While Rabinowitz has organized his companions in this new doctrine into a separate religious body, which does not alienate itself fully from Judaism, it differs from Christianity widely enough to prevent perfect affiliation with it. It stands upon the border-line, being neither positively Jewish nor altogether Christian. Rabinowitz finds fault with Christians for being divided into many confessions, and congratulates his fellow-believers from among the Jews on the ease with which they can build themselves into a new organization without the embarrassment of subdivisions. In answer to the question as to whether circumcision should be enforced in this new religious society, Rabinowitz says: “It is not sinful to abstain from circumcision, but he who does so abstain cuts himself off from all relation to his people.” He, therefore, makes this rite a part of the creed of his church, but not a necessity. He regards the sentences of the Old and New Testaments as of equal validity, and rejects the Talmud and the writings of the rabbinists as not of authoritative force, but as valuable monuments of an early time. He adopts the communion service of the Lutheran church, and makes baptism an essential part of his system.
Rabinowitz propounded his doctrines to his fellow Jews only two years ago, and in this brief time over two hundred families have formally united with him. Of course the regular Jews do not endorse such a departure. They regard it as a miserable apostasy, and proclaim loudly against it. On the other hand, the Christian church can not hail it with unmixed pleasure, inasmuch as the “National Jews” still adhere to some parts of the Jewish system, and must make some important concessions before they can be regarded as a thorough religious body.
In what light, therefore, must these Jews, who have accepted Christ and his full atonement, be held? Can we see in their doctrines a sign of real hope for the entire Jewish world? We think that only one answer can be given, the one which Delitzsch and other close students of the Hebrew mind, both past and present, have been compelled to give—namely, that we see here an evidence of the breaking up of the old Jewish solidity. Mendelssohn and others have proven that the Jews are subdivided among themselves, that there are numerous tendencies which pervade the entire body, and that these are constantly growing stronger. This, however, is the first instance where an important part of the Jewish church has openly adopted the atonement of Christ, and proposes to rise or fall by that alone. May it not be the great outcome of the Jewish mystery, that large sections will formally adopt Christianity; that not as individuals but as vast territorial sections they will renounce their old faith and take their place among Christian bodies; and that in due time they will drop the Jewish name altogether, and be thoroughly identified with the great Christian church in all its activities and grand purposes?
The middle ground of the National Jews of to-day, as occupied and preached by Rabinowitz, is simply an impossibility for the future. It is neither one thing nor another. Its exact parallel, in our day, can be found in the impossible church of Father Hyacinth. His work is neither all Protestant nor all Roman Catholic. To succeed it must become Protestant, and formally reject all attachments to the old Romanism. There must be no looking back when once the “hand is put to the plow.” Had Martin Luther stood all his life upon the door-sill of Roman Catholicism, looking out and yet not going out, his work would have been a total failure, and have shown a lack of that final courage which makes a successful revolution. We must, however, bear in mind the fact that he was preceded by men who had taken positive ground, but not the last step. To their moderate work he owed much. He saw their failure, and the cause of it, and hence he broke the whole yoke and became a free man. In the same useful line must we rank the doctrines and work of Rabinowitz. He may not take all the advanced course which we would like, and which history reveals as only the true Reformer, but he is the sure forerunner of one or more who will do this work. It is one of the ways in which God distributes his honors, that his great movements are not conducted by one alone. There is always the Baptist, and sometimes many, who must preach in the wilderness, before the full gospel of the mountain side and sea shore can be heard from the lips of the world’s Teacher. In this light, as the prophecy of a new religious awakening among the Jews, who have for all ages rejected all approaches from Christianity, must we regard the doctrines and work of Rabinowitz and his friends. His cause is rapidly growing, and must continue to grow. While it is not a finality, it is in the right direction, and hence a blessing which all Christian people must hail with pleasure.
Bucharest, Roumania, October 7, 1884.
THE INNER CHAUTAUQUA.
BY CHANCELLOR J. H. VINCENT, D.D.