Letter from J. P. Stablin to Isaac Leeser;September 11, 1829 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from J. P. Stablin to Isaac Leeser;September 11, 1829

Author

J. P. Stablin

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

11 September 1829

Location(s)

Alexandria

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 4 page(s) on 4 sheet(s).

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3gt5g206/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3gt5g206

Physical Characteristics

Unlined Paper

Wax Seal

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Jesselson Family Collection of Isaac Leeser Material

content

Alexa 9 mo. (Septr) 11th 1829.
Respected Friend
Isaac Leeser
I hope my long silence after the reception of their of 10th written on board of the S. Boat Long Branch has not induced thee to believe I intend to treat thy friendship with coldness. No! I cannot but love an afectionate heart let me meet with it where I may. As an apology, let me state that the business in which I am interested with my father required so much of my attention that I had not time to bestow many thoughts upon correspondence with my friends. I am sorry it was not convenient for them to call in Alexandria. Shouldst thou come this way again when either myself or my father (for I allowed him the gratification of reading thy letters to my relation Thos S. Pleasants) is alive. I hope thou wilt call and spend a day or two with us. As well as I recollect now I knew nothing of thy expectation of visiting Philadelphia until my cousin Theos S Pleasants informed me he had requested thou to call upon me on thy way thither. Such with? intimacy and perfect confidence which subsist between us that we do not hesitate to take this liberty in regards to each other, and it gives me as much pleasure to entertain a friend who comes thus recommended by him, as one whom I have invited myself. I was lately in Philadelphia and head I known where to call upon

this would have stolen an hour or two from my engagements for the purpose of seeing thee. Please to inform me when thy residence is so that if business or inclination should draw me to Phila again while thou art a resident of it I may know where to find them. Thou sayest I know to a certain extent what are thy sentiments. In so far as they have been manifested by thy correspondence with my friend T. S. P. and myself I am pleased with them. It is not necessary for me to inform them that I do not feel bound as thou dost to observe rigorously the Law as delivered through Moses to the children of Israel, yet this being thy situation would not say any thing against a strict obedience to it by all also feel this obedience to be their duty. I hope there is, I know there ought to be, enough good feeling in my heart to prevent me from regarding as unfit for social and all other valuable intercourses any person who honestly differs from me in persuasion. Our God will not I believe require from us at our hands, more than he has clearly made known to us we ought to perform; therefore it is clear to my view that every man must be allowed to judge for himself; not barely suffered to enjoy this liberty without actual interference in his concerns, but with willingness on the part of every body else permitted to select the labour that best pleases himself. I utter not these sentiments because

I think they are different from thine. I think it is no more than a fair inference from thy letters that thy views are similar.
The information which I requested my friend T. S. P. to obtain from thee in relation to the customs of the early Christians would not have been in time to subserve the end I then had in view if thou couldst have furnished it, for the short essay I was writing had to make its appearance on the 2d day of the 3d mo (March). There was one item in they communication which would have been to the point if it had been supported by quotations the authority of any jewish or other scribe? of early times viz that the pious jews have always been in the habit of collecting together every morning & evening for the purpose of worship. It would have been evidence of some weight to prove that the assembling of the Disciples of Jesus on the first day of the week was not in consequence of its institution by him as a day of rest. If in the course of thy reading thou shouldst print with any thing which will shew in what light the early Christians viewed this day. I will thank thee if thou wilt make a note of it so as to furnish me with an extract at some future time if it shall be necessary. I send a no. of the newspaper contg my essay (for the matter of which I am principally indebted to other witnesses) without any expectation that it will appear to be more than a very moderate perform=

=ance. The side which I espoused and which I believe is the liberal one triumphed in the election of council-men by a majority of three to one. Being so fairly beaten after unwearied efforts to obtain their object for seven or

eight years I do not think the other party will have the hear to lift its hand again for a long time. With desires that it may be thy lot to receive pleasant things at the hands of the great Donor I subscribe myself thy afft friend
J P Stablin

Isaac Leeser
care of David Judah
Baltimore
David Judah will confer a favour on the writer of this by forwarding it with the accompanying Newspaper to Isaac Leeser

Abr Alex'r 9 mo. (Sept.) 11th 1829
Respected Friend
Isaac Leeser
I hope my long silence after the reception of thein written on board of the S. Boat Long Branch has not induced thee to believe I intend to great thy friendship with coldness—sol I cannot but love an affect-ionate heart let me meet with it when I may—As an apology let me state that business in which I am interested with my father required so much of my attention that I had not time to bestow many thoughts upon corre-spondence with my friends—I am sorry it was not convenient for thee to call in Alexandria—Shouldst thou come this way again when either myself or my father (for I allowed him the gratification of reading thy letters to my relation Thos. S. Pleasants) is alive, I hope thou wilt call and spend a day or two with us—As well as I recollect now I knew nothing of thy expectation of visiting Philadelphia until my cousin Thos. S. Pleasants in-formed me he had requested thou to call upon me on thy way thither—Such is the intimacy and perfect confidence which subsist between us that we do not hesitate to take this liberty in regard to each other, and it gives me as much pleasure to entertain a friend who comes thus recommanded by him, as one whom I have invited myself. I was lately in Philadelphia and had I know where to call upon thou would have stolen an hour or two from my engagements fro the purpose of seeing thou. Please to inform me where thy residence is so that if business or inclination should drive me to Phila. again while thou art a resident of it I may know where to find thee. Thou sayest I know to a certain extent what are thy sentiments—In so far as they have been manifested by thy correspondence with my friend T. S. P. and myself I am pleased with them. It is not necessary for me to inform thee that I do not feel bound as thou dost to observe rigorously the Law as delivered through Moses to the children of Israel, yet this being my situation I would not say anything against a strict obedience to it by all who feel this obedience to be their duty.—I hope there is, I know there ought to be, enough good-feeling in my heart to prevent me from re-garding as unfit for social and all other valuable inter-course any person who honestly differs from me in persuasion.—Our God will not I believe require at our hands, more than he has clearly made known to us we ought to perform; therefore it is clear to my view that every man must be allowed to judge for himself; not barely suffered to enjoy this liberty without actual interference in his concern, but with willingness on the part of every body else permitted to select the labour that best pleases him— I utter not these sentiments because I think they are different from thine— I think it is no more than a fair inference from thy letters that thy veins are similar—
The information which I requested my friend T. S. P. to obtain from thee in relation to the customs of the early Christians would not have been in time to subserve the end I then had in view if thou couldst have furnished it, for the short essay I was writing had to make its appearance on the 2 of the 3 mo (March)—There was one item in they communication which would have been to the point if it had been supported by the authority of any jewish or other writer of early times vis that the pious jews have always been in the hab it of collecting together every morning and evening for the purpose of

2
worship—It would have been evidence of some weight toknow that the assembling of Disciples of Jews on the first day of the week was not in consequence of its institution by him as a day of rest. If in the course of they reading thou shouldstmeet with anything which will show in what light the early christians received this day I will thank thee if thou wilt make a note of it so as to furnish me with an extract at some future time if it shall be necessary—I send a no. of the newspaper cont my essay (for the matter of which I am principally indebted to other writings) without any expectation that it will appear to be more than a very moderate performance. The side which I espoused and which I believe is the liberal one triumphed in the election of council—men by a majority of thru to me—Being so fairly beaten after unwearied efforts to obtain their object for seven or eight years I do not think the other party will have the hear to lift its head again for a long time—With desires that it may be thy lot to receive pleasant things at the hands of the great Donor I subscribe myself thy
Afft friend
(signed) J. P. STABLIN

Identifier

LSTCAT_item78

Date

1829-09-11