then the aspiration of this jewish minority nationalism to dominate was to operate effectively not only against single countries but at the same time, with the rise of protestantism, a certain jewish mentality began to obtain a foothold within christianity itself. luther saw clearly that the difference between universal humanity and jewish tribal" nazism" was irreconcilable. his great treatise written on the jewish question is the proof of his clearslghtedneas. but, apart from the rise of protestantism, the old testament obtained a greater influence through the teaching of the bible in church sermons and through religious education in the schools. the protestant preachers, hungarians, swiss, englishmen, dutch- men and germans alike turned more and more to the prophets of the old testament for parables and quotations. during the religious wars all the most withering curses of the old testament were invoked on the heads of opponents. the mentality of the old testament thus penelrated the christian faith through the empty phraseology of rhetoric. christianity began to regard itself as an extension or subsidiary of the jewish religion instead of stressing its truly opposing character. as a result of this error, a jewish mentality of intolerance, accompanied by a spirit of hatred, became established in the civilised christian world and generation after generation grew up imbued with the materialistic and unimaginative teachings of the old testament. english protestantism became especially subjected to the inftuence of the old testament. the mentality of the english merchant- princes and the spiritual attitude of the puritans likewise became identified with the principles of the jewish old testament and found in it the justification of a certain business conduct. in the nineteenth century some deluded english scholars even tried to prove that the inhabitants of britain wer.e actually descendants of the lost tenth tribe of israel.
United States