Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

BEING A DEFENCE OF JUDAISM AGAINST ALL ADVERSARIES, AND PARTICULARLY AGAINST THE INSIDIOUS

ATTACKS OF

ISRAEL'S ADVOCATE.

VOL. II.

4th month, TAMUZ, JULY, 5584.

NO. 5.

Examination of the XVIIIth Chapter of Isaiah, or rather, a Review of a pamphlet called “Isaiah's Message to the American Nation," by John M'Donald, A. M., of Albany.

(Continued from page 336.)

We cannot follow our author through every labyrinth and maze; we can only notice his more fragrant boquets or his violent aberrations. He says, page 35:

“A people of terror, even in the extreme.]—Our English translation neither corresponds with the Hebrew, nor with the scope of the passage, nor with the history of the people described. The word in the original is in the passive voice and represents the people as subjects of terror and not as the authors of dread to others. The design of the whole description is to mark the Jews as in the most abject, forlorn and contemptible condition."

In No. 4, of Vol. II. p. 330, I translate & Nora, wonderful; "A people.wonderful from that time onward." Our author will have it "terror," and he says, page 36 :—

"This terror Moses predicted. If ye shall despise my statutes, I will even appoint over you terror, and the Lord shall give you a trembling heart and failing of eyes, and horror of mind, and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shall have none assurance of life."" Levit. xxvi. 16 -Deut. xxviii. 65, 66.

Now in Leviticus the word is n Beyala, terror, and in Deuteronomy, xxviii. 65, 66, it is a Pachad no Upocchadtta; and thou shalt be in fear, or dread. But the word is not used in either of the places mentioned. The Hebraist will immediately perceive the futility of the Rev. author's argument. Nora, in our text, must mean terror, because the word terror is made use of in the English Bible, Levit. xxvi. 16-Deut. xxviii. 65, &c.; when in truth it is not used in either place.

נורא

Our author says, page 35, "Oh that the eye of these prodigal children would catch these lines." He may perceive he has his wish. These PRODIGAL children have seen, and do see, these lines; and what is the consequence?-They laugh at the lines, and at the writer.

They will tell him that Nora is indeed terrible, but not terror; they will bid him look for the word, Gen. xxvii. 17.-" How dreadful is this place." Again, Judges xiii. 6.—"Very terrible." In both these places the word translated dreadful, and terrible, is

Nora. Again, Deut. vii. 21, "A mighty and terrible God." Here the word terrible is & Venora, its root is Yara, to fear, and therefore our text should be translated, A fearful or terrible people from that time onward. The world will be in dread of them from the time of the coming of the Messiah, aud ever after. This is the obvious literal translation, and meaning, and is consonant with all the prophecies. "A Star out of Jacob shall tread under foot, and a sceptre shall arise out of Israel, which shall smite the corners of Moab, and overturn the governments of all the children of Seth."-Num. xxiv. 17.

And from this time onward they will be a terrible people; the whole world will be in terror of them. Our author, p. 35, says,

"The Jews, from the call of Abraham to this hour, never appeared terrible to any nation. They were considered by the nations, as Isaac by Ishmael, objects of ridicule and contempt. Nor is their conduct and courage, after the crucifixion of Christ, an exception. Their desperate deeds, and contempt of death, rendered them objects of horror, rather than of terror to the Romans. On every occasion they discovered more of the desperation, the despair of the coward, than the courage of the collected and brave. Conscious of their own cruel and faithless hearts, they dared not to rely on the humanity, the generosity, the promises of the Romans. In no instance, and at no time were their terror, their cowardice, and fears more conspicuous, than when in wild despair they became their own executioners, after imbruing their hands in the blood of their friends, their wives and their children,"

I appeal, not to Cesar, but to a liberal WORLD; to the historic page; to free-born and high-minded men, whether this is a faithful picture, or a base calumny. The Jews fought for Liberty ; for political independence; for personal freedom; and, as free men will do, they resolved not to survive their country's independence, and become personal slaves to the haughty Romans. They

chose in many, very many instances, to disappoint their conquer

[ocr errors]

ors, to save their wives and daughters from pollution, and their sons from slavery; (not from the slavery of political dependance, but the being sold as slaves, and becoming the property of the conquerors,) and themselves from insult, the insult of being first led in triumph to Italy, then to be slaughtered in cold blood by their conquerors, to be thrown as gladiators to be sacrificed, and to sacrifice others in the like situation with themselves, or to be cast among wild beasts to make sport for the Romans ;-I say, rather than submit to such cruel indignities, and barbarities unparalleled, they chose to fight to the last; and when they could no longer live free and unpolluted, they bravely resolved to die themselves, together with their families; and for this choice they are called desperate cowards! He is a coward whose feminine heart would not approve their deed of daring. They did their duty while living, and died unpolluted. They were Jews, and knew that death is only the necessary entrance to life everlasting. They knew it was their duty to die, and save themselves and families from infamy and pollution. But why not rather "rely on the humanity, the generosity, the promises of the Romans?" The Romans promised that all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who would leave the city, should be received as friends, and suffered to go where they would. In consequence inany went over to them; and how did the Romans fulfil their promises? They did indeed let them go where they would, but first these humane, generous Romans, ripped up their bellies and searched their entrails for GOLD! after which they were allowed to go where they pleased! Such was their generosity-such was their faith. Would you read more of Roman humanity, Roman generosity, Roman justice, read the following from the pen of our author:

"The Romans, who boasted that their ruling passion was to crush the proud and to spare the submissive,' forgetting, in the destruction of Jerusalem, every sentiment of pride and humanity, exercised the most savage cruelty and rage on the miserable remains of that infatuated nation. Regardless of age, of sex, and of dignity, they trode down those who resisted.

"On the shores of the sea of Galilee the same wanton outrage was renewed. Of fenders and not offending, because Jews, were equally involved in destruction. The bodies of those who fell were left unburied, till the air infected, destroyed their destroyers. The transparent waters of the lake, were empurpled with blood, and covered with the floating dead. Jordan, that once opened a passage for this nation

into their own country, had his own passage impeded by the carcases of her misera. ble children, slain by the enemy on her own plains. Twelve hundred prisoners who implored mercy, were marched to Tiberias and literally trodden to death in the amphitheatre. The most humane Emperors that ever wore the imperial purple, were spectators-were instigators! The judgment was from heaven! They were the executioners."

This is Roman humanity and generosity with a vengeance! These were the good Vespasian and Titus,-these were brave, generous men, who killed "offenders and not offending!" Murderers! who ordered the execution of twelve hundred unarmed prisoners of war, who were imploring mercy!! Such men as Titus and Vespasian, because, and only because, they were executioners of Jews, are accounted "the most humane emperors; they were humane, generous Romans."

But the Jews, who were men fighting for liberty, for independence; defending their hearths, their altar, their wives, their daughters, against an invading, a merciless, a faithless, cruel enemy; because, and only because, they were Jews, were cowards, faithless, cruel desperadoes.

This is the man who hopes that the eye of Jews" will catch these lines." We would advise our liberal-minded author to make himself master of his subject, before he again writes for the inspection of Jews.

Page 42, our author says:

"Even the humane Hindoo, who recoils from the blood of beast and of bird, rose with relentless fury, and, with remorseless hate, engaged in Jewish massacre. The city of Cranganor, displayed scenes of blood hardly less atrocious in cruelty aud extent than those of Jerusalem and Galilee. See Buchanan, p. 219, 220. Boston edition.

In No. 1, of Vol. II. of the Jew, I have shown, that it is the humane......ian Portuguese, (and not the pagan Hindoos,) that we are to thank for the massacre of the Jews of the city of Cranganor. Yes, reverend sir, catholic...... ian missionaries were the instigators, and catholic . . . . . . ians were those who at Cranganor rose with their usual " relentless fury and remorseless hate," and massacred the Jews. It was a ......ianish massacre of Jews, and not an Hindooish or Jewish massacre. The catholic...... ians only love the Jews with a perfect relentless, remorseless love. All those who compass sea and land to make one

proselyte, have this spirit of superlative love. The next paragraph of our author runs thus:

"Ever since this unhappy nation, estimated the life of their Messiah, the desire of nations, at thirty pieces of silver, the price of a dog, they receive the opprobrious name of Jewish Dogs from every nation on earth, and endure the indignities offered to that impure animal."

To me this is altogether new. I never before heard this appellative given to Jews, although I have long understood Mahomedans do not spare even ians all are with them Keleb and Chazar; Dog and Hog. I pass on to page 46 :

VERSE 3.

"All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye that dwell on earth, when the standard is lifted upon the mountains, look ye! and when the trumpet is sounded, listen ye!"

[blocks in formation]

"A new scene and a new subject are here introduced-Jehovah dismisses from the vision the swift messengers, and the oppressed nation. He submits to the eye of the prophet a view of the world and its various inhabitants, and, with a loud voice, charges them in his hearing, to watch for his signals, and to hasten to the field without delay."

cur;

"A new scene and a new subject is here introduced." Our author is very fond of introducing new subjects. That new scenes should be introduced in vision, may be expected, for such will ocbut new subjects we ought not to expect.-The subject is usually continued. To me it appears a very natural continuation of the same subject, to wit, the acknowledgment of the independence of Israel, which will be begun by the American nation before the war or battle of Gog, and after that battle by all the inhabitants of the world; all who dwell on the earth; for if this distant nation being no part of the Beast, shall first see their true interest, and throw off the thraldom of error, and acknowledge the independence of the Jews, sending them ambassadors, even previ ous to the war of Gog, all the rest of the world will do the same after the battle: so that this verse informs us, that when the battle has taken place, all the inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth, will see when the ensign of the mountains (churches) is raised, and they will hear the sounding of the tocsin of alarm, (against the governments,) and perform their part of duty, together with the distant nations, as mentioned in verse 7.

« VorigeDoorgaan »