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Untitled Article
• equally important to all religions . — According to the principles of my religion , I ought not to attempt the conversion of any who are not born under our law . This spirit of proselytism , -whose origin some would gladly throw on the Jewish religion , is in fact directly averse to it ; ail our Rabbies agree , that the written and oral laws , in which our revealed religion consists , are obligatory on our nation only .
' * ' Moses has given to us the law . It is an inheritance of the tribe of Jacob . " We believe that all other nations are directed by God to abide by the law of nature and the religion of the patriarchs . They who live according to the laws of their religion , of nature , and of reason , are called the virtuous
men of other nations , and these are children of eternal salvation . Our Rabbies are so far from having the spirit of conversion , that they even command us to dissuade him , by serious remonstrances , from his ' intention , who of his own accord would embrace
our faith . We ought to inform him , that by this measure he subjects himself , without necessity , to a heavy burden ; that in his present situation he has only 10 fulfil the duties of a Noachide , in order to be blessed , but
that , so soon as he adopts the religion of the Israelites , he obliges himself voluntarity to the severe laws of their faith , and he must then obey them , or expect the punishment which the legislator has annexed to the infraction of them . We are also bound
faithfully to represent to him the miseries and troubles and contempt in which the nation now lives , in order to deter him from a step , perhaps precipitate , and which in the event he may repent of .
The religion of my fath-era , therefore , will not be extended . It is not x > ur duty , therefore , to send missionaxies to both Indies and to Greenland , to preach our faith to its remote inhabitants : the latter in particular , wlio , -according" to the description of
travellers , observe the laws of nature , alas ! better than we , and are , according to our religious creed , an enviable people . Whoso is not born to our laws ought not to live according to our laws ; we consider ourselves alone as bound to observe them , and this -cannot give t > ffence to ovx fellow-meii .
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Our opinions are thought absurd , it is unnecessary to raise a dispute about them . We act according to our conviction ; and others are at liberty to raise doubts against the validity of laws , which , according to our own confession , do not * bind them . JVhether they act justly or benevolently who so deride our laws and customs , we leave to their own
consciences : so long as we do not seek to convince others of our opinions , all contest is to no purpose . If a Confu - cius or Solon lived amongst my contemporaries , I could , according ' to the principles of my religion , love and admire the great man , without having the ridiculous thought of converting a Confucius or Solon . —Convert ? For
what ? As he does not belong to the tribe of Jacob , my religious laws do not bind him ; and on doctrinal points we should understand each other . Do 1 believe he could be saved ? Oh ! I
believe truly , that he who in this life has led men to virtue , cannot be condemned in the other - I , and stand in fear of no reverend college , which , like the Sorbonne towards the upright Marmontel . £ an censure me for this
opinion . f have the happiness to possess many excellent friends , men who are not of my faith ; we love each other heartily and honestly , though we suppose , and take for granted , that in matters of faith we are of different
opinions . I enjoy the luxury of their society , which improves and delights me . My heart has never secretly cried out to me , " woe to the excellent soul . " He who believes that out of his church there is no salvation , must have this sigh often weig hing
upon his breast . It is doubtless the duty of every man to spread knowledge and virtue among-at his fellow-men , and root out prejudices and errors according to his power—hence it might be believed to be' the duty of every man openly to oppose religious opinions which he believes false . But all prejudices are
not equally injurious , and , therefore , we are not to treat in the same way all the prejudices which we believe we * ee iu our fellow men . S ^ rae are . immediately hostile to the happ iness ot the human race j their influence on morals is clearly ruinous , nad we caa-
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3 S € Letter of Mendelsohn to Lavater .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1823, page 386, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1786/page/18/
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