FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   >>  
his was precisely what Prophetism did. Therefore, he would be greatly mistaken, who would suppose, in the expressions used by the Prophets, any intention of slight towards the ceremonial laws, and those biblical prescriptions, which are specially intended for the chosen people. True, these are to be regarded as means calculated to a superior end; but they remain in full force and validity until that end (which is in store in the Eternal Mind) shall have been fully and finally attained. The Prophets eliminated nothing from, and added nothing to, the law; they sought to revive the religious idea, which is the foundation and aim of the law; they brought it into prominence, to impress it more forcibly on the minds of a people who had nearly lost it. But they did more; they bounded over the confines of the present, transferred themselves through the imagination to a future final re-arrangement of the human conditions; and, giving to the religious idea its greatest possible latitude, depicted a future state of ideal perfection, which, while it offered a vivid contrast with contemporary corruption, left to posterity an imperishable monument of their inspired eloquence and exquisite foresight.[7] [Note 7: The original has here several succeeding paragraphs devoted to a historical review of various phases of Judaism, which it describes under the names of Talmudism, Rabbinism, Caraism, and Cabalism. Believing this digression, or appendix, to be unnecessary to the general purposes of the present book, I have omitted it in the translation, _with the sanction of the distinguished Author himself._--THE TRANSLATOR.] CHAPTER XVI. XCVII. JUDAISM is now clearly delineated before us. From the outline that we have endeavoured to sketch, it is evident that the religion of the Jew imposes upon him solemn duties towards God, towards his fellow-men, and towards himself. A sincere, pure, undivided, active, loving worship of his heavenly Father, and a constant practice of justice, benevolence, and charity, in their widest sense, will lead to his self-sanctification, which is the aim intended for him. These are his fundamental duties, as far as regards actions. Many of the observances prescribed by Holy Writ teach the modes and means of carrying out such duties. All such prescriptions as are strictly connected with the existence of the temple, and the sojourn in Palestine are dispensed with, since the destruction of the former, and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   >>  



Top keywords:

duties

 

people

 

religious

 
future
 
present
 

prescriptions

 

intended

 

Prophets

 
CHAPTER
 

distinguished


TRANSLATOR
 

Author

 

dispensed

 

JUDAISM

 

Palestine

 

endeavoured

 

sketch

 

outline

 
sanction
 

delineated


Talmudism

 

Rabbinism

 

Caraism

 

Cabalism

 

review

 

phases

 

Judaism

 

describes

 

Believing

 

destruction


purposes

 

evident

 
omitted
 

general

 

unnecessary

 

digression

 

appendix

 
translation
 
sanctification
 

carrying


justice

 
benevolence
 

charity

 

widest

 
actions
 
prescribed
 

observances

 

fundamental

 

practice

 

constant