The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-18 00:00:00

THE FUNDS.

" The aggregate amoWntOf-Coni;ibutions received during
the past year, towards the general and special purposes of
your society, is £24,699 Bs. 9d., being an increase of
£1,760 9s. 7d. above the receipts of the preceding year.
This, which is the largest sum ever received by your society
in one year, is a gratifying proof of the increased interest
which is felt by the Church of Christ in the Jews. This
amount has been contributed in the following proportions :
£ 8. d.

General Purposes of the Society, includ-
ing the Jerusalem Mission and Scrip-
ture Funds . 22,841 13 8
Hebrew Church at Jerusalem .
Hospital at Jerusalem
Jewish Converts' Relief Fund, Jeruselem 51 1 0
Operative Institution, Jerusalem . 51 0 0
School of Industry, Jerusalem
Temporal Relief Fund . .

£24,699 8 9

" And when your committee add, that, althirugh there is
a diminution of £307 14s. 7d. under the head of Jerusalem
Church Account, and of £433 15s. 10d. under the head of
Temporal Relief, you will be glad to perceive that the increase
of the general fund actually amounts to £2,502. This result
is the more satisfactory, inasmuch as the largest augmenta-
tion arises from the contributions of your auxiliary societies,
upon which there is an increase of £2,255 19s. 2d. From
the Irish Auxiliary the sum of £2,200 has been received
during the past year, showing an increase of £3lO ]os. over
the remittances received from that country during the pre-
ceding year. After defraying the expenses of the year, your
committee have in hand, for general purposes to carry on the
work of the society, the sum of £B,OOO vested in exchequer
bills, and £1,788 19s. 2d. in the hands of the treasurer. On
account of the Hebrew Church at Jerusalem, they have
£1,554 Os. 10d. in the treasurer's hands ; and, on account of
the different funds for temporal relief, already enumerated,
they have £5OO in exchequer bills, and £364 lls. in the
hands of the treasurer • making a total balance of £8,500 in
exchequer bills, and £3,696 11s. in the hands of the trea-
surer."
Eleven hundred and sixty-six Bibles, 1642 New Testa-
ments, 2028 Pentateuchs, and 2970 copies of the Psalms, all
in the Hebrew language, have been issued by the society, to •
gether with a number of English Bibles, and upwards of
7000 tracts.
During the past year six adults and five children have been
baptised at the Episcopal Chapel, making a total of eleven
individuals admitted into the Church of Christ. The number
of recorded baptisms now amounts to 332, The state of the
schools, and of the Hebrew College, is spoken of as very
encouraging, and the mission of the Rev. J. C. Reichardt in
London is stated to be extremely satisfactory.
The report concludes with the correspondence between Sir
T. Baring and the Chevalier Bunsen, on the occasion of the
munificent donation and subscription of his Majesty the King
of Prussia, and with the circumstances detailing the relation
of the Jerusalem Bishopric to German Protestant congrega-
tions in Palestine, which have been already published.

Mr. BOUTFLOWER, the treasurer, then read a statemen
of his accounts. He afterwards mentioned, that in cause
quence of the Amphitheatre having been engaged for tha
evening for public performances, the committee had been
placed in a state of considerable doubt as to where the meet-
ing should be held. They were in the habit of paying a cer-
tain sum for the use of the Amphitheatre for this meeting ;
but this year, in consequence of the circumstance he had
stated, they were required to pay double. He trusted that
this fact would be borne in mind in their contributions. It
was a fact, too, that the interest of this anniversary increased
every year, for this year nearly 2,000 people had been
disappointed in obtaining tickets of admission. (Hear, hear.)
The Rev. J. H. STEWART moved the first resolution,
which proposed that the report be printed and circulated,
and the re-appointment of the committee. He considered as
a high honour conferred upon our gracious Queen that she
had been the first monarch to put the sign manual upon a
deed appointing a converted Jew to be the Bishop of
Jerusalem ; and also, that she had signed an order for the
conveyance, in a British man-of-war, of that estimable
prelate, his wife, chaplain, and a large company of converted
Israelites. He regarded the union of Prussia and Great
Britain on this subject as affording the brightest promise;
and from these circumstances be urged that both nations
had drawn, and would continue to draw down the blessings
of Almighty God upon them. (Hear, hear.)
The Rev. JOHN SHACKLEY, Minister of St. John's,
York, one of the deputation from the Parent Society, se-
conded the resolution in an appropriate speech. He ob-
served that the contributions of the Liverpool Auxiliary,
although they amounted to about £7OO, bore but little pro-
portion to the wealth and prosperity of the town ; and
considering that we were indebted to the Jews for the pre
servation of the Holy Script,ures, the society bad an especial
and a pre-eminent claim upon the sympathy of the Christian
public. The resolution was then carried.
The Rev. W. ERHURST, late Missionary to the Jews in
Germany, and now Foreign Secretary to the Parent So-
ciety, moved the second resolution, which was to the effect,
that the meeting rejoiced in the accession of funds which
growing interest in the Jewish people had brought into the
treasury of the secretary ; and prayed that, under the same
blessing, more means might be wisely and efficiently directed
to the furtherance of the salvation of Israel. The rev. gen-
tleman delivered a most animated address, in the course of
which he related many circumstances relative to the spread
of Christianity among the Jews upon the Continent. Since
the accounts were made up there had been a considerable in-
crease of funds, compared with the sums received during the
same period of time in the last year; but, at the same time,
he must remind the meeting that, though it had pleased God
to bless them with an increase of funds, it had pleased the same
God to lay upon them greater honour by opening vineyards
formerly unknown to them. He had heard some of the best
friends of the society say that Jerusalem would be their ruin
it cost so much money. Was not this a sad thing? Was it
not a mercy to have a hospital and a bishop there ? It was ;
they required more funds, and God had hitherto given them
more, and though their work had increased, they must put
their trust in God who called them to the work. They dared
not, therefore, shrink back from it ; and they must go for-
ward, trusting in God, and they would most assuredly pros-
per. (Cheers.) As to the second part of the resolution the
rev. gentleman, after commenting upon the responsibility of
standing in the great congregation, stated that the Jews were
now using the Bible for their instruction ; yet, whilst they
were well acquainted with it, they were most ignorant of it.
How was this ? If he went into the house of a Jew he did
not see there a complete copy of the Bible, unless they had
obtained it from the Bible Society or those which this society
had published. They read the five books of Moses ; and
also the Lamentations of Jeremiah, which they still sung
with mournful melody ; they also read the Psalms of David,
but as to the entire Bible—why, we often found that the most
learned rabbi was most ignorant of it ? And why ? He went
from what le called the law of God to the oral law, and
thus trusted in things which could not save him. After en-
larging on this the rev. gentleman urged tnat we were
bound to attempt to circulate the entire Scriptures among
them, seeing that we were indebted to them for the very
language of our liturgy. The conversion of the Jews on the
continent was impeded, indeed prevented, by the difficulty
in which they were placed : they were there surrounded
either by Socinianism or Popery, so that they had only the
prospect of infidelity or idolatory before them, and it was
this which prevented them from embracing the religion of
Christ. Mr. Ayerat narrated many anecdotes illustrative
of this state of effairs, very curious and instructive ; after
which he proceeded to show chiefly by narrative, that thy
true method of converting the Jews was not by perpetually
. calling them a stiff-necked people but by addressing them in
the language of love and conciliation. He concluded by
shewing from Scripture that it was impossible for the Jews
to forget Jerusalem; and an eloquent exhortation to Christ-
ians to aid in their conversion.

The Rev. G. W. BROOKS, vicar a Clareborough, seconded
the resolution. The- fiist thing to which be should call atten-
tion was the difficultiesthe society's agents had to contend
with, arising from the melancholy aspect which Christianity
presented to the Jews the consequence of the infidelity and
the immoral lives of Christians on the Continent. There
the Sabbath was desecrated, and the people were reckless of
the interests of morality. Besides this, there were the per-
secutions which they had experienced at the hands of Chris-

tians of various principles; all these tended to indispose the
Jews to conversion to Christianity. Another difficulty was
the rabbinical principles with which many of the Jews were
embued which kept them in a state of of intellectual spiritual
bondage. He rejoiced, however, in common with every
member of the society, at the blessed prospect which was
being opened to them of liberty, and of being brought
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some persons objected to the
society on the ground that it had done, or was doing,
nothing ; or rather that its operations were not attended with
a commensurate degree of success. How stood the fact?
From the year 1822 there had been a great awakening of the
Jews ; the society's missionaries then began to be followed
by them. They then began to receive tracts ; they had not
since objected to receive the New Testament; and in the
numerous instances in some parts of the continent, the
lodgings of the missionaries had been pressed by crowds
which came for the books which were to be presented to
them. In numerous instances they had actually to have the
gendarmes ; and from many statements published in the
society's report, it appeared that the same excitement was
still continu►ng. The next question was, what were the
results of this spirit of enquiry and of this excitement?
Why, in the first place, there were a great many Jews who,
although they had not become Christians, were convinced of
the folly of rabbinism ; and even in this country they were
separating themselves from the oral law. He perceived, too,
that the reading of the Old Testament was encouraged by the
Rabbis ; and what was the reason ? Why, that the reading of

it led to Scepticism ; and that was to unbelief in the Talmud,
and the next step was to lead to Christianity, which was a re-
markable test of the divine origin of Christianity, shewing the
accordance of the Old Testament with the New, and how, as
we read it, it brought us to the reception of the New Testa-
ment. (Hear.) Besides this, a proof of success was to be
found in the number of baptisms which were taking place.
Many friends of the society said that, though there were nu-
merous conversions, there were more among the heathen.
Now he would try the justice of this by a very simple test.
There were assumed to be about six millions of Jews in the
world; and there were six hundred millions of heathens.
The present was the 34th year of the existence of the society.
There had been 4,000 baptisms, but, for the sake of conve-
nience, he would take them at only 3,400, being one hundred
baptisms every year. Now, the heathen conversions neces-
sarily ought to be one hundred times more, or 340,000 alto-
gether, to be in the same proportion; but all the societies
together could not boast of so many ; therefore it appeared
that God had greatly blessed the society in this respect.
(Loud cheers.) The rev. gentleman concluded by applying
a passage from St. Paul to the opponents of the society : he
wished, he said, that they were not only almost, but altoge-
ther, such as the society was.
The'resolution was then unanimously carried.
The Rev. H. S. JOSEPH moved the next resolution,
which stated that the meeting had heard with great satis-
faction and gratitude that the important object the society
had had in view by the establishment of the Anglican Church
at Jerusalem, had been promoted by the King of Russia,
and the facilities afforded by the Queen of these realms ; and
they desired to acknowledge their increased gratitude for
having been made the instruments of promoting a descend-
ant of the house of Judah to the office of bishop and head
of the mission to that important station. Mr. Joseph
stated that Dr. Alexander, who was now bishop of Jerusa-
lem, first came to this country, he was directed by provi-
dence to Ireland, where he subsisted as a teacher of the
Hebrew language. Ile was:soon !brought into connection
with the clergy ; and it happened that some one of the clergy
represented his case to the late Archbishop of Dublin. Dr.
Alexander was consequently introduced to his lordship,
and eventually he was ordained to the office of deacon
and afterwards to that of priest. He (Mr. Joseph) ad-
mitted the designation given to our church : it was
called the United Church of England and Ireland, and
he felt there was something (interesting in the fact of the
Bishop of Jeruslem being ordained deacon and priest in Ire-
land and bishop in Ireland. This was a circumstance which
shewed, stronger than he could explain, how completely the
church was connected. As to the Bishopric of Jerusalem, it
was said in the Scriptures, that of God's Church " Kings
shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens thy nursing
mothers ;" and this was a prophecy which seemed to be
exemplified in a most remarkable manner. In the
good providence of God we had seen a Jehosaphat raised up
in the person and character of the King of Prussia, and through
his instrumentality a bishop had been sent to Jerusalem, his
Majesty having contributed the munificent sum of £1,500
towards the endowment of the see. Here, indeed, we saw a
personal fulfilment of the promise of Kings being raised up
as nursing fathers; and we were also promised that Queen's
should be her nursing mothers. It was not generally known
that the late Duke of Kent laid the foundation stone of the
first Jewish Episcopal Chapel in this country. His daughter
our most gracious Queen, (loud cheers) God bless her, (re-
newed cheers) had been the honoured instrument of signing
the first Jewish bishop's mandate in this country ; thus the
father had built the first Jewish church, and the daughter
had sent forth the first Jewish bishop. lear, hear hear.)
Let us in this acknowledge the hand of God, and take cou-
rage in the work we are engaged in ! (Cheers.) The rev.
gentleman then detailed the different attempts made to lay
the foundation of a church at Cathedral ; they had all been
unsuccessful, and eventually the foundation-stone was
laid by a Jewish bishop. He was, as they all must be,
glorified greatly in that we were here again permitted to re-
cognise the hand of God. (Cheers.) Then, again, there
came reports that Dr. Alexander was not well received ; and
where did they originate from ? They came from Rome.
(Hear, hear.) Rome said, "We will have a bishop there."
They, therefore, consecrated a bishop, and sent him there
with the high and scriptural title of the " Bishop of Babylon !"
(Hear, hear.) Now, if we gave the Church of Rome credit
at all for being scriptural, it must be in this ; and we had not
sent forth false reports that the Bishop of Babylon had been
stoned, and unkindly treated. Now, in the providence of
God, we had at Jerusalem a bishop, priest, and deacon, and the
gospel was again to go forth from Jewish lips ; and he trusted
it would go forth in the power of God to the salvation
of every one that believed, and "to the Jew first.". The
rev. gentleman, in conclusion, stated that the liturgy of the
church of England had been rendered into Hebrew for the
use of the church at Jerusalem, SO that the Jews would now
have an opportunity of knowing that she was not an idola-
trous church. He proposed the resolution.
The Rev. R. DAVIES seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously.
A collection was here made, and during the time it was
made a hymn was sung, in which the meeting joined most
heartily.
The Rev. HUGH WNEILE proposed the next resolution,
which stated that the meeting regarded the present state of
the Jews as :shown by the rejection of the oral law upon the
part of so many in this country, whilst they still adhered to
the word of God, and the spirit of inquiry among them as
most encouraging in that it opened a door for Missionary
labour and the circulation of the sacred Scripturers. The
address of the rev. gentleman was most eloquent and Scrip.
tural, but owing to the late hour at which the meeting con-
cluded we are unable to report it.
The Rev. Dr. TATTERSALL seconded the motion, and it
was carried unanimously.
The usual thanks were then voted to the chairman, and
the meeting separated.