The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1826-08-29
THE JEWS.
rrTTER PROM RIv. W. .. LEWIS


LETTER FROM REv. w. .. LEWIS
The following is an extract of letter
froUntEle Rev. w. B. Lewis, dated killee-
10 Glabe. Limerick, March 81, 1926.
AT am desirous to take this opportunity
os forwarding TO YOU short communion
t;on. which / lately received from Rev.
m. Teeves. agent of the Bible Society, in
3 letter dated Constantinople,. Feb. TO-
He states that since / left that place, there
has been areHaskable stir among the Jews,
which in any ether country or capital might
perhaps be turned to account. 1t seems
that sort of secret society has been formed
among upwards of two hundred individuals,
some of them Jews of consequence, who
are disconnected with the trammels of SUI
perstition in which they are held by their
rabbins, and wish to throw them Off Mr..
Leeves understands that one of the things
against which they declaim, is the absurd
regulation of the Jews about food, which so
efectually separates them from all social
intercourse with any other class Of men,
The rabbins, it appears, have taken great
alarm, and are using all their influence to
reclaim these malcontents, but they still
remain refractory. Mr.. l.. has not been
able positively to ascertain whether the
New Testament has been the source of
these new and liberal opinions, (nor had he
yet been able to learn fully their nature
but so much is certain, that the rabbins sus-
pectit, and they have issued in consequence,
"a few daysprevious to the date of Mr.. l.. s
letter. new orders, and used new efforts to
prevent the circulation and perusal of the
New Testament. It is promising cir
cumstance, he adds, that fifty-two copiesof
the Hebrew Bible, containing the Old and
New Testaments, bound together, had been
very lately sold at the Bible Society's Mag
azine. The chief rabbin sent person to
demand of a merchant who had purchased
a copy, that he should deliver it up to be
burnt; but the merchant most positively
refused, and sent back a message to- his
chief, directing him to look rather to the
new society which had started up amongst
their nation than to him. Since this affair
the rabbins have begun to throw discredit
even upon the edition of the Hebrew Old
Testament, printed by the Society, wish
ing naturally to draw their people from
any communication with us. But the great
fear, las Mr.. L. rightly mentions) in a
country like Tur&ey, for the persons who
adopt these New Testaments, is, lest they
should be tempted from secular motives, to
take refuge in Mahomedanism. i look up
on events of this sort as loud calls to the
Society to send forth It's missionaries to
these particular places not merely for the
purpose of tanning the fame, but of seizing
such favourable opportunities for power
fully directing the minds of the malcontents
to Him who has fulfilled the law and the
prophets, even Jesus Christ, as g the way,
the truth, and the life" ~ @s
On account of another secret society
existing in Smyrna, as well as for other
reasons, you may recollect my having rec
commended that place as missionary sta
ton: | would now recommend Constanti-
nople, where there are 10000 resident
Jews. Indeed, | intended mentioning also
as stations, Salonica, and -Adrianople, as
well as other interesting places on the way !
to Palestine, to be occupied by the Socie-
", as soon as fit agents can be procured.
Letu continue to pray the Lord of the
Harvest thatthis may soon be the case.'
MIR. Lewis having returned to Ireland,
after his tour to Palestine, at the Anniyer-
sary OF the London Society in Dublin, in
the month of April, detailed to a very nu-
merous auditory in the Rotunda the par
tlcular circumstances attendant on his jour-
ney TO the Holy Land, whiclgreatly inter-
ested all present. 1t cannot be doubted
but that the personal visits of the agents of
the Society to, those distant parts of the
world in which the people of Israel are
scattered. will be powerful mean of ava
kening the attention of the Jews to the
important subject Of Christianity; and of
furnishing the Committee at home with that
information, whereby they may be enabled
TO embrace every opportunity which may
oiier, for forwarding the great object which
they may have in view.
. Jcsoish E1positor.
DECLINE OF PLAGIARISM.
VszagapGtam.- seaport town 500
miles g w &c Calc.... rrl $50 4 : ~