CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE JEWS.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 3, 1 March 1855, Page 27

CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE JEWS.

It is seldom or never our privilege to meet with such pleasing facts, in reference to the Jewish people, as are contained in the number of the `Dublin Daily Exptess' from which we quoted our last article on this subject. We feel gratified in being able to lay before our readers further particulars from the same journal. [Continued fcom our January number.] The Rev. B. W. Wright, rector of Norton Hackney, near Macclesfield, Englaud, observed that people were to apt to judge of the Jew by what they saw of him at home, but, after all, that was an unfair criterion by which to estimate him, for in Dublin, London, Paris, or Berlin, he was the servile imitator of the free thinking Gentile., the scorner of religion, the worshipper of mammon. Now that was an unfair way of judging of the Jew, and reminded him of the story of a Frenchman, an Englishman, and a German, who were requested to describe a camel. The Frenchman went to the «oological gardens, where he saw everything in an artificial state, and he painted the camel beautifully, but in an artificial way. The Englishman, true to nature, went to the de serts of Arabia, and described the camel as he saw him in his native home. The German went into the royal library, and searched all the book> which were written upon the subject of camels from the beginning of the world up to the present time, and represented the animal according to the description which he found in those books. In judging of the conduct of the Jew, they should imitate the conduct of the Englishman, and go to those lands which might be considered the native home of the Jew, namely, Posen, the kingdom of . Poland, Russia, and Palestine (hear) It was fourteen years since he became interested in the Jews, and having studied at Cambridge, and laboured m a curacy for several years in England, he could not rest until he saw something of them at home. During the last sis or seven years, partly at his own expense, and partly at that of the society, he had travelled over the greater part of the- continent of Europe, and he would then proceed to take them to several of the most interesting posi-

tions, in reference to which his friend Mr. Scott, of London, would be able to give them more full details of the missionary work than he could. One of the first cities he visited was Berlin, the great centre of religious infidelity in the north of Europe. That was in one sense the great corrupting city of Northern Germany. It was the the seat of philosephers and sceptics, men who were too much taken up with inquiry into every subject and speculation but the one thing needful, salvation through the blood of Christ our Lord! It is a common saying in Berlin, when they wish to speak of things disparagingly and slightingly, Iu is not far hence. If it had been far hence, if it had been anything from some distant part of the world, it would have besn valued, but because it was near at home they thought little of it: and so the Word of God--the Word of truth recovered for Germany by Martin Luther—was, comparatively speaking, little thought of there • although —thanks be to God ! for the last few years a great improvement had taken place in the kingdom of Prussia. Berlin being the great cen tre of religious freedom, the Jews came from all parts of the world to be baptized there, being well aware that they were not liable to persecution there, as they would be in other parts. The consequence was that tho baptized Jews in Berlin averaged about 2,000 in number, and the missionary located there was chiefly occupied with instructing inquirers and converts, and carrying on the work of catechetical instruction. Thai was a Jewish missionary, but it was the least interesting. Gravely he said to himself, after spending time in Berlin, "This is not the way to throw the leaven of the Gospel among the great bulk of the Jewish people and so he went to the Duchy of Posen, where he had an opportunity of travelling with one of the missionaries whose special office was to travel among the Jews. Never should he forget their first journey in the Duchy of Posen. lhey started with their portmanteaux full of Bibles and tracts, and had a mandate, or permission, from the King of Prussia to preach in all the Protestant Charches of the Kingdom upon the Jewish Sabbath, and to the Jews. Thev started in one of the usual conveyandes of thl country, which was nothing but a large wicker work basket, set on four wheels, with two good Polish horses m front, which took them aW a i a rate that would do credit to an English p°ostchaise. The first village at which they arrived they called upon the clergyman, who being a pious man, received them kindly, and wished them God-speed; but, in most cases, however, when it w;as found out what their object was, the clergy, being generally rationalists or made long faces at it; but finding that they had the command of the Iving-the royal mandate—thev! could not refuse to give them the use of their !

churches. At the next village to which they ■ came, having called upon the clergyman, they posted notices upon the walls of the town that a sermon would be preached upon the Jewish sabbath, especially addressed to the Jews, and intended to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the hope of Israel, and he would never forget the state of excitement into which the Jewish people were thrown. There was a hum and a bustle, a running to and fro among them, noise and trepidation, evidencing the truth that they are still one of the most excitable people on the subject of religion in the world. In vain the rabi protested against the going to church—in vain be sent watchers round to take down the names of every Jew who should enter it. There was on that, as on other occasions, from 200 to 300 people present, and many times he had seen so many as 600 Jews in a Christian church, attentive listeners to the sound of the Gcspel proclaimed by the missionary. That was a state of things not often witnessed in the Christian Church from the first days of Christianity up to the present, to have such attentive listeners; and it was evident that the Spirit of God was at work amongst them, and that they were in earnest (bear,"hear). No sooner was the service over than the Jews came by dozens to the rooms where the missionary was located, to dispute, and have their convictions satisfied or their alarms quieted. No one who was not acquainted with the Jews could have any idea how keen they were in dispute, and howearnest they were on the subject of religion • although to the present day they, as a nation, felt that the law of Moses was still to be regarded by them, and they believed not that Jesus'of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Hope of Israel. In disputing with Jews it was impossible to tell thcresult of the efforts that were made to convince them, for they were apt to conceal the imrression that was made upon thein. On one occasion, for instance, a missionary, who was disputing with some Jews, went away thinking lie hail made no impression cn their minds ; but subsequently a Jew called upon him, and besought him to tell him, by the mercies of God, whether he was really in earnest in saying that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Hope of Israel, in whom they should trust ? The missionary, as usual took the Jew by the hand, and putting hit hand also upon the Law of God, said to him:— "As surely as we are here standing in the presence of God, so surely shall Israel yet behold Him, and with enlightened eyes look upon Him whom they haxe pierced." Tbe Jews were very fond of dragging the missionaries into controversies about the Talmud, being well aware that generally speaking, they are more deeply versed m the Talmud than the missionaries; but even this was not always in vain. On one occasion a converted Jew said to hi in, after thus disputing

with the missionaries, ■whom he thought he had made go home with an aching heart, that after all he thought they adhered more to the World of God than he did, and perhapsjthey were right) and he added, 'I will go home, and look up those passages in the Word of God to which they referred me, and think over it again and thus the hard heart of the unconverted Jew was overcome, and his stiff neck was made to bend. It was impossible to lay down any particular rule with re-! gard to disputing with Jews. Sometimes the missionary merely read to them some of the interesting passages of the New Testament and they frequently remarked afterwards, 'ls that really the New Testament ?—is that narrative really taken from the New Testament ? We did not before that it was such an interesting book. There were upwards of seventy Jews baptized in the Duchy of Posen, and that was a small number in comparison to those who had left the Duchy and been baptized elsewhere (hear). He would then take the meeting into the empire of Russia, that mysterious country, bowed down Tinder an iron discipline, at the will of one man. So universal is the system of espionage, so keen is the vigilance of the police, that in Russia even the very walls seem to have eyes to see and ears to hear. As he passed the Russian border, his fellow-traveller said to him :—Now, sir, you are in Russia;' as much as to say, 'Take care what you say and what you do.' Notwithstanding that, through the kindness of the late Emperor Alexander, and hitherto through the permission of the present Emperor, their missionary work had been carried on in the kingdom of Poland, which was incorporated with Russia, for a period of thirry years, and upwards of 300 Jews had been baptized there (applause). In the kingdom of Poland the missionaries were not permitted to preach in the churches, as they were in Prussia, but they had free permission to circulate the Scriptures in Hebrew. The Polish Jews were the most intellectual and learned of all the branches of the Jewish family; and as the Poles were the most extravagant people on the face of the earth, and the Jews were not permitted to have possession of lands, they carried on a traffic as usurers, and the greater part of the kingdom of Poland was mortgaged to them ; even the crop? and the very cattle of the farmers did not belong to them, but were mortgaged by the Jews, and the farmer was obliged to borrow for the very seed he put into the ground for his crop. He asked if it was the same in Russia ; but the missionary told him that the Russians were too keen for the Jews. He observed that they looked to be the most barbarous and ignorant kind of people—the lower classes—that he had met with in ajl his travels. The missionary replied that, however barbarous the Russians might be in appearance, they were nevertheless an intelligent and clever people. [To be continued.]