Letter from Rex to Isaac Leeser · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Rex to Isaac Leeser

Author

Rex

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Location(s)

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 8 page(s) on 16 sheet(s).

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3d21s48z/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3d21s48z

Physical Characteristics

Unlined Paper

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Jesselson Family Collection of Isaac Leeser Material

http://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125097480

content

having attended the late Advent Lectures in the Great Tent, at Niblo's, Corner of Broadway and Prince Streets, more or less during eight of the ten days of their continuance, having given par-ticular attention to the doctrines promulgated, and being enabled without difficulty to detect the material errors of those doctrines, I report for publication, my views, stated in few words with sim and plain words.
The Adventists are a class of preachers, who have undertaken to enlighten their fellow-men upon Religion, substantially according to the opinions of one William Miller, a worthy old farmer, who possessing some good faculties for the investigation and comprehension of the prophecies in the Bible after diligent application to the subject, came to the ra-tional conclusion that we are at the eve of a very important chap in mundane affairs as under the influence of Divine Government.
And Here let me promise that all observ-ing and reflecting minds generally are fast com- ing which have been turned to the matter, are fast coming to opinions consonant in some measure to that of the good Mr. Miller, whether their conclusions be drawn from Holy Traits, from reflections upon Holy Writ, from beholding the recklessness of the age, or from contem-plating the surprising developments of physical progress.

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What the Adventists preach, and uphold their confidence in, as the forthcoming event of such mag-nitude and importance, is the actual coming, ap-pearance, presence and being in the body, of Jesus Christ, upon this earth, whose business, according to their discourses, it will be to rule and govern in money and justice, first making some mer-ited disposal of all the wicked people, and the presiding in wisdom and goodness over the remainder, whom the Adventists denominate the Saints, and first and foremost among whom are to be the Adventists themselves.
Without undertaking here to declare any creed or peculiar religious belief as especially my own, I am ready to confute the Adventists upon their own ground; and while my hand is in, I even extend the offer of defiance to the advocates of any and every set of opinions or fancies under the guise of Religion, which recognize the benefit of preaching as preferable to practice, of vain imagination before some sense, of persuading or terrifying others rather than re-forming one's own conduct, of investigating the future instead of diligently using the present time, of indulging folly and pride in lieu of disciplining the mind to reverence and humility, of running after the vanities of pernicious vanities of the world, and not attending with every faculty to that one only good principle, which is called the sovereign will of God.
If any would ask why I take upon myself to

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discuss these important matters, while censuring in others the public advocacy of their peculiar views, let all such persons inquirers distinctly un-derstand that I object not to the promulgation of any well-intended doctrine; I only endeavour to prevent a false & foolish doctrine absurd set of opinions from taking inspirious effect upon the public mind.
The Adventists, in their lectures, read us certain passages of scripture, make their comments, which are for the most part rational, declare their interpre-tations, which are clearly in a great measure correct, and draw their conclusions, which are mainly wrong. They profess to adhere closely to the letter or naturel mean-ing of the quoted words and phrases; and, so far as they do abide by the literal meaning, their inferences appear to be correct; but the substituting of their own false and imaginary notions for the evident and perfectly simple and indeniable meaning of the most important words and expressions, is what leads them into wildly ridiculous errors.
The primitive cause of the false conceptions with which these gentlemen are so grievously misled, may like all other errors of the human intellect, be found in their impurity of mind, vanity, prejudice, self-righteousness and imcharitableness?. Of this I will give sufficient instances before going farther, in citing the simple fact that, while uttering their doctrines in all devotional sincerity, they unhesitatingly allude to the Papal power as Antichrist, and to the Jews, the lineal descendants of Abraham who observe the laws of Moses, as a God-forsaken

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people hardly worthy of human sympathy or comment.
One of the late Advent sermons was preached from the text Zechariah VIII.23. “Thus saith
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days te it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold, out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.”
It would seem, to a person of plain common sense, very easy to understand the meaning of this text, just as it is written, allowing only for the figuration ex-pression “takeing hold of the skirt,” after the preacher had made it evident, (as he did tolerably well,) that the expression “those days” was meant for the present time, even on or close about the present day and hour of the year 1847. A plain man of ordinary intelligence would then understand that, at or about the present time, many most people would get an idea that the Jews are in possession of the true, original and vital doctrine of Religion; but, under the declaration of these learned gentle-men, the scripture is not held to mean what it says: according to them the word Jew does not mean Jew, it means Adventist! Yet these learned gentlemen preachers loudly sustain oral advocate literal meanings, interpretation readings, and main- tain proclaim that every passage of scripture is best illustrated by its context. If, then, the word

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Jew required any explanation as to its meaning, such explanation should be sought in the rest of the writings of the same author Zechariah. Let any one, then, search there, to see if there be any reason to think that the prophet, when he said “him that is a Jew”, meant any thing but such a person as one should understand to the appellation a perfect jew, that is an Israelite by birth, circumcised, and who strictly observes & always has observed the injunctions of his religion according to his best ability. If the reader have not time to search through the fourteen chapters of Zechariah, he may even satisfy his mind by reading the eighth chapter alone, which ends with the above-quoted verse. The whole scope and aim of the chapter is clearly to de- declare that God will allow his chosen people the Jews to return and dwell happily in and about Jerusalem. The condition is simply that they properly reform them-selves; and as to the time when, the Adv our friends the Adventists very clearly make it out to be just about the present day. Amen say I, in full confidence that every one who answers the prophets character of “him that is a Jew,” will heartily join me.
Hear the prophet “These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath; for all these things I hate, saith the Lord.”

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How will these simple precepts tally with the supposition of the Adventists, that they themselves are the subjects of this contemplated king-dom? They who, professing entire confidence in the immediate coming of their Saviour, as King and Governor, manifest such deep and hateful apprehension when they detail the immense projects and arrangements of (their imaginary Antichrist) the Roman Catholic Church, for bringing all men under the influence of the gospel. The Adventists admit that the Jesuits are a people self-sacrificing in order to do good, that they are endeavouring to establish learning and discipline, to ameliorate the condition of the poor, and to extend the knowledge of Religion to the heathen. Why, then, whatever may be their failings— human failings such as we are all men are subject to—may we not contemplate their efforts with rejoicing in kindness and charity? I, the humble writer, am accountable to the Giver of all good for as clear perfect an understanding as is commonly allotted to man, even after the exercises of prayer, penitence and reformation—not to and I for one know of no human influence comparable to that of kindness, no persuasive equal to good behaviour, and no doctrine better than that of plain goodness.
When the Adventists come to the word Jeru
Jerusalem

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salem, they often represent its meaning to be an imaginary location wherein “the saints” are forthwith to reign on earth. These saints, we understand from them, are to be the Adventists themselves and such other persons as may be found, at the time of the descent of the Saviour upon earth, to be most zealously believing those portions of the doctrine in vogue as of the New Testament,— which are most difficult of comprehension, and of least immediate practical adaptation to the every-day business of ordinary life.
The Adventists tell us that these saints are to “reign”; but at the same time declare that they are to be true Christians. Now it is perfectly clear to every one who derives his religious principles from the New Testament, that the true Christian is properly one who does not “reign” at all upon earth, save over himself, his own passions and erroneous propensities, in the humble endeavour to effect positive good, he being thereto actuated by a perfect, tone, reverence and fear of the over riding Providence which creates and controls all, such Christian necessarily fully believing in the one only and vital Jewish doctrine, that, for the wrong we do, we are inevitably punished, save as Divine mercy may be extended to us solely in case of thorough repentance and perfect resolution and endeavour to always in future learn and do that which is right in the view of God, our Lord and maker.
But what I understand by the word Jerusalem

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is what every reasonable and unprejudiced mind must understand namely what the prophet meant—and that is Jerusalem, the ancient city of the Jews, which is now in ruins, and which must be rebuilt, in order to the verification of the term New Jerusalem.Rex.
This word New Jerusalem is a favourite one of our imaginative friends, the Adventists; but their mode of re-building a destroyed city merely by preaching and praying and singing, to have has never proved effectual. We must put our shoulder to the wheel, as, according to the fable, Hercules commanded the waggoner. The Adventists, as well as most other religious sects, have a great deal to say about Faith; the best faith is that which most usefully controls one's actions, and the best evidence of faith is the shutting up the mouth and taking hold to do with all our might that which is evidently right and best to be done.
About these Jews, whom our friends the Adventists think make so little of; possibly some of those unassuming and discreet minds who think that perfect wisdom reigns in the will councils of the Deity, may conceive that the chosen people have now sufficiently expiated their national sins, and that they have but individually to turn unto the Lord with all their hearts, to obtain the blessing recorded throughout the scriptures as their inheritance, and to stand a holy people, and a living monument, and evidence of the truth of prophetic revelations. Nous verrons.
Rex.

Identifier

LSTCAT_item133

Date

1847?