One of the most striking differences between the Mosaic and Christian
institutions is, that the latter is a proselyting institution, while
the former was not. Errorists among the Jews, contrary to the spirit of
their institution, ran into great proselyting efforts; while errorists
in the kingdom of Christ, contrary to the spirit of their institution,
leave the spirit of proselyting. Those Jews who had such a desire for
proselyting, should have been Christians, and the Christians who have
no zeal for proselyting should have been Jews. It would have suited
their capacity, views and feelings better, to have been born into a
church as they were born into the world; and a sign in the flesh, such
as circumcision, as a mark of distinction between them and the rest of
mankind, put upon them when eight days old; and when the numbers of the
church were replenished by natural generation and birth, and not in an
institution where men can not enter except by being born again—where
they are begotten, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible seed, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever—where men can not
enter by natural generation, but must enter by _regeneration_ or not
enter at all.
If men who have no zeal to proselyte, had been born in an institution
where every child born of church members is also a church member, they
would have suited well to them the lessons from the law of Moses on
the Sabbath day, and perform the dull and spiritless ceremonies of
the synagogue. No doubt they could have gone through the performances
with as much formality and as little grace as a Jewish rabbi. Many
of these, if they had the priestly robe, Aaron’s rod, the pot with
manna, the shew bread, etc., would figure much more decorously back
among the types and shadows, than they do here among the good things
to come. They are better adapted for the letter than for the spirit,
for they almost convert the house of God—the spiritual building, where
the spirit of God dwells, and where we are required to worship in
spirit and in truth—into the dry and irksome ceremonies of the Jewish
synagogue.