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CHRISTIAN UNION.

Ar the Conference recently held at Liverpool, the following, among other resolutions, were unanimously adopted:

"III. That this Meeting desires to express its humiliation before God and his Church, for all the divisions of the Christian Church, and especially for everything which we ourselves may have aforetime spoken, in theological and ecclesiastical discussions, contrary to speaking the truth in love; and would earnestly and affectionately recommend to each other, in our own conduct, and particularly in our own use of the press, carefully to abstain from, and to put away, all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour. and evil speaking, with all malice; and in things in which we may yet differ from each other, still to seek to be kind, tender-hearted, forbearing one another in love, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us; in everything seeking to be followers of God as dear children, and to walk in love, as Christ also loved us.

"VI. That the Conference, postponing the preparation of a full and formal document on the subject, deem it sufficient for the present to intimate that the parties who shall be invited to the future Meeting, shall be such persons as hold and maintain what are usually understood to be Evangelical views in regard to such important matters of doctrine as the following: viz.—

1. The Divine inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of Holy Scripture.

2. The unity of the Godhead, and the Trinity of persons therein. 3. The utter depravity of human nature, in consequence of the fall.

4. The incarnation of the Son of God, and his work of atonement for sinners of mankind.

5. The justification of the sinner by faith alone.

6. The work of the Holy Spirit in the conversion and sanctification of the sinner.

7. The right and the duty of private judgment in the interpretation of holy Scripture.

8. The Divine institution of the Christian ministry, and the authority and perpetuity of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper."

A JEWISH SERMON.

To those, and we hope they are very many, who regard with watchful interest the multiplying signs of a general turning of the Jewish mind to the land which God has given to Abraham and his seed for ever, it must be a matter of thankfulness to observe, how strong is the disposition of the newly-elected Chief Rabbi to foster that feeling. It is true that in all the synagogue-services this hope forms the burden of their general supplications, but the Jews themselves are ready to acknowledge that with the greater number of them it had become rather a mechanical repetition than the expression of a deep and lively expectation. Hope long deferred had so sickened the heart of Judah, that he could not raise his anticipations to the height of those promises which, nevertheless, his lips were daily taught to repeat; and we may clearly trace even in the few past years a national awakening to those great and glorious things, which the word of Him who cannot lie has guaranteed as the future possession of His long-scattered people.

The appointment of a Chief Rabbi to so very important a section of the Abrahamic family as the British Jews, has all along been viewed by many sincere Christians as a matter of most prayerful interest, and we cannot but discern in Dr. Adler considerable promise of a worthy fulfilment of those duties which devolve on him. Although an eminently learned Talmudist, he NOVEMBER, 1845.

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has hitherto exhibited a depth of attachment to the inspired word, and a desire to render it the chief study of his hearers, truly encouraging to those who bear in mind that the first signal of a general restoration will be the return of the Jews, with all their heart and with all their soul, to the commandments given by Moses (Deut. xxx.) It is besides interesting to know that he, who is now by election the spiritual head of the Jews in this country, is also by lineal descent, not only a Levite, but an Aaronite, of the priestly family, and, as such, enjoying by right the pre-eminence accorded to that house. We are afraid that the very fact of the tribe of Levi being to this day distinctly and universally known, and the Cohanim, or sons of Aaron, exercising even in the midst of us, all their ancient privileges compatible with their dispersed state, is a point on which many Christians are ignorant: yet it is one of the most thrilling and heart-stirring interest, more particularly as connected with the latter part of the book of Ezekiel.

Our readers are all well acquainted with that most beautiful portion of Scripture, the fortieth chapter of Isaiah; to us it eloquently sets forth the glorious Gospel of the grace of God, no less in the first than in the Second Advent of the Messiah; to the Jew all is, of course, still future; and therefore we must feel that something is lacking, and that something how momentously important! when he has said his uttermost upon the subject: but in Dr. Adler's recent sermon on the former half of that chapter, there is so much to encourage hope, that the Lord will make him instrumental in very much extending the national awakening of which we have spoken, and so much to quicken our prayers, that God may show to the preacher greater and more wonderful things out of His law, that we give

it complete, without note or comment, just as it appeared in the Voice of Jacob.'

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And here we must needs tender a tribute of most unfeigned respect to the proprietor and editor of that Journal, Mr. Franklin, who has more than once ap· peared in these pages as our "elder brother Jacob," and who, to the sincere regret of many who love Israel, is now retiring from the editorship, though not from the proprietorship of the 'Voice.' Four years ago he commenced a work which few men would have had the enterprise to start on their own responsibility, and under circumstances peculiarly embarrassing to a devoted Jew. To other national difficulties were added the death of the then Chief Rabbi, just when the most desirable thing appeared the most unattainable; that is to say, the appointment of a successor, who might enjoy a fair measure of the confidence of all parties. With quiet earnestness and untiring perseverance did Mr. Franklin pursue this great object, and no one whose eye has been fixed on the progress of events among the Jews of England, can deny to him the chief merit, under God, in bringing about, what we do not hesitate to say, is a token for good to the children of Israel. Like all other men engaged in a really national work, he has met with abundant opposition, and not a little personal abuse to the former he has presented a steady front of quiet perseverance; to the latter a dignified and gentlemanly silence. It cannot be denied that he has occasionally taken a harsh and an erroneous view of the motives and actions of some among us who heartily desire the salvation of Israel, and has spoken hard things under that impression, but this is not much to be wondered at under all the circumstances of a very difficult He came forward as a Jew, and no man in latter

case.

times has so essentially promoted the interests of his nation as he has done. The immense mass of valuable information collected from all quarters of the world concerning them, the links of communication that by his means have actually surrounded the globe, and the universal spirit of watchful expectation thereby excited among the scattered tribes, would alone entitle him to this commendation: but more, he has very materially lessened the great mountain of prejudices that stood between the two communities. He has done ready justice to those who seek the national welfare of his people, and he has convinced of their error many among us who still believed the absurd tale, that a Jew knows as little of the Bible as a Papist; while bringing before us the appointed ordinances of Israel, in their season, in a manner calculated to arouse and keep alive in Christian hearts the deepest and tenderest interest, aye and the most respectful towards those who, for so many ages, walked among us at best unnoticed, too often scorned, and, alas! sometimes persecuted unto the death.

We render to our elder brother Jacob our thanks, and those of many others among Christians who love Zion; we earnestly hope that the general spirit of the 'Voice' will undergo no material change, that it will neither become frivolous and worldly, nor harsh and acrimonious; above all that the grand object of Israel's restoration, even if but on a partial scale, may never, for a moment, be lost sight of; and we wish him not only all the temporal, but all the spiritual blessings included in the everlasting covenant which God made with his father Abraham.

We now present our readers with the Chief Rabbi's sermon, simply as a specimen of the teaching under

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