The law of primogeniture, so prevalent in different degrees among the nations overrun by the Goths and Vandals, and their kinsmen, strikes us as being a relic of Mosaic law. According to Hebrew law, the first born son received a double portion of his father's estate. The English law greatly resembles this. It would almost appear that this double portion was conferred, among the Hebrews, on the oldest male child, to compensate in some degree for the loss of the Priesthood held by him of right in patriarchal days, but under the Mosaic dispensation vested in the house of Aaron, so far as the lesser Priesthood called after his name is concerned, while the higher or Melchizedec Priesthood appears, after the days of Moses until the coming of Christ, only to have been held by a certain favored few, who because of their righteousness were endowed with this special measure of Divine favor.
With a certain class of scientists, the language of a people has great weight in determining its origin. This test has been applied to the language of the Anglo-Saxons, and it has been found that a number of Hebrew words exist almost unaltered in our modern English tongue. On this point, the author of "Our Israelitish Origin" writes: "As to language, it is granted, that this, of itself could not identify a people, or distinguish Israel, for example, from the Canaanites. * * * Still it may be expected that a sufficiency would remain of the Hebrew, to tell of this people's (the Saxon's) acquaintance therewith; and such is the case. It has been observed by linguists, that a very great deal of the ancient language of Israel exists in the modern languages of Europe, and that it is through a Gothic medium that this plentiful supply of Hebrew has come. So much have these languages been thrown into a Hebrew mould that a French abbe has lately proposed to make use of the Hebrew as a grand key to these languages."
Another writer, referring to Mr. Wilson's statements, remarks:[A] "There is no reason to doubt that in common with the wave of nations speaking the Indo-Germanic dialects, which overflowed Europe on the breaking up of the Roman empire, the Anglo-Saxons came from the Zend-speaking districts of Asia. And while Mr. Wilson adduces reasons from the language of the Anglo-Saxons and Danes, for believing that a long and intimate association had existed between these people and the Persians before the former moved westward, he also proves the existence of a large admixture of Hebrew words in the language of the Anglo-Saxons, and not the least in the Scottish branch of that people. In this he sets a proof of the descent of these people from the Israelitish tribes that were removed by the kings of Nineveh, from their native land, and planted in the cities of Media and Persia. They had retained, in their new abode, much of their Hebrew mother-tongue, while gradually adopting the Zend as the body of their new language. An additional and most important confirmation of Mr. Wilson's idea has been supplied by Prof. C. P. Smyth. This is seen in the circumstance that the Anglo-Saxons possessed a metrology** corresponding exactly, as far as it extended, with the metrology common to the temple of Jerusalem and the great pyramid."
[Footnote A: "Ethnic Inspiration" by Rev. J. T. Goodsir.]
[Footnote B: Metrology—the science of measures]
CHAPTER VII.
Salvation a Gift to All—God's Covenant with Abraham—Proselytes—The Dispersion—Conclusion.
Before proceeding further we wish to remark that we trust no one will imagine, from reading these chapters, that we believe that the literal descendants of Abraham will be the only ones saved in the kingdom of God. To the contrary we are fully aware that God has made of one blood all the nations of the earth, and realize that all men of every clime and age, may be partakers of the priceless blessings resulting to fallen humanity from the infinite sacrifice on Calvary. We also firmly believe that within the scope of the gospel covenant are provisions, and ways and means, by which the obedient of all races become the recognized children of Abraham, and heirs, by adoption, to all the God-given promises to that Patriarch. John the Baptist told the degenerate Jews of his day who were boasting of their Abrahamic descent, that of the very stones in the roadway, if it so pleased Him, God could raise up children unto Abraham. All we claim for Israel, no more, no less, is the fulfillment of God's covenant with the father of the faithful, which covenant modern revelation lays before us in the following language:
"My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee [Abraham] and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations, and I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this gospel, shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee (that is in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal." (Book of Abraham.)