No. I.[1]
RABBINISM NOT A SAFE WAY OF SALVATION.
Salvation is of the Jews. Amongst all the religions
systems existing in the world, there are but two deserving of
attentive consideration, and they are both of Jewish origin,
and were once exclusively confined to the Jewish nation.
They are now known by the names of Judaism and Christianity;
but it must never be forgotten that the latter is as
entirely Jewish as the former. The Author of Christianity
was a Jew. The first preachers of Christianity were Jews.
The first Christians were all Jews; so that, in discussing the
truth of these respective systems, we are not opposing a Gentile
religion to a Jewish religion, but comparing one Jewish
creed with another Jewish creed. Neither in defending
Christianity, do we wish to diminish aught from the privileges
of the Jewish people; on the contrary, we candidly
acknowledge that we are disciples of the Jews, converts to
Jewish doctrines, partakers of the Jewish hope, and advocates
of that truth which the Jews have taught us. We are fully
persuaded that the Jews whom we follow were in the right—that
they have pointed out to us "the old paths," "the good
way," and "we have found rest to our souls." And we,
therefore, conscientiously believe, that those Jews who follow
the opposite system are as wrong as their forefathers, who,
when God commanded them to walk in the good old way, replied,
"We will not walk therein." Some modern Jews think
that it is impossible for a Jew to be in error, and that a Jew,
because he is a Jew, must of necessity be in the right. Such
persons seem to have forgotten how the majority of the people
erred in making the golden calf—how the generation that
came out of Egypt died in the wilderness because of their unbelief—how
the nation at large actually opposed and per-*
- ↑ Published originally January 15, 1836.
