| 886 the Broome-street Church. The meeting was opened by prayer, after which the President, Rev. Mr. Milledoller, proceeded to give an interesting account of the history of the Jewish nation, their claims upon the Christian world, and their prospects in the future. From the time of the destruction of the temple in the year 70, they have been without a country, without a ruler, and constantly visited by retributive justice-the fulfilled promises of God It was stated that the Jews have however suffered more than the merciless treatment of man, than they have deserved from any acts they have committed. The prophecies of Scripture were alluded to in stating that the Jews cannot consistently account for rejecting those portions which related to the coming of the Messiah, and which have been so plainly fulfilled.
It is difficult from the scattered state of the Jews to ascertain their actual number, but it is believed to exceed 3,000,000, most of whom still retain and observe the customs and many of the laws of their forefathers. The present condition of the nation is believed to be improving, although their long political subserviency [subservience] has not greatly changed. In England and on the Continent of Europe many of the disabilities are being gradually removed, and in this country they have never existed. In all their persecutions the Jews have ever been comforted with the hope of a restoration to their ancient and promised heritage. Various stated periods have been fixed for this important event. Dr. Priestly of England, fixes for the year 1850, and 1866 has been calculated on by many as the "appointed time."-These calculations are of course founded on certain explanations of the prophecies. The claims of the Jew to sympathy and aid, were strongly adverted to. They are the descendants of the "Father of the Faithful" From them have sprung most illustrious men of the world. They have preserved the Old Testament in its purity, and have always revered its precepts-to them we are indebted for its faithful preservation, which has been ever kept as the most sacred treasure. The Jews were alluded to as living witnesses of the truth of Scripture, and as a constant miracle of the providence of God. The signs of the times show a greatly increased interest in the cause of the Jews. The Christians have in many ways exhibited a desire for their conversion, and the Jew himself has shown a ready appreciation of the efforts in his behalf. The actual success of the Society in making converts does not appear to be very great. The receipts of the Society of the past year were $3716, of which $477 were received by legacies. The receipts show an increase of nearly double from those of the previous year. The Society publication, the Jewish Chronicle, has increased in circulation from 800 to 1300. The number of Auxiliary Societies formed during the year has been very encouraging, and much benefit is expected from their efforts.
Several distinguished scholars were present, and addresses were made by Rev. Dr. De Witt, Rev. Mr. Johns of Baltimore, and Rev. Dr. Herschell of England, who has just arrived in this country to prosecute his labors. The plan proposed by the Society to accomplish this object, is in the words of inspiration, "to preach Christ crucified" and it is believed that the showing the simple history of the claims and evidences of its truth, and the zealous efforts of the various Christian churches, will accomplish the object of the Society-the conviction, and consequent melioration of the present Jewish nation."
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
As all men are not equally learned, we take a small extract from the "Book of Denominations," to show how the now prevailing church of England, first came into existence. We live in a day of investigation and trouble, and, to be right, needs investigation, care, and even revelation. The extract reads thus.
"Perhaps there is no church upon earth whose doctrines and constitution are so little understood by the majority of its members as the united church of England and Ireland.-The leading facts in its history are indeed generally known, but what it really believes and teaches, how far it is ecclesiastical and how far secular, and how the one interferes with the other, and how strangely they are frequently amalgamated, to the deterioration of religion and the best interests of the community, very few indeed are competent to determine. The antiquity claimed for the church by a few of its more zealous advocates, on account of some fancied and mysterious connexion [connection] which they pretend to discover subsisting between it and a church more ancient than that of Rome, and purely apostolic in its character, is perfectly ludicrous. Every vestige of such a church vanished before the missionaries of the pope at a very early period of our ecclesiastical history, and at the Reformation there was no church in Christendom that was more entirely popish, tyrannical, and corrupt, than the church of England.
It is said there is no royal road to geometry-but Henry VII, soon convinced the pope and the nation, that he had discovered a truly royal
(page 886) |
