Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 15 Feb. 1842, vol. 3, no. 8, pp. 687–702. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
Though this issue was the beginning of JS’s editorship of the Times and Seasons, he did not actually begin direct supervision of the newspaper until the following issue. See Historical Introduction to Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842; and “To Subscribers” in the 1 Mar. 1842 issue.
that “England has attained the praise of being the first of the Gentile nations that has ceased to tread down Jerusalem.”—This is indeed, no more than justice, since she was the first to set the evil, and cruel example, of banishing the whole people in a body, from her inhospitable bosom.—France next, and then Spain aped their unchristian and wicked precedent. Spain, may, if possible, have exceeded them in barbarity, but they invented the oppression and preceded her in the infliction of it. God “afflicted them a little and they helped forward the affliction.”
They may think that the doom of God will be averted, but it will not be so. The Lord said that he would punish Babylon formerly, and the decree of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem, did not alter the decree of God to that devoted city; neither will the moves of the present nations alter the testimony of the prophets, or change the decree of Jehovah. “Wo to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and wo to thee that dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee; when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt also be spoiled; and when thou shalt cease to deal treacherously, they shall also deal treacherously with thee.”—And that they have been spoiled is evident. Herschell’s sketch, p. 7. says, “Look to their present state of suffering in Poland, & Russia, where they are driven from place to place, and not permitted to live in the same street where the so-called christians reside! It not unfrequently happens that when one or more wealthy Jews have built commodious houses in any part of the town not prohibited before, this affords a reason for proscribing them; it is immediately enacted that no Jew must live in that part of the city; and they are forthwith driven from their houses without any compensation for their loss being given them. . . . . They are oppressed on every side yet dare not complain; robbed and defrauded, yet obtain no redress; in the walk of social life insult and contempt meet them at every turning.”
No sooner did England give shelter to the Jews under Cromwell, and Charles, than she started forward in a commercial career of unrivalled, and uninterrupted prosperity. Holland, embracing the principles of the reformation, threw off the yoke of Philip, opened her cities to the Hebrew peeple, and obtained an importance far beyond her natural advantages; while Spain, in her bloody, and furious expulsion of the race, sealed her own condemnation.
The following are the feelings of one of the seed of Abraham, upon this subject: and is entitled, “A word in season from an Israelite, to his brethren.”
The existence of our nation as a distinct people, after having been for so many ages expelled our own country, and dispersed over the face of the whole earth, is so unparalleled by any instance in the history of other nations as to be considered a miracle equal to any recorded in the sacred writings, and well may it be so considered. The Babylonian, Grecian, and Roman Empires, which, in turn overcame our nation, dragged our people into captivity, and by the most dreadful cruelties did all they could to exterminate us, and eventually dispersed us over the then known world. What has become of those mighty empires; of those proud conquerors? What of their laws, their worship, their institutions? Gone! passed away and dissolved, “as the baseless fabric of a vision,” leaving not a vestige of their existence behind them except what may be found in the pages of history, and in some few mouldering ruins of their cities—whilst we the prescribed, and persecuted by them, and by every succeeding nation, still exist, and have in our keeping those imperishable truths through which alone is to be learned the real situation of the causes of the rise and fall of those empires; and before which the wisdom of their wise men has become folly. . . . . We are as completely a nation as when first established as such, for we acknowledge ourselves now, as then, as being under the immediate government of the sovereign of the universe, with the same law for our obedience as was then vouchsafed to our ancient fathers. He says, “We are expressly told in the sacred volume that we are a “chosen people;” a peculiar people to our God.—That we should be to him a “kingdom of Priests”—a holy people—a separate people, from all the nations of the earth. . . . . That in accordance with the above gracious announcement of the Deity, the great object of our selection was to constitute us the instrument to work out the redemption of mankind, from the darkness, and unhapiness of a false worship. Is that intention yet accomplished? Does every knee now bend to the one, and only true God? Do [p. 692]