with literary qualifications of a kind seldom to be met with among those who have not, at an early period, been habituated to the study of Hebrew literature. The Missionary who would make any impression upon this people, must not only be critically skilled in their ancient dialects, and possess such a local familiarity with their sacred writings, as to be a living concordance, but he must make himself master of the Rabbinical Hebrew, and be able to converse and argue with them in their common colloquial jargon. pressed surprise at my looking over the service-book, now brightened up as if he had discovered a brother; and, after exchanging a few sentences, he introduced me to the Rabbi, who kindly invited me to visit him at his house in the. afternoon. I accordingly went at the time appointed, and found his room filled with Karaites of both sexes, who had assembled to listen to our conversation. He gave me a hearty "Come in peace;" and, without reserve, entered into an explanation of the peculiar dogmas of their faith. Instead of manifesting that disquietude which generally seizes the mind of a Rabbinist, the moment the subject of the Messiah is introduced, my host discovered no alarm, but assured me that he is the object of their daily expectation. Such passages as I quoted from the Old Testament he explained much in the same way as the more ancient of the Jewish Rabbins, and appeared to have little or no knowledge of the numerous subterfuges to which the modern Talmudists have recourse in controversy with Christians. On my referring to the Hebrew New Testament, a copy of which I intended to present to him, he rose and produced one from his library, which bore evident marks of having been read, and which he handed to the people to read without any reluctance. They had read,' he said, the accounts it contained respecting Jesus of Nazareth; but they were not convinced that he was the Messiah promised to the fathers.' It was peculiarly interesting to behold a company of the seed of Abraham, listening with deep attention to the discussion of that important subject which their law typified, their prophets predicted, their poets sang, and all the ancient worthies of their nation realized by a believing anticipation; and as I left them, my prayers ascended on their behalf, that as on that blessed day the effusion of the Holy Spirit effected the conversion of three thousand souls, for a wave-offering of first fruits to the Lord so the general ingathering might speedily commence, and all Israel be saved with an everlasting salvation. The work of a missionary among the Jews is thus described. The work of a Missionary to the Jews is of the most arduous and trying nature, and requires a more than ordinary degree of personal piety, steady zeal, and determined perseverance, accompanied It may, however, be asked by some, why enter at all into any discussion about the doctrines and opinions of men? Ought not the Christian Missionary to confine himself simply and solely to the testimony of Scripture, and the moment the Jew leaves this ground, either to recall his attention to it, or drop the subject altogether? The objection sounds plausible, but the method proposed cannot possibly be reduced to practice, without infallibly bringing matters to the latter alternative, in which case a total cessation of missionary labour must necessarily ensue. If the Jews are not in some measure reasoned with on their own principles, you will find it impossible to convince them of the truth of any proposition you may exhibit to their minds. They are, in general, totally incapable of comprehending any thing like a logical argument, but are well supplied by the quirks and subterfuges which have been invented for them by the Rabbins. In the true spirit of his office, wherever the Missionary meets with a Jew, he enters into conversation with him about the concerns of his immortal spirit. The Jew immediately excuses himself, or brings forward objections. These objections the Missionary endeavours to meet; but, while he is doing. this, other Jews join them, and not unfrequently object, in almost the same terms employed by the individual with whom he was already engaged. Of course he is obliged to go over the same ground; and thus he is sometimes kept from morning till night, when, after the exhaustion of the day, he throws himself upon his couch, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, and more than ever convinced, that, except the Almighty power of Jehovah be exerted, all human endeavours must prove fruitless. Who does not perceive, that those who are appointed to such a field of labour, ought to be pre-eminently gifted with a patient and persevering spirit-exhibiting the Divine testimony both in season and out of season, in the morning sowing their seed, and in the evening withholding not their hand.-Except they be men of God, having their minds deeply influenced by the realities of an approaching eternity, and thoroughly imbued with the conviction, that the conversion of the Jews is to be effected by means of human instrumentality, they will never be able to sustain the numerous assaults with which every Jewish Missionary must lay his account-assaults from within and from without, from Jews and from men calling themselves Christians, but who are altogether destitute of the spirit and influence of genuine Christianity. Most of the attempts hitherto made to convert the Jews have been confined to itinerant labours, in the prosecution of which the missionary converses with such of the descendants of Abraham as he has access to in the different places he visits; distributes among them copies of the Hebrew New Testament, and religious tracts; and endeavours, where he finds opportunity, to excite attention to the state of this outcast race, among those who not only profess, but, in some measure, act conformably to the Gospel of Christ. That such journeys ought to be undertaken by all who engage in the work, I am fully convinced; but then, I would advise it, not so much with a view to any extensive good that might be expected to result from them to the Jews, as what may accrue to the Missionary himself. He will learn more on a short tour of this nature, of the real state of the field he is desirous of cultivating, and the means requisite for its successful cultivation, than he ever could acquire from books, or through the medium of oral tuition. But it is my settled conviction, founded not only on personal observation, but also on the statements of those who have been engaged in this department of labour, that, in order to give it any thing like permanent efficiency, proper stations ought to be selected for the ordinary residence of the Missionaries, and a course of regular instruction imparted to such Jews as may feel so much of the importance of religious truth as to be willing to search for it wherever it may be found, and listen to it by whomsoever it may be communicated. If the Missionaries live devoted to the service of God, and possess those qualifications by which they shall be able to confound the Jews, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah,” it will soon be rumoured through every town and village; by which means, those who may previously have had convictions awakened in their bosom, by a tract or copy of the New Testament, will be directed to what quarter to proceed in order to obtain information and advice respecting the way of life. Not that future itineracies are to be abandoned by those who settle at such stations. They will still find it useful, at certain intervals, to undertake a short journey, for the purpose of exciting fresh attention, giving away new tracts, and visiting their brethren at some of the other stations for mutual conference and edification. With this view, it is advisable that at least two be appointed to each station, that one may always be on the spot to receive inquires, while the other is absent. It is highly necessary that those who engage in the ministry of the Gospel among the Jews should possess a profound knowledge of human nature. Without this they will not be able to discriminate character, or prevent themselves and others from being imposed upon by such as merely feign a concern about divine things.-They will find it necessary to examine minutely into the motives of the proselyte, and ascertain whether some irksome or dishonourable circumstances among the Jews are not the cause of his leaving them; whether he be not induced to take such a step by poverty, or from the prospect of receiving temporal support among Christians; or, finally, whether he be not actuated by a desire of acquiring knowledge, in order to qualify him for filling some learned profession by which he may hope to rise to celebrity and honour, There is great reason to fear that this last mentioned motive is of very extensive operation in inducing young Jews to make a profession of Christianity. Great care must also be taken in the distribution of the New Testament Scriptures, and other religious books among the Jews; for it has come to our knowledge that, in some of those instances in which they have discovered an uncommon degree of eagerness to obtain copies, their only object has been to collect them for the purpose of their being burnt by the Rabbi. One of the most serious difficulties connected with all attempts to convert the Jews, is the temporal support of the converts. The moment it becomes known to their brethren that they have embraced the Christian faith, not only are the ties of natural affinity between them and their relations disclaimed, but the whole of Jewry is up in arms against them, and every prospect of assistance from that quarter is for ever cut off. From mere professors of Christianity they meet with contumely and reproach. Few of them have learned handicrafts; and what little learning many of them possess, being entirely confined to the Hebrew department, cannot be turned to any practical or pecuniary account. In these trying circumstances, to whom are they to look but to the Missionary, and such as may be associated with him, or by whom he has been sent out? Yet, much as these may be inclined to pity them, and administer to their relief, it has been doubted whether rendering them pecuniary or temporal aid would not hold out a strong worldly motive to outcast Jews to profess the faith of Christ. To present any such inducement would certainly be inconsistent with the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom; but, on the other hand, it would be no less opposite to its grand characteristic feature, and the most prominent of its standing laws-brotherly love to abandon to absolute starvation those who make a credible profession of having forsaken all for the sake of Christ. The only plan which it seems eligible to adopt, is the institution of an Asylum into which the converts might be received, and instructed in various useful professions or trades, by which they might not only support themselves, but contribute to defray the expenses incurred by its establishment and maintenance. With this Institution should be connected the cultivation of those branches of agricultural labour, which might be found necessary for supplying its domestic wants, and those of such as live in the immediate neighbourhood. As at least a couple of Missionaries would constantly reside at such an asylum, besides enjoying the privileges connected with the celebration of weekly worship, all the members of the establishment would assemble for morning and evening devotions; and in the school attached to it would be different departments, according to the different ages and degrees of proficiency in the scholars. It ought, in short, to be somewhat on the plan of a Moravian Settlement.--Pp. 238-245. Dr. Henderson's suggestions also, with respect to those who labour amongst Mohammedans, deserve serious attention, though we are compelled to omit them. The last extract for which we have room, affords the cheering hope that, in solitude and in secrecy, many who may be in some respects the victims of superstition, are yet deriving instruction and consolation from the word of life. It has been conjectured, and not without foundation, that these, and similar excavations, of which the greatest profusion exists in the vicinity, as well as in other parts of the Crimea, owe their formation to the Christians who fled hither in the persecutions which took place in the earlier ages of the church. Many of the small cells have doubtless been appropriated to the austerities of monastic life; yet may we not indulge the hope, that amidst the gross spiritual darkness of those ages, of which the gloom of the caverns was only faintly emblematical, the Holy Book not unfrequently lighted up a torch, which guided the solitary son of the rock to a blessed immortality? This idea was forcibly impressed upon my mind, by a scene which I witnessed on the opposite side of the valley. Here, also, an immense number of cavities are found, many of which are still inhabited. Being desirous of seeing how they could be appropriated to the dwellings of men, I climbed up one of the precipices, and entered a chamber about four feet in height, by six in length, and four in breadth, in which I found a small couch, and a few articles of wearing apparel hanging on the walls. Close to the door, at a small aperture, sat an aged Russian, poring over a Slavonic Psalter, and apparently deriving much enjoyment from the devotional strains of the sweet singer of Israel. As his back was turned, he did not observe me for some time, which afforded me an opportunity of marking the fervour with which he read the portion of divine truth that engaged his attention. I allowed him to finish the psalm, and after saluting him, asked whether he understood what he had been reading. 'Not all,' he replied, but much of it is plain to me,' He knew there was such a book as the Bible, but the Psalms formed the only part of it in his possession. Pp. 350, 351. 357 INTELLIGENCE. LETTER FROM THE KING OF PRUSSIA. A LETTER has lately been published from the King of Prussia to the Duchess of Anhal Coethen, on her renouncing the Protestant religion for the faith of the Church of Rome; of which the following is an extract. "For my own part, I can only, from the bottom of my heart, lament and deplore the gross error, the delusion into which you have fallen. Assuredly, O, most assuredly, you would have been safe from all risk of committing this dreadful act, had you, instead of giving your mind to the polemical writings of either Protestants or Catholics, read with care and attention your Bible, and in particular the New Testament. This is what I have done; for at a period of controversy, some years ago, I endeavoured to make myself intimately acquainted with the peculiar grounds on which both religions rest; and for this purpose I applied myself assiduouly to the Bible, and sought therein the doctrines taught by Christ and his Apostles. This investigation led me to quite the contrary conclusion to that at which you have arrived; for since then I have been more satisfied in my mind, and more than ever penetrated with the truth of the old evangelic system, as established by the Reformation and Luther, and by contemporaneous, or at least recently posterior symbolic writings, in particular the Augsburgh Confession, which, next to the Holy Scriptures, forms the foundation of the Evangelical Creed. This most strictly corresponds with the religion of Jesus Christ, as delivered to us by the Apostles themselves, and by the Fathers of the Church in the first ages of Christianity, before a Popedom existed. It was far from the intention of Luther to found a new religion. His only object was to purify the old faith from the base alloy and dross which had been introduced into it by popery, and which had accumulated to such an extent, that more value was placed on this impure mass than on the genuine doctrine, which lay buried and almost annihilated under it. I did not hesitate to examine catholic missals and catholic catechisms, which I not only perused, but studied. Against these I placed the old evangelical liturgies and service books of the first half of the sixteenth century, (that is, of the time of the Re formation) compared them with each other, and thus again recognized the perfect accordance of the evangelical doctrines with the religion of Christ, and, on the contrary, the decided departure therefrom of the Catholic doctrines in many cardinal points. Nevertheless, there is much valuable matter in the Catholic missals; but every thing good in them, Luther, or the authors of the evangelic liturgies, who laboured in his name, acknowledged and retained. Since then, however, the men of modern theories have ventured to undervalue all this, and to treat the question as insignificant. But the pure evangelie doctrine still remains untouched, and may easily be found by those who do not begrudge the labour of seeking for it; as, in fine, has lately been done, the investigation having given birth to a renovation of the ancient evangelic prayer book, of which, in its details, you probably know as little as you do of the old liturgies of the time of the Reformation, the Augsburgh Confession, and other writings of the same kind." How much to be lamented is it, that this noble example of the King of Prussia is not more generally followed by our rulers and governors, in forming their judgment on so important a question as that of Catholic Emancipation. Alas! how painful must it be to every Christian mind, to find members in the senate speaking, as they say, from historical facts, and labouring by all the force and ingenuity of argument, as well as eloquence of language, to prove that the rights and privileges of the Catholics ought to be ceded we hear of their nocturnal hours being occupied in deliberating on the subject-of the many very anxious moments spent in considering it every string is touched, and every chord is vibrated that beats responsive to their views; but do we ever hear of any reference to the Word of God. Alas! this seems left entirely out of the question. Indeed, we hear one of the most eloquent men in the House of Commons asserting,' that no man is accountable for his religious belief and need we therefore be surprised the Word of God is neglected, the very key and touchstone of all our religious belief? Oh that they were wise, and would consider these things, before it be too late; lest England should be again scourged under the iron hand of paganism and idolatry, and plunged into a state of spiritual darkness and ignorance, too grievous to be contemplated. Well may we enquire, Is the Roman Catholic religion the same now that it ever was? Is it now a part of the creed of the church of Rome," that it is lawful to use force with heretics, to bring them within the pale of their religion? Does she still forbid the common people to read the Bible? And does she now retain all the dogmatical and heretical doctrines that she ever professed? And are these, besides numerous others, consistent with the pure Word of God? Shall Protestants, then, who profess that their constitution is built upon the Bible, talk about the political disabilities of those persons whose very creed is to withdraw the Bible from the people? Is not this laying the hammer themselves to subvert a superstructure, hitherto highly favoured of God, and the glory and admiration of the world? HIBERNIAN SOCIETY. THE following extracts from the Appendix to the Report of this Institution, will, we doubt not, be found highly interesting. On the 20th ultimo, I read în a village about two miles distant. In a house near the one in which I was, I heard a fiddle, and a party dancing, and on asking how they could allow the Sabbath to be thus spent, the master of the house where I was reading went out, and invited them to come to hear the Word of God. Most of them answered, that they dare not, for fear of the Priest; but four or five aged persons accepted the invitation, and came in with him. I read to them the second chapter of Genesis, the fifty-sixth of Isaiah, and other passages, in which the Lord commands his day to be kept holy, and asked them how they could expect to prosper, even in this world, if they and their children were found breaking the law of God. The persons present admitted that I was right, and said that a fiddle should never again be played in the village on a Sabbath-day.-P. 34. A woman about seventy years of age asked me to read a few chapters in the Irish Testament, as she was unable to read, and had never heard it before. I read the seventh and eighth of Romans, when she exclaimed, 'I am a wicked sinner, God have mercy upon me; I have not the Spirit of Christ; what must I do to be saved!' Her husband thought she was deranged, and sent in haste for a neighbour, and said to him, My wife has, I believe, lost her wits by hearing this man read the Irish Testament, and no wonder, when the Priest, forbids it.' I continued, however, to read in the hearing of the individual, called in, who, with the old woman, paid the greatest attention, and expressed their desire to hear it read again; and I trust the female alluded to has received lasting benefit.-P. 35. This While journeying in the county of L, the day came on very wet, and I took shelter in a hut built up with bog sods, and every blast which blew shook this edifice to its foundation. There were seven in family, and their employment was spinning bed ropes. cottage was very clean, but exhibited the greatest poverty, as did the appearance of its inhabitants. After sitting awhile, I took out my Testament, and read that passage. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of God." This excited their utmost attention, and they all immediately left off work, with the exception of an old woman of about eighty-six years of age. These poor people appeared not to know what the Testament meant, and probably never saw one before. They asked me what kind of book it was; I replied, "It was the history of Jesus Christ;" and read the second chapter of Luke; during which they paid the most profound attention. I read several other chapters, the old woman still continuing at her spinning-wheel; after which, I began to read in Irish. No sooner had I made the change, than the old woman quitted her wheel, and drew close to me, viewing me with the greatest astonishment. Many individuals, in passing the door, observed me engaged in reading, came in, so that I had in a short time a multitude of hearers. concluding, they requested me to visit them again as early as possible.-P. 36. On I went to a house to read the Irish Testament, where I found collected about 18 persons, all Roman Catholics, except the family of the house. They were people who came to the salt water, for the benefit of their health. I read for them several chapters, and they |