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We
deem it from time to time our duty to warn our
readers against having any intercourse whatever,
either friendly or otherwise, with those miserable
apostate hirelings, who are to be met with in
various parts of the country, following their unholy
avocation. We have plenty of facts in our
possession, to prove the utter worthlessness and
love of falsehood which uniformly characterize these
men, with scarcely an exception, but we will not
bear their name upon our lips, nor consign them to
an unenviable immortality; let the name of the
wicked perish, we say with the wise king of Israel;
even in condemning them, therefore, and their
misdeeds, we will not call them by the appellation
they bear among their associates—names, by the by,
which were only given them at the time they became
strangers to Israel, and rebels to the God of Jacob.
But these men obtrude themselves on the notice of
Israelites in every accessible place; they are sent
where the teacher of righteousness cannot
penetrate, because we have not qualified persons
enough to take upon themselves the work of
instruction; and even in places where no Jews do
dwell, they preach to Christian audiences to incite
them to contributed funds to assist them in the
wicked work of seducing <<423>> the unwary, and
often poverty-stricken, Hebrew. We are not
acquainted with the manner in which they approach
their victims, although they statedly print
accounts of their missionary labour, as they
vainly style their mischievous doings; nor do we
believe that they have had any success, even to
judge from their own statement to mislead our
people, beyond the open accession of some few
foreign adventurers, perhaps especially imported to
impose upon the Christian public, with a pretended
effectiveness which the circumstances do not
warrant. But whether they succeed or not is not now
the question; there will be always wicked as well as
weak people in the world, and no cause loses
anything by the defection of those who have not
strength enough to be faithful. It is, therefore,
not fear, we assure these apostates and their
abettors, which induces us to write these few lines,
but a thorough detestation of them and their deeds,
of men who hire themselves out for pay to the
enemies of Israel, and of deeds, which if
successful, can only lead to the destruction of the
spirit, and the loss of souls.
We, however, wish to call the attention of
Israelites to one fact, which is, that these sinners
are agents of various societies here and in Europe,
and that they regularly correspond with the Boards
of Managers of these various pseudo-philanthropic
institutions, and report, to them all they say,
hear, and do, and so colour their diluted matter, as
to give at least the appearance as though their
employers might have hereafter a harvest of souls.
Every casual conversation, every unguarded word, any
act of politeness, is carefully noted down, and duly
reported; and if people only knew that whatever is
said or done appears monthly in the New York
Chronicle, or London Intelligence, or some other
organ of the kind; and that, upon the principle
“that lions are not painters,” the missionaries have
always the best of the argument, and fail not to
make an impression of some sort,—they would
assuredly be very cautious what they say to them.
Whilst we were at Syracuse we met with one of these
traitors, whom some designated as the best apostate
they had ever met, as being quiet and unobtrusive,
and kind in his feelings towards Israelites. But our
friends no doubt forgot, that this is precisely the
outside appearance which missionaries must assume,
to be admitted to an intercourse with believing
Jews, and we have no doubt that the phrases, “our
dear brothers,” “our brethren according to the
flesh,” &c., &c., are a regular portion of such
men’s mode of speaking. Still did this delinquent
son of Jacob make a false statement,—that the
contest which the Rev. Dr. Raphall, then at
<<424>>
London, and others had, about fourteen years ago,
with Dr. Alexander MacCaul and others, resulted in
the defeat of the Jewish champions, when the fact,
as stated to us by Dr. R., and as he can
substantiate by proof, is that Dr. MacCaul yielded
up the contest, when finding victory hopeless. On
an educated Jew it would make no impression that Dr.
R., or any other stout defender of Judaism, had been
beaten in an argument, had this even been the case,
as he would have the right to say that if such a one
failed, there are many others who could have replied
triumphantly; for truth is not less truth because
sophistry has closed the mouth of some of its
defenders. But on the ignorant it might have a
disagreeable effect, were they told that prominent
Jews, who are looked upon as leaders by the others,
were unable to frame answers in time of need.
We
accordingly tell our friends, Avoid all apostates;
the best of them will not shrink from uttering a
falsehood, if his cause is thereby promoted. It is
their trade to continue their deception, as their
whole course, conversion, baptism, preaching, and
all, is a series of false disguises. We entreat all
to pass them by unnoticed, and to forbid them access
to their houses; to receive no presents, books, or
tracts, from them, and to avoid all churches or
meetings where these base creatures preach. We
lately saw in a New York paper, that at the baptism
of one of this fraternity in Philadelphia several
Israelites were present, and that they were
evidently interested. It is true that some were then
at church, for we heard it on the day this act of
treason took place; but we deny, and so would they
all indignantly deny, that they regarded it with the
eye of interest. They went there from a foolish and
idle curiosity, to see what was going on; but we are
certain, that they would all have fled the place as
they would shun plague, had they known that their
presence would be reported abroad as proving their
satisfaction or sympathy with what was done before
their eyes.
We
hear that some of our brothers are a little too
liberal. It is well to be kind and charitable to
all; but there is no necessity for taking by the
hand a man without good principles, or looking on an
act of perfidy and wickedness; it is not necessary
to be so good and conciliatory, and we shall earn
the just contempt of all good Christians, even for
appearing, by such extra kindness, indifferent
to, and tired of, our own faith. Idle curiosity is
no excuse for hearing and seeing what we disapprove
of, and a little firmness is all that is necessary
to shake off, and for ever, the whole host of
babbling and eaves-dropping apostates, who are daily
more sad more enlisted, if we may trust the
conversion <<425>>
organs, in spreading the gospel, to use their own
words, among the lost sons of Israel.
No
respectable Christian gentleman would allow a
missionary of another creed to speak
disrespectfully of his religion in his presence, and
certainly would not admit any such person to his
house. Why then will not Israelites too have the
same self-respect, and renounce any acquaintance
which can only be disgraceful, and avoid a
conversation which can be of no practical use? We
could tell some anecdotes connected with our own
experience, but it is not necessary at present. We
may, however, do so another time. Let us only
reiterate our warning to Israelites, to shun all who
are avowed enemies to our faith, and to have no
conversation on subjects of religion, unless they
feel themselves strong enough to make a good report,
in case the missionaries should be inclined to take
notes of what is said before them. It is the best
and safest plan to deal with them, and it will tell
with good effect upon children, when they see that
we detest and cast off those who have forsaken their
God.
We
write this purposely, that the managers at New York
and London may know what is thought of these men;
and we can assure our Jewish readers, that though
the Occident has but small circulation among the men
spoken of, they somehow find out all that we say
concerning them. If we are not feared by them, they
will at least ass that we do not fear them, though,
as a watchman, we shall endeavour to keep a vigilant
eye on their movements. |
