The weekly independent. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss) 1848-1853, 1849-12-01
A Rabbits Reply to the Address of the
PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD of New York.

| at least some acknowledgements, we might
| not only be accused of indifference and
want OF respect towards you and towards
the holy cause in which your labors are
engaged, but we might also appear in the
unenviable light of not comprehending or
approaching the exalted position allotted
by your enlightened body TO the remnants
! of Israel. With sorrow, we must confess
that we have to present ourselves 10 you,
beloved brethren, without the authority of
any particular established association or
ecclesiastical body of our co-religionists, but
| humhly venture to assert, that in the gen.
eral purport OF our sentiments and opinions,
we are supported by the pure and lofty
minded of our brethren III both hemispheres.
The joyful evidence of an expiring pre-
! judce, wherewith for centuries the human
| intellect has been darkened, the sentiments
of philanthropy and kindness expressed in
/ your message TO us, have not failed to con-
quer our hearts, and to fill them with lively
sympathy, admiration and heartfelt graft
tudo towards you.
We admire your generous and noble
motive Ill the wish TO draw closer the ties
OF our spiritual relations and interests, for
the ameioration OF your spiritual welfare,
and would be wanting i'll candour and self
respect, were we unwilling to acknowledge
it. Our hearts are gladdened to see the
high import of Judaism recognized in this
country, and the sacred veneraton you
beStow on that source whence we Jointly
draw our most important religious and
moral doctrines; that You are conscious of
the vast and beneficial influence of the
synagogue on the improvement of the hui
I,,r,
bic privilege to prove an analogy be-
tween our religious tenets and ceremonies,
and i'll your candor not even deny that you
are indebted to us for the same.
Most particularly, however, do we re-
Jolce that the barbarities Of by-gone ages,
the useless and cruel prosecutions during
the crusades, the pilages banishments and
massacres to pretended glory of God, are
ut last viewed in the genuine light by our
Christian brethren, and meet with their just
condemnation, and adherence.
We also regard the founder of your rcli-
gion i'll a different light from that by which
onr ancestors viewed him, whose opinions
were necessarily influenced by the horri
bic treatment they received at the hands
OF his worshippers, and it is with pride when
we contemplate that the man, who foI
nearly two thousand years has been the oh.
ject Of divine alteration of a great portion OF
thehuman race, was a scion of the house OF
Judah. Chearfully do we also admit the
great beneficial influence of Christianity
and IFS moral doctrines on the advance.
mont of civilization, but we do not hesitate
to give it, as our decided opinion, that
Christianity nIadequatcly, and in part only
developed the truth which constitutes Juda.
ism, and that, as yet, only part Of that truth
has been impaired to mankind.
1t appears to us that an inscrutabe. lnys.
tcrious Providence has wisely dccreed, that
the deliveralIce of mankind from deep-root
ed Poly theisln should not suddenly be ac.
complShcd but that the illusion and error
should gradually vanish before the splendol
and truth Of a sublime Divinity; and we
discern, in the mysterious doctrine of the
Trinity aud Redeemer, the intervening i'll
cidenl-the connecting lnk-by~ which
hereafter to a more perfect human race
the sublime truth will be unveiled. By the
abandonment of the alteration of the Virgin
Mary, aud the relutation of the beiiefin lel
immaculate virginity, by Professionalism, q
very important point has already beer
gained.
An adequate and full reply TO your adj
dress would demand from US arguments toe
volmninous for our present cpistle, and we
have therefore, 10 restrict and compress
our remarks and opinions to your most I'M
portant questions only.
eparfectly coincide with you, that there
is uotlue worship III God, where the hear,
is not understanding, aud the mind enligh
toned with the truth of the prayer; but II
order that those of our brethren in faith
who come to US from all parts of the globe
may have an opportunity to participate il
our worship we wish thar, in our prayers
the sacred language Of the prophets may
I've retained by the instruction of the
greater lIumbcr OF our youth in the Hebrew
lanena@e aud by using prayer-hooks with ;
translation il the vernacuar, the principa
objection is 0bvated. Besides considera
bile attention has already been devoted t,
the subject, and several synagogues have
not only abolished many prayers adapte,
TO the spirit Of past centuries, but have ais,
substituted others, and hymns, i'll moderl
languages; and the most essential and i'll
strnctive part Of worship, the sermon, i
nearly always delivered in the country
language.
We also do not hesitate in saying, tia
the blood offerings in the temple are con
sidered by all contemporary Isfaeltes witt
have iound the subject Of their religion
worthy otan examination, as inadmissible
and unworthy to be retained in our presen
era; but that, in former times, according Il
: the doctrines of the llustrious Maimonides
they were necessary preservative agains
, idolatry.
{ Although the Scriptures do not furnish
distinct lutimation of the propriety Of pray
ers lit behalf OF the dead, there is still
strong resemblance to prayer in the La
mentatlons oil David, al the death of his sol
Ahsalom.
Surprising even that these prayers are q
no essential advantage to those slumberin,
III deatll-which no human being can posi-
lively assert-the idea that by such rel
giols performance, our dear departed nigh
be benefited, cannot but produce "a saluta
ry and soothing sensation i'll the mind OF tn
+ survivor.
We confess that frequently by our bre,h
rem Ill faith, us also by mankind i'll general
+ an undue and eXtravagant homage is rel
, dered to outward appearances; but thi
even was the work formerly assigned t
our prophets, and now to our ministers an
preachers, to atlfnonish and instruct the pee
pie how the Lord requires of them to b
righteous, to exercise virtue and to wal
, before him in humility. "Ye shall be holy
for am holy"
. Proselytism, either for effect or for emu
lation, was never attempted by US; we gran
TO every one the privilege to attain saliva
d. f., al,