"I ascertained," Sir Moses continued, "from the perusal of these letters that even Christians were enjoined not only to inculcate in others but to perform themselves the very smallest of the Mosaic precepts (p. 26).
"'The Scribes and Pharisees,' the author, quoting from the New Testament, says, 'sit in the seat of Moses; all, therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do.' 'Here,' he says, 'we have it explicitly enjoined on the disciples not only that they should hold fast the written law of Moses, but that they should also admit the authoritative interpretations of the Mishnical doctors, so as to pay all due deference and respect to their solemn decisions.'
"With regard to the words of the Prophet Malachi, the Rector observes, 'Here in the very last of all the prophetic charges to be found in the Old Testament, the future and perpetual observance of the Mosaic Law is solemnly and emphatically enjoined on the children of Israel, as a thing never to be forgotten, together with all its special enactments whether relating to faith or discipline.
"'How then,' the Christian divine asks, ' can we conscientiously exhort the Jew (on his embracing the faith of the Gospel) to forsake and abandon the law which was not only commanded by God, and enforced by the very last of the Jewish prophets, but also strictly enjoined and practised afterwards by the founder of the Christian religion and His twelve disciples?' 'Christianity,' he says, 'was never intended to supplant Judaism, nor the Christian hierarchy to interfere with the sacred functions of the Aaronic priesthood' (p. 29)."
The visitors would not argue the subject in question, but were pleased to have had an opportunity of hearing Sir Moses' views.
December 2nd.—Sir Moses suffered for six weeks from a severe and troublesome cough, requiring the frequent medical attendance of his neighbour, Dr Billing, but he was eventually sufficiently restored to health to leave Park Lane for Ramsgate.
February 8th, 1875.—The Sir Moses Montefiore Testimonial Committee, numbering 102 members, advertised their first list of 412 subscribers.
"Remitted £150 to Jerusalem to complete the Touro Houses. Blessed be the memory of Mr Touro, nevertheless his legacy has cost me £5000."—Extract from Sir Moses' Journal bearing date 18th March 1875.
May 11th.—He went to London to see Lord Tenterden at the Foreign Office, informed him of his intentions to go to Jerusalem, and requested Lord Derby to give him letters of introduction to Her Majesty's Consuls.
May 25th.—Prior to his departure from England he attended the meetings of all his various companies in the city, thus, at the age of ninety, giving evidence of his intellectual powers in matters of finance. We shall now follow him on his seventh journey to the Holy Land, and find that in all matters connected with the welfare of his brethren in that country, his judgment and counsel were as clear and sound as at the time when he was in the prime of life.