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A number of gentlemen of this city, composed of
Christians without respect to denomination, anxious for the extinction
of the Jewish name, have associated, as we learn from the columns of the
Jewish Chronicle of Sept. 1st, "to promote Christianity
among the Jews, by employing missionaries among the Jewish population in
this state, and promoting their conversion by such other means as
opportunity may present."
What
means the last mentioned may be we have no chance of ascertaining, as
the meagre account before us is quite silent on the subject. But we
trust that no money will be collected from the enthusiastic
conversionists which abound in all communities, and consequently also
here, to be used as a bounty for the purchase of apostates. We do not
think it very likely that our advice will be greatly heeded by the
members of the society, but we nevertheless cannot avoid giving them
this counsel: to preach their doctrines without giving money or
countenance to the persons whom they may perhaps obtain from among us by
dint of persuasion, for in this manner only can their sincerity be
tested; and we will accord them a perfect honesty of purpose, if they
can be induced to change their religion, when they know beforehand that
they will be left to provide for themselves by some manual labour or
handicraft work like the original Christians, who have to obtain a
living by their own exertions. It is but too likely that upon these
terms few candidates for baptism will be found; but our pious Christian
friends ought to value one such pure soul much higher than a hundred
purchased ones.
In
order to inform the Jews of the names of those who take so deep an
interest in their spiritual welfare, we subjoin the names of the
Officers and Directors of the Society.
President,
Rev. Stephen H. Tyng, D. D.
Vice-Presidents, Rev. Drs. Parker and M'Dowell, and Rev. Messrs.
Higgins, Shulz, Ide, and. Newton.
Corresponding Secretary, Rev. Thomas L. Janeway.
Recording Secretary, Rev. Mr. Spear.
Treasurer, Mr. S. Alter.
Directors, Rev. Messrs. Suddards, Jones, Rood, Teudhope, Ramsey,
Bibighaus, Boardman, Barnes, and Cuyler, Messrs. B. G. Mitchell, P.
Creager, J. A. Caldwell, R. Souter, W, Wurts, W. Reed,—Goddard, P.
Gale, W. Dalty, R. Stotesbury, J. Binns, R. Chambers, L. A. Truefitt,
and J. Harned.
Well,
Jewish reader, here is a long list of persons who wish you well, as they
say. If, after this, the walls of the Synagogue do not tremble, it is
not the fault of the powerful association of intellect and wealth
which has combined against it. Still, we dare to hope that, though the
walls of our house of prayer may be shaken, they will not fall very
speedily and thus leave something to do for these zealous friends
of Israel in a succeeding year. We speak satirically of this new
champion, because the subject cannot be treated with seriousness. So
much money and time have been uselessly spent, that an unprejudiced
observer would have thought that the age had grown too wise for such
abortive attempts; but, as is the case in the papal states, zealots have
much to learn even in this land of liberty. We are unwilling to utter
all we think of the unneighbourly conduct of the clergymen who are
leaders in this crusade; but this much we will assert without fear of
contradiction, that, unless we are greatly mistaken they are with one or
two exceptions totally unacquainted with Jews, having no intercourse
whatever with any of our fellow-believers in this city; and hence they
are perfectly unable to speak understandingly of the spiritual wants of
the Jews, and are therefore very indifferent guides to their flocks in
this new atttempt against our religion.—We fear them not, they may
rest assured; and in taking our leave of them for the present, we tell
them candidly that we shall watch them narrowly, and boldly expose their
proceedings to the scorn of an enlightened Christian public through the
daily press whenever they attempt aught which bears the stamp of
unfairness. We say this not as a threat; but as evincing the utter
insignificance which we attach to this and the Society for Meliorating
the Condition of the Jews already existing in New York for many years
which latter obtained large funds, and effected nothing which could
raise Christianity in the eyes of Israelites, or shed lustre upon the
zeal of its founders in the estimation of the enlightened followers of
the popular religion.
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