The old paths, or the Talmud tested by Scripture: Being a comparison of the principles and doctrines of modern Judaism with the religion of Moses and the prophetsMcCaul, Alexander
Religion
The old paths, or the Talmud tested by Scripture: Being a comparison of the principles and doctrines of modern Judaism with the religion of Moses and the prophets
McCaul, Alexander
Judaism -- Works to 1900
“I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exod. xv. 26.) But the oral law
leads men away from God, and tells them to go to an approved man and to
get an approved amulet, and for this allows to learn the language of
demons, and to compel them by adjuration to be subservient. Where, in
all the Old Testament, is there any thing like this? When the widow’s
son was sick, Elijah did not give her an amulet to make him well, and
yet, if there were such things, it might be supposed that he knew of
them, and knew how to make them; in short, that he was an approved man
and could make an approved amulet; but Elijah’s trust was not in such
heathen nonsense, but in the God of Israel. Before Him he prostrated
himself and said, “O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul
come into him again.” (1 Kings xvii. 22.) When Hezekiah was sick, we
read not that he sent for an approved amulet, but that “He turned his
face towards the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.” Not charms, but faith
and prayer, are the amulets of the Old Testament, and also of the New.
The Lord Jesus Christ wrought many miracles of healing, and multitudes
of sick people applied to him for relief, but he never directed them to
amulets in order to attain it. His direction is, “Be not afraid, only
believe.” (Mark v. 36.) His disciples also wrought great miracles on the
sick, but not by amulets. Their confession is “His name, through faith
in his name, hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of
you all.” (Acts iii. 16.) And their command is, not to wear amulets, but
to pray. “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the
Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven
him. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed
earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the
space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven
gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James v. 13-18.)
This is the doctrine of the New Testament, exactly agreeing with that of
Moses and the prophets, so that you need not fear that Christianity will
lead you to heathenism: on the contrary, it will lead you back from the
heathenism of magic and astrology, and amulets, to the God of Israel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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