ready to take you all to England, where you will be obliged to become Christians, and then your husbands will send you away;" and so now our wives refuse to go to Jaffa; and we are also informed by a friend, that the chief rabbies intend to send us as prisoners to Russia-we being natives of Russia. I told them to remain in my house, and immediately went to our Bishop to acquaint him with what had happened; and then went to the house of Rabbi Eliezer, to tell his wife that her husband, and the two other rabbies were at my house; that their husbands had not run away from them, but from the tyranny of the chief rabbies; and that, if they wished to see them, they might do so at any hour.

The room was immediately crowded by the principal Jews of the German congregation, who all inquired whether they might go and see the three rabbies, to which I replied in the affirmative.

Whilst conversing there, a most ridiculous scene presented itself, which illustrated the gross superstition of the Jews in this country. Rabbi Salman, a chief rabbi, entered the room, and saw a piece of carpet on the floor on which were forms of crosses. He immediately screamed out, Why have you these unfortunate signs in your house? Instantly remove the carpet." But he did not wait until others did it, but pushed it himself outside the door.

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I then went home, followed by an immense crowd of Jews.

Our Bishop, Mr. Nicolayson, Mr. Calman, and Mr. Tartakover, also soon arrived at my house. When the Jews who had followed me were seated, Rabbi Moses, the maggeed, or preacher, said to the three rabbies, "Why have you left us ?" One of them took the Old Testament in his hand, and said, 66 Through this blessed book, we have been brought to the knowledge that the Redeemer of the world promised to our forefathers, has appeared long ago, and that Jesus is that Redeemer; in whom we believe, and through whom

we hope to be saved. If you can prove to us from this book that we are wrong, we are willing to go with you." But the Jews replied, "Here we do not enter into any conversation; you must first come home." This they declined doing. Then all the Jews left; but soon after the wives, and children, and relatives of the converts came, and wept bitterly, entreating them, by all that was dear to them, to return. It was a most heart-rending scene; but they also were obliged to go, without effecting what they desired. Several secret inquirers called upon the rabbies to encourage them.

A few days after this had happened, I fell seriously ill; and during my illness all three returned home to their families.

Nov. 30, 1842.-It is with thankfulness to Almighty God that I have been able to resume this month, my regular missionary labours, of which I shall now give a general outline.

PARTICULARS OF THE THREE RABBIES.

In consequence of the important events of last month, I found the Jewish-German population of this place, when I again visited them, in great consternation. Rabbi Benjamin had been sick for some weeks, and has since divorced his wife, who refused to live with him. Rabbi Abraham's wife objected also at first to live with her husband, but the rabbies reconciled her again to him, after having, it is said, faithfully promised to remain a Jew. This also was the case with Rabbi Eliezer's wife.

They have been forbidden, under pain of excommunication, to have any intercourse with us, consequently they do not come near us, and we also consider it prudent not to go near them. If the Lord has begun a good work in them, all Rabbinical threatenings will have no power,

I once met Rabbi Abraham; he was very pale; he looked at me, but did not speak.

STEPS TAKEN BY THE JEWS FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF INQUIRY.

The three rabbies were also compelled, under pain of excommunication, to mention the names of all those Jews who were secretly holding the same views as themselves. The secret believers, twenty-six in number, were all called one by one, and prohibited from coming to us. But it is evident that their prohibition and threatenings are of no avail, for we were informed of this transaction, I believe, the very same day on which it took place. The three rabbies are also prohibited from speaking to each other. A few days ago the messenger, who is yearly sent to various parts of the world to collect money for the Jews residing here, arrived, and soon after the money was distributed; but thirty-six of the congregation, who are suspected of visiting the missionaries, have been threatened with losing their portion if they ever venture to visit us; besides, they have been obliged to write bills from 500 to 10,000 piastres, which they are to pay if they are found out calling on us; of this fact we were also soon informed.

REMONSTRANCE WITH THE CHIEF RABBIES.

I thought this such outrageous cruelty that I could not refrain from calling on the chief rabbies, Rabbi Isaiah, Rabbi Nathan, Rabbi Moses, and Rabbi Ariah, who were assembled at the house of Rabbi David, the son of (the late) Rabbi Herschell of London. I had first, another question to lay before the rabbies; when that was decided, I said that I had been informed that they had obliged thirty-six Jews to give them bills for different sums, from 500 to 10,000 piastres, which they were to pay if found speaking to any one attached

to the Mission, and I asked whether this was the case? As they did not deny it, I said that the English Government was anxious that the Jews in the Ottoman empire should not be unjustly dealt with, and that I was sure that it would make no difference whether the oppression proceeded from Turk or Jew; and I could, therefore, tell them beforehand, that if those Jews did speak to us, they could not compel them to pay the money which had thus been extorted from them. I showed them how vain their threatenings were, from the fact that we had been already informed of their nefarious dealings with their brethren. Rabbi David said, that from the first he had disapproved of this method, stating that those who wished to become Christians would find an opportunity of doing so, even if they were locked up in the deepest dungeon, and he would not believe that these three rabbies were Jews, even if they remained ten years among the Jews. Rabbi I., who is a very passionate man, did not answer so quietly. However, after some conversation he became calmer, and we parted peaceably.

On my return home from the rabbies I met two Jewish women, who stopped and looked at me, and said, "Behold he is going about again!" a report having been spread about that I had fallen sick in consequence of having allured the three rabbies to my house, and it was assumed that I was beyond

recovery.

Under the present circumstances I have not many calls from German Jews; and those who come, do it very cautiously. The Spanish Jews however, seem to take no notice whatever of these transactions: they speak as freely to me as ever, both in their houses and in their synagogues. Perhaps their chief rabbies put them under no restriction, because they can prevent any of their community, who are all natives and stand all under their authority, from becoming Christians, as we unfortunately cannot offer protection to those who might be inclined to come

out from Jewish darkness to the glorious light of the Gospel. In fact, only a few days ago, a Spanish Jew came to my house, sent by Mr. Bergheim, to whom he applied first, wishing to become a Christian. He told me his reason for wishing to leave the Jewish errors, but I could not receive him, and it was with much difficulty that I persuaded him to return home. He could not understand why I should instruct German Jews in Christianity and not him; but as his Lordship had gone to Jaffa for change of air, I could not ask his advice, and told the Jew to call again after the Bishop had returned.

I have had opportunities of circulating some copies of the Scriptures, and some tracts, chiefly amongst the Spanish Jews.

INSTRUCTION OF INQUIRERS.

I have continued to give instruction to the three candidates for baptism mentioned before, that is, to John Daniel, Simeon, and Alter; all three foreign Jews, over whom the rabbies have no control. I am happy to say that all three promise well; the two latter, in particular, are intelligent young men, who not only listen with attention to the instruction they receive, but also search diligently the Scriptures in order to see whether things are as we state; and I trust the Lord has opened their eyes and their hearts to see the truth as it is in Him who came to save a ruined world. They also regularly attend our place of worship. These three candidates employ my time every day from nine until twelve o'clock.

AVERTED CONVERSION OF A GENTILE TO JUDAISM.

It has again pleased the Lord to make me an instrument in his hand for preventing a deluded Christian from becoming a Jew. This poor benighted young man has been for many years in this country; he is by