called on me, on my second arrival in Alexandria, as I returned from Jerusalem, and desired New Testaments and Bibles; and both of them expressed their high veneration for the Christian Religion, as it is believed by Protestants.

You will allow me to mention some observations, which I heard made by the Jews at Alexandria, by which you may easily perceive what the obstacles are, in the way of the conversion of that interesting Nation. I dined, one Sabbath Day, with a whole party of Alexandrian Jews. One of them desired to learn from me the reasons why the English have translated the New Testament into the holy language of the Jews. I replied, "The English Christians are anxious to make the Jews acquainted with the doctrines of Christianity and many Jews have read it; and have either been convinced of the truth of Christianity, or have published their objections against it." They asked me whether those Jews, who have stated their objections against the New Testament, had not been punished by the English; and they were surprised to learn, that the English Christianshave not only been very far from punishing those Jews who have candidly stated their difficulties, but that they were even rejoiced to observe an inquiring spirit among the Jews. They told me that no Jew throughout Egypt would even dare to state to a Mahomedan his objections against the Korân. I had here then a good opportunity of making those Jews acquainted with the true spirit of Christianity; which consists in meekness, patience, forbearance, long-suffering, gentleness, and kindness; and which teaches us, when we are reviled, not to revile again. They became anxious to read the New Testament. I had thus the pleasure and satisfaction of distributing four New Testaments among those very Jews with whom I dined.

There was then at Alexandria an old Rabbi, 70 years of age, born in Poland, and residing at Jerusalem. He called on me as soon as he had heard that I had some knowledge of the Hebrew Language, and that I came on purpose to converse with Jews. He had with him his Hebrew Bible. When I asked him whether he had heard of Moritz, the Missionary in Poland, he replied that Moritz tries to prove to the Jews in Poland, that the Messiah is already come: and said that the Jews at Jerusalem

received, not long ago, a parcel of New Testaments and Tracts, sent to them by a German from Acre; and that they were informed, that a Jew, converted to Christianity, intended to go to Jerusalem to converse with the Jews on Christian topics. He observed then, what is very remarkable, "We Jews have been scattered more than seventeen hundred years among all the nations, PERSECUTED and DESPISED, and our Holy City destroyed: and seventeen hundred years are past, in which it has been the continual effort of the Gentiles, by SHEDDING AND SUCKING OUT OUR BLOOD, to persuade us that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and seventeen hundred years are past and we firmly DISBELIEVE it. It is true, that Jesus of Nazareth performed miracles: it cannot be denied; but we know what Moses said, If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God. I replied to him, that that intimation of Moses cannot possibly be applied to our Lord Jesus Christ; for He was not only far from turning us away from the Lord our God, but He even taught us to address ourselves to Him in every need: He taught us to pray, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name : Thy kingdom come. And He taught us, There is one God, and there is none other but He. This venerable old Jew called on me repeatedly; and received from me, with the greatest readiness, a New Testament and Tracts.

But I must state to you another objection of a learned Jew at Alexandria. He said, "If you would consider the state of the several denominations of Christians in this country, who murder one another before the altar, while Jews and Mahomedans live together in perfect peace, you would not try to join Jews to their communion." I replied, that I only wish to make Jews acquainted with the excellency of our Saviour's doctrine, in order that the Jews, may become a light to lighten the Gentiles. This Jew, however, speaks with high

regard of the character of our Lord, and of the excellency of the moral doctrine contained in the Gospel. He was al ready in possession of the New Testatament, which he had bought of the late Missionary Burckhardt, and for whom he sold thirty other copies to Jews. I made him a present of Grotius's Treatise on the Truth of the Christian Religion, which he promised to read with attention. By the objections of these Jews we see clearly what the obstacles are with which we meet in the conversion of the Jews. It is, I may venture to say, not their unwillingness to inquire into the truth of Christianity; but, First, the condition in which they are obliged to suffer the tyranny of Mahomedans, where they dare not, at the risk of their lives, communicate their doubts against Islamism. Secondly, the unwise methods often taken, either by superstitious or nominal Christians, to convert them to Christianity, as that old Rabbi said, “by having shed our blood :" and, alas! is not this a fact? how much Jewish blood has been shed in Spain and Portugal! and, at Rome, they are compelled to hear, every Good Friday, a Sermon; and the Missionary House for the Conversion of the Jews is partly supported by the Jews themselves, by the express order of Pope Paul, and that order has been sanctioned and confirmed by all the succeeding Popes. The Third stumbling-block is the disunion, which exists among Christians themselves. Cast ye up, cast ye up-prepare the waytake up the stumbling-blocks out of the way of my people. State to them clearly the truth; and promote, with all your power, the proclamations, the invitations, and promises of the Gospel; and shew to them the evidence of your religion, by LOVE and holiness, and communion with God, and songs of praise and thanksgiving.

I had, however, at Alexandria, the satisfaction of being visited by aged Jews, who came, not with the intent of arguing, but, as they expressed themselves, to hear from me "words of peace." There came Jews to me, who were already in possession of the New Testament, and were acquainted and delighted with the contents of it. They received me most kindly when I entered their Synagogues, and even gave me permission to read aloud to them in their Law. They complained to me of the decline of learning among the Jews of

Alexandria; of which the plague, which prevents them from sending their children to school, is one of the chief reasons. I had likewise the satisfaction of observing a great engerness among Gentiles, as well Catholics as Greeks, to receive the Word of God, and other publications which prove the doctrines of Christianity, with which I was able to furnish them; and for which I must here express publicly my Christian thanks and obligations to the Malta Bible Society, who kindly supplied me with them before my departure to the Levant. It is true, the Catholics made, at first, some objections, supposing that we gave them translations according to the English Translation: this objection, however, ceased, as soon as I proved to the Levantine Catholics, that the Arabic Translation was exactly the same which was published by the Propaganda at Rome; and to the Italians, that the Italian Translation is that of the Archbishop Martini, which received the approbation of Pope Pius VI., and both translations are from the Latin Vulgate, sanctioned by the Council of Trent.

Stale of the Jews at Caïro.

At Caïro, there are two sects of Jews. The first and most numerous are the Talmudists, who take for their guide, not only the Old Testament, but likewise the Talmud, a compilation by the Rabbies about the time of Christ. The second sect of Jews at Caïro are the Caraïtes, who admit only the authority of the Old Testament, and reject entirely the Talmudical Traditions.

I waited first on the Rabbies and chiefs of the Talmudist Jews, and met with the kindest reception imaginable. They have ten Synagogues at Caïro. These I visited at their request, when they were all assembled to celebrate their Rosh Hashana, at the beginning of the year, when they sound the trumpets: after that, the whole congregation, shedding abundance of tears, exclaimed, Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. I could not help saying, "Oh that Thou, Lord, mayest shower down upon Thy people the power of Thy grace, that they may really hear the trumpet of salvation-that they may worship Thee in the holy mount of Jerusalem-that they may acknowledge that Thou, Jesus of Nazareth, art the same yesterday, and

was clearly fulfilled in the case of Jesus of Nazareth. See Matt. iv. 15: the Jews of Safet further say to the Jews of Jerusalem, "You know that the great Rabbi, Simeon Bar Johai-peace upon him and many of the Zamaïm-peace upon them!-lived at Safet." The Jews of Tiberias say, "Our city is situated near the river Jordan, and Rabbi Akiba lived here, with his 55,000 disciples-peace upon him!" Thus foolish and stupid are the disputes, which divide the Jews of Palestine.

There are, in Palestine, Spanish Jews, and Turkish Jews, and Polish-German Jews; and also Caraïtes, who are believed by the other Jews to be the descendants of the Sadducees.

I found at Jerusalem only three families of Caraïtes. In their Synagogue I heard the following prayer.

The Rabbi said, "We beseech thee have mercy upon Zion." And the people answered, " And build thou the walls of Jerusalem."

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Rabbi. Let thy government shine upon Zion."

The People. children of Israel." Rabbi. "Let singing and gladness be heard upon Zion."

"And gather thou the

The People. "And shouts of joy among the children of Jerusalem."

I read to them several prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and expounded to them without the least objection for an hour the contents of the Gospel. They often called on me, and called me their brother. They have not the least communion with the Talmudist Jews. There are Caraïtes at Ralaa, in the Crimea, in Poland, at Damascus, Constantinople, and Caïro. The whole number in the world may be about 5000. The Polish Jews called on me, and addressed me thus:-" We have heard that you are arrived here to converse with us. Verily we can converse with you, for we are wise with great wisdom, and learned with great learning." I ascertained from them that no Jews lived at Jerusalem in the time of the crusades. Rabbi Moses Bar Nalsman, a famous author among the Jews in Germany, went there in the twelfth century, and met with only one Jew. I translated from a Letter written by him the following sentences:-" I met with only one Jew, and he was oppressed, and he was afflicted. And in the city of God, in the house of God, where our fathers dwelt,

the Gentiles worshipped that which their fingers had made: they worshipped that which IS NOT GOD, even in the house of God. For these things I weep, because our glorious and our beautiful house is laid waste." I conversed for several days with one of their High Priests, and read the Gospel with him. He said the Christians of Syria have not the spirit contained in the Gospel ; and he candidly confessed that the Prophecies of the Old Testament, cited in the New Testament, must be applied to the Messiah.

The Spanish Jews, being most nume. rous, affected a superiority over the Polish Jews, who told me, We spake unto them, saying, Why are you so proud with your pride, and haughty with your haughtiness? We ourselves are Jews, and glorious is our name, and our wisdom is spoken of in all the congregation of Israel. Cease, therefore, from pretending to protect us with your protection. We are sufficiently protected with the protection of the Emperor Alexander, to whom may God give fulness of years, and exalt him with high exaltation.' "

The Polish Jews are divided into two sects.

One sect are Pharisees, who are strictly attached to the literal observance of the Ceremonial Law, and wearlarge phylacteries. They study day and night to explore the course of the stars. They discern the face of the sky, but do not discern the signs of the times; ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The other sect are the Hasidim, the spiritual Jews; who say that outward ceremonies are of no use at all, and we must attend rather to the spirit. To prove their doctrine, they quote Jer. xxxi. 31-34. The author of this sect was Israel Baal] Shem, who died seventy years ago in Poland. They have been excommunicated by many Rabbies. They are well inclined to the reading of the Gospel. They were struck when I told them that Christians prove the abolishment of the Ceremonial Law, by those very texts from which they themselves prove its insufficiency. I distributed among them several hundred New Testaments and Tracts. Among their archives I discovered the following curious circumstance, in regard to the Cross found by the Empress Helena. Rabbi Abarbanel tells us, that the Jews,