Against this current conception of religion the prophets insisted on a right life as the true worship of God. Morality to them was not merely a prerequisite of effective ceremonial worship. They brushed sacrificial ritual aside altogether as trifling compared with righteousness, nay, as a harmful substitute and a hindrance for ethical religion.

p. 5 - Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907) - Ch.1 The Historical Roots of Christianity the Hebrew Prophets