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Article HISTORICAL VIEWS OF PROGRESS. ← Page 4 of 6 →
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Historical Views Of Progress.
. * s . fall . Let it be understood , that if the principles which govern any race , are not sufficient for the happiness of all races , they are not sufficient for the happiness of that race itself , and the curtain begins to rise , the mist to disperse . The Jews were avowedly living under a special dispensation—they alone were to receive benefit from their creed—the Gentiles ancl all other nations were authoritatively excluded from being participators in their
salvation . Their hope was particular and therefore partial ; it was veiled in symbols , which had interest ancl significance for them alone : to them it was all , to others it was nothing ; and therefore it contained its own condemnation . The faith ofthe Jews was not sufficiently broad to fill all the earth , and that which is not sufficient , must of necessity come to nothing ; were it otherwise , we mightarraign the wisdom ancl the justice of nature ' s great ancl wise scheme .
But the Jews did not live in vain . There is nothing completely in vain . All observation leads us , nay impels us to that conclusion . In all nature , we cannot find a single instance of waste of power , a single unnecessary contrivance . The creed ofthe Jews was special and particular ; but reflection tells us , that we must have the special and particular , before we can have the general and universal . All things have a beginning , a starting point . The fire which wraps a city in flamesis kindled at one
, point . The rays of light which cover the earth , diverge from a single focus . The creed of the Jews was special and particular it is true ; it was not large enough to include all mankind , or The Temple would still be standing ; but it was based on a general and universal principle , on
FAITH , of which all men are capable . Their application of that principle was too narrow and confined , and when they fell , their application only fell with them—not the principle itself . It was necessary for the benefit of all that the Jews should fall , so that faith might be set free and all men admitted within its pale . Nature connives at no monopolies . But it was necessary too that they should have existed , so that faith might have a beginning—a foundation —a point from which to act ; and it is necessarytooin a world where
, , the reign of faith has not yet been established , that the Jew , degraded , humiliated , fallen from his high estate , should wander among us , preserved by faith—holding fast to it as his anchor—nothing without itso that the strength of faith may be proved till proof becomes unnecessary . The Jews are the exemplars of faith—dispersed among all nations , but still a nation—mixed with all races , but blended with none—subject to all laws , but obeying their own—broken and scattered , but still held
together by faith , and by its light looking for eventual pardon and reestablishment in the chosen land . May we not say of them , " whatever is , is right ? " May we not say to them , that the advent of that for which they hope , shall be , when all humanity is enfranchised , when all men have a common faith , when the universal principle has an universal application ? As the Jews lihted up the fire of faithso the Greeks kindled the
g , flames of thought , set philosophy afoot , and gave birth to art . It does not need argument to prove the necessity of philosophy for our happiness , our civilization—in short , our progress . All men who think , are ready to acknowledge the obligations we are under to the Greeks , the advantages we have derived from their mental labour . In order to answer the question—Was it necessary they should have
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Views Of Progress.
. * s . fall . Let it be understood , that if the principles which govern any race , are not sufficient for the happiness of all races , they are not sufficient for the happiness of that race itself , and the curtain begins to rise , the mist to disperse . The Jews were avowedly living under a special dispensation—they alone were to receive benefit from their creed—the Gentiles ancl all other nations were authoritatively excluded from being participators in their
salvation . Their hope was particular and therefore partial ; it was veiled in symbols , which had interest ancl significance for them alone : to them it was all , to others it was nothing ; and therefore it contained its own condemnation . The faith ofthe Jews was not sufficiently broad to fill all the earth , and that which is not sufficient , must of necessity come to nothing ; were it otherwise , we mightarraign the wisdom ancl the justice of nature ' s great ancl wise scheme .
But the Jews did not live in vain . There is nothing completely in vain . All observation leads us , nay impels us to that conclusion . In all nature , we cannot find a single instance of waste of power , a single unnecessary contrivance . The creed ofthe Jews was special and particular ; but reflection tells us , that we must have the special and particular , before we can have the general and universal . All things have a beginning , a starting point . The fire which wraps a city in flamesis kindled at one
, point . The rays of light which cover the earth , diverge from a single focus . The creed of the Jews was special and particular it is true ; it was not large enough to include all mankind , or The Temple would still be standing ; but it was based on a general and universal principle , on
FAITH , of which all men are capable . Their application of that principle was too narrow and confined , and when they fell , their application only fell with them—not the principle itself . It was necessary for the benefit of all that the Jews should fall , so that faith might be set free and all men admitted within its pale . Nature connives at no monopolies . But it was necessary too that they should have existed , so that faith might have a beginning—a foundation —a point from which to act ; and it is necessarytooin a world where
, , the reign of faith has not yet been established , that the Jew , degraded , humiliated , fallen from his high estate , should wander among us , preserved by faith—holding fast to it as his anchor—nothing without itso that the strength of faith may be proved till proof becomes unnecessary . The Jews are the exemplars of faith—dispersed among all nations , but still a nation—mixed with all races , but blended with none—subject to all laws , but obeying their own—broken and scattered , but still held
together by faith , and by its light looking for eventual pardon and reestablishment in the chosen land . May we not say of them , " whatever is , is right ? " May we not say to them , that the advent of that for which they hope , shall be , when all humanity is enfranchised , when all men have a common faith , when the universal principle has an universal application ? As the Jews lihted up the fire of faithso the Greeks kindled the
g , flames of thought , set philosophy afoot , and gave birth to art . It does not need argument to prove the necessity of philosophy for our happiness , our civilization—in short , our progress . All men who think , are ready to acknowledge the obligations we are under to the Greeks , the advantages we have derived from their mental labour . In order to answer the question—Was it necessary they should have