FAITH STRENGTHENED.

197

down rain, and do the heavens yield them abundant

showers ?” “ Is itjjot. thou who art our God, and surely
we will hope in thee; for thou doest all these things.”
The fleet clouds are often used as symbols of the swift
ness with which God carries out His decrees. See
Isaiah xix. 1, “ Behold, the Lord riding on a light
cloud, and He is come to Egypt.” Jeremiah iv. 13,
“Behold, like unto a cloud he rises up; like a whirl
wind are His chariots. Isaiah lx. 8, “ Who are those
that are flying like a cloud, and like doves to their
windows.”
The superhuman powers developed in the divine dis
pensations are pointed out by Daniel ii. 34, “ Thou
sawest that a stone was cut out, but not by any bands,
which smote the image on his feet.” In a like manner,
he mentions, in the same chapter, the aid that will be
afforded by God (ver. 44), “ And in the days of these
kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which
shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be
left to other people,” etc. Thus the last kingdom on
earth will be exalted beyond the others, by enjoying the
special protection of heaven, and divine help shall
descend upon the empire of the chosen ones, “as rain
descends upon the earth blessed by the Lord.”
Christians argue, that the government spoken of by
Daniel must belong to a Divine Being, because we read
“ His dominion shall be an everlasting dominion.” But
we take those words in the sense that the kingdom shall
be a perpetual and an inalienable inheritance, descend
ing from father to son without interruption. Hence
Daniel says, “ And his kingdom shall not pass away.”
And again in chap. vii. 27, “ And all rulers shall serve
and obey Him.” The last mentioned prediction is most
decidedly not realised in the person of Jesus, for the
2 FAITH

Jews, the Mahommedans, and many other nations are

not subject to the dominion of Jesus.
Christians may perhaps plead and say that the ex
pression u all rulers” refers to a great number merely,
and is applied here as in Genesis xxiv. 10, “ And he had
in his hand all the goods of his master.” But the con
necting words must ever be our guide in cases of doubt
ful interpretation. Hence the word all, here and in any
other similar case, cannot be taken in a limited sense;
for the prophet Daniel says, “ And the kingdom, and
the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom which
is under all the heavens shall be given to him.” More
over, he expressly states in chap. ii. 44, “ I shall break
in pieces and consume all those kingdoms, and it shall
stand for ever.” The same prediction we find in Isaiah
lx. 12, “For the nation and the kingdom which shall
not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be
utterly destroyed.” The above-mentioned quotation,
page 196 ante, “ And the saints of the Most High shall
obtain the kingdom,” has sole reference to the children
of Israel. A few citations from Scripture will show that
the title saints, or holy ones, is frequently given to Israel.
Exodus xxii. 3 L, “ And ye shall be unto me a holy peo
ple. Deut. vii. 6, “For thou art a holy people unto the
Lord thy God, the Lord thy God has chosen thee to be
unto him a nation distinct from all the nations on the
face of the earth.” Isaiah lxii. 12, “ The holy people,
the redeemed ones of the Lord.” Daniel vii. 21, 22?
“ And 1 beheld the same horn made war with the saints
and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of days
came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most
High, and the time came that the saints possessed the
kingdom.” And again, ver. 25, “ And he shall speak
great words against the Most High, and shall wear out
 FA1T1I 1
the saints of the Most High, and think to change times
and laws, and they^shall be given into his hand until a
time and times and the dividing of time.” Ibid. viii. 24,
“ And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own
power shall he be mighty, and lie shall destroy wonder
fully, and shall prosper and act, and shall destroy the
mighty and the holy people.” And ibid. xii. 7, “ It shall
be for a time, times, and a half, and when he shall have
accomplished the scattering the power of the holy peo
ple, all these things shall be finished.”
As Israel is called in Scripture the holy people of the
Lord, so, on the other hand, is the Almighty represented
as the Holy One of Israel. See Isaiah xii. 6, “ For
great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
Ibid, xxxvii. 23, “ And thou hast lifted up thine eyes
against the Holy One of Israel.” Ibid. xii. 14, “I have
helped thee, saitli the Lord, and the redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel.” Jeremiah 1. 29. “ for he rebelled against
the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.”
The appellation, in Daniel, Most High, which the
Christians have endeavoured to appropriate to Jesus, is
attributable to Israel, as will be seen on examining other
parts of the Scriptures. See Deuteronomy xxvi. 19,
“ And to make thee most high above all the nations
which He hath made for His praise, for His name, and
for His glory; and that thou mayest be a holy people
unto the Lord thy God as He hath spoken.” Ibid,
xxviii. 1, “And the Lord will make thee most high
above all people of the earth.”
From all these passages, it is evident that Israel could
not yield to any other nation the title given to it in holy
writ, and it must be acknowledged that the saints of the
Most High God can only be of that people which is de
clared to be most high among the nations of the earth.
The prophecies, showing that the wicked Gentiles shall
20 FAITH
perish, and that the righteous shall unite with Israel,
are sufficient evidences to prove, that also the present
prophecy relates solely to the chosen people, for surely
no expounder could reason away the lucid and simple
announcement made by Isaiah iv. 3, “ And all that shall
be left in Zion, and that remain in Jerusalem, shall be
called holy?’ And again in lx. 21, “ And thy people,
altogether righteous, shall inherit thy land for ever.”
Thus we see that Daniel had no other object in view
than to represent in his prophecy the final glory of Israel.

CHAPTER XL1I.

DAnieL ix. 26, “ And after threescore and two weeks

shall an anointed man be cut off, and shall have nothing,
and a noble people cometh that shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary, and its end shall be in a flood, and,
until the end, war is ordained to devastate.” It is asserted
by Christians that this verse reveals the fate of Jesus,
who is to be cut off childless.
Refutation.—In order to see how untenable is the
position of the interpreters who rest their faith on such
grounds, we must follow again the only just rule that can
be adopted, and explain the verse from its context. We
find in the same chapter (ver. 24), “ Seventy weeks are
determined upon thy people, and upon the holy city, to
make an end of sins, and to make a reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
to seal up visions and prophets, and to anoint the Holy
of Holies.” The seventy weeks are evidently a given
period of time elapsing from the destruction of the first to
the destruction of the second temple. See Jeremiah xxix.
10, “For thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be
accomplished at Babylon, 1 will visit you, and perform
 FAITH 20
my good word towards you, in causing you to return
to this place.” AnS Lamentations iv. 22, “ The punish
ment of thine iniquity is completed, 0 daughter of Zion,
He will not again lead thee into captivity.” According
to the vision of Daniel mentioned in chapter vii. of his
book (the seventh and following verses), he saw that
the fourth animal (indicating Rome) would persecute
Israel for a great length of time; and he meditated
on the visions which were not clear to him, because he
had not received a special revelation concerning the
latter captivity of the Jews. Hence he says, at the
conclusion of the seventh chapter, “As for me, Daniel,
my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance
changed in me, but I kept the matter in my heart.”
The same prophet had similar doubts regarding his
visions, when he heard the announcement (spoken of in
chap, viii.) of the cessation of the continual sacrifice,
and of the destruction of the sanctuaiy, and of the
overthrow of the people (see chap. viii. 13, 26). He
then thought that the predicted length of Israel’s cap
tivity related to that state into which his people then
were precipitated; he therefore was told, “Conceal this
vision, for it shall be for many days.” This communi
cation the prophet found at variance with the one made
to Jeremiah, that the captivity would last for seventy
years only. We have to explain on this occasion the
meaning of “ the evening and the morning,” mentioned
in the original Hebrew of chap. viii. 14* This expression
is illustrated in Zechariah xiv. 7, “ And in the eventide
there shall be light.” The prophet Daniel perceived in
this that the darkness of Israel’s troubles would be
dispelled by the light of Salvation. See, in addition to
* It is singularly remarkable that these words, upon which the
prophet laid peculiar stress (see iMZ, ver. 26), are omitted in the English
version.
202 FA1T11 STRENGTHENED.

this Jeremiah xxx. 7, “ And it is a time of trouble for

Jaeob, and he shall be saved from it.” The reverse
state of destruction is depicted by gloom and darkness.
See Amos viii. 9, “ And I shall darken the earth on a
day of light.”
Chapter viii. ver. 13,14 of Daniel, amply show that the
prophet laboured originally under the opinion that the
intended protraction of the captivity was owing to the
iniquity of the people, and that they would pine in the
state of banishment for two thousand three hundred days
(signifying years) ; therefore he prayed to God to remove
His wrath and anger. Neither did the angel of the
Lord acquaint him of the actual termination of the last
captivity. Daniel was only given to understand, that the
cessation of prophecy would extend to the whole length of
time necessary for the expiation of the sins of his people,
for then would be fulfilled the prediction mentioned
at the close of Lamentations iv. 22, “ Thy iniquity, 0
daughter of Zion, is ended; He shall no more cause thee
to be led into captivity.” Regarding the last exile of
Israel, the prophet Ezekiel has recorded similar expres
sions in his book (chap. xxii. 15, “And I will scatter thee
among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries,
and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.” The com
plete restoration, which we expect during the latter days,
will be crowned with “ everlasting righteousness” (see
Daniel ix. 24). This is confirmed by the agreement of
many prophecies. See Isaiah li e 6, “And my salvation
shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be
abolished.” Jeremiah xxiii. 5, “And 1 will raise up
unto David a righteous scion, and a king shall reign and
prosper, and he shall do justice and righteousness in the
earth.” Isaiah xi. 4, 5, “And he shall judge the poor
with righteousness, and righteousness shall be the girdle
of his loins.” And at that time all Israel will be desig
 FAITH 20
nated by the term ^righteous. See Isaiah lx. 21, “And
thy people will altogether be righteous-1 Again, ibid,
chap. lxi. 3, “ And men shall call them oaks of righteous
ness.” The Psalmist likewise affords a testimony, since
we find in Psalm lxxii. 7, “ In his days the righteous
man shall flourish, Jerusalem will then be called, the
abode of righteousness, the holy mount.” We shall
then say, in the words of Jeremiah (chap, xxiii. 6), u The
Lord our righteousness.” The Messiah himself, accord
ing to the same prophet (chap, xxiii. 6), will assume the
title, “ The Lord our righteousness,” as we have already
shewn in Chapter XIX. of this work.
The words of Daniel (chap. ix. 24) may be taken in
the following sense:—“ And vision [prophecy] shall be
sealed up,” that is to say, it will be finally determined
and confirmed, for we find a repetition of the same
words with the same signification in Job xxiii. 16,
“ And he sealed up the chastisement.” It cannot,
therefore, be pretended that prophecy will then dis
continue altogether, for we read in Joel ii. 28, “ And it
will come to pass afterwards that 1 shall pour out my
spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy.” The epoch of the restoration will thus
completely restore the forfeited boon of Prophecy.
We return now to the explanation of the conclusion
of verse 24, in Daniel ix. “ And to anoint the Holy of
Holies,” which means that at the restoration of Israel,
the Holy of Holies, or the Temple, will receive its
new consecration after having lain desolate during the
whole period of the captivity. An extensive description
of that solemnity is to be found in the prophecy of
Ezekiel, chapter xliii.
The seventy weeks spoken of in Daniel ix., are enig
matic terms, conveying the various epochs of Israel’s
 2 FAITH
fate during their second occupation of the Holy Land
and their subsequent exile. The first epoch, designated
in chap. ix. verse 25, expressed by seven weeks, is
evidently in allusion to Cyrus; for it is said there,
“ Know and understand that from the giving forth of
the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the
anointed prince there shall be seven weeks/’ Now, we
know well from the prophecy in Isaiah xlv. 6, that
Cyrus was called the anointed king, for we find there,
u Thus saith the Lord to his anointed king” (to Cyrus),

etc.; and in the same chapter the Lord announces, “ he

shall build my city and send back my captives.” The
termination of sixty-two weeks is remarkable for the
cessation “ of an anointed king,” that is to say, Israel is
according to that prophecy to be bereft of his last ruler.
“ And there is none for him, there is no anointed ruler
for the people of Israel.” The cessation of a ruler over
Israel is simultaneous with the fall of the Temple, and,
consequently, alluded to the conquest by Titus, when
Israel ceased to exist as a nation, and was deprived of
its Temple, its ruler, and its country. If the Christians
take an impartial view of this chapter Daniel, they
cannot possibly imagine that it alludes to Jesus, who
suffered on the cross nearly half a century before the
exile of Israel.
The contradictory remarks made by Christian exposi
tors on this chapter, afford ample proof of the scanty
notions they have of its real signification. Scientific
readers who are anxious to obtain a view of all the con
tradictions which beset the path of the Christian ex
pounders of Daniel, will find an interesting account
given in Abarbanel’s commentary on the book of Daniel,
which bears the title Mangne Hayeschungah (the
Fountains of Salvation).
 FAITH 20
With this chapteT, we shall conclude the elucidation
of Scriptural passages cited by Christians in support of
their faith.

CHAPTER XLIII.

Some small portion of Christians have reproached the

Jews with the disbelief in the Apocryphal books; but
such persons have been confuted by scholars of their
own creed. The works comprised under the collective
title “ Apocrypha,” were composed at a late period after
the dispersion of Israel, when prophecy was totally ex
tinct, and when inspiration no longer elevated the com
positions of religious writers. The Apocrypha has,
therefore, no claim on our religious reverence. Some of
these books may have an historical foundation, others
are based on fiction and mere invention; and the whole
of the Apocrypha was composed in the Greek language,
which language does not bear the stamp of authority in
the mind of the Jew; we may therefore dismiss this
subject without entering into further detail.

CHAPTER XLIV.

1 oBserveD to some Christians, that after the advent of

the Messiah, there will be but one faith and one religion
throughout the world. See Isaiah xlv. 23, u I have
sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in
righteousness, and shall surely not be recalled, that
before me every knee shall bend, and by me every tongue
shall swear.” Zephaniah iii. 9, “ For then shall I turn
(restore) unto all the people a pure tongue, that they
shall call upon the name of the Lord, and serve him with
 2 FAITH
one accord.” The Christians themselves must admit that
there will take place a union of faith, since John acknow
ledges in his Gospel, chap. x. 16, that there will be “ One
shepherd and one flock.” Now. since the doctrine of
unity of faith is admitted on all sides, it is not necessary
to argue which of the three principal creeds will prevail,
whether the Jewish, the Christian, or the Mahommedan;
for surely if one of those is to be adopted, the other two
will of necessity fall. When we peruse the statements
of the prophets, we must undoubtedly acknowledge that
Israel’s faith is intended to survive all others. See, for
instance, Isaiah lii. 1, “ Awake, awake, put on thy
strength, 0 Zion, put on the garments of thy glory,
for neither the uncircumcised nor the unclean shall ever
enter again into thy gates.” Scripture evidently desig
nates the Christians by the name of uncircumcised\ and
the Mahommedans, in despite of their frequent ablutions,
deserve, in many respects, the epithet unclean. These
two sects are more especially pointed out in prophecy,
because they, as the representatives of Edom and Ish
mael, have alternately held possession of Jerusalem since
its destruction by Titus.
From the time of the coming redemption, the prophet
declares that none of the uncircumcised and the unclean
shall ever again enter the gates of the Holy city. In the
same manner says the prophet (Joel iii. 17), “ And Jeru
salem shall be holy, and no stranger shall enter therein.”
Respecting the same two nations, says the prophet Isaiah,
“ They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in
the gardens behind one in the midst of them, who eat the
flesh of swine and the abominations and the mice, they
shall perish together, saith the Lord.” Those persons
who sanctify and purify themselves are obviously the
Ishmaelites, who defile themselves by the most licentious
indulgences. The reflective form of the Hebrew verb,
 FAITH STRENGTHENED. 207

as used in this quotation, conveys the idea of pretension

and false claim, and in such a position arc those of whom
the prophet says, they “ sanctify and purify themselves.”
The expression, “the eaters of swine’s flesh and other abo
minations,” has allusion to the Christians, and their creed
will therefore perish during the wars of the latter times.
Concerning the people of Israel, however, Isaiah says,
chap. lxvi. 20, “ And they shall bring all your brethren
from all the Gentiles, as an offering unto the Lord, on
horses and chariots, and in litters, and upon mules and
upon swift beasts, to my holy mount of Jerusalem, saith
the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in
a holy vessel into the house of the Lord.” The nations
surviving the wars of the latter times shall show honour
to the Israelites, and hasten to join the true service of
the Lord; hence the prophet says (chap.lxvi.23), “And
it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to the
other, and from one Sabbath to the other, all flesh shall
come to bow down before me, saith the Lord.” In the
prophecy of Zechariah, we likewise find (chap. xiv. 1G),
“ And it shall come to pass, that all who have been
spared of all the Gentiles who come up against Jeru
salem, shall come up from year to year to bow down
before the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the
feast of Tabernacles.” The prediction of a periodical
visit to Jerusalem by all the Gentiles, for the observance
of the festivals of the Lord, is an evident proof that they
are to be united with the ancient nation of Israel. With
this view the prophet Zechariah says (chap. viii. 23),
“ Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, At that time ten men
from all the tongues of the Gentiles shall take hold of
the skirts of a man that is a Jew, saying, We will go
with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
The same prophet declares in another place (chap.ix.7),
“ And I shall remove his guilt of blood from his mouth,
20S FAITH STRENGTHENED.

and his abomination from beneath his teeth, and also he

shall be left unto our God.” This proves that they will
abstain from eating unlawful food, like those who are
born Israelites. We have already dwelt on this point,
and refer the reader to Chapters XV. and XXXV.
of this work. In order to prove the strength of our
doctrine beyond any doubt, we have only to add the
clear prediction of the same prophet (Zechariah xiv. 9),
“ And the Lord shall be king of the whole earth; on
that day the Lord shall be one, and his name one.” The
Lord will no longer be adored under the restricted title
of King of Israel, as he actually is described by Isaiah,
who says (chap. xliv. 6), “ Thus saith the Lord, the King
of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, I am the
first and I am the last, and besides me there is no other
God.” And again, chap. xlv. 15, “ Surely thou art the
God who art hidden, the God of Israel, and his Deliverer.”
In chap. liv. 5, that prophet informs us of the extension of
the name of the God of Israel, to that of the God acknow
ledged by all nations: he says, “ For thy Maker is thy
Husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name, and thy Re
deemer is the Holy One of Israel, he shall be called the
God of the whole earth! The one God, and his one and
only law of Sinai, will be acknowledged by all the inha
bitants of the earth ; no principle of Duality or of Trinity
will then prevail. “ All nations thou hast made will then
come,” as the Psalmist exclaims (Ps. lxxxvi. 9), “and
bow down before Thee, and honour Thy name.” And
as throughout the realms of the universe the Supreme
King of heaven will be acknowledged, so throughout all
the kingdoms of the earth will his anointed King, Messiah,
be the only worldly ruler. We shall have another op
portunity of treating on the last-mentioned subject when
discussing, in the second part of this work, the merits of
the contents of the other chapters of the Gospel of John.
 FAITH STRENGTHENED. 209

We conclude this Chapter with the conviction that men

of understanding and reading, attentively considering
such passages as we have quoted, cannot any longer
conscientiously refuse their assent to our belief of the
future universal establishment of the Faith of Israel.

CHAPTER XLV.

I HAve to set forth the following objection to the

Christian religion. If our Christian brethren are
sincerely anxious to separate truth from falsehood, they
ought to examine the passages of the Old Testament
quoted in the Gospel, and ascertain whether they are
really applicable or not. A brief survey of such topics
shows, that the quotations in the Gospel can never be
considered cogent or satisfactory. Whoever reads the
statement made by the prophets must at once grant, that,
they never had it in contemplation to afford any clue or
even a preference for the admission of a change or abju
ration of the Faith of Israel. Besides this, the authors
of the Gospel have occasionally garbled and perverted
the form as well as the sense of the original text, and
have thus based their erroneous opinion on an unstable
foundation. Even in matters relating to history, where
the fact has no relation to prediction and fulfilment,
they have resorted to misrepresentation, which does not
argue in favour of the veracity of their faith, or of their
sound knowledge of the Scriptures. We shall examine
these discrepancies in the Second Part of this work,,
and will now only make a few cursory remarks on one
or two points.
Matthew, in the first chapter, (ver. 8) of his Book, says,
“ And Joram begat Ozias.” This is not to be found in
the Old Testament. In 1 Chronicles iii. ver. 11, we
p
• 210 FAITH STRENGTHENED.

read the following genealogy: Joram his son, Ahaziah

his son, Joash his son, Jotham his son.” Azariah,
father of Jotham, here mentioned, was Uzziah, men
tioned elsewhere in our Scripture, consequently the
three generations of Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, are
omitted in the Gospel of Matthew. The omission is not
caused by any oversight, but must have been intentional,
in order to reduce the generations to the like number as
those from Abraham to David, and thus to make both
series of genealogy appear to consist of fourteen gene
rations. Nor is the enumeration of the third series of
fourteen generations during the Babylonian captivity,
and coming down to Jesus, anything but a mere inven
tion, in order to lead to the opinion that the three
genealogical divisions ending in Jesus, were ordained
as a special manifestation from the Almighty. Equally
unsound is the tale of Matthew that Jesus was brought
forth bv a Virgin. in order to fulfil the words of
Isaiah vii. 14, “ Behold, the young woman [accord
ing to the vulgate a virgin] shall conceive and shall
bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel.”
What connection with the birth of Jesus has the
address made by Isaiah to King Ahaz, in order to
remove his fear of the two hostile kings then threatening
Jerusalem? What comfort could it possibly have
afforded to Ahaz, and how could it have allayed his
terror, if the prophet, in proof of his divine mission, had
given him a sign which could not and was not to be realized
for more than five centuries after the death of the king?
A fair examination of the entire passage in Isaiah will
be found in Chapter XXI. of this work. The same dis
cordance between the word of Scripture and its appli
cation in the New Testament, will be found in referring
to the following passage of Matthew ii. 14, 15, “And
he [Joseph] arose and took the young child and his
 FAITH STRENGTHENED. 211

mother by nighty and departed into Egypt. And he

was there until the death of Herod; that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” The
prophet alluded to in this portion of the gospel is
Hosea, who in reality says (in chap. xi. 1), “ When
Israel was a youth I loved him, and from Egypt. 1 called
my son.” The fulfilment had not been delayed to the
times of Jesus, hut had taken place in the days of Moses
when the Lord had told him (Exodus iv. 22, 23),
“ And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord.
Israel is my first-born son;” and again, “Send away
my son that he may serve me.” What connection
between Prophecy and the New Testament can be dis
covered in the following passage of St. Matthew? (chap,
ii. 16, 17, 18,) “ And Herod sent forth and slew all the
children that were in Bethlehem from two years old and
under. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Jeremiah the prophet, (chap. xxxi. 15), saying, Rachel
is weeping for her children, and would not be comforted
because they are not.” Whoever reads the complete
passage delivered by Jeremiah, will soon perceive that
he speaks of the captives, who, he says, ibid. ver. 16,
“Shall return from the land of the enemy.” And sub
sequently the prophet continues to say, (ibid. ver. 17),
“And the children shall return to their boundary.”
It is thus quite evident, that Jeremiah is representing
the lamentations of an afflicted mother, who alludes to
the children who are living in captivity, and not those
who have been massacred by a tyrant ; the ten tribes
being called by the name of Ephraim the descendants
of Rachel; who was represented as a becoming
emblem of maternal grief for her unhappy children.
Moreover, if the prophet had intended to point out the
affliction created by the massacre of the children in
p2
21 FAITH

Bethlehem Judah, he would have selected Leah as the

representative of the wounded spirit of a bereaved
mother; for she and not Rachel was the female ancestor
of the inhabitants of Bethlehem. Various other re
marks on this passage have already been made in the
Chapter XXVIII. of this work.
In the same second chapter of Matthew, ver. 23, we
read, “ And he came and dwelt in the city called
Nazareth, that it might be fufilled which was spoken by
the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” It is
quite certain that the writings of our prophets afford not
the slightest authority in support of this quotation.
In Matthew v. 43, Jesus is made to say, “ Ye have
heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neigh
bour and hate thine enemy.” Now we maintain that
the additional injunction of hating the enemy flowed
from the inventive mind of the author of the Gospel,
and that it is not to be found in any part of the Jewish
law. What we find in our law concerning the treat
ment of our enemy, is conveyed in totally different
terms. See Exodus xxiii. 4, “ If thou meet thine
enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely
bring it back to him again. If thou seest the ass of
him that liateth thee lying under his burden and
wouldst forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help
with him.” Again, see Leviticus xix. 17, 18, “Thou
shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart, thou shalt in
anywise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon
him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge
against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.” The same precept is repro
duced in Proverbs xxv. 21, “If thine enemy be hungry,
give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him
water to drink.”
In Matthew xxiii. 35, “ Jesus reproaches the Jews for
 FAITH STRENGTH ENEL). 213

having slain Zacharias, son of Barachias, “ between the

temple and the altar.” In this reproach an insufficient
acquaintance with our Holy Books is shown, inasmuch
as it was Zachariah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, who
was slain (see 2 Chronicles xxiv. 22). Some Christian
commentators endeavour to explain away this dis
crepancy, asserting that the father of Barachias had two
names. But this is a clumsy subterfuge, for the priest
Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, lived in the days of
Joash, king of Judah, while Zechariah, the son of
Berachiah, prophesied during the reign of Darius;
therefore several centuries intervened between the exist
ence of the two men bearing the name Zechariah.
In Mark ii. 25, Jesus is made to say to the Pharisees,
“ Have ye never read what David did when he had
need, and was an hungered, he and they that were with
him ? How he went into the house of God in the days
of Abiathar, the high-priest, and did eat the shew-bread,
which is not lawful but for the priest, and gave also to
them that were with him?” This author of the Gospel
likewise evinces an inattentive perusal of our Scriptures,
since David did not go to Abiathar, but he went to
Ahimelech, the father of Abiathar. See 1 Samuel xxi.
1, u And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest”;
and ibid., chap. xxii. 20, “ And one of the sons of
Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped
and ran after David.” Nor did David come to Ahimelech
with his followers, as the above quotation from Mark
would lead one to suppose. For Ahimelech asked David
(1 Samuel xxi. 1), u Why art thou alone, and no man
with thee?” In St. John xiii. 34, Jesus communicates
to his disciples, “ A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another.” This commandment is
decidedly not new. Moses laid it down in the words,
“ Thou shalt love thv neighbour as thyself.”
21 FAITH

In Acts vii. 4, is to be seen, 44 Then came he [Abra

ham] out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in
Haran, and from thence, when his father was dead, He
[God] removed him into the land wherein ye now
dwell.” This is erroneous, for Abraham quitted Haran
during his father’s lifetime. And since Terah, the
father of Abraham, died in Haran at the age of 205
years, he must have resided there for sixty years after
the departure of Abraham The following statement
will prove this, according to the account given in
Genesis: — Terah was seventy years old when he begat
Abraham, and the latter, when seventy-five years old,
quitted his.father; and Terah having died at the age of
205 years, he must, therefore, have been still living for
sixty years after his son’s departure. The order in
which the history of Terah and Abraham is given in
Genesis xi. and xii. has most probably led to the inac
curacies we have pointed out.
In Paul’s Epistle to the Romans ix. 24, the Gentiles
are declared to be on an equality with the Chosen People.
44 Even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only,

but also of the Gentiles.” As he says also in Hosea,

44 I will call them my people which were not my people,

and her beloved which was not beloved.” Whoever

peruses the first and second chapters of Hosea will find
that Paul made use of the most tortuous means in order
to shew that the Gentiles are meant by that prophet.
So long as the people of Israel, through sin, forfeited
the favours of God, they were stigmatised by the desig
nation 44 Loammi (no more my people), and Lo-ruchamah
(not received in mercy), but on returning to God,
the Judgment was, according to the prophet, to
be reversed, and they would bear the title 44 Ammi” (my
people), and u/foc/zamuA” (received in mercy). The
contents of Hosea’s prophecy completely refute Paul’s
attempt to assimilate the Gentiles with the Jews.
 FAITH 21
In the same fTinth chapter of Paul (ver. 33), a quo
tation from Isaiah is inserted, “ Behold I lay in Zion a
stumbling-stone and rock of offence, and whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed?’ This quotation
is a mere fabrication of the author. In Isaiah viii. 14,
we find only, “ And he shall be for a sanctuary, and for
a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both
houses of Israel; for a gin and for a snare to the inha
bitants of Jerusalem.” In chapter xxviii. 16 of the
same prophet, we read, “ Therefore, thus saith the Lord
God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone of
trial, a precious corner-stone, which shall be well
founded, yea, securely founded; he that believeth shall
not hasten from it.” Paul thus combines various distinct
passages to make them serve his own views.
In chap. x. 11 of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, and
1 Peter ii. 6, an inaccurate version of the above is given,
“ He that believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (or
confounded). Scripture thus mutilated can certainly
not uphold the fabric of human faith. Again, Paul
says, in Rom. x. 6, 7, “ Say not in thine heart, Who
shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down
from above); or who shall descend into the deep? (that
is, to bring up Christ again from the dead). But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee; even in thy mouth
and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we
preach.” The words separated by Paul from their con
text, allude to the Divine promise contained in Deute
ronomy xxx. 3, “God will turn the captivity of Israel,
and replace all evils with blessings,” ver. 2, “if thou wilt
turn to the Lord with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
“ For this commandment or precept which I command
thee this day is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven that thou shouldst say, Who shall go
up for us to heaven and bring it unto us, that we may hear
it and do it.” Ibid. 11, 12, The grace of the Almighty
21 FAITH
here points out to us the magnitude of the duty of
repentance, and the ease of accomplishing it.
Commonly, the value of worldly advantages is estimated
according to the difficulty of obtaining them. But the
precious ness of repentance consists in the means
which the Almighty has placed within our reach; and
therefore the subject closes with the terms, ibid. ver. 14,
“ but the thing is very nigh unto thee. It is in thy
heart and in thy mouth, that thou rnayst do it.”
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, x. 5, Paul quotes the
following words from our Scriptures: •— “ Sacrifice and
offering thou wouldst not, but a body thou hast prepared
me.” The true passage, occurring in Psalm xl., is,
however, thus worded: “ Sacrifice and offering thou
didst not desire, mine ears hast thou opened,” etc. The
Psalmist touched here only on the subject of obedience
as agreeing with the announcement made by Moses
previously to the delivery of the Decalogue. See
Exod. xix. 5, where it is said, “ And it shall come to
pass, if ye diligently hearken unto my commandments
and keep my covenant, that ye shall be unto me a dis
tinct people from among all nations, for mine is the
earth.” The matter is further developed by Jeremiah,
who says in his book, chap. vii. 22, 23, c< For I spoke
not unto your ancestors, and I commanded not unto
them concerning the burnt-offering and sacrifices; but
this I commanded them, saying, Hearken unto my voice.”
Again, in 1 Samuel xv. 22, obedience is enforced in pre
ference to sacrifice, “ Hath the Lord as great delight in
burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of
the Lord? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, to
attend unto him is better than the fat of rams.” We
thus see that sacrifices were not ordained for their
intrinsic value, but were intended to lead sinners into
the temple, where they might meditate on the mercy
of God while performing the prescribed offering. Sacri-
 FAITH 21

flees consequently"produced the same sanctifying effect

on the mind, as healing medicines do on the body. We
have here selected only a few Scriptural passages from
those incorrectly cited in the New Testament, but will
resume the subject more minutely in the Second Part
of this work.
Many Christian commentators have lost their way,
while attempting to reconcile those inconsistencies
which we perceive in the New Testament, and they have
found it necessary to assert, that it is not right to
argue on those dubious matters. If that principle be
true, it certainly would be better if the Jews were
left un molested by the assailants of their ancient
religion, and if they were left free from the obtrusion
of doctrines which interest neither faith nor reason.

CHAPTER XLVI.

THere is a striking instance of the fulfilment of pro phetic

warnings exhibited in the chastisement inflicted on the
Gentiles, who relentlessly persecuted the Jews. There
has never yet been a ruler exercising tyranny over the
Jewish people who escaped with impunit}'. For
although the Almighty deems it proper to visit Israel’s
transgressions, He does not suffer mortal man to act
arbitrarily and fiendishly, where lie is employed as the
instrument of Divine Providence. Thus Pharaoh,
Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, and other per
secutors of the Jews, met with the retribution suited to
their excesses, notwithstanding the calamities of exile
falling upon the Israelites for their continuance in sin.
They had not forfeited the title of God’s people and His
heritage, and He never disowned them so far as to
destroy them totally; for the sole object of His cor
rections was to bring them back from their iniquitous
21 FAITH
conduct. And because lie never rent asunder the tie of
the covenant made with their fathers, He is in all parts
of Scripture mentioned as fZim* God. This is illustrated
by the following quotation:—Leviticus xxvi. 44, u And
even this I will do, when they shall be in the land of
their enemies, 1 will neither despise nor loathe them so
as to consume them, and to break my covenant with
them, for I am the Lord their God.” In their own
country they committed sins arising from their pros
perity and affluence, their punishment was, therefore,
adjusted to their evil ways. The loss of the “ goodly
land,” and the degradation from an independent to a
dependent state, and from riches to poverty, were the
chastisements proportioned to their withdrawal from
the ways of God. In this respect, they shared the fate
of a king’s minister who has fallen into disgrace with
his sovereign; even after his estate has been confiscated,
he still remains a subject of his master, and in lowering
him the king merely exercises his royal prerogative.
Should now a stranger undertake to cast further
humiliation upon the fallen courtier, will not his master
direct his displeasure and vengeance upon him who
tramples on the fallen man? History has, indeed, amply
shewn that in the very same countries in which the Jew
suffered persecution for his faith, the persecutors soon
engaged in sanguinary conflicts among themselves under
various pretexts. After the expulsion of the Jews from
England, France, Spain, and Germany, unheard of
cruelties ensued, the description of which excites the
utmost horror in every breast, while, on the other hand,
the countries in which the Jew was left unmolested,
bore the most undeniable proofs of civilization, and
obtained by providential retribution the enjoyment of
prosperity. This state of quietude will ever remain
uninterrupted wherever toleration prevails, although new
sects may start up in defiance of newly established creeds.
 FAITH 21

This opinion is founded on our own experience as well

as on the following Scripture testimonies:—See Deute
ronomy vii. 15, “ And the Lord shall remove £rom thee
every sickness and all the evil diseases of the Egyptians;
He shall not put them upon thee, but give them upon
thine enemies.” Ibid. chap. xxx. 7, “ And the Lord thy
God shall put all these oaths upon thine enemies and
upon thy haters who have persecuted thee.” See also
Isaiah xli. 11, 12, u Behold all those who were incensed
against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they
shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall
perish. Thou shalt seek them and not find them.
Even them that contended with thee; they that war
against thee, shall be as nothing, and as a thing of
nought.” Ibid. chap, xlvii. 5, 6, “ Sit thou silent and get
thee into darkness, 0 daughter of the Chaldeans; for
thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdoms.
I was wrath with my people, I have polluted mine
inheritance, and given them into thine hand. Thou
didst shew them no mercy: upon the ancient thou hast
very heavily laid the yoke.” Ibid. chap* xlix. 26, “And
I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh,
and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with
sweet wine, and all flesh shall know that I the Lord
am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of
Jacob.”
See also Jeremiah ii. 3, “Israelis holiness unto the
Lord and the first fruits of his increase; all that devour
him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the
Lord.”
Ibid. xxx. 16, “ Therefore all they that devour thee
shall be devoured; and all thy adversaries every one of
them shall go into captivity, and they that spoil thee
shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee, will I give
for a prey.” Joel iii. 2, “ I will gather all nations, and
bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will
220 FAITH STRENGTHENED

plead with them there for my people and for my

heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the
nations, and divided my land.” The same prophet says,
at the conclusion of his book, chap. iii. 19, “ Egypt
shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate
wilderness, for their violence against the children of
Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their
land.” Obadiah, in his prophecy (ver. 10), says, “ For
the violence against thy brother Jacob, shame shall
cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.” See
also the remaining part of this prophecy. Zephaniah
ii. 9, 10, “ Therefore as I live, saitli the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel; surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the
children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even as the breeding
of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation; the
residue of my people shall spoil them, and all the
remnant of my people shall possess them. This they
shall have for their pride, because they have reproached
my people and magnified themselves.” And at the
conclusion of the book, the prophet says (iii. 19),
u Behold at that time I will undo all that afflict thee;

and 1 will save her that halteth and gather her that
was driven out, and I will set them as praise and fame
in every land where they have been put to shame.”
Zechariah i. 15, uIam very sore displeased with the
nations that are at ease; for I was but little displeased,
and they helped forward the ailliction.” Ibid. ii. 8 and
9, u For thus saith the Lord of hosts, after the glory
hath he sent me unto the nations which have spoiled
you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his
eye. For, behold, I will turn my hand upon them, and
they shall be a spoil unto their own servants, and ye
shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.” See
also Psalm lxxxiii.l, commencing “ O God, keep not
thou silence.” Chapters xxv., xxvi., xxxv , and that
 FAITH 22
portion of xxxvi.,*to verse 16, of the book of Ezekiel,
afford further elucidation on the subject.

CHAPTER XLVII.
THe following argument may be raised against the
Christians who oppose Judaism. They either believe
that the Jews tormented and crucified Jesus with his
will or against his will. If with his will, then the Jews
had ample sanction for -what they did, and could in that
case only have merited the Divine approbation, acting
as they then did in conformity with the ejaculation of
David in Psalm xl. 8, “ I have been desirous to perform
Thy will;” and Psalm cxliii. 10, “ Teach me to perform
Thy will.” The Jews must also have followed the
admonition of Ezra x. 11, “And now give ye thanks
unto the Lord the God of your fathers, and execute his
desire.” In addition to this we must ask, that if Jesus
was really-willing to meet such a fate, what cause was
there for complaint or affliction? And why did he pray
in the manner narrated in Matthew xxvi. 39, “ And he
[Jesus], went a little further and fell on his face and
prayed, saying, 0 my Father, if it be possible let
this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will but as
thou wilt.” After Jesus had been fixed to the cross he
gave evident proof of his lion-identity with the Deity
by exclaiming, “My God! my God! why hast thou
forsaken me?” This argues that the will of God was
different from that of Jesus, and that he bore no closer
relation to the Creator than belongs to every other
mortal.
We will now proceed to the other alternative, and
suppose that the crucifixion of Jesus was done against
his will. Tn this case the question arises, How could he
be designated a God while lie was incapable of resisting
222 FAITH STRENGTHENED.

the power of those who brought him to the cross, and

how could he be held as the Saviour of all mankind who
could not save his own life ?
The adoration paid to Jesus after his death recalls
to our mind the passage in Ezekiel xxviii. 9, “Wilt
thou say before him that slayeth thee, I am God; but
thou art a man and not a God in the hand that slayeth
thee?’

CHAPTER XLVIII.
We would submit to discussion the question whether
the Christians have any foundation for the belief that
Jesus wrought his beneficial works for the salvation of
the souls of his believers, and through his sufferings and
his blood, he saved the followers of his creed from
everlasting perdition in hell ? If that were the case,
the Christians would be dispensed from doing good
actions, and be irresponsible for evil deeds. A passage
occurring in St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians
(chap. vi. 9,) will moreover show that the fall of Jesus
was only of advantage to the upright, but not to sinners.
“ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.” Of this we find a detailed
explanation in the subsequent verses. Now, if sinners
devoid of merit cannot be saved, why should the
righteous who have merits require any intercession in
order to obtain the Divine favour? It would appear
then that the death of Jesus serves neither for the
salvation of the sinner, nor for the salvation of the
righteous.
Should the Christians argue that the death of Jesus
was intended only to rescue from hell the souls of those
who were involved in the sin of Adam, then we would
refer back to the pages wherein we have fully proved