|
There was a time when Good Old Cheese became not only very unpopular,
but all who had it really in their possession were very much persecuted, and
there were several very serious objections brought forward against it, sufficient, it was
thought, to justify the disuse of it, provided a counterfeit could be introduced
into society that would at least look like it; and to have this one
property, viz., the mere appearance, was deemed indispensably necessary,
for every objection was brought against all the valuable and excellent properties of the real
article, Good Old Cheese.
The first and grand objection brought against the use of the genuine
article itself was, that it cost entirely too much, for it is said it
cost any man who really had it in his possession his life of popularity, many and most of
his enjoyments in this world, owing to the many disabilities its use
incurred; his character as a man of the world, the "inclinations of the heart, and
the delight of the eyes," by which the Gentile world have been led astray;" all
these had to be given up and abandoned forever.
This made way for its unpopularity, and was the principal cause of the
great objections raised against the use of it; this seemed to justify the Society, and the
Mission of the Society, in trying to use every means for its abolition by the introduction
of Sawdust, instead of the real article.
Furthermore, the persons who composed this Society were men of very high
and self-exalted feelings and characters, who were
continually in the habit of shaking hands with themselves, and, in short,
were honorary men of this world, members of polite and fashionable society, and who could
not think of giving up the pleasures of this world, the "inclinations of their hearts
and the delight of their eyes;" and hence the indispensable necessity of raising the Hue
and Cry, that Good Old Cheese itself smelled too strong,
and tasted too Oily and Greasy. Then they thought, as Sawdust looked in
every respect very much like the grated article, (and this imitation
has doubtless been very GRATING to the Jews, from the very first establishment of the NEW
LAW,*) it might safely be recommended to the Jews in particular, and to
all classes of society, for their use.
It was furthermore thought indispensably necessary immediately to
establish a Society in England, Scotland, and America, and elsewhere, for promoting the
use of it amongst the Jews, especially in Jerusalem, where it is well known they have in their
possession the genuine and excellent article of Good Old Cheese itself, and the
learned and honorable Society would have desired above all things to have obtained it from
them, but for the one great insurmountable difficulty of the great cost
of the genuine article, therefore the immediate necessity for the imitation
and counterfeit.
For the establishment of this truly learned and honorable Society for
promoting Sawdust amongst the Jews, large sums of money must be
immediately raised amongst Rich, Polite, Polished and Popular; and for this first and most
all-important measure, men with high-sounding names,* as "My Lord Bishop,"
"Right Reverend," and "Reverend," must be enlisted in this imposing
cause, and first attached to it, as standing first and head
of this most learned and honorable Society, that they might, by Preaching, Printing, and
Publishing Sermons, and all other possible means, aid and support the main
Society, and establish branch societies in the different parts of England, Ireland,
Scotland, and America.
And furthermore, this Society stated "that their sympathies were
excited and their best feelings enlisted in behalf of the Poor Jews,"
though it was admitted by both Christians and Turks, that the Jews had in their possession
the genuine article of Good Old Cheese itself, inherited
from their Forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This was an admitted fact beyond all controversy, yet they smelt so
strong, (with the Truth,) and looked so oily and greasy, and were so poor
and dirty, especially in Jerusalem, where they could be seen and traced to their
synagogues, in the night, and three times every day, with old tattered clothes, and brown
bread to eat, and water to drink, and sometimes without even these necessaries themselves;
while at the same time they were in the continual habit of passing by the sumptuous houses
of the Missionaries for PERverting (not converting) them, and could smell their alamode
Beef cooking, and hear their Beef Steaks frying, and see them riding out upon their fine
prancing steeds, some of them with two, three, and even five of these, with their
greyhounds and hunting dogs running beside them, attended by two and three servants, and
all these to tempt the Poor Jews to perjure themselves,
deny the faith of their Forefathers, by believing that "One only God was
Three," and that "Three Gods were only one God;"
and for doing this, that is, for accepting this, their Sawdust, they were
offered from 100 pounds, or about $485, to 500 pounds, or $2,425 per annum; and their
Bishop Alexander got more than 1200 pounds sterling a year, for doing this. And yet this
Honorable, Hospitable, and Charitable Society, (especially to themselves)
immediately, upon the establishment and organization of the principal society in London,
sent the above Bishop Alexander and Missionaries to the Holy Land, with the above enormous
salaries, varying from 100 to 1200 pounds sterling, not to convert, but
to pervert, the Jews, that is, to GENTILIZE them; but they have never
succeeded in ever getting a SINGLE JEW, BORN IN JERUSALEM, to APOSTATIZE, and but only a
very few poor miserable stragglers, and even these were only bought by their having seen
their English Gold shining and tempting them, through
their Sawdust.*
These Missionaries, immediately upon their arrival in Jerusalem, hired the
very best houses, bought the best and most splendid Arabian horses, and
dressed and lived in the most luxurious and stylish manner, according as their different
salaries permitted them. To further their IMPOSING and enterprising object, they at first
hired a house for a church, and since built one, which has cost them more than $150,000;
then they built a Hospital and Dispensary,* sent Physicians from England, set up an
Institution of Industry, and also a College and Schools, all to entrap
and instruct the poor, dirty, oily, greasy, starving Jews,
and to tempt and provide them with good livings, fine English clothing, honorable titles
of Reverend, and much gentile learning, upon the only
one condition that they will give their names, and use all their
influence and endeavors, to support and promote the interest of their Society for
introducing and establishing Saw Dust, instead of Good Old Cheese,
amongst the Poor Jews in Jerusalem and Palestine.
It is really awful to see men professing to "follow a poor and
self-denying Savior, who had not where to lay his head," and at the
same time living in all the Pride and Luxury of this World. The American Presbyterian
Mission have a most splendid establishment at Beyrout, with gardens filled with Mulberry
Trees and Silk Worms, (for they too have turned to be Silk Merchants,)
and another splendid country-seat upon the Mount of Lebanon, which they call
"Abeih;" and these very men profess to believe in IRREVOCABLE Decrees,
UNALTERABLE Decrees, that "one part of mankind are Elected to Everlasting Salvation,
and the other half to Everlasting Damnation." Now if this law of Unconditional Predestination
is Irrevocable, that is unalterable, what use is there is their going all
the way from America to Jerusalem to convert the poor Jews? Can they alter that which is unalterable?
Just this very work of theirs coming in collision with the Roman Catholics and the Church
of England, and they getting to disputing and quarrelling
in Nestoria, about religion, was the only cause that the Turks arose and killed them
nearly all off. There were two or three who fled at the time to Jerusalem, whom I saw and
conversed with myself. And so it will yet be in Jerusalem, if they continue on fighting
for the right of placing the cross in the "Holy Sepulcher," (so called,) as they
have so often done; and about the doctrines of the Church of Rome, of Luther, and of John
Calvin, and the Church of England Missionaries calling the American Missionaries
"only a set of Unauthorized Teachers and Schoolmasters."
If any person will only take the trouble to write to the Rev. Mr. Veitch, who was Chaplain
to the last Bishop Alexander, and since to Bishop Gobat, for a copy of a letter that the
Rev. Mr. Lenneau wrote to Bishop Alexander, they will see to their full
satisfaction, how much of the Spirit of Peace, or of the Spirit
of War, existed between these Missionaries, (so called,) before they had to part
from the English mission and leave Jerusalem, and their whole mission establishment
uninhabited and desolate, as was the case when I took possession of it in the fall of
1844.--See Dr. Durbin's "Observations in the East," vol. i. page 304, on the
state of the Christian Churches there.
|
