The address delivered last evening in the Jewish synagogue evidently
disturbed some of the people, including the revered rabbi who called upon
me this afternoon. Together we went over the ground again, which I shall
now review for your benefit.
It was not possible to make the subject completely plain to the rabbi last
night, as he was very much pressed for time, but today the opportunity was
sufficient for a reconsideration of the statements in detail. I wish you
to understand them thoroughly and memorize them in order that you may
discourse with the Jews and thus, perchance, become instrumental in
leading them aright.
The quintessence of our subject was this: What is the mission of the
Prophet, and what is the object of a divine law? In answer we stated:
There is no doubt that the purpose of a divine law is the education of the
human race, the training of humanity. All mankind may be considered as
pupils or children who are in need of a divine Educator, a real Teacher.
The essential requirement and qualification of Prophethood is the training
and guidance of the people. Therefore, we shall first consider the
efficacy of the teachings of those who have been followed and accepted as
the Prophets of God. The question that must be answered is: Have They
taught mankind? Have They proved Themselves efficient Educators?
Among Them was Moses. We find that He appeared as the leader of the
children of Israel during a period of their captivity. They were in a
state of extreme humiliation, ignorance and heedlessness, living in a very
lowly manner in Egypt under conditions of life worse than death. Imagine
an ignorant people, downtrodden and oppressed, thoughtless, negligent and
mentally darkened, held in subjection as slaves. Moses was appointed for
their deliverance and training. He guided them, led them out of bondage
into the Holy Land, uplifted them from ignorance and despair, trained them
so that they rose from a condition of lowliness and subjection into one of
honor and importance, and enabled them to reach a high degree of
perfection. They became proficient in sciences and arts, attained a lofty
plane of civilization, honorable and esteemed among nations, whereas
formerly they had been lowly and despised. They were ignorant; they became
intelligent, finally reaching that period of supremacy and power witnessed
in the Solomonic sovereignty. Their name became widespread throughout the
world, and they were esteemed for distinct virtues. Even the philosophers
of Greece went to Palestine to drink from the fountains of their wisdom
and sit at the feet of their sages. All these facts prove that Moses was a
Prophet and a Teacher.
As to Christ: He was a single, unique and lowly individual Who appeared at
a time when the Israelitish nation had fallen from the heights of its
glory to the lowest condition of bondage and contempt, subject to the
tyranny of the Roman Empire, living under a yoke of humiliation, ignorant
and negligent of God. The historical records of the Holy Books confirm
these statements. Christ--this single and unique Personage--appeared amongst
these despised and degraded people, reflecting a divine power and the
potency of the Holy Spirit. He unified the various peoples and nations of
the world, brought them together in fellowship and agreement and gathered
them beneath the overshadowing protection of one Word. His prestige and
mention were not confined to the children of Israel alone, who were at
that time a limited race and people, but His spiritual power had also
permeated and united great influential nations who had been warlike and
hostile, such as the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Chaldeans, Syrians and
Assyrians. He dispelled their hostility, healed their hatred, made them a
united people, and by His Word created the utmost love amongst them so
that they advanced immeasurably in the degrees of education and human
perfection, thereby attaining a never-ending glory.
The Jews had become dispersed and widely scattered. This single and unique
Personage overcame all the then known world, founding an everlasting
sovereignty, a mighty nation indeed. Such a result proved Him to be a
great man, the first Educator of His time, the first Teacher of His
period. What proofs could be greater than these? What would be more
convincing than this evidence that a single individual resuscitated so
many nations and peoples, unified so many tribes and sects, removed so
much warfare and hatred? Undoubtedly, such accomplishment could be wrought
only through the power of God and not by mere human effort, which is
altogether incapable of producing these mighty results.
When Christ appeared, the Jews pronounced Him an enemy of Moses.
Pharisaical rabbis of that age declared Him to be the destroyer of the
Mosaic law and the institutes of the Torah. They proclaimed that He would
bring great misfortune to the people of Israel, considering Him the
violator of the holy Sabbath and destroyer of the Temple of Solomon.
Therefore, they turned away from Him. Let us investigate this and discover
whether such accusations were true or false. We will find that in reality
Christ caused the name and prestige of Moses to become widespread. Through
His efforts and teaching the Book of Moses, the Bible, became known
everywhere. In fifteen hundred years there had been but one translation of
the Old Testament, the Torah, which translation was made from Hebrew into
Greek. But through the instrumentality of Christ's message and teachings
it was translated into six hundred tongues and spread to every part of the
world. All the kings and prophets of Israel were unable to promulgate the
teachings of Judaism and the name of Moses beyond the borders of
Palestine, whereas through Christ Judaism became an established religion
in Asia, Africa, Europe and the world generally. Through the message of
Christ, Moses was everywhere proclaimed a Prophet of God and His Book the
Book of God. Shall we consider this Personage an enemy or a friend of
Moses?
Justice is needed; we must render fair judgment upon this question. Had He
been an enemy, He would not have allowed the name and teachings of Moses
to become widespread in the world. He would not have promulgated the law
and principles of the Torah. Would there have been any mention of Moses in
America? Could even the name of Judaism have reached this part of the
world through any other instrumentality? Undoubtedly, it was owing to the
blessed agency and influence of Christianity that Judaism became
established in this western world. Moses had no better friend and
sympathizer than Christ. Consider how the illiterate among the Israelites
conceal the reality of these facts and continue the delusion that Christ
was an enemy of Moses. All Christians believe in Moses. They declare that
He was a Man of God, the Interlocutor and Prophet of God, that His Book
was the Book of God, that the people of Israel were the people of God and
that all the prophets of Israel were valid and true. They offer unlimited
praise, sincere eulogy, and manifest unlimited love for the religion of
Moses. What harm comes from this? And if the Jews should say that Christ
was also the Word of God, the Spirit of God, what harm could follow this
statement? Just these few words would be the cause of reconciling the
Christians and Jews. The Christians accept Moses and His Book. What harm
have they suffered on account of this belief? Have they lost anything
because of it?