THE BAGDAD MISSION.-V.

T is by no means an easy or a grateful task to try to please or to satisfy the critics of Mission work among the Jews. To some, nothing but a large number of baptisms indicates success; to others, this is no proof whatever. Some think that our converts ought to be kept distinct, and encouraged to retain Jewish customs and observances, especially the seventh day, Sabbath, and circumcision, if not the dietary laws; others, again, think that it is very foolish to encourage them to keep any vestige of their Jewish origin, since they have been admitted by baptism into the Church of Christ, where there is no difference between Jew and Greek. A number of Jewish A number of Jewish converts quite approve of this, and do not like even to be known as Hebrew Christians. It is, I am afraid, useless to argue, and all that can possibly be done is to follow the apostolic rule: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." I believe that we cannot accurately judge, define, or limit Missionary success; it entirely depends upon the field, and whilst in one place we should be disappointed if there were no baptisms, in another we might well thank God and take courage if we could only gain access to Jews, and have opportunities of preaching Christ and disseminating God's Holy Word.

Thus I consider that the Mission in Bagdad was a great success, not from the number of baptisms, but from the large numbers to whom we had access and to whom we preached Christ. As I sometimes look into my old journals, I thank God for the record of opportunities for labour, and I am astonished at the amount of work gone through. Hardly a day passed in which we did not come into contact with Jews, often with many, and those not the poor and unlearned, but the higher, learned, and opulent classes. We had visits from rabbis, dayanim, and teachers, and were most politely received by them. We had access to every house, and often visited their schools and colleges, where they paid us rabbinical honours. The Jews, however were not the only people whom we benefitted or who visited and gladly received us. The Bagdad Mission was as "a city set on a hill," and all sorts of people saw its light: Mahometans, Chaldæans, Syrians, and Armenians. were instructed and benefited. I had intercourse with the most learned Mahometans: Abdul Baki Effendi, one of the great poets of the age, and Mustapha Effendi were frequent visitors at our house. The latter one day said, "You Europeans are the most presumptuous people in the world! I hear you teach Arabic; I should like to see what you know of

our language and how you can teach it." 1 made no response, but simply called up my little daughter, aged seven, and my nephew, aged nine, with their slates, and gave him a book and asked him to read. As he read they wrote, and I afterwards gave him their slates to correct. As he looked over the dictation he was rather astonished, and said, "There is only one mistake; I admire what the children have done; why, very few of our grown up men could write so correctly from dictation." This gave him a different idea of the capability of Europeans for teaching. We were great friends ever after, and he was of great use to us in different ways.

I had at that time a very interesting inquirer, named Leon, a watchmaker. His wife was a native Jewess, very ignorant and superstitious; she did not like his coming to us, and threatened him with all sorts of things if he persisted. The man took no notice of what appeared to him a foolish threat, when all at once he received a summons from the Makkimé, suing him for a debt of 120 Liras, owing to his wife, which he was to pay in three days. Leon first ridiculed this: how could his wife prove it? But we heard that she had a forged receipt and had witnesses. The day for hearing the case arrived, and I was much distressed, not knowing what to do. My friend Mustapha Effendi happened to call, and, looking at me he said, "What makes you so sad?" When I told him the state of things, he offered to accompany me to the Cadi. We were most kindly received, and I spoke first to the judge, assuring him that the whole affair was trumped up. But with a stern face he said, "If there are witnesses in the case it will fare badly with the man." The case came on, the document was produced, and the witnesses swore to the genuineness of the receipt, and that they were present when the wife counted out the money to her husband as a loan. The judge turned to me and said, "You see the case is clear, and I must pronounce judgment accordingly." Before you do so," said Mustapha Effendi, “I should like to call some other witnesses." Two large-turbaned gentlemen, Hadjis, were called in, who attested that the husband had, a few days ago, paid the said sum to his wife in thei presence, and they too produced a forged receipt duly signed and witnessed by their own seals. The prosecution was at an end; the Cadi, in righteous indignation, poured out the vials of his wrath upon the woman, and Leon was a free man.

serious enquirers. A young Roumanian rabbi, with testimonials and recommendations to the rabbis of Bagdad, called, accompanied by a number of young rabbinical students who were to witness his easy triumph over the Missionary. He began by asking questions which he had prepared from Rabbi Isaac's "Hizook Emoonah;" but as we quickly and readily answered his questions, his countenance clouded over, and he said to me in German, "There is something more in Christianity than I imagined." He commenced coming frequently alone; and although determined to resist the truth, and often bitter in his remarks, I saw that God's Spirit was striving with him, and finally the spirit of the proud pharisee was bent and brought to the cross. Solomon Wechster was

regularly instructed, and after due preparation admitted into the Church of Christ by baptism. And he who before was a blasphemer and hater of Christianity, now diligently and faithfully preached Christ, and be

came one of our

most valued colporteurs.

Although the Mission work was in many ways encouraging and most pleasant, life in Bagdad was far

also suffered frequently from a plague of locusts, which generally lasted for several years in succession. We much enjoyed our house on the Tigris; it was spacious, with a nice chapel, school-rooms, and rooms in which to receive Jews. But one year the river rose almost to our cellar windows, and we began to fear the collapse of the house. During that time we had a horrible sand-storm, black sand or dust. coming down like rain; the air felt as if coming from a furnace; there was not a cool place where one could lie down. I was the only one who ventured to go up to the roof to sleep, placing my couch near the balustrade, towards the courtyard, and not towards the river. I had hardly closed my eyes, when I heard a terrible noise. Deeming that the stable side of the house had fallen in, I stepped forward to look over the parapet to see where the damage was, when, to my great horror, I saw the water under me a large part of the frontage had fallen in, and I was for the present suspended in the air on a narrow part of the roof, which might fall in any moment, without the means of getting down into the house. Meanwhile our furni

from delightful. But if merchants and officers can bear it for the sake of gain or advancement, why not the missionary with a higher object in view? Still it does not make disagreeables less disagreeable. The heat in summer was almost unbearable: 125° Fahrenheit in the shade, where the sun never came. The only habitable place during the day for six months was the serdab, an underground cellar; and the only place for sleeping at night was in the open air on the flat roof, where sometimes the thermometer would not fall below 110°. The cellars were infested with scorpions, and the children suffered dreadfully with ophthalmia and boils. Everyone had to suffer, wsome time or other, from the "Aleppo button," or sedate mark, a disagreeable boil which always left an talgly mark, especially when it came on the face. We

ture and boxes with clothes were carried away by the flood, boxes floating like so many boats; and a great deal of damage was done to our books. and other possessions. One of our servants, who was a capital swimmer, recovered some of our things, but the loss altogether was very great. I managed at last to come down from my perilous position, and then saw that our ivan, the three-sided reception room, with all the furniture, Mr. Brühl's and my own study, and the two dressing-rooms over them, with all the clothing belonging to the ladies had been swept away. As day-break dawned, we were troubled with an anxiety even greater than the loss of our goods, and that was the loss of our home; we could not possibly remain in a house open to anyone to come in. Fortunately, however, after a few

days, we got a house in the interior of the town, whither we removed, and started afresh doing the Lord's work.

Mr. Brühl was away from home all this time, labouring faithfully for the conversion of his benighted brethren. We were hardly settled, when one day a Jew arrived, barefooted and almost without any clothing, bringing a letter in which he was described by Mr. Brühl as a learned and brilliant rabbi from Jerusalem, who was travelling in Persia, collecting money for his co-religionists in the Holy Land. He had become become convinced through his preaching of the truth of Christianity, and when the Jews found this out they took away all his money, clothing, and letters; beat him unmercifully, and drove him out of the city. Penniless, and almost naked, the poor fellow walked all the way in the broiling summer heat from Hamadan to Bagdad, begging his bread from place to place; and looked a most pitiable object. I, of course, received him, and began instructing him in Christianity, and was not long in discovering what an intelligent man he was; but really did not know what to do with him, how to keep him. So anxious was he to become a Christian, that he offered to become our servant, and remained with us a year in that capacity. He was baptized in due time. Abraham Mizrachi, though brought up as a rabbi, was contented with this position, and was very useful on Missionary journeys, where he also worked as a colporteur, and helped to preach the Gospel to his brethren. We had another interesting convert, Murat Tannenbaum, a Roumanian Jew, who was with us for a long while, working hard and faithfully for his daily bread, and gave us much satisfaction all the time that he was with us.

J. M. EPPSTEIN.

We regret to announce the death, on July 25, at Berlin, of Mrs. Biesenthal, the widow of the Society's learned Missionary, Dr. Biesenthal.

We have received the Seventieth Report of the Berlin Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, from which it appears that the work of this society is still being carried on in Roumania, and in the north-west and south-west quarters of of Berlin. The report states that the enmity of the Jews against the Mission and its agents is now as it was 1800 years ago. In the east of Europe it bursts out into fanaticism, and in the west shows itself in the garb of ridicule and contempt. The income of this Society during the year 1892 was 25002 marks 41 pfennigs; of which sum 15839 marks 17 pfennigs were from contributions and collections, 9,123 marks 52 pfennigs from interest on capital. The expenditure of the year amounted to 20024 marks 65 pfennigs.

The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Ellis returned to Warsaw on September 7th.

We are pleased to hear that the Rev. J. B. Barraclough has been appointed to the living of St. Thomas, Lambeth.

Mr. T. E. and Mrs. Zerbib left London for Mogador on September 7.

The Rev. J. M. Eppstein, Head of the South of England Mission, left London for Bristol on September 25. His new address is 5, Brandon Villas, Charlotte Street, Bristol. Before leaving he wrote:

"Sunday, Sept. the 17th, was a very profitable and happy day to me, such as one would wish to be the winding-up of his Missionary work before removing to another sphere of labour. Mr. Williams invited me to preach the Harvest Thanksgiving Sermon in the morning, when I took the opportunity of bidding farewell to the congregation with whom I had worshipped for the last eight years.

"I also baptized at this service, after the 2nd lesson, the family B., consisting of father, mother, and four children. The B.'s are highly respectable and connected with the best families in Warsaw. Mr. B. was for a long time employed on a good salary in Vienna, but was obliged to give up his place on account of anti-Semitic persecution. Both he and his wife are energetic and bent upon finding and doing work, and I trust they will prosper and grow in grace.

"In the afternoon I took the Hebrew Service, and had the opportunity of saying a few earnest farewell words to my Hebrew Christian brethren. In the evening I had the happiness of administering the Holy Communion, and partaking of it with the congregation of the chapel.

"I have omitted mentioning another baptism, which took place on Wednesday, August the 23rd. S. H. A. is a native of Tiberias, in Galilee, has received a good Rabbinical education, belongs to a high Sephardi family, and has been employed as clerk to the Rabbinate and community at Alexandria, in Egypt. I believe all these converts to be earnest and sincere and earnestly recommend them to the hearty prayers of God's children who love Israel."

Mr. Eppstein has baptized 26 members of the House of Israel this year, namely, fifteen Jews, two Jewesses, and nine children.

PRESENTATION TO THE REV. J. M. EPPSTEIN. A very interesting function took place at the Committee Meeting of the Hebrew Christian Prayer-Union on the 24th of August, when the Rev. J. M. Eppstein was presented with an artistically illuminated address by the members of Committee of that Union. The President, the Rev. A. Bernstein, B. D. made the presentation and accompanied it with a few graceful and well-chosen words, bidding Mr. Eppstein God speed in his new sphere of work and asking him in the name of the Committee to accept the address as a slight token of appreciation of his efforts as past-President of the Union. The Rev. J. M. Eppstein who was greatly moved, thanked the President and Committee of the Hebrew Christian Prayer-Union for the token of affection which they had presented to him. He assured one and all that he will

affectionately cherish his connection with the Committee and Union and as by leaving he does not consider himself excommunicated from its midst he will in future if occasion should arise, continue to render services not only to the Union but to Hebrew Christians in general.

The combined Monthly and Quarterly Prayer Meeting will be held (D.V.) in the Girls' School, Palestine Place, Cambridge Heath, on Friday, October 13, at 3.30 o'clock. The Rev. A. Lukyn Williams, M.A., will preside. An address will be given by the Rev. F. A. C. Lillingstone, M.A., Vicar of St. James', Clapham. Some of the children of the Hebrew Schools will be present and sing.

JUDEO-GERMAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE "INTELLIGENCE."

DEAR SIR-It is at the suggestion of several members of the Committee that I am writing to ask you kindly to insert the enclosed, or such part for which you may find room, in the Intelligence. From it you will see that, owing to the gross darkness and great ignorance of the majority of our Jewish people of their own Scriptures, I have undertaken the translation of the Old Testament in the language they can all understand, and will with gladness accept and read.

I showed proofs of the Pentateuch to a learned Jew. When I told him that I hoped soon to have the whole Bible printed, through Christian liberality, he was so overjoyed that he removed

his skull-cap (which all pious Jews wear), and kissing my hand, said: "That will indeed be an act of Christian kindness and a great boon to our Jewish people all over the world."

I am sure that the Lord's stewards cannot use that which He has so graciously entrusted to them in a way more pleasing to Himself than by giving back to the Jewish people those Oracles of God which were first committed unto them.

MARCUS S. BERGMANN.

A JUDEO-GERMAN BIBLE FOR JEWS. We, who feel the great necessity of giving the Word of God (the Old Testament) to the Jews in our respective Parishes, in the Judæo-German dialect, a language which they can all understand, have formed ourselves into a Committee (in conjunction with other Gentlemen,) and confidently appeal to the Christian Church, which owes the deepest debt of gratitude to God's ancient people the Jews, for the jealous care with which their fathers have, during a long succession of ages, handed down to us in all their integrity those "Oracles of God," which were first committed to their care.

We are anxious at once to put such a Version of the Pentateuch into circulation. The Book of Genesis is already in print, and has been critically examined and approved of by the Chief and other Rabbis of the various sections of the Jewish Communities. The rest of the Pentateuch is already in stereo-type plates, and will soon be printed at the cost of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Several other books are now translated, which we are anxious to put into type. The amount required to complete the whole of the Old Testament in stereo-type plates is about £600.

Mr. Bergmann's translation is being carefully revised by eminent Jewish Missionaries. The proofs are also examined by learned unconverted Jews, to insure to the Jewish World at large that the translation, (especially the Messianic passages) is faithfully rendered from the original.

All labour, with the exception of cost of printing and binding, is quite gratuitous, so that all gifts sent for this object will go to produce the Scriptures for wide circulation amongst God's ancient people, so many of whom are at present without this glorious light. J. H. SCOTT, ERNEST SANDERS, M. THOMAS.