also a great readiness to attend to his suggestions, and to concur in the plans which he recommended for adoption. Adverting to the lifeless and irreverent manner in which the worship of the synagogue is conducted among the orthodox Jews, he remarks; "There seem to be some few among the Jews them selves who feel this, and are very desirous of introducing some improvements into the worship of their synagogues, so as to make it more edifying, who (for this purpose) frequent Christian churches, and make many inquiries into the employments of Christian ministers, and their manner of proceeding with the congregations committed to their care. All this is a proof that some feeling of the necessity of religion is growing up among them; and this gives us at least a hint to work upon."

The gradual diminution of prejudice is an encouraging indication of improvement in the dispositions of the Dutch Jews towards Christianity. A striking instance of this kind was mentioned in the last Report; in which it was stated, that for three years successively, the professor of divinity in one of the Dutch universities had been requested to examine the children of a Jewish school in the same town, as to their proficiency in Hebrew. This favourable inclination on the part of the Jews may be fostered by conciliation and kindness. "What I observe" (says Mr. Thelwall)" as most of all important is the impression which kindness and friendship make upon the Jews, for (alas that it should be so!) they are not accustomed to meet with this from Christians." On another occasion, after mentioning a visit paid to the Jewish school, he says, "The Jew who was with him (the rabbi) appeared to be touched with the interest we expressed in the Jewish children, and pressed us very much to call upon him."

A Jew of considerable opulence, having been long inwardly con

vinced of the falsehood of the present system of religion among his brethren, and of the absurdity of their mode of worship-persuaded also that their present religion is not the religion of Moses and the Prophets, and struck with the purity and simplicity of Christianity, and with the coincidence of the New Testament with the Old-had, about a year before Mr. Thelwall met him, been baptized, with his wife and five children, and had become a supporter of Bible, Tract, and Missionary Societies. The sister of the individual just mentioned, and her five children, the eldest of whom is twenty-five, were baptized early in last year, by a minister of the Reformed Church.

Another case of conversion to the Christian faith, which the Committee adduce from Mr. Thelwall's correspondence, is as follows:-A Jew, who had been bred up in the greatest ignorance, early enlisted as a soldier, and served in the French armies in Russia. Afterwards he returned to his family, but was soon turned on the wide world to seek his fortune, and led a roving life for some time, till at length he was taken up for theft, convicted, and sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the house of correction at V., where every Sunday morning. Mr. B. was accustomed to give a sermon or exhortation to prisoners. The Jew was excused from attending these services, as likewise all who did not belong to the Reformed Church; but, observing his fellowprisoners assembling, he himself requested permission to attend, which of course was allowed. He found what was said very plain and intelligible, and he was sometimes affected even to tears; so that at length he requested permission to have more particular and personal instruction. The Directors of the house, fearful that he had some sinister designs in this request, represented to him, that if he continued a Jew, and his conduct in other respects was satisfactory, they should make such repre

sentations to the king as would lead to a remission of one year of his punishment; but that, if he persisted in his desire of Christian instruction, they should not dare to do this, lest it should give occasion to any suspicion, either in his own mind, or in those of others, that his release was in any way connected with his change of faith. But though the matter. was thus put to his choice, he chose rather to continue his whole time in prison, for the sake of Christian instruction, than to remain in his ignorant Judaism, and thus obtain a year's freedom. The Directors took bim at his word, and he received instruction from Mr. B. for the space of two years-using also the opportunities afforded in the house of correction, of learning to read and write. He seemed to require that period for instruction, being very slow of comprehension, though he was very diligent and attentive; and when he was liberated, Mr. B., with two of his elders, received his confession of faith, preparatory to his baptism, with which all three were highly pleased. They then represented to him the difficulties and temptations to which he would be exposed, especially from the Jews, who would try by promises and threats, to prevail with him to desert his faith, and return to Judaism, and they were really afraid he would not be able to withstand the temp tations which awaited him. To all this he replied, with tears in his eyes, that he would shed the last drop of his blood for Jesus Christ." On the Sunday following, in the presence of a very numerous congregation, he was baptized.

In Germany, it would appear that there are numbers of Jews who are secretly persuaded of the truth of Christianity, but are restrained from making a public confession of their faith by the fear of a persecution which would deprive them of the means of support.-Ą Jewish Missionary, Mr. Petri, states, that he was, in different instances, encouraged by the Jews to address him

self particularly to the children and young people, who were left at liberty by their parents, (though themselves were too old, as they said, to change their religion,) to follow their own discretion. Many females applied for New Testaments, bitterly lamenting the ignorance in which they were held by their rabbies. In one place, where some bigoted Jews attempted to get hold of the books which he had circulated, in order to destroy them, "the young men and females would not part, on any account, with their New Testaments, but would read and examine them, in order to know whether Jesus be the Messiah." The Jews themselves in the south of Germany, are publishing extracts from the Old Testament, expressly for the use and instruction of their women.

The Committee next advert to Prussia. The following extract from a letter from Mr. Hoff gives some interesting particulars relative to the proceedings of the Society's Missionaries at one of the places which they visited, Koenigsberg :"The first day after we became known, our room was almost always full of Jews: there was then a great fair at Memel; and Jews came from various quarters, especially from Si- · lesia, and solicited books. They willingly paid the price we asked for the New Testaments and the Prophets. Our books were soon disposed of, and we were glad to obtain more. As many wished to have German Bibles, we obtained of the Bible Society here twenty copies, of which we have only five left. They paid for the greater part of these Bibles: almost 300 Tracts, and twenty New Testaments and Prophets were soon distributed. As our second supply was inadequate, we sent for a chest of books from Dantzic.

proof of the life-giving power of the word of God. I went with him through the promises of the Old Testament referring to the Messiah; and every passage appeared to him in the light of Divine truth, whereby he was strongly affected. He held the New Testament close in his hands, and asked me to sell it to him. I said, as I see you are desirous to read it for your improvement and instruction, I will give it to you in remembrance of our conversation this day. But he absolutely refused accepting it as a donation; and I was obliged to take the cost price, which he gladly paid."

The Committee next proceed to Prussian Poland, where the Society's missionaries, Mr. M'Caul and Mr. Becker, have distributed a large number of New Testaments and tracts. They write as follows from Cracow :

"We gave a tract to each of the Jewish factors of the hotel, and, to allow time for the effect, went to the Russian post and Professor Randtke soon after our return, Jews came in considerable numbers for books; they came in such disorder, that we could not either count the books or the persons exactly; they were between eighty and a hundred.

"Thursday morning. The Jews began to visit us so early as seven; and until twelve, our lodging was completely full: fatigue, from speaking, compelled us to stop until two o'clock. The Jews here disputed far more vigorously than elsewhere, and remained for hours together: this compelled us to speak much more than at any other place where we have yet been. The number of tracts, Testaments, and cards amounted to 271; and as scarcely any person received two tracts, the number of persons could not have been much less."

The Committee report the formation of an Auxiliary Society at Oletzko, a Prussian town on the frontiers of Poland. There are now six foreign Societies.

The encouraging account which has here been given, of the disposition of the Polish Jews towards Christianity, is confirmed by the testimonies of other persons not connected with this Society. The German Missionaries employed by the Edinburgh Jewish Society write: "At Berditchief we remained several days. This place contains 30,000 Jews. Our conversations with them were of a highly interesting and important nature. Thousands of them received our books and tracts, and heard what we said of Jesus as the true Messiah. The prejudices of many seemed to give way."

Mr. Moritz, a converted Jew, employed as a missionary in Russian Poland by his Imperial Majesty, says,

"There have now upon the whole been with me at least eight hundred Jews of all ages: among whom there were nearly all the Jewish schoolmasters of the place, and the greater part of the youths that study the Talmud in the Beth Hamedrash: there have also been some respectable Jews from Berditchef, who were there afraid to visit me. The crowd was on the first day so great, that I was obliged to place my people at the door as guard, allowing only a certain number at a time to enter, and when these were dispatched another number could enter. I was forced to this expedient, otherwise I should have been suffocated and in this manner I have distributed 1000 Hebrew and 200 Polish Hebrew tracts, and fiftyeight New Testaments in these languages."

Information had been received, that an institution for the education of poor Jewish children, and training of schoolmasters, was about to be opened at Basle, under the superintendence of some pious members of the Protestant communion.

The Committee proceed, in the close of their Report, to point out the importance of steadily directing their efforts to the countries bordering on the Mediterranean and Le