applied to the French, in whom it is fully verified, so that they are become the very pests of the earth, and their metropolis, in the literal sense of the words, a second Sodom. Heathenism will be no source of corruption to Christians, who, with their eyes open, remember the dreadful effects of it of old, and see the consequences of it now: from which may God defend all those young men, who are now on the road to a learned education! and in this prayer, I am confident you, Reverend Sir, will most heartily join with Your faithful and obedient humble Servant, NAYLAND, March 3, 1799. WILLIAM JONES. A LETTER LETTER ΤΟ THREE CONVERTED JEWS, LATELY BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. "When thou art converted, strengthen thy Brethren." Luke xxii. 32, P VOL. VI. A LETTER, ETC. MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, FOR your late happy conversion to the Christian Religion, I am more than thankful; I glorify God for it; and I am persuaded, all true believers in Jesus Christ will do the same for you are now become the children of Abraham's faith, and heirs of the promises made to him. Before, you were only the children of his nature, as your Jewish brethren are: and if we lament over them, as over those that are dead, we are to rejoice over you as persons who are alive from the dead. We are much surprized when a single Jew becomes a Christian; but that three should become so at once is a great event; which would give us great encouragement, if we might presume to consider it as the first fruits of an harvest not far off; when your nation shall have their eyes opened to discover that Jesus Christ, whom they despised and rejected, is the true Saviour of the world. The Christian Religion in these last days having assumed various forms, and being even without form; I am thankful that the good providence of God hath directed you to that form of it which is still preserved by the Church of England; as sound a part of the Church of Christ, in its profession, as is to be found this day upon earth; I wish we might say as much for its discipline; and from it you may certainly receive what the Church of Christ hath to give. On one side of it, we see the errors and usurpations of the Church of Rome; on the other the lamentable divisions of the sectaries: who are to be peaceably admonished of that certain ruin which division must sooner or later bring upon the christian world. Your high priest, Aaron, was no universal bishop: he presided over one peculiar nation, who were the chosen people of God. And when the nations of the world were taken into one great Catholic church, so called to distinguish it from the Jewish particular church, there was no universal bishop, but our Lord Jesus Christ, the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls: and every national church was governed by bishops of its own, of whom we know the succession to these days, down to bishops of our own time: and you have had the blessing of being confirmed by one of the best of them. As your friend in Christ Jesus, I wish you to be farther instructed in the state of the case between us and the unbelieving Jews; that you may be enabled not only to stand your ground, but to perform the blessed office of leading others into the truth. Though I can say sincerely with St. Paul," that my heart's desire "and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be "saved;" yet I dare not indulge a hope, that any feeble efforts of mine, or any thing I can teach you to say, will have effect on the Jews as a body, or on any considerable number of them, after they have so long resisted the arguments of wise and learned men, Whenever that shall happen, and by whatever instruments, it must be the Lord's doing, and it will be marvellous in our eyes. But the cause should never be |