BRITISH-ISRAEL THEORIES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20342, 15 September 1931, Page 11

BRITISH-ISRAEL THEORIES.

TO THE EDITOR 0* TUB PRESS Sir,—Your correspondent L. McKay says: "Are not all our laws based on God's law?" Of course. For instance, the law relating to marriage and divorce. Your correspondent further says: "The keeping of the Sabbath was to be a perpetual sign between Him and His people." My reply is that the British nation does not keep the Sabbath. The ouly people who do. so, and have done so all through the ages are the Jews. As to the saying of Christ that the kingdom would be taken: from the Jews and given to • another nation, nothing whatever can. be built upon it. Xhe worcL "na'tfon" in the Authorised / Version is a translation of the Greek word "ethnos." The verv first meaning of "ethnos" is "a company or body ot men." It is therefore perfectly applicable to the Christian Church as .the body to whom the kingdom has been transferred. , „ Your correspondent W T. Kingston tells us that the Anglo-Israelites .are those who have «'gpni on to perfection —who have "takep ' a postgraduate course in' Christian doctrine." All others are mere infants. Men like the profound theologian Bishop Gore are mere babes in Christ when compared with—shall we sayP-your AngloIsraelite correspondents. The: trutli is that St. Paul's injunction about "going on to perfection'' has no more reference to A nglo-Israelism . has to radio development or . deep-sea, divine apparatus. Its reference-is solely to morJ and spiritual progress with Christ's character as the goal. The Rev. P. H. Pritchett saysr All through the Benedictus we praise trod in the most open manner that we ar«v people ' specimen of bis tricky method .of d*. bate. He knows qmte well- that Church of, England m the Prayer Book nses x those words in an ferent- sense from himself. used merely in a spiritual «snseTherefore,.l repeat..the spirit of the Prayer Book is entirely oppo?ed to Anglo-Israel interpretations. Anglo-Israelite can be at borne in the Church of England it is. only because of some mentaTWaness that him from understanding the Chnrch s tea'chins. - Anglo-Israelites have- no right to put their own_ipterpretation x - ofthe Ptaver Book. StUl bare they any right to thrust^thetf^. do trines down the throats of Cfcnrcu neople who are living in vital nnion .with our Lord, and in loving toya to the spirit and. teaching of , tne Anglo-Israelites are a distinct and separlte. sect. No body -recognises them. Let them be honest., do what many , another has done—let them set up. conventicles, or tabernacles, Rogues, taking their absurd , with them. But let them not continue to hide and work behind the skirts ot S C »°m h nch ! .f°btAr?"h<4ed .September 14th, 1931. _ v

/.TO THiB BTHTOS O?. THE PRESS. Sir May I t>e allowed "briefly to explain that it was the intolerant attitude displayed by J'Coneemed, m bis letter of the 10th inst. towards those differing from hitaself - in matters of belief that; chiefly, arouted'my ment. 1 am cause he seeks to uphold will, by _ ins misguided. zeal, sufler j more adverse criticism by all fair-mmded people than. L.he British-Israel" movement which he condemns with such:hostile dogmatismHia intemperate language proves-con-clusrvely that the: old barriers -of-big-otry and prejudice still exist, .constituting a distinct menace to progressive religious thought and liberty tof con- - 1.1 My plea is for a more reasonable tolerance. ' I maintain that every man has an inherent Tight to seek - and to lind God in his own; way Christ came into' this 1 world 'that -wevinight have life and might Mro it- more abundantly, and not. merely a i career, for priests and" theological students. Possibly ' 'Concerned'-' 'is al- : ready familiar with tlie admonition of St. Augustine,- who -says:' "In that are'certain let"there be unity ;.w tilings that are doubtful.; let .there he . liberty; but in all things'let there bo charity."—Yours, etc., . ~ r •, A.M.J. ■ August 12th, 1931. 10 THE EDITOE Of THEFBRSS. , Sir,— Why are our British-Israelites sweating themselves to death nr« hopelees attempt to shift the Pyramids with theological picks Bn4 /crowbars, when the fact of our Britishllsrael connexion is as plain as the hig"-Pyramid. Just note the initial letters of our four composite British countries: I (or J) Irish . * • English .Welsh . Scotch. T So tlrero's an end of the controversy, and all our relative nations, Celtic and Teutonic, must sit at; a respectful distance from this new jingoism.—Yours, CtC " F. J. ALLEY, llussley road, August loth, 1931. .{ ,