

Christian feeling of brotherhood。  I must ask your indulgence while I

quote a few verses from a poem of my own; printed long ago under the

title 〃At the Pantomime。〃



I was crowded between two children of Israel; and gave free inward

expression to my feelings。  All at once I happened to look more

closely at one of my neighbors; and saw that the youth was the very

ideal of the Son of Mary。



     A fresh young cheek whose olive hue

     The mantling blood shows faintly through;

     Locks dark as midnight; that divide

     And shade the neck on either side;

     Soft; gentle; loving eyes that gleam

     Clear as a starlit mountain stream;

     So looked that other child of Shem;

     The Maiden's Boy of Bethlehem!



     And thou couldst scorn the peerless blood

     That flows unmingled from the Flood;

     Thy scutcheon spotted with the stains

     Of Norman thieves and pirate Danes!

     The New World's foundling; in thy pride

     Scowl on the Hebrew at thy side;

     And lo!  the very semblance there

     The Lord of Glory deigned to wear!



     I see that radiant image rise;

     The flowing hair; the pitying eyes;

     The faintly crimsoned cheek that shows

     The blush of Sharon's opening rose;

     Thy hands would clasp his hallowed feet

     Whose brethren soil thy Christian seat;

     Thy lips would press his garment's hem

     That curl in wrathful scorn for them!



     A sudden mist; a watery screen;

     Dropped like a veil before the scene;

     The shadow floated from my soul;

     And to my lips a whisper stole:

     Thy prophets caught the Spirit's flame;

     From thee the Son of Mary came;

     With thee the Father deigned to dwell;

     Peace be upon thee; Israel!〃





It is not to be expected that intimate relations will be established

between Jewish and Christian communities until both become so far

rationalized and humanized that their differences are comparatively

unimportant。  But already there is an evident approximation in the

extreme left of what is called liberal Christianity and the

representatives of modern Judaism。  The life of a man like the late

Sir Moses Montefiore reads a lesson from the Old Testament which

might well have been inspired by the noblest teachings of the

Christian Gospels。





          Delilah; and how she

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