established in the East. They will cause us in a measure to estimate the fearful delusiveness of that joy which will accompany what the speaker terms "the Advent" of his people to Jerusalem.*

After describing the afflictions which for more than eighteen hundred years have rolled like continuous billows over the head of Israel, the speaker thus proceeds :

“At length a sign is given; the thunders begin to roll all over Europe; the cry is everywhere heard in despotic governments-To arms! The people are at war with their kings and the kings are overthrown; priestcraft and fanaticism are overthrown; the sun of liberty begins to rise; the chains of the Jews are unloosed, and they are elevated to the rank of men; the fires of superstition had burnt out, and the age of reason had revived. The Sultan of Turkey, following the march of civilised nations, says to the Jews in his dominions, 'You are free; you have my permission to erect a synagogue in Jerusalem'—and messengers are despatched, as they were in the days of Solomon, to ask for aid from their brethren throughout the world, to erect a magnificent place of worship,

* The address from which I make these extracts was lately delivered by Mr. Noah, an American Judge, in the synagogue in New York. The title is, "M. M. Noah's Address, delivered at the Hebrew synagogue, in Crosby Street, on thanksgiving day, to aid in the erection of the Temple at Jerusalem.” It was reported verbatim for the New York Tribune, and has been since published in the Jewish Chronicle in London-from which I now transcribe it. The Editor of the Jewish Chronicle speaks of it as a "most eloquent and powerful speech delivered by the patriotic and talented Judge Noah, to which we earnestly direct the attention of our readers."

the first that has been erected in the Holy City since the advent of Christianity.

"Friends and brethren, do you understand that sign? Is it not pregnant with great events? Is not this another seal broken? We can erect a synagogue and build a temple here, and it excites no attention; but when the trumpet sounds from Mount Zion, every ear is opened, every heart throbs. I know full well that there are many Jews throughout the world who look upon the restoration of their brethren to the Holy Land as a possible event in the great changes which may hereafter occur, but they take little interest in the signs of the times. Happy in the enjoyment of every comfort here, they only think of their brethren in the Holy Land when their charitable feelings are appealed to; but when the great events of the restoration which are to fulfil the prophecies are talked of, they cling to the home of their birth, and the country of their adoption, and say, My destiny is here. Be it so. I do not blame them; for great sacrifices of life and treasure await the first movements of restoration. We are safe, but let us feel for those brave hearts who will not forsake their ancient heritage-who cling with ardent devotion to the sacred soil, and who turn their eyes of hope toward Zion, and say, ‘The time will come, the hour will arrive.' Let us furnish them with the means of living until the trumpet again sounds on the walls of Jerusalem-let us aid to erect a temple worthy of their faith, their devotion and their constancy.

"There are some who may consider the permission extended to the Jews in Jerusalem to build a temple, or a magnificent synagogue, a concession of little importance; but taken with other extraordinary signs of the times, it has a most important bearing. We may be unmindful and indifferent in relation to those signs, but there is a Divine hand which directs, a Divine agency which controls these movements; there are Divine promises yet to be fulfilled, Divine

attributes which are yet to be made apparent to the unbeliever. Since the establishment of Christianity, the world has not seen a revolution equal to that existing at the present moment in Europe; one hundred millions of people are in arms against their sovereigns; it is a struggle indeed for Liberty and Human Rights, but Religious as well as Civil Liberty; the blow is equally aimed at priestcraft, at that powerful union of Church and State, which for centuries has kept the world in bondage. The allied sovereigns may succeed in overpowering the people and maintaining their thrones and sceptres, but great concessions will be made to the wishes of the people to avoid a hurricane of frightful outbreaks; the people are no longer in chains. To the Jews, this great revolution has been a wonderful manifestation of God's providence and watchfulness; it has made them men, citizens, a people, a nation-it has given them rank, position, power-it has elevated them to the highest offices. Look back 1800 years on Rome, the proud mistress of the world, and see the Jewish captives in chains, following the triumphant car of the victorious Titus; see them sold in bondage; see them the architects of the Coliseum and the Pantheon, the servile labourers everywhere. When Rome fell, and Christianity arose, see them even more fiercely persecuted, the inmates of the dungeons of the Inquisition, and the victims of the Auto da Fé; see the chosen people, whose only sin was their belief in one God, locked up at night in the Ghetto, like animals in a cage, and look at them now in Rome: declared to be free by law, and possessing equal rights with their fellow-citizens. See them in France and Germany, and in every country in Europe, filling the highest situations in the governments, the proudest elevations on the benches of law and science, and diffusing everywhere the lights of their deep philosophy, and the fruits of their close and ardent study. And has this great advent been brought about by human agency? I believe it not ;-it is part and parcel of

those promises-the first step in the fulfilment of that great event which is to manifest to the whole world the power, the unity, the omnipotence of the Lord God of Israel, one God, and the God of all creation, and that He alone is the King of kings, Redeemer of the world, and the sole Judge of the earth.

"Other great revolutions are also in progress-quietly, slowly, but securely the age of Reason and Philosophy among Christians. In every direction there appear to me evidences of a progressive, but mighty change in the fundamental principles of that faith which it is our duty and our interest to watch, as developments of the deepest importance to our future destiny as a nation. I have noticed the liberal feelings everywhere evinced toward the Jewish people, an interest in their spiritual character, as much as in their temporal welfare: I see everywhere a change manifested toward us as a Sect; there are closer affinities developing themselves among Christians. They are gradually unloosing the chains of a religious prejudice against us, and feel a deeper interest in our fate and final advent. Few adhere at the present day to the spiritual restoration of the Jews, while the multitude admit that this restoration must be literal. The promises of God to the chosen people are now more fully recognised, and evangelising them is postponed until after the great events contingent on our restoration as an independent power. Reason and Truth begin to resume their empire as the shackles of ecclesiastical power become weakened, and man defends his right to speak, to think, and to act freely and openly, upon all matters appertaining to the Christian faith.

"The result of this religious feeling manifests itself in gradually withdrawing from the great founder of the Christian faith the Divine attributes conceded to Him by His disciples and followers. Since the Reformation, this change has been gradually unfolding itself; but professing Christians did not dare to express their doubts even to themselves; they

were unbelievers ever, but only in the deep recesses of the heart; but now Reformers, Socialists, Communists, Philosophers, openly express their doubts. All Germany is deeply tinctured with this belief, and other Luthers are springing up, declaring their unchanged belief in the sublime morality of Jesus of Nazareth-their entire confidence in Him as an eminent and illustrious reformer, teacher, prophet, brother; but denying His Divine issue, His participation in the Godhead, and His right to share with the Almighty the attributes of divinity. The Jews are deeply interested in the extension and preservation of Christian morals; to us and to the world it would be a deep calamity to see our laws, our principles, our doctrines abrogated, which have been so beneficially spread throughout the world under another name. If we were enfeebled and broken down, and had not the power to enforce and carry out the doctrines of our faith, still, happily, they have not been lost to the world, but flourish under another denomination. 'Do unto others as you would desire others to do unto you-love your neighbour as yourself '— deal justly with all men, honour your parents, be faithful to the governments that protect you, be merciful, be charitable, and love God with all your heart and soul-these are Jewish precepts, advanced as such by a great Jewish reformer, and engrafted upon the religion adopted by His followers and friends; but their Divine origin is unchanged.

"If it is asked why has not Judaism preached against Christianity, when Christianity has for 1800 years been incessantly preaching against Judaism, the answer is this: Our cause is in greater hands; in good time the Lord will open the eyes of all who would confer on a mortal the attributes of His divinity; He will give to the world the unmistakable evidence that He alone is the Great Redeemer, and that salvation is alone with Him. Our unwillingness to preach against Christianity grows out of the fact that in pulling down the land-marks of that faith we should assail and endanger many of our own