Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ Part 9

Calman was a learned as well as a good man, and published a treatise ent.i.tled: "Some of the Errors of Modern Judaism contrasted with the Word of G.o.d," and another ent.i.tled, "The Morrow of the Sabbath."

CANTONI, Giuseppi (Jacob), a Jew from Trieste, won for Christ by the Rev. Lewis Way, was baptized in the Chapel of the Dutch Consul at Smyrna, before a large congregation, in 1832.

CAPADOSE, Dr. Abraham, born at Amsterdam, 1795, of a Portuguese family, died there December 16th, 1874. Here is his autobiography, which he sent to his friend, Ridley Hersch.e.l.l, in London:--"I will no longer delay, dear friends, to comply with your request that I would communicate in writing the mode in which it pleased G.o.d to bring me to the knowledge of Himself, and to lead me out of darkness into His marvellous light.

"Being deeply sensible that it was not of myself I sought after G.o.d, but that my compa.s.sionate Lord came to seek me when I was lost, it would be false modesty if I were now to withhold an account which, when verbally communicated, interested and edified many dear friends, who therein traced the great love of the Saviour towards a poor sinner like me, and thus were led to ascribe all the glory to Him whose name is blessed for evermore. May this glory be the only object I shall keep in view in this account! Such is the sincere desire of my heart; and I ask of G.o.d to guide my pen in truth and sincerity, that I may be kept from all self-seeking, into which the necessity of speaking of myself might betray me.

"Although I was by birth a Portuguese Israelite, I was by no means zealous for the religion of my fathers. My education was rather moral than religious; and though taught to hate vice, and to love what the world calls virtue, I owe it entirely to the grace of G.o.d that at an after period I was preserved from open impiety.

"At an early age I was captivated by science and literature. I was fond of b.a.l.l.s, plays, and every worldly amus.e.m.e.nt; but study afforded me still greater satisfaction. I became acquainted with the works of Voltaire and Rousseau at an early period of my life; but their false principles, and still more, the frightful consequences of their system, as exhibited before my eyes in the history of the French revolution, preserved me, by the divine mercy, from their hurtful influence. My parents having destined me for the medical profession, I considered it my duty to acquire the knowledge requisite for this calling; but I felt more inclination for the study of the theoretical sciences, and for philosophic research.

"My friends were nearly all young men who made an outward profession of Christianity; but the Lord had given me one friend among my near relatives.[8] As we were both Israelites, and had been intimate from childhood, our views on all subjects were very similar. (Dr. Capadose here proceeds to state their intercourse with Bilderdyk, which is the same as the account given by Da Costa, see page 172). The religious element, if I may call it so, had not as yet entered into my soul. In my early childhood, it is true, I had often felt an undefined need of prayer; and when about nine years' old, had asked my parents to give me a book of prayers, either in the French or Dutch language, that I might understand them better.[9] I strongly urged my younger brothers and sisters to the same practice; and this was the more remarkable as I had very seldom seen any one engaged in prayer in my father's house. From that time, amid all the changes of my outward life, I never omitted the performance of this duty; and until my conversion to Christianity, it const.i.tuted all my religious wors.h.i.+p. The prayer I used ended with these remarkable words:--'I wait for Thy salvation, O Lord!' I have preserved the book containing it, and never look upon it without adoring the goodness of that 'G.o.d of my salvation,' who has condescended to bestow upon me, at a matured age, the blessing that the child of nine years'

old, hardly knowing what he asked, failed not to solicit from Him every night before he lay down to rest.

[8] M. Da Costa.

[9] It is the general custom of the Jews to use the Hebrew language in private as well as public prayer.

"During the period in which I was engaged in my studies, I occasionally experienced very peculiar emotions. A poor woman used to sing psalms in the street on Sat.u.r.day evenings, to excite the compa.s.sion of the pa.s.sengers; and more than once have I left my books to listen to her, overpowered by emotions which I could neither comprehend nor describe.

At the theatre also, when _Joseph in Egypt_ was represented, my tears flowed at the sound of the morning prayer, which was imitated from the Hebrew. At the synagogue, however, which, for the sake of decorum, I still frequented, nothing had the least power to interest me. On the contrary, the unmeaning ceremonies which appealed not to the heart, the want of reverence, the bawling noise, the discordant singing, and lastly, the employment of a language of which three-fourths of the congregation did not understand a word, disgusted me so much, that I ceased to attend it regularly, having always a great aversion to hypocrisy.

"In the mean time, as if the tempter had foreseen what was afterwards to take place, he induced my friend and myself to change our mode of life.

We disliked half measures, and could not endure the modern Judaism which chooses at its pleasure to dispense with the requirements of the Mosaic law; we therefore resolved to become Israelites indeed, rigidly observing all the prescriptions of the law, and thus compelling Christians to entertain a higher respect for the Jewish religion.

National pride was now our ruling motive. In this spirit, and with these views, we began a.s.siduously to read the Bible. But, oh! the shame and wretchedness of the unconverted heart! We could not get beyond Genesis.

Constant ridicule and jesting, and oftentimes even blasphemy (Lord, enter not into judgment with us!) were upon our lips instead of prayer; so that I at length told my friend it was better to abandon our reading altogether than to engage in it in such a manner.

"Thus our proposed plan vanished like smoke. My term of study was nearly completed. This was in 1818. I took my degrees in medicine, left the university, and returned to my native city Amsterdam, full of bright prospects for the future. I had an uncle there, one of the first physicians in Holland, a learned man, and highly esteemed by the princ.i.p.al families. Having no children, he took me into his house and adopted me as his son and successor. I was thus introduced at once to an extensive circle of acquaintance; kind and respectable, it is true, but with whom Christianity was a mere outward profession accompanied by an entirely worldly life. None of these ever spoke to me on the subject of Christianity. I have even heard some of my young friends make a boast of their infidelity, and speak without reverence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I once expressed my astonishment at this, and said, that though I did not believe in Jesus, I thought that those who wors.h.i.+pped Him, and did not consider Him to be G.o.d, were mere idolaters. A young physician who was of the party, who was afterwards savingly converted to G.o.d, told me some years after, how much ashamed he felt at the time, when receiving such a reproof from an Israelite.

"In the midst of constant occupation, in the diligent pursuit of scientific knowledge, I yet felt an aching void within. I had been subject from childhood to an oppression of the chest, which made me pa.s.s many sleepless nights; and in these hours of wakefulness I often thought, 'Why am I upon the earth? Why was I created a man? Should I not be a thousand times happier if I were one of the lower animals? I should not then endure what I now suffer in my body and in my soul.' Often did I cry out, 'O that this day were my last!' Yet I was not disquieted on account of my sins, else I should have shuddered at the thought of death; I was under the burden and curse of sin, without knowing it, or seeking for the remedy.

"One day I went to pay a visit to my friend who had been lately married.

He had just received a letter from the celebrated professor already mentioned. 'Would you like me to read it to you,' said he, 'together with some beautiful verses he has addressed to me?' I gladly a.s.sented to the proposal. The verses, in which he described, with power and feeling, the glorious hopes of Israel, concluded with the words, 'Friend, be a Christian, and I die content.' At these words, which he p.r.o.nounced in an under tone, my indignation was roused; my friend, it appeared to me, was less shocked than he ought to have been. 'Take care,' said I, 'there is a plan laid to seduce us.' I left him immediately.

"This occupied my thoughts all the rest of the day. I could not imagine how a man of such profound learning could believe the Christian religion. From that day, however, both my friend and myself began attentively to examine the Word of G.o.d; and when we walked together we conversed on those pa.s.sages that had struck us most. Having begun with the Gospel of Matthew, it was striking to me to perceive, that so far from seeking to subvert the authority of the Old Testament, he made it the basis whereon to build the Gospel of Christ.

"My friend and I spent several months in this way, becoming daily more interested in our researches. At length, with thoughts and feelings very different from those which formerly possessed us, we again determined to read the Scriptures together. For this purpose we retired to a room in my father's house; and I can never think without emotion on these hallowed hours which we spent together, as in the presence of the G.o.d of our fathers. Our interest increased as we proceeded. My mind, wearied with vain speculations, now saw a new and boundless field open before it, towards which it was irresistibly attracted; and thus before I had ever heard of the electing love of G.o.d, I had experienced the power by which He draws to Christ those souls whom He designs to bless. This study of the word of G.o.d became at length the most urgent desire of my soul. Merely to know the truth did not satisfy me: I felt that I must really possess it, and live on its substance. I understood not then the work that was going on within me; but I occasionally experienced moments of delight arising from the conviction that divine a.s.sistance and protection accompanied the course I was pursuing.

"One night, when reading the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, I was so much struck with its resemblance to the account of the sufferings of Christ which I had read in the Gospels, that I was almost convinced I had got another Bible instead of my own; being scarcely able to believe that this chapter, which may be truly ent.i.tled an abstract of the Gospel, was really in the Old Testament. 'How,' thought I, 'can any Jew, after reading this chapter, doubt that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah!' Whence could this strong conviction arise? I had often read this chapter before; but now I read it with the light of the Spirit of G.o.d. From this moment I recognized Christ as the promised Messiah, and this gave an entirely new character to our meditations on the Word of G.o.d. It was the dawn of a glorious day to our souls, the light of which increased more and more, enlightening our minds, warming our hearts, and even then bestowing upon us unspeakable consolation. Many of the enigmas of life, which had hitherto puzzled and distressed me, were now explained; everything seemed to revive around me, and the object and interest of my life were entirely changed. Happy days, thus gladdened by a sense of the Master's presence! Never can I forget them!

"I believe it was by divine direction that my friend and I did not disclose to any one what was pa.s.sing in our minds; and that we confined ourselves to the study of G.o.d's Word, laying aside all other books except Heydeck's 'Defence of the Christian Faith.' This learned man had been a Rabbi in Germany, and having embraced the Romish religion, was made Professor of Oriental languages at Madrid. This book, written with great talent, and much knowledge of Scripture, is a defence of Christianity against Rationalism. Its perusal was useful to us in two ways; we found that the powerful logic with which he combated the reasonings of Voltaire and Rousseau, entirely deserted him when he attempted to defend Popery against the doctrines of the Reformation.

"Whenever I had any leisure in the morning, I used to shut myself up to read the Word of G.o.d, as I dared not peruse it in my uncle's presence.

One day I had been particularly considering the following pa.s.sage in Isa. vii. 14, 'Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.' On going down stairs I found a Jewish physician, a friend of my uncle's, waiting for him in the ante-room. He was turning over the leaves of a new edition of the Bible. 'There,' said he, 'is a fatal pa.s.sage we cannot easily wrest from the Christians.' It was the very pa.s.sage I had been meditating upon. My soul was deeply moved, and I again perceived the guiding hand of my G.o.d. 'Why, then,' I replied, 'should we not confess the truth?' My uncle now entered, and enquired what subject we were discussing. The physician informed him; and knowing my uncle to be deeply versed in the rabbinical writings, asked him what the Rabbis say on the pa.s.sage. 'Alas!' said my uncle, 'only a ma.s.s of nonsense.' With a beating heart I listened to this admission; and inwardly thanked G.o.d for having permitted me to hear these words from the lips of one whose rabbinical learning made him to be considered as an authority by the Jews.

"All these various circ.u.mstances convinced me more and more that truth is to be found in Christianity alone. I could not now be satisfied with mere knowledge, I longed for love. Then it was that the sun of righteousness shed abroad in our hearts, not only the light that illuminates, but the quickening warmth that enables the soul to live the life of G.o.d. I saw that love had led the Saviour to seek me. I perceived also my own sinful and miserable condition; but this feeling seemed absorbed in a sense of the divine love. In Christ I found my life,--the centre of all my thoughts and affections,--the sole object that could fill the void in my heart,--the key of all mysteries,--the princ.i.p.al of all true philosophy, yea the _truth_ itself.

"I daily felt more and more the necessity of openly avowing my sentiments. I can record, to the glory of G.o.d, that the certainty of losing a considerable property, if I declared myself a Christian (which the event has confirmed), never for a moment entered into the scruples which made me hesitate. I dreaded the effect of the disclosures on the kind relative who had treated me as his son; on whose choleric temperament it might produce an impression that, at his advanced age, might be fatal. Doubtless, had my faith been stronger, I should have broken through every obstacle; but I could only suffer in silence, at the same time earnestly praying to G.o.d to come to my aid, and open a way before me.

"And the G.o.d of mercy attended to the voice of my supplication. It was my uncle's custom to read the newspaper aloud after dinner. One day when I was sitting opposite to him in a state of great dejection, he read out the following news from Hamburg:--'We have just witnessed a very interesting event. A Rabbi, after having announced to his co-religionists in the synagogue, that an attentive examination of the prophecies had convinced him that Messiah has already come, and having made a confession of the Christian faith, was baptized a few days since in this city, and received as a minister of the gospel.' On reading this, my uncle said the following words, which the position I was then in rendered so remarkable: 'If this man has acted from self-interest, he is worthy of contempt: but if from conviction, he ought to be respected.' Oh, Christians! You who can sympathize in the feelings of those like-minded with you, need I describe to you what pa.s.sed in my mind at this solemn moment? In a transport of joy I fell on the neck of the venerable old man, saying, 'Yes, uncle, and it is G.o.d who makes you feel thus; know that he whom you love with the tenderness of a father, is in the same case with this Rabbi!' I p.r.o.nounced these words in such violent agitation, and in a tone so unusual, that my poor uncle thought I was out of my senses. He left the room for a few minutes, as if to allow me to recover myself; and at his return began to speak on a different subject.

"I could see that although my uncle was annoyed at what had pa.s.sed, he did not attach to my words the importance they deserved. I therefore resolved, after having strengthened myself in G.o.d, to make the same declaration to him the following day. He could no longer shut his eyes to what had taken place; and a heart-rending scene followed. He beat his breast, lamented that ever he was born, and exclaimed, in the bitterness of his soul, that I was about to bring his grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. His reproaches went to my heart; but the Lord strengthened and comforted me, and enabled me to shew the dear old man such marks of tenderness as at length somewhat soothed him.

"When the change became known to my family, they first used gentle means with me, in the hope that these new notions might pa.s.s away; but finding I grew bold, and ventured to preach the gospel to them, they resorted to harsh treatment. It was a season of deep trial to my soul. This state of things increased the ardent desire I felt publicly to confess Christ. My family wished me to go into Germany, or some other country, for this purpose; but to this I objected, lest it should appear as if I were ashamed of the step I was about to take. My friend and I at length decided on Leyden as the place where we should receive the rite of baptism. The 20th of October, 1822, was the day so ardently desired, on which we were admitted members of the Church of Christ. Kneeling in the presence of the congregation, before the G.o.d of our fathers, who is the true G.o.d--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--we had the unspeakable joy, unworthy sinners as we were, to confess before the Christian Church, the blessed name of that great G.o.d and Saviour who had come to seek and save us when we were lost. Glory be to G.o.d."

Among Capadose's writings, the most noteworthy are: (1) "Aan mijne geloofsgenooten in de Ned. Heb. Gem.," The Hague, 1843. (2) "Overdenkingen over Israel's Roeping en Toekomst," Amsterdam, 1843. (3) "Rome en Jerusalem," Utrecht, 1851.

CAPLAN, Rev. W. H., was a native of the Baltic provinces. He was converted to Christianity through the reading of the New Testament, which he received from a friend at home. He then went to London for the purpose of being able the more easily to make a public profession of his faith, and was baptized there about 1876. In 1877 he became a.s.sistant to the Rev. Theodore Meyer, of the Presbyterian Mission in Whitechapel.

After a few years he studied at King's College, and was ordained to the ministry of the Church of England in 1885. Then he became curate in several churches in England, and finally emigrated to Canada, where he is doing good work in the Canadian Church.

CARLTON, Rev. S. J., a native of Silesia, baptized in the Irish Presbyterian Mission at Hamburg, about 1892. Subsequently he joined the Church of England, studied at Ayerst Hall, Cambridge, was L.J.S.

missionary curate at St. Benet's, Stepney, then curate at St. Jude's, Mildmay, 1901-4; St. Peter's, Cricklewood, 1904-6; St. Mary Magdalene, Peckham, 1906-8; and vicar of All Saints, Camberwell, from 1908.

CARRET, Ludwig, a convert who lived at the beginning of the seventeenth century, wrote a Hebrew letter giving an account of the history of his conversion. This letter appeared in the Appendix in Buxtorf's Synagogue Judaica (de le Roi), but not in all editions.

CARO, Pastor F., convert and missionary of the Berlin Society in 1845-8, had the privilege of baptizing a Jewish lady in her ninetieth year, in the presence of all her children, one of whom was the above-named Branis.

CARO, Regierungsrath in Merseburg, is recorded as having rendered the Government good service, especially in the educational department, in the 19th century, and that he was a devoted Christian.

CASPARI, Carl Paul. Norway during the nineteenth century found her most pre-eminent witness for Christ and defender of Christianity in that son of Israel whose name is mentioned above. Carl Paul Caspari was born at Dessau 1814. His parents were orthodox Jews, and his father was a merchant there. In this city, which through Moses Mendelssohn has become so celebrated, the Jewish community influenced many of its citizens in a remarkable manner, on account of their ability and intelligence. They established a Jewish seminary, which was called after Prince Francis, "The Francis School." It gained a great reputation, and even attracted Christian pupils. German services were held in the synagogue, at that period an unheard-of innovation. The religious instruction in the school was given in an enlightened spirit. Caspari imbibed this influence, and when he attended the Gymnasium it obtained complete control over him. In 1834 he went to Leipsig, in order to study Oriental languages. Here he read the Old Testament diligently, but he found in it only the teaching he had formerly received. The New Testament he could not accept.

However, he was animated by a strong sense of duty, and he inscribed on his desk the motto, "Thou canst, therefore thou oughtest." Yet he soon became convinced that his will was a very feeble instrument. At this period, Granel, who had formerly been his schoolmate at Dessau, and who afterwards was so well known as the Superintendent of the Saxon Foreign Missions, became Caspari's faithful friend and wise counsellor. Granel persuaded him to carefully read the New Testament. He opened the book at the Acts of the Apostles and read of Paul's persecution by the Jews. He was impressed with the truthfulness of the narrative, and so he concluded to continue his reading. When he reached the Gospels, the words of Christ and the accounts of His wonderful miracles greatly affected him. The thought came to him. "Perhaps Jesus can also help me out of all this misery which I find in my soul," and, as he a year before his death said, "I came to Him as to my living Saviour--just as in the days of His flesh men sought comfort from Him." Pastor Wolf, of Leipsig, and the young theologian, Franz Delitzsch, afterwards the celebrated professor, together with Granel, dealt with him faithfully in this time of struggle, and because the young man was sincere the conflict ended in his victory. At Pentecost, in 1838, he received from the same Pastor Zehme, in Leipsig, who had previously baptized Freidrich Adolph Philippi, Holy Baptism. He now discontinued his former studies and devoted himself to the study of theology, giving especial attention to the Old Testament. After leaving the university he was at first a private scholar, and as such wrote an exposition of the prophecy of Obadiah, and also the first volume of an Arabic grammar, which was translated into several languages, and is in use to-day. He declined a call to the Konigsberg university, because he wished to work only in a Lutheran inst.i.tution. He received a call to such an one in 1847, namely, to the Norwegian university at Christiania, where he displayed his great powers as a theologian. He wrote expositions of many books of the Old Testament, and performed especial service in editing the newly revised Bible in Norwegian, which is now used in the churches of that country.

The question of the signification of the Apostles' Creed, which through Grundtvig, had greatly agitated the Northern Evangelical churches, led him in 1858 to a thorough investigation of this ancient Confession of Faith. He decided that the Creed undoubtedly had its formation in the times of the Apostles, that it had become part of the life of the Church, but that the Holy Scriptures alone had been and must remain the standard of belief, and to which all the teachers of the Church from its foundation until Grundtvig had adhered. The Apostles' Creed had not always had this authority, nor is it the direct word of Jesus Christ, but it stands for an expression of the primitive faith, and he who disputes its truth should not be considered a Christian. Caspari received abundant thanks for his labours. The city of Erlangen bestowed upon him the t.i.tle of "Doctor of Theology." Many philosophical societies elected him to their members.h.i.+p, and Swedish and Norwegian Orders gave him honors. He ever retained true affection for his own Jewish people, and often spoke eloquently in behalf of Jewish missions. In 1865 he became President of the Norwegian Central Committee for Jewish missions, and later a Director of the Lutheran Central Societies at Leipsic. He served with especial diligence at the Students' Missionary a.s.sociation at Christiania, where a conference was held over Jewish missions. He divided his discourse into four points, including the following questions and answers:

I.--Is Jewish mission work necessary? Yes; because without it the majority of the Jews would never be reached by the preaching of the Gospel.

II.--How shall they be converted? By establis.h.i.+ng in every Church societies of earnest Christians, who shall support proselytes from Judaism as missionaries among their own people.

III.--How shall these missionaries carry on their work? Not by dispute and argument, which create only intellectual knowledge, but through the promulgation of the way of salvation, must the Jews embrace the truths of Christianity, through which Christians also are converted.

IV.--How are the converts to be treated? Possibly they might primarily be organized into circles, in order to serve as leaven among their friends, but much depends upon their various former environments.

The idea of a Jewish national existence greatly impressed him, and he clung firmly to this hope for Israel's future. In 1891 he had the pleasure of appointing the first Norwegian Jewish missionary. After a remarkable, important and richly blessed activity for the Church of Christ, he fell asleep in 1892. Professor Bang called him "the Teacher of all Scandinavia," and testified that his death should be considered as an historical Church calamity. Caspari himself cherished but one ambition, to live and die in favour with Christ Jesus, and depended to the last on the Saviour's word, "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out."

Some of Caspari's works are as follows:

(1) "Commentar uber Obadja," Leipzig, 1842, followed by (2) "Beitrage zur Einleitung in das Buch Jesaia." (3) "Untersuchungen uber den Syrisch Ephraimitischen Krieg unter Jotham und Ahas," Christiania, 1849. (4) "Commentar zu Micha," ib., 1852. (5) "Theile des Jesaia seit 1853." (6) "Zur Einfuhrung in das Buch Daniel," Leipzig, 1869. (7) "Quellen der Geschichte des Taufsymbols und der Glaubensregel," Christiania, 1868-9.

(8) "Grammatica Arabica," Leipzig, 1842-48; a second edition appeared in 1866.

Ca.s.sEL, Paulus (Selig), was one of the most distinguished Hebrew Christians whom Germany produced during the 19th century, and one of the most remarkable missionaries ever in the Society's ranks.

Speaking of the necessity of writing a history of converted Jews, the "Jewish Chronicle" said that the most important chapter of it would be that which, concerning Germany, contained the lives of such men as Benfey, Bernhardy, Lehrs, Neander and Veith; and after them should be mentioned Ca.s.sel, who became a pillar of the Reformed Church, and acknowledged that "a genius like Ca.s.sel is always an honour to his former brethren in the faith," whilst wondering that one who observed for so many years the Jewish ceremonial laws, ate at the table of Jacob Joseph Ettinger, the rabbi of Berlin, who was the admirer of Michael Sachs, and the author of the article, "History of the Jews," in Ersch and Gruber's great "Encyclopaedia of Science," could have embraced the Christian faith.[10] It was indeed a strange spectacle, and a sorrowful one withal, for every Jew with any feeling whatever, to see Paulus Ca.s.sel teaching Christianity in the same city of Berlin, where his brother, David, was a well-known rabbi, training young men for the Jewish ministry.

[10] "Jewish Chronicle," January 9, 1880.