'mm 1;; 2_ BV 2622 .W6 A3 1824 Wolff, Joseph, 1795-1862. Missionary journal and memoir of the Rev. Jeseph OF THE REV. JOSEPH WOLF, MISSIONARY TO THE JEWS. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. REVISED AND EDITED BY JOHN BAYFORD, ESQ. F. S. A. NEW- YORK : PUBLISHED BY E. BLISS i^ E WHITE, 128 BROADWAY* 1824. A. SPOONER, rRINTBB, BIIOOILTN. \ C A PREFACE. vS@«« THE Missionary labours of Mr. V¥olt have excited a very general interest. The account he giAes of his many conversations with the Jews in ditierent places, is curious and striking. He exhibits the Jewish character somewhat in a new light, in the relation he gives of their manners, their opinions, and their general ha- bits of thinking. And he adds another testi- mony to this most important fact, that in the pre- sent day, Jews are every where found well dis- posed freely to discuss, and candidly to inves- tigate the truth of the Christian Religion. The Journals of Mr. Wolf have been publish- ed from time to time in the Jewish Expositor, as they reached this country. They appear worthy of being collected into a volume ; and the Memoir of his former life, and of his con- version from Judaism, which at the request of his friends, he wrote before he left England, naturally forms a preface to the Journal. In preparing them for the press, the Editor has in- terfered but little with the original manuscripts, and no further than by the correction of the more striking errors in grammar and idiom^ which IV PREFACE. indeed are very few, when it is considered that at his landing in England, Mr. Wolf was whol- ij unacquainted with the English language. Considerable difficulty has attended the de- cypheriug of many of the names, both of persons and of places : and the Editor fears he may have been less successful than he could have wished. He entreats the indulgence of the Reader where he has failed, either in this or in any other respect. But he trusts, that on the whole the account he now presents to the Pub- lic, of Mr. Wolf and of his missionary exer- tions, will not be found without interest. London, April 29. 1824. jWfDn^lr^ #t< NEAR Bamberg in Bavaria is a little village, called Weilersbach, which is inhabited by fifty Catholic, and fifteen Jewish families. 1 was born in this same village, in the year 1796. My father was the Rabbi of these Jews. M3' parents left this village witliin fifteen days after I was born, and came to Halle in Prussia, where my father exercised again the office of a Rabbi. 1 had a strict Jewish education : my father began to teach me all the Jewish ceremonies,, when I was four years old : and told me that all the Jews were expecting the Mes- siah, every day and every hour, that his advent could not be far off, and at that time we should dine on the great fish, called Leviathan. 1 believed all my fa- ther told me. and I considered Christians as worship- pers of a cross of wood, and no better than idolaters. I began to read the Hebrew prayer-book when I was six years old, and recited it every day, without being able to understand its contents. IvJy father sent me at this time to a public Christian school, to be instructed in German reading; but 1 had his express command never to be present when the school-master began to speak on a religious subject; and my father, with this view, de- sired the schoolmaster to allow me to remain at home on those days which were fixed for explaining the Christian doctrine. The schoolmaster did sO; and 1 continued to be an orthodox Jew. When I was seven years old, I walked one day in my room, occupied in meditation; at the same time I thought about Christ Jesus, whom 1 considered as a bad man, and an enemy of the Jews. It occurred to my mind to 6 become a Christian, but this purpose I disregarded after a few minutes, and F was as zealous a Jew as before. When i was about seven years and a half )ld, my father left Halle, and came to a great village near B. as Rabbi amongst the Jews. I was at this time grown a bad boy, and I began to feel that I was a great sinner, and my conscience began to rebuke me, and I was in great distress as often as 1 commi.ted a fault. The Jews of that village were greater enemies of the Chris- tians than the Jews in general are. My father instruct- ed me at this time in the books of the Talmud ; and every evening I was obliged to go to buy milk at a bar- ber's, who was a Lutheran Christian. My mother or- dered me to be present in the stable while the barber's servant was milking, that I might inform, if the servant should put any thing into the milk-pail which the Jews are prohibited eating : for the Jews know, that nominal Christians deride in this manner the ceremonies, and the law of the Jews. But being weary of staying so long in a stable, I went into the dwelling of the barber, and conversed uith him about our Messiah, whom 1 expect- ed every day, who would build again the lemple of Je- rusalem. Tlie barber and his wife, who were true Chris- tians, heard me with patience and compassion. Then he said to me, "O! my dear child! you do not know the true Messiah. Jesus Christ, whom your ancestors did cru«!ify, was the true Messiah ; but your ancestors always expected an earthly kingdom, and not a heaven- ly one ; and therefore they killed him, likewise as they did the prophets, and if you would read witiiout j)reju- your own prophets, you would be convinced." I was eight years old. I was confounded when 1 heard them thus speak. Without being able at that time to read the prophets well, I believed what the barber told me, and said to myself " It is true that the Jews have killed and persecuted prophets, because my father himself told me so: — perhaps Jesus Christ was killed innocent." Two days after my conversation with the barber, I went to the Lutheran clergyman of that village, and said to him, "I will become a Christian." The minister asked me, " How old are you ?" I answered, Eight years. He replied, "You are yet too young ; return to me after a few years." I told nothing of these cir- cumstances to my father, because I feared punishment. But he observed himself, that I was more unquiet and much more thoughtful than I ever was before. Some of my questions caused him to suspect; and he said one day to my mother, while 1 was in the closet of the ad- joining room, where I could hear it: ''Alas! our son will not remain a Jew !" When I was ten years old, my father went to another town; and when I was eleven, he sent me to a different place in Germany, under the direction of a rich Jewish lady, whose intention was to take care that 1 should be instructed in the Latin language, and in the knowledge of the Talmud, in order that I might one day become a Rabbi, and a physician to the Jews. I found in the house of that lady, several Jews who were deists, like the old Sadducees; who began to communicate their sentiments, that we are not obliged to observe the law of Moses, that all men, as well Jews as Christians, have the same moral principles, and that Moses was a great man, but a great imposter. I did not agree with them, especially with regard to the character of Moses ; — but I began to disregard the ceremonies of tiie Jews, and to have doubts about the necessity of a revelation. My brother, who studied with me, had not any inclination to apply himself to the sciences, and therefore lie hin- dered me every day when 1 would study, and it was im- possible to make progress. I became for that reason so ill from sorrow, that I was obliged to return to my father's house ; and having not any very good religious principles, my moral character began to fall. 1 some- times lifted mine eyes to heaven, but not with fdial con. lidence, or childlike simplicity. The Lord, therefore, ceased to send me down from heaven the dew of his grace! My father and mother observed something was amiss, and shed tears. I was only twelve years and a half old, and yet an insatiable ambition and vanity had taken possession of my heart. 8 After tliat ni}' health had been restored, I went to my uncle, who lives in Bamberg; and my father, who had been ill some years of a consumption, was obliged to re- sign his situation as Rabbi, and to return to his native place, called Weilersbach, where I myself was born. A Catholic m Bamberg taught me Latin and universal history; but one day he began to speak about our future state, and said, *' It is an impossible tiling to be a moral man without God, without Christ /" he began to read the Gospel with me. I was so delighted, that when I returned to my uncle, 1 said, in the presence of all the Jews of that place, " I will embrace the Christian faith !" All the Jews, except my uncle, who was indifferent then, began to persecute me in such a manner, that I was obliged to fly. When I had travelled for a day without money, and did not know where I could obtain a night's lodging, I found in the field a shepherd, who invited me to sleep in his house. I accepted liis offer- ed kindness : and he returned with his sheep to the vil- lage, where I was kindly received by his whole poor family. He entreated me the next morning to accept money to carry me on in my journey to Frankfort, Without knowing any distinction betweeu the Protest- ant and Catholic denominations, I wished only to be more instructed in the knowledge of the Gospel, and to be baptized in the name of Christ; and to be enabled by studying the Latin and Greek language, to become a future preacher of the Gospel. 1 went therefore to a Protestant professor at Frankfort, and told him my wish, and my intention, lie said to me : " My dear friend, it is not necessary to become a Christian, be- cause Christ was only a great man, such as our Luther : and you can even be a moral man without being a Christian, which is all that is necessary." I did not accord with his sentiments. He introduced me to some Jews who were true Sadducees, and my own heart was still divided. I gave ihe best part to the world, and the worst to our Lord, and sought (. hrist and his reli- gion with but little earnestness. I loved human con- \ ersation too much, und therefore my morality began to sink again. And 1 very often wished that the prin- ciples of the Deist might be true ; but I could never satisfy myself that they were so: and oftentimes invol- untary tears ran from my eyes. I studied Latin, and Greek, and Hebrew, three months at Frankfort ; and after that, I became ill and was a month in a hos- pital, where I began to reflect about eternity, and resol- ved within myself to be different. I came away at the end of four months, and endeavoured to see my father again, but he was dead. I was at the same time four- teen years old. I went from Weilersbach to Halle, where 1 had been educated, and 1 went to the Protest- ant Professor Knapp, teacher of divinity in the univer- sity. He said to me, "Do you know Christ.'^ Jesus Christ is God over all. If you do not believe this, you will commit a great sin by becoming a Christian." Therefore I said to him that I wished to be more in- structed about Jesus Christ. I studied the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew amongst the Protestant pupils of the schools in Halle. I heard several opinions about Christ; but Professor Knapp was the only one who satisfied me. The Jews in Halle began to persecute me in conse- quence of my sentiments, and my purpose to become a Christian. I decided, therefore, to go to another town. Professors Knapp and Niemeyr gave me a testimonial, which testified my good conduct and my diligence : and I went to Prague in Bohemia. Here I applied again to some of the Catholic clergymen; but they told me, they had been too often deceived by Jews, to confide in any of them again. I quitted Prague and went to Vi- enna for the first time, being fourteen years and a half old. From Vienna I went to Presburg in Hungary, and then returned to Vienna : whei: 1 arrived at Vienna the second time 1 had not a penny left. I walked one day dejected and sorrowful in the suburbs of Vienna; and I sighed and prayed to our Lord ! A gentleman followed mc withoutmy having observed him, and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned about much frightened, and observed an oflicer of the Austrian army. The of- ficer said ; '• Why are you so sorrowful .'^" I answered ; 10 " My dear Sir, I am a young man wlio wishes to be in= striicted in the Christian faith, and to find friends who will assist me that I may continue my studies. I came therefore to Vienna, but I have found no one to aid me, and my money is now gone." The officer replied : **Have you any testimonies to your character with you." 1 shewed him all my testimonials from tlie pro- fessors of Halle. He said to me, "If you will be my servant till you can find any clergyman who will take care of you, you may live with me, and I will give 3 ou twenty pence every day and a ration of bread." Al- though I was not accustomed to be a servant I accepted the offer notwithstanding. His lady gave me the New Testament and the Prophets, 1 read them and prayed with great devotion to our Lord, tiiat he would help me, so that I might be baptized, and become a faithful preacher of his Gospel. After I had b^en three days in the officer's house, he found me reading the jEneid of Virgil : he said to me : " Do you understand it?" I said, '* A little." He examined me, and said afterwards, " My good son, I will not permit you any more to serve me, because the Lord has cliosen you to be his servant : you can stay and live with me and my wife, till you find a good Christian who will assist you ; because, as I am a poor soldier, you cannot always remain with me." I continued with the officer for ten days, but I found nobody to give me the assistance I wanted : and I left Vienna at the end of three weeks with tlie intention of going to M. in Bavaria. I passed a large and rich cloister of monks in Austria, and entered into it, be- cause 1 had once read in a romance, that a cloister was a place where good Christians assemble together to sing hymns to Christ Jesus. 1 went to the abbot of this convent, and said to him, " Will you permit me to abide amongst you, and baptize me in Christ's name, and teach me divinity tliat I may become a clerg3'man." I shewed him my testimonials, and the abbot and another who were very kind and Christian men, answered me thus : " Qy the law of the Austrian empire, we are not allowed to baptize a Jew, without the permission of his: 11 parents, if he is not eighteen years of age. If you will stay here three years and a half till you attain that age, we are ready to take you, because we very much res- pect the testimonials of Professors Knapp and Niemeyr ; they are Protestants, but notwithstanding, true and good Christians : you will here have time to read the Gospel again, and to comfort yourself more and more with the light of Christianity." When I had been four days in the convent, I observ- ed that the monks disapproved of the abbot's kind res- olution of receiving me, and they began to persecute me, saying, " We will have no foreigners in our con- vent, and especially no Jew : you can remain a Jew." Under these circumstances I could stay no longer in the convent, and lelt it in six weeks, and came to Munich, where I found a Catholic priest, who was the first who began to show me the distinction between the Protest- ant and Catholic religion ; he gave me to read, not on- ly the Bible, but likewise the works of the very enlight- ened Bossuet and Fenelon, and also some works of un- converted Protestants. 1 found in the works o( Bossuet, Fenelon, and Sailer, the true Catholic principles, which are entirely opposed to the abuses which are practised in Rome ! I began to consider Augustin, Polycarp, Je- rome, Bernard, as fruits of the tree of grace. 1 saw, on the contrary, in the works of the Protestants which I read at that time in Munich, infidelity and blasphemies against Christ, and began to judge about the spirit of Protestantism by these i'ew works. I had not seen at that time the works of the most enlightened Storr, Mil- ner, Scott Melancthon, and Luther: I must likewise sincerely confess that my soul was not yet prepared in a true way to embrace the grace of Chribtianity. 1 read at the same time some books which influenced my ima- gination, viz. the works of our German poets, Schiller, Wieland, Goethe, and Kotzebue, together with the truly spiritual works of Stolberg. But I entered not yet into the recesses of my heart to speak with Christ as with my friend! 1 had opimons of Christ, and only a specu- lative faith! The Lord, therefore, who watches his 12 fianctuary, and who loved me more than I loved hlin, prevented my being then baptized. A Jew, when truly called to the Christian faith, reads not such worldly books. I left Munich and came to W. and I can freely assert that I found only two old women in that city who were true Christians. Icameto one of the mostlearned men of tliai city, who conversed with me about religion, and said he had a great respect for the Christian religion, because it was the true natural religion ; but that he thought the religion of the Hindoos in certain points more perfect than Christ's religion, for they consider the beasts and the flowers as their brethren. Another of their learned men said, "If you believe a revelation which passes the human understanding, I would counsel you to embrace the Catholic faith : but when you are a naturalist as 1 am, I counsel you to embrace our Protestant religion, because Protestantism corresponds to the human nature." After 1 had been four months in W. giving lessons in Hebrew, I departed for Switzerland and came to So- leure, where an ex- Jf suit began to teach me not the Gospel, but a little Catechism, which 1 was obliged to learn by heart. I lodged in the house of a citizen, where 1 likewise boarded. We dined together, and be- fore we sat down, the master of the house and his wife tu ned their faces to an image of the Virgin Mary and of Christ, in order to ask a blessing. I turned my face to the window. The wife said to me, pointing with the finger to the image of Christ, "Mr. Wolf, our Lord is not at the window ; he is ther'\" 1 considered this as idolatrous, and said with anger, " Our Lord is at the window and every where; and this is not our Lord, it is only a piece of wood." The master of the lodging, and his wife then accused me to the ex-Jesuit, and he com- manded me to ask pardon for the scandal which I gave. I would not, and therefore left Soleure ; and in three weeks after 1 arrived a second time in Prague, where I heard a Franciscan monk preach the gospel of Christ, and not popery and superstition; 1 went to him after id he bad finislied his sermon, and lie introduced nie to the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Prague. This venerable Vicar-General recommended me to ilie care of an abbot of a Benedictine convent in Prague; and a monk of this convent read with me the Prophets, the Gospel, and the most spiritual works of Catholic au- thors, viz. Stolberg's, Sailer's, Schwarzhueber's, Tho- mas aKempis, and Augustin's ; and after six weeks I was baptized in the name of Christ, being seventeen years old at my baptism. They advised me to go to Vienna, and study philosophy and the oriental dialects. I did so; but the want of sustenance, and being obliged to give lessons, hindered my improving in philosophical learning and languages as I wished. I must now mention something which had considera- ble influence on my future conduct. I sought, when I arrived at Vienna, some good Catholic C'hristians, and especially a pious confessor. I heard a good deal of F. S. who is one of the most learned men and excellent poets in Germany: he was once a Protestaiit Christian only in name ; for his religion was formed upon the model of the ancient Greeks and Romans. His lady was the daughter of the famous Jew called M. Mendel- sohn of Berlin, and both became Catholics by persua- sion. I introduced myself to them, and was kindly re- ceived : his lady is indeed a true Christian, and inherits the talents of her father. She and her husband recom- mended me to their confessor, called Pater Bofbauer. Tf the Lord our God had not watched over me, 1 should now have been entirely initiated in the abominable sys- tem of Jesuitism ; and indeed J was too much the dupe of it. T did not then discern the sophistry of the sys- tem. But by the grace of God I saw it after my depar- ture from Rome, through experience of its deformity. It is well perhaps that 1 here give the character of P. Hofbauer. Pope Ganganelli abolished the Jesuits, and died soon after that noble decision. The popes after him lamented it, and considered the loss of the Jesuits as the loss of their best soldiers; they purposed tucre- fore again to re-establish this order; but as they could 2 14 not yet do it openly, Alfonsio Maria Lig^ori, Bishop of Agatha in the kingdom of Naples, established a new religious order, and gave to it the name, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris, the statutes and~malTners of it being precisely those of the Jesuits. Their common habit is a black rough garment, to which a long chap- let oftheViigin Mary is attached. Their shoes are without buckles, and hats large, but whilst engap:ed in a mission, they use any sort of dress. And Bishop Lig- iljori, by his zeal and eloquence, and feigned holiness, and pretended miracles, brought many young men to embrace his new order. P. Hofbauer came from Vi- enna to Rome : when the order was sanctioned by Ben- edict XIV. he was incoiporated witii it, and afterwards sent by Pius VI. as Vicar-General to Germany and Poland, and thence he went to several places in Ger- many. When Hofbauer came to the diocese of Con- stance, he petitioned Baron Wessenberg to give him a place as confessor : Baron W. made him confessor of a nunnery in his diocese; but when he began to engage young men as noviciates for his religious order, witfiout permission of the baron or of the government, and to propagate the doctrine of worshipping the Virgin Mary, and to distribute amongst the people miraculous images and scapularies according to the commandment of Lig- nori, and likewise a work «)f Lignori, entitled, Visita- tiones beatae Virginis Mariae, an idolatrous book, Wes- senberg expelled him from that country ; and he de- parted with '.he noviciates he had engaged, and came to Warsaw, from whence lie was again expelled in the year 1806 by the French, and every member of his convent ordered to return to his own country. P. Hof- bauer with another, proceeded to Vienna, but the other subjects of his order went to the Valais, in Switzerland. When the police of Stettin asked a lay-brother of that order, from what country are you ? lie answered. 1 am from the Valais : the police understood that he was born tliere, and by this Jesuitism was deceived. I discovered all this after my banishment from Rome, when I enter- ed in their convent in Switzerland. This same lay- 15 brother is considered as a saint by bis religious brethren. While Hof bauer was my spiritual guide, one of his fraternity told me that Hofbauer was Vicar- General of a Missionary order ; I replied witli*joy, that it was al- ways my intention to become a JMissIonary, and request- ed to be incorporated as one in the Society ; but they said, they liad not then a convent; but they expected to obtain one in Swizerland. I saw a young lady of nineteen years, come every day to this man ; she seemed to possess great piety, and desired to enter in a convent. A Bohemian baron, who was a great bigot, began at this time to persecute me, because he thought I had em- braced some Protestant doctrines ; and once w hen I spoke of Ganganelli with respect, Hofbauer was very angry, and said to me, ' You are full of Lutheran no- tions.' I began to read the works of F. Schiegel, which he published after his turning to the Roman church ; the Roman church is there represented as I never saw it before ; so that it was neither like the church of Christ, nor like that of Rome, as it now is, nor as it is described by Bossuet and Fenelon : it is the delineation of a religion, partly poetical and partly philosophical, in which are introduced the mythology of the old Greeks, and the more modern superstition of the Hindoos. He is a Pau;ano-Christian. Schiegel considers the crusades as the most noble and holy undertaking of mankind, and as the triumph of Christianity ; and he stops with pleasure to dilate on the destruction of those who fell by the sword of nominal Christian crusaders; he defends Charles the Fifth, and Philip the Second; and he calls the Virgin Mary the queen of the heavens. The public sermons of P. Hofbauer seemed to me to be according to the Gospel, but he distributed at the same time scapularies and chaplets, and the work Visi- tationes beatae Viglnis Maria? ; and I heard both Hof- bauer and Schiegel speak more of the autiiorlty of the pope than of Christ, but I excused it as a respect due to a bishop of Christ. In short, I was not able to refute the wonderful sophistry of Schiegel. I remained a year 16 and a half in Vienna, and I undertook a journey during the vacation into Hungary, where I had a recommenda- tion to a Catholic Archbishop. He was a pleasant man, and had some Scriptural knowledge, but I can protest that the name ofClffist, and the Bible, are unknown to the Catholic people of Hungary, which accounts for the great number of robbers and murderers in that country. The worship of images has taken place of the worship of Christ, though in some places in Hungary religious worship is altogether forgotten. I found in Erlan, a town of Hungary, a Jewish boj', six years of age, in a house called the house of converts. 1 asked how this little Jew came there ? They answered me he was taken from his parents by force, at the express command of the Bishop. When I heard this, I became indignant, especially when I observed the sorrow of the poor child, who was forced to worship images and not Christ, in- stead of Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Ja- cob! I returned to Vienna after an absence of six weeks. Being unable to reconcile these abuses with the spirit of the Catholic religion as it is represented by the most enlightened Count Stolbergh, who is the Fenelon of the German Catholics, I wrote to him, and entreat- ed him to permit me to come to him ; he replied, that he, as well as his lady and his children, would receive me with brotherly kindness. With the money which I gain- ed by my lessons, and with the assistance which the Arch- bishop of Vienna aftbrded me, 1 was enabled to take a place in the coach to Landshut, where I gave a public lecture on the Hebrew language, and 1 obtained so much by it, that I had sufficient to bring me to the pa- lace of Count Stolberg, in Westphalia. As 1 passed from Vienna to Westphalia, I found true Christians as well amongst Catholics, as amongst Pro- testants. I was astonished when 1 arrived at Count Stolberg's, and saw that great man : he and his lady, and fifteen children were examples of true humility and piety. He read with me the New Testament in the ori- ginal text ; he, himself, and his wife, spoke with me of the power of Christ, and of his resurrection 5 of his hu- 17 mility and love to his elected people : and he said to me very often, I feel great concern and love for yon, and for your brethren the children of Abraham ! He spoke with horror both of the inquisition and the cru- sades, and considered both as abominable. He consi- dered John Huss a martyr, and spoke of Luther with great regard. It was his intention, I should remain in his house some years; and I also desired and intended it, because I found myself very happy in the company of tnis grcdt man. But it was not the will of God that I should remain any longer than three months, in the house of this great man. When lS;apoleon returned from Elba to France, Count Stolberg and his family were in great distress, because he was always an adver- sary of that tyrant, and wrote continually against him; and being so near France he was in danger, and deter- mined to go to Holstein to his brother, to put himself and children in security. I left his house with tears be- cause he was my true friend, and believing that his sys- tem is the true spirit of the Roman church, and accords with the system of Catholicism in all ages, I continued a true follower of the Roman church ; and when I stop- ped after my departure from Count Stolberg, sometimes with learned men of the Protestant denomination, I defended with great fire the Roman church; and when they said, the Catholics believe the iniallibility of the l*ope, and command to worship images, I denied, and declared that Count Stolberg had taught me the true spirit of Catholicism, which was nothing else than the true doctrine of the Gospel. They replied, 'Stolberg is a good Christian, but has formed for himself his own Catholicism, which is different from that of Rome; go to Rome and you will be convinced.' 1 experienced at this time the almighty hand of Pro- vidence. Count Stolberg gave me, when I left him, twenty-eight guineas for niy jomniey ; I sent to my mo- ther the greatest part of it, and when I came to T. I had no means of living. 1 hired a lodging, and pro- mised to pay every month. When the last day of the month arrived, I did not know how to pay, and 1 kneel- 18 ed down and prayed to our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would assist me to be able to pay. I had scarcely finish- ed my prayer, when I received a letter from Charles Dalberg, Grand Duke of Frankfort, and Archbishop o. Ratisbon, and 1 found enclosed in the letter two guineas, which was four times as much as I wanted. He wrote me word that he was ready to send me every month the same sum, as I was recommended to him by professor Klein, of Ratisbon. At this time, I one day heard as a stranger, a public lecture of a Protestant professor about the Catholic system, in which he asserted that the Ca- tholic church prefers the Vulgate to the original text, and that she teaches the worship of saints, and works of supererogation, and indulgences. T resolved, therefore, to go to Rome, because Protestants said to me. If you should manifest your sentiments there, the inquisition would excommunicate, and perhaps burn you. Having been already recommended by the Pope's ambassador in Vienna to the ( ardinal Litta, in order to permit me to enter the Propaganda, I passed Basle, in Switzer- land, where I stopped two weeks with Madame Krude- ner, and other Protestant Christians, whom I found equal to Count Stolberg in love, and in true faith towards Christ our Redeemer. I heard them sing hymns, and sigh to be united more and more with Christ, and I found both Catholics and Protestants in Berne of the same spirit. Madame Krudener said to me, ' The Gospel must be always your holy guide, the cross of Christ must educate you, j^ou must banish from your mind every uncharitable spirit. Tlie lion of Judah will soon appear amongst his elect who have heard his voice.' A Protestant priest presented me a little edition of an Hebrew Bible. When I arrived at Freybourg in Switzerland, I found there an Egyptian darkness amongst the Catholics; and a spirit of ignorance and intolerance similar to what I had found in Hungary. A Catholic priest took away by force my Hebrew Bible, because he observed that it was printed in a Protestant town, and therefore was, in his view, heretical. In this town 1 found only one Ca- 19 tholic priest, named Girard, who was enlightened by the Spirit of Christ; and he was persecuted by the whole city, and considered and despised as a heretic. I continued my journey, and arrived in Vevay, where \ found enlightened Protestant Christians, and amongst others. Lieutenant Colonel G. A Protestant clergyman, made me a present of another Hebrew Bible, and per- suaded me to stay with him eight days. At the distance of nine miles from Vevay, I found two English ladies who were true Christians, and persuaded me to go to England ; but I said, 1 will go to Rome, and see what my Pope believes. They replied, we fear you will be there in a great danger, because your sentiments are not according to the popish system. I laughed and said, I shall see whether it is true or not. From thence I went to the Valais, in Switzerland, which is inhabited by Ca- tholics, who were as ignorant as those at Freybourg; but I saw there a very joyful scene. A simple Catholic peasant disputed as follows with a Catholic priest : Catholic Priest. The church permits not the people to read the holy Scriptures. Peasant. I read them, and have been edified very much ; a peasant is also a man, and has received an un- derstanding from God as well as a priest ; and the Bible, as the word of God, is open to all mankind. You priests intend only to keep us in ignorance, but the time of ignorance is passed. He said all this with a holy and ardent zeal ! I myself defended him against the priest, and the priest could not answer, and was confounded and ashamed. I had a recommendation to the Superior of a Jesuit convent in B. in the Valais. The Superior received me with great kindness, and intreated me to stay some days with them ; the members of his convent are all very gentle, and have a pleasing external appearance. The Superior seemed to me to possess more Scriptural know- lege than any I had met with, and he wrote several ver- ses of exhortation, and encouragement from Scripture in my remembrance-book. 20 An awful silence Is observed the whole clay in the convent. I there read the Catechism of Melchior Can- isine;; he was the first who introduced the Pope in the Catechism. This is the most abominable book 1 ever read ! 1 asked one of them, *' What is every Jesuit obli- ged to do ? He answered, " To renounce his own will, and to render a blind obedience to tlie Superior, whose will he is to consider as the will of Almighty God, who speaks to him always by the mouth of his superior." I continued my journey after I left the convent, whose character seemed to me so enigmatical. I stopped in Milan eight days, where an Italian lord gave me a let- ter for Cardinal Vidoni in Rome. I found some Cath- olic professors in Milan, who were true worshippers of Christ ; they said to me, " They vend in Rome, Christ and his Gospel, but only the Pope is worshipped. You must not go to Rome, because they will put you in pri- son." I said, '' I will satisfy myself about it with my own eyes." 1 was introduced to the professors of the university at Milan, and I travelled from thence to Novara, in Pie- mout, where 1 had a letter for a nun of a convent. She and all her devout sisters received me with great kind- ness, and showed me great hospitality. I remained three days at Novara, where I received a recommendation for Cardinal Cacciapati, and went to Turin. I was so much imposed upon by the landlords in Italy, that I had no more than a penny left when I arrived in Turin. Having recommendations from the foreign ambassadors at Berne to those at Turin and Rome, I went to Count Truchsesz, Prussian ambassador at Turin, and gave him the letter, and said to him, That I should write to my benefactor, Duke Dalberg, to solicit some more money, but 1 did not know where to stay at Turin, till I recei- ved it. He said to me. You need not write for money, you may stay with me and my lady eight or ten days, and I will show you the most remarkable things in this city, and will introduce you to the other ambassadors and some learned men, and after that I will give you as much as you want for your journey to Rome. 21 I observed the church of Christ among the Waldenses in the valley of Piemont. Count T. gave me eight guineas. Mr. David Baillie of London, \vho under- stood German, was at Turin, and finding nic in the house of the Russian ambassador, invited me to accom- pany him on his journey to Genoa at his exjDense. By the kindness of that gentleman, I saved my money till my arrival in Genoa, where I was recommended to the consul of Prussia, who took a passage for me in a ship for Civita Vecchia ; but the wind being contrary, we anchored at a town twelve miles from Genoa, more than fourteen days. This was an occasion of sorrow, because all things were very dear, and my money diminished from day to day. I could not yet speak Italian, and no one in the ship spoke French. 1 observed a Domini- can monk from Spain, and conversed with him in Latin. I told him that 1 wished not to lose so much time in so miserable a port. The Dominican replied. Patience is a Christian virtue, and we cannot be true followers of Christ widiout the possession of this virtue, because it proves a want of faith. 1 was, from this time, always in his company, and liked him as a father ; he seemed to lose himself in continual meditation on the suffering Redeemer, and united to his religion a humanity which I scarcely found amongst other monks. The contrary wind arose as soon as we arrived at liCghorn, and I land- ed with the intention of undertaking tlie journey from thence to Rome on foot, because I feared I should not have enough to pay the captain, if I continued my journey by sea. By the time 1 had walked a quarter of a mile, I was unable to proceed on accouiU of the heat. In the time of necessity men learn to call upon the Watchmen of Israel. The reason is this, they per- ceive no help on the right hand nor on the left ; but above they can see a Father of mercy who cov ercth the heaven with clouds, who preparcth rain for the earth, who maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and who giveth to the beast his food, and to the young- ravens which cry. He who has a heart renewed by the grace of God, who is able to cry, Abba, Father, looks 22 to that Redeemer who died for us, considers the lilies of the field how they grow, and then he begins to knock at the door of mercy ; and often God is pleased to open it. I kneeled down and pra3'ed, perhaps, two minutes, when a coach came up, containing three genilemen. I asked the coachman whether he had a place for me, and could convey me for a small reward to Florence. He said, he would convey me for half a guinea. I agreed, and I accompanied the other gentlemen, amongst whom was a sea-officer of the kingdom of Piemont, who under- stood a little German, and talked French very well. The sea-officer asked me where I intended to go ? I answered. To Rome, to enter the Propaganda, for the improvement of my understanding, and to become a Missionary. He asked, why I did not agree with the coachman to convey me to Rome, as he would pay the landlord for my dinner and bring me to Rome for four guineas. I replied. Because I have only three gumeas and a half. The sea-officer offered to lend me two guin- eas, if I would promise to return him the money when we arrived at Rome. 1 promised him to do it, having confidence in God's fatherly providence, that on my ar- rival at Rome, he would supply me with the means to satisfy this generous sea-officer I continued my jour- ney to Rome, and when I passed Siena, a town of Tus- cany, 1 went to see a house which was once the habita- tion of a Christian lady called Catharine of Siena, whose spiritual works 1 had read in the German trans- lations ; she spoke with great freedom against the pomp of the Pope, and his Cardinals and Bishops. At length I arrived at the gates of Rome, where I saw the cross of Christ, upon which is painted the key of St. Peter with the inscription ' P«a?,' the arms of the pope, placed near the town gates. I was much surprised. 1 found by accident. Mess. T. and I. H. two truly converted Jews, painters from Germany, on my arrival in Rome j we knew each other by report, and they paid for me to the sea-officer the two guineas 1 had borrowed. They introduced me to a respectable Roman priest, who con- ducted me to Cardinal Litta. The Prussian, Bavarian, 23 iliissian, aiut Dutch ambassadors to whom I was intro- duced, recon)mended me likewise to Cardinal Litta, who is tlie most respectable and learned of all the Car- dinals, and the prefect of the Propaganda. H(" promi- sed me to speak to the Pope that I might enter into one of the colleges at Rome, as a member of the Propagan- da, till the college of Propaganda, which had been destroyed by the French, should be re-opened. The first month after my arrival in Rome, before I en- tered tfie seminary called Seminario Pontifico, and be- fore I attended the public lectures, was very pleasant. I formed an acquaintance with some Christian cler- gymen and prelates, and also with many pious paint- ers and sculptors. I saw, before I entered tie Semina- rio Romano, the chief works of Raphael and IMichael Angelo ; I considered the place in the amphitheatre, where Ignatius the mart} r was the food of beasts, for Christ's sake; and where so many other ( hristians be- came, as Milner says, God's wheat ground by the teeth of wild beasts ; and I gazed with much astonishment at the ruins of the ancient Rome. I saw Fius VII. before I was introduced to him, in the church of St. Maria Maggiori : he appeared to be a man of deep piety, humility, and devotion. I read every evening the Pro- phets, with the before mentioned German artists. The Prince of Gotha and Monsieur Testa, Secretary of the Pope, spoke of me to Pius VIl., and on the 9tli August, 1816, 1 was introduced to him ; he received me not as a king his subject, but as a father receives his son, and he said to me, that he had given orders to the pre- fect of the German college to pay the Seminario Roma- no for my board, that I might stay there till the Propa- ganda was re-established. 1 entered the Seminario Romano the 5th of Septem- ber, 1816, being 20 years of age. 1 received a long violet blue garment, and a triangular hat like the other pupilb of that college. At this time tlie vacations of the schools took place, which continued till the month of November : and 1 found not so much edification in the Seminario Romano, as in the shops of the German art- 24 ists. The Seminario has, besides the master and vice- master, a prefect also, who was a priest like the former, bwt a man of no talent. He accompanies the pupils every day in their walks, and when they assist any Bishop or Cardinal, or the Pope, in any ceremony. He calls the pupils every day for the rosary prayer, and closes the door of the pupils' room in the evening, and calls them up in the morning. This is the whole duty ; he receives for it two crowns per month, and his board. When the prefect opens the doors, and awakes the pu- pils, oiie of them is obliged to recite the Litany of the Virgin Mary, and they are all obliged to cry, " Ora pro nobis," which they do mechanically, and without devotion ! After that, they go into the private chapel, and read a meditation taken from the book of the Jesuit Segneri, which contains some good things, together with Moiiammedan notions and abominable superstitions. The description of hell and paradise here given, is the same I read once in a superstitious Rabbinical book, and in a surah of the Alcoran ! After meditation they go to hear mass in another private chapel, and then breakfast ; and in the days when public lectures are given, they a -e obliged to walk eight or nine hours, in the first month of my stay in that seminary, I went with the others to see the canonization of Alfonsio Ma- ria Ligori by Pius Vll., and 1 considered the canoni- zation not as a beatification and sanctification, but only as a representation, or a description of the grace of God working in the individual ; but I found afterwards, that my idea was not according to the Romish system. lu Rome, they divide the canonization into two acts, call- ing the first act Beatificazione, and the second Sanctifi- cazione : both acts cost the family of the saint a great price. The words beatificazione and sanctificazione cor- respond entirely to the Latin words, bcatuin facere, and sanctum facere aliquem. But how can 1 believe that a Pope can make saints ? since Rome herself con- fesses that Poj)es may burn in hell. In November, the Exercitia Spiritualia (which always precede the public lectures, and every solemn festival) began ; a strange clergyman, or some monk, is invited at such a time to preach to the pupils about their duty. The pupils of the college are obliged to observe a strict silence two days, and are ordered to meditate and to go every day three times into the chapel, to hear the ser- mons or exhortations of the missionary. The act be- gins with holy song, " Veni Sancte Spiritus reple tuo- rum corda fidelium, et tui amoris ignem in eis accende, emitte spiritum tuum et creabuntur, et renovabis faciem terrte." 1 heard sometimes, but not often, sermons very fine, and according to the gospel, especially when Prince O. the Stolberg of Rome, preached to us in the seminary. He unites the zeal of Elias and true Christi- anity, with great worldly possessions ; and adds to an unquestionable zeal and love for the gospel, the charac- ter of a man of learning and philosophy. After the spiritual exercises, the school was opened, and the Professor of Scholastic Divinity began to dic- tate " de Tractatu Gratife," which we were obliged to write. In his preface to the subject, he uttered the fol- lowing sentence, " The subject of grace being a diffi- cult point, I exhort you at first not to think about it too much ; but only to take the infallible authority of the Popes and of the Councils for the rule of faith ; and we must believe St. Augustine's sentiments about that point, not more than when his sentiments accord with any bull of the Popes, because Pius V. did condemn everyone in his bull, if he asserted that the authority of St. Augus- tin about the point of grace, is equal to the Pope's au- thority.'' After the first hour was passed. 1 said to the Professor in the presence of all the other priests, " You speak here about the authority of the Pope in such a manner, that I suppose you believe, and command to others to believe, the infallibility^ of the Popes !" He replied, " They believe in Rome indeed, that the Pope is infallible, but they don't believe it in France." I answered, •' the Catholics in Germany do not believe it !" When I spoke thus, all the priests present arose against me, and said, " If you will stay longer in Rome, you must believe it ; wretched wicked man ! do not you 3 26 believe the iiifalirbity of the Pope ?" I rejoined angri- ly, " I believe not the infallibility of the Pope." And when I had said this, I left the lecture-room, and went to the C.'ardinal Litta, and told him that I had had a dispute about the Pope's infallibility, and that I did not believe it. The Cardinal said to me with great kind- ness and softness, " You must not dispute about this subject until you have finished your studies. You will be persuaded of the Pope's infallibility when you have heard the reasons " For a long time 1 obeyed the Car- dinal's injunction ; but when 1 heard them one day call the Pope God, and heard this title defended by the most learned men of Rome, who told me that he merits such a title, because he has power not only upon the earth, but likewise over Purgatory, and in heaven, and because whatever the Pope absolves in the earth, is absolved in Leaven, and that they call the Pope God upon earth on account of his power to sanctify and to beatify — when I beard such arguments as these, I understood Paul's words, *' He as God sitteth in the temple of God, shew- ing himself that he is God :" and I could no longer ab- stain from protesting against such an idolatrous opinion, and exclaimed : *' The Pope is a man as I am, the Pope is dust of the earth as I am." From this time I began to neglect scholastic divinitv, and an ardent desire to read the holy scriptures took possession of my heart, to such a degree as 1 never felt before. I read them the whole day, and took the Bible with me into the lecture-room, where I read in it of the salvation of men, and the mercy, and the justice of our Lord, while the Professor was proving the doctrines of the Roman cljurch, Ex damnatione Berengarii, Hussii et Lutheri a Summis Pontificibus ! 1 used after this, con- trary to the rules of the Seminary, to remain in my room, and read the scriptures, while the other pupils went to take exercise in walking, or to assist in the churches. When I had been about three months in the Pope's Seminary, Mr. Bailie, with whom had travel- led from Turui to Genoa, came to Rome, and called at the Seminary to see me ; when he observed that 1 was 27 distressed at having' no oriental books, nor any master for learning, and continuing the oriental languages, he bought me books, and gave me two guineas monthly, and I was thus enabled to take an oriental master. From that moment 1 was persecuted by the whole college: they said, "Of what use are the holy scriptures and the eastern languages to you, if you do not know the scholastic divinity, which alone can enable you to argue against, and to refute the abominable sophisms of the wretched Protestants, who believe neither in Popes nor in traditions." 1 began to weep when they spoke thus to me. 1 received at the same time the four ordines mi- nores with the title Alumnus Congregationis Propagan- doe Fidei. I continued notwithstanding to read the scriptures; and neglected entirely the study of scholas- tic divinity. Cardinal Litta at length commanded me to study tiie letter, and I did so for a short time. But though I only employed half an hour at a time in read- ing the divinity of Tournely and Bellarmin, which is of this class, 1 constantly arose wearied, and I often walked about my room reciting verses of the holy scriptures a hundred times in a melancholy frame, and especially the following verse, in Hebrew : " Drop down, ye heav- ens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteous- ness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth sal- vation, and let righteousness spring up together; 1 the Lord have created it:" and when 1 had recited such a verse, I could not abstain from reading the whole chap- ter in which it was contained, and in this way 1 disobey- ed the injunctions of the Cardinal. The Professor of Church History was one of the most prudent and sensible men of the clergy at Rome. During the French government he was a follower of Napoleon, and an adversary to the Pope. He was a zealous }{oman Catholic notwithstanding, and convert- ed six or seven German Protestants to the Roman Cath- olic religion, and amongst them the facetious German poet F. L. Zacharias Werner ; he taught them the prin- ciples of Bossuet, Fenelon, and Pascal, and knew how- to accommodate himself to the character of the German 28 people, He presented all who were converted by Inm, to the confessor of the Pope that they might receive confirmation. ; he confessor and bishops remained by express command of the Pope in Rome, to watch the treasury of the relics of the saints, when the Pope was taken as a prisoner to France. When the Pope return- ed from his exile, the followers of Napoleon were either put in prison, or exiled by the Pope's command from Rome; and Pius VII. intended to have banished with the rest the before mentioned professor of Church His- tory, but the confessor of the Pope saved him, saying that he should be pardoned because he had converted many Germans of distinction to the Romish church, and the Pope pardoned him accordingly ; and then he soon professed himself the enemy to Napoleon, and a zealous follower of the Pope. The Lectures upon Church History occupy four years, and yet they only come down to the fourteenth century. Dissertations about celibacy, the holy wars, and the infallibility of the Popes, and reconciling the fallibility of Pope Honorius with the doctrine of infal- libility, take up the greatest part of the history. The professor's prudence surprised me, when he lectured on the history of Henry IV. and Gregory VII. So long as he was able to defend the latter against the emperor, he did it ; but when he came to facts mentioned of the Pope which he could not defend, he merely read the history, and left us to form our own judgment. I only found one amongst the pupils of the Seminary, who had a spirit of tolerance, and knowledge of the Bible. The ambassador of the king of Prussia being inform- ed of my critical situation, became my protestor and friend, and wrote about me to the government of Prus- sia, and advised me, as Count Stolberg also did, by let- ter, to be prudent and cautious in disputing; and indeed further, that I should entirely avoid every disputation : but 1 did not follow their advice, and indeed, could not well do so. I thought frequently of escaping from the Seminary by night, when 1 considered the great loss of time I sustained in idolatrous ceremonies; but the Prus- 29 sian ambassador, and the pious German artists forbade me to attempt any thing so inconsiderate and danger- ous. ]\Iy German friends invited me sometimes to dine, and to hold spiritual conversation with them, to refresh my spirits, as my continual disputes destroyed all de- votional feeling, and Christian meekness. Overbeck said to me, " We must bear the prejudices of other men ^vith meekness and humility, because we are all more or less prejudiced." But I replied, " When 1 find things in the very seat of Catholicism which prove the re- proaches of Protestants to be just, I cannot be quiet. The Protestants of Germany believe me to be an hypo- crite in entering the Roman Catholic church; and I should be such, if 1 were to consent to these abuses.'* Overbeck replied : "You are notyetable to check such things as these; you must wait as Christ did till you arc thirty years of age: and you will surely fall, and will embrace the doctrines you now abhor, if you will not hear the veice of your friends." The pious Schadow also remonstrated with me; and submitting to my Ger- man friends, I returned after dinner, to the college, and on the following day, I heard the following conversa- tion between three of their theologians, which enabled me to understand the true spirit of the Romish court, B. Abbot O. will be soon a Bishop. F. Why.? B. He is not only approved by the Cardinal Litta, but likewise by Prince P. and he is very much attached to the Pope. F. The enemies of the Pope will altogether soon per- ish, because the Pope has now made a concordat with the king of Bavaria ! The Jesuits, perhaps, will be es- tablished again in that kingdom. O. Cardinal S. will now soon arrive from Vienna, and I shall have considerable influence with hin), be- cause he has heard that J converted those famous Pro» testants, and 1 hear Mr. Tamburini has no longer any influence in Pavia. / myself. What sort of a man is Tamburini f O. He is a wicked and w retched man. 3* 30 1 myself. In what consists his wickedness. O. He is an enemy of the Pope, and wrote against his authority. F. The Germans are very obstinate, and Austria especially. O. But I hope they will soon be reconciled, be- cause the Archbishop of O. and Mr. S. S. are friends of the Curia Romana. F. How is France.'' O. Well disposed, because the Pope elected some Cardinals, not long ago, from the French Bishops, and they wrote to the Pope, in the most humble and sub- missive manner, saying, that they consider the primacy and the infallibility of the Pope, as the chief foundation of the Catholic religion. I heard that Baron Wessenberg, Vicar-general of the Pope, of Constance, was not acknowledged by the Pope as Bishop of Constance, after the death of Duke Dal- berg, as the grand Duke of Baden, and the Chapter of Constance wished, and that the Pope had published a Bull against him ! — This proceeding much dissatisfied me, because 1 was well acquainted with Baron W., and was persuaded that he was a good Christian, and a most worthy Prelate of the German Catholic Church. I wrote, therefore, three letters, the first to Cardinal Litta, the second to Prelate Testa, and the third to Car- dinal F. ; and I mentioned to them, that the Germans considered Baron Wessenberg as a pious and learned man, and that I was persuaded, the Bull published against him would be revolting to the fselings of every German ; and that the Grand Duke of Baden would not respect the Bull. 1 added, that 1 could not but approve the conduct of the Duke; and that the power of the Court of Rome would surely sink if it did not act with more prudence and meekness : and I reminded them that we now live in the nineteenth century, and not in the eleventh. Cardinal Litta and Mass. Testa an- swered me with great kindness, and praised my sinceri- ty ; but Cardinal F. went to Cardinal Litta and said, ^' I have now a bad opinion of Wolf: how can he prefer e31 the judgment of the Grand Duke of Baden, who is a Protestant, to the judgment of the holy father?" Car- dinal Litta defended me, saying, I had a warm heart, and did oftentimes not reflect on what I did : and he commanded me in future, to write to no Cardinal ex- cept himself. I frequently heard the noise of a crowd of people flock- ing to the church called Rotunda, and exclaiming, *' The mother of God opens her eyes and works mira- cles." The Clergy send soldiers to guard the image which represents the Virgin ; and to deceive the people, one priest reads mass, and another collects money for the mother of God. It is true the greatest part of the cler- gy said to me that this was only the fanaticism of the peo- ple, but why does the Pope approve such an idolatrous fanaticism, and why do they send soldiers to the al- tar of that image, and why do priests collect money for the support of that image, and celebrate mass before the altar of that image, to show respect and honour to it? The Vicar-general, in a printed declaration, approved the miracles, said to be wrought by the image of the Virgin. In the month of October, 1819, all the pupils went to Tivoli, where they have a very fine country-house. I saw there the villa of Msecenas, the grotto of Neptune, the ruins of the barracks of the army of Trajan, and the ruins of the temple of the Sybil ; and I read Horace's poetry in one of his own country houses. I went one day, with the other pupils, to the church of the Francis- can friars of that town, They were then celebrating the festival of St. Franciscus Assissi. — All the monks of Rome are accustomed to preach sermons on the day of their Patriarch, which they call Panegyrica. 1 heard the panegyricum of St. Franciscus of Assissi. composed by a Franciscan friar! He enumerated all the miracles of St. Franciscus, and all the pains of his body, where they observed the five wounds of Christ. And, after the account of these miracles, and these wounds, lie said, "I therefore argue, that Franciscus Assissi has taken upon himself the sins of the whole world." I said to the pupils, and to the master of our College, after the sermon was finished, "This monk has blasphemed 32 Christ; for Christ bore the sins of mankind, and not Franciscus Assissi. He was a pious and a humble man, but yet a sinner, who, like ourselves, must be saved by Christ." In the month of December, Cardinal Litta ordered me to enter the College of the Propaganda, which was then re-established, although the building itself was not opened until the eleventh of January, 1818. 1 left the Seminario Pontificio, accordingly, on the sixth of De- cember, and entered amongst the pupils of the Propa- ganda, in the missionary house, called Monte Littorio, under the direction of the Missionaries, called Vincenci- ani. This Missionary order was established by Vicen- tio di Pauli, in France. He was a great man, and a true member of the body of Christ, — he established, not only a Missionary order^ but formed other establish- ments for the poor. He was a friend of Franciscus Sa- lessius, and of the celebrated lady, called Madame de Chautal. Many clergymen of Rome said to me, — " You do not well to leave the learned college of the Pope, and enter amongst the ignorant Vincenziana, who know little of scholastic divinity." 1 was glad when i beard this. When I entered that convent, I put on the habit of the pupils of the Propaganda. It consists of a long black garment, with a red girdle, and five red buttons are at- tached to it, which indicate the five wounds of Christ; and the red colour is the symbol of the danger of losing his life, to which a Missionary is exposed. I found amongst the monks of that convent, holy and silent de- votion, not the spirit of controversy; and they read daily, not Segncri, but a book called the Imitation of Clirist, composed by Thomas aKempis, together with the Holy St in the time of the Arians, and you have not done well in disclosing the shame of the uni- versal mother." T was surrounded in a short time by followers of Schlegel, wlio asked me if I did not know the sad con- dition of the German Catholics who denied the authori- ty of the Pope. The fact was, that many Catholics of Germany, who were adversaries of the Pope, became afterwards Socinians, or embraced an allegorical sys- tem of Christianity. They adulterated the Gospel with the philosophy of Kant, Hume, Jacob Behmen, Plato, and Shaftesbury. After the few days which 1 passed with Hofbauer and his friends, I became very melan- 4* 42 choly. I had expected to find in Hofbauer, and" amongst his penitents who were attached to the Pope, a certain zeal for Christ ; and to have found the same also amongst the other Catholic clergymen of Vienna, and especially amongst tlie monks of Austria who were op- posed to th Pope. I found, however, not only a great lukewarmness, but likewise great immorality. I there- fore entreated P. Hofbauer to send me to his convent at Valsainte in Switzerland, that 1 might end my days there. He pretended that he was not inclined to incorporate me into his order ; but as often as I said I wuuld leave Vienna and go to another convent, he refused to permit me to go. I was treated by him and his followers, for more than seven months, in a very harsh manner, and I was obliged every day to hear censures of my conduct at Rome. I excused this in Hofbauer, as he was a man of an ardent temperament ; and I thought I must now suffer, because I had been too violent, and that I ought to be reconciled with the Pope. 1 began to hate Sepa- ratism. It is true that I suspected the intolerance of Hofbauer and his club, against all who were of differ- ent opinions and sentiments. The followers of Hofbauer and Schlegel find fault with Rome on account of her mildness towards those who dissent from the Romish church government : and my time of independent thinking was passed, and the prophecy of the German painter was about to be accom- plished, that I should at length embrace all the abuses of the Romish church which I had hated so long, and against which 1 had protested with such violence : but the Lord permitted this, that 1 might experience and taste self-righteousness, and then I found that the way of self-righteousness is an abomination unto God, and that it leads to desperation, to uuquietude of heart, to sorrow, and to the abominable system of Jesuitism. I saw no more of that lady who came to Hofbauer when I was before at Vienna. They told me she esca- ped with a great sum of money from the house of her parents, and nobody, neitiier Hofbauer nor any one of his fraternity, knew where she was. I was told, that 43 the Bohemian Baron was at Bucharest, where Hofbauer had established a convent of his order, and had sent the Baron, who was a member of his order, as master of the establishment. Hofbauer sent with him, likewise, some Austrian young gentlemen, whom he persuaded that his convent was the most easy of any, as a road to heaven. The Bohemian Baron took a passport from the police at Vienna for Hermanstadt in Transylvania, from whence he escaped to Bucharest; and when he returned afterwards to Vienna, on the business of the convent, he came under the name and address of an Armenian gentleman, and did not go himself to the police to sign his passport, but the Pope's Ambassador sent it to the police by his servant. With respect of the lady, I could hear nothing of her at Vienna. I must mention here another circumstance, which will aflbrd, perhaps, more light as to the spirit of Jesuitism and the tyranny of Popery. P. Johann Sabelli, one o. the fraternity of Hofbauer, and his secretary, was de- sirous of entering into the convent Valsainte, or some other which was under Hofbauer ; but Hofbauer refus- ed him permission, and without such permission he could by no means go according to his vow of blind obedi- ence to the superior. Sabelli wrote therefore to the Pope. One evening when I was at Hofbauer's, the auditor of the Pope's Ambassador came to him, and in his presence delivered to Sabelli a letter from the gene- ral of the Ligorians who resides at Rome, and another from the Pope himself to Sabelli ; and the auditor said to Hofbauer, that it was the express command of the Pope that Sabelli should enter a convent of the Ligori- ans at Rome. Hofbauer was very angry. He said they were all tyrants at Rome. At length the auditor of the Ambassador and Sabelli agreed with Hofbauer, that if he would not object to Sabelli going to the con- vent at Valsainte in Switzerland, the Pope should be satisfied — and it was then also agreed with Hofbauer, that 1 should go with Sabelli to Valsainte. I could not help saying to a member of the order, that I was aston- ished at hearing Hofbauer speak so strongly against 44 ihe Pope in the presence of an agent of the Pope; and the Ligorian answered me, " We may speak against the Pope in his presence as much as we please without falling into disgrace with him, but it is only persons of our character who have this privilege. As Sabelli did not receive his passport so soon as my- self, I went before him to Valsainte, where I arrived Dec. 1818, being then twenty-three years of age. 1 saw by experience in this convent, that external piety might be united with internal iniquity. The convent is situa- ted in a valley at a distance from any town, and before the Ligorians possessed it, it was the convent of the Trappists. The habit which I wore here was a black rough garment, to which a long chaplet of the Virgin Mary is attached ; shoes without buckles, and a large hat! The Rector of the convent seemed, to all outward appearance, to have subdued the corrupt passions of human nature; he never shewed anger, or appeared to be offended ; his voice was soft and gentle, and he was one of the most eloquent of the French preachers. — The duty of the individuals of the convent was, to in- struct the poor, and preach in the different towns, and to go as missionaries when sent by the Superior, whose will they are taught to consider as the w ill of the Al- mighty. Every one is obliged, after that he has been a year in the convent, to take the voiam castitadSf abe- dientice, paupertatis; and votum perseverantiae. They rise at four o'clock in the morning, and go into chapel, and read a meditation, taken sometimes from Thomas a Kempis, or Rodrigo, and sometimes from Segneri! After that they hear mass, and then instruct the students, who are sent to the convent from Freybourg and Al- sace, whom they frequently engage to become members of their convent, especially when they are rich, and then they are not permitted to return to their parents any more, because Christ said. Whoso putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of God. They did so with two young gentlemen of Alsace, who were only fifteen years of age. And when these young persons manifested their desire to see their 45 parents only once more, the Rector replied, that it was a temptation of the devil. In the summer, the monks go into the fields to cut grass, with a view to set an ex- ample of humility, and of the virtue of poverty; and every one is obliged to whip himself with a scourge, reciting, together with the fiftieth Psalm, " Salve Regi- na, mater misericordia?, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra ! Salve ! Ad te clamamus exules filii Heva? ! Ad te sus- piramus, gementes, et flentes in hac lacrymarum valle. Eja ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte, et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exilium, ostende, O clemens, O pia, dulcis virgo Maria !" — I tried once only to do it but 1 could not, and the Rector thereupon dispensed with it. When I had been here but a few days, the Rector be- gan to examine me in a very Jesuitical way. He came into my room with great indilference, and asked me, with a laughing mien, •' Have yon not discovered any Jewish inclinations ^ince your baptism f did you never agree with Protestants in sentiment .^" I answered him simply, that 1 wondered he could ask me these things with such a levity of manner : and then he did not ven- ture to put any more questions to me. The same Rec- tor commanded me to write to some of my old Pro- testant friends to remit me money, that T might give it to the convent. The law prohibits theLigorians from hav- ing more than eleven of their body in this Canton, but they had more than twenty, though not all under the public name of Ligorians, but as teachers and secular cler- gymen. I met there with a Ligorian, who came from Vienna to Freybourg, without a passport. The soldier who watched the town-gates of Freybourg asked him : " Do you belong to this city, or are you a stranger.^" He said within himself, I intend to belong to the convent at Valsainte which is under the dominion of Freybourg, and he answered under this system of mental reserva- tion, — " I belong to Freybourg." An insatiable covet- ousness was exhibited here, such as 1 never saw before. Two Protestants without property came there to turn 16 Catholic^. As soon as the Rector discovered that they were poor, he advised them to go to the Capuchin monks. But when a rich citizen of Bern came to Val- sainte, not with the intention of becoming a Catholic, ])ut only to lodge there one night, the Rector, as well as the others, endeavoured with great anxiety, to prove to him, that he could not be saved out of tlie Roman Catholic Church. I was obliged to write Italian let- ters to Rome and Naples, to procure them money for saying mass. The}' told me that this is authorized by Scripture, for St. Paul says, He who serves the altar shall live of the altar. One day a father of the con- vent said, " I will shew you, my brethren, the effects of my mission !" and he then produced some golden ear- rings which he had procured for the convent, saying, that a woman whom he persuaded of the vanity of this world, and that many went to hell on account of their extravagance in dress, had given them to him. The whole convent rejoiced at this fruit of his mission. After I had been two months in the convent, the above mentioned P. Sabelli came from Vienna to Valsainte, and supposing I had now entirely given up the idea ofre- turning to liberty, in consequence of ray banishment from Rome, he began to initiate me more and more in- to their system. They say, Christ requires prudence, as appears by the following passage : "Behold 1 send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Act- ing, as they said, on this precept, when of the fraterni- ty wanted a passport and could not obtain it, another wrote one for him, imitating the writing of a director of the police, and it was so good an imitation, that the Police of the towns through which he passed acknowl- edged and subscribed it. After this, Sabelli told S — , that the Police of Vien- na had found out the place were Rosalia resided, and that she was brought back again, but by the grace of God she confessed nothing. This is the lady that es- caped from Vienna, as before mentioned. The fact is this, Hofbauer intended to establish a female school in 47 Bucharest, for the instruction of the schismatic Greeks, and for their conversion to the Romish Church. Lady RosaHa, who was completely duped by him, brought her pearls to him, and he procured tor her journey to Bucharest 250 crowns, she gave the half of it to P. Hofbauer : and Hofbauer commanded his Sec- retary, to write to the Rector of the Ligorians in Bu- charest, that he might now establish the school, as Ro- salia would soon arrive. S — assisted her in escaping from Vienna : and S — and Rosalia, who well knew that the police of Vienna, and her rich parents, and the Bishop, would examine him as to where she was, and u hat she had said, agreed together, that she should tell him nothing, but only confide in him. S — engaged a ship to carry her to Presberg; as she was conveying her clothes trom home, her sister observed it, and asked her what she was doing ; she answered, I am going to make a present of them to a poor nun — she calling her- self in her own mind that poor nun, that she might not tell a lie. Hofbauer gave her the benediction, and she escaped by means of the ship provided for her, changing her name, and S — accompanied her to the ship ; and one hour af- ter her escape, her parents perceiving she was gone, went to Hofbauer, S — , and Sabelli, and asked them whether they knew where their daughter was; and they said, " We do not know," meaning, we do not know where she is at this moment. Her aged parents, her brother, and her sister, kneeled down, and said. We do not wish her to return, but only wish to know w here she is, and whether she told you any thing; and they answered, " She told us nothing !" S — confessed himself, when he related this history, that he was much njoved by the lamentation of her pa- rents, but still he did not confess any thing. The news of her escape quickly spread through Vienna, and one Priest thought he saw her in the street, another heard that she was gone to Rome, and S — and Sabelli made use of these reports, when they were examined by the consistory of Vienna. Hofbauer instead of answering 48 when questioned on this subject, began to preach to the magistrate about justice, and all he would say was, " I don't know !" Twizan, (director of the consistory of Vienna, said to P. Sabelli, " Did Rosalia never tell you that she would escape?" Sabelli answered, "Yes, and she said so likewise to her parents." For Rosalia indeed said so very often, but in a way, that they all thought she was not in earnest. Sabelli availed himself of this to deceive the consistory. Twizan asked, " Do you know where she is now .?" Sabelli answered again, " Yes, she is in Vienna, for a priest called Job saw her." When he was asked at another tin)e by the consistory about iier, he said again, "I know where she is now." And being desired to name the place, he said, *' At Rome." S — escaped afterwards to Valsainte, and in the hour of recreation, related the circumstances. I felt grieved, and I found that 1 was in dangerous society. 1 said to S — , " You told an untruth in this." He said, " No, for I asked my confesssor upon the point, and he said that I was sincere, and that he should have said the same, which was impossible had it been an untruth," Hof- bauer was S — 's confessor, and thus we can form a judgment as to his principles. When Rosalia was dis- covered and brought to Vienna, she went to Hofbauer and said, that she would only confess to the Police, that she received money through a knight of Malta, a friend of Hofbauer, which would be of no consequence. Sa- belli said to her, " You can do so" and he went there- fore, at twelve o'clock at night, to C. D. and inform- ed him about this, who said, " I fear nothing on this account, because I may give my money to whom I please." I detest the spirit of Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, be- cause they have blasphemed Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever; yet must I agree with them in what they have written against many who are called ministers of Christ, especially with what they have said against Jesuits and monks. My health was not good from the first moment that I 49 received the religious habit ; the desire of reading the Scriptures returned, and in five montlis I read the whole of the word of God, for the first time in Latin, notwith- standing all the obstacles which they opposed to me. The Rector said to me, ^' God w ill surely condemn you for your obstinate reading of the Scriptures; for Chris- tian virtue consists in obedience to superiors, * to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams ; for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stub- bornness is as iniquity and idolatry.' " 1 was so af- flicted, that I could neither eat, drink, or sleep; an in- ternal voice said to me without ceasing, " Leave this convent, and preach the Gospel of Christ to your bre- thren." I made known my distressed situation to the Rector, and requested him to dismiss me, that I might enter another convent. The Rector said that was a temptation of the devil, and told me to go into the church, and pray with devotion, " Pater Noster" for half an hour. I obeyed, but I was more uneasy than before. 1 thought 1 would endeavour to dispel my me- lancholy by doing good to others, and therefore I em- ployed seven hours dady in teaching the students Latin, Greek, and German; but in the midst of my teaching, the desire of preaching the Gospel, not only to my bre- thren, but likewise to tlie Mahomedans, kept possession of my heart, and drops of sweat from anguish fell from my face, so that all my pupils observed it. I wrote to the Bishop of Freybourg, tliat notwithstanding all the regard I owed to the Ligorian order, I was not happy in their society, and that I would therefore enter a con- vent of the Capuchin order. He wrote me for answer that I should speak upon that subject to the Rector. The study of the Casuistic Divinity, from the many contradictions about the doctrine of Tran-substantia- tion, confession of every sin to the Priest, and of tradi- tions, convinced me of the folly of respecting it. 1 saw there, in practice, that self-righteousness produces abo- minable pride. Oftentimes a member of that convent would shew me his whip coloured with blood. 50 The Rector called one clay for a pupil of mine and examined him about my sentiments ; he asked him, whe- ther I never showed any inclination to the Jews ? — The pupil told me this again, because the Rector for- got to prohibit him, and to desire him to tell me nothing. 1 thus understood my dangerous situation, and went therefore to the Rector, and said t ) him, " Why do you ask such things of my pupils?'' He was \ery much sur- prised, and said," I have not any distrust of you, but I was ordered by letter to do so. 1 easily perceived that that letter came from Rome. I resolved therefore to leave the convent, and to enter another which was not so subjected to the Romish see, and which sent out mis- sionaries to the east. 1 left the convent after having abode there seven months, and the Rector gave me a testimonial which certified my good moral conduct, but not that my faith was unadulterated, as was generally certified with res- pect to others. It is as follows : Ego infrascriptus tes- tor, ingenuum Juvenum Josephum Wolf, natione Bo- russum, Halla oriundum, per septem menses, quibus no- vitium conversatum, fuisse in monasterio Vallis Sanctae congregationeis Sanctissimi Redemtoris, mores exhibu- isse integerrimos ,nec exiisse nisi ob Valetudinisinfirmi- tatem, proinde mereri, qui omnibus ad quos pervenerit impense commendetur. Has ei manu propria subscrip- tas, ac Sigillo consueto munitas dabam. In Valle Sanc- ta, die 29 Julii 1819. P. Jos. Passerat, Congregation- is Ss. Redemptoris, Rector. When 1 left the convent I had only four shillings. I dined the first day of my journey in a convent of Car- thusian friars, who are not permitted to eat meat, but fish and herbs, and who are required to speak nothing but "Memento mori," or "plorabis et jejunabis, eras enim morieris." 1 left it after two hours, and arrived at Bulle, a town in the canton of Freybourg, where a Ca- puchin convent is. 1 asked the Superior of the convent whom they call Guavdism, whether they would receive me as a member of their society: he replied, with joy and gladness. But an invisible power did uot permit 51 ]t should be so; and 1 went ilierefoie tlie following ilny, to Vevais, where 1 found a Protestant friend, widi whom I had met when I went to Rome. I was some days with him, and he recommended me to some friends of the Emperor of Russia, in the hope that they wouhl re- commend me to tliat monaroii; therefore 1 went to ]^au- sanne, where 1 intended to wait the answer of the Em~ peror, in the house of a pious Protestant bookseller. The providence of God conducted me to Mi?s Greaves, and other English christians, who already knew me by report. They recommended me to an English cler- gyman, who was at that time at Lausanne, and was going to London, for which place they gave mc letters of introduction, and I departed for London, after having remained in Geneva some days with pious Protestants, ajnongst others with Madame D'Armand, whom 1 had met with four years before with Madame la Baronne Krudener, in Switzerland. I arrived in London on the first of June, 1819, being twenty-three years of age, and ten months, Thus far the manuscript of Mr. Wolf. His remain- ing history may be related in a few words. The Eng- lish gentleman to whom he had become known at Rome, and from whom he there received tiie promise of protec- tion, welcomed him on his arrival in England, and af- terwards recommended him to the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, as a person likely to prove a valuable Missionary for Jerusalem and the East. The Society was satisfied with his appear- ance and his conversation ; and that they might prove and might insure his qualifications, they sent him to re- side at Cambridge, under the superintendance and care of the Rev. Charles Smieon, and Mr. Professor Lee, who kindly assisted him in the study of the oriental 52 iangiiages. He remained at Cambridge until the Soci- ety opened its Missionary college at Stansted, in Sussex, and then removed thither with the other students. In the spring of the year 1821, some circumstances arose which made it necessary that Mr. Wolf should proceed to Palestine, without waiting the completion of some previous arrangements which the Society consi- dered desirable, if he went as their Missionary'. And it was therefore arranged, that Mr. Wolf should proceed to Palestine, under the superintendance of the gentleman who had originally recommended him to the Society, and of another friend. He left England accordingly in the summer of 1821, in a vessel for Gibraltar. He pro- ceeded from thence to Malta, to Alexandria, to Jerusa- lem, and to different parts of Palestine. He returned again to Malta, in the latter end of 1822; and in the beginning of the year 1823, he went to Palestine a se- cond time, in company with two American Missionaries. The following Journal contains a narrative of liis la- bours during his first visit to Palestine. LETTERS AND JOURNAL, April 25, 1821.— Entered the ship called Friend- ship, lying off the tower. The son of my friend Mr. B. accompanied n^.e to the ship. I prayed the Lord now to begin to purify my heart from all uncleanness, pride, and vanity, that I may not become a castaway myself, while going to preach to others, I had the fol- lowing conversation with one of the ship-officers, about the importance of cairying the everlasting Gospel to the benighted Jews and Mahomedans. Officer, Will you preach the doctrine of the English Church f /. The doctrine of the Bible, that Christ came into the world, died for sinners and rose again. I read to the officer about the infanticide of the Hin- doos described by Buchanan, and asked him at this oc- casion whether he had any objection to my reading the Bible with him every evening, and the sailors were full of joy, and so was the captain when 1 told them that I have tracts for them ; my heart is this evening in a state of peace and rest, I feel confidence in God's help ; I read and expounded this evening twice, and prayed twice, first with the officer, and then with the sailors of the ship. Apj'il 27. — We finally started at ten o'clock in the morning. I expounded to the officers and to a Welsh clergyman of the Methodist persuasion, the ninth chap- ter of Daniel, and tried to prove by this chapter that the desire of all the saints has been that Israel should be saved, and that the walls of Jerusalem should be built 5* 54 tip again, and that the Lord Jesus will not des}3ise the prajer for the elder brother, that he, the Day-spring from on high, will visit them, and 1 pressed it upon their mind, that we all must, like Daniel, ix. 2. try to under- stand by books, by the book of books, the Bible, tne will of the Lord : by verses 4 — 7, I shewed that we must come before the Lord as poor and wretched sinners, not plead* ing our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. I pointed out to them the Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world. A little while after that exposition and prayer, 1 read loud to the captain and officer, *' The Love of Christ beareth us away," a sermon preached by my dear Mr. Ward of Sera m pore, wliich he has made me a present of ft was the first time in my life that I ever kneeled down among sailors to pray to the Lord God Almighty ! It made sweet impression in my soul to see above us the sky, and beneath the great riv- er — and the ship hasting to the wide ocean — and nine persons kneeling before the ruler of the ocean, imploring his protection, and committing our safety to him. I asked the captain, the pilot, and the sailors, whether 1 should not likewise read to them a portion of the Scrip- ture while they were taking their dinner, breakfast, and supper ? they with one consent, replied. Oh yes, yes, yes ! — I read therefore, while they were taking their supper, the viiith and ixth chapters of Matthew, and made on this occasion some few remarks. I retired then to my cabin, and prayed that I may not become a castaway myself, while 1 am preaching to others. I prayed in ejaculatory sighs for absent friends. Jlpril 29. — (Sunday morning) the pilot left us, and sea-sickness came on, which lasted till May I. — (Tuesday) when I expounded again for the first time to the captain and the sailors, the xivth chap- ter of Matthew, from verse 22 to 36. I shewed on this occasion how thankful we should be to the Lord, that our ship, now in the midst of the sea, was not tossed with waves, and the wind not contrary. JMay 5. — A storm of wind arose so violently that the ?hi'p was tossed to and fro. and water entered into all the parts of the deck. I remauied in my cabin and prayed to the Lord that he may speak to the winds, Peace, be stilh The storm did last the whole day and the whole night till the half part of the sixth day of the month May, in all thirty hours. After the storm was over, the captain and 1 kneeled down and offered up ^thanksgivings unto the Lord for his goodness, and his wonderful works unto the children of men. May 6. — The captain told me that I should read the cviith psalm, which is a psalm for sailors. I read this psalm in the presence of the crew. May 7. — Read again with the crew and the captain a part of St. Mark's Gospel, and did thank the Lord for our preservation. I was weak, and the ship was too much tossed for reading any thing in a solid manner. I took all my let- ters of introductions and letters of credit, out of my portmanteau, and did put them into my coat pocket, in order that I may shew them in the case of a shipwreck to the benevolent inhabitants of any shore, where the providence of God might cast me with preserved life in its mercy, that I may receive assistance ; but I trust in thy mercy, O Lord, that thou wilt preserve us from shipwreck. May 9. — The storm is over, and we had for the whole night, and have still fair weather. Read again, after some days' interruptions, Hebrew Bible, New Tes- tament, and Henry Martyn's Life, and prayed as usual for my dear friends in England. Read the Bible and offered up thanksgiving to the Lord, with the whole company of the ship. Have read a little Welsh. May 10. — Very good wind the whole day. Ex- pounded the Gospel of St. Mark, finished this whole Gospel, read beside this Henry Martyn's Memoir, and some chapters of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews. Am not quite well — thought much of my mother, bro- thers, and sisters in Germany. Have agreed with the captain that he should sing next Sunday, if the Lord s|)ares our life, a Welsh hymn with his crew, to the glory 56 of God. Our ship is a little church upon the great waters. May 12. — Read Exodus in Hebrew to the xxxvith chapter, and in the Gospel of St. Luke. Began Crooll's Objections to Cliristianity with Scott's Answer. The sea seemed to have been angry with me for reading the blasphemies of Crooll ; for sitting with the- book on deck, the waves came with the greatest vio- lence over the ship, and covered me almost from head to foot with water. May 13. — Fair wind continued, expounded xiiith chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark; finished Exodus in Hebrew. Read again part of the Revelations. May 14. — Arrived at the viith chapter of Leviticus in the Hebrew tongue, and read four chapters of St. John's Gospel. Arrived off Cape St. Vincent. Finished Crooll's Objections to Christianity, witli sighs for the blindness of that man. It is very singular, that here again the swelling waves of the sea came again and wetted the book through for the second time, so that the captain made the observation that I should not read this book again whilst on the sea. Crooll's objections filled my heart with sorrow, for I had a new proof in what an awful blindness the Jews are, and much did I sorrow. May 16. — At four o'clock in the afternoon, we arri- ved by the grace of the Lord safely at Gibraltar. Two merchants, who were Roman Catholics, came on board to receive letters from my captain. As the captain had no desire to go immediately on shore, and I, on the con- trary, wished to go, he desired those merchants to take me in their boat, which they willingly did, and went then afterwards with me to shew me the house of Doc- tor Parker, who was unfortunately with his lady in the country. One of those merchants did therefore accom- pany me to the house of the Rev. Mr. Croscombe and Rev. Mr. Rees, both of the Wesleyan denomination, to whom I had letters of introduction. They received me as tl)eir brother in the Lord, and we enjoyed from the first moment true brotherly communion. They pro- 57 cured me a lodging in the house of a pious citizen named Cross. I met beside this, the first evening, a pious gentleman, Jolui Pyne, Esq., who invited me to dine with him next Friday. I breakfast and dine at present with Mr. Rees and Mr. Croscombe. The clever and respectable Jew called Gabay, who had heard of me from Mr. Rees before my arrival at Gibraltar, has invited me to call on him next ^Saturday at his own house. May 17. — Made the acquaintance of Dr. Coldstream, surgeon in the 26tli regiment. — Being obliged to wait the arrival of Dr. Parker, to whom I am particularly recommended, that he might introduce me to the gov- ernor, 1 thought Christian wisdom required that I should not introduce myself immediately to the Jews, nor be introduced to them, till I had spoken with the governor, and I made therefore the following observations incog- nito, 1 observed many poor Jews from the Barbary coast dressed similar to the Moors, called at Gibraltar the Moorish Jews, who left Barbary on account of the degradation in which they are held there : they are a very fine race of people, but extremely poor. Tiien I saw many others dressed like the Turkish and the Eng- lish Jews. Their open and decided countenance struck me extremely ; although not one of them knows me at present, the}' looked me in the face with such a firmness and boldness, that I fancied they said to me, We will answer you on the subject on which you intend to challenge us. Rev. I\lr. Rees, the Wesleyan preacher, told me, that the Jew Gabay, who desires to see me to-morrow mor- ning at his house, is a man of business, a WQvy clever man, who has travelled in Germany, France, and in England, where he received his English education. He speaks Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, and English, and learned Arabic from a Moorish gentleman ; he is descri- bed by Mr. Rees as a candid and gentlemanlike per- son : he has read the Gospel. Lieutenant Pollack told me, that they are very obstinate ; he mentioned to me *he Jew Hassan, who is very rich, and professeth Chris- 58 tianity. Mr. Pyrie, above mentioned, will introduce me to him. The richest Jew is Ben Oliel ; he is very benevolent to the poor. Carthusi, who is at present at London, has the title of King of the Jews at Gib- raltar ; he settles all the disputes among the Jews : but in case any one of them refuses to obey him, he brings the matter before the governor, and desires to turn him out of the garrison. The number of the Jews is supposed to be equal to that of the Protestants. Dr. Coldstream told me that my knowledge of lan- guages, and those letters from respectable persons in England and Germany wiiich I possess, assure me a favourable reception from the Jews at Gibraltar. I burn to be introduced to my brethren in this town, but I am firmJy decided not to go to them until Dr. Park- er's return. May 18. — The Lord prepares me now for my work in a most marvellous manner ; Lieutenant Bailey, who was thirty years in the Levant, and who is well ac- quainted with the manner of travelling in the East, called on me, and gave me advice how to travel in those parts of the world, and he offered me rooms in his own house. May 19.— The Rev. Mr. Rees and the Rev. Mr. Croscombe introduced me to Mr. Gabay, who is con- sidered by the Jews themselves as the most learned man among them, and is styled by the Jews, " The wise man." He was just interpreting to two Jews a rabbini- cal book ; and, surrounded by his wife and children, he received us all with the greatest kindness. He tried me first in Italian, then in Arabic, and in Hebrew, and shewed me after this the travels of Nie- buhr translated into the French language, which lan- guage he understood pretty well. On my asking for an Arabic Bible, he brought me the Arabic transla- tion of the Old Testament, published by the Bible Soci- ety, and we read together a great part of the first chap- ier of Genesis. Gabay. Do you understand Persian ? 1. A little. May I ask you about the State of the Jews at Gibraltar ? 5» Gabay. With pleasure. /. How many Jews are at Gibraltar ? Gabay. Three or four thousand. /. Have they a Rabbi ? Gabay. Yes, one Rabbi, his name is Rabbi Joseph from Morocco. 1. Is he a learned man ? Gabay. In the Talmud only. /. Are the Jews at Gibraltar all Talmudists or Ca- raites f Gabay. No Caraites, all are Talmudists; we learn there are some Caraites Morocco. I told him then ofMr. Lewis Way's conversation with the Caraite Jews in the Crimea, and Mr. Way's journey to Aix-Ia-Chapelle, with which account Gabay was \ery much pleased, and said, Love produces more ef- fect tlian any other thing. We all agreed with him. I continued then, and said, that true Christians in every age have loved the Jews, and Mr. Croscombe observed We are obliged to love the Jews, for we are so much indebted to them. /. Is the account true, that the Jews at Gibraltar have a king f Gabay. No ; for the Jews are now without king, and without prophet, and without ephod. /. Are the jews at Gibraltar in connection with the Jews in Germany ? Gabay. No. /. Have you any notice of that new synagogue, whicl) tlie Jews in Germany have established ^ Gabay. What are their principles.^ I. They are, alas! Deists, viz. neither Jews nor Christians. Gabay. They are the beasts spoken of in the Revela- tion of St. John. He shewed me then a Hebrew Bible with the commentary of Jonathan, (Targum Jonathan.) /. Has Targum Jonathan the same authority among the Jews here, as the Targum Onkeios ? Gabay. Yes ; for Targum Jonathan is written by in- spiration of the Holy Ghost. 60 /. How may this be proved ^ Gabay. By tradition. /. By what tradition ? Gabay. Of that of the Rabbies. I. How do you prove the truth of that tradition of the Rabbies ? Gabay here broke off, and turned the conversation to another subject. /. How many synagogues have the Jews at Gibraltar? Gabay, Four. I. Of what rites is their worship. Gabay Of the Spanish rites. — Do you understand Kimchi's dictionary ? I. A little. — Gabay took out of his shelves Kimchi's writings, and desired me to read ; I read a portion of it, and asked him whether he would have any objection to read the Bd^le with mfe on the Sabbath-day in the Spanish tongue, of which language Gabay is perfect master. Gabay. With great pleasure. — He shewed me aSpan- ish Bible, and desired me to read and to translate the thirty-eight chapter of Job: which I did, he then shew- ed me the New Testament in Hebrew, which he had in his possession. After I had showed him the sermon on the mount, I asked, How do you consider this doctrine ? Gabay. I consider the whole as a history. /. Do you approve of it ? Gabay. I like fine and good words. — He broke off again, and I did not press upon him, and offered him the History of the Jews written by Hannah Adams, with which offer he was much pleased. A Jew from Barba- ry entered : 1 began to talk Arabic with him, but he could not understand my pronunciation. /. How are the Jews in Morocco treated ? Gabay. Very ill. — I expressed my compassion in strong terms. Gabay. We could read together the Bible in Hebrew P I. 1 shall be most happy. Gabay. I offer you a room in my house ? I. 1 shall be most happy to take lodgings in your 61 house, but I must first speak about it with Doctor Par- ker, to v^hom I am particularly recommended. I took his child in my arms ; the Jews present, and the mother, Gabay's wife, seemed surprised by my kindness. Our conversation lasted an hour and a half, and then all the Jews and Gabay shook hands with me, and Rev. Mr. Croscombe in the most cordial way, and he expressed his desire that I would come often to him. I asked him likewise, whether the Jews at Gibraltar read their Old Testament: he replied. No, alas ! for Gibraltar is too much a town of business. Gabay. In the edition of Simoni's Hebrew Bible, printed at the expense of the Bible Society, there are many mistakes. /. Mistakes which alter the sense, or only errors of the press f Gabay. Errors which alter the sense. — I desired him to shew me those errors, which he was most ready to do, but we had no more time. The Bible Society should indeed take into consideration the assertion of such a learned man as Mr. Gabay is, for he respects highly the Bible Society ; he spoke of the Bible Society freely with the greatest regard and animation, and considers that Society as an instrument of God for destroying all the prejudices, and exciting and reviving piety in the minds of men. Doctor P. returned from Spain the nineteenth of May, and we consulted with Rev. Messrs. Rees and Cros- combe, Dr. Coldstream and Pyne, and Lieutenant Bai- ley, whether I should accept the kind offer of the learned Jew Gabay to give me a lodging in his house. May 21. — Dr. P. introduced me to His Excellency the governor, who had already heard of me, and receiv- ed me with great kindness, and gave me permission to stay at Gibraltar as long as I liked. Mr. Pyne informed the rich Jew, Mr. Hassan, of my arrival ; he is himself a Protestant, and he desired me to call on him. Dr. Parker introduced me, and I took out of my pocket the Hebrew Testament, and said : that as I my- 6 62 self was a Jew by birth, and brought by the grace ofthe Lord to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, whom I now worship as my Saviour, I was rejoiced to have a brother according to the flesh at Gibraltar, who had embraced Christianity, and 1 hoped he had done so from convic- tion, convinced that we are all sinners, and can only be saved by the blood of Christ. Sam. Hassan. I would wish that all the Jews may consider the subject, and be ofthe same view as Chris- tians are, for the religion of Christ is better. I perceived by this, that he had not understood me, and 1 asked him, Why did you become a Christian .'' tSi Hassan. It is written in the prophecies, that Jesus is the Christ. /. Have you read the Bible ? S. Hassan. Yes, in the Spanish tongue I read it. — As I intended to read some chapters ofthe New Testament with him, I shewed him the Hebrew New Testament I had in my hand, and asked him whether he ever had seen it ? S. Hassan. I never have seen a Hebrew translation of the New Testament, but I think the Jews will be sur- prised when they see it. While we conversed together, his brotlier, Joseph Hassan, a great Hebrew scholar, and still a strict but reasonable Jew, entered the room. S. Hassan introdu- ced me to him. His eyes are like eagle's eyes, and he is a man of talent and wealth. I showed him the New Testament; he read in it the fourth and fifth chapters of Matthew. He was struck when he read, " Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." He read it twice over, and continued to read. /. Do you approve of this doctrine ? Joseph Hassan. I cannot yet give you my decided opinion, for 1 never have read the New Testament. 1 know only the Old Testament, but 1 will tell you my view about the Messiah, and about Jesus. The design of the Messiah was, according to the prophets, to restore Israel into their own lands, and to make them kings 63 and priests ; to redeem them from their captivity, and to make them a righteous people. And he, the Messiah, must be their king, and mighty to save. But Jesus was sacrificed, it may be for a good purpose, but this very circumstance shows that he was not the Messiah. /. I am entirely of the same opinion that the Messiah will come again, aud restore Israel to their own land, and every true Christian believes it; but they must first look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn. J, Hassan. If 1 do not mistake, the Christians be- lieve that the Messiah was to redeem Israel from eternal wrath by his death ; but how can this be proved by the Old Testament ? to which we ought to refer. I referred him to Gen. iii. 15, and Is. liii. J. Hassan. How can you prove that he is already come ? I referred him to Gen. xlix. 10, and Dan. ix. J. Hassan. 1 cannot now go into argument, for I have not yet read your book, as I declared from the be- ginning. I have no hesitation to acknowledge Jesus was sent by God. I shall examine both the Old and the New Testament. The state of the Jews is bad in- deed; they are the worst nation upon earth ; /. I love the Jews, and have pity and pray for them, that ihey may be saved by believing in Jesus, who is God above all, blessed for ever. J. Hassan. I cannot believe that he was God. /. Why ? J, Hassan. I cannot comprehend such things with my reason. /. Do you take your reason tor an infallible guide in matters of religion ; or do you lake the revelation oi God laid down in Moses and the prophets.'* J. Hassan. The Revelation of God. /. " A child" (I cited this text in Hebrew) " is born onto us, a son is given unto us, and his name is called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The Miglity God, The Ever- lasting Father, The Prince of Peace." J. Hassan (Repeated with visible surprise in Hebrew.) ■'^ A child is born unto us, a son is given unto us, and 64 his name is called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." After he had repeated this verse, he said, " Let us speak about the seventh chapter of Isaiah." /. My dear brother, let us not spring from one point to another, but acknowledge candidly that the Son is called Mighty God." J. Hassan. Yes. /. Then Jesus is Mighty God — for he was that Son of God. J. Hassan, I must read the New Testament. Our conversation was half in Italian, half in Hebrew, and half in English. 1 then requested Doctor P. to con- tinue the discourse with my brother according to the liesh, which he did, and J. Hassan listened with great patience longer than half an hour, so that our conversa- tion lasted an hour and a half. Dr. P. spake of the necessity of an atonement. J. H. confessed his entire ignorance of the New-Testament, and promised us to read it. I called again on Rabbi Gabay, and took with me some tracts and a copy of the Hebrew Psalter, of which Mr. Lewis Way has made me a present. Gabay was alone, for his wife and children were gone to town. He received me with all the kindness imaginable, and ac- cepted from me the tracts and Psalter. /. Rabbi, will you allow me to talk with you freely 't Gahay. With pleasure. I. 1 am, as you know, a Jew by birth, the son of a ■Rabbi, but 1 believe, by the grace of the Lord, that Je- sus of Nazareth is the Christ, for the prophets and Mo- ses assure us of it with clear and distinct words : and by him alone, by Jesus of Nazareth, remission of sins is obtained, if we Ijelieve in him. Rabbi, you may be per- suaded that I do not tell you this with the intention of offending you, for I love the Jews, and am grieved when I see them persecuted by nominal Christians, who have not the spirit of Christ ; but I know at the same time, that the Jews are now dispersed throughout the world on account of their unbelief. Their heart is hardened— 65 they hear not him who loves them — they read not Ijis Gospel, which gives joy and peace. I never felt that joy I now feel, when 1 was a Jew. I tell you therefore, again, Jesus is the Shiloh who was to come. Gabay. Jesus is Shiloh— how do you prove it ? /. For the sceptre is departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet. Gabay. You translate shebet (oD^O sceptre. /. What other meaning can you give ;CiZV ? Gabay. Shebet has ten meanings. First, ^y^ (Scep- tre,) HI^Sd D3^ (tli*^ sceptre of the empire,) "^DIL D j\i^ (rod of chastisement,) after I have premised this, I trans- late Gen. xlix, 10, " The chastisement shall not depart from Judah, until Shiloh (Messiah) comes." /. 1. You have lelt out tSj-j p352 ppni:, which, if you had candidly translated it, would show that your translation will not hold. I will translate after your manner, but I shall only translate those words which you have left out, and you will see the incompatibility of it. "Chastisement shall not depart from Judah, and the Lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes." Chastisement cannot consist with the privilege of the power to enact laws. 2, Jacob blessed Judah, and pre- dicted that his brethren shall praise him ; and being re- presented as a young lion, it is not probable that chas- tisement should be his lot. 3. Neither Jews nor Christians have the right of altering the sense accor- ding to their pleasure, in order that they may main- tain their views and opinions. J confess freely, that there are Christians who do the same as you, but 1 do not approve of it, it produces partiality. t}3l^ was in this passage translated in the LXX. 280 years before Christ, in Jerome, in Targum OnkeK)s, and in the mo- dern times by all the learned Jews, " sceptre :" why do you alter the sense .^ Gabay. How did your father translate it ? I. Sceptre. Gabay. But did he apply it to Jesus ? /. No ; for he was not enlightened by the grace of 6* 66 the Lord, for only tlie grace of God can teach us to know the Lord Jesus, God above all, blessed for ever. Gabay. Shiloh is Moses. I. Prove it. Gabay. Begimatria, (j^nDt^JD) or by the Cabalisti- cal account of the letters ; 12; signifies Moses , •SjP, n^^J2, I. I reject every proof which is not taken from the Bible. Gabay. Then I will shew you the opinion of the great Rabbi More. /. I have nothing to do with More — the Bible only t Gabay. Moses has received two Torahs, n"liri tiiSi'''^^ and 2:2i