choly and multiplied instances of to be his future destiny. The unnatural and unreasonable rebel-light of nature, in fact, taught them lion against the God of nature; very few truths; and even these which would not be the case, if few, imperfectly. The rays of it was perfectly natural to con-light, occasionally emitted from form to the directions of their their conversation and writings, holy book. shone from the midst of thick

Or if Mr. Noah means that na-darkness; and were to them like ture could afford them such a lightning to a lost traveller in a system of truths as is contained tempestuous night-they dazzled from Genesis to Malachi inclu- for a moment, but proved of no sive, his assertion is equally in- real service to direct them. correct. The Jewish Scriptures And is the state of the modern are inspired: they have been heathen in any respect imrevealed to us by the Holy Spirit proved? After enjoying so many of God, through the instrumen- additional ages, the infidel's boast tality of holy men. The light of the light of nature-are they not nature never did, never could, darkened in their understandings? and never will, give us such a are they not ignorant of the true system of divine truth as is con- and eternal God? Yes. And so tained in the writings of Moses benighted should Jew and Chrisand the Prophets. Among those tian also have continued, but for who never enjoyed the light from the inspired writings of the Holy heaven, every thing was obscure Book. To the light of revelation and uncertain. Socrates, one of are we indebted for the knowthe wisest of the Heathen, ac-ledge of the true God and eternal knowledged that he knew but life; of our origin and our destione thing with certainty, and that ny, and of the sources of our was, his ignorance of all things." misery and our happiness. What, They indeed acknowledged the but an impression that Moses had being of a God, because traces divine authority for enacting the of his power were visible in all law he gave the Israelites, could his works. But what was his have induced them to receive it? nature, and whether there were In its observances it was expenmany or only one Supreme being, sive and burdensome in the exwere questions, which to them treme. So much so that nothing were covered with an impene- but a miraculous interposition of trable veil. Hence they at one Providence could have prevented time thought the sun, at another its terminating in the ruin of the the moon, and at another the host nation. It required every male of heaven, to be God, and accord- from the most distant part of the ingly made them in turn the high-country to leave his business, and est objects of their worship. They even his country, open to the inwere also in the dark with re-cursions of enemies, for the purspect to the circumstances of man pose of going up to Jerusalem in the world; how he originally once every year; and one in every came into it; how evil obtained seven years, and two at every so general a prevalence; what jubilee, it required them to let was the design of the Creator in their fields remain uncultivated. giving him existence, and what is Giving these as specimens, we

ask, could the mere authority of in pages 7, 8, 9, of his discourse,
Moses, as a human legislator, to the fact of their belief in, and
have induced his countrymen to their worship of, the one living
submit to such a system of laws? and true God. It was perfectly
No. That submission can be ac- natural in the early heathen na-
counted for on no other principle tions, to prefer their own reli-
than that Moses was inspired, and gion and their own mode of wor-
received his authority immediately ship. But they never came in
from heaven. And we are glad contact with the Jews, so as to
to find, on page 7, a clause which enter into a controversy with them
admits this-which partly quali- on religious subjects, which would
fies the exceptionable declaration have led to persecution. The
we have noticed. Speaking of only instance in which they in
the Jewish religion, it is there some measure mingled with each
said, that "the most scrupulous other, and in which the Jews
maintain its divine origin." And, might have been supposed so suf-
on page 25, in allusion, we sup- fer on account of their religion,
pose, to the Scriptures of the Old was while they dwelt in Egypt.
Testament, it is said, "the word But there is no evidence that this
of God has been transmitted to us was the cause of their sufferings.
by our illustrious legislator." They may be accounted for in
Still we deem these declarations the cupidity of the Egyptians, and
inconsistent and irreconcileable. If their fear that if the Jews were
the religion of the Jews is the suffered to multiply, they might
religion of nature and philosophy, ultimately overpower them.-
it is not of divine origin, it is not These, at least, are the causes
the word of God. And we regret which Moses assigns in Exodus i.
the use of such expressions on 8, 9, 10, 11. "Now there arose
the part of a believer in divine up a new king over Egypt, which
revelation, because they take out knew not Joseph. And he said
of our hands the weapons of com- unto his people, Behold, the chil-
mon defence, and putting them dren of Israel are
more and
into the hands of infidels, encou- mightier than we. Come on, let
rages them to try to lay our fair us deal wisely with them, lest
fabric in the dust; and because they multiply, and it come to
they might give a show of plausi-pass, that, when there falleth
bility to an assertion too often out any war, they join also unto.
made, that many modern Jews our enemies, and fight against us,
are little better than Deists-dis- and so get them out of the
believers in the divine inspira- land. THEREFORE they did set
tion of their own Scriptures. over them taskmasters, to af-

3. We think the author of this flict them with their burdens." discourse has failed in assigning The policy of the Egyptians, the causes of the persecutions in the sufferings they occasionand sufferings of his Jewish ed the Jews was, not to interfere with their religion, but to

brethren.

The sufferings of the Jews, hold them in slavery, for their during the first ages of their ex-own safety and profit. And their istence as a separate people, Mr. sufferings in the land of Canaan, Noah over and over again ascribes, from the heathen nations around

1

them, had other causes than the ings in that age of the world. one adduced by the author of the They suffered not, as our author discourse before us. They had asserts, because they worshipped exterminated many of the nations the living God, but because they who formerly inhabited the land did not worship Him-because given them by God; and in so they often sinned against Him by doing they did right, because they symbolizing with the wickedness had God's command for their of the surrounding nations, and warrant. The sufferings they worshipping their dumb idols. endured from the survivors of In the 28th chapter of Deuterothose nations then, were not a nomy, which the author quotes, punishment upon the Jews for may be found a long list of judgbaving exterminated the rest. ments denounced for their disFor they had by that extermina- obedience, the fulfilment of which tion committed no offence. Those will fully explain the causes of nations deserved extermination at the miseries of hapless Israel the hand of God for their horrid during the period alluded to. impieties; and God had a right to Their sufferings in subsequent make use of the Jews as the instru- periods,-after what our author ments of their destruction -as calls, page 10, "the first dawn of much right as he now has to make civilization," are deemed by use of sword, famine, pestilence, him more extraordinary, and the and earthquake, as the expres- causes of them more difficult to sions of his indignation against trace. ungodly nations. And the Jews To us, who believe in the truth as instruments in the hands of God of Christianity, who recognize to effect the extirpation of those Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, nations, were no more account- promised to the Jews, and who able than sword, famine, pesti- consider unbelief in him as a sin lence, or earthquake are, for the deserving of the wrath of God, desolations they spread over the this subject has no difficulties. earth. It matters not, (as to the The causes of the sufferings of the merits of the point in question) descendants of Abraham for the how far the Jews in that extirpa- last eighteen hundred years are tion might have been actuated by obvious as the sun in his brighta desire of gain and of conquest. ness. And we hope we shall not For their motives of obedience give offence, nor that improper they were accountable to God, motives will be ascribed to us, but for their act of obedience whatever may be thought of our they were not to be punished. prejudices, if we call the attention Still the part they acted in that of our author and of his brethren dreadful tragedy, would excite in among us, as a mere matter of the survivors a desire of revenge, history, to the coincidence of and God wisely suffered many of the fact mentioned in the fourth them to survive, as the instru- page of the discourse before us, ments of his chastisement of his and the belief of Christians as to chosen people, whenever they the cause of that fact. "Eighteen departed from, or rebelled against, hundred years have passed," says Him. And this will be found to he, "without shedding a ray of be the true cause of their suffer- happiness upon the Jews." A re;

trospect of eighteen hundred years of an interesting fact, viz. That will bring us to the commence- since the destruction of the temple, ment of the Christian era. Then and the abolishment of sacrifices, took place that event, of all others the Jews have no longer priests. the most interesting to Christians, This fact we always knew; the death of Christ, as the great and always considered as one of atoning Sacrifice. The fact of his the strongest arguments in favour death is not questioned. And if of Christianity-in proof that we ask any of the scattered tribes the Jewish types and shadows of Israel, who by a continually had passed away, and a new miraculous interposition of Pro- order of things was introduced vidence, remain a people distinct by the advent of our Lord Jesus from all the world, why Jesus of Christ. But the acknowledgNazareth was crucified? They ment and publication of this fact will all answer, he was crucified by a descendant of Abraham, (for that very article which we gives us an opportunity of asking consider as the glory of our faith) him and his brethren a few infor making himself equal with teresting questions.

God. This has been received By what authority are the from the invariable traditions of Jewish sacrifices abolished? Is their fathers, and may be traced there any part of the Jewish to the very men who cried out Scriptures which forbids them? "crucify him, crucify him, his There is none. They were to blood be upon us, and upon our continue as a perpetual ordinance children." And what, according in the Church, till the purposes to the united testimony of all im- were answered for which they partial history, happened shortly were instituted. Upon the supafter this? Jerusalem, that holy position then of the Jew, that city, was trodden under foot of there is no other expression of the Gentiles!--and the calamities the will of God on the subject of which its inhabitants endured un- sacrifices, than what is contained der the besieging armies of Ves- in the Old Testament, we again pasian, were such as never befell ask, by what authority are they any other city or nation! All omitted? It is not enough to say, these things were foretold by that God, by scattering the tribes our Lord; and the fulfilment is of Israel to the four winds-by faithfully recorded by Josephus, driving them from the city and one of the Jewish nation, who was temple of Jerusalem-by deprivat once an eyewitness and a ing them of the conveniences which sufferer. Those sufferings cer- they there enjoyed for offering tainly occurred in the order of sacrifices, has given them a distime, subsequently to the death of pensation from compliance with Christ we believe that in Him this part of their religious ritual. were found all the characters of For the principle upon which Messiah drawn by the prophets, sacrifices was originally institutand that the rejection of Him in ed is eternal-the reason for that character, is the true cause their offering, upon the Jew's own of Israel's wretchedness. principle, still exists. They were

4. In note 19, at the end of predicated upon the fact, that all this discourse, we find the record men are sinners-and that atone

ment for sin is indispensable to the antitype is not found in the great satisfaction of divine justice. And atoning High Priest of our profesis not this fact recognized in the sion, Christ Jesus. The subject Jewish Scriptures? Does not is surely worthy of your intellitheir own prophet, Isaiah,* de- gent, patient, and impartial invesclare, "We are all as an unclean tigation.

thing, and all our righteousnesses Again. Why, as our author are as filthy rags ?"-and do not states, have the Jews now no all their inspired writers pro- longer priests? Let us not be claim the same truth?-are the told, it is because they now have no Jews then, as individuals and as a altar at which they might minisnation, chargeable with no sin ?—ter. For the office was to be perHas the circumstance of their petual. Nor let us be told, it is betemple being destroyed, and their cause they have, in their disperdwelling in countries remote from sions and their troubles, lost the Judea, washed away all their sins, genealogy of their tribes, and and made them meet for the pre- therefore cannot tell who have a sence of an holy God? O ye right to exercise the office of descendants of Israel, the subject Aaron. The genealogy of the of atonement for sin, BY SACRI- tribes was carefully preserved FICE, is to you and to us a most until the Christian era, and during solemn one! We are all sinners. all their previous dispersions, capWe all need an atoning sacrifice; tivities, and sufferings. And why and without one, we shall never was it preserved thus long? Bebe presented spotless before God. cause it was of the greatest imYour own prophet, David, (Psalm portance to the interests of truth 1. 13.) acknowledges the truth of that it should be thus preserved our Scripture maxim, that "the-that we might know that Messiah blood of bulls and goats cannot came from the house and lineage take away sin," when, in the name of David. And it has ceased to of God, he asks, "Will I eat the be preserved since that period, flesh of bulls, or drink the blood because its preservation ceased of goats?" Then if, as you say, to be important-inasmuch as and we believe, that such sacri- Messiah has come. If he has not fices are abolished, reflect upon come, Jews certainly cannot charge the true cause of their abolition. Christians with the crime of deExamine, whether it was not, stroying their records, for the because the sentiment of David is purpose of introducing a spurious correct, that they are utterly in- Messiah. And if, as they admit, sufficient to make an atonement their genealogy has been lost in for sin; whether this was not the Providence of God, how are true, as well when your temple they ever to know when their stood in its glory as while it now Messiah does come. By what lies in ruins; whether they did proofs are they to establish the not always derive their efficacy to fact of his coming from the tribe the souls of your believing ançes- of Judah? And are they ever to tors from the merits of some leave this most important itemgreat antitype; and whether that this centre, and sum and substance of all their inspired writings, in uncertainty? From the begin

Chap. Ixiv. 6.