distinction and good will. Concerning his entry into the Holy City the Bishop then wrote:

"On Friday evening we arrived in safety in the city of our forefathers, under circumstances of peculiar respect and honour. I can only wish half England could have witnessed our movement from Ramlah to Jerusalem on the last day of our journey to the Holy City, a day never to be forgotten. Never were the goodness and preserving love of God more manifest than in the circumstance that our whole party should have got over that day's journey without the hairs of any of our heads being hurt. It is impossible for me to describe the awfully dangerous state of the road from Ramlah to Jerusalem. It is nothing but one continuation of awful ascents and precipices over most strangely rugged paths, which no English horse or other animal could encounter; and yet all arived in safety, except a few things which were lost on the road.

"But, independently of the danger, it was a most interesting day; the weather was most extraordinarily in our favour. The rain, though apparently ready to burst forth upon us in torrents, as is the case in this country, which would have drenched us all, as we had no covering, was restrained till after our arrival, when it did come down in earnest. The clouds hid the sun, which, even at this season, is powerful enough here to have greatly added to the discomfort of our journey. But our God is faithful, and He made us realize the 91st Psalm.

"We formed quite a large body,-the Consul-General (Colonel Rose), with seven or eight of his escort, Captain Gordon, and six or seven of the officers of the vessel, Mr. Nicolayson and Mr. Bergheim, who met us at Jaffa, and accompanied us, Mr. Johns and the American missionaries, with escorts, who came to meet us about three miles from Jerusalem, and at last the chief officers sent by the Pasha, who hadhimse If come to meet us in the afternoon, but was obliged to return, as night came on, and it was damp, (we arrived about six o'clock,) and a troop of soldiers, headed by Arab music, which was something like the beating of a tin kettle. Thus we entered through the Jaffa gate, under the firing of salutes, &c., into Jerusalem, and were conducted to Mr. Nicolayson's house, where we were most

kindly and hospitably received, and all felt overwhelmed with gratitude and adoration, which is most justly due to Him who has hitherto proved Himself better to us than all our fears."

CHAPTER XXIII.

Excitement among the Jews-The three Rabbies—Medical department—Sympathy of the Jews with Dr. Macgowan-The Firman for building the Church-Miss Cook's benefaction-Condition of the Jewish community— Persecution-Rabbinic efforts against the Hospital.

GREAT excitement prevailed at this time, as might be expected, amongst the Jews: in fact, a most influential rabbi informed one of the missionaries that he had written to his children in Europe to deter them from coming to Jerusalem, when they had expressed a desire to join him in the Holy City, "because," he said, "no place had become so dangerous to young people's faith."

During the year 1842, the Sacrament of Baptism was administered to eight Jews, and many were known to be secretly convinced of the truth of Christianity, but prevented from openly confessing their faith by the severe measures adopted by the rabbies. Their main efforts were directed against three, themselves rabbies, whose steadfastness, however, all that they could devise was unable to shake, and the commencement of the year 1843 saw them under regular instruction. There was, in fact, a great work going on, and a spirit of attention and inquiry was awakened, not only at Jerusalem, but throughout the Holy Land generally.

"The news of the late occurrence," wrote Mr. Ewald, "about the three rabbies, has already been spread throughout the Holy Land. On the 25th of November, a deputation from the Jews of Tiberias arrived here, to inquire whether the report they had heard was true, viz., that fourteen rabbies of Jerusalem had embraced Christianity. The Jews of this place are very much exasperated on that account, and do all in their power to avoid coming in contact with us."

The efforts that had been set on foot in the medical department,

M

continued to be carried on under the auspices of Dr. Macgowan. The attendance of Jewish patients remained uninterrupted; and this part of the work was soon placed upon a permanent and more efficient basis, by the completion of the Hospital, constructed to contain twelve beds.

Dr. Macgowan expressed his conviction that the medical department had succeeded in accomplishing the main objects of its establishment, viz., the relief of suffering Jews, and the awakening of a grateful and friendly feeling in the Hebrew population in general.

The latter effect was most agreeably manifested to the Doctor himself, on the occasion of an outrage committed upon him by some Turkish soldiers. Concerning what then happened, he thus wrote :—

"I shall never forget the extraordinary interest displayed by the Jews of all classes upon this occasion. I have already mentioned the active part taken by the Jews, who witnessed the assault made upon me, in my defence. On several following days as I went my rounds in the Jewish quarter, the Jews stopped me in the streets, and came out of their houses, and kissed my hands in the fashion of the East, with tears in their eyes. Many whom I had never seen or known came forward on this occasion with expressions of kindness and regard. These demonstrations were as gratifying to me as they were unexpected. But for this event, I should perhaps never have known how many friends I had among the Jews in Jerusalem."

That the medical establishment was considered as likely to be most important in its effects, in the estimation of the Jews themselves, we may gather from the circumstance, that shortly after Dr. Macgowan went out, a Jewish physician was appointed under the auspices of Sir Moses Montefiore, for the relief of poor Jews in Jerusalem. There was room for both; and Dr. Macgowan's regret was not that a rival had entered the field, but that the amount of sickness and distress was more than their united exertions could successfully cope with.

Early in 1843, the building of the Church, which in the year of the Bishop's arrival had proceeded most vigorously, 40,000 cubic feet of masonry having been laid underground in three months alone, had been interrupted by the order of the then Pacha; and one of the

principal objects of the Committee during that year was to obtain by every lawful means the power of going on with it. Mr. Nicolayson was directed to proceed to Constantinople in November, to supply Her Majesty's Ambassador with the necessary information in the prosecution of his efforts for the attainment of his object. Every assistance was rendered by the Government, aided and seconded by the King of Prussia's representative. Their efforts, however, owing to various circumstances, were not to be at once crowned with success; for we find them, in the month of March, 1845, presenting at the Foreign Office a memorial on the subject to Lord Aberdeen, signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, and other prelates, many of the nobility and dignitaries, besides fourteen hundred parochial clergy and fifteen thousand laity. At length, in September of that year, the long-wished-for firman was obtained from the Ottoman Porte ;*

*"Translation of a Firman, addressed to the Vallee of Said, the Governor of Jerusalem, and others.

"It has been represented, both now and before, on the part of the British Embassy residing at my Court, that British and Prussian Protestant subjects, visiting Jerusalem, meet with difficulties and obstructions, owing to their not possessing a place of worship for the observance of Protestant rites, and it has been requested that permission should be given to erect, for the first time, a special Protestant place of worship, within the British Consular residence at Jerusalem.

"Whereas, it is in accordance with the perfect amity and cordial relations existing between the Government of Great Britain and my Sublime Porte, that the requests of that Government shall be complied with as far as possible; and whereas, moreover, the aforesaid place of worship is to be within the Consular residence, my Royal permission is therefore granted for the erection of the aforesaid special place of worship, within the aforesaid Consular residence. And my Imperial order having been issued for that purpose, the present decree, containing permission, has been specially given from my Imperial Divan.

"When, therefore, it becomes known unto you, Vallee of Said, Governor of Jerusalem, and others as aforesaid, that our Royal permission has been granted for the erection, in the manner above stated, of the aforesaid place of worship, you will be careful that no person do in any manner whatever oppose the erection of the aforesaid place of worship in the manner stated. And you will not act in contravention hereof. For which purpose my Imperial Firman is issued. "On its arrival you will act in accordance with my Imperial Firman, issued for this purpose in the manner aforesaid; be it thus known unto you, giving full faith to the Imperial cypher.

"Written on the first day of Ramazan, 1261 (10th Sept. 1845)."

and though attempts were afterwards made to throw hindrances in the way, yet they were ineffectual, and the path of the Committee was rendered still more easy through the munificence of Miss Jane Cook, of Cheltenham, who placed at their disposal £2600, for the purpose of enabling them to complete the building. Thus, after much delay, and after having passed through many vicissitudes, and overcome many obstacles, they were able, by the good Providence of God, to announce at their Anniversary in 1849, that on the 21st of the previous January-the Anniversary of the Entrance of the first Protestant Bishop into the Holy City-Christ Church, the first Protestant Church ever built upon Mount Zion, had been duly consecrated.

We have purposely anticipated some years in our narrative, in order to bring into one view the history of the Church; but side by side with it other institutions were being raised. There was the Hospital, the College for the reception and training of converts, opened in May 1843, which circumstances afterwards led the Committee to discontinue. There was the House of Industry, and other kindred establishments.

The Jewish community at Jerusalem, was in 1844 in a strangely unhappy condition, both physically and morally. "It is," wrote Dr. Macgowan, "like a house divided against itself. One party is ever on the watch to take advantage of the other; and statements and counter-statements, accusations and recriminations, are in constant circulation between head-quarters and the remotest provinces of Judaism." The only thing that was a bond of union, was the existence of what was deemed a common enemy in the shape of schools, manufactures, and an Hospital in the Holy City, set on foot in Europe; to these they were bitterly opposed. "We, the seed of Israel," they say by the mouth of their Chief Rabbi, "the holy nation, have nothing to do with foreign sciences, wisdom, works, thoughts, medicines, and such like, which would destroy our chief occupation." Meanwhile the Hebrew Christian Church on Mount Zion was increasing, and acquiring a firmer footing. At the close of 1844, there were fiftyfour adult members, regular attendants and communicants, whilst ten proselytes had been baptized within the year. Testimony, moreover, was unwittingly borne to the effect produced by the missionary estab