THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2486, 25 March 1882, Page 3

THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE.

The Rev. A. J. Messing, from California, delivered a lecture this morning at the above place of worship. The subject ohosen was " The fundamental principles of the Jewish religion." The rev. gentleman said they were living in a time when it was nocossary that the Jewish religion should bo known not only in tho synagogue but throughout society; bocause even in this ago of progress and enlightenment prejudice, darkness, and cuperstition still existed, particularly in the old world, and in countries liko Germany, Russia, and Rsumania. How many oountries had the Jewish people seen in the last 1800 years ? In how many climeß bad they wandered, and from how many couc tries had they boen driven sinoe they left that land in whioh their oradle stood, and for whioh they would eoorifiee their blood ? When they thought of all thoir experiences during those 1800 years, and of the persooutionß which they had suffered, they mutt t>bk how was it that they still existed? Wr.ero were the nations of the Old World, the Romans, the Groeks, and tho Babylonianb ? There was only a stone left hero an<J there to tell of their existence. Yet, Israel, whioh had been so persecuted snd driven from pls.ee to plaoe without u king was still among the peoples of tho world, and here in Christohurch a handful of thirty sons of Israel had erected a house to the honor of a God who was tho Father of every human being. How did this happen? Beciiiso when the Temple sank into ashes, Israel oommenced to build another Temple — a temple in which would congregate the whole human family, who would acknowledge one true God—the Creator, Proserver, and Ruler of Mankind and when all hate would vanish, and when people would recognise that the foundation of all religion was equality — that all wore equal before God, and that there was no blue blood. On what was called Observation Sabbath, the Jew sat down to remember the liberty once given to him by his God and Father. But he might now shed a tear, remembering what his brethren had to endure in the Old World, remembering the shameful and diegraoeful ao's of those professing to belong to a religion of love, and who persecuted ths Jew for no reason whatever, except that he adhered to his law, and was not as low as his neighbor in those oeuntries. Would it be any wondor if he, a»

ho sbood there, were to curse Chistianity ? No ; it would oiily teem natural. Would not tho Christian hate him who shed his blood ? But the Jew did not hate ; he dared not hate. It wns plainly written in his law that re should help his enemy, and must not take revenge. The third fundamental principle of the Jewish religion was purity, and on that principle was based the superior sanitary jaws which the Jews had always observed. Charity was the fourth prinoiplo. It had a different meaning to the word oharity as used by the Christians, and meant justioe and righteousness. The Jew took no credit and expected no reward for being oharitable —it was his simplo duty. The rev. gentleman conoluded his leoture by expressing his belief that the Christians of Ohristchurcb. would come forward to the assistance of their Jewish friends and givo them their sympathy in the persecutions which their brethren were suffering in Russia and elsewhere.